by Leilani Love
She smiled, thinking that for being close to a hundred, she couldn’t really complain about looking thirty. Kassandra, though, definitely looked older than the twenty-something girls Damien usually slept with. She shook her head, not sure where the sudden hints of insecurity came from. She wasn’t going to have sex with him, so it didn’t matter.
Since the goal was to get some sleep, she went ahead and removed her bra, which she had trouble sleeping in. She smiled as she slipped on his shirt. Even after being washed, it still smelled faintly of him.
Damien was half a head taller than her, and his shirt hung just past her ass. Reaching behind herself, she pulled out her hair tie and used her fingers to undo her loose braid. Taking a deep breath, she straightened her spine before stepping out of the bathroom.
When she opened the door, she bit her lip to keep from smiling. Damien was already in bed, with the blanket pulled back in invitation. He patted the space next to him. “Don’t be scared, Kitty Kat, I promised I would only bite you after you begged.”
Shaking her head, she walked toward the bed. Kassandra could actually feel the heat coming off Damien before she crawled in. “I thought you promised to keep your hands to yourself.”
CHAPTER 9
Damien couldn’t help but smile at her words. Kassandra looked sexy as hell in his shirt. It was like a battle flag, him claiming her body as his. Whether she admitted it or not he was going to lay claim to that body. “I don’t believe I promised to keep my hands to myself,” he said. “But, I did put on boxers, just for you. Now come to bed. I’m tired—I was drugged last night and had to spend tonight waiting up for a thief.”
A light blush crept up her cheek. Damien chuckled as she gingerly lowered herself into the bed, her body completely stiff. Kassandra seemed to think putting as much distance between them as possible would keep her safe.
After he turned off the light, Damien couldn’t help but tease her. He curled up behind her, tucking his body against hers. He reached out and moved her hair off her neck. He pressed his lips to the skin he’d exposed and smiled when he felt her body stiffen under his touch. Kassandra’s body was so tight he thought she might break at any moment. Damien teasingly ran his lips along the back of her neck, nipping gently.
“I thought you said that you were not going to bite me,” she mumbled, a soft growl escaping her.
Damien smiled before he nipped her again. “Trust me, my dear, sweet Kat; that was not a bite.”
He had to bite his lip to keep from laughing at her frustrated sigh. He could hear her gritting her teeth as she wiggled in his arms. She pushed back against him with her hips, but he was unwilling to budge. Her movement caused his already-hard cock to slide between the two perfect globes that made up her beautiful ass.
Growling softly, he held her still. “I thought you would know better than to tease a dog.”
“Well, if you’re having such a hard time, I could always be on my merry way and we can forget all about this.”
Damien smiled, nuzzling her neck. Beneath her annoyance, he could smell her desire. She wiggled a little, her elbow barely missing his side.
“Stay still so I can get some sleep,” he grumbled against her neck. He heard a loud sigh before she finally settled into place.
The sound of her breathing evening out as her body relaxed against him signaled her finally falling asleep. He was a little surprised she fell asleep so easily. Maybe drugging a man and breaking into his house made a girl tired. Damien took a deep breath, loving the unique cherry vanilla scent that was just hers. He closed his eyes, surprised to feel his wolf so content. He drifted off easily as he held her close.
It had been years since Damien had dreamed, but he knew that’s what it was when he saw his mother standing in the middle of his garden. Her back was to him, and even though she had the same build as his sister, Hope, he knew it was her immediately. In every memory of her, she smelled like roses, and apparently it was no different in his dreams.
She walked along his garden, making a “tsk-tsk” sound as she touched the flowers. “You really should come out here and take better care of your flowers,” she said. “They crave attention and your gardener only comes once a week.”
Damien closed his eyes. Her voice was soft and he instantly felt like a little boy who needed to please his mom. When he opened them again he noticed that she was sitting on the porch swing smiling at him. “Are you going to say anything Damien? You were never this quiet as a child.”
Taking the few steps to her, he sat down as she patted the seat next to her. “What do you say to your dead mother when she comes to you in a dream?”
His mother’s smile didn’t quite reach her eyes, “You haven’t aged a day, would be nice.”
Damien looked her over, noticing how her blonde hair now had streaks of silver and that fine lines surrounded her eyes and lips. His memory was colored by his youth, but he had no memory of those signs of her aging. “I’ve missed you,” he whispered.
“I missed you too,” she said, suddenly looking sadder and older than she did a moment ago. Looking around the garden, she smiled. “What do you think of your mate? She’s even more beautiful than I had envisioned.”
Damien grinned, and an image of Kassandra walking from his bathroom wearing just his shirt flashed through his mind. He nodded. “She’s beautiful, and very stubborn.”
Throwing back her head, his mother laughed at his words. She wiped a tear from the corner of her eye and shook her head. “I think the Fates found a girl that will give you a merry chase. You’ve gotten way to use to girls falling at your feet. But this one, if you can win her heart and her trust, is worth more than a million of those girls you’ve been so fond of.”
Damien blushed. Even if this was a dream, it was embarrassing to have his mom know about his sexual exploits. “She’s a thief, Mom.”
“No, my son, she’s not a thief. She is so much more than you know.”
