“Hey,” Saxon said as he came up on the porch.
“Hey, Saxon.” She looked at Camden, who followed and stopped on the stairs. “Hey, Camden.”
“Hey, Payton.” He smiled at her.
She smiled back. Both men were gorgeous, but her eyes were drawn to Camden. He was tall and muscular, but he had more of a swimmer’s build than one of a football player, like the rest of the guys. He had short blond hair, a goatee, and deep brown eyes. To put it simply, Camden was hot. In addition, he was the newest one to begin working for her dad. Unlike the other men she’d known since she was little, she’d met Camden slightly over a year ago, so he didn’t see her as a little sister, which was nice.
She turned back to Saxon, who was leaning against the railing with his hands in his jean pockets. “Where did you end up tonight? And didn’t Vaughn and Sawyer go with you?”
“We went to Pulse, so Vaughn could meet up with his woman. But when he and Sawyer disappeared on us for over forty-five minutes and didn’t answer their texts, we decided to leave without them.”
She raised her eyebrows.
“Relax. They have their own car.” Saxon pointed his chin at her. “What did you end up doing?”
“I had a girls’ night out with Phoenix. She had a little too much to drink, and she’s sleeping it off. It was fun though. We got home about two hours ago. Since I was the DD, I thought I would relax out here before going to sleep.” She leaned forward in her seat. “I want to know more about my brother. He has a woman? How come I haven’t heard about her before? How long has this been going on?”
Saxon laughed. “He just likes some chick. They have been hanging out for the last two months, but they only see each other at Pulse. I’ve never seen him like this with a chick before. He doesn’t even know where she lives, and he’s never seen her outside the club as far as I know.”
“Oh…interesting. Do you think he really likes her?”
Saxon scoffed. “Yeah,” he said in a duh tone.
“Then, why doesn’t he see her anywhere else?”
He raised an eyebrow. “Babe, she’s not…” He pulled one hand out of his pocket and made a think-about-it motion with his hand.
“Ah. Never mind then.”
Headlights came into view, and Vaughn’s car followed a second later. As they drove past, she could see Sawyer was with him, and he looked pissed.
“Uh-oh, you guys are in trouble,” she teased.
“Shit.” Saxon walked off the porch and headed toward the back.
Camden followed. Never one to miss a good show, Payton was right behind them.
Sawyer jumped out of the car before it came to a complete stop. He marched up to Saxon, grabbed his shirt, and got right in his face. “Don’t you ever fucking touch her again!” Sawyer yelled.
Who were they talking about?
Sawyer rarely got emotional, especially over a female.
Interesting.
In case they needed to break up a fight, her brother and Camden moved closer. Vaughn nodded to Camden to let him know they should let the guys work it out, but they also had to be ready if things got out of hand.
To Payton’s surprise, Saxon didn’t fight back.
He held his arms up in surrender. “Dude, nothing happened. She kissed me.”
Sawyer pulled Saxon closer and growled.
“A peck. No tongue. When she asked me, I told her I couldn’t sleep with her.”
“Couldn’t or wouldn’t?”
“What does it matter?” Saxon knocked Sawyer’s hand off his shirt. “It seems like you don’t want to have anything to do with her anyway.”
Sawyer looked confused and frustrated.
“Maybe you need to figure that out,” Saxon said. “It’s been two months, and you’re driving yourself crazy. You’re obviously drunk right now, and you rarely drink—at least hardly enough to get intoxicated. Why do you think that is?”
Payton remembered Sawyer coming home one night two months ago, and he’d been all pissed about some girl. Could this be the same one? Payton had half teased him that night, but maybe she had been right about Sawyer liking this girl.
“I know.” Sawyer dropped his head and rubbed his face in his hand.
“I will tell you one thing,” Saxon said.
Sawyer looked back up.
