Innocent in New York (16 page)

"No," Sophia said, trying to wade through the fog that kept her docile. "Let me go."

Whatever the heck it was sliced through her skin again, this time on her wrist, and the pain returned, drawing her to with a sharp intake of air. She jerked her arm to free it, but Eric's grip was unbeatable while he latched onto her wrist. His teeth, sharp like razors, dug through her skin mercilessly, his mouth sucking her blood into his mouth. She trashed, begging him to let go, and when his eyes snapped open, she stared into black ink. She screamed, clawing at his arm. He licked across the bite marks and it soothed her cries, made her withering stop and her eyes fall closed, carried away by pleasure.

"Enough," she heard James through the fog. The sharp teeth dug deeper, and that edge of pain returned but was once again blurred by a torrent of pleasure seizing her, taking her higher and away from the world. Another bite to her stomach, to her thighs and breasts, tongues lapping at the blood flowing from the wounds. More had joined.

"I said
enough
!"

She jolted at the roar, and her pleasure was replaced with sudden stark pain. Someone was thrown away from her followed by a guttural cry. She felt them again, the merciless fangs piercing her skin. She cried, clawing at the hands holding her trapped. She brought her elbow backward as hard as she could and hit Eric's ribs, the impact enough for him to let go for a moment, while two more were thrown away from her. James grasped a woman's hair and yanked her away a moment before she bit Sophia, followed by a yell that sounded too high-pitched for a human. He dragged her from their hold and onto shaking feet.

"James?" Dizziness washed over her.

"Come," he said before he glanced at the people around them, and then tugged her with him. She swooped down to pick up her dress by the edge and he slowed down for her to slip it on.

"What was that?" she asked, afraid of the answer, barely able to keep up with his pace down the stairs, and through the club. People watched them intently with dark eyes, their stances looking tense and ready to pounce.

"Fuck," James cursed, immediately drawing her as near as possible, his fingertips digging harshly into her hip. She looked at him, and found that his eyes appeared the same as the others, dark-inked orbs that made her shudder with insistent coldness.

"Go for the exit," he said roughly, letting go. "Get in the car and drive." He slipped his keys into her hand. "I'll get this under control."

"But," she started, looking at the club's guests.

"
Go
!" he sneered with his teeth transformed into vicious fangs. Spooked, Sophia stumbled backward before finding her feet. The dark hallway felt claustrophobic. She blinked her eyes and then kept her gaze on the door, her steps falling quicker, the granite floor like ice against her bare feet. The cold night air stung her lungs, and on swift legs she descended the stairs. She fumbled with the keys to his car, and pressed the unlock button on the remote key he handed her. Two beeps sounded, and Sophia found the car blinking red by the curb. She ran over to it, got into the driver's seat, and instantly began her search for the port for the key. The car started with a soft hum, and Sophia at once backed out of the parking lot. She glanced in the rearview mirror where she saw the entrance to the club still vacant. No James. Her fingers tapped the steering wheel.

She rolled out of the parking lot, checking the mirror every other second. He told her to drive, but her foot on the gas pedal wouldn't react. She waited. What happened at Nova felt distant and hazy, and when closing her eyes, she saw those ink black eyes filled with hunger.

Vampires
, her mind said. Nova liked the theatrical style, what if it was all a part of their style? Her skin prickled, and she looked at her wrists, the dried blood, and the healing skin.
Vampires.

"Vampires don't exist," she said, the idea ridiculous. "
Monsters
don't exist."

A swift movement in the rearview mirror made her jump, and next a hand slammed against the window on her right. A bloody handprint remained on the glass, and she saw the man lower to peer inside.

"James," she whispered, observing him through the glass. She reached out for the lock, but paused, watching streaks of blood trace down the window.

"Let me in." He didn't appear like them now, just…James. She pressed the button and the doors unlocked. She watched him get in, and she couldn't help herself inch a little more to the side and away from him. He cradled his arm and Sophia saw crimson blood seep through his coat.

"I told you to leave," he growled after closing the door.

"Yeah, I'm terribly sorry for waiting." She gave a pointed stare at his crippled state.

"Drive."

She rolled into traffic, the car accelerating smoothly. "Are — are you all right?" Sophia asked, glancing at his arm where he clutched himself.