Her words echoed in his mind. She had that look on her face she’d get when he was younger, and he’d ask her a dozen questions about his future. His mother always refused to answer, telling him that the great thing about life was not knowing the future and being surprised. Sighing, he decided to ask for some motherly advice. “So how do I win her heart and trust? She already thinks I’m a dog.”
His mother smiled and shrugged. “Well, my son, technically you are.”
Damien laughed. “True, but for her I would be a loyal dog.”
His mother tilted her head. “Spend the day showing her who you are. Take her with you tomorrow. Let her see you with the people that matter to you. Tell her the truth; show her who you are and gently seduce her. Just not when you first wake up tomorrow. Exercise a little restraint.”
“Seduce her, just not in the morning, huh?”
His mother smiled at him and he laughed. He remembered how often he’d see his father sneaking a kiss from his mother when he was a kid. His parents were openly affectionate, and he hoped his mate would be just as warm and open as his mother was with his father.
Gently touching his cheek, she smiled. “Offer to take her with you when you meet Dmitri tomorrow night. Tell her what you’re picking up and see what she says.”
Damien frowned. “He said it’s something of yours, and offered to trade it. The first few times Dmitri approached me, I blew it off, thinking that you guys had never crossed paths. But every time I blew him off, I swore I could hear your voice nudging me to meet with him….”
His mother smiled, lightly closing her hand around his. “When you see Dmitri, tell him he needs to keep her safe.”
“Her?” he asked, confused. He knew that Dmitri had set up the meeting offering to give him something of his mother’s in order to try and bribe him into joining his side. With Lazzaro siding with his brother, The King of the Dragons, Dmitri seemed to think that Damien would gain his favor among the wolves. Damien had cut those ties long ago and only agreed to go because he knew if he didn’t go, Dmitri woul
d be calling Hope next. With the promise of something from their mother he wasn’t sure if there was anything Hope wouldn’t do.
“His heart knows who I speak of and has already recognized her as his, even if he’s stubborn to admit it.” He raised an eyebrow and she grinned. “He’ll not like the answer, but he’ll give you what he promised.”
CHAPTER 10
The rhythmic beat under Kassandra’s head slowly woke her up, a little sigh escaped her as she nuzzled the hard chest under her head. As she realized where she was her eyes flew open. She froze. Her body was draped over Damien’s, one leg tucked between his thighs with her hand curled slightly around his semi-hard cock. For just a moment she wished he wasn’t wearing his boxers. Without even thinking about it, her hand ran up his hard length. A warning growl rumbled from Damien’s chest, and he kissed the top of her head. “If you keep teasing me like that, I’ll come in my shorts like some untrained youth.”
Kassandra couldn’t help but smile at his words. The idea of him losing control for her was oddly pleasing. She felt her core contract in pleasurable anticipation. Damien placed one of his hands over hers, chuckling. “You don’t fight fair, my dear, sweet Kat. I promise later to be yours to play with, but the first time I come with you, I want to be so deep inside you that you don’t know where you end and I begin. I want the sound of your screams of pleasure echoing in my ears.”
His words made her breath catch. She had to fight the urge to rub her body against his. Turning her head slightly, she looked up at him. The hungry look in his eye and the knowing smile on his lips sparked something inside her. “I think it’s cute you believe you can make me scream.”
Damien brought his face close to hers. “My love, I promise you’ll scream my name as you beg me to let you come.”
With those words he gave her a hard, quick kiss and playfully smacked her ass. “We’re about to have company. We should go down to greet her.”
“Who’s coming over?” she asked. “Don’t you think I should be out of here before your other women arrive?”
Damien’s warm hand caressed her ass once more, and she jumped from the bed. She turned around and frowned. “I don’t think this is funny. I shouldn’t be here. I don’t have clothes to wear or even a toothbrush.”
“You’re more than welcome to use my toothbrush this morning. I promise we’ll get whatever you want from your hotel room today. Except for my sister, you are the only woman I have ever had in my home, and she won’t mind if you wear my shirt for breakfast this morning.” With that he swung his legs over the bed leaving her to watch his naked back.
“I am not meeting your sister wearing your shirt,” she said through gritted teeth as she watched him get dressed.
When he bent down to get something from the bottom drawer, Kassandra had to bite her lip to keep from moaning out loud. Damien turned, then threw a pair of grey sweatpants at her. “They might be a little baggy, but if you’re done checking out my ass, you can wear those.”
Kassandra felt her cheeks heat up. Not wanting to discuss it any further, she went to the bathroom and closed the door.
“I’ll be downstairs,” Damien called. “Come down when you’re ready.”
Standing at the sink, Kassandra debated between wearing his sweatpants and her pants from last night. Chase had met Hope briefly and if Kassandra was being honest, she was curious about the wolf who was so comfortable with the Vampire King Lazzaro.
Kassandra decided to go with his pants as she tried brushing her teeth with her finger and toothpaste. She quickly splashed water on her face, before doing her best to look presentable and ran her fingers through her hair. Using the string on his pants, she did her best to tie them tight enough to not fall off her hips before silently heading downstairs.
Halfway down the stairs she heard voices from the kitchen.
