I figured most of you would get a kick out of the last chapter, but the response exceeded my most hopeful expectations. It keeps me updating as fast as possible. So glad you enjoyed it. I can assure you, there'll be many more sizzling moments between both of the couples, just hang on and enjoy the ride. Intimate Stranger, I hope you enjoy this one!

Modern New York

"Josef, we need to stop," Beth gasped into his ear. Stop? Stop?! All he wanted to do was screw her into the couch until she passed out, which was the exact reason why she was right. He tore himself away, disgusted with himself. She was hot, sure, but gee, that wasn't exactly going out of style. Did he or did he not have some of the most delectable freshies on the planet for his amusement at his beck and call? Some of them made Beth look sick in the looks department. He didn't need to chew on Mick's potential toy. He pulled away, putting a good amount of distance between them.

Then again, if Coraline has her way, Mick's gonna be playing elsewhere, Josef reminded himself, but it didn't change the big picture. Beth was a headache and a half, no need to go there when he had so many other options.

"Well, mission accomplished," he announced casually. Beth blinked in disbelief. "Tonight, everybody's going to be convinced that we're dancing around the maypole." He fought to not start panting. His erection was damned painful, and his mouth watered. All that delicious blood, that gorgeous body just waiting to be pounced on, and he had to be good!

Beth's eyes swept down his body, resting on the noticeable bulge pressing against his fly. "Fine, play coy, but your anatomy sings a different tune."

"I don't know what your mother discussed with you, but that generally happens when-"

"Yeah, yeah." Beth scooted into a sitting position, ragged breaths making her breasts heave against her blouse. He unconsciously licked his lips, and saw her eyes zero in on the gesture. "Are we done here?"

Josef didn't know why the fact she was brushing him off bothered him, but it did. The woman who'd been all over him seconds before acted like he had the plague or something. Get a grip, he told himself. The last thing he wanted to do was bask in her oh-so-glowing presence longer than he had to.

"Just about," he assented brusquely, getting up. Damn. He needed to get to a freshie, and fast. "I'm picking you up at 8:00 tonight. Do you need me to send someone over to give you the professional touch?"

"Huh?" Beth blurted, looking startled.

Biting back a snicker, Josef gave her an expression of innocence itself. "To help with your make-up and hair, dear."

"Oh, right. Duh." Sheepishly, she ran her hand through her hair, sending it into further disarray. "Sure, why not? Might as well go for the gusto, right?"

"Mmm," he agreed absently, thinking about how much gusto he'd like to go for with her. From the smell of it, she wouldn't mind. Seriously, would it really hurt anything to engage in some afternoon delights? They could stay in New York a few weeks; Mick would never have to be the wiser. It wasn't like Josef had a sensitive conscience to trip him up.

Plenty of fish in the sea, no need to take the risk, he decided with more regret than he would have liked "I'm actually looking forward to tonight," she told him, her voice still delightfully husky.

"Just look pretty and don't make waves," Josef warned her.

"If I can get information on-"

"Then do it, as long as you don't make any messes that yours truly will have to clean up." Josef wasn't about to get in Beth's way, no more than he'd let her get in his. "You'll be swimming with the sharks, sweetheart. You're in the big leagues now, and Mick isn't here to rescue you."

"Speaking of which, have you heard from him? I tried to get a hold of him, but I couldn't get an answer." Genuine concern swept over her face, and Josef suppressed a sigh. The mental image of her calling and getting Coraline's voice on the other line wasn't the stuff sweet little dreams were made of.

"I made contact." He wasn't about to mention he'd spoken with Coraline, not Mick. "Everything's fine. He's kind of busy right now, he was about to out and do some…uh…patrolling." He'd almost said hunting, but Beth would spot that red flag a mile away.

Raising an eyebrow, Beth's hands flew to her hips. "For what?"

"For the boogieman," he retorted flippantly. "How the hell should I know? Look, 8:00. I'll see that Gabriella arrives an hour ahead of time. Good day." He started to leave, and then stopped. "Oh, Beth?"

"What?" She gave him a guarded look.

"Next time, try to control yourself." He winked, not sure if he was going to get rage or simple indignation. To his surprise, she laughed out loud. Well, she was interesting, he'd give her that.

"Next time, try fighting me off harder," she countered playfully, waving him off.

