Demon of Desire (6 page)

Heat spread from her core over her skin and up her face.
Were these thoughts her own, or had the demon been affecting her all along? She
needed to think of something other than sex. “How did you end up a vampire?”

“I had twenty years to watch my brothers stay young and
healthy, while my body wore down.” He fingered the strands of gray at his
temples. “They had suggested turning me on occasion, but I couldn’t imagine
what it would mean. As I aged, it became more clear that I would die while they
would get to keep enjoying what life they could find.”

“I’ve heard that twins have a special bond. I guess it’s the
same with other multiples.”

“I wouldn’t know,” he said. “I was never a single birth.”

Sin smiled. “So eventually you gave in.”

Gower nodded. “A virus swept through our village and most
families lost at least one member. Before I could get sick, Baen offered his wrist
for me to drink.”

She frowned. “That’s all it takes? Drinking the blood of a
vampire?”

“Well, apparently it takes longer when the person is healthy
and filled with blood, rather than weak and almost dead. But after a few tries
we noticed the changes begin.”

It struck her that she had centuries ahead of her, not just
the forty or fifty more years she’d always assumed would complete her lifetime.
What would she do with herself? She had so few plans as she’d prepared to move.
Her web design business was running without her at the moment, and she needed
to get up to date there. But she hadn’t thought beyond her work. Eternity was
an awfully long time to have no plans.

She rose from the bed and ran a hand through her hair. “I
should get back at it, I suppose.” Crossing to the dresser, she opened a drawer
to sort.

Chapter Five

Sin pulled on a sweater she hoped looked nice enough to meet
people in. The brothers had invited her to dinner at their house, and some
friends of theirs would be coming also. Dinner with vampires brought the image
to mind of a victim being drained of blood by a group of men in black capes.
But they swore Enos was a gourmet cook, and invitations to one of his meals
were coveted in Whispering Valley.

Against her protests, Baen picked her up so that she didn’t
have to worry about traveling on icy roads. Enos had told her that due to the
high mountains around them, dark fell earlier year round, but especially so in
winter. Black ice was a big problem in winter.

Baen’s eyes flickered in the light from her porch when she
opened the door. “You look good enough to eat.”

She laughed as she locked the door. “I’ll bet you say that
to all the women you see. Men, too, I imagine.” She easily could have said the
same to him in his tight black jeans.

“There was a time when we might have,” he agreed. “In
London, in the nicer parts where we usually were, there weren’t a lot of rats
and stray cats to feed on. Many a pub-goer woke with an extreme hangover, only
partially caused by the ale he’d consumed.”

Baen helped her into the passenger seat of the black SUV
before climbing in. Her home was on the outskirts of the town, as her
great-grandfather had bought a good portion of the surrounding land. Still, the
valley itself was so small they reached the brothers’ house in no time.

There were more cars on the street and driveway than she
could account for with three brothers, so she assumed she was the last to
arrive. After taking her coat and hat, Baen led her to a large room with a
stone fireplace that took up most of one wall. A fire burned brightly, warming
the room. Small table lamps scattered about the room kept the lighting intimate
without leaving any of the seating areas in the shadows.

A beautiful blonde woman who appeared to be in her thirties
sat on one side of a loveseat, with a slightly younger, darker-haired woman
next to her. A man Sin guessed to be older than her own forty years was
thumbing through a book in front of the bookshelves, and Gower stood beside
him.

Baen led her to the two women. “Sin, these ladies are Ana
and Sophia Williams. Ana grows herbs and makes homeopathic remedies, if you’re
ever in the need. Sophia is a student at Texas A&M, but home on break.”

Sin nodded her greeting to the two women. The brothers had
mentioned Ana to her. She looked forward to talking to both sisters.

The man with the book walked over to them. “I’m Dean
Marrett. I knew your aunt and grandfather.”

“Oh, yes, I’ve heard your name. One of the guys brought that
fetish to you.”

“That’s right. I was just talking to Gower about it. He had
the basic background correct on it.” Marrett wore his short hair combed back,
which emphasized his receding hairline. While Sin knew the MacDuirmads were at
least a hundred years older than she, standing next to Marrett let her feel like
she wasn’t the oldest person in the room. Turning forty hadn’t sat well with
her.

