Forbidden Seduction

by R. L. Kenderson

  Demi pulled her shirt down. “I just took some.”

  “Good.” Siya sat back against the couch. “I’m sure you’ll be back to your normal self soon.”

  “I hope so. I hate staying back, feeling helpless, letting the men take care of me.”

  Siya squeezed Demi’s arm. “I know.”

  Demi’s grandmother hadn’t been very affectionate, and her mother hadn’t been around much, so a part of Demi always felt like she was on her own. Add in her super strength and senses compared to most humans, and the woman was fiercely independent.

  Thankfully, she was also wise enough to know that she was in no shape to take anyone on. But then again—

  “What are you thinking about?” Demi asked.

  “How smart you are for staying back when you know you need to recover.”

  Demi smiled. “Thank you.”

  “However, you weren’t smart enough to not take that guy on last night.”

  Demi’s smile fell, and she didn’t look too impressed with Siya.

  “I’m just calling it like it is.”

  “I still beat him, didn’t I?”

  “Demi.”

  “Yeah, yeah, you’re right. I won’t do anything like that again.”

  There was a sound from the hall, and Ram walked into the living room. His dark blond hair was wet, and he smelled freshly showered. He smiled when he saw Siya, and she had to fight to look away.

  “You must be Demi?” he said. “You weren’t conscious last night, but I was with Saxon when Siya called us.”

  “Ah…you must be Ram.” Demi held out her hand.

  Ram shook it. “It’s nice to meet you. Wish it were under better circumstances.”

  “Same here.” Demi smiled.

  “I’m going to go and look for something to eat. You two want anything?”

  “No, thank you,” Siya and Demi said at the same time.

  “We already ate,” Siya added. “Mrs. Llewelyn fed us a ton of food.”

  Ram chuckled. “Yeah, she’s good at that.”

  Once he was in the kitchen, Demi smacked Siya on the leg.

  He’s hot, she mouthed since the open-floor layout would carry anything she said right to Ram’s ears.

  Siya shrugged.

  Demi shook her head and rolled her eyes.

  “So, Ram”—Demi raised her voice—“do you have a girlfriend? A mate? Anything?”

  Ram looked over his shoulder from his search of the fridge. “I hope not, or I’ll be in trouble for sleeping next to Siya today.” He looked away.

  “What?” Demi said in a loud whisper.

  Siya shrugged again. “I’ll tell you later. It’s not a big deal.”

  “But—”

  The door to the bunkhouse opened, and a couple with an infant car seat walked through the door.

  “Hey, Ram,” the thin blonde female said.

  “Hey, Kenzie. Sawyer,” Ram said.

  “Hey, man,” the tawny-haired man responded.

  “What’s going on?” Ram asked.

  The man, Sawyer, set the car seat down and started unbuckling it. “We missed the meeting earlier, so we’re here to play catch-up.” He pulled out a tiny baby dressed in white and purple.

  “And we were told there was someone here who would like to meet Zoey,” the female, Kenzie, said.

  She turned and smiled at Siya and Demi staring from the couch. She walked over to Sawyer and held out her hands. Sawyer set the baby in the blonde’s arms, and then Kenzie walked over to the couch.

  “Which one of you is Demi?”

  Demi held up a hand. “That would be me.”

  “And you must be Siya?” Kenzie asked.

  “Yes,” Siya answered.

  “I’m Kenzie. I’m human,” she said to Siya. “We’re a rarity around here.”

  “I’ve noticed.”

  Kenzie laughed. “This is my mate, Sawyer.” She pointed to the man who had come in with her. “And this,” she said, looking down into her arms, “is Zoey, our little girl.”

  Siya gasped. “Demi, she’s just like you.”

  Demi smiled, but it was a little wobbly. “Is that true?”

  Kenzie smiled. “It is. Would you like to hold her?”

  “Can I?”

  “Of course.” Kenzie gently settled Zoey down into Demi’s arms.

  Siya moved closer to her friend. “Wow. She’s so little.” She picked up a tiny hand. “I want to hold her when you’re done.” She looked up at Kenzie. “If that’s okay with you?”

