by Kali Argent
Her expression softened, and a pink flush crept into her cheeks. “Oh, right.” Closing her eyes, she pressed the palm of her hand to her forehead and sighed. “Sorry I snapped at you.”
“Did you think…” Vane trailed off, the idea forming in his mind too ludicrous to be plausible. “Did you think I meant because you’re a female?”
The pink in her cheeks deepened to a bright crimson, and Charlotte looked away as she sucked her bottom lip between her teeth.
“So, can you make it edible?” he asked when the silence stretched on and became uncomfortable.
The corners of her lips twitched, and Charlotte shook her head. “I’m afraid there’s no hope for it.” Her gaze flittered to the small oven nestled in the corner of the L-shaped, marbled counter. “How does that work anyway? It looks like a microwave.”
Thankful to be talking about something other than his complete lack of culinary skills, Vane took her hand and pulled her over to the machine. “It’s called a flash oven. It’s similar to your microwave, but much faster.” He left her to study the various buttons while he retrieved two smaller birds from the freezer of the side-by-side refrigerator. “Here, I’ll show you.”
“What are those?” she asked, pointing to the package when he placed it on the countertop.
Vane chuckled. It felt strange to be explaining such commonplace things, but he loved the way her eyes lit up with excitement as she learned to navigate his world. “They’re pachi. I think you call them quail.” After removing the outer wrappings, he settled the frozen meat into a shallow bowl and placed them in the flash oven. “Now, you just select your different options. There’s one for frozen or fresh, also for vegetables, meats, and breads. Then the oven autosenses the weight and flash cooks it in about six seconds.”
Charlotte’s eyes rounded, and she moved a little closer to his side to watch him. “I’m just going to say it. The future is awesome.” Placing her hand on his wrist, she tilted her head to the side. “How the hell do you burn a turkey in six seconds?”
“I don’t remember.” He blamed Charlotte. Everything about her, from her bow-shaped lips to her painted toenails, distracted him. “Don’t worry.” With a hand on her hip, he applied the slightest amount of pressure, coaxing her to stand in front of him so he could wrap his arms around her midsection. “I won’t let you starve,” he teased.
To his surprise, Charlotte tensed, her spine rigid and her muscles flexed. Unwinding his arms, Vane took a step back and frowned. “Charlotte, look at me.”
She didn’t, of course. She never did anything he told her to do. “Where were you?”
Vane had expected the question sooner. In fact, he’d been hoping for it. “Getting your room ready.”
Given his way, he’d have Charlotte in his own bed, but Xavian had pointed out that she would likely need time to herself to cope and adjust to all the changes. Vane really hated the asshole’s logic sometimes.
“My room?” Charlotte turned to face him then with a bright smile as her body visibly relaxed. “Can I see it?”
“Sure.” Jerking his head to the side, he moved around the wooden table, leading the way through the small living room and down the narrow hallway to the second door on the left. “This is it.”
He stepped to the side, motioning for her to open the door. With a shaking hand, Charlotte curled her fingers around the doorknob and turned it slowly, as if she expected someone to jump out at her from the other side. Pushing the door open, she took only one step inside the room and froze. Her pretty lips parted, and a quiet gasp escaped her before she pressed her fingertips to her mouth.
She stood that way for a long time, unmoving, and from what Vane could tell, barely breathing. “Is something wrong?” he asked when he couldn’t take the silence any longer.
“Vane, it’s perfect.” She wiped roughly at her eyes, but not before Vane caught a glimpse of the moisture that spilled over her lower lids. “You did all of this? For me?”
After his talk with Xavian about Charlotte needing her own space, Vane had gone directly to the commander and requested to change shifts with one of the other lieutenants. It hadn’t taken much convincing, and after finding someone to cover his patrol, he’d headed into the city. There, he’d spent the entire morning scouring every department store, thrift shop, and antique dealer he could find.
“I know it’s not the same.” He moved to stand behind her, settling his hands lightly on her hips and pulling her back against him. “I thought it might ease the homesickness a little.”
