by Crissy Smith
“Grant,” he told her in return.
They stared at each other for a minute before he spoke again.
“What were you doing on the street tonight?”
Paige just shrugged. Probably the same thing as him.
“Okay you were hunting,” he conceded. “How long have you been in town?”
Paige shrugged again.
He ran a frustrated hand through his hair. “Why don’t you look at it like this? I ask a question. You answer. When I’m satisfied you can leave.”
Paige bit her lip, deciding. She couldn’t overpower him. She could try to run but with being injured, he would catch her easily. And if he didn’t let her out of this room, she wasn’t going anywhere.
“How do I know you’ll let me go?” she asked, trying to buy time, and waited for him to answer.
“I give you my word,” he offered. His voice sounded sincere.
Not that she believed him. She rolled her eyes.
He laughed. “You’re just going to have to trust me. You don’t have much of a choice.”
Of course she didn’t trust him. “I haven’t been here long,” she told him, then—like always—her mouth ran away on its own. “If you’re going to kill me, could you just hurry up? I’m cold and tired,” she taunted.
He tilted his head to one side. “Death wish?”
Paige narrowed her eyes at him. His voice carried a hint of amusement. Like he was laughing at her. She didn’t like that at all.
“Who made you?” he asked next.
They always wanted to know that. Why, she wasn’t sure. No one ever stayed around long enough to answer her questions.
He growled.
“I don’t know. We never exchanged names,” she told him bitterly.
“How’d you leave him?” he fired the next question.
“There was a fire and I managed to get away,” Paige could tell him that much. Why she was telling him was a whole lot more troubling. She couldn’t stop herself.
Most of the first few months were blurry in her mind, but she did remember the fire. If he really wanted to help her… She quickly shut that thought down. No one ever wanted to help, she reminded herself.
“Where?” His voice and eyes hardened.
Well damn, he would ask.
“Where?” he demanded again, his voice almost a growl.
“Las Vegas,” she answered before she could stop herself.
“Shit, what are the odds?” He sounded excited now. That scared her more. Paige didn’t answer. She was pretty sure he wasn’t talking to her.
A blur of movement, and he was on his knees in front of her grasping her upper arms. “There were five of you. Where are the others?”
She struggled out of his hold, and he immediately let go. “I’m sorry,” he said quickly. “The other girls. Where are they?”
Paige didn’t know how he knew how many of them had run away. But she was getting a bad feeling in the pit of her stomach. She shook her head in an ‘I don’t know’ answer.
He eyed her but didn’t say anything. Finally he nodded. “You must be tired. You were only out for about two hours.”
“Two hours?”
He nodded before scooping her up. Startled, she gripped his shoulders. “What are you doing?” she demanded.
But he just laid her on the bed. He pulled the covers down and then back up, covering her.
“What…?” she questioned again.
“You need some rest. I think you have a concussion,” he told her gently.
Paige blinked at him but he was already moving around the bed. He flicked the lamp off and she couldn’t see him, but she did feel the bed dip down on the other side. Paige stiffened right before an arm wrapped around her waist.
“I’m not going to hurt you. Just lie down. Get some sleep. You’re safe here,” he assured her.
He snuggled against her and his hand brushed the hair off her forehead. “Sleep,” he whispered.
It felt good. It had been so long since anyone had touched her so gently and with such care. Her eyes closed of their own accord. She was asleep instantly.
Paige woke on her stomach with her face buried into a pillow. Well, at first she thought it was a pillow. She rubbed her face back and forth and inhaled the sweet spice that was his scent. A hand tightened in her hair and brought her head up.
No, it wasn’t a pillow—it was Grant.
“Please stop rubbing against me,” Grant asked of her with a tight voice.
Paige felt her eyes try to pop out of her head. She instantly tried to move back but Grant held her in place with his hand.
“Careful,” Grant advised. “Your body is still healing.”
She stopped fighting and he released his hold. “Sleep well?” he asked, distracting her.
Paige could feel the heat from her blush. She never relaxed enough to forget where she was. There was just something about him that caused her to feel safe. She hadn’t felt that since…she was human.
“It’s nothing to be ashamed of,” he told her, his voice rich with arousal.
Paige sighed. It was so hard to fight it this time. She wanted Grant like she had never wanted any one ever before.
She wanted to touch him, to feel his hands on her. She wanted to give in to the passion causing her blood to pump furiously. Before she even realised it, her hand was tracing his jaw.
He blew out a shaky breath which broke the spell she felt woven into.
She started to roll over but again he caught her by the waist. He pulled her to where her back pressed against his chest. She could feel his hard body and she responded accordingly. Ever since she had been turned, sexual awareness was always close to the surface. Her new life seemed to consist of always fighting the sensual urges running through her body.
She could feel his morning hardness pressed against her and she trembled with need. His mouth brushed the nape of her neck. She moaned and pressed back into him.
“Smell so good, feels so right,” he murmured.
