The Power of One (The Forever series Book Two) (25 page)

“Aefre. Gregor,” Constantine says casually. “Did I interrupt
you two?”

“We were just discussing a proposal,” Gregor says just as
casually. “Of the personal kind.” He adds as fuel to the already brewing fire.

“My favorite kind,” CK says softly and grabs me pulling me
to him. He kisses me quickly and turns me around to face Gregor, draping his
arms around me, he lightly brushes his fingers over my breasts and my nipples
harden in automatic response to his touch. Gregor’s eyes drop as he stares at
my chest. He takes a step forward and I want to step back but CK’s arms around
me tighten and keep me in place. I lift my right arm up and curl it around the
back of CK’s head the other going round his back to pull him close. A classic
feeding pose. I tilt my head to my right and CK’s fangs drop as he senses my
pulse beating, he lowers his mouth to my neck and bites down harshly. I gasp in
mock surprise, my eyes never leaving Gregor’s. He watches through narrowed eyes
as my sire feeds from me in the middle of his office in a blatant sexual
display.

Again Gregor steps forward until he is standing right in
front of me. “Time to share, Constantine,” he growls as CK pulls back from his
bite. He relaxes his hold on me and I know I am going to have to get this over
with but thank the old gods, Eloise storms in full of unbridled fury. I have
never been so happy to see that bitch in my entire one thousand years!

“This is a place of work,” she snaps, loathing reeling off
her Tsunami style. “I might have known
you
would lower this place to a
classless whorehouse,” she seethes at me. Fortunately Constantine is there to
defend me against his own actions. “It’s just a friendly snack between
co-workers. You are welcome to join in.” He brushes her anger off. Hoping that
he knows what he is doing I try to look nonchalant but I really hope she
doesn’t say yes.

Narrowing her eyes at Gregor and then at CK she shifts her
eyes to mine and asks full of disdain, “What is it about you that makes men
think with their dicks instead of their brains?”

Gregor answers this time to my surprise, “Maybe if you had
either of those things you would know.” And she gapes at him, her supposed ally
turning on her. Over me! My delight is evident. It also will make her an easy
target for Cole and Devon, as she will want her revenge. This might just be
easier than I first thought. I squirm in CK’s arms and he chuckles. I catch
Gregor’s eye and smile seductively at him accepting the compliment, albeit a
slightly backhanded one. His eyes blaze with his desire for me and it is a
surprise to see as his eyes usually so cold and dead, seem alive now. I have
him hooked and now it is just a case of reeling him in.

Fortunately CK and I are asked to leave, as Eloise wants a
word with Gregor. Pretty sure we already know how that conversation will go we
stroll out of Gregor’s office, my arm around his waist, his hand lightly placed
on my rear. I giggle as soon as we are back in my protected office. “Well that
was easier than I thought,” I say in surprise.

“I told you Aefre, don’t underestimate yourself. Eloise is
right about one thing, men do tend to think with their dicks instead of their
brains around you.”

Affronted, I cross my arms. “You included?” I snarl.

“Oh no, my sweet. I am completely one hundred per cent clear
on my feelings for you.”

Mollified, I uncross my arms. “I wasn’t very happy with you
asking Eloise to bite me. I know we have discussed this as a necessary course
of action with Gregor, but there is no way I want her fangs anywhere near me.”

“I knew she would refuse. Her hatred of you is as strong as
yours for her.” Humph, doubtful I think. “But I had to include her so as not to
look like we were trying to exclude her. Do you understand?”

I nod reluctantly. “It’s a good thing though. She was seething.
She will want her revenge and enter Cole and Devon and we should be good to go.
Just do me a favor?” I ask as an unpleasant thought suddenly hits me. “Watch
your back. I really couldn’t do with her trying all out to seduce you.”

He looks startled but nods all the same. “Take care as well,
Aefre. Gregor might try and take you without me there.”

“Well you had better not leave my side then,” I say pulling
him to me and kissing him impulsively. He deepens the kiss and pushes his hands
up to my nipples, pulling on them through the thin fabric of my shirt. 

Breaking off I ask, “Would it be rude on my first day to
skive off and take you with me?”

He laughs now, a happy and relaxed sire to have me all to
himself. “Yes it would. We do have work we must complete before we leave.
However I propose that we try to hurry up and get it finished.”

