by Sarah Bailey
“Who’s your boss?”
“You’ll see.”
“You said that before. Why won’t you tell me?”
“Stop asking questions.”
“Why? Does it annoy you?”
“Just be quiet or I’ll make sure you can’t talk for weeks.”
She snapped her mouth shut. She wasn’t about to see if he would carry out that threat. No matter how much she wanted to tell him where to go and smack him upside the head.
They rounded the corner of the next street. The vampire was ripped away from her and pinned to the floor by a very familiar figure. She staggered back.
“Samson, I assume,” said the newcomer.
“Get the fuck off me!”
“Not until you tell me why you’ve been following this lady.”
“None of your business.”
“Do you know who I am?”
“Do I look like I care?” Samson spat.
“You should. You are in my territory.”
Samson went very still. He’d been tugging at Gavin’s foot on his chest, but he let go, putting his hands up in surrender.
“You’re Raquel’s replacement?”
Samson looked incredulous.
“I don’t have time for niceties. Why are you following her?”
She’d been watching the scene quietly, but she took a step forward.
“He was taking me to see his boss.”
“Shut up, bitch.”
Gavin pressed his foot down harder on Samson’s chest. He groaned in pain.
“That’s no way to speak to a lady.”
“Fuck you,” Samson wheezed.
“I see I’m going to have trouble with you.”
Samson glared up at Gavin, who proceeded to pull out his phone and dial a number.
“Neave, I need you to send Jack over here with a car. I’ve found Samson.”
There was a long pause.
“I’m sure we can keep him occupied until Jack arrives.”
He pocketed the phone after hanging up and hauled Samson to his feet. He turned to Daisy.
“Is there somewhere we can take him whilst we wait?”
“Uh, well, I think my flatmate is home, not sure that’s such a good idea.”
“Can you check?”
She nodded and put in a phone call to Lucy.
“Sup?”
“You home?” Daisy asked.
“I was until Suzette called. Her boyfriend broke up with her again.”
“She got back with him? That fucker.”
“Tell me about it! Anyway, I thought you’d have been home by now.”
“Um, I got waylaid chatting to Ella.”
It was a half-truth, but Lucy didn’t need to know that.
“Well, I should go. She’s not in a good way. Don’t wait up for me.”
“All right, see you tomorrow.”
She turned to Gavin as she hung up.
“She’s gone out, friend emergency. I guess we can go to mine.”
“Lead the way.”
The three of them walked back the way they’d just come. Gavin had Samson held tightly in his grasp.
“Um, so thank you for coming. I mean, you didn’t have to.”
“I told Lukas I would make sure you were safe.”
She looked over at him.
“Is that the only reason?”
He indicated Samson and didn’t give her an answer. She got the point. He didn’t want to talk about it in front of the other vampire.
No one spoke until they were outside the door of her building.
“You’ll have to invite us in when we get to your door.”
“That myth is true?”
“As it just so happens, yes, but don’t go around blabbing it to other people.”
She smiled and opened the front door. They went up the first flight of stairs. She unlocked the door before she turned to them.
“Samson, Gavin, won’t you please come in?”
Samson just glared at her whilst Gavin gave her a nod. The two of them followed her into her living room. Gavin threw Samson down on the sofa.
“Stay there.”
“Or what?”
“You know what.”
She shrugged off her coat and hung it on the hook behind the front door before kicking off her shoes.
“Are you going to have to watch him?”
“Yes.”
“Okay, well, I’m just going to change out of my work clothes.”
He nodded at her. He sat down in the armchair across from the sullen vampire on the sofa. She went through into her bedroom, shutting the door behind her.
She was wearing ratty underwear. If Gavin happened to want to stay awhile, she didn’t want him to see her in it. She pulled out a blue lacy set before changing into them and putting on a pair of black leggings and a long t-shirt.
She padded back out into the living room. Samson was still glaring daggers at Gavin, who was staring down at his phone. She wasn’t going to sit next to Samson. There weren’t any other seats in her living room. She opted to perch herself on the arm of the armchair Gavin was sitting in.
He looked up at her for a moment, desire rippling in the depths of his green eyes. Oh! She turned away, trying not to flush. She glanced at Samson who narrowed his eyes at the two of them.
“Since when did a little human girl have the protection of the Lord of London?”
Chapter Seven
Daisy eyed Gavin for a moment. Was that what his title was? He’d told her not to ask about vampire hierarchy, so she kept silent. Although she had a sneaking suspicion Samson was saying it to get a rise out of him.
“Since you decided to play your little stalking game with her.”
“Who told you I was stalking her?”
“A friend. Do you not know anything about her?”
“Only that my boss wants her. Don’t care about the rest.”
Gavin looked at Samson with a blank expression. She knew there was something boiling under the surface. She might not know Gavin very well, but his eyes gave him away. She’d been paying a lot of attention to them last night.
