WINNING VIRGIN LOVE.

by Destiny Blaine.

Chapter 1

"So she's leaving?" Almonzo didn't face his brother. He held the composure of a man with influence and yet in that particular moment, he felt quite broken and anything but powerful.

"What did you expect?" Orlando demanded.

Almonzo realized his brother didn't need to crash into a brick wall because then there would be h.e.l.l to pay with the woman who shared his bed. Orlando kind of liked having his cute little bride keeping it warm for him.

Almonzo knew his brother would suffer his wife's temper tantrums if he didn't correct their pending problem and then it would ricochet from there. He didn't want unnecessary headaches. His sister-in-law, Natasha, was often a general pain in the a.s.s. Her sister, Tabitha, wasn't much better.

Before he allowed his mind to wander with thoughts of Tabitha and the fantasies she often inspired, Almonzo turned around in a blaze of fury. "I knew she would be a little wench and she is. I antic.i.p.ated hard times and she didn't disappoint. I predicted she'd be the devil's twin and she's proven it to be a fact and I expected to..."

"Love her?" Orlando laughed. "And you sure as h.e.l.l do."

Almonzo closed a book with a loud bang and then tossed it across his desk. "This is your fault!"

"Mine?" The laughter grew louder as the room spun out the tension between siblings. "Do tell. I can't wait to see where this is headed." Orlando crossed his arms and leaned against one of the magnificent walnut desks.

"None of this would've happened if you didn't tear through Las Vegas with your hips searching and chips falling wherever they may." Almonzo's eyes pierced through his twin's identical pair.

With his chiseled jaw set, Orlando glared back at Almonzo. "And then you wouldn't be able to drown in self pity because Tabitha didn't plant her lips and her hips in your bed." He shot his twin a knowing head to toe glance before he turned away. "She's under your skin and what little blood you have left to savor, you would willingly shed to save her."

"Don't be so sure about that little brother." Almonzo's condescending tone stood on its own but since Almonzo was the older twin, if by only a minute, he took a jab at his double.

"It's not like she doesn't know it. Since she's been here, you've pushed her away one minute and then followed her around like a blood-thirsty hound the very next."

"A blood thirsty hound?" Almonzo didn't like the a.n.a.logy. He wrinkled his nose and then decided to give his carbon copy something to think about. "You were in a similar situation not long ago."

"Yes, but..."

"Yes, but of course it is different, isn't it? You were lucky enough to find your virgin bride and then lock her away in the desert until she saw things your way." He let out a distorted sound, a cross between a grunt and a sigh. "I don't have the same luxury. Tabitha has Natasha to protect her and never mind Mother and Father who seem to think the moon is only brighter with Tabitha under our roof."

"You didn't grumble when I first arrived with her."

"I never realized she would be this difficult. Even your wife didn't stir this much angst." Almonzo paced a few steps and then turned back to his brother. "Yes, you went too far when you provoked the elders into a sentence better imposed on a mortal man with a shorter lifespan."

"Natasha keeps me well entertained. I'm rather pleased with the outcome." Orlando grinned from ear to ear.

Almonzo's voice inflection changed. "Of course you are. You have Natasha in your bed, who is happy to be there and her vixen sister who sticks around for one purpose-to drive me to the brink of lunacy. I imagine your life never tasted sweeter."

The mirror images faced off. They were nose to nose with obvious sneering to remind each of the potential for battle wounds. Before sibling differences seared them both, the doors opened wide. The young men parted and separated but not fast enough. Their long, natural brown curls still swayed behind their shoulders as they tried to stand perfectly still.

Samuel Spenser joined his sons in the familiar office and if his facial expression was any indication, he disapproved of the argument he deliberately interrupted. "Good evening, boys." He took a seat in the center of the room. Stretching his long legs in front of him, he propped his feet up on a marble-top coffee table.

The three men worked from home most of the time and enjoyed the lavish surroundings of opulent furnishings. Walnut desks were in the three corners of the triangular pod and an oriental rug in the middle lured the naked eye before inviting guests to a most comfortable lounging area. Generally, when the patriarch of the Spenser family worked, it was from this center.

