I couldn’t pick up my jaw. “How’d you know that?”
She giggled. Best sound ever. “Want to know something around here? Ask a courtesan. Enjoy your coffee. The kitchen will bring whatever you want for breakfast. Whatever you want. Remember, we’re in New York and we can have anything delivered. I’ll run a bath for you. I’ve already picked out your outfit.”
“Thank you.” I was so glad she was here. “I wouldn’t want to do this without you.”
After I stuffed myself with French toast with cream cheese filling, blueberries, and maple syrup, I headed to the bathtub. It brimmed with steam and bubbles. I slipped into the water, letting my head fall back and I sighed. “Talk about dying happy.”
Sierra’s face darkened, and I wished I could take the dying part back. “Don’t think of it like that. What’s that book, where they walk through the closet and there’s a whole new world waiting for them?”
“The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.” My favorite book as a kid.
“Yes. It’s like that. You’re still a part of the world, but you’ll see things like you never did before. It’s like another layer is added to life as you knew it. I don’t miss being human at all. We’re lucky to be here, Corynne. As much as I miss Sabrina, she had a great life. So many people can’t say that.”
“I had a lot of trouble before I came here. I’m looking forward to a great life.” I closed my eyes and moaned softly as Sierra massaged shampoo into my scalp. I pictured myself as a vampire, Nash’s Lady. Maybe I’d even be able to clear my human name. There couldn’t be any evidence of me killing anyone, because I didn’t. Not that it would matter to me anymore, but I wanted my family to live without shame. “Did you ever see your family after you became a vampire?”
“I did.” Her voice sounded faraway. “They had a hard time with it at first, but they knew I was well taken care of. The hardest part is when they age and you don’t.”
As long as I could see my little sister again, I could deal with those consequences. But I couldn’t live forever without her knowing what happened to me. I kept my eyes closed, smiling as Sierra bathed me. It was easy to think good thoughts, all of Nash. He was giving me the thing I wanted more than anything—a chance at a new life.
Sierra outdid herself. “I look like Miss America.” I laughed, twirling in front of the mirror before I got dressed. My eyes were dark and smoky, my lips dark red, and my cheeks looked like I was naturally flushing. Nash would lose his mind when he saw that. The hint of blood at the surface of my skin was enough to drive him to the edge. She’d curled my hair and pinned it so my neck was exposed.
Instead of a dress, she gave me a black, lacy robe. It didn’t cover much, and neither did what she insisted I wear underneath. The bra and panty set were little more than ribbons. The bra cupped the bottom of my breasts, leaving my nipples exposed, and the thong was basically a pretty bow.
“Are you sure this isn’t too much?” I asked, putting my foot on her thigh so she could roll a stocking up my leg.
“Are you kidding me? Nash will love this. He can get to everything he needs without losing the pretties.” Another magical giggle. “You’re going to be here a long time, Corynne. Eventually you’ll know what everyone likes.”
She hooked her arm in mine and walked me down the hall. The outfit was over the top, but that’s not what made me feel sexy. It was the fact that Nash wanted me. Forever.
This time I knocked.
Sierra kissed my cheek. “See you on the other side.”
Nash was speechless when he answered the door.
“Sierra’s back.” I grinned at him. He looked as gorgeous as ever, tonight in a deep purple, silky shirt that I planned to rip off him as soon as he shut the door.
His eyes roamed over me. “I knew I missed her.” He held his hand out and led me inside his apartment.
For all the times I’d begged Nash to do the thing he was about to do tonight, I knew there was a chance I might not get it.
“Take off that robe, love. Let me see you.” Nash leaned against the island that separated his living room from what would’ve been his kitchen. Two glasses of red wine waited for us.
The robe slid from my shoulders, and I placed it on the arm of the couch; my body tingled as I thought of what he’d done to me in that very spot. I resisted the urge to cover myself as I approached him. The time for shyness was gone. I’d made my decision.
