Page 3 of Sexual Appetites of Vampires

Lara yawned, turned on her side, and closed her eyes, but she didn’t turn out the light.

CHAPTER 2

Lara stood staring at the house and smiled. If she didn’t know any better, she would think that she had been swept away to the British countryside to a stately manor home. She had to admit it was stunning especially with the wooded hills framed behind it, though its gothic veneer did make one pause before approaching it.

She had been at Molly’s Place, a quaint little eatery whose omelets were to-die-for, by nine and had asked around for a ride to Valaine’s home. Molly, who wore a perpetual smile that was contagious, had expressed how it must be serendipity since her husband Joe was headed that way and could drop her off.

So here she was on Michael Alexandru Valaine’s doorstep at ten o’clock in the morning with the hope that he wouldn’t turn her away. Having to be back in the village by twelve gave her about two hours, at the most, to interview him and with a bit of luck and get a look at his vampire book collection.

Lara no soon as knocked on the door than it opened. A stocky, elderly woman in a brown wool coat stepped out, yanking her hood up and over her short, white curly hair.

“Go on in, he’s expecting you, not that he’s happy about it. Can’t say I blame him. You can thank Molly for Mr. Valineagreeing to see you. She called ahead, which is what you should have done, and she explained that you were a nice young woman who needed only a moment of his time. So, make sure it’s only a moment you take. He’s in the library, up the steps to your right, the door on the left.” The elderly woman shook her finger at Lara. “Then make sure you’re gone before the snowstorm hits.” With that she yanked her gloves from her coat pocket, slipped them on, and walked down the path.

Like she would want to be stuck here, Lara shivered at the thought. She turned to the large oak door that stood ajar and with steps born of let’s-get-this-over-with more than confidence stepped into the house.

The large foyer captured the eye with its highly polished wood and numerous framed, painted landscapes. She turned to close the door, but it had already clicked shut. She left her suitcase near the front door and hurriedly followed the elderly woman’s directions and took the few steps to her right to find herself in a narrow hallway with two doors...one to the right and one to her left.

The one to her left stood ajar and she knocked on it as she eased it open and called out, “Mr. Valaine? Lara Bennett here. I’ll only take a moment of your time.” She pushed the door open further and stepped inside. It was a magnificent room, walls of bookcases and every shelf overflowing with books. A fire burned brightly in the fireplace and overstuffed chairs urged you to grab a book and have a seat. Lights on the various side tables created ample lighting, though shadows lingered in corners—and one moved.

Lara jumped and watched Michael Valaine emerge from the shadowed corner, slowly as if the darkness was a lover that refused to release him, clinging possessively to his arm, his shoulder, his waist, until she had no choice but to let go.

And Lara couldn’t blame her...he was a gorgeous hunk of a man. Tall, dark and handsome didn’t do him justice and didn’t fit, though he was tall, at least two maybe three inches over six feet. Not dark, though paler skinned and not handsome—drop-dead gorgeous. Any woman would kill for his perfectly arched dark brows and long lashes, not to mention his eyes. Dark brown, no intense black, no lighter...oh, forget the eyes what about his lips? Slim and lusciously kissable. Dark hair, shoulder length. What man wore his hair even a bit long today?Confident ones,her thoughts whispered. And damn if his smoky gray sweater didn’t display just enough muscle to entice. Gorgeous, hunky and wealthy. What was she thinking? This wasn’t a social meet, this was business. She was here to find out about vampires.

Recalling her reason for being there, Lara got right to the point. “I am terribly sorry for showing up without an appointment, but I have limited time and from what I’ve learned around town you may have information I’m looking for.”

Michael Valaine walked over to an oversized chair by the fireplace and pointed to one. “Sit and tell me what you want from me, Ms. Bennett.”

“Lara, please,” she said and sat in the chair or actually sunk in it. It was so soft and comfortable that she could imagine herself sitting there for hours lost in the pages of a book. “I’ve been contracted by a New York publishing house to write a chapter on vampires for a forthcoming book and with the myth that vampires settled Mull, my editor suggested that this was a good place to start.”

He didn’t say a word; he simply stared at her with those dark eyes that unnerved.

Lara continued with some unease. “Whatever you can tell me of the myth or if you have your own unique take on vampires dueto your family being the founding family of Mull, I’d appreciate anything you have to offer.”

Michael sat on the sofa opposite her and crossed his legs, running his hand down the crease in his black wool trousers. “Exactly what do you want to know about vampires?”

“Anything you can tell me,” she said eagerly.

“With limited time before you must leave,Lara, I suggest you be more specific.”

The way her name rolled seductively off his lips raised goose bumps along every inch of her flesh and she had to stop herself from shivering. She forced a smile and said, “Their appetites.”

“For blood or sex?”

If he intended to intimidate her with his blunt response, he was in for a surprise. “Both,” she said and leaned forward in the chair, “and with as much detail as possible.”

“An easy answer—ravenous. Vampires thirst for blood is as ravenous as their hunger for sex.”

“And you would know this how?” she asked, certain he was doing nothing but humoring her.

“I’m a vampire.”

“Very funny, Mr. Valaine,” Lara said not at all amused by his tactless response.

“Michael,” he said, “No, being a vampire isn’t funny, voracious for human blood isn’t either, and then there is the ravenous appetite for sex. Not human sex with passable climaxes, but sex that engages the couple down to the very core of their being. Where everything is felt beyond what is imaginable, where a climax is not the end, but the beginning.”

Lara slipped off her red wool jacket and loosened her scarf around her neck, feeling suddenly much too hot and—much too sexually charged. And too sexually curious. “And how do you know this?”

“I am a vampire,” he repeated.

---