Orlando joined his father in the seating area. He lounged easily on the over-sized stuffed chair. "Almonzo thinks Tabitha is the devil's twin."

"I imagine you never felt the same about her sister?" Samuel's sarcasm oozed before he glanced up. Everyone in the family realized Orlando and Natasha went through their own trials before a new understanding of conquering tribulations ever began.

Almonzo joined them. "The h.e.l.l he didn't. You're forgetting something, Father. I stayed with them. I saw firsthand what he went through and while it provided entertainment, it was not pretty but h.e.l.l's fury, Tabitha isn't her sister. She is more difficult and far more stubborn and ..."

"He loves her more every day, yes?" Samuel looked at Orlando, the younger of the two twin brothers, and stifled a chuckle. Nodding, he continued. "It shows on you, Almonzo. Maybe there's the problem."

His troubles required him to wear his heart on his sleeve and he sat down on the arm of his brother's chair ready to explain. "No. You don't understand. She is h.e.l.l on earth. The devil is a saint beside her. I try to get to know her, she spits on the ground where I walk. She tells me thirty, no, forty times a day that she's not a virgin and if she were cursed with innocence then she certainly wouldn't give it up to me." He rubbed his hand slowly over his face. "Why the elders did not allow me the opportunity to find a mate in Las Vegas is something I will never understand. Orlando all but chose her for me."

As quickly as he shared his sentiments, his father locked eyes with him. Of course, Orlando didn't choose Tabitha for him. Almonzo realized it because he saw her image long before he met her in the flesh. It was a fated union and one with a certain conclusion. Tabitha was his destiny.

"Ah, so she's not a virgin and this is where the problem lies?" Amused, Samuel gave his son his undivided attention.

"No, Father, the trouble is her blood is tainted never mind the other parts of her body." Almonzo stopped more words from spilling out and he stood quickly. His breath hitched in his chest making it impossible to breathe. "d.a.m.n it all!" His eyes turned a shade of lavender, only for a moment, and he turned toward the door. "If you must listen, you might as well show your face!" His arm rose and fell as he waited for her to appear.

The other two Spenser men stood as Tabitha reluctantly peered around the door. "What's wrong, love? Smell my blood, did ya?" Tabitha forced a thick Scottish accent. She managed it quite well.

Driven by pure s.p.u.n.k, the gorgeous siren trotted into the room with golden locks flowing behind her. If she didn't have the sinful body of a woman, age would've been difficult to determine because of her youthful appearance. The twinkle in her eye proved mischief fueled her twisted little brain and Almonzo provided motivation to ensure it worked overtime.

Almonzo growled. A low moan of pure dread and without a true hint of s.e.xual intent, it still held a masculine and perverse meaning all the same. "Now do you see what I mean?" A sigh escaped his lips as his jaw and lips seemed to work against his inner animosities. He felt certain his expression displayed carnal hunger. It was an involuntary action, or more appropriately, reaction.

The young woman remained full of herself and she shot him a purpose driven smile before she looked straight at his c.o.c.k. She knew how to clear a room with sudden fits of anger or she became the center of attention just by entering one. Her confidence held Almonzo at bay while her beauty stripped him of any practical defenses and when she gazed at certain parts of his body, she shackled him to his own unbridled emotions.

Tabitha rushed around the area in a hurry. She patted Orlando on the shoulder and then slid a kiss on Samuel's cheek. "I wanted to say goodbye." She stared at Almonzo and invited the challenge whether she acknowledged it or not.

"Goodbye?" The eldest of the three vampires took her hand in his. "We'll be most disappointed." A dimple formed in his cheek and lingered just a second before he continued. "If you choose to leave."

She quickly released his hand and stared straight ahead before she began working her hair up on top of her head. She twisted it until it piled high into a fashionable little style. She suddenly looked much taller than her five-footfour frame with her new beauty-do and high heels too. Ocean blue eyes sparkled with defiance. They always held pure devilment.

