CHAPTER NINETEEN

“ S o, what did you find?” Piper asked the man sitting opposite her. George McMasters was on his second IPA craft beer and making it very clear he found her attractive.

Sure, he was a good-looking guy. Tall, nice bod, shaggy blonde Californian hair, but that’s not why she was having a drink with him.

George believed in vampires.

Like, he was absolutely convinced they were real.

“Nothing yet. At least nothing we can take to the bank, you know.”

Dammit.

“Would you be willing to share your contacts with us? I mean, if this article gets published, then I’ll put your name in it, of course. This kind of exposure would be huge for your blog.”

George nodded slowly. “I want to say yes. The Seattle Times obviously has some clout, but these people are very private. I can’t just hand their details over.”

Piper uncrossed and re-crossed her legs. George watched them as he took a swig of his beer. It wasn’t the first time she’d used her sexuality to encourage a man to spill his secrets. She never slept with them—okay fine, she’d slept with one or two but only because she wanted to. But she didn’t do it to get the information. If they didn’t share, then she walked.

George finally realized he was staring at her legs and caught himself.

“Start from the top and let’s see if we can find a way to work together because one way or another, after what I’ve learned today, I am not walking away from this story.” Piper smiled and took a sip of her wine.

“Shit. Then we’re going to need more drinks.”

Piper indicated to the barman for another round. She’d heard back from all the bloggers she reached out to, and they were eager to share what they knew. Most of them wanted fame and to go viral.

Like George, the others had a ton of theories, but what made him stand out was his claim to know someone who had seen a vampire.

“So you haven’t met him or her?” Piper asked.

“Not yet.”

“But you could arrange it? Could I be there?” she asked, pressing. George’s eyes dropped to her bare legs. Maybe sitting at the bar had not been the best idea. He literally wasn’t paying attention.

“Let me talk to my contacts,” George said. “First, let’s get to know each other. You know, so I can trust you. Are you single or—”

“Hello, darling. Miss me?” a voice asked as a set of lips found hers.

Piper froze.

Large warm hands landed on her back and thigh, and when his lips left hers, the bluest eyes burned into hers.

“Well, I guess that answers that question.” George laughed, then held out a hand. “George McMasters.”

“Oliver Cambiaghi.”

The two men shook hands while she recovered from the shock of his kiss.

“What are you doing here, darling ? I told you I was in a business meeting,” she ground out, after clearing her throat.

Oliver wrapped his arm around her lower body possessively and let out a light laugh. “Oh, honey, its after ten. You know you work far too much.”

George stared at the two of them, lifting his beer to his mouth. “So what do you think about this story she’s doing then? Are you a believer?”

“In?” Oliver asked.

Oh crap.

“Vampires.”

Shit.

WHAT IN THE ACTUAL fuck?

Oliver stiffened.

Vampires? She was doing a fucking story on vampires?

Of course, she fucking was. Of all the goddamn people on the planet, Piper fucking Roberts was the journalist pursuing this story.

“I believe my pretty wife has worked enough for tonight,” Oliver said firmly in response.

“Wi—”

His hand slid between her thighs and he took joy in her little gasp. He turned his back on George, blocking him out.

“Can I whisk you away for some naughty fun, darlin’? We’ve only been married a short time, and as you can see, I can barely keep my hands off her,” Oliver said over his shoulder.

“Gotcha man.” George dropped his beer on the bar. “Give me a bell tomorrow, Piper. I’ll talk to my contacts and see what I can set up.”

“Thanks, George. Sorry...” Piper tried to peek over his shoulder, giving Oliver a dark look.

George laughed. “Hey, have fun, you two lovebirds.”

Oliver watched the man walk away, then his eyes dropped to Piper’s. The fire in them shot straight to his cock.

“Wife? Really?” she growled.

“Consummated just last night.” He grinned.

“Over my dead body.”

“Preferably not. I’m into kinky things, but that’s going too far, even for me, darlin’.”

Piper swallowed.

“Don’t worry. I think I know your limits.” He smirked. “However, I’m not opposed to pushing them.”

“You know nothing about me,” she snapped, trying to get off the stool. “Take your hands off me and stop with all that southern accent of yours. You think it will let you get away with anything.”

