“You don’t know that for sure, Gloriana.” Jerry started pacing again. “Da is hot to go after Ian. He’s the MacDonald heir, you know.”
“With vampires that doesn’t mean a lot, us being immortal and all. I’m sure Ian’s not worrying about leading his clan someday.” I paced right along with Jerry. “Think, Jerry. If you were right and Ian knew all along that you and I were together, then he willingly let me have the diet stuff anyway. And it didn’t kill me. It worked. Made me lose an incredible amount of weight in time for the Grammys just like I wanted.” I glanced at Ray. “Because Ray paid him big bucks.”
“Send me the bill, Caine.” Jerry stopped and pulled me tight against him. “You’ve given me plenty to think about, Gloriana.”
“You want the bill, you got it.” Ray stood and yawned. “Now you’d better get the hell out of here. Dawn’s only minutes away.”
“Less than that, boss.” Valdez walked over to the balcony and tapped it with his paw. Brittany opened the door. “I don’t think you can make it back to your hotel in time.”
“Stay here. We’re dead after dawn anyway.” I looked at Ray.
“No way in hell.” He headed into the bedroom, pulling off his shirt as he went.
“Come on, Ray. What can it hurt?” I followed him.
“I’d rather not, Gloriana. Maybe there’s a vacancy in the hotel.” Jerry stayed right behind me.
“You don’t have time to check in and arrange that. Besides, I know for a fact the place is booked solid. I heard the desk clerk on the phone when we walked through the lobby tonight.” I sighed when Ray dropped his pants.
Jerry growled as I knew he would. “What the hell is he doing?”
“Means nothing, Jerry. Ignore him. I do.” I slid my hand down Jerry’s chest.
“Fine.” Jerry smiled and unbuttoned his shirt, flinging it on the chair behind him. Then he deliberately pulled off his belt and set his knife and scabbard on the nightstand. When he went to work on his jeans, Ray growled.
“What the hell are you doing?”
“Getting ready for bed.” Jerry grinned, dropped his jeans on the floor and stepped out of them.
Wow, did I ever have a view. Two hunky men standing on either side of a king-size bed in nothing but their underwear. Jerry favored briefs and had worn black stretchy ones that left nothing to the imagination. Not that I needed one. I’d seen his stuff thousands of times. Yeah.
“Glory, your mouth is open. Want us to go head-to-head?” Ray grinned. “Or will your old man there be exposing his shortcomings?”
“By God!” Jerry roared.
“Ray, behave. I’m sleeping in the middle. Vampires have to stick together and this is an emergency. No one will be naked.”
I grabbed my gown from a drawer and ran into the bathroom.
The silence coming from the bedroom was deafening. I quickly brushed my teeth, washed my face, then decided to slap on some makeup again since I was sleeping with two hot guys. I emerged in my floor-length, totally unsexy gown and saw Ray in his usual spot on the bed. Jerry stood on the other side, glaring at Ray.
“This is not going to work, Gloriana.” Jerry snarled when Ray patted the spot next to him.
“Cuddle up next to me, baby.” Ray grinned at Jerry. “Blade, why don’t you just lay on the floor. Dead men don’t care where they lie, do they?”
“Now, Ray, be nice. Jerry can sleep on my other side.” I picked up my bottle of supplement and opened it.
“What the hell is that you’re drinking?” Jerry made a grab for it.
I skipped out of reach. “I have to lose the pounds I gained yesterday. This will take care of it. Don’t mess with me, Jerry. This is important. I know which dress I want to wear and I won’t fit into it otherwise.” I quickly drained the bottle.
“Valdez!” Jerry shouted and I jumped.
“Sir?” Valdez appeared in the open doorway.
“I want this door locked. But if Gloriana somehow does her day walking and gets out of here, make sure she doesn’t harm herself. Got it?”
“Got it.” Valdez looked at me. “Did you drink some more of Ian’s shit?”
“Yes. And don’t give me a hard time about it. It’s too late. Done deal. Now, do as Jerry said. I’m counting on you. And I’ll take care of the door.” I walked over and shut the door myself, then turned the lock.
I didn’t feel the dawn coming but I could tell that both men were just about out for the count. So I pretended that I was conking out too. I yawned and stretched, gratified that both watched my chest rise and fall. Then I crawled into bed, leaving a few inches between me and Ray. Jerry climbed in beside me, making a big deal out of taking me in his arms. In moments, both he and Ray were goners.
I slipped out of Jerry’s arms and lay there, staring at the ceiling and waiting for Ian’s death sleep to come. I’d left the bathroom door open and could see the lightening sky around the edges of the curtains again. Magic. This time I was going to appreciate it. I crept out of bed, though I could have ridden an elephant out of there with accompanying trumpets and the guys wouldn’t have heard it. I walked into the bathroom and carefully raised the edge of the curtain.
