Hearts Unleashed: A Limited Edition Paranormal Romance and Urban Fantasy Collection

by C. D. Gorri

  “Signora, I will ask to remove you from this basin, for I fear I will join you, and fuck you.”

  Sophia pulled her legs together, and her arms to her sides. “Well,” her voice cracked and she cleared her throat. “Well, we cannot have that, can we?” Pressing her palms to the sides of the tub, reaching for a strength she did not know she had, she stood, naked, in front of Dorian.

  He reached for the linens and unfolded one. Lavender scents lifted into the air and he held his hand out for her. She took it and stepped out of the tub. She held her arms up in the air and he wrapped it around her body. His hands pressed into her lower back and he thrust her toward him.

  She held onto his biceps and stared into his eyes. Giving into her desire, she grasped the back of his head and pulled herself to him, claiming his lips. Dorian pulled her even closer, his hands letting go of the linen around her and it dropped to the floor. One hand tangled in her hair, he pulled hard and tugged her head back.

  Sophia gasped and Dorian kissed along her neck to her shoulder. He wrapped his other arm tight around her waist and picked her up. She wrapped her legs around his body as he held her close, kissing along her neck. He walked toward the bed and laid her on her back.

  She looked up to him as he released her. Dorian removed his breeches and the man stood before her naked and exposed, as she had been. She sat up on her elbows and took in the sight of him.

  Dorian stood strong with his thick chest and strong arms. His abdomen rippled with muscles and his chest moved as his arms tossed his clothes. He stared down to her and a hunger erupted in his features. She mirrored the same hunger and smiled.

  He climbed upon the bed, taking slow, deliberate movements, like a predator to reading himself to pounce. She moved her legs apart for him and laid back as he moved atop her. His body glided against her own and his cock rubbed a heated desire against her sex. He kissed her and pinched one of her nipples. She gasped against his mouth. Her body heated with a need that only Dorian could give her.

  “I need you,” she whispered.

  Dorian moved his hips against her, his erection rubbing against her. Her head tilted back and she moaned at the sensation, the friction, the heat building between them.

  She slipped her hands up his arms and lifted her legs around his waist. He reached between them and touched her. She gasped as he pushed a finger inside her.

  “My love, you are wet, and ready for me.”

  “Yes,” she whispered. “I need you, please.”

  He growled and kissed her, then she felt the blunt head of his erection press against her entrance, and he pushed. Sophia yelled out in a pain so satisfying it almost took her over the edge of bliss. He pulled back and thrust into her again. She opened her eyes and stared into his own.

  Dorian’s mouth agape, his lips twitched as he lost himself inside her. She closed her eyes once more and took everything Dorian gave.

  What felt like hours had passed and the early morning sun began to surface. Dorian pulled the covers of the bed up her body, to her shoulders. He kissed her temple and brushed her hair to the side. “I need to leave for a while, but I will return for you, my love, my Sophia.”

  She nodded as she drifted off to sleep and mumbled, “Where are you going?” Sleep overtook her before she heard an answer from him.

  Chapter Twenty

  A fragrance drifted through the air and pulled Sophia from her deep slumber. She inhaled the rich, luxurious smell of coffee. As she opened her eyes, she spied one of the maids tending to the fire in the fireplace. She smiled, having recalled the last time she actually slept in a room, a warm room, to wake in a warm bed, was when she was a little girl.

  She thought of Dorian and she smiled once more as she tugged the covers closer to her chin. A different kind of heat filled her body and sent a longing between her legs. Closing her eyes, she recalled Dorian, on top of her as he thrust his cock, filling her deep and hard. The rise of the euphoric state he left her in, the bathing and the caresses he placed upon her body. She sighed softly and rolled to her back.

  “Signora Sophia, good morning, madam,” the maid said across the room.

  She sat up and pulled the sheets to her shoulders. She stared at the tray upon the table of sweet rolls, cheese, and fruit. And coffee, divine coffee. She turned and sat her bare feet upon the floor. A chill shivered through her spine from the cold of the floor.

