The Daughter Trilogy Bundle

by C. M. Owens

  I release her from my grip, planning to aide her further while escorting her out, but then her friend’s body goes limp and both of them start falling once more.

  I grab up the friend, and carry her down the stairs in complete silence.

  I’ll just let her stew for a minute while I play the silent hero. She’ll crumble.

  The bouncer opens the door for us, and the limo driver is holding the door to the car as we walk out. I have no intentions of letting her leave in it though.

  “Oh, what happened?” the jealous girl gasps when she sees the limp body flopping in my arms.

  “She passed out,” Alexius answers.

  The jealous girl starts tossing her hair like the dumb blond she is in order to gain my attention. I find it more than agitating, considering that’s my biggest pet peeve.

  I hate hair tossers.

  I refuse to pay her an ounce of attention, knowing that will score me some points with my girl.

  I get the drunk girl safely placed on the seat, and then I quickly withdraw to send the girls away so I can have some time alone with my invisible mystery. She tries to load the limo, but I quickly grab her arm and gently pull her back to me.

  “I’ll carry Ms. Smith home. Can you ladies handle this one?” I ask while pointing to the drunk little girl with a shiny engagement ring.

  “We’ll take care of her,” one of the others chimes in. “Have fun,” she yells as I shut the door.

  That’s my plan - a night of fun with a game of catch and release.

  My girl’s scowl is absolutely adorable while she scolds me.

  “I never said I would go with you.”

  The limo pulls out into traffic, and I smirk at the cute-when-angry girl.

  “Well, it appears you have no choice now,” I gloat.

  She huffs and crosses her arms over her chest before starting to walk away.

  Damn it. She’s not a New Yorker.

  Why do I want her to be close to me? Of course I have enough homes to be closer to her wherever she lives.

  Fuck. I’m losing it.

  “You obviously don’t live in New York. It’s not safe for you to be dressed like that, walking in those heels, and going off alone. Please let me give you a ride,” I say objectively.

  She sighs in defeat, and the man they hired to be the prominent people’s valet hustles over to grab my car while she returns.

  “Your words were rather cutting. Perhaps now we can consider us even. I’ve only rejected you once, but you’ve rejected me three times now. Do you think it possible for us to start over?” I ask so genuinely, trying the super-sweet card for a change.

  I add a soft pout to the end of my words, hoping it will sway those delicious lips of hers to turn up in a smile. Girls love a good pout, and I know she has to have a weakness somewhere… surely.

  “Why did you change your mind?” she asks, her eyes narrowing - giving nothing away.

  Because you won’t get the fuck out of my head.

  “I thought you were the typical sort of woman who approaches a man in a bar. Most want free drinks, a fat wallet, and a night of ease. Then I saw you consistently refusing one advance after another. I thought you were beautiful, so I continued to watch. I finally decided to come make amends just as the jerk you were tousling with was running his mouth. I got a little pissed with some of the things he said. I’m proud of myself for having not punched him,” I answer while mixing lies with truths.

  I really am glad I didn’t punch him, considering he would have broken like a stack of fragile dishes. That would have taken some explaining.

  She seems to be calming down now, and her eyes take a peek up and down my body.

  Take it in, baby. I’m yours for the night, even if it is dangerous.

  Maybe that’s why I’m so captivated by her. It’s dangerous. I’ve never been drawn to the mortals before, but perhaps it’s because she has the beauty of a goddess in a forbidden fruit body.

  The ancient ones got around with mortals all the time. I can enjoy a night… maybe two - if it lives up to the hype that is.

  “I’m Devin Cole. It’s nice to meet you,” I cockily begin with the reintroduction.

  She’s unable to fully suppress a grin, and that gives me all the more confidence my plan is working. She places her shaky hand in mine, and those damn currents sting me once more.

  How is it possible she doesn’t seem so affected by it? Damn it to hell.

  “I’m Aphr… Alexius Smith,” she stammers, and I realize how very right I am in assuming she’s being deceitful with her true name.

