by Eve Newton
"I love you too. Bye."
I hang up and speak of the devil, Jim rings me.
"Liv. I'm setting off from LAX now but have been rerouted to LaGuardia. I logged the flight plan with them for tomorrow and they said 8 AM."
"That's fine. I'll be there. Thanks, Jim," I hang up and then we are at my offices.
Another day of hard work in front of me to crack on with. I leave Scott to set Lincoln up with the video conference facilities and head to my office.
I get lost in my work and only realize it is lunchtime when Scott knocks and asks if he can get me anything.
I shake my head. "No thanks."
He smiles and leaves me to it. I debate again with myself over whether to call Devon. Fuck it, I think, and pick up my phone. He doesn't answer. What a shock. Perhaps if I wait until tomorrow, I can call him from Cole's phone, and he might answer. Pleased with my devious scheme, I go back to work.
Scott again pulls me from it when it’s time to go home. I wonder if Cade didn't show this morning because of Lincoln's presence. He is quite large and would put most people off when approaching us if they didn't know him. But there again, Cade doesn’t strike me as the fearful type. Maybe he has given up on me.
No such luck, as there he is, waiting for me in the shadows as I exit the building with Scott in tow.
"Oh, for fuck's sake," I mumble and start walking, ignoring him.
"Now that's just plain rude," he says. "You don't greet a friend?"
"We are not friends."
"Oh, I think we are more than just acquaintances by now. I mean we have discussed your excellent fucking capabilities after all," he says slyly much to Scott's embarrassment.
I glare at him but ignore him. Of course, my phone goes off not two seconds later and I pull it out with a grimace. Not to answer would just be plain foolish.
"Yes, my dear?" I say sweetly.
"I am going to kill that man, I swear to you, Aefre, if he makes one wrong move, he is dead."
"Oh, calm yourself. I am ignoring him, hoping he will go away," I say with a pointed look at Cade.
"You are being watched, Aefre. If they don’t like how this goes, they are on orders to take him out whether you like it or not," he threatens and hangs up.
"He really doesn't like you talking to other men, does he?" Cade says conversationally. "It's any wonder at all he puts up with your husband."
"I'm going to ask you this one last time. What do you want with me?" I say, now beyond irritated with this man.
"Oh, I am sure I can think of something," he says salaciously but I know he doesn't mean it. If he wanted me, he would have made a move by now. But if he wanted to kill me, surely, he would have tried that as well.
Taking the bull by the horns, as I am tired of his games, and even though I know CK is going to try and stake me himself for my actions, I stop in the middle of the sidewalk and face him. "Do you know who I am?" I ask. I was going to go with “what I am” but that might be a bit too risky. If he knows, he knows, and if he doesn't, I will have stepped in a pile of crap. He stares at me, pondering the question. Several long minutes pass and I can hear my phone buzzing away in my pocket, but I do ignore it this time.
"Yes," he finally says. "I know what you are." “What,” not “who.” Oh, fuck.
I nod briskly. "Then what do you want with me?"
"Do you know who I am?" he asks instead.
"Yes," I respond. "I know what you are."
He looks surprised by my words. "I see,” he says. “Well, then, you should know what I want with you." There's no threat, just a statement.
"That's the thing, though. Why am I still standing here?" I ask boldly. I hear Scott gulp loudly behind me.
Cade looks stunned by my question and doesn't answer for a long time. He steps closer to me, so he is staring down into my eyes, his grey ones clouding over slightly. "I don't know," he says after a long pause. "I really don't know. There is something different about you. I can’t put my finger on it. I want to know more." He sounds so unsure of himself that I’m slightly taken aback. I sense CK before I see him and turn away from Cade to take his arm. "Come. Everything is fine," I say and lead us back the way he came, with Scott following quickly, leaving Cade to stand on the sidewalk by himself.
"What was that about?" CK snaps at me.
"I couldn't say for sure. He knows what I am, presumably all of us, but he hasn't done anything about it. He doesn't know why. I don’t think he knows I am Queen, but he said he senses something different."
"You asked him? Have you completely lost your senses, Aefre?"
I shrug. "Maybe. I was tired of the games. I wanted truth."
We step into the apartment building and I let him go. Still deep in thought about what just happened, I step onto the elevator and push the button for my floor.
