by Anna Santos
“I’m not. I’m not bored with anything. I love you with all my heart. I want you to be my girlfriend. I want you to date me. We are dating.”
“No, we are not. You’re going out with other girls and the next games will be rigged again, so you keep going out with Emma.”
“It’s not my fault, baby.”
“I know,” she mumbled with trembling lips.
Daniel touched her lower lip with his thumb and raised her chin to get her attention.
He spoke softly. “Promise me that you won’t forfeit and do something silly out of jealousy. I can’t let you go, Jade. If you leave, I’ll be forced to choose another girl to replace you. And if I don’t find anyone to date until the end of the week, they are entitled to start this charade all over again until my dad gets enough of this bullshit and cancels the show.”
Her eyes snapped open. “Really?”
“Do you want me to keep dating other girls instead of you?”
Jade shook her head. “No.” She was clearly annoyed by his explanation. “Your dad sucks.”
Daniel nodded and brushed her lips with his. “I love you. Stop pouting and don’t mistrust my feelings for you.”
Jade moaned against his mouth. “I’m sorry.”
Leaning back, he noticed the tears falling from her closed eyes. He kissed her eyelids. “Why are you sorry?”
“For saying all those mean things to you.”
“I forgive you. Just don’t do that again.”
Jade nodded with her lips pressing against his. “I ruined everything.”
Daniel drew circles on her back while Jade quietly sobbed. “Don’t cry.”
Trailing kisses on her face, Daniel was able to calm her down as his fingers wiped away her tears. Then he pressed soft kisses along her collarbone and shoulders, placing her under him as his hands left a trail of caresses down her body. Her sobs changed to long, profound sighs. He rose above her and rolled her over. Moving her hair away from her back, he trailed kisses down her spine and touched her buttocks to help relieve the tension from her body.
Daniel’s chest collided against her back, and he spoke in her ear. “Are you sore?”
Jade didn’t answer.
He nibbled her neck before he said, “Baby, I’m going to make love to you again. But I need to know if you are feeling sore or needy. What is it?”
“I’m burning up,” Jade whispered, turning her head and searching for his lips.
They kissed, tongues entwining and stroking until she tried to turn around to hug him.
Daniel stopped her. “Stay like this. We’re going to try something different.”
Jade nodded.
“You have no idea the effect that your touch and your skin has on me,” he mumbled in a husky voice. “Let me see how wet you are for me.” He brushed her breasts and slid his hand to her crotch to pull her closer. He pressed his hardness against her butt, longing for release.
“You feel ready against my hand. Now, be a good girl and do what I ask.”
Jade gasped as she said, “What do you want?”
“Spread your legs a bit more,” he instructed against her ear while touching her sex and breasts with his hands, making her squirm with pleasure. “Press your butt against my lower stomach and hold still. I’ll be gentle. I promise.” He moved her and placed his cock between the folds of her pussy, gently pressing against her entrance.
Red, hot flames of need licked through Jade’s body. She shivered and panted as he pushed inside her. Slowly thrusting, he moved in and out, bending her for more contact.
“Do you like this?”
“It’s really good.” She used her hips to help him get deeper and felt her insides burn each time his cock pushed its way down her tunnel.
“You’re so tight and hot. I could be inside you all night long,” he said, gasping between the thrusts.
“We don’t have a night, not even an entire afternoon.”
“We will. I promise you. Now tell me how much you love me.”
“Oh my God! You’re insufferable,” she complained, barely able to speak but having a sudden urge to laugh. “Oh God!” she said for an entirely different reason.
“Say it like this: Oh Daniel!” He was teasing her as he caressed the bud of nerves that was tense and hard.
“Oh Daniel,” she indulged him, going up and down on him. “That feels great.”
She was enjoying it even more than the first time. He was consuming her everywhere. Her nipples were hard as her insides were filled by him and were contracting, helped by his hand on her labia and clit. The pleasure was almost unbearable. She was trying to control her breathing and her moans, but they were leaving her throat anyway.
Daniel had his teeth biting into her shoulder, but he wasn’t drawing blood. Drawing blood would bring her to orgasm faster. Yet he didn’t want to rush things. He wanted her to have a full human experience, and enjoy herself while discovering all the pleasures of sex.
Moments later, she climaxed against his hand and milked his shaft with her inner spasms, making him pant and push himself deeper and faster. When he came inside her, she was still peaking, releasing soft and deep moans.
Daniel stopped moving, satisfied. He kept hugging her, sighing against her hair and feeling peace rushing down on him. It was the perfect place to be and the perfect way to hold her tight.
“Promise you’ll never leave me,” Jade said in a shattered voice that made Daniel open his eyes to analyze her request.
“I’ll never leave you. I won’t, I promise you. You’ll never be left alone, and I’ll take care of you.”
She nodded, and he knew that she was listening. Her heartbeat was slowing down and her body was relaxed against his. She was tired and sleepy—he could sense it.
