Sire Read online

  Yeah, this could be home.

  By the time she finished unpacking, Alexis and Arms Boy were sitting at the bar. Bethany was sitting there, too, but it looked like she was trying to be invisible.

  Alexis turned when Caitlin walked in, and gestured toward Arms. "Hey, Caitlin, this is Evan. He's right across the hall from us. He's here on a football scholarship."

  "Hi Evan, I'm Caitlin. So, football, huh?"

  Evan smiled a bit shyly. "Well, yeah, but don't make a big deal out of it or anything. I mean, it's a great opportunity for me and all, but, well."

  "So where are you from?"

  "Iowa."

  "Wait, so you're a corn-fed Iowa boy going to school on a football scholarship?"

  Evan blushed. Actually blushed. Caitlin hadn't been entirely sure that boys were capable of that. "I know, I'm a big walking cliché, right?"

  Alexis ran her fingers over his arm. "Well, I wouldn't say 'cliché.' Maybe 'stereotype' or 'generic white boy.'"

  "Generic? Hey! I will have you know that I'm bursting with defining characteristics."

  "So what are you studying?" Caitlin asked.

  "Electrical engineering."

  "Ooh," Alexis said, "brains and brawn."

  There was a knock, and the door swung open. A bald, chocolate-colored head popped in. "Evan? You in here man?"

  "Over here, bro. Everyone, this is Garret."

  Garret walked into the room and smiled. "Hey everyone." Bethany perked up when she saw him. "Hi Bethany."

  She smiled like she had a secret. "Hi Garret."

  "What's up, Gar?" Evan asked.

  "Hey man, some of the guys from your team dropped by. They wanted to know if you were going to Indigo tonight." He walked further into the room. Bethany followed him with her eyes.

  "Indigo?" Alexis asked.

  "It's a club down in the city," Garret said.

  "Actually, it's the club," Evan said. "Everybody's talking about it, supposed to be fantastic."

  "What do you think, ladies?" Garret asked. "You want to join us for a night out on the town?"

  Bethany looked around at everyone; her face said that she was hopeful that she was included in "ladies."

  "I don't know," Caitlin began. "I kind of want to get settled in, and—" Alexis looked at Caitlin, and opened her eyes wide and pushed her head forward. "But," Caitlin continued, "this is our first night as college students, so I guess we might as well have some fun."

  "Great!" Garret started back out the door. "We're going to head out around ten. Ladies. Bethany." She blushed.

  Evan stood up and headed for the door, too. "Okay, I have some unpacking to do. It was great to meet you," he said, looking at Alexis. Then, he looked at the other two girls, "All of you. I'll see you guys tonight."

  ***

  "Wow ... you're beautiful."

  "Thanks, Bethany," Caitlin said, laughing. She wasn't arrogant about it, but she knew that Bethany was right. She wasn't tall, about five two, but most guys didn't like really tall girls anyway. She was lean without being bony, and her legs were strong from all of the running she did. Her hair was a thick cascade of brown and gold curls that fell almost to her waist, and her eyes were brilliant and green. She was wearing a pair of jean shorts and a black top that accented her substantial curves. She took care of herself, sure, but Caitlin knew that she had been born pretty, and she was grateful.

  "What about you?" Caitlin asked. "What are you wearing tonight?"

  "Oh, I ... I don't think I'm going. It's ... really just not my thing."

  "What about Garret? Garret seemed like he was your thing."

  Bethany's face turned a fierce crimson. "You saw that, huh?"

  Caitlin smiled. "Relax, I'm not judging. But yeah, I could tell that you were interested. You two know each other?"

  "Only kinda. He helped me carry my stuff in, and we sat and talked for a while. He's ... fun."

  Wow. The boys across the hall sure were chivalrous. "So why don't you come out with us?"

  Bethany screwed up her face. "Because, Caitlin. I'm not you. I'm not like you. I'm not confident, I'm not fun, I'm not beautiful. Garret is cute, sure. But we both know nothing's going to happen, and I don't want to set myself up for disappointment. So I'm just going to stay home and read, and maybe try out the massaging shower head."

