McKenzie, Cooper - Saving Chloe (Siren Publishing Classic) Read online

  “Shhh, darlin’. Stay and rest. I’ll deal with it,” Declan said. He kissed her forehead then rolled from the bed. She sighed and watched through half-closed eyes as he pulled on pants and stalked out of the bedroom.

  * * * *

  Declan jerked the front door open and stared at the woman standing on the other side of the storm door. Thank God he’d installed the damn thing despite the objections of the local historical-preservation committee. If they had their way, he’d still be living with single-paned windows and a wood door with locks a child could pick. During the last renovation, he’d put in double-paned windows with screens and metal doors, front and back, to help with energy efficiency. If the “hysterical” society wanted to take back the plaque they’d placed on his house nearly forty years before and take the place off their “old and decrepit” house list because of it, they were welcome to. In fact, he’d almost prefer it if they did. Then maybe they would leave him the hell alone.

  Jasmine looked startled for a moment. Then she blinked and frowned at him. “Is Chloe here? She’s not at home, and I need to talk to her.”

  Declan picked up the plate of cookies his mate had fixed for the woman. Pushing open the storm door, he shoved them at her. “Yes, she’s here, and no, you can’t. Here are the cookies she made. Do yerself a favor and go away now.”

  Jasmine’s frown deepened. She took the cookies then grabbed the screen door. Opening it wide, she began to walk toward him.

  Declan remained squarely in the doorway, not moving even when her ginormous boobs got within an inch of him.

  “Excuse me, I’d like to go in and speak with Chloe.” She put a hand on his chest and pushed.

  Declan didn’t move. “No. You and those Porch People have sucked enough from her already. Ye’ll not be takin’ anythin’ from her today.”

  Jasmine took a step back and looked at him, her expression smoothing to become strangely blank. “Whatever do you mean by that?”

  “She’s only been in the neighborhood a few months, and ye’ve near about drained her. Time, energy, and money, ye’ve been steadily sucking at her like a pack of human vampires. Did ye know she had ta work all night Friday and then again yesterday because ye Porch People wouldn’t leave her be ta do the work she needed to finish?”

  Jasmine tossed her head. “That was Winston and Ray,” she said. She cocked her hip and crossed her arms, looking as if she was ready for a fight. “I’m not like that.”

  If she only knew what she faced, Declan thought to himself.

  “No, you just drink her wine and soda and never buy any. You ask her to make cookies, knowing she doesn’t have it in her ta say no. You stop by and visit almost every day to bitch about yer life and all that’s goin’ on, or ye talk about past events again and again. If ye ever do bother ta ask about her day, ye don’t let her talk without breaking in a half-dozen times until she gives up tryin’ ta talk to ye. And when she says ‘Not today, I’m busy,’ ye don’t listen and leave her be as a true friend would. Yes, woman, ye are a human vampire, possibly the worst of the lot.”

  Jasmine looked stunned for a moment. Then he watched as her hackles rose.

  “Did she tell you that? I don’t do that. If she didn’t like spending so much time with me, or if drinking wine with me was such an imposition, why didn’t she say so?”

  Declan ground his teeth as he fought down the urge to shake the woman until her head fell off her skinny neck and rolled down the street. Before he could explode, a soft, warm hand ran down his spine.

  “I’ll talk to her,” she said through their link.

  “Are ye sure, darlin’. She’s a mite riled.”

  “Just don’t go anywhere,” she replied. “I have plans for you once she goes away.”

  Before he could respond, Chloe pushed, forcing him to take a step to the side so Jasmine could see her. She smiled up at him when he draped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her to lean into him.

  “Jasmine, what do you want?” she asked. “Especially so early in the morning?”

  “I wanted to make sure you were okay to make the cookies,” Jasmine said, sounding hesitant for the first time since Chloe had met her.

  “As you can see, I’ve made them. Now, if you don’t mind, I’m taking Declan back to bed so we can love on each other until there’s nothing left of us but a puddle of goo in the middle of the mattress. Enjoy the cookies,” Chloe said with a smile, just before she pushed him sideways and closed the door in the woman’s face.

  * * * *

  Once the door was closed, Chloe flipped the dead bolt, and then turned and leaned back against it, releasing a long sigh.

  “Oh my God, I did it,” she whispered, looking to Declan for his reaction.

  Her heart filled with pride when he smiled and nodded. “You sure did. I’m so proud of you, darlin’.”

  With that, he swept her up into his arms and carried her through the house to the bedroom as she began to giggle with the release of tension. When he reached the side of the bed, he held her out then quickly pulled his arms out from under her.

  Her giggles consumed her as she bounced on the bed several times before settling. As soon as she’d stilled, he threw himself onto the mattress as well so that he half covered her, sending her into even more hysterics. Then he began to place kisses all over her face as he praised her for standing up to her friend.

  “Now all I have to do is stand firm with them now that the line has been drawn in the sand,” she said, once her laughter had died away and she began thinking clearly again.

  “Not a problem, my mate. I own a construction company, and we’ll just have them pour cement over that line you’ve drawn so the Porch People can’t move it.”

  Chloe wrapped her arms around the man she’d spent her lifetime to that point dreaming about. All at once, nothing else mattered but sharing her feelings.

  “I love you, my handsome vampire.”

  He looked startled then smiled broadly, his canines dropping just enough to be noticeable. “And I love you, my beautiful mate. And I will always be here by your side when the human vampire Porch People try to latch on again.”

  Chloe’s happy giggles turned to moans of lust as he set about showing her just how he planned to spend the rest of his life, loving and tending to the needs of his mate.

  THE END

  WWW.COOPERMCKENZIE.WEBS.COM

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  Cooper McKenzie always thought she had been born a hundred years too late, but appreciates air-conditioning, computers, and other conveniences of modern-day living. She enjoys the slower pace of New Bern, North Carolina, as well as the history and small-town community found there. In addition to dreaming up her next story, Cooper enjoys reading everything except scary books, singing in her church choir, and needle-weaving.

  Also by Cooper McKenzie

  Ménage Amour: Men Out of Uniform 1: Daria’s Heroes

  Siren Classic: Men Out of Uniform 2: Her Knight in Dusty BDUs

  Ménage Amour: Men Out of Uniform 3: Special D for Three

  For all other titles, please visit

  www.bookstrand.com/cooper-mckenzie

  Siren Publishing, Inc.

  www.SirenPublishing.com