Daniel hugged her closer, overwhelmed by his need to protect her. He knew how hard it could be to feel alone. Jade had experienced loss and hurt when her parents were stripped from her and left her to take care of a baby. She could have refused the responsibilities. She didn’t, and he admired her for being a strong and brave woman. His woman.
“We’ll be a family. Sakura, Stevie, you, and I. We are a family now,” he whispered, kissing her cheek and noticing that his words were pointless because she was sleeping.
He could tell her that when she woke up. In that moment, he needed to rest. It was still day time and vampires had to sleep to keep their energy up. He was weaker during the day.
Daniel did his best not to wake her. He moved his arms and got up. Then he took her in his arms and placed her under the covers. He lay down next to her and hugged her against him. He could get used to sleeping with her like that.
Since he had found her, sleeping alone or being away from her was excruciating. There was always a void inside his heart and soul when they were apart.
“Jade, tell me you love me,” he requested, next to her mouth, watching her peaceful sleeping face.
“I love you, Daniel.”
He smiled, pleased. When sleeping, she wouldn’t keep her feelings to herself. It was adorable to watch her sleep talking.
“I love you too, baby,” he whispered, finding it cathartic to tell her that.
He kissed her forehead and then closed his eyes to sleep.
Chapter Twenty-One: A New Challenge
The dim lights and the diminutive space she was in made Jade’s heart beat faster. Standing up also increased the tension surrounding what was going to happen next. There was a force field around her, soundproofed. Only she and the computer would be able to listen to the questions and her own answers. The rest of the studio around her was watching as she had been when Emma and Jenna were in the same place as her, answering the questions she had to answer in a few seconds.
Rubbing her hands down the skirt of her dress, Jade gulped and reminded herself of the rules. She tried to ignore the soreness in her muscles and the smile that tugged at her lips when she remembered what had happened that afternoon between Daniel and her. She had to stay focused. She cou
ldn’t lose the opportunity to spend time with him. Most importantly, she couldn’t let Emma win again.
A twenty questions questionnaire about Daniel’s life and random culture was the challenge for that night. The winner was whoever got more correct answers, of course.
The sound of drums suggested that it was time for her questionnaire to start. Jade braced herself to the fast and deadly quiz.
She heard the bell, and the questions began.
“Where was Daniel born?” a female voice inquired.
“Arizona.”
“What did he want to be when he was a child?”
“An astronaut.”
“What’s his master’s real name?”
“Hmm… Kim!”
“How old was he when he was turned into a vampire?”
“27.”
“How old is he in human time?”
“87.”
“What disease did he have that would kill him if he hadn’t been turned into a vampire?”
Barely able to breathe between the questions, Jade answered, “Leukemia.”
“When was the cure for cancer discovered?”
“2025.”
“What’s the name of the pharmaceutical company that first sold medicine to prevent cancer?”
“Uroboros.”
“What was Daniel’s favorite food when he was human?”
“Hmm, I don’t know.”
“What’s Daniel’s favorite color?”
“Uhh…blue!”
“What’s Daniel’s favorite sport?”
“Ice hockey,” Jade blurted out.
“How many times did he get married?”
“Once.”
“Did he have any children when he was human?”
“None.”
“What’s Daniel’s favorite charity?”
“I don’t know.”
“Where did Daniel live after being turned?”
“Japan.”
“What college did he attend when he studied to be a lawyer?”
“I don’t know.”
“How many people has he turned into a vampire?”
“None.”
“Who does he love the most in the world?”
“His mom?”
“How can we kill a vampire?”
“By decapitation.”
“What year did vampires let humans know of their existence?”
“2030.”
The buzzer signifying that the round was over echoed and the transparent shield disappeared as the voice of the host warned the audience. “And that’s the end! Thank you for your answers, Jade. We are going to compare the number of correct answers with the other contestants and find out the winner after the break.”
It was time for the commercials. Jade breathed deep, briefly closing her eyes as her lips curled into a smile. The questions weren’t that bad. Luckily, she recalled their conversation during the previous night. It would be difficult to answer most of the questions if Daniel hadn’t shared with her some private information.
Hoping that she received more correct answers than Emma, her heart drummed fast and her palms were sweating. She couldn’t lose again. Still, she was aware that Emma had the advantage of having known Daniel for longer.
How much had he shared with Emma while they were together? Daniel wanted her to think that she was special to him, but he was older and had had a lot of lovers. Maybe she was his new obsession. Even if she was falling hard for him, she wasn’t foolish enough to think that she had become his entire world in a matter of days.
Jade joined the other two contestants on a circle podium with no chairs. The assistant had instructed her to wait there. After the commercial, the winner would be announced.
“How did you do?” Jenna asked her with an excited smile on her lips.
“Fine. And you?” Jade asked, displeased by the smug smirk on Emma’s lips.
“I didn’t know many of the answers. It sucked,” Jenna confided.
Her best friend’s words made Jade think that Daniel’s private life wasn’t scattered around the gossip magazines. Maybe he shared things about himself with her that no one else knew. It gave her hope that she might be able to compete against Emma’s score.
