Vampire’s Mate NOT Camping Short #2
Luc wasn’t exactly gasping in shock at the surprise, but he did look begrudgingly pleased as they entered the foyer. “Suitable,” he murmured, glancing around. His eyes were green, a telltale sign that he wasn’t as put out by this family vacay as he pretended to be.
Jamie tugged him toward the kitchen.
Even with blood-drinking vampires, the party was always in the kitchen.
And Jamie was eager to see everyone. He’d been to enough of these den getaways that he didn’t get so nervous anymore about being an outsider. He might not have been part of Hyde Park, but he was part of the den, and that counted for something.
He could hear Colin and the twins filing in behind them, the twins mumbling to each other under their breaths.
Probably grumbling something ornery, but Jamie was tuning them out for the moment.
Just like Luc, they could pretend all they wanted, but Jamie knew they were thrilled to have Colin sequestered on the beach for two weeks.
And there was Soren in the kitchen, looking gorgeous in some tiny swim trunks and a sleeveless, crocheted cover-up, his perfect blond hair swept back by a pair of designer sunglasses. Gabe was lounging on the cushioned bench of some sort of breakfast nook in the window.
“Jamie,” Soren purred, holding up a tumbler and completely ignoring Luc at Jamie’s side. “Jalapeno margarita?”
“Fuck yes.” Jamie grinned at him, accepting the drink. “Knew you’d know how to throw a party.” He raised his glass to Gabe. “Looking studly, big guy.”
Gabe flushed, and Soren preened like he’d been the one complimented. “Doesn’t he just?”
Colin and the twins entered the kitchen, each receiving their own welcome drink from Soren.
Luc bared his teeth at the little vampire. “And for me?”
Soren gave him a shark’s grin, sipping his drink with relish and smacking his lips. “Fetch it yourself.”
Jamie hid his own grin behind his glass. “Where is everyone?”
“Danny and Rome are walking along the beach all romantic-like,” Soren said airily.
“Or possibly getting their dose of zen before dealing with some of our more…difficult guests.” He gave Luc a pointed look.
“Wolfe and Eric are still on their way. Eric probably had to convince Wolfe to let him out of his chains in the basement. You know that brute always has to stake his claim before sharing him.”
“Disturbing,” Colin commented mildly.
“And Alexei and Jay are—”
“Here!” Jay called, sliding into the kitchen, Alexei following at a more sedate pace behind him. Jay was wearing a surprisingly appropriate outfit of swim trunks and an oversize Hello Kitty T-shirt. Jamie couldn’t tell if the little vampire had sex hair or if it was just his normal dishevelment.
Alexei was wearing his own trunks, and it was always sort of strange to see his bare legs. They were nice legs and all—long and muscular—but…still. He wasn’t exactly a shorts guy.
“Jamie! Colin!” Jay gave them each a respective hug, then just stood there, beaming at them.
“Fox. Dane. Lucien,” Fox drawled in a monotone.
Jay cocked his head. “Did you actually want a hug?”
Colin’s lips twitched at the corners, although his expression remained unchanged otherwise. “Oh yeah, he really does. He was just saying in the car how he always feels so left out of the group affection.”
Jamie fought back his own grin. He and Luc had been in that same car. Fox had said nothing of the kind.
“Oh.” After a moment’s hesitation, Jay held his arms open. “Why didn’t you just say so?”
“Slayer,” Fox growled, shooting a glare toward Colin and ignoring Jay’s waiting embrace.
Dane clapped Fox on the shoulder. “It’s okay, bro. This is a safe space. You can let the vulnerability out.”
Jamie was distracted from the show when he realized Soren was studying him from across the kitchen island. “What’s up?”
Soren’s gaze tracked Jamie from head to toe. “Just trying to guess what your luxurious beach vacation aesthetic might be.”
“Oh.” Jamie crossed his arms and leaned over the kitchen island. “Depends if Luc’s dressing me or not.”
“And if you’re dressing yourself?”
Jamie considered. “Hm. Slutty grunge? I usually keep it pretty simple. Black swim shorts but, you know, fitted. And salt water makes my hair look amazing. All freshly fucked, you know?”
Soren’s pale eyes gleamed. “Mm-hmm.”
“And then I just basically stay half-dressed the entire time. Maybe throw on a little eye liner, let it get smudged in the water so it looks like I was just choking on di—”
“Flower,” Lucien purred from behind him.
Jamie shot an innocent glance over his shoulder. “Yes, monster?”
“Unless you’d like to demonstrate to all your friends exactly what you mean, I’d stop there.”
Jamie gave him a winning smile, then turned back to Soren. “Choking. On. Dick,” he said clearly.
Soren cackled. Gabe coughed into his drink. The twins grumbled a few expletives. Colin gave the barest hint of a smile. And Jay looked wide-eyed to Alexei, inching closer toward him.
