On The Edge Read online

  On The Edge

  Kallysten

  Smashwords Edition

  Copyright © 2006 Kallysten

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means mechanical, electronic, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the prior written consent of the publisher, nor be otherwise circulated in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.

  The right of Kallysten to be identified as the Author of the Work has been asserted by her in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

  First published 2006

  Second Edition 2007

  All characters in this publication are purely fictitious and any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

  Edited by Tracey W and Margaret Cates

  This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

  On The Edge

  The music faded with each step Brett took toward his apartment, but he could still feel the beat of it, the low drums vibrating throughout the club and up toward him. Sometimes, like now, when he was tired, he almost regretted the decision to adopt the upper level of the club as his living quarters. Surely, a quieter home would have been better. The idea never lasted once he locked the door behind him, though. Perfect soundproofing made sure that he could sleep even through the club's wildest nights.

  Massaging his temples, he toed off his shoes and left them by the door before walking toward the bathroom. The day had been long as he interviewed a dozen prospective bartenders. On The Edge was fast gaining a reputation all over the country, and hearing all of the candidates repeat, too enthusiastically, how interested they were in working at the club had left him with a pounding headache.

  Of course, his headache might also have been due to the sample drinks he had asked them to mix for him. He would take the night to think about it and make his decision in the morning. He still was hesitating about adding just one, or two, bartenders to his staff. The club was only three months old, but it had become an instant hit and every week saw the profit numbers increase. Vampires loved the place for its lack of mirrors and willing customers, and thrill-seeking humans loved that so many vampires frequented the place. As long as no accidents happened—as long as no one died—Brett was sure that On The Edge would remain the place to be in the city, even the state. Hiring two bartenders right away would probably be best in the long run.

  It was with a low, grateful moan that he stepped into the shower, steam immediately filling the stall as pressured water struck him from multiple angles. Eyes closed, he rested both hands against the cool black tiles and enjoyed the feeling of hot water striking his body, massaging away stress and tiredness. It wasn't long before he heard the quiet slide of the shower door opening and closing again. He smiled in anticipation. All day long, he had been thinking of coming back to Lisa. If she hadn't joined him in the shower, he would have joined her in bed instead, wrapped his arms around her and enjoyed how kittenish she could be in her sleep.

  Lisa quickly showed that she had other intentions, however. Her skin was cool when she pressed her chest to his back, as were her hands, the right one wrapping gently around his cock, the left running up and down his chest.

  “Evening,” she murmured behind his ear, the sound a quiet caress. “How was your day?”

  “Long. Way too long. I missed you.”

  She pressed a kiss to the nape of his neck. Pushing back from where he had been leaning against the wall, he covered both her hands with his and accompanied her movements as she pulled on his hardening cock with one, tight and slow, while flicking at his nipples with the other. She was applying the perfect amount of pressure to make her touch half torture, half caress; he sighed.

  “How was yours?” he asked back.

  “Lonely, since you insisted on abandoning me.”

  She punctuated the hint of teasing reproach with a squeeze to his cock and a tight pinch to his right nipple. Brett groaned as he pulled both her hands away from him before turning to face her. Her lips were set on the devious grin he had expected, and he lost no time in cupping her face to press his mouth to hers. Her arms wove around him and her hands splayed over the muscles of his back and ass, pulling him closer until her breasts were crushed against him, his cock trapped between them. His mouth sliding to kiss across her jaw and down her neck, he found his way, as he always did, to the two small scars on her neck and scraped his teeth against them. Lisa shuddered.

  “Want you inside me,” she said, her voice low and heavy. Dropping her arms, she turned against him and leaned against the wall, mirroring their earlier positions.

  Brett ran his hands over the curve of her back, enjoying how responsive she was to his touch. She always craved sex when waking up, and he was only too happy to oblige. Taking hold of his cock, he rubbed it against the crack of her ass and down between her joined legs, where the hot water was mixing to her own wetness to create a slick passage for him. At a touch of his hand, she spread her legs and leaned forward, giving him access to her core. He slipped inside her slowly, as painfully slow as she had stroked his cock earlier. Payback.

  “You bastard,” she grunted, the affection in her words belying them. “Just…yes!”

  With a snap of his hips, he had pushed in as deep as he could go in this position. There was nothing he could refuse Lisa, and they both knew it.

  Keeping a hand on her hip for balance, he started thrusting. Sharp, shallow thrusts that pulled quiet hisses from Lisa's lips. His free hand roamed over her wet skin, chasing beads of water away from her back, stroking each breast in turn until her nipples were hard points against his palm. Finally holding her waist with both hands, he intensified his rhythm. She had been still so far, but now she started pushing back against him, her movements accentuating his.