  “Of course.” Kenzie came and sat down next to Siya. “So, how have they been treating you?”

  “Fine. Why?” Siya widened her eyes. “Should I be worried?”

  Kenzie laughed. “No.” She looked at her mate and smiled knowingly. “Let’s just say, not everyone welcomed me with open arms when I came around.”

  Siya looked over at Sawyer. He looked like he wanted to eat Kenzie alive. “Somehow, I get the feeling that things have changed since then.”

  “You could definitely say that,” Kenzie said, her eyes still on her mate.

  The door to the bunkhouse opened again, and a beautiful dark-haired woman came through the door, holding hands with Aidan and Victoria.

  “Hey, Sawyer. Hey, Ram,” she said.

  Siya felt a pang of jealousy in her stomach. She knew it was just a chemical reaction, and it would pass. She’d only met Ram the night before, and while she admitted she was attracted to him, it wasn’t a big deal. She hardly developed a relationship with every man she was attracted to. Besides, if she had to guess, this would be Vaughn’s wife, or mate, since she was holding the hands of Vaughn’s children.

  Ram bowed slightly. “Hey, Princess.”

  “Princess?”

  “Oh, yeah. Naya’s parents are the king and queen of the vampires,” Kenzie answered.

  Siya hadn’t even realized that she’d spoken out loud.

  “Wow.”

  “Is Vaughn here?” Naya asked.

  Ram shook his head. “Not yet.”

  Naya let go of her kids’ hands, and they ran into the living room, straight to the corner where a toy box was located.

  “He should be here soon,” Sawyer said. “He texted me, saying he was on his way.”

  “Yeah, me, too,” Naya said. She turned toward the couch and began walking toward them. “Hey, ladies. I’m Naya—”

  The door opened again, and in walked a dark-haired man with a toddler on his hip. “Hey, Phoenix here yet?”

  Naya turned around. “No, but they should be here soon. At least, according to Vaughn’s text.”

  “Yeah, I got the same one from Phoenix.” He set the little boy down and swatted his bottom. “Go play.”

  The little toddler ran past Demi, Kenzie, and Siya with his little arms pumping back and forth until he reached Victoria and Aidan.

  “Who’s that?” Siya whispered to Kenzie.

  “That’s Dante. He’s the leader of the Guardians. His mate, Phoenix, is a cat-shifter. She went to live with the vampires when Naya and Vaughn mated. That’s why Ram lives with the shifters. The shifters and the vampires traded. But, since Sawyer couldn’t go with Vaughn and Tegan today to find Donald Wright, they called Phoenix to go.”

  “Guardians?”

  “Oh, the Guardians are the vampire equivalent of the sentinels. But, unlike Vance and Vaughn, the royal family doesn’t get involved with the dirty stuff. They sit in their big mansion and let others do the work.” Kenzie smiled. “But Naya’s different. She gave up her future seat on the throne to her cousin, so she could mate with Vaughn.”

  “Wow,” Demi said from the other side of Siya.

  “Yeah. She’s amazing.”

  The door to the bunkhouse opened once again, and in walked Vaughn, Tegan, and a woman with black-and-red hair. Camden and Kendall—Siya remembered the two of them taking the dead body the night before—came in behind those three about five seconds later.

  Vaughn grinned the second he sa
w Naya. “Hey, baby,” he told her before pulling her into his arms and kissing her.

  The red-and-black-haired woman kissed Dante, so Siya concluded she was Phoenix.

  “Hey, Red,” he said.

  “Hey. Where’s Ash?”

  Dante pointed to the living room. “Playing.”

  Demi unexpectedly handed baby Zoey to Siya. “What did you find out?” Demi asked, standing and interrupting everyone’s hellos.

  Vaughn turned from his mate and put his hands on his hips. “Phoenix, Tegan, and I went to his house, but no one was home when we got there, so we did a search.”

  “We broke in,” Phoenix explained.

  “Yeah, that,” Vaughn said. “Reid said the house belongs to Donald’s mother, but it looks like he lives there. Or he stays there a lot, going by the mess in his room. I’m sure my father will have someone surveil the house to watch for him to come home.” He looked at Camden and Kendall. “Did you two have any luck? Was he at work?”

