She appeared embarrassed. “Um, no. I. It’s just that—”
“Just that what?”
She glanced at his plate. “You’re not eating?”
There he sat with an empty plate, a glass of wine, and pink eyes. He could only imagine how he must look. “Hopefully later.”
A blush spread up her neck, into her face, but she didn’t back down. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
Roman knew he was baiting her, but he couldn’t seem to stop himself. “I don’t usually eat in the company of…so many.”
Lydia stood so fast, her chair nearly spilled over. “Would you excuse me, please?” She shifted her gaze to her daughter. “Eat your dinner. Mommy needs to use the restroom.”
* * * *
Lydia burst into her room and grabbed a water bottle from the small fridge in her kitchenette. She rolled the cold plastic around her face before uncapping and drinking several deep swallows. There had been no doubt about Roman’s innuendo at the table, and she only prayed she’d left before he’d sensed its effect on her.
Truth was, she’d wanted to crawl across that table and surrender herself to him the way she’d done on her couch.
The click of her door shutting brought her around in surprise.
Roman stalked slowly toward her, reminding her of a cat trailing its prey. “Do not run.”
She didn’t answer. She couldn’t.
He didn’t stop, only swept her up into his arms and turned toward the door. “I’m going to take you in ways you’ve never been taken before.”
Her body reacted to his words. Wetness slicked her panties, and her pussy began to throb. “Roman? I’ve—”
“I can smell you, damn it. I know that you want me.”
She did want him; so much that her nipples pebbled and her insides ached with a longing that frightened her.
“If you’re going to deny me, do it now. Because once I have you in my bed, I’m not letting you go until I’m familiar with every inch of your luscious body.”
“But Jacie—”
“Is in Madison’s care,” he finished for her.
Lydia’s heart pounded with excitement and a little fear. She was about to give herself to this man. And not just any man, but a vampire with fangs and enough power in his pinky finger to snap her neck without conscious thought. “Yes.”
Roman hesitated. “Are you certain?”
Heat flushed her face, but she managed to nod.
“Wrap your arms around me.”
Lydia held onto his neck and laid her head on his shoulder. His lifted her higher against his chest, tightened his hold on her and ran.
The walls were a blur along the edges of her vision as Roman raced down the hall to the stairwell, exited on the ground floor, and came to a stop in front of a large silver door.
She watched as he slid a key card through a groove and the door opened. “Roman? I need to tell you something.”
“Tell me later.” He moved across the room, depositing her on the massive bed resting in the center, surrounding her in a cocoon of his scent that left her dizzy with need.
Lydia couldn’t take her gaze off his hands as they gripped the hem of his sweater, pulled it over his head, and tossed it to the floor.
She would never get enough of looking at his chest. His sheer size intimidated her, and the dusting of hair that ran the length of his stomach had to be one of the sexiest things she’d ever seen.
Not that she’d seen many naked men before, other than the ones she’d drawn blood from in the emergency room…which more times than not, hadn’t been a pretty picture.
Those long masculine fingers moved to the top of his jeans, popping the button free and sliding the zipper down. Lydia held her breath as he dragged them down his muscular thighs and stepped out of them. She was about to get an up close and personal with his cock. Was she ready for that?
Roman straightened, his hands resting at the band of his boxer briefs. “Don’t fear me, beautiful. I will not hurt you.”
Lydia raised her gaze to his glittering eyes. The truth shining from their depths eased some of her doubts. He wouldn’t harm her…of that she was certain. “Roman? I really need to tell—”
The feel of a hot tongue coasting through her slit stunned her, effectively cutting off her words. She gasped as another swipe across her clit stole her will to speak.
Roman stood at the foot of the bed, staring back at her with hooded eyes. “It’s a gift, Lydia. Lie back and enjoy it.”
Somewhere in the far reaches of her mind, Lydia felt her pants and panties being removed, all the while the invisible tongue continued its torturous lashing.
