Sassy Ever After: Sassy Desires (Kindle Worlds Novella) Read online

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  DESIRES OF THE NIGHT

  TAYLOR DAWN

  Table of Contents

  Cover

  Title

  One

  Two

  Three

  Four

  Five

  Six

  Seven

  Eight

  Nine

  Ten

  Eleven

  Twelve

  Thirteen

  Taylor Dawn

  Taylor’s Books

  One

  “THIS ISN’T OPEN for discussion, Astrid. I created this club and I decide what’s best for it,” Layton Kyle said as he sat behind his desk. Club Desire was the premiere club in Las Vegas for fellow vampires to act out their sexual fetishes without the never-ending scrutiny of the mortal population. After moving from Blue Creek to the bustling city, Layton needed something to keep his mind from wandering to thoughts of how much fresh blood was walking around each night. He and Astrid made sure they stuck to Aria’s rule about the humans. No drinking blood from the source. Not that he was vain in any way, but he sure didn’t want to drink from them and age rapidly. If he was stuck in what was a former shell of a man, he would at least have decent looks to get him by.

  “It’s a bad idea and you know it.” His fraternal twin sister, Astrid, was ever the critic of his decisions.

  Layton pounded his fists on the desk and stood. “You are supposed to be making sure everything runs smoothly while Aria is visiting the club. She doesn’t come often and I want to make sure we do our best to accommodate her tastes,” he warned.

  “Fine!” she screamed as she retreated from the office. He didn’t give a damn what she thought. In just a few short days, he would allow humans to take part in the activities at the club. Never had he permitted them to enter the establishment, but now, he wanted to make it work. There was opposition to his decision, but he refused to listen to the naysayers. The fact of the matter was, the vampire population needed to live in harmony with the living. Layton paced his office hoping to gain some clarity. It seemed as of late, things were weighing on him. Flashes of the past crept in when he’d least expected it, reminding him of a life he once lived. April 15th, 1912 would always be a day Layton let uneasiness take over, and the day was fast approaching. He still felt his own footsteps on the gangway of the awe-inspiring ship as he boarded with his sister in tow. With their parents long gone, Layton had talked Astrid into sailing the maiden voyage with him to New York. Four days later, they decided between immortality and sinking to the bottom of the ocean floor with the majority of the passengers. His biggest regret was that he never married or had children. At thirty, he watched most of his friends marry and start families but Layton held out. A marriage needed to not only consist of compatibility but also, love. Now, he could give a shit less about emotions and love. He was a vampire. A blood drinking, night walking piece of shit that deserved nothing more than a stake to the heart.

  “Hey, boss. Got a minute?” his security manager Gaith cracked the door and peeked in.

  “What is it?” Layton grumbled while plopping down in his leather office chair.

  Gaith stepped further into the room and closed the door behind him. “I have a chick out there that insists she speak with you.”

  “About what?”

  “I don't know, boss.”

  “Can this place run smooth for even one fucking night?” Layton shoved a hand through his long hair. “Bring her in.” Gaith nodded and left the room. Some nights he wondered why he even opened a business at all. Most of the time it was a pain in the ass. The nature of a Vampire consisted of two major things, the need to feed and fuck. Layton was giving them the latter and it came with a hefty price tag.

  “Can you please stop touching me?” he heard a female voice sound from the hallway. Great, ten to one, it was a pussy ass vamp who got spanked too hard and now she wanted to complain.

  “Here she is,” Gaith pushed the woman through the door. Layton’s head shot up and his body stiffened.

  “You brought a mortal in here?” he scowled.

  “Please don’t talk about me like I’m not standing right here,” the girl said.

  “She’s all yours, boss.”

  “I’m looking for my brother,” she said while holding out a photograph.

  “If you haven’t noticed, this is a vamp club. Your brother isn’t here.”

  “You didn’t even look at the picture,” she stepped closer to his desk, causing him to recoil.

  “It doesn't matter. Now, get the hell out of my club before you regret coming here.”

  “I’m not scared of you,” she raised her chin in defiance.

  “You should be.” He surveyed her.

  “I’ve been around your kind. I know you use intimidation to try and scare us away,” She crossed her arms over her chest. Layton stood from his chair and rounded the desk.

  As he approached her, she took a few steps backward. “If you don’t fear me, why are you trying to get away?”

  “I have no idea,” she whispered.

  “My brother, he was here,” She insisted.

  “Trust me, Blondie, your brother was never here.”

  “I have a name. It’s Gia.”

  “I don’t care if your name is Mother Teresa, get out of my office before I do something you will regret.”

  “And you won’t regret it?”

  “I’m a fucking vampire, I don’t have regrets,” he stepped back to his desk.

  “That’s right, you’ve lost all semblance of humanity and the only thing you want is to drink blood and have sex. Blah, blah, blah.”

  In a flash, Layton was on her, grabbing her neck and pinning her to the wall. “Would anyone miss you if you disappeared?” he growled.