“Agreed. Oh,” I say as something else occurs to me, “as I
Astralled here I shouldn’t really be seen out and about.”

“Not to worry, Nico has already taken care of it.”

“How?”

“By doing whatever it is that he does,” he says cryptically.

I shrug and say, “In that case. Will you take me to dinner?
It has been so long since we did something normal.”

“Ah, I have other plans for us. I hope you don’t mind but
I’d rather not change them.”

“Fine. What are they?”

“You will have to wait and see.”

“Does it have something to do with the punishment I am still
waiting for?” I ask in a low sexy voice.

Delighted with my tone he says, “Perhaps. It wouldn’t do to
tell.” And with that the subject of our extra curricular activities is closed
and we are back to work. Have to hand it to the man, he has a strong work ethic
and in spite of my best attempts he stays focused on the matters at hand, which
sadly doesn’t include my own hands wandering up his thigh. Although on the plus
side I know wants me as much as want him, that much is obvious.

At 2 PM he calls it quits much to my relief and I give Cole
a quick ring even though it is 5 AM in L.A.

“Hey baby,” he says groggily. “How was your first day?”

“Productive in more ways than one,” I say meaningfully and
he’s alert then.

“The plan is working?”

“Like a dream. CK wants to wrap this up next week so we have
to push forward but it doesn’t seem to be a problem.”

“Good. The sooner this is over with the better.”

“I couldn’t agree more. I love you, baby. I had better go. I
will try and ring you later.”

“I love you too. Stay safe.”

I hang up and, dropping my phone into my briefcase, I stand
and move to open my door. Gregor is standing there looking all predatory and
there is me without my sire. Shit.

“Shall we carry on where we left off?” he asks.

“We are on our way out,” CK says showing up just as I need
him as always. “Maybe tomorrow.”

Gregor, being stood in between the two of us, grabs my arm
and moves us back into my office. “Maybe now,” he says. I cast a quick glance
at CK who glowers at Gregor behind his back and he nods. I drop my briefcase to
the floor and Gregor takes that as an invitation. CK follows us into my office
and closes the door. He leans against it casually. Gregor stares at him.
“Perhaps you would leave us alone?” he asks trailing a hand down my arm. It
takes everything I have not to flinch.

“No I’ll stay. Think of it as foreplay. I’ll share but only
as long as I am part of the sharing,” he says in a low voice.

At the mention of foreplay Gregor’s eyes burn as he turns
them to me. “Do you want him to stay?” he asks me quietly. I nod and CK comes
to stand in front of me as Gregor moves behind me.

Snaking his hands around my waist my eyes must give me away
as I see the pain in CK’s as he has to play along and not swoop in to rescue
me. Moving his hands up Gregor inhales sharply as he rubs his hands over my
breasts.  Bringing his right hand up to my throat he tilts my head to the right
and bares his fangs. I am so repulsed right now I just want to run but I make
myself stay right where I am. My hand itching to bring GI to the party, I
wonder if I have enough time to finish him off and get to Eloise before she
Teleports out never to be seen again. Probably not, as she won’t be distracted.
So I stick to the plan. CK reaches out to grab my hand for comfort, lacing his
fingers through mine, it’s all he can do as he watches Gregor take a bite out
of me. 

It’s over soon after that--thank god--and he releases the
bite, but not me. He inhales deeply as my wound closes. “You taste delicious,”
he murmurs against my neck. “So different.” Trailing his hands back down the
way they came, as soon as he lets me go CK pulls me away from him, turning me
swiftly to bite down on me himself where Gregor did to erase the imprint and I
love him for it. Gregor’s eyes bore into mine as he sees my pleasure.

“I am glad you came to your senses Constantine. She is
definitely one for sharing. I look forward to us taking this further.”

CK just grunts in response and I say nothing. Gregor leaves
us alone then and I shudder, my skin crawling.

“Get me out of here now and as far away from him possible,”
I say, disgusted.

“Happy to oblige,” he responds in equal disgust at the scene
that has just played out. “In fact,” he brightens up, “this plays perfectly
into my plans for us.”

“Oh? Well don’t let me slow you down. Let’s go.”

