He wanted her again already. How was that possible? He never took so much.
The members of the design team each continued to watch Wynter as they took a seat with them. The group was silent, but she accepted a coffee with a shy smile, and then she seemed to steel herself and sat higher in her seat. She’d clearly told herself to be more self-assured.
Marcus had to wonder if she had just given herself a mini pep-talk and got his answer when Wynter got stuck in with Marcella and the team, watching as they played some slides outlining the colour scheme and décor that were going to be used once the autumn campaign was over with. She jotted down a few notes and took charge, while Marcus remained silent until the end when he simply offered his approval and then stood. He was acutely aware of the time and how much of the night he had wasted flirting with and focusing solely on Wynter. They had all the next day to talk about those parts of the job still playing on her mind, so he knew it was time he said goodbye. He needed to head back upstairs and finish the evening with Bryn before she came to him again. “Very well,” he said, nodding to Marcella.
Next, he turned to Wynter and indicated for her to join him, which of course she did. They then left the meeting room and when they were alone, Marcus turned to her and lifted a hand to halt her in her tracks. “Stay here. I have work to tend to in my office. I’ll send David down to collect you and show you to the IT department. You’ll undoubtedly be spending a great deal of time with the engineers there so it is important you meet them sooner rather than later.”
“Okay,” she whispered, looking sad at having to part from him, and Marcus was glad to see it.
“Come to me at two-am. Not a minute later,” he added and could sense her anticipation at being there to satisfy him again. It was invigorating and he wanted to stay longer and enjoy her some more, but he forced his own reactions aside before turning and stalking away.
***
As Wynter watched Marcus leave it felt oddly bittersweet. Definitely nice to have some time away from that power he had to drive her insane, though. She didn’t seem to know what she wanted first, but was filled with the desire to please and serve him when in his company, so much so that she was having trouble focusing on her actual work. Him leaving was also awful though, because try as she may to fight it, she was so incredibly drawn to him.
The other members of the design team then began to file back out of the room she had just left and she turned back to them all with a polite smile each and every one of them returned. The red-haired woman in charge of the team, Marcella, was last out and Wynter fell in line beside her, thinking how they’d seemed to get on well before and that she was looking forward to seeing more of her and the others as they began to work on new marketing strategies in the future.
“So, how are you finding things?” Marcella asked when they were alone in her office and she’d grabbed them both a bottle of cool water from a small fridge beside her desk.
“Good,” Wynter answered honestly after she accepted the drink and thanked her. “Strange though, and freaky at times, but still good. I love my office and the job is turning out to be perfect.”
“It’s just the blood feeding thing that’s still taking a bit of getting used to?” Marcella then enquired with a knowing smile.
“Yep!” she replied, laughing at how easily the subject of being drained had slipped into conversation, and how she had hit the nail right on the head. It felt good being so open and honest with someone, like there might be a friend here for her after all.
“Trust me, you’ll be over all of that before too long. It’s not human nature to simply accept the supernatural, but before you know it things will feel easier. It’ll come without a fight. We all go through this in that first week, but no one ever leaves.”
“I hope you’re right,” Wynter answered honestly, “because as it stands right now, I don’t even know which way is up, let alone what I want.”
“At least you just have one master to satisfy. Me and the others can have up to ten a day. They use their powers to control our emotions and feed from us while working up that frenzy inside, leaving each of us so empty and alone in the aftermath it’s often painful,” Marcella blurted out, and while she was shocked, Wynter also found she wanted to hear it. She needed to know the truth, no matter how rough. “I hated them at first, but now I crave the seduction of the bite. I look forward to my overtime days because it’s empowering knowing I have something they need in order to survive. That without me they’d go hungry. I have also learned to go and take care of the desires within me with the other Blood Slaves after it’s over.”
It was refreshing to hear about it so candidly from another human, and Wynter was glad she’d hung back to chat with Marcella more. She liked how direct she was.
“The bite works you up into such a sexual peak, doesn’t it?” Wynter replied, feeling glad it really seemed to be the same for everyone. “I was utterly desperate for him to take me. It was embarrassing! Do you get together with others doing overtime and use the private rooms on the first floor afterwards?”
“Yep. Anywhere we can get a little privacy really. Before I came to work here I was pretty reserved when it came to casual sex, but now, it’s just another part of my working week. In many ways it’s horrible to have that reaction to their bite, but in others it’s freeing to let yourself explore your sexuality with others who need it just as much as you do. I can’t imagine what it must be like for those who are in relationships and have to wait until they get home. Or those who are celibate, like Joanna,” Marcella told her.
“She’s celibate?” Wynter asked incredulously.
“Yep. So in love with Mr Cole that she refuses to take anyone else to her bed. I’ve only been here a few years, but apparently she’s grown worse as time’s gone on. I think it’s because she’s getting older and he still won’t have her. People have seen her coming out of his office in tears after repeatedly throwing herself at him during his feeds. Poor thing.”