  “Here, allow me, madam,” the maid said as she crossed the room. She picked up slippers and bent down. She took Sophia’s feet, one at a time, and slipped them into the soft lined shoes. “Once you have fed, I’ll help get you dressed.”

  “My clothes?” Sophia asked and stood from the bed. The maid held up a cloak for her. Sophia turned around and allowed the woman to slip it onto her shoulders. Warmth enveloped her and she felt...spoiled. She smiled.

  “Your clothes are being laundered, madam. New clothes were sent up for you. The most beautiful lace and fabrics the eye has seen in a long time, if you ask me.”

  Sophia was not sure if she should smile to this, for be concerned in how to pay for such fabrics. She walked over to the sitting table and the maid pulled the seat out for her. She reached for the pitcher that contained the coffee. The maid shooed her hand away and topped off a cup for her. Sophia sipped it and closed her eyes. The flavor exploded in her mouth and she moaned softly.

  “It has been so long since…” Sophia trailed off as a sweet roll was set before her. Her mouth watered and she struggled with what to finish first; the coffee or the sweet roll. She decided to do both; bite of the roll, sip of the coffee.

  As she finished, she thought again of Dorian and needed a way to repay him, thank him for his generosity. She sighed with a full belly and dabbed her mouth, then looked to the maid. “Do you know where Dorian may be this morning?”

  The maid turned to her with an inquisitive look. “Dorian, madam?”

  She nodded. “Yes, Dorian. He was with me last night.” She felt herself blush as she thought of what they did together. She looked to the bed and felt her body heat. Oh, yes, that bed.

  “Oh yes, Signora, yes.”

  Sophia drew her brows together. “And the girl, Mila?" She brought me here. Is she available this morning?”

  The maid shook her head. “I am sorry, but I am not aware of her current affairs this morning. I am sure she will come to you when she is ready. Now,” she smiled and clapped her hands. “We can get you dressed and presentable. Come, come with me!”

  Sophia stood and the maid led her toward the bath. The woman pulled close to her the sweet oils Dorian used on her last night.

  “Please, do not make a fuss over me. Allow me to dress and I’ll be on my way.”

  “No madam, I have strict orders.”

  From Dorian? she wondered to herself. The maid sat her down in a chair and wet a cloth, then gently wiped it over Sophia’s face, dabbed the oils on it, wiped it along her arms, neck, chest, and legs. The woman then stepped around behind the chair Sophia sat in and put a few drops into her hair. She ran a comb through her hair and Sophia sighed in contentment. She had no idea how wealthy Dorian was or what businesses he owned, but this, this was heaven.

  The maid tugged and pulled on her hair, brushing it upward onto her head. She rolled and pinned it here and there, then laid an oversized hat upon her head.

  “There now. Beautiful,” the maid said as she stepped back around in front of her. “Come, there is a dressing set to use!” The woman’s eyes lit up in excitement as she took Sophia by the hand. The two walked back into the bedroom and she sat Sophia down in front of a vanity. She looked herself in the mirror and gasped.

  The hat alone cost more than she made in a year’s time. She lightly touched the material and marveled. The black hat lifted on one side, adorned with black feathers in the middle, and red feathers in the front. Small red and black silk fabrics were woven into rose shapes and set to the front.

  “Here you go, madam,” the maid said and Sophia glanced d
own. Small bottles of sweet oils, combs, powders, and other trinkets were set out on display. She lightly touched them and recognized a few, the others were foreign.

  “These are all for me?” she whispered.

  “Yes madam, they are.”

  Sophia opened one of the powders and realized, looking at it, she had never worn makeup before. She looked to the maid in the mirror, then back to herself. “I am not sure...how…”

  The woman smiled sweetly and sat down on her knees as Sophia sat in the cushioned seat. She took the powder and using a brush, lightly applied a layer to Sophia’s skin. “I’ve watched the ladies time to time as they work with the colors. Here now,” she whispered and brought a red colored stick to her lips. She smeared it over her mouth. “Okay, now pressed your lips together, yes, like that. Now, take a look!”

  Sophia turned to the mirror and gasped. “Oh, well, I never....I have...who,” she trailed off, then smiled. “I am beautiful.”