He’d found the dark gray comforter easily enough, matching it almost perfectly to the one he’d seen on Charlotte’s bed in her tiny apartment. The silky maroon sheets had been a bit more challenging, but still easier to find than the white, lace curtains. In fact, the curtains hadn’t even been for sale. He’d seen them hanging over the windows in the back of an antique dealership, and he’d all but threatened the shop owner’s life to get them.
“Thank you,” Charlotte whispered, her voice thick with emotion. “Thank you for this, Vane.”
The wooden, ivory dresser had long, shallow drawers with circular knobs instead of the deep, square drawers with thin handles like Charlotte’s old dresser. It was a close match, though, and Vane had been lucky to find it all.
“I didn’t know your size, but I did get you a couple of shirts, and a pair of leathers so you’d have something to wear into the city tomorrow.”
“Leathers?”
Vane took her right hand and pressed the palm against the outside of his thigh, rubbing it against his leather pants. “Like mine.”
“Okay.” Her head swiveled to the far wall, and her fingers clenched, digging into his thigh. “Oh, Vane.” Hurrying across the carpeted floor, she stopped in front of the large piece of artwork and fluttered her fingers along the edge of the frame. “Where…I mean how…”
Knowing he’d never be able to find the painting anywhere in Taldor, Vane had enlisted the help of an artist friend who lived in one of the outlying villages. Just a plain, cream-colored canvas with Charlotte’s name in decorative block letters and a purple flower for the “O,” it didn’t look like much to him.
“My dad painted this for me when I was seven.”
“Charlotte, I’m sorry.” Vane crossed the room in three strides to stand beside her. “I didn’t know.” If he’d understood the sentimental value of the painting, he wouldn’t have tried to replicate it.
“No.” She shook her head, a stray tear slipping down her cheek. “Don’t be sorry. This is perfect, and it’s even more special now.” She spread her arms out and turned in a half circle. “I don’t know how I’m ever going to repay you for all of this.”
Slipping a knuckle under her chin, he tilted Charlotte’s head back so he could look into her shining, blue eyes. “You don’t owe me anything. Ever.”
With his fingers still resting under her chin, he flexed his wrist, urging her closer. Soft and pliable, her lips molded to his, parting just slightly on a breathless moan that made his head spin and his cock ache. Sliding his hand along the curve of her jaw, Vane cupped her cheek and wound his free arm around her waist, drawing her tight to his chest. When she didn’t push him away, Vane deepened the kiss, delving between her lips and tangling his tongue with hers in an erotic duel.
Easing out of the kiss, he skimmed his lips along the delicate curve of her jaw and up to her ear, nipping the lobe between his teeth. “I’ve wanted you since the first time I saw you,” Vane murmured against the small hollow behind her ear. “My gods, you are so beautiful.”
While a Nekros could claim any partner of their choosing, fate, the gods, or whoever only granted them one familiar, one destined mate to cherish. It was a gift few had received, but every member of his race longed for the day they could claim the other half of their soul, the day they would finally be complete.
It sickened him to think that he’d thrown it all away so many years ago out of cockiness and sheer stupidity. Fate had interv
ened, though, giving him a second chance, and Vane wouldn’t let Charlotte slip through his fingers again. Until he presented his case before the elders and served his punishment, he couldn’t claim her, not fully, but that didn’t diminish his need to possess her.
Spinning her quickly, he pressed her against the wall and gripped her waist, jerking her hips back as he blanketed her from shoulders to thighs. Gently, he brushed her hair aside and whispered his lips across her nape, breathing in her fragrant scent of spiced vanilla.
“I’ve waited a thousand years for you, Charlotte Rousseau, and I don’t intend to wait a minute longer.”
When he’d thought he couldn’t have her, Vane had gathered every ounce of willpower to hold her at arm’s length. He’d shoved his feelings and desires into the deepest recesses of his heart for fear of losing that hard-fought control. He’d lost that battle, of course. The moment he’d stepped through the time rip with her, everything had changed.