  Brett could feel his balls tighten as they slapped against her flesh in wet, smacking noises. Sliding a hand forward to the apex of her legs, he found her clit and twisted it once, twice, just on the edge of pain, pushing her into her pleasure until she was panting and shaking, her cunt contracting around his cock and drawing a quicksilver orgasm out of him.

  As he slowly pulled out of her, Brett wrapped his arms around Lisa and turned her so that she faced him again. Her smile was pure warmth now, and her lips were unadulterated sugar when they met his. He held her to his chest as he lazily explored her mouth with his tongue, his fingers playing in the blond hair she kept just long enough to brush against her shoulders. He could have stayed there in her arms all night, if not for the slowly cooling water.

  With a sigh, Brett turned off the shower even as Lisa slid the door open and they stepped out, reaching together for the heavy robes hung over the heater.

  “Found your bartender?” Lisa asked as she picked up a towel and dried her hair vigorously.

  “There were three that stood out. I think I'll hire two of them.”

  The warmth of the bathroom seemed to disappear right away when he opened the door and walked out toward the kitchen. The soundproofing of the apartment was excellent, but its heating system left something to be desired.

  “I still think you should have at least one vampire behind the bar,” Lisa called after him, picking up her usual suggestion. As a silent investor and partner, she had proved to be ra
ther vocal more often than not. “Offer some cocktails geared toward us. Even straight blood, animal or human. Treat it like just a regular drink and you'll make a killing.”

  Her face appeared through the open door and when Brett looked up from where he was seated at the kitchen island, she flashed him a grin.

  “Figuratively speaking, of course.”

  Brett chuckled and took a bite from the apple he had picked from the fruit bowl.

  “If that vamp that was supposed to come today had shown up, I'd probably have hired him on the spot,” he placated her. “And you know I've asked for that blood bar license. It's just taking longer than I expected.”

  Lisa didn't answer. She was naked when she walked out of the bathroom, and even though Brett knew her body well enough that he could have drawn her with his eyes closed, his gaze followed her hungrily toward the bedroom. As much as it pained him to admit it, she was just a little taller than he was—and that was without heels. Her hair was starting to curl a little, as it always did when it was damp, and was leaving her shoulders bare. Somehow, it seemed to make her nakedness even more blatant, and the curves of her breasts and ass even more appealing.

  Unable to resist, Brett abandoned his snack and went after her, stopping to lean against the bedroom doorjamb. Still nude, she was in front of her open closet and rifling through her collection of dresses.

  “Who's abandoning who, now?” he commented good-naturedly.

  “What can I say? Predator instincts.”

  She finally pulled out a dress and slipped it on before turning to face Brett, an eyebrow raised in a silent question. The dress was black satin, hanging precariously from Lisa's shoulders by spaghetti straps and coming down to just beneath her knees. It seemed to reveal more than it hid.

  Walking to her, Brett ran his hands up her arms and down her sides, finally sliding them behind her to cup her ass and pull her against him, where she would feel the effect she was having on him.

  “Breathtaking,” he murmured in the crook of her neck. “You're sure you don't want to stay in tonight? I could be the prey to this gorgeous predator.”

  Pulling back, he gave her a wide-eyed innocent look that made her laugh softly.

  “I won't be long,” she promised with a peck to his lips and a light squeeze to his semi-hard cock.

  Flat sandals were the only accessory she put on before leaving, and Brett could only stare at her backside, mesmerized by the way the satin hugged her ass, until the front door had closed on her. Then he smiled. A predator, indeed. He would have defied any man in the club to resist her—or any woman for that matter. Lisa would find someone to feed from before she ever stepped down onto the dance floor, he would bet the club on it.

  And as a matter of fact, he wanted to see it. She refused to feed from him, having explained that she didn't want to think of him as food. But like so many of his patrons he had been attracted to vampires for a long time, and he was fascinated by the idea of being bitten. If she wouldn't bite him, he could at least watch her feed from someone else.

  It took him mere moments to put on dark pants and a crisp shirt. When he had come back to his apartment, he had been yearning for silence and a quiet evening, but he returned down to the pulsing beat of the club without a second thought.

  He stood on one of the suspended bridges and looked down at the dance floor, his eyes searching for Lisa even as they stopped on a beautiful woman here or a handsome man there. He loved to watch people dance, their movements at times so close to the most primal forms of sex.

  He also loved to watch Lisa flirt and seduce. Loved the way her body moved, the way she smiled, even the way she slithered ever closer to her chosen prey. He loved it even more that he knew she'd be back in his bed—in his arms—before the night was over.

  * * * *

  Just moments after she had started dancing, Lisa could feel Brett's eyes on her. She could always tell when someone was watching her. It was almost a sixth sense she had had even in her human years. She only needed seconds to find him, leaning against the railing of one of the suspended bridges above the dancing crowd. She winked at him and saw him smile in return before she focused her attention again on the three young men in front of her. She had fed from two of them in the past already, and judging by their hopeful looks, neither would have minded a repeat. But the third one was attractive, with light honey hair, green eyes and a pretty smile—so much like Brett that she couldn't pretend, this time, that it was a coincidence.