The rest of her clothes seemed to vanish without her knowledge as she concentrated on the feel of Roman’s unseen tongue on her most private parts. He was everywhere and nowhere all at once. She was acutely aware of him on every sensitive place she possessed, and yet there he stood at the foot of the bed, nothing moving but his eyes.
Lydia could feel herself swelling with need, feel the wetness coating her thighs, feel her nipples pebbling inside of a mouth she couldn’t see, throbbing…aching. “Please,” she panted, begging for something…anything.
The erotic onslaught continued as he removed his boxer briefs, rested a knee on the foot of the bed, and climbed his way up her body. His delicious scent drifted up her nose, and more wetness dripped from her pussy, preparing her for what she craved most. “Roman, I need…”
“I know what you need.” Her arms were abruptly jerked apart and restrained to the bedposts by something she could feel but not see. A moan escaped her as he pressed a finger deep into her pussy. “So goddamn tight.”
Lydia was on sensation overload. Her breath was coming in gasps, her mind couldn’t focus on a thought, and her vaginal walls were gripping his finger, seeking even the smallest release.
A sexy laugh rumbled inside his chest. “You like that, beautiful?”
“Yes,” she gasped, moving her hips in time with his finger.
A sudden pressure on the insides of her thighs pushed her legs up and apart, securing them in the same fashion as her arms. “Open for me.”
The feel of his unseen tongue sucking and licking her while he watched with hungry eyes from above was her undoing. An orgasm slammed into her with near violent contractions, taking, controlling, and owning her. It seemed to go on forever before she was able to inhale blessed oxygen into her lungs.
“So fucking sexy,” he growled, lowering his body to hers.
The feel of his heat against her and the scent of him invading her awareness felt incredible to her starved senses. But nothing prepared her for the pain of his overly large cock straining to enter her.
“Relax, love. You’re extremely tight, and I’m a big man. It’s going to be uncomfortable for you if you don’t relax.”
He cupped the sides of her face. “Easy… Just breathe.” His mouth covered hers and he thrust.
Lydia cried out. The sharp pain of his entry paled in comparison to the look on his face as he froze in shock. “Lydia?”
* * * *
Roman held completely still, trying to wrap his mind around what had just happened. Lydia was a virgin, and he’d just ripped through her hymen like an unseasoned lover on his first sexual escapade.
In his defense, he hadn’t known. How was it even possible? She had a six-year-old daughter upstairs that she’d given birth to, hadn’t she?
“You’re a virgin?” He mentally dissolved the invisible bonds to her hands and feet.
A tear slipped from the corner of her eye to track down her face and disappear into her hairline. “I’m sorry. I tried to tell you…” Her voice trailed off.
“How badly are you hurt?” He moved to withdraw, but her legs came around his waist, holding him in place.
His cock grew even harder, if that was possible. “You’re crying, Lydia. I don’t want to cause you more pain.”
“You won’t. Please, don’t stop.” She tightened her leg
s around his hips.
She was so snug on his dick, Roman had to clench his teeth to keep from spilling his seed inside her right then. “I couldn’t stop now if I wanted to,” he ground out, easing deeper inside her warmth. He’d find out what he needed to know later, after he made her first time good for her.
Roman flexed his hips with a gentle thrust, entering her completely. The sound that came from deep in her throat drove him insane with lust. His fangs descended in an aching throb to match the pulse thumping in his cock.
Heat formed behind his eyes, sending a red haze along the edges of his vision as he watched the vein in her neck drum to the beat of her heart. His head lowered to her throat, and his mouth opened against his will.
She turned her face aside, innocently and unknowingly offering herself to him with an unconditional trust that humbled him.
His arms wrapped around her thighs, jerking her against him as he drove into her wet heat again and again.
The soft, mewling sounds coming from her coupled with her nails digging into his back was his undoing. Roman Castillo, a two-thousand-year-old, seasoned vampire lost control.
