by Claire Marta
“It’s several hours before dawn, Jasmine.” Asier pointed out dryly. “I doubt your boss has you in this early. We both know you’re running away.”
“Fine…yes...ok.” Sitting up, Jasmine scooped up the rest of her clothes. “I’m running away.” Grabbing her trainers, she jammed them onto her feet. She was going to have to find somewhere else to get changed.
Glancing up she found Asier was moving. She froze. The vampire slipped naked from the bed. His back was turned. Jasmine had a perfect view of the toned globes of his arse and so much bronzed skin that she forgot to breathe for a moment.
Eric was stunning nude. Asier though won hands down in that department. Every inch of him was a flawless masterpiece. The lines of his body drew your gaze to his exquisite form. It actually hurt to look at so much male perfection. Jasmine felt lust surge through her veins. Flooding downwards, it settled in her loins in a throbbing ache as her mouth went dry. No. This was not going to happen. She could not give in to it again. The last time she had a vampire had broken her stupid heart.
Turning, she almost tripped over her own feet to get to the door. She did not want to catch a full frontal of Asier’s nudity. That would be a sensory overload. One she was not sure she would be able to cope with. He was built for sin. Every woman’s fantasy. And she was not going to fall for his beautiful trappings.
Kane was just leaving the opposite bedroom, buckling up his belt. Gemma was right behind him. Her friend looked as hungover as Jasmine felt. Mascara streaked her cheeks. A huge grey t-shirt was swamping her slender form. Jasmine vaguely remembered the Viking vamp had ripped Gemma’s top from her body. After that she had lost track of them. Jasmine flushed when they saw her.
“Looks like I wasn’t the only one to get lucky last night.” Kane grinned as he stroked his blonde goatee.
“No he didn’t, I fell asleep.” Jasmine blurted out the words before slapping a hand over her mouth. Fuck. She really needed a filter this morning.
The look on Kane’s face was suddenly comical. “You fell asleep?” He said the words as if he could barely believe them. “Shit Asier, so much for your special touch with the ladies. That’s never happened before.”
Jasmine turned to find the Italian vampire right behind her. For someone who had just rolled out of bed he looked immaculate. His lustrous hair was sleek, not even a strand out of place. How could he not have bed head? He’d slipped on a pair of black pyjama bottoms. They hung low on his hips showing off his smooth muscles and the v shape that drew your attention down low. Jasmine raked a hand through her red locks, already knowing they were sticking up chaotically in places. She felt such a mess.
Asier gave a pained look. “There is a first time for everything.” He replied dryly back.
Kane stared down at Jasmine as if she was something he had never seen before. It made her uncomfortable. Like she was something new, and possible unpleasant. The sudden urge for space clawed its way through her.
“I feel sick. I have to use the bathroom.” she mumbled as she hurried along the hall.
It had been a novelty to wake with a female in his bed. Asier’s normal routine was to kick them out of his apartment once he was done with them. He enjoyed his space. His toys were only allowed in his home when he wanted to fuck. Cuddling was not something he normally did. Aftercare was of course always necessary when he was more than rough with them. But even after that, he sent them on their way.
With Jasmine though, he had found it strangely enjoyable. He liked feeling her smaller body curled into his. Listening to her little sleepy murmurs and snores. They were adorable.
Asier could sense her constantly fighting the attraction between them. Knew it was why she kept running away. He was going to savour smashing down her walls. Her resistance. She was already succumbing to his influence physically. It was only a matter of time before her mind followed. The surrender would make it all the sweeter. He was willing to wait, but not for too long. There was only so much time he would allow her to realise she would soon be his.
Jasmine closed the door behind her and pulled the bolt across with a click. Turning, her gaze skimmed briefly over the bathroom which she’d discovered opposite the kitchen. It was large and bright. A shower was in one corner of the white tiled space. In another was a huge bathtub. Unbuttoning Asier’s shirt, she quickly slipped on her bra and sweatshirt. The smell of cinnamon still clung to her skin from the garment she had slept it. Jasmine always found it strange how the vampires could always smell so nice. They all had their own unique scent. Was it another allure? They all had them to draw you in. It was almost like an aphrodisiac.