“I really don’t know what your problem is with her. She seems great, and for some reason, she fucking likes you.” Saxon poked Sawyer in the chest with two fingers. “But you have your head so far up your ass that you can’t get past your own bigotry. So, you know what? The next time she wants to go home with me, I’m going to take her up on it. Then, I’ll ride her so hard that she won’t even remember your name.”
“You fucker.” Sawyer lunged at Saxon.
Vaughn nodded again, and Camden grabbed Sawyer around the chest to stop him. Saxon turned and stalked toward the bunkhouse.
Vaughn ran up to Saxon. “Don’t you think that was a little harsh?”
Saxon swayed back around “Maybe, but he needs a goddamn reality check. He’s too fucking stubborn. I’m not going to sleep with her, but I needed to make him think. He obviously wants her, but he can’t get over his biased feelings. He’s miserable, and she’s miserable. It’s going to stay that way until he does something about it.”
“Yeah, well, I wouldn’t hold my breath.”
“I know. He’s the most stubborn person I’ve ever met. Hopefully, I got him thinking at least.” Saxon rotated on his heel and headed into the bunkhouse.
Vaughn rubbed his hand down his face in frustration. “Fucking hell, I don’t need this shit tonight,” he said to himself.
When he turned around, he noticed Payton standing there, watching. “What are you doing here?”
“Um…I live here.”
Vaughn laughed, the humor not quite reaching his eyes. “Smart-ass.”
“Better to be a smart-ass than a dumbass.”
His expression turned serious. “Hey, don’t go and tell Dad about this, okay? I have the situation under control.”
Payton studied her brother. He looked stressed, but he also knew his limits.
“My lips are sealed. Good luck with him.” She gestured toward Sawyer where he was standing on the dock and removing his clothes to jump in the lake.
Vaughn looked in the direction she pointed. “The cold water will probably do him good.” He looked back at her. “Good night, sis.”
“Good night.” She turned and walked to the front of the house.
She grabbed her mug and headed to her room. She slipped under the covers of her bed and considered her past relationships and Sawyer’s situation. She decided that it might be smart to just stay single forever.
WAITING OUTSIDE NAYA’S door, Arianna tried to convince herself that she had no other choice but to enter even if she preferred to stay outside. She had woken up after sunset this evening, and she could no longer deny her hunger. She had continued to put off her need as Naya had not been in top health for many weeks, but now, Arianna desperately needed to feed.
Since Arianna was unmated, she would feed from her aunt or Naya. With Aunt Celeste still overseas, Naya was Arianna’s only option. A large part of her hesitation stemmed from the last time she’d fed from Naya about seven weeks ago. Arianna had noticed Naya’s blood tasted different. Arianna now wondered if it had been the first sign of Naya’s current ailment. About a week after the feeding, Naya had experienced her first bout of light-headedness along with a decreased appetite, but she had still managed to keep up her normal daily routine.
However, after the night Naya had come home early from her evening out, her symptoms had increased. Naya would not admit that she was sick, but she would sleep a lot and not eat much. Arianna also knew Naya had not fed from her for several weeks, long before her aunt and uncle left town. Perhaps Naya fed from someone else. Could one of these be the reason Naya had not been feeling well.
When Arianna had first noticed the urge to feed, Naya had
not been as weak as she was now. Arianna had put it off, hoping Naya would get better. But Naya was not improving. With her aunt and uncle returning home in a week, Arianna had assumed she would be able to hold off until then. However, she could not wait any longer.
With no other possibilities available to her, Arianna knocked on Naya’s door. When Naya did not answer after a few attempts, Arianna poked her head inside. Naya was lying in bed again, which seemed to be one of her favorite places as of late. Along with Naya’s other symptoms, whatever was making her ill had changed her scent, too. Arianna was becoming increasingly worried for her cousin.
Arianna walked up to the bed to see Naya asleep on her back. She had not awoken at all to Arianna’s knocking, so she shook Naya’s shoulder in an attempt to wake her. “Naya. Naya.”
“Hmm?” Naya rolled away from her.
