Garnet Lacey - Dead If I Do Part 18

"I understand your concern, Mrs. Lacey," Sebastian said, ignoring all the weird flirting from my mom. "You don't have to worry. I don't usually go around broadcasting my vampirism."

"And I don't usually blurt out the whole vampire thing either," I said. When Sebastian shot me an "are you sure about that?"

glance, I returned with a "let me finish" glare. "See, the thing is, I, well, I guess I just wanted you to love him for all that he is-like I do."

Sebastian gave me a curious sort of smile-grimace, like he wasn't sure if he should take my saccharine comments seriously. I jabbed him in the ribs.

"Because I do," I said.

"Aw, honey, that's sweet," my mother said. "Of course, we like him."

"I don't," my dad said, sitting up and opening his eyes. "Not only is he dead, which can't be good, but if he's a vampire, that means he drinks blood. Our daughter's blood."

"It's not like that," Sebastian said, sitting up a little straighter as well.

"Actually, he mostly feeds on other people," I explained quickly. "They're called suppliers or donors or . . . well, mostly we call them ghouls."

That little bit of information killed conversation completely. My parents stared at us with a combination of incredulity and disgust.

Barney, having noisily crunched up her stolen treasure, hopped up on to the arm of the couch near my mother, clearly ready for another one.

Sebastian shot me a way-to-blow-it glance and stood up. "I think the coffee is done," he announced.

"So what is this," my mother asked, "swinging or something?"

I got up and went over to adjust the logs on the fire. I didn 't know how to explain our blood donor arrangements with my parents; I hardly knew how to deal with the complexity of it all myself. I jabbed at the logs with the poker. Sparks flew and quickly faded to ash on the stone hearth. "When did your generation get so conservative?" I asked. "I mean, weren't you guys the ones who became swingers? It's not like Sebastian is out cruising for people to bite. He's got a regular list of willing volunteers who have all been vetted by some kind of supplier's guild. I don't really ask, but I know he's faithful to me. That's all that matters, right?"

"If you say so, honey," my mother said.

"What was wrong with Brett Cunningham, anyway?" My father asked.

"Brett?" I said. "I dated him for two months senior year."

"At least he was human," my father said.

"Sebastian is human too," I said. "He's just . . . altered." Wow, what a ringing endors.e.m.e.nt. Even though I knew he had super hearing, I was glad Sebastian had retreated to the kitchen.

"I liked that Daniel Parrish fellow," my mother said. "He only came over to the place once, late at night, but he was a real gentleman. Didn't you date him in Minneapolis for a long time?"

I couldn't quite contain a laugh. "Mom, Parrish is a vampire too."

"Christ, how many of them are there?" my dad asked. "Brett Cunningham was nice."

He was also a h.o.r.n.y jock who did things with me I was certain my dad wouldn't approve of.

Sebastian came out with two coffee mugs. "Anyone else want a cuppa?"

"Oh," my mother smiled, " 'Cuppa,' how British." Barney took advantage of my mother's distraction to stick her paw tentatively inside the chip bag that sat forgotten on my mother's lap.

"I'll take some," I said, reaching for the mug. Maybe caffeine would help stave off the stress headache that was tightening along my shoulders and neck.

Sebastian handed it to me. "There's more in the kitchen."

My dad hauled himself off the couch. "I'll help myself," he said.

"It's getting late," my mother observed. The clock on the mantel read quarter to two in the morning.

Barney's claws snared another chip. She scooped it up in her mouth and ran off with it. This time she disappeared under the couch. If she kept this diet up, I'd no doubt be stepping in regurgitated piles of Doritos in the middle of the night.

"I'll drive you back to the hotel," Sebastian offered. "We can bring your car around in the morning."

"We could crash in your spare bedroom."

"Not a good idea," I said quickly.

Benjamin rattled the china in the kitchen. "Holy s.h.i.+t, the cabinets are haunted," I heard my dad yell.

"Why not? I peeked in there earlier. It's a beautiful room. Your son seems to prefer the couch, and . . ."

"Actually, you could use the sunroom, if you'd like," Sebastian said. "There's a lovely fold-out futon in there. It's a little chilly, but it's beautiful."

I stared at him openmouthed. He was going to offer my parents the sunroom? Sebastian never let me into the sunroom. It was off his private sanctum sanctorum, his alchemical workshop. It was the only room in the house he kept locked. I only knew about it because I'd broken into it once with Lilith's help.

"Why couldn't we . . . ?"

I smelled cinnamon and cloves, like pumpkin pie. "Because the guest room belongs to our house ghost. I think you'd be more comfortable in the sunroom."

"Oh, okay," my mom was a pushover when she was high.

My dad came back in with a coffee mug that said Witches Do It By Moonlight.

"Come on, Glen," Mom said. "We're heading to bed."

"But I just got my coffee."

"Let's leave these kids alone for a while."

My dad frowned petulantly at his cup. "But I thought they'd kissed and made up."

"I want to have s.e.x," my mother said.

I spat my coffee back into my cup. "Mom!"

"Oh!" My dad set the cup down on the nearest surface, which happened to be a leather-bound book.

Sebastian scooped it up quickly. "Uh, I hate to rain on your parade, but I need to make up the bed. It will only take a moment, I promise," he said with a broad wink. "So you two will just have to simmer down for a minute."