"The hair becomes you, darling." Almonzo started them off. He wanted his father to see precisely what he meant.

"I knew you'd think so. Of course, this is all for you." Her hands moved over her hips in a prissy gesture and Almonzo's mouth watered as he watched. He really didn't care if everyone noticed.

The other Spenser men chuckled.

She continued. "After all, everything I do, I do for you." She shot him a devious little wink before she helped herself to a gla.s.s of water from the wet bar.

She returned to find her usual seat beside the head of the family. The young woman wormed her way into Samuel's heart soon after she walked through the imperial doors of the Spenser Edinburgh estate. It wasn't an easy task because he didn't typically show affection, but somehow Tabitha earned more and more of the patriarch's admiration. They bonded and Samuel Spenser treated her like family.

Almonzo studied her for a few quiet seconds. Her game was off. She continued to put on a show for the others but he knew something didn't seem quite right. Almonzo looked her up and down as he tried to figure it out.

She sat next to his father sipping her water. One leg crossed over the other and moved with an easy bounce. She didn't realize what a glorious image she offered. It wasn't the only thing providing a shake and, deliberately, his eyes dwelled just a little too long at her very full b.r.e.a.s.t.s. He knew his lingering gaze called out to the heart and soul of a vixen. His temptress all but felt the warmth of a vampire's stare. He wouldn't care to wager large amounts on the fact as he watched her cheeks turn pink.

"So..." She shifted her weight back on one palm, leaning slightly to the side with only her arm there to support her. "I noticed there's a supplement out for you, Almonzo." She flashed a wicked smile, criminal to the point of driving an immediate execution. "You might want to ask Tate if he has various flavors in stock since you'll be sipping on a lot of those c.o.c.ktails in the near future."

The caretaker wasn't around to hear Tabitha's remarks. Almonzo realized he would enjoy the underlying message. The family butler would find them quite amusing. Almonzo's lovely mate lived within his reach yet the only plasma resource he found was in the bottom of a supplement gla.s.s.

He thought of a quick comeback for Tabitha but he wasn't sure he wanted to use it in front of his father and brother. The supplements were made-to-order for vampires in need of a feed and sadly, since the broad in front of him invaded his private s.p.a.ce, never mind his heart, it was the only blood-to-order keeping him sane, or alive.

His eyes narrowed as he thought about how he wanted to handle her. Her leg moved slower with deliberate calculation. She knew when he decided to go in for a kill; she was sunk, because he saw the proof of it flash in her eyes. She feared what came next. He saw her jaw twitch and swore her delicate little chin quivered. It only charged his determination.

"Sipping on c.o.c.ktails, my love, is something I've been doing a lot here lately. Ask Orlando. I leave every evening after all bad boys and naughty women are tucked back in for the day. So you see, the supplement there remains untouched." He indicated with his forefinger while nodding in the direction of the tea cart service set up with a beautiful display of fruits as well as the d.a.m.ning supplement meant only for Almonzo.

Jealousy. He tried everything else over the last three months, so he might as well use the one element that seemed to appeal most to a mortal woman. He failed miserably.

"Well, darling, if you want to taste the blood of a real woman, then I suppose you'll have to kiss a lot of pigeons in skirts before you find one who will ever quench your thirst." She smiled sweetly as her leg came to an abrupt halt.

Maybe he wasn't as unsuccessful as he originally thought. Her tone carried as deadly more than rebellious.

Their father stood up, bent down to kiss Tabitha on the cheek and then nodded toward Almonzo, the son he likely dubbed as the troubled one. Orlando didn't have a care in the world after claiming Tabitha's sister as his mate. Then again, Orlando never carried burdens. It was the reason they all ended up in this mess in the first place. Orlando lost a pile of family money in Las Vegas and as punishment, the elders handed down an unusual order-mating for eternity.

