Wicked Fantasy by Nina Bangs Page B

headed toward the nearest Live the Fantasy attraction, a pirate ship. Once on the ship, she relaxed a little. Conall couldn’t reach her until the ship returned to shore. The man-made lake it floated on was perfect for losing pesky immortal warriors. She looked around for an appetizer. Thank heaven the ship wasn’t crowded, so she’d have some privacy.
    A man stood at the bow of the ship watching her. When she met his gaze, he grinned. For just a moment, something about his face reminded her of pictures she’d seen of her uncle Ray, who’d died before she was born. Then the moment was gone. This guy really didn’t look that much like her uncle. They both had red hair, that’s all.
    Gerry studied the menu. Nice face, athletic body, food . She returned his smile and walked toward him. Perfect. He was the only one there, and the bow was in shadows.
    When she reached his side, she leaned against the railing to gaze across the water.
    â€œBeautiful night to be on a ship.” He sounded friendly.
    She turned to look at him. “Yes. All kinds of fantasies are possible on a night like this.” Gerry leaned toward him.
    He smiled again, revealing straight white teeth. “I’m Dell.”
    â€œGerry.” It didn’t matter if she told him her name, because he wouldn’t remember her.
    He had short red hair and eyes that were so pale they almost looked colorless. An unfortunate combination. But he had a great smile, and all blood tasted the same in the dark.
    â€œSo are you just here for the night, or are you staying at the castle?” He edged closer to her.
    Mmm. She imagined the hypnotic rhythm of his heart pumping all that wonderful blood through his veins. “I’m staying at the castle for a few days.”
    â€œLook at me, Gerry.” Something in his voice had changed, become more intense.
    â€œHmm?” She leaned close, picking out the exact spot on his neck where she’d place her mouth.
    He shifted a little away from her, and she raised her gaze to his eyes. Without warning, she felt dizzy. What the . . . ? She groped for something to hold on to, and Dell put his arms around her.
    He was saying something, but she didn’t pay attention because it felt like all the atoms in her body were drifting apart. Any second now her body would be gone. She’d just be a fading memory in the Texas night.
    As quickly as the sensation began, it ended. She straightened away from him, and he let her go. His gaze was fixed over her shoulder. She turned to see what he was watching.
    Well, hell. Conall stood waiting on the dock. He speared her with a stare that should’ve left a smoking hole in the middle of her forehead. Beside him stood a woman, beautiful with long blond hair. The woman waved at her when she saw Gerry staring. And for just a nanosecond, something that felt suspiciously like jealousy stabbed her. Of course, it wasn’t. Beautiful-and-blond was welcome to him.
    The ship was moving toward the dock. They hadn’t been out very long, but from the look on Conall’s face she’d bet he’d ordered the ship back to shore. She hadn’t had a chance to get a drop to drink.
    She turned toward Dell. “Thanks for catching me. I . . .” He was gone. Gerry frowned and glanced around. He must’ve joined the crowd waiting to get off the ship. Huh, so much for her vampire allures. Guess she didn’t have any. But there was no more time to think about Dell as the ship reached the dock. She took a deep, fortifying breath. Even though breathing wasn’t a necessity now, she’d never lost the reflex action.
    Conall didn’t give her a chance to open her mouth before going on the offensive. “Look, I have a job to do, and you’re making it tough, lady.”
    He raked his fingers through his hair, and for a moment she allowed herself to imagine how those silky strands would feel sliding over her breasts. She blinked