by Sophie Stern
“This feels more intimate,” she whispered. Her eyes were locked on his and Samuel realized the full extent of the impact he was having on her. She was having an impact on him, too. His cock was hard, straining at his pants to break free. He wanted her. He wanted her when he first saw her, but now, after talking to her just a little bit, he wanted her even more.
“How about this?” He whispered, and pressed his lips to hers. Celia tilted her face up toward Samuel and kissed him back. It surprised him. He knew she was aroused, but he still expected she would be a bit afraid, a bit scared of the way he wanted to touch her.
She wasn’t, though. She loved it. She needed this just as much as he did. For Samuel, sex was linked with food. For him, sex was about more than just carnal pleasure. He needed it to stay alive. He craved it. With Celia, though, he didn’t think he could just get a quick meal and be on his way. He already knew it would take a long time for him to feel satisfied with this one. She would leave him craving.
He could quickly become addicted to her.
Samuel kissed her harder, deeper, and Celia began to moan through their kisses. As they kissed, he untied the ribbons at her shoulders that held her dress on, and it pooled at her feet.
“Oh!” She whispered, pulling back. She looked down at her body, but didn’t try to cover herself. Interesting. “I’m naked.”
“You’re beautiful,” he said.
“Thank you.”
Samuel narrowed his eyes as he saw her looking down. She was uncomfortable with the compliment.
“No one’s ever told you that, have they?”
He didn’t understand. She’d been sexually active before. She’d had sex with different men, maybe even with women. She’d even been with a fucking vampire. She hadn’t been told she was beautiful, though?
“No,” she whispered. “But I’ve never…I, um…”
“What is it?” He prodded, pushing her gently.
“I’ve never been with anyone more than once.”
“Never?”
“Except my, um…” A tear streamed down her cheek and he kissed it away. He wanted to push, wanted to ask her who she’d been with more than once, wanted to ask her what she had been so afraid of that she’d only had one-night experiences with people.
“Who?” He whispered.
“My stepdad,” she said.
Then Celia threw up on the floor.
Nine
Samuel watched Celia sleeping in the center of his bed. He’d already called Gordon and demanded to know what the hell had happened to this one. Gordon claimed he didn’t know. He knew the stepfather was an asshole, but he didn’t know the man had raped his stepdaughter.
He’d raped her.
Hurt her.
Broken her.
Oh, the irony didn’t escape Samuel. He had, after all, captured the woman for himself. Gordon had been the one to do it, of course, but it was all the same. Samuel had taken her, abducted her, and planned to keep her as a toy.
But there was a difference: Samuel planned to give her pleasure. He planned to take care of her. He planned to cherish her. It didn’t matter that he wouldn’t be taking her as a bride. He wasn’t going to take any of the dolls as a bride.
He would care for her, though.
He would protect her.
The dolls who lived in the mansion would service any of the vampires in Samuel’s employ. He couldn’t very well have his house of vampires go hungry. Though there weren’t as many living in his home as there once were, he liked to have dolls available to feed his employees, as well as his guests when he hosted parties or events for the Vampire Council.
When they captured a doll, she would be vetted by him and Gordon. Some of the humans they took weren’t emotionally ready to be dolls. They would do other ordinary housework until they were ready. Some of them never were. That was fine. He had two women working his mansion who weren’t dolls. They had lived here for many years, since he was a young man, and he had no intention of turning them out.
Once the dolls were trained, they were basically free to do as they wished as long as they stayed on the grounds and were available for feeding when required. The dolls never fed a vamp more than once a day. He kept them around for food: not to have them accidentally die.
He treated his dolls differently than many vampires did. Other members of the Vampire Council had criticized him, claiming he was pussy-whipped by his dolls. They thought he wasn’t a man because he didn’t keep his dolls chained up, because he actually tried to keep them happy.
What the other vampires didn’t understand was that happy dolls tasted better. They were more compliant. They were more willing. It was much more fun to bed a doll who wanted to be bedded. It was more fun to play with a woman who was spunky and fun, like Celia.
Only something had taken the spunk out of Celia.
Someone.
And Samuel knew exactly what he intended to do about it. He wouldn’t leave this one to Gordon. He wasn’t going to sit by and let the man who had attacked his blood doll get away with the pain he had caused her. Even in her sleep, Celia looked pained. She looked scared.
She looked afraid.
She looked like a scared little girl and Samuel thought that if he couldn’t get that look of fear off her face, his icy heart might just start to crack.
***
Celia opened her eyes. Something was wrong with the ceiling. The crack was gone. She’d asked Mr. Manchester to fix it several times, but he never had, and she’d finally given up on having him fix it. Now, though, the crack was gone.
But that wasn’t the only thing.
“Good morning, sleepyhead,” a soft voice said from next to her, and it all came rushing back. Celia was gone. She was the thing that was gone. She was gone from her home and from her life and her job and the people that she knew. She was gone and no one would ever know what had happened to her.
