A Taste of Oblivion Read online

  Staring up into his gorgeous face, her desire stirred again. All she really wanted to do was finish what the vision had interrupted. The stubborn gleam in his dark eyes assured her that wasn’t going to happen.

  “I saw Dalton,” she admitted with a cringe.

  “In the middle of making love with me you see your ex-partner?”

  She had expected possessive annoyance and Rafe didn’t disappoint her. Dalton hadn’t only been her partner for the majority of her years with the Baltimore Police Department, he’d been her lover. They were still close friends, so she understood Rafe’s spurt of jealousy.

  “I was over Dalton before I met you, so take the glare down a notch or two.”

  He shifted his hips, wedging his cock a little deeper inside her. “What was Dalton doing in the vision?”

  She smiled and wrapped her legs around his waist. “The same thing we were doing, only not nearly as well.”

  He chuckled. “We do it better when your visions don’t disrupt our momentum. Why is Dalton’s sex life important enough to trigger your gift?”

  “I’m not sure yet. All I know is this woman will contact me and she’s meant for Dalton.”

  * * *

  Kylie smoothed down the slim skirt of her black evening gown as the doorman motioned her into Club Carousel. She’d been sent to this dimension with little more than the image of a woman who might or might not be important. It was Kylie’s mission to determine if the woman was still alive or find out what had happened if her life had ended.

  Colored lights shimmered off the festive decorations. The nightclub was already crowded and the party wouldn’t officially start for another hour or so. Commander Sihngal had given Kylie the names of three potential contacts. The first two hadn’t proved very helpful, but she had higher hopes for Jessie Curtis. Jessie was the soul bonded mate of a powerful vampire and she was the reason Kylie had come to Club Carousel.

  Jessie would never be able to find her if she went wandering through the crowd, so Kylie remained on the wide, hardwood landing near the main entrance. The dance floor was situated to one side, booths and tables to the other. Directly ahead was a whimsical carousel, which served as backdrop for the circular bar.

  According to Kylie’s research, Thane Burton had taken over management of the club from his sister when her marriage to a foreign dignitary required her relocation. Thane had commissioned extensive remodeling, wanting a sleeker, more cosmopolitan feel, and renamed the establishment Club Carousel. Tonight was the grand reopening and the party promised to be lavish and lively.

  Thane also managed the wildly popular rock band Pyrite, which assured their willingness to play for the party. Jessie Curtis was the bonded mate of Pyrite’s lead singer, which explained why Jessie had suggested Club Carousel as the location for her meeting with Kylie.

  “I’m sorry this meeting is rather unorthodox,” a blonde woman said as she rushed to Kylie’s side. “You are Kylie Miller, aren’t you?”

  “I am.” The blonde stuck out her hand expectantly and Kylie reminded herself to clasp it. Taking on the outward appearance of another species was far easier than mastering their mannerisms.

  “This whole week has been insane.” Jessie’s laugh was light and musical, perfectly in tune with the jovial atmosphere. “You have exactly fifteen minutes to pick my brain, so don’t stand on formalities.”

  Kylie reached into her handbag and pulled out a small digital media player. “My employer is convinced this woman is her daughter and has hired me to --”

  “What led you to me?” Jessie asked before the image even materialized on the small screen.

  “Apparently this young woman is reported to have had a romantic attachment with your husband.” She paused for a quick smile. “Before he met you, of course.”

  “Of course.”

  “I knew scheduling an interview with the world famous Rafe Steele wasn’t going to happen, so I tracked you down instead.” She turned the flip-up screen toward Jessie and watched the human carefully as she viewed the video clip. How long had she been soul bonded with Rafe? Despite his notorious reputation, Jessie seemed remarkably secure in the relationship.

  Jessie’s delicate brows drew together over her expressive eyes and she tapped her index finger against her blood red lips. Resplendent in black and gold, she was the picture of elegance and wealth. It was hard to believe this delicate beauty used to be a law enforcement officer.

  “Wait a minute.” Jessie suddenly chuckled. “I remember this show. Dalton drove me crazy the entire time it was on the air.”

