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Chapter One
Simone tore the man’s shirt open and skimmed her hand down his smooth, hairless chest and rippled abs
"I have a hunger that cannot be denied," she murmured in her husky French accent
The man turned his chiseled jaw to expose his neck "Take me My body, er along his carotid artery, then suddenly shoved hier bear it!"
With a draee, she rose to her feet The volu a peek at herpink stilettos
She lifted a pale hand to her brow "What is a vampire to do? For sofor so her hand with a graceful flutter "I need so rich, robust, and sophisticat - Ack!" She tripped on her nightgown and fell flat on her face
"Cut!" The director cursed under his breath, then leaned toward Gregori and whispered, "Are you sure we have to use her?"
Gregori hid his frustration, like he nor smile "She’ll be fine She’s the most famous model in the vampire world"
"Yeah, you’ve mentioned that about five times But she can’t act Hell, she can’t even walk"
Gregori’s sht he’d scored a coup, convincing the fa the latest creation in Vampire Fusion Cuisine, Blardonnay But after three hours of shooting, there wasn’t a single successful take
The director and filital Vampire Network in Brooklyn had already polished off the crate of twenty-four bottles he’d brought as a gift Theenough for the director Gordon tipped back a bottle of Blissky, then gave Gregori a sour look
"The sun will rise in about ninetyit quits before my tortured crew runs outside to fry thelory"
"It’s not that bad," Gregori assured hi, we’ll have - " Zip "You’ll still get paid for your ti of Blissky
Gregori adjusted his tie while he considered his options He was the one ould have to answer to his boss for spending a s It wouldn’t help ht look frail and delicate, but, enraged, she could inflict a th
There was the time she’d destroyed a dance club in Manhattan when no one had recognized her Gregori had used a huge amount of vampire mind control to wipe the memory of every terrified mortal who had witnessed her temper tantrum Unfortunately he hadn’t been around to clean up when a paparazzo in Paris had snapped her photo without her perrapher clear across the Chaaro had speculated that her odd display of strength ht by ripping a street lah the newspaper office’s plate-glassSo
He adjusted his cuff links as he resigned hi the role of the kind and sympathetic friend, otherwise known as major suck-up Sheesh, the stuff he had to do for his job
He stepped onto the set, which consisted of thick ivory carpet and an ivory satin settee Theto help Si on the carpet like a nearly starved, beached whale
"Siht?" He lifted her carefully to her feet She was so thin, it was like propping up a broo wind "It’s not like you to fall down" Twelve times
"It is these ridiculous shoes you " She raised her voice so everyone in the studio could hear "You knoear a size five"
She wore an eight Gregori knew because she’d begged him to buy her a pair of Jimmy Choo sandals last Christmas He’d done it, not out of any special affection for Si director at Ro chummy with the most influential personalities in the vaested "We could have it shortened a bit"
"I like it long It makes me look taller And thinner"
Good God, if she was any thinner, she’d be two-dimensional "You look beautiful, Simone ButI’m afraid your concentration is off just a tad Perhaps if we - "
"It’s his fault!" She pointed a perfectlyoff the shirt she’d ripped "He’s too ugly to ith"
Gregori glanced at the model "He looks fine to me"
"Why, thank you, handsome" The male model winked
Oh shit "Siuy for you This is the eighth one The talent agency is running out of guys, and we’re running out of ti yourself to ith this one?"
She stuck out her bottom lip in a pout "He’s repulsive I shudder when I have to touch hier at her "It’s not like I’irlfriend"
"It’s called acting, Siori whispered "You have to pretend to desire hily as a turnip, but you "
"But I a blond hair over his shoulders
Gregori groaned inwardly It was impossible to whisper around a bunch of Varasped Simone by her bony shoulders "Let’s be honest about this, Toots It’s not the shoes, or the gown, or the guy on the couch - "
"The naton Langley, the Third But please don’t call ori a flirtatious sori smiled back Sheesh, the crap he put up with for his job "Siraceful as a swan You can do this"
She ducked her head as she pressed her hands against his chest "All right, I’ll be honest I-I’m afraid"
"Afraid of what? Failure?" He winced when her steel-like nails dug into hiht Right, I knew that" He grabbed her hands to keep her pink claws froh his best suit "What are you afraid of, then?"
Her bottos "The sun will rise soon I’"
"Sweetcakes, we die at every sunrise"