Taking on Tory Read online

  Alexandru chuckled as he took the bags from her and opened the door to the apartment he was renting while he was in Charleston. He carefully laid the bags by the entrance table. Walking into the kitchen, he flicked on the light and opened the refrigerator. He pulled several containers out, turned and held them up.

  “Nonny and mom packed a going away basket,” he grinned.

  Tory’s face dropped. “I thought we could try something different,” she muttered, walking over and peeking into the top container. “Black pudding, yay.”

  Alexandru tapped her nose and placed the items on the counter. “You know she and dad worry about you,” he said as he pulled some plates out. “Besides, I don’t get home cooking all that often.”

  “I know,” Tory muttered just as Alexandru’s cell phone rang. “I’ll do this while you take your call.”

  “Thanks, sis. Alexandru,” he said, turning and walking out into the living room.

  Tory rolled her eyes at her brother’s back. She could hear every word both he and his caller was saying. The good thing about being a Vampire was she had excellent hearing.

  “The bad thing is being a freaking Vampire with a blood allergy!” She muttered as she heated the Blood pudding in the microwave. She hated cold Blood pudding. “Who ever heard of a blood-intolerant Vamp?”

  “You’re talking to yourself again,” Alexandru said, leaning against the door jam. “I have a lead on a piece I’ve been looking everywhere for.”

  “I know. I heard,” Tory muttered, pulling the second plate out of the microwave. “I guess you want me to go home.”

  “No, actually, I don’t,” Alexandru said, straightening up so he could take a plate from her. “I was hoping you wouldn’t mind being on your own for a few days.”

  Tory’s eyes widened and her mouth dropped open in surprise. “Are you serious? What about daddy? He’ll kill you if you leave me on my own?” She whispered.

  “Tory, you’re twenty-four, not fourteen,” Alexandru said, brushing his knuckles along her cheek. “Charleston is a safe town as long as you are smart. Besides, I could use your help, if you don’t mind.”

  “I… Sure, anything!” She grinned.

  “Can you deliver some of the pieces I’ve already got to Mr. Drayton’s estate outside of town? If you can do that, it will help me tremendously as he wanted it all taken care of before the end of the week,” Alexandru explained.

  “I… yeah, I can do that,” she laughed, giving her brother a one armed hug. “I just need his address and where to get the items.”

  “I’ll leave everything in a folder for you,” he said with a relieved smile. “You’ll be fine. Just be careful and make sure you don’t draw any attention to yourself.”

  “No worries!” She replied. “Nonny put a ‘human’ spell on me. No one can tell that I’m not a normal human girl.”

  “Perfect,” he said. “Let’s eat. I’ll go over everything with you before I leave.”

  “Thanks, Alexandru,” Tory said, setting her plate on the small table in front of the window overlooking Market street.

  Alexandru frowned as he looked at her suddenly serious expression. “What for?”

  “For giving me a chance to spread my wings,” she said in a quiet voice as she turned to stare down at the street bustling with tourist.

  “Just be careful, Tory,” he replied in a soft voice. “Dad isn’t the only one who is overprotective of you. If anyone hurt you, they’d find out what hell was really like when every resident of Magic came after them.”

  Tory smiled and picked up her fork. Her eyes kept moving to the street down below her. For the first time in her life, she would be left alone to explore and discover at her own pace. Suddenly, the Blood pudding didn’t taste so bad. Tomorrow, she would try something a little different, maybe a touch spicier.

  Chapter Four

  “What have you found?” Simon asked as Youssef walked into the elegant office.

  “Nothing,” Youssef replied in frustration. “There was nothing on the cameras. It was as if they were never there!”

  “You said the surveillance system was operational,” Simon bit out in a deep voice, turning away from the window to the glare at his friend and chief of security.

  Youssef ran his hand over the back of his neck as he frowned. “It is,” he muttered. “Every movement along the street was recorded. The time-date stamp showed the exact moment they should have shown up on the camera. Everything is there. Hell, I watched a squirrel play in the damn tree they were standing under and nothing. They weren’t there.”

