Dare I? Read online

“Come on, Anna, you owe me an explanation.”

  He sounded a little disappointed and a little hurt, beneath the continued puzzlement, and that was what, in the end, convinced Anna to explain herself.

  “I’ll tell you,” she sighed. “Just let me…”

  She tried to move again, and this time he let her go. She slid on the bench, just far enough that she wasn’t touching him anymore, and smoothed her dress down her thighs nervously.

  “I thought you were a vamp,” she started, looking anywhere but at him, “because you move like one. I watched you walk on the dance floor and…” She shrugged. “I was wrong.”

  She dared a look at him as she finished, and was surprised to find that the disappointment was gone, replaced by the barest trace of amusement.

  “I move like a vamp, heh?” he repeated, a small smile touching his lips. “That’s the first time I hear it, but I suppose it wouldn’t be too surprising.”

  She wanted to ask him what he meant by that but he didn’t leave her time to do it.

  “So, you wanted to dance and make out with a vamp, then? Why? You don’t strike me as the type of person who has a death wish.”

  Anna sat up straighter at that, feeling almost offended. “Of course not! I just wanted to have fun.”

  Reaching for his drink, Chase observed her as he took a couple of swallows.

  “You don’t have a death wish,” he said, nonplussed, when he put the glass down again, “but you think making out with a creature that can kill as easily as you breathe is fun.”

  She grimaced. “It’s not like that.”

  “What is it like, then?”

  He didn’t seem to be mocking her, or fishing for more reasons to embarrass her. Instead, he appeared genuinely curious. And so Anna told him about her friends, about their adventures at the club, about fearing that she was the most boring person in town, about her decision that she’d find a vamp and have some fun with him. Chase let her talk, briefly frowning once or twice but never interrupting her. When she was done, she almost expected him to tell her she was a fool.

  “If what you want is a nice story to tell your friend tomorrow, you don’t need a vamp. I can help with that.”

  The cold edge to his voice took her aback. It was far different from what he had showed until now. Words failed her as outrage made her shake.

  “What makes you think I would…How dare you…”

  “You’d have fucked a vamp and risked your life to impress your friend, but a human is too safe for you?”

  She opened her mouth to deny he was right or to curse him, she wasn’t sure which, but truth hit her and wiped away everything. She would have slept with him, if he had had fangs, for no better reason than his being a vampire. It was as silly—as foolish—as he made it sound. Shame burned her cheeks and tears stung her eyes.

  “Hey.” The blade in Chase’s voice disappeared in a blink, and a glint of surprise sparked in his eyes. Strangely enough, he almost looked guilty. “Don’t cry. I just wanted you to realize… please. I didn’t mean—”

  “Yes, you did mean it. And you’re right. I’m an idiot.”

  She tried to smile, as difficult as it was. When she blinked, a tear rolled down her cheek, and Chase reached out to wipe it with his thumb.

  “Misguided, perhaps, but not an idiot.” He returned her smile hesitantly. “Unless you’re going to try again to find a vamp?”

  “No. I don’t think so.” She laughed nervously. “The hell with what the girls may think. I’m not that desperate.”

  It was Chase’s turn to laugh. “Not sure what it says that you’d need to be desperate to hit on me.”

  “I didn’t mean it like that.” She took a small sip of her drink and started relaxing again. “And if I made a habit of it, I’d have hit on you without hesitation.”

  She realized when Chase’s eyebrows shot up that she had put her foot in her mouth—again. Mortified, she covered her face with her hands, peeking out only when she heard him laugh.

  “I think,” he said with a chuckle, “that I’ll take that as a compliment. As long as you don’t amend it anymore.”

  Smiling, Anna shook her head rather than risk opening her mouth again. For a few minutes, they sat there in silence, music, voices and laughter drifting into the booth from the club around them. Anna would have thought she would feel uncomfortable, sitting here with him after what had happened—and failed to happen. And yet, it wasn’t bad at all.

  “It’s getting late,” Chase said after he had finished his drink, but he didn’t move or otherwise say goodbye.

  “You’re right. I should go home.”

  Despite her words, Anna didn’t move either. She should have called a cab. She should have excused herself and put all this adventure behind her, chalk it up as a stroke of madness to be forgotten with morning. She should have, but she couldn’t manage to leave so fast. She couldn’t help but hope that Chase—

  “I feel silly offering this after I scolded you for taking risks, but do you need a ride?”