  Caitlin was surprised. She had suspected that Bethany was thinking something like that, but she hadn't expected her to be so, so blunt about it. She had expected her to make an excuse about being tired or something.

  "Bethany, I don't know what to say. No, actually, I do. You're an idiot."

  Bethany did a double take. "I'm, I, what now?"

  "You're a big stupid-head. Have you looked in a mirror?"

  "Um, yeah, I have. That's the point."

  "No, it's not the point. Have you seen those movies, where a girl's wearing glasses and overalls, and then some boy comes along, and she takes off her glasses and puts on a skirt and lets her hair down, and then she's totally hot? That's you. You are totally the plain/hot girl next door."

  Bethany looked skeptical, but Caitlin wasn't going to allow any argument. "Trust me. I'm a photographer, I'm supposed to know when a person can be pretty. And you, babe, you are. Tell you what ... why don't you let me do your makeup and fix your hair, and then we'll just wait and see what Garret's reaction is. Do you have contacts?"

  "Yeah, but I, I don't really wear them."

  "Well let's start there. Go put in your contacts, and then we'll fix you up."

  Bethany smiled a bit, and looked down at the floor. "Um, okay, then. But I don't know what I'm going to wear."

  "Let me worry about that. We can look through your closet, or maybe you can borrow something. I'm pretty sure some of my stuff would fit you."

  "Okay," Bethany said with another shy smile.

  When she came back, Caitlin put Bethany in a chair and went to work. She was used to making people up for a photo shoot, and while she had to be more subtle for real-life, the principle was the same. You just needed to draw attention to the best parts, and play down any flaws. Then a little bit of work on the hair, and ...

  "Hey, can I get some help picking ... whoa." Alexis had stuck her head around the corner, and was looking at Bethany with wide eyes. "Who's the hottie?"

  "You really think I look good?" Bethany asked, smiling.

  "Garret is going to be putty in your hands. Well, hopefully not for too long, but whatever. Can I get a ruling over here?"

  "Sure," Caitlin said. "What's up?"

  "Not entirely sure what to wear tonight. I was thinking black lace," she held up a set of underwear, "but then I was thinking, maybe Evan is more of a white bread kind of guy, and that might be too much, so ..." She held up a plainer set of cotton boy shorts.

  Caitlin laughed. "You don't think you're moving a bit fast? I mean, you've known him for what, ten hours?"

  "Hey," Alexis said, "we made a real, deep connection in our long, long minutes together. And I plan to make a longer, deeper connection later tonight. Besides, what's college for, if you can't make terrible decisions with possible life-altering consequences?"

  "Okay, okay," Caitlin said, spreading her hands. "I'd go with black lace."

  "Me, too," Bethany said. She was still staring at the flimsy material. "Where did you get those?"

  Alexis laughed. "We'll take you shopping this weekend. Okay, black lace it is. Now where did I leave my handcuffs ...?"

  Caitlin and Bethany looked at each other for a moment, then burst out laughing. Well, at least the girl knew what she wanted.

  "Come on," Caitlin said, "let's go find you something to wear."

  ***

  They all fit inside Evan's car, but just barely; Evan and Garret sat in the front, and the three girls had to squeeze together in the back. Alexis, because she was the smallest, was kind of on the others' laps.

  Fortunately, Indigo was only about ten minutes away. Less fortunately, it seemed like Evan was right; it was the
club in town, and it looked like the entire campus had shown up.

  The club was a big warehouse, two stories tall. Caitlin could feel the thump thump thump of music from where they parked, and strobe lights flashed through some of the windows. The entrance was a heavy metal door, and the line of people waiting to get inside stretched almost a block.

  "Are you sure you guys want to do this?" Caitlin asked. "I mean, it looks like we're going to be standing out here all night."

  "Of course we want to do this!" Alexis said.

  "I don't know," Garret said. "I mean, I'm pretty sure there are a couple of places just down the road that we could get right into."

  "But doesn't the line mean this place is popular?" Bethany said. Her eyes were on the ground, and her voice was a little hard to make out over the bass, but she pressed on. "I mean, there wouldn't be this many people in line if it wasn't awesome, right?"

  "See!" Alexis said.

  Caitlin smiled. "Fine. I'm in."

