Pleasures Untold

by Lisa Sanchez

  Heat flashed beneath his beautiful bronze irises. He lowered his gaze, capturing mine, refusing to let me look away. “You’re wrong, carino. I do know you. And I understand better than you think.”

  I slammed my eyelids shut and shook my head in disbelief. “No,” I whimpered with a gasp. Nothing he said would make me change my mind.

  His lips pulled into a frown, and he ran his thumb across my cheekbone. “Nina terca. Always so stubborn. I’ve been watching over you since you were a small child, and I do know you.

  “I saw what the children used to do to you. The mocking, the laughing. Their cruelty and unwillingness to include you in anything because you were different was heartless and unfeeling. I watched as you’d sit alone day after day, crying silent tears, and I wanted nothing more than to rip the hearts out of those that hurt you. I witnessed you slowly retreat inward over the years, protecting yourself from the ridicule and ignorance of others, honor bound to protect you from evil, but helpless to shield you from the everyday monsters who made your life a living hell.”

  I winced, remembering the cackling that followed me whenever I left a room. I frowned at the memory of always being the last one standing when teams were being picked. The acrid taste that was so reminiscent of exclusion filled my senses, bringing tears to my eyes.

  Xan reached up, wiping away a stray tear. “You’ve endured so much, in such a short amount of time. Witnessing your mother’s murder, living on the run.” He paused, playing with a strand of my hair. “Having to hide who you really are. Any one of those things could easily break a person, but you managed to endure them all. There is a strength in you I’ve never seen before.”

  “You’re wrong,” I said, stepping back and wriggling free of his grip on my shoulders. “If I was strong, I wouldn’t feel the way I do.” I turned my back to him. “I wouldn’t be pining after someone who doesn’t want me.”

  Xan came at me hard, wrapping his arm around my waist and teleporting us to the top of his bed. I lay trapped beneath the glorious expanse of his body, his large hands pinning my arms down as he ground his hips against my center. His rock hard arousal was extremely evident, even through the layers of clothing between us.

  He growled, a low, predatory sound that sent wet heat pooling between my thighs. “Still think I don’t want you?”

  I gasped, breathless as I watched his eyes grow dark with need, his fangs elongating once more. But he wasn’t hungry for my blood. No. This was a different hunger altogether, and I wanted nothing more than to be devoured by him.

  His breaths came out quick and labored. “You’re all I can think of, every moment of every cursed day. The sweet smell of your blood, the softness of your skin, your beautiful smile that so rarely makes an appearance. Fuck! I want nothing but you, carino. You consume me.”

  Fire blazed over me, a sinfully sweet burn raging through me from head to toe. My mind thrilled at his words. Despite his declaration, there was a nagging thought in the back of my mind. Part of me wondered if I was experiencing some sort of hallucination or dream, and that I’d wake up realizing none of this had ever happened. It was too good to be true. Xan was too perfect to want anything to do with me.

  I reached my hand up to touch him, and he was gone, having teleported across the room. With all trace of emotion gone, his face once again grew hard, serious and unrelenting. His rapid change in emotions was maddening, and impossible to keep up with. I sat up, frustration rolling off me in waves.

  He looked away for a moment, the muscles in his jaw straining and flexing. “I think it’s time you got back to your friends. We’ll finish this another time. Right now, I just need you to leave.”

  I sat up, shocked. “You’re kicking me out? But — ”

  I was standing in my living room back in my apartment before I could finish my sentence.

  “Damn him!” I picked up the closest thing I could find — a glass jar filled with red and green M&M’s — and chucked it across the room with a scream. “Jerk!”

  “What…the…hell?”

  Oh, God, no…

  I whirled around to see none other than Nasty Betty, standing across the room, staring at me open-mouthed and in shock right along with Taylor and Jessica.

  “Um, I think I’ll…yeah…I’ll just be leaving now,” she said and turned on her heels, the front door to the apartment slamming moments later. I stood in shock, staring aghast at my two roommates.

  I knew one thing for sure. The implications for Edie Van Walldenberg seeing me poof into the room out of thin air were not going to be good.

