by Wood, C. C.
“What are you doing in here?” I asked, tugging at my towel to be sure it covered me. Thank God, Conner and Donna had enormous bath sheets in their guest rooms. I moved to the dresser and grabbed the first nightshirt and shorts I could grab, snagging a pair of underwear at the same time. “Never mind. I don’t care. I’m going to go into the bathroom and get dressed. Please be gone when I come out. If you want to talk to me, you can knock on the door like a normal person.”
With that, I sailed into the bathroom and shut the door behind me. My hands were unsteady as I dressed. I never hesitated to speak like that with my other boyfriends, but Lex was different. You didn’t tell Lex what to do. You asked him and hoped he would concede.
Sure enough, when I opened the door, Lex hadn’t moved an inch. Somehow I knew that was his way of telling me that he was in charge. I leaned a shoulder against the door jamb between the bedroom and bathroom and crossed my arms over my chest.
Lex calmly continued to go through his paperwork, not looking at me. “Come here, Ivie.”
I didn’t move. I wanted to acquiesce, even felt my feet wanting to move without my direction, but I couldn’t. I reminded myself that I had decided to keep my distance, that I was just food to this man unless I allowed him to change me in the most fundamental way.
Finally, he looked up from his paperwork, his dark eyes sharp. “Come here.”
I shook my head.
He turned and put the papers on the nightstand next to him. Then he turned back and was studying my face intently. “What are you thinking?” he asked.
I didn’t answer, glad that I seemed to have mastered the ability to hide my thoughts.
“Whatever it is, stop. I can promise that it is not that bad,” he said gently. Lex lifted a hand to beckon me again.
“Lex, I can’t do this.” My voice was soft but firm.
“Do what?” His question seemed genuine, as if he sincerely wanted to know what I was thinking. That’s the only reason I answered him.
“I can’t get involved with you.”
He cocked his head. “Why?”
“Lex, you left for two months without even saying good-bye. Then you show up and expect to pick up where we left off? Can you understand why I might be hesitant?”
He nodded, his face thoughtful.
Since he was listening, not arguing or brushing off my opinions, I decided to continue.
“There’s another issue. I don’t know about you, Lex, but I don’t see my food source as equal. I wouldn’t speak to a cow or chicken or treat them like I would another human being. While I would never be cruel to an animal, they are food and their existence ends in order to help me continue mine. I don’t want to be the cow or chicken.”
As I spoke, his eyebrows rose. When I finished, he no longer looked surprised. Instead he was scowling. I had to admit it was intimidating as hell.
He snapped his fingers. “Come here now.”
I gave him wide eyes. “Excuse me?” He had not just snapped his fingers at me.
He growled. “You will not like it if I have to come to you.”
With a sigh, I straightened from the door frame and walked to the bed. I stood at the end, arms hugging my midriff loosely.
“Sit down, Ivie. I won’t bite.”
I raised an eyebrow at him. His words were poorly chosen and almost funny. He didn’t even react. I moved so that I was kneeling on the farthest corner of the bed from Lex. I sat back on my calves, keeping my eyes on him.
He didn’t look pleased with my choice to sit as far away from him as possible, but he didn’t say anything. Instead, he raised a knee and rested an arm on it, looking completely relaxed. Only the brightening of his dark brown eyes clued me in to the fact that he was disturbed. It was even more disconcerting to have him staring at me with those glowing eyes, as though he could see into my soul.
“I can see that you don’t fully understand the relationship between a vampire and their blood servant.”
I clamped my jaw tight at his words. As he usually did, Lex saw the changes in my expression and body language and raised a hand.
“Please don’t misunderstand. It’s a literal translation. Basically, a blood servant is someone who serves blood. Not a servant, not property, not a slave. A better term would be gifter of blood, because we see the relationship as a gift. If a human shares their blood with us willingly and repeatedly, most of us value that beyond any other treasure. It is acceptance, something we rarely experience from most humans.” He paused and saw that I was actively listening, so he continued. “You compare how you treat a cow or chicken with how I would treat you if you chose to share your blood with me. That’s inaccurate and unfair. You haven’t spent enough time around me, or vampires for that matter, to make that assumption.”
