“Wake up, Kitten.”   

            Mandy opened her eyes slowly and turned towards the sound of Armando’s voice.  “Hey, you.”  

            He stroked her hair back from her face and kissed her forehead softly.  “You do remember what happened last night, right?”  

            Mandy chuckled softly as she nuzzled her face in his chest.  “Mmm, I’m not likely to forget that for some time.”  

            Armando slid over her and kissed her neck.  She stiffened.  He hadn’t fed since their meeting with Bonnie-Sue.  It had run late into the night and Armando had been left drinking glasses of wine at the club, rubbing his temples from the stress of the wedding planner.  Mandy had little desire to be his morning, or actually mid-day snack if her calculations were right.  She glanced around her bedroom, trying to decide what would be the fastest exit route.  

            “Do not fear me,” he said, dropping his head down and touching hers lightly. “I would never harm you, Mandy.”  

            She kissed his lips lightly and tried to put on her best convincing face.  “I didn’t think that you would.”  

            “I can smell your fear and sense your lie.  Please stop while you are ahead.  I will learn to live with your doubts about us and you will need to learn to trust me.”   

            “I don’t have doubts about us,” Mandy said, stroking the backs of his cool arms lightly.   

            Armando let out a tiny laugh.  “Really? You changed your mind about marrying me three times before our meeting with the wedding planner was over.”  

            Mandy’s face reddened.  “Okay, maybe I did, but it ended well, didn’t it?”  

            He kissed along her collarbone.  “It ended perfectly.  No more second thoughts?”  

            “I’m just wondering how we’re going to iron out our sleeping schedule.  You had me up all night…not that I’m complaining,” she said, biting at his ear.  “I’m already three hours late for work.  I’m surprised that Michelle hasn’t called to check on me.”  

            “She may very well have.”  He pushed his hips against hers as he spoke.  

            “What do you mean?”   

            Armando groaned and looked over at the bedside table.  “I shut your ringer off after you feel asleep.  I left word with Dmitri that you would not be in today.  He will pass it on to Michelle.”  

            “You did what?”  Mandy reached over and snatched her cordless phone up.  “Armando, I’ve got a lot going on at work right now and you can’t just….” He covered her mouth with his, effectively silencing her protests.   

            He drew back slowly, smiling at her as he went.  “Still mad at me?”  

            “No,” she said, accessing her voice mail, while she pretended to give him the evil eye.  He laughed.  She punched in her pass code and waited for her messages.  There was one from Michelle wishing her well.  One from Dillon telling her that he was back in town, and that he had enjoyed their time together in Chicago.  The last message was from Angelica wanting her answer on the job offer by the end of the week.  

            Mandy clicked the phone off and let it drop down on the bed.  She made a move to kiss Armando, but he pulled away, glancing at the phone as he went.   

            “Who is Dillon?” he asked, his voice low.  

            “A friend of mine…. he’s a professor and….” Armando put his finger on her lips.   

            “No, do not give me his history.  Tell me why you were with him in Chicago when you would not even tell me where you were going and why you were leaving.”  

            Mandy touched his arm and ran her fingers down his skin.  “I met up with him for a drink and we talked about you mostly.”  

            “Me?  Why?”   

            “Dillon is a professor of demonology.  He seemed like the perfect person to ask questions about vampires.”  Mandy tried to hold Armando’s hand, but he wouldn’t let her.  

            “No, Mandy, I am the perfect person to ask vampire questions of.”  

            Mandy sat up and pulled the sheet around her.  She’d never been one to let a man win in any situation and she wasn’t about to start now.  “Yeah, well at the moment you weren’t on my list of honest sources.”  She knew that her stab at him was more than was called for, but she didn’t care.  

            Armando’s jaw tightened and he nodded his head slightly.  “I see.  So, what is this job offer from Angelica?”  

            “Gawd, can you turn your supersonic hearing down a notch or two around me? Not everything in my life is your business,” Mandy said, turning to climb out of the bed.  

            Armando grabbed her around the waist and deposited her on her back on the bed.  “That is where you are wrong, Kitten.”  He ran his hand down the length of her arm and touched the engagement ring on her finger.  “This makes it my business.  Now, if you would be so kind as to tell me about this job offer.”  