  Just as I start to interrogate her on the matter, my car appears, and I decide to hold off until after I get what I need from her. I have to find a way to get her out of my fucking system before I go mad.

  “Mr. Cole,” the valet says.

  “Thank you,” I respond with dry enthusiasm.

  I almost laugh when the valet quickly goes to open her door. I shoo him away so that I’m the one to show her in.

  Her cheeks flush with a beautiful hue of pink when her eyes meet mine, and I feel my collar getting a little too tight. I almost want to rip that tight little dress off her body and then throw her on the hood of my car. Then I want to keep her around for more.

  Shit. What if I do want to keep her?

  “Don’t you need to ask where I’m staying?” she asks just before I pull out into traffic, and I can’t help but smirk as I slip into an opening.

  No I don’t because tonight you’re staying with me.

  “Not yet. Right now I’m hungry, and I can only assume you are too,” I completely lie.

  I’d love it if she said, “fuck the food, just take me to your place.”

  It’s not likely though. If I had taken her up on her initial offer to dance, I would have had a better shot at such a feat.

  Damn it. Damn perfect hindsight.

  “Not particularly,” she mumbles, but I can sense her trepidation is the reasoning rather than her libido which seems to be aggravatingly dormant.

  I’m starting to lose my confidence around a girl that seems so immune to my normal charm that drives women to a near and sometimes overly aggressive obsession.

  “I can promise I’m no threat. I simply want to feed you. Relax,” I exasperate.

  I just want to be free from your damn spell.

  “Where are we going?” she asks warily.

  “There’s a diner just ahead. It’s a small, intimate space with good food and a quiet atmosphere. My head is still banging from the obnoxious music back at the club,” I snarl.

  “Why did you go if you hated it?” she asks as if she is amused.

  “I had a business meeting, and for some absurd reason, Bob thought it would be good to meet there.”

  “That was a long business meeting,” she pries while trying to lead me into divulging the truth about why I was still there.

  “Actually, it was short. We just had a few wrinkles to iron out, and then he left about an hour later,” I murmur casually.

  Or maybe it lasted fifteen minutes… who knows?

  “Then why did you stay?” she asks in bemusement.

  Now’s the chance to pour it on thick. No hostages tonight.

  “Because you were still there,” I smolder, and I see her hands gripping to the door and her dress.

  Got her.

  “Oh,” she mumbles, still trying to deny her obvious arousal.

  I can’t hide my grin that grows to spread over my face just as we pull up to the diner.

  She starts snapping a picture of it with her phone, as well as snapping some of the street corner signs. I find it almost too humorous.

  This girl has been with some foul men apparently, or else she’s never let a stranger take her somewhere. Both are interesting theories I wish I could see the details about without having to ask her.

  “Are you really so scared of me that you’re sending pictures of your location?” I laugh out.

  “I’m just cauti
ous,” she answers shyly.

  “That’s not a bad affliction. I can give you the address if you need it,” I murmur while deliberately moving close enough to her to feel the heat of her body against mine.

  Damn she smells good.

  “I think this is good enough,” she mutters with a bit of embarrassment.

  I take her hand in mine and delight myself in the delicious currents while ushering her to go first through the door I’m holding open. My eyes intentionally scale up and down her back when she can’t see me, and I’m finally forced to loosen my collar.

  We sit down and a waitress stumbles like a fool when her eyes fall on me, but of course, I saw it coming.

  “Can I… um… take your body… I mean your order?” she bumbles.

  My eyes do not pay the idiot any attention. They stay devoted to the unbelievable girl squirming awkwardly in her seat across from me.

  She’s almost acting jealous when she rolls her eyes, and then they get caught in mine. I refuse to look anywhere but at her while answering the fool woman.

  “We’ll take two of your specials and two cups of coffee,” I order.

  It takes the oaf far too long to scurry off, but once she does, my girl stays eye-locked with me.