Wynter actually felt sorry for Joanna. She knew that feeling all too well and had only had to endure it a day, let alone for twenty years. Marcus was a tease though. He knew exactly what he was doing and had told her himself that he loved breaking their hearts. He had been teasing Wynter in the office just before they came to the design brief, and something told her he would continue doing so when she went to him in a couple of hours to begin her second day of overtime.
“I’ve got a horrible feeling I’m going to end up going the same way. I can already sense him creeping in under my skin. Wooing me with no intention of seeing it through.”
“My advice? Don’t fight it. It’s easier if you just give in,” Marcella replied despondently and while Wynter could understand it, she still didn’t want to succumb so easily. She wanted to keep fighting. To figure out a way to refuse him. To keep some of her own thoughts and feelings safe and to not always give in.
A sharp knock on the door ended the conversation, and Wynter was glad she hadn’t had to answer Marcella’s final comment. Her brain was in turmoil and she wasn’t sure she could trust her enough yet to tell her all the gory details about her feelings for Marcus, or the strange back and forth they’d had so far. She’d keep her thoughts to herself, at least until she knew who she could and couldn’t trust among her new work colleagues.
After a second, one of the men who’d attended the design meeting popped his head around the door and directed his attention to Wynter.
“Sorry to interrupt, Miss Armstrong. David Tyler is here to escort you at Mr Cole’s request,” he said, and seemed pleased when Wynter nodded in understanding.
“Yes, thank you. Please let him know I’ll be out in a second,” she replied, and then turned to Marcella to wish her goodbye. “Thank you for making me feel so welcome. I’m sure I’ll be able to come by and see you again soon.”
“I don’t doubt it. And, me too, Wynter. It was a pleasure meeting you,” she said with a smile that seemed genuine enough. She had a youthful face
and was pretty too, but not just on the outside. She had the sort of eyes that lit up when she smiled, revealing warmth beneath the surface. Wynter felt safe in her company, and hoped she was right to.
She left and found David waiting out in the small group office for her. He seemed strangely on edge and awkward when he greeted her, and led the way without a word, which wasn’t like him. He’d chatted loads during her tour, and wasn’t the shy or retiring type.
“What’s eating you?” she demanded when they were alone and waiting for the lift, and David waited until they were safely inside before answering.
“I wasn’t sure if you’d be angry with me for having been the one who lured you here. I hope you know I had to do it. Mr Cole isn’t someone I could refuse. When he told me to go get you, there was no alternative. And when you refused his advances, he commanded that I get you back here by whatever means necessary,” he said, his face pale and his light hazel eyes unable to meet hers.
In the cold light of day, she could understand why David was so worried. If he hadn’t told her the things he had or made her believe this job was worth it, then she would’ve been saved the fate that’d now befallen her and taken over her life. Wynter would’ve been free. Still skint and panicking about the state of her life, but free nonetheless.
David hit the button marked ‘B’ and the lift began to descend.
She watched him in silence, still fighting her inner unrest. But it was true. He was to blame. It didn’t matter that he was cute and sweet and trustworthy. He had delivered her to the monster who’d sealed her fate and now that she thought about it, she was angry.
Wynter stepped forward and struck him across the face as hard as she could manage. David was clearly shocked by her lashing out like she had, but he took it without even looking like he wanted to hit her back. And as if he was actually glad she’d decided to punish him. “I’m sorry. I never wanted to be the one, but he knew.”
“Knew what?” she cried.
“Knew I liked you. He saw me looking at you on the camera and chose me to be the one to approach you at the bar. After you’d point blank refused to go upstairs and meet him, he told me to flirt with you and make you feel good. Make you want to come back. And it did, didn’t it?” David replied with a frown.
Wynter stared into his sad eyes and nodded.
“Yeah. You worked me over all right, and… you like me?” she asked, her anger turning into something else entirely. Something carnal and raw. A need that Marcella had reminded her was completely her choice in whether to tend to, and that it had nothing to do with their vampire boss who she chose to enlist into helping her. Marcus had preyed on her weaknesses and sent his errand boy to do his dirty work, the coward. He’d dragged her into this world of his and almost killed her once already, and so Wynter decided she would do whatever she wanted when it came to blowing off some steam. Marcus didn’t want her, so she would find someone who did. Someone who just so happened to be standing two feet away.
She stepped closer and pinned David to the mirrored wall of the lift. They only had seconds, surely, but she didn’t care. Wynter planted a kiss against his lips and delighted in the groan David gave her as he returned it. Their lips were still locked when the elevator doors opened again and Wynter forced herself away and out of them in case someone was there waiting and would catch them. They were blissfully alone and so David kissed her again, deeper this time.
“I want you so much,” he whispered against her lips, “I want to give you everything you need.”
“Do you have a place?” Wynter asked and David simply nodded before leading her a few doors away to a small bathroom. He locked the door behind them and watched her with hungry eyes. “Protection?” she asked, and he shook his head no.
“There’s no time. Just let me take care of you, Wynter. We’ll be together another day,” he answered, watching as she jumped up onto the counter beside the sink and opened her legs without a care. This wasn’t her first time getting off in a bathroom. It wasn’t romantic or seductive, but she was sure he would do the job nicely and if he wanted to make it quick, then that was fine too.