  “Show? Who is Dalton?”

  “It was on one of the cable channels. First sci-fi series to feature explicit alien sex scenes.” She laughed again. “Outpost Terra Ferma, that’s what it was called. And Dalton is my ex-partner.”

  Kylie restarted the clip, looking at the images with new interest. “This was a television show?”

  “Well, yeah. We have some unusual visitors at Club Carousel, but nothing comes close to the creatures they dreamed up for that show.”

  “Do you remember the female’s name?”

  “Which one? There are several in that clip.”

  “The one whose hair turns from green to black.”

  “Ms. Double D? I can guarantee Dalton will know who she is. He’s downstairs. I’ll introduce you, but then I’ve got to find Thane. Tonight is the grand reopening and he’s in rare form, even for Thane.”

  “I appreciate your cooperation.”

  “No problem.” Jessie led her across the dance floor and pulled open a nondescript door halfway down an adjacent hallway. “Dalton,” she called down the stairwell, “a friend of mine is coming down. Be nice to her.” Then she left Kylie to her own devises.

  Kylie swallowed hard and stepped onto the first stair. Her three inch heels made the descent tricky, but the gorgeous blond man standing at the foot of the stairs complicated her coordination even further. With her hand firmly grasping the rail, she made it to the bottom before her heel caught the hem of her gown.

  The misstep sent her lurching sideways. He easily caught her and reeled her in. “Better?” How could one word hold so many meanings? It was a tease, a challenge, and a genuine inquiry packed into two syllables.

  He was ruggedly handsome, with vivid blue eyes. It was all Kylie could do to drag her gaze away. If all law enforcement officers looked like this, no wonder the crime rate on Earth was so high.

  She gave herself a firm mental shake. Why was she acting like a sex crazed adolescent? She’d seen handsome men before. “I don’t get out much,” she whispered. Had that flirty, breathless voice really come from her? She was a mystic soldier for stars’ sake. She never flirted.

  He was nearly as tall as the Nac O’te warriors and emanated the same suppressed aggression. Like a braided whip, just one flick of the wrist would unleash all that power.

  “Are you my present from Jessie?” He grinned and charming dimples appeared on either side of his mouth. “My birthday is in a couple weeks.” With just the tip of his finger, he traced a path from the base of her throat, across her shoulder, and down her arm.

  Tingles spread out across her skin. She pushed the temptation away. She couldn’t forget her mission. She wasn’t here on leave. “Kylie Miller. But if anything, Jessie gave you to me.”

  He laughed. “I’m okay with that too.” His other hand lingered at the small of her back, applying just enough pressure to remind her she was still within reach. “You’re not from around here, are you?”

  “No.” She swept the room with a quick, assessing glance. There were two other couples, both of whom seemed entirely engrossed in each other. “Jessie said you’d know the name of this woman.” Opening the media player, she reactivated the video clip. She paused the image when “Ms. Double D” was alone on screen to make sure he knew which person she meant.

  Instead of taking the device from her hand, he moved closer, angling his body so his chest brushed her shoulder. Kylie tried not to
fidget as awareness coiled through her, ready to spring.

  “She’s credited as Mercedes Smythe,” he began, his warm breath teasing her cheek, “but she’s a phantom. None of the information in her online bio checks out and no one has been able to run down the facts. To my knowledge this was her one and only role.” With a neat pivot, he faced her, one hand flat against the wall. “What’s your interest in a little known actress?”

  The coil tightened. Stars, she needed to rub against his thigh and feel his teeth scrape her nipples. What was it about this human that made her want to -- fuck. She’d never heard the word before coming to this dimension. She loved the power of its simplicity. She wanted to fuck Dalton, right here, right now. The question was, why?

  “How long was she on the television show?” She had to focus on the mission. She would not return to Froswick in shame!

  “OTF built a small but loyal following with its combination of clever plot lines --”

  “And full frontal nudity,” the dark-haired male across the room cut in.

  “Fuck off, Chad,” Dalton snapped without shifting his gaze from Kylie. “No one is talking to you.”