            Mandy exhaled and let her eyelids flutter closed.  “I went to Chicago for an interview.  They’re looking for a marketing director and offered me the position.  It’s a substantial pay increase, the opportunity of a lifetime, and what I went to school for.”  

            It seemed like an eternity went by before Armando spoke.  “Have you already decided to take it?”  

            “I thought I did until all of this happened,” she said, referring to their engagement.  “To tell you the truth, now I’m not sure what I’m going to do.”  

            He pushed his knee between her legs, spreading them slowly.  “Let me see if I can help you make your decision.”  

Dmitri glared at his cousin, pretending not to hear him.  “Hand me that sheet would you?” 

“What?  Still not getting any?  I thought for sure she’d cave with that little dinner party you had planned.”  Mike reached down the bar and grabbed the paper Dmitri pointed at then set it in front of him.  “Every time she comes in here, I know her smell drives me—” 

Dmitri’s hand shot up and wound around Mike’s wrist.  He squeezed hard, his eyes glittering with a possessive gold Mike understood well.  “You will not ever speak of her like that.  Do you understand?” 

Mike gulped, backing down.  “Hey, easy cousin.  How many lifetimes have we known each other?  You know I only speak in jest.  Michelle is yours.  Any lycan would be an imbecile not to smell your mark on her.  I’m just saying that she’s…in heat.  There is no reason for you to deny yourself when she is willing.  It’s foolishness.” 

“You couldn’t understand it,” said Dmitri.  Letting go of Mike, he looked down at the paper. 

“Try me,” said Mike, stretching his hands over the countertop in a definite bartender pose.  “I might surprise you.” 

Dmitri knew he could, and often had trusted Mike with his life and his secrets.  He sighed heavily.  “She has always smelled like that around me.  Ever since the very first night I boldly, and quite idiotically, blundered into her life.  You can well understand why I came onto her like I did.  Damn, that smell makes you think she’s ready to get right to it.” 

Mike nodded.  “Yeah, you can’t help but come onto her.” 

“But, it’s not only that.  Yes, instantly, the moment I saw her, I knew I wanted her.  It’s not just her smell, although it’s great.  It’s her eyes, her smile, her laugh.  The way her cheeks dimple ever so slightly, or the way she chews on her thumbnail when she’s nervous or concentrating too hard.  The way she always seems surprised when I compliment her and it takes her a second to respond—usually with some sort of dismissal.  It took her nearly blinding me and a guilt trip before she’d even agree to go out with me.  You don’t know how many times I’ve gone to intimately touch her, only to feel her tense up.  Hell, I had to force her to be my girlfriend, not giving her a chance to say no to me.  All I ever think about is grabbing her and marking her as my woman completely so no man would ever dare to touch her.” 

“But, if she wants you, don’t you just keep going?” asked Mike. 

Dmitri laughed softly.  “I thought that’s what she wanted too, so I did keep trying—every damned pickup line and every smooth trick I know.  The only thing I can figure is that it was our kind’s natural sexual aggressiveness that caused her to keep pushing me away.  Now that I’ve got a small hold on her, I’m not going to make that mistake again.  I’ll just have to wait until she comes to me first.” 

“The lycan nature is not so easy to tame,” said Mike softly.  “You know that.  You’ll drive yourself mad with this type of denial.  It is not in our nature to so stubbornly control ourselves, especially when the woman appears willing.” 

“But, I must try.”  Dmitri growled in frustration.  He reached over the bar and took a bottle of whiskey, helping himself to a shot. 

“She doesn’t seem to mind being your woman.” 

“I keep waiting for her to break it off,” growled Dmitri, letting the worry settle into his eyes for a brief moment.  He had been so happy when he was with her, but she didn’t exactly make confessing how he felt easy.  “Every other sentence out of her mouth seems to be something like, ‘oh we’re not in love, oh I hate commitment and marriage, I don’t want a serious relationship, there’s no reason for us to talk about us.  Let’s just have fun, take it easy, play it day by day’.  ARGH!” 

“Hell,” laughed Mike,  “I’ll take her!  Sounds like the perfect woman.  All the fun, none of the commitment.  What’s the problem?  Why don’t you just shag her then if that’s all she’s askin’ for?” 

