Out of the Box 6

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  Alinar Publishing

  www.alinarpublishing.com

  Copyright ©2008 by Kallysten

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  NOTICE: This work is copyrighted. It is licensed only for use by the original purchaser. Making copies of this work or distributing it to any unauthorized person by any means, including without limit email, floppy disk, file transfer, paper print out, or any other method constitutes a violation of International copyright law and subjects the violator to severe fines or imprisonment.

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  Out of the Box 6

  Kallysten

  Copyright © 2008 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 March 2008

  First Edition

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

  Edited by Mary S.

  Cover by Kallysten

  Author's note

  In addition to referring to events from the previous instalments in the Out of the Box series, this story alludes to what happened in Dancing, a short story available as a free read both on my website and on the Alinar Publishing website.

  While it is not necessary to read Dancing to understand the events of Out of the Box 6, it might explain some of Virginia's thoughts to know that, in Dancing, she and Anando had sex in a booth at the club and were observed by a blonde woman, Lisa.

  Out of the Box 6

  My Lady Aphrodite,

  I won't lie. I was scared to return to Anando. The limits I had set on our affair seemed so tenuous, even such a short time after I had voiced them, that I was afraid they would simply collapse—and then what would happen? He had made me enjoy—no, crave—things I'd never have dared think I'd like. What else could he make me do? What else could he make me discover about myself? And what if I didn't like what I found out?

  Despite my fear, however, one thing was clear. I wanted to go back to him. I wanted him. Not a moment passed that I didn't think of him, of his eyes, his hands, his mouth, his cock. During the day, I was constantly distracted. At night, it was worse. My own hands and my imagination seemed less than adequate when I knew all I needed was to go to the club to find him.

  In the end, I went back.

  I didn't think, or rather, I didn't let myself think. Last Friday, after a terrible day at work, I needed to go to him, needed to forget myself in him. I threw on a pair of leather pants and a tank top and was out the door before night even fell. I figured I would have a drink and relax a little before he arrived, and surprise him by being there before him for once. I didn't expect anyone would approach me before he arrived.

  So early in the evening, the music that drifted up from the dance floor was nowhere near as loud as it usually was, and there were only a dozen customers on the bar level. A few people were chatting at tables around the bar. At least two of them were waitresses at the club, I thought, probably catching up before customers started arriving in greater numbers. A man sat alone in a booth in the back of the room, and a woman was perched on a high stool at the bar. Only one bartender stood behind the counter, leaning against it as he talked to the woman. I had seen both of them in the club before, and I knew they were both vampires.

  The dark-haired bartender was named Leo, and he had served me drinks a few times, always with a lovely smile. I didn't know the blonde woman's name, but I had seen her dance with Anando. I knew she had watched me with him as well. Out of nowhere, a flash of jealousy mixed with embarrassment swept through me. I had to force myself to keep walking. I didn't want to feel these things, and if I ignored them, I thought they would go away.

  By the time I sat down at the bar, Leo had slipped from behind it to go bring a drink to the customer in the back. I watched him walk there. I wished I looked half as good in my leather pants as his perfect ass did in his own.

  I chose a seat as far from the woman as I could without being directly across the bar from her. I didn't want to look at her or even think about her and risk another flash of annoying jealousy. Before Leo had returned, however, she came to me and asked:

  "Can I offer you a drink?"

  I don't know if it was her smile, the way her eyes sparkled, or my knowledge that she was a vampire, but the offer seemed to cover much more than a drink and left me a little uncomfortable. Or it might simply have been my renewed awareness that she had watched me and Anando the last time I had been at the club.

  I didn't tell you about this visit, my lady. I'm not sure why I—no, that's not true. I do know why I didn't tell you. I was embarrassed. Not by what Anando and I had done. After all our games, playing in the public setting of the club hardly seems like anything for me to blush about. No, what I was embarrassed about, and still am, to some extent, even after what happened Friday night, was that he had hinted twice at inviting someone to join us, and neither time had I protested or refused to consider the idea. I have to confess I was intrigued by it. I had this strange hope, also, that sleeping with someone else would allow me to break free of the hold Anando exerted on me. I was oh-so-very mistaken—but I'm getting ahead of myself.

  The woman offered me a drink, and I tried to smile politely as I declined.

  "Thanks, but not today. I'm waiting for ... a friend."

  Her smile did not waver for a second. “The sun hasn't even set yet, so he won't be here for a little while. Come on, sit down with me in the meantime. I promise I won't bite."

  Her eyes strayed to my neck as she said that last part. I knew the scars where Anando had bit me were just visible on the edge of my tank top. This time, though, rather than making me feel uncomfortable, the look reminded me of the pleasure that had coursed through me every time Anando had bitten me. It felt like it hadn't happened in far too long.

