A Dangerous Man

by Raven Stone

  “I know, Jamie. I can tell this isn’t sexual,” Degarr said softly. “This is about comfort, isn’t it?” His eyes dipped to Jamie’s hand on my stomach, before raising to my eyes. “What I don’t understand, love, is if you wanted comfort, why didn’t you come to me?”

  “I don’t. I’m fine,” I replied. I tried to stand up again, determined to stop everyone from making a fuss.

  Jamie’s arm tightened around my waist, keeping me there. He put his free hand on my neck, his fingers finding that tender patch of skin along the nape, and my body went boneless.

  “Dammit,” I said.

  “She doesn’t ask for comfort when she needs it,” Jamie said softly. “You have to chase her down. She was alone for a very long time, Garr. Longer than me, and longer than Gideon.”

  Degarr nodded, his eyes thoughtful. “How are you doing that?”

  “Like this.”

  Degarr peered closer, as Jamie swiped his thumb across my skin again.

  “Dammit,” I said again, even as the warm, good feeling spread through me.

  “That’s the Wolf’s Patch,” Allura said. “That little bit of skin. It’s especially sensitive on wolves.”

  “I’m not a wolf,” I told her.

  “You could be,” she said.

  I tensed, not sure what she meant by that.

  “Only if you want to,” Jamie said quickly.

  Degarr smiled at me. “Or you could become a vampire. Or stay a human. Your choices are open here.” He put his hands under my arms. “Let’s lift her up, Jamie.”

  The two of them got me to my feet. I was damn tempted to pull them to me, to be the happy middle of a Jamie-Degarr sandwich, but I didn’t.

  Degarr cupped my face.

  “What upset you?” he asked.

  I cringed.

  I wasn’t the open type.

  It was very clear, though, that something had gone wrong for me. And I was beginning to think this was one of the safest places on the planet. If I couldn’t talk about how I felt here, then where could I?

  “The caring.” I admitted. “All of you care about each other.” My gaze swept the others, before returning to the intense grey eyes in front of me. “It got to me, that’s all.” I blew out a breath.“Nadia,” he said softly, his thumb stroking my jaw.

  “You never would have abandoned me in Brazil, or trapped me there, would you?” I blurted out.

  Fuck.

  I knew it was a stupid question, but it had been hammering through my brain for days before we went on this little trip.

  Even though I knew we’d be staying in the States.

  Even though I knew I would be fine.

  The fear had still been there.

  So I had to ask the question, even though I knew it was stupid. I stared into the eyes of the man in front of me, and I knew in my bones, in my heart, that this man wouldn’t trap me, or just leave me someplace. Not this man who collected strays like Jamie, Gideon, and me.

  “No, love.” Degarr smiled. “I never would.”

  And he hugged me.

  Chapter 66

  Nadia – New York

  After a few moments, Degarr seemed to realize that there were other people around us. He let me go as his gaze swept them.

  “What are all of you doing here?” he asked.

  “The King would like to talk with you,” Zine said. “Fiona and I wanted to spend some time with Nadia anyways, so we figured now would be a good time.”

  His gaze bounced between her and Fiona.

  “You’re not going to interrogate her, are you? Or turn her over to Cerone?” he asked.

  Zine’s lips twitched. “No, it’ll just be us.”

  “We’ll take good care of her.” Fiona squeezed Degarr’s arm, and they shared a look, reminding me that I hadn’t had a chance to ask about their relationship.

  “Okay,” he said.

  Fiona smiled.

  “I need to take a shower, and then I can talk with the King,” he added, leaving the kitchen.

  “We’ll get out of your hair too,” Allura said, including Jamie and Gideon in her statement with a gesture.

  That reminded me that I had a question about his relationship with Allura too.

  “Degarr, when did Allura see you naked?” I asked.

  He stopped in his tracks, and shot a pinched look at Allura. “Really?”

  “She was concerned about me going into your bedroom. I wanted to assure her it wasn’t anything I hadn’t seen before.” She smiled wickedly.