  "I suppose," said Garret.

  "All right! Let's ... go stand in line." Evan said.

  They hardly moved for the next twenty minutes. Then, the big metal door swung open, and a small commotion started at the front of the line. Caitlin stepped to the side and craned her neck to see what was going on.

  An absolute giant of a man was moving through the crowd. He was nearly seven feet tall, with brownish-red hair that reached to his stubble-covered chin. His shirt, a tight knit thing the color of midnight, was positively struggling to contain the muscles that bunched and coiled as he moved, and he wore a pair of black leather pants. He looked down at the people huddled around the door like a king looking at his subjects, and smiled beneficently. The crowd surged toward him, like gravity was pulling them forward, but no one actually touched him.

  He walked down the line, smiling, occasionally saying "hello," or nodding his chin. People were calling out to him, but he never stopped to address anyone directly.

  Until he got to Caitlin.

  He looked at her, and for just a fraction of a second, his eyes widened. And while he continued to scan the crowd, he had stopped moving. Then, he focused directly on her.

  He didn't say anything, and as the uncomfortable silence stretched on, Caitlin's face grew warm. "Um, hi," she said.

  A hungry grin spread over his face. "I don't remember you ... you must be one of the new Freshmen."

  Caitlin licked her lips and ground her foot into the sidewalk. She wasn't used to feeling flustered by men, but something about this guy was just ... more. More intense, more intimidating, more ... sensual. "Um, yeah," she managed to get out. "St. Troy University."

  "Excellent. I hope you haven't been waiting here long."

  "About twenty minutes," Alexis said.

  The man ignored her. "I'm sorry about that," he said to Caitlin. "Someone like you never should have been kept waiting this long. I'll have to have a talk with the doormen. But for now, let's just get you inside."

  "Um," Caitlin said, and looked at the people standing around her. "I mean, I don't want to make anyone mad or anything."

  The man rolled his eyes. "Please. If anyone has a problem, they can take it up with me."

  Caitlin looked around again. "Well, I guess. I mean, if my friends can come, too."

  He looked at them like he hadn't even realized they were standing there. "Of course," he said. "Follow me."

  Caitlin walked after him, and her friends followed her. "Hey, I didn't catch your name," she said.

  The man turned back and smiled. "Liam."

  ***

  The club was like a jungle. The air was so thick and so moist that you could almost swim through it, and it was at least twenty degrees hotter than it had been outside. If this was the most popular place in town, Caitlin sure couldn't understand why.

  Alexis slid up next to her, and leaned over to whisper—well, shout, but it was a quiet shout—in her ear. "I think you've got a fan," she said. "He looks like he wants to eat you."

  "Oh come on. He doesn't even know me."

  "Sure, and he picked you out of everyone else in line because you look like a fantastic conversationalist. Come on, admit it, he wants to do you."

  "Eew! Please. He looks like some kind of Russell Brand wannabe. I'd wake up with a rash."

  "Russell Brand does not have an ass like that."

  The crowd was shoulder-to-shoulder, and people had to muscle their way through. But Liam moved effortlessly. The crowd just kind of dissolved around him, like he was walking around in his own invisible bubble. Caitlin and her friends tried to keep up. Everyone turned to look at Liam, but only a few—the most attractive women in the club—dared to approach him. Liam ignored them all.

  He started gesturing around the club. "We've got three dance floors and six bars. But the main attraction is upstairs ... the Blue Leaves are playing tonight."

  Evan's eyes went wide. "Really? You got them to play here? Rumor is they're just about to sign a major deal."

  Liam smiled. "I know. I set it up myself. They play here twice a month now." Evan gaped.

  They were interrupted by a girl with fire-red hair wearing a flowing black skirt and a black corset. "Sir," she said, "you have a phone call waiting for you."

  "Tell them I'm busy," Liam replied.

  "It's Angelica, sir."

  The expression slipped off of Liam's face. "Excuse me," he said to Caitlin. "I have to deal with this. You go and have fun. Don't worry ... I'll find you later." He turned and left, melting through the crowd.

  Something about Liam bothered her. It wasn't his "oh look at me I'm a rock star" persona, or the way he was showing off. There was something deeper that just wasn't quite right. But Caitlin tried to shrug off her discomfort. "Well, what do you guys want to do?" She asked.

