Ruling Fire (Bad Boys Of The Underworld Book 4)

by Crowe, Mallory

  “Well, parasites don’t like their hosts to know all their tricks.”

  He frowned at the word choice. “Parasite? Is that how you see yourself?”

  She raised her eyebrows at him. “I latched myself onto your life force. If you were human, I’d be killing you right now.”

  “But I’m not human.”

  “No. You’re just a werewolf king,” she said bitterly.

  “Does it really bother you so much?”

  She rubbed her eyes and let out a frustrated sigh. “I just—I don’t want to cause you any more trouble than I already have. I have this horrible feeling I’m going to ruin everything for you.”

  Brock leaned forward and caught her lips with his. She let out a shocked gasp but didn’t move away. He opened his mouth over hers but kept his hands firmly at his sides, only touching her with his mouth.

  She kissed him back and for a second it was perfection.

  Brock pulled away, leaving Elsie staring up at him with a dazed expression. “You said you wouldn’t touch me.”

  “I lied,” he said without an ounce of remorse. “I’m still trying to make up for that first kiss.”

  Her dark-blue eyes met his brown ones. He tried to decipher her thoughts but didn’t have a clue what she was thinking.

  “Mission accomplished.” She turned to the bed.

  “I can sleep on the floor,” he offered.

  Elsie looked over her shoulder, and once again he was clueless as to what she was thinking. She walked around the bed to one of her bags and dug through it.

  “You’re my mate. There’s no reason we shouldn’t share a bed.”

  His pulse immediately kicked up, but he didn’t say anything. She pulled out some clothes, probably pajamas, and a toothbrush. “Is the bathroom through there?” She pointed to a connecting door.

  He nodded and she walked out of his sight. He exhaled a breath he didn’t even know he’d been holding. He clenched and unclenched his fists as he stared around the room. What the hell was he supposed to do?

  Normally when a drop-dead sexy woman was in his bedroom, he knew exactly what to do. He knew what to say and how to act to make sure she was naked in his bed in minutes and left happy.

  This was different. This was Elsie.

  She emerged from the bathroom, wearing an oversized pink t-shirt with foreign writing and pajama shorts. He couldn’t be certain, but the writing looked Russian. “I didn’t know you owned anything that baggy.”

  Pink crept up her cheeks and she looked at the ground. He never imagined a siren could act so demure. “I didn’t know you paid attention to what I wear.”

  “You have no idea,” he whispered. He knew she was able to hear him.

  “This was a gift from Roman when he came back from Russia a few years ago. He assured me the extra-large wasn’t an insult. He was just sick of never seeing me in comfortable clothes.” Her mouth curled in a small smile and Brock could tell she held great affection for her stepfather.

  “That was thoughtful of him.” Elsie nodded her agreement but didn’t say anything else about him. He decided not to pressure her for more details about her family. She was exhausted and stressed. Sleep would be good for both of them. “You get some rest. I have to get a couple things done.”

  He walked over to the door and Elsie stayed still in the middle of the room.

  “Good night, Brock,” she said so softly he almost didn’t catch it.

  “I’ll be back soon,” he warned. He would let her get comfortable, maybe even fall asleep, but he would be joining her. He would take a mile out of every inch she gave him.

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  Elsie was in the same hallway. Big windows, long curtains, old portraits, and marble floors stretched in front of her. She wasn’t as lost this time.

  She turned around and saw the locked door, same as last time. For kicks, she tried the knob, but it didn’t budge.

  It’s just a dream. All you have to do is wake up. Yeah, right. That’s probably what Brock’s mother said before she died in her sleep.

  The hallway seemed to grow and elongate in front of her eyes. Elsie backed herself into the locked door and crouched down. With her arms wrapped around her knees, she ducked her head and closed her eyes.

  Wake up. Wake up. Wake up.

