Chapter 1
Chapter One
JAMIE
I think I made a mistake taking this job. But Kim convinced me to do it, and I couldn’t say no. She really needed someone to fill this slot, but no one was willing to go out in this storm—it’s raining cats and dicks. I was, though. She knew I’d say yes.
I need the fucking money. Like really bad. It’s almost Christmas too. I can do with the extra cash.
I glance up and see that the cardboard box I’m supposed to pop out of is sinking under the weight of the rain, and tragically, I’m wearing only a thong and a bow tie.
Not to mention that the box I’m in was delivered to this house at least fifteen minutes ago.
As scripted, I rang the doorbell, crouched down, and waited.
But no one came to answer it. Now, I’m stuck here, my thighs burning and my body shivering.
So much for the sexy gift box. There is nothing hot about a droopy cardboard box and wet undies.
Nothing at all.
I squeeze my burning thighs and decide I’d better ring the doorbell again, just to make sure no one is going to answer. I don’t want Kim upset if this all goes wrong because I was impatient. I tend toward that. Just wanting what I want when I want it. I don’t like waiting.
My head gently touches the top of the box covering me, and I peek out.
Just an inch, but I see the dark red door firmly closed.
Yeah, no one is answering it. I emerge from the soggy box and reach out, my finger pressing the doorbell once more as I wait.
Rain falls from the sky right onto my hair, dampening it and making it flop into my face.
I push it back, my ears straining to hear anyone approaching.
But it’s silent. All I can hear is the water hitting the ground around me. And the crack of thunder.
Shit, does that mean lightning is next? I don’t want to die today. It’s too pathetic. A single, lonely man with no real job, soggy undies, and an eviction notice.
This needs to get better because it can’t keep getting worse.
I glance around, my torso exposed to the elements, the rest of me still in the box, when suddenly, the door is flung open and a pale man in a suit appears.
It’s so startling that I slip slightly, almost tumbling down the stairs in the box.
But he reaches out and grabs onto the edge of it, the wet cardboard ripping slightly.
Thankfully, I’m nimble. I grab onto his arm and hold on for dear life as the cardboard box crumbles around me.
It literally crumbles. Like sand in the ocean.
Some is still in his hand, and the rest just washes away, drifting down the stairs and bobbing toward the drain in the street.
I am a criminal. Sending bits of cardboard into the ocean.
But the man seems unbothered by the fact that the cardboard was so not sturdy. Instead, he stares at my face and then down at my hand that is still gripping him tightly.
“Shit,” I murmur, trying to let go but using him for leverage before stepping onto the porch and finding my footing. “Sorry.”
I release him, and he eyes me once more, his gaze intense, his pink lips turned down in a frown.
“Why are you on my porch and ringing my doorbell?” he finally asks, taking in my naked appearance.
I must be in a sad state, entirely soaked through. Even my shoes are wet. They squeak when I move.
“Um… surprise!” I manage to say, lifting my hands slightly but hitting him instead.
He takes a step back. “What the hell do you mean, ‘surprise’?”
“I don’t know. I was just sent to sing to you and give you a lap dance?” I fumble with my phone to show him the receipt and then realize that it’s dead. It was hanging on by a thread anyway. I’m surprised it lasted this long.
He makes a disgusted sound and pulls his own sleek phone from his pocket. Must be brand new and expensive.
What is owning something like that like?
He waves me in, and I step inside. His pale fingers fly across the screen as I stand there, literally dripping on his floor, until he puts it up to his ear and moves away from me.
“Zio, what did you do?” he grumps into the phone.
I can hear a voice talking and then a bout of laughter. The man’s face turns down further, and his expression grows stormy.
“I told you I don’t want anything for my birthday. This is not a celebration. Living to be four hundred years old is exhausting…”
My mind freezes. Oh. Oh my god. This is a vampire, then.
I’ve seen a few out and about, but I’ve been so busy trying to make ends meet that I haven’t been keeping up with all that.
Five years ago, they came out of hiding. We all knew they were there, but for ages they lurked in the shadows of history.
They live among us now. Most of them are wealthy, having had hundreds of years to accumulate their fortunes, so they’ve gained an easy standing in society. Many of them live in the nicer parts of town, boasting jobs as successful entrepreneurs, some even in the political sphere.