  Camden shook his head. “We went to the last place of employment listed. Not only was he not there, but his former boss also said he hasn’t worked there in over a month.”

  Demi fell back down to the couch. “Well, that was anticlimactic. He’s just some jobless loser who lives with his mom.”

  Vaughn smiled sympathetically. “Don’t worry. We’ll have Reid do some more digging. We’ll find this guy and see why he downloaded the video of you.”

  Siya looked at her friend’s face. She hoped so because she hated to think her friend was in trouble.

  Chapter 21

  “You can’t go home.”

  Demi sighed. She appreciated Saxon’s worry, but he was overexaggerating.

  “Yes, I can.” She should have just left after Vaughn and Camden had come back from finding nothing, but she had thought it would be nice of her to tell Saxon good-bye.

  Saxon looked around the crowded living room, grabbed Demi’s hand, and pulled her down to his room.

  Camden was standing in front of an open closet.

  “Get out,” Saxon commanded.

  Camden raised an eyebrow.

  Saxon sighed. “Please.”

  Camden shook his head and left the room.

  “There was a time when that kid was scared of me and did everything I said,” Saxon said.

  “That must have been before he came to his senses,” Demi countered. “Plus, he’s hardly a kid.”

  “It’s not important. What is important is you staying safe.”

  “I’ve considered your concern, but I don’t think I have anything to be worried about.” Demi held up her arms. “Besides, I think I’ve proven I can take care of myself.”

  “But, now, you’re injured.”

  He was kind of right about that.

  “And what if something happens to your wound?”

  A perfect idea came to her. She walked over and opened the bedroom door. “Siya,” she called down the hall.

  A few seconds later, Siya came into view. “Yeah?”

  “Can I stay at your place tonight?”

  Siya shrugged. “Sure.”

  Demi smiled. “Thank you.”

  Siya turned, and Demi shut the door.

  “See? Now, I won’t be home in case this guy finds my address, and I have my own personal nurse to watch over me.”

  “Siya’s a nurse?”

  “Yep. And a damn good one, too.”

  “I still don’t like it.”

  Demi sighed. “I’m thankful for your concern, but, Saxon, you really don’t have to be.” She studied his face. “I don’t really understand why you feel so responsible for me. I’m not your girlfriend or anything.”

  “Girlfriend? That’s such a human term.”

  She shrugged. “I’m half-human, in case you forgot.”

  He stepped closer. “I might not be your boyfriend, but in case you forgot, I’ve been inside you.”

  She sucked in a breath. Oh, she was sure she’d never forget that as long as she lived. She wasn’t going to tell him, but Saxon was the best goddamn lay she’d ever had.

  Demi put her hands on his chest. “Yes, you’ve made me come a few times, but that doesn’t mean you have to uproot your life for me.”

  His chest vibrated under her palms as he growled, and her breathing quickened.

  Saxon looked down at Demi’s hands touching his chest as her arousal filled the room. He looked up to her face, seeing the determination there that she could take care of herself. She’d brought up some good points, but he didn’t like it.

  In fact, it pissed him off. And he didn’t know why.

  And her scent was messing with his head. He wanted to make her come again.

  Saxon pushed his fingers into her hair and kissed her.

  Demi immediately opened her mouth for him and wrapped her arms around his neck.

  He teased her mouth as he spun her around and guided her back toward his bed.

  She must have known immediately where this was going because she pulled at the back of his T-shirt until she yanked it off his head.

  With their lips separated, he pushed her back onto his bed and reached for her pants. She was still wearing the scrubs she’d worn when leaving the infirmary. He needed to send her home in something better. Something that didn’t remind him of her being injured.

  He tore the pants in half, and Demi gasped right before her eyes lit up, and she bit her bottom lip as she grinned.

  She wasn’t wearing any underwear, and Saxon pushed two fingers inside her.

  She moaned as her eyes closed, and her head fell back.

  “Nice and wet. Just the way I like it.” Saxon pulled his hand away and stood. He shucked off his pants. “Take off your shirt.”

