Awakening (Promiscus Guardians Book 1)

by Brianna West

  “So, I doubt you came in here just to help cook my burger,” I started hesitantly. “I'm assuming that you wanted to discuss what happened eight days ago.”

  Lucas was focused on the burger as he replied, “Yes.”

  Well, Lucas had never been one to use the roundabout way of replying, so I shouldn't be surprised by his blunt reply. However, it had startle me. I was nervous to begin, or rather, continue this topic we had started eight days ago.

  “Izzy,” Lucas began as he put the burger on the bun I had prepared and shut off the burner, “I think that I was unclear in my feelings for you.” He breathed out and closed the distance between us, leaving my recently cooked burger forgotten on the counter. “This discovery does not change the way I feel about you. A part of me wanted to believe you were an innocent bystander to all of this, but now I know that you are very much the center of it. I wanted to keep you safe...” he trailed off. “I will keep you safe,” he corrected.

  Normally, Lucas being overprotective would annoy me to no end. But right now, I just wanted to throw my arms around him and kiss the bejesus out of his face. The heartfelt declaration was making my insides go fuzzy.

  I stared at him minutely before replying, “I still don't know how I feel about all of this. Being part demon, I mean. However, I do know how I feel about you.”

  Yes, I was definitely starting to sound like one of those sappy heroines in all those timeless romance novels I had the misfortune to read, but I knew that with Lucas it was important I said these things out loud. Brooding types needed to both hear and feel what you were saying to them, which led to my next move as I threw my arms around him.

  Dear lord, the man was large!

  I stood on the tips of my toes in an attempt of kissing his face off, but it would seem even that wasn't enough. I couldn't quite reach his damn face.

  Some moment this was turning out to be.

  Lucas let out a soft, throaty chuckle before leaning towards me and pressing his lips against mine. It came with a rush of emotions that I, until now, had done my best to bury inside me.

  I felt giddy and elated, desperate and needy. Most of all, I felt like if he removed his arms from around my waist, I would disappear right into the floor. I was holding back the overwhelming need to cry as I kissed him with every ounce of passion I held for him.

  Someone cleared their throat, and I was suddenly jerking away from him. I kind of felt like a teenager caught by her parents in the act of making out as I gazed over towards Victor.

  I was ashamed that the moment had caused me to be oblivious to his immense pulse that was suddenly washing over me. The head honcho was standing in the doorway, a satisfied smile plastered on his face.

  Bastard.

  If he was going to be smug about it, he should have at least allowed us a few good minutes without interruption.

  “Are congratulations in order?” he teased.

  Lucas groaned before pulling away entirely. “Could you not have waited at least a few minutes more before interrupting?”

  My sentiments exactly, Captain Lucas.

  Why was someone always interrupting when all I wanted to do was touch his muscles and get him to treat me like a lady?

  “What would the fun in that be?” Victor asked rhetorically before striding into the room with purpose. “It would seem that you two have reconciled. For this, I am glad. However, there are other pressing matters that must be discussed.”

  Like the demon inside me, I thought bitterly.

  “Until we can identify the spy,” he continued as he stood before us, “I will be relying on Lucas to be your sole Guardian. We have been able to close the portals, but I believe it was only the beginning of more to come. In the meantime, I will have you and Lucas relocate for training.”

  Oh goody.

  “We will do everything in our power to protect you,” Victor offered in comfort. Not that I needed it. “Your official Guardian training is to begin as it will be vital that you are able to protect yourself and others from harm. There is a general consensus between the council that you will be our newest Guardian.”

  “Does the council...”

  “Know about your heritage?” Victor finished. “Yes. They trust that you will be an incredible asset to our cause. Tristan and I personally vouched to it.”

  Well, that's definitely a way to make a girl feel special.

  “Aren't you worried though?” I pried. “I mean, I could start a war like you said.”

