Angel’s next question brought her head up. “Who’s been feeding you, Shon?”
“It’s not important. I made the decision, and I’ll put it to good use by tearing this Seeker limb from limb.”
“That’s not why I asked. It’s just…”
Shon moved out of Ember’s hold and propped a hip against the counter. “Just what?”
Angel hesitated. “I’m sure it’s nothing.”
“Oh come on, Angela. It can’t be that bad. Spit it out.”
Ember tensed in dread of the inevitable fight. It would take a saint to let that kind of insult slide, and her big Bulgarian was no saint. He was a dark and powerful vampire who rarely even smiled.
The chuckle that came from across the bar caught Ember off guard, and she gaped at Angel in shock. His shoulders began to shake, and a contagious, powerful laugh rent the air.
A giggle escaped Ember and then another. Shon suddenly joined in as the small kitchen filled with the sounds of amusement.
The chuckles soon died down, and Angel looked at Shon with mirth still twinkling in his eyes. “You’re an aggravating shit, but you remind me of someone back home that I grew up with. When we were kids, he couldn’t pronounce Angelo. It always came out as Angela. He finally gave up and settled on Angel.”
Shon grinned. “You have no idea the weapons you just gave me. And where did you grow up? In Transylvania?”
Angel returned his smile. “Worse. Bulgaria.”
“You’re right. That is worse,” Shon teased before sobering. “You had something to tell me?”
“Right.” Angel took a deep breath. “It had to be an elder that turned you. A half-breed’s blood wouldn’t have given you the kind of power you display. It would have heightened your senses and lengthened your life, but it wouldn’t have brought you over.”
Shon watched him without expression. “Go on.”
“Vampires can be very possessive. It’s almost unheard of for one to help with a transformation.”
Ember interrupted. “I don’t understand.”
Angel’s gaze locked on her. “A vampire never feeds more than once from the same source. Too much of a person’s essence forms an unwanted bond that’s broken only by death, so we never take from them twice. The same goes for allowing someone to feed from us. Most won’t share their blood with another for fear of creating leeches, minions, and basic pains in the ass. ”
“Most?”
A shadow of emotion passed through Angel’s eyes. “Some are sadistic.”
“So what does that mean for Shon?” Anxiety formed in Ember’s gut.
“It means nothing. I formed no bond with Gina, and I haven’t seen her in weeks, so you can both relax.” The surety in her cousin’s voice didn’t alleviate Ember’s concern for him in the slightest, but she kept her apprehension to herself.
Chapter Five
Gina Calimari was one of the oldest and deadliest vampires in existence. She would destroy anyone who got in her way, be it friend, associate, or lover if it benefited her to do so. Angel wondered at her motives behind helping Ember’s cousin. Everything she did came with a high price, and Shon would do well to remember that. Angel would talk to the hothead when Ember wasn’t near. The last thing he wanted was to worry her.
Angel took a sip of wine before addressing Shon. “Why did you send Ember the note?”
“To see if she would be foolish enough to show, but more importantly, if you would follow.”
“So, you decided to set us up. I see. It almost got you killed.” Angel kept his voice passive when he felt anything but.
“I had to know that she would be safe with you, that you could protect her. In case you haven’t noticed, she can be a little irrational and stubborn.”
Angel had noticed, and even though he wasn’t happy about the way Shon went about proving his point, he could understand his reasoning. A grudging respect grew for the man. “Fair enough.”
“Really?” Ember put her hands on her hips and tossed her hair in that haughty way that made Angel want to turn her over his knee. “That is the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard. It’s nice to know neither of you trust me.”
“This coming from the woman who lied and sneaked out in the middle of the night to rendezvous with the Seeker.” Angel couldn’t keep the sarcasm from his voice.
“I had my reasons,” she protested.
Angel arched an eyebrow. “I’m dying to hear them.”
“I’ll just bet you are.” She turned on her heel and strode from the kitchen before he could respond.
“Get used to it.” Shon grinned and picked up another slice of week-old pizza.