Padding across the room she sank down on the edge of the bath tub with a sigh. What was she doing? Getting tangled up with Asier was not going to make her feel better. Like Eric, he only wanted her for her body. Was sex all she wanted? Asier also seemed to have some weird power over she was not sure she liked. It was if any common sense went out the window when she was near him.
Jasmine rubbed a hand over her face. Being hungover wasn’t helping. She felt like crap. The dull pain in the back of her skull had eased slightly, but it was still annoying. At least now her eyes didn’t hurt too much with the light. She was never going to get drunk again. It only led to her doing stupid shit. Last night had been way over a ten on her stupidity scale.
But you liked it. A little voice inside her replied. Jasmine groaned. It was right. She had. Asier was very hard to resist. The vamp was dangerous, and should probably come with a warning label. Why had she ever thought that she could handle him?
Jasmine felt her heart squeeze with despair. She was so confused. The emptiness she felt without Eric was weighting down on her again. Pushing down on her chest like a lead weight which seemed to be getting heavier over time. Was it ever going to go away? Ever just stop? Did Eric ever think about her? Jasmine doubted very much that he felt as incomplete as she did. She missed him so fucking much.
Tears blurred her vision. She was so tired of feeling this way. All she wanted was some peace. A way not to feel as she did. To stop the anger which kept rolling inside. Fumbling in the pocket of her sweatshirt, she found what she was looking for. Jasmine held the tiny green bottle the elf had given her up in her hand. The liquid inside was dark. It looked harmless enough.
She began to chew on her lip. Shell had told her it would make her feel better. Would taking it work? Maybe she could try it just this once. Just to see what happened. Unscrewing the lid she raised it to her mouth, but it never reached her lips.
A firm hand grabbed hold of her wrist. Jasmine jumped.
Asier was suddenly standing over her. There was a grim expression on his features. Gone was the teasing playfulness from earlier. Now he looked dark and deadly. It sent a chill down Jasmine’s spine.
“Where did you get this?” The vampire’s tone was menacing.
Jasmine blinked in confusion. She was pretty sure she had locked the bathroom door. How the hell had he gotten inside?
With his other hand he pried the bottle from her fingers. “Tell me now Jasmine. I have little patience.”
“Someone gave them to me.” She admitted, watching as he examined it with fury.
“Was her name Shell?” Glancing back down at her he ensnared her with his cold glare.
Jasmine found herself replying before she could think. “Yes.”
A colourful flow of what sounded like Italian swear words left his lips.
He was suddenly grasping her chin painfully. “Have you taken anything she gave you?” Stare intent, his whole attention was centred on her expression.
Jasmine lowered her eyelashes to shield herself from the laser beam gleam of the vampire’s scrutiny. “No, this is the first.”
“Good.” There was a nerve jerking in the side of his jaw. “You know our agreement. No drugs.” He released his hold on her abruptly.
“It’s a potion.” She responded sagging back, hunching her shoulders defensively.
“Cazzo. I don’t
fucking care.” Asier roared making her cringe. Anger was rolling of him in thick waves. “Do you know what it even does?”
Jasmine hung her head in shame. “She said it would ease heartache.”
“It would remove everything. All emotions.” The Italian explained harshly as he clenched the bottle violently in his palm with a look of distaste. “You would feel nothing. No pain. No pleasure. No sadness or happiness. It would send you to a living hell that is very hard to come back from. Do you understand what I am saying Jasmine?”
Jasmine felt her throat thicken with unshed tears. “Yes.” Her reply was a whisper.
“If I catch you with something like this again our agreement will end permanently. I should take you over my knee right now for even considering something like this.”
The sharpness of his tone speared something inside Jasmine, cracking more of her self-confidence. She wanted to curl up somewhere. Away from his rage.
