The Elixir Maidens: Crimson Read online

  “Where’s Andrew this morning?” Richie asked.

  “Greg probably wore him out last night,” Ruby teased.

  “Don’t start being a bitch this early in the evening,” Greg said to Ruby though his gaze remained locked on Richie. Their blades clashed and Richie nodded with approval. Greg was a fine protégé, both as a musician and a swordsman. He made Richie proud.

  “Speaking of bitches,” Ruby continued, “who was the lovely little brunette you took to your room last night, Richie?”

  “Her name is Sondra and if you want to keep your fangs, you’ll never mention her and the word bitch in the same breath again.”

  “Oooh!” Greg chuckled. “Sounds serious. Could this mean one of your one-night stands might actually develop into something more?”

  “It’s too early to say,” Richie admitted.

  “But you like her?” Ruby continued.

  “Yeah. I like her. She’s smart. Warm. Seems sincere.”

  “Good lord, he’s fallen in love at first sight.”

  “I’m warning you, Ru.”

  “Speaking of significant others, where’s your Hagen?” Greg asked Ruby, a teasing look on his face. “Or is he as worn out as Andrew?”

  Ruby wrinkled his nose. “Honey, this is me we’re talking about. I always satisfy my man.”

  Raising his eyes to heaven, Greg said, “No details please.”

  “Don’t worry. What happens between me and my magician is strictly private.”

  Richie growled. “Enough jaw-flapping. I don’t give a shit about anybody’s sex life. I want a workout, so Greg, put some heat under it.”

  The conversation stopped as he and Greg attacked one another in earnest.

  Several moments later, Mel stepped into the gym.

  “Hey, guys, I’ve got a favor to ask,” she said.

  “Shoot, hon,” Ruby said.

  “I know you’re officially on vacation, but Zigor is going away for a couple of days next month and that means I’m in charge of the club. That includes planning ’70s night. I was hoping you guys might be able to perform for a couple of hours?”

  Richie and the others exchanged glances before he replied, “Fine with us.”

  “Great. I’ll go ahead and contact your agent?”

  “Sounds cool,” Richie said.

  “I’ll reserve a table for you guys, too, if you want,” Mel offered. “Just let me know if you’re bringing guests.”

  “Great,” Ruby said. “Hagen and I will definitely be hanging out afterward. Guys?”

  “I’m sure I can talk Andrew into staying,” Scarlet said.

  “Richie?” Mel asked, and added teasingly, “If you want tables for your entire harem you’ll need to pay.”

  Normally Mel’s comment wouldn’t have been far from the truth, but since meeting Sondra he was starting to like the idea of one man and one woman instead of his usual array of bed partners.

  “It’ll be just me and a guest, too,” he said.

  Mel glanced at him with a knowing look. “Uh huh. Talk to you guys later.”

  She left the gym and Greg said, “So when do we get a closer look at Miss Sondra?”

  Richie curled his lip in Greg’s direction. “Remind me again why I gave you eternal life?”

  * * *

  Sondra sighed and pushed her chair away from her desk. She gazed at the design she’d just created for a customer’s website, but her thoughts drifted to Richie. Just thinking about him made her pulse quicken and her clit throb with anticipation. The man did things to her libido she never imagined possible. Not only that, she enjoyed talking with him, dancing with him, just being with him.

  Worry gnawed at the back of her mind. Though normally a sensible woman, she feared she was developing feelings for this gorgeous vamp all too quickly. She never would have thought she could fall in love at first sight, but after meeting Richie, she wasn’t so sure it was an impossibility.

  What would happen if they were meant to be together? How could she possibly get Richie and Nigel together? The horrible image of being caught between two men she loved deeply filled her mind. She shook her head and stood to pace the room.

  “You’re getting way ahead of yourself,” she said. “You’ve just met Richie. The sex was unbelievable, but that doesn’t mean he’s your soulmate.”