He grabs my hand as I grab my briefcase and we head to the
elevators. As soon as we hit reception he waves to Giulia, as do I, he
whispers, “Close your eyes.” So I do and he Teleports us out. We arrive at our
mystery destination in under a second but he asks me to keep my eyes closed a
bit longer. I feel I am somewhere familiar and it hits me like a bolt of lightning
exactly where I am before he says, “Open your eyes.”

I open my eyes and I am standing in the massive stone
floored Entrance Hall of
Castello Ponte Sull’acqua
.

I turn my eyes to him in delight, “You brought me here.”

“I have wanted you to come for a long time Aefre. I was
under the impression you didn’t want to return.”

“Why?” I ask, genuinely curious as to his reasons

“I will answer that question later, I promise. Right now I
want you to relax.” He takes my briefcase from me, effectively cutting me off
from my phone as well as he places it on the table in the middle of the Hall.

“Follow me.” He leads me upstairs and I take in all the
changes he has made since the last time I was here in 1773. I can’t believe it
has been so long since I was here. Obviously everything has been reconstructed
and redecorated several times since he very first acquired this castle but now
there is electricity and plumbing and even though it looks almost exactly the
same, the modernization is quite clear. Billions of dollars have been piled
into this place over the years but it is worth every cent. I look around in
wonder and he is delighted at my response.

“It feels so good to be back here,” I say happily. “It
almost looks exactly the same.”

“I tried to keep it as close to the original as possible,”
he says. We are on the second floor now and I get lost in the memories of us
being here together and happy as he leads me down the corridor. He opens a door
and I step into a room that has been untouched by time. I gasp. My old room.
“This I wanted to keep exactly as it was.” Tears spring to my eyes as I see
everything as it was hundreds of years ago. Worn and faded but well house kept.

“Oh Constantine,” I say, “It’s… why did you keep it like
this?”

“Because it was someplace I could come to be reminded of
you,” he says simply.

Trying to sort out all the thoughts racing through my head I
know something else is going on here. I just can’t place it. I am reminded
again of his conversation with Cole and wonder if that has something to do with
it.

“CK…”

“Don’t say anything. Not yet.”

He pulls me out of the room and we head back down the
corridor the way we came. I see that the wing on the right side has been
sectioned off. “Are you rebuilding there?” I point at it and his face hardens.
“No. I don’t go down there anymore.” Surprised by his adamant tone, I let it
drop.

He is leading me to his bedroom now and I can’t wait to get
into it and see what it looks like now. Pushing the door open it still looks
the same apart from the modernization and the inclusion of a bathroom taking
out a large chunk of the room I remember.

So many happy memories in here. I pull away from him and
spin in a circle, arms stretched wide and a big grin on my face. “I always did
love this room.”

“So did I when you were in it,” he says watching me,
expression unreadable.

“Thank you. Thank you for bringing me here again.”

“I want you Aefre. Let me have you any way I want. For as
long as I want.”

My breath catches in my throat and I manage to get out, “Do
you even have to ask?” And he swoops in on me pulling me close, kissing me,
hands in my hair and I lose myself completely. He unbuttons my shirt with deft
fingers and he pushes it off my shoulders, hands finding my nipples. He pushes
me towards the massive four-poster bed hands now unzipping my skirt and pushing
it over my hips. I move my hands up his chest to get rid of his shirt and tie
as quickly as I can and I unbuckle his belt, which he pulls from his pants and
throws on the bed. Shedding him of the remains of his clothes I kick my shoes
off and he holds me to him as I lose a few inches in height.

He pulls away. “Oh Aefre. Do you want me to punish you now?”
he murmurs wickedly, pushing my hair out of my eyes.

I shiver and whisper, “Yes. I am defiant and frustrating and
I drive you crazy. I need to be punished.” I smirk at him and he laughs.

“Oh you are all of those things and more.” He trails his
hand down my left arm and grabs my hand. Pulling on my wedding and engagement
ring he tugs them off my finger and places them on the bedside table. “There’s
no place for these here,” he says gruffly. I accept his terms and he kisses my
finger where they used to be.  “Turn around.” I do as I am told and he bends me
over placing my hands on the edge of the bed. He sighs. “I want more than
anything to take that belt and beat some sense into you, but I just can’t
Aefre,” he says as if he can’t quite believe it.