  Victor was smiling softly as he pressed his hand to my cheek. “There will always be something in which we have to battle to protect the innocent, and there will always be those whom seek to destroy our efforts to maintain balance in this world. Your heritage could be a gift or curse depending on how you use it. Every one of the Guardians face this choice within themselves, and it will be no different for you.”

  I was smiling alongside Lucas as Victor finished.

  “Yes,” he laughed, “I know I sound like I am spouting nonsense, but I do truly believe that you will be the key to our efforts in this world.”

  That's a whole lot of pressure I didn't really need right now, but I appreciated his words.

  “I'll do my best,” was all I could offer in reply.

  Victor chuckled lightly. “I know you will. I must leave, but I will visit again after I have settled a few things. Lucas,” he said turning towards Lucas who looked as though he had been lost to his thoughts. “You know the place to relocate, correct?”

  “Yes,” came his quick reply.

  Nodding his head, Victor continued, “Then I expect you and Izzy to be there by this evening.”

  Another place. Another home. Good thing I didn't change my address every time we relocated.

  Although, I was going to have to come up with a better story for Nattie. I worried that my friend might wonder if I was never coming home. Even I wasn't sure if I would be now.

  I turned towards Lucas after Victor disappeared and questioned him to such. “I'm running out of excuses to tell Nattie.”

  “She is taken care of,” he replied.

  “What does that even mean?” I asked angrily.

  Hopefully not that she now doesn't even know I exist.

  “Just that she believes you are on an extended stay with me,” he answered simply. “I also have one of our Guardians ensuring her safety as she could be used in order to lure you out.”

  Holy hell.

  The sudden realization that someone I cared about was now in danger made my stomach clench. I breathed through the anxiety and did my best to trust his words.

  If someone was watching her, she would be safe.

  –

  We arrived shortly before six in the evening to our new place of residence. This place was just as fancy as all the rest, which was no longer surprising to this poor girl. I had acknowledged that Guardians were crazy rich to my sufficiently poor.

  No need to get caught up on the details.

  Lucas was his usual non-chatty self as he led me down a deep corridor towards what I could only surmise as the bedroom area of the house and not where they kept all the dead bodies.

  A girl had to be cautious.

  The room was just as large as my one bedroom apartment, creating a theme it would seem of all the bedrooms I was now to stay in. It wasn't that I didn't like a lot of space and nice things, but all of this luxury made me feel less than comfortable. Honestly, I would much rather stay in a tiny room, barely large enough for the Queen-sized bed I had to have, then something as dauntingly large as this room.

  I mean, I could swim in this oversized bed.

  “Wow,” I said in monotone. “Where am I going to put all my stuff?”

  Lucas was smirking in amusement as he set aside his own luggage. I watched with sudden realization as to what that might hint towards.

  “Oh, no you don't,” I warned.

  “You are not safe alone,” he stressed with an unmovable gaze. “You are at your most vulnerable in your
sleep.”

  “This is a safe house,” I argued. “Meaning it's safe to sleep in.”

  “After your attack at Tristan's,” he admonished with his usual easy grace, “I believe nowhere and no one to be safe. I will no longer chance your safety to preconceived notions of it.”

  “Holy cow,” I groaned. “You're impossible.”

  Lucas' mesmerizing sapphire eyes were effectively causing me to disregard my stubbornness in exchange for some much needed relief from my pent up sexual frustration.

  Tightly corded, power-infused muscle definition melted my previous convictions of a morally sound woman to a will-take-anything-she-can-get kind of woman.

  Suddenly, I was starving and not for food but an entirely different kind of meal.

  I was more than likely drooling at this point by the way that Lucas' lips tilted up in his usual sexy grin melting the final hold I had on my resilient stubbornness.

  Good god, this man was scrumptious.

  I guess sharing a room wouldn't be so bad if I could somehow manage to get inside those nearly painted on pair of trousers this powerful man was wearing.

  How the hell did he manage to shimmy himself into those things? I could barely manage to rip my way into skinny jeans. I was pretty sure my healthy curves, or maybe a tad unhealthy, could never manage such a feat.

