Part 22 (1/2)

Kate nodded at Allison's comment as she peered around at their handiwork. Black tablecloths, blood-red roses on each table and dim lighting. It was ready.

”You'd better go change. The guests will start arriving in half an hour, and you and Luc are supposed to be in the receiving line,” the head editor warned. Kate grimaced, but nodded and gestured to Chris that it was time to go. She started out of the ballroom.

Allison, Chuck, Tom and Deeana had all already changed; they had been exiting one at a time to get into their costumes, leaving the others to continue decorating. Kate and Chris were the only ones left. Kate had deliberately put it off until now. She wasn't looking forward to telling Lucern that he was the star attraction at this ball. She knew he was not going to be pleased, and after the laughter and pa.s.sion they had shared, she was fearful the annoyed and surly Lucern would return.

”Buck up,” Chris said as they stepped out of the elevator. ”Luc has loosened up quite a bit. He may take this in stride.”

Kate forced a smile for her coworker. She only hoped he was right. She felt guilty for not having told Lucern about this from the start, but she was a coward.

The vampire ball hadn't been her idea. Chuck had come up with it. He'd considered it a brilliant bit of promotion, and when Kate had tried to talk him out of it, telling him that Lucern wasn't a very social person and that it might overwhelm him, Chuck had steamrolled over her protests. He had even ignored the fact that the conference attendees would have little time to prepare for the switch from the spy party that had originally been planned. Kate was worried sick that half the attendees would arrive in trench coats, the other half in capes. It might all turn farcical!

These worries faded from her mind as she paused at the entrance to the suite. C.K. pulled out his key card and unlocked the door. Kate spotted Lucern immediately. He was seated on the couch, watching television. His hair was wet and he was in a robe, obviously waiting to finish getting ready. He didn't notice their entrance at first, seemed instead quite involved with whatever he was watching. There was a look of abject horror on his face. What was he watching?

Kate glanced at the TV, recognizing a rerun of Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

Lucern suddenly sat forward, a sound of disgust slipping from his lips. It sounded very much like ”b.i.t.c.h,” though Kate couldn't be sure.

Aware that they had very little time to get ready for the party, she cleared her throat. ”Er... Luc?”

He glanced at her sharply, a scowl on his face. ”Did you see that? Buffy just staked that poor vampire. He had yet to even do anything untoward, he just crawled out of his grave and she staked him. That is just not right. She is taking out her problems with that Angel fellow on vampires, that is what she's doing.” Luc muttered a curse as he turned back to the screen.

A little burst of laughter slipped from Chris's lips, as he headed for his room. ”Um, I'm going to get ready.”

Kate bit her lip as she watched him go.

”Look!” Luc snapped, sitting forward again. ”She's just done it again. Stake-happy is what she is. She's just staking them left and right, sometimes for no reason at all. This Buffy person is-”

”Luc?” Kate interrupted.

”Hmm?” he asked. His gaze was still fixed on the screen.

”We have to get ready to go.”

”Yes. I showered and shaved, I just have to dress. I was waiting for you to return to see what I am supposed to wear. I didn't know if you had another costume or-she did it again!” He launched to his feet, glaring furiously at the screen. ”Who writes this nonsense? We don't turn into slavering beasts when we bite, and did I turn into a puff of smoke when I was staked? No. No, I say. This is shameful nonsense. Just ridiculous. I ought to write and...”

Kate didn't catch the rest. She left Lucern waving his fist at the television and retreated to her room to collect the costume she had rented for him. So, Lucern had discovered television. It was a shame, really. It was even her fault. She had insisted that he watch TV that first night.

He was still ranting about writing to whomever was in charge of the Buffy show and straightening them out, when Kate returned. She paused beside him and shook her head mournfully.

”I suppose I should be grateful that you haven't discovered sports yet. Men can be impossible when they're sports freaks,” she commented.

Lucern tore his gaze away from the TV and snorted. ”Sports. I saw what you people call sports. Sheesh. If you want sports, you should watch a joust. Now, that was a sport. Matches won, lives lost, blood shed.” His gaze dropped to the bag she held. ”Is that for me?”