There was a chiding undertone to his words and I couldn’t help but feel a bit ashamed. Still, my previous experiences had been traumatic. How else would he expect me to view vampires?
“Well, I’m sorry you feel that way, Lex, but the first time I interacted with a vampire, he told me he intended to keep me as a pet. Not even a well-treated pet. In fact, I believe his exact words were, ‘I’ll keep you collared and leashed to the end of my bed and fuck your face, pussy, and ass at least once a night. If you behave and make sure I enjoy it, perhaps I’ll even feed you and let you bathe.’ I’m sure you’ll understand if I am more than a bit hesitant to be involved with another of your kind.”
The expression on Lex’s face was thunderous. In fact, it was incredibly frightening. I started to inch back to the edge of the bed. I wasn’t sure what he was thinking, but I was certain he was angry. When he saw my subtle retreat, his face cleared. His deep brown eyes were bright, almost the color of golden topaz, and the light emanating from them was so intense I could swear that it was burning my skin.
“I’m sorry to frighten you, little one. I did not know about his threats.” He drew in a deep breath and the glow from his eyes lessened slightly. “Please come here. Please.”
It was his pleading look and the gentle way he spoke to me that convinced me. I crawled forward a bit before Lex sat up, grasped my wrist, and tugged me against his long, hard body. He used his hand to push my head against his shoulder before he wrapped the same arm around me, pulling me flush to his side.
At first, I held my body rigidly, but he began to run his fingers through my hair and down my back, his strokes long and slow.
“You know that the vampire that attacked you is dead?” he asked.
I nodded, my cheek against his shoulder. The warm, light scent of his cologne filled my nostrils and I relaxed further into him. Before I realized what I was doing, I placed my hand on his chest, right between the open edges of his black shirt.
He squeezed me a bit tighter. “If I had known what he planned for you…” he trailed off.
I felt the steady beat of his heart beneath my palm. “What?” I asked.
“I would have made him suffer for weeks before I cut off his head.”
His voice was so cold and furious that I shivered, even surrounded by his warmth.
“You killed him?” My voice was soft.
Lex’s fingers stilled in my hair. “Yes. He committed treason. Once the Council found him guilty, he was put to death. Before I carried out his sentence, the Council charged me with interrogating him, using whatever means I deemed necessary. It’s something I excel at and I could have kept him alive and in pain for a very long time.”
My blood ran cold. I’d never understood that expression until that moment. Hearing the complete sincerity in Lex’s voice, I knew that the vampire who kidnapped me would have suffered a great deal before he died.
Lex resumed stroking my hair. Slowly, my heart rate returned to normal and my insides warmed. Though the cold detachment Lex just demonstrated terrified me, he had never been anything but gentle or bossy with me. While his domineering ways were annoying, I didn’t think he would hurt me the way my kidnapper had threatened.
&n
bsp; “While it pains me to say this,” Lex said, “tonight’s conversation was a bit much. I can see that bad memories have returned for you. There is more for us to discuss, but it’s getting late and you need sleep, little one.” He pressed his lips to my forehead. “Climb under the covers.”
While I pulled back the blankets and arranged my pillow the way I wanted it, Lex went through the room, turning off the light in the bath and the overhead light. The lamp was the last light he extinguished. I heard the rustle of clothing, but honestly didn’t care. He had been correct when he said that our conversation brought forth bad memories.
Moments later, I felt his large, muscled form slide in behind me. Lex rolled me so that my cheek rested against his bare shoulder and my body cuddled into his side, just as we had been lying before, only now he was practically naked. I could feel the elastic waistband of his briefs through my thin nightshirt. Other than those tiny pieces of fabric, he was naked and warm.
I decided I was too damn tired to care, snuggled closer, and sighed. A few moments later, I was asleep.
