VAMPIRE TEMPTATION

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**

Ruby pov

“Most of the top-level employees in the company aren’t human. We’re vampires.”

I’m too nervous to laugh, but I appreciate Klaus’s attempt to help me relax with a bit of humor. “Right, sure Klaus. Now really, what’s the secret?”

I just told you. We’re vampires.”

I snort. *”Vampires don’t exist. Stop making fun of me and spit it out.”

Klaus comes over to me. “Look at this.”

He pulls his lip up so that I can see his perfectly white teeth. As I watch, another tooth extends behind his canines. It’s longer and sharper.

It’s not a tooth. It’s a fang.

What the hell!” I stumble back. “Why would you have a surgeon do that to you?”

It wasn’t a surgeon. This is one of the marks of a vampire. Another of our abilities is to read your thoughts. Go ahead, try thinking of something I’d never come up with on my own.

I know it’s stupid, that there’s no possible way he could be a vampire, but I want to prove this ridiculousness wrong once and for all.

Klaus looks calmly at me. “Purple elephants. Cats dancing in skirts. The Twilight novels. Crashing planes. Namibia.”

No.

This can’t be true. Vampires aren’t real.

“We are real, Ruby. I know it’s difficult to accept, but it’s nothing you need to worry about.”

Nothing I need to worry about? What the hell, Klaus! You’re a vampire?”

Yes. I assume you have questions.”

I fall back into my chair.

It has to be true. How else would he read my thoughts? “I… what is real about vampires? I mean, I know the stories. I’ve read Twilight and watched The Vampire Diaries. What is true?”

Well, we do drink blood, but my and Katherine’s covens only do it with the consent of the human involved. It has to be done while our partner is having an orgasm if it’s to sustain us. That’s what the ritual is for.”

And other humans agree to this? Why?”

Because it gives them a high like no other.

Some covens aren’t careful, though. Vampires are irresistible to humans. We entice them without meaning to, just by our presence. It’s like drugging them.”

Some covens think it’s ok to rape humans and take their blood, just because the humans are saying yes, even though they’re only saying it because of the enticement.”

So how do you make sure you have real consent?”

Anyone who wants to participate in the ritual must send an email saying so from home when they’re away from us and therefore can’t be enticed.”

Realization suddenly hits me. “You enticed me! That’s why I slept with you – that’s why I cheated on Kelly

Klaus’s gaze turns down to the desk.

Yes. I spent hours listening to your thoughts before I called you into my office, trying to determine if you wanted to be with me and if you had any reasons not to. Everything I heard told me that it was ok to sleep with you… but I was wrong. I messed up badly, Ruby, and I’m so sorry.”

I want to be mad at him, but it’s hard when he looks so torn up about it. I remember how horrified he was when he realized I had a boyfriend. I never thought about Kelly at work, of course, trying to keep my work and personal lives separate, so he never knew.

Tell me more.

Well, most vampires belong to a coven and have to obey their leader. We burn in the sun more quickly than humans, but we don’t burst into flame. We don’t need permission to enter dwellings. We have heightened senses, especially smell. We can move a lot faster than humans too.”

It all makes sense.

As much as I don’t want it to, the chips start falling into place.

How Klaus lost control when he smelled my blood after I poked myself with the scissors.

How he manages to move his hips at an inhuman speed during sex.

Why he covered himself in cologne to talk to Katherine – to hide my scent on him.

“There’s more. One of the reasons I’ve struggled with you is that your blood smells particularly sweet to me. It happens sometimes, though I have no idea why. I’m

also bound to mate Katherine.”

Vampire covens fight a lot, and we need alliances to survive. Our mating will solidify our alliance. That’s why she doesn’t like you she suspects I have feelings for you.”

She suspects wrong.

I can’t believe I was such a fool. Klaus doesn’t care about me – he’s just drawn to my blood. He doesn’t see a future with me. He can’t; he’s bound to Katherine. I’m just entertainment.

Ruby, no, that’s not -”

I don’t wait for him to finish. I run, dashing past the first arriving employees and bolting into the elevator.

I hammer the down button, praying Klaus won’t come after me.

The drive home is a blur. I park and spend about an hour pacing around the house. I don’t know what to do. Everything seems to be turned upside down.

I just want to return to normal. I want to turn back time and never find out that vampires are real. It’s too much.

It’s ridiculous that I’m more upset about Klaus not caring about me than him being a vampire.

I grab my phone and type out an email with shaky fingers, sending Klaus my official resignation. I tell him that I’ll still keep his secret, but I don’t want to hear from him again. As soon as that’s done, I dial Kelly’s number.

To my relief, he answers. *Ruby.”

“Kelly, I made a horrible mistake! I should never have let you go.”

Are you crying? What’s wrong?”

Please come back to me. I just want you back.” I just want my life back to normal, but I don’t say that. Kelly is safe and known.

Are you at home?”

Yes.

I’m coming over.

Relief rushes through me, even though I know this isn’t a yes to reviving our relationship – at least, not yet.

Kelly must have been close because he arrives just five minutes later. I fling myself into his arms.

Hey.” He pulls me close. “What’s wrong?”

I found out something… about Vamp Investments. I can’t tell you – I signed an NDA – but the company isn’t what I thought. I can’t believe it… I quit my job.”

To his credit, Kelly doesn’t look happy or smug. He just seems sad for me. “I’m sorry,

Ruby. Come on, let’s sit down.”

My tears are already drying up now that Kelly is here.

Taking that job at Vamp investments was a horrible mistake. At least now I can start getting my life back on track.

“Do you… are you able to forgive me? To start again?”

“That’s all I’ve ever wanted,” Kelly breathes.

I’ve been miserable without you. I couldn’t be with you as long as you were still seeing him, but now that you’ve left, everything is perfect.”

What did I ever do to deserve him?

There aren’t words big enough to express how I feel at this moment, so instead of trying, I kiss him.

Kelly kisses me back for a minute before taking my hand and pulling me through to the bedroom. I follow more than eagerly.

He’s undressing me before we’re even into the door. I wonder if he’s had sex while we’ve been apart. I almost cringe as I remember my date with Klaus.

It was wonderful, both the talking and the sex. Do I need to tell Kelly about it?

Before I can come to a decision, his delicious lips are distracting me. He’s kissing my ear, his hot breath making me shiver.

I realize Kelly still has all his clothes on, but makes no move to undress him. I’m already feeling guilty for my fantasy, but not enough to stop me from trying to live it out.

I walk over to my desk. It’s small compared to Klaus’s. I don’t use it much anymore, since I don’t work from home at present. It’s big enough for my purpose, though. I lean over the desk, spreading my legs for

Kelly.

“Take me.”

He doesn’t do it immediately. He starts by rubbing his cock against the backs of my thighs, teasing the crack of my ass.

Kelly’s breath is becoming ragged, the only sound in the otherwise quiet room.

I wriggle closer to the desk, trying to get my clit positioned the way Klaus did when he took me this way. I can’t quite manage it, but my desire is peaking and I’m not interested in taking the time to try.

Klaus disappears for a moment, but I don’t turn around. Judging by how hard his cock was against my ass a moment ago, he won’t stay away for long.

Sure enough, he comes back with a dildo. It’s a big one, even bigger than Klaus’s cock.

Before Kelly can push it into me, my phone starts ringing.

I grimace, wanting to ignore it, but I can’t. What if it’s Klaus?

Kelly gets there first. “Klaus,” he spits,

Confirming my suspicions.

“Give it here.”

Kelly stares at me in anger and disbelief. You can’t be serious, Ruby.”