Free Here Comes the Vampire by Kimberly Raye Page A

boyfriend.”
    His grin widened. “I don’t need you to be the female. I need you to find one for me. That’s why I’m here.” His gaze locked with mine and my tummy trembled. “I want Dead End Dating to hook me up.”
    “Oh.” Disappointment rushed through me for a nanosecond, before a great big mental dollar sign slapped me upside the head. “ Oh .” Bingo! “Well, um, yeah, I can do that.” I reached for a questionnaire. “If youonna΀Qll just fill out this—“
    “None of that matters.” He held up a hand before pulling a slip of paper from his pocket. “These are the only requirements.”
    I stared down at the four must-haves scribbled in black ink.
    Human.
    Female.
    Virgin.
    Red hair.
    My mind stalled on the last one before I managed to summon a smile. “So blondes are out, then?”
    “Actually, I’m negotiable on that last point. Red is just a personal preference. That, and it represents passion.”
    “Since when did you become an aura guy?”
    “It’s not about auras. It’s about symbolism. This isn’t a typical date. I have to attend a ceremony and I need to bring someone appropriate. You’ve got seven days to find her.”
    “That’s really fast. Seriously, we’re talking virgins. In this day and age. In New York City.” I shook my head. “What’s the hurry?”
    “The full moon is in seven days. The ceremony happens then.” He pulled a two-inch stack of hundred dollar bills from his pocket and sat them on the desk in front of me. “This should cover any rush fee.”
    “But... That is...” My tongue twisted while my mind tried to wrap itself around the great big pile of money sitting center stage. This was it. The big time. Enough money to replenish my stash of couture AND pay the bills for at least another few months. And maybe even get a much-needed massage because my shoulders were killing me from all this stress.
    “But I only charge a retainer up front.” What could I say? As money hungry as I was, my conscience tended to get in the way. Especially since I specialized in happily-ever-afters, or at least a mutually beneficial hook-up. This had evil black magic sacrifice written all over it.
    And?
    You’re a bad ass vampire who rips out throats and sucks people dry. You can’t get more evil than that.
    Okay, so that wasn’t me so much as the cast from True Blood . Which explained why I shook my head. “I really can’t take this much.” Or any at all. “It’s several times my usual down payment.”
    “This isn’t the usual job.” He pushed the money toward me, the action brooking no argument. His eyes fired a bright gold. “I’m down to the wire. I have to have someone appropriate by the end of the week. I’ll make it worth your while, too.”
    Hot monkey sex on top of my desk?
    The thought struck before I could remind myself that I was happily committed to Ty.
    And Remy.
    Ugh. I was such a ho ho.
    “Another hundred thousand dollars when you deliver the woman,” he added, killing the self-deprecating thought and giving me an even bigger incentive.
    “I’m counting on you, Lil,” he added. “Don’t let me down.” And then he turned on his heel and walked out before I could push the money back toward him.
    Which I would have done.
    Even if it was the biggest stack of money I’d ever seen. Crisp. Loaded with that new money smell that made my nostrils flare.
    “No.” I eyed the green and shook my head. “I’m not going there.” We’re talking human sacrifice. Maybe he hadn’t said so, but I was no dummy.
    Human?
    Female?
    Virgin?
    Either he was going to relive my first sexual experience with a hunky ginger named Jean Pierre, or he was going to off someone in the name of the big D down yonder.
    Since I was willing to bet Ash had already had his cherry popped a long, long time ago, I had to assume the worst.
    On top of that, he’d mentioned a ceremony.
    Forget catch S>Fo long, loning a movie. Or going bowling. Or sharing a bottle of wine and some