There it was. The pinks, pale blues and yellows of the dawn. For the first time in over four hundred years I saw the beginning of a new day. I leaned against the marble counter and wept. Silly, but I cried for my lost mortality. I’d given up so many things for love. For the first time I realized I might be able to get at least one of them back.
Seventeen
I woke up before sunset. I knew it in my bones. Cool. Even more cool was lying there, the filling in a man sandwich. I could reach out and touch a perfect male chest on either side of me. First, out of loyalty and, yeah, love, I rolled over to study Jerry. Dark stubble that he’d shave as soon as he had a chance covered his firm jaw and, even in sleep, he never seemed fully relaxed. He had long lashes. Nice. His great broad chest with its well-earned scars from so very long ago tapered down to a flat stomach that he certainly didn’t shave like my earlier donor had.
None of us had pulled up the covers. Probably a case of dueling egos with the men and I’d just forgotten. We don’t get cold when we sleep. We just die. I shuddered, suddenly freaked-out at the thought. Stupid, I knew it, but the fact that I could lay my cheek against Jerry’s chest and hear absolutely nothing disturbed me. A sure cure for that was to continue my tour south, to where his briefs bulged. No morning or, in our case, evening erection for a vamp. Nope, just the usual at-ease position. Which was impressive enough. Now down to his muscular legs, so very fine and strong. I smiled and leaned down to kiss his shoulder, then turned to my other side.
Ray. He was as still as Jerry. And I loved him too. When had that happened? Didn’t matter. It did matter that, when he’d tossed in the fact that he was thinking of staying in L.A., my heart had rolled over. Yep, it had really hurt.
I shook off my emotional confusion and focused on the physical. Ray had a nice body. Okay, be honest, Glory. Ray had a great body. Which was a miracle considering his hard-drinking lifestyle before he’d been turned. But he’d hit the gym often enough with his buddy Nate to be trim with naturally broad shoulders and flat abs. He had evening stubble too. Both my guys were dark. Though when Ray opened his eyes they’d be that bright blue that sent his fans into orgasms.
Ray had an arrow of hair pointing straight down to his trademark black silk boxers. They hid the package I knew was inside. I didn’t need to see it. He’d flaunted it often enough. In a comparison, I’d say the men were about equal in the size department. I’d never given Ray a chance to demonstrate his prowess. I sighed, sure I’d missed the boat now. He’d move here, I’d go back to Austin and our fake engagement would be called off as planned.
I collapsed back on the pillow and boldly put a hand on each man’s chest, imagining what it would be like to have them both doing whatever I wanted to please me. I laughed. Impossible. Neither one was into sharing. There’d be a dead vampire on one side of the bed before I got any attention.
“Glory? Are you awake?” Valdez from outside the door.
I crawled out of bed. A glance at the digital clock beside the bed showed me I probably still had some time before sunset. I unlocked the door and opened it.
“Yep. What’s up?” I saw Valdez with Nate hovering anxiously behind him.
“Is everyone okay in there?” Nate looked around me. “Oh, my God! How did you manage that?” He grinned. “Or is one of them dead permanently?” He stopped smiling. “It had better not be Ray.”
“No, they’re both fine. We called a truce. Nothing happens while we sleep, remember?” I glanced at the closed drapes. Brittany sat on the couch. She nodded at me but didn’t say anything. I had a feeling we weren’t exactly friends. Well, what did I do? Oh, yeah, made Valdez my slave, I guess. Ouch.
“That was quite a scene I almost walked in on last night. I hope you guys worked things out.” Nate shook his head. “The people from Designed to Kill have called six times already. They’ve got the hair and makeup people waiting in the lobby for the signal to come up and start on you, Glory. You and Ray are going to be cutting it close.” He glanced at the drapes. “Hey, the sun’s not down yet. What the hell?”
“I took something and woke up early. Wait right here.” I ran into the powder room and weighed. Yes. The red dress would fit. “Okay, I’ll jump in the shower and wash my hair. The guys should wake up in about ten minutes. As soon as the sun hits the horizon, call the TV people and have them come up.”
“I think I should go with you to the Grammys, Glory.” Valdez glanced at Brittany. “In human form. To keep an eye on things. Brittany can stay with Ray when he’s backstage.”
“Do you have something to wear?” I guess I owed this to Rafe. And if Jerry had a problem with it, he’d just have to get over it. Brittany was right. This wasn’t fair to me. Hey, where was the trust? It was nice having a bodyguard, but when I got home to Austin, I was going to learn to live without one and Rafe was going to have to go job hunting.