  Upon arriving home that night, she’d called Nigel. Though he still seemed a bit huffy, she’d managed to smooth things over with him. He was still upset that she’d watched The Elixir Maidens’ performance and didn’t want to hear how much she’d enjoyed it. She’d decided to drop the subject. Sometimes it was difficult being his offspring. When he’d invited her to dinner, she’d declined, saying she had a lot of work to catch up on. She wondered if he’d sensed her lie. Most likely. Though she had a strong command of telepathy, Nigel was still more experienced. If he did sense her lie, he chose not to pursue it.

  In a few hours, she’d be on her way to Burgundy Peak to meet Richie for dinner and…

  The “and” filled her with such desire that her nipples hardened beneath her soft cotton T-shirt. She absently stroked them while imagining Richie’s hands on her before forcing herself back to work.

  * * *

  Several hours later, Sondra arrived at Burgundy Peak and found Richie talking to Onan in the foyer. She noted with amusement Richie’s cheerful smile and nonchalant manner compared to Onan’s stern, intimidating presence. Few people tried to goad the security chief into pleasant conversation, but Onan’s sullen disposition didn’t seem to faze Richie in the least.

  “Hey.” He reached for Sondra and brushed her mouth with a chaste, tender kiss. The burning look in his eyes and the scent of his lust told her he’d been looking forward to tonight as much as she had been.

  “Are you hungry?” he asked.

  “Starving.”

  “Instead of eating in the club, I thought maybe you’d like to have dinner upstairs? I’m a damn good cook.”

  Sondra smiled and tightened her grip on his hand. “I’d love it.”

  “Let’s go.”

  Hand in hand they walked to his suite. While she sat at the table, he poured them each a glass of wine, then began preparing the meal while they talked. Sondra offered to help, but he told her to sit and relax.

  “There are two rooms in which I have everything under control -- the kitchen and the bedroom,” he said, a teasing look in his eyes though she already knew his prowess in one of those rooms.

  “You like to cook?” she asked.

  “It’s a hobby, but I like to eat better.”

  “Does cooking go with the drag queen thing?” She wasn’t sure why she asked that. After all, Nigel enjoyed cooking and she knew all too well how he felt about drag queens.

  Richie paused in chopping potatoes and narrowed his eyes at her. “My career really seems to bug you. What’s up with that?”

  “It’s a little… strange. That’s all.”

  “You’re a terrible liar.”

  Sondra’s mouth opened slightly and she felt a blush rise in her face. “I am not!”

  “It’s okay. A lot of people have problems with anything that seems to fuck with reality as they know it.”

  “I do not have a problem with you being a drag queen.”

  “Female --”

  “Female impersonator. I know.” She raised her eyes to heaven. “I don’t have a problem with anything like that.”

  “You seem to.”

  He finished chopping the potatoes and dropped them into a pot of boiling water.

  For the first time since meeting him, Sondra felt uncomfortable. This was a conversation she’d hoped to avoid for a while. “It’s not me.”

  “Then who is it?”

  “Can we change the subject?”

  He grinned and washed his hands. “Sure, but that doesn’t change the fact that you’re fucking a man who wears pantyhose to work every night.”

  Sondra laughed, nearly spitting wine all over the table. She re
ached for a napkin and patted her lips. “I’m sorry, Richie, but I still can’t believe you’re an Elixir Maiden. Just out of curiosity, are your band mates straight?”

  “No. I’m the black sheep of the family.” He winked. “Since I get the feeling you’re going to be seeing a lot of my friends in the future, I’d better give you the rundown on the Maidens. To Ruby -- we call him Ru -- being a drag queen is a way of life. You’ll probably never see him wearing anything remotely traditional. His boyfriend Hagen, on the other hand, still needs to hold off women with a shotgun even though he’s made it clear he and Ru are together forever.”

  “Sir Hagen the illusionist. The one who’s always on TV?”

  Richie nodded. “Nice guy. Helluva good performer. Now on to Greg, or Scarlet -- that’s his stage name. He’s my vampiric offspring.”

  Sondra lifted an eyebrow. Here it comes. Richie was about to tell her he liked both men and women. Her fantasy about a possible long term relationship was about to go up in smoke. “You and he were… together?”