“Naya?”
“What?” she said in a drowsy voice.
“How are you feeling?”
“Sleepy.”
“Maybe you should see a doctor.”
“No. It will pass. I’m just tired.”
“But you are not eating. Do you need to feed?”
Naya moaned. “Yuck. That doesn’t even sound good.”
“But—”
The doorbell rang.
Arianna sighed. “I will return.”
She found she was rather irritated. She normally prided herself on being reserved and maintaining a calm demeanor, but she was past the point of simple hunger. She needed to feed, and her hunger made her bad-tempered. She feared whoever stood at the door would not be welcome.
She looked through the window before answering. It was Emerson. She was in no mood for his polite indifference toward her. Since he had begun courting Naya, he had been civil with Arianna, but it never went beyond that. She had thought they could at least be friends, but her hopes had faded as time passed.
Naya and Emerson seemed to get along rather well. They often talked and laughed, and they genuinely appeared to enjoy each other’s company. It was a bittersweet time in Arianna’s life. The vampire species needed an admirable royal couple to lead them even if only by example, and Emerson and Naya fit the mold. However, Arianna could potentially lose the man she loved. She did not understand why she still had feelings for him after the way he continued to ignore her.
She opened the door, bracing herself for Emerson’s aloofness. “Hello, Emerson,” she said crisply.
“Arianna.” He nodded in greeting.
“Come in.” She stepped out of his path while she held the handle for balance as he entered.
After he walked through the doorway, he looked up toward the stairs. “Is Naya here? I just got back into town from my business trip, but I was sure we had plans tonight.”
Arianna only half listened to him. Instead, she was focused on his hazelnut scent and the way his pulse beat in his neck. It only reminded her of her need. She had never fed from a male before. What would Emerson taste like? She shut her eyes and tried to rein in her thoughts. When she opened them, Emerson was staring at her, waiting.
She almost forgot he had asked a question.
“I apologize. Naya has not been feeling like herself. I should have made sure she called you to cancel.” Arianna hoped he would leave if she took the blame. “It is my fault, and I apologize.”
He stood there, studying her, and she swore his heart rate changed. His pulse increased in tempo, the beat becoming more prominent at his throat. As her cravings intensified, she swayed, and she was grateful for the open door because she would have fallen if she was not holding on to the doorknob.
She turned her eyes away, hoping that not looking at him would help her gain control. Unfortunately, she could still smell him. She did not know how much longer she could hang on.
“I am sorry, Emerson.” Arianna spoke toward the floor, still avoiding his gaze. “Naya does not feel well, but I can give her a message for you. She is in bed, and she is not able to come down to see you. It’s best if you leave.”
Emerson did not reply. He was probably caught off guard by her unusually bold statement. Well, he would just have to accept it. She was starved and impatient, and having him stand there only made her desire to feed more urgent. She needed him to leave before she could make a fool of herself by begging for his vein. When Emerson did not say anything, she looked at him again. He was merely watching her attentively.
“Please, you must go,” she pleaded with him.
Instead, he stepped forward, and the aroma of hazelnuts and male vampire surrounded her. She swayed again, unable to hold herself up.
Emerson caught her in his arms. “What’s wrong, Arianna?” He leaned in and inhaled her scent. “You need to feed.”
She closed her eyes and did not reply. She did not want him to know how weak she was.
“Don’t you?” he demanded.
When she remained quiet, he barked, “Answer me!”
She gave in and opened her eyes. “Yes.”
“How long has it been?”
“Seven weeks.”
“Seven weeks?” he said in wonder. “What is wrong with you?”
Most vampires needed to feed about once a month. Waiting almost two months was past the limit and not good for a vampire’s health.
Regardless of how hungry she felt, she would not let him insult her. She tried to push him away. He set her on her feet but held on to her arms.