  I was straying from the point here.

  If I could somehow manage to lure him into bed and exercise any of the ill-practiced seduction measures I had in place for such an event, I might be able to make quite the turnaround of this frustrating situation. Maybe we could make this place our playroom?

  What the hell was I thinking?! Of course I wouldn't jump the ever morally stiff Lucas. He would probably laugh in my face at my measly attempts at seducing him.

  Let's face it, I wasn't exactly reeling in experience with that sort of thing.

  Effectively put out by my own thoughts, I slumped down onto the bed and tossed my small bag of essentials to the side.

  Well, might as well get comfy.

  Hey, this was like a thousand thread count sheets! These felt as if I had laid down upon silky clouds. I mean, I imagine this is what the idealistic cloud texture would feel like.

  “I sometimes find myself wishing I had the ability to read your mind,” Lucas finally said as I swam on the sheets, rolling and surrounding myself within them. “I fear though of what I might find.”

  “Yeah,” I was able to muffle out from my sheet prison. “You should definitely be afraid. I even scare myself sometimes.”

  There was a chuckle before the mattress dipped with a great weight, and I was rolling into the hard body near me. The material of the bed was pulled away from my face and soft lips planted over my own in what could only be described as a kiss from an angel. I would have blanched at my own corny thoughts if not already occupied with a seriously intoxicating mouth.

  I attempted to lift myself towards him but was hindered by the sheets that were now around me like a straitjacket. I fought them, doing my best to remain locked in our passionate kiss. However, the sheets got the best of me, and I fell back into with a frustrated curse.

  “I don't like these damn sheets anymore,” I exclaimed in defeat.

  Lucas chuckled and helped pry away the sheets from my body. The stimulation caused me to intake sharply when his fingers grazed the exposed flesh of my waistline. Dark eyes jerked towards mine before his hands were once more touching me, grazing against my flesh with a little more intent. I closed my eyes tightly to the sensations. Anywhere his fingers touched would warm and throb with subtle pleasure.

  Our lips met again, hungrier than the first time. I almost hesitated, wondering if this was a good idea, but those thoughts quickly melted as Lucas' hot tongue delved into my mouth, quailing any possible hesitations I might harbor. He pulled me into him, positioning me hard against his body as he continued to pillage my mouth.

  I was panting like an animal in heat; the very idea of it making me internally cringe. If I wasn't so eager for this to happen, I might reconsider some of the faces and sounds I was making. However, I was unable to control said actions at this moment due to the increasingly powerful need to have my lady parts attended to after a long stalemate with this morally-kept British vampire.

  I idly wondered how a man without any passionate interludes—that I knew of—could possible kiss like this, but I was interrupted by the hot sensation of hands sneaking beneath the material of my shirt and groping my lace covered breasts.

  Thank god I had remembered to wear my pretty lace bra today. It was mostly because I had forgotten to wash my more comfortable every day bra, but that was beside the point. The point was that even though it was unintentional, I was wearing my sexy lingerie and therefore appeared as though every day was sexy day.

  Lucas pulled away, and I nearly lost my composure thinking he might end it here as I would once more be left sexually frustrated and unsatisfied. However, he pulled the remainder of my shirt upwards and discarded it to the side.

  I felt exposed as his eyes ate up the visage I was sure to be making. If the heat in my cheeks was any evidence of it, I was sure to be blushing like a virgin. I wasn't, a virgin that is, but it had been a very long time since I'd been touched like this save the few times we had been victim to the effects of blood drinking.

  This was the first time I had been fully aware of just what was happening. Or not happening. I groaned as he studied me, his body angled away from me.

  I wanted to touch him. I wanted to tear away his shirt and jump his bones. Instead, I was tempted to cover myself like some blushing bride. His gaze was unsettling. It was as if he was committing it to memory which was as flattering as it was mortifying. I could only guess what I looked like at that moment, but I was determined to not be the only one undressed.

