Romance with a Bite

by Tamsin Baker

  A grown man feeding a grown woman who was quite capable of feeding herself was ridiculous. I glared at Cassius while he fed me and refused to hand over the spoon, which made me even angrier.

  Cassius just chuckled and made short work of feeding me, and I sat there and opened my mouth like a baby bird until I’d finished the bowl. I was full, warm, clean, and the fire crackling within the huge gothic-styled mantelpiece was strangely comforting, despite my circumstances.

  Xander drew me against his chest. Drowsy now, I leaned my head against his shoulder, the weight too heavy to keep upright. He rubbed my arm and a false sense of comfort stole over me.

  I looked for the ulterior motive but it wasn’t clear. They could do anything to me, yet they’d washed me, fed me and were keeping me warm. I couldn’t help but think there was something I was missing, but the crackling fire and quiet of the room made it hard to keep my eyes open.

  “You have to be the most hospitable captors ever,” I said.

  “And what makes you think we’re your captors?” Davon asked, crossing his arms and leaning on the edge of the mantelpiece.

  “Because you won’t let me leave,” I said.

  “That is for your own safety. There’s a blizzard outside and we’re very remote here,” Cassius said.

  “Surely you have a vehicle of some kind. Everyone needs to go into town for supplies. Come to think of it, why haven’t I seen you in town?” I would have remembered their faces. They were the kind of faces teenage girls plastered on their bedroom walls and dreamed about. Everyone also needed a vehicle of some sort around here. It was just common sense. Looking about the modern room, it would seem that they had to have traveled from somewhere to get this place built and move the furniture in.

  “We don’t have need to go into town,” Davon said.

  “Then you have a helicopter.” It was the only thing I could think of. Maybe they were so decadently rich they could just fly in and out. It would make sense. Why come into a dinky little town if you didn’t need to?

  A fleeting smile dusted across Cassius’ face. “We’re pretty self-sufficient here. No need to go out much at all.”

  Something really wasn’t right with these guys. Ice-cold doubt slid through my drowsiness. I couldn’t afford to become complacent, no matter how nicely they treated me. “But everyone needs to go out. There are things that people just need to do.”

  “They do, indeed, Tu Ena. And what you need to do right now is to rest.”

  I peered up at Xander, catching a glimpse of a very sharp, white tooth that made me pause for a moment. “I’m not ready to sleep. I don’t want to sleep.”

  He moved me so that he could stare directly at me. “You’re not well, Tu Ena. You need to rest. We’ll speak of this more in the morning. There’s time enough for all the answers you seek.”

  My gaze tangled with his. I tried to look away, but I was compelled not to. “That’s not…not an answer.”

  He stared at me and I was drawn into his hypnotizing gaze. I was so tired. Sleep, that’s what I needed. Sleep called for me. I should just give in and let it take me away. My eyelids drooped. I blinked heavily, working hard to keep them open.

  “Stop fighting. I will gift you this one night of peace. It’s the least I can do,” Xander said.

  “Peace?” But thoughts were becoming hard work. And why was I panicking so much anyway? All would be better in the morning. Just after I had a good night’s sleep. “Doesn’t make…sense.” My eyelids fluttered closed and I gave way to the lethargy pulling at my limbs, despite knowing I needed to keep my wits about me.

  “It will. Goddess help me, it will.”

  Chapter Seven

  I woke, surfacing slowly through the layers of awareness until my eyes opened to a light room. I was back in bed, covered in thick, warm blankets. The fire was crackling merrily in the hearth and the winged back chairs were empty.

  In fact, the whole room was empty. And completely silent, bar the soft crackling of the flames.

  I sat up, wincing as various cuts and bruises made themselves known, but it was nothing like the last time I woke. I swung my legs over the side of the bed, aware that Xander had lied about the pyjamas. Beneath the sheets, I was still naked.

  And there was no towel.

