by J. E. Taylor
Her lips were soft under my fingertips and I sighed, looking back into her dark eyes. She wasn’t ready for this and the thought of the mind games that bastard played on her turned my lust into a simmering anger that I couldn’t wait to unleash. If I ever ran into him on the street, I’d make him suffer before I killed him.
A slow evil smile surfaced. Instead of waiting for chance, maybe I’d seek him out.
“What are you thinking?” she asked.
“You don’t want to know.” I glanced at the clock and then back at her. “Congratulations, you’ve made it longer than any other human I’ve had the misfortune of turning.”
She ran her palm over my cheek. “You know, I’m usually not this easy.” Her gaze flicked between us and back to mine. “And I’m surprised you didn’t take advantage of the situation earlier when I was in she-devil mode.”
“I’m not a shallow bastard like your ex,” I said and her eyes flashed. Her body stiffened under me and I tilted my head, studying her emotional state, wondering if I had pushed the button that would bring the crazy fiend back.
“I’m not sure what I’m going to do about him,” Naomi said, her teeth raked her lower lip as she contemplated different forms of revenge.
Every single thought that rang through her mind brought a smile to my lips. She certainly knew how to deliver justice and when her gaze cleared and she met mine, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment.
“Your ideas on vengeance are quite unique,” I said and rolled off her. “Remind me never to piss you off.”
Her laugh filled the room and she sat up, reaching for her clothing. Much to my disappointment, she covered her delectable form. Naomi turned and leveled a glare in my direction.
“It’s too late for that. I am already pissed at you because I’ll never feel the warmth of the sun on my face ever again.”
My smile faded and I shrugged. “But you will own the night.”
Chapter Eleven - Naomi
Damian propped himself on his elbow offering up another smile. “You will,” he added when I just stared at him.
The clock display flipped to five o’clock. I couldn’t remember if it was dark at five at this time of year and I wanted to get out of this cave. Tendrils of claustrophobia tickled my psyche and I shifted.
“How long?” I nodded toward the clock.
“Just a few more minutes. I want to make sure there is no more light in the sky.” He rolled off the bed, grabbing the crumpled shirt off the ground and slipped it on. “We need to get you some clothes tonight.”
“You trust me around people?” I asked, thinking about the uncontrollable rush I had earlier when I realized humans were just a floor away. I could only imagine the damage I could do in a crowded store.
“I think you’ll be okay,” he said, but the crease between his eyes said otherwise.
“Really.” I crossed my arms and raised an eyebrow.
He smiled and focused on buttoning his shirt, and then he crossed to me. “We’ll find out.”
Discomfort made me shift my stance. “I don’t relish the idea of losing control.”
“The constant driving need for blood is a fallacy. The only time a vampire has insane cravings is during the day. That’s why there are so few of us still alive. Most give in and go in search of food and once they step into the sun, bam, they’re dead. I’ve learned that feeding at least once at night makes the daylight hours more bearable,” he said. “Also, a shot of whiskey helps temper the urge.”
I stared at him, his words sinking in and I narrowed my gaze. “You said the teeth only go sharp at night, but earlier when I attacked you, mine came out.”
He grinned and shrugged. “Under normal circumstances, they only come out at night. Last night wasn’t normal.” He reached over and wiped a stray hair out of my face. “We’re vulnerable during the day. Not just from sunlight, but from our enemies. That’s why I brought you here. This is one of the few places Lucifer doesn’t know I have.”
That name sent a flush of fury through me and my jaw tensed. “He is on the top of my hit list.”
Damian laughed at me and leaned real close. “Get in line.”
The menace his voice made me recoil and I stepped away from him.
“Let’s go get you a new wardrobe,” he said and took my hand, leading me out of the bunker and into a beautiful two-story atrium enclosed in glass.
Views of a full moon met us and I sighed, looking around toward the door to our daytime sanctuary. My gaze traveled over an ornately painted wall and I turned my attention back to Damian. “Where’s the door?”
