All Others (Vampire Assassin League Book 27) by Jackie Ivie Read Free Book Online Page B

shoulder and part of the hollow log atop her other one. The load had to be staggering. That bore thinking on, too. When his brain returned to functioning capability.
    Maybe he should phrase that differently. Not
when
but
if
his brain functioning capability returned. From wherever it had gone.
    “And look there, Tassy. We can start a bonfire. She brought a log.”
    “Not with this wood, you don’t.”
    Tessa answered. Cam would have forced his chin up or swiveled his head, but nothing worked. He had never felt this exhausted. Ever. He’d done marathons, triathlons, and obstacle courses all over the country. He’d even done the North Slope 12k Hard Body event in Colorado. Not just the spring event. He’d completed the grueling winter version, too. Twice. Took second place last year. He had the awards and badges to prove all of it. But this exhaustion was different. It was both mental and physical. He knew how debilitating either condition was. He’d never experienced both at the same time. It was paralyzing.
    “Are you Len?” Tessa asked.
    “Yep. Leonard Griggins. At your service. And this is Tassanee, my fiancée.”
    “My. My. What a lovely woman. I wonder what she sees in you.”
    “Ha-ha. Very funny. So. Tell me. This, the new guy?”
    “Actually, I enjoy hefting strange men through the bayou. I do it all the time.”
    “Aren’t we testy this evening.”
    New guy?
    Those words limped through Cam’s head. They might mean something. He wished his mind would work. He felt like a toddler in need of a nap. Probably resembled one. This dream just kept getting weirder and weirder. He assigned this aberration in the fabric of reality to a dream. It was the best option. He had four of them. Being in the midst of a dream was the best. He’d decided that as this gorgeous superwoman did something magical to his neck. She’d taken her time. Sent his entire being into a space-altering realm. A vista of lavender-shaded wonder had opened before him. Beckoned him. He’d balked momentarily. Questioned things. Came up with, and gone through, the four options facing him. But then he’d succumbed.
    That’s why he wasn’t toting her. Or the chunk of hollow log she had on her other shoulder. At least he thought that was the view when she’d hefted him. His head had lolled to one side, but he’d caught a glimpse of her load. Wow. Tessa Queen wasn’t just the most gorgeous woman he’d ever seen. She possessed superhuman strength, a body that should be immortalized in statuary, a glance that stopped hearts, screaming-hot vibes that came with every touch...
    And that was before he factored in what she could do with those lips of hers!
    His body would have shuddered with remembered ecstasy if he wasn’t semi-paralyzed. Tessa Queen was the embodiment of his dream woman. He didn’t think he possessed enough imagination to conjure her.
    But it fit.
    Because he was dreaming.
    That really was the best option, although a psychotic episode came in a close second. That would be a shame. He couldn’t go insane. He had bills to pay. His condo mortgage payment. Utilities. Three more years of student debt for his doctorate. He had a class to prepare for. Experiments to conduct. He had perishables in his refrigerator. An upcoming appointment with his dentist. Insanity wasn’t a viable option.
    Oh.
    Good.
    His brain was starting to work again.
    Third option? He was dead. If that was the case, he’d have all the insanity issues, and then he had to add in the mess his death would leave for his next of kin – whoever that was. He had a trust set up, and an executor named. Unfortunately that had been his great-aunt, and she’d died over the summer. He hadn’t assigned a new one yet. Talk about a probate nightmare. Then again, he might not have anything left once the student debt got settled and lawyers paid.
    The fourth option was beyond consideration. It would require a paradigm shift beyond his capability. Because this could be real.