Chapter 14
Max
Ihadn’t expected to hire Star on the spot, but the instant she appeared—dressed like Victorian trash with eyes full of sadness—I knew she was the one.
Add to that how she smelled like Sampaguita Jasmine and was clearly running from something in her past traumatic enough to force her to change her name…
Well, that was something I could easily relate to.
More so than most.
Hiring an employee hadn’t even been on my radar until a few days ago.
Damon was correct that he and I could easily handle anyone who wandered into Sizzling Discourse, especially since most of the clientele just wanted to flirt with—or fuck—him before grabbing something off the rack.
But then, mall management mentioned a job-seeker stopping by who fit our aesthetic, and I’d been intrigued enough to at least agree to an interview.
We should give thanks to the goddess Selene for this newfound fate.
And send management a fruit basket.
Humans like fruit.
Fate was exactly what it felt like, no matter how much Damon had always seemed to fight against the inevitable. He may have been my partner—in business and eternal death—but he still behaved as if he believed this were a temporary arrangement between us.
After one hundred years together, you’d think he’d know otherwise…
Yes, hiring Star without his knowledge wasn’t my finest moment, but I recognized something in her that reminded me of him—of who he used to be—that I couldn’t resist. So yes, part of me hoped she might be the perfect person to help him finally get past his hangups.
Maybe then, he could trust me fully. Trust this.
I’ll do anything to make that happen.
Anything for him.
My fangs lengthened uncontrollably at the thought of Damon finally giving me what I desired more than anything—the opportunity to worship him as I’d always wanted to.
Unfortunately, that required his complete submission in the bedroom and symbolic submission outside of it, and he’d always resisted, despite occasionally admitting to wanting it himself.
And if I could have both of them submitting to me…
With a slow exhale, I retracted my fangs and picked up my book—forcing myself to focus on something other than watching the clock.
My pretty little human wasn’t scheduled to arrive for her shift for another ten minutes, and the last thing I needed was for Star to catch me panting at the store entrance like a starving dog.
Even if that’s exactly how she makes me feel.
“How you can enjoy that smut is beyond me.”
Damon’s familiar raspy tone made my cock twitch, but I kept my gaze stubbornly fixed on the page. After all, he’d barely spoken a complete sentence to me in the three weeks since Star started working for us.
Including when I fuck him into the satin lining of his coffin on a regular basis.
Why won’t he just let himself be happy?
My sulking only lasted a moment. With a sigh, I raised my gaze to meet his, physically unable to stay angry at my mate for long. I also saw his words for the white flag they were, since poking at me had always been his way of breaking the ice.
After icing me out…
“Oh, I dunno, pet,” I hummed, deciding to taunt but also wanting to play. “Where do you think I got the idea to try a little cock biting?”
Damon hissed in a breath as the gorgeous cock in question no doubt thickened at the memory of last night.
We both know you love taking your punishment.
I fully expected him to stomp away again, but then his gaze softened. “Max… I’m…”
Whatever Damon was about to say was lost as my latest obsession breezed through the door, distracting us both.
I see you, pet.
“Heyyy, boys!” Star sang out, flashing a self-assured smirk that would have warmed my heart had it still been beating. “Spoiler alert—my look today was inspired by evil villains with nefarious plans. I wanted to see if I could scare away the customers…”
I set down my “smutty” book to give our pretty villainess my undivided attention, smiling in adoration as she struck a sassy pose in store merchandise.
On her first day, Star had graciously allowed me to send her home with one of everything off the racks. She acted as if I were doing her a favor, not realizing how much it turned me on to dress her up like a sexy little doll.
Keep it professional, Max…
Aesthetically, she was the ideal model for our goods, and today, she looked like a wet dream. Her black underbust corset was cinched tight, and I couldn’t help imagining slowly undoing the laces.
Unwrapping her like a present.
She’d paired the top with one of our distressed miniskirts, and my mouth watered to see her long legs on display. The icing on the cake were the thigh-highs printed with daggers dripping blood—the black nylon fading into red that seemed to pool at her feet, thanks to the shiny, crimson Docs.
If only it were real blood.
Blood we were sharing…
FOCUS, MAX!