He smiled. “It’s a secret.” With that, he led me outside and pulled a set of keys from his pocket, opening a door to another large building. Even in the darkened enclosure, I could see just as clearly as if it was daytime and I gasped at the site before me.
Damian settled on a specific key and led me to an Aston Martin, opening the door for me. I scanned the rest of the cars and met his gaze.
“I collect cars.” He gave me a half-shouldered shrug and waved me into the Aston.
“But these are rare,” I said, finally finding my voice. He even had a mint condition Benz Motorwagon and a Ford Model T.
“Sweetheart, I was here even before chariots were the bomb.” He pointed to an ornate chariot in the far corner and retuned his amused gaze to mine.
He closed the passenger door and trotted around to the driver’s side, settling in and pushing a button on a remote attached to the visor. The doors slid open and he pulled out into the night, waiting for the doors to close again before speeding off.
When he pulled into the garage at the Stamford Town Center, I raised an eyebrow.
“It isn’t Fifth Avenue, but it’s close and you have your choice of designer shops.”
“I can’t afford this,” I said, waving my hand at the fancy shops. I was lucky to afford Wal-Mart.
“I can. Besides, I can’t have you walking around all day in a bathrobe.”
“I never asked you to do this,” I snapped, his audacity unnerved me.
He smiled. “I know you didn’t.”
“Why don’t you just take me to my apartment and I’ll pack up my stuff.”
His smile vanished. “Because the demons will be waiting for you there and until you learn the ropes, I’m not letting you anywhere near those sadistic bastards.”
“I can take care of myself.” I saw the flash of aggravation in his eyes and the muscle in his jaw jumped. “You’re not my keeper,” I added, pushing his buttons.
He stopped and leveled a glare at me, pulling me close to him. “I am your keeper. I became your keeper when you sank your teeth into my throat last night. You became my responsibility instead of my victim.” He let go of my wrist and stepped away, putting a little distance between us and diffusing the building tension.
I kept my instinctual response to myself, waiting for him to calm down, instead, I studied him under the bright interior lights. His wavy black hair fell in haphazard swirls framing a face that should have been accompanied by angel wings. Muscles rippled under his shirt as he fought the growing frustration. He obviously wasn’t used to a self-sufficient woman.
He rolled his eyes at me.
“Are you in my head again?”
Damian’s cheeks bloomed red and his gaze snapped away from mine. “Just pick out a couple outfits, so we can get out of here,” he said.
I considered telling him to go to hell, but then I thought of another day hanging in his sanctuary with only a bathrobe and his hungry gaze. That clinched it and I turned, stomping into the upscale mall and scanning the store names, unsure of where I should go.
He decided for me, steering me into Saks Fifth Avenue.
I approached a rack of blouses and glanced at one of the price tags. My jaw dropped. Over two hundred dollars for just a simple blouse and my gaze shot to Damian’s.
“Damian, I’m sorry, but I can’t let you spend this kind of money on me. All I need is a comfortable pair of yoga pants
and a few t-shirts.” I bit my lip. “And maybe a quick stop at Victoria’s Secret so I can get some underwear.”
He scoffed at me. “Money isn’t an issue. Besides, I’d like you to have the opportunity to wear something dressier than yoga pants when we go out. So, if you won’t choose a few outfits, I’ll choose for you.” He strolled through the store, casually inspecting the clothing displays. When he stopped at a rack with a beautiful blue cocktail dress, one that I secretly envied, he glanced at me, his eyes sizing me up before he pulled one from the group.
“I think that’s your size,” he said and I glanced at the label, nodding. The man had impeccable taste in clothing and when my arms were full, he sent me to the dressing room, taking a seat outside the entrance, waiting for me to model his choices.
I slid the blue dress on and after maneuvering the zipper up my back; I turned and looked in the mirror. While the dress was stunning, it didn’t quite go with my cowboy boots. I smiled at the mismatched combination and strode out to where he sat.