Nash pushed away from the island, meeting me in the middle. His gaze felt like a warm caress, touching me in the places I’d thought about hiding from him. He ran his finger along the seam of my lips before kissing them long and slow. His hand trailed up into my hair and yanked my head to the side much harder than I expected, only to brush his lips lightly along the surface, stopping at the throbbing spot that begged him to sink in, and sighing.
He continued his journey, his fingers tickling my skin as they barely made contact. Along the curve of my shoulder, down my arm, and taking a sharp left turn at my exposed nipples. Nash traced the edge of the ribbon, bumping against the hard peaks before lowering his mouth to meet his fingers.
Nash sunk to his knees, and pulled me down so I straddled his lap. In this position, I was completely at his mercy. His lips were back on my nipple, rolling it between his lips before his fangs sliced my flesh.
His shirt tore away from his shoulders, I had to grab anything I could to keep from falling back. The initial burn of the bite faded, replaced by a feeling similar to drinking too much wine. Nash drank greedily, and blood dripped from my breast onto my stomach. His shirt was useless now, and his moan vibrated against my body when I curled my fingers into his shoulders. Blood welled under my fingertips, and I brought a hand to my mouth to lick it off. I loved the way he tasted.
I cried out as Nash reached between my legs and rubbed my clit hard and fast as he drank. My vision darkened as the pressure built. He had an unfair advantage, the more blood he took, the easier it was to bring me to the edge.
But he stopped before I got there.
His chin and lips were slick with my blood. At one time that would’ve sent me running, but now it was the absolute sexiest thing I could think of. A part of me made him whole.
I stole a kiss and he grinned. “Are you sure you want this?”
I nodded.
“You have to say the words, love. There’s no going back from here.”
My heart thundered under the bite mark. “Yes. I want to be with you forever.”
Nash closed his eyes for a long blink. “I’m going to bring you to the bed. Our bed.” He slid out from under me, and then put his hand on my back.
I sat on the bed and watched him shed his ruined shirt and step out of his dress pants. The throbbing was back as soon as I saw his cock. I scooted back on the mattress when his knee landed beside me, playing one more game of cat and mouse. Nash crawled closer, meeting whatever he could reach in a kiss. He grabbed me by the hair when he had me just where he wanted me. No more sweet little nips. This kiss was rough and hungry. I gasped when he pulled away.
It was strange knowing I was taking my very last breaths. And welcoming whatever happened next.
“Sierra picked well.” Nash traced the ribbon that outlined my folds. “She wrapped you like a present.”
I shrugged. “She said she knew what you liked.”
“She does. Let me tell you a secret.” Nash guided me so I lay flat on the mattress. He propped himself up on his elbow beside me. “The girls made sure I knew who you were before the auction started. They wanted you to stay here from the start.”
My heart swelled. Without those two, I could’ve wound up like Olivia, with no one to search for me. Finally, I knew I was where I belonged. “What did you tell them?”
“I thanked them for their efforts and told them I already knew who I wanted.” He grinned. “They were quite pleased to see we were all on the same page.”
I lost track of time as we got caught in each other’s gaze. I wanted to remember ev
erything about tonight, about him, about everything good, just in case tomorrow didn’t come.
Nash smoothed my curls away from my face. “I’m going to take you while I drink from you. I’m going to take absolutely everything you have to give me. When it’s time to give it back to you, understand that I will give you everything I have. I promise to love and protect you forever.”
I reached up and squeezed his hand. “You saved me.” I wanted to tell him the million reasons how but his lips were on mine before I had a chance. His fangs scraped against my swollen lips as he rolled on top of me. I wrapped my legs around him, and he guided his cock inside me. His thrusts were frantic, my vision already blurry when he sunk his teeth into my neck.
Sensation washed over me. I tried to open my eyes, but everything was that brilliant white light only Nash could give me. He sucked on my neck as hard as he plunged inside me. My grip loosened as my life flowed into him, and I wouldn’t see him again until he gave me something much more than I ever had.