  “You are Cerone’s soulmate, I swear.” He sighed. “Ask Zine.” He crossed his arms and stared at the other vampire.

  A gentle blush spread across Zine’s cheeks. “I can be a bit overzealous when it comes to my work –”

  Jamie snorted.

  “– and the King wasn’t answering his phone,” she finished.

  “Because he was with me,” Degarr said pointedly. “The sun had barely set, and the King and I were a bit too occupied to pay attention to his phone.”

  Oh.

  Zine turned a bright red. “I didn’t see a thing.”

  “I got an eyeful,” Allura said.

  “It hasn’t happened again,” Zine added.

  “Thankfully.” Degarr sighed, then caught my eyes. “Resign yourself now to the fact that everyone in this room will see you naked at some point, and probably the majority of the people on the property as well.”

  I found myself smiling, in spite of his obvious discomfort. “You have nothing to be ashamed of, baby. You’re gorgeous.”

  “Oh, for fuck’s sake.” Degarr turned away, headed for his shower.

  I could swear I saw the hint of a blush on his cheeks before he turned away.

  Chapter 67

  Degarr – New York

  The King had lied.

  He spent all of a minute talking about some official matter before shoving me up against a wall and sticking his tongue down my throat.

  “This isn’t talking.” I reminded him, once I’d torn my mouth away from his.

  He ran his tongue along my skin and I gasped, my head hitting the wall even as my hand tangled in his hair.

  “We talked,” Gabriel said. “And your wolf and my gatori convinced us to take weekends off, remember? We’re supposed to be relaxing. Having fun.” His hands slipped under my shirt, making it clear what he thought was fun. “I’ve even distracted our prying, curious Zine with your human. That should give us twenty minutes at least.” His hands went to my waistband.

  I laughed, catching his hands. “I need more than twenty minutes with you.” I kept his hands still with one hand, and slipped the other around his neck. I brought him close to me.

  “I want to take you in that big bed of yours,” I whispered into his ear. “I want you writhing under me as I fuck you slowly, until you’re screaming my name, begging me to let you come.”

  He stared at me, a delighted smile slowly spreading across his face. “Jesus, John, if I’d had any idea that’s how you talked about sex, I never would have lasted fifty years.”

  He grabbed my hand, leading me straight to his bedroom.

  My dick twitched in anticipation, and excitement shot up my spine as we reached the large room that was part of his sanctuary.

  I closed the door behind us.

  And locked it.

  Chapter 68

  Nadia – New York

  I expected Fiona and Zine to grill me as soon as the others were gone, but they didn’t. Instead, they showed me the palace – which was huge – and then the grounds. We saw apartments, and dorms, and little houses they called bungalows. The place seemed to go on and on forever.

  “Okay, this has been great, really, but where’s the pen where you keep all the humans?” I finally asked.

  Fiona laughed. “We don’t have any. We already showed you the houses where families live. Humans also live in the palace, or they can live in the dorms. Totally their choice.”

  “So, you’re saying I could
live with Degarr or get a room of my own? In the palace or one of these?” I gestured to the dorm we’d just left.

  “Of course. I would say talk about it with John, but I’m not a relationship expert,” she replied with a shrug.

  I shot a glance at her as the three of us turned back towards the palace. “What is your relationship with Degarr, if you don’t mind me asking?”

  She gave me a warm smile in return. Fiona was pretty, with soft brown hair and green eyes. She was also close to my age, although in some ways she seemed younger than me. She struck me as a bit sheltered; a bit innocent. She was also warm, friendly, and welcoming.

  She seemed like someone I could be friends with.

  “John’s my friend,” she answered.

  “The two of you have never?” I let my voice trail off.

  “Had sex? No. We’re not that kind of friend. I don’t think of John that way.”

  “Okay,” I said. “Zine?”

  The vampire’s brown eyes went wide. “Are you asking if I’ve had sex with Jamie’s father?”

  My lips twitched. “Sorry, had to ask. What about the King?”

  “No!”

  “He’s handsome,” I said.

