Ritual Awakening – Chapter 2, part 2

Trace Braedon continued to stare at the spot on his wall while dialing.  Jake had better have one hell of an explanation for this.  It was one thing to use his place to bang random chicks, that was just good sense, but…

“Doyle,” he answered on the second ring.

“Dude…what the fuck did you do to my place while I was out of town?”

“The bed frame was already loose before I got there…but we sure didn’t help things.”  Jacob chuckled.  “Did we break it?”

“I’m not callin’ ‘bout the bed and you damn well know it.  I haven’t even been in the bedroom yet.”

“It’s Wednesday.  So, what?  You haven’t slept since Sunday night?  Time to think about laying off the pills.”

Trace was not amused.  “I stayed an extra few days…got home tonight.”  His eyes were still on the spot.  “I want to know why there’s a spot of blood on my wall and who the fuck this chick was.”

“There’s blood on the wall?  Which wall?”

“Kitchen.  I smelled it as soon as I walked in the door.  I can’t even think about anything else now.”

“I don’t see anything out of the ordinary about that.”

“Bite me.  I’m not even hungry.  Okay, I wasn’t…’till I walked in the door and smelled that.”

“Don’t you think that’s being a bit dramatic?  The spot couldn’t be that big or you know the maid would have gotten it.”

He let out an exasperated sigh.  “It’s not the size of the…Dude!  Do you have any idea how strong this lil’ spot of blood is?”

Jacob let out a hearty laugh.  “I’ve tasted it. You’re preaching to the choir about the potency.”

“Bastard.  How do you always get to the good ones first?”

“Probably because I don’t go out of town for days at a time for no reason so I’m around to scam the local talent for the weekend.”

Whoa. What?  “The weekend?  Have you ever spent that much time with a chick, Jake?”

“Whatever.  I gotta go.”  He disconnected before Trace could get in another word.  That chick must have worked a real number on him.

He knew a little something about that.

Finally, he tore his gaze from the miniscule blood spot on the wall and scrolled through the recent calls on his phone.  One ring.  Two rings.  Three rings.  He was going to get voicemail.  Damn.

“What?”  Her tone was sharp.

“You busy?  This a bad time, darlin’?”

“I’m always busy and it’s always a bad time.  What do you need?”

That was an interesting question.  When it came to her, what didn’t he need?  Honesty, for once, may well be the only way to go.  “You,” he drawled.

“Ugh.  Now?”

“Well…yeah.”

“Is it my imagination or didn’t we just leave the hotel a few hours ago?”

“It was a long drive home, darlin’.”

“I don’t know.  Being gone the extra two days set me behind.  I’ll think about it.”

“Will you call and let me know what you…”

Too late. She hung up on him.

Women.  Can’t live with ‘em; can’t handcuff ‘em to the shower rod…

Whatever.  Her loss.  It was just as well.  He needed to take care of the spot on the kitchen wall before it drove his bloodlust to a new frenzy and went across the street to drain the neighbors.

Huh.  He wondered if that would work.  Some people went door to door with a measuring cup for a cup of sugar.  Would anyone play along if he went over to borrow a pint of blood?

Probably not.  Uptight neighborhood.

His doorbell chirped an hour after that as his phone vibrated on his hip.  He opened the door and answered the phone at the same time.

“I’m on my way.  Let me in.”

Trace tossed the phone to the carpet and pulled the blonde inside.  How was it that after the long drive back, she looked every bit as polished and professional as she had the first moment he’d met her?  Her grey slacks were crisp and the white button down looked freshly pressed.  Even those luscious golden locks were twisted up in a neat bun.  All she needed was a pair of eyeglasses and all of his naughty secretary fantasies were about to come true.

She sidestepped out of his embrace.  “A few ground rules.”  She kicked off her shoes and began working the buttons on her shirt, moving in the general direction of the bedroom despite never having been in his condo before tonight.  “Don’t even try to drink my blood.  Got it?”

He tried to look innocent, even though he knew he failed miserably.  “I wouldn’t…”

“Yeah, you would.  Try it again and I’m gone.”  The shirt hung loose while she unfastened her belt.  “And none of that trying to feed off my energy shit either.  You already know my defenses are too strong for you, even on drugs and blissed out.”  She reached behind her head, giving him a glimpse of a lacy bra that did little to cover her, and let her hair down.  Shaking it out, she gave him a heavy look.  “Is that acceptable or do I need to put all this back on?”  For emphasis, she shrugged out of the shirt until it was down to her elbows.

“Just fine, darlin’.  Anything else?”

“Yeah.  Get out of those clothes and get your ass over here.  I don’t have all night for this.”

Too bad.  With a petite little body like that, Trace could think of more than enough to fill up the entire night.  Again.  “Yes, ma’am.  I can do that.”

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