  “It must be a night for silliness.”

  They shared a smile.

  “And I do need a ride, if it’s not too much trouble.”

  “I wouldn’t have offered if it was.”

  He slid out of the booth and stood, holding his hand out to Anna. She did not hesitate before following his lead, pressing her fingers to his palm for him to help her up. She could feel, now, that it was cool, but not cold, or at least not as cold as a vampire’s skin probably was. She had no desire anymore to find out for herself.

  It was difficult to understand how so much had changed in the matter of an hour. She had come to On The Edge ready to be wild, had realized exactly how much risk she was taking, and was now leaving with the same man who had warned her about playing with her life. She couldn’t have explained why, but she trusted him to be a perfect gentleman.

  He led her to a parking lot just a block down from the club. He opened the door for her, then closed it gently when she was in; she couldn’t remember the last time when someone had held a door for her. She looked around while he walked around the car, and when he sat behind the wheel she was chuckling.

  “What’s so funny?” he asked as he started the car.

  “I thought you were a vampire.” She touched the wooden crucifix hanging from the rearview mirror with a light finger before ostensibly glancing back at the backseat. Two crossbows sat there, and a dozen stakes. “And you’re a vampire hunter instead.”

  Even in the darkened car, she could see his slight smile.

  “Special Enforcer is the actual title. But yes, hunting does have a lot to do with it.”

  She understood, now. His gaze searching the crowd, the confidence in his step, the grace of his movements… they hadn’t been signs of his being a vampire as she had thought. Rather, they were clues that he was another kind of predator—a predator to vampires, as the case may be. A predator with whom she was probably safer than with any vampire she could have met at On The Edge. A predator whose cheek she kissed lightly when he dropped her off in front of her apartment building.

  * * * *

  Morning is coming, and they’re lying in each other’s arms, the heavy spare blanket thrown over them. Far above, the distant ceiling of stars grows lighter by moments, the black not so black anymore, blue slowly seeping in. They should go in, probably, get back to Chase’s apartment before his neighbors start awakening and roaming through the staircase. Neither of them moves, though. Anna would loathe putting an end to a beautiful night. She’s not sure whether Chase is awake, still, or if he fell asleep after their last round of lovemaking.

  He answers her silent wondering by moving. The arm beneath her neck extends, then curls back over her to deposit a small box on her chest. Anna forgets to breathe when she realizes what it is; what he is doing.

  “The plan,” he says, and his voice is rough, even a little trembling, “was to ask you first, and then make love all night, but I…” His words come out wi
th more reluctance. “I wasn’t sure you would—”

  She can’t bear to let him finish and turns against him, laughing as she kisses him.

  “Of course I would! I mean will! I mean, I do.”

  She doesn’t know what she means anymore, doesn’t know what babbling passes her lips when he slips the ring on her finger. It catches the first light of sunrise, shining softly, perfect and beautiful. Just like Chase’s smile.

  * * * *

  As Anna had expected they would, Jessie and Carol showed up at her apartment in the afternoon, though she had thought they would arrive earlier. She shook her head and smiled when she saw they had brought a bottle of wine.

  “Trying to ply me with alcohol?” she asked as she led the way to the living room.

  “That was the idea, yes,” Jessie replied with a shameless grin. “In case you decided to be tight-lipped.”

  Her friends settled on the sofa and Anna pulled tall glasses from a cabinet. She uncorked the bottle easily, and they were soon taking sips of the light white wine and munching on dried fruit. With some difficulty, Anna repressed a grin as time passed in silence and her friends looked at her expectantly.

  “So?” Carol was the first one to break. “We’re dying here! Tell us what happened!”

  Anna gave a small shrug. “I went to the club, like you two suggested. Had a bit of fun. Nothing much, really.”

  By the time she said the last words, the smile had pushed to her lips and she was beaming. Carol and Jessie exchanged a look and turned to her, the same accusation rising from their lips.

  “Liar!”

  Finally giving in, Anna laughed. “I went there to find a vamp and prove you wrong,” she confided. “I was going to get laid and bitten before the night was over.”