  Elsie was immediately wide awake. Her eyes snapped open, but her body remained still. The sight of intricately designed wooden furniture greeted her and it took her a moment to remember where she was.

  Then she felt the warm and well-muscled arm around her waist.

  Brock. She was in bed with Brock and he was holding her.

  Every rule she’d pounded into her mind for the last ten years demanded she jump out of the bed and run screaming, but she forced herself to remain calm.

  She’d run last night and that got her nowhere. Even if she ran, Brock would chase her down. She ensured he would always come after her the second she forced him to claim her.

  From now on, she was the only woman Brock could be with. She at least owed him the courtesy of trying to work this out.

  She tried to relax, but it wasn’t easy. She felt as if she was in bed with a complete stranger. She had known Brock for over two years, but it was all too clear now that she hadn’t known him at all.

  The arm around her tightened and pulled her back against his hard chest.

  That wasn’t the only thing hard about him.

  Everywhere he touched sent warm tingles through her entire body. A few key areas felt this sensation much more than others.

  Elsie bit her bottom lip and tried to turn to face him, but he didn’t release his grip to allow her to turn.

  “Let’s just lay like this,” he whispered against her neck. His lips tickled the sensitive skin.

  She wasn’t ready for this. For him. How can I tell him to let me go when he has every right to lay with me any damn way he wants? “Um, I didn’t hear you come back last night.” Fail.

  His thumb moved in lazy circles at the top of her ribcage, just inches beneath her breasts. At the sudden surge of warmth between her thighs, she clenched her legs together, accidentally pushing her rear against his erection.

  He groaned against her ear as his arm lowered and pulled her hips fully against him. “God, Elsie. I couldn’t sleep at all with your hot body up against mine all night.”

  Elsie’s mouth went dry at his words. Well, at this point, other parts were probably sucking up all the moisture. “I didn’t mean to keep you up.”

  He laughed; his warm breath against her neck sent shivers down her back. “You really would be sorry, wouldn’t you? Don’t be. It might be the best night of my life.”

  One corner of her mouth raised in a smirk. “You’re such a liar.”

  She couldn’t see him, but felt him shake his head. “Nope. Best night ever. Only one thing would’ve made it better.”

  Before she could ask what, he punctuated his point by rubbing his erection against her. Elsie’s head fell back and she moaned at the feel of him so close to her entrance. She was so ready for him. All he would have to do was push aside her shorts and panties and he could slide in so easily.

  He growled and his lips found her neck, softly kissing and nipping. One of her hands came up and fisted in his hair. She wasn’t pushing him away, though. She pulled him closer, begging for more.

  He ripped his mouth away and pushed himself from the bed, landing in a graceless heap on the floor. Elsie shot up on the bed, about to yell at him for stopping, when she saw his eyes.

  They looked like golden amber on fire and stared at her with an intensity she’d never seen before.

  He stood up, wearing only loose, gray sleeping pants; his erection strained to break free of the cotton prison. “Breakfast is downstairs whenever you’re ready.” He turned and walked out.

  Elsie stared wordlessly. Half of her was grateful he left, but the other half wanted to run to the door and call him back.

  What was happening to her? She’d maint
ained fierce control over herself for her entire life, but now she was moaning and groaning in her boss’s arms. The boss who’d been tricked into claiming her as a mate.

  This was exactly the person she never wanted to be.

  Feeling disgusted with the entire situation, Elsie pushed the covers, that weren’t already on the floor from Brock’s hasty retreat, off and stormed into the shower.

  When she finally emerged from the bathroom, she felt a little better. At least she looked like herself. The short denim shorts were perfect for the warm spring weather, and the sheer beige top with bright coral embroidery brought out the blue in her eyes. The top was loose, but the sheerness allowed the nude tank beneath to clearly outline her long and thin torso and what curves she had.

  Not wanting to appear too vain, she planned to do a neutral makeup, but she couldn’t keep herself from her bright coral lipstick. The color perfectly matched the detailing on her top, and she was a sucker for bright lipsticks.