He didn’t have to push her away anymore, though, and the moment he’d stopped denying how much he wanted her, his feelings had intensified exponentially. Driven by instinct and maybe something he couldn’t even put a name to, he’d do anything to keep her with him, go to any lengths to make her his own.
Slipping his hands beneath her simple, cotton T-shirt, Vane caressed her sides as he grinded his trapped erection against her pert ass. “If you don’t want this, you need to tell me now.”
With her hands splayed against the wall, Charlotte twisted to look over her shoulder. “I won’t let you break my heart,” she answered clearly. “I’m not saying no, but if this is just for the night, tell me now.”
Vane respected the courage it must have taken for her to make the statement, but he didn’t like the shine of uncertainty in her eyes. Unfortunately, he understood her hesitancy. He’d left once before, and he’d almost walked away again. Gripping her jaw, he held her motionless as he bent to claim her mouth in a kiss he hoped said everything he couldn’t put into words.
“Make no mistake,” he answered, his voice gravelly. “You are mine, and I’m not letting you go this time.”
A sweet moan bubbled through her lips when he raked his fingernails up her flat stomach to cup her right breast. The heady sound shot through him like a jolt of lightening, and Vane growled against her mouth as he pinched her erect nipple between his thumb and index finger.
Charlotte bucked in his arms, rubbing her ass against his aching groin. Her lips moved with his, her tongue darting into his mouth, but she didn’t just kiss him. She attacked him, biting, licking, and sucking at any part of him she could reach. Her eager response, coupled with the undulation of her lithe body against his snapped the last remaining shred of Vane’s control.
Releasing her jaw, he moved his hand to the waistband of her sleep pants, teasing the sensitive skin there before dipping his hand lower. “Fuck,” he groaned.
Closing his eyes, he rested his forehead against her temple, breathing raggedly as he fingered the soft, bare flesh of her crease. He’d yet to feel the silken heat of her walls wrapped around him, nor had he tasted the luscious nectar between her thighs, but he didn’t know if he’d make it that far. His cock strained against his zipper, throbbing in time with the beat of his heart, but he cared little about himself. Only Charlotte mattered, and all he wanted was to bring her as much pleasure as possible.
Sliding his finger down her cleft, Vane gently parted her—and almost came in his leathers. Slick, wet heat surrounded his digit, providing an easy glide along the folds of her drenched pussy. The scent of her arousal filled the air, invading his senses and driving him out of his mind.
Removing his hand, he pushed the cotton fabric down her hips to pool around her ankles. Then he stripped her shirt off over her head and spun her toward the bed. They fell to the mattress in a tangle of limbs, and Vane rolled to hover above her, holding her captive beneath him.
“What about you?” she asked, tugging at his shirt.
Vane shook his head. Sweet mercy, he wanted her with an intensity that scared him. He wanted to sink into her welcoming heat and drive the thought of every other male from her mind, but he couldn’t.
“Quiet now,” he muttered, lowered his head to swirl his tongue around her pebbled nipple. “Let me make you feel good.”
Charlotte cried out, her voice raw and raspy as she bowed up from the bed, pressing her breast closer to his mouth. Her legs rubbed together restlessly, and her needful moans quieted into frustrated whimpers when he turned his attention to her other breast.
“Vane, please.”
She reached for him again, but Vane gathered her wrists into one hand, stretching them over her head and pinning them to the mattress. “I said quiet.” He nipped at her collarbone and insinuated his free hand between the apex of her thighs. “Is this what you need, baby?”
Vane brushed his knuckles along her crease, smirking when she spread her legs wider and rocked up against his hand. With two fingers, he parted her folds, finding her swollen clitoris unerringly. Charlotte tensed, then thrust her hips upward with a loud moan.
“Yeah, that’s it,” Vane praised, stroking the bundle of nerves with his thumb while he pushed two fingers into her quivering entrance. “Are you going to come for me, Charlotte?” He pumped his digits in long, slow glides. “Would you like that?”
“Yes,” she hissed. “More.”
Vane pushed deeper, thrusting his fingers faster, a little harder while he continued to massage her clit in quick circles. Bending his head, he claimed her panting mouth, using his tongue to mimic the glide of his fingers.