  Sighing, Richie approached and cupped her chin in his hand. He tilted her face so that her gaze met his. “Honey, if you didn’t get last night that I love women, nothing I say is going to get through to you.”

  “I thought maybe you were --”

  “Bi? No. I like tits and ass and…” he leaned down and whispered against her lips, “… pussy.” He kissed her, his tongue gently thrusting between her lips. He tasted and caressed, teasing her with slow, tender strokes that made her momentarily lose touch with reality.

  Sondra closed her eyes and moaned softly, clinging to his neck while her tongue met his. Damn, he tasted good!

  Slowly, he broke the kiss and said, “About Greg.”

  “Your offspring.”

  “Yes. He was an orphan and has been like my son since he was about eleven years old.”

  She smiled slightly. “Like me and my Creator. My parents were killed in a wagon accident in the early 1800s. Nigel took me in and gave me a life I never would have imagined. He’s been my father, my teacher, my Creator.”

  “Sounds like you love him a lot.”

  “Very much.”

  “He must be a great guy.”

  For a moment her expression looked sad. He was about to ask her what was wrong when she said, “Tell me more about Greg.”

  “He’s a very sweet person and I know once you get to know him you’ll like him a lot. He’s just started seeing this guy Andrew who’s an armorer from upstate.”

  “Now that’s a job you don’t hear about very often.”

  “Andrew has been around since the middle ages. He does great work. Fencing is another hobby of mine.”

  “Me too.” Sondra brightened. So they had yet another thing in common. “My Creator, Nigel, is an excellent swordsman. He taught me everything I know.”

  “Maybe you can ask Nigel to join us for practice someday along with Greg and Andrew. Greg was one of my best students.”

  Sondra’s belly dropped to her feet at the idea of Nigel spending an evening with two Elixir Maidens and one of their boyfriends. Great, she thought, can you spell disaster?

  “Nigel is a little on the reclusive side,” she said.

  “He was at the club with you the other night. I didn’t think Burgundy Peak attracted many recluses.”

  “But he didn’t stay long.” At least that much was true.

  “That’s okay. We don’t want to rush anything.” He nuzzled her neck.

  Sondra’s eyes closed again and a little quiver of desire rippled through her. She wove her fingers through Richie’s hair. “No. We don’t want to do that.”

  “But that doesn’t mean we can’t get in a quickie before the potatoes boil.”

  Before she could speak, he lifted her in his arms and covered her mouth with another penetrating kiss. He carried her to the bed and placed her on it, then loomed above her on all fours while untying the front of her dress with his teeth.

  He parted the soft white fabric and unfastened the front clasp of her bra. Sondra sighed with pleasure as his warm hands cupped her breasts. He gently kneaded the flesh, his long fingertips caressing with such gentleness that his touch was almost imperceptible.

  Gazing at his handsome face, she realized how much she loved being with him. In spite of his underlying physical strength, he touched her with the exact amount of tenderness. Perhaps through his Crimson persona he was able to connect to his feminine side in a way most men couldn’t imagine. He carried those memories with him, allowing him to know exactly how his lovers wanted to be touched. Whatever method he’d used to develop his technique, it worked.

  He edged lower and rolled his tongue over her nipple. He lapped, sucked, and used the tip of his tongue to tease her areola. Only when her nipple became so sensitive that his touch was almost uncomfortable did he move to her other breast. Slowly, he repeated the motions. He seemed in no mood to rush in spite of the thick erection pressing against her leg.

  Finally satisfied that he’d completely awakened her nipples, he pressed gentle kisses beneath her breasts and down her belly. His tongue slid over her hips and traced the indentation of her groin. While licking and kissing, he slipped first one finger, then another into her pussy.

  With a moan of pleasure, Sondra arched her back, thrusting her hips in time with his stroking fingers. He withdrew the slick digits and rubbed them over her clit in gentle circles.