  The maid stood. “You were already beautiful madam, we simply added to the allure. Now, if I may?” The maid pulled out one of the drawers and inside it laid a choker. She lifted it and the band had been lined with bright, sparkling diamonds. Sophia shook her head.

  “No, I could not possibly--”

  The maid smiled and nodded. “Yes, you shall. It will look beautiful with the dress.”

  Tears struck her eyes and she inhaled quickly, waving the notion away. “Thank you for your kindness.” She considered what the woman had said. “Dress?”

  “You’re welcome. Yes!” she said with excitement. “Let’s get your dressed, shall we?”

  Sophia stood and looked to the bed, and gasped once more. A corset dress as red as blood laid out upon her bed, along with a shrug and black gloves. She picked it up and her eyes widened to the sight before her. The front of the skirts, just the middle, the silk was as blue as the morning sky. She shook her head once more.

  “Who...I mean, they’re beautiful, but who?”

  The maid smiled. “I’m sure he will tell you soon enough.”

  It had to be Dorian, she thought to herself. No one else, other than Mila, knows she was here. She dropped her robe and the maid wrapped the corset around her waist and breasts. The busks were fastened and Sophia turned around. The maid pulled and tugged on the strings, squeezing the bones around her. Facing the maid once more, she completed the outfit with the skirts and bustle, the shrug, then picked up a pair of black calf high boots, set with red buttons and silver flecks that sparkled.

  “Oh, my God, this is too much.”

  “You are exquisite, Signora. The shoes will complete the look.” The maid bent down and lifted her feet up, slipping them into the shoes one at a time.

  Sophia, amazed with the feel of the shoes, smiled and lowered her gaze. She turned and looked in the mirror. “I am still the same simple woman from the village, now dressed in beautiful clothes.”

  “You look like a queen, madam.”

  “Thank you for today. It has been wonderful.”

  The maid curtseyed and smiled. “It was my pleasure, madam. Now, if you'll excuse me?” Sophia nodded and the maid turned away, leaving the room. The silence enveloped her. Would she stay here dressed up? Would someone come get her?

  A slight knock sounded at the door. Sophia crossed the room and opened the door. Her brows rose. “Mila? How nice to see you again.” At least this time she did not run into her on the streets.

  Mila gave her a cool little smile in reply. Without hurrying, she gracefully sidestepped Sophia and walked into the room as if she owned it. She made her way to the vanity, and there was something eerie and off-putting about the way she touched the jars and bottles, almost caressing them.

  “Right,” Sophia said and closed the door. She looked to the woman across the way, the mysterious Mila, the sister of Dorian. Mila picked up one of the perfume bottles and sniffed, wrinkling her nose in distaste at the scent. It was hard to tell exactly what Mila might be feeling toward her, but in time, she hoped to figure it out. She had been by Dorian’s side ever since her first vision.

  “Did you enjoy your evening?” Mila asked, her tone completely neutral.

  Sophia stepped closer and nodded. “Yes, it was...amazing.” She smiled. “Dorian was quite attentive.”

  “Is that so?” Mila commented and turned to face her. Sophia took a step back. She could not tell if Mila appeared sad, or possibly jealous. “In what way was he…attentive?”

  Sophia furrowed her brows. “That’s a private matter, Mila. I’m sorry, but I do not wish to speak of our events.”

  Mila lowered her gaze, looking, of all things, sad. Did Dorian lie to me about his relationship with this woman? Is he fucking her? Did he fuck me for game?

  As Sophia opened her mouth to speak her accusations, Mila looked up and spoke first. “Listen carefully. There will be an attack on Campo Marini soon, very soon. I am doing what I can to bend the ear of my host and his friend the clerk to try to stop it. But I cannot be in two places at once, and Gavin Girard must be warned. He will trust you and know what to do. You must make haste to Campo Marini and find Gavin.”

  Sophia lost the ability to speak, or maybe simply forgot what she had intended to say. She stared at Mila for a moment, then stepped back and tilted her head. “What attack? And how do you know Gavin?”

