Thanks so much for the reviews everyone. Intimate Stranger, as always, well, you know the rest. For all you JoBe fans out there, in the next few chapters, things are about to get very interesting for them, in more ways than one. Answers about Sara lurk in the next chapter, but for now…enjoy this.

New York

Josef felt a ridiculous sense of pride when he walked into the party with Beth on his arm. It wasn't like she was the most woman in the room; this place was loaded with eye candy. Beth was beautiful, but lacked an exotic feel or the za-za-zing affect. Still, the combination of beauty, guts, and brains were a heady mix and he would have bet a million bucks she was the most interesting woman there. Why not? Worst case scenario, he could recover his losses in what, a day or two?

"What's the point?" Beth asked conversationally, swiping a glass of champagne with her free hand, taking a not so dainty swig.

"Of what?" Josef was a bit distracted by the way her dress clung to her generous curves. The cut was the height of good taste, but showed off her rather becoming figure to its best advantage. The way the fabric was hugging her delectable breasts…

"Are you listening?" she demanded, sighing in irritation.

"Not at the moment, no. Sorry."

"What did you say?" Since she looked genuinely floored and wasn't just trying to get him to repeat himself, he decided to be accommodating.

"I said 'sorry.' It's an ancient custom called an 'informal apology.' What do they teach America's brightest in college these days?" He clucked his tongue in mock horror. "Now, what were you saying?"

"I was just answering your question. What's the point of having liquor when vampire's taste buds aren't geared for it?"

"About 40 of the guests here are of the human variety," he informed her. "Also, although vampires don't register the taste like humans, certain beverages, such as champagne, taste expensive, and that's heady unto itself. Or, when dealing with hard liquor, you can still feel the burn, which is a nice contrast to a vampire's inner chill."

"I thought vampires hated heat," Beth protested.

"We don't hate it. We need the cold, it rejuvenates us, but we can tolerate heat to various degrees, Beth. If we couldn't, sex with humans would be impossible." He aimed her a lecherous grin.

"Huh. Good point. But Mick did say it was inadvisable."

"I've never been one to take Mick's advise. It's a one way ticket to absolute boredom." He nodded absently to an acquaintance, leading Beth into the crowd. It was important that they see and be seen. He noticed several males, both mortal and immortal undressing Beth with their beady little eyes, and felt the impulse to rip of their arms and beat them with it.

No need to get all territorial, he thought wryly. Not that ripping off arms wasn't a therapeutic hobby, but there was no reason to ruin a designer suit on Beth's account. She was Mick's human; he was just burrowing her for a while. Friends like Mick didn't grow on trees, even if he could be a little uptight. It wasn't worth getting a little action, even if the little morsel in question tasted divine.

Mick's human? Funny, that didn't seem so convincing when Josef's scent was all over her. Had she been all over Mick earlier? He doubted those two had even shared more than googley eyed stares, fleeting touches, and the a chaste kiss or two. Mick was too damned noble for his own good, which is why Josef had the fun.

"What are you thinking about? You look downright devious." She didn't sound entirely disapproving. Hmmm. He could get to like this one. He sensed Beth Turner wasn't the innocent Mick had convinced himself she was. There was definitely a wild side to her. Little angels didn't try black crystal willingly.

"Why, thank you. I was actually thinking you smell heavenly." He purposefully inhaled, raking his eyes down her. She didn't flinch, didn't look indignant. She merely raised an eyebrow.

"Really? I bet you say that to all the girls."

"Just half," he retorted smoothly. He imagined he could seduce her. She'd burst into an inferno of hormones with a modest amount of encouragement. Oh, there might be some token protests, but she'd probably-

"Earth to Josef." Beth waved her hand, champagne glass and all in front of his face. She could have used her other hand, but that arm was around his, old-fashioned style. Odd that she hadn't made a single move to take it away. She seemed the antsy type to him. Even more odd, he hadn't had the urge to break away either. "Geez, you're usually not so spacey."

"I was mulling over something very pleasant." He purposefully manipulated his voice into a velvet stroke, and he felt her shiver. Oh, yes, she could be seduced.