He is way out of my league.
Not sure where this vampire falls or who he is. All I know is he’s old, hot, and pissed that a human showed up on his doorstep in a thong and wet socks.
And droopy cardboard.
When he hangs up, I place my hands over my junk, despite it being covered by a scrap of cloth, and offer a smile.
“So, your birthday, huh? Four hundred years is a long time. I’m twenty-five.”
The vampire just sighs and then stalks over to the kitchen, grabbing a tea towel and tossing it at me.
“Dry yourself off. This is Wenge. I don’t want it damaged.”
I have no idea what Wenge is, but I do as he asks, quickly wiping my wet skin and pulling my socks off.
“That better?” I ask, catching his gaze.
“What would be better is if you left my house at once.”
That makes my face fall slightly. “You don’t want your gram?”
“No. I do not.”
I roll my lips between my teeth. “You sure? I could really use the tip.”
The vampire’s eyes track over me, and I feel my nipples pucker at his intense gaze.
“How about I tip you without the song and dance?”
“I mean, I wouldn’t feel right about that.”
The vampire hisses in annoyance. “You must. You’ll take it. Stay right there. Don’t move.”
He moves out of sight, the sound of footsteps going up some stairs in the back of the house.
I let my gaze swivel around the room I’m standing in.
It’s sleek and warm at the same time, a careful balance of modern and gothic.
There are rich wood panels on the walls and thick steel on the ceilings.
On certain surfaces are candles, their light flickering on the cold stone and smooth glass all around. I can’t help but like it.
Only thing that is bothering me is the temperature. It’s chilly. Makes sense, being a living dead and everything, but I could use a little heat up in here.
I lean forward, wanting to look down the hallway to my right, the one he disappeared into. But he told me not to move.
I really want to move.
My legs shift, and I find myself sliding into the kitchen. Just a quick peek. Never met a vampire before, and I’m so fucking intrigued. I may never get another chance to do this. Does he have bottles of blood in his cabinets, hidden away?
I want to know how they live.
My fingers quietly pull open a few drawers, and I see that all the utensils are neatly arranged. The fridge calls to me once more, but I think that’s not a good idea. I know vampires eat human food, though they prefer blood. They need it to survive.
It’s why we have donors, humans willing to offer up their blood on a weekly basis. Some even hire their bodies out for free use.
I shiver at the thought of fangs sinking into my skin.
I’ve heard it hurts the first time but then turns euphoric after a few pulls.
I think I’d like to try it one day. Maybe I could sell my body to a vampire for a few months and pay off all my debt.
That would be something, and it’s actually not a bad idea.
“What are you doing?” a deep voice says behind me, and I whirl around so fast, I almost lose my footing.
“I told you not to move,” he grumbles.
I stammer, trying to find an excuse, but I have none.
“I’m sorry. I just wanted to look around.”
“You don’t have permission to do that.”
Yeah, I know. What I did was so fucking rude and a major invasion of privacy. But my curiosity got the better of me.
Humans are the worst. Just a bunch of nosy bitches.
The vampire takes a step closer to me and then another until he’s right in front of me. I can smell the scent of him, something dark and musky, and can feel the coolness of his skin radiate around me.
“Take this and leave.”
He hands me a hundred-dollar bill, and I curl it into my fist. This is a generous tip, especially for something I didn’t actually do. But fuck, how am I going to get home? I don’t have a car, and the buses are shut down due to the storm.
“What? What’s that look for?”
“Well, there’s a storm, and I don’t have a way home. The buses are shut down because of the flooding.”
“How did you get here?”
“Got dropped off in a box.” I wince and sigh. “Probably not the smartest idea since it disintegrated from how wet it was.”
The vampire squeezes the bridge of his nose.
“You don’t have transportation?”
“Nope.”
“Darkness take me,” he mutters. “Unbelievable.”
“Sorry, man,” I murmur, shame filling me. “I don’t mean to be so annoying, but I’ve been in a bad way for a few years. I had to take this job.”
He stares at me and then sighs loudly. “I’ll get you some clothes. And start a fire. You look cold.”
“I am.”
He turns to disappear down that long hallway and then stops. “No prying. I know how humans are.”
“Yeah, got it.”
I give him a thumbs up, and he rolls his eyes, moving away.