Chapter Eight
The night air was cold against my bare legs. I looked down and saw that I was wearing my nightshirt and baggy shorts. How did I get outside? And why in the hell was it cold? It was September in Texas. Night temperatures rarely dropped below the mid-seventies during the last part of summer.
“There you are.”
My head shot up at that voice. That voice I would never forget, as long as I lived. The voice that promised to keep me locked up, naked, and abuse me in ways I didn’t want to imagine. The voice of the man that kidnapped me, the man Lex said he’d killed.
In horror, I watched as he emerged from the shadows beneath the trees about twenty feet away. My heart stopped beating for a moment before it began to pound, fast and hard, against my ribs. My body suddenly felt as though it were encased in ice.
His low, sinister chuckle felt as though it were crawling up my spine. “Run, rabbit, run,” he whispered.
At his words, I whimpered and spun around, taking off around the side of the house. I knew he could move fast, faster than I could, so I chose to angle through the trees with the hope that they would slow him down.
I was wrong. It didn’t slow him down, only me. Just a few steps past the tree line, my bare foot caught in a tree root and I went sprawling face-down. A cry flew from my lips. God, that hurt. I was pretty sure I had broken my ankle.
I tried to scramble to my feet, but rough hands closed on my arms. I started to shriek in terror, but one of the hands clapped over my face, muffling the sound.
“I have you, Ivie.”
My head jerked as I heard Lex’s soothing voice next to my ear. How did he get into my dream?
“You’re having a nightmare, little one. Wake up. Come back to me.” His hand over my mouth moved to stroke my hair. “You’re safe. I will keep you safe.”
My eyes popped open in the darkened bedroom that I immediately recognized. I was in Conner and Donna’s huge house, in their guest room. I wasn’t in their backyard running for my life from a psychotic vampire.
I felt Lex move and then the lamp came on, the dim glow still bright enough to make me squint. The light served to chase away the last of the sticky shadows of the dream that clung to my consciousness.
I sat up, leaning back against the pillows, and scrubbed my hands over my face. I hadn’t had the nightmare for several weeks now. In fact, the last time had been the night Lex and I had spent on the porch swing. I knew why. All the talk about my kidnapper, whose name I still didn’t know and didn’t care to know, and the memories that surfaced after.
Lex sat up next to me, the blankets tangled around his hips. “Do you want a glass of water?” he asked.
I shook my head and threw the comforter back. “Give me a minute. I’ll be right back.”
I was grateful that Lex seemed to understand that I was in desperate need of a toilet. I used the facilities and washed my hands. I splashed cool water on my face to wash away the clammy feeling that the sweat of fear left on my skin.
When I re-emerged from the bathroom, Lex was still in the bed, waiting for me. I climbed back under the blankets, yawning.
“Better?” He pulled me close as soon as I settled onto the mattress.
I nodded.
“Do you want to talk about it?” he asked.
I shook my head. “Sleep,” I muttered.
Lex chuckled softly. “Are you sure you’re okay?”
My eyes were closing, but I opened one to stare at him. “I’m tired. I’m tired of giving those stupid dreams power over me. I’m also physically tired. I just want to go back to sleep.”
With his warm body cradling mine, I didn’t think I would have much trouble.
“I understand,” he murmured.
The lamp clicked off and I turned, putting my back to Lex. As I hoped, he stretched his long body behind mine, curving around me from shoulders down to ankles. He shoved his bottom arm under my pillow so my head was resting on it, then his top arm wrapped tightly around my waist.
As soon as he settled, I drifted back to sleep. It wouldn’t register to me until much later that I never would have been able to go back to sleep without him there. His very presence made me feel safe.
* * *
The next morning, I awoke alone, with my face buried in Lex’s pillow and both arms wrapped tightly around it. I knew it was the pillow Lex had used because it smelled like him. I rolled over onto my back and sighed heavily.