  “Yes,” she choked out.

  “Then I suggest you go,” he said, then dropped his hand from her throat. Layton breathed a sigh of relief when he watched her open the office door and leave.

  “Who was the meat bag I passed in the hall?” Astrid popped back into the room.

  “Don’t know, don’t care. Why are you in here?” Layton somehow knew his sister wouldn’t listen but he charged her with the club oversight for the evening, anyway. If it turned out to be a shit show, Aria would shut their operation down. He couldn’t risk losing something else in his non-life.

  “Got bored out there.” His sister shrugged.

  “Boss, we have a problem,” Gaith rushed through the office door once more.

  “What now?” Layton stood.

  “The chick just in here fell in the parking lot.” Gaith looked close to a panic.

  “Why does a clumsy mortal concern me?”

  “She’s hurt and…bleeding,” the other man whispered.

  “Oooh let me go help her,” Astrid perked up.

  “No. You are to stay in this building, got it?” he pinned his twin with an expression that told her he meant business. Layton shook his head as he rushed through the building and out to the parking lot. It didn’t take long for the fragrance of the woman’s blood to filter through the air and right into his face. But her blood was different. It had
the distinct odor of the most succulent piece of tropical fruit one could hold in their hands. If he could pick up on it, the chances were high that everyone else would too. It was imperative he get her back to his office and closed off from the rest of the vampires in the club. If not, she would be vulnerable. Even though a strict set of rules were in place for the consumption of blood, not everyone adhered to the guidelines like he did. When he approached her, she sat upright on the pavement, one leg outstretched and one pulled to her chest. Her blonde hair covered her down-turned face and her shoulders shook as she wept. Layton didn’t pity her, he couldn’t, as she stated during her visit, he had no humanity left. With his heavy boots crunching on the ground, he alerted her to his presence. Her head snapped up and watery blue eyes narrowed at him.

  “Get away from me,” she yelled while making a sweeping gesture with her hands.

  “You’re hurt,” Layton said while crouching down to assess her injuries. Sure enough, she had skinned her knee bad enough that blood now trickled from the wound.

  “Let’s get you inside and clean this up.” He stood and held his hand out to help her.

  “I’m fine,” she swiped her hands across her face, tiny dirt particles sticking to the silvery tear tracks that littered her skin.

  “You can either come inside with me, or I can leave you here to explain to everyone you are not, in fact, a donor. The choice is yours.” She gave a nod and took his hand.

  When she got to her feet, she winced and said, “Ouch.” Layton rolled his eyes then reached down and grabbed her under the backs of her knees and under her arms. With no effort, he swept her into his arms and carried her around the back of the club. His brow furrowed when her head rested on his shoulder and her arms wrapped around his neck.

  “You’re cold,” she looked up at his face and said.

  “I’m a vampire,” he stated. She didn’t reply as he carried her to the back entrance and opened the door. It was only a short walk to his office and soon he was inside it with the door closed. Sitting the injured human in a chair, he went about trying to find something to clean her wound with.

  Since vamps didn’t need first aid kits and Band-Aids, he opted for an old t-shirt of his and the bottle of vodka he kept in his desk drawer. “This will hurt,” he warned just as he uncapped the clear liquid and poured a good amount over her knee. Her small hands gripped the arms of the chair like they were her lifeline and she bit her lip to keep from screaming.

  “Does that bother you?” she asked.

  “What?” he blotted her knee with a small corner of the shirt.

  “When you see my blood. Does it make you, uh, hungry?”

  “No.” he lied. He was exerting as much control as he possessed while he cleaned her leg. His animal instincts were thrusting him toward taking a sample to see if her blood was as delicious as his mind was making it out to be. Something told him it would be the closest thing to heaven he could get. But even though his soul would spend eternity in his current form, Layton refused to break the rules. No feeding from the source. The temptation was just part of who he was. It was part of the curse that came with immortality. Some thought living forever was a gift but Layton knew better. It was a purgatory he was forced to live in ever since his mortal being sank with the Titanic.

  ***

  Gia Pendleton sat in silence as the longer haired vampire cleaned her skinned knee. She’d went to Club Desire against the wishes of her father but her brother had been missing for almost three days. The vampire sex club was Zach’s last known whereabouts according to his best friend. She couldn’t figure out why he would go to a place against human customers.

  “What’s your name?” Gia leaned forward and asked.

  “Layton Kyle,” the grumpy vamp said.

  “That’s a unique name,” she commented.

  “So I’m told.” She watched him finish cleaning the scrapes on her knee. Once he was done, he tore off a wide strip from the black shirt and tied it around her leg. “There.”

  “Thanks.”

  “Gaith will help you to your car,” Layton said.

  “I don’t have a car.”

  “Then how the hell did you get here?”

  “I rode my bicycle.” Gia used the arms of the chair to help her into a standing position. Her knee stung, but it wasn’t something she couldn’t handle. She’d had various bumps, bruises, and broken bones in the past and a scratched knee was the least of her worries.