Instructed to find a virgin bride in a city where innocent women were seldom found, Orlando returned to Las Vegas with one objective. He searched for a virgin winner to claim as his life partner. While the city hummed with losers, one woman hit the jackpot in more ways than one. Almonzo almost laughed as he now watched his brother with utter amus.e.m.e.nt. Natasha made sure she kept her vampire sated, if nothing else. Too bad her sister wasn't as easily persuaded to become his mate.

"I'll let you two work this out." Samuel glared meaningfully at his other son but Orlando didn't budge. He only crossed his arms and settled into his chair. He planned to stick around and watch the show and Almonzo a.s.sumed Tabitha planned to give them one.

Tabitha took the time to bring Orlando into the conversation as soon as the older man exited the room. "Why don't you tell your brother that I know what he does at night because I've had the occasion to run into him right after sunset and it isn't pretty. The women he flirts with are just d.a.m.n right ugly."

The brother wasn't going to voice his opinion and suddenly didn't seem quite so eager to stick around for the pending theatrics. He scratched his head and looked down at his shoes.

Almonzo smirked. "d.a.m.n-right ugly, huh? Well, I know one thing; they're downright willing too."

The leg swing began again. Forceful and hard, she moved her calf to the tempo of the Russian tunes Tate blared through the intercom system on most days. She took a deep breath and Almonzo's satisfaction was hard to contain. He wanted her to fire back but she moved on to the next topic.

"So, which one of you handsome rogues would like to drive me to the airport?"

Orlando stood up with the obvious noticeable. "If anyone is going to take you, Almonzo will. I think your sister is calling me." Since Orlando discovered his life partner in Natasha, half the time he walked around the house with bloodshot eyes and a hard d.i.c.k. Trying to hold his hands in front of himself to prevent further embarra.s.sment, he turned to his identical. "What can I say? I just want the same for you, true bliss." He laughed as he headed out the door with nothing but bedding his wife on his easy-to-read mind.

Tabitha looked away and the blush of her skin made Almonzo stand at attention with full intentions of his own. She glanced up at him on an apparent dare from within. On rare occasions, she proved easy to read. Most of the time, he couldn't tell if she liked him, hated him or just loved to dislike him altogether.

"I'm packed and I booked the midnight red-eye back to the States."

"Did you?" He dismissed her with body language by returning to the pinnacle point of the room. He sat down on the edge of his desk and casually crossed his arms and ankles.

"We were expecting you to be around for awhile." He began with an easy approach. He thought it might be worth a shot.

"No, love, you expected me to be blood bait. But let me remind you-"

"I know. Believe me, I know. You'll poison me with yours." He finished the sentence for her. He'd heard it a million times and he would never tire of hearing it if she would only try it once. The thought offered inspiration but he didn't act on it. He easily gained his father's permission to restrain her right after she arrived in Scotland but he never wanted to force her hand or lock her in a room, which actually worked well for Orlando. Almonzo wanted Tabitha to make the choice to stay but now, he was out of options.

She cleared her throat. "I think if circ.u.mstances were different, I might have been more..."

"Agreeable?" He resisted the urge to laugh. "I doubt it, because it isn't in your personality." He walked over to her with a slow, deliberate stride. "You're defiant and you know it. You like a challenge but you want it on your terms."

She wasted little time moving away from him. She immediately started for the door.

He grabbed her from behind and she wheeled around with an arm extended, ready to bring down a quick blow. He caught it mid-air. "Tabitha, do not strike unless you want a salacious counterattack." He warned her with a tone he never used with her before and it only inspired the machine behind the motive. "I will swat back in the barest of places." His upper lip curled to prevent his fangs from dropping. Nonetheless, he felt them underneath his swollen gum.

Tempered by desire raging out of control, he wanted her to realize she now treaded on a very different terrain. The new terms she set in motion piqued and then altered ground rules. She could thank her sa.s.sy little mouth for the slight adjustments.

"You wouldn't dare." After a few tugs, she relented proving she knew something changed when she threatened an unexpected leave. Perhaps it was her initial goal all along.