  Chapter 10

  “Can someone please tell me why Nasty Betty was in our apartment?”

  Of all the people to see me materialize out of thin air — crap. Edie was a ticking time bomb just waiting to go off. And fueled with the proper ammunition, she was a force to be reckoned with. Popularity had its perks, and people listened to what she had to say, regardless of what it was.

  “I don’t know,” Jessica said. “Taylor and I had just finished getting ready and came back to your room to find you gone. We assumed you left to be with Xan. Both of us were starving and getting ready to pick up the Chinese food when she knocked on the front door.”

  Jess glanced over to Taylor before continuing on with a frown. “She acted weird…you know…trying to be nice. It was bizarre. Mostly she just wanted to know where you were. And oh, my God. Did you notice how bad she looked? I’ve never seen her looking so beat before.”

  “Yeah,” Taylor said. “She actually looked sweaty. What was up with that? She never looks anything less than perfect.”

  I raised my eyebrows and made a face. What the hell did Edie want with me? She hated me with a fiery passion, and frankly, the feeling was mutual.

  I shook my head in confusion. “Why would she want to see me?” I crossed the room, passing our still undecorated Christmas tree, and began picking up the scattered pieces of broken glass and holiday candy.

  Jess hurried into the kitchen for a garbage bag and Taylor joined me in cleaning up. “Don’t know,” she said with a shrug. “I told her you were out with Xan, and that we didn’t know when you’d be back.”

  My head shot up. “You told her I was with Xan?” I groaned. “That’s great. Just great. I don’t want her knowing my business. She’s up to no good, I’m sure of it.”

  Taylor’s face screwed up as though I’d slapped her. “God, Martha, I’m sorry. She kept pushing, and I didn’t know what else to do. I didn’t mean to upset you.” Her wide eyes appeared glassy with unshed tears, and her lower lip trembled.

  Shit. I am such an ass. I stopped what I was doing and faced her. “Crap. I’m sorry, Taylor. I had no right to snap at you like that. Xan’s got me so freaking frustrated I just…GAH!” I chucked the candy in my hands onto the ground and bolted down the narrow hall to my bedroom. Dammit! I’d turned into a pathetic girly girl. I dove onto my bed, rolled onto my back, and swiped my palms over my face. I needed to get a hold of myself.

  Taylor and Jessica rushed in moments later and crawled onto the foot of my bed.

  “What happened?” Taylor asked. She made herself good and comfortable, snuggling up with a throw blanket, while waiting for my answer.

  “Yeah,” Jessica said and slapped my leg. “Spill. We thought you were going to stay away from Xan until you knew more about him. But then we walked in on you two in the middle of a grope session.” She pursed her lips and raised a brow. “Start talking.”

  I waved a hand in front of me. “Hold up a sec. Grope session? We were hugging. That’s all.” I frowned, remembering our almost kiss. God! If only they’d stayed away a little longer. Had I wanted to grope Xan? Hell, yes. But she didn’t need to know that.

  Jessica gave me a pointed look, laced with a smirk, but thankfully remained silent.

  I sat up and scooted backward so that my back was flush against the
wall. “He flashed in after the two of you left to shower and said he was ready to answer some of my questions.”

  “Wait.” Taylor held up a finger. “What do you mean, he flashed in?”

  “I mean just what I said. He poofed in from his apartment. He can teleport from one place to another.”

  Her jaw dropped. “DAYUM! That’s hot.” She gave a deep nod of approval and fanned herself.

  “You think everything is hot. You’re not real discriminating,” Jessica said playfully before turning back to me. “Okay, all right. Teleportation is pretty cool. I’ll give him that. But…I don’t know. I still don’t trust him. What the hell is he, and what was his excuse for sinking his teeth into you?”

  Jessica was fiercely protective of her friends, so I wasn’t surprised to hear her blunt question. I decided there was really no point in keeping things from my friends any longer. I’d already revealed my secret identity and the fact that I was in hiding from Lucian, so I told them everything.

  Jessica’s eyes threatened to pop out of their sockets and bounce across the room. “Whoa. That’s…wow! So he’s been watching over you all this time at your great-grandmother’s request, and you never knew he was there? That’s kinda romantic and creepy at the same time.”