“It didn’t mean anything.”
There was a short laugh followed by the sound of a cabinet closing, “Please, you meet her finally and dream of our mother. It has to mean something. What did she say?”
Kassandra stopped at the bottom of the stairs, listening intently. Damien’s long, drawn-out pause caused her to hold her breath.
“Kat, if you’re going to be insistent on eavesdropping, you could probably hear us better if you came closer to the door.”
Swearing softly, she heard a feminine giggle as she slinked into the kitchen. She’d been careful to mask her dragon scent, but not her human one. Her cheeks felt hot and she knew she was blushing.
The first thing she noticed was Hope. Chase was right, this girl really did look like a ray of sunshine. Her honey-blonde hair and fair complexion were so different than her brother’s. She would have never guessed that they were siblings, let alone twins. The siblings’ eyes were similar, but whereas Damien’s seemed an invitation for sin, Hope’s eyes danced in mischief. Hope’s smile was so genuine that Kassandra instantly relaxed and smiled back.
“Good morning, you must excuse my brother,” Hope said. “Our mother tried to teach him manners when we were young, but for some reason they never took.”
Damien shot his sister a glare, a smile playing on his lips as he placed a piece of bacon on a pan.
Hope rolled her eyes at her brother, shaking her head before she walked over to Kassandra and gave her a quick hug. “I’m so happy to meet you, Kassandra. I’m Damien’s sister, Hope.”
“It’s a…um, pleasure,” Kassandra replied.
“Have a seat. Damien is going to make us breakfast while he tells us both what our mother said to him last night in his dream,” Hope said, a bright smile on her face.
Kassandra glanced between the two. Damien stood over his sister at six feet, while Hope looked to be closer to five-foot-six. Kassandra sat down on the barstool next to Hope.
“It was just a dream, Hope—quit reading so much into it,” Damien said as he cooked.
The smell of bacon started to fill the air and Kassandra felt her stomach grumble in hunger. Wondering what he was hiding, Kassandra fought the urge to ask him knowing every question she had for him resulted in a tit for tat situation. “Damien, you might as well just tell us,” Hope said. “I’ll spend the morning annoying you until you do.”
Damien looked over his shoulder. “Fine, but you have to start the eggs for me.”
Hope jumped off the chair, laughing. “Yes sir.” She said as she went into the fridge to gather what she needed.
“You’re making way too much of a dream. But if you must know and if you, my dear Kat, are curious, she said that tonight when I run an errand I should take you with me.”
“I don’t know if Damien told you, but our mom died when we were really young. He says I’m a romantic because I believe she talks to us in our dreams.”
Surprised by her confession, Kassandra nodded. “You’re not the only one who believes that our loved ones come to us in our dreams.” Chase’s mate, Violca, had told her that before she met Chase, her mother came to her in a dream. Kassandra had never dreamed of her parents since their disappearance, but Violca’s mother was a powerful witch and Damien’s mother was a seer, so as far as Kassandra was concerned, it was totally possible.
“So where are you taking me tonight?” she asked as Damien gathered the food and they went into the living room.
Damien shrugged, looking uncomfortable. “I have a meeting to go to. Nothing that interesting.”
Kassandra raised an eyebrow. She knew he wasn’t telling her the complete truth. “What’s the punishment if you lie to me?”
Hope’s laughter filled the air. “Oh, I really like this one, you better not mess this up.”
Damien shot his sister a dirty look, which only made her laugh harder. “I’m working on it,” he mumbled before going back to his breakfast.
“We’re not together,” Kassandra said, looking at Hope. The knowing smile that Hope gave her told her that she didn’t believe her.
The group finished their meal in uncomfortable silence before Hop
e and Kassandra headed back to the kitchen. Kassandra felt Hope’s hand on her back. “I promise,” Hope said quietly, “that deep down, Damien is a good guy.”
Kassandra raised an eyebrow. “He seems like a good brother, but from what I hear, he’s a bit of a...”
“Man-whore?” Hope finished for her.
Kassandra nodded and smiled, “I was trying to word it nicer. After all, he’s your brother.”
“True, he was. I totally believe you should make him work for it, but at the end of the day he’ll always have your back. He fights for what he believes in, and when he commits to a girl, it will be forever.”
Kassandra nodded. Hearing a throat clear, she looked up to see Damien standing in the doorway. The look on his face made her wonder how long he’d been listening.
“Do you want to shower before we go to your hotel?” he asked.
She shook her head no and began to walk out of the kitchen. “Can I wear my own clothes?”
He put his hand around her waist and pulled her close. “I love you in my shirt,” he whispered, “but right now I fear I would have to kill any man who saw how sexy you are with no bra, your nipples poking out just enough that all I can think about is how they would harden as I gently sucked them into my mouth.”
Kassandra closed her eyes, her nipples hardening at his words and pressing against the material of his shirt. Damien’s soft growl told her he knew exactly the effect he had on her. When she opened her eyes, she stared up at his dilated pupils. It took all her control to simply walk past him and glide up the stairs. She wondered if the two of them had been alone if he would have followed her upstairs…and if she would have stopped from finding out.
CHAPTER 11