  She’s mine… finally.

  “So you’re the kind of guy who just orders for a girl without first asking what she likes?” she asks with an unimpressed sort of mannerism.

  She keeps surprising me with her fight.

  “I’m the kind of guy who knows what a girl likes without having to ask,” I daringly reply, and I can see I’ve just flustered her more.

  “So you’re a playboy?” she bluntly says to call me out.

  I can’t fight my laughter, and I have to look away from her demanding eyes before I dig myself out of this deal-breaking scenario. It’s fairly obvious she doesn’t like playboys, and it would be wise to keep my past indiscretions quiet if I plan on getting further than a diner dinner with her.

  I’m fucking immortal, baby.

  It’s hard to be faithful to one girl for all eternity.

  “No. Not at all. I’m an excellent observer. You requested coffee at the club, and they didn’t serve it. The waitress told me,” I lie. I overheard it, but she doesn’t need to know that. “Your friend requested pancakes, and you were ready for them. So I gathered you like them as well.”

  “Where were you?” she asks, accidentally revealing how desperately she had been scouring the club for me.

  “There’s a private corner I requested after Bob left. I had a clear view of you, but you were unable to find me despite your best attempts to do so,” I seduce more deliberately, and I lean over the table a little to force her eyes to stare into mine more as the waves stir within me.

  “Oh. You saw me. That’s a little embarrassing,” she mumbles, and damn it’s so fucking cute.

  It’s a good thing she’s not immortal. I’d be looking for far more than one night, and I don’t need that sort of entanglement.

  I’m afraid I’d be completely lost in this girl I can’t see the future of. Her mystery is intriguing enough in its own right, but her beauty is beyond anything I’ve ever seen.

  Her lips beg mine to touch them, and her eyes continue to provoke me. I’d definitely fall hard for this ravishing creature if I had an eternity for her to get stuck in my mind.

  “It shouldn’t be. I wanted you to look for me so I’d know whether or not I was pursuing a lost cause. I was enjoying your relentless eyes,” I roll out salaciously, and I can see her eyes burning now.

  She wants me.

  I take her hand in mine the second we stand up, and I don’t let it go while I’m paying. I’m almost afraid she’ll run, and I’m almost aching to have her.

  The New York air hits us the moment we walk out, and instantly I feel her hand tensing in mine. I should have gotten her out of there sooner.

  I open the car door for her, but I can see it in her eyes - she’s not getting in.

  “Thanks, but I can catch a cab from here. There’s one just over there, and it’s late. I’m sure you’ve got more important things to do than escort me back to my hotel,” she says far too distantly for my liking.

  I reluctantly shut the door and try to start strategizing a new plan of attack. This damn girl is driving me absolutely crazy.

  “I’ve got nowhere to be. So I was right. You’re not from the city. Where do you live?” I pry.

  “Frankford, Connecticut.”

  It seems as though I’ve caught her off guard. I can tell by her reluctant stance she hadn’t meant to say that, so that means it’s true.

  “That’s not too far,” I murmur while mapping out the distance in my head.

  I can be there and back in no time with any one of my cars.

  Why in the hell am I planning this shit out? Just let her fucking go and move on. She’s mortal!

  “It’s pretty far. I have to leave at noon tomorrow.”

  Damn. I’ve only got right now to get this craving gone. I’m starting to worry one night won’t squash these ridiculously obsessive emotions. I swear I’m the one being infected by her.

  I take her hands, and I gently jerk her to my body until I can feel her heat consuming me. I’m dying to rip this red dress to shreds and dive into her flawless, mortal body. I’ll just have to be careful with her.

  She’s too exquisite to release right now, and she isn’t struggling either.

  Take her now.

  I don’t allow her to pull back when I lean over and tilt her head back to allow me access. Her lips feel too soft to be mortal, and I swear her breath is an aphrodisiac.

  I can feel her gentle, fragile hands running up my back when she gives into the passionate embrace, and now I know I can’t let her go.