  My face flamed a little, knowing that they’d seen me naked. But then again, they’d seen me naked for six days while I was out of it. Then Davon had bathed me…and more. My twisted thoughts were aggravating my stomach. I couldn’t mull over what had been done, only what I could do now. I was stronger. More alert. And determined that nothing like that would happen again. It wasn’t too far from how I lived my life in town.

  No one saw me as a sexual being – apart from Gary, but I was more a conquest for him. A conquest that would never happen. I had come to terms a long time ago that lust and maybe even love were not in the cards for me. There was no reason why that would change because of a chance tumble down a mountainside.

  Now that no one was around, I could take the opportunity to really see where I was. I stood, shaky on my feet, my body telling me that I had been quite ill. It was all a bit fuzzy, but I did know I’d been barely cognizant the past few days. There were snatches of conversation that made no sense without the full picture. Not surprising, if I’d had a fever, but there was something they’d done to me that made it all go away. Nothing short of miraculous, seeing as how much I’d recovered in a very short amount of time.

  I wrapped the blanket from the top of the covers that had been piled on me around my shoulders, feeling a little better that it hid my nudity. I really had to ask them about clothing. I wasn’t going to run around here in the buff for anyone’s viewing pleasure.

  The room was extremely large and contained the bed I’d occupied. Several assorted high-backed chairs upholstered in crimson velvet were arranged around the massive, sleek black mantle. More towards the center of the room were couches with a low table between them. Various cabinets lined the walls, all in dark mahogany, and intricately carved. They wouldn’t look out of place in an historical mansion. Maybe they’d decorated to keep with the style of the building.

  The bathroom door where Davon had taken me was slightly ajar. The light was on, showing gleaming white tiles and a modern interior, which were at such odds with the general look and feel of the Gothic style room I was in.

  Along one wall ran shelving bursting with books. Actual leather-bound, old books. I didn’t know anyone who actually owned books now. My library was mostly electronic.

  My Grimoire!

  I hadn’t thought about it until now. A quick glance at all available surfaces came up empty. My heart leapt in my throat. I’d held it when I’d tumbled down the mountainside, but then what?

  What if it was destroyed, left out in the elements? The book itself was priceless, but the information inside it was more precious than that. What if people had come to look for me and had found it? What if the Holy Trinity had it in their possession? They’d waste no time rounding up my mother. And Mom – what if she was sick and I wasn’t there to help her?

  Frantic, I went to the window and opened the curtain, revealing a burgeoning snow storm that raged from mushrooming clouds and an angry wind that bent the tallest branches and whipped them about. Frost clung to the exterior window pane, strung like frozen cobwebs along the edges. I pressed my palm to the glass. Although toasty warm inside, the glass instantly cooled my skin. It was crazy that a snow storm was like this. It was only mid-November.

  I clutched the blanket at my throat, reeling away from the window. There was no way I could walk out into a blizzard like that to find my Grimoire, let alone get back to Mom. My God, what was I going to do? I could only hope she was all right and that I’d be able to leave as soon as the storm passed. And as for having no phones or internet – that just sounded damn wrong. I’d need to keep my wits about me and that included not showering with sexy men while they handed out orgasms.

  Behind me, the door opened. I
turned to see Davon entering the room. His light blue gaze instantly fell on me. “You shouldn’t be out of bed. You’re still recovering, Tu…Ella.”

  He dumped a pile of clothing on a nearby chair and strode towards me. I couldn’t afford to become lost in the attraction haze that simmered in the background. I held out a hand, palm towards him. “Stop right there.”

  He immediately halted, which was some sort of comfort. “What are you frowning about?”

  “I’m frowning?”

  “You are.”

  I made a conscious effort to school my features and a faint smile crossed his face, making him impossibly handsome. It took some effort not to walk into his arms, which was more than confusing. Maybe he was right and I wasn’t yet recovered. I just needed to focus more. I squared my shoulders and drew a steeling breath. “Who found me when I fell down the mountain?”

