by Kiersten Fay
Holding his gaze, she took his hand with hers and brought it closer to her lips. His gaze widened, his hips rocking into her.
She sucked his thumb into her mouth.
He let out a strangled, almost agonized sound. “Fuck. You are the sexiest fucking thing I have ever seen.”
With her tongue curling around his thumb, one final climax claimed them both, and they cried out. Together they rode that wild, unbridled wave of pleasure, moving and licking and sucking and kissing each other till they had exhausted every last wave of ecstasy.
Panting, floating back down to Earth, she ran her hands along his back as he turned boneless atop her. His weight was a blissful sensation for a moment. Then he rolled to the side and drew her across his chest. “You are mine, now and forever.”
She smiled. “Finally.”
Chapter 47
Naia waved at Kenzi and a woman named Justine who were sitting at a booth in the employee lounge with two other employees whose names she’d yet to commit to memory, partaking of the breakfast buffet. Several others perched nearby nodded at her as she passed. The shock at her relationship with Cortez was diminishing, though a few people still gazed at her with keen curiosity, like she held a map to a secret treasure.
And she secretly felt like she did.
One day soon she’d memorize everyone’s names. There were a lot of employees to meet yet. Cortez was planning a party later in the week to announce their engagement, but it seemed most had already figured it out. The giant diamond on her finger probably had a lot to do with that.
After filling a plate with food, she joined Kenzi, who immediately demanded, “Let me see it.”
Naia stuck her left hand out, preening.
Kenzi sighed. “It’s gorgeous. Are those sapphires? Awww. For your stage name?”
She nodded. “He had it made days ago.” Already preparing his proposal. The sillyhead had only been vacillating because he feared she wasn’t ready for such a commitment.
This morning he gave her the best engagement gift ever: her mother’s necklace. He’d found it and had the chain fixed. While she was sleeping, he’d surprised her by trailing the pendent along her arm to tickle her awake, and then had kissed her soundly. Sweetest man ever.
“So jealous,” Kenzi chirped.
After finishing her meal, Naia headed down to hang out with Cole for a little bit. He had games, TV, and Internet access, but she could tell he was still going stir-crazy. She’d procured a deck of cards. He always loved beating her at Texas hold ‘em, rummy, poker, and, well, any game really, which he did nine times out of ten, but she didn’t mind. The boy needed a win.
She still wasn’t allowed to be alone with him even though five-inch steel bars separated them and, reportedly, he was gaining ground on his cravings. But when hunger hit, he was at its mercy, so Ryder joined her.
In the elevator, she inquired about the rescued woman.
“Poor girl had been up there for weeks,” Ryder said. “Was nearly catatonic when they found her, until they tried to give her blood to heal her wounds. Dane said she fought like a wild cat. Now she’s calm, but won’t speak, won’t eat, hasn’t left her room, and freaks if anything male comes too close.”
“She’s here?”
He nodded. “Boss set her up in one of the subterranean rooms. You know, with no high-up windows or balconies. She’s on suicide watch.”
“You think it would be okay if I visit her after this?”
“I think that’s a good idea.”
Immediately Cole perked up when they arrived. They set up a poker table next to his cell. “What’s the game, sis?”
“Loser’s choice,” she mocked, setting the deck in the middle of the table where he could reach.
“Then shouldn’t it be your call?” he fired back.
Indignant, she scooped the deck back up, shuffled, then started to deal. “Rummy,” she announced, her competitive side emerging. It was, after all, the game she most often emerged victorious.
Ryder sat to her right, closest to the bars, in no danger if Cole decided to fang out.
As Naia dealt, she exaggerated the movement whenever she placed Cole’s cards so that he might see the ring. She’d been adamant that no one tell him before she did, but he didn’t seem to be paying much attention to the glistening spot on her hand. When she retracted her hand for the last time, he snatched up his cards and began to organize them.
Pursing her lips, she did the same, holding the cards in such a way that the back of her hand was pointed in his direction.
“Ha! You’re going down,” he said, focused solely on his cards.
Ryder’s lips quirked, but he said nothing as he flipped through his own set of cards.
To her detriment, this went on for the first quarter of the game as she discarded and picked up cards in an unnecessarily dramatic way. Cole remained oblivious, and she was seriously beginning to worry that his eyesight had been compromised. Either that or he was just incredibly obtuse.
Ryder, increasingly amused, was having trouble keeping his chuckles silent.
Finally Naia loudly cleared her throat for Cole’s attention and overtly fluttered her fingers in front of her face.
“Is there something wrong with your throat? Why are you doing that with your hand?”
She scowled. “Hello. Could you be any more dense?”
Blankly he stared at her.
“The ring, you dummy.”
He shook his head in confusion, gazing at the diamond for a moment. Then he swallowed, the color draining from his face. “What is that?”
“It’s a wedding ring. I’m getting married.”
He blinked, growing even paler.
“Well, technically I’m already married and engaged to be married again. We’re going to hold the official ceremony after you get out of here so you can be the best man. Or maybe you should be my bridesmaid,” she teased, suddenly nervous by his reaction. “I’ve always wanted to put you in a dress. It’s a shame you weren’t born a girl. A girl wouldn’t have sat here for half an hour oblivious to the giant diamond ring on my finger.”