Angel tilted his head back far enough to see down the hall. Ember was transferring clothes from the washer to the dryer with jerky movements, muttering something about assholes and ungrateful vampires.
He sighed and brought his elbows up to rest on the bar. “She needs a firm hand.”
“Yeah. Good luck with that.”
Angel decided to change the subject back to more pressing matters. “How did you know about the Seeker or that I was here? Better yet, how did you find out about your vampire blood?”
Shon shrugged. “Gina paid me a visit a few weeks ago and filled me in on everything.”
“That was before I arrived. So she’s known I would come all along.” Angel let that sink in.
“I take it you’ve had dealings with Gina before?”
Angel chose his words carefully. “We have history, yes.” He decided to take the conversation to a safer subject. “If you knew Ember was in danger, why didn’t you warn her?”
Shon pinched the bridge of his nose. “I couldn’t risk it. If she’d confided in the wrong person or changed her habits—”
“You ran the risk of the Seeker suspecting we were on to him,” Angel finished.
“Yes. I’ve been her shadow for weeks, until you arrived. And there is the sunlight issue now. She needs someone keeping an eye on her during the day. We can’t just lock her inside her condo without drawing notice.”
Ember returned to the kitchen. “I have to work.”
“It’s too dangerous,” Angel bit out.
“Then I’ll hire a bodyguard,” she shot back.
Shon stepped between them with his back to Angel as he addressed his rebellious cousin. “And what would you tell the bodyguard? ‘Hey, I need to you protect me from the local vampire slayer?’ Get real.”
“Okay, then I’ll enlist Clay’s help.”
Angel saw red. The mere mention of the detective’s name pissed him off, and the idea of Clay anywhere near Ember sent him into a rage. “Like hell you will.”
She leaned around her cousin far enough to glare at Angel. “Then what would you suggest? I am not about to let this psycho ruin my career. It’s all I have.”
Her words hurt Angel more than he cared to admit. He pushed the pain down to deal with another time. “It’s not happening.”
Shon turned to face him. “She has a point. Clay cares for her and would keep her safer than anyone else, aside from you or me. And we can’t be there.”
Angel felt his fangs lengthening with the need to rip out the detective’s throat. He knew Ember and Shon were right. If she stopped going in to work or changed her habits, the Seeker would suspect they were on to him and either kill her outright or flee. But the thought of her spending her days with Harper irked Angel to the point of wanting to take the man’s life. “I’ll think about it.”
“You’ll think about it? Just who the hell do you think you are? Let me make this clear. You do not control me or tell me how to run my life. I have been dealing with this for over a year without your help; I’m sure I can handle Clay,” Ember countered.
Angel slowly dismounted his bar stool and sauntered into the small kitchen, stopping just inches in front of a pissed-off Ember. He lowered his face until their noses nearly touched. “Can you?”
She lifted her chin. “Watch me.”
Angel gro
wled low in his throat. “If he touches you, I will fucking kill him.”
“Easy.” Shon laid a hand on Angel’s shoulder. “Maybe you should go home and cool off a bit. I’ll stay with her.”
Angel ignored him as he stared into Ember’s glittering eyes. “You remember what I said.” He left her to stare after his retreating back.
* * * *
Ember’s chest tightened with pain and more than a little anger. It wasn’t Angel’s jealousy that pissed her off as much as his ordering her around as if she were a child.
“Hey. He’ll settle down. Just give him some time,” Shon murmured. “I’ll take the couch, and you go get some sleep. What are you going to tell the detective?”
She hadn’t thought that far ahead. “I’ll think of something.”
“Well, you better think fast. I’m with Dracula on this one; you can’t be unprotected for even a minute.”
She would have laughed at Shon’s snarky comment if not for the lump in her throat. She stood on tiptoes and kissed him on the chin. “Your clothes will be dry soon. There’s a blanket on the back of the sofa.”
“Thanks, but I won’t sleep until the sun comes up.” He turned and opened the fridge, pulling out some turkey and cheese slices. “I will however, eat.”