  Chad laughed and toppled his companion onto her back, pressing his face into the valley between her breasts. She sighed and pulled him even closer, wrapping her legs around his waist. Apparently Kylie wasn’t the only one desperate for sex. They were fully clothed, but the rocking motion of their hips made their desire obvious.

  The other couple was even bolder. The woman sat on her lover’s lap, her back pressed against his chest. Her long skirt bunched about her waist, exposing long, shapely legs. One of his hands stroked her breasts, while the other -- Kylie glanced away before she could analyze exactly what he was doing between her thighs. She’d been told humans seldom indulged their sexual needs in public.

  These weren’t humans. The males were vampires. They played by different rules.

  “Faelon and Antonelli enjoy being watched.” Dalton cupped her chin, guiding her gaze back to his. “The only thing they enjoy more is when others join them.”

  Was that why he was down here? Had he been about to share Antonelli with Faelon? No wonder the atmosphere was sexually charged. She’d walked in on an orgy! No, Jessie had sent her into the middle of an orgy, delivered her right into Dalton’s waiting arms.

  “Why are you suddenly interested in a TV show that’s been off the air for almost a year?” Dalton asked, his gaze smoldering.

  Kylie snapped the media player closed and slipped it back into her handbag. He fully expected to lure her across the room, to convince her to participate in the festivities. Desire radiated off him in waves. Her breasts ached and her core clenched. Even by Froswickian standards this was hedonistic. If she abandoned herself to the pleasure for just a few hours, she could always -- Stop it! Stop it! You are on assignment. You will conduct yourself appropriately.

  Fortifying herself with a deep breath, she ducked under Dalton’s arm and put some space between them. “Why is the show no longer transmitted if it had a loyal following?”

  Faelon eased Antonelli off his lap and stood in one fluid motion. “Your shields are impressive, little pretender. I’ll give you that. Who are you? How did you get through the front door?”

  “Faelon,” Antonelli protested, “there is no reason to be rude. Jessie told Dalton he would have an important visitor today. Her premonitions are never wrong.”

  “This is a private party.” Faelon continued across the room, ignoring his mate’s objection.

  “Jessie sent me down here. If my presence offends you, take it up with her.” She turned toward the stairs. “Sorry to interrupt.”

  He grabbed her upper arm and spun her around before she took a single step. “I’m not offended by your presence. I’m offended by your deception.” Violet light erupted within his thick lashed eyes as he commanded, “Transform.”

  Chapter Two

  Dalton lunged for Faelon as the Master vampire grabbed Kylie.

  Do not interfere. The mental command exploded through his brain, rocking him back. He snarled and writhed. If Faelon hadn’t been expending so much energy trying to force Kylie’s transformation, he could have incapacitated Dalton or worse. It didn’t matter. Everything within Dalton demanded he protect her.

  Why? Why was he fighting a Master vampire for a woman he’d just met? Why did he feel so damn possessive? He continued to struggle. Even knowing it was useless, he couldn’t stop himself.

  She fought against the command, her dark head whipping from side to side. Dalton had seen some of Club Carousel’s patrons in their natural forms. Why was Faelon so intent on seeing Kylie’s true appearance when her assumed shape was so captivating?

  “Stop it!” Dalton shouted. “You’re hurting her.”

  “Transform!”

  In a slow ripple, reality replaced illusion. Her black hair unraveled and spilled across her shoulders and down her back. The dark strands gleamed with green/gold iridescence, the shade changing subtly with the movement of her head. Her eyes reshaped, the pupils becoming distinct black diamonds in a field of brilliant green.

  Framing her face with his hands, Faelon triggered the rest of the transformation. The details revealed themselves as the vampiric light began to fade. The bridge of her nose now bore three angled ridges and the outer edge of her mouth appeared to be lined in forest green while the fullness of her lips was a softer, subtler hue.

  Faelon staggered back a step, his eyes wide, his expression stunned. “Why would they… Who are you?”