Charlotte was so beautiful in her passion with her head thrown back, and her naked, flushed skin glistening in the light. Vane’s dick ached within the confinement of his leathers, but he pushed away his own selfish needs and concentrated on bringing his prya the bliss she deserved.
Breaking the kiss, he trailed his lips down the column of her neck and back down to her heaving breasts. Catching her small, pink nipple between his teeth, he tugged gently, groaning when she cried out his name. Her slender frame tensed and quivered as she clenched around his fingers. Her mouth opened and closed, working soundlessly, and she squeezed her eyes closed as a rush of moisture slicked Vane’s hand.
“I wish you could see yourself.” Vane carefully removed his fingers and rolled to lay beside her, gathering her against his chest. “Flush skin, tousled hair, swollen lips…” He tilted her face up and kissed her tenderly on the mouth. “You could make a righteous man sin on Sunday.”
“But you didn’t…” Charlotte moved her hand toward his zipper. “I want you, Vane.”
Catching her hand, he brought it to his lips and brushed a kiss over her fingertips. “I’ll be okay, prya.” He tucked her head under his chin and wound his arms around her with a contended sigh. “Rest now. There will be time.”
She was his, and no one would ever take her from him.
CHAPTER TEN
“I’m not going,” Charli called through the open bedroom door. “I’m not doing it.”
Standing in front of her dresser, she eyed herself speculatively in the mirror, turning one way and then the other while she frowned at her reflection. The black leather pants rode low on her hips, leaving very little to the imagination as it sculpted to her butt and thighs. The “shirt” Vane had purchased for her during his outing amounted to little more than a red handkerchief that tied around her neck and waist, leaving her back and flanks completely bare.
“Charlotte, come on, we’re going to miss the zipline.” Vane’s volume rose as he neared her room. “What’s the problem?”
“It doesn’t fit. I can’t go out in public like this.”
“I’m sure it’s not that bad.” Rounding the corner, Vane stumbled to a stop just beyond the doorway. “Holy fuck, female.”
“It doesn’t fit,” she repeated. “It doesn’t hide anything.”
“Why would you want to hide?” Vane’s boots swished over the chocolate-brown ca
rpet as he crossed the room to stand behind her. “You look incredible, prya.” He rested his hands on her bare shoulders and trailed his fingertips down her arms to her elbows. “You’re right, though. You can’t leave my quarters looking like that. I’d have to murder half the males in the city before we even finished shopping.”
“Flatterer,” she mumbled, leaning back against him and tilting her head to the side.
Vane nuzzled the side of her neck and encircled her waist with his strong arms. “I’ll find you a coat.” Then he kissed her behind the ear and hurried out of the room.
Watching him go, Charli leaned sideways against her dresser and grinned. After their little tryst, she’d fallen asleep in Vane’s arms and awoken several hours later with him still curled around her protectively. During breakfast, she’d caught him staring at her several times, and throughout the morning, he’d used any and every excuse to touch and kiss her.
Not that Charli was complaining. She just didn’t understand what had changed.
“Here.” Vane entered the room carrying a fur-lined, leather jacket by the hood. “I know it’s big, but it’ll keep you warm.”
He held the coat open and wrapped it around her securely after she’d slid her arms into the sleeves. Then he looked her up and down and grunted in apparent satisfaction.
It was the same jacket he’d wrapped her up in when he’d rescued her from the ice. The supple leather even smelled like him, and Charli turned her head into the collar, breathing deeply.
“What will you wear?”
“It’s not so cold yet,” he answered, turning her toward the open door. “I’ll be okay.”
Charli frowned. “Vane, it’s freezing out there.”
“For you. I’m used to it, and trust me when I tell you, it’s going to get much worse.”
At least four feet of snow already blanketed the ground outside. She’d seen the frozen lake from her bedroom window, its white surface sparkling in the moonlight. The cold air had stolen her breath and nearly frozen her lungs for the few minutes she’d been outside in the elements.