“Why are you so hungry? And I thought vampires only took blood.”
“I’m told they do eventually, which may be why I can’t seem to feel full. My body probably needs a plasma mignon.”
Ember shuddered. “That’s disgusting, you freak.”
“It is, isn’t it? Got any bread?”
She nodded toward the wooden bread box on the counter. “I have noticed I’m extremely thirsty a lot.”
“You are feeding from him.” It wasn’t a question.
Heat rushed to Ember’s face. “I have, yes.”
He shut the refrigerator door with a frown. “Are you sure this is what you want? What about your career?”
Anxiety washed through her, leaving her weak. She hadn’t really considered the consequences of her sexual activity. She’d bitten Angel more than once, and each time her body had taken on more vampire traits. “How much blood does it take for the change to happen?”
“It depends. Gina is an elder, so it didn’t take much for me. I’m not sure about Angel. Is he a full breed?”
“He’s royalty. A descendent of Vlad the Impaler.”
“Then I would stay away from him if I were you. Unless this is the life you want for yourself. Once you go Drac, you can never go back.”
“Very funny.” Ember smirked.
“Seriously, though, you better think long and hard about your future, Em. This is permanent.”
“I know it is, and I’m torn. I feel like it’s what I was born to be and that something has always been missing in my life, but to never see the sun or enjoy sushi. And what about my job…my best friend?” The thought of having to let Laura go hurt more than anything. “I’m going to turn in now. I’ll see you tomorrow.” She fled the kitchen before she embarrassed herself with the more tears.
After a quick shower, Ember brushed her teeth, donned a long T-shirt, and headed to bed. She burrowed under the down comforter, praying sleep would claim her. Her eyes felt as though sandpaper layered the lids, gritty and scratchy. She glanced at the clock, wondering what Angel was doing in that moment. It was after three in the morning; he would still be awake.
Chapter Six
“Damn you, Angelo Dimitrov. You’re such a shit.” Ember heaved a heavy sigh and flipped on the bedside lamp. The Bulgarian had a way of taking charge and controlling the things around him, but she wasn’t an object to control. She was a person with feelings and a heart.
A heart that belongs to him, she admitted to herself.
She threw the covers aside and crawled out of bed. The floor was cold on her bare feet as she made her way to the sliding glass door and opened it.
Angel’s deep voice sounded from the shadows, startling her. “You should be asleep.”
“You scared the crap out of me. What are you doing out here?” She stepped onto the balcony and peered at his moonlit profile.
“Thinking. And keeping an eye on you.”
The scent of cigar drifted over to her on a soft breeze. Ember blinked. “I didn’t know you smoked.”
“I don’t usually. It’s a stress reliever for me. Silly, I know, but true nonetheless.”
Ember let that soak in. “I’m sorry for the way I acted earlier. Everything is happening so fast it’s hard for me to keep up. I need some time to digest it all.”
Angel stood and moved into the pale light spilling out from the open doorway. His eyes shone with understanding. “Time is not something you have the luxury of, doll face. The Seeker has toyed with you for a year. He will know I’m here soon, if he doesn’t already.”
“How would he know? No one has seen you but Laura and Clay. Neither of them will talk about it with anyone.”
“Why are you on a first-name basis with the detective?” His voice remained impassive, but his eyes smoldered with emotion. His jaw was tense and she wondered how he was able to form words.
“After spending so much time together on the Watcher case, you have to ask that?”
“Did you have sex with him?”
Ember’s mouth dropped open; she was sure she’d misunderstood. “What did you just say?”
“You heard me.”
Seconds ticked by silently as she stared at him in shock. He had to be older than she could imagine to display such remarkable caveman traits without remorse. Ember tried to rationalize. Maybe he doesn’t know any better or isn’t around a lot of humans where he comes from.