He rose to his knees and swiveled his hips, grinding against her with enough pressure to work her clit along with her G-spot into a commanding release. “Come for me, baby. Come for me now.”
Lydia screamed. Her back bowed off the bed, and her pussy clamped down on his cock, milking him of his own orgasm. Roman’s head fell back, and a shout burst from his lips as powerful jets of his seed expelled from his body with a force that temporarily paralyzed him.
He’d never felt anything like it in his long life. Not with Ione or any of the others he’d been with over the centuries. And there had been many.
It seemed an eternity had passed before his body stopped shuddering and his mind comprehended what he’d done.
Roman brought his head up and softly touched her face. “Lydia?”
She opened her beautiful eyes and stared up at him in silence.
“I’m sorry for being too rough. I lost control and…” He ran a hand down his face. “I need you to relax your muscles while I pull out of you. Okay?”
Other than the blush climbing up her neck, a subtle head nod was the only indication that she understood.
“Good girl.” Roman dropped his gaze to the place where their bodies were still connected. With gentle care, he backed out of her depths, wincing at the smears of blood staining his still-hard cock.
As much as he hated that he’d caused her pain, he had been her first, and that thought pleased him more than he cared to admit. “Don’t move. I’m going to grab something to clean you with.”
Chapter Fourteen
Lydia felt the loss of Roman before he’d completely pulled free of her body. The feel of him entering her, stretching her and moving inside her had to be the most incredible sensation imaginable. Even the initial pain of his entrance had been extraordinary. The feel of his thickness straining to penetrate her would forever be burned into her mind.
An overwhelming emotion washed through her, tightening her chest and squeezing her heart. She was falling in love with Roman Castillo. An ancient vampire who’d probably been with more beautiful and experienced women in his life than most men could find on the beaches of Miami.
She couldn’t imagine what he was thinking right now. He’d just had sex with a mother of a six year old only to realize she’d never been with a man before. He was no doubt swimming in confusion and disbelief, she thought, glancing at the door he’d disappeared behind.
Suddenly embarrassed, she pulled the sheet up to cover her nakedness.
Roman didn’t look at her as he came back into room carrying a damp washcloth and sat next to her on the bed. “How bad is it?”
“I’m fine.” She reached for the washcloth, but he pulled it back.
“Let go of the sheet so I can check your injuries.”
Her warm, fuzzy feeling was quickly replaced with anxiety. “Really, I can do it.”
Roman took hold of the sheet and dragged it down her body, baring her to his gaze. Her thighs were suddenly pushed up and out without being touched, the same as he’d done before.
He moved between her open legs, staring at her exposed sex with a hooded expression until Lydia turned her face to the side, unable to endure his bold perusal of her most private place.
“How is it that you are a virgin? You have a daughter.”
The deep timbre of his voice added to the fact that she could feel his gaze on her pussy brought on a fresh round of need.
“Lydia,” he growled, moving closer. “It’s too soon to take you again. You’re bleeding, and the pain would be too great.”
She straightened her head and met his gaze. “Jacie was my sister’s daughter. I took her after my sister died in childbirth.”
He laid the damp washcloth against her, gently applying pressure as he cleansed the blood and his seed from her soft flesh. “Why have you never been with a man?”
Lydia blushed. It sounded so ignominious coming from him. “Well, I was raised by my adoptive parents until the age of twelve.”
“Why until twelve?
The sensation of his hand softly moving the washcloth over her thighs made it hard to concentrate. “That was the age my adoptive father started becoming a little too friendly.”
“He touched you?” A muscle ticked along his jaw.
“Yes. He went to jail for it, and my adoptive mother Peggy abandoned me. If Peggy hadn’t walked in on him trying…” She shook her head. “I hate to think of what would have happened.”
“I’ll kill him.”
“He’s not worth it, Roman. He’s probably in prison somewhere.” She cleared her throat. “Anyway, I was placed in foster care where I stayed until I graduated. Shortly after high school, I found my paternal grandmother and my biological sister, Joan.”