“I already explained it to you. Naya has not been feeling well for many weeks now, and my aunt is still out of the country. I do not have anyone else to feed from at home.” She smoothed her dress down, refusing to look at him. “Besides, why does it matter to you? Should you not be worried about Naya?”
When she raised her head, she saw Emerson’s eyes were narrowed, and his lips were tight.
“What I am,” he said through clenched teeth, “is mad that Naya would let you go this long without feeding. She knows she’s the only one available to you while the rest of your family is away. What is she thinking?”
Arianna was stunned. Did he actually care about her well-being? And it was odd he had made no mention of Naya’s illness. This was not the Emerson she had come to know.
Emerson shut the front door, grabbed her hand, and pulled her into the house.
“Where are we going?” she asked.
“Somewhere you can feed.”
Arianna pulled on his arm. “But it is not proper. You are supposed to be—”
He turned his head and glared at her. “I don’t give a rat’s ass about propriety right now. I am not letting you starve another minute.” He turned around and strode forward, towing her behind him.
When they got to the sitting room, Emerson let go of her hand. He sat on the sofa, rolled up his sleeves, and unbuttoned the top two buttons of his shirt. He rested his bare wrists on his knees. She stood there and looked at him.
“What’s wrong?” he asked.
What was wrong was, for a second, she had actually thought Emerson cared for her.
Blood flow increased when it was below the heart, so she had assumed he would stand while she sat and fed from his wrist. But he had sat down, which had left her with no choice but to kneel at his feet. He obviously still thought she was beneath him. She was grateful he could not know the direction of her thoughts. She felt foolish for presuming he held any compassionate feelings toward her.
Her pride demanded she turn away, but being this close to feeding caused her stomach to cramp with need. She could not refuse his offer now. So, she sauntered up to him as if he were not doing her a favor. She kept her head held high as she lowered herself to the ground.
She did not know if she should grab his wrist or wait for him to offer it to her. This was all new to her. After a few seconds of his silence, she looked at him to ask him what he wanted her to do.
Before she could speak, he asked her, “What are you doing?”
She sensed his displeasure, and she felt her face immediately flush with embar
rassment. Had she done something wrong? Had he not said he would feed her? She replayed his words in her head. Perhaps she had misunderstood. Maybe he had meant he would find someone for her to feed from. She hung her head. Evidently, he did not want her to take his vein.
“I am sorry. I did not understand. Please do not be upset. I know I should not make excuses, but I have never felt this hungry before.”
Emerson put his finger beneath her chin and lifted her head until she was looking in his eyes. She was astonished when she saw kindness there.
“Arianna, when I asked you what you were doing, it was not because I hadn’t planned to feed you. I’m wondering why you are sitting on the floor.”
Her eyebrows drew together. Emerson was older than her and should understand how feeding worked.
He leaned over and grabbed her hand. “Stand up.”
More confused now, Arianna complied. Once she stood, Emerson put his legs closer together and grabbed her other hand. He pulled her forward to stand on each side of his thighs.
“You are going to feed from my neck.”
Her eyes widened with his words. This was more than improper. “But—”
“No buts. You are too hungry to take my wrist. Come here. Straddle me and take my vein.”
She was a virgin and without any sexual experience, so his words were the most sensual thing anyone had ever said to her. Her belly fluttered.
Emerson drew her toward him again, and she lifted her simple dress, so she could sit astride his lap. He leaned all the way back, and she had to sit forward to reach his neck. When he began rubbing her back, she paused for a moment.
“It’s okay. I want to do this,” he said.
She sank her teeth in. His blood tasted of pure ambrosia. He was the first male she had fed from, and he had the most intoxicating flavor. He continued to rub her back in comfort, and although she was inexperienced, she knew the hardness she felt against her was his erection. She marveled at the knowledge that she might be the reason for his arousal. She was experiencing an unfamiliar tingling between her legs, and she realized consuming his blood was causing it. Did the opposite gender’s blood cause sexual urges? She briefly wondered what it would be like to take him in her body, and she moaned.
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