Read Online Under a Vampire Moon by Lynsay Sands - Free Book Online Page B

gently when his father gave a muffled guffaw.
    “Sorry, darling, but he gave me such grief over my wooing of you that I can’t help but think this is funny,” Julius said, slipping his arm around Marguerite.
    “It isn’t funny,” Christian growled. “She told my life mate that I’m gay .”
    Zanipolo gave a bark of laughter. “And she believed it.”
    Christian scowled at the man, considering violence until Gia said, “Actually, at first I just said my cugino was gay and didn’t tell her which one. She thought it must be you before I said it was Christian.”
    “What?” Zanipolo cried. “Why would she think that? Do I look gay?”
    Christian growled impatiently, and turned on Gia. “I don’t see how her thinking I am gay is supposed to help.”
    “Is it my hair that made her pick me for the gay one, do you think?” Zanipolo asked suddenly. “Maybe I should cut it.”
    “It could be,” Santo said, eyeing him consideringly.
    “Nah. Christian has long hair too,” Raffaele pointed out.
    Christian scowled at them, but then glanced back to Gia as she announced, “I said you were in the closet and afraid to come out for fear the family would turn on you.”
    “What?” he asked blankly.
    “We would never turn on you, Christian,” Marguerite murmured, patting his arm. “Gay or not, we love you.”
    “ I’m not gay ,” he pointed out, his voice rising an octave, and heard another snort of laughter from his father.
    “Well, no dear, of course not,” Marguerite said quickly. “But if you were, we’d still love you. You wouldn’t have to hide in the closet with the smelly old shoes.”
    “It’s not literal, Mother. I wouldn’t actually be hiding in a closet. It’s a—never mind,” he muttered and turned back to Gia. “How the hell is my being a closet gay supposed to—”
    “She’s agreed to be your beard,” she interrupted quickly.
    “I don’t want a damned beard,” Christian snapped. “I want my life mate.”
    “Maybe I should grow a beard. Maybe that would make me look less gay,” Zanipolo muttered, rubbing his cheek.
    Gia ignored him. “I know you want her for a life mate, not a beard, Christian, and this way she won’t be uncomfortable spending time with you. You can get to know each other without the risk of her fleeing because of her attraction to you.”
    “Because she thinks I’m gay so won’t be attracted,” he pointed out grimly.
    “Now, Christian, your being gay won’t affect her attraction to you,” Marguerite said soothingly.
    “ I’m not gay ,” he bellowed, scowling at his father when he released another guffaw.
    “No, of course not, dear. She’ll just think you are,” his mother agreed.
    “But I’m not!” he roared. “And how the hell am I supposed to get close to her when she thinks I am?”
    “Christian,” Marguerite began with concern.
    “Allow me, cara .” Julius took Christian’s arm and urged him away from the rest of the group. It did little good since they all immediately crowded forward behind them, but Julius ignored that and put his arm around Christian as he said, “Stop thinking about the gay bit, and think about her being your beard. That’s a pretend girlfriend, right?”
    He frowned but nodded.
    “So, you’ll get to spend time with her, take her out for dinner, talk, get to know each other, and”—Julius added firmly—“you’ll get to hold her hand, put your arm around her, dance with her, and so on, like a boyfriend does. It will be expected. At least in public, right?”
    Christian nodded slowly, considering this.
    “We can even make sure she lets you kiss her,” Julius added.
    “How are we going to do that?” Marguerite asked with interest.
    Christian scowled. “I don’t want you taking control of her and—”
    “That’s the beauty of it,” Julius interrupted. “We won’t have to control her to get her to do anything. All I have to do is say something like, you two never kiss or anything, I don’t believe