Jerry looked down at my breasts, obviously imagining them on parade. Of course he’s proprietary. It’s flattering, but has come between us before, when it gets to be too much for me. Right now, the issue would just have to be put aside. Jerry obviously decided he was able to do that. Because he lifted me into his lap, with us still connected, and let me feel just how big a finish he had in store for us.

“Damn you for being independent, woman.” He pushed into me and I gasped. “Damn you for being prideful.” He pushed into me again and my eyes crossed. “Damn you for being the only woman I can’t ever seem to forget.” He pushed into me once more and I arched my back and dug my fingernails into his shoulders. “And damn you for holding my heart in your contrary hands.” He lifted me and sat me down on his shaft with such force that I screamed and we came together with a shudder that seemed to go on forever. When the tremors finally stopped, we leaned against each other and just held on.

“Viva Las Vegas,” I whispered. I heard and felt Jerry’s tired chuckle rumble through his chest against my cheek just before there was a knock outside the door.

Three

“Glory, you’ve got to tell me what happened in there. Your mind has been closed as tight as a—”

“Quit badgering me, Valdez. They had private booths. Blade and I had ‘fun.’ That’s all. Do I need to draw you a picture?” I turned and saw that my bodyguard had shifted back into his usual Labradoodle form during the ride up in the elevator. “When we get into the suite, cool it. You know Ray and I are ‘engaged’ so we have to put on the lovey-dovey act. Do your thing and quit pouting about being left outside.”

I was just glad we hadn’t run into a MacDonald ambush once Jerry and I had left the club. But I guess Ian had really had an appointment. To keep up my charade as Ray’s fiancée, Jerry’d dropped me off behind the hotel again. So now I was back there and about to enter rock-star world again. Trust me, it’s not as glamorous as I’d once dreamed it would be. This week was all about work for Ray. He’d had a heck of a time setting up his interviews and rehearsals after dark. His new vampire status had done a number on his career.

I slid the key card into the lock and threw open the door. Usually I’d catch at least a few of his band members and their ladies hanging around, along with Ray’s best friend and manager, Nathan Burke. Music always shook the walls, whether from the stereo system, the big-screen TV or, what was really cool, the guys jamming on their instruments.

Tonight it was quiet. Too quiet. The living room was empty. Well, except for the debris, evidence that mortals had enjoyed room service and the bar. The two bedroom doors, on either side of sliding glass doors leading out to the balcony, were closed. Ray and I shared one and Nathan slept in the other. Valdez would’ve made it a cozy threesome in ours if I’d let him. But I figured he could guard both of us quite well from a spot on the living room couch.

Blade signs V’s paychecks. The only things I let my lover pick up the tab for are the bodyguard gig and our dates. We’ve had this arrangement for centuries and I’ve come to terms with it. I sure couldn’t afford daylight protection and Valdez is way better than me burying myself in the dirt every day. Well, you get the picture.

I guess I’m lucky Jerry has this responsibility thing because he made me vampire. I’m pretty independent otherwise. So we compromised. Right now we’re together, but there have been decades when we haven’t been. The bodyguards made Jerry feel better about that. Keeping them in dog form is Jerry’s way of making sure I didn’t enjoy the bodyguard a bit too much. Yeah, he’s the jealous type. Which is kind of cute, actually.

Seriously, though, if I decided to make love to every man in this hotel, I was free to do so, thank you very much. Unfortunately, until I spelled out for V that I wanted alone time with Ray, Valdez was going to, pardon the expression, dog us until we passed out at sunrise to make sure all we did was sleep in our bedroom.

I usually didn’t have a problem with V’s protectiveness. Vamps are dead all day, literally. The V-man kept out anyone who dared try to enter the bedroom while we’re “asleep.” The housekeepers knew that firsthand. Nathan had tipped them big to make sure they only made up the bedrooms after dark.

“Ray? Nathan?” I walked over to our bedroom. I always knocked as a courtesy even though I’ve seen Ray naked. It had been a pure pleasure and I wouldn’t mind a replay. Not that we’ve been lovers, darn it. Okay, not really “darn it.” When Jerry and I are together, like we are now, I’m true to him. But what woman with an ounce of hormones wouldn’t be thrilled that a yummy guy like Ray had actually made some moves on her? I’ve resisted, even though he’s tempting beyond belief.

As payback, because the mind-reading jerk knows how hot he is, Ray flaunts himself. He doesn’t seem to have a self-conscious bone in his body. Not like me. I wear shapeless things to bed that hit me somewhere about midcalf. Not only to avoid stirring up stuff that I don’t intend to act on, but if you don’t got it, you don’t flaunt it. Know what I mean?

