by Jade James
His tone of voice was a little too arrogant for Sierra’s liking. “That gives you no right to kidnap anyone,” she snapped. “Won’t the Covenant be upset that their grand leader stooped this low?”
Van arched a brow and placed his hands on his knees. “You would rather take your punishment than get to know Roman and me?”
“Don’t answer that, Sierra,” Roman stated. “Van tends to be a little aggressive at times. We have all the time in the world to get to know each other. Why make this harder than it has to be? This can be a weekend with no strings attached, and just us getting to know each other.”
Sierra shook her head. “I just can’t believe that a database would pick a vampire for me, let alone two, and one of them the grand leader of the Covenant.”
“The database chooses the matches based on compatibility, not on what a person does for a living. Furthermore, you’re making it sound as if you hate our kind,” Van replied.
“I don’t hate your kind, Van. There are just some things I don’t agree with, and some things should stay a woman’s choice.”
Roman placed his hand under her chin. He turned her to face him. “We’ve been watching you for a while. We’ve known about the match for a month, but it was Van’s suggestion that we give you a little more time.”
She narrowed her eyes. “What do you mean watching me for a while?”
She turned to the sound of Van’s voice.
“Exactly what it implies,” he stated. “We wanted to make sure you were safe.”
She was not going to fall for that one. “You mean to tell me it was you the other night? I sensed you at the school, and then at home. Why didn’t you make yourself known?”
Roman scooted closer to her. “Actually, it was me who followed you, but we will make no apologies for wanting to protect you. Making ourselves known would have made you run. Which you did anyway, when the invitation arrived at your home.”
Could she really believe that Van and Roman only had her safety in mind? She had to admit that, this close to them, she didn’t feel as if she needed to run.
Roman placed his hand on her knee. “Let’s play twenty questions, Sierra. Ask whatever you want, and we’ll try our best to answer. We will not hide anything from you.”
Sierra turned to Van. She wanted to see how he reacted under this particular line of questioning. “Fine. What deal could you have with the government that would force women to register? Not all of them, including me, are comfortable with the idea of submitting ourselves to such tests. But we did, for fear of detainment. Now I’m beginning to think detainment wasn’t such a bad idea.”
Van’s eyes darkened as his hands tightened into fists. “We have no deal with the government. We just want to share this planet with the humans, in harmony. There are no female vampires born, and a woman always has the choice whether she wants to be made into one or not.”
“As for your other comment,” Roman interjected. “The Covenant strives to make the tests pain-free. As for the uncomfortable part, well, that can’t be helped. But humans go through such tests even when they go in for physical appointments.”
Roman did have a point. But the way Van watched her unnerved her and electrified her at the same time. He looked like he wanted to take her to ground and fuck her. Oh, God, where the hell had that thought come from? “Why punish a woman who chooses not to register? Why not just let her choice be simply that ‑‑ her choice?”
“You’re looking at detainment as some sort of punishment. Women are housed in a school for the term of two months and taught everything there is to know about vampires,” Van replied. “We’re not here to make life difficult for anyone.”
Roman stopped stroking her shoulder and dropped his hand down to her bare knee. Her pussy grew wetter at the feel of his skin. “Those of us that are born this way can’t help who we are. From childhood, we are aware of the differences between humans and our kind. Yet out of the need for survival, and in the hopes of living in unity, we’ve had to adapt. And those of us who are turned into vampires also have to learn a new way to live. Do you see any of this as being fair to us?”
Sierra shook her head. “No.” He had a point. She had been living in her own prejudiced world and hadn’t given any vampires a chance. She had purposely stayed away from the ones at school as if they had some disease she would catch by simply being near them. She covered her face with her hands, distraught at the way she had been living her life. Instead of striving to make changes for the better, she had perhaps made it worse with her rants.
No one liked living by rules. And she was now sure that even the vampires would have loved to choose who they were attracted to exactly the way humans would, instead of having it done by computers. She understood how the database served as a protection for their kind.