  A dangerous growl escaped Simon. Two nights until the full moon and the only female the beast inside him wanted was the one he saw yesterday. He would have to be locked up in the special room he had built in the basement if he couldn’t find and convince the woman to stay with him. He would lose control of the beast otherwise and that could prove to be deadly to everyone, including Youssef.

  He turned back toward the huge set of windows looking out over the long driveway. A white van was pulling down it. As it turned the curved in the driveway, he made out the name of the company he had employed to find the exact furnishings for his new home.

  Alexandru Carson of Magic Furnishings had managed to find all of the pieces he had requested so far. Simon wondered if the mysterious entrepreneur could find the woman he had seen yesterday. It appeared to be a task beyond his security chief’s ability.

  A moment of regret washed through him as he admonished himself for being so hard on his friend. It was not Youssef’s fault the camera was defective. His friend had spent years protecting him. In fact, he bore the scars from it across his chest when Simon had lost control one night and almost killed one of the gardeners who had returned after dark when he was running.

  “Replace the…” Simon’s voice died as he watched in disbelief as the door to the van opened and the woman that he had seen yesterday stepped out of the driver’s seat.

  “Simon!” Youssef called out in surprise as Simon turned and rushed by him. He glanced back and forth from the window to the open door before he cursed again as he turned to follow Simon. “I really do hate it when he does that.”

  ***

  Tory carefully folded the papers and slid them back into the envelope. The guards at the front had been about the strangest thing she had ever seen. They acted like she was trying to steal the furniture instead of delivering it!

  She shut the door to the van and looked up at the house. It was beautiful in a huge, I-want-to-bury-a-dead-body-in-it, kind of way. She had seen pictures of houses like this. It reminded her of the houses from the Vampire movie she had watched on television a couple months ago.

  She rolled her eyes as she walked up the steps to the front door. The actors had been really good, and really hot to look at, but they had gotten the whole Vampire thing wrong. Hell, when the little girl had turned to ash, Tory had laughed so hard she had almost wet her pants. Then, there was the other one where they were supposed to be all sparkly in the sun!

  “Not unless I took a bath in glitter,” she muttered as she raised her hand to knock on the massive door. “Damn, Hugo would love to have a set of these on his house,” she muttered as she thought of the gentle giant that lived off of Dust Bowl and Redwood back home.

  “Who is Hugo?” The male who opened the door demanded.

  “What?” Tory squeaked in surprise. She hadn’t heard him walking to the door, so when it opened it had surprised her.

  “Who is Hugo?” The male demanded again. “Is he your boyfriend or husband?”

  Tory tilted her head and frowned. Great! She came all the way to Charleston to meet… a Werewolf! Like she didn’t have enough of those running around back home.

  She wiggled her nose at the distinctive scent. She refused to admit he smelled a hell of a lot better than Maverick. Still, she didn’t want to meet another Werewolf! She wanted to meet a cute human male! Preferably with Type A positive blo
od. It was the only one she could safely drink.

  “No, Hugo isn’t my boyfriend or husband. He’s just a g… guy I know. I’m here to deliver some furniture for Mr. Drayton. Can you let him know? I’ll need some help carrying it in, as well,” she added, folding her arms as the tall male continued to stare down at her. “Please.”

  She thought she better add the last part for good customer service. She didn’t really need any help with moving it. She could shrink the stuff and pop it back up when she got it inside, but she had promised her mom, dad, Nonny, Gramps, Alexandru and half of the town of Magic that she wouldn’t do anything ‘different’ in front of ANYONE while she was gone.

  Tory sighed. That might mean biting on a Type A positive neck is a no-no, but I can enjoy a guy’s company without biting him.

  “What is your name?” The man demanded.

