Nine
One month later…
“Get him!”
“Are you kidding? That puppy moves faster than a vampire, for heaven’s sake! Just let him go, Cor, he’ll be back. Where’s he gonna go anyway?”
“I just don’t want him loose on this floor. You know, just in case.”
“You worry too much.”
“Says the pregnant woman who changed every element of what we eat and drink, even though vampires don’t have any problem with the junk food group.”
“I’ve just been reading a lot of books.”
“Aarrgh! Human books! Liv, take it from one with a medical degree, or nearly, what we are, nothing you do will harm him.”
“I know. For some reason, it feels like something that I have control over. Maybe I’ve gone overboard.”
“Then we can have the ice cream back?”
Olivia grinned. “Of course you can. I was actually kidding about that. I just wanted to see how long it would take before one of you broke, and I kind of like seeing how clever Vaz is at sneaking things in. I know about your morning sugar orgies.”
“Oh, we do creative things with that sugar.”
“Oh, can I watch? I get so bored with vids.”
“And, no. I’m just going to check on Geraldo.”
“If you must. And while you’re at it, rename him.”
“I can’t. Vaz really likes that old man in the park. He thinks he’s brilliant.”
“He’s a vagrant. By choice. He’s been out there since I opened the tower.”
“Vaz invited him to dinner. He wants him to meet his namesake.”
“Well, enjoy. I’ve plans for tonight.”
Corri moved close and laid a hand on Olivia’s rounding belly. “He’s getting so big so soon.”
“First bloods come in six months, remember?”
“Yeah.”
Corri stared at Olivia’s belly, her hand gently moving over the small mound. “I envy you. I would love to have Vaz’s child.”
“I can’t describe what it feels like to have part of Will growing inside me. Especially since he’s gone, it’s the greatest gift in the universe. Like nothing could ever possibly be this good again. Meeting this little boy will be the one moment in my life that makes everything worth it. Even losing Will, that this boy will be here, will make it worth the pain. I still dream of that man, I don’t think that will ever change, but when I wake, and this child is here waiting for me, how could I ever feel sorrow. You would have made an incredible mum. Which, by the way, you kind of will be anyway. Who do you think is going to be nanny?”
“As if you could keep me away.” Corri glanced down the corridor. “He’s gone. I guess I’d better try to find Geraldo before he finds the elevator.”
“I’ll see you on the fifth.”
“Good. We’ve finished the remodel, I just want you to approve the final details.”
“I’ll be there.”
Once Corri was gone, Olivia headed into the galley.
Looking at the FP unit, she wanted to order an organic green tea with honey, but instead, placing a forgiving hand over her belly, she spoke. “Chocolate milkshake, thick, with five inches of whipped cream.”
Corri was right. Vampires didn’t have to worry about healthy food choices, and right now, even the baby seemed to approve.
He was growing quickly, her connection to him stronger each day. Cherise had offered to come from Iceland to help establish the connection but it hadn’t been necessary.
“Ah,” she’d commented, her French accent still intact even after all these years. “You are fourth generation and this child is fifth. The power curve remains stronger in each generation, and you no longer need a conduit to touch each other through spirit. I cannot wait to meet this boy.”
“I want you here, all of you, when he’s born. He needs to know the incredible family and community he is born into.”
“Of this, he will have no doubt. I will see you soon, chérie.”
Her fone beeped and she glanced at a message from Dez. While her grandmother checked on her too often over the past month, Olivia knew it was out of love. This time, though, she asked if Olivia could check in with her restaurant, Flights, where she was having some managerial issues that needed a vampire’s touch. She texted back a message that she would take care of it with a double heart emoticon, and sent a second to Corri.
Corri, Dez wants me to check on her club before I go to rest tonight. Have kitchen send up last meal in about an hour. Invite Gio and Rochelle. See you soon.
Riding down on her private elevator, Olivia went over a mental list of what she needed when she and Corri started baby shopping next week. Dez had already sent quite a few items to her, but she was surprised at how much it required to set up a nursery the first time.
The evening air was warm tonight with a pleasant moderate breeze that felt nice on her exposed skin as she hurried toward the sporty ground car she used in the city. A sudden shadow to her right startled her and she whirled on a tall man who had come up beside her too fast; handsome, smiling, vampire.
It was obvious he intended to intercept her.
