Thorne stood at the bar watching the dance floor while Billings, Allen's replacement stood at his side like a puppy waiting for his next command.
"Go get a case of Merlot." Thorne said wanting to be rid of the vampire.
He watched Billings rush off and shook his head. He had to find another replacement and soon. Allen had been a pain in the ass, but he did have a brain. Thorne looked to his right where his private table sat unoccupied and smiled.
He had enjoyed fucking with the Sinclaires. The smile faded when he remembered the price he paid for that fucking. As much as he had enjoyed yanking their chain, he wished to God that he had never laid eyes on Barbara Yancy Simpson. Every time he thought about her, anger rose and he went into denial about whom and what she was. If he never saw her or a Sinclaire again; it would be too soon.
As he continued his perusal of the packed club, a question popped into his head about that night. One of the sisters, the one that he actually liked had made a statement.
"Hans is for you!"
He thought it an odd thing to say; but had disregarded it. Now he wondered what she was talking about. His mind went back to that night recalling who was there. Ethan, two of his brothers, two women who were the mates to two of the brothers and the sisters of the one who went home with him and a single male who had to be Hans.
"Damn it!" He cursed as he slammed his fist down on the bar hard enough to make the glasses rattle. The stupid bitch had a mate! What he didn't understand was why he hadn't claimed her. "What in the fuck was she doing here?" he asked the air.
The statement about Hans being for her went through his mind; and then he understood. Her original mate hadn't claimed her because he didn't want her. He knew what she was, but when the chips were down; he was going to accept her. But she had denied him one too many times and in front of witnesses.
"Fuck!" Thorne said under his breath. If he hadn't been so caught up in fucking the Sinclaires over, he would have caught what the one woman meant. If he had understood; he would have sent the bitch on her way. The final straw had been taking her home and fucking her with Allen. He was now stuck with her. He stormed into his office and slammed the door so hard that it almost flew off its hinges. "Mother fucking fate bastards!" he yelled as he picked up a chair and sent it flying across the room. His green eyes blazed with anger as the full ramifications of that night sunk in. "I refuse to accept this!"
"Then die. The choice is yours." A soft voice whispered in his head and then was gone.
"Damn straight it's my choice!" Thorne said as he reached for the phone. "Billings get your ass up here!"
A few seconds later, the timid vampire was standing in the office.
"Yes sir?" he asked looking down at the floor.
Thorne looked at him for several seconds before issuing an order.
"Get Michelle up here."
He was going to have Billings close up, but thought better of it. Although she was female, Michelle was the much better choice. She was also a female that he used on occasion when there was no one else available. He had no doubt that she would assume that he wanted her in the office for that reason and he wasn't going to disappoint her. As far as he was concerned, he was killing two birds with one stone. He would get relief and it was a step toward breaking the bond with a woman that he didn't want.
"Did you need something boss?" Michelle asked. Her top and bra were already gone and her nipples were already hardened in anticipation of being fucked.
Faster than she could blink, Thorne had her completely naked and bent over the desk with her ass in the air. Michelle wiggled her ass in invitation and moaned when Thorne gave her a firm slap on her left butt cheek.
Thorne willed his slacks away and then frowned when he didn't feel the familiar stirring in his cock and balls when he was going to fuck. He looked down at his cock to see it soft and flaccid. Even when he wasn't going to have sex he was always semi hard; but now there was nothing.
"What in the hell..."
"Thorne?" Michelle called and wiggled her ass again at him.
Instead of answering her, he redressed.
"Close up the club. I'm going out of town for a few days. You're in charge. Call me with any issues."
"Ummm ok..." Michelle replied as she turned around and looked at him. She confused at what didn't happen. "Is everything..."
"Mind your own damned business and keep your mouth shut!" Thorne snapped cutting her off.
He was gone before she could reply. She got off the desk and slowly got dressed determined to do the best that she could for him. Even though she knew that Thorne had his own agenda and that she wasn't on it except as an occasional fuck, she hoped that one day; he would see her as something more.
When she was dressed, Michelle checked her clothes and looked at the mirror. It wouldn't do for the rest of the staff to know that Thorne had hurt her once again.
*******
Thorne drove as fast as the car would go. In all of the centuries that he had been alive; he had never failed to perform. He wasn't concerned about Michelle opening her mouth for two reasons. One, he would know that it was her and two; he was knew that she was infatuated with him. He felt no guilt about using her. She knew that he didn't love her and if she came running every time he whistled, then that was her issue; not his. She was no different than any of the other women that he took to bed except she wasn't rich and she wasn't a gold digger.
Tires squealed as he pulled into his garage. He shut off the motor of the black Jag and vanished to his room. He gathered up the parcels of paint supplies that he bought for him and Noel and vanished back to the garage. Instead of the jag, he chose the silver BMW. After loading the car, he debated about calling Noel to let him know that he was coming early. He changed his mind when he remembered that Noel loved surprises and his showing up two days early would be a big one.
Thorne smiled a rare sincere smile when he thought about Noel's reaction when he appeared in his large art studio. Without a doubt Noel would jump up, shout, drop the paint brush and sprint into his arms. The reaction was always the same no matter how long it had been since they had last seen each other. Thinking about Noel lightened his mood enough that Barb Yancy was nothing more than an irritation and his failure to perform almost; but not quite forgotten.
Minutes later, he was pulling out of his garage and on his way to see Noel.
******
Barb chewed on the tums that she found in the bathroom. She wondered what she could have eaten that had her stomach so upset. As she chewed the chalky tablet she thought about the twin's wedding and how content Kevyn and Louise looked sitting next to their men. The words "not fair" ricocheted in her brain making her squeeze the roll of tums so hard that it hurt.
She just couldn't understand how Louise who had been in California for less than a month had gotten her little paws on Nathan Sinclaire.
"It had to have been Kevyn." She muttered as she walked out of the bathroom. "How else could it have happened?" She also didn't believe Kevyn when she said that she didn't know how it happened. "How did you do it?" Barb muttered as she ran all of the possible scenarios through her head. The most obvious one was the pregnancy one. She immediately discarded it. Neither Kevyn nor Louise would use a child as a trap for a man and Louise had been a virgin when she left Pittsburgh.
The more she thought about it, the more she could see how Nathan had fallen for Louise. He was the type of man who would want to protect someone like her and she would let him think that she needed it even if she didn't. Patrick, she didn't get. She didn't understand his attraction to Kevyn who was a self-proclaimed tomboy. In the end, it was a moot point. They had their men and the only thing that she wanted to know was how they did it.
