Sucking Bites (San Francisco Vampires Series #3) by Jessica McBrayer
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Lily Goodwill, the vamp with a heart of gold, gets a disturbing call on
the Suicide Prevention Hotline. A hysterical caller is convinced a
werewolf is breaking into his house. Lily dispatches the appropriate
services, convinced that “someone is off their meds.” Oh, that it were
true.
Soon enough, Lily is fighting for her life against a hairy
beastie. She is supported by her almost-fiancé, the brooding French
vampire, Sebastian, who adores the ground she walks on, and Aidan, the
5,000 year-old vampire-hunting jinni, who scarfs energy for breakfast
and believes he’s waited his entire existence—for Lily.
Her
best friends and housemates - vampires, a demon and a hell hound - rally
to her side as the odds stack up against her. A conniving vampire
Queen, a witch bent on seduction and a determined assassin with a
contract on Lily’s undead life round out a season in the City by the
Bay.
Excerpt:
CHAPTER 1
LILITH
“Suicide
Prevention, this is Lilith. How may I help you?”
“I
just saw a freaking werewolf! It’s outside my window and I need you
to call the police!”
“Sir, you saw
what?”
“I
saw a werewolf! I called the police and they hung up on me so I
started going down the emergency numbers in the phone book and you
were next. Please it’s trying to get into the house.” The man is
frantic. His high-pitched tone makes my ears ring.
“Are you sure
there’s something out there?”
“Yes!”
“What’s your
address, sir?”
“1246 James
Street.”
I
hear screaming, growling and glass breaking. I speed-dial 911 and
report a break in. The other line goes dead. I send good thoughts out
to the man who called in and wonder what he truly saw. Werewolves –
yeah right. Still, I can't forget the noises I heard and shiver.
Rack
up another call fielded by Lily Goodwill, member in good standing on
the side of right and light, for the San Francisco Suicide Prevention
Hotline. Me
in my mission control headphones at my government-issue desk that’s
stocked with my favorite hand sanitizer, the kind that smells like
raspberries and chocolate, which I use at this moment. It’s best
not to pass on germs. You never know what you can pick up from a
phone call. Yes, I have a problem.
Most
nights the phones are busy from the beginning of my shift until the
end, often more busy as the night gets darker, but tonight my
delusional caller, clearly in need of counseling and perhaps some
heavy drugs, was one of my few calls. I
stare at the big black and white wall clock willing it to turn to two
a.m. so I can leave my job, so I can be with the love of my life.
Normally I cherish the time I am at work. I’m only here three
nights a week. I found the job on Craigslist. It was The Job - a
total boon, great coffee, graveyard shift and I get to help save
mankind. The only downside is that I don’t know what happens to the
people who call and lately I have distractions that make quitting
time hard to wait for.
When the minute
second hand creeps to twelve I grab my jacket and speed walk to the
door. My boyfriend is picking me up as usual and he is always on
time. Sebastian St. John is also three hundred and sixty years old,
French, delicious and a vampire. His chestnut, slightly curled hair
and smoldering brown eyes have tempted and teased hundreds of women
through the centuries. But now the package is all mine. Did I mention
I’m a vamp too? Only ninety-eight, a baby, as Sebastian, mon amour,
is quick to point out. When we stand next to each other we are as
different as night and day, me with my curly strawberry-blonde hair
and short frame of five feet-four inches, to Sebastian’s six feet,
dark hair and melted chocolate eyes, but somehow we fit. It took me a
while to realize Sebastian was the love of my life, but when I did,
it hit me like a brick wall. We have been living in bliss ever since.
There are a few little bumps. One, my being opposed to getting
married. Sebastian is ready now and I’m not. The other, my
unnatural attachment to the close runner-up in the “Lily is totally
adored” pageant in the form of my friend who is a djinn. If truth
be told, Aidan holds a very special piece of my heart. I dream of
jinnies as I push open the door.
I
walk out into the balmy night air where Bast waits with the car door
open for me. San Francisco in the spring is a wonderful place to be -
cherry blossoms in bloom, couples up late taking walks and the air
full of good will.
Sebastian is
talking on his blue tooth, which recently, has become a permanent
attachment. He’s beginning to look like a cyborg. Stifling my
annoyance, I give him a peck on the cheek when he bends down. I feel
like a performing monkey. Raise my cheek for the nice man to kiss,
now be good and get in the car without saying anything to disturb his
conversation. I rebel.
“Good evening,
Sebastian.” I know his good manners will win out and he will have
to answer me.
