by Julia Mills
Lee slowed his motions, gently moving with small strokes until both their heart rates returned to normal. Still buried deep within his mate, he smiled as Juliette once again brought her lips to his neck, but this time licked the drop of blood from his skin. Wrapping an arm around her waist, he let his still semi-erect cock slide from the sweetness of her pussy.
Rolling onto his back, he laid Juliette across his chest, just enjoying the feel of his mate in his arms. Raising her head, his mate had a suspicious twinkle in her eye and with barely a wink, used her god speed to rise up on her knees and straddle his waist.
Leaning forward until their noses almost touched, she once again threw her hair over one shoulder but this time let her head follow it to the side and with a low purr that had his heart racing and his cock once again rising to the occasion, she murmured, “Now, it’s your turn, my King. Take all that I am.”
Unable to resist, Lee’s hand wound around the back of her head and he pulled her close as his canine’s lengthened. Teasing the skin above her vein with just the tips of his fangs, he grinned as Juliette’s hips began to move against his stomach and the evidence of her arousal wet on his skin.
Moving his hands to her hips, he moved her down his body until he could feel the wet heat of her pussy on the tip of his erection and in one fluid motion thrust into her with both his cock and his fangs. Juliette wailed with pleasure, holding him to her neck as he held her still, reveling in the feel of their bodies locked together as one.
Love filled their bond. Lee’s heart was overflowing with the adoration and devotion that he felt for his Juliette. Needing to tell her how he felt, he pulled his fangs from her vein, licked the wound closed and leaned back so that he could look her in the eye and as they laid there locked together in not only body, but also mind and soul, he whispered, “Juliette, agápi mou, our forever begins today.”
Epilogue
The King pulled up to the same private hospital he had been visiting every month for nearly fifty years. It sat near the sea in the coastal city of Nafplio on the Peloponnese peninsula tucked away amid a vast array of chalets and villas available for use by the millions of tourists that visited his homeland every year.
Getting out of his car and taking a long, deep calming breath, Bain wondered how much longer his game of subterfuge with his brothers could go on. As it was, three of them had already found their fýlakas tis kardiás mou and the couples were spending more and more time in Greece. He feared it wouldn’t be long until they found out what he had been doing and who had been hiding.
His secrets were about to cause all hell to break loose but at the moment the former philosopher and scholar couldn’t care. He had more important issues to attend to. Pushing his worries to the side, determined to enjoy what little time he had with her, the King crossed the threshold, took his sunglasses off and greeted the attendant he paid very handsomely for his service.
“Geia pós eísai, Miguel?”
“Fine and you, Mr. Christakis?”
“I’m doing well thank you,” Bain smiled at the attendant’s attempt at broken English, appreciating that he was working so hard to learn a new language, then turning the King made his way down the corridor.
With his hand on the doorknob he thought about the years since he had purchased the house, had it retrofitted to be a care facility and had begun the arduous process of finding staff loyal only to him. It had taken some doing, but in the end, he had found the right people, had them thoroughly vetted and signed into an ironclad confidentiality agreement. The workers, nurses and doctors here were just like the feeders of the Kings of the Blood, tied to him forever, from generation to generation, each keeping the other’s secrets.
Turning the knob, he walked into the room. He was happy to see they were keeping the room full of lilies and gardenias. He noticed the walls had been painted the bright yellow he requested to keep the atmosphere light and happy.
Walking to her bedside, pulling the chair against the wall along with him, he could only smile. She looked so peaceful, lying there as if she were simply sleeping, with her blonde hair spread across her pillow and her long eye lashes curling against her cheeks.
“Hello, beautiful. How are you today?” As always he waited for a reply and as always, none came.
Removing his suit jacket, Bain threw it over the back of the chair before sitting down and lifting her hand into his. Wishing for the hundredth, maybe thousandth time, that she would open her eyes and smile or at least hold his hand as he held hers, the King sighed and shook his head.
He knew what he had to do. The same thing he had done all the other times he was with her. It was the only thing keeping her from withering and dying, the only thing giving him hope. “But is it really hope or merely pipe dreams?” He asked himself aloud.
Thinking again about his brothers, the Kings of the Blood, and his true brother, also part of the fraternity, Nikos, Bain felt the love he had for his family. He was happy for each and every one of them. Loved that some had bonded with their mates, knew the others were soon to come. It was just that seeing Viktor, Roman and Achilles with the keepers of their hearts, happy and starting a whole journey in their lives, brought the sad reality of his own situation crashing down around him.
Once again shoving his worries away, he reached behind him and into his jacket pocket, pulling out a syringe. Tapping the inside of his arm, he waited until the vein was visible, stuck the needle in and withdrew a hundred cc’s of his life’s essence. Turning her arm over, he then injected it into her vein, rubbing away the sting even though he had no idea if she felt it or not.
Disposing of the needle, he scooted his chair closer to her bedside, laid his head on the bed and whispered, “Come back to me, vasílissa mou, or surrender so that I might follow you into the Elysian Fields.”
