by Ginna Moran
Jameson squeezes me to him like he’s never going to let me go, and Bronx doesn’t ask him to either. Instead, he stands behind his brother and touches my cheek, kissing me on the lips. I stretch my arms out and half hug him from Jameson’s arms, just breathing in his scent, filling my lungs with the calm and safeness his presence exudes.
“You okay, dandelion?” he asks softly, searching my eyes.
I shrug. “I don’t know. I’m so confused. Mikkalo said these guys were more powerful than you.” I crinkle my nose at the thought.
He tightens his jaw. “Only together. But don’t worry. We’re going to tear them apart one by one. You’re our girl, and I’m not letting anyone think otherwise.”
My lips pull into a smile. “As your girl, I demand you guys take me home.”
He chuckles. “Yeah?”
I tighten my lips. “I want a hot bath, a massage, something hot to eat, including the lot of you, and snuggles.”
Jameson purrs in my ear. “You heard our girl, Bronxy. Get to it so we can get the hell out of here.”
I wave my hand. “He’s right. I’m going to devour him otherwise.”
Jameson tilts his head, exposing his neck. “You better be true to your word.”
“Always.” I graze my teeth along his throat until I reach the spot I know he likes. I bite down, and he releases the sexiest noise, holding me close.
“Damn,” Mikkalo whispers. “Me next.”
I laugh, licking the blood from my lips. “I have the perfect spot in mind.”
Everett chuckles and whacks him on the back. “All right. I’m after.”
Bronx shakes his head. “Careful, Gwen. They’re all going to want to return the favor.”
I toss my hair over my shoulder. “If you can finish in five minutes, I might even let you on the way home.”
Mikkalo materializes in front of me and kisses me. “Best plan ever.”
I can’t help but agree.
Chapter 26
Surprise
WARM WATER STREAMS DOWN MY chest as Mikkalo rinses the shampoo from my hair. I lean back into him, enjoying the slippery feeling of his body against mine in the bubble bath he drew the second Everett, Bronx, and Jameson retreated to their rooms after dinner. I could tell they wanted to stay longer, but I knew I’d probably never sleep then. It’ll be hard enough trying to with Mikkalo as he slides his fingers over my nipples, gently pinching them while kissing my throat.
I hum under my breath, tilting my head back to feel the cool air sending goosebumps across my skin. “That feels so good.”
He brushes his lips on my shoulder, tracing his fingers to my stomach. “What about this?”
I inhale a breath as his hand slips lower, and he rubs between my legs. I moan my response, shifting in the water under the pressure he creates that sends my whole body buzzing. The stiffness of his arousal glides against my lower back, and I run my fingers up and down his legs, unable to sit still a moment longer.
“Mikkalo,” I say, his name moaning from my mouth. “Let’s get out. I can’t stand going another moment without showing you how much you mean to me.”
He lifts me from the bath, grabbing a towel from a hook. “I know how much I mean to you,” he says, adjusting me in his arms. “You saved my life. I’ve never been so scared of anything until I thought someone would take you from us. So let me show you exactly how much you mean to me, Gwen. I love you. I love you more than my own existence.”
I grin at his words, kissing him again. “So you’re kind of mad that I did what I did?” I tease.
His eyes flash silver. “Furious. But damn was it hot. I’ve never been protected like that.”
“I hope you know I’ll always protect you. I love you too, Mikkalo. More than my own life.”
My back hits the soft bed, and Mikkalo sinks against me, kissing me with so much passion that I can feel the heat of his love deep in my soul, burning away the cold pieces of fear and dread arisen from the Baron Coven.
His mouth breaks from mine, and he explores my neck with his lips and tongue, sucking and licking his way down to my breasts. He slips his finger between my legs, teasing me enough to make me arch my back from the pleasure he sends spiraling through me. Everything about this moment with Mikkalo is so utterly perfect. The heat of my skin warming him. The softness of his mouth trailing over my stomach as he memorizes every inch of me with his lips. How our hearts beat in sync almost as if we’re a soul split in two finally coming together as we belong.