“Just a moment,
Paul.” He looks at me slightly embarrassed that he hadn’t said
good evening when we first greeted each other.
“Good evening, ma
petite.” He gives me a chaste but apologetic kiss on the lips. I
smile at my small victory. After I get in his sleek black Mercedes,
he closes the door without missing a word in the discussion. The
buttery leather seat molds around me, as he continues to talk.
Finally he finishes his call.
“Bast, I got an
interesting call. Someone said a werewolf was trying to break into
their home.”
“Cherie, that is…”
His phone rings again. He looks annoyed. “Un moment, ma petite.”
I
blow out a big breath, not easy when you don’t need to breathe. I
look out at the sky and see the clouds part around a violent blue
full moon. It makes me wonder. That caller could have been attacked
by anything, even a rabid mother-in-law. I feel a bit guilty about
not taking him seriously at first.
We arrive at the
home we share with our two best friends - family really - Julian and
Helena. Sebastian is still talking to the manager of his night club,
who monopolizes more of Sebastian's time than any of us. Just saying,
our marathon love-making sessions are a thing of the past and we're
not even married yet. Guess this is bump number two.
His manager is truly
incompetent. Though for some reason, Sebastian seems to be the only
one who doesn't see it. Paul, the manager, roughly resembles a
weasel. I tell Sebastian that having a manager is supposed to free up
some of the boss’s time. The manager should be able to problem
solve and hence the root of the word manager – manage - but Bast
wants to keep his Zagat review so he puts up with the phone calls.
Bottom line – he can’t trust Paul not to screw it up. In Bast’s
defense the guy was good for the first couple of months. It’s gone
downhill from there.
Bast ends his
conversation and puts his arm around me as we walk into the mansion
through the beautiful carved cherry wood doors. They’ve recently
been replaced after being blown apart by an insane warlock a few
months ago. It
took a flick of a finger – Aidan’s jinni finger - and it was good
as new, another thing that Sebastian resents. The
fruit trees lining the drive are in full bloom and the air is full of
the scent of cherry blossoms. But the inside of the house is a
demolition zone. After the attack, the mansion was a shamble so;
Helena decided it was time to renovate. Half the house is torn apart
with plastic drapes over the entry furniture and scaffolding up for
the painters. She is also creating a deluxe suite for Sebastian and
me. We share his room for now. People are getting grumpy.
Particularly Andrew, our butler, because of the mess, and Julian,
because he was having a difficult time concentrating.
Sebastian pulls me
tight into him as we maneuver around the scaffolding and head down
the hall towards the library, our usual gathering place.
We have a no cell
phone policy in there, so Sebastian’s attention should be focused.
Everyone has to meet in the library if we want Julian to be present.
It is his sanctuary and also takes up a third of the first floor. It
is no hardship spending time there. Large windows encompass one long
wall where computers lined up. Half-read books litter the tables
scattered through the room or are under lights on pedestals. A
beautiful mural of Greek goddesses illuminates the softly lit
ceiling. I’ve always thought that the mural has something to do
with Helena’s heritage but no one will confirm it. Helena is nine
hundred and eighty-six and Julian is seven hundred and ninety.
A fireplace, with a
roaring fire and floor to ceiling bookcases, fill the rest of the
space. Wing back chairs, softly muted lamps, a chaise lounge and a
long, claret-red leather couch finish the room. Sebastian’s phone
rings, again. I leave him standing in the hall and go in without him.
“Welcome home,
Lily,” Helena says looking up.
“Hello, Helena.
Sebastian is on the phone.”
“We heard,”
Julian says, making a face.
“He had just hung
up. I don’t know what could be so important that it couldn’t have
waited until tomorrow.”
“It wasn’t,
Cherie,” Sebastian says as he enters the room. “Some trivial
things Paul should have taken care of.”
“I
had an interesting call tonight.” I give Sebastian a pointed look,
daring his phone to interrupt me again. “A man claimed a werewolf
was trying to break into his house. Someone was
trying to break in, so I did call 911 for him. But werewolves, come
on.”
“Werewolves do
exist, Lily,” Julian says.
“Really,” I
squeak.
“Yes, though they
are rare and mostly in Europe. I haven’t heard of one in the States
in a hundred years or so. It would be fascinating if there was one
here now. Dangerous though,” Julian says.
I
reevaluate my call. I wish I had taken it more seriously from the
beginning.
Andrew, our butler,
comes in with coffee and tea.
“Miss Helena,
those workmen are making the biggest mess. When are they going to be
done?” our butler-cum-friend, cum-vamp candidate asks primly.