Don’t Miss Book 1 in the Kings of the Blood Series
VIKTOR: Heart of Her King
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“Enjoy your stay in London, Ms. Romalesky. Thank you for flying American Airlines.”
Enjoy? Yeah, right.
“I will and thank you, Natalie,” Kat smiled and answered the perky flight attendant as sweetly as she could as she exited the plane. It was the best she could do considering the Diet Pepsi and poorly baked fish she’d consumed during her eight-hour sleepless flight from the states were threatening to make an unwanted reappearance.
In less than eighteen hours she would meet the single most powerful businessman in the world—the elusive Viktor Katsaros. Not only her future but that of her father’s company depended on the multi-million dollar deal she was hoping to broker between Roma Technologies and Katsaros Industries. In the last two years, Kat had taken the nearly bankrupt company she’d inherited after her parent’s death and turned it into a thriving business that just the day before she’d left home had been added to the Forbes’ Most Innovative Companies list. If she had any hopes of getting their new product in the hands of consumers outside the U.S., she had to convince Katsaros to be her partner.
The man she was hinging all her hopes of success on was not known for his willingness to partner with people. The little bit Kat had been able to dig up about him on the internet and in articles gave her a clear picture of a corporate raider. He took what he wanted at the lowest price, kept it if it was something that interested him, but in most cases, broke the companies into pieces and sold them off to the highest bidder. It was easy to see how he’d become so rich and so infamous.
But none of that mattered. Kat had a stable company that was operating in the black and she had the tech to back up a partnership. All the patents and copyrights belonged to her personally, not Roma Tech, so even if Katsaros tried to take her business, he would never get the moneymaker. That was the beauty of still being an independent owner. Viktor Katsaros may be a viper in business but Kat had dealt with vipers before.
She’d been working on the proposal for almost three months, basically from the moment she
’d met Roman Marinos, KI’s Vice President of Operations, and if all the stories on the internet were true, Mr. Katsaros’ right-hand man. Kat had to believe it had been destiny that they’d literally bumped into one another at the bar while attending Fortune Magazine’s Man of the Year awards banquet.
She’d been there with the hopes of meeting Viktor Katsaros and pitching her idea of their partnership to the man himself. After her many emails to KI’s development department had gone unanswered, Kat was betting on a long shot. By all accounts, Katsaros hadn’t been seen in public for nearly twenty years, but she’d taken the chance that winning the same award for the tenth year in a row would bring the recluse into the light. The outcome she wanted hadn’t happened, but thankfully, the luck that had seen her through some of the roughest times in her life was still on her side and she’d met Marinos.
Kat had been so shocked when he’d called her by name and introduced himself. She’d almost dropped her ginger ale. Her surprise grew as he apologized for her previously ignored correspondence and asked if she had the time to discuss her proposal right then and there.
Never one to miss an opportunity, Kat had followed Marinos to the table farthest from all the commotion, pulling data out of her overworked brain as fast as she could. Once seated, he’d asked a few preliminary questions about Roma Tech that she was positive he could’ve had answered by any business website anywhere. It was Business 101 – never ask a question you don’t know the answer to. If possible, it made her respect him even more.
Fifteen minutes into the hour-long presentation she’d practiced at least a hundred times in the mirror, Marinos lifted his index finger and offhandedly said, “Excuse me for just a moment.”
Kat prepared for what she was sure was going to be the most elegant and practiced brush off she’d ever gotten. From everything she’d seen of this man so far, he was nothing if not the consummate professional. But to her surprise, he’d taken his cell phone from his jacket pocket, made a few quick key strokes, and placed the device between them on the table.
Marinos smiled as the phone rang but gave no explanation. On the fourth ring, Kat opened her mouth to speak but quickly swallowed her words as the voice on the other end answered, “Katsaros.”
The man’s voice was deep and warm but with a raw power that seemed to resonate within her. He had an exotic accent; one she couldn’t place but knew without a doubt was not British, despite reports that he’d lived in London for most of his life.
You just can’t trust what you read on the internet.
“Roman, here. Glad to see you’re still awake, old boy.”
It was then Kat remembered the five-hour time difference between New York and London, making it nearly three a.m. in the men’s homeland. She knew if one of her associates called her in the wee hours of the morning she would’ve been less than pleased and probably a cranky bitch. Viktor Katsaros however, lived up to what little information she’d been able to dig up about him. He’d been a true professional with a voice any woman would gladly give her eye teeth to hear whispered in her ear.
“I am. What can I do for you, old boy?” Viktor answered, throwing Roman’s words back at him with just a touch of levity. It both surprised and reassured Kat.
I was worried he was a stuffy old man. At least he has a sense of humor. Even if he is a viper.
The cocky grin that flashed across Roman’s face made Kat wonder if he’d read her mind, but it was gone so quickly she chalked it up to her imagination and focused on the conversation taking place before her.
“I am sitting here with Miss Romalesky of Roma Tech. She and I were just discussing a joint venture between her company and KI, and I thought it only right I bring you into the discussion.”