  My hands reached for him and pulled at the silk button down shirt he wore. I worked the buttons as quickly and efficiently as I could but these damnable things were incredibly difficult to undo. Hands eclipsed my own, pulling them away from the endless task of buttons, before they set to do what I had difficulty accomplishing.

  In seconds, bare tan flesh, exposed through a small sliver of the shirt opening, had my hungry eyes transfixed. Mountains of abdominal muscles traveled through Lucas' naval, and his pectorals clenched tightly as he removed the material that was obstructing my view.

  I hesitated before touching the smooth expanse of flesh, traveling over the hard ridges with intrigue. Lucas' body was incredible. It was as if every perfection of the male physique existed in one man.

  I wanted to taste the flesh before me, the urge to do so becoming unbearably difficult to deny. If he tasted anything like he smelled or looked, it would be without a doubt be the best thing I had ever tasted.

  Hands firmly cupped my cheeks, angling my head back towards his face. “Izzy,” was all he said before he was pressing a hard, dominating mouth against my own.

  His deep groan of need caused my lower half to tingle with anticipation. It was carnal the way he devoured my lips with his own. There was nearly no space to breathe as I did my best to match his pace.

  I was forced backwards and spread out over the sheets before his body pressed roughly into mine. Lucas spread my legs with one of his own, pressing his knee against my hot center and eliciting a sharp gasp from my mouth.

  Too fast, you might say? Well, not fast enough if I had it my way. I was no innocent maiden. I wanted this just as much, if not more so, than he did.

  I clawed at him, accepting the size of his form between my legs and adjusting so our bodies were nearly melting into each other. I fumbled with the zip of his trousers as my neck angled oddly to keep up with the rough, messy meeting of lips.

  Lucas pressed hot kisses down the column of my neck to the hard curve of my collarbone, running his tongue sporadically as he went. He snaked his way along the jutting bone and then pressed his hot mouth to my sensitive nipples. He sucked the tip into his mouth, rolling the nub bet
ween his teeth. I was immediately arching into the sensations and moaning loud enough to be heard next door.

  Thankfully, no one else was in the house, luckily for us.

  I weaved my fingers through his long, dark tresses and encouraged him further. The sensation was electric and ran through me like liquid fire. I wanted to pull him into me but only managed to curl my fingers through his hair.

  “You taste very sweet,” he commented huskily, and I was suddenly ten shades redder.

  “How about you don't talk,” I suggested breathlessly.

  Lucas pulled away enough to eye me from his place at my breast. It was definitely an image I wanted to store away for later use.

  Did that make me a pervert? Yes, yes it did.

  “Do you wish to stop?” he asked seriously.

  It was a fair question, but it made my blood boil.

  So he could stop if he wanted? Was I the only one wrapped up so tightly in passion that my breathing had become labored, my head hazy, and my body so responsive that the mere touch of his lips against my skin was enough to make me feel as if I could come at any moment?

  I pulled my hands away from his head and sat up, causing him to lean away enough to allow me the space to do so. I covered myself and glared at Lucas. “Can you stop? Is it really that easy for you to turn it on and off?” Was I the only one so lost to my passion it was making me dizzy? “Well then, I think we probably should.”

  Please don't say it! Why couldn't I just take the pity fucking like any other desperate woman and just be happy that I could have me some high-class man-meat?

  Dammit.

  Lucas was watching me as he always did. He hadn't moved enough to allow me to escape, but it was enough to get his point across that he could and would stop if need be. I knew that I should be comforted by this simple act of chivalry, but it was actually making me feel undesirable.

  If I couldn't make Lucas lose his cool, then I couldn't be all that desirable, right?

  I wanted to comment further, but instead, I snatched up my shirt and dressed my torso, struggling when my arms got stuck as I narrowly avoided smacking Lucas in the face. 'Barbie Girl' played in the background, startling the two of us out of our silent staring match. I quickly made my way over to my luggage and dug into it for my phone.