A firm grip only reminded him of facts once he felt her smooth skin under his fingertips. His soul, what he possessed of one, was already stamped by her insignia. He sure as h.e.l.l didn't want her hand imprint on his cheek. It would ignite anger and with it a l.u.s.t-filled frenzy followed. Then, he would force her with some measure of contempt only because he first wanted her willing consent.

In the beginning, he did not want to take her if she opposed, but now she played with fire-his heat. It was possible, though doubtful, that she didn't recognize the flames that now engulfed her because in the past, Almonzo kept his l.u.s.t in check.

"Provoke me again, love and you'll find out."

Her body went limp under his verbal subpoena. Still, her eyes didn't submit to the new order he deliberately set. "You can't make me do anything I don't want to do."

"No. You're right. I cannot. Well, I could and probably should, but I will not. Call me old-fashioned." He thought one thing, said another and then mused over her fighting spirit. He wanted one taste of it. A simple sip of energy shooting through the woman's distorted veins would be enough to satisfy him for a day, maybe two.

"Old-fashioned? You're more like a bygone. After all, vampires are supposed to be extinct!" She allowed the remarks to fall from her over-sized and apparently over-confident chest and lungs.

He didn't waste time showing her something to prove her wrong. He twisted her body to his, melding it with a strong hold meant to bring bodies together for more intimate touching. "I think somewhere someone lied to you. As you can see, I'm anything but dead and right now, I am more alive than I have ever felt in my life."

His c.o.c.k settled against her center. Clothing provided separation. It didn't prohibit stimulation. It washed over her quickly. If a tight upper lip and her knee to his groin allowed a better indication.

"Holy s.h.i.t!" He doubled over in pain as he dropped to his knees. Completely down on the ground with the force he caught below the belt, he moaned out in agony. "Crippling me will not help things, love!"

"Don't you ever use your d.i.c.k to vindicate yourself or the terms you want to set with me!" She shouted down at him and he quickly decided to bring on the h.e.l.l. She deserved it and as far as he was concerned, even asked for it by name.

"Screw you." He grabbed both her ankles and her a.s.s landed quickly beside his knees.

"Ouch!" Tears didn't spill on impact but her eyes watered soon after her unexpected landing. "Oh, h.e.l.l. I can't move." She stared straight ahead. "I can't move, I tell you!" The moans and groans were real but oddly enough, she seemed rather stunned. The tears, while restrained for the first few moments, fell with the agony of defeat as well as the earned pain.

He watched the first one drift over her cheek and felt some measure of guilt. It was still hard to carry all of the blame when a woman used the force of a man's will against him. Now, he carried it in the pit of his gut.

"d.a.m.n you! My a.s.s is molded to this floor! Ouch!" She continued to scream. "Tate! Help me! Help!" She screamed out for the family caretaker, another one in the household who quickly came whenever she beckoned or called. In fact, Almonzo felt like an outsider looking in, since the woman seemingly held everyone in his life under her spell.

"I despise you Almonzo Spenser! d.a.m.n you to your forbidden peace!"

"Go ahead, use condemnation all you want. It's not going to help us out here, Tabitha. You understand this already. Natasha told you everything." Still doubled over, he placed his palms down on the floor beside her b.u.t.t and pushed himself up. He bowed his back as the pressure took him to a different position. He rolled his shoulders up and over before he tossed his hair out of his face. "d.a.m.n it all!" The pain still existed. The woman knew how to disarm her man whether she wanted to claim him or not.

He stared down at her. For a moment, he really wanted to help her. That is, until the true ache of having his b.a.l.l.s kicked upward brought him right back down from the pain. After shouting out his agony and heartfelt misery once more, he offered a solution. "Would you please consider a truce?"

"What is it that you don't understand?" The tears began to use her cheeks as landing docks. "I cannot f.u.c.king move! I couldn't care less about arguing with you right now, Almonzo."

He gave her a bewildered look and that's when it really sank in. "Your tailbone?"