"Point and match." Maybe she wasn't such a pain in the neck after all. Yeah, right. It must have been the hormones talking.

1950's LA

"Cynthia darling, how are you? It's been too long." Coraline's voice was unusually enthusiastic as she spoke into the phone, genuine love glittering in her eyes. The vampiress she spoke to was the only female Coraline had ever felt true kinship with, even her own mother, a worthless twit masquerading as a human being.

"Well, you insist on rotting in LA. Ugh! I don't know what you find so appealing about America, I really don't. It has no character, no depth." Coraline good-naturedly rolled her eyes as she listened to a tirade she could have recited by heart at this point.

After a few moments of listening, Coraline finally cut in. "I know, but I practically run the city, being one of the few vamps a day over a hundred. What can I say, they can't stand the heat. Humph. Also, as long as brother dearest and his merry gang of bastards aren't around, I'm happy." Coraline feared few, but her brothers were on the list, especially Lance, the ringleader. Her half brothers were pure evil, and she tended to keep a pretty open mind.

"I know," Cynthia admitted quietly, a shiver in her voice. "Lance has no reason to come after you. He doesn't, right?"

"No, but he likes to throw his weight around. He's got a royalty complex just because we happen to be of the line…illegitimately, of course."

Coraline's father, an ancestor of ol' Louie, had impregnated his mistress, Coraline's mother, Annette, when he'd taken the compound, therefore reversing his sterile seed. He periodically was forced to mask his true nature when hunters were hot on his trail. He'd fathered six other children during other periods of temporary humanity. His consort, Marie, had acted as sire to his seven children, including Coraline.

Vampirism had been an attractive escape for Coraline. She'd grown tired of servicing the French aristocrats with her body, tired of the dangerous game she played as a courtesan. If she'd known of her powerful heritage, she would have sought their protection from the beginning, when she fled her childhood home at fifteen, tired of being raped by her brutal step-brother.

Of course, her mother, idiot of all women that she was, had hidden from Coraline her true identity, pretending that her father had been a mere mortal, not a powerful vampire that had finally met his end while in a temporary but all too vulnerable human state. Passing herself off as a respectable widow, she'd tricked a fool into marriage, a lonely widower with an unruly son.

It hadn't been until Coraline had been 'a friend of the court' for several years that Lance had sought her out, coaxing her to join her rightful family in the bonds of blood. She'd accepted, letting her natural father's former mate transform her into a goddess of the night.

Shaking off wearisome thoughts of the past, she refocused her attention on her true family. "Oh, don't worry about me, darling. I can handle ol' Lance, preferably from a distance."

"I'm in London right now, and last I heard, he was somewhere in Russia, so why don't you come visit me, hmmm? We'll paint the town red…literally."

"Sounds tempting," Coraline said over a laugh. "Soon, hopefully, but I have…interests here that need looking after."

"How delightfully ominous," Cynthia purred. "Animal, vegetable, or mineral?"

"Animal…male." Coraline sighed, feeling a catch in her throat. Mick, a mere mortal had taken her heart by storm, as much as she fought it. It was absolutely ludicrous, of course. How could such an ordinary man captivate a woman that could have had her pick of thousands of lovers? Sure, he was a handsome specimen, but that wasn't exactly an endangered species. No, it was far deeper than that, a quality she couldn't afford to examine.

"Oh, is that all? Seduce him, have a bit of fun, and discard him. That should take about a week."

"It's not like that, Cynthia," Coraline said, trying to keep the blues out of her voice. Everything was so damned complicated. Besides, she doubted Mick St. John would be interested in any seductions from her. She'd successfully driven him off, and she kept telling herself it was for the best. Besides, if he couldn't take a little competition, if he was as narrow minded as the rest of the hypocrites…

"It sounds serious." A note of concern crept into her old friend's voice. "Honey, please tell me you aren't getting…attached." Distain coated the last word, like she was saying cholera or something. Coraline's silence was damning. "Have you lost your mind? You were the one who said to me men are expendable toys. If you'd said it once, you've said it a million times."

"Usually, they are," Coraline agreed grimly. "Please, don't bother with the reality check. I'm aware of how nutty this whole situation is. I'm two steps ahead of you, believe me."

"Come to London," Cynthia urged, sounding nervous. "Just forget the whole thing."