He turned back to his phone, ignoring the sullen vampire. She imagined he wasn’t going to get anything out of Samson without some persuasion. He was going to get one of his underlings to interrogate the guy.
Gavin’s phone rang not long after. He had a curt conversation with the person on the other line. He stood and walked over to Samson, hauling him up by the scruff of his neck. He turned to her.
“I’ll be back momentarily. You might want to rescind Samson’s invitation to your home.”
“Do I just say… Samson, I rescind your invitation?”
Samson began to move towards the door as if compelled by some unknown force. Gavin smiled at her and followed him out. She stared after them with shock. Well, that was interesting. She would have to keep it in mind if she let another vampire into her home.
She left the door open, waiting for Gavin to return, which he did within a few minutes. He shut it behind him. He looked over at her for a moment before he was in front of her, pulling her up from the armchair.
“Did he hurt you?”
“No, he was just a dick. He probably would’ve, but I didn’t make much of a fuss.”
“What? No, ‘unhand me, you fiend’?”
She rolled her eyes.
“No. If I was to say anything like that, it would be ‘get the fuck off me you piece of shit before I kick you upside the head’.”
“I’d like to see you try.”
“Lucky for you, I’m not taking any issue with your hands being on me.”
He looked down at his hands curled around her biceps loosely.
“If you’re not injured, then you won’t mind me doing this.”
Before she had a chance to realise what was happening, she was in his arms and he was kissing her fiercely. When he pulled away, she was a little breathless.
“A little warning might have bee
n nice.”
“I did warn you.”
“And then you moved faster than I could track. How is that warning me?”
He smiled down at her. Clearly, he found her discomfort at his super speed amusing.
“Take your clothes off.”
“What?”
“You heard me.”
“What makes you think I’m going to let you take me to bed?”
“I didn’t ask for your permission.”
“You should.”
He didn’t say anything else, merely capturing her arm and marching her into her bedroom. He pressed her face down onto the bed.
“I warned you, Daisy.”
“What do you think you’re doing? I never agreed to your proposition.”
“Oh, I think you did.”
He ran a hand down her back. She pushed herself up onto her elbows so her face wasn’t pressed into the covers. He tugged down her leggings and ran his hand over her lace-covered behind. She squirmed a little at his touch. She couldn’t help but respond to his hands on her. He nudged her legs apart, standing in between them.
“I didn’t. I said you might be able to persuade me to, but that doesn’t mean I said yes.”
“I don’t need you to say yes. Your body is telling me something very different to your mouth.”
“What?”
“I can smell your arousal. You’re wet for me.”
She was speechless. He tugged down her underwear. His fingers parted her slick folds. She shuddered as he touched her core. His fingers ran circles around it whilst she heard the clinking sound of his belt coming undone. A moment later, she could feel him at her entrance. He was hard and pulsating.
“Do you want me?”
She groaned, wiggling against him. All her need to be defiant had vanished when he pressed up against her sex.
“Tell me.”
“Yes. I want you.”
“What is it you want me to do?”
She wiggled again, not wanting to say the words out loud.
“I’m waiting.”
“I want you to fuck me.”
Her face was burning with shame. She was beginning to hate him for making her like this. For forcing her to admit that she liked him telling her what to do.
Without any warning, he slammed halfway up into her. She cried out, a sharp tug of pain dragging through her.
“Ouch, fucking hell!”
“You like a little bit of pain, don’t you?”
She gritted her teeth.
“Yes.”
He began to pump his way in and out of her, gripping her hips as he moved. Each thrust went deeper than the last until she felt him pressed right up against her. Her fingers gripped the covers. She cried out over and over. She couldn’t help it. He wasn’t being gentle, and he certainly wasn’t giving her any mercy as he took her with ruthless abandon.
This was her punishment. He’d told her that if she didn’t do what he said, he’d take what he wanted. Evidently, she hadn’t realised just how serious he was about it.
“Touch yourself.”
She complied immediately. His tone brokered no objection. With his brutal pounding, it didn’t take long for her to fall apart. She let out a stream of intelligible curses directed at him, her climax rocking her. He grunted, clearly unable to hold back against the tide, holding her to him in a vice like grip.
She was panting as she came down from her high. He stepped back from her.
“Fuck,” she whispered.
She felt the bed dip beside her. She turned to him. Unlike her, he didn’t look like he’d just run a marathon.
“You should probably let Lukas know you’re okay.”
She frowned. How was he so unaffected by what had just occurred between the two of them?
“Why?”
“Because I called him to find out where you would be.”
She slumped down on the bed, aware her behind was still very much on show.
“Oh great. Wait.” She turned over and sat up. “How did you get here so fast?”
“Magic.”
She rolled her eyes in annoyance.
“Vampires don’t reveal their secrets to humans.”
“As if I’m just some random human to you.”