  Fiona started laughing. “Stop teasing her. She gets upset whenever anyone even hints at any impropriety between her and Gabriel.”

  Zine crossed her arms. “You would too. I got enough shit from Cyrus for taking this job. I don’t need people saying I slept my way here.”

  “Zine, no one thinks that,” a new voice interjected. “The general consensus is you have a bet with King Gabriel over who can work themselves to death first, and without the intervention of Jamie and Fiona, the two of you would be dead right now.”

  I glanced in the direction of the voice, and saw a male vampire walking towards us. He was tall and lean, with striking eyes and a stubbled jawline. He had a sensual mouth, and a teasing look in his eyes.

  “You’re not funny, Vonn,” Zine replied.

  “I’m hilarious,” he replied, coming to a stop in front of us. “But I’m being serious. Several people have told me that about you.”

  “Really?” She seemed surprised.

  He gave her a small nod, then shot me a smile. “And who might you be, new girl?”

  “I’m Nadia. Pleased to meet you.” I held out my hand.

  He shook my hand, his touch light and his skin cool.

  “I’m Vonn. Resident pervert and friend of Fiona’s. I’m not sure if I’m Zine’s.” He crooked an eyebrow at the other vampire, and she sighed.

  “Some nights yes. Some nights no.”

  “Fair enough.” He wrapped an arm around Fiona’s waist. “So, where are we going, baby girl?”

  “Well, we just finished giving Nadia a tour. Why don’t we all go to the pool and hang out for a bit?” she asked, her gaze taking in me and Zine.

  “I should probably find Degarr,” I said.

  Zine perked up. “There are a couple of things I should probably mention to the King too.”

  Fiona made a sharp noise, stopping both of us in our tracks.

  “Don’t even think about it. Especially you, Zine.” Fiona narrowed her eyes. “This is the first chance they’ve had to be alone in weeks. We will give them that time. If we’re not going to the pool, then we’ll find some other obvious place where they can find us when they’re ready. Is that clear?”

  “You’re a fierce little thing, aren’t you?” I said.

  Then it hit me what she was really saying.

  Oh.

  “They’re not talking, are they?” I asked.

  “They are not talking,” Fiona confirmed. “John probably tried, but that wasn’t Gabriel’s intention.”

  “Okay,” I replied, taking in this information. I knew they were lovers, so it wasn’t a surprise. It just didn’t help that I’d seen Gabriel now, and my brain was suddenly flooded with images. Images that were making arousal spread under my skin.

  Focus.

  “What’s your connection to King Gabriel, anyways? Just what is a gatori?” I asked.

  “I’m King Gabriel’s girlfriend. And being his gatori just means that he’s the one who turned me into a vampire,” she answered.

  “You are new.” Vonn told me. “So why do you want to find Degarr?”

  “Nadia is Degarr’s human,” Fiona answered.

  “He doesn’t have humans. He doesn’t even have favorites,” Vonn said.

  “He does now,” Fiona said softly. “Degarr brought Nadia home with him.” She tipped her head to me.

  His eyebrows rose, then his lips curved upwards.

  “Really? How did you accomplish that, new girl?” he asked.

  “See?” Zine said. “And he’s not even a human. You’re going to be getting this question a lot, I’m afraid.”

  I had the feeling she was right, given the way Vonn was looking at me. I gave him a casual shrug.

  “He asked me. That’s all,” I replied.

  Vonn made a noise, and shot a look at Fiona.

  “I know, right?” she said.

  They both stared at me.

  “What?” I demanded, wondering if I should be offended.

  Fiona squeezed my arm with a gentle smile.

  “You’re a surprise, that’s all.” Then she let go of my arm, and her eyes met mine. “But just to be clear – hurt John and I’ll break you. Understood?”

  I stared at her. “You seem sweet on the outside, but you have teeth, don’t you?”

  Her smile widened. “You have no idea.”

  I swallowed.

  This was the opportunity. This was my opening.