A pair of hands wrapped themselves around her wrists, tugging her arms down. She stared at Roman, who was now kneeling in front of her. She hadn’t even felt him move. Even on his knees, his head was level to hers.
He was huge and hard all over. Yet his gaze was gentle and understanding. “We’ll learn about each other together, Sierra. You can ask us anything. We can even spend the weekend just talking, if you like. Van and I would never force you into anything sexual.”
It was odd, given her past and all, but Sierra didn’t believe that they would ever truly hurt her. If she gave in to him, then who knew where it could lead? And what was the use of fighting against one weekend? Roman made it sound so uncomplicated, and his words eased the strenuous pressure building in her chest. “Okay.”
Roman leaned forward and pressed his lips to hers. It was a sweet stroking of lips, until she gave in to the urge and slipped her tongue into his mouth. He tasted like rich coffee, and once again the spicy scent filled the limousine. She wanted him to go down on her, wanted to feel his tongue on her clit.
Sierra tightened her legs together in an attempt to stop her arousal as she broke the kiss off. “The scent filling the car. It’s because you’re attracted to me?”
Roman licked his lips and wedged a hand between her knees. “Yes. It’s because we both are.”
She wanted to taste his lips, but before she gave in to her desire, Roman pushed her leg, and placed his other hand on her inner thigh. She opened her legs, her cream spilling and soaking her dress. To her shock and pleasurable surprise, Roman scooted back, lowered his face, and placed it between her legs. He inhaled a little too loudly, before lifting his head. She felt him suck the air in, holding it within him before releasing it in a warm puff. She raised her eyes, catching Van’s hot gaze. She blushed and felt the heat creep up from her neck to her face.
Van gave her wink. “And your scent tells us your body wants the both of us.”
Which was the only reason why she’d agreed to this. Because whether she liked it or not, her body wanted them, even if it was just for one weekend.
Chapter Five
The front door was unlocked, and Alex fought against the need to rush into his home like a madman. He gripped his gun tightly and entered. Sierra wasn’t one to be so careless, and that thought had him dreading what he would find inside. He crossed over the foyer and headed to the living room, careful of where he stepped. Though there were no immediate signs that Sierra or an intruder was still home, he remained alert.
He passed the kitchen and bathroom. Still nothing. He walked into his room, and everything looked untouched. Alex turned and headed to the last room in the house, Sierra’s bedroom. No sign of anyone in the house. He holstered his gun. Her suitcase remained open on her bed. He strode over to her nightstand and picked up the papers there.
Shocked rolled over him as he read the invitation to Fantasy House. This was the last thing Sierra had needed, and throughout the years, Alex had thanked the gods above that his sister’s name had not been chosen. He placed the invite down and studied the pictures. There were two names and physical descriptions listed below the photos. Van Merck and Roman Trance.
He k
new exactly who Van Merck was. And he couldn’t help the feeling of dread that settled in his stomach. His sister had been matched to the Eastern Region’s Covenant leader. Alex was pretty sure Sierra would be scared out of her mind. She had been fragile ever since the discovery of their parents’ deaths. Alex had watched his baby sister strive to live her life, though filled with pain.
Damn!
He had to get to her quickly, before Merck and Trance did anything that would cause Alex to murder them both.
* * * * *
“I’ll go inside and see if our suite is ready,” Van stated as he opened the door of the limo and climbed out.
Sierra stepped out of the limousine, took a couple of steps and stopped to take in her surroundings. She couldn’t help the way her mouth opened in surprise. She hadn’t known what to expect of Fantasy House, but the exclusive mansion in front of her was jaw-dropping. The house was painted all white, with gold trim around the cornices, windows, and doors. There were security guards stationed around the outside of the house. The men were dressed in black, and, from what Sierra could see, they all appeared to have guns and knives holstered at their sides.
“This is beautiful.”