  She didn’t fight him, which was good because all her talk about boyfriends and girlfriends had given him an idea. She might not like it, but it would give him peace of mind, and it would give her the freedom she obviously desired.

  He lifted his chin toward the head of his bed, and she scooted up to the headboard.

  With both of them naked, Saxon stretched his body over hers and took her mouth again. She ran a hand down his back, and the other she used to grab his cock. The scent of her arousal spiked, and he growled into her mouth. He knocked her hand away and pushed inside her body.

  Despite her odd half-shifter mating heat being absent, he found that he wanted her just as much.

  Demi pulled her lips away. “Fuck me harder.”

  Saxon grinned. He’d purposely been taking his time. “If I do that, everyone out there is going to know what we’re doing in here. Plus, I don’t want to hurt you.”

  “I don’t care. I want to feel you.”

  He grunted. “Fuck.” He hooked the leg of her good side under his arm and pressed her knee to her shoulder. “Okay?” he asked.

  She nodded.

  He drove into her hard, and Demi moaned. His headboard also slammed against the wall. He did it again. He loved watching her reaction.

  “More. Give me more,” she demanded.

  Saxon stopped playing and began thrusting inside her as deep as he could go and at a rhythm that had her practically vibrating underneath him.

  He kissed her mouth again and down to her ear. Testing her, Saxon nipped at Demi’s ear. Rather than push him away, she turned her face toward her raised knee, leaving her neck open and bare for Saxon.

  He dug his toes into the mattress, giving him the best angle to get Demi off. He watched her face as she moved closer and closer to her orgasm. Occasionally, he dropped kisses on her shoulder and sucked on the skin there.

  Her pussy started clenching down on his cock, and Saxon could barely hold himself back any longer. He dragged his teeth over her neck, and Demi came for him so unexpectedly that he almost forgot his plan.

  Just in time, he bit down on her as his own climax hit him so hard that he tasted blood in his mouth. It took a minute or so for his senses to straighten, and Saxon unclenched his jaw from Demi’s shoulder an
d slowly withdrew his shaft from her sweet heat, barbs and all.

  Demi came again while Saxon only had enough energy to flop down next to her as he waited to catch his breath and for his strength to return to his body.

  He ran his hand down her stomach and in between her legs. He pushed his finger into her, coating it with his seed. He painted the inside of each thigh with his semen and his scent. He rolled on his side, getting up on an elbow to get a better angle, and dragged his other hand between her legs until he felt he had gathered enough wetness.

  He trailed his fingers over her mound and stomach and up to her breasts. After sucking on each nipple, he brushed his fingertips over the hardened buds. His trail ended when his scent covered each collarbone, and he looked into her eyes.

  She lifted her brow. “Marking me, huh? That’s the way we’re going to play this?”

  He shrugged a shoulder. “This way, if Donald Wright finds you, he’ll know that he’s not messing with just you.”

  “Maybe you should have all your friends come in here and come on my naked body. That’ll really warn Donald off.”

  Saxon’s vision went hazy, and his nostrils flared.

  “Whoa, Saxon, it was a joke.” Demi’s eyes were round. She put her hand on his chest. “I was kidding.”

  Saxon jumped off the bed. “Yeah, well, it wasn’t funny.” He went to his dresser and began going through the drawers.

  He heard the sound of Demi moving on the bed.

  “Damn, I’m bleeding.”

  Saxon closed his eyes and winced. “Sorry about that.”

  “It’s fine.”

  There was a sound of a tissue being pulled out of the box. Demi cleared her throat just as Saxon pushed the last drawer closed, and he turned back to her.

  “Does this mean I’m your mate?”

  He stepped forward and handed her the items of clothing he’d picked out. “You can wear these.”

  She looked down at her ripped scrub pants. “Thanks.”

  “And, no, we’re not mates.” He pointed to his own neck. “No markings.”

  Demi pulled his T-shirt over her head. “So, you bite my neck and rub your cum all on me while you walk around with nothing on you. Isn’t that a little sexist?”

  They both pulled pants on. He had given her a pair of nylon shorts with a drawstring that she could tighten since his clothes were too big for her.