A Little Taste of Naughty
A Shattered Lives Short Story
Kindle Edition
Copyright © 2015 by Rissa Blakeley. All rights reserved.
Published By Rissa Blakeley.
Cover Art & Design by Covers On The Side
Edited by Kim's Editing Services
Cover Photo by Conner Evans
Vector Artwork by Gert Erasmus Photo Editing
E-Book Layout & Design by Ryan Fitzgerald
Excerpt from “Cast In Blood” Copyright © Michelle Rabe. Used with permission.
Excerpt from “Tempted” Copyright © Brenda Tetreault. Used with permission.
The following is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living, dead, or undead is entirely coincidental.
Except in the case of brief quotations for the purpose of critical analysis or review, no part of this book may be used, reproduced, or transmitted via any means (electronic, mechanical, or otherwise) without express, written permission from the author.
All artwork used in the Shattered Lives series cannot be reproduced without written permission from the author, the cover art designer from Covers On The Side, and vector artist from Gert Erasmus Photo Editing except in the case of author-approved promotions, critical articles, and reviews.
Due to the dynamic nature of the Internet, website links contained within this book may be outdated and/or no longer valid.
First electronic publication: June 2015 as part of Just Desserts: A Multi-Author Collection of Bite-Sized Delights from Secret Hungers Publishing
Due to the dynamic nature of the Internet, website links contained within this book may be outdated and/or no longer valid.
Revision: November 2015
Table of Contents
A Little Taste of Naughty
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
A Preview of Rissa Blakeley's "Shattered Lives: Broken Dreams"
A Preview of Michelle Rabe's "Cast In Blood"
A Preview of Brenda Tetreault's "Tempted"
About Rissa Blakeley
A Little Taste of Naughty
Chapter 1
-November 2012-
-Elaina-
The alarm…the fucking alarm! I slapped Henry’s arm repeatedly. “Turn it off,” I mumbled, face in my pillow. He shut it off and snuggled into me.
After placing several kisses on my neck and shoulders, he murmured in his morning rasp, “Good morning, my love.” He pressed his naked hips into my ass. He was hard… No surprise there. “Give me a little before I have to go to work.”
I rolled over in his arms and faced him. “Seriously?”
He yanked the blankets back. “Does this look I’m joking?”
I didn’t even look down. I had seen his manhood a hundred times. “How many times did you have me this weekend?”
He counted quietly, “Hmm… Once Friday morning, twice Friday night, Saturday morning, then before lunch, after dinner, Sunday morning… Oh, and again last night.” A grin covered his face the entire time.
“Okay then. So how could you possibly be horny?”
“Being in the same state as you makes me horny.”
I laughed. “Maybe tonight.” He stuck his bottom lip out, pouting. “Are you really going to go there?”
“Thought I’d try,” he chuckled, scooting out of bed. I fell back to sleep minutes later, listening to him get ready to go to work.
Chapter 2
-Henry-
As he back in his office chair, Henry tipped his head toward the ceiling, relishing in the electric feel running through his body. The wonderment of fresh blood and what it did for his stiff muscles and achy joints… Luckily for him, he managed a blood bank, so there was a constant supply of the temporary relief.
Feeling adrift, he probably should’ve waited to have his dose until after the Monday morning staff meeting, but the virus wreaked havoc on him. It had been two days since his last ingestion, and that was two days too long. There was no choice for him.
Drink blood or turn undead.
The hatred he felt for his secret life, the lies he told, and the deception he created began to overwhelm him. Henry despised who he was.
Elaina believed him to be American because she never heard him speak in his true accent. He had created a web of lies and at times, was exhausted keeping up with them all. All Henry wanted was a normal life. If he could make things work with Elaina, it was a real possibility.
His thoughts drifted to his past, as more worries peppered Henry’s mind.
Sixteen years young, Henry lived at the facility back in the East End of London, where the American and English governments had set up a program to infect and decimate populations with the undead virus. The memory of the painful injection that was supposed to make him immune to the virus and all the beatings, the abuse he endured came at him without pause.
Roger and Gunther hovered above Henry. Strapped down to a gurney, he fought against the brute strength of the fabric holding him hostage.
Gunther sliced open Henry’s forearm, and blood dribbled to the floor. No numbing injection, no sedatives, no pain killers…not even a leather belt to bite. Roger’s laughter filled his ears when he cried out in pain.
“Tracker activated,” Gunther said.
“Very well then. Place the tracker and close the wound, then we will inject him.” Roger clapped his hands, rubbing them together. “Great fun!”
A hiss pushed from Henry’s lips as Gunther placed the small, metal tube-like device into his arm. Another round of laughter made his insides knot up. As the needle pierced his flesh, he growled.
“You sick fucks!” Henry yelled.
Roger backhanded him across the face. “Shut it.”
Henry panted, feeling the tugging and pulling from the stitching. “All set, boss,” Gunther said.
“Injection. This one may hurt more. Be ready,” Roger taunted with a slick smile.
