The Knights of Darkness Chronicles 01 - Desires Unleashed

by D N Simmons

  “Yes I know, I read about it earlier. The newspaper article said that we were both unconscious when medical help arrived. Considering what happened, we're lucky. I thought we'd be in worse shape since we were in the back seat,” she said, analyzing the situation. Natasha nodded, agreeing wholeheartedly.

  “There's no doubt about it,” she agreed softly, distractedly, her gaze slowly moved toward Xavier. He stood there quietly, letting the two women reunite after their ordeal. He watched them praise God for their lives. He never thanked God for anything, perhaps he could thank him for bringing Darian to him but considering the nature of their existence, he thought it might be blasphemous in some manner of speaking. Annette noticed the wandering eyes of Natasha, remembering her long forgotten manners, she introduced Xavier.

  “Natasha, this is Xavier Richards. Xavier, this is my best friend, Natasha Hemingway,” she said. As she struggled to sit up in the little narrow bed, Xavier reached over, and helped prop her up comfortably without any effort at all. He smiled at Annette then turned his head toward Natasha. He took two manly strides and held his hand out. She smiled, put her hand in his expecting to simply shake hands. Instead, Xavier bent forward and pressed the warm softness of his full lips onto the back of the tender flesh of her hand. His grey eyes never leaving hers as he poured on the charm.

  “Charmed,” he said as he straightened himself. Natasha's heart raced for a few beats when he kissed her hand. She had never been this up close and personal with a man this beautiful. She didn't want to blush, but still felt the blood rushing to her face, reddening her cheeks. She wanted to place her hand daintily on her chest and bat her eyes at him. She wanted to flirt insanely. She looked to Annette questioningly, wondering if he was a boyfriend of hers that she never knew about. If so, Annette had some confessing to do, girl talk. What was he like in bed? How big is it? The usual. She searched her mind for the right words to ask such a delicate question. She didn't want to come on too strong if this beautiful man was Annette's boyfriend.

  “So,” she started, looking from Xavier to Annette. “Are you two together?” she asked, hoping it was subtle enough, not too embarrassing.

  Annette laughed softly. “No, no, we're not. Xavier, here is my boss. Well, he's like the second in command at Desires Unleashed” she informed her. Xavier glanced at Annette and smiled before his gaze returned to Natasha. He felt sorry for the fact that they were both injured. He could still see their beauty underneath all of the bandages and bruises. As he looked at Natasha, he peeked into her mind. He wanted to find out about her, wanted to use that information to seduce her. He had been immediately intrigued the moment he laid eyes on her. He wanted to fold her into his embrace, gaze into her eyes and make her moan in pleasure, absolute pleasure.

  When Annette revealed that Xavier was her boss at the club where she worked, that instantly set off warning sirens in Natasha's mind. The fact that he was her boss let Natasha know he was a vampire, or at least not human. She had never been eye to eye with a vampire before, at least not one that she knew was a vampire. All of a sudden, she began to panic. Her heart raced, but in a different sort of pattern. She had the urge to run back to her room and lock the door. She set nervous eyes on Annette, who didn't seem to be frightened at all. This beautiful man standing before her, was deadlier than anything Natasha had ever known or seen. He was a killing machine, like any predator in the wild. He hunted his prey then ate them alive. She felt herself backing away. Now was the best time to leave. She felt that if Annette wasn't worried about the bogeyman, then she was on her own.

  “Alrighty then, Annette, I'm going back to my room now, I'll see you later,” she said in a rush, as she turned to leave.

  “Wait,” said a rich, mellow, sexy voice. It stopped Natasha dead in her tracks. Xavier walked up beside her. He took her hand in his. He had spied her rampant thoughts about what he was, now he fought the urge to laugh out loud. He thought her description was correct, Darian would be impressed. He wanted to reassure her that she was not in harm's way. He looked into her frightened eyes and using a trick that Darian taught him, he projected calmness onto her without using hypnotism. He slowly led her away from the door. He sat her into the chair. Kneeling down in front of her, he looked into her battered, still beautiful face, then smiled his million dollar smile again, exposing his pearly whites, no fangs.