He untied the belt of the robe she still wore. She knew she should to tell him to stop, but when his hand touched the bare skin of her stomach, she moaned in pleasure instead.
She hadn’t allowed anyone to touch her intimately since her escape. Even before then, it had never felt so wonderful.
Grant moved the now-loosened robe off of her shoulders and nibbled at the exposed skin. Paige shook uncontrollably. She wanted this, she wanted Grant. And being an empath, he knew.
Already her breath was coming out in pants.
When his hand cupped her breast, she arched into his touch. She reached behind and found his leg. He was still wearing his pants, which was probably a good thing since he had removed the robe completely.
His hands worked magical circles on her breasts as she finally managed to position her hand to brush his hard length. He moaned and thrust against her.
She rolled onto her back and his mouth covered hers. He settled firmly between her legs as the kiss grew—hot, hard, and demanding.
He continued to kiss her, his tongue claiming her mouth, every stroke pulling her closer to the edge of pleasure.
Paige ran her hands over his back, kneading the hard muscles before dropping down to his waist. He thrust against her, drawing out a savage moan from them both.
Good, so good. She tingled in her most private places. She was almost there, could feel the climax climbing, knew it wouldn’t take much to push her over the edge.
Grant’s hand moved down her body before finding her wet, hot centre.
They moaned at the same time when he dipped a finger inside. Her legs fell open, giving him tacit permission to continue. She tugged at the back of his waistband trying to get his pants lower. He lifted enough so she could push the material off.
He added a second finger inside her greedy pussy and rubbed her clit with his thumb. She bucked up, demanding more, and grasped his hips and tried to pull him closer.
“Tell me,” he panted. “Tell me
you want me.”
“Yesss,” she hissed although it should have been more than obvious.
He plunged inside, ripping a scream from the back of her throat. He withdrew slowly then thrust again.
Paige dug her nails into his lower back and raised her hips to meet each long, hard stroke.
“So tight and hot. Perfect,” he whispered.
Paige felt her body would come apart at the seams. Never had sex felt this good. She wrapped her legs around his waist, urging him along.
“The moment I first touched you I knew,” he continued to babble. “Knew you were the one.” His hips snapped faster.
She bucked under him, needing more, almost at the moment of release. “Harder,” she demanded.
He complied. Like lightening throughout her body, Paige’s muscles tightened and then let go. She screamed as her orgasm rocked through her.
Sweat dripped from Grant’s forehead and landed on her face. He threw his head back and cried out, his seed filling her as he climaxed. He dropped his head to her shoulder and bit.
“Yes!” she yelled as he pulled her blood into his mouth. “Yes,” she said, this time weaker than before.
It didn’t hurt. It felt amazing to have this man drink from her. Each pull shot straight to her pussy like he was drinking from her sex.
She climaxed again unexpectedly, and then he pulled his mouth from her flesh.
He lifted her head with a hand on her skull and pressed her lips to his neck. “Drink,” he ordered.
She wanted to. She was so hungry. She licked the salty skin beneath her mouth.
“Do it! Drink!”
Her fangs sliced into his flesh and blood rushed into her mouth. He shuddered as she took what he had offered.
Chapter Three
Grant felt like his body was on fire. As the woman he’d filled took his blood, it connected them deeper than he’d ever experienced before. Drinking was a very intimate act. He had done that before, but he was shocked at the feeling of possessiveness that overtook him now.
Each draw of Paige’s mouth against him felt directly connected to his cock. He moaned long and loud urging her to take more.
He continued to thrust into her wildly until he couldn’t take it anymore. She released her fangs from his throat just in time as he threw his head back and yelled his completion once again. Paige’s inner muscles clenched around him as she climaxed at the same time.
Spent, he could barely hold himself up above her, careful of her injuries. Paige’s eyes were closed and a look of such pure pleasure covered her face, it would have been enough to make him breathless even if he wasn’t already currently fighting to gain his breath back.
He placed soft kisses all over her, enjoying the feel of her delicate skin under his lips. His arms started to shake so he gently pulled out of her and lay on his side, pulling her body against his.
Grant knew they should get up but he wanted—no, needed—a minute to collect himself. If there had been any doubt that Paige was meant to be with him, it had disappeared. He felt complete for the first time in years. His entire existence had been for one purpose. He’d solely been after one thing. And in the blink of an eye, a woman he’d never met before had changed everything.
He tightened his arms around Paige while she sighed and moved a little closer in. He knew what she’d been through and a wave of anger crushed his chest. It wasn’t fair that she had suffered. Been abused and tortured at the hands of a madman—one Grant had taken great pleasure in killing.
But there was still a threat out there, and more girls who hadn’t been found. He still had a mission to fulfil.
He had to make sure Paige would be all right, though. That she would never face the same acts of evil she once had.
Grant wondered if she really didn’t know everything that had happened after her escape, or if she just didn’t want to tell him. He could help her to heal, give her the answers her eyes seemed to plead for. She just needed to trust him.
Beside him, Paige started to shift and he knew his time was up. It was probably for the best anyway.
