Darlings of Paranormal Romance (Anthology) (69 page)

A heavy hand fell on my head, and I
looked up to find Lucius staring at me, his eyes feral with need,
the red rings shining like fiery flames, but I felt no fear. This
man had drawn me in, and I was addicted to his love. I rose up on
his thigh and arched back, riding his leg like a stallion was
underneath me. My breasts bounced wildly in time with my raucous
rhythm, my nipples stinging with the need to be bitten by Lucius. I
dropped my head back, my eyes slammed shut, and I lost all ability
to think. My body’s wanton needs coursed through me like a fire
burning out of control. My abdomen clenched, and I roared my
release. Falling forward, I kissed him passionately, our tongues
fighting for control of each other’s passionate needs.

Neither one of us were able to control
our body’s desires. Fissures in our hearts had burst open, and
flames of desire licked out, burning our blood with need. Lucius
gripped my hair and pulled my head back, his lips found my neck,
and he bit down hard. At the same time, he lifted my leg and pulled
me directly over his granite cock. Feeling the bulbous head at my
entrance, I growled his name before slamming my ass down, taking
him into my soaking wet pussy. I rode him as I’d rode his thigh,
with wild abandon, and never before had I felt so alive. Lucius
reached between us and slid his fingers over my swollen, sensitive
clit. He pinched hard, and I moaned and rode him faster, with no
fear of recriminations or judgment. With Lucius, I felt completely
free, free to be me. The sensation was so liberating, I felt so
beautiful when I was with him, no longer dark and scarred, All too
soon, my pussy clenched around his cock, milking him. He gripped my
ass and arched up with one last, deadly thrust. My breasts bounced
with the force of his powerful thrust, and both of us roared our
release, Lucius’ seed shot up into my welcoming womb. Dazed and
sated, I looked down at him, tears falling from my eyes. A gentle
smile graced his lips, and he softly caressed my thighs. I leaned
forward to lay my head down on his broad chest.

“
I have to go,” I told him,
a horrid thought occurring to me. “I have to get to
work!”

“
Work? Ivy, my love, you
can’t be serious.” He grabbed my shoulders and lifted me so I faced
him. “I’m afraid that’s impossible. You’re in entirely too much
danger now.”

“
Now? Why now? What’s
changed?”

“
Weren’t you listening?
Didn’t you hear me when I told you about the curse, about how the
king is coming back—no doubt to find you and kill you. You said so
yourself, not three minutes ago, remember? I’m sorry, Ivy; I can’t
let you leave. No job is worth your safety.”

“
You
can’t
let
me?” I repeated the term he’d
used. “Who are you to tell me what I can and cannot
do?”

“
I’m the one who loves you.
I’m your mate, and I’m sworn to protect you. With my life, if needs
be.”

“
Well, if you love me, then
you’ll understand why I can’t just sit here and do nothing, why I
can’t allow your . . . your king to control my life. The work I do
is important. I’m going to work, Lucius . . .with or without your
blessing.” I stared him down, determined to have my way in
this.

Lucius slowed his stroking and
returned my gaze. He remained silent for a few moments, as if he
were thinking things through, and then he nodded. “Of course you
must go to work. I should have expected no less, and you have my
blessing, but only under two conditions. I shall ring you
throughout the day to be sure you are safe; I do not know when King
Casimiro will make his presence known. I fear it will happen very
soon. And two, you’ll allow me to take you there myself. I won’t
have you walking the streets alone.”

I shuddered and nuzzled into Lucius’
neck. He groaned, but gently eased me away and off his
lap.

“
Shower. Get yourself
ready, and then I shall drive you to work.”

Reluctantly, I left him and walked
into an amazing bathroom. The floor and walls were all tiled a
beautiful ivory color; the mirrors were wrapped in a beautiful,
ornate, gold frame, reminiscent of Snow White’s evil step mom.
Laughing to myself, I turned on the shower, and then stepped
underneath a glorious, steaming cascade of hot water that drowned
my fears and cleansed away the aches and pains, readying me for the
day ahead. I reached for Lucius’ shower get, brought the bottle to
me nose, and sniffed. The rich, woodsy smell reminded me of him and
suited him perfectly. Hands slid down my arms, and I jumped and
yelped.