On impulse, he maneuvered her until she was standing in front of him, and he saw her brow knit together. She didn't have time to look puzzled for long, because she was too busy being kissed. Her lips were so soft against his, and he wanted to taste every square inch. She'd used cherry lip gloss, and it mingled with her natural taste. Then she opening her mouth, and he accepted her invitation with a low purr of pleasure. Their tongues rubbed together, causing them both to shiver.

The last thing he wanted to do was pull away, but if things kept up this way, he'd be taking her against a wall or something. Normally, Josef didn't mind an audience, normally perfectly willing to entertain his friends, but the idea of public sex with Beth, of sharing her with others, even visually, made him feel bizarrely temperamental. My, he was edgy tonight.

"What was that all about?" She sounded like a disappointed child who was trying to act adult, and failing miserably.

"I felt like it," he answered honestly.

"That's seems to be your M.O." Was that a reproach or a joke, he wondered. Or perhaps it was just a simple observation.

"Preferably."

"You're acting weird tonight," Beth announced, finishing her champagne. "First of all, when you picked me up, you actually complimented me, opened the car door, and didn't make a single insult on the car ride over. You acted…nice." If her bewilderment wasn't so cute, he might be insulted. Before he could get in a word edge-wise, she was rolling forward with the topic. "Then you space out on me, actually apologize, and then you kis-"

"That's because I can't get enough of you." He aimed her a pointed look, a silent reminder about their ruse. He leaned forward, whispering in her ear: "Maybe tonight I won't take no for an answer."

"We'll see," she countered, trying to sound indifferent. She didn't quite pull it off. "We should mingle."

"Certainly. And maybe you should think about what I said. Just say the word, Beth, just say the word." Hell, he'd be willing to scrap the whole party, valuable networking opportunities notwithstanding, and take her to the first available bed. Or sofa. Or-

"I'm not interested in being some flavor of the week," Beth muttered under her breath, and even with his vampiric hearing, if he hadn't been standing so close, he wouldn't have heard her.

What exactly did she want? For him to fall at her feet like Mick and so many others before him had? Did she want poetry and promises of undying devotion? Well, he was fresh out of that. She was just a means to an end. He really should set her straight, but some reason, the words wouldn't come. He didn't have time to analyze before an illustrious New York Banker; Harry Bardwell lumbered his way over and started talking his ear off.

But the affects of the kiss lingered in his system.

LA

The fear pulled him out of his light slumber, his eyes snapping open. Coraline. Her terror filled the air, and he felt his fangs extend, his vision sharpen from unnaturally keen to almost painful dimensions. Protect mate was the mantra going through his head, his body a blur of speed as he leapt from the ice filled bathtub, leaped across the hall, crashing through the grey door. He came to a dead stop when he saw she was alone in the freezer, caught in nothing more sinister than a nightmare.

Relief cut off the surge of adrenaline, the change so drastic he slumped against the wall, taking her in. They'd worked out an arrangement of sharing the freezer, three days of the week she crashed in it, the other four she took the ice bath. Beneath the lid of the freezer, Coraline's body was curled on itself, small whimpers escaping her trembling lips. In the brief time they'd spent together, Coraline had been many things to him, and he'd seen enough to know a lifetime wouldn't be enough to really understand every facet of her personality, but to see her so helpless was unexpected, and even if it was just a nightmare, seeing her like this tore at his heart.

In one movement, he was across the room and the lid was lifted. "Coraline, Coraline, shh," he murmured, lifting her body into his arms, cradling her there. She stiffened for one long second, and then relaxed into his body, her frozen skin meeting his, an erotic mix of ice and satin. Mick involuntarily grunted at the sensation, clenching his jaw to keep his control together. This was hardly the time to feel amorous. Careful not to jar her, he eased his way over the side of the freezer, settling her into his lap.

"Mick?" she whispered, voice small and bare, her eyes slowly opening. Unconsciously, her limbs clung to him, like he was the only thing that could keep her safe.

"Mmm-hmm," he assured her, rubbing his cheek against her hair, the strands teasing him. "Just a nightmare, it's over now."

"It'll never be over," she declared brokenly, burying her face in the crook of his neck. "Lance makes sure it won't be. It's just too much of a power trip for him to resist."

"Lance?" he questioned tentatively, wondering if he was one step closer to understanding the enigma that was his apparent ex-wife.