He’d take her to meet some of the others and hopefully she would choose to stay. If not, he’d follow her anywhere.
Paige’s body was relaxed and her mind remained in a cloud of pleasure even as she fought to regain her senses. She stared at the ceiling with Grant wrapped around her side.
“Are you okay,” he asked with a calm voice.
Paige knew that if she answered she would still be breathless so she only nodded. She waited for regret and fear to invade the moment. She was confused when it didn’t come.
She’d broken her only rule—to not get involved with another like her. Why wasn’t she screaming and running from the room? She didn’t understand.
“Would you like to take a shower?”
Paige turned her head and just looked at him. God, he was so good-looking. All that tanned, muscular flesh and those caring eyes gazing back at her. He looked at her like she was the most precious person in the world.
“If you want to take a shower, I’ll get you some clothes to wear. The ones you wore last night were ripped and bloody.” He ran a hand over her cheek and Paige actually leaned into the touch.
It wasn’t supposed to be this way. She shouldn’t feel so good. What was happening?
“It’s okay. Let me put you in the shower and we’ll talk.” His voice held warmth and kindness.
She nodded again slowly.
He got out of bed, pulling up the pants she’d only managed to get to his knees. Then he held out the robe she’d worn to bed.
Paige let him lead her to the door. When he opened it, she saw a long hallway with doors on both sides.
“Where are we?”
He looked down and gave her a half smile. “Somewhere safe.”
They took the long hallway to the right. He paused at a door and knocked. No response, so he opened the door and led her inside.
For a bathroom, it was pretty simple—white walls, white tile—but it had a big vanity sink, and a large standing shower. On a shelf, there were rows of towels.
Grant nodded to the towels. “There’s plenty of towels. In that cabinet—” He pointed behind them. “—is extra shampoo and soap, all kinds of things.”
Paige looked around and nodded again.
“I’ll be right back with some clothes and then wait outside.” With that he turned and walked out.
Paige opened the cabinet and found he was right. It was packed full of shampoos, soaps, face wash, body wash, everything a girl could need. They were all in small disposable bottles. She grabbed what she wanted and took the four bottles to the shower. There was a trash can just outside the shower and she noticed a few used bottles in there.
She leaned into the shower stall and turned the water on. Immediately three showerheads started spraying out water and steam started to fill the air. She let the robe drop to the floor and stepped inside.
She could feel the tension in her shoulders melt away. It was a great shower. Tilting her head back, she let the water run over her body. It wasn’t until she started to wash her body did she remember the bandage.
She peeled it off carefully and looked down at her wound. It was still an angry red colour but almost completely healed.
Paige spent more time than she probably should have in the shower but didn’t want to get out. She wasn’t sure where she was. Wasn’t sure who she was with. And knew she wasn’t safe, no matter what Grant said.
With a heavy sigh, she turned the water off and stepped out of the shower. She wrapped a large towel around her body and picked another one up and had started to dry her hair before she finally noticed the clothes that had been left on the vanity—a black pair of cotton pants and a black T-shirt. They looked new.
It hit her again how strange all this was. Everything packaged for single use and new clothes instantly available. She didn’t know what was going on. But she had to keep up her guard, no matter how much she wanted to giv
e everything over to Grant.
She dressed quickly and ran her fingers through her hair. Then she dropped the towels in a basket and the used bottles in the trash and made sure she left the bathroom clean.
The clothes fit, even if the top was tight across her chest. She hadn’t been given a bra so her nipples were obvious as they pointed out. The clothes were comfortable though.
She opened the bathroom door and was surprised to find Grant leaning against the frame. He stood with his arms folded and his ankles crossed as if he didn’t have a care in the world. He was also talking to another man who was no doubt also a vampire.
She yelped and jumped back into the bathroom but Grant caught her around the waist. “It’s okay.”
Paige tried to squirm out of his hold but when she twisted there was a sharp pain in her side. Grant loosened his grip but didn’t let go completely.
“Stop. No one’s going to hurt you,” he told her quietly.
Paige stopped struggling. There wasn’t much she could do anymore. She didn’t know where she was or how many more vampires there were. From the number of supplies in the bathroom, she would say a lot.
Uncomfortable, she shifted from one foot to another and her head down, not wanting to look at the newcomer.
“Paige, this is a good friend of mine, Sam,” Grant introduced him to her.
She nodded a cautious hello. She really didn’t want to be dinner to this guy. He was over six-six, built like a linebacker, with long blond hair.
“Nice to meet you, Paige.” A large beefy hand made its way under her eyes.
He wanted to shake hands?
Glancing first at Grant then at the new guy, she gingerly put her hand in his. He lifted it to his mouth and she wondered if he’d take a nip right there.
When his cool lips pressed against the back of her hand, she jumped. But he only kissed it.
Grant pulled her closer to his side. “Sam, stop teasing her.”
Sam smiled at Grant in a very sweet, little boy way. “Sorry. It’s just she was so scared.”