“I admit I don’t really understand how a demon ends up in a
fetish.” She accepted the glass of white wine Baen handed her.

“Usually, they’re cast there,” Marrett said.

Enos stuck his head in the room. “We can start the first
course, if everyone is ready.”

“First course?” Sin looked at Baen as he motioned toward the
door. She followed the other women in, noticing they seemed to know where they
were going.

Ana spoke over her shoulder. “You’re in for a real treat.
Enos’ dinners go on all night, just about.”

Ana wasn’t exaggerating. Two rounds of vegetable appetizers
took the edge off her hunger. Then came the salad. Since Sin had been adjusting
to drinking blood from the local bank for her meals, her stomach wasn’t
prepared for so much food.

Sin sipped at the gingered carrot soup and listened to the
conversation around her. But she couldn’t keep her eyes from straying to the
brothers. Gower wore a black pullover sweater that fit his form so snugly, she
itched to run her hands over it. Cashmere, she guessed, and she wondered what
the soft fabric would feel like on that hard body.

Baen was more casual in a navy wool shirt with the neck
unbuttoned. If she stuck her nose inside the collar, she knew she’d inhale
clean shirt and his scent, a heady combination. Enos, in a knit pullover, still
had his sleeves pushed up to the elbow after cooking all afternoon. She had
never paid attention to the lower arms of a man, but his were muscular, with
prominent veins that spoke of strength.

She held in a sigh. She needed to quit thinking about sex,
but how could she when the presence of any of the three ratcheted up her
temperature? She was sure her blood pressure, if she had any now, went up just
from looking at them. At times she had to concentrate on her breathing to keep
from sounding as if she’d just run a lap around the block.

Ana was looking in her direction, so Sin focused on what she
said. “It’s been a few years since an outcomer moved into the valley.”

“Outcomer?” Sin asked.

“Someone from outside the valley. We don’t get a lot of
visitors.”

Marrett cleared his throat. “You know who’s responsible for
that. Our forefathers.”

“My fourth-great-grandmother, to be exact,” Ana said. “She
cast the spell on the valley, making it hidden from outcomers.”

“Like Brigadoon?” Sin loved that movie as a child,
repeatedly watching the tale of a village in Scotland that only awakened at
certain times.

“Somewhat.” Ana set down her wine glass. “It doesn’t really
disappear, or go to sleep. We keep on enjoying our lifestyle, coming and going
from other areas. But only those who have business here will see the signs on
the highway directing them to Whispering Valley.”

“Wow, your ancestor was very protective of the village.”

Marrett spoke after swallowing some salmon. “Our forefathers
needed to be. They moved here because of persecution for their spiritual
practices, or because they were shifters or demon hunters. Your
great-grandfather George learned of Whispering Valley through his collections.
He taught me a lot while I was growing up. My family has worked in demon
cleansing for centuries.”

She looked at the different people sitting around the table.
“Is everyone related to the original settlers?”

Sophia, Ana’s sister, shook her head. “No. New people find
their way here like your family did. But with a total population of three
hundred forty-three, you can see it doesn’t happen very often.”

Sin had never lived in a small town, and found herself
liking the idea that one day soon she’d know everyone. There was a comfort in
being a part of a larger whole. For the first time since hearing she’d
inherited the old house, she looked at it as beneficial, rather than just a
place to escape.

After sampling all the delicious courses, she sat in the
living room with the others, sipping her latte. She was certain she would
burst, and hoped her sweater was tight enough to hide the muffin-top the large
meal had surely given her. Soon, Marrett and the Williams sisters left and she was
alone with the MacDuirmads. Music played softly in the background and Enos sat
beside her while his brothers cleaned the kitchen.

“That meal was exquisite,” she told him.

“Thanks. If you all enjoyed eating it half as much as I
enjoyed cooking it, I’m satisfied.”

She set her mug on a coaster on the antique Queen Anne side
table and pivoted on the loveseat to face Enos. “Did you always love to cook?”