  Momentary confusion crossed his face. “We all did.”

  “All of you?”

  Davon nodded. “Yes, we were out hiking when we heard you scream. Luckily, we were in the vicinity. There’s no one else around for miles.”

  And miles and miles and miles. I stifled a shiver. If they hadn’t found me and I was injured and out in this storm, I would not have survived. “Then I should thank you.”

  “It is our pleasure. We don’t get a lot of people visiting us,” Davon said.

  That feeling where I knew I was missing something passed through me, and yet I still couldn’t put my finger on it. “I had a book with me when I fell. Did you see it when you found me? It’s a very old and precious book. The most precious thing I own, really.” I don’t know why I admitted so much to him. Why would he even care if I had a book or not? He’d saved me. A book would be secondary.

  Davon nodded, his gaze never leaving me. He had eyes like a predator, even as gorgeous as they were. That eerie look that observed every little notch and turn of muscle and limb. A gaze that weighed up and assessed as a second instinct. I stood still, showing no weakness. Knowing that wouldn’t be good at all. “We also recovered your…book.”

  There was a slight hesitation before he’d said book. As though he knew it wasn’t a book at all but something much, much more. I hoped like anything they weren’t like the townsfolk. That the Holy Trinity hadn’t seeded their rot in this house so far away from the village. For if they did, and the trio knew what the Grimoire contained, my situation was bleak.

  I was relieved they had it though, although what state it might be in worried me. “Is it badly damaged?”

  “It’s not damaged at all. You must have kept it safe in your arms when you fell,” Davon said.

  “Can I have it back?”

  I thought for a moment that he was going to deny me. I would have assumed they would have set it next to me, but then he said, “Of course. Can I ask—it looks like an old book? And quite rare. How did you acquire it?”

  “That’s why it’s so precious to me. It’s a family heirloom. It goes back generations.”

  “Oh? Who was your original ancestor?’ He tried to sound casual, but there was strain in his voice that was at odds with the relaxed set of his shoulders and the idle smile on his face. I saw no reason not to answer him.

  “My great-grandmother three times over. You can understand how old it is. And how fragile.”

  “Books like that are never fragile,” he said so softly I barely heard him. “It will be returned to you, after I do my duty and take care of you.” His smile was genuine this time, if not a little assured.

  I had to set the record straight, just in case he thought he’d get a repeat of what happened last night. “Davon, I want to tell you…that is, you and I…I mean, whatever happened last night.” My cheeks heated and I knew they were a burning red. Happened every time I was self-conscious, damn it. I caught my breath for a moment and continued, “In the shower when you…”

  “When I gave you pleasure and release,” Davon said.

  My cheeks could fry eggs about now. I cleared my throat. No weakness. Show no weakness. “Yes, when…that…happened. I was not in my right mind. I’m not a girl who allows that to happen to her. Especially with men I don’t know.”

  “But you will get to know us and in your soul you already recognize us,” Davon said.

  “Yes, well…No doubt I will get to know you all, given the snow storm and the fact we’ll be stuck indoors for the time being. But what happened…it’s not going to happen again.” All the words came out in a breathless rush, but at least I’d said them.

  Rather than argue or be shocked, or deny it had happened, Davon merely shrugged his shoulders. “What is written is written. I no longer try to fight the battles of Fate because there is no way that I will win. However, I will respect your wishes and will not offer you release again.”

  My shoulders drooped with relief. I usually wasn’t a person to just accept words like that, however strange the Fate thing was, but I knew he wasn’t lying. How, I couldn’t explain, just that he was a man of his word and that was enough. “Thank you for understanding.”

  His mouth twisted and the predatory look gleamed in his gaze again. “Until you ask me, Ella. And then I will be only too happy to provide you with the biggest release of your life.”

  Chapter Eight

  I ignored the feeling that I was involved in something completely over my head and pointed to the bundle of clothing he’d placed on the chair. “Are those for me?”