  The paralyzing compulsion released him and Dalton rushed forward, pulling Kylie into his arms. “If you touch her again I’ll kill you!” Faelon laughed. “Okay, I’ll find someone who can kill you.”

  Faelon raised his hand, part reassurance and part warning. “I mean her no harm. Calm down.”

  Dalton hesitated. Faelon explained himself to no one. What the hell was going on? He brushed her hair away from her eyes. “Are you all right?”

  Kylie nodded, but her gaze was fixed on Faelon. “You knew her. This is what our council feared. Mercedes Smythe is from our dimension. How did she come to be here? You must tell me what you know.”

  Faelon arched his brow. “Must” wasn’t a word you used when addressing a Master vampire. “She has no place in your world. Leave this alone.”

  Kylie licked her lips, the pale green tint of her tongue a fascinating contrast against the lush emerald. Dalton couldn’t take his gaze off her mouth. She was so utterly alien, yet captivatingly beautiful. He wanted to touch her, taste her… His thoughts trailed away as the image of Mercedes Smythe flashed through his mind. Her changeable hair color, her “alien” skin tone. Holy shit! How many of the aliens on Outpost Terra Ferma had been actual aliens?

  “I can’t just leave this alone,” Kylie insisted. “I have orders to --”

  “I know enough about your dimension to know she would be an outcast. Her father was a vampire.”

  For a long time they just glared at each other. Dalton glanced at Chad and Lynette. They were being so quiet, he’d forgotten they were still in the room.

  Kylie sighed and Dalton shifted his arm to circle her waist. “Mixed heritage is not the stigma it once was. I would like to speak with her.”

  “No.”

  “Why is this your decision?” Dalton felt her tense beneath his fingertips. “Are you her father?”

  “No.”

  “Her sire?”

  “No.”

  She glanced up at Dalton. “Is he always like this?”

  “He can be a regular pain in the ass, but he generally has a reason for his actions.” He met Faelon’s hostile gaze. “Who is Mercedes Smythe and why are you being so difficult?”

  “Mercedes is my niece, my last organic relative. I will do everything in my power to protect her.”

  The conviction in Faelon’s tone sent an icy chill skittering down Dalton’s spine. Their visitor might not understand the significance of the vampire’s simple
statement, but he understood. He turned to Kylie and said, “You’ll have to tell your superiors you couldn’t find her. You need to leave this alone.”

  * * *

  “You’re out of your mind.”

  Fury washed over Faelon at Kylie’s outburst. He gathered energy, meticulously constructing the compulsion.

  What are you doing, my love? Antonelli remained on the sofa where he’d left her, but her sweet voice traveled across their private telepathic link. She doesn’t understand.

  “I can’t go back to my dimension and pretend I failed just so you…” Kylie held up her hand and averted her face for a moment before she began again in a calmer tone. “This is my first interdimensional mission. It’s extremely important that I do well. If you expect me to subject myself to shame and ridicule, I’d like to understand why I’m accepting it.”

  It’s a reasonable request, Faelon. Explain this to her.

  Antonelli’s insistence only fueled the fire. Why should he justify his actions to anyone? “These things were done for the safety of your people and mine.” He snarled out each word, resenting even so small a compromise.

  “It was a very dark time in Faelon’s past,” Antonelli added out loud. “He never talks about it.”

  He growled at her and she averted her face, knowing when she’d pushed too far.

  “You have no idea what they’ll put me through,” Kylie argued. “Or how many people are just waiting for me to fail. I’m supposed to shrug it off and walk away because you don’t want to talk about it?”

  He closed his link to Antonelli, refusing to hear her protests. He had sworn to protect Mercedes with his dying breath. Nothing and no one would threaten her safety, certainly not this headstrong shape shifter. Kylie wouldn’t leave this alone until she had every repulsive detail. At some point her tenacity might lead her to Mercedes.

  He wasn’t willing to take the chance.

  Not bothering with words, he gathered energy around Dalton and Kylie like a blanket and infused it with sexual frenzy. Through the lust he wove alternate memory fragments and threads of oblivion.