“Sure, what do you need?”

Amaury frowned. “I’m kind of tied up here. Would you mind coming over and helping me out of this jam?”

“What jam?”

“I’m tied up.” He tightened his jaw and closed his eyes in an attempt to breathe through the pain.

“Yeah, you said. But what jam?”

If this ever got out, Amaury would be the laughing stock in the vampire world.

“That’s the jam. I’m tied up.”

There was silence on the other end, then a stifled laugh. “Oh, I’ve got to see this. Be there in twenty minutes.”

The click in the line confirmed Thomas had hung up. Amaury could imagine the grin on his friend’s face right now. He looked at the clock. It was just past four in the morning.

Thomas was true to his word. Twenty minutes later Amaury heard the key turn in the lock and his friend enter with his heavy biker boots. For safety reasons they all had spare keys to each other’s homes.

Without much luck Amaury tried to cover himself with the tangled sheets, but they were twisted underneath him and didn’t reach to his midsection. He cursed under his breath. A moment later his friend, clad in his customary leathers, came through the door and perused him in all his naked glory.

“Now that’s a sight I haven’t had the pleasure to—”

Amaury shot him an annoyed look. It was embarrassing to be checked out by a gay guy, even if he was one of his friends. “Don’t even think about it.”

“No wonder the ladies are always after you.” Thomas clearly examined his erection.

Amaury rattled at the chain, trying to divert his attention. “Do you mind?” he pressed out through clenched teeth.

Thomas stepped closer and pulled his biker gloves from his leather jacket. “I knew you were into kinky shit, but silver?” He tsked as he slipped into the black gloves.

“This wasn’t of my own choosing.”

“Pray, tell.” His friend laughed.

“I don’t kiss and tell.” Amaury pressed his lips together into a thin line. “Are you gonna free me or did you come to stare?”

“I thought I’d just stare until you tell me how you got into this. I have time. It’s been a slow night. Besides, I’m bored.”

Thomas clearly enjoyed himself at his expense. His friend sat on the edge of the bed, and Amaury instantly moved in the opposite direction.

“Cover me up with the sheet, and maybe I’ll tell you what happened.”

“Maybe isn’t gonna get you anything. Hurts, huh?”

“The sheet,” Amaury insisted tersely.

“Which portion do you want covered?” Thomas grinned from one ear to the other.

Amaury graced him with a sour look, before Thomas finally complied and reached for the tangled sheet.

“And I don’t want your hands coming anywhere near my dick.”

“How about my mouth?”

“Thomas!”

“Just joking. You should see your face. Go on then, spill.” Thomas placed the bedsheet over Amaury’s lower body. “Which of your vamp ladies played this little prank on you? She must have been good, given the boner you’re still sporting.”

Amaury cringed. “You don’t know her.”

“I know every single vampire female in this town, not as intimately as you do, of course, but nevertheless I do know each one.”

“You don’t know her.”

Thomas took hold of the sheet at if to pull it off Amaury again.

“Keep that right there,” Amaury warned and motioned to the sheet Thomas used for his blackmail.

“New in town?”

Another tug at the bedsheet. Amaury shook his head, then he looked his friend right in the eye. “She’s not a vampire.”

Thomas let go of the bed linen.

“Not a …? Oh, Amaury, what the hell are you doing? A human? You let yourself be tied up by a human? Are you crazy?”

Probably.

“Listen. It happened. I survived it. It’s over.” The less he made it sound like a big deal in front of his friend the better. “Now get that chain off me.”

Thomas held up his hand. “Hold on. Not so fast. Did you wipe her memory before she left?”

“Didn’t get a chance.” Truth be told, he hadn’t even thought of it, that’s how drugged with desire he’d been. And besides, he suspected it wouldn’t have worked. Somehow Nina had been able to resist his mind control. He’d never met a human who was immune to it. This fact intrigued him even more. Why was Nina so different?