“What happened?” She asked. She remembered crying in Samuel’s arms, in being so utterly humiliated that she couldn’t stop, and then everything had gone black for her. Had she passed out? Had she fainted? Had they fucked and she simply couldn’t remember? Had he fed from her? She wasn’t sure. Celia wasn’t sure exactly what had happened except that the night wasn’t what she expected.
She knew what was expected of blood dolls because when she’d slept with Toby, he’d explained everything to her. It was strange, really, the connection she’d felt with him. It wasn’t love or anything like it, but it had been passionate. She wasn’t sure if it was a vampire thing, but Toby had been kind. He’d been sweet. He’d been the only lover who hadn’t made her feel like a cheap whore when they were done and to be honest, Celia kind of missed it.
She had a feeling things would be different with Samuel.
Samuel.
“Samuel is out and asked me to watch over you. Let’s get you showered and dressed, okay?” She realized it was Tasha’s voice and Celia smiled.
“Thanks for taking care of me.”
“Not a problem, honey. You’d do the same for me. I can tell.”
She took Celia and led her back through the mansion to the big bedroom she’d been in before, the room where the dolls stayed. Celia took a better look around this time. Now that she wasn’t scared, she couldn’t help but notice just how huge and beautiful the room really was. It didn’t just have beds in it. It also had vanities and dressers and pictures on the walls. It had personal touches like stuffed animals and figurines and trinkets.
“What can I say?” Tasha said, noticing her gaze. “We make ourselves at home. Come on.”
The other girls weren’t around, so Tasha bathed Celia herself. While she washed her, Tasha talked about life in the mansion and pointed out the good things, as well as the bad. She explained that sometimes, she’d have to entertain guests who are obnoxious, but that no one truly awful was ever allowed near the dolls. Apparently, not all vampires were like that, so Celia appreciated that Samuel was thoughtful.
Once Celia was done bathi
ng, Tasha helped her from the tub, dried her off, fixed her hair, and helped her dress. Then Tasha hugged Celia tightly.
“Thank you for everything,” Celia whispered.
“Thank me like this,” Tasha replied. She pressed her lips to Celia’s. She was soft and sweet. Celia was surprised, but kissed her back eagerly, excited to feel her friend’s touch against her body. Tasha was gentle with her kisses and kept her hands firmly on Celia’s waist, but something told Celia this wouldn’t be the only time they were together, and next time, Tasha’s hands wouldn’t stay put.
“I’ll remember that for future reference,” Celia said. “That this is how you like to be thanked.”
Tasha just laughed and led her back to Samuel’s chambers. When they arrived, Tasha knocked on the door.
“Be good,” she whispered to Celia. “Obey him quickly and everything will be fine.”
“Enter,” a voice called out, and Tasha opened the door. She walked in ahead of Celia and bowed her head to Samuel.
“My Lord,” she murmured.
“I see you have taken good care of Celia, Tasha. Thank you for your service.”
“It was my pleasure, Master. Will there be anything else?”
“No. Leave us.”
Tasha squeezed Celia’s hand as she passed by and left the room. The door closed loudly. Then they were alone. Really alone.
“I’m sorry about last night,” Celia began, but Samuel shook his head.
“You don’t need to be sorry,” he said. “But you should know I took care of the problem.”
“What do you mean?” She had been raped repeatedly by the man who was supposed to protect her family, who was supposed to look after her. How was this something Samuel could take care of?
She’d gone to counseling. Maybe Lester had known what his son had done. She wasn’t sure. He had paid for therapy, though, and Celia thought she had worked through many of her issues while she was in therapy
Still, the pain lingered. She thought she would probably always feel a little used, a little worthless. She would probably always feel a little cheap.
“I mean,” he took a step forward and placed his hands on her shoulders. “I took care of the problem.”
Suddenly, the full impact of his words hit her. He had taken care of it. That was why he was gone when she woke up, why Tasha had taken her away from this room. When Samuel returned, he was probably covered in blood. She noticed now that his clothes were different, that he was wearing only a robe. He looked freshly showered; his blonde hair was wet.
“You killed him?” She asked, whispering the words. She had to know for sure. She needed to be certain.
“Yes,” Samuel said. He looked at her, waiting for her to say something. Did he think she would be mad? Hurt? She hated Raymond and all the things he had done to her and her family. She hated what had happened. She hated knowing that Raymond had exercised such control over her for so long.
And Samuel had freed her.
She threw herself at him and wrapped her arms around his neck.
“Thank you,” she whispered, kissing his cheek. “Thank you, thank you, thank you.” Then she met his eyes and looked at his lips. “Thank you,” she whispered once more. “You freed me.”
Ten
“You must be hungry,” she whispered.
“Actually, I’m quite full,” Samuel said dryly. Oh yeah. She was such a dork. Celia blushed as she realized Samuel had just finished feasting on her late stepfather. She should be worried about things like his company or his business or what would happen to the shareholders, but Celia realized she just didn’t give a fuck.
The company had policies in place to deal with stuff like this and her mother’s care was set up to be handled by a trust in the event of his death. Everything would be taken care of. There was literally nothing Celia had to worry about in the world except thanking the man who had saved her.