“No. But each lifetime I live through, I try to learn
something new. My existence would get pretty boring otherwise.”

“I, for one, am grateful you learned it.” She watched his
eyes as they moved from her hands upward, finally meeting her gaze. Blue
alternating icy and fiery. A few fine smile lines beneath them. His irises were
paler than his brothers, one of the few differences between them other than the
aging. Gower’s were the deepest blue, Baen’s had a grayish cast, but Enos’ were
a rich jewel tone.

He reached for her hair and wrapped a strand around two
fingers. “I love the way your hair curls, so soft.”

She smiled and let his words, the tone of his voice, filter
through her busy thoughts. Would he kiss her? Should she kiss him? Should she
even consider starting something with any of the men? If only she could stop
over-analyzing every move she made, she might relax enough to just let things
happen.

He leaned in and kissed the corner of her mouth. A soft
touch, just the center of his lips brushing her. And it burned as if she were
made of ice. She gasped softly and he pressed against her again, fully taking
her breath away.

Clutching the front of his shirt, she leaned into him,
unable to stop the desperate desire to taste him. Her tongue battled with his,
tasting the sweet coffee that lingered on his breath. All her focus centered on
the places their bodies met, their lips, her hands on his chest, his on her
arms. The fire that spread from contact. The need his nearness stoked.

All too soon he backed off, drawing a deep breath. “I knew
you would be so passionate.”

She frowned and looked away. “Sometimes I think the demon is
still inside me. Everything I feel when I see you or your brothers is so
intense.”

His grip on her arms loosened, but he didn’t release her.
“Did you feel anything when you looked at Marrett tonight?”

Thinking back, she shook her head. “Nothing. Nothing more
than curiosity like with Ana and Sophia.”

His lips spread and his tongue traced over the lower one,
sending sparks to her pussy. “Then it’s not the demon. She would have you
attacking any male in your presence, and probably looking to find one if you
were alone.”

Well, that second part certainly fit, but she only sought
out the brothers during the few hours she spent alone each day. A slight bit of
relief calmed her. She was still over-stimulated and that embarrassed her, but
at least she knew it was her own body causing it.

Or the men causing it and her body acting as any healthy
female would when presented with such delicious temptation.

The other two tempting delights came into the living room as
if conjured by her wicked thoughts. She smiled at each of them. They took seats
in chairs near the loveseat.

Baen glanced at her coffee mug. “More latte?”

“No thank you. I’m really stuffed. Totally sated.” The last
she said while looking at Enos, to let him be clear how much she enjoyed the
meal. Looking around the cozy room with its dark paneling and British style she
asked, “Which one of you is the decorator?”

Enos raised a hand. Gower commented, “Enos is the more
refined among us. Any of the gentle arts is usually his work.”

“Hey, watch the ‘gentle’ stuff. I can still take you down if
I need to.” Enos grinned at his brother.

Sin laughed. “You guys haven’t outgrown sibling rivalry
yet?”

Baen jumped in. “Don’t hold your breath waiting, either.
We’re very competitive.”

As usual lately, her thoughts went naughty. A competition in
the bedroom arts was something she’d happily judge. But she didn’t say so. And
hoped the wicked wave stirring within her didn’t reach her eyes.

She enjoyed her visit, talking with them about anything but
demons and fetishes. When Gower walked her to her door, she felt awkward as she
hesitated before going inside. She wasn’t ready to ask him inside, and had
never mastered the kiss or no kiss routine after a date, if that’s what the
night had been.

Gower seemed to have no such qualms, standing beside her on
the front step. He gently took her chin in his hand, lifting her head. His gaze
skittered all over her face. Leaning down, he kissed her with all the promise
of what he could offer her. Reined fury hid behind his soft lips. He nipped and
licked her mouth and neck, burying his hands in her hair.

Her hands slipped inside his jacket and pulled him closer,
felt the tension in his body he held back. Her tingling breasts begged for his
touch, but logic still lingered strong enough to keep from dragging him inside
and tearing off both their clothes. There were still too many foggy areas
regarding relationships for her to let go. Forcing herself, she ended the kiss.
“Thank you for dinner. I enjoyed visiting with everyone.”