Chapter 2
“My employer requests that you enter three queries and find a suitable mate.” The vampire kept his hand on the door.
“Bullying isn’t going to work with me.” Lynda lifted her chin and hoped he didn't notice how her legs shook. “Set up an appointment like everyone else. It's late, and I'm tired.”
“Thought you said you had a date?” He smirked. His sultry voice oozed mocking laughter.
“What I have planned is none of your business.” She pushed against his arm to get him to move so she could leave, but he didn't budge.
“Payment will be a million dollars—”
“W-what?” The standard fee was a thousand per entry, and she often had sales and gave away many free entries for those who wanted a stable relationship but couldn’t afford it. That much money, she could offer even more passes for those who needed them. She could move to a better building. Get an assistant.
Plus, she could pay off her loans. But what would agreeing cost her? Would she be indebted to the vampires for the rest of her life? Have to sign off her business to them? That was too risky to take the chance.
“I told you, make an appointment or go see another matchmaking service.”
“Each.”
Her hand stilled on the doorknob. “Three million? Just to input some data and find mates for vamps…and that’s all it is? No hidden agenda?” That would pay off her loans, hire help, and allow her to move to a better office.
“Yes.” He removed his hand from the door. “I'm part of the group too, to ensure your system actually works.”
“Of course, it does.” She bristled. “My system is guaranteed, I don't run a scam.”
“Never said you did. But if we don’t find mates for the princes, then we’ll be forced to use one or more of your competitors which will, unfortunately, run you out of business.” He shrugged a shoulder. “Entangled Love has agreed for us to use their systems, but we’d prefer to work with someone who cares about the outcome of their clients.”
Fuck! He must have studied her. Entangled Love was started by her ex-fiancé who stole her idea and an early version of her work. Since she had asked him to help her test it, his lawyers argued that he helped create it. She hadn’t had the money to pay for her defense. Because of the court case, she had decided to ditch the program and start from scratch. She’d prove her system was better than any others. She marched to her desk and booted up the computer. “Well? Where is the paperwork?”
“One moment.” He sauntered to the front of her desk and lifted a silver briefcase from the floor she hadn’t noticed before. After he spun the combination, he bit his thumb, then placed it over a center lock. The briefcase clicked open, and he removed a USB flash drive.
“Here you go.” He placed it on her mouse pad.
“No way am I putting that in my computer.” It could install a virus or spyware or wipe out her whole program. “I have a paper filing system and will be happy to upload your data manually.”
He tilted his head, impaling her with his dark eyes that seemed to look into her very soul. “Are all human women so stubborn?”
“Have you not been around many human women?” How was that even possible? Vamps were typically old, and this guy appeared to have been turned in his early thirties.
“My duties keep me from being involved in more than sex or blood. There's no time for interaction with females of your kind beyond giving them orders.”
She snorted. “Sounds like you need to get out more.”
“There would be too many casualties if I were lax in my duties.” He pushed the USB flash drive closer to her hand. “The information on here is clean; I give my word.”
“Look, buddy, I don't even know your name...who you work for exactly...or who your three clients are. But this is my company, and I will not jeopardize it for a stranger. Besides, how do I know this isn’t just a ploy to find rare blood donors?” With his triple triangle tattoo, he could kill her and say it was business and no one would question her death.
“I am Andrei Kalrtic from Count Vlad’s bloodline.”
Her mouth dried and she licked her cracked lips. “The Count...as in Dracula?”
“The same.” He nodded. “I'm working to ensure the continuation of his lineage.”
Her mind whirled with questions. Surely, he was joking. How could a match-making service save Dracula's heritage? They were vampires. Just exchange blood with someone and bam, a new convert that carried the Dracula lineage.
“I don't understand.” She fingered the flash drive, but she still wasn't putting it in her computer. “Can't you all make more of your kind from him?”
“No,” he pinched the bridge of his nose, “he wants a new generation of blood kin. Ones equal if not superior to the Russian clans who have been our enemies for centuries.”
This was new. Didn't all vamps have the same abilities and such? “How are the Russian’s different?”
He paced before her desk. Did he ever sit down in a chair?
“They can be out in sunlight for an hour after dawn and an hour before sunset.”
“That's not possible.” Sunlight fried vamps. Some, depending on how old, could manage a few minutes with boils and blisters before they burst into flame.
He paused from his pacing. “I assure you that it is.”
“Do you know how?” She leaned back in her chair.