Blowing out another slow breath, I willed myself to chill the fuck out, as the youth would say. Despite Star being a few years past “legal” age in this time period—and that Damon and I both appeared close enough in age to not raise suspicion—the true gap between us needed to be considered.
And that's the least of what makes this attraction challenging….
Ten years ago, when Damon and I chose to put down roots in America again, we chose Los Angeles.
Well, I chose it, because of the emerging punk scene and how I’d hoped it would tease out my mate’s obvious interest in fashion.
It did—slowly, grudgingly—although I still sensed Damon wasn’t flexing his creative muscles to their full potential.
I wish he would simply get out of his own way.
In every way…
Unfortunately, vampires in the new world had multiplied, and with this increased presence came expectations that weren’t particularly conducive to our independent spirit.
Mainly, the unnecessary requirement that all resident vampires join a local coven.
It’s the HOA of the paranormal world.
Our coven hadn’t been terribly demanding at first, but then our board president was abruptly replaced by an ancient one from the old country. Vlad—yes, his name is Vlad—was set in his traditional, superstitious ways. He was also what I would refer to as a vampire supremacist.
And an asshole.
Up until now, my biggest gripes with him were his not-so-thinly-veiled comments over my heritage and his strange aversion to the other supernatural creatures in our midst—werewolves.
They seem perfectly reasonable to me.
If not equally feral to vampires…
Unfortunately, with Star calling to my blood in the way only Damon ever had before, a new coven-related concern had arisen.
But we’ll deal with that issue another day.
For now, I’d play the part of the obedient coven member, since it was a necessary evil that ensured Damon and I could remain safe and comfortable in the lives we’d built for ourselves here in Southern California.
I could easily admit that the idea of two vampires—even including a Hawaiian print-loving one like myself—willingly existing in such a sunny location was ridiculous.
Star brattily calling me out on my decidedly non-goth choice of clothing, and continuously ribbing me for it in the weeks since she’d first appeared, only proved she was made for me.
For us.
“Do you… not like it?”
The oddly hesitant tone in Star’s voice snapped me out of my daydreams and I realized to my horror that she thought I didn’t approve of her ensemble.
“Of course, I like… love your outfit!” I quickly replied. “You look like a total Betty.”
I internally cringed at the “hip” vernacular, but it did the trick. Any insecurities Star might have been feeling disappeared beneath the overly confident mask she always wore.
Sounds familiar...
Through hours of chatting between customers, I’d managed to learn a bit about her past, including that she used to co-own a beauty business at the upscale Lone Pine Mall across town.
While I loved how animated she became when talking about makeup, I’d quickly realized she wore these embellishments like armor—like an impenetrable fortress to keep out anyone or anything.
That also sounds familiar… but not for me.
“It’s not like it would take much for you to be a villain, Brittany,” Damon muttered, although I saw the way he eyed the human when he thought no one could see.
Like she might taste as good as she looks.
To my relief, Star was as unbothered as always by Damon’s remarks. I couldn’t tell if she truly didn’t care what he thought of her, or if she recognized a kindred spirit pushing others away with an emotional wall as thick as a mausoleum.
It annoyed me how perfectly matched the two of them could be, if only Damon would stop being such a prickly prick. I’d always tiptoed around asking for more from my mate than he was willing to give, but I was done allowing him to suffer in silence.
And it starts with showing him just how alike they are.
“Your makeup is extra deadly today, Star,” I added, smiling wider when her beautiful blue eyes flashed my way again. “It looks just like comic book linework.”
A work of art.
“Yes!” she exclaimed, as pure excitement overrode her practiced “cool.” “That’s exactly what I was going for. I was flipping through some old Love and Rockets and thought I’d try to match Hopey’s punk vibe.”
Damon perked up imperceptibly at the mention of one of his favorite comics, but he quickly buried it beneath another scowl before Star could notice.
I. See. You.
“Well, you nailed it.” I enthusiastically nodded, although I’d only glanced at the comic once or twice over Damon’s shoulder while he was reading it.
Smutty romance novels are my preferred form of printed entertainment.
Star blushed prettily, but tried to hide it beneath her long fringe—forcing me to hurriedly avert my gaze. I was dangerously close to dragging her back to my coffin, wrapping that hair around my fist, and making her blush some more as I fed her my cock.
Easy, Max…