Coffin Girls (Elegantly Undead: Book 1 of the Coffin Girls Witch Vampire Series) by Aneesa Price

you’ve had a lot of responsibility and in getting on with
that, you’ve pushed your emotions to the wayside.” Sophie’s comment hit target,
which, as an empath, she’d predicted.
    It was getting way too uncomfortable for Anais. She was too
tired to think about all of this and she needed to conserve the little energy
she had for Conall and Co. “Well lucky for me, I’m a vampire; I don’t have a
heart to give.”
    “You’re a witch too. Don’t forget.” Sophie countered.
    “Apparently not.” Anais got up, irritable and no longer
inclined to allow the grilling to continue. “It’s been a long day and until the
ball is over, it will continue to be. So, if you’ll excuse me, my old bones
need their rest.” Anais stormed elegantly, dramatically, out of the
kitchen. 
    “There’s some mad for you,” Marie observed. 
    “She needs some of that mad too. Let her stew in the juices
of it. It might bring up what she’s got to work through.” Miss Suzette dropped
that pearl.
    “What happens if she can’t work through it? She’s got that
heart of hers locked up with ball, chain, shackles and duct tape!” Rose was
concerned.
    “That’s what we’re here for,” Miss Suzette got up with a
sigh. “Now off t’bed with y’all. Get the rest y’all need to be there for
her.” 
     
     

Chapter 5
     
     
    “Conall, welcome to Papillion Plantation.” Anais moved
towards her guest, extending a slender, white hand, adorned with a simple
emerald and gold antique ring. She’d purposefully dressed the part of the
plantation lady, wearing a vintage black satin, Jackie-O style cocktail dress
with killer, strappy Louboutin shoes. The emeralds at her ears flashing green
fire in sync with its matching ring – she’d stopped wearing her wedding ring
the day she’d been widowed and turned. Her rouge-noir lathered lips curved at
the impeccably groomed man.  Drat! She’d expected him to look good but not
this ravishing.
    Being on the shorter side, she appreciated height and the
steel-gray pants he wore seemed specifically tailored to show case his
fabulously long legs. His shirt, black, made his blue eyes startling. His shoes
were Gucci. He was obviously a man of taste and means, the two qualities not
being mutually exclusive and one she appreciated. A dangerously alluring
combination of GQ meets professional hit man, danger with slightly disheveled
hair dressed impeccably. Yummy! She fought the urge to lick her lips and the
greater need to sink her fangs into him.
    Conall was gob-smacked! His mouth went dry, swelling his
tongue, making it feel as heavy as lead, unwilling to move so that he couldn’t
respond to her welcome. He wanted his tongue to tangle with hers to slate the
aridness.
    As soon as their hands connected, he felt a flash of magick
snake its way up his arms. More astonishingly, he could see the light move up
hers too. What the hell? That wasn’t supposed to happen! Vampires were magickal
creatures as well but their powers were limited to the more corporeal. What
he’d experienced had been actual magick. Or, had it? He looked at Anais.
Goddess! She was beautiful, sensuous, tempting - that must be it - his dick had
obviously decided to take the cognitive lead. 
    “Are you unhappy to see me, Conall? Or don’t you like the
house?” Anais enquired, raising a haughty brow. “I must admit to surprise if it
is the house that has you frowning so. It usually receives gasps of
appreciation. So, that leads me to conclude that it is my company that
displeases you?”
    Conall mentally dusted the cobwebs off, berating himself for
acting like a love-struck teenager and turned on his famous charm to maximum,
determined to loosen her guard. Anyone who could throw a party like last
night’s wasn’t the pretty airhead she was pretending to be. “No lass, it is
your beauty that astounds me – you (or your magick, he thought) made me lose
all thought for a moment. The house, although grand, pales in