"Oh, you sound as though the apocalypse is coming," Coraline scoffed, trying to laugh the entire matter off. "It's not all that-" She broke off when she unexpectedly inhaled his scent, heard the rapid beat of his heart, sped up by adrenaline and the booze Coraline's nose detected on his breath. A thrill sped up her spine. Ah, he was taking a walk on the wild side, hmm? "Listen, something's just come up. We're going to have to cut this short."

"We'll have to catch up later," Cynthia asserted.

"Naturally, and soon. Goodbye, Cynthia." She rested the receiver back into the cradle. Mick was close to the house now, and her instincts were clamoring to rush out and meet him. She forced herself to stay in her bedroom for now. Men grew bored with women that came like trained dogs. It was better to wait, make a slightly delayed entrance, keep them guessing.

There was a rattle, he was testing the lock. There were numerous footsteps, and then he came to an abrupt stop. "Hey!" he yelled, rapping his knuckles against the glass. "Hey! I know you're in there." More rapping, harder this time, and she heard the doorknob being twisted. She glanced at the clock, calculating her timing. Let him stew for a few more minutes, she decided. He pounded on the glass, working his way down. On second thought, she figured she'd better make an appearance.

"Where's your boyfriend?" he demanded as soon as he saw her. He wasn't drunk, she assessed. On his way, certainly, enough to lose his inhibitions and temper, but he wasn't slurring his words, wasn't stumbling like a bum. She kept her gait slow and flowing, not about to show the absurd joy spreading through her system like some drug. He was so adorable when he was mad, when he wasn't so well-behaved. "Send him out. I got something for him."

Not bothering to check her amusement at the idea of Charles being her boyfriend or Mick confronting the 354 year old, Coraline made her way to the glass, letting it serve as a tantalizing barrier. "Send who out? There's no one here."

"Then let me in."

I already have, Coraline thought wistfully, but wasn't ready to show her hand yet. This was just too much fun. "I'm not in the habit of letting inebriated men into my house at 2:00 in the morning." She could feel his heat through the glass, wanting him against her, wanted him inside her, wanted to ride him.

"You stood me up. You stood me up three times."

"I'm sorry." She was, really was for the first time in so long. "Okay? We'll make it up." She turned away, weighing her options. The next move, she concluded, had to be Mick's. She strode away, reentering her bedroom. He was stalking her on the other side of the glass, and she imagined him as a vampire, imagined what a glorious predator he'd be. By her side, another link in a powerful bloodline. There were thousands of mortals that would do anything, and she did mean anything for the honor.

Lance would have a fit.

She approached him again, feeling the magnetic pull. He smiled briefly, his gaze hot and hungry. Her lips curved into a grin, imagining him as a vampire. She retreated before she betrayed her emotions, her nipples hardening against their lace prison, imagining his mouth sucking and nipping her there. Her skin felt too tight, her dressing gown capturing her body like a net.

The sound of glass shattering had her whirling around, seeing the chair he'd used to break the barrier. Direct, she mused, delighted. Oh, yes, he was a worthy mate. There'd be no more games, no more tests. He stalked forward, and she met him halfway, their arms wrapping around each other, mouths meeting.

This wasn't like the gentle kisses they'd shared before. This was raw, this was primal. She'd brought forth the beast in him and she loved every second of her handiwork. She let him be the aggressor, let his tongue force his way into her mouth and dominate hers. She could have broken him like he broke the glass, but the idea never crossed her mind. One of his hands fisted in her hair, the other yanked the robe away from her body.

Yes, yes, yes. She rubbed her aching breasts against his chest, mewling into his mouth. She pushed his unbuttoned shirt off his shoulders, lifting the thin cotton of his undershirt. They both moaned in frustration when their mouths were forced to separate so she could get the damned garment over his head.

"Touch me, touch me everywhere," she crooned into his ear, nipping the lobe, running her tongue down his neck. The blood was racing through his veins, tempting her fangs into showing themselves. She shoved aside the bloodlust, letting carnal desires take her over. His hands were everywhere, whipping her into a frenzy.

Coraline was a great fan of earthly pleasures, considered herself an expert at the art. There wasn't a sexual act she hadn't performed or received. But for the first time in her life, she let herself get completely swept away, didn't worry about control, didn't calculate the encounter. She just let herself ride on glorious instinct, yielding to passion that didn't buy or sell.