  I wanted to refuse her invitation again, but at the same time, a bit of pride wouldn't allow me to let her think I was afraid. I nodded a little nervously and followed her to a round metal and glass table just a few feet from the bar. There were four chairs around it. She sat down where she'd have a clear view of both the bar and entrance; I took the seat across from her. Immediately, I realized it was a bad idea. I couldn't bear to hold her gaze, not when I knew she had watched us in a very intimate moment. I looked around as though I had never seen the club before. A few more customers had arrived, all humans, I supposed, since it wasn't night yet. It made me wonder how she and Leo managed to be at the club so early. From the corner of my eye, I could see that she was still looking straight at me.

  "You know,” she said after a moment, “you've got plenty of women jealous and wondering what Anando sees in you. Even on the nights you don't show up, they can't tempt him."

  I couldn't help looking back at her at those words. Her chin now rested in the palm of her hand, her elbow set firmly on the table. She looked amused at my puzzlement. And yes, I was puzzled. What did she mean by this? She couldn't mean Anando wasn't ... playing with other women. I knew better than to believe that. So was she trying to tell me she was one of those jealous women? Was she trying to warn me off?

  Something must have showed on my face. She chuckled and answered the question I hadn't known how to ask

  "No, I'm not part o
f the jealous crowd. Anando and I are old friends, but not that kind of friends."

  "What kind, then?"

  She shrugged and started tracing sinuous patterns on the table with her finger. Her eyes never left me. “I guess we look for the same kind of prey. And treat our prey the same way."

  I knew that this was what I was for Anando—prey—but it felt strange to hear someone else define me in that manner. What she added next, however, made me wonder if she had truly been talking about me.

  "He doesn't seem to act with you like he does with prey, though. It's rather strange."

  The way she looked at me seemed to change, her eyes becoming more piercing, as if she had been trying to see right through me. As unsettling as our conversation was, I couldn't help wishing she'd tell me more about Anando. Maybe it'd help me understand what was going on between us.

  "How do you think he acts with—"

  "Evening, ladies."

  A man had come up from behind her and rested his hands on her shoulders. She threw her head back to look at him, smiling.

  "Hey, handsome. Will you join us?"

  He bent down to kiss her lightly before looking at me with gorgeous green eyes. He was about my height, dressed in dark pants and a blue dress shirt. He had loosened the tie at his neck and unbuttoned his collar. She was right, he was handsome. I could see that even if he wasn't my type.

  "I'd be glad to. Do you ladies want drinks?"

  "Wine,” the woman said.

  He replied with a nod before turning a questioning look toward me.

  "Something light,” I said, wondering why I wasn't leaving the two of them alone; they seemed to be a couple. “No alcohol."

  He gave another nod and walked away. I followed him with my eyes as he passed by me. He was good looking, but that wasn't what caught my attention. Instead, it was the confidence radiating from him, somewhat similar to Anando's. I wondered if he was a vampire as well. The woman indirectly helped me figure it out.

  "His name is Brett Andrews,” she said when I managed to tear my gaze away from him. “He's the owner of On The Edge."

  He wasn't a vampire, then. Instead, if I believed the rumors I had heard, he lived with two of them, a man and a woman. I had a hunch that the woman was right in front of me.

  "And since I don't think I introduced myself,” she continued, offering me her right hand, “I'm Lisa."

  Without thinking, I took her hand and shook it. “Virginia."

  She squeezed my hand before she let go. “I know. Anando told me."

  My heart jumped in my chest as the conversation returned toward Anando. What else had he said, exactly?

  "He told you about me?” I asked, more curious than I wanted her to know.

  "Don't worry,” she said at once, her tone reassuring. “He doesn't kiss and tell. I just teased him about how taken he seems to be with you, and he let your name slip. That's pretty much all he said."

  I didn't like the way she said it. What did ‘pretty much’ mean? Had he told her anything more than my name, or not? I wanted to ask, but before I could, Brett Andrews was back, carrying four glasses. He set a glass of wine in front of Lisa, the layered, fruity one in front of me, and sat down on Lisa's left with his own low, square glass with just a finger of amber surrounding two ice cubes. The last glass, wine like Lisa's, he placed in front of the empty seat across from him. I just had time to wonder who would join us when cool lips brushed against the scars at the crook of my neck.

  My mind had blanked out at the light touch, and I barely heard Anando say good evening to the three of us.

  "Isn't this early for you, Virginia dear?"

  I looked at him and, as always, I felt a rush of desire. He was wearing a dark, short-sleeved shirt that clung to him and revealed his muscled body. The first two buttons were undone, and a glimpse of his dark honey chest was exposed when he moved a certain way. Now seated on my left, he picked up his glass of wine and drank a mouthful, his eyes staying on me the entire time.

  "I thought I would surprise you,” I finally managed to say.

  Sparks seemed to light up his dark eyes. “You certainly did. And I see you've made new friends."

  It took me the time of three heartbeats to remember we weren't alone, and I felt a little embarrassed at having ignored the other two people at the table so blatantly.

