found herself around the corner listening to the harsh tones of the sheriff rambling on about the strange dating habits—nonexistent dating habits, it seemed—of Sergius and his brothers.
Curiosity getting its firm grip on her shoulders, she froze in the hallway, eavesdropping on the four men as they discussed…she had no idea what.
When the conversation turned to a madman in the woods, her mouth had taken over her brain and she’d blurted out the question before she had the chance to rein herself in.
“Who’s McKinney?” she repeated, standing firm in her spot, arms crossed.
“We think he’s the man who lured you into the woods yesterday.” The sheriff was the only man in the room with the balls to speak. Why was that?
“Lured? You mean you believe he intentionally misdirected me? Why would someone do that? And what does he have to do with a bear?” A thousand questions swam through her mind, but she’d start with those two. The nine hundred ninety-eight other questions swirled around issues of how the man she’d almost fucked earlier in the day wasn’t exactly human. She’d get to those later.
Sheriff Hardin, having lost his ability to speak, and apparently his balls, opened and closed his mouth several times before turning to Sergius.
“Baby…” Sergius began.
Baby ? He had the audacity to call her baby right now?
“Yes, buttercup ?” Two could play the game of who could out sweet-talk the other.
Micah and Jaxon covered their faces to hide the chuckles.
Serg gazed at her firmly for about three seconds before he cracked a half smile. “You aren’t the kind of woman to be coddled, are you… shnuckems ?”
“Hardly.” She pulled her arms from under her breasts and placed her palms on her hips.
With the exception of Sergius, everyone had looked away. The floor and the ceiling suddenly became the most fascinating features of the room.
“Not the way you probably planned on coming out, but hey, it’ll work.”
“Shut up, Jaxon.”
“You’re gay?” Well that would explain the sheriff’s rambling about the three of them not going out with women. It did not, however, explain the hot, sexy romp she remembered from the cave.
Laughter filled the room.
“ Hardly .” Serg repeated her word with his own special mocking tone. “Let’s all go in the living room and sit down. I’ve a lot to explain.”
At that point she thought she should hightail it out of town and leave the answers behind. Whatever these four men were going to tell her, she was quite sure she wasn’t going to like.
Chapter Eleven
Serg’s brothers and the sheriff sat in uncanny silence in the living room, watching as Sergius took a spot on the sofa with his reluctant mate.
Her pheromones, which were now mixing with his own scent all over her body from using his soaps and sleeping in his bed, permeated the room. He needed to have a brisk chat with his little head to rein the fellow in until he could have his turn claiming her.
“Who’s McKinney?” she repeated for the third time.
James cleared his throat and wiggled uncomfortably in his chair. He turned to Sergius and then held his gaze, his face asking a million questions at once. Serg nodded at him. Now was as good a time as ever. Might as well get it over with.
“He’s our local vamp. Well, when he’s in town, that is.”
“Your what?”
“Vampire.” Serg waited for her to glance his way. “He’s a blood-sucking asshole.”
“Oh, I see.” She nodded, but he didn’t think she “saw” anything. That would be too simple. “So, he’s like a money shark or something? Stealing from people? What does that have to do with a bear?” Her quizzical expression made the sheriff suck in a breath.
James interjected again. “No… He’s a vampire, not the metaphorical kind, the real deal you hear about in novels. And he drained a full-grown bear yesterday and left the carcass in the woods after he met you.”
Juliana stared at the sheriff through
Curiosity getting its firm grip on her shoulders, she froze in the hallway, eavesdropping on the four men as they discussed…she had no idea what.
When the conversation turned to a madman in the woods, her mouth had taken over her brain and she’d blurted out the question before she had the chance to rein herself in.
“Who’s McKinney?” she repeated, standing firm in her spot, arms crossed.
“We think he’s the man who lured you into the woods yesterday.” The sheriff was the only man in the room with the balls to speak. Why was that?
“Lured? You mean you believe he intentionally misdirected me? Why would someone do that? And what does he have to do with a bear?” A thousand questions swam through her mind, but she’d start with those two. The nine hundred ninety-eight other questions swirled around issues of how the man she’d almost fucked earlier in the day wasn’t exactly human. She’d get to those later.
Sheriff Hardin, having lost his ability to speak, and apparently his balls, opened and closed his mouth several times before turning to Sergius.
“Baby…” Sergius began.
Baby ? He had the audacity to call her baby right now?
“Yes, buttercup ?” Two could play the game of who could out sweet-talk the other.
Micah and Jaxon covered their faces to hide the chuckles.
Serg gazed at her firmly for about three seconds before he cracked a half smile. “You aren’t the kind of woman to be coddled, are you… shnuckems ?”
“Hardly.” She pulled her arms from under her breasts and placed her palms on her hips.
With the exception of Sergius, everyone had looked away. The floor and the ceiling suddenly became the most fascinating features of the room.
“Not the way you probably planned on coming out, but hey, it’ll work.”
“Shut up, Jaxon.”
“You’re gay?” Well that would explain the sheriff’s rambling about the three of them not going out with women. It did not, however, explain the hot, sexy romp she remembered from the cave.
Laughter filled the room.
“ Hardly .” Serg repeated her word with his own special mocking tone. “Let’s all go in the living room and sit down. I’ve a lot to explain.”
At that point she thought she should hightail it out of town and leave the answers behind. Whatever these four men were going to tell her, she was quite sure she wasn’t going to like.
Chapter Eleven
Serg’s brothers and the sheriff sat in uncanny silence in the living room, watching as Sergius took a spot on the sofa with his reluctant mate.
Her pheromones, which were now mixing with his own scent all over her body from using his soaps and sleeping in his bed, permeated the room. He needed to have a brisk chat with his little head to rein the fellow in until he could have his turn claiming her.
“Who’s McKinney?” she repeated for the third time.
James cleared his throat and wiggled uncomfortably in his chair. He turned to Sergius and then held his gaze, his face asking a million questions at once. Serg nodded at him. Now was as good a time as ever. Might as well get it over with.
“He’s our local vamp. Well, when he’s in town, that is.”
“Your what?”
“Vampire.” Serg waited for her to glance his way. “He’s a blood-sucking asshole.”
“Oh, I see.” She nodded, but he didn’t think she “saw” anything. That would be too simple. “So, he’s like a money shark or something? Stealing from people? What does that have to do with a bear?” Her quizzical expression made the sheriff suck in a breath.
James interjected again. “No… He’s a vampire, not the metaphorical kind, the real deal you hear about in novels. And he drained a full-grown bear yesterday and left the carcass in the woods after he met you.”
Juliana stared at the sheriff through
Similar Books