Mikkalo shifts his body between my legs and hooks his fingers to my hips. He rolls me on top of him so that I’m straddling his broad chest, my knees resting on both sides of his neck. I release a breath, anticipation making my body tremble. Mikkalo retracts his fangs and smiles at me, easing me closer to his head so that I now straddle his face.
A loud-ass moan escapes my lips, and I bend forward, pressing my palms to the wall to keep myself from smothering him. He digs his fingers into my ass cheeks, gently guiding my hips back and forth as he kisses and sucks and licks my clit in a way that makes me pant. He closes his eyes like he enjoys every bit of me, and I savor the explosion of pleasure rushing through me.
Mikkalo continues to explore my body with his mouth, lifting me up a bit to reach the spot where he had given me a pleasure bite. My body tenses in anticipation, and he releases a deep, throaty cross between a moan and a growl at my reaction. The buzzing sensation sends my body over the edge, and he digs his fingers right into the spot still tingling with the memory. I jerk forward with one of the most intense orgasms of my life, my thighs clenching Mikkalo’s head as good spasms rush through me, curling my toes. He slows down and licks his lips, his desire prominent as he slides me lower.
He sits up, resting his back on the headboard, aligning my body with his. I shudder and moan, feeling the pressure of his thick girth tease me, testing me, just slowly enjoying me like he wants us to savor every moment of our first time together.
“You’re so sexy,” Mikkalo says, the click of his fangs sounding in my ear. “So delectable. I love everything about you.”
I moan, bowing my head to his shoulder to kiss his now heated skin. Grazing my teeth along his tight muscles, I nip him just hard enough to make him release what sounds like a deep purr from his throat. “I’ve been thinking about this moment with you. Everything is better than I imagined.”
He nudges my chin so that he can meet my eyes. “Let me watch. I want to see you enjoy me.”
I breathe through my parted lips, anticipation growing with the pressure of his erection sliding into me. I dig my nails into his shoulders, releasing a breathless moan at how deep he sinks into me. He closes his eyes, tightening his fingers to my hips, rocking me a few times until I take over, gasping every time my thighs meet his hips.
He kisses me softly, stealing the moans from my mouth, running his fingers from my hips and up and down the length of my back. His fingers twist in my hair as he holds me close, taking over when my legs turn to jelly. He eases me onto my back, never separating from me, positioning my legs onto one of his shoulders. He picks up his speed, thrusting into me, his moans matching mine. He links his fingers of one hand with mine while holding my legs with his other, keeping his eyes on mine as I arch my back and enjoy every minute of pleasure.
Mikkalo’s eyes flash silver, and he sucks in his full bottom lip between his teeth, biting it with his orgasm. He opens my legs to rest on me, kissing and teasing me with a few drops of his blood coating his lip just for me. I moan and kiss him deeper, my heart and body so content that all I want to do is lie here and listen to Mikkalo’s breathing and his rapid heart beating, thumping against mine.
We savor the silence, the closeness of our entangled bodies long after we finish, just enjoying the comfort and happiness we bring to each other.
“I want this forever, you know,” Mikkalo says, watching me stroll from the bathroom in only one of his T-shirts. “I never want to experience another day without you.”
<
br /> I smile and kiss him, sliding back into bed. “I’d love that.”
Mikkalo drapes his arm over my shoulders and pulls me into his body so that no space dares remain between us. “We’ll make it happen.”
I puff a breath of air through my lips. “You talked to Everett.” Except now I worry that my forever will end by the hands of the Barons despite what Freeport told me about my supposed immortality, which I’m not even so sure I believe.
Mikkalo kisses my temple. “I did. And I thought you should hear it again from me, Gwen.” Shifting, he smiles at me. “We will get forever together.”
I bob my head. “I believe you.”
He smiles. “Good. It’s my vow to you.”
Turning my head, I peer at him. “A Blood Vow?”
His smile widens at my reaction. “You’re dying to know what that is, aren’t you?”
“Well, yeah. The Barons—” I stop talking at the frown crossing his face. “Never mind. I don’t want to give them even another second of my thoughts. You’re all I want to think about.”