  Davon picked them up. “May I bring them over to you?”

  While I appreciated him respecting my hasty, fear-fed order, I wanted the clothes more. “It’s okay. I’ll grab them and get dressed. In the bathroom.”

  He held them out to me like an offering and I gathered them in my arms. “Thank you.”

  “I can help you get dressed if you’re still feeling weak.”

  I nearly smiled at the glimmer in his eye. He was teasing, but there was an element indicating that if I invited him to help me, he wouldn’t refuse. “I can dress myself.”

  I clung to the clothes as though they could protect me and headed into the bathroom, closing the door behind me. I let go of the breath I didn’t know I’d been holding. Dealing with Davon was like walking through a minefield. I dreaded having to keep on my toes around all of them.

  But – they weren’t all interested in me – like that. Were they? I may have been reading things wrong, but the way Xander held me on his lap last night and Cassius insisted on feeding me was more than just caring for someone who’d been in an accident. It seemed as though everything had a sexual charge to it, simmering just below the surface.

  Good God, what if they were into sharing and I was their next conquest? After all, they were three guys on their own. Surely they didn’t get a lot of female visitors.

  I tried to ignore the shivery thrill that raced through my body, but it was too strong and a round of goosebumps broke out over my skin at the thought.

  My imagination was getting away from me. Although they may not get many women visitors, I found it hard to believe I could instil such a reaction out of them. Especially given the way I looked.

  The mirror in front of me displayed a nightmare. I let the sheet drop. I was a mass of scratches and bruises. There was a particularly nasty purple one with yellowing edges on my ribs, another on my hips and my thigh. My calves were mostly covered in scratches of varying lengths. A cut over a lump on my forehead revealed neat, black stitches peeking from my mop of tangled, black hair.

  I’d lost weight, too. My ribs were clearly visible, hips more prominent than they’d ever been, my skin turning a mottled blue in the cooler bathroom air. I’d always been on the thin side, thanks to a large, physical workload on the farm, but I’d been more muscular and fitter than what I looked like now. I was wasted, thanks to six days of illness.

  “Not exactly exuding sexuality at the moment, Ella. You’re completely deluded.” I prodded the bump on my head, wincing at its tenderness. There were dark shadows beneath my eyes and my b
reath smelled awful. Yep, utterly and completely deluded.

  At least I could understand why I felt so weak.

  “Ella? Are you okay in there?” Davon’s voice was loud. He must be standing just outside the door.

  “Yes. I’m fine. Just getting dressed.” If I didn’t hurry, he might come inside and get another good eyeful. I mentally winced. I knew what he’d see and I didn’t want anyone to have to see me looking like this. “Just give me a minute.”

  “Call me if you need me.”

  I mentally chided myself. They were just being nice and my imagination was in overdrive. They needn’t have gone out of their way to look after me so well. I was being unreasonable, that was all.

  Mom often told me that when I tried working the spells from the Grimoire, only to find me flapping my hand about in mid-air and nothing happening, I was having fanciful thoughts. I guess being sick had me more fanciful than ever.

  It was just that…I couldn’t seem to help myself. Those carefully written spells, those detailed illustrations—I would blow them off most times, but at other times I’d find myself trying to understand why my grandmother a long time removed went to so much trouble. Surely in those days, being found with such a thing really would have meant her death. She’d lived around the times of the witch trials. It was dangerous for normal women, let alone someone who worked so hard to capture spells into a Grimoire. She could have written anything. A novel. A diary. But she’d chosen to write down spells.

  A knock sounded at the door. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

  I grabbed the tracksuit pants and thrust my legs into them. “I’m fine. Do you have a toothbrush in here?” I hadn’t even looked, but I didn’t want him coming in here, either. Best to let him think I was just slow, not tangled in my thoughts.

  “Everything you need will be in the cabinet,” Davon said.