"Fine," he spoke shortly, his eyes closed. "Are you?"

She ignored his question. "What happened to your arm?"

"Nothing too bad. It'll heal soon."

"Huh. This is impossible," she said, more to herself. "I'm asleep. I have to be. Vampires don't exist." Hauntingly handsome, dark eyed with secrets she couldn't reach, and his complete avoidance to sunlight. Damn. She hadn't seen him once in daylight, had she? He always kept his windows covered, and they always met after sunset. "You can't be out in daylight?"

"No."

"What about garlic?"

He made a face, "I'm not a huge fan of garlic."

"But you have a reflection."

"Yes, I do."

"What about crosses?"

"I don't mind crosses, and holy water has had no effect."

"Do you sleep in a coffin?"

"I haven't in over a hundred years."

"Oh my God, how old are you?"

"Two hundred."

"Holy shit," Sophia gaped. She accidentally stepped on the gas too hard, and the car reeled forward. James's arm shot out and he grasped the steering wheel just in time to steer the car away from a bright red Toyota. A woman stared at them wide-eyed.

"Eyes on the road, Sophia," he said, relaxed beyond comprehension. He explained the route to his apartment and she found the vampire GPS a nice contribution through the streets.

Inside his apartment, she distanced from him at once and escaped his hands just when he reached for her. She locked herself in the closest bathroom, the one downstairs, where she scrubbed her skin clean in a scolding shower; the blood, their touch, their memories embedded into her mind. The damages to her skin had healed for the most part, and she questioned briefly if it truly happened.

"Sophia?"

"Yes?" she said, voice cracking.

"Are you all right?"

She didn't know whether to laugh or cry. She didn't answer, pointlessly scrubbing a towel over the marks on her wrists. Surely, the vampire attack was a mere delusion, and instead, she had walked into a thorn bush or something.

"You've been there for an hour. Let me in."

Her gaze shot to the door. "No."

"I know this is new, and you're going to have to adjust to it, but please let me look at you."

"You knew what they were," she said, "what they were after. I should've known something was wrong. No one as successful, no one as handsome as you would go for someone like me. Am I food?" She slipped on her dress again, having nothing else usable. She'd washed off the blood and dried it as much as she could.

"Of course not," he said. "Nova is a place for both vampires and humans, and we always leave the humans alone. We never feed on them unless told otherwise. I made sure everyone kept quiet when I brought you there, but on your second visit they lost it." He paused for a few seconds. "Please, let me in."

The low plead in his voice got to her.

"I'm going to want to leave, James," she said, her hand on the lock, "and you're going to let me."

There was a longer pause. "I won't force you to stay."

With a
click
, she unlocked the door and he immediately pulled it open. His shirt was missing. A white line went from shoulder to elbow from where they cut him and appeared as a scar from ages ago.

She reached up to touch it, but stopped mid-air before jerking her hand back. "You healed nicely." She blinked her gaze to his. He appeared calmer; the color of his eyes held a nice earthly brown, the ones she had grown used to.

He nodded, stepping inside. Her heart thumped when he walked right up to her. Sliding his hand beneath her hair so that he grasped her neck, he pulled her an inch closer and kissed her, his other arm wrapping around her waist to bring her up against his hard body; two puzzle pieces with different themes but cut for a perfect fit — rivaling logic. Going against every instinct, she ended it. Her breathing came out uneven.

"Let me look at you," he insisted, brushing his thumb over her cheek in a warm, sweeping gesture that had her sinking into his palm. She tensed. He lifted her arm and smoothed her skin, touching the spots where the vampires fed. She winced, the bruises from them still feeling fresh, and James lessened his pressure, his eyes snapping to hers. "These look good. Onto recovery," he murmured, fanning his thumb over the marks on her neck. His touch was too potent. She had to keep her mind calm. "Where else did they bite you?"

Sophia turned dizzy. "My — my thighs," she stuttered. Her voice sounded too thick. This wasn't good. "I believe they have recovered, like the ones on my arms. You really don't have to…"

Keeping their gazes locked, and never removing his strong hands from her, he lowered until his knees touched the floor. "I want to make sure. If they aren't properly healed I have to do them myself." The dark promise in his words made her jolt and her body warm to the idea.