“Soon, Andrew,
about another two weeks.”
“I
can’t wait to see our room, Helena,” I hint.
“I
think you should have to wait until we are married,” Sebastian
says.
Have I mentioned
that the M-word is a sore spot with Sebastian and me? I’m still
getting used to the idea of being in a relationship with someone, let
alone getting engaged. If Bast had his way we would be at the judge’s
office tomorrow. I postponed the race to the nuptials by agreeing to
a trip to France a couple of months ago but now he’s getting itchy
again. I get my hand sanitizer out and use it liberally.
“Don’t go germ
warrior on me, Lily Goodwill. This should not make you anxious,”
Sebastian says raising his voice slightly.
“Well it does make
me anxious, so deal with it. I don’t see why we need to hurry. We
have forever, Sebastian, what are a few more months?”
“You should be
eager to start your new life as my bride. I don’t understand your
hesitation.”
“I
am eager. I’m eager for every part of it and right now that part is
being your girlfriend. I just don’t want to rush into this.”
“You’re still
worried I’ll change my mind. I know you. But you’re wrong. You
have never been more wrong. Don’t I prove that by wanting to marry
you right away?” How does rushing equal long term commitment? His
logic isn’t convincing.
I
sigh and get up to make my cup of coffee, extra creamer, tons of
sugar. He is not going to understand my reasons. I stir my coffee
vigorously, spilling some only to have Andrew whisk in and wipe it up
before I can even grab a napkin. He gives me a quick smile.
Bast’s got it half
right. I am
afraid he’s going to change his mind. Up until Sebastian fell in
love with me, he was the ultimate player. He had a different woman
every night. It took me a while to trust he was serious. But it’s
more than just that. It’s also about giving up my independence and
freedom. Something I have fought to maintain for years and years. My
father had a mistress and my mother stoically put up with it. It’s
not something I’ve told my friends. It’s something I vowed would
never happen to me. I would never be trapped in a loveless marriage,
unable to take care of myself without a man. It’s a major thing to
sell my condo and move in together, although I can’t imagine not
being with him every second of the day. But more than that, I’m
afraid I’ll become half a person, at least half of me will belong
to Sebastian. That’s a lot to ask of a girl, an
obsessive-compulsive girl. I come with a few idiosyncrasies. Thank
God, Bast loves them right along with the rest of me. Someone has to
pass out my handi-wipes.
I
sit back down on the overstuffed leather couch with him and sip my
coffee. He toys with my hair. He lets it run through his fingers as
he gently traces his hand down my neck. I love when he does this and
he knows it. Before long we’ll end up going to our room.
“Before you two go
upstairs,” Helena says giving us that knowing look, “what colors
do you like better, white or navy?”
“White,”
Sebastian says.
“Navy,” I say.
“White and
navy it is. That’s all I need to know for now.”
We
take that as our cue and leave the library for the stairs. Andrew is
just entering the hall.
“Good night, Miss
Lily,” he calls.
“Good night,
Andrew.”
Sebastian carries me
up the stairs to his room and puts me onto his bed. He gently lowers
himself on top of me.
“I
hate it when we fight, Cherie,” he whispers in my ear.
“Me too, let’s
not fight anymore.”
He
gives me a crooked grin.
“At least, not
tonight. If we don’t fight, we can’t make up and making up is so
much fun,” he says as he slips my shirt off.
He
kisses my throat and down between my breasts. I sigh as he unclasps
my bra. His fangs come out. Just when I am beginning to reach a
higher plane, his phone goes off.
“If you go for
that phone, I’m not talking to you for the rest of the night,
Sebastian.”
“It might be
something important, Lily. It will only take a minute.”
He
gets up and answers his phone. True to my word, I get up and cross to
the bathroom, finish undressing, and get into the shower. The hot
water calms my nerves and temper, some. I take an extra-long time,
half hoping that Sebastian will finish his call and join me, but that
doesn’t happen. I finish and towel off. Even though I’ve just
taken a shower, I use some hand sanitizer. I’m not that calm. I
walk to our closet naked and find a silk pajama set - top and pants
-to put on, no gowns with easy access for Bast tonight.
When
I climb into the high four poster bed, Sebastian is still on the
phone. I have another half an hour before dawn when my body shuts
down and I fall asleep no matter where I am or what I am doing. I
have enough time to rant in my journal about Sebastian and his
blasted phone.
Dear
Diary,
Vampires in
committed relationships with vampires should love and adore their
significant others. They should read Bride
magazine and be looking for wedding dresses. They shouldn’t be
dreaming of how to ram cell phones up undignified places.
