by Laura Lee
“Because when I went there, he could track me. She traveled extensively while I was in isolation, always making sure his men were following and reporting back to him. She was counting on his obsession with her. She figured that he wouldn’t be concerned with me if we were separated. She was right.”
“So if I understand the timeline correctly, about six months had passed at that point?”
“Correct. Slightly over.”
“When did she join you?”
“She didn’t.” His voice was so low I could barely hear him.
“Why not? You said that she was going to join you in Vegas.”
He looked up, sadness heavily reflected in his eyes. “Because she died. He killed her.”
“Oh, Leo, I’m so sorry.” Inadequate, I know, but I couldn’t think of anything else to say.
I knew there was more to the story when Leo first mentioned his relationship with Renata. He never told me why they split; I had assumed one or both had simply grown tired of their lengthy affair. I knew she had died somehow, but he made it seem like that happened after their relationship ended. I saw him differently now, knowing that her death had ended things. Leo was basically a widower. No, they hadn’t technically been married, but being with the same person for four centuries counted as marriage in my book. Hell, they’d probably still be together if Khonsu hadn’t taken action. I wasn’t ready to admit how I felt about that.
He cleared his throat. “Thank you, my love, but I’ve made peace with it. Would you like to hear the rest of the story?”
I didn’t believe for one second that he’d made peace with her death. “Yes, please do.”
“We had agreed to meet on the seventh moon,” he continued. “She didn’t make it, of course, but I decided to give her a little more time. International travel back then wasn’t as easy as it is today, especially for a vampire. When she didn’t show on the eighth moon, I made arrangements to return to our home in London.”
“What happened when you got there?”
“A package was waiting for me.”
“A package?” I repeated.
He gulped. “Yes. Our butler had remained behind to care for the house. He accepted delivery but we left no forwarding address so he stored it in the library.”
“What was in it?”
He stared at his clasped hands for a moment. “A letter.”
“From whom?”
“Khonsu. It only had two sentences written on it. It said Renata was his and if she were fool enough to think otherwise, she deserved to pay for it with her life.”
“But how do you know he killed her? That letter could be perceived as a threat, not necessarily an admission.”
He raised his head and looked me directly in the eye. “Because her severed head was with the letter.”
I slammed my hand over my mouth to stifle my gasp. “What’d you do? Did you look for him?” I could imagine Leo going on a rampage, hell bent on revenge.
He shook his head. “No. When Charles, our butler, saw what happened he brought me another letter. This one was from Renata. She had instructed him to deliver it to me upon her death. She foretold that Khonsu would end her life one day. If that happened, she wanted me to seek shelter, not vengeance. It was her dying wish that I move far away and continue to live my life.
“She said she had lived almost two thousand years and was at peace with her death, provided there was a good cause. She loved me more than her own life and needed my promise that I would follow her instruction so she could rest, knowing she died protecting me. She willed her entire estate to me, making me a very wealthy man. As much as it killed me to leave, I did so out of respect and love for her.”
Wow, talk about a tragic love story. “So…you came back to Vegas?”
“I did,” he confirmed. “I spent the next sixty years or so dealing with my grief in ways that will forever haunt me. I threw myself into building an empire, trying to fill the void with work, women, violence—you name it, I probably did it. It wasn’t until the incident with Maria that I woke up…that’s when the cloud was lifted.”
Leo and Maria had an affair while she was still married to Vance. He had turned her into a vampire as one final fuck you to Vance for messing with his shady business partners. She was a completely willing participant but unbeknownst to him, she was pregnant with Vance’s child at the time. To change, the person had to be drained almost completely of their blood. Their heart must be near the point of death before their sire’s blood can be mixed with their own. Leo felt the baby’s heart stop while he was drinking her blood. He’d never gotten over the guilt of taking such an innocent being’s life. He told me that had been the moment when he ended all ties to anyone that exploited or harmed others. He focused solely on running legitimate businesses and made it his mission in life to atone for his past behavior. I already knew this part of the story, but until now, I didn’t know what drove his nefarious behavior prior to that. It certainly wouldn’t be the first time grief made someone do something they’d later regret.
I didn’t realize I had been crying until Leo swiped a tear from my cheek. “I think that’s enough conversation for the evening, don’t you?”