He barely had much of an accent left after living in Seattle for decades, but he let out a snort and let her jump down from the stool. Then took her arm and led her over to a table. His eyes tracked to the entrance as Kurt and Ben walked in.

Grab us both a beer and come join us, he told Ben telepathically.

I thought you were keeping away from her?

Ari told me to keep an eye on her. So I am. She just met with a man to discuss vampires.

The fuck?

He sat Piper down on the cushioned bench and dropped down next to her, then casually laid his hand along the bench top behind her.

“Vampires?” he asked, raising his brows in question.

“You can’t just push me around like this,” she said, ignoring him, but Oliver could tell she was affected being this close to him.

Just as he was affected by her presence.

He leaned down into her hair. “My two friends are joining us in a moment, so before they do, tell me how wet you are right now.”

Her head snapped around and she hissed at him. “Stop it.”

Before he could stop himself, his hand was on one of her thighs, nudging them apart. Her groan shot straight to his cock, and he had to shift as the hardness pressed against his zipper.

Because, commando.

Two beers landed in front of them, drawing his attention.

“We meet again,” Kurt said, dropping into a seat. Ben followed.

“I’m Ben. You’re Sage’s sister?”

“Yes.” She nodded.

“I’m Kurt.”

“Hey.”

“Piper was just telling me about vampires,” Oliver said.

She groaned and tried to push his hand off her thigh, but he wasn’t moving. “No, I wasn’t.”

Oliver knew Ben noticed the scuffle and was taking notes. Too bad. His body was all up in flames being next to her like this. So much for it only being one night. He wanted to throw her on the table, spread her wide and slam into her.

Fuck the public.

Fuck the rules.

“You believe in vampires?” Ben asked, taking a sip of his lager.

She shrugged.

“I’m just working on a story. I don’t know what I believe. What do you think?” Piper asked, digging her nails deep into his skin in an attempt to get him to move his hand.

That’s my little tiger.

“Seems unlikely. You know, with technology and shit,” Ben answered, shaking his head.

“Don’t they drink blood? Wouldn’t we all have teeth marks if they were just walking around biting people?” Kurt asked, and dropped his beer on the table with a smirk.

Oliver ran a hand over his mouth to hide his smile.

Piper’s hand flew to her neck unconsciously, and he suddenly wanted to sink his damn fangs into her. God, she would taste delicious if her pussy was anything to go by.

Shit.

“What about you?” she asked him. “Seeing as you wanted to talk about it.”

He cleared his throat.

“What I want is for you to get your sexy ass on a plane and go home. You’re dabbling in dangerous stuff, darlin’. Let me arrange a jet to take you home.”

She narrowed her eyes at him. “No.”

He shook his head.

“And that’s the second time you’ve refused to answer the question,” she pointed out, as he lifted his beer to his lips.

“Oh my God, you’re a believer!” she exclaimed, and he nearly spat his beer across the table. “I can see it in your eyes. Tell me what you know.”

“Oh, boy.” Kurt turned away, glancing around the bar.

“What I know is that you need to go home. Now, do I need to fly you home myself or will you get on the damn jet?” He growled.

She stared at him and began to grin.

What the fuck?

“You believe,” she said, still smiling, and took a big sip of her beer. Across from him, Ben and Kurt were smirking.

“What are y’all smiling at?”

And the assholes just kept smiling at him. It was like being surrounded by a bunch of fucking circus clowns.

“Well, husband, I need my beauty sleep, so I am going to love and leave you. Thank you for this enlightening conversation.” She patted his leg.

Kurt choked on his beer.

Ben’s brows shot to his hairline.

Husband?

Oliver shook his head, then Piper moved her hands up his thigh, close to his cock, and squeezed. “Let me pass or I will scream.”

Oliver raised a brow. “God, you’re a smoking hot pain in the ass. Did you know that?”

“Good to know,” she said, patting his leg as if to placate him, and then stood when he moved out of her way.

“Gentlemen,” she said with a wave, and then she swaggered out of the bar with a wiggle of her hips.

Oliver rubbed his jaw, his eyes never leaving her. When she turned the corner and disappeared, he cursed.

“Go,” Kurt said. “You’re no good to anyone in this state. Well, except her.”

Ben laughed.