"This isn't fair," she whispered, feeling his fingers skim her thighs and pushing upward to lift her dress. Two bruises showed mid-thigh, and he focused on them, making sure the skin was properly healed beneath inspecting fingers — around and around, winding her up. He parted her legs and drew the back of his fingers up her inner thigh, finding healed skin.

He glanced up at her. "Very well."

He was playing a dirty game.

"My stomach," she said, but pressed her hand atop one of his to keep him at bay. "I'm not wearing any underwear."

"Nothing I haven't seen before," he pointed out. "An hour ago I had the best seat in the audience." She sucked in a breath when he continued lifting the skirt of her dress, revealing her nudity. His eyes danced across her skin, drinking her in slowly, one smooth inch at a time. A tremble poured through her, and she became thankful for his grip keeping her upright.

Vampire. Vampire.
Vampire
.

Then his lips touched her stomach, right atop a set of bite-marks. His tongue swiped over her skin, and a pleasurable burst took her by surprise. Her eyes closed, and then his mouth left her. Her breath came out ragged, her legs weakened.

"Were there more?" he asked, words a carnal crawl from his lips. He hoisted her dress up her ribcage and stilled.

"My breasts," she said, unable to keep her mouth shut. His prodding gaze held her captivated, drawing out her words with no chance stopping them. Was it him or the vampire in him making her unravel? He arose, those demanding lips skimming her stomach, following the rise of her dress as he revealed more skin. He steered her backward until her rear bumped into the counter and suddenly she sat on top of it and he fitted himself between her thighs.

"I should make sure every inch of you is healed, don't you think?" he said, those wicked fingers of his trailing her ribcage, tickling her flesh and making her reluctance melt. His thumbs skimmed the underside of her breasts, barely touching but making her pulse beat faster. "Let me heal you."

"No." Sophia's eyes closed. "I really have to go. I should — I should go." That didn't come out convincing. She might as well have said
take me, take me now
, judging by her breathy voice, and she was certain he picked up on it.

"Really." He lifted her dress higher, and bared her breasts for him. "These should be my marks," he murmured. "This one," the pad of a finger touched a portion of skin in close proximity to her nipple that felt sore, "needs a little help." His eyes glinted. "Hold on tight, sweet Sophia."

She didn't understand, watching his head lower with bated breath. His tongue slid across her skin, setting fire through every cell and making her curve into his mouth. Sophia's hands clutched the edge of the counter. She climbed higher, feeling him play with her other breast and stoking the already relentless fire, pushing her further, harder, to an edge she couldn't hang onto. She soared with a bang, screaming as the world burst into a million fragments around her, and all that was present was the raw pleasure pulsing through her entire body. It continued to elevate, another fire lapping at her, promising a delicious reward if she followed; and she did, diving head first into its grasp and it swallowed her whole. Perched on the counter, she sat, her back arched and her heaving chest unable to ease down. She soaked up the last wisps of pleasure, as if needing it in order to survive.

"Beautiful," he whispered, reaching out to cup her face. "You look fucking amazing in rapture." His thumb smoothed over her cheek.

He could make her unravel so easily. With the right look, the right words, and she'd arch and cry out for him. The power he held over her was intense; both frightening and exciting. The pleasure he gave her a moment ago was out of this world. She couldn't find her words, only focusing on delivering her lungs much needed oxygen.

"That was only the beginning, princess." He kissed her. "You haven't experienced real pleasure yet." He chuckled at her stunned expression. "And you're healing just fine," he added.

Yes,
Doctor
. Sophia sighed. She recalled the bites from Nova, the forced pleasure she received, stifling the horror of the situation and carrying her mind away from there while they tried to drain her. James's touch was more pleasurable and without the sinking feeling of despair in the back of her mind. It just felt good beyond belief. She noticed a pair of fangs dip beneath his upper lips, and seeing them made her tense up.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, words shaking. She jumped off the counter onto unstable legs. When he tried to help her, she brushed him off.

"You said you'd let me go." She shot him an agitated stare. "I wasn't kidding, James.
This
," she lifted her hand toward him, "I can't wrap my head around it, not now." She was a sucker for his charm, for the relentless pleasure he offered and never disappointed with. The only way for her to think clearly was being away from him. They were creatures of the night on prowl for human blood. A shiver shook her awake, and she stepped back.