“Yes?” Voice inquiring, expectant, with little warmth. His appearance was at least unwelcome, and at most, suspect.
“Ms. Olivia, my name is Cal Worthington.”
Watching her from a distance, Frederick decided to follow through on his plan to befriend Olivia. He didn’t know why he hadn’t thought of it before. It made sense; he was attractive, charming, vampire, and she was unattached. Over time, he imagined they would become close, lovers in fact, and at some point it would be natural for her to reveal her secret to him. The plan was ridiculous in its simplicity. He just had to steer clear of Vaz and Corri. Once he cleaned up his accent, adopting a general American accent, he chose a common local name, donned casual attire, and here he was.
Before he approached her, Frederick handed his fone to a blood-bond he’d held for thirteen years. “You know what to do.”
“Mr. Worthington, what do you need?”
“I just wanted to introduce myself. I’ve been coming into your club, Serendipity, for my meals since I came to Vegas a few months ago, and I felt as if I should let you know how much I enjoy the ambience, the service, and the marvelous food.”
“Thank you, sir. The goal there is to make everyone feel like an honored guest. It seems we’ve achieved it.”
“You have. I find that I can’t make myself visit any other restaurant for first meal, I would miss your fare too much.”
“That’s wonderful. Well, thank you for letting me know. Have a nice evening.”
Pulling forward, Olivia was surprised to feel his hand on her arm. Turning, the suspicion part of her expectation going up, she stared him down.
“I have somewhere I need to be, Mr. Worthington.”
“Yes, I’m sure you do, but, if you could indulge me for a moment. Look, I’m quite new to town, haven’t made a lot of friends yet, and you intrigue me. May I take you to dinner some night soon?”
A dinner invitation. A date. This was unexpected. Men were often attracted to her, but they rarely made the first move. Olivia admitted she could be intimidating, and she rarely stopped moving long enough for someone to ask.
He seemed nice. Attractive, vampire, so of course his body was excellent, beautiful pale hair much like Vaz’s, tipped in purple, which appealed to her. But now was not the time to consider a new relationship. She used trusted blood-bonds for meals, and had no need of sex right now.
“What a lovely invitation, but I am otherwise engaged at this time and it may be a long time before I’m free again. Still, it’s nice to be invited, so thank you. Now if you’ll excuse me…”
Frederick moved closer, the hand clamping down too tight on her wrist. “Letting you go out of my life seems like a bad idea. You intrigue me, lovely vampire.”
Boldness was appreciated, but right now, Olivia had somewhere to be, and he was obstructing her. She pushed his hand off of her. “Again, I am flattered, but no, dinner is not possible. I must go.”
There was something about his response, frustration, fury perhaps, that disturbed her. Olivia turned to leave the man when his hand landed on her once more.
“Look into my eyes,” she barked, and when he did, she began a quick order, compulsion from vampire to vampire, and told him to forget he’d met her tonight and to go on with his life. Olivia left him in her dust as she rocketed away from him and headed straight to her car.
Left behind, confused, Frederick watched the traffic on the street for several moments as he collected his thoughts. Why was he here? What had happened? Nothing quite looked familiar and he felt a little fuzzy.
Oh, hell, had he been compelled again?
He swept the area for his car, but didn’t see it. Thankfully, he finally saw Ravi coming from behind a row of vehicles along the street.
“What do you have?”
“What you wanted. Look at the video, sir.”
Pressing the button, Frederick watched the entire brief interchange, especially the part where the female vampire had done it to him again, she’d compelled him to forget he knew her.
Fuck! It had happened again.
Later, at Serenity Tower
Vaz smiled, but Corri laughed.
“You shot him down? Poor man.”
“I have no interest in a relationship right now. Can you imagine the conversation when my child grows more obvious? And sex? Not now, or for…”
Olivia almost said forever, but she knew that someday, she would be ready to move forward, and yes, that would include sex with another man. The idea tore her apart right now. So she smiled sweetly, and asked if anyone wanted the last Chinese dumpling.
Two hours afterward, lying in bed, naked, her fingers caressing where her son lay, she thought about the man on the street. Could she imagine someone else inside her? It would be a long time. Will was still in her mind, in her heart, and if she closed her eyes and reached for the memory, she could still feel him. She couldn’t let anyone else wipe him away.
“Daddy’s still with us,” she whispered as she fell asleep.