“We’ll talk about Blood Vows later, my vow is more...a Gwen Vow. And you’re all I want to think about. All I want to taste. To hear. To feel.” He hooks his arm around my side and pulls me close so that I can lie on top of him. I cage his head between my elbows and give him the affection he craves, kissing him with the same fervent passion emanating from his every touch and kiss and gasp of breath. Mikkalo consumes my senses, fogging the world around us so it’s just me and him together.
But the sound of heavy footsteps breaks the wall of love we surround ourselves in.
He sits up with me, keeping his hands on my lower back, and we both hold our breaths to listen to the clomping of definite human feet. No vampire would ever be that loud. I expect the shock alarms to go off at any second and even cover my ears in anticipation, but Mikkalo pulls my hands from my head.
“The alarms only go off with intruders,” he says, reaching over to swipe his com device from the nightstand. “That’s one of the staff members.”
I slide onto the bed next to him to glance at his com device as he brings up the security feeds of the property. We’re greeted with a bunch of blank screens. Half the feeds aren’t showing. Mikkalo stiffens and abandons me on the bed, rushing to his office. I scoot to the end of the bed and dangle my legs off, watching him lean on his desk and peer at the dozen screens on the wall.
He rubs his chin, his muscles bulging and flexing with his movements. “What the hell,” he mutters to himself without looking at me.
A soft tap on the door draws my attention away from him. “Mr. Royale? I need to speak to you.” A masculine voice sounds through the door, setting off my fear instincts like crazy.
Mikkalo ignores the guy at the bedroom door, even when he tries to turn the knob. Mikkalo continues to study his security screens, not paying attention to the guy turning desperate with his knocking.
“Mr. Royale!” the guy yells.
Fear trickles over me, and I hop out of bed and pad across the room to join Mikkalo. He hooks one arm around me, pulling me close without a word. I try to see what he’s looking at, but there’s a lot of jumbled words and images that I can’t decipher.
The guy bangs and kicks on the door, and I squeeze Mikkalo tighter.
“What’s going on?” I finally ask, sensing that Mikkalo might not offer me the information otherwise. He’s currently consumed with his monitors. “Are we under attack? Is that why the feeds are down?”
He breaks his gaze on the feeds to look at me. “No one triggered the perimeter barriers, and the security cameras are all coming back.” He taps the screen to get me to look. “And I can’t see anything wrong. Can you?”
I blink a few times, surprised that he asks me. I bend forward, resting my palm on the desk, and search each feed one by one for something out of the ordinary. The only thing I notice is a strange man in the hallway outside our door. His twisted features display panic across his face, and he even jumps up and down, now waving at the camera.
“Am I imagining this dude?” I ask, tapping my finger to the screen.
Mikkalo tightens his jaw. “No.”
“So...are you not going to answer the door?” I find it weird that we just remain here.
He nods. “Not with you here. I’m waiting for my brothers. They’re almost done with the sweep.”
He points at one of the feeds, and I spot the three of them standing together just outside the door that leads to the path to the gym building. They hide in full sun protective gear under a pop-up awning that shelters them from the bright sunlight pouring through the property.
Just the sight of them outside makes me nervous as hell. “Hurry up, guys,” I whisper, more to myself.
Bronx shifts and looks at the camera. “We’re fine, dandelion. Nice and toasty if anything.”
Jameson chuckles from beside him. “Hot as fuck.”
“But safe,” Everett says.
Mikkalo hugs me tighter, sensing my nerves. “Just hurry up. Our girl is stressing out. We have a visitor at the door.”
The three of them disappear from sight, and I release a breath at their appearance outside our door. The guy doesn’t even look at them, continuing to bang on the door, calling for Mikkalo. Bronx waves his hand, motioning for Mikkalo to answer the door. Jameson stands tense behind the guy, looking ready to tackle him. Everett waits off to the side, just studying the guy, remaining expressionless.
“Stay here,” Mikkalo tells me, pointing at the rolling chair.
I plop down on it and nod. “Got it.”