“Joan is Jacie’s mother?”
“Was. She died giving birth to her. I was twenty years old at the time. Grandma helped me raise Jacie until she was three, and Grandma passed away. I dropped out of college, moved to Atlanta, and got a job at the hospital.”
“That’s when Jacie became ill?”
“Yes. She was diagnosed over two years ago. You know the rest.”
“I’m sorry about your daughter, Lydia. I wish there was something I could do.”
“There’s nothing anyone can do.”
The sound of a cell phone ringing startled her, and she quickly sat up, bringing the sheet with her. “It could be about Jacie.”
Roman gathered her clothes from the floor and retrieved her phone from the pocket of her jeans. “I’ll give you some privacy.” Handing her the cell, he grabbed his own clothes and trailed off to the bathroom to dress.
She pressed the Send key. “Hello?”
“Hi, Miss. Hughes, it’s Jeanie. I’m here at your house, but no one’s home.”
Lydia couldn’t believe she’d forgotten about Jeanie’s home visit. So much had happened since yesterday she was surprised she remembered her own name. “I am so sorry, Jeanie. I’m at Roman’s. Go on inside until I can figure out what to do. I don’t think Roman will allow us to go home tonight and—”
“Have her come here,” Roman’s deep voice interrupted.
“Would you mind holding for a second, Jeanie?” Lydia covered the phone receiver with her palm and shifted her attention to Roman. “Jacie’s insurance won’t cover overnight stays until…” She couldn’t finish the thought.
“I’ll cover it.”
“I’m sorry, what?” Lydia questioned, watching as Roman advanced toward the bed.
“I will pay her expenses. My kind is the reason that you cannot go home. You and Jacie are my responsibility now, and I take my responsibilities seriously.” He held out his hand, palm up. “Allow me.”
Lydia surrendered the phone, studying his profile as he gave Jacie’s nurse directions to the compound. “I’ll let Madison know you’re coming.”
Endin
g the call, he took a seat on the edge of the bed and brushed Lydia’s hair back from her face. “No more worrying.”
“Thank you for that. I don’t know what I would do without Jeanie’s help.”
Roman nodded. “Whatever is needed, but I do not want you leaving the compound without me.”
“But Jacie has doctor appointments.”
“And we will cross that bridge when we come to it. Sawyer will accompany the child on daytime outings.”
Lydia’s stomach tightened. “How long are we going to have to stay here?”
Hurt was apparent on his face before smoothing into an emotionless mask. “Simon will stop at nothing to have you in his grasp. Neither will Svetlana.”
She opened her mouth to speak, but he gripped her shoulders, cutting her off. “And even if I manage to destroy them both, others will surely take their place.”
Lydia’s heart began to pound, and nausea rolled in her gut. If what he said was true, no place on earth would ever be safe.
His gaze softened. “You can never go back.”
With jerky movements, Lydia pulled her sweater over her head and slid from the bed. She shimmied into her jeans and picked up her bra, panties, and boots. “I have to go check on Jacie. Jeanie will be here soon.”
Roman stood also. “I’m sorry, Lydia.”
She averted her eyes, afraid he would see the tears swimming in their depths. “It’s not as if I have family anyway, right? Everyone I’ve ever cared about is gone. Jacie is all I have left, and she’s being taken from me too.” She broke down on that last word.
“Lydia…” He reached for her, but she stepped back.
“Please, don’t.” She turned on her heel and fled.
* * * *
Roman stood frozen, staring at the evidence of Lydia’s virginity left on his sheets. She had given herself to him freely without coercion or flowery words as if she’d wanted him as much as he’d wanted her. So why did he feel like such an ass?
He wandered to the bathroom and washed his face. Lydia’s life was spiraling out of control. Her daughter, the only family Lydia had left, had only months to live. How did one cope with something like that? Roman had lost plenty of people he’d cared about in his long life, but never a child.
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