Mick lowered her to the ground, tearing aside her flimsy lingerie. She felt a surge of relief, as though she'd been set free. His mouth engulfed her breast, teeth lightly grazing the nipple. "Harder," she moaned, rubbing against him, their pelvis' aligning, and she felt his erection give her pressure where she needed it most. She grabbed his hand, settling it between her legs. "Here, right there," she rasped, tossing her head back in abandon.

Hesitantly, Mick stroked her, eyes riveted to her face for cues. Through her sexual haze, she figured his experience was limited to green school girls and lackluster prostitutes. And being a good little Catholic boy, he probably wasn't encouraged to get in touch with his darker impulses. Pleasuring a woman this way was probably not his forte. Yet he was a quick study, and he was generous. He had her screaming and bucking. Of course, she'd never believed in stifling her enthusiasm.

"So beautiful," he groaned against her breast. He plunged two fingers deep inside, and withdrew, again and again, using his other digits to rub her clit. The familiar pressure was building, taking her towards a release that would send her flying. She bit down on his shoulder with blunt teeth, discretely taking enough for what she needed. She came apart in his arms, riding that glorious high for all it was worth.

Still feeling the tremors of sexual release, she flipped them easily, stripping him of his pants and boxers quickly. She'd return the favor and then some…later. She couldn't wait another second to have him buried inside of her. Gripping him steady with one hand, she impaled herself on him, letting out a hoarse scream of ecstasy. Mick grunted, his hands cupping her small breasts, massaging them, adding another layer of stimulus.

Oh, he felt so amazing. She closed her eyes, winding their legs together, just luxuriating in feeling him, alive and pulsing, so very deep inside. Her inner walls squeezed him, making him groan. He tried to move, but she shifted her hips, forcing him to stay still. "Not yet, darling," she sighed. She wanted him wild, desperate for her.

When she felt she'd tortured him enough, she rode him hard, and he met her stroke for stroke, their flesh slapping together. He was close already, a result of the alcohol and a long period of abstinence before tonight, she suspected. Of course, mortals had pitiful staying power compared to a vampire's, but none of that mattered. Love filled her, heightening the bliss flooding her ten times over. She leaned down to kiss him, nipping his lip hard enough to draw blood. Again, it was enough to come.

Her inner muscles squeezing his cock were enough to make him spill his seed into her. His hands dropped away from her breasts, limply on the carpet. She settled herself down onto her chest, lazily sighing her contentment. She kissed his chin and his jaw, her hands idly stroking his arm. After a minute or so, she felt him tangle his fingers in her hair, the touch affectionate.

By and by, she felt him tense, saw his eyes cloud. She felt a sharp pain stab through her. What, was he going to pull a disappearing act now that he'd gotten a trip around the world? That didn't seem Mick's style, but you never knew with a man.

"Your boyfriend must be an understanding fella," he announced bitterly, rolling her off him. The fact his touch wasn't punishing really didn't take the sting out.

"I don't have a boyfriend," Coraline informed him evenly, not about to display how deep he was cutting her. "If you're referring to the other night, that's Charles, an old friend."

"Pretty friendly by the looks of it."

Coraline gave him a wintry smile. "Not that this is any of your business, but for the record, I didn't give him any sexual favors. It was just-"

"What kind of idiot do you take me for?" Mick snapped, dressing in harsh, abrupt movements. "Do you just prance around in your robe-"

"You can believe whatever you want," Coraline told him dismissively, gaining her feet, not concerned with her nudity. Certainly, she knew how it looked; she'd staged the scene, for crying out loud. "You want the truth? The truth is I let you see what you did. I wanted you to think-" she broke off, holding up a single hand. "Forget it. You got your little thrill, you can go now."

"Why would you want to hurt me?" Mick demanded, looking younger than his years and terribly unsure, the anger gone. The affects of the liquor were wearing off, but then again, he hadn't been totally taken by it in the first place.

"So you wouldn't hurt me," she admitted. "I was afraid of getting in too deep, I guess, and it seemed as good of a solution as any."

A bark of surprised laughter escaped Mick lips. Tentatively, he reached out and stroked her cheek. "Lady, you're a piece of work, you know that? I always knew women were hard to figure, but you get the prize. Coraline, I think I'm falling in love with you."

"Then kiss me."