“You must promise never to work for another vampire clan.” He paused. “To be safe, all vampires who wish to enter your agency from this point on will need to pass my inspection to ensure they aren’t Russian or spies. You must never meet alone with any of them; they could get information from you that would—”
“I never divulge confidential information about clients to anyone.” She crossed her arms and glared at him.
“Even if he was very,” he paused and brushed a finger over the top of her computer screen. Somehow the movement looked more sensual than it should have. “Persuasive?”
Heat rushed to her groin, and she let out a slight gasp as desire filled her. She blinked and shook her head. “Wait, are you using vamp pheromones on me?”
Because vampires needed blood, they had the ability to lure their prey to them.
His crooked smile made her heart skip a beat. Damn it. And when his grin widened, she knew he'd heard the difference.
“Sorry to disappoint you, but I have a stubborn and strong will compared to most and have never succumbed to anyone.” She smiled back. “So, if you were thinking of influencing me into doing whatever you like then get used to disappointment.”
Shock filled his face for a split second before he schooled his features. “You do have an ability to block my power that I find intriguing.”
He moved around her desk toward her, but she held a hand up.
“That's far enough. Touching me isn't allowed.” No matter how much pleasure a vampire could release with skin-to-skin contact. Which was why she didn't allow clients to meet alone the first time. Love was unpredictable, adding in pheromones or abilities mucked up science. Once everything was in place, and two people had the best chance of success, then love could be welcomed into lives. Too soon and passion overruled good judgment.
Not her. She refused to get sucked into desire and hormones like her mom.
He cocked an eyebrow and inhaled, his nostrils flaring. “Your scent suggests otherwise.”
“Then maybe you should get your sniffer checked out or hire a werewolf ’cause I have zero attraction to you.” Her voice came out breathy instead of strong.
Andrei shook his head. “I think the lady doth protest too much.”
“We're done here.” She bristled. “It's late, and I've no reason to continue this conversation.”
When she stood, he took a step back and bowed slightly. “My apologies, but please, listen to my employer’s proposal before you make any rash decisions.”
She leaned against her desk. “You've got two minutes.”
“The King insists on finding human women for his three sons. They will be brides...princesses...and whichever of them conceive first will be the reigning King and Queen.”
“Because the King wants to continue his actual bloodline rather than turning a human into a vampire.” Made sense even if it was a bit flawed with the details. Not many human women could become pregnant with a vampire. It was easier to get struck by lightning. “Why not put out a call? Hundreds or even thousands of women would jump at the chance to live a life of luxury.”
“The King believes, as you do, in a sense that everything must line up first before allowing two people to fall in love.” He moved to her office window and stared out at the night. “In this case, it must be assured the three women would be able to conceive a half-vampire baby. One that would be able to walk under the moon and the sun and bring that ability to future generations.”
Lynda shivered. “But why do you need me? My system can't give you that analysis. It's not set up for biological components of that magnitude.”
He fingered her blinds. “True, except you do collect a drop of blood from all your clients who have wished to have kids with their...partners.”
“No, that's only to confirm their identity.” When she first opened her business, too many humans and supernaturals alike professed to be something they weren't. A dating service on the other side of town got shut down because two of their clients were goblins looking for certain types of meat and ate their way through twelve women before it was discovered they weren't the gnomes they'd claimed to be. Lynda had adjusted her system to compare blood samples to ensure that didn't happen to her. Other nasty non humans could change form and prey on the innocent too easily.
He turned from the window. “Don't sell yourself short, Lynda.”
Her name in his Eastern European accent made her knees weak. It was like dark chocolate with a yummy cherry center and she was an addict.
“With a few tweaks of what I've learned about vampire DNA and reproduction, your system will enable us to find viable candidates in a few hours.”
“Are you some kind of scientist? How do you know so much about DNA?” It had taken all her savings and her mom's life insurance to pay for the blood analysis component of her matchmaking program.
He stalked toward her like a predator. Reaching her side, she fought not to step back. His presence made her body tremble. He picked up the flash drive and handed it out to her. “I've studied it for over a thousand years. Now, please humor me and add the data to your system.”
“No. How do I know that won't crash my program or something? That this isn't some hoax from my competition to wipe me out of business?”
The muscle in his jaw ticked. “We’ll double your pay. Two million each and a fifty thousand signing bonus.” He nodded to the door. “Check out my information on another computer if you doubt me.”
“And if I refuse?”
His eyes darkened and his fangs extended. She backed up, her heart racing. Her hip hit the drawer with her gun filled with blessed wooden bullets.
“Then I will have to convince you by whatever means necessary.” He reached for her faster than she could scream.