  Her blonde hair was up in a simple ponytail, but it worked for the casual/cute look she was going for.

  She looked in the mirror and took a deep, calming breath. Off to face the family. Again.

  There wasn’t a greeting party waiting for her like the last time she’d gone down the stairs. It was worse. Lana was there and no one else.

  “Good morning, Elsie,” she said in a voice so pleasant it had to be fake. “Brock just left with Russell to go for a run. He seemed a little, I don’t know, wound up.” A knowing smile twisted her features from pretty to vindictive bitch.

  “I can imagine,” she responded, with a knowing smile of her own. “Between going public with our relationship, the craziness at work, and meeting my own family last night, he’s been having a crazy week. Of course, it would’ve been better if he’d gotten some rest, but the poor guy got hardly any sleep last night.”

  If looks could kill, Elsie would be six feet under in a millisecond. “Don’t be crass, dear. You’re supposed to be a queen.” With that parting shot, Lana sauntered away.

  Elsie watched her go and fought the urge to stick out her tongue. Beat her in an argument and Elsie was being immature, but if she said nothing, Lana would win anyway.

  Elsie moved into the kitchen. The rustic theme continued, but stainless-steel appliances and a granite island gave the touch of modern rustic. The kitchen was at the corner of the cabin, so two walls had large windows to let in the bright light of morning.

  She walked over to the sink and could see the gentle waves washing up on the beach as birds searched for their breakfast.

  Elsie turned back to the kitchen doorway when the silent morning was interrupted by rustling noises of someone coming down the stairs.

  Dani trudged, eyes firmly on the ground in front of her and a sour expression on her face. She looked up at Elsie but didn’t even give her a nod of acknowledgment. Dani trudged to the refrigerator, where she pulled out an apple and turned to leave the kitchen.

  This zombie-like creature was nothing like the sweet and funny girl Elsie met the previous morning. “Everything okay?” she called just as Dani reached the stairs.

  Dani never even stopped to look back. “It will be as soon as today is over.” With that, she turned the corner and slammed the door to her bedroom.

  Is this a teenager thing?

  Elsie never had mood swings like that as a teen. She was in college by the time Etta was a teen, but even then, she was much too happy playing with her vampire friends to get so melodramatic.

  The front screen door swung open with a loud squeak and then Brock was in the kitchen with her. Her heartbeat automatically sped up at the sight of him in his long running shorts and tight gray t-shirt.

  Seriously, how did those suits hide all that muscle from her?

  Riggs ran past him to circle around her legs. Elsie knelt to run her fingers through the dog’s short and thick fur, grateful for something to look at besides Brock. The last thing she needed was to start drooling. “I thought you were out running.”

  “I was rude to leave you alone. You hardly know anyone here and I shouldn’t go for a run just to clear my head when you’re as stressed as I am. In some ways, at least.” He walked toward her and she quickly moved out of his way as he filled a glass with water from the sink.

  “Maybe we can go for a jog together.” It would be a pain considering she just did her makeup, but it would be a good way to spend time with him.

  He finished taking a deep gulp of the water. “That would be nice. I’d offer another walk on the beach, but the last time we did that, you ran away.”

  “I wouldn’t call it ‘running away.’” She leaned against the counter.

  He set his glass on the counter. “What would you call it then?”

  She thought about it for a second. “I was taking a breather.”

  He raised an eyebrow. “Well, let’s avoid you taking any breathers that involve a three-hour drive.”

  “I think that can be avoided.”

  He walked up to her and she instinctively moved back, only to remember there was nowhere to go. “Brock, I—”

  His mouth covered hers, blocking any protest. She closed her eyes and savored the feel of his lips on hers. His tongue gently probed her lips and she brought her hands to his shoulders.

  Before she could pull him closer, he broke the kiss. “I’m going to go upstairs and change,” he whispered.