And then he raised an eyebrow, leaving her flimsy excuse for his behavior no place to go but Regretville. She could hear her mother’s voice loud and clear in that moment. “Stop trying to figure men out, honey. It won’t get you anywhere but a room at Hotel Regretville.”
She spun around and stepped back into her room, speaking over her shoulder. “Your prehistoric tendencies are beginning to piss me off, and it’s none of your business who I’ve slept with.”
A gasp escaped her as she walked into an unforgiving wall of muscle. It amazed her how someone of his size could move with such speed.
She glared up at him. “Stop that.”
His gaze softened. “I shouldn’t have asked that. Vampires are born with possessive natures. Jealousy is a natural reaction when another man is sniffing around what is ours.”
He said something else, but Ember was no longer listening. He thinks I belong to him. Her body instantly became aware of two things—his masculine scent and the sexy fullness of his bottom lip. He swept his tongue along its surface, and her stomach fluttered.
Angel scooped her up into his arms and carried her outside. He extinguished the cigar before climbing the railing and entering his condo through the glass sliding door that had been left open. He didn’t take her to the bed as she expected. Instead he sat in the only chair in the room after gently depositing her on her feet.
She stood between his open knees in a daze. He wore a white T-shirt and some kind of loose-fitting shorts. His hair was slightly disheveled like he’d been running his fingers through it. Ember had never seen a more gorgeous sight.
He leaned back enough so the moonlight spilled across his body, leaving his face in shadow. “Take off the shirt.”
Ember’s pussy slickened from the demand. She snagged the hem and lifted the material over her head. Her shirt slid to the floor in a whisper.
“You’re not wearing panties. That’s hot as fuck.”
She could feel him looking at her. Even though she couldn’t see his eyes, she just knew.
“Touch yourself.”
Heat rushed to the surface of her face. He wanted her to touch herself while he watched. She’d never done that before and wasn’t sure if she could.
His voice sent another blush up her neck. “You have nothing to be embarrassed about. Your b
ody is perfection. Show me what gives you the most pleasure.”
Ember watched in fascination as Angel removed his shirt and lifted his hips to slide the loose shorts down his legs. He gripped his erection and captured her wrist with his free hand, pulling her closer. “Straddle my thighs.”
She moved her feet to the outside of his and lowered herself over his spread knees. The action left her open for his view, completely vulnerable, and turned on at the same time.
He kept hold of her wrist and brought her hand around to his engorged sex, sliding her palm over the mushroom-shaped head. “Do you feel what you do to me?”
She did. Precum slicked the tip, and she suddenly wanted to taste him. He tilted his hips, pushing his cock through his fist, and slowly pumped the shaft.
Ember could feel her pussy begin to throb in time with her heartbeat. Wetness coated the insides of her thighs as her body prepared itself for Angel’s invasion.
He removed her hand and laid it against her mound. With gentle pressure he inserted her fingers into her partially open slit, down to the entrance of her pussy, and back up, only to repeat the process. Her stomach jumped with every pass of their joined fingers over her swollen clit.
“Just like that, Ember Burns.” He brought her hand to his lips and sucked her dewy fingers into his mouth. The feel of his hot tongue wrapping around each digit was her undoing. She wanted to see his face, look into his eyes when she came. “Angel…”
He released her as he continued to stroke his cock. “You taste so goddamn good.”
The deep timbre of his voice sent a shudder through her. Ember brought her hand up and licked his essence from her palm. She skimmed her fingertips along her collarbone, down between her breasts to circle each nipple with calculated purpose. “So do you.”
She slid off his lap and knelt between his spread knees. A growl vibrated from the shadows his face rested in, fueling her hunger for him. The lazy movement of his fist sliding up and down his shaft was mesmerizing as he stroked more precum from the tip of his cock.
“I need…” Ember lowered her head to his dick, turning her face to the side to nuzzle the head with her cheek. The sexy noises he made coupled with the distinct sounds of his fist pumping his enormous cock sent a fresh round of arousal pouring through her. She felt his hand gently touch the back of her head with the barest pressure. That was all the invitation she needed.
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