Roman went on to explain word for word everything she’d told him. One or two ‘uh-huh’s’ and an ‘I see’ were the only responses Katsaros gave. When Marinos concluded, there was no response from the phone on the table. Several tense seconds of utter silence and Kat thought she might pull her long, red tresses from her head. She tried to appear nonchalant as she felt each tick of the clock, knowing the next words she heard would seal not only her company’s destiny, but also her own.
“How soon can you be in London, Katarina?”
Viktor’s use of her given name stole her breath and caused a warmth to fill her from the inside out. Had she been alone, there was no doubt she would’ve closed her eyes and drifted on the dreamy fog the man’s voice created around her. She thought of the hauntingly erotic dreams she’d been having for the last three years. There was no doubt Viktor would be starring in the next few.
Quickly slamming the gate closed on her imagination, Kat cleared her throat and answered, “I can be there in ninety days, if that works with your schedule.”
She knew she’d taken too long to answer when her eyes met Roman’s and his cocky grin was replaced with a sly smile and a twinkle in his hazel eyes. Kat imagined a similar, sexier grin on Viktor Katsaros’ face before clamping even tighter on her wandering mind.
Thankfully, Viktor was quick to respond, “No sooner?”
Letting out the breath she’d been holding, Kat responded, “No, sir. That’s the soonest I could make the trip.”
She knew it was a lie—or a business maneuver—as Leo, her attorney, liked to say. There was absolutely nothing keeping her from packing up that very night, grabbing a ticket, and taking the redeye to Heathrow, but she didn’t want to seem too eager. Keeping the fact that Roma Tech needed KI more than KI needed Roma Tech would be her secret for as long as she could keep it. “Always leave them wanting more” was her father’s philosophy and one Kat had adopted her first day as President and CEO of what had then been a failing tech company in a small town in West Texas.
There was also the tiny issue of typing up the proposal she’d so expertly given to Roman. She had been writing and practicing it in her mind for months but never took the time to put it on paper. It was important that it have copious details with all the charts, bells, and whistles she could manage. It was going to take a hat trick to make this deal a reality, but she was up to the challenge.
When Viktor spoke again his voice was even lower, somehow more seductive, and his accent thicker. “If that is the soonest you can come, I shall count the days to your arrival.” Then to Roman he replied in a totally matter of fact tone, “Thank you for the call, amicus. See you tomorrow.”
The rest of the banquet had been a blur, just as the last three months had been. Kat spent every day and most of every night preparing her presentation, while running Roma Tech and trying not to lose her sanity from the nightly visits of her dream lover.
Just as she’d expected, it was Viktor’s voice she heard in every dream, more compelling with each appearance. So real that every time she awoke, her hand automatically searched the other side of the bed for him.
Kat knew from all her research into Katsaros Industries that only blurry, out of focus photos existed of its withdrawn owner. But that simple fact did not keep her from searching at least once a day with the hopes that something she’d missed before would magically appear. Of course, nothing had, so she’d depended on her incredible imagination while constantly reminding herself it was unprofessional to mix business with pleasure.
But oh, what pleasure I imagine it could be.
Grinning at her own joke, she planted her best black stiletto on British soil for the first time and headed to retrieve her luggage. Apparently, the heavens were shining down on her, because her bags were the first onto the carousel. Her luck continued to hold as she walked out into the dreary London morning and straight into a waiting cab to be immediately whisked away to her hotel.
Viktor had offered to have his car pick her up at the airport when she’d sent her itinerary to him and Roman a week after their phone conversation. Once the initial shock of a personal response from the CEO himself had worn off, Kat had politely declined. She needed him to see her as a capable, worthy partner despite her age and gender
. It was a daily battle and one she would not let stop her from taking Roma Tech to the top.
As her taxi stopped in front of the Corinthia, Kat had a moment of wide-eyed awe. Never in a million years would she have guessed the building before her had at one time housed the Ministry of Defense. The restoration the building had undergone left it in absolutely gorgeous condition. It was like nothing she’d ever seen.
For just a second, she felt like a princess finally arriving at her castle. Sadness threatened her mood as Kat thought of all the fairy tales her mom had read to her over the years and the times her dad had played the part of the horrible beast keeping the princess captive in the bell tower. She missed them so very much but knew they were looking down on her with pride. Life had dished Kat up a bushel of lemons and she was making lemonade as fast as she could.
The fact that she was a country girl at heart would always be her best kept secret from the professional world. Sure, as an only child taking over the family business had been in her thirty-year plan. Right along with marrying the man of her dreams and having two beautiful children. She’d always imagined she and her spouse running the company together after her parents had retired but destiny had other plans, and now it was time to take her father’s dreams worldwide.
Smiling to herself, she jumped as the hotel attendant opened her door and extended his hand. Quickly paying the cabbie, Kat gently accepted the bellman’s help and exited the vehicle. There were several other stewards unloading her luggage while she was escorted through the pristine glass double doors into the hotel lobby.
If this is any indication of what my suite looks like, I may never go home.