  Tory bit her lip to prevent the word Elvira from popping out. She didn’t think he would appreciate her reference to the 1980’s Mistress of the Dark. Instead, she slowly looked over the man standing between her and a night out on the town, all on her little own. He was tall and handsome with his thick blond hair pulled back at his nape. The dark suit he was wearing emphasized the muscles under it. He had a wide chest, narrow waist, and… a blush rose over her cheeks at the bulge in the front.

  Okay, eyes to the face, she muttered silently. Werewolves! I swear they are the horniest creatures in the world!

  She rolled her eyes again. That was why Maverick, Mitch, Hanson, and Jude were never allowed to do track, swimming or wrestling. Well, they weren’t allowed to do track after they chased down Edgar and cornered him.

  No, their constant state of arousal once they hit puberty made it difficult for them to play certain sports. They were great at football and basketball. Their pack mentality made them great out on the field or court.

  “Tory Carson,” she said, pursing her lips together. “Are you like the butler or something? Can you give me a hand with the furniture?”

  “I’m…,” Simon started to say when a low rumble escaped him when the woman in front of him tilted sideways and smiled at Youssef.

  “Hi! Are you Mr. Drayton?” She said in a hopeful tone. “I have your furniture.”

  “I am Youssef,” the dark male replied with an amused smile.

  “I am Simon Drayton,” the blond male said in a deep, gruff voice.

  Tory’s eyes swiveled back from the dark brown eyes glittering with amusement to the dark blue ones that were not – glittering with amusement, that is. The smile on her lips curved downward. She hoped she hadn’t just blown Alexandru’s business with this guy. From what her brother had told her last night, it was a hugely profitable one.

  “Uh… Yes… Well… I’ve got your furniture,” Tory said with a bright smile. “I guess since you’re not the butler, you wouldn’t want to help bring it in, huh?”

  Simon’s lips twitched at the hopeful look in the young woman’s dark brown eyes. He literally wanted to bury his hands in her hair, drag her against him, and see if she tasted as good as she looked. His fingers clenched as he fought the urge.

  He had three days! Three days to make her so mindless that all she wanted was to feel him buried inside her. The twitch turned into an easy smile. If she was anything like the other women, she would be eating out of his hand in less than twenty minutes.

  He grabbed her hand as she lifted it to push a strand of hair back behind her ear and pulled it to his lips. Pressing a kiss to the back of it, he couldn’t resist letting the tip of his tongue caress the soft skin. Pleasure washed through him as he pulled back to give her a look of invitation.

  Doubt flashed through him when he saw her nose wiggle and she tugged her hand out of his. She gave him an uncertain, lopsided smile as she rubbed the back of her hand along the leg of her jeans. He straightened when he heard Youssef clear his throat behind him.

  “Youssef will see to the furniture,” Simon said in a dark voice filled with warning for his friend. “Follow me.”

  “Follow… I… Shouldn’t I help him? I mean, isn’t that what I’m supposed to do?” Tory asked in confusion when Simon Drayton turned and started to walk away. “Isn’t that what a delivery person does here? That’s what they do back home.”

  Youssef gave Tory a reassuring smile. “I will arrange for the furniture to be brought in, Miss Carson,” he said with a bow.

  Tory glanced at where Simon was standing stiffly, watching her with a frown. She bit her lip. If she had a choice between going with a sour-faced Werewolf, or staying with a… she sniffed. She almost groaned when her mouth watered.

  “What blood type are you?” She asked suddenly, looking at Youssef with wide eyes.

  Youssef looked at her with surprise. “I think that is the first time I’ve ever had a young lady ask me that question,” he chuckled.

  “Oh, I guess I shouldn’t have asked,” Tory muttered, looking down at the porch and rubbing her foot over a wood knot in the planking. “Sorry. That was kind-of rude.”

  “No, just… unusual,” Youssef replied with a smile. “I am A positive.”

  Tory looked up at him and grinned. “Are you single?” She asked with a hopeful grin.

  “Youssef! Take care of the furniture,” Simon growled darkly. “Now, Miss Carson, please follow me.”

  Tory wrinkled up her nose at Simon’s tone. “Yes, sir,” she grumbled. “I hope I see you later, Youssef.”