  "Well, we could stand here in the middle of a sea of hot, sweaty people," Evan said, "or we could go upstairs and check out the best band in Maine."

  They fought their way through the crowd and to the stairs; the girls had to grab on to each other to keep from being separated. The entire top floor was set up for the concert. It was standing room only, and the crowd was full of energy, moving and jumping along with the music. It was even hotter up there, and Caitlin almost felt claustrophobic. But the music grabbed a hold of her, and before long she was moving with the beat.

  Some guys wearing St. Troy jerseys waved at Evan. "Hey, come on, guys," he said. "Those guys are on my team." They pushed through the crowd, and Evan did the hand-grab-back-slap-and-man-hug thing with his teammates.

  "Nice of you to show up!" one of the guys shouted.

  "Eat me," Evan yelled back. "It took forever just to get in the door. We'd still be out there if the manager didn't want to get in Caitlin's pants."

  Caitlin blushed, and Alexis' face split into a wide grin. "See? Told you so. Even he noticed it!"

  They settled in to watch the show. Garret leaned against the wall, and Bethany leaned against him. Alexis was, of course, a little more forward, and worked her way under Evan's arm, and was slowly running her hand across his stomach.

  The Blue Leaves came to a slower part in their set, and the crowd settled down a bit. Slow, soft music filtered through the room, and the lights became a glacial mix of blue and white. Caitlin closed her eyes and let it all wash over her.

  "God, does everyone in this club want to sleep with you?"

  Caitlin blinked, and found Alexis staring at her. "What?" Caitlin asked.

  "Look at that guy over there. He is clearly trying to impregnate you with his eyeballs."

  Caitlin followed Alexis' pointing finger, and gasped.

  He was beautiful. Tall, more than six feet, lean and muscular. Like he was a swimmer, or a dancer. He was dressed in a tight black shirt and jeans that must have cost a hundred dollars. His hair was dark brown, streaked with golden highlights, and wild. His jaw was strong, and his cheekbones were like razors.

  But it was his eyes ... God, his eyes. They were a piercing blue, as deep and
clear as the ocean, and they caught the light like gemstones. She knew that it was totally cliché, but Caitlin felt like she was losing herself in those eyes.

  And he was staring right at her.

  His expression was hard to read. His face was almost blank, except for a slight set to his mouth, and a small crinkle around his mesmerizing eyes. It was simultaneously distant and intimate, playful and sad.

  "Who is that?" she asked no one in particular.

  One of Evan's friends looked over. "He's ... I forget his name, but he owns this place or something."

  "Well," Alexis said. "Go over and talk to him."

  Caitlin felt her legs moving. Her admirer watched her cross the floor, never looking away, never even blinking.

  She licked her lips and swallowed, trying to moisten a suddenly-dry throat. "Um, hi," she said. She smiled, but she could feel embarrassed heat crawling up her face. "I'm Caitlin."

  She offered to shake, but instead he kissed the back of her hand. "Michael McKenna," he said. "Aren't you a bit young to be in here?"

  "Hey," Caitlin said. "I'm a real live college girl. And one of your guys pulled us out of the line to bring us inside, thank you very much." His face darkened and his eyes glinted, but the look was gone almost before Caitlin could recognize it. "I think his name was Liam?" she said.

  His eye twitched. "You can do better than him," he said. "He's all 'look at me, I'm wearing leather pants, aren't I awesome?' I think he's just overcompensating for something."

  Huh. "So, one of my friends said you own this place?"

  His eyes glinted again, and he looked around the room. "Not really. I'm kind of the manager. This is sort of a family business."

  "Wait, so you and Liam are related?"

  "You can't see the resemblance?" Michael said. But then he shook his head. "No, we're not related. Not exactly. It's complicated."

  "Oh. So, is this all you do?" Michael cocked an eyebrow. "I mean, not that this isn't impressive and all, but are you in school or anything?"

  "I was," Michael said. "Fine Arts. Portraits, mainly. I had to drop out."

  "Why?"

  He smiled. "I died."

  "Oh my God! What happened?"