The clearing of those hypnotizing eyes signaled she was waking up fully, and was realizing how loose her tongue was. "I'm not sure I can get into this," she admitted, burrowing into him further.

"Okay," he acquiesced easily, wanting to help, not add on to the problem. Something told him that her nightmare was a symptom of a very real issue, but also had a feeling that Coraline wasn't going to confide in him…yet.

"If I asked you to go away with me, would you?" The question caught him off guard, the near desperation in her voice even more so. He wasn't sure if the nightmare had knocked her off her game, or if she was a lot more vulnerable than he'd pegged her as. Either way, he felt a rush of tenderness for her, and knew he'd follow her anywhere.

"Yeah, I would," he answered simply.

"Just like that?"

"Just like that," he affirmed affectionately, kissing her temple. Without asking her permission, knowing instinctively he didn't need to, Mick laid them both back, closing the lid. It was a snug fit, the planes of their body coming together, and every nerve in his body clamped down in anticipation, his body stirring. Ignoring his baser urges, he focused on Coraline, curling himself around her, the picture of a protective mate.

"I don't know if we'll even need a hasty get-away," she announced, brow drawn in concentration. "Still, it's good to have a plan B. Maybe the south, New Orleans or something. It'd throw him off; he'd be expecting somewhere cooler…"

Whoever this Lance was, she was terrified of him, and Coraline was a strong, powerful vampire, centuries old. Mick felt completely out of his depth. His grip tightened on her, mentally floundering. How could he protect them, how could he protect her? Simple, he couldn't. No, their only shot was working as a team, which meant she was going to have to open up to him. He couldn't just go in flying blind.

He told her as much, rubbing her shoulders to soften the sentiment. "Keeping me out of the loop isn't going to protect me; it might just get us both backed into a corner. What, you don't trust me? Is our past that bad that you think-"

Placing a finger to his lips, she adored him with her eyes, but the underlying anxiety marred what might have been a beautiful moment. "I trust you, Mick. I know you, and at heart, I've never known a better man, vampire or mortal. It's just…God, this is the last thing you need. You get a silver bullet to the head, lose your memory-"

It was his turn to interrupt her, this time with a kiss. He explored her lips tenderly, letting sensation do the talking for him. She responded urgently, forcing her tongue between his lips, anxious for deeper contact. Their mouths meshed, and he felt her pull him fully on top of her, a perfect fit, his hardening member at the juncture of her thighs.

Reluctantly pulling away, Mick nuzzled her neck. "Now, you listen up, and listen good. Memory or no memory, I'm not going to be some weight around your neck. And as for what I need, that's to keep one step ahead. I can't do that without having the facts straight." The last thing he wanted to do was talk strategy, with her body so pliant underneath his. All he wanted to do was sink into her and…he shut the door on that thought quick, now fully erect.

"Are you sure you want to talk?" she breathed in his ear, rubbing her thigh against the length of him, drawing a harsh groan out of him. "Or do you want to play?"

"Not tonight, baby," he gritted out. "When we make love, I just want it to be about us, not about needing to escape for a while." It wasn't that he doubted how much she wanted him, his nose didn't lie, and in his short memory, Coraline's desire for him had always been in the background of their interaction. But for some reason, she'd been reluctant to make the transition, a decision he respected, even if he'd been disappointed and more than a little confused. The fact she was offering her body when she was at her most vulnerable wasn't lost on him, and he wasn't going to take advantage.

"But Mick-" Coraline started to protest.

"We have forever," he assured her, drawing a startled jerk from her, her fascinating eyes going wide. "Today, we're going to get some sleep, and later you'll fill me in on this Lance guy."

"Okay." She sounded like she was gargling with stale old blood, but didn't argue with him. "Stay with me. It's where you belong." Suddenly, Coraline was a vampiress in charge, not asking, just telling how it was. The change relieved him. They both needed to be at the top of their game, just in case.

"I'm getting that." He arranged it so she was on top. Not that it really mattered, heavier weight or not, he couldn't crush her if he tried. She lay her head on his shoulder, closing her eyes. He rubbed her back, feeling their reluctant hormones gradually recede, thought it was a slow, uncomfortable wait.

Needless to say, neither got any sleep for a good, long while.