He finally hangs up
and finds me scribbling away.
“How angry are
you?” he asks tentatively. I don’t answer him.
“Lily, do not
ignore me. That’s childish.”
“Answering your
phone while we’re making love is rude and inconsiderate, Sebastian.
I feel like a minor detail you have to tie up.”
“Like it or not,
ma petite, I have a business to run,” he says defensively.
“That business
invades every moment of our lives.” That comes out more sharply
than I intended. I take a deep breath, old habits undead, and
re-evaluate what I want to say. It's time to get it all out. “If
the business interrupts our most intimate moments then it’s taking
up too much of your time.”
“What am I
supposed to do, Lily, let it fail?”
“You could hire a
competent manager for starters. There has to be someone out there who
doesn’t have to call the owner every five minutes.”
“I
like to know what’s going on.”
“More than you
like making love to me?”
“That’s not
fair.”
“I
think it’s bang-on accurate. I also think I don’t want to sleep
in here tonight. I’ll be in the guest room.”
I
pick up my pillow and leave him standing there looking pissed off. We
are down to one guest room at the moment because of the renovation
and I find it blessedly free of cell phones. I only have a few
minutes now before dawn so I quickly climb into bed and fume about
our most recent fight.
I
wake up as angry as when I went to bed, but Sebastian has had six
hours to cool down. Next to my bed are two dozen pink and red roses.
A bottle of Cristal chills in a silver container of ice. Sebastian
sits in a winged backed chair waiting for me.
“Good morning,
Cherie.” He smiles.
“Good morning,”
I say coldly.
“You aren’t
still angry, are you?”
“I
went to bed upset and woke up in the same mood. I can’t help that
you had time to process things, I didn’t.”
“I’ve been
thinking about what you said. First, you will see that I am cell
phone free,” he says while holding up his hands. “Our
conversation is too important for interruptions. I also should not
have picked up the phone last night while we were already occupied.
That was
rude and inconsiderate and I apologize for that. I need boundaries
between my work and home life and I will try to maintain them.”
“You are so
stealing my thunder.” He is trying. Having no cell phone is a big
deal.
I know it must be killing him, so he is serious about this. He’s
seriously thought about what I said.
“Say you forgive
me.”
“I
forgive you.”
“Now let me finish
what I started last night,” he says with dark eyes.
Two hours later, we
lay in each other’s arms drinking the champagne, having totally
destroyed the bed. Over three centuries of determined and creative
lovemaking has produced one toe-tingling vampire with tricks that
sweep this little vamp away. I spill some champagne on Sebastian’s
chest and lick it off.
“Hmmm, I like
that,” he murmurs, dipping his head to my neck and raking the
tender skin with just the slightest hint of fang.
“That’s the
idea.”
“It’s my turn
next.”
I
giggle as he pours champagne all over me and takes his time lapping
it off.
“You should be
illegal,” I pant.
He
laughs richly then tops up our flutes with more champagne.
“We’re
disgusting,” I say. “We lay around in bed all day. Helena and
Julian must think we’re unsavory characters.”
Sebastian says,
“Helena is the one who insisted on the champagne.”
“You're slipping,
Bast, if Helena had to remind you.” His brows rise and he shrugs in
his gallant way of acknowledging his momentary lapse in the art of
romantic seduction. “Andrew will talk.”
“Andrew will
talk.”
“Let’s take a
shower and get dressed,” I say.
We
streak down the hall to our room and get in the shower where we make
love in the steam and hot water. Afterwards, Bast puts on a pair of
jeans and a dress shirt he leaves open at the neck. He grabs a jacket
for later. I put on a Barneys New York Print Dress in black and
white, with a pair of Manolo Blahniks. Brush the fangs, some
eyeliner, mascara and lipstick and I’m ready.
We
walk downstairs together and I’m surprised to see my good friend
and past almost-boyfriend, Aidan. Aidan, being a jinni, is especially
keen to promote mischief. All the more if that mischief is pointed at
Sebastian. I get twitchy when I drive with Aidan because he likes to
make car doors pop open as I drive by and traffic lights change
midway through intersections. He likes to feed off my energy when I
get all stirred up. He says I’m delicious.
He’s as tall as
Sebastian, at least six feet, sandy-blond, tousled hair and ocean
colored eyes. His body is amazing, taut and tanned, his rich voice
carries an English accent that ties the package up neatly.
“Welcome back from
Greece, Aidan,” I say as I give him a kiss and hug.