A chance to live.
Three Months Later
Corynne
“You look funny.” I tugged on the sleeve of Nash’s polo shirt. Paired with jeans and sneakers, he looked so young. He never dressed this casually. But tonight he had one of his biggest missions in his almost seven hundred years on Earth, and he had to look the part.
I’d brought him to meet my family.
“They’ll never take me seriously like this.” He looked his outfit when he got out of the car, shaking his legs like he could magically make his dress pants appear.
“They’d freak out if I brought home a guy in a suit. In this outfit, you look like a college kid.” I straightened his collar and snuck a kiss. The motion lights had come on in the yard, and everyone would be out here any second. If my heart still beat, it would be pounding with excitement. But I should probably make formal introductions before my parents caught me with my tongue in a vampire’s mouth. “Talk to them with that sexy accent, and they’ll buy whatever you’re selling.”
“What about you?” He stole the kiss back.
“Always.”
My transformation wasn’t easy. It took me almost a week to awaken. Sierra and Olivia told me that Nash hadn’t left my side while the changes took hold. He was the first thing I saw when I woke, even more beautiful in this realm than he’d been when I was human. And he tasted even sweeter, like his favorite red wine. My mouth watered just thinking about it.
“Don’t worry. They’ll love you,” I whispered before we reached the walkway. I wished I could take my own advice, not to worry. A thousand things could go wrong tonight. My parents’ house seemed so huge now. Before it had just been home, and I’d never appreciated what I had because I wasn’t able to see it through the misery.
“Andrea!” My little sister bounded toward us, leaping as soon as she had a good shot at me. “You’re here!”
I lifted her high in the air, trying to push back the tears. “I am. I missed you so much.” Screw the tears, I let them fall, giving her a huge hug. She was in her pajamas, and I knew she got to stay up past her bedtime to see us.
“Is that your boyfriend?” she whispered loudly in my ear, in that super smooth way that only a seven-year-old could pull off.
“He is.” I wouldn’t get technical with her. He was my Lord and I was his Lady, but for this visit, boyfriend worked just fine. “Addie, this is Nash.”
“Hey, Addie. I brought you a present.” Yeah, the accent worked every time. Nash offered her the little stuffed bunny he’d held by his side, and she squealed as she accepted it.
Before she got down she showed us her newly missing teeth, and bragged about her haul from the tooth fairy. She ran toward the house, yelling to my parents that I was here. They waited for us on the porch, and I was so nervous. Kind of like when I’d come home after something bad happened that I had no explanation for.
Now that I saw them, I knew this was the exact opposite. Only good things could would come of this. I wanted my parents to be a part of my new life with Nash.
Mom hugged me tight. “You look beautiful,” she whispered in my hair.
I pulled away from her. “Is it that different?” I hadn’t seen anyone from my old life since I transformed. I hadn’t been ready to be around people right away, and the coven had taken extra precautions with me since so many horrible things had happened around me as a human. Nash’s theory held so far. The negative energy had yet to follow me to the afterlife.
Almost every night, we lay together in front of the fire, and Nash would ask me what I was thinking. Good or bad, I told him everything. It helped, not having to hold everything inside anymore. It never had a chance to fester and infect everything in its reach with its poison.
Mom shook her head, her eyes shining with tears. They were happy ones, just like mine. “You were always beautiful, silly. The difference is you’re happy, so now everyone can actually see it.”
I glanced over at Nash, who was talking to Dad. At the coven, authority dripped from everything Nash did. But this was a first for him. I loved getting a chance to introduce him to something new. He’d never had to meet his girlfriend’s parents before.
“Come on, let’s get in the house.” Mom ushered us all off the porch and into the living room. It was so good to be home. I thought I’d never be here again.
I sunk into the couch, Nash sat beside me, and Addie was in my lap immediately.