“I didn’t go looking for it...” A tear broke free and rolled down the curve of her cheek.
“These things always have a price cara.” His voice had softened. “Never hide your pain from me. If you are hurting tell me, perhaps I can fix it.”
Just like Asier had a price? Lowering her eyes she stared at the floor. Scalding tears began to stream unchecked down her pale face. Jasmine tried to blink them away.
“I don’t think anyone can...I’m broken inside. I honestly don’t know what the fuck is wrong with me. It’s just getting worse and I have no control over it.” Jasmine confessed to him in a broken whisper.
Asier swore. Dropping to his knees he cradled her damp cheeks gently in his hands. “Look at me Jasmine. I’m not blind. You’re bonded to Eric, that’s why you hurt so much. Why you feel like you’re bleeding inside without him. It is just an illusion, just the effects of his blood inside you.”
Jasmine frowned. Did that mean the love she felt for Eric wasn’t real? “How do I make it stop?”
His thumbs circled her jaw, massaging gently. “You fill the longing, the craving with something else. Give yourself to me completely, and I will do that for you. I can take away this need eating away inside you.”
Desire stirred through Jasmine. It caused a strange heat to travel through her veins. “Asier I can’t...I don’t want someone controlling me...” She sobbed as she struggled to pull herself together.
“Trust me.” Asier urged, his gaze searching her tear stained features with a tenderness she had never seen before.
A bitter laugh bubbled from her lips. “I gave my trust to Eric and he screwed me over big time. I don’t know if I can trust like that again. I don’t know if I want to.”
“Bella, placing yourself in my hands is not a weakness. I would take care of your every need. Trust is a precious thing. You are something to be prized and adored. I would protect you. Cherish you. Teach you how to be strong. You are not alone in this anymore, and I have no desire to clip your wings.”
Hadn’t Eric wanted to take over her life like that too? Would giving into Asier mean the same fate, even though he said it would not?
“Forget Eric.” Asier continued. “Pining for him will bring you nothing but more pain. Let it go. He doesn’t know how to love. It’s an emotion he will never have. You are wasting your time crying over something that will never be. What you are experiencing is not real, but the effects of the bonding you have with him.”
“Jaz, we gotta go.” Gemma’s muffled voice called from the other side of the closed door. “I want to drive you home.”
Sniffing, Jasmine glanced toward it. Her friend was probably worried she was spending so much time in the bathroom. Asier was still cradling her face. Leaning forwards his lips brushed teasingly back and forth against her mouth. Damp from her crying they were gentle, coaxing. He never once tried to delve for more. Seemed content just to calm her.
“Think about what I have said, Jasmine.” He murmured, resting his forehead against her own. “If you want to be free of Eric’s blood I am the one who can help you. I can silence your mind and help you forget.”
“I’m surprised she’s resisting you.” Kane commented as they watched the women head down the back stairs to the exit.
A smile crept across Asier’s features. “It makes the game more interesting. I know she’s still thinking about Eric, but I will soon have her flat on her back with my dick buried so deep he will be nothing but a distant memory.”
He had heard the lonely need in Jasmine’s voice. It had resonated with a small part inside him. Something he thought had died long ago. Asier knew he was having to work a little harder than usual to get what he wanted. He had made promises with past women that he would not necessarily keep. Yet this time Asier knew he would. He meant every word he said to her. Jasmine was different. She was nothing like the women he was used to bedding. He found himself caring for her wellbeing. She was the first human he was sexually interested in that he had spent time with. By now they would have had a handful of hours fucking and then be gone. The supernaturals he fucked and played with needed no such care. They healed swiftly. Hardened by centuries of existence they didn’t want anything more than a sexual release. The girl bought out instincts in him to protect. The only other female who had ever done that was Lexi...
Asier frowned. He needed to have words with that young succubus. She had been absent from the club and it was very unlike her. Lexi never wandered far from home.