  "I'm always glad to get to know my customers,” Brett said when I didn't reply. “And speaking of customers, you don't seem to come to On The Edge as often as you used to. Did a new club open in town I should be worried about?"

  There was a teasing quality to Brett's voice that hinted this wasn't the first time the two had met, but that wasn't what got my attention. What did he mean when he said Anando wasn't coming to the club as often? He had been there every time I had come to meet him. Would it have been different if I had come during the week rather than on weekend nights as I usually did? I thought about it as I sipped on my cocktail, my eyes always returning to Anando. He was talking with Brett and Lisa, but I'll admit I wasn't paying much attention to what they were saying, too intrigued by the tidbits of information I had gathered since setting foot in the club.

  I only returned my attention to the conversation when Lisa said, her voice light and full of laughter, “Well, it is a dance club after all! How about going for a spin on the dance floor?"

  She gave a look to Brett, which I thought was a request to dance with him, but he turned his face to me as he stood and offered me his hand to help me up.

  "Would you like to dance, Virginia?"

  Unsure why he would invite me, I looked in turns at him, Lisa, and finally Anando. Something inside me was hoping that he would object. I had come to see him, after all, not to dance with a stranger.

  "Go ahead,” he said as he stood as well.

  I watched, a little hurt, as he offered his hand to Lisa. She took it without hesitation.

  "The night is only beginning,” he added when I still didn't move. “We'll dance later."

  They waited until I had stood before leading the way to the staircase and down.

  I'll admit I was more than a little confused when the four of us started dancing to a slow song on the almost empty dance floor. The music was both slower and quieter than it usually was; I supposed both the volume and tempo would rise when more people arrived.

  I'm not a great dancer, but I'm usually decent. Not that night, though. Still troubled by my unexpected partner, I remained very stiff when we started swaying together, his hands on my hips and mine on his shoulders. I kept a foot between our bodies, and he didn't try to get any closer. Just a few yards away, Anando and Lisa danced much closer to each other. They were talking, but I couldn't hear what they were saying. Every now and then, Anando glanced toward me, but his reassuring smiles did little to comfort me. Brett couldn't fail to notice my discomfort, and after a few minutes he tried to make me feel better.

  "Relax,” he said gently. “I don't bite."

  I couldn't help snorting. “Everybody makes that joke."

  He grinned. “Sorry for not being any more original."

  At least, his joke had worked and I did relax. He wasn't a bad dancer, but I missed Anando just the same. After a few seconds, I had to look back toward him and Lisa. They looked good together, too good for comfort, and I couldn't help feeling jealous.

  "Is she your girlfriend?” I asked, looking back at Brett.

  He shrugged. “You could call her that."

  I frowned at his answer. “What do you call her?"

  A corner of his mouth lifted in a strange grin. “To her face, nothing. That'd be the best way to make her run. But in my mind..."

  He looked at her, and I felt a pang of envy at the expression on his face. I wasn't interested in him, but I wished in that instant that someone would look at me with such love—never mind that love was the last thing I was interested in.

  "She's the woman of my life,” he finished, almost too quietly for me to hear.

  Yet again, as
I saw absolute certainty settle on his features, I could only long for something like this to be directed at me. Caught as I was in my own contradictions, his next question, although predictable, took me by surprise.

  "Your turn. What is Anando for you?"

  My mouth opened and closed without a sound before I could find an answer.

  "I'm still trying to figure that out,” I said in the end.

  Right on cue, the song finished. Brett's hands fell away from my waist, and mine from his shoulders.

  "Good luck, then."

  With a last smile and a nod, he turned away and left the dance floor. I looked around for Anando. I was both glad and relieved to see that Lisa had left him as well and he was coming toward me. Another slow song started. I stepped in close to him, closer than I had been to Brett. I let out a small contented sigh when his arms wrapped around me. This was what I had come to the club for.

  The song played then ended. A new one started, just as slow. I stayed right where I was. I felt good. My bad day was ebbing away, along with my fears and jealousy. All that was left was Anando.

  He broke it all with just a few words.

  "So, what did you think of Brett and Lisa?"

  Out of nowhere, a thought jumped to the front of my mind. I remembered him, when we had last played in his house, bringing me off with vivid thoughts of being with two men. Then at the club, it had been about someone watching us and joining in. And now ... now Lisa had approached me, brought the four of us together for a dance and a drink ... I could see all too clearly where this was going, and for the first time I wasn't interested in the ride.

  "No."

  Anando pulled back and gave me a puzzled look. “What do you mean, no?"

  I knew why he was taken aback. As much as I had tried to put limits on our relationship, I had never refused him until that moment. It was the right thing to do, though. I was convinced of it. True, his hints at having someone join us had intrigued me. They had been just words, though, and that third person had been too imprecise for me to consider it seriously. Now that I had a face to put on this potential lover, my reaction was visceral. I would do a lot to be with Anando, but not sleep with someone I wasn't interested in.