  “I realize that you may be frightened of me but you have no need. I would never hurt you or Annette,” he said as he gestured towards her friend sitting up on the bed. Annette seemed to be caught in a trance, staring at the two of them, eyes darting from one to the other.

  “Natasha, you never need to be afraid of me. But if you simply must go back to your room, please allow me to escort you,” he said gently. He stood up and held his hand out, palm upward, in front of Natasha. She placed her slender hand into his and he held it as he guided her out of the chair.

  “Well, I am still tired. I was trying to get some sleep earlier but my parents had visited me and kept me awake for about four hours,” Natasha said as they walked toward the door. Xavier was pleased she wanted to go to her room, it would allow him a little private time with her. She looked back over her shoulder to say goodbye to her friend, who waved. Xavier smiled at Annette as he closed the door behind them.

  “So, where's your room?” he asked as they walked down the white corridor with the polished and sanitized cement floors.

  “It's just down the hall here,” she said as she pointed down the hallway. Xavier nodded and walked her to her room. She opened the door and he followed her, closing the door behind him. Natasha was a little nervous having Xavier in her room, but he did say that he would never hurt her. She looked at the clock on the wall, seeing that the time was 8:32 P.M. She knew full well that the visiting hours for the hospital had long since passed. Why was he still here?

  “So, you must have someplace to go. I want to thank you for walking me to my room,” she said politely, trying to give herself a clean, easy way to be rid of him. He still made her nervous, even as his pearly white smile brightened the room while his gray eyes kept her blushing. She wanted to run her fingers through his soft, lovely, dark brown hair, but dare not try.

  “Actually, I must admit, I wanted to get you alone. I wanted to talk with you on a more intimate level. Natasha, I think you are an extremely beautiful woman. I would love to get to know you better.” He stood in front of her, holding both hands up, palms exposed. “No tricks, no games, just you and I talking, the way two people do when they're interested in each other.”

  Natasha looked at him, was he going to ask her on a date? She couldn't believe her ears. He was a vampire, most certainly, he could have any person he wanted and he was interested in her. Why not Annette, who was obviously interested in him? Everyone looked at Annette. But now, in her little hospital room she gets hit on by the most beautiful man she'd ever seen. She couldn't help but blush. She lowered her head. Still unnerved by him, she supposed if he wanted to kill her, she doubted she could ever stop him. He did seem genuinely interested though, she mused as she considered his statement.

  “Why me?” she asked. “I mean Annette likes you, I think we can both tell that.”

  He looked at her, his head slightly cocked to the side. An expression of amazement was on his face. His lips parted in a smile.

  Natasha felt her face grow hotter, more blood had rushed to her cheeks. She was sure by now, even her forehead was turning red.

  “Yes, I'm aware of Annette's attraction to me,” Xavier said. “She's a wonderful woman and very friendly, lively. She's also my employee. I only wanted to give her my well wishes for a speedy recovery,” he stated. He noticed Natasha shaking her head and continued. “My interest in you is sincere, the interest of a man for an intriguing woman. I hope I'm not being too presumptuous but, are you dating anyone currently?”

  Natasha shook her head. “So, here you are, in my hospital room while I have nothing on but this thin gown and you're telling me you're att
racted to me? I bet you say that to all the girls you find in hospitals,” she laughed nervously. It was his turn to laugh now. And he did, throwing his head back and belting out a deep throaty laugh. He made Natasha squirm on the inside. He was so manly, so sexy, two of her weaknesses when it came down to the characteristics she looked for in a man. She loved a man who looked masculine, who acted like a man not a wimpy women's lib victim. One who could take care of things aggressively, like a man. If she went on a date and the man ordered a salad and nothing else or some kind of vegetarian meal, he became less than a man in her eyes. Real men don't eat tofu as a meat substitute.