Soren’s cackles died down, but there was a telltale glint of mischief in his eyes. “You just made Jaybird’s day. I assume the vacation orgy starts now?”
Strong arms banded around Jamie’s waist, but Jamie couldn’t sense any annoyance through the bond. Only wry amusement. He must be losing his edge.
“My flower will not be participating, I’m afraid,” Luc said, his breath hot on Jamie’s ear. “Now, which is our room?”
“You’re on the second floor,” Soren told him, his lips pushed in a false pout. “But really, Luc, how cruel to break Jaybird’s heart like that?”
“Brat,” Gabe warned.
“Oh my God,” Danny said, coming in from a door that seemed to lead to the beach. Roman wasn’t with him. Possibly he’d heard the discussion and decided to delay his arrival. “How many times do I have to say ‘no orgies’? Gabe and I are related.”
“It’s not stopping those two,” Soren said, pointing to the twins.
“It’s different,” Danny, Gabe, Dane, and Fox all managed to say at the same time.
Luc was already tugging Jamie by the waist, directing him toward the door that led into the rest of the house. “Okay, well—” Jamie gave everyone a little salute. “We’re going to unpack. Strip down. But still keep everything very PG.”
“We won’t,” Luc growled.
“Don’t you want to share your gifts first?” Jamie goaded.
“Gifts?” Jay asked hopefully.
“He brought special wines and everything.”
“Only Roman has the palate to appreciate them,” Luc said, sounding like the complete snob he was. “I’ll wait.”
“Oh my God!” Soren crowed. “You brought your bestie a little vacation offering, just for the two of you. How adorable.”
There was the annoyance pulsing in the bond. Jamie could really learn a thing or two from Soren.
Luckily he had a whole two weeks to pick up some tips.
Eric
Eric relaxed into his mate, letting his eyes fall shut, relishing the feel of warm skin on warm skin.
He was in his swim trunks already, Wolfe was wearing only his silk pajama bottoms, and Eric was draped over Wolfe’s chest as Wolfe read his financial report on one of the pool loungers.
They were firmly in vacation mode.
Eric wasn’t sure exactly what made it different from their regular mode, seeing as how Eric was still not working and Wolfe was technically equally jobless (although he did occupy himself a great deal with personal money management).
But it felt different. The fact that Wolfe was willingly and carelessly shirtless around all the other vampires was kind of like proof positive. Wolfe wasn’t exactly a prude—he was too much of a filthy perv for that—but he usually stayed fairly buttoned-up around anyone who wasn’t Eric.
Maybe the softened vibe was due to the comfort of having everyone in one place for so long, or maybe the lazy days in the sun, or the endless time in the water.
But it was nice, either way. Eric rubbed his legs against the silk material of Wolfe’s pants, liking how it felt against his bare skin.
Wolfe would change into swimwear eventually.
The house they were staying in had a pool in its courtyard—the very one they were gathered around right now—and Wolfe was a shockingly graceful swimmer, cutting precise strokes in the water as he swam his laps back and forth.
But for now, they were just…lounging.
The familiar scent of sunscreen hit Eric’s nostrils. He opened his eyes to find Danny and Roman on the lounger next to them. Roman was working sunscreen into Danny’s shoulders and back with long, sweeping strokes.
“We don’t need that anymore, do we?” Eric asked, already knowing the answer in the back of his mind. Their speedy healing basically turned sunburns over too quickly for them to take effect.
“Huh?” Danny’s eyes had fallen half-closed, and he opened them as he glanced at Eric, seeming to take a second to understand the question. Then he grinned. “Oh, no. I just like the smell. It doesn’t feel like the beach without it.”
Roman tutted as he poured more sunscreen into his palm. “Your scent is better than this slop, little king.”
Danny tilted his head back to peer up at his mate. “But you don’t mind, do you?” he asked sweetly.
Roman huffed, pressing a kiss to Danny’s forehead and getting back to his ministrations.
“You missed a spot, Rome,” Soren called from across the pool, where he was perched under a sun umbrella that somehow perfectly matched his outfit. “Low down.” He gave Danny an exaggerated leer. “Very low.”
“Again, that’s my brother,” Gabe whined from the pool, where he’d taken a pause from swimming laps.
Soren was suddenly the picture of innocence, if one ignored his manic grin. “Well, forgive me for not wanting your brother to get a sunburn on his delicates.”
Colin snorted a laugh. He was sitting in the shade with his drawing pad, his mates on either side of him.
Jay and Alexei were in the shallow end of the pool, Alexei cross-legged in the water and Jay draped over his back.
Jamie and Luc had gone for a walk along the beach.
Jamie apparently wanted to find some seashells to bring back for his sister.