Claim Me (Body Scenes 4)

Jane adored Drake’s new wife as much as she admired and respected Drake himself, so it hadn’t been easy to step out of the romantic picture. But her friendship with both of them salved the sting a bit. Unfortunately, she now felt a twinge of regret that the two of them were considering moving on or traveling again. Thank God she had the club to occupy her time. And, admittedly, she was ecstatic over the opportunity to keep managing Body Scenes—even if it had become a lonely and somewhat solitary venture.

She’d never share that latter part with Drake, of course. She wouldn’t risk his guilty conscience holding him back, keeping him here when he should be out exploring the world with the love of his life. Seeing things through Shana’s eyes had to be refreshing after two centuries of being a vampire. She envied them both, but lived with her personal lot in life.

She told him, “I’m perfectly happy to maintain this arrangement. I love researching A-listers to invite and, of course, their ploys and bribes to try to get us to issue an invitation are amusing. I like mixing and matching the crowd. It’s quite entertaining.”

He stared at her a moment before asking, “And you’re hiding up here, watching on the screen from different camera angles what goes on down there?”

She shrugged. “I’m more comfortable with voyeurism. I just don’t trust myself in a roomful of mortals, you know that.”

“But, Jane. You’ve never hurt anyone. Not even Shana, when you were faced with the ultimate test of your restraint.”

Turning away, she said, “That’s just how I feel, Drake.”

“I don’t like how reclusive you’ve become.” His tone was compassionate and contemplative. “Are you sure your fear is warranted? Or are you afraid you might actually meet someone if you go downstairs? Does this have anything to do with Sean?”

Not a topic of discussion she liked to have. It was certainly one she’d kept to herself until she’d met Shana and had felt compelled to tell her she’d once had a great love, but then she’d lost him. It had been therapeutic to say her vulnerability aloud and Jane’s admission had helped Shana to face her own insecurities. Drake had overheard the exchange, so now he knew about Jane’s past. Well, some of it. There was much more to her story, but she’d never been able to talk about what had happened just months after she’d begged Sean to turn her and make her immortal so they could spend the rest of eternity together.

Being separated from her soul mate was the equivalent of having her heart ripped from her chest. She couldn’t stand to suffer that pain and misery ever again. So, yes. She hid up here.

Naturally, Drake was too intuitive not to dig a little deeper and see her distress was more than just anxiety over hurting a human. She didn’t want to get hurt herself, plain and simple. Not the way she’d been hurt—no, destroyed—when Sean had been murdered.

Glancing at Drake over her shoulder again, taking in his dark, commanding presence, she said, “You don’t have to read me so well, you know? I’d like to maintain some semblance of dignity.”

He let out a long sigh. “I’m not trying to damage your pride in any way. You know me better than that. What I’m saying is, I don’t understand why you’re so afraid. I’ve made it work with Shana, you can see that. She’s human.”

“But that will change. She wants to be a vampire and you agreed to make her one. So you really don’t have to keep yourself in check much longer. Or if you do accidentally slip and bite her… No biggie as long as you stop before her heart does. Which you will. You’re much too level-headed to screw this up.” Forcing a lighter tone, though the previous subject matter had made her tense, she quipped, “And as soon as she’s immortal, I’m sure your love life will kick up a notch or two.”

His grin was downright wicked. “Not that it really needs kicking up a notch. She is… Hmm.” He looked positively devilish as he said, “Inventive. And more than willing to experiment.”

Jane groaned. “Thanks for rubbing it in.” She’d very much enjoyed Shana’s adventurous side during their ultra-steamy menage. But she wasn’t so sure she possessed the willpower Drake did.

Not one to dwell on things that could never be—or torture herself more with the memories of that wild, yet beautifully sensual evening—she was about to continue their business discussion when a distinctly disturbing scent wafted under her nose. It wasn’t unpleasant by any means, just…not welcomed at the club, where there was a building full of humans milling about.

“What the…?” She turned back to the monitor just as Drake’s attention snapped to the screen, where the security guards were meticulously following all of his various procedures before letting a small group of Broadway starlets pass.

“Smells like a shifter,” he muttered.

She wasn’t overly familiar with the aroma, but she’d caught the scent a time or two over the past five decades.

“Werewolf,” Drake added. “Two of them.”

“At Body Scenes?” she scoffed, though she sensed he was right. Still, she argued, “That’s impossible. I was extremely diligent with the invitations. I couldn?

?t possibly have let two shifters slip through the cracks.”

“If they’re as careful as we are about keeping their identities a secret, you wouldn’t have known they were shifters. Although…” He reached for the phone on the desk that started to ring while still saying to her, “Something tells me they don’t have invitations.” Drake handed her the receiver. “You’re in charge.”

She beamed at his confidence in her, despite the sticky situation that had suddenly cropped up.

“This is Jane.”

On the other end of the line, Michael Toliver, head of security at the club, said, “I’m sorry to disturb you, Miss Van Kamp. We have two gentlemen downstairs without invitations. They’re here to see you.”

Shock rocketed through her. “Me? Whatever for?”

“They say it’s a personal matter.”

That prickled Jane’s nerves. The werewolves must have caught her scent and realized she was a vampire. But what did they want with her?