  Taylor wore a fat grin and lay wiggling in place with excitement. “Too right. The whole biting you thing so he can find you is way sexy. You go, girl. You totally bagged yourself a major hottie. And hello! He’s a badass to boot.”

  I let out a huff and scowled. I dropped my head so I didn’t have to meet their eyes, and fiddled with the edge of my comforter. “I haven’t bagged anyone. In case you hadn’t noticed, I don’t have a lot of experience when it comes to guys.” Mortified, I covered my face with my hands and groaned. “I’ve never even been kissed.”

  Ugh. Did I really just admit that out loud? I’m a twenty-one-year-old virgin loser!

  “Wait, wait, wait…hold up.” I moved my hands to see Taylor leaning forward, just inches from me, wearing a you’ve-got-to-be-fucking-kidding-me look on her face. “Did you just say you’ve never been kissed? How…how is that possible?”

  I whimpered and buried my face in my hands again. I didn’t want to talk about my extreme lack of experience. Nope. I wanted to throw up.

  Was I really going to talk about this? Yep. I knew my roomies well enough to know they’d never let it go. I breathed in deep and sang like a canary. “Hell, I don’t know. I moved around a lot.” I dropped my hands. “I just…never formed any kind of attachments or relationships with anyone. I don’t know…I just — ugh!” My hands shot back up again, covering my shame. The 40-Year-Old Virgin, here I come.

  “So what,” Jessica said, while trying to pry my hands from my face. “Why kiss a bunch of frogs when you could be kissing a prince?” She picked up a throw pillow and chucked it at Taylor’s face. “Way to make her feel crappy, Tay. Geez!” She turned toward me again and gave my hand a squeeze. “So, when are you planning on locking lips with Mr. Sexy Vamp?”

  I groaned loud and long, and buried my face against my bended knees. “Ugh. Probably never. He’s just so — ” My head shot up, and I slammed my fists onto the comforter and growled. “He’s just so freaking frustrating. He runs hot and cold, and I swear when I’m around him I don’t know whether I’m coming or going. One minute it feels like he wants me, the electricity between us is so strong, so powerful. The next he’s distant, and cold, and altogether too serious. I just — I don’t know what I’m feeling, and I sure as hell don’t know what I’m doing.”

  Jessica sat back with a broad smile slapped across her face. “You’re falling for him.”

  “What? No! I can’t be. It’s too soon.” I searched her eyes, hoping she had an answer for me. “Isn’t it?”

  She shook her head, eyes bright with excitement. “Not necessarily. You’re exhibiting all the tell tale signs of someone who is seriously smitten.”

  I made a face. “Smitten?”

  She brushed off my sarcasm with a wave of her hand. “Oh, whatever, Little Miss Buffy the Vampire Dater. You’re hot for Fang Boy and want his undead body like a fat kid wants cake.” She inclined her head toward me. “Is that a better description?”

  I rolled my eyes as Taylor broke into a fit of hysterics. Jessica was truly one of a kind.

  “Do not refer to Xan as ‘Fang Boy.’ There is nothing boyish about him. Trust me — he’s all man.” Visions of me lying beneath his steely body, with his hips and a very large bulge pressing against me came rushing to mind. My cheeks flushed a bright crimson and my hoo-hah flamed up just thinking about him.

  “Oh, fine,” Jessica said, frowning. “What about…” She tapped her finger on her lips. “Suck-Master 2000?”

  “Ooh, ooh,” Taylor said, flapping her arms. “I know, I know — Vascular Man.”

  “That’s too clinical,” Jessica said. “We need to come up with something cute and sassy that defines not only what he is, but how shmexy he is as well.”

  “No, we don’t,” I said in protest. “Xan works just fine for me.”

  Neither paid any attention to me and continued staring off into space, faces scrunched up, deep in concentration.

  “I’ve got it.” Taylor clapped wildly and bounced in place like a mad woman.

  “McVampy. He’s smoking hot, and he’s got a delicious bite to him. He’s better than McDreamy and McSteamy rolled together!”