“I can’t.  I’ve tried to just shag her, believe me.  She won’t have any of it.  I have no other choice, but to find a way to wait until she’s ready to come for me.  At this rate, I’m afraid I’ll be waiting forever.  But, it’s worth it.  She makes me happy—happier than I have ever been.  I just wish—” 

            “Ah, Michelle!” exclaimed Mike, pulling back.  Dmitri stopped talking.  Mike shot him a meaningful look, saying she hadn’t heard a word he said. 

Dmitri turned around, pasting a smile on his face.  “Hey, you’re early.  Just let me grab my jacket.”

~*****~

Michelle watched Dmitri head to the office.  Mike grinned at her and wiggled his eyebrows as she came up to the bar to wait.   

“Ah,” said Mike with a wolfish grin.  “Finally, we’re all alone.” 

“Do your come-ons ever get you laid?” asked Michelle with a grimace.  “I seem to doubt it.  You must be one sad, frustrated man.” 

Mike looked a little hurt.  “Hey, I see plenty of action.  Besides, you’re one to talk about frustrated men.”  

“What is that supposed to mean?”  Michelle frowned. 

Mandy looked over her shoulder at Armando and couldn’t help but smile at the sight of him standing in her kitchen wearing only a towel.  “I never realized that you could eat food.  I just thought that you….” She stopped, not wanting to draw any more attention to the fact that he was a vampire.

 Armando let out a throaty laugh.  “It appears that we have much to learn about each other.”   

“What’s that supposed to mean?” she asked, chopping the remainder of the green pepper before her.    

“I never realized that you were so full of spirit.”   

Mandy glanced back at him and sliced down hard with the knife when she saw that Armando held a picture of her in her cheerleader outfit.  “Ouch!” she cried out, grabbing her hand to her.   

“Mandy?” Armando asked, suddenly next to her.  

“It’s nothing,” she said, turning the cold water on in the sink.  She placed her hand under it and watched as the blood continued to pour from her fingers.  “I can’t believe I did that.  I’m normally really good in the kitchen.  You just surprised me with that…hey, where did you find that?”  

She turned expecting to find Armando standing behind her.  He wasn’t.  “Armando?”  She wrapped a paper towel around her hand and turned the stovetop down.  “Armando?”  Panic swept through her.  She knew that he couldn’t have left yet.  The sun was still up.  It’d taken her a half hour to drape blankets over her windows to keep the light out, just so he could roam freely around her house.  

Mandy ran into the living room and continued down the hall calling for him.  She stopped when she noticed the bathroom door was shut tight.  “Armando, are you okay?”  

“I am…fine.”  His voice sounded labored and a hell of a lot deeper than normal.  

“Baby?”  She tapped on the door lightly, worried about him.  Something was off and she knew it.   

Armando let out a growl and she screamed.  It took her a minute to compose herself before knocking lightly on the door again.  “GO AWAY!” he screamed out, his voice booming so loud that she felt the door shake.  

She backed up, unsure what to do next.  She took two more steps before stopping abruptly.  “NO! I’m not going to go away.  You want honesty, then tell me what’s wrong.”  

The bathroom door opened, but Armando did not come through it.  The light was off and with the windows all covered, Mandy could not see into the room.  She inched forward, her bare feet reluctant to move across the wood floor.  “Armando?” she asked, entering the bathroom.   

He seized her from behind and slammed the bathroom door shut.  She screamed out, but did not fight him.  He held her tight and put his face down on her shoulder.  “You are right.  Honesty is best, but I do not wish to scare you.”  

Mandy let out a nervous laugh.  “Umm, too late.”  

            Armando ran his hands down the length of her arms and stopped when he got to her hands.  He lifted her cut hand up and took a deep breath in.  Mandy froze, realizing what the problem was.  “It’s the blood, isn’t it?” she asked, weakly.  

            “My control is strong, stronger than most, but with you it is always down.  I have not fed today and….”  

            “Shh,” she whispered, turning in his arms.  She put her hand by his face and laid her cheek on his smooth chest.  “It’s okay.  I love you no matter what and the blood’s just wasting away, so you might as well use it.”  

            Armando’s tongue flickered over her hand and she had to fight not to squirm away.  “This will take some getting used to,” she said, trying to sound as light as possible.  

            “I do not wish to make this a habit,” Armando said, putting her hand to his lips.  “I shall see to it that both homes are equipped with what we need by the end of the day.”  