The color of James's eyes descended into black ink, another reminder of what might lurk behind. She turned and exited the bathroom, adjusting the straps of her dress after his thorough examination, and headed toward the exit.

"Sophia," she heard his voice, soft and persuading, "calm down."

"You're a fucking vampire," she said, refusing to look at him, refusing to come to terms with it. She just needed to get out and it'd be all okay again.

"You're going to faint if you keep this up." He caught her elbow and staggered her walk. "You need to calm down."

Her gaze flashed across his face. "You're not Archer, are you?"

"No," he sighed. "I took their son's place when he died—"

"—Oh my God!" Sophia's eyes widened, about to step back but he caught her arm and stilled her.

"I didn't kill him," he said in a raised voice. "Someone took him in order to demand ransom from his parents when he was in college. Things didn't work out as planned and James, James Archer, saw his kidnappers. They shot him. At least, that's what I gathered from the crime scene."

"You were there?" she blinked, trying to sort this out.

"It happened in a building close to my old apartment in Chicago. I heard the shots."

"And you took his place," Sophia said, at which he nodded. "How?"

"I appeared like him," he said and shrugged, "fooled his friends and his family. Vampires can be very," he paused, "
persuasive
. I learnt of James's life, I learnt of their company, and I learnt how to handle it. There was no doubt, and in return they didn't have to face the tragedy of losing their only child."

"This is insane."

He smiled at her. "It's a lot to take in."

"No reaction to your avoidance to sunlight?"

"I developed an allergy."

Sophia placed a hand on her forehead. "And now you're New York's most successful man." She found support against the wall once dizziness shook her. He stood before her and cupped her face. His thumb stroked her cheek, and Sophia found herself wanting to lean into his touch. She gasped and slid away from him.

"You think I will hurt you?" he asked, pinning her with a steely gaze.

As her eyes closed, she was brought back to Nova again, where James had blindfolded her and handed her over to a group of people to please her. Until they attacked. Her eyes opened abruptly.

"They messed up," James said, reading her, anger tinting his words. "They've never attacked before. All I wanted was to get you out of there."

And he did.

"You looked too sweet, smelled too sweet,
tasted
too sweet." He cupped her chin. "It drove them near insane and I saw the danger a second too late."

He ran his nose down her neck, and an illustrious, pleasurable ripple went through her. She shook her head. "Let me go," she said, trying to remember what he was. He could attack her as well.

"Try again." He moved to her lips, his hand grasping her hair. Sweeping his tongue against hers, he sought control. Mortified, she found her frame bending toward him, as if pulled by an invisible string. "Your heart's singing for me and it's not out of fright." He steered her backward toward the stairs.

"You're a
vampire
."

"I think we've established that," he replied with a smirk, and two pointed fangs slid down from his gums. Sophia's breath caught. Despite his warning, she reached up to his mouth and touched the pad of her index finger to one canine. She gasped and withdrew at the vicious sting it left. A drop of blood surfaced and James looked at it instantly. He grasped her hand before she had the chance to hide it, and brought it back up to his lips.

"Please, don’t," she said, watching his lips part, feeling queasy. Her struggle didn't deter him at all as he brought the tip closer to his lips. He sucked her finger into his mouth, his warm tongue lashing across the damage. She met his gaze, and a dark, sinful tremble shook her. Her heart sang louder.

Stop it
.

"You're delicious. I understand the vampires' insatiable need for more," he said after dragging her tip from his lips. He kissed the now unmarred skin. So he'd be good to have around for paper cuts.

"No." She shook her head, snapping out of her silly thoughts. "No, no,
no
. Blood isn't delicious."

"Yours certainly is."

Sophia shivered, definitely not coming to terms with it. James's lips peeled into a fanged grin and then he followed her when she turned and moved for the door. Sophia's hand shot out for the doorknob and pulled, but before it had opened a couple of inches, he shoved the door shut. His hard chest touched her back while his arms confined her, overcoming her attempts of escape. His breath skimmed her neck, and her entire body flushed warm in an instant, something only he could do. "I won't let you leave. You're on edge, my sweet, delicious mortal, and I get that, but you're also very, very hot for me."