"Come to mine," CK murmurs in my ear and it brings me back to the present.
"No, I can't. I have plans with Lincoln," I say.
"Please," he whispers seductively. "I want you. I want you in my bed, where I know you will be safe. Where I can keep you safe."
Oh, Christ on a bike. I want him too, especially as he has gone into sweet protective mode instead of overbearing protective mode, but I’m not flaking on Lincoln. The doors ding open for my floor and with all the strength I have, I step off and turn around as he glares at me for refusing him. "I'm sorry. I promised this time to Lincoln," I say.
I turn back around and open the door to the apartment with Scott barging in behind me. I look at him in annoyance. Pushing his glasses back up his nose, he shrugs apologetically. "Sorry. He fucking scares the crap out of me when he is in a good mood, never mind…that," he mumbles, and I smile. "I will get out of here tonight so you two can be alone," he adds.
"Thank you, Scott. That's kind of you, but don't feel like you have to leave."
"It's fine. Some people at work asked me to join them for drinks. I think they want to try and butter me up," he laughs, and I chuckle.
"Okay, well, have fun. I probably won't see you until I get back from Toronto next week, so hold down the fort as best you can."
"As always, Boss," he salutes.
I nod at him, knowing he will do as good a job as me.
CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED TWO
L incoln comes in soon after that with Simone and arms full of Blu-rays and food.
"Look what I got!" he says to me excitedly as I smile a greeting to Simone.
Turning my attention back to Lincoln after I point her to the bedroom, I say, "What? Better be something good."
He holds it up and I roll my eyes, saying, "Are you serious? You actually want to watch that crap? You do realize it's nothing like real life?"
He looks insulted. "Of course, I know that!" he snaps. "But I wanna watch it," he whines, and I wave him off to put it on, to his glee.
An American Werewolf in Paris indeed. What a load of shit, I chuckle to myself.
I see Simone out after I have fed, telling her that I won’t need her now until I get back from seeing Cole. I go and sit with Lincoln on the sofa, who is already tucking into his Chow Mein.
"Feel better?" he says.
"Much. This twice a day feeding is working out quite well," I say, fully satisfied.
"Just be sure to keep a tight hold on it," he says worriedly. "You don't want to go off the rails."
"I will be fine. I am more likely to go off the rails if I don't feed," I say, remembering last night’s horror show.
I settle back when he hands me a glass of wine and presses play. He gets right involved with the movie, laughing and making comments and I just humor him, as I’m not really watching it. I’m happy to just be snuggled up to him now that he has finally finished eating. I trail my hand idly up and down his broad chest and after a few minutes, I start to unbutton his shirt. He looks down at me with a sly grin and I say, "You carry on watching your film."
With a smile, he goes back to watching and I go back to unbuttoning. Reaching the botto
m, I pull his shirt out of his pants and trail my hand back up his chest. He is so different from the other three. Where they are all lean and muscular, Lincoln is all rippling, bulging muscles. He is very, very sexy. I love being held by him. He consumes me in his strong arms, and I feel so safe. I lower my head to his chest and plant little kisses all the way down his eight-pack. He sighs in pleasure. I’m now desperate for him. I undo his pants and pull his huge cock out, stroking his already full-on erection. I move my mouth over him, and he groans, pushing his hand into my hair.
"Oh, Liv, baby. You drive me wild," he says as he pulls my head up to kiss me. I move onto his lap and he pulls away. "Get rid of your clothes," he whispers before he resumes kissing me. In seconds, they are gone. His hands are all over me, stroking me gently and scratching me harshly, teasing my senses. Thoroughly aroused by now, I lift myself higher above him and he positions himself against my hole. He lets me sink onto him at my own pace. It takes time. While the others are impressively well above average, like everything else about him, Lincoln is just enormous. It has been a long time since I was with someone quite so well endowed, not even Fraser, and it excites me beyond belief. I feel him pushing me further apart, splitting me wide open and I feel the rush of desire. He does too as he moans into my mouth.
"Oh, baby, you are so wet," he whispers. "I get you so hot, don't I, baby?"
He is now all the way inside me, and it is almost to the point of painful as I start to move over him. Almost. The pleasure is far beyond anything as he rubs me in spots I never even knew I had before.