”Yes.” Kate handed it over. She started to turn away, but gasped in surprise when he caught her hand and tugged her off balance. She landed in his lap with an ungraceful plop. Before she had quite recovered, his mouth covered hers and he subjected her to a thorough kiss.

”Oh,” she sighed when it was over. Her mind was awhirl. Somehow her arms had crept around Luc's neck, and she was plastered to his chest like a wet cloth.

”h.e.l.lo,” the vampire growled. His hand slid up the inside of her leg, pausing to run over a bite mark he had left on her upper thigh.

Kate stiffened and wiggled as a thick ache started between her legs.

”Does it hurt?” he asked quietly, rubbing his fingers over the mark.

”No.” She reached down to try to stop him, but the straight skirt of her business suit was pulled tight over her legs. She couldn't hamper him.

He began to nibble at her ear, and his fingers slid further up her leg.

”Luc,” Kate protested, dismayed at how breathy she sounded. She tried for a firmer tone. ”I have to get ready.”

Lucern grunted and slipped a finger under the elastic of her panties. ”You feel ready to me.”

”Oh.” She arched slightly into his caress. Her body was eager to recreate a little of the magic from that morning.

Her mind, however, was lecturing her. The ball. Lucern was the star attraction. And Chris was just on the other side of the door. This last thought, more than any other, made her scramble out of Luc's lap and away from his touch.

”I have to dress,” she blurted. Rus.h.i.+ng into her room, Kate slammed the door on any comment he might have made, then leaned back against it, her hand to her chest. She was panting as if she had run a race, her legs trembling, her flesh tingling. And she was fighting her own instincts. She would have much rather taken him by the hand and dragged him to bed. In fact, she was hard-pressed not to do so right that moment. But duty called.

Duty. She sighed. She still had not told Lucern that he was the focal point of tonight's ball. He was feeling l.u.s.ty now, but he wouldn't be once he learned what she'd gotten him into.

Forcing herself not to think of that, she pushed herself away from the door. She had to get ready. She had brought a long black gown of her own from home. She donned the slim sheath of black silk, then used makeup to give her skin the fine white sheen of bone china before adding a blood-red lipstick. That done, she released her hair from its bun and brushed it out until it fell around her shoulders in soft waves.

Deciding she was as done as she was going to get, Kate grabbed the two pairs of vampire teeth she had brought from New York and hurried out of her room.

Lucern was standing in the living room, dressed and ready to go. Kate felt a gusty sigh slip from her lips at the sight. The man looked absolutely fabulous in the tuxedo and cape she had brought. He was every woman's fantasy.

She really wished she wasn't about to anger him with the news she had to impart.

”You look ravis.h.i.+ng,” Lucern said solemnly.

Kate forced a smile and walked forward, holding out one set of teeth.

Lucern glanced down with distaste at the cheap plastic vampire teeth, then stiffened. His gaze shot back to her face.

”Please say you jest.” Kate bit her lip to stifle the laugh that was suddenly eager to burst from her; Luc looked so horrified at the very thought of wearing the tacky teeth.

”Everyone will be wearing them,” she informed him. ”It's a vampire ball.”

”I have my own teeth,” he said with great dignity.

”Yes, I know. But no one will expect that. Please, just put them on. Please, Lucern?” She touched his arm.

His gaze settled on her lips in a way she found most distracting; then he sighed heavily with exasperation. ”Oh, very well.”

He s.n.a.t.c.hed one of the pairs of teeth from her palm and popped them into his mouth. Then he proceeded to move them about, making faces and s.h.i.+fting his jaw in an effort to make them more comfortable. ”Vees ore asrocious.”

Kate blinked at his slurred words. Deciding it would be best not to encourage his whining, she shrugged and popped the second set of teeth into her own mouth, then understood exactly what he meant. They were atrocious. They were d.a.m.ned uncomfortable. They were so bad, she almost considered leaving both pairs behind.

Chris sauntered into the room in his own tuxedo and cape. ”You two look great,” he said.

He smiled at them both, revealing a pair of realistic-looking vampire teeth.