  “Oh…good…God.” I rolled my eyes, certain that as much as I disliked her new moniker for Xan, it would inevitably stick.

  I focused on Jessica. “Okay, Dr. Ruth. Getting back to the topic at hand. Since you think you are the expert, what exactly are the tell tale signs of someone who is — ” I paused, refusing to utter the word smitten, “ — attracted to someone?”

  Jess rubbed her palms together, shifted in place, and settled in good. “Okay, then. Well…He makes your knees wobbly with one glance. You get a tingly sensation that shoots up your spine whenever he walks into the room.” She bit her lip and looked down for a moment. Then it was like a light bulb went off, and her head shot back up, her blue eyes shining with enthusiasm. “You have the constant, uncontrollable urge to tackle him, rip his clothes off, and do very naughty, un-lady like things to him. Those would be just a few examples. I’d bet my right arm you’ve experienced every one of those. I can see it on your face. You’ve got it bad for McVampy.” Jessica sat back, crossed her arms and eagle-eyed me with a smug look of satisfaction etched across her face.

  I narrowed my eyebrows and scowled, but kept my trap shut. There was no way in hell I was going to admit she was right. Every time I was near Xan, I wanted to rip his clothes off. With my teeth.

  I wrapped my arms around my knees and chewed on my lip. “It doesn’t really matter how I feel. He’s not on the same page, so it’s really just…pointless. And really, I’d rather there not be any kind of awkwardness between us. It looks like I’m going to be spending a good amount of time with him while we’re trying to bring down Lucian.”

  Taylor threw back the blanket covering her and shook her head. “From everything you told us, I’m sure he has feelings for you. For whatever reason, he’s holding back. Idiot!”

  I shrugged and sighed. The room fell silent for a few moments as we all sat still, lost in thought. The embarrassing sound of my stomach growling filled the quiet void, and sent the three of us into a fit of giggles.

  Jess let out a snort. “Dang, girl. Hungry? I take it you didn’t eat while you were with Xan?”

  I shook my head. “Uh, no. Food was the last thing on my mind while I was over there.” I’d been hungry all right, but definitely not for food. “You wanna hear something strange?”

  They both nodded in agreement.

  “Xan keeps food in his refrigerator. I mean food food, not blood food. Weird.”

  “He eats?” Jessica asked. “I thought v
amps only needed blood to sustain them.”

  Taylor rested her head in her hands. “But Martha said he’s not a vamp. He’s a hybrid, right?”

  “Yeah. He’s got a heartbeat, which is just…weird. Everything about him is so…different. I don’t know,” I said, shaking my head with uncertainty. “But I’m sure I’ll find out soon enough.”

  Jess shifted and swung her legs over the side of the bed. “Let’s head over to the coffee shop. We don’t have shit for food here, and they have deli sandwiches and stuff. Taylor and I haven’t eaten either,” she said as she hopped off the bed. “I’m so damn hungry I’m ready to eat my shoes.”

  I smiled at the mental picture Jessica painted and followed her and Taylor out of the room.

  ***

  A short while later I found myself seated on one of the couches lining the back wall of Cup of Joe’s. The smooth sound of Elvis Presley belting out “Blue Christmas” floated through the air. A turkey sandwich and a large peppermint iced mocha sat on the coffee table in front of me. Jessica sat to my right, Taylor across from me in a giant, brown leather chair. The savory smell of high-calorie coffee drinks and pastries wafting through the air made my already hungry mouth drool even more. My poor sandwich didn’t stand a chance. It would be gone in four bites. Maybe three.

  “I’m proud of you, sweetie,” Jessica said, patting my knee in between bites of her chicken salad sandwich. “You didn’t terrorize poor Ronald today. Is it possible? Is our little Martha growing up?” She let out a giggle while glancing over to Taylor who proceeded to give me a thumbs-up sign along with a nod.

  “Hmph!” I turned my head in the direction of the lanky source of my irritation. As per usual, the moment I’d walked into the shop his eyes bugged out of his head, and I could have sworn he even broke out into a light sweat.

  Poser.