  Oh fuck. One night isn’t going to be enough.

  I’ve never felt anything as gripping as this, and now I’m a fool thirsting for her.

  The incredible kiss is too strong to release myself from, but I want more. I can’t have more here on the streets, and she might to run away if I don’t act fast.

  “Stay with me tonight,” I breathe.

  “I don’t even know you,” she says hesitantly, but I can tell her objection is forced and not at all sincere.

  “There’s only one way to remedy that,” I murmur, and I don’t wait for her finicky mind to challenge my solid rebuttal.

  I pull her back to me, and I find myself lost in her deliciously exquisite kiss. I’m almost getting light-headed from the overwhelming power of this girl’s taste, stare, and touch.

  I only pull back to open the door, and it’s all I can do not to throw her in the damn car this time. She doesn’t argue though. I almost exhale too loudly when she climbs in, and I flash around to my side to hasten the exit.

  Her eyes glance up with familiarity when we pass the Waldorf, so now I know where she’s staying.

  I just have to learn everything else about her.

  I roll my eyes at my ridiculous newfound fascination just as we pull up to my apartment. I wish I had known such a gorgeous being had been just down the road from me these past few days.

  I would have started this much sooner, and I might have gotten her out of my system by now.

  I hop out and open her door for her, and my fingers intertwine with hers before she can over-think the situation.

  “Hello, Mr. Cole. Did you have a pleasant evening?” my doorman prompts.

  “I did. Thank you,” I murmur very generously while glancing at the beauty hanging on to me.

  I can’t make it all the way to the apartment. It’s at the damn top, and it will take too long. The longer her lips aren’t on mine, the more she’s thinking about this being a bad idea.

  As soon as the elevator doors close, I pull her back into my arms. Her fervent, greedy hands slide over my chest and abdomen, and her heated touch ignites a stirring within me I didn’t know could exist.

  I’ve never felt so… charged. I’ve never felt so insane
or maddened by anyone.

  This can’t be good. What is she doing to me?

  Her back slaps the wall, and my hips keep her pinned as I pour out my passion for her. She trembles slightly, and it’s damn near my undoing.

  It’s all I can do not to fall for this girl in a way I’ve never fallen for anyone. I want more than one night already, and we’ve just gotten started. How will I feel after our bodies have fully connected?

  At this rate, I’ll be in love with this girl by the fucking morning. Damn it.

  My vase shatters to the ground as we crash around my apartment, and it’s all I can do not to just throw her across the damn table and take her right now. Her eyes are closed, so I flash to the bedroom with her in my arms. She doesn’t seem to stir from the hastened motion, which is good because I’ve forgotten how to show caution around her.

  I slide her on the bed, and I refrain from ripping apart her dress as I unzip it and carefully pull it over her head to reveal the body I only thought I was prepared to see.

  She’s too incredible to be mortal, and I’m a fool for putting myself through this. Her damn red lace underwear is ridiculously sexy, and I can’t stare at it on her sleek body any longer.

  There’s not a flaw on her, leaving me to only revel in her perfection - making me officially fucked.

  After I’ve removed the tempting pieces of lace, she starts undressing me, and each one of her touches is enough to make me question my sanity. I really want her to be here tomorrow when I wake up, and that’s absurd.

  I laugh a little against her lips when she struggles with my custom belt, and then I remove it for her. Her legs slide against my waist as she kicks off my pants, and then they wrap around me with begging desire, forcing me to shiver under her intoxicating breath.

  She moans lightly when my lips caress her soft breasts, and then I move down to her smooth abdomen. She clenches the sheets below her, and I decide to cut out all the torturous foreplay I normally shine at.

  I jerk her head back to kiss her neck before finally returning to her lips, and I’m lost in her completely now.

  I’m in so much fucking trouble.

  Holy fuck. That was beyond amazing, and I’m trying not to say something completely ridiculous right now. I feel like I need a cigarette, and I’ve never even smoked.