Carnal (Her Dark Desires #1) (17 page)

He
paused, one hand on the handle. “I thought you’d need some time to recover.”

I
shook my head. “No. I want things to go on the way they always have. I need a
routine.”

He
didn’t say anything for a moment. “Understood,” he murmured, then opened the
door.

I
couldn’t help but chance a peek inside.

It
was massive, at least twice the size of my apartment. I walked into the
extravagant living room, looking around in awe at state-of-the-art appliances
and new furniture. “How is this possible? There isn’t enough room in this
office for all this.”

Hector
grinned as he poured me a glass of champagne from the swanky kitchenette.
“Would you believe I’m good friends with a witch whose specialty is altering
spaces? She enchanted my apartment so it’s larger than most of the faculty’s.”

“Brilliant,”
I said, taking the cool glass from him when he walked over and handed it to me.
I took a long gulp, practically inhaling the whole glass. Anything to calm the
jittery nerves that tingled beneath my skin, setting me on edge.

“Wow.”
Hector chuckled. “I didn’t know you were such a lush.”

“Not
much of a heavy drinker, actually,” I said, letting him refill my drink. “But
tonight I thought I’d make an exception.”

“Can’t
blame you,” he muttered darkly. “Why don’t you go relax on the couch, and I’ll
pour you a bath?”

I
smiled. “Sounds good.” Not meaning to, I glanced all around on my way across
the room to his plush red velvet couch.

Hector
watched me. “Nothing will harm you here,” he said quietly.

“That’s
what you said back in the bunker,” I whispered, throat tight.

Hector
winced. “I’m sorry. Had I known it could actually get inside, I never would
have left you alone.”

I
took a deep breath and closed my eyes, letting it out. “It’s okay. You didn’t
know. None of us did.”

“I’ve
sealed this room with a destroyer spell.”

“What’s
that?” I asked, though the name gave me some inkling as to what it would do.

His
smile thinned. “It sets anything unwelcome on fire.”

“Oh.”
I didn’t voice it, but I didn’t think that would be enough to stop that
creature if it truly wanted to get to me.

Hector
disappeared through a side door, and a moment later I heard running water. I
leaned back on the couch, resting my head on the fluffy pillows, and stared up
at the ceiling. The alcohol was starting to hit me, thanks to my empty stomach.
I was beginning to calm down, though I knew I wouldn’t sleep, not for a while.

Not
when death could be waiting to find me in my dreams. For a while now, I’d been
wondering in the back of my mind if there was more to the nightmares.

If
they were real.

Shivering,
I banished that thought.

Think
about puppies. Or pretty lingerie from Victoria’s Secret.

But
even that didn’t manage to cheer me up much.

A
few minutes later, Hector said the bath was ready. “I left out fresh towels and
a bathrobe for you. I’m having your clothes brought over now from you room.”

“Thanks,”
I said, eyeing the enormous tub. It was more like a gigantic, oval-shaped pool
filled with bubbles that smelled of lavender perfume. Red candles were lit all
around. This room was entirely red, from the walls to the towels. The tub was
white, standing out in stark contrast against the crimson-and-cream-swirled
tiled floor. Mirrors took up most of the wall space, rising nearly from floor
to ceiling.

After
Hector left, I checked every corner of the room for unwelcome guests, feeling
silly and paranoid the whole time. Once I was certain I was alone, I undressed
and climbed into the tub. I sighed as I lounged back, letting the steam work
out the knots in my muscles. My throat was still sore from where that thing had
tried to choke me, but being submerged in hot water helped me relax.

My
eyes fixed on the towels. Red. Just like the insides of those men.

I
shuddered and closed my eyes, trying to shut out the image, but it was like it
was branded on my brain. I knew every time I closed my eyes tonight, I would
see them.

When
a soft knock came at the door, I yelped, splashing water over the side of the
tub.

Hector
entered, looking ready to pummel something. “What is it?”

“Nothing,”
I said, sounding breathless. “Just jumpy.”

His
shoulders relaxed, and he set a pair of silk pajamas down on the countertop.
“Thought you might want these.”

When
he started to leave, I said, “Join me?”

Hector
froze, blinked slowly, then looked at me.

“Please?”
I added. I had no desire to be alone, even for a bath. When I’d been surrounded
by people earlier, I hadn’t been safe. Being alone felt stupid and even a bit
reckless.

Hector
at last shut the door and undid the buttons on his pants. I watched as those
dropped to the floor, followed shortly thereafter by his shirt. At last, his
boxers came down, revealing a full-on erection.

I
stared. I knew he was well-endowed from all the tight-fitting leather pants he
wore, but good Lord. My breathing quickened as he stalked toward me and his
cock bobbed with the movement. “Like what you see?” he asked as he lowered
himself in the water, on the opposite side of the tub.

I
swallowed hard. “Very much.”

That
seemed to please him. He sat back and spread out his arms along the rim of the
tub, facing me. A low growl rumbled from his throat as he closed his eyes.
“I’ve forgotten how nice this is.”

“You
don’t use this tub?”

“No.
Most of the time I’m in such a hurry I just shower. Though I may have to start
making an exception.”

I
felt my cheeks grow hot. “So I’m staying with you then?”

“Is
that all right?” he asked, suddenly looking wary.

“No,
it’s fine,” I quickly amended. “I just hate to impose.”

“Sally,
you could never impose on me.”

I
smiled softly at him. “You’re very kind.”

He
looked at me sidelong. “You seem surprised by this.”

I
shrugged, looking away. “I know how people with power can behave.”

Pause.
“Power has the uncanny ability to corrupt even the most pure-hearted people.
I’ve been no exception to its siren call, but I make a daily choice not to be
that kind of person.”