Sebastian took the stairs two at a time.

That left me huddling under the green comforter again. My dad came over and gave my mother a shoulder rub. He leaned in and whispered something in my mother's ear. I tried not to watch, because I was deeply embarra.s.sed, but it was kind of sweet too. It was nice to know my parents still loved each other. Although I did not need to know they were about to have s.e.x. I tapped my toes and glanced at the ceiling. Did Matyas feel like this when Sebastian and I went at it? Because of how close they looked in age, I tended to forget that Sebastian was Matyas's father, like my dad, who was right now kissing the top of my mother's head.

It seemed like forever, but eventually Sebastian came back down. "You're all set. Let me show you upstairs," Sebastian said.

I'd never seen my folks move so fast. Apparently, marijuana made them frisky too.

Despite the coffee, I was awfully drowsy by the time Sebastian returned. I yawned deeply.

"Hey, none of that," Sebastian said. "You promised me some making up."

He sat down on the couch and snuggled up close. I fluffed the blanket to let him under. Our legs entwined. With a smile, I threw my arms around his shoulders and pulled him close. He chuckled low in his throat. Our lips met. Heat raced along my inner thigh. All thoughts of sleeping evaporated.

As his hands roamed the contours of my back and ribs, Sebastian's palms grazed the swell of my breast. My nipples hardened at even the briefest touch. I wanted more, now. I kissed him harder and deeper, encouraging. My fingers twined through his hair.

Lips brushed my earlobe. "Will you still want me like this in a hundred years?"

I grabbed a fistful of his hair. With my free hand, I put his where I wanted it. "Always."

He growled and slid his fingers under my s.h.i.+rt. The contact of skin on skin made me gasp.

The front door opened. I heard the storm door snap back on its hinges. Boots stomped on the welcome rug.

I kept my eyes shut, hoping it was just Benjamin playing tricks on us.

Matyas cleared his throat.

The groan that escaped my lips hurt somewhere deep inside.

"Oh, a little coitus interruptus?" Matyas said with a smile.

Letting his hand slip from my breast, Sebastian leaned back with a sigh. "I thought you were staying the night with Izzy."

"I did, Papa," Matyas said with mock innocence. "It's morning."

I rubbed my face, tiredness was.h.i.+ng over my body. Despite the slight remaining ache between my legs, I could use some sleep.

"Maybe we should go upstairs," I muttered absently.

"Are you sure you wouldn't rather go out to the barn?" Matyas asked, inspecting his fingernails. "Seems there's a really nice root cellar there."

Sebastian stood up. The blanket fell away from his legs, and his hands balled into fists at his side. He was ready for a fight.

Matyas, meanwhile, leaned casually against the door, crossing his arms in front of his chest. His black hair fell across his forehead, shadowing his eyes.

At times like this I noticed how alike they could be. They stood completely differently, but my mother was right; they appeared nearly the same age. Their hair was the same midnight black, although Matyas's was short to Sebastian's long. About the same height, Sebastian had a bit more bulk, but they had the same body type.

When they were mad, their eyes narrowed in exactly the same way.

"We had to put her in the cellar. She was trying to kill me. Again."

I heard a squeal from upstairs.

Matyas glanced at the ceiling. "Benjamin's sounding awfully feminine."

"Uh," Sebastian glanced at me.

"It's my mom," I said.

"What is she doing, exactly?" Matyas asked. Sebastian and I looked at each other and then gave him the what-do-you-think eyebrow waggle.

He frowned. "In your bedroom?"

"The sunroom," I said.

"My, my," Matyas clucked. "The house is crowded. The barn too."

Benjamin or the wind rattled the window sash.

"You haven't let her out, have you?" Sebastian asked.

Matyas flipped his hair back, like he was bored. "Let my mother out? Now, why would I free my mother from being entombed in the dank earth? That's not my style."

Of course that's exactly what he'd been doing most of his life.

Sebastian ground his teeth. If he were a cartoon character, smoke would have been curling from his ears.

I stood beside him and put my hand around his fist. He looked down at our hands, and I felt him consciously relax. Sebastian took a deep breath and switched tactics. "She'll be safer in the cellar," Sebastian said. "The sun will be up soon."

"Safer? Oh, you were just thinking of her well-being when you blocked the door with the shovel. How kind," Matyas sniffed.

"Actually, we were trying to keep her from tearing my throat out," I said. It wasn't like I didn't already have scratches on my face from where she'd tried to claw me the first time we met.

"She must have been hungry," Matyas observed. "Good thing I brought her someone to eat."

"Someone?" I repeated.

"You left someone alone with her in the state she's in? She'll kill them," Sebastian said, horrified. He shook off my hand and headed for the door. Matyas s.h.i.+fted out of the way. Sebastian didn't even bother putting on a coat as he headed out into the wind and snow.

Matyas smiled as he shut the door behind Sebastian, and that's when I knew Sebastian had reacted just the way Matyas had planned.

"It's nice to see Papa rush to her side," Matyas said. Pus.h.i.+ng off the wall with a stocking foot, he headed for the kitchen.

"Is there even a donor out there?" I asked.

Matyas swung the door open. "Do you want eggs? I'm making breakfast."