“What’s the coven like?” Mom asked as soon as she sat down. “All the years we made up stories about what happened inside there. I’m dying to know.”
“I’m still learning my new skills, so that’s how I spend most of my nights.” Talking wasn’t the only thing we did to harness my power. We worked on the metaphysical stuff too. The little things I could still do—move objects and light fires. I had yet to master more than that. Driving by the forest tonight was a reminder that we needed to do everything we could to keep our coven safe.
Mom’s eyes were huge, and she leaned forward. “Like what?”
“Eating, for one.” I didn’t elaborate. No need to tell her about coven feuds on my first visit.
Addie wrinkled her nose. “Do you drink blood?” I nodded. “Eewwww.”
Dad turned to Nash. “How long have you been at the…with the…”
Nash laughed. “I’ve been in New York City since the Second World War. I was turned into a vampire in 1349.” That was met with silence. “I was twenty-five at the time.”
My parents looked at each other, and I knew they wanted to protest. I could already hear it. He’s too old for you. I wanted to laugh. Age didn’t matter in this realm. I didn’t blame them, I was having a hard time, too—seeing my old life through a new lens. Even though I was thrilled to be here, I didn’t miss who I used to be.
“What do you do? At the…in the…coven.” Dad was an attorney and I’d never seen him at a loss for words before, even when I was at my absolute worst.
“I protect the interests of the coven, from both humans and other covens.” Nash took the inquisition in stride. “We’d had problems with the vampires in the forest behind your house for decades.”
“What’s happening with the investigation?” One of my assignments tonight was to use glamour. My parents and Addie would know they’d seen me and that I was safe, but they wouldn’t tell anyone about our visit. Time would be the only measure if it worked. As far as the rest of the world was concerned, Andrea Davis was still missing. And for the most part, it was true.
“Things have quieted, on all fronts.” Mom frowned. “The case went cold. You vanished without a trace. The police assume you didn’t make it out of the woods that first night. We thought the same thing.” Her voice broke on the last part.
“It’s best that way,” Nash said softly. “You know the truth, and the forest coven is on the police’s radar. They have brought humans to the forest. Cor… Andrea was lucky she wasn’t captured by them. As long as the police have an eye on them, others will b
e kept safe.”
“They’re trying to connect other missing person’s cases to the forest,” Dad added. “But so far, they haven’t found anything.”
“They probably won’t.” Nash was pleased with this information. I could read his emotions, I hadn’t worked up to his thoughts yet. “Andrea is safe with us, I can assure you that.” When he said Andrea, I had a hard time remembering he was talking about me.
“Can we come visit you?” Mom asked. “I’d love to see where you and Nash live.”
“It’s probably better that we come here.” Only human courtesans were allowed in the building. Her face fell, but she didn’t fight it.
Addie yawned in my lap, one of those huge ones little kids did when they were fighting the inevitable.
Mom didn’t miss it. “Time for someone to go to bed.”
“No!” Addie protested, sitting straight up, blinking rapidly. But she couldn’t hold off the next yawn. I followed her lead, vampires weren’t immune to yawning when someone else did. “I want to see Andrea.”
“I have an idea.” I tugged on her ponytail. “How about I read you a story?”
“I’d take her up on it, Addie,” Dad said. “We don’t know the next time she’ll be able to come visit.”
“Okay.” Addie was reluctant, but she slid off my lap.
I followed her upstairs, standing in my old bedroom while she brushed what teeth she had left. I’d done the best I could with this place, but it wasn’t me. It never was. I’d found the place I belonged.
“Ready?” Addie appeared in the doorway.
“Did you pick a book?” She nodded. “Okay, get into bed and I’ll read it to you.”
“He’s cute,” Addie said when she settled under her blankets. Tonight her new bunny joined her favorite teddy bear. I tried not to laugh. Nash was a lot of things, but cute wasn’t one of them. To my little sister, cute was the equivalent to sexy as sin.
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