  “So you ride a bike around Vegas when you need to get around?”

  “Pretty much.” She shrugged her slim shoulders. “Thanks again for the help.” Gia needed to get the hell out of there. Layton was dangerous. She sensed that fact as soon as their eyes connected when she’d barged into his private office earlier.

  “I will drive you home,” he said as she reached for the doorknob to let herself out. “What about my bike?”

  “We will make sure it gets back to you,” he grabbed his cell phone and pushed a button. “Pull my car around back,” he ordered and hung up.

  “You don’t have to take me home.”

  “This isn’t up for discussion,” he groused. “Okay then.” She conceded.

  “Come on,” he all but shoved her out of the office and toward the back door.

  “You don’t have to be so pushy,” she complained. Stepping out the door and into the dry Las Vegas heat, Gia looked back at Layton. For a member of the undead club, he was a looker. His chin length shaggy hair and scruffy jawline told a story of a true alpha male. The bright blue eyes staring back at her not only held a hint of danger but were also somewhat soulful. Gia knew he didn’t have a soul, he was a vampire. They had nothing meaningful in their lives. Most made the best of their eternity but Layton was different. He seemed to hate what he was, even though she doubted he would ever come right out and say it.

  “Get in,” he ordered as his car rolled up to the back entrance of the club.

  “It wouldn’t kill you to be nice,” she scowled while rounding the hood of his BMW sports car.

  “You’re right, it wouldn’t kill me. I’m already dead.”

  She pulled the door open. “Did you make a joke?”

  “I don’t make jokes,” his eyes narrowed.

  “Sounded like a joke,” she smiled as she slipped into the luxurious seat of the car.

  “Do I need to put you in the trunk so I can have peace and quiet on this ride?”

  “You wouldn’t do that,” she chuckled.

  Layton turned in his seat and faced her. “Don’t test me.”

  “Jeez, who pissed in your bowl of hemoglobin this morning?” Gia grabbed her seat belt and clicked it into place. Layton didn’t answer as he pulled onto the strip. The glittering lights of the hotels and casinos reflected across the windshield, causing Gia to become dizzy. That had been happening more and more—her equilibrium off balance causing a peculiar sensation. “Can you turn the heat on? It’s cold in here,” she rubbed her hands over her arms, trying to warm herself.

  The vamp reached for the button on the dash and soon hot air blew on her skin. “You’re the first human I’ve had in this car,” he mentioned.

  “I guess I should be honored.”

  “No, you shouldn’t.” he muttered.

  “So, what’s your story?” Gia asked. Her curiosity getting the better of her. She wanted a little more information about her new friend.

  “My story is that I don’t do small talk.”

  “I was just trying to pass the time.”

  “How about you pass it by keeping your mouth shut?”

  “You know what, just pull over here. I can walk home.”

  “No,” he protested.

  “Yes. Pull the car over,” panic set in.

  “I will pull over when we reach your house. Not a moment sooner.”

  “What is your problem?” she turned in her seat and screamed at him.

  “You don’t want to know what my problem is.” For the rest of the ride, Gia sat in her
seat with her arms crossed over her chest. She was ready to get out of the confined space of the car and into the safety of her house. When Layton pulled into her driveway and parked the car, Gia flung the door open and jumped out in a hurry. With a slight limp, she made her way to the door of her small home and fumbled around in the pocket of her shorts for the house key. Just as she pulled the ring from her pocket, she sensed his presence behind her. Gia shrieked and jumped back, hitting her ass on the wrought iron railing.

  “Can you please warn a person before you go all Jedi ninja on them?” she reached around and rubbed her sore behind.

  “Clumsy fucking human,” he grumbled.

  Gia had reached her boiling point, “Get off my porch or I’m calling the cops,” she warned.

  “Do you think they’ll be able to catch me?” he sounded cocky. She narrowed her eyes at him and shook her head.

  “I don’t know why I came to your club tonight. It wasn’t like I thought anyone there would volunteer to help me. I guess I was naïve to think vampires and humans could live side by side on this earth.”

  “Did you ever entertain the thought maybe your brother ran off with a woman and he is fine?”

  “I try to stay out of Zach’s personal life. The only reason I knew something was wrong was because he didn’t show up for Sunday dinner last week. We always have dinner at our Dad’s house on Sunday’s.” she explained.

  “Well, I’m sorry I can’t be of more help in locating him. I wish you the best of luck.” Layton said as he descended the steps. Just as she watched him open his door, a semi-loud growl sounded from somewhere nearby. Her eyes connected with Layton’s and he said, “Lock yourself inside and no one into your house.” He glanced around for a few seconds, then got into the car. When he backed out of the gravel driveway, Gia shook her head once more and rolled her eyes. He could go fuck himself if he thought she would listen to his orders. He was just a pissed off vamp who took his woes out on the rest of the world. She would lock herself in—not because he told her to—but because that creepy growl caused goosebumps to litter her skin and made her stomach turn.