The words were out quicker than she could stop them. She cursed herself internally. Why couldn’t she keep her mouth shut? His expression was impassive. He said nothing in response. She couldn’t stand the silence.
“You didn’t have to come, you know. I’m sure one of your underlings could’ve handled Samson.”
“None of them are able to travel through shadows. It had to be me.”
“Uh, what?”
“I can use the shadows to move quickly from place to place. It is not a common trait.”
She stared at him in disbelief. Gavin really had a knack for rendering her speechless.
“Text Lukas.”
She sighed, standing up and adjusting her clothing so it wasn’t hanging off her legs. She picked up her phone from where she’d left it on the bedside table. There were several unread messages. She typed out a quick one to Lukas without reading any of them.
‘I’m fine, Gavin found me. They’ve taken the vamp for interrogation.’
The response was immediate.
‘Ella’s been going crazy. Glad you’re okay.’
‘You can thank your fanged friend for that.’
‘I see I’m not the only one to get lumbered with one of your nicknames.’
She snorted and dropped her phone back on the table. She could read the rest of the texts when she was alone.
“Did he say something that amused you?”
She jumped at the sound of Gavin’s voice.
“Um… no.”
“I don’t believe you.”
He snagged one of her hands, pulling her onto the bed. She frowned, trying to tug her hand back, but he didn’t let go.
“He was just commenting on the fact that I like to give people nicknames. He hates his.”
He raised an eyebrow.
“All I did was refer to you as his fanged friend. Happy now?”
“Fanged friend?”
“You’re not going to tell me that’s offensive to you or something?”
“No. I think you can do better than that.”
“Possibly. I just haven’t put much thought into it yet.” She edged closer to him. “You’ll see, I’ll come up with something as good as wingboy.”
There was amusement flickering in his eyes. She extracted her hand from his before she ran it up his chest.
“I can see why he would dislike you calling him that.”
She shrugged, leaning closer. She tried to gauge his reaction. He didn’t seem to be rejecting her advances. When her face was inches from his, she stared into his captivating green eyes.
“What are you doing?” he asked, eyes narrowing.
“Looking at you.”
“Why?”
“Because I want to.”
She didn’t give him a chance to respond. Pressing her mouth to his, she curled her hands around his neck. His were in her hair a moment later. There was a gentleness to his touch that hadn’t been there earlier when he’d pinned her to the bed. She almost melted. Whilst she liked his domineering side, even if she was loath to admit it, she craved his softer side too. What was it about this vampire that had her throwing caution to the wind?
There was a loud ringing sound from the living room. Someone was pressing her door buzzer. She frowned, pulling away. It was pretty late. She had no idea who it could be.
“Are you expecting someone?” he asked.
“No. Lucy probably forgot her keys again.”
She looked down at his mouth. She was a little put out by the interruption. His lips curved up into a smile. He knew what she wanted. She hated him knowing how much he affected her, but she kissed him again.
The buzzer became more insistent. She was going to have to see who it was before they woke ev
eryone in the building. She let go of him with reluctance and shuffled off the bed.
“I’ll be right back.
She looked down at him, noting his usual impassive expression. She reminded herself he wasn’t human. He was less inclined to express any sort of emotion. Some crazy part of her wanted to push his buttons, provoke a reaction. She teetered on the edge of giving into the urge.
The buzzer went again. She wanted them to go away.
Sighing, she brushed her fingers across his jaw. His eyes snapped up to hers. She couldn’t tell if he was annoyed by her touching his face or not. He caught her hand, bringing one of her fingers to his lips. His fangs slid out. The tip of one grazed over her finger. Her breath caught in her throat. She winced a little as his fang pierced her skin before he sucked it into his mouth, eyes on hers the entire time. It was even more erotic than when he’d bitten her lip. He knew exactly what he was doing.
The buzzer sounded again. He released her finger. When she looked down at it, there was no blood. Just a small red mark. His eyes were smouldering. She trembled.
“Don’t keep me waiting.”
His tone sent her hurrying from the room. Her face flushed, liquid heat pooled at her thighs. She pressed her hand down on the intercom.
“Hello?”
“Daisy, darling. I’ve missed you.”
She froze, paling at the sound of his voice. No. No! Why was he here?
“Go away, Aaron.”
“I’ve left her. I’ve left Helen.”
Chapter Eight
Daisy couldn’t speak. He’d done what?
“Daisy, aren’t you going to let me up? Please, darling. I love you.”
Her hand dropped from the intercom. She didn’t want to hear any more. The buzzer went again. This evening could not get any worse. Aaron showing up and declaring he’d left his wife was the icing on the cake. She felt her blood boiling.
How dare he come here!
She pressed on the intercom again.
“Go home. I don’t want to see you.”
“I love you. I can’t live without you.”
“Go home to your wife.”
“I’ve left Helen. It’s you I want. Please, Daisy, I need you.”
“I don’t want you here. And stop ringing my doorbell.”