  Mila’s features darkened and she tilted her head down slightly, looking to Sophia through an intense gaze. “The worst kind. As for Gavin, does knowing how we are acquainted matter more than his life? There is no time for idle chatter. I have tarried here too long as it is. Be quick and quick-witted, Sophia Marivic, and we might all survive this.”

  With a final, enigmatic look, Mila darted from the room, her steps quick enough to cause a breeze to brush Sophia’s neck.

  She called after her. “Mila, wait!”

  Chapter Twenty-One

  How did Mila know who Gavin was? And to warn Sophia on top of that? It pumped fear through her veins. Her heart beat hard against her chest as she ran as fast as she could while wearing the new, fancy red dress, with a velvet cloak, beaded heels, and jeweled choker. Sophia scorned herself for not fetching her usual attire. Laundered or not, these garments were not made for running. She imagined the wind blowing against her had tiny fingers that pulled to her garments with purpose to slow her down. The grounds were cement but felt as if she were trudging through mud. Heads turned her way; she’d begun to draw attention to herself.

  Perfect, she thought to herself. There has been evil brought upon our shores and it is after the hunters...and Gavin.

  She ducked around a corner to take a shortcut through the alley to the Campo Marini. She mentally kicked herself for allowing her guard down around Dorian. As gentle as he had been with her, it could have been a ploy to deter her attention.

  But why? Why her? Why Gavin?

  She came to an abrupt stop when a large woman blocked off the end of the alley. Her skin unnaturally pale, hair gathered neatly with a large oversized black hat, she smiled and raised a brow. A smell of death permeated from her that caught in the downwind. Sophia gathered her skirts in her hands and turned to head back where she came, and another woman, same type of build, appeared, barricading her in. Her skin, like the former, was an alabaster so pale that Sophia wondered if it were thin like paper. The second woman snarled, and when she did, fangs glimmered in her mouth! Sophia screamed and took a few steps back.

  “Where are you going in that fancy dress?” hissed the first woman. Sophia whipped around, her neck straining from the abrupt turn in direction. Her chest heaved with panic as she stared between both women. She had no weapons on her person, not that she had an idea on how to slay an actual vampire. She had never seen a vampire in person. This was Gavin’s territory. The first woman stalked forward and Sophia pressed her back against the wall.

  Think! What weapons are around you that you could use? Be resourceful! It was what Gavin always told her.

  She had an idea and as the vam
pire walked faster, Sophia reached up in her hat and pulled out one of her hair pins. The vampire paid no attention and lunged for her.

  Sophia screamed and raised her arm up and plunged the pin directly at the vampire. The woman screamed and held her face, blood dripping down her hand and forearm. She pulled her hands back and Sophia gasped to the pin as it found a target; the vampires eye!

  “No!” screamed the other vampire. Sophia turned to a snarling woman, whose fangs were just as prominent. She quickly ripped off one of her beaded shoes. The blunt square heel will have to do. As the vampire sped faster toward her, Sophia raised it above her head and plunged it into the vampire’s face. Blood splattered and droplets landed on her hand and arm. When it made impact, the force sent a vibration of pain up Sophia’s arm. She ignored it and stared at the bloody face as she heaved in a breath in hopes it saved her a few moments of time.

  “My fucking nose! You broke my fucking nose!” The vampire screamed and pulled her hands away. Crimson oozed down her face, darkness settled in under her eyes.

  Sophia put her bare foot down and limped slightly from the height difference. She lifted her leg and slipped her shoe back on whilst keeping her eyes on the wounded pair. The first, with the pin in her eye, turned toward Sophia and began to giggle. It was definitely not in amusement as it grew in crescendo. The sound was like someone who had become mad with insanity in a room of darkness; no light, no one to talk to, only the mice and rats to keep her company. The cackle rose to that of a scream and she slowly, deliberately, removed the pin from her eye. She dropped to the ground and her laughter became inaudible. Sophia stared at her as silence enveloped her mind. As the pin dropped, it echoed as if it were steel and fell against a marble. It clinked and clanked, then died.

  She would be dead soon. She had to do something, anything. Maybe scream? But who would come and be fast enough to save her?