While there were parts of last night’s conversation that I’m glad I knew, I still couldn’t believe I let him sleep in my bed. At least he was gone this morning, I thought. I needed some time to think about everything that he had said and what I believed. I would definitely be speaking to Donna about what Lex had told me.
I started when my bathroom door popped open and watched as Lex and a good amount of steam came through the door. The sight of his broad shoulders and defined and bulky muscles of his arms was enough to cause me to pause. What really took the cake was the sight of a stray droplet of water trailing from his collarbone, down the thick slabs of his pectorals and over the ridges of his abdomen, disappearing behind the bath sheet wrapped around his waist.
Though I had just been glad of them the night before, I was now cursing the huge towels that Conner and Donna kept in their guest baths. I wouldn’t have minded seeing Lex sauntering out of that bathroom wrapped in nothing but a brief towel.
The incredible sight of his almost-naked body was enough to tempt me to throw all caution to the wind. I also seemed to lose the ability to think about what I was going to say before I opened my mouth.
“I thought you left,” I said.
The corner of Lex’s mouth quirked up. “No, not yet.”
“I’m glad,” I responded. I then had to check the urge to smack myself in the forehead. What the hell? I didn’t need to be encouraging him.
His smirk became a full smile as he walked to the closet. I watched in utter amazement as he opened the door to the closet and disappeared inside. I sat up so I could watch as he walked directly to the back of the huge walk-in and pulled open a hidden door. On the other side, I saw another closet, this one holding a few pieces of men’s clothing. I realized that Lex had the room next to mine and there was a hidden door between our closets.
His back was still to me as he grabbed a pair of briefs from the built-in dresser that ran along one wall of his closet. Then he dropped his towel and leaned over to put them on. I squeaked and had to force my eyes away. Holy shit, his ass was amazing. Even better than I imagined and I had a fantastic imagination. The rest of him wasn’t bad either. In fact, the image would be burned in my retinas for all eternity. From now until the day I died, I would see a naked Lex from the rear on the back of my closed eyelids.
I threw the blankets back from the bed and made a mad dash for the bathroom. I worried that the longer I stayed in close proximity to an almost naked Lex, the closer I would be to forge
tting all about my concerns and tackling him to the ground.
I did my necessary business and washed my hands and face, brushed my teeth, and tried to run a wide-toothed comb through my hair. Feeling a little more awake, I peeked out of the bathroom. Lex was standing at the end of the bed, buttoning his shirt, wearing pants and socks. Unsure whether I was relieved or disappointed that he was now almost fully dressed, I emerged from the bathroom, running a hand through my hair.
Lex turned and looked at me with a smile. “Feel better?”
I blushed and nodded. He finished buttoning his shirt and sat on the bed to slip on his shoes. Lex came over to me, smiling slightly as he looked down at my face.
“Hi,” I said lamely.
His smile widened. “Hi.”
I lowered my eyes to his throat.
“Ivie?” he said.
I looked up, back into his beautiful brown eyes with their long, thick lashes.
“We need to finish our talk tonight.” He lifted his hand to my hair and wound a curl around his finger. “I want you to understand what’s happening. Not only among vampires but between us.”
I blinked at him. “So you’re going to tell me what’s going on?”
He nodded.
“I’m not sure about the rest, Lex. I’m still not sure how anything could work between us.”
Lex leaned down and pressed a light kiss to my lips. “I know and I understand why you’re worried. I think that you will feel better once we talk. Will you give me another chance to talk to you?” he asked.
The sweet, short kiss is what did it. When Lex was forceful and dominating, it turned me on. When he was sweet, I melted.
“I’ll try,” I sighed.
He grinned, yanking on the curl that was wound around his finger. “That’s all I can ask for.” He released my hair and stepped away to grab his suit jacket.
I watched as he shrugged into the black jacket. I wasn’t positive, but I had a sneaking suspicion that his suit was Armani. The cut was superb, as was the fabric. Beneath the jacket, he wore a black shirt, no tie. He looked like a cross between a hot billionaire in the romances I read and a mob boss, sleek, sophisticated, and dangerous.