Page 45 of The Vampire's Seduction

Reality smashed into her. Olivia put an arm over her eyes, the one not currently under the covers, and groaned.

Shit. Fuck. Christ on a cracker.

Did she… had she… yep, she’d just had a sex dream about Marek. No, not even sex. Only his fingers. And a kiss.

Was she so desperatethatwas all it took?

God, I need help.

And it hadn’t been enough. The climax had relieved her most pressing need but had left her empty and wanting more, which made zero sense. She didn’t have a high sexual drive. If only Marek was here… he would satisfy her every need.

Stop. The last thing she needed was an addiction to vampire sex. Not to mention, arrogant and tyrannical kidnappers were so not her type.

Yes, because your type had worked out so well in the past.

Ignoring the stupid inner voice, Olivia sighed and sat up. The king-sized bed with its brown wooden frame dominated the room, with matching bedside stands on either side holding round glass lamps. Wooden dresser against one wall. Sliding doors leading to a closet. An open door to her right revealing the bathroom and a closed door directly across from her.

Not her bedroom at home. It was too clean. Almost sterile, as if someone had bought a set from the furniture store for a guest bedroom.

Then last night returned to her in a wave. She was in Las Vegas. They’d arrived last night from LA with no incident. Marek had planned everything down to the last detail. When they’d arrived, a line of nurses and two doctors greeted them on the rooftop.

She had followed the nurses and doctors as they pushed Betsy’s gurney to their room. By the time they finished setting up Betsy, Olivia had been asleep on her feet. Marek had granted her wish to be alone, and she’d taken a shower before climbing into bed and passing out.

Olivia checked the clock. Four p.m. Had she slept the day away? Where was Marek? Forget it. Better that he wasn’t here.

Where was Betsy? Her heart skipped a beat. She had vague memories of walking through a few doors after leaving Betsy last night.

Olivia got out of bed. Her body obeyed her, unlike the weakness from yesterday. She was dressed in a blue cotton pajama set, one of the few she’d found in the closet after her shower. After using the toilet, she went through the closed door to a living room decorated in tasteful modern tones, with a sectional facing the TV and ocean paintings on the walls.

The living room opened to a small kitchen, but it was the door on the room’s other side that caught her attention. Olivia padded over, opened it, and had a strange sense of déjà vu as she walked into an exact replica of her quarters.

A young woman with her hair in an efficient ponytail in nurse’s scrubs stood up from the couch, where she’d been watching TV, and smiled. “Hi, are you Olivia? Betsy’s sister?”

It wasn’t like her to meet total strangers in pajamas, but after the last few days, she decided, what the hell, and said, “Yes, and you are?”

“I’m Kate. Nice to meet you. I’ll be watching Betsy during the day shift. Lizzy will be here later for the night shift.”

So Marek hadn’t been kidding about providing Betsy the best care. She couldn’t afford a twenty-four-hour nurse shift if they’d been in LA. A sudden onslaught of gratitude threatened to choke her. Between this and flying her Dillon’s Chicken, her opinion of him began to veer toward the positive.

“Nice to meet you.” Olivia stepped farther inside. “I’m going to check on Betsy.”

“Sure. Let me know if you need anything.”

“I will. Thank you.”

Olivia walked to the bedroom. It was similar to hers, except for a queen bed. Betsy lay unmoving under the navy duvet, with an IV dripping into her arm while the EKG machine continued like a countdown of doom. Any second, it might stop, and Betsy’s life could be over.

Unless Olivia found a way to wake her.

Before helplessness engulfed her, Olivia reminded herself she wasn’t a teenager powerless against the cancer that killed her parents. Magic had caused Betsy’s condition, and she had a witch at her disposal to help.

She wouldn’t fail Betsy. Wouldn’t break the promise to her parents.

Her fingers played with her bracelet out of habit. Andrea. She needed the witch. And where was the giant book of spells?

Standing here, moping, helped no one. Better get to work.

Olivia bent down and kissed Betsy lightly on the forehead.Hold on, sis. You’ll be awake in no time.

---