Sebastian never lets
me out of his sight when Aidan is in the room.
“Thanks, love. It
was great being in the sun and surrounded by clear blue waters. I
wish Sebastian would have let me take you. You look like you could
use a vacation, maybe Istanbul? I’m up for another trip.”
“Not on your life,
fire boy,” Sebastian grumbles.
He
hasn’t forgotten the way Aidan fought for me.
“Just for a day,
Bast? It would be great to get out of town,” I half tease, half
beg, finding I seriously want to go.
It
would be great but I know there is no way Sebastian will go for it.
“Not unless I come
with you. If you really want to go somewhere, I will take you. It
will have to be when things quiet down at the club, though.”
Right on cue, his
cell phone goes off and he leaves the room to answer it. I curse
under my breath.
“All’s not
paradise on the home front?” Aidan raises an eyebrow, sounding
entirely too hopeful.
“If I could, I
would stick that phone right up….” I suggest. Aidan laughs
loudly.
“I
personally hate the damn things. Of course if I want to talk to
someone, I pop in and talk to them directly so I only gave my number
to you and Hannah. But if you wish I can be of assistance with your
desire as per the phone…”
“No, no! I’m
just venting,” I say quickly - I know he is all too ready and able
to carry out that particular wish. “Where are Julian and Helena?”
“They went
upstairs to talk to the workmen and should be down any minute. We
heard you in the shower, uh hmm, and knew you would be down soon.”
“Sorry about that.
It’s Sebastian’s fault. Really,” I say, totally embarrassed.
“Lilith, if I had
you naked in the shower, by the gods I hope you would be screaming my
name as well.”
“Aidan, if I could
blush, I’d be beet red now. What’s got into you?”
“It must be all
the fresh Greek air.”
“You better not
let Sebastian hear you talking like that,” I say.
“Better not let me
hear him talking like what?” Sebastian asks as he walks through the
door, a scowl on his face.
“That she is
lovelier than the goddess Aphrodite, more intriguing than Cleopatra,
spicier than…”
“Enough! You’ve
made your point! I think that’s about all I can take. Isn’t it
time you pop yourself into a bottle somewhere?” Sebastian suggests.
“Au contraire, my
French friend. I come bearing news. Have you read the papers this
morning? Another mysterious animal attack in the city.”
“No, I’ve been a
little busy.”
“Yes, I heard.”
Aidan’s tone is frosty. “In fact we all heard. The whole house
heard, including the workmen. You’re getting quite a name for
yourself.”
“Merde!”
“Shit!” I say.
“Say it in any
language, you two are still the talk of the manse. Did you know
Helena is adding sound-proofing material to your room?”
“Oh God,” I say
rubbing the bridge of my nose.
“Well it serves
you right,” Andrew says as he walks in with coffee. “Can’t have
a respectable conversation without hearing ‘Oh Sebastian, Oh Bast,
Yes, Yes, Right There, Yes, Yes, Lily, Cherie….’”
Helena and Julian
come in during Andrew’s impersonation of us and Julian shakes his
head.
“Andrew, that is
eerily accurate,” he says.
“Well of course it
is. It’s all we hear around here.”
“Andrew, dear,
they are in love. Be gentle with them. Vampires have insatiable
appetites. We can’t help ourselves,” Helena chides, coming to our
rescue.
“I
don’t hear you and Mr. Julian going on and on.”
“That’s because
our room is sound-proofed and we’ve had time to get to know each
other a bit more. Five hundred years will do that to a relationship.”
“When I become a
vampire, it’s payback time. That’s all I’m saying.” As he
swings out of the room.
“Helena, we better
get that sound-proofed room finished soon, or we may have to look for
a new butler,” Sebastian says.
“You may have to
look for a new girlfriend too. I can’t believe it. How
embarrassing,” I say.
“Have you got cold
feet completely now?” Sebastian asks icily.
“I
was just joking, Bast. No big deal,” I say with a shrug, irritated.
He’s always had a sense of humor but it seems to have taken a
vacation, unlike him.
“It is a very big
deal and it should be wife, not girlfriend, but for some reason you
think that’s no big deal either.” He leaves. We hear the front
door slam and then the car pull out.
“Damn Frenchman,
so fired up about a tiny slip of the tongue. I swear he can be an ass
at times,” I seethe.
“Well, things
aren’t so perfect in paradise, after all. My essence soars. I was
just teasing before,” Aidan says.
“He’ll be fine,”
I say still fuming from Sebastian’s little temper tantrum. “Now
about Istanbul…”
