Read Online Real Vampires Know Hips Happen by Gerry Bartlett - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Gerry Bartlett
Tags: Vampires
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you betray me with another man?”
“It’s the Siren in me!” I glanced back at Angus, who still looked ready to intervene if I made a move he considered aggressive. I kept my distance from Jerry even though I wanted desperately to sit beside him, to touch him. “I think somewhere inside me I still have whatever it is that makes a Siren go from man to man. It must be what kept me from committing to you all those years.”
“Are you buying this cock-and-bull story, son?” Angus stood. “If you were a Siren, Gloriana, and I’m still not buying it, then you used my boy to gain a protector. It’s their way.”
“Wait a minute. I still can’t believe Sirens are real.” Jerry stared at me like he was waiting for me to sprout a fish tail.
“They are real. You even knew one in Austin. Aggie. She’s a friend, sort of anyway. They’re selfish creatures, man magnets. One reason you came home was because you were afraid I had used you, just as Angus said. That, if I was a Siren, you’d been manipulated all these years. A true Siren can pull any man to her and he can’t resist her call.” I sank down on my knees in front of him, ready to beg him to believe me if it came to that.
“Did you? Manipulate me?” Jerry stared down at me.
“No. Never. I found out that it’s only a Siren’s song that can pull men helplessly to her. That’s why I went to a hell of a lot of trouble, actually suffered, if you must know, to get over here, Jer. To tell you this in person.” I put my hand on his knee. “Listen. This is the truth. I swear it.” My voice cracked. The trip had been a nightmare, and then to get here and have this happen…
“If you sang me to you all those centuries ago…” He tried to lift my hand off of him in disgust but I grabbed his arm, my tears drying up in a hurry.
“I didn’t! The Storm God stole my song when he made me human. I know you can’t remember now, but when you met me I couldn’t sing at all. Believe me, I tried. It would have helped me make a living when Achelous left me tofend for myself. But I have no singing voice. We even joked about it.” He glared down at my hand but I wasn’t about to let him go. “Please, please believe me.” I heard Angus snort but didn’t spare him a glance. This was too important. I held on and stared into Jerry’s dark eyes.
“Prove it. Sing something. Right now.” He flung my hand.
I couldn’t believe this was the man I’d known so intimately for so long. The man who’d held me, protected me, insisted I take on a bodyguard for centuries! But this Jerry just stared at me, waiting for “proof.”
“Fine. ‘Loch Lomond.’ It used to be one of your favorites.” I sat back on the floor, took a breath and started in. “You take the high road and I’ll take the low road—”
“Stop.” Jerry held up his hands. “Either you really can’t sing or you’re making fools of us now.”
“No, now I remember. The girl always did sing like someone had just stepped on a bagpipe. We forbid her to join in when we sang around a fire.” Angus leaned forward, hands on his sturdy knees. “You’ve got my attention, lass. Go on with your tale.”
I got up and collapsed in relief on the love seat across from Jerry. “You see, without my song I couldn’t cast a spell on you. You could have left me anytime. But you didn’t.” I looked my fill while he seemed deep in thought. He wore a soft knit shirt today and jeans. Modern clothes. I guess he’d decided to test them out, to see if they brought back some memories. If only it were that simple. But he still had a stranger’s eyes when he finally looked at me again.
“But you say we were together for centuries. I thought Sirens didn’t bother with relationships, they only wanted to get a man close enough to kill.” He didn’t shrug away from me when I moved over to sit next to him on the couch.
“That’s true. It’s the reason Achelous got rid of me. I didn’t have the stomach for the
“It’s the Siren in me!” I glanced back at Angus, who still looked ready to intervene if I made a move he considered aggressive. I kept my distance from Jerry even though I wanted desperately to sit beside him, to touch him. “I think somewhere inside me I still have whatever it is that makes a Siren go from man to man. It must be what kept me from committing to you all those years.”
“Are you buying this cock-and-bull story, son?” Angus stood. “If you were a Siren, Gloriana, and I’m still not buying it, then you used my boy to gain a protector. It’s their way.”
“Wait a minute. I still can’t believe Sirens are real.” Jerry stared at me like he was waiting for me to sprout a fish tail.
“They are real. You even knew one in Austin. Aggie. She’s a friend, sort of anyway. They’re selfish creatures, man magnets. One reason you came home was because you were afraid I had used you, just as Angus said. That, if I was a Siren, you’d been manipulated all these years. A true Siren can pull any man to her and he can’t resist her call.” I sank down on my knees in front of him, ready to beg him to believe me if it came to that.
“Did you? Manipulate me?” Jerry stared down at me.
“No. Never. I found out that it’s only a Siren’s song that can pull men helplessly to her. That’s why I went to a hell of a lot of trouble, actually suffered, if you must know, to get over here, Jer. To tell you this in person.” I put my hand on his knee. “Listen. This is the truth. I swear it.” My voice cracked. The trip had been a nightmare, and then to get here and have this happen…
“If you sang me to you all those centuries ago…” He tried to lift my hand off of him in disgust but I grabbed his arm, my tears drying up in a hurry.
“I didn’t! The Storm God stole my song when he made me human. I know you can’t remember now, but when you met me I couldn’t sing at all. Believe me, I tried. It would have helped me make a living when Achelous left me tofend for myself. But I have no singing voice. We even joked about it.” He glared down at my hand but I wasn’t about to let him go. “Please, please believe me.” I heard Angus snort but didn’t spare him a glance. This was too important. I held on and stared into Jerry’s dark eyes.
“Prove it. Sing something. Right now.” He flung my hand.
I couldn’t believe this was the man I’d known so intimately for so long. The man who’d held me, protected me, insisted I take on a bodyguard for centuries! But this Jerry just stared at me, waiting for “proof.”
“Fine. ‘Loch Lomond.’ It used to be one of your favorites.” I sat back on the floor, took a breath and started in. “You take the high road and I’ll take the low road—”
“Stop.” Jerry held up his hands. “Either you really can’t sing or you’re making fools of us now.”
“No, now I remember. The girl always did sing like someone had just stepped on a bagpipe. We forbid her to join in when we sang around a fire.” Angus leaned forward, hands on his sturdy knees. “You’ve got my attention, lass. Go on with your tale.”
I got up and collapsed in relief on the love seat across from Jerry. “You see, without my song I couldn’t cast a spell on you. You could have left me anytime. But you didn’t.” I looked my fill while he seemed deep in thought. He wore a soft knit shirt today and jeans. Modern clothes. I guess he’d decided to test them out, to see if they brought back some memories. If only it were that simple. But he still had a stranger’s eyes when he finally looked at me again.
“But you say we were together for centuries. I thought Sirens didn’t bother with relationships, they only wanted to get a man close enough to kill.” He didn’t shrug away from me when I moved over to sit next to him on the couch.
“That’s true. It’s the reason Achelous got rid of me. I didn’t have the stomach for the
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