  “I…,” Youssef started to say when a louder rumble echoed in the entryway. “Have a good day, Miss Carson.”

  Tory sighed as she watched Youssef step aside so she could enter. He bowed his head again and stepped past her, shutting the front door behind him. This effectively sealed her inside with Simon Drayton.

  “Miss Carson,” Simon said stiffly, waving his hand toward the open corridor.

  “I’ve got your bill of sale,” she mumbled as she walked by him. “Alexandru left this morning to pick up another piece of furniture that you were wanting. He asked me to deliver what he had found so far.”

  “And Alexandru is your…,” Simon asked as he stepped in front of her to open the door to the den.

  “Brother,” Tory said absently as she looked around the room. “My middle brother. Benjamin is the oldest.”

  It must be one of the rooms where he wanted some of the furniture. There was only a long couch, chair and single table in the room. The room wasn’t overly large, but the tall ceiling and curved windows looking out over a magnificent garden out back made it seem huge.

  There was a large fireplace against one wall and it looked like everything had been restored to its original style. Dark red and gold paintings that looked like wallpaper, a popular trend during the early 1800’s, outlined the intricately painted ceiling. In the center of the room, a chandelier made of cut crystal hung from the ceiling.

  “This is nice,” she observed, walking over to a set of bookshelves embedded into the wall. “Nice collection.”

  “Do you enjoy the classics?” Simon asked, silently moving to stand next to her.

  Tory fingered one of the leather-bound spines. She wondered what he would say if she told him the truth. Shrugging, she decided she didn’t have much choice. Werewolves could smell a lie a mile away with the wind blowing in the opposite direction.

  “Actually, not most of them. Some of them are either just too far out there or so depressing, I’m like ‘Kill me already’,” she admitted. “Some of them are pretty good. Still, give me a good mystery, thriller, romance, or fantasy any day.”

  She was surprised when he laughed. Turning, she stumbled back with a frown when she realized he was standing closer to her than she thought. This is why she always picked Maverick and his brothers to be on her team when they played Creature-hunt. Kevin might be one of her best friends, but Garden Trolls were really noisy when they ran. Still, she didn’t like that he kept crowding her.

  “What’s so funny?” She asked, tilting her hea
d when he took another step closer.

  “Most women would have lied and made some inane remark to try to impress me,” Simon said with a devilish smile, taking another step closer as she stumbled backwards.

  “Why would I want to impress you?” Tory asked, coming to a stop when her knees hit the edge of the couch. “In case you don’t realize it, you’re crowding me,” she added with a frown as she placed her hand against his chest to push him back.

  Chapter Five

  Simon’s eyes darkened and a low rumble escaped him as her fingers splayed across his chest. He reached up and wrapped his fingers around her fragile wrist. A smile twisted his lips when she inhaled sharply as he tugged her closer.

  He started to lower his head to kiss her when her mumbled words reached him. He shook his head and frowned when she repeated what she had said again. It sounded suspiciously like…

  “You’ve never been kissed?” He repeated blankly. “Never? Ever?”

  “Nope, but I’m hoping I can convince Youssef to change that,” she said with a grin. “What do you think? Do you think he might be interested? He’s not your… you know… your…?”

  “Bodyguard?” Simon asked, still trying to get it through his head that the curvy, sexy female in his arms had never been kissed. A low curse escaped him, before he frowned darkly. “What the hell do you mean you hope you can convince Youssef?”

  “He’s h… hunky,” Tory replied lamely. She had almost said human. “And he has the right blood type.”

  “What does blood type have to do with kissing?” Simon asked, confused as he tightened his grip on Tory when she tried to move away from him. “What did you think he was?”

  “Your boyfriend?” She squeaked when he pulled her so close her chest was touching his. “You’re holding me kind of close.”

  Simon scowled down into the bright brown eyes. “I plan on holding you even closer,” he muttered in determination as he lowered his head to capture her upturned lips.