Henry watched Gunther retrieve the syringe from the small table next to the gurney. After uncapping, the needle was viciously stabbed into his bicep. He cried out once more before the lights dimmed. Pain unleashed throughout his entire body, leaving him struggling against the restraints again.
The last thing Henry heard before passing out was another round of laughter from Roger.
Henry gasped and lunged forward in his chair, elbows hitting the desktop. “Shit,” he muttered, wiping away the sweat beading up on his forehead. He pushed up his sleeve and ran his fingers over the heavy scar on the underside of his forearm.
When he glanced down, the drawer that held his Sig and bottle of Johnnie Walker called for him. He yanked it open, his fingers dancing over the piece which would end the reign over him. Swallowing hard, he grabbed the bottle instead.
His hands shook as he uncapped the bottle and raised it to his lips. After a quick look at the clock, it was only 9:15 am. Unable to shake the craving, he took a few swigs, recapped it, and returned it to its usual resting place.
Henry knew he had to think of something else before falling into a self-loathing downward spiral. “Think, think…,” he whispered, then sighed.
Elaina.
Even though they hadn’t been together for more than a month, he was completely in love with her. He had taken Elaina to Reede’s, a hotel down in the city, for a weekend of basic needs…drinks, hardcore fucking, and eating in bed. The des
ire to forget his horrid past was strong, and the only way he could numb himself was through alcohol and a sex marathon with the only lover who validated him.
The phone vibrated on the blotter. Rolling his neck, the tension ebbed. He reached for it and a smile lifted his lips.
After sliding the ANSWER button, he murmured, “Hello, my love.”
His eyes tracked to small hearts drawn around the past weekend’s date. While on hold with the front desk at the hotel to make reservations, he doodled them, feeling so excited for the time he would have Elaina all to himself.
“Hey, sexy.”
Just the sound of her voice made his cock painfully hard. Shuffling everything around, he said, “So soon? I just left you.”
“In bed… naked.”
“Christ, I know. Wish I was there now so I could worship you.”
“Oh, yeah?”
“I tried.”
“I was too sleepy. It does sound wonderful now, but…”
“I don’t like buts, Elaina, unless it’s yours. Then I want–”
“Stop! You cannot get enough, can you?” she giggled.
“Hell no, love. Have you seen what you do to me? Anyway, what’s going on? I have to hold a staff meeting in a few.”
“I forgot to mention to you over the weekend, maybe because someone had me a little busy…” Henry let out a low chuckle, thinking about the feel of her lips wrapped around him. “My cousin Julian’s wedding is this coming weekend. I RSVP’d before we met. I assume you’ll be my plus one?”
“If someone else stands up to be your plus one, I will personally see he never walks again.”
“You’re so bad.”
“Not bad, maybe a little naughty…”
She laughed. “I do need to ask a favor.”
He knew exactly where the conversation was heading and dug down into his pocket, looking for his wallet. “Apparently, I left my wallet in the overnight bag. The card is in there. Use what you need. My only request is to make it sexy. I want every pair of eyes to see how lucky I am to have you on my arm…and cock.”
“Okay, now you’re crazy.”
“Don’t forget the heels…”
“Add demanding to the list.”
Henry chuckled again. “I’ve got to run before my staff throws a fit. Have fun shopping. Love you.”
“Love you, too.”
After she hung up, Henry felt a little relief. Only Elaina could make him calm and confident. He decided to have a few more sips with his old friend, Mr. Walker, and wait a couple minutes for things to settle before heading off to the meeting.
Chapter 3
-Elaina-
Admittedly, I wasn’t much of a shopper when it came to anything more than a t-shirt, jeans, and flip-flops. Dresses weren’t my thing, but it’s what Henry requested. And considering he was footing the bill, I figured I ought to oblige. That didn’t mean I would like it, though.
Standing in the fitting room and staring at the atrocity of red satin on my body, I tugged at the zipper. The cups sagged so much, I could poke them and it looked like my boobs had inverted. The fabric stretched taut around my hips because my giant ass couldn’t possibly fit into anything but sweats.
Flustered, I growled, “Fuck you, cap-sleeved, sheath dress.”
I decided to try on something a little more flowy at the hips with the hope my ass wouldn’t burst through, hunting down its own zip code. But, of course, the trendy asymmetrical hemline looked great on the hanger, but around me, it was symmetrical.
I yanked that one off, put my clothes on, leaving the dresses, along with the last bit of my self-worth, in the fitting room.
I made it home before Henry. Like a woman on a mission, I scrounged through the cabinets, looking for something to soothe the loathing.
“There you are,” I murmured, finding a bag of miniature peanut butter cups. The sound of the foil was bliss. Just as I popped a third one into my mouth and moaned while chewing, the door swung open.
Henry walked in and dropped his laptop bag right behind the couch. “Pour me a drink, would you, love?” He padded up to me and cocked his head, watching me unwrap another piece of candy. “You all right?”
I lifted my gaze to his and popped another one in. “Do you want wine or your usual?”