            “You’ve got an answer for everything, don’t you?”  She leaned up and planted kisses on his neck.   “Well, since we’re in the bathroom and you’re not dressed, umm…”  

            Armando laughed and picked her up.  “I would love to.”  

“What?” asked Dmitri, moving forward in the ticket line. 

“What are we doing?” asked Michelle. 

Dmitri froze. 

“I mean, do you really want to watch this fluff or are you just taking me ‘cause you think I’d like it?”  

Dmitri relaxed.  “Well, I…you write….” 

“Ah, don’t say it.  Yes, I write romance,” said Michelle, stepping up to the ticket counter.  “But I like a little action.  Two for the senseless action movie please.” 

Dmitri looked to the poster she pointed at and grinned.  There were two men and a woman all holding machine guns, covered in mud, and looking like they were about to kick some serious ass.   

“You got a problem with that?” asked Michelle in her best mafia voice.  She grabbed his shirt playfully and gave him a threatening shake. 

Dmitri grinned and wrapped his arms around her.  “Nope, no problem at all.” 

“I didn’t think so.”  Michelle did her best to look intimidating.  For a moment, they were lost in each other’s eyes. 

“Ah, sir...your tickets?” 

            “No,” Mandy said, keeping her head down,  “I want a vodka-sprite.”   

            “Boss?”   

            Mandy knew that Armando was right behind her.  “He’s not my keeper,” she said.  

            Armando touched her back and let his hand slide down until it was planted firmly on her butt.  “Keeper, no. Soon-to-be husband, yes.”  

            “NO WAY!” Mike exclaimed, a little too loud.  

            Mandy looked up at him and gave him a dirty look.  “Quiet, somebody here kept me up all night and most of the day.  My head hurts.”  

            “Is that all that hurts?” Armando whispered in her ear.  

            His newfound public show of affection caught Mandy a bit off guard and she blushed, looking at Mike to see if he’d overheard.  Mike’s ears were beat red and with his lycan hearing she knew that he had.  She shifted uncomfortably in her seat and wondered why sexual innuendos would suddenly bother her.  Normally, it was her making comments and having men blush.   

            “Are you well?” Armando asked, wrapping his arms around her.  

            “I’m fine.  Go ahead.  You’re going to be late for your meeting,” she said, tapping his arm lightly.  “Isn’t Dmitri supposed to go too?” 

            “No, Dmitri no longer attends meetings with the city board.  The last time he did he threatened to eat the fire marshal.”  Mandy laughed as Armando kissed her cheek.  “I will be back soon.  Will you wait here for me?” he asked, moving to face her.  

            “I’ll wait if you tell Mike that I’m free to do as I wish and that I do not require a babysitter.”  

            Armando glanced at Mike and nodded his head.  “Very well, I will be back soon.”  He headed for the door and turned around quickly, drawing the attention of the early crowd.  “I love you.”  

            Mandy smiled and shrugged her shoulders.  She suddenly felt like she was in junior high again, but wouldn’t dare change a thing.  She turned back to the bar and noticed Mike’s stunned expression.  “What?”  

            Mike looked at her and let a smile form on his face.  “I’ve known him for hell of a long time and I’ve never seen him act like this.”  

            Mandy glanced back at the door.  “Act like what?”  

            “Like a lovesick puppy dog.”  

            “This is where I insert a lycan joke, right?” she asked, flicking ice from her drink at him.  He laughed, ducking down to avoid being pelted.  

            Mandy fished another ice cube out and threw it at Mike.  He laughed and dodged out of the way.    

            “Not to interrupt the fun, but I am looking for someone and I believe that Michael may know where he is,” a stern, female voice said from behind Mandy.  

            She turned and found a tall leggy blonde standing at the end of the bar.  Black leather covered her skinny legs, and Mandy couldn’t tell where her boots started and her pants stopped.  The tiny leather bra she wore contained an abnormally large pair of breasts.  She looked a little like a dominatrix and considering the cliental that the Raven often catered to, if wouldn’t surprise Mandy in the least.  

            “Elizabeth?”  Mike sounded like he was about to pass out.  Mandy glanced at him to make sure he wasn’t.  

            She looked back at the leather-clad vixen and smiled.  “Sorry, Mike’s a bit tongue tied.  Maybe, I can help you.”  

            Elizabeth looked at her and shrugged.  “Doubtful, but I am willing to give it a try.”  Mandy held back from calling her a bitch and waited for her to speak. “I am searching for my husband.”  