Chapter Twelve - Damian
When Naomi stepped into the doorway wearing the blue designer dress I picked out for her, my breath locked in my throat. Stunning was an understatement and I’m sure my face reflected the shock because she grinned and twirled, her eyes sparkling with humor.
“You like?” she asked.
I did my best to pull myself together but my voice still cracked when I said, “Yes.”
With each mini-catwalk display of hers, I found myself getting hornier and hornier and I could tell by the way she flipped her hair and flaunted her body in the form fitting clothing that she knew the effect she was having on me.
I glanced around and made sure none of the sales people were within range and slipped into the dressing room. When the dressing room door swung opened, I pushed her back inside, latching the door and planting a hungry kiss. My hands traveled over the silky fabric of the tank top and yoga pants she had donned.
“You are the hottest thing this side of Eden,” I whispered when she pushed me away.
“Damian, this is the women’s dressing room,” she whispered, the crease between her eyes along with the stern expression conveying her disdain.
“I don’t care, you look delectable.” I licked my lips and leaned in to kiss her again.
Her palm planted on my chest, holding me far enough away to thwart my attempt. “Buying me shit doesn’t give you the right to do anything you please,” she said.
The admonishment hit home and I stepped back, my libido in check and aggravation replacing the heat burning inside me. Putting my palms up, I took another step. “Sorry, you just…I just…” Frustration at not being able to articulate swelled. “Shit, Naomi, do you have any idea just how fucking hot you are?”
“So you think I’m hot, big deal, Mark thought I was hot, too. Look where that got me,” she snapped, her voice turning feral. “And it doesn’t give you the right to come in here and pin me to the wall. That may have been fine and dandy when you were human, but it doesn’t work that way these days. You do not own me.”
I stared at her and a new thought formed, one I hadn’t considered. Maybe she didn’t feel the same electricity I did.
“So…you’re not feeling the same connection. I get it,” I said and reached for the door.
“Damian?” Her exasperated voice stopped me.
“What?”
“It has only been one day…” she whispered. “Give it a rest.”
The desperation in her eyes clinched it and I nodded, sneaking out of the dressing room and running smack into a sales clerk at the entrance.
“Excuse me, sir, but you can’t be in here,” the platinum blonde said, her hands on her hips and her lips pursed in reprimand.
“I’m sorry but my friend needed a hand with her zipper,” I said just as Naomi stepped from the dressing room with her arms full of the clothing. “We’ll take everything she has,” I added, nodding in Naomi’s direction.
Naomi traded an awkward smile with me and handed over the pile to the beaming sales clerk.
I slipped my wallet from the inside of my coat and handed the clerk a credit card. Naomi snickered and turned away but I caught the dimples before her hair covered her smirk. I shrugged at the sales woman and offered up my best smile, the one I reserved for charming the pants off unsuspecting women and it worked wonders. She immediately focused just on me, almost salivating as she rang up the purchase.
Once the transaction was completed, the slip signed and the card back in my wallet, I gave her a nod and took the bags, leading Naomi out of the store with a sideways glance.
“What’s your problem?” I asked.
“A vamp with a credit card. It just struck me funny.”
“I’m not a thief.” My voice carried a measure of defensiveness and I snapped my mouth closed and tossed the bags into the trunk, slamming it shut.
“Lighten up, dude,” she said when I got into the driver’s seat and I turned on her.
“Part of surviving is blending in.”
“Oh yeah, turning into a giant hawk certainly constitutes blending in.” She rolled her eyes.
“Keep pushing and I’ll bend you right over my knee.”
She burst out laughing. “I’d like to see you try,” she said and crossed her arms.
I didn’t take kindly to anyone laughing at me and put the car in gear, tearing out of the garage in frustration. I couldn’t recall a woman ever getting under my skin the way Naomi did and I slid my glance in her direction. The chemistry between us was certainly volatile and I didn’t know whether it would ignite or explode.