“It is,” Roman replied, placing an arm around her waist. “Van had a hand in decorating this house, but the real owner is Lucian Santori. He is also second-in-command of the Covenant.”
Sierra turned to him, suddenly curious about what he did for a living. “And what’s your position in the Covenant?”
“I used to be a mercenary. I tracked vampires who broke the rules. Now I work beside Van, reviewing and detailing criminal cases. We ultimately decide what punishment would fit the crime.”
Her parents. The thought came to her quickly. If Roman worked the cases with such detail, then he could be the one to tell her why her parents’ murderer had never been caught. But before she could begin her questioning, Van joined them.
“Our suite is ready. Let’s head upstairs.”
They all headed toward the entrance. A guard opened the door and bowed. “Welcome to Fantasy House.”
Sierra murmured her thanks and entered. The interior was just as glamorous as the exterior of the house, decorated in the same lavish detail. It seemed that Lucian had gone to extreme measures to make sure that Fantasy House was filled with decadent comforts.
Van wrapped an arm around her waist and tugged her closer to him. The move forced the decor out of her thoughts. It was the first time he had made a move since he had hauled her out of her home. “Are you okay with this? I know I come off as a tad barbaric at times, but I want you to be comfortable around us. We would never harm you in any way.”
Sierra smiled. She’d never have pictured Van as being apologetic. Aggressive, and ‑‑ yes, she had to agree ‑‑ barbaric at times, but he had never truly hurt her. Maybe his idea of kidnapping had been a wake-up call to her, a push that she needed. “I believe you and Roman wouldn’t harm me. And maybe this was all actually something I needed.”
“Hold that thought. Let’s discuss this upstairs,” Van replied, keeping the elevator open with his arm.
They headed inside, and Roman pushed the penthouse button.
Sierra’s eyes shifted from the panel to Van. “We’re staying in a penthouse?”
Van winked at her. “Sometimes being Covenant leader has its advantages.”
* * * * *
Van watched as Sierra sat down on the velvet sofa. Her gaze kept shifting between him and Roman. She was curious, and equally nervous, about what the next step would be. But Roman was right. This weekend was about getting to know each other. As much as Van wanted to strip her clothes off and lick her from her toes to the top of her head, another aggressive move like that would probably send her running.
“What would you like to drink?” Roman asked from the bar.
She placed her purse on the sofa beside her. “Malibu coconut rum with ice.”
“Coming right up,” Roman replied.
Van walked over to the sofa and sat down beside her. Her eyes opened wide, as if she had expected him to put some type of distance between them. And maybe that wouldn’t have been such a bad idea, because this close to her, he could smell her need, and he had to fight back the urge to do what Roman did in the limo ‑‑ fall desperately to his knees and inhale her. But conversation and getting to know each other took precedence. “Why do you think that my kidnapping you was something you needed?”
“For the past few years, I’ve been living a sheltered life.” Sierra heaved a sigh, fisted her hands, and continued. “And I thought the safety bubble I created for myself would be sufficient. It wasn’t, and I first began to have doubts when I received your invitation and got a glimpse of your photographs. Oddly enough, your kidnapping broke my security bubble. There were reasons…reasons I considered valid. But the way I’ve lived my life wasn’t practical. I registered in the database a month after I turned eighteen. I was two weeks away from graduating high school when I stepped out of my home to interview a teacher for our high school newspaper. When I got back home, I found my parents in the living room. The police said all signs pointed to a vampire. And even though the case remains officially open to this day, the murder was never solved.”
“How long has it been since your parents’ deaths, and how come we never knew about this?” Roman asked, handing Sierra the drink, and taking a seat right across from them.
Van watched as she took two gulps before setting the glass on the mirrored table in front of them.