            Mandy looked around the club.  Friday night at the Raven, equaled a heck of a lot of husbands roaming around.  “Care to be a bit more specific?”  

            Elizabeth let out a sultry laugh.  “Trust a human to need it spelled out for them.  I-am-looking-for-my-husband—Armando.”  

            Dmitri grinned.  “I was a good movie, huh?   

             “I loved it.  I’m serious when I said I want to be an intergalactic spy.  Though, I absolutely loved Indiana Jones when it came out and wanted to be an archeologist after watching it.  Then there was that pirate movie—I had the urge to sail the seven seas.  Not sure what that says about me.  I think I’m highly impressionable.” 

            Dmitri’s chuckle joined hers as he pressed the button on his keypad to unlock the car door.  He leaned over, opening up the passenger side for her.  “Never would have taken you for an action-adventure girl, though.” 

            “Well, maybe you shouldn’t assume so much about me,” said Michelle, looking up into his grey eyes.  Her hand began to lift to his chest.  She couldn’t help it.  She wanted him.  “Sometimes a girl just wants—oh, just a second.” 

            Michelle reached into her pocket and grabbed her phone.  Absently, she got into the car, looking at the caller ID.  She missed Dmitri’s sigh of frustration as he walked around to get in the driver’s side. 

            “It’s just Mandy.  I can talk to her at the club,” said Michelle, dropping the phone in her purse, which she pulled from beneath the car seat. 

            “Come here,” said Dmitri. 

            Michelle blinked, looking over at him.  A small flutter came to her heart as she saw his lids dipping over his handsome eyes.  She held her breath.  “Hum?” 

            “What were you going to say?  Sometimes a girl just needs...what?” 

            “Oh.”  Michelle realized she’d been babbling again.  He seemed to have that affect on her.  Thank goodness for Mandy’s timing or she really might have said something idiotic.  “Nothing important.  Sometimes a girl just needs a good action movie.” 

            “Hum, if you say so.”  Dmitri let a small grin settle on his features. 

            Michelle glanced over to Mike, letting go of Dmitri’s hand as she witnessed his panicked face.  “What is it?  What’s happened?” 

            “We got problems.  Big problems,” said Mike, stressing his last words to Dmitri with an under-the-breath, meaningful look. 

            “What are you talking about?” demanded Michelle. 

            Dmitri frowned.  “What is it?” 

            “Eliz—” Mike began. 

            “Dmitri,” purred a voice Michelle didn’t recognize, “I had no idea you and Armando still played together.  How sweet.” 

            The vampiress crossed leisurely over the floor to Dmitri and draped her arm over his shoulder, stroking him.  Michelle frowned, confused. 

            “Elizabeth,” said Dmitri, trying to shrug her off.   

The woman pouted, turning to Michelle.  “What’s this?” 

            “This is Michelle,” said Dmitri. 

            “His girlfriend,” stated Michelle, her hands on her hips as she challenged the woman.  Dmitri blinked in surprise, and she paled, aware of how possessive she sounded. 

            Elizabeth tossed back her head and laughed.  “Oh, Dmitri, please tell me this little wallflower isn’t…it’s too cute.  I had no idea you were into charity work.” 

            Michelle paled.  Her lips trembled.  Dmitri was looking at her, almost apologetic. 

            “Back off, Elizabeth,” said Dmitri.  

            “Or what?”  She feigned a pout.  “You’ll un-invite me?  You can’t.  This is public ground.  So, tell me.  Where is Armando hiding?  Hum, Dmitri?  You know I’ll find him.  So why don’t you be a good little puppy and help me out?” 

            “He wants nothing to do with you, Elizabeth,” said Dmitri. 

            “Ah, but I so want something to do with him,” she laughed.  “I’m bored.” 

            “Then get a hobby,” said Dmitri.   

The vampiress face contorted in anger.  Mike grabbed Michelle’s arm.  “Come on, Michelle, let’s go.” 

Michelle let Mike pull her.  She’d been watching the interplay between the two of them.  It was as if they didn’t see her.  And, Gawd!  Had she really sounded that possessive of him! 

“What’s going on?” she asked, watching Dmitri argue with the woman.  Elizabeth reached up to slap him and his hand shot up to grab her wrist, throwing her off with a growl.  “Who is that woman?”