  She paused to take a sip, and could feel her friends’ eyes on her, searching her neck and wrists for telltale marks.

  “I didn’t find a vampire,” she continued. “I thought I had, but he turned out to be a vampire hunter rather than a vamp.”

  “You found yourself a Special Enforcer?” Jessie exclaimed, and there was a hint of awe in her voice. “Nice. So, you didn’t get bitten, but what about the rest?”

  She waggled her eyebrows suggestively, making it clear if need be what she meant.

  “Let’s just say I had a very interesting night.”

  Her friends started protesting the lack of details, but Anna only grinned.

  “A lady doesn’t kiss and tell.”

  “You did kiss him, then,” Carol said slyly. “Was that at the club, or after he took you home?”

  Giving up on her pretense of coyness, Anna told them everything, starting with the first time she had seen him on the dance floor and what she had thought then.

  “He sent me flowers this morning,” she finished her tale. “With his phone number on the card.”

  “Did you call him?” Jessie asked excitedly.

  Anna nodded, grinning. “I did, to thank him. And we’re going to have lunch tomorrow.”

  “So…I guess we know who your guest will be at the wedding,” Carol said with a wink.

  Anna thought for a moment. The wedding was still five months away, and she had just met Chase. For all she knew, they might not go past a first lunch date. She didn’t like to think that far into the future usually. And yet…it was tempting to dare take a chance—another one.

  The End

  About the Author:

  Kallysten’s most exciting accomplishment to date was to cross a few thousand miles and an ocean to pursue (and catch!) the love of her life. She has been writing for fifteen years, and always enjoyed sharing her stories and listening to the readers’ reactions. After playing with science fiction, short stories and poetry, she is now trying her hand, heart and words at paranormal romance novels.

  To see her other stories, including free short stories and sample chapters, visit http://original.kallysten.net

  Also available from Kallysten:

  Forever Starts Now

  After receiving pictures that prove her fiancé’s infidelity, Claire breaks her engagement to Jonas and throws him out of her house. As a Special Enforcer, Jonas’ job is to hunt vampires who kill humans, but while she packs his belongings, Claire discovers he might be killing innocent vampires as well. Needing to know more about vampires before she decides whether to turn Jonas in, she visits a club where vampires and humans come in close contact, On The Edge.

  There, she meets the attractive and mysterious vampire Matthew. She observes him from afar for a few nights, and when he finally comes to talk to her, it is to scare her and ensure that she will not return to a place he considers dangerous for her—a view he unexpectedly shares with Jonas.

  Claire does return, however, and discovers more about Matthew’s past than he wanted her to know. She also discovers he is attracted to her, just as much as she is to him. Their first night together is passionate, but, with the intervention of Matthew’s Sire, it ends in blood…

  Forever Starts Now shows a normal woman thrown in extraordinary circumstances where love spans generations and “forever” has a very literal meaning. She will have to find out who she is before she can get her “happily ever after” with the man of her dreams.

  Aria & Will

  In an indistinct future, humans and vampires are allied against the savage demons that relentlessly attack their cities.

  In the fortified town of Newhaven, a centuries-old vampire, Wilhelm, is slowly losing track of why he fights. Meeting the human child Ariadne and watching her grow up to become a fierce fighter reminds him of his purpose and gives a face to the humans he tries to protect.

  As years pass, however, and Aria becomes a young woman, then a vampire, his protectiveness slowly turns into love...

  All Things Except Blood

  Vampire Eyrin lives in a world in which her kind seals pacts with humans and protects them from fearsome demons in exchange for blood. She is one of her clan’s strongest fighters, until the night when she is gravely wounded, in both her flesh and spirit. Disfigured, she hides from all and refuses to feed.

  Returning to the lair, her human lover Ian is shocked to discover her condition but resolute to show her she is still as beautiful in his eyes. He offers her blood and comfort, causing Eyrin to do the one thing forbidden to Childer – take his life.

  When Ian awakens a vampire, sired not by her but by the clan’s Master instead, Eyrin reluctantly takes on the task of teaching him about his new existence. But her guilt over killing him makes this responsibility a heavy burden for Eyrin, and the new relationship they forge is a far cry from the one they used to share. Will Ian be able to reach out for her again, or will she keep her door and heart locked to him?