"You do get me so hot," I whisper back to him. He likes me to talk to him, nothing too dirty, more reassurances than anything else. I try to avoid the corny phrases like “you're the best I've ever had” and “no one makes me feel like you do,” as they sound insincere, so I say instead, "I love the way you make me feel. I love the things you do to me."
"Oh, Liv," he murmurs, "I just want to lose myself in you forever."
I gasp as he pulls down on my hips and he pushes himself even further into my pussy. I don't think he can go any further, when he does it again and I come without warning to his delight.
"Oh, yes, you like that, don't you?"
Still pulsing with pure pleasure, I murmur, "Oh, Linc, fuck me harder. I want to feel every inch of you fucking me."
It's exactly what he wants to hear and with a loud growl, he flips us over and pins me to the sofa. I wrap my legs around him as he pulls out of me and rams back in. I cry out at the overload of senses shooting through me.
"Oh, baby. Fuck, I want to do this forever," he growls in my ear, keeping up his onslaught of pounding into me. My head is spinning. I want him to carry on and on.
"Don't stop, Linc," I pant. "Don't ever stop."
He groans as I throb around him again, now so slick he is sliding in and out of me with ease.
"Again, I want to feel it again," he grunts. "I want to know how good I make you feel."
I push on his chest to lift him off me. He looks a bit annoyed, until I slide out from under him and stand, bending over to put my hands on the coffee table. He stands behind me, hands on my hips, and slides into me with a groan.
"Oh, fuck, yes.” He moves his hand around to play with me. It gets too much for me to bear. The blood rushes through my veins again as I climax wildly, clenching around his dick. He follows straight after, thrusting deeper into me, hitting the wall deep inside.
We are both breathless when he pulls out of me and we collapse back onto the sofa.
"Christ," he says as he runs his hand through his spiky black hair, green eyes a bit foggy. "How do you make me want to do that all over again, right now?"
I smile. "We have all night."
He grins at me wickedly. "Yes, we do. But you'll have to give me a minute. A Vampire's constitution, I don't have." I giggle at him, remembering the first time he was with me and Devon and his utter amazement that we really could go all night – or more to the point that Devon could really go all night. I sober then, thinking of Devon, and he sees it on my face.
"He's fine. I spoke to him today. You should stop calling him. He's not going to hold out much longer if you do."
"Isn't that the point? I don't want him to hold out any longer," I say with a frown.
"But he does. It's what he wants. If he comes back to you the way he feels now… it's not what is best for him. Why can't you just accept that?" he says with his own frown.
"Because I am lost without him," I say sadly. "I don't know how to be without him."
He pulls me to him. "You are doing just fine. The more space you give him, the sooner he will return."
Deep down I know that makes sense but if history has taught me anything, it is that I am a stubborn fool. Like sire, like charge. I sigh.
"Fine. I’m leaving it alone now."
He smiles. "Good. Now, where were we?" he asks as he leans down to kiss me.
The rest of the night goes by in incredible sex. He might not have a Vampire's constitution, but fuck me, a Shifter's stamina is nothing to be sniffed at either.
He needs about as much sleep as I do, so we fall asleep together, with him curled up behind me, his strong arms wrapped around me, making me feel safe and content. It makes a nice change instead of me conking out on my own.
CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED THREE
I awake a little before six with Lincoln still wrapped around me and my sire staring down at me through narrowed eyes, with an unreadable expression.
"What the fuck are you doing?" I whisper loudly at him.
He blinks. "Watching you sleep."
"That is just over-the-top creepy," I whisper snap at him as I untangle myself from Lincoln and climb out of bed.
"You don't seem to mind when I do it in my bed," he points out.
"That's different. I am sleeping with you. You are watching me sleep with someone else." I pull on a robe and, picking up my phone, I head towards the kitchen leaving him to follow.
"Indeed. You should really be with me. You look a lot more at peace."
I glare at him and say, "You are just beyond weird this morning. What did you come down here for? Because if it was for a three-way, I’m sure Linc would agree.”
He chuckles at my comment and says, "I needed to know you were safe and I wanted to say goodbye before you left for the weekend. I had hoped for a proper one, but you refused me. So, that is a ‘no’ on the three-way this time, I’m afraid.”