I sniffed. “Yeah, I guess.”
He stood up from the couch and offered his hand. “Let’s go to sleep.”
The day’s events must’ve caught up with me at once because it only took a moment to drift off after I settled in Leo’s arms.
I awoke sometime later when I heard a strange noise coming from the master bathroom. I rolled over and saw Leo moving around behind a small crack in the door. Normally, I’d give him his privacy, but it sounded like he was having trouble with something. He was grunting, but not in a good way.
I tiptoed across the room so I could take a peek. I really didn’t want to interrupt him if it was the good kind of grunting. I gasped as soon as I saw his reflection in the mirror, totally busting myself in the process. “Oh, Leo, why didn’t you tell me?”
I pushed the door open. He was fully naked, which under any other circumstance would wreak havoc on my hormones. Bloodied bandages littered the pristine marble counter top. The right side of his body was still completely burned from his armpit down to his knee. He must have been examining his injuries in the mirror.
He hissed when I lightly touched his shoulder. Upon closer inspection, I could see that it was also burned, only not nearly as bad. The skin was an angry shade of red there, which was a major upgrade from the blistered, ashy flesh below.
He turned away from me and grabbed a robe hanging from a hook. “I’ll be fine, my love. Go back to bed. I’ll be there in a few minutes.”
“Bullshit.” I grabbed the robe, silently playing tug-of-war with him. “You need more blood, Leo. You were in pain earlier. Why didn’t you say anything?”
“I’ll order some from the blood bank later today.”
“Are you kidding me?” I shrieked. “I did this to you. I will be the one to make it right.”
He released the robe. “No.”
“No?” I repeated. “What do you mean ‘no’?”
“I will not take any more of your blood. I’ll get some from the bank later today and I’ll be good as new in no time.”
“You’re being ridiculous, Leo. I’m not going to let you sit here and suffer for one second longer than you have to. Especially not when I’m at fault.”
He puffed out his chest. “I’m not in any pain. I’ll be fine.”
“Oh, yeah, tough guy?” I jabbed a particularly nasty part with my finger. Harsh, I know, but I needed to win this any way I could.
“Karli,” he growled.
“See? You’re not fine!” I grabbed his face, forcing him to look me in the eyes. “Leo, I trust you. I know, without a doubt, that you will be able to stop drinking before you take too much. I need to do this. Please, let me do this for you.”
He sighed. “Fine, but only on one condition.”
“What’s that?”
�
�That if I lose control, you will use any weapon necessary to defend yourself. Do you agree?”
The thought of doing that to him again made me sick, but I knew he wouldn’t let me help if I didn’t agree to his terms. “Fine.”
“I’m serious, Karli.”
“I am too,” I countered. “So, how do you want to do this? The neck is one of the best spots, right?”
He stared at the throbbing pulse point on my neck. “Yes, that would be fine.”
I pulled my hair over my shoulder and cocked my head to the side. “The neck it is then!”
He turned me towards the mirror by my shoulders. “You need to watch this.”
“Why?”
He met my eyes in the mirror. “Because you need to look for evidence that I might be losing control. Pay close attention to my body language; it would become more rigid in the early stages. You need to focus, my love. You cannot allow the pleasure of my bite to consume you.”
Oh cripes, why did he have to bring that up? Now all I could think about was chasing the Big O. “What if I can’t help it?”
His fingers bit into my shoulders. “You must. If you miss the early warning signs, then look for changes in my eye color. If I lose control, my irises will turn into a dark shade of red. If you see that, I’m not in my right mind. You need to promise me that you’ll do whatever is required to protect yourself.”
“What if your eyes are closed?”
“I will keep them open.”
“But what if you forget?”
He sighed. “You are exasperating, woman.”
I smirked. “I’m just trying to keep it real.”
He smiled. “If I forget, and that’s a big if, then ask me to open them. If I refuse, take that as a bad sign.”
I saluted. “Yes, sir!”
He rolled his eyes. “Are you done now?”
I caught a glimpse of his injuries as he shifted. Well, that sobered a girl right up. I nodded my head in agreement. “Let’s do this.”
He pulled back the collar of my robe. “Eyes on me, my dear.”