“To who?”
“Pardon?”
“Married to who?”
“To whom,” she corrected, discarding a five of hearts and then picking up a fresh card from the deck.
“Naia.”
“Cortez, duh. Who else?”
He was silent for a moment. “I…I didn’t realize it was so serious. This is…I haven’t even had time to put him through all the tests.”
“He’d pass them all. Trust me.”
“How do I know he’ll be good to you?”
“He’s the best.”
“But how do I know that? How do I know if he’s good enough?”
She gave him a fond smile. “I love you too.”
“If he hurts you, I’m going to have to kick his ass—”
“You’re not going to have to—”
“—which is going to be difficult, considering he’s my sire and all, and I basically have to obey him.”
“Cole—”
“And here I am, stuck in here while some vulture swoops in on my sister, completely unchecked…”
Naia sighed and let him go on like this as she plotted her pending victory. With him distracted she might just win this hand. Alas, a couple discards later and he laid out his win, ending his tirade with, “Have you thought this through? I mean really thought it through?”
“I have.”
He snatched the deck and shuffled like he was murdering those cards with a flutter of angry, slapping sounds. He switched the game to poker, his favorite. “And you love him?”
“More than anything.” At his scalded look, she added, “Other than you, of course.” She glanced at her crappy hand. Not even a pair to stand on.
“Shit,” he sighed. “Then I guess…congratulations? Yeah. Congratulations.”
She laughed at his sullen expression. “It’s not the end of the world. I’m still
your sister. That’ll never change, even if you have turned into a freak.”
He grinned. “Look at that, I’m just like you now.”
She stuck her tongue out at him. They all handed in a couple cards hoping for better replacements. Yay, she managed to get two pairs. “By the way, as a wedding present I asked him to run the Boyle twins out of town, but if you prefer, I can…” With a sound in the back of her throat she ran her forefinger across her neck.
Cole laughed. “Kill a bad guy and suddenly you think you’re an assassin.” He laid his hand down. “Three of a kind.”
Ryder dropped down a full house. “Sorry, son. Maybe next time.”
Naia folded her paltry hand in defeat.
Cole scooped up the cards to deal again. “At least have him break a few of their fingers for me.”
“I’ll relay the request.” She pretended to crack her knuckles. “Now both of you get ready to take a nice big bite of loser pie.”
Chapter 48
Loser pie is bitter, she thought sardonically, not really bothered that she’d only won one hand out of the lot. When she left, Cole and Ryder were still at it, seemingly equally matched and neither willing to call it quits till a clear winner had been named…or hell freezes over.
She headed toward the room where the hunter’s other victim was staying, where, after entering, she discovered, of all people, Dane was the one watching over her. Just to the right of the doorway, he stood fiercely rigid, jaw tight and arms crossed. His inherent imposing and intimidating visage hinted at violent tendencies. Hardly comforting on a good day.
The poor girl was curled on the bed with her back against the headboard, knees shoved up to her chin, and arms wrapped around her legs. Light-brown hair tangled around her face, shading her stark eyes. Naia guessed she was in her late twenties, maybe early thirties. She appeared to be staring at nothing, eyes slightly downcast, but Naia got the sense she had Dane in her peripheral.
He couldn’t be helping matters with his tough bouncer’s stance and biker’s build. If Naia wasn’t his sire’s bride, she wouldn’t feel safe alone with him either.
To his credit, he stood as far from the woman as the room allowed, though he could try to loosen up a bit.
She crossed toward the girl slowly, like one might approach a wounded animal so as not to alarm her. The girl’s mile-long stare didn’t waver, even when Naia sat down on the edge of the mattress.
“Hi,” she said softly.
No response. There was an angry ring of abrasions around the girl’s wrists like she’d been cuffed or tied up. Naia’s heart twisted with the need to kill the bastard all over again. Ryder said she’d fought like a wildcat when they’d tried to heal her. Looks like this small female had won that battle, to her own detriment. On closer inspection, there were some marks on her neck as well.
“My name is Naia,” she said, not sure if the stone-faced girl was even listening. “I know you’ve probably been told this already, but I want you to know you’re safe now. We’re here to help you. So if there’s anything you need, just let us know, okay?”
Again, there was no response, like the girl had just checked out.
“That man that took you,” Naia tried again. “He tried to take me too, but I killed him. He can never hurt you again. Not ever.”
It was like talking to a statue. The trauma this girl had endured must have been horrendous. Hopefully all she needed was time to process. The outward physical damage would eventually heal, erasing the evidence of her ordeal to the naked eye, but mental damage was a fracture to one’s very soul, longer lasting and more difficult to mend.
Naia sighed and rose to leave when delicate fingers clamped around her wrist. She gazed down at the woman’s surprisingly strong hold then met her dark-rimmed eyes. Though no words passed between them in that moment, Naia observed a shadow of something behind the woman’s olive-toned irises, a fusion of gratitude and relief.