  She crooked a finger in the young man's direction, motioning him to come closer. He beamed at her as he did, his hands rising for a second toward her before dropping again a little shyly. She grabbed them and pulled them to her hips before settling her own on his shoulders. The next few songs would be slow ones, which she knew would be all the better to charm him with and get what she wanted from him willingly.

  Hips swaying, Lisa danced her way closer to him, until each step became a caress and her partner's heartbeat seemed to pound louder than the music. She usually took her time, teasing and arousing her prey until he was ready to do anything she asked and followed her to one of the alcoves on the first floor. But tonight, she very badly wanted to get back to Brett and continue what they had started earlier. She had awakened hours before Brett had returned, wet from a sexy dream and hungry for a cock and a fuck. As nice as their little romp in the shower had been, it hadn't been nearly enough. Brett was a wonderful lover and she cared deeply for him. But sometimes, she regretted that he was human, had a job and responsibilities that kept him away from her. She also regretted having unwittingly added to his workload.

  The first few weeks of their relationship, he had been far less busy. The small bar he had acquired fresh out of business school had just become successful enough to pay for his food, apartment and clothes without much to spare but without a lot of work either. When he had told her of his idea to open a dancing club, she had added her own suggestions to the mix, making the place vampire-friendly, and had eventually offered to finance the venture. She had never expected the amount of work Brett would have to put into the place, from the first days of renovation of the ancient factory, to the handpicking of the waitresses and bartenders. The club was his dream. So far, she hadn't been able to convince him to let someone else take any responsibility for it. Lisa hadn't given up, though.

  She had been about to lean in to whisper a suggestion into her partner's ear when the sensation of being watched accentuated, forcing Lisa to look around her. Her eyes widened in surprise when they fell on the tall vampire only a few steps away from her. In one blink, she forgot her dancing partner to throw herself into Leo's arms. He caught her easily and spun her around him, her laugh rising like chimes. When he let her feet touch the floor again, neither of them hesitated as they lunged for each other's neck.

  His blood on her tongue made Lisa hum in pleasure as it brought forth memories of decades spent together. She could barely remember why they had parted—had it been fifteen years already? But to be back in his arms, to feel his tongue slowly lapping where his fangs had broken her flesh, to see him grin when she pulled back—all of it erased whatever quarrel had separated them.

  “I can't believe you're here!” she said, her voice loud to cover the music. She rested her hands on his chest in a familiar gesture. “I thought I'd never see you again, and here you are! You've got to tell me everything! Where have you been? What have you done? I've got so much to tell you!”

  He laughed, and Lisa was just struck by how accurate her memories of him were. Vampires didn't change, of course, but memories do as time idealizes old lovers. Leo was exactly the same as she remembered, dark hair cut short, darker eyes piercing her as though he could read her thoughts, strong hands at her waist, rippling muscles under her fingers.

  She smiled. “You haven't changed a bit.”

  Leo's hand came up to brush against the blonde curls hanging over her shoulders.

  “I can't say the same about you,” he commented gentl
y. “But it looks nice on you, Beth. Very nice.”

  His lips were chaste against hers, almost tender. Coming from Leo, the gesture meant more than words from another man might have, and spelled quite clearly that he had missed her. Sliding her arms around him, Lisa hugged him—and noticed Brett standing still just behind him in the middle of the dancing crowd.

  Pulling back, she took hold of Leo's arm and made him turn, indicating Brett with a tilt of her head.

  “This is Brett,” she told him, before giving the other man a grin. “And this is Leo.”

  Lisa had to repress a laugh at the way they both looked the other up and down, searching for flaws and weaknesses—probably wondering what she saw in them. Neither revealed anything, but she knew them too well to be fooled. Deep down, they were very much alike, and that was one reason she had been attracted to Brett. She knew herself enough to realize that. And at that moment, they were sharing the same feelings—jealousy, and an interest neither would show without being strongly encouraged.

  She certainly planned to encourage them both before morning came.

  “It's too noisy to talk here,” she pointed out, even though neither had tried to say more than a word of greeting. “Let's go upstairs.”

  She held on to Leo's right arm and stepped forward to loop her arm through Brett's left, pulling them with her up the staircase to the ground floor and its bar. She could tell that Brett wanted to stop there, but she continued to guide them to the private staircase that led to his apartment. She saw the dark look he was giving her when she had to let go of them to climb the narrower steps. They had long since agreed that Brett's apartment—their apartment, as he insisted on calling it—was off-limits for Lisa's prey. Leo was anything but, and maybe she needed to make that clear to Brett.

  “Leo and I were sired by the same vampire,” she explained now that the music wasn't drowning her voice anymore. “I'm just days older than him. We learned everything together.”