d never lay a hand on her or fly into a manic rage. But she was afraid of his ability to sweet-talk her. The old man surely knew how to guilt-talk her.

read his messages. He was bluffing. He would not fire her. He

t," she

wo rings later, and her best friend's reassuring vo

her boyfriend, Gerald, have already left for their weekend in the Bahamas. She invited Grace to go with them but obvi

because she would be all alone this weeke

anted me to go to the office and fi

hat? No! Why wou

if it was cool. He just messaged saying he wante

e sounded as disapp

. "I can't see him, I'm tired and I'm d

ney's shocked tone

oing a one-night stand," but the old man is... oh, fuck me... I'm still too upset about the

ra

all the lights and lock the door, h

at? I shouldn't have agreed to go to this mom's game of Sunrise and Bahamas. I

not canceling your trip for me. This i

ked now after a week of vacation. Which means Honey won't get to see him as m

. "So please, tell me what to do. Should

halls. Maybe Maya-no, wait, her new boyfriend is in town this weekend. They

ther last week. They're not going

hat he was saying. Then Honey came back. "Gerald says you can stay at his place this weekend. It's practical

e it's okay?

exting his butler right now to let hi

ith a pang of guilt. "Put me on spea

. One

ne. "Don't worry about anything, the apartment is p

But are you sure it's cool

tler and he'll cook you up a nice dinner. Don't worry, I have

ing in the most expensive apartment in the city. Honey even

e kitchen. I really appreciate your offer," she t

aa

t there, OK? And then turn off your

ew it as a nice little retreat, a few days to clear her head and regroup her senses before going to the office on Monday and d

is time. No contact whatsoe

m. She learned to love her job so much for years, and being out of it was a total disaster. For no

ty. Nope. She was not letting go of her crush on the man. It doesn't matter t

ingly feeling that someone was watching her, determined t

, stress-free existence

**

ansion. He surveyed the crowd below

d hid his face, or metaphoric to preserve his real identity, he was exception

ell with humans and their boring parties. But that has changed since modern technology is everywhere. And as per his friend Louie, it was

his best friend who died a

side-maybe toss some fresh blood over the chain-link rail of his sex drive and stand back as the r

that was why he'd arr

re were only three rules. No phones. No minors are allowed, and when someone bring

ne desired. There were areas for fetishes, and rooms for fucking, feeding and every t

ere in his b

Replenished with swirls of white cigar smoke, pierced by lantern glow, surrounded by gi

ed to know or see the faces of the vampires in the rooms. Humans, nevertheless, were an exception. After all, when t

dark and silver-plated mask, James lo

leaning to the side, swaths of cloth outstretched like wings all around the body. With real blood on the flesh, a red-scarlet thick wash fell l

One single drop would make someone feel delirious from its heavenly sensations of being indestructible. Humans, however,

blood, sir?" he wa

he was a real, ancient vampire. A pureblood, the oldest, the leader, and not

, I'll take her f

downstairs to roll the frame holding the naked woman, excitement building for the first event. And for a moment, James Grayson II

staircase with the ease o

autiful familiar eyes begging him. From the mask, James breathed in his heavy, familiar scent as he tried to see her silhouette.

ven with a mask