“It’s been three years. As to your other question, I wouldn’t know,” Sierra replied. “As a matter of fact, I thought you and Van could help with the case. The officers that visited my home assured me that the Covenant would hunt down the vampire or vampires that had done it. But it’s been three long years, and still Alex and I don’t have closure.” She lifted her glass and took another sip. “Alex is my older brother. He works for the police department in Miami. He did his best in trying to solve the case on his own, but his captain told him that it was a case for the Covenant. But that’s never stopped him from checking every possible lead. Alex did what he could.”
Van’s gut tightened at her words. There had been no mention in her file that the crime had gone unsolved. If Van had to make a guess, someone in the police department had fucked up badly, and he would find the person responsible. “I’m going to make some phone calls. I want to know why we never knew about this. It fucking stinks of a cover-up. You have my word, Sierra ‑‑ whoever murdered your parents will be found.”
Sierra nodded, her eyes brimming with tears. The sight had Van reaching over and grabbing her hand and lifting it to his lips. He placed a kiss against her fingers and continued to hold her hand. She heaved a big sigh before continuing. “Anyway, you kidnapping me kind of woke me up to the way I’ve been living in a shell. It’s an odd way of looking at it, I know. But I purposely don’t get close to anyone, and I especially keep my distance from vampires. Don’t get me wrong. It isn’t a hatred thing. I think it has more to do with what happened. My parents could have just as well been murdered by a human, but that fact didn’t stop me from putting up walls. I’m sorry.”
“You have nothing to be sorry ‑‑” Van didn’t finish his words. Sierra leaned over and pressed her lips against his. He felt her tongue press against his mouth, seeking entrance, and he opened with a groan. Her movements were hesitant, but seductive, and instead of taking control, Van let her taste him. His cock stood rigid, pulsing, and pressed against his pants. He wanted nothing more than to take off his clothes and make love to her while Roman watched.
Sierra broke the kiss and moved back. Van had to struggle with the need to go after her and bury himself deep inside her body. He shifted his gaze to Roman, who was watching them intently. The air in the room seemed to thicken with their lust, forcing Van to rise to his feet. He needed space from both of them. “I’ll go make those phone calls now.”
He walked away before he did anything dr
astic.
* * * * *
Roman watched Van leave the room. His own cock was full, near to bursting at the sight of his lover and Sierra devouring each other in a soft kiss. It took all of his willpower to hold himself back and just watch when what he really wanted to do was join them in a three-way make-out session. He was full and hard, ready to fuck the hell out of both of them. But he had to keep reminding himself that this was about getting to know Sierra.
Roman shifted his gaze to hers. She was watching him. “Are you okay with this?”
He smiled. Even though a woman was paired with two vampires, that didn’t necessarily mean that the vampires were in an intimate relationship with each other. But Sierra had to have felt the chemistry between him and Van. “Am I okay with what?”
She swallowed. “Van and I kissing.”
He laughed. “I’m more than okay with that, Sierra. Part of me wanted to join the both of you on that sofa. The sight of you and Van had my cock hard. But another part of me didn’t want to scare you by suggesting more.”
Sierra smiled. “This is all new to me, as I’m sure it is for you too. I kissed Van not because he agreed to help me solve my parents’ murders, but because taking the first step meant I’m open to see where this could lead. I don’t want to be that cold-hearted person who never allowed anyone inside. My parents wouldn’t have wanted me to live that way.”
Roman stood from the chair and walked over to her. “Why don’t you freshen up? This suite has two king-size bedrooms. You can take the one to the right. Van and I will take the left one. We didn’t have time to pack any of your clothes, but there is a satin robe you can wear. We’ll buy all that is required tomorrow. I’ll call for a late dinner to be delivered, and by the time you’re done, the food should already be here.”
Sierra rose from the sofa and leaned into him. Roman closed his eyes and inhaled her scent, relishing how just her aroma could bring him to his knees. She placed a kiss on his cheek as he opened his eyes. He turned, catching her unaware as she withdrew from him. But he had just enough time to place a soft, chaste kiss against her lips. She gasped in surprise, but Roman didn’t linger too long. Her eyes darkened with desire.