  Elsie was left standing alone in the kitchen as he turned and walked away from her. What the hell was that?

  CHAPTER NINE

  The cold water felt refreshing on Elsie’s feet. With her legs hanging over the docks, she made figure eights in the water, entranced by the small ripples she made in the lake.

  The dock shook with the weight of another person. Brock walked up and took a seat next to her. “You take longer than me to get ready,” she teased.

  “Sorry for the wait. There was some family stuff going on.” He set down a plate overflowing with fruit and breakfast cookies.

  Her eyes widened at the amount of food. “Did you bring enough?”

  “I didn’t know what you liked.”

  Oh yeah. They barely knew each other. She kept forgetting that. Maybe it was a good sign. “What kind of family stuff?”

  “Dani has a school dance tonight. It’s this summer festival they’re throwing as a fundraiser and she isn’t happy with her dress. You know how girls are. They always hate what they’re wearing the night they have to wear it.”

  Elsie narrowed her eyes. “No, I don’t know how girls are. Mother always made sure Etta and I looked fantastic for school events. Or vampire events. There were a lot of events. I might hate her at the moment, but the woman has fantastic taste.”

  Brock winced, realizing the stupidity of his word choice. “Sorry. I didn’t mean for it to come out like that.”

  Elsie shrugged, not dwelling on it. She knew he didn’t mean anything by it. Two years of working under him made it clear he respected women. “I’ll take a look at Dani’s dress later today. Give her my expert opinion.”

  He smiled. “You are the expert on looking great, aren’t you?”

  Elsie bit her lip, unsure how to respond to the compliment. “Careful. I am susceptible to flattery.”

  “I’m counting on it.” Before she could dwell on his words, he continued, “So your stepfather is a vampire and your birth father is human? How does that work?”

  Elsie turned to gaze out over the peaceful lake. She rarely ever spoke about her real father. Rebecca would never mention him, and Etta was too young to remember much. “I think Rebecca really loved him. They could never bond, though. A siren pulls too much energy from the life force of their mate. He never would’ve survived if they got married.

  “They bought a small house and worked odd jobs to get by. Dad worked in construction mostly and my mom could always get a position at the high-end retail stores. But he was mortal. One day his family history of heart problems caught up with him.” Elsie reversed
the figure eight she was making in the water. She tried not to think about that night too much. The suddenness of it all. The confusion in the chaos.

  “I didn’t mean to bring up sad memories.”

  She shrugged and pushed the sadness to the dark corner of her mind where she always buried it. “It was a long time ago. A few days after, we left the house and moved to a crappy apartment in the city. A month after that, we moved in with Roman.”

  “That seems really fast.”

  Elsie scoffed at the understatement. “Mother is a force of nature when she wants something. She and Roman have a strange relationship. They seem to be so happy together, but I can’t imagine she hooked up with him for anything more than a long life and money. All’s well that ends well, I guess.”

  Brock grabbed a sugar-covered pastry from the plate. “It sounds like he treated you and your sister good.”

  Elsie stared at the pastry, mentally counting the calories and debating whether it was worth it. “Roman is amazing. He’s always treated Etta and me like we were his own. It’s hard for some vampires to be around mortals. For one, Roman and Thomas are pure breeds; they both feed off mortals. And I’m sure it gets frustrating to be around people so much slower and weaker than them.”

  Brock laughed. “Trust me, the vampires don’t mind it if it involves an attractive woman.”

  Elsie smiled. “That’s true. I got to see a lot. I’ve had private dinners with the king and his wife. I was at the tower when the doorway opened.”

  His eyes widened. “You were there? Nothing happened to you, did it?”

  She shook her head. “No one was paying any attention to me.” It had been a crazy night. Sonin Tower was having its grand opening ceremony when the rebel vampires attacked. Up until that night, everyone assumed the rebels were a small faction who wanted to overthrow the king, Aleksander.