Suppressing the urge to scream, she pivoted and stomped out of the office, and found Minion. The imp bounced up from a sofa, magazines tumbling to the floor to fling herself at Kiki.
“Can I be in the show tonight? Can I? Please? Please?” The enthusiastic hug and eager bounce helped restore Kiki’s equilibrium. She gave her an affectionate squeeze and settled the imp onto her shoulder, tail curled around Kiki’s neck.
“I don’t even know what I’m doing for the show—”
“I do!” Minion tossed a look behind her at Heidi’s office door and crouched, murmuring into Kiki’s ear.
Laughter welled up, the amusement loosening the pull of Richard’s call on her body. Minion’s idea was just enough out there that it might work. In fact…
“I like that. And I’ll make you a deal,” she scratched the imp’s ears affectionately as she put distance between them and Heidi. “You can totally be in the show if you’ll do me one little favor.”
“I love favors.” Minion promised.
“Well, it might be hard…”
“I like hard favors even more. What is it?”
“Now, don’t agree so quickly.” Ahead of her she could see the dancers stirring and waved to Peppermint and Britta. “It could be tricky.”
“Tell me!” Minion demanded.
“Think you can steal a file folder from Heidi’s office for me?” She watched the ruddy little face intently.
“Oh snap. You want yours or someone else’s?” Minion clicked her fingers together and grinned.
Showered and dressed in a simple leotard, Kiki leaned close to the mirror to apply her makeup. The near constant eddies of weakness collided with persistent urge to be elsewhere. It took every ounce of her concentration to apply her mascara. When a rather violent tug contracted all of her muscles, she scowled and stormed over to the phone. Picking it up, she rang reception.
“Richard Casere’s suite, please.” She tapped her foot impatiently and carried the cordless receiver back to her makeup station. The other dancers hustled, but everyone seemed to lack the usual energy associated with a new performance. Maybe because they had no idea what the performance would be. Heidi said improvisation—so they had to watch Kiki and match her dance.
She managed to smear her makeup, thanks to the trembling in her limbs—trembling that had something to do with the sexy beast. She used a tissue to blot at the black smear carefully. The phone rang through, and a masculine voice answered it on the first ring. It wasn’t Richard’s voice however. “Put Richard on.” She didn’t bother to tack on a please.
Apparently she didn’t need to either. “Kristina?” The sound of his voice wrapping around her name sent a pulse of heat from her breasts to her sex and back up again. Peanut butter crunch on toast, he’s better than chocolate.
“Kiki. And stop calling me—I have a show to put on and I just screwed up my makeup. I will see you after the performance unless you keep pissing me off.” Proud that she didn’t dissolve into a quivering mass of sexual need and satisfied with telling him off, she hung up and went back to repairing her makeup.
Britta appeared in her periphery and leaned a hip against the counter. Cosmetics applied to perfection, right down to her ruby lipstick and glittering eye shadow, Britta looked like Kiki always wanted to—together and seductive without being slutty.
Not that there is anything wrong with slutty when it teaches a lesson… Amusement streamed through her. She dressed slutty on any number of occasions, just to tweak him when his arrogance got out of hand—
The mascara applicator fell to the counter as the constant drag pulling her sideways ceased.
“You okay?” Britta caught her arm, steadying her. Kiki belatedly realized she swayed and forced herself to sit down.
“I used to dress slutty just to piss him off.” Planting her hands on the tabletop, she trembled. “I used to dress slutty just to piss him off.”
“You realize you’re repeating yourself, right?” Britta bit her lip and tilted her head sideways. “Honey, you’re really pale. You want me to get you a drink?”
Her stomach cramped hard at the offer, but she shook her head. “No—I mean yes—but not right now. I used to dress… I knew him.” She waited for the thought to get swept away like every other half-formed memory she managed to glimpse, but it stuck stubbornly and she looked up at Britta, grinning. “I knew him. What he said about knowing me? I knew him too.”
“Yeah, okay. You’ve got the crazies tonight, but we need to know what we’re dancing to.”
“No.” Kiki bounced up. “I mean—yeah, I’ll tell you. But I met someone last night and…”
“You met someone and you’re just now mentioning it?” Rising, hands on her hips, Britta gave her a hard look. “You went out and didn’t invite me?”
Wrapping her in a quick embrace. “Not on purpose and don’t be like that. I just had to get out and I didn’t realize he was calling me, but he was and I went and then he was there and we were together and we up to his room. Oh my God can the man kiss, and three orgasms later I had to get back down here, but I was late and Stan was pissed and I woke up in Heidi’s office—but I know him and I haven’t known anyone but us for years.” She panted, the torrent of words spilling out of her added another layer to the euphoria bubbling in her blood. “I know him!” She squealed and gave Britta another hug.
A bell rang, and Kiki jumped.
“Oh hell. We need to go. We’re doing Diamonds are a Vampire’s best friend—blacks, reds and loads of glitter.”
“Glitter?” Peppermint interrupted, annoyance flaring in her eyes. “I just did my hair, and you want me to dump glitter on it?”
“Yes and all over your body too.” Kiki danced down the row of tables, giving every one of the girls a hug as she passed by. “Load up on the gems. You need to sparkle when the lights turn on you. We’ll show them the real reason vampires can’t go out in daylight…they won’t be able to handle our bling.”
The other dancers grumbled good-naturedly and laughed, but Kiki barely heard them.
I know him…oh. I can’t wait to see him again…
Frederick Reynolds waited at the entrance to the lounge. It was early by Vegas standards—hell, it was even early by Richard’s standards. The sun set just two and a half hours before, and the new show was scheduled to begin promptly at nine. Irritation slid along his skin. The younger vampire had nothing to report. But Frederick made a point to be seen as the person most likely to stay out of trouble.
“Frederick.” The prince acknowledged him with a nod, but didn’t slow his pace. Inside the lounge, the shadowy tables were staged at various levels, allowing maximum privacy while viewing the exotic shows. Succubi weaved through the tables trailing invitational vetiver in their wake. Fortunately, the allure only proved appealing to baser natured creatures—like the table of weres already on their way to a good drunk. He recognized them from their arrival that morning.
Boorish lot.
The hostess directed him to a table near the front, tucked into a well of privacy. The occasional voice climbed high enough to be heard, but otherwise he enjoyed the peace. Anton and David stood at either end of the rounded booth, and Frederick hesitated at the table’s edge.
He hadn’t been invited to sit.
Fortunately he seemed smart enough to understand that. Richard leaned back and studied him. “Well?” He asked after the silence stretched out his irritation—irritation kindled by Kristina’s annoyed phone call. One corner of his mouth quirked up, the call told him two things. She understood the call he sent out, one that summoned her blood to him—an act he could only perform because it was his blood that turned her.