“
Easy. It’s just me.”
Lucius nuzzled my neck from behind as he enveloped me in a huge
hug. He chuckled and grabbed the gel bottle out of my hand. “I need
to shower too, little Ivy.”

He
released me and I turned to watch as he lathered up and slowly
started rubbing the gel all over his exquisite body. My mouth went
dry as I watched him. I could have stood there looking at him all
day, but I had to hurry, now. With a heavy sigh, I turned away from
him and finished my own lathering. Lucius grabbed a sponge and
rubbed it over my back. How I finished my shower without becoming
thoroughly distracted, I will never know, but a few minutes later,
I slowly stepped out of the shower cubicle and reached for a towel
from the heated rail. I wrapped it around my body, drinking in the
warmth, but noticing it didn’t make me feel nearly as good as being
in Lucius’ arms. A pile of clothes sat neatly folded on the
counter, and as I reached for them, I realized they were mine, and
someone had actually
washed
them. I turned to face Lucius as he stepped out of
the shower behind me.

“
How did my clothes get
cleaned? The last thing I remember, they were lying in a heap on
the floor.”

“
I have two people who live
with me here, one is my loyal companion for nearly a century,
Fausto. He helps me with my day-to-day work and organizes my many
charity functions. Gregorio is my house help; he cleans and makes
meals for my guests.”

Once again, I suffered through a
feeling of inadequacy. Even my smile felt awkward.

“
Ivy, I told you before,
there’s no reason for you to feel like that. I have lived a long
time, I have worked hard, and yes, I’ve amassed some wealth. These
men are loyal to me; you can be yourself around them. They will
help you in any way they possibly can. They have already been told
to be of complete service to you any time you need
them.”

I did not know what to say to any of
this, so I walked up to Lucius and wrapped my arms around him. I
held him close and rested my head on his chest. He stroked my wet
hair, but after a moment, he took my hand.

“
Come, I will get you to
work.”

We descended the stairs of his
beautiful home, and stepped out onto the front porch. Just as we
were about to descend the steps, a man came out the door behind us.
Tall and thin, he wore a dark, formal suit.

“
Sir,” he said, confirming
my suspicions he was one of Lucius’ assistants. “There is a phone
call for you.”

The man then turned to me and gave a
brief nod. I nodded back, but kept silent.

“
Ivy, I shall be but a
moment. Please, go ahead and get into the car.”

I released his hand I’d still been
holding and descended the steps. The man who’d come to tell Lucius
about the phone call followed me. As I reached Lucius’ vehicle, my
scar began itching badly. I covered my left wrist with my
hand.

“
Allow me, Miss Steele.”
The man held the car door for me.

I smiled, but somehow, I didn’t feel
comfortable at all. I put it down to my nerves and all of this
being such a new situation, and climbed into the passenger
seat.

As he was about to shut the door, he
said, “My name is Fausto. If there’s anything I can do for you, you
have but to ask.”

Before I had a chance to respond, he
quietly shut the door. I suddenly felt chilled and rubbed my arms
furiously to try to warm up. The slight pain in my scar grew into a
full-blown ache, and the blood red tear drop felt extremely hot to
the touch. What did it me, I wondered. Was the pain an indication
something bad was about to happen to me? Like, some sort of signal
or forecast? I reflected on what Lucius had told me, and wondered
how he dealt with the loss of his family, all the while knowing
he’d lost them because he’d finally stood up to a king who did not
deserve to wear a crown. History was full of tyrant rulers, but
Lucius’ liege sounded like he’d been one of the worst. As I sat
there musing, Lucius climbed into the car. Without a word to me, he
started up the engine and fired up the dashboard heater. A few
moments later, wonderful warm air blew from the vents, and I sat
forward, holding my hands, palms out, before them.