Her stomach dropped, aware of how pathetically fast she was falling for him. He had said that he loved her. She wanted to believe that. Cold shivers ran down her spine, and she felt flustered by how excited her body reacted to their memories together, to his promises of love. Fear and happiness ached inside her heart and soul.
“You look happy,” Jenna mumbled as her eyes roamed up and down Jade. “There’s something different about you.”
Jade bit her lower lip. That was not the time or the place to talk about what happened. Plus, they had microphones on, and the staff could hear everything they said.
“Ten seconds,” a voice shouted as the lights got brighter, ending their chat.
The host reappeared from the corner of the studio. Shining in his black suit, he spoke to the cameras. “Before we announce the results, we are going to reveal the prize for tonight’s challenge.” He made a suspenseful pause as he flashed a white smile. “By request of our charming bachelor, the winner and he will have an unforgettable night at the glamorous Fundraising Ball at the Splendor Hotel in Miami. Our brilliant businessman has kindly offered his valuable 19th-century paintings collection to the auction taking place tonight. The money raised will be used to build new schools for the poor and finance scholarships to high-achieving youth with financial need. You can also join this cause by transferring credits to the bank account number appearing on your screen.”
The applause sound played as the contestants clapped their hands. Jade felt her heart sinking even more in her chest. She wanted—needed—to win that date with Daniel. It would be excruciating if Emma won again and completely unfair.
“And the winner is…”
The drum roll suspense played as Jade held her breath.
“Jade!”
Jade didn’t realize that she had won until Jenna screamed hysterically in her ear and hugged her effusively while shouting, “You won! You won!”
“Congratulations, Jade! Daniel is waiting for you to join him in the mansion,” the host said, heading to Jade and giving her his hand.
He escorted her to the exit of the set. An assistant came to take her away as the host returned to the set and continued to chat. The rest was all a blur since her heart was beating deafeningly loud and all she cared was that she was going to see Daniel again.
Approaching the hotel, the limo pulled up out front. The valet helped Jade get out and Daniel offered her his arm as they moved forward to the grand hall. Immediately, people spotted them, cameras flashed as other guests rushed to shake Daniel’s hand. He mumbled compliments but strode toward the elevator.
Jade sped up to keep up with him. Moments later, the elevator opened in front of the doors leading to the ballroom. Daniel’s hand brushed her lower back as he wrapped his arm around Jade’s waist. He led them into the crowded hall without saying a word. His body told her everything she needed to know.
All eyes fell on the billionaire as they made their way towards the table that a helpful waiter had prepared for them.
The vampire pulled out a chair for Jade to sit on, kissed her cheeks, and whispered, “I’ll be right back, honey. I’ll greet the most important guests and then we can watch the auction together, dance, and talk for a while.”
“Okay.”
“After an hour or two, I’ll make up an excuse and we’ll go upstairs. I booked us a suite.” Jade’s body shivered at his words. “It will be our romantic date for tonight.”
“We’re not returning home?”
“Only after my romantic surprise. We’ll have more privacy here than at home.”
“Okay.”
Daniel’s lips curled up. “I’ll try not to take long. In the meantime, Sam will keep you company. She’s my most trustworthy assistant.”
Sam sho
wed up from among the crowd of rich people, chatting about their lives.
“Hi. Nice to meet you,” Sam said with a wave. Turning a chair, she sat next to Jade while Daniel began charming the guests.
Waiters cruised by and offered Jade food and drink. She accepted them gladly but stayed away from alcohol.
“Jade!” Seth greeted with a boyish grin. “You look so pretty tonight. I understand that you won tonight’s challenge?”
“Good evening, Seth,” Jade said, smiling.
“Would you give me the pleasure of a dance?” Seth asked, taking her hand and slightly stroking her palm with his thumb.
“I don’t think that’s wise. Daniel is still upset about what happened the other night.”
He released a small chuckle. “It seems my brother loses his mind when it comes to you. I won’t insist.”
“Thank you. I hope you have fun.”
Seth left and, moments later, another familiar face hovered over Jade’s table.
“Hello, Jade,” Dominic said with a glint of danger in his blue eyes. “Please join me for a dance.”
It wasn’t a request but an order because he pulled her from the chair with one swift tug and took her hip within his grip. “We didn’t have the opportunity to properly meet each other the other night. I’m…”
“I know who you are,” Jade interrupted him.
“Good.” He moved to the center of the room where other couples danced to the soft sound of classical jazz.
Despite the physical contact, Dominic kept a friendly distance between their bodies. “It seems my son has taken quite an interest in you. It’s preventing him from keeping his head in the game.”
“What game?”
Curling lips and serene expression alerted Jade that Dominic was playing nice.
“We are facing dangerous times. Vampires are losing points. People are beginning to be afraid of us and want to control our number even further. We need the good publicity. I needed Daniel to get back with Emma.”
“He clearly doesn’t want to.” Jade glared at him. “We are in love.”
Dominic grinned, and Jade swirled in his arms, unaware of her surroundings.
“Yes, it seems that he’s under the impression that you are his.”