Haunted Honeymoon Read Online Free PDF Page B

my best friend from F.U., had given me her old furniture: a shocking pink velvet sofa and armchair, a rose-coloredshag carpet, and a variety of froofy throw pillows. It was flagrantly feminine and silly, just like Nancy.
    I went through my mail, hoping for a response to the query letters I’d sent out on the novel I’d written. I read a form rejection letter, then tore it up and tossed the pieces in the recycling bin. Then I saw the thin envelope from my co-op association and was filled with dread.
    My ex-fiancé had given me the loft as a wedding present, hoping that I’d want to renovate it and start a career in real estate. I hadn’t. When we’d broken up, I repaid him with a settlement that I’d received from the Vampire Council after one of their members had tried to kill me. Though I owned the loft, I couldn’t really afford the property taxes and monthly condo fees.
    I opened the letter and my eyes went directly to the large sum in bold type in the middle of the page. It was a bill for my share of upgrading the electrical work, a sum roughly double my annual income.
    My eyes fell on the Jane Eyre volumes. Ian had given me many gifts, but I couldn’t bear to think of selling any of them.
    I set aside this problem and finished my newsletter, e-mailed it off, and took Rosemary on his afternoon walk. When I returned, I phoned Gabriel Grant, my ex’s cousin, who was also a security director for his family.
    “Young Lady! I’ve been thinking about you.”
    “Nice things, I hope. Want to have a drink tonight, or dinner? Maybe I can make dinner for you and Charlie.” Charlie Arthur, his vampire beau, was a hotel manager. “I can fire up the Margaritanator 3000 for strawberry margaritas.”
    “Charlie’s at a conference, but I’m free. Can we go shopping first? I need new shirts.”
    “You are a dream date,” I said, and we arranged to meet at the mall downtown.
    I put on a dress, a jacket, and cute flats, and walked on the gusty, busy streets to the mall. I rode the dizzying circular escalators up to the top floor and waited for Gabriel.
    I liked watching the crowds. Frequently I saw girls who looked like me, curvy brown-eyed girls with dark hair and olive skin, gossiping with their girlfriends and wearing sexy outfits. I imagined being with them, talking about normal things like how we hated our jobs and cool clubs and hot guys.
    I spotted Gabriel’s pretty copper-gold hair as he rode the escalators up, and then he got off and saw me.
    “Hey, gorgeous,” he said, giving me a kiss. He was a small, lithe man with fine features and green eyes. “I envy that tan.”
    “I’ve been swimming stark nekkid at Ian’s new place.”
    In unison we said, “The Dark Lord!” The nickname was the sort of joke no one was brave enough to say in front of Ian. Gabriel claimed not to know Ian’s full role with the Vampire Council, and Ian claimed that all he did was attend meetings.
    Gabriel and I walked into a favorite department store, and I said, “The Dark Lord hired a married couple of thralls to work as his butler and housekeeper.”
    “You sound annoyed.” Gabriel took my hand, and we strolled toward the men’s department.
    “I’m annoyed to the nth degree.”
    “You don’t expect him to do his own mopping and scrubbing. He probably needs a full-time person just to care for his suits.”
    “He’s got a place in town that does that for an astronomical fee. You know I have Major Issues with thralls. It seems so exploitive. You should have seen them kissing his ass.” I saw Gabriel’s expression and said, “No, hold that thought.”
    We laughed and he said, “It sounds as if your problem is with their desire to please, not the work they do. Most people don’t want to be in charge.”
    Gabriel pulled a vintage-style slate blue polo off a rack and showed it to me.
    “Love it,” I said. “Ian told me it’s insulting to assume that the thralls aren’t capable of self-determination.” I considered my