  “Well, unfortunately, a hospital...” he made a wide wave of his arm around the room for emphasis, “is where I first saw you, so I must work within the limits.” He smiled at her again, turning on the charm full force. He took her hand to lead her to the bed. He picked her up with ease, causing her to yelp in surprise. She had never been swept off of her feet literally and carried anywhere. He held her in his arms effortlessly, as if she had the weight of a feather. Her arms locked around his strong neck as she gazed into his lovely, soft gray eyes. She liked how the light danced around his pupils, never getting caught in them. He placed her on the bed gently. She smiled at him, feeling her heart pitter pat inside her chest. She was being swept away, she thought he must be straight out of a fairy tale, men like this just didn't exist. She had almost forgotten he was a vampire.

  She had never imagined her first official meeting with a vampire would be like this. She felt an attraction toward him. Even though he was a vampire, he looked to be a human man. She was beginning to wonder what kind of relationship they could have. She wondered if his body functioned like that of a mortal man's. She decided she'd let curiosity kill the cat. If she was going to consider allowing this vampire in her life, she wanted to know if they could be compatible.

  “Can you, you know, do you...um...Does your. ..okay, there's no polite way to ask this of you.” She took a moment to contemplate the best way to form the question while causing the least embarrassment.

  “Yes, I can. I can 'do it' just like a human man, even better,” he smiled. “Years of experience. I can last hours longer...if need be,” he said, taking the pressure off of her. He didn't need to read her mind to know what she was thinking. It was the same thing he would have thought in her place. He smiled at the expression of shock she couldn't hide. He could tell by her expression that her mind was probably playing out an erotic scene this instant. He turned and sat down in the small, uncomfortable, cloth-covered chair beside her bed. He stretched out his long legs, hands resting on the armrest. He looked questioningly at her.

  “What are you thinking? I can see the gears turning in your head. Knowing you women, it's something lewd,” he joked.

  She looked at him, her eyes widening. “Knowing us women! Thinking something lewd! Naw baby, that's how you men think. Your minds are always in the gutter. Women are sensible. I don't know what the hell is wrong with you men. Right now, I bet you're looking at me and I no longer have on this hospital gown, you have already mentally undressed me,” she said matter-of-factly. Xavier was caught off guard and it showed, making him laugh outright again. He would have to tell Darian about this beautiful, exciting woman. He definitely wanted to get better acquainted with her.

  “It seems you do have a pretty good understanding of men. I did mentally undress you, about twenty minutes ago. But that doesn't mean you weren't having lewd thoughts just now,” he said, knowingly.

  She conceded his point and laughed. “Yes, so what of it!” They both laughed. Xavier settled himself again, and studied her.

  “So what do you like to do?” he asked.

  “Well, I like to go to the movies. I like to eat out in restaurants, I love seafood, and no, I don't mean I love whatever food I see, either,” she joked. Xavier flashed her a smile, then shrugged innocently. She smirked, then continued. “I'm the kind of girl that will go on a date and order food to fill me up, not to impress. So I will order a ten ounce or twenty ounce steak, eat half and take the rest home for later. I'll order appetizers and desserts. A lot of men I've gone out with in the past think that entitles them access to my after hours lounge, but that's not happening.”

  Xavier laughed at her choice of words for intercourse. The more she revealed, the more he found himself enchanted by her. It was easy for a vampire to become enthralled with a human. It was how humans became vampires in the first place. He gestured for her to continue.

  “Well, I just got a job with the Chicago Word and that was what I was trying to celebrate last night, before I started to feel sick.”

  “Sick, why? What happened?” he asked, concerned.

  “Well, Annette wanted to celebrate with me and she said that I needed to get drunk, or at least have a real drink for the first time in my life.”

  “Not much of a drinker are you?” It was more of a statement, than a question.

  She shook her head. “No, I'm not. I suppose I shouldn't have ordered the Long Island Iced Tea,” she said in retrospect.

  Xavier whistled. “Nope, wasn't the best drink to start off with if you're a lightweight. So you got sick?” he asked, encouraging her to continue.

  “Well, I didn't throw up or anything like that, I just felt like I wanted to. That's why we left the club. But enough about last night. How old are you...your real age?”

  He smiled. “How old do you think I am?” he asked.

  She shrugged, “I don't know. It's hard to tell. It still freaks me out that you guys exist-let alone live forever. So I'll guess one hundred years old?”