“
Will you tell me more?” I
asked him as he put the car in gear and we headed off down the
drive.

He glanced at me out of the corner of
his eye. “Such as?”

“
Such as, where you are
from, for starters.”

As he drove down the winding, country
road, I studied him. He looked like he was mulling over my
question. I decided not to push him. He’d speak to me when he was
ready. While I waited, I returned my gaze to the countryside
passing by the window and watched as a shower of dancing leaves
fell from the trees. Their vibrant colors of red, gold, and orange
made them appear as sparks of flame falling to the earth.
Shuddering, I started rubbing my wrist.

“
I come from a land far
away, a land most humans will never see. It’s impossible to see,
unless you are like me, or unless you are a spirit or witch or
fairy . . . then, perhaps, you could find it. But my home is
protected from humans.”

“
Why? It’s not like a human
could win a fight with a vampire.”

Lucius looked over at me and gave me a
sad smile. He took my hand and lifted it to his lips.

“
I’m right, aren’t I?”
Sometime during the night, I had come to the conclusion Lucius fit
my idea of what a vampire must be like—the eyes, the teeth . . .
I’d imagined none of it. His appearance really had changed, albeit
only for a moment. As crazy as it sounded, as insane as I would
sound, should I share my theory with anyone else, it was the only
answer that fit. I gave him a pointed look. “You are, aren’t
you?”

“
Yes,” he said. “Yes, I am
what humans refer to as a vampire.”

He looked so uncomfortable, I decided
to allow that point to rest, for now.

“
What do you call your
home?” I asked. “Is it a place I may have heard of?”

“
So many questions, little
one.”

I studied his profile, noting how
quiet he had become, and how his eyes had grown dark and
somber.

“
I come from a town called
Escuro de la Luna.”

I opened my mouth to ask him what it
meant, when he spoke again.

“
It means Dark Moon.” His
smile softend his severe expression. He still held my hand, and now
he lifted it again, placed tiny kisses on my fingertips, bit them
playfully. “You are as curious as a cat.”

I shivered as I remembered how said
cat’s story ended and did not respond. Instead, I sat there
quietly, reflecting on all I’d learned. Before I knew it, we were
on the outskirts of town, very close to the Humane Society where I
worked as director. Lucius pulled into a parking spot on the quiet
street and climbed out of the car. He crossed in front and came to
open my door. I grinned as I left the vehicle. Nothing made a woman
feel more cherished and ladylike than a chivalrous man. When I got
to the Society’s front door, I scrounged around in my bag, looking
for my keys to open up. Just as I worried I may have somehow lost
them, my fingers closed around the cool, metal keyring, and I
pulled them out with a flourish.

Lucius smiled and cupped my cheek. “I
will come back for you tonight, to take you out to dinner. What
time do you close?”

“
The shelter doesn’t close
until 8:00 p.m., but I get off at 5:00,” I told him. “And dinner
sounds wonderful.”

“
Then it’s a date. I’ll be
back here just before five.”

I nodded and stepped back, then turned
to unlock the door. I then turned to bid Lucius good-bye, but
before I could speak, he bent and claimed my mouth with his. I
heard my bag clatter to the ground as my arms snaked around his
neck. Our soft moans filled my ears, and Lucius pulled me closer.
The evidence of his desire for me pressed hard against my thigh. I
groaned—I wanted him, and I wanted him now—and Lucius chuckled, no
doubt having once again read my thoughts. Shamelessly, I grinded
against my crotch against his. With a low growl, Lucius broke the
kiss and lifted his head.

“
Ivy, please, you are
killing me.” He gently pulled my arms down, then bent and kissed
the tip of my nose. “If I don’t walk away now, I’m going to take
you right here, on the front porch at your workplace. I don’t think
that would bode well for you keeping your job. But rest assured, I
will be in some pain until later.”

Giggling, I turned back around and
pushed open the door of the shelter.

Chapter Seven