Shaking off his thoughts, he stalked back up towards his apartment. Kane shadowed him in silence. It was time to rest. As Vampiria, he and Kane did not need to sleep through the day like turned vampires, but they still did so to keep up appearances.
“Is that her? Your new whore?” A woman stepped out from behind the stairwell which lead back down into the bowels of the club. Platinum blonde hair styled in a stylish chignon, her lovely face was made up elegantly with make-up. A red satin dress clung to her slender curves, which she achieved through hours with a personal trainer. She looked spoiled. Preened and far too high maintenance.
Asier paused. He had been too swept up in thoughts of Jasmine to sense the intruder. This was something that had never happened before. His senses were always sharp. They never failed him. Until now.
“What are you doing here Selena?” His voice was laced with annoyance.
Meekly, Selena stepped closer. She was nervous at his tone. Already, the vampires who served him in his domain were sensing their sovereign’s displeasure. They would soon come looking to see what had disturbed him. Someone was going to be punished for letting this female get as far as she had. No one was allowed up here. Only those he chose to bring. It was a simple rule. One everyone knew.
“Please Asier. Take me back. Give me another chance to please you.” She whined with a pout. “Punish me. I’ve been a bad girl.”
“You bore me, go away.” Asier stepped past her. He didn’t have time for her nonsense. Hated women who clung and whined.
“I thought we had something special...”
Her words stopped him in his tracks. Swivelling back round he spared her a cold hard glare. “You knew when we started my interest never lasts long. Go back to your husband. I saw him last night fucking a brunette downstairs in the club. Maybe he’ll be happy to have you back so he can punish you for straying.”
“You’re a bastard Asier.” Selena spat back with a mixture of hurt and anger. “Does your new lover know what you do? Have you gotten her so twisted up inside she doesn’t know up from down yet? Have you ruined her like you’ve ruined me?”
“Go anywhere near her and you will regret it.” Asier curled his hands into fists at his sides. “Get out Selena before I have Kane remove you.”
Unable to see the danger, Selena continued with her venomous torrent. “You’re a freak who gets off on other people’s pain, and you don’t care about who you play with. You’re just out to satisfy your own sick selfish need.”
Asier felt his patience snap. No one spoke to him this way. No one disrespe
cted him without regretting it. “I was only fucking you Selena as a favour to your husband, who happens to be a politician I need in my pocket.” Asier stated cold bloodedly as he watched the colour ebb from her cheeks. “He wanted his spoiled trophy wife to have a taste of what he likes as a member here. I was gentle with you, believe me.”
Raising her hand she moved to strike him, fury burning in her eyes. It never reached its target. Asier caught her wrist with ease, exerting enough pressure to make her whimper. He could feel the fragile bones flexing. They both knew he could snap them with his strength without a second thought.
“I’m sorry...I didn’t mean to get angry.” She stammered, suddenly realising her mistake. “Please...I’ll do anything to be your sex slave again.”
“Anything?” Asier raised one dark eyebrow as his gaze met Kane’s above the female’s head. His second in command looked amused. Tugging on his blonde goatee he was eyeing the human female with a growing sexual interest.
“Yes...to be with you.” Selena pleaded, unaware of the silent exchange.
In the blink of an eye the Master Vampire had her by the hair. Grabbing a fistful, he dragged her forward. “Shall I fuck your mouth while Kane takes your arse? He won’t be gentle.” Asier warned her softly. His eyes bore mercilessly into hers. “He’ll rip your little puckered hole right up. Make you bleed and take pleasure from hurting you, and I will let him have you every night. Now, do you still want to be with me?” Her gaze wavered from his with fear. “No. I thought not.”
“Asier...”
“SILENCIO!” Asier roared, flinging her to the floor. Landing hard, she gave a cry of pain, her head bowed in fright.
“Trying to strike me was your first mistake.” His voice so void of emotion it made her shiver. “Now you are going to be punished for your actions.”
Tilting up her head, Selena’s eyes sparkled with a sudden burst of excitement, but quickly vanished with his next words.