As much as my curiosity nags at me to follow him, my good senses scream that I better keep my ass planted on this chair and watch from the safety of the feed. I can’t see Mikkalo, since there isn’t a security camera in the room, so I continue to stare at Bronx, Jameson, and Everett.
“Mr. Royale, I need to speak with you.” The guy’s voice booms through the room. “Where is Ms. Gallagher?”
I shiver at the sound of my human-given name, despite knowing that the staff wouldn’t usually call me that. I became a Royale the second I arrived here, even before I fell for my guys and let them claim me.
“That is none of your business, Mr. Geoff. Do not forget your place in our household.” Mikkalo’s deep voice reverberates through me as he uses the tone I’ve only heard him use to intimidate others.
I can’t stop myself from frowning at his referral to the guy, Mr. Geoff’s, place either.
Bronx materializes in the doorway and strides to my side, not giving me a chance to get to my feet before I find myself in his arms and sitting on his lap as he steals the chair from me. He swivels and looks at the feeds without a sound, hugging his arms around me.
“I’m sorry, Mr. Royale. Please forgive me. It’s just important that I speak with Ms. Gallagher,” Mr. Geoff says.
“What is this regarding?” Everett asks, keeping his voice even compared to the soft warning growls erupting from Mikkalo.
“Where is Ms. Gallagher?” Mr. Geoff repeats, ignoring Everett. “I need to speak to Ms. Gallagher.”
The desperation in the guy’s voice makes me push against Bronx, but he holds me in place on his lap. I twist and frown at him, and he tightens his jaw and matches my glare. Bronx has the nerve to lean in and kiss me, even with my annoyance from him pinning me. And damn my body. I totally devour his lips, tasting the sweetness of his kiss. He smiles the cockiest smile in all of existence like he just knew a kiss would work to keep me from trying to bolt out there. So I wiggle my ass on his lap, shifting and moving and rubbing against him until I feel the bulge of his boner.
“Careful, dandelion,” he murmurs into my ear. “I take your teasing seriously.”
Fuck. Me. I don’t even know why I try to play games with him. It always seems to backfire. “I bet you do.”
He hums, tightening his fingers to my legs. “I don’t know if I can wait another two nights to be with you.”
“Ms. Gallagher!”
Mr. Geoff’s voice echoes through the air, pulling our attention away from each other.
Jameson materializes in the doorway, resting his arms on the frame. “He’s not going to stop. He’s been manipulated.”
Bronx releases a growl in my ear. “I don’t want him near our girl.”
“Then what do you want us to do? If we try to break it, it could cause brain damage,” Everett says from behind Jameson. “Geoff is our best staff member. He has family. I’m not willing to risk it.”
I swivel and touch Bronx’s cheek. “What he said.”
Bronx narrows his eyes at me. “No.”
“No?” I repeat.
Jameson groans. “Now you’ve done it, Bronxy.”
I glare at him next. “Jamie.”
Jameson sticks his tongue out at me. “We don’t want you to speak with Geoff because if he’s had his mind manipulated, he could have been commanded to do something insane like attack you. Then we’d definitely kill him. Like Everett said, we don’t want to risk jeopardizing him.”
I sigh and scrub my face with my hands. “Then what do we do?”
“Maybe through the com line would suffice. Most vampires don’t think the specifics like that through. He might’ve been commanded to do something upon sight of our girl,” Mikkalo says from his spot near the door. I can’t see him, but I can still see Mr. Geoff pacing the hallway because Mikkalo blocks him from getting in.
Bronx heaves a sigh and taps the screen a few times. Mikkalo’s face appears on the screen in front of us, his eyes flashing silver in agitation. I can’t blame him. I’m annoyed as hell too by the interruption of our most perfect day together.
“Gwen, you don’t have to say anything. Just listen to what he has to say,” Mikkalo says.
I bite my lip between my teeth and nod.
Tapping the screen, he disappears and Mr. Geoff comes into view. Mr. Geoff freezes in place, finally calming down. Mikkalo’s idea worked.
“Ms. Gallagher, thank you for seeing me,” Mr. Geoff says almost as if I’m standing right in front of him. “There is a package waiting for you in the entryway. It must be opened at once.”