She should be mad he had stolen her away and murdered her stepfather, but she wasn’t. In Celia’s eyes, Samuel had taken her from a world of misery and rescued her.
“You didn’t punish me,” she whispered.
“What?”
“Earlier, when I sassed you. You didn’t punish me. Instead, you saved me. Why?”
It was the wrong question. She knew as soon as she asked.
“Me doing this wasn’t enough for you?” Samuel asked darkly. “You need something more? An explanation? What are you looking for, Celia? A promise of love? Because I can’t give that to you.”
“No, no, nothing like that,” she tried to soothe him, calm him. She wanted to sate him. She barely knew Samuel, but he had already done this amazing thing for her. He was no young vampire. She imagined he’d been turned a long, long time ago. She imagined he’d been very hurt and very alone.
He could have sent Gordon to take care of Raymond. He could have sent anyone in the house and they would have done what he wanted because he was the Vampire Lord. He was the one in charge of everything.
He hadn’t.
He had done it himself and he’d done it for her.
“I can never repay you,” Celia whispered. “But I’d like to try.”
He stood still then, watching her. What was he thinking? She wanted him to whisper his secrets to her. She wanted him to tell her what he was thinking, what he was expecting. He wouldn’t, though. He was too dark, too broken for anything that romantic and sweet.
Still, Celia didn’t need sweet.
She needed Samuel.
She pressed her hands to his chest and lowered them to the tie that wrapped around his body. She loosened it and allowed the robe to fall open.
“What are you doing?” He asked.
“Worshipping you,” she whispered.
Then Celia dropped to her knees in front of Samuel and took his cock between her lips. She was inexperienced. She knew this. It was only a blowjob, though, and this wasn’t the type of thing she could really mess up. Enthusiasm was half the battle, right?
She sucked him slowly into her mouth. He was already hard, already swollen for her. She wondered if he’d thought about this before. Had he imagined her here, on her knees, kneeling before him?
Celia reached up and cupped his balls, squeezing softly as she took his length into her mouth. He hissed and she began sucking harder, faster. She wanted to please him, wanted to give him exactly what he wanted. That’s what this was all about, right? The whole blood doll thing? It was all about pleasing a man, a master, a vampire.
This was all about taking care of Samuel.
He had taken care of her and now she would take care of him.
Her hands ran up and down his legs as she took his length over and over again. She opened her throat, trying to take as much of him as she could. She tried to remember all the stories her friends had told her about giving head, tried to recall all the tips they had whispered to her. Breathing through her nose, she focused on getting deeper, closer, feeling him as far down as she could go.
Then she felt his hands in his hair.
“You are so perfect,” he murmured. She stopped moving for a second as tears filled her eyes. She’d never been told that before. Not once. No one had ever told her she was perfect and even if they had, she wouldn’t have believed them.
Somehow, she didn’t think Samuel was lying. She didn’t get the impression he said this to all of the girls. He seemed to really enjoy looking at her, talking to her, being around her. After all, he had done something horrible just for her.
He had saved her.
He pulled her to her feet.
“You understand what happens now,” he whispered.
“Yes.”
“Take off your dress.”
She did as he asked. She had been naked in front of him before, even though it had been quite brief. She was a little nervous now, but not much. She was too focused on making him feel good, on feeding him, on letting him have whatever he wanted. Celia didn’t have the mental capacity to feel nervous in this moment
.
Her dress fell to the ground and she stepped out of it, then kicked it aside. She was naked now. Her breasts rose and fell with each breath. Samuel’s eyes were glued to them.
“Sweet, pink little nipples,” he murmured, touching them. “And you’re shaved.”
“I heard you liked that,” Celia said.
“I do. Turn around.”
She did as he asked, turning around so he could see her backside. She didn’t mind that he wanted to look at her. It didn’t make her feel strange or embarrassed or cheap. No, Samuel’s commands made her feel sultry, dirty, and powerful. They made her feel like she was in control of her own life for once. They made her feel like she was taking charge of what was going to happen, even if that meant submitting to him.
Submission was, in some ways, a form of power. She was just choosing to give Samuel her power. He, in turn, would give her other things.
Himself, maybe.
His love, his attention.
His body.
His dominance.
“Grab your ankles,” he said. She hesitated for a brief moment simply because she’d never been asked this before. It would make her vulnerable and open, but she didn’t mind. Not really. Not when she thought about it.
Samuel would ask her many things, she thought, and she should be ready for them, for him. She should be ready to respond to him without even thinking about it. She should be ready to do as he asked.
Celia reached down and gripped her ankles, resting her cheek against her arm. She was completely open to him. No more secrets. No more hiding. He could see everything she had to offer and more.
She heard him move.
He was still wearing the robe. She felt the soft silk against her body when he got close to her. Then she felt his fingers on her waist.
“You’re beautiful and sweet,” he said, running his nails down her spine. “I almost hate to defile you.”
Then he plunged his cock inside of her.
Eleven
Celia had never been so filled. She didn’t expect Samuel to fuck her so quickly or so completely, but he did. He fucked her until he was close to coming, then he stopped. He grabbed her, pulled her to the bed.