David’s lips were back on hers a second later and his hand was between her legs almost immediately afterwards. He then pushed her knickers aside and played with her clit a little before sliding two fingers deep inside. “So ready for it,” he groaned and then ducked his head down to suck on the bud still swollen and, like he’d said, so ready.
David’s fingers worked fast while his mouth delivered glorious pressure where she needed it most. Wynter was quickly writhing against him and pressing the back of his head towards her core. He let her command him and sucked harder, his hand still pumping in and out faster than she could ever manage when home alone with her dirty thoughts and desires. Wynter came in a hurry and was glad when he didn’t stop. There was more to be had and she was ready for it. The second orgasm was even deeper and it had her crying out for him with unashamed passion and appreciation for how he had chosen to make things up to her.
“We can definitely do that again sometime,” she murmured as he backed away and wiped his mouth clean with a delighted expression on his handsome face. Wynter then hopped off the counter and straightened her clothes before checking out her reflection in the mirror. She was rosy cheeked and wearing a look of utter satisfaction she couldn’t hide, but she didn’t care. It felt too amazing to have let off some of that much needed steam.
“We’ll definitely be doing that again, Wynter. And more,” David replied with a dashing smile and she nodded. Nope, she was sure not going to argue with that.
Eight
Wynter only had an hour until she had to be back upstairs, so once she and David had made themselves presentable again, he checked the coast was clear and then led her all the way down the corridor to where a door would let them inside the offices of the IT team. They had almost the entire basement level for themselves, and it quickly became apparent why when the pair of them were buzzed through the security door and found no less than thirty men and women working furiously at the first line of desks, while others were running around maintaining the vast number of servers and other equipment that made up the huge mainframe for Marcus’s business.
She peered down the enormous floor, and could see rows and rows of the electronic towers, and it wasn’t hard to notice the cool and carefully sustained temperature in the room. It was the perfect hub, and beyond anything she had ever seen before. Wynter realised incredibly quickly how there had to be an immense amount of data stored here. What she was looking forward to finding out, was why.
The open-plan room itself was bustling and chaotic. There were people everywhere and they were all rushed off their feet. David came to a stop next to a glass partition where one lone worker had some privacy. He had to be the head of the team, and Wynter looked through into his makeshift office to find the guy pacing up and down while bellowing into the speaker on his desk. Whoever was on the other end didn’t have a chance if his body language was anything to go by, and she found herself watching him for a few seconds before she tore her prying eyes away and focussed instead on the others close to them.
A few of the IT personnel were standing a few feet away around a piece of equipment they’d stripped down and were evidently trying to fix. By the sounds of it, each engineer had a different idea on how to do it and was willing to argue their case profusely. It made for interesting listening, and Wynter found herself intrigued.
She went over to take a look and found they all fell silent.
“Yes, I’m the new girl,” she joked, offering each of them a smile and an awkward wave. “What are we arguing about?”
“Well, I told Palmer over there not to open the tower because we might be able to claim it as still under warranty, but he went ahead and did so anyway,” the woman beside her answered after a tense pause. Wynter nodded and looked at the man she had said was called Palmer.
“But it’s lapsed so I went ahead and opened the tower up. The mo
therboard is fried and was defective. We know that much. Phoebe just doesn’t want to admit that I was right to look deeper,” Palmer retorted.
“And what does Mr Chalmers say?” Wynter asked, recalling the Head of IT’s name from when she’d taken a look at the list of employees on Marcus’s vast list.
“He says to bin the bloody thing and buy a new one. It’s in the budget,” came a deep and booming voice from behind them. They all turned to its owner and Wynter found the man she had seen pacing the small office standing with his arms folded and his shoulder leaning against the far wall.
He looked mean. Like someone she wouldn’t want to cross in a hurry. He was wearing a suit, but didn’t seem too impressed about it, given that his shirtsleeves were rolled up to reveal his heavily tattooed arms, and his tie had been discarded. It didn’t look right on him. He seemed like he’d be more at home in a checked shirt and a pair of jeans. The dark beard that covered his jaw was thick, as were his eyebrows and lashes, the impact of them hiding his face behind their dominating features.
“Sounds like a good plan to me. I second Mr Chalmers’s decision,” she answered with a smile. “I’m Wynter Armstrong,” she then said, after bidding the others goodbye and walking over to join him.
“I know,” he answered coolly before turning on his heel and going back into his office. She followed, as did David, but he was quickly shooed away. “She doesn’t need any guarding here, Davey. I’ll see to it she gets back to the boss on time.”
David left, but begrudgingly, Wynter could tell. She offered him a gentle, appreciative look and was glad when he returned it, before he sent a scowl in her host’s direction and shut the door behind him.
Chalmers watched him go and then peered across at Wynter. After a beat, his expression softened a little, but he still seemed aloof. “So, how can I help? And please, call me Warren.”
“Well, firstly, I wanted to come down and say hello. I gather we’ll be working together a fair amount and I figured it’d be nice to see where all the geeks hang out,” she answered with a soft smile she hoped might thaw him.
The Beginning Page 7