Naia placed her hand over hers and employed a reassuring smile. “You see that guy over there?” She indicated Dane with a tick of her head. The woman didn’t look, but imposed a tighter grip on Naia’s arm. A signal that she was excruciatingly aware of the big bad-looking vampire.
“His name is Dane. He’s a really nice guy,” Naia said.
Dane raised a brow at that. The single experience she’d had with him was of him screaming in her face, venomously accusing her of plotting against Cortez. BFFs they might never be, but Cortez trusted him to keep this girl safe, and she trusted Cortez.
“He’s a teddy bear, really,” she chirped.
Da fuck? His expression said.
Over the top? Maybe. But if it helped to abate some of the white knuckling going on….? “He’s here for your protection. That’s all. And if I hadn’t killed that hunter, Dane here would have taken his head off.”
At the mention of her attacker, the girl’s arm returned to hug her legs and her chin dipped to her knees, but her eyes quickly darted toward Dane. He inclined his head once, still poised like a soldier ready to be deployed. Hardly encouraging, though a little tension did appear to seep from the girl’s extremities.
Naia examined the bags under her eyes. “You should try to get some sleep. I can come back and visit you later if you like.” She wasn’t expecting a response, but then there was the most minute nod. “Okay then. Maybe when I return you’ll actually talk to me, huh?”
No response.
Before leaving, she took the back of her hand and smacked Dane playfully on the arm. He glanced down at her like she was nuts.
“Try to loosen up, would you? This military thing you have going on here isn’t helping.” Her voice was low enough not to be heard across the room.
“I was charged with one task: keep the human alive.” He gestured toward the girl. The human is alive.
She shrugged. “Well okay. Do what you want. Just curious, though. Has she relaxed at all since you’ve been here?”
He didn’t respond, which was answer enough.
“I just get the feeling she’s going to be around for a while, at least if it were up to me, and, well, she might end up associating her trauma with your ugly mien, soldier boy. You probably don’t care about that, though, do you?”
“Nope,” he said, the picture of insensitivity. Yet, an instant later, his arms dropped to his sides. Then he scowled and crossed them again.
“It was you that found her, right?” she asked. Everyone already knew what had gone down up at that campground. This place was a den of gossip-mongers.
Dane had found her bound and gagged in the hunter’s tent, in a near catatonic state. He’d cut her free, carried her out, handed her off, and then proceeded to rage all over the hunter’s meager dwelling, rendering the campsite a litter of tattered debris.
When Naia had heard that, Dane had risen a bit in her esteem. She reached out and placed her palm on his rigid arm. “Thank you.” Then she left, leaving Dane looking slightly off balance, and went off in search of Cortez, feeling like she was going through withdrawals. All she wanted was to curl up in his arms and just be for as long as the world allowed. No worries or fears to cloud the moment. Merely the two of them, loving each other.
She had no idea what the future held for her and Cole, but for the first time in her life, uncertainty was muted. Cole was stronger than ever. He didn’t only have her, but an entire clan of badasses who’d have his back if he got into trouble, which he undoubtedly would. She had the love of the most amazing man she had ever known, who could conquer the world with one hand and tend her so gently with the other. A man who had smashed and ripped his way into the bow of her heart with all the grace of a fire-breathing kraken...
...A man who she couldn’t find.
She’d searched the main floor, passing spirited club goers dancing to industrial music, peeked into the quiet meeting rooms, checked around the many stages where shows were in full swing, and then stopped in the employee lounge before planning to head up to their suite.
; Kenzi caught her first. “He asked me to give this to you.” She handed over a note written in Cortez’s element script: Meet me on the roof.
After thanking Kenzi, she wasted no time, following the path Cortez had shown her their first night together. The night everything had changed. The night reality had flipped over on her and turned into something too beautiful to comprehend.
The stairwell that lead to the roof was deceptively dark, so when she opened the door, a rush of warm daylight pelted her. She shielded her eyes, giving them a moment to adjust.
His back was to her as he stared out over the ledge at the pacific gleaming in the distance. He turned to her and smiled brightly, making her heart melt into her bones and her body tingle. Love this man.
The anguish of their distance forced them both forward, meeting halfway. In an impassioned embrace, their lips came into contact with hungry urgency as if they’d been parted for weeks rather than just a few hours. She sighed against his savory lips and relaxed against him.
“I missed you,” she said when they broke away.
“And I you,” he replied, almost confounded. “I’ve never missed anyone before. Not like this. It was tormenting not having you here those few days.”
Understatement. “Now you have me for always.”
“Be warned, my greed for you is insatiable.”
“I’m up for the challenge.” She twirled out of his grip and glanced back at him coyly. Then she added in a faux dramatic voice. “But you should know I killed my last boyfriend.”
He grinned at her wolfishly and followed her to one of the lounge chairs. “As I understand it, the man needed killing.”
As she relaxed back, he pulled her close till they were comfortably snuggled together, gazing at the blue sky painted with white cloudy wisps.
After a while, he asked. “What are you thinking?”
“How happy I am. But sometimes I worry this is all just a dream.”
“Oh? Because I’m too good to be true?” he teased.
She playfully bopped him on the chest.