I
stared at the water, my mind drifting. “When I was human, I worked as a
secretary for a law firm. I’d grown up with one of the men who’d just been
offered a partnership in the firm. I loved him for years, not ever telling him
how I felt until one day, he suddenly seemed interested in me. I was so
flattered, I couldn’t think. We dated for a while, with things getting heavier
and heavier, but I could never seem to please him in the bedroom. Not wanting
to lose him, I decided to try getting creative. So one day I showed up in his
office out of the blue. I locked the door behind me, closed the blinds, then did
a striptease for him. Little did I know he had been recording my performance,
which he then showed to the entire office staff in an anonymous email. They
made fun of me relentlessly after that, saying how terrible I was and how ‘not
sexy.’ I was laughed out of the office.

“Heartbroken,
I ran home. Not watching where I was going, I crossed the street without
checking both ways. A car swerved toward me. I couldn’t get out of the way in
time. It hit me head-on, knocking me in the air twenty feet. With a face full
of broken glass and broken bones all over my body, I was carted to the ER. They
thought I wouldn’t make it through the night, and I felt so horrible I honestly
didn’t care if I did. That’s when Elias found me.”

I
smiled coldly. “He offered me a second chance at life, as a succubus, saying I
had a passionate spirit. I don’t know what made me want to accept, but I did.
And here I am.”

Silence
greeted me when I’d finished, and I dared a glance at Hector.

His
hands were clenched in fists and flames danced in his eyes. “That prick was an
undeserving bastard who didn’t need to humiliate you.”

I
shrugged. “It happened. Nothing I can do about it now.”

To
my surprise, he grabbed me and pulled me to him. I let him tuck my head in
along his shoulder as he held me close. I clung to him, listening to his heartbeat
speed up.

“We
all have fears to master,” Hector said quietly, tracing patterns in the bubble
residue on my skin. “But if we don’t become the master of our fears, they will
master us. You have an innate grace about you that’s incredibly alluring,
Sally, whether you realize it or not. You’d be a natural seductress, if you’d
learn to let go of your past.”

“I’m
not sure I can,” I whispered.

He
lifted my chin so I’d meet his gaze. “Remember you have a choice. Nothing - no
one - can make you feel insignificant without your consent.”

I
sighed. Everything was so complicated now. “Did you ever forgive Sylvia?”

He
smiled faintly. “Yes. I had to in order to let her go, to come to terms with
what she did. I haven’t really felt alive with anyone since… until you.”

My
breath caught.

“Do
you remember what I told you about soul mates?” he said, voice husky and soft
and wonderful. “Erys said we each have one, possibly multiple ones, out there,
but we rarely find a love that perfect. If we do, they make us stronger with
their presence. They complete us.” He touched his fingers to mine, and that
comfortable zing went through me. “Just like this,” he said softly.

I
stared at our hands, not moving. “This is more than an exchange of energy,
isn’t it?”

So
much time passed, I almost thought he wasn’t going to answer. “Yes. This type
of magic is stronger, running deeper than blood. This kind of magic comes from
the threads of one’s soul being intertwined with their destiny.”

“It
all sounds so far-fetched,” I said, feeling dazed. “There isn’t such a thing as
perfect love.”

“I
never said there was. Love is sloppy. It can be reckless and blind, and even
immortals have to work at it, same as humans. But you won’t get any closer to
completion than this, not in this world.”

I
lifted my eyes to his, finding his smoky gaze staring back at me with an
intensity that made my knees shake. “But you’re Hector Aurelius.”

“And
you’re Sally Sanders.”

“I…
this can’t be right.” But I knew deep down it was. This
felt
right, in a
way few things ever do.

“Does
it feel wrong?” he asked, leaning closer so his lips hovered right over mine.

“No,”
I whispered, my breath trembling as my eyes dipped to his exquisite mouth.

He
reached up and faintly traced his fingers over my lips, then cupped my face.
“Good. Because since I’ve found you, I don’t want to let you go.”

The
words were out of my mouth in an instant.

“I
don’t want you to.”

When
he leaned into me, taking my mouth in his with a passion that set fire to my
soul, I could do nothing but close my eyes and kiss him back.

Chapter 13

OVER
THE COURSE OF the next week, I pieced my life back together. It was painful
because I had to face the fact my life had changed and that people had died to
protect me, but I also felt as if I’d been living half-asleep before now, just
going through the motions without feeling much. There was nothing like a
life-threatening situation to put things into perspective.

True
to his word, Hector trained me in some basic defensive and offensive moves;
punches, kicks, knee-strikes, palm-strikes, elbow-strikes, every other kind of
strike available. He’d also taught me some simple techniques to dislodge my
opponent in case I was grabbed from behind, or if my attacker was male.

“Just
go for the balls,” Hector said. “Harming those hurts like hell, whether he’s
human or sup.”

“Go
for the balls. Got it.”

He
grinned. “I like it when you talk dirty.”

I
hadn’t forgotten what he’d said to me in the tub. While I was still skeptical
about the possibilities of soul mates, I couldn’t deny the connection I felt
with him. Now that our mutual feelings were out in the open, the connection
only seemed to amplify when I was near him. Every kiss was divine, each touch,
enchanting. But I wanted more. I needed to be closer to him, to go all the way,
to give myself over to him fully. I’d lost part of myself to my ex – and to
Damien – and I needed to get it back.

Which
was precisely why Hector was waiting. He knew how shaken I still was by
everything, despite around-the-clock guards, and he said he knew I’d come out
stronger if I worked through it on my own. He would help any way he could, but
he didn’t want to become a crutch for my emotional stability, and I respected
that. I respected myself enough to see the sense in his thinking, no matter how
irritated my raging libido was by his abstinence.