"How depressing,” I retort, wishing he’d agreed. “And I didn't refuse you. I had other plans and you knew that. It was unfair of you to ask me to break them."
He shrugs. "Perhaps. But I am a selfish creature."
I hand him a cup of coffee, which he accepts with a nod. "What time do you leave?" he asks, casually taking a sip and stepping back to the other side of the kitchen island.
"Take off at eight," I say shortly, knowing exactly why he moved away from me. It irks him that he can smell Lincoln all over me.
His eyebrows go up and he says, "That's early. I thought you weren't going until later?"
"Change of plans."
"When will you be back?" he asks, again with the casual tone, and I wonder what he is up to.
"Tuesday."
His eyes harden slightly. "What time on Tuesday?"
"I don't know yet," I say, getting a bit annoyed at this inquisition.
"Hm." He pulls out his phone and taps into it, ignoring me for a moment as I scowl at his rudeness. He pockets his phone and takes a sip of coffee as my phone buzzes to alert me to an email. I narrow my eyes as I look at it and my mouth drops open in undisguised shock.
"How dare you?" I snap at him. However, he just looks at me in that mildly infuriating way of his.
"Now you know what time you have to be back," he says. "I require you bright and early Tuesday morning so may I suggest that you come back Monday night." It's not a suggestion, more of an order.
I want to throw my coffee at him, but I refrain as I am still war
y of his ever-present threat and I know he wouldn't hesitate to see it through if I gave him a reason. My grip tightens on the mug so much so, that I snap the handle off it, and it falls to the countertop to smash into little bits, splashing coffee everywhere in the process.
He looks faintly amused at my anger and moves around to stand in front of me. He leans down to kiss me quickly and says, "I will leave you to clear that up, my sweet. Take care, Aefre. I will see you on Tuesday at 6 AM."
Off he stalks without a care in the world and I am left here covered in coffee and humiliation, as he has once again emailed me his schedule. I had hoped we were past that, but he clearly isn't above making me feel like crap to suit his own needs. Thoroughly pissed off now, I march back to the bedroom, leaving the mess in the kitchen and crawl back into bed with Lincoln. I have a few minutes to spare before I should leave. I am going to make the most of them and piss CK off in the process. Not that he knows what I’m doing, but I like to think on some level he can feel the spike in my emotions, even from his apartment, as I climb on top of Lincoln and kiss him until he is awake enough to shove himself inside me and fuck me senseless, making me forget.
I make it to LaGuardia with minutes to spare, damn traffic, and Captain Jim tuts at me as I race up the stairs.
"Sorry. It's mayhem out there," I apologize.
"No worries. Buckle straight up, we need to fly.” He makes a joke and I roll my eyes at him.
Grabbing the onboard phone, I call Cole. He answers on the second ring. "Yeah?"
"Hey, baby."
"Hey. Are you on your way?"
"We are just about to take off. I will be with you in two hours, tops."
"Okay, we're in the studio today so I'll get Grayson to bring you straight here."
"Okay, my love. I can't wait to see you."
"Me either. I have missed you a lot this time around," he says quietly, and I know it's because of CK and I sorting out our issues.
"I will be there soon. I love you."
"I love you. Bye."
I left Grayson with Cole so at least he had something to do. We don't drive around New York, well not much anyway, so it made more sense for him to be with Cole. Also, I left Grayson to look out for him. He may only be a Lesser Immortal, but he is six feet, six inches tall and as wide as a house, plus he is over six hundred years old and therefore is capable of taking care of himself and my husband should the need arise. He is one of Eloise's descendants but fortunately for me, he didn't take offense when he found out I’d killed her, as he had never even met her. It was quite rare for any of the Greater Immortals and certainly the Lesser Immortals and below to ever even see – let alone meet – the Initial Vampires. Our situation is unusual as we were building a family unit before it all got shot to hell and back and now of course, Eloise and Gregor are dead anyway. In fact, not many of her charges or theirs were too heartbroken and neither were Gregor's when they found out, which has made this a whole lot easier. I was afraid that civil war would break out, but everyone just took it in their stride – with a few exceptions, like James of course. He tried again to take me out after we got back to L.A., but after some convincing with my trusty sword, he left well enough alone and slunk back off to wherever it was he came from. A stake would have sufficed but why settle when you can have the best?