  “Oh, Richie,” she panted, running her hands over as much of his body as she could reach. The sensation of smooth flesh over hard muscle turned her on so much that she wondered if she could wait much longer before begging him to fill her with his cock.

  He parted her thighs and knelt between them, guiding her legs around his waist. He eased his cock into her and Sondra’s pulse raced with desire. He rocked in a leisurely rhythm while at the same time using his fingers and thumb to toy with her clit. Being stroked and filled excited her so much she knew that if he kept it up, she’d come in moments.

  “You are so beautiful, Sondra,” he said in a husky voice. “Sexy legs. Gorgeous tits. Women don’t like that word much, do they?”

  “Right now you can say just about anything to me, Richie,” she panted, trembling with desire.

  “Slow down,” he said, amusement in his voice in spite of the rapid rise and fall of his chest and the slight flush staining the ridges of his sharp cheekbones. His movements became even more drawn out and teasing.

  “You’re driving me crazy,” she said, taking the hand he offered her and pricking his fingertips with her fangs.

  “Ah,” he gasped, his eyes closing and head arching with the pleasure of her bite. In spite of his obvious arousal, he continued the slow, steady rhythm, driving her closer to the edge but not allowing her to cross it.

  Sondra ran her tongue over his flesh, tasting his delectable blood. She tightened her legs around him, forcing him in even deeper.

  With a savage growl, he pinned her beneath him. He thrust hard and fast into her, stimulating her to unimaginable heights of sensation.

  “Oh, yes! Yes!” she cried, clinging to him so hard that her arms and legs ached. She exploded in waves of orgasmic pleasure that triggered his climax.

  “Sondra!” he shouted, his voice raw with passion. He rolled onto his back, holding her close.

  “Richie,” Sondra panted, clinging to him and relishing the warmth of his body. “I think I love you.”

  “I think I love you, too,” he murmured, rolling her onto her back and burying his face between her neck and shoulder. “Let’s get married.”

  “What?” she laughed, playfully slapping his shoulder.

  “You’re right. I don’t know what the hell got into me.” He lifted his head and held her gaze. “Can we at least play house while we think about getting married?”

  “That we can do.”

  “Good.” He kissed her, his tongue caressing hers with long, wet strokes. When the kiss broke, he said, “I want you to meet Greg and Ru.”
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  “Looking forward to it.”

  “How about Nigel?”

  Sondra froze. “What?”

  “Your Creator. I’d like to meet him.”

  “Uh, I’d like you to meet him, too --”

  “Great. When?”

  “Well, it would have to be later because… he’s left for France.”

  “Too bad. When will he be back?”

  Sondra’s heart pounded and she made a conscious effort to shield her thoughts from Richie as she sat up and reached for her clothes. “It could be a long time. Sometimes he just disappears for months. Years, even.”

  “Sondra, come here.”

  Forcing a smile, she approached. He took her hand and tugged her back into bed. Her fingertips stroked his smooth chest, loving the feeling of lean, hard muscle. Why did this gorgeous man who was absolutely perfect for her have to earn his living by singing falsetto and wearing a dress?

  “Hey.” He touched her chin. “What’s wrong? It doesn’t take a great telepath to know you’re hiding something.”

  “It’s not important, Richie. Really.”

  “You don’t want to meet my friends?”

  Her eyes widened. “It’s not that at all. I’m looking forward to meeting Ru and especially Greg. Do you think they’ll like me?”

  “Is that what you’re upset about?” He smiled, relaxing visibly. “Sweetheart, they’re going to love you. I know I do.”

  Growling softly, he tugged her closer for a kiss. Sondra moaned and lost herself in his soft, moist lips and stroking hands.

  The sound of bubbling water drew their attention to the stove. The potatoes had completely boiled over.

  “Fuck!” Richie leapt out of bed and grabbed a couple of potholders.

  Sondra broke into laughter at the sight of a gorgeous, naked man holding a pot of potatoes and scowling. Regardless of what Nigel thought, she liked Richie and wanted to be with him. She’d simply have to find a way to get the two men in her life to come to an understanding.