  He raised both eyebrows. He knew she was guessing but it was a damn good guess. “Well, you're pretty damn close. I'm a hundred and four years old,” he said, then watched the shock spread across her face.

  “Oh my god I can't believe you're that old, you look so young!!!” she exclaimed, surprised. Her roommate, who had long since gone to sleep, let out a long, loud snore that startled her. Xavier had looked up as well, he had almost forgotten what a snore sounded like. He no longer snored when he slept, or even breathed. His body rested, lifelessly, during the sunlit hours, as all vampires did during the day with the exception of the ancient ones.

  “Well, I was very young when I was made a vampire.” He looked at his watch. Then drew up his legs and rose from his seat. Natasha could tell he was getting ready to leave and she felt a sadness come over her, the most unexpected sadness. She felt they got along very well, and was calm around him. He wasn't what she expected a vampire to be. She reasoned, you really can't judge a book by its cover.

  “Are you leaving?” she asked disappointedly.

  He nodded. “Yes, I have to go to the club. You know our assistant manager is out of commission, so I have to pick up the slack. And besides, you need your rest.” He noted her disappointment “Is it alright if I visit you tomorrow night? We can talk some more.” He walked over to her and leaned forward. She could smell his sexy cologne as he kissed the soft, caramel colored skin of her forehead. He looked down at her and smiled. The kiss was a bold move, he knew, but he couldn't resist.

  “So, I'll see you then?” he asked. She nodded. “Good, until tomorrow, goodnight,” he said as he left her room, closing the door silently behind him.

  Natasha stared at the closed door, still wondering what had just transpired between them. She lay in her bed, thinking about everything that had happened in the last twenty-four hours. She began to feel tired. She allowed the exhaustion to relax her body, delivering her to a blissfully deep sleep.

  CHAPTER 14

  Elise sat in her room, her mind racing with thoughts of both Darian and Sergio. She cared for Sergio, not only because he was part of her Pride, but Darian was the one for her. She just had to figure out a way to bring Darian closer to her. She didn't mind the fact she would have to share Darian with Xavier. She did hope that after being with her, he would see no need to have Xavier, she could satisfy his every desire. She wondered what
she could do to seduce him into taking their relationship more seriously.

  Deciding to take a bath, she turned on the spigots, adjusting the temperature to make sure there was just enough heat to make steam, but not so hot that it caused discomfort. It would take some pretty extreme temperatures to effect a shape-shifter, but she didn't want to take any chances. Once the tub was filled, she slid a pink satin bathrobe with cashmere cuffs off of her smooth, creamy shoulders. She tied her long, thick, brown, curling locks into a bun so her hair wouldn't get wet. She reached into her cabinet and removed the little bottle of bath oil that she'd had imported from Egypt. It was designed to moisturize the skin, making it baby soft. From what she could tell, as she ran her fingers over her silky skin, the oil did the job effectively.

  Elise poured a few drops into her heated bath water and put the bottle back. She put one foot then the other into the deep porcelain tub. She adored deep tubs, the kind with the four legs for support. As she settled into the tub, the water rose until it was touching her chin. Resting her head on the bath pillow, she closed her eyes, thinking about Sergio-naked, changing in front of her. In the past that had never bothered her. But since his relentless pursuit of her, she had been forced to take notice of his qualities. He was, without a doubt, the most handsome male in the Pride, truly worthy of kingship. She had heard the other females praise his bedroom skills after they had mated with him. But she never had. She wondered if that aspect alone might be the cause for why she had his affections. She wasn't sure if it was because he wanted her for companionship or that they had not mated yet. She knew she would be in heat soon, would need to mate. In the past, she had only allowed him to touch her, but never enter her. It had frustrated her as much as him. Still, she wasn't ready to claim a mate. That was before Darian. Now, she could fulfill her need without the threat of pregnancy or having to share control of the Pride. She wasn't ready to bear a princess. To bear a daughter would be to secure another queen's role within the Pride. The sole provider was a hierarchy. She liked being the Queen and wasn't ready to prepare someone else to take her role.