  “I have no idea what I’m doing.” I admitted, the words tumbling out of me in a rush. “I’ve never had a real relationship before. And I know fuck all what to do about this.” I gestured towards the grounds, the palace, everything.

  “Why did you come?” she asked.

  “I couldn’t let him go.” My voice was just above a whisper, and the words felt like they were torn from me.

  I crossed my arms.

  She smiled, and squeezed me again.

  “You’ll be fine. We’ll help you. This place can be confusing, and relationships can be overwhelming, but we’ll help you through.” She rubbed my arms, and I had to admit, it felt good.

  “Good,” Vonn said soothingly. “Now hug her, Fiona.”

  She shot him a look. “I’m not falling for that again, Vonn.”

  He gave her a wicked grin. “Come on. I’m sure she would feel a lot better if you hugged her. And then kissed her.” His eyes sparkled.

  Zine sighed.

  Fiona immediately stopped touching me, dropping her hands by her sides.

  “I’m sorry. Just ignore him,” she said to me, then she blew out a breath. “Now, how about we all go to the pool?”

  Vonn slipped his arm around his waist, and kissed her cheek. “Sounds great.”

  She smiled, and then we all went to the pool.

  Chapter 69

  Nadia – New York

  I wasn’t sure how much time had passed. All I knew was that I felt warm and absolutely relaxed, with one foot dangling in the warm water and an arm thrown over my eyes. Then I heard someone walk up to me, and my entire body tingled. I took my arm away, and looked up into Degarr’s smiling face.

  As soon as I saw him, I finally understood what Jamie had meant, the night he’d walked into the condo after Degarr and I had been having sex.

  Degarr looked wrecked.

  His hair was a bit messy, and his eyes were warm, languid, and satisfied. And he was missing some of the energy that normally poured off of him. His way of moving was still powerful, but his movements were slower, more relaxed.

  Even if Fiona hadn’t told me what he’d been doing, I would have known just by looking at him.

  Now, his smile was gentle as his hand slipped into my hair. I leaned into his touch, moving closer to him, and that’s when I noticed something about his shirt.

 
; I smiled.

  “You’re adorable.” I told him.

  His eyebrows drew together. “I’m not adorable. I’m scary.”

  A light laugh escaped me.

  “Baby, your shirt’s inside out,” I said.

  He glanced down, then grunted. He grabbed the garment by its edges and pulled it over his head. For a moment, his wide, muscled chest was exposed, and my mouth went dry. The next moment he flipped the shirt and put it back on.

  Damn.

  “You could have left it off,” Vonn said. “No one would have minded.”

  He was right.

  Degarr shot him a look. “Vonn.”

  “Just saying.” The vampire shrugged. “Have you given any more thought to my question?”

  Degarr let out a low growl that went straight to my core.

  “I told you no,” he said. “And I liked it better when you were afraid of me.”

  “Oh, I’m still afraid of you,” Vonn said easily. “It’s just my libido doesn’t care.”

  I glanced between the two men, before settling on Vonn. “Are you trying to fuck him?”

  Vonn laughed. “No. See, I didn’t even ask that, and he acts like my request is perfectly unreasonable.”

  “What did you ask then?”

  “I just asked him to have sex with the King in front of me. That’s all.” Vonn shrugged.

  “Oh, that’s all?” My eyebrows rose.

  Degarr sighed noisily, drawing my attention to him. I remembered, then, that I’d basically had an orgasm at the thought of him with another man, and now that I’d actually seen Gabriel, well, my mouth went dry again.

  “Don’t.” Degarr warned me.

  I shut my mouth.

  “The King would do it,” Vonn taunted.

  Degarr gave him a flat look. “The King’s propensity for sexual adventure is well known, Vonn. It’s why I recommend that no one ever try to play sexual chicken with him.” Then his eyes narrowed with suspicion. “You’ve already asked him, haven’t you?”

  “Yes,” Vonn said cheerily. “And he said yes, as long as I could talk you into it.”

  “Cold day in hell,” Degarr replied. He held out his hand to me. “Will you rescue me from this conversation and go on a walk with me?”