“Usual…” His voice trailed off with obvious concern. I reached into the cabinet, pulled out two rocks glasses, the bottle of Walker, and poured two fingers in one glass, four in another. “Elaina, are you going to drink that? What’s going on?”
“Shitty day.”
“Let me guess… Dress shopping?”
“Ding.” I don’t normally drink whisky, but staring at the amber liquid, I thought, What the hell? I took a sip, cringing a little but enjoying the warmth.
“Are you going to fill me in?”
“Stores suck. Dresses suck. My body sucks. How was your day?”
“It was a Monday. I have a lot of work to catch up on tonight from leaving early last Friday… Back to you.”
“No, really, I don’t want to talk about it.”
“I love your body, Elaina. It definitely does not suck.”
A defeated chuckle broke from my lips. I pushed past him and headed straight for the couch. Of course, he followed behind.
“Elaina…”
“Henry, stop. I don’t want to talk about it,” I muttered.
“How about I show you how beautiful you are and how much I love your body?”
Glaring at him, I said, “Ha! Fat chance that’s happening.”
“I need you. I’ve been thinking about you all day.”
“Go pull one out in the bathroom. I’ll start dinner.” I stood and headed back to the kitchen, snatching two more pieces of candy.
“Really?” He seemed miffed. I worked my way through the kitchen, grabbing things for a salad. “You know, I think I’m going to head back to my place tonight so I can catch up on my paperwork.”
With knife and pepper in hand, I stared at him. “Henry, I’m sorry.”
“Yeah. I’ll give you a call later.” He tipped back the rest of his drink, picked up his laptop bag, and headed out of my apartment.
Thankfully, after I apologized at least a dozen times, he returned the next night. Still feeling bad about how I looked, I didn’t want to have sex, but at least we cuddled. It was better than nothing.
However, he had a much different opinion about the situation.
All week, I hit store after store. Nothing. It was such a chore. I couldn’t decide on a single fucking outfit for the wedding. After seeing what was on the racks, there was a large degree of certainty finding a dress was going to be damn impossible. The few I did like looked horrid on my figure.
Defeated for the fourth day in a row, I opened the door to my apartment. A heavenly aroma flooded my nasal passages. Henry stood at the stove, tending to something.
Tongs in hand, he turned around. “Hey, my love.”
“Smells good in here,” I murmured and dropped down in a chair at the table. With a sigh, I rested my elbows on the table, leaning my face against one palm. He walked out with two glasses of wine in hand, the bottle under his arm. “Thank you. This is exactly what I need.” I took a hard drink, swallowing half the glass.
“I see you had no luck with shopping again,” he murmured as he topped off my glass.
Again, I sighed. “I swear, these idiot designers think every woman is a size two and has no tits or ass.” I glanced down at my chest. “Not that mine are huge, but my point is… It’s just stupid and I hate fucking dresses.”
Henry chuckled. Not cool, asshole. “Elaina, listen to me. You look insanely hot in a dress. That dress you wore on our first date? Your ass…your legs… Goddamn, I’m getting hard just thinking about it. Oh, and as for your tits… I find them perfect,” he said, heading back into the kitchen.
The entire week, he had been offering compliments, but I knew I wouldn’t feel better until I found a dress that actually worked for me.
>
Minutes later, he set a plate in front of me with a chicken breast drizzled in a lemon pepper sauce and a salad on the side.
“This looks delish. Thank you.” I picked up the fork and knife and dug right in.
“Anything for you. Back to this crazy dress situation, how about this?” I groaned in annoyance, leaving Henry to glare at me for a moment. Not indulging me anymore, he continued, “Call Claire and find out if she can take you tomorrow night. She should be able to help you find something.”
Mouth full of chicken, I responded, “Yeah…good idea.”
Henry laughed at my flawed manners, shook his head, and began eating his dinner.
Chapter 4
-Henry-
Miserable, Henry walked into the blood bank, feeling like his morning spar at the gym did nothing to offset his mood. All he wanted to do was worship Elaina’s body and show her how in love he was, but she had been shoving him away all week. He was beyond flustered about how she spoke about herself, no matter how much he told her how beautiful she was.
When he walked in, he noticed Jennifer wasn’t at the reception desk. He figured she was in the break room making the coffee and headed to his office.
The message light flashed on his office phone. It was Jennifer, calling out sick for the day, which wasn’t good timing. It was close to Thanksgiving and he wanted to get the supply order in early for the beginning of the year rush. He pulled open the drawer that held his Sig and bottle of Walker.
“Hey, boss man.” Startled, Henry slammed the drawer shut, then looked at the door. Steve leaned in the doorframe and asked, “Jennifer’s sick?”
“Seems so.”
“You realize Sandy has off today, too, right?”
Henry sagged for a moment, barking out a string of obscenities. “I checked the schedule yesterday and we’re booked solid today. Plus, any walk-ins. Fuck me,” he moaned. “I really should hire a part-time employee.”
A Little Taste of Naughty (A Shattered Lives Short) Page 1