“Aren’t you supposed to be teaching me how to survive?” she asked after a few minutes of strained silence.
I refocused on the road ahead of me and sighed. “Yes. I need to teach you to hunt, otherwise tomorrow will be more of a challenge than today was and I’m not sure I can function after another night of offering myself up as an alternative whenever you get hungry.” I met her gaze. “Unless your intention is to kill me.”
Chapter Thirteen - Naomi
My eyes widened and the anger flared at his thinly veiled accusation, my skin heating with a burning sensation. “If I wanted you dead, you would be,” I snapped and looked out at the passing scenery.
He laughed, and sent a raised eyebrow in my direction. I could almost hear the response, but he never voiced the words. The look was enough.
“I know how to hunt,” I mumbled under my breath, thinking how nice it would be to have my twelve-gauge right about now. I’d pump a round into his pompous ass.
When he pulled into the garage, he turned to me.
“Wait here,” he said and grabbed the clothing from the trunk, disappearing with the pile and coming back a few minutes later with the leather jacket I wore last night along with his black trench coat. He tossed the leather jacket to me and waited while I slipped it over my shoulders.
“It’s time to learn to be a shadow,” he said in a low growl, stepping from the dark corner flashing a mouthful of sharp fangs and his bright blue eyes were shrouded in blackness.
I took a step back and before I realized it, my skin had broken out in a full rash of gooseflesh. The persona he wore scared me as much as it had last night and I had to remind myself he couldn’t hurt me. Not now that I was just like him, but it still didn’t alleviate the majority of the unease racking my bones.
He took a predatory step toward me and tilted his head. “You should be nervous,” he snarled.
His voice promised pain and I took another step back, swallowing the lump of fear blocking my throat. “Cut it out, Damian.” I tried to keep my voice steady, but I failed, and the shakes came through loud enough for him to chuckle.
Even his chuckle resounded with pure evil. I turned and ran.
He stalked me through the maze of cars, catching me as I made a run for the door. Instead of tearing my throat open with his teeth, he stopped when the sharp points grazed my skin. With his hand still holding a fi
stful of my hair, he pulled away, meeting my frightened gaze with a quizzical one of his own.
“Naomi,” he started and sniffed me, “I suggest you start defending yourself, otherwise I am going to drain every drop of your sweet blood.” He clacked his teeth together and let out a vicious purr.
This was the fiend that attacked me last night. Not the sweet and sexy man I spent the day with and a fury I couldn’t control welled up. With a growl, I shoved him away from me and shock gripped me as he flew across the garage, into the cement column between two of the doors.
He was slow to get up and the persona fell back to Damian the man instead of the shadow monster. He ran his hand over the back of his head and brought the blood-covered appendage into view before his eyes rolled back in his head and he dropped.
I caught him before he hit the ground, my heart pounded in my chest and my mouth ran dry. A different type of fear took hold and I laid his injured head in my lap, tapping his cheeks and whispering his name. He didn’t respond and I could feel the rising panic.
“Please wake up, Damian,” I said. “Please, please wake up!” I glanced toward the ceiling praying silently for him to wake, for him not to die and leave me here without a clue of how to get into his sanctuary and the imminent sunrise.
Without thinking, I ripped my wrist open, placing the flowing wound over his mouth. At first, nothing happened, and a sob escaped my chest. Finally, his throat constricted, swallowing, and his hand grabbed the outside of my wrist, clamping it to his mouth, sucking the blood in one hard pull that burned through my veins.
I tried to break his grasp but he was just too strong and my sob turned to a frightened gasp.
His eyelids fluttered open and his gaze met mine before widening. He let go of my wrist, licking his lips and blinking in confusion as I covered the wound with my hand.
“I didn’t know what else to do,” I whispered.
Damian slowly sat up and leaned against the wall, staring at me.
“I could have killed you, Naomi,” he said, his voice raspy and unsteady.