Anyway, I knocked. Waited a beat, then turned the knob. I opened the door and came face-to-face with a woman I recognized immediately. I had her CDs at home. She was up for a Grammy, album of the year. And she was wearing one of Ray’s T-shirts and nothing else.

I snarled. Yep, a primitive snarl that I barely kept my fangs out of. You should have seen that bimbo’s face. She jumped back a full three feet, then landed on her skinny ass.

“What the hell’s going on here?” I played the outraged fiancée to the hilt. Sure, this was a pretend engagement, but I doubt she knew that. I stomped into the room, Valdez on my heels. He got with the program, his growl raising the hair on my arms. I halted within scratching range of the woman’s eyes and gave my sidekick an encouraging pat.

“I, uh, Ray, I mean . . .” She glanced at the rumpled sheets on the king-size bed. Big mistake.

I reached down and grabbed her by one of her twig arms. I could have snapped it between two fingers and actually thought about it. Not that I’m in love with Ray, though I’m really, really fond of him. But this betrayal hurt. Betrayal? Whoa. I didn’t have the right to think like that. Still, this did feel like a cheap shot. I mean, what was he thinking, bringing a woman into our bed? At least I took my action off the premises.

I blinked back stupid tears and sniffed. Second big mistake. I got a whiff of human blood pumping through bimbo’s veins and I was suddenly starved. Too bad her pale face made it clear she’d already donated tonight. Damn it. Ray’d had sex and dinner.

“Get out before I . . .” I lifted my fist, narrowly missing her surgically altered nose before I waved it at a pile of clothes by the bed. Tiny push-up bra that Victoria’s Secret didn’t even carry in my size, miniskirt that I couldn’t have squeezed over even one of my thighs and a T-shirt that she’d obviously borrowed from a Chihuahua. Shit.

“Take your clothes and get the hell out of here.” I heard my voice quiver and hated it. The shower went off. “Now.” Okay, that was a hiss. Much better.

Little Miss Stick Figure got the message and hustled her butt like her feet were on fire. Valdez nipped at her heels in case she needed incentive. I slammed the door as soon as they both cleared it. I knew Valdez would keep her moving until she hit the hall. Then he’d come back to sit next to the door and listen in. Fine. But I didn’t want or need his eyes on me during this showdown.

Ray came out with a towel around his lean middle. “Glory.” He looked around, alarmed, like maybe he’d see a drained body on the floor. “Where’s—”

I held up my hand. “Don’t say her name. She’s alive. No broken bones. Which is a miracle, come to think of it.”

“Thanks.” Ray sat on the foot of the bed. “Guess this wasn’t such a hot idea.”

“Ya think?” I paced the carpet in front of him and saw his nostrils flare. I really didn’t have the right to say much of anything to him. Of course he smelled Blade on me and the evidence that I’d had recent sex. Lots of recent sex. And Ray had warned me not too long ago that he wasn’t into celibacy. Of course he wasn’t. He was a virile man in his prime. And a newly made vampire with the libido to match. Since I wasn’t going to scratch his itch, I’d known it was only a matter of time before he’d find someone who would.

“Well, go ahead. Ream me out. I didn’t plan this, but that’s no excuse.” Ray ran another towel over his wet hair.

“I was rough on her. Blame it on the shock factor. But you certainly have the right . . .” I sat beside him, biting back the snarky comments I wanted to make. Did he have to pick someone so thin? His bedmate couldn’t have been more different from me, even down to the dark hair and bikini wax. Oh, man, I so didn’t want to go there.

He slid his hand over mine and squeezed. “Forgive me? I’m a stupid jerk. We should have taken this somewhere else. I’m really sorry if you were embarrassed.”

I looked at him, all sincere apology and charm. I guess I’d always be attracted to him. He was handsome, built and had the kind of talent that sang to my soul if I let it. I’d been a fan even before he’d been tossed naked into my bed as a newly made vampire. The fact that now we were thrown together all the time had made it worse for a while, but I always went back to Blade in the end. So I knew it wasn’t fair to expect Ray to just hang around in case I decided to drop Blade and pick up someone else.

“Not embarrassed so much as surprised. I threw a temper fit. Like a fiancée would under the circumstances.”

“You didn’t hurt her?”

I managed a shrug. “Not this time.”

“Good. And there won’t be a next time. Not here, anyway. DeeDee and I have a history. We’re friends with benefits, I guess you could say. When we’re not with someone else, we hook up.” Ray dropped the hair towel into his lap.