I did as I was told, and focused solely on what was happening through our reflections. His fangs lengthened as he brushed my hair to the side and traced a finger down the length of my neck, over the rise of my jugular. I may or may not have been a little turned on from that. Okay, there was no maybe about it. Of course I was.
“You ready?”
“Uh huh,” I whispered.
I felt a quick sting as his fangs penetrated my skin. That turned into unbelievable pleasure as he started to drink. Oh God, so much fucking pleasure. I had to grip the countertop to steady myself. A thin line of blood dripped down my neck. I was fascinated as it rolled past my collarbone, disappearing into the valley between my breasts. I knew that I was supposed to be watching him for safety purposes, but the mirror was only increasing the overwhelming lust that I was feeling. It felt like I was having an out of body experience. I was a voyeur into my own life and it was hot.
I was so turned on, I ached. The blood from earlier had soaked through every layer of clothing, so all I was wearing was this robe. I could feel my desire coating my inner thighs. I tried clenching my legs together to ease the ache, but that only made it worse as my needy parts now had some friction to work with. I bit my lip hard enough to draw blood, but a wanton moan still escaped.
Our eyes met in the mirror. I was watching him, and he was watching me. His body was molded to mine, his front to my back. There was nothing rigid about him at all. Well, that’s not entirely true. There was one particular body part that was as stiff as they come, insistently pressing into my behind. His eyes were glazed over, but they were still a beautiful shade of blue. He appeared to be as lost in the moment as I was.
The burns were healing before my eyes. New skin had formed over his shoulder, down to his torso, ending at his sinewy thigh. There was no longer any charred flesh, but he was still pulling deeply from my vein. His hands had moved from my shoulders to my ribs; his fingers dug into my sides, holding me in place. The mother of all orgasms was close. So close. I didn’t want him to stop until she made an appearance. Hell, I didn’t know if I ever wanted him to stop. This man owned me, body and soul.
I closed my eyes as he tugged deeper, grinding his erection into my backside. A moment later, his arms banded tightly around my torso. Too tightly. I opened my eyes and saw that his lids were now closed. “Leo, open your eyes.” No response. I reached back and tugged on his hair. “Leo!”
His eyes popped open and two perfectly round garnets were staring back at me. Shit.
Just as fast, his eyes returned to normal. Panting, he retracted his fangs and rested his head on my shoulder. “My love, I’m so sorry. It’s okay…I’m okay.”
“You sure? You scared me.”
“Positive.” He pulled down the back of my robe and kissed my shoulder blade. “The power…it’s so much. Too much. Every instinct inside of me is screaming for more. I need…I need to channel the energy…in a different way.”
“How so?” I was pretty sure I knew where he was going with this, but I needed the words. I gasped as he continued placing feather light kisses on my back, his hands now skimming across my stomach. God, this man knew how to prime my body even when I was slightly freaked out. He was either that good, or I was seriously messed up. Probably a little of both.
He placed his hands around the tie that secured my robe. “If you say no, that’s all it will take. I will walk away and find another…outlet. I swear on my life that I would never do anything to hurt you.” I briefly closed my eyes as he licked the puncture mark on my neck. I could feel virgin skin forming as he spoke. “But I know you want this as much as I do. I can feel it. I can smell it.” He slowly untied my robe, but held it in place. The tip of his index finger slid beneath the terrycloth, leisurely sliding downward, stopping about two inches below my navel. “Karli, I don’t want anyone but you. Please…please don’t say no.”
I placed my hands over his, and stared directly into his eyes through the mirror. I could see the truth in his words. His adoration was abundantly clear. I was floored, though not from what I could see and feel from Leo. It was what I saw in my own reflection. My skin was giving off a honey-colored glow, though Leo would’ve never known. I was seeing my own aura. It was one of the enhanced psychic abilities that a fairy acquired upon becoming immortal. The golden color represented love. This was undeniable proof that my heart was split between two men. An aura was incapable of deceit.
The thought of Leo turning to someone else for this made me ill, but that wasn’t what swayed my decision. It was the fact that I wanted him. I needed him. In that moment, nothing was more essential than being as close as two people could get. I started moving his hands away, seeing disappointment in his gaze. That only lasted a second though because in the next moment, I shrugged off my robe, leaving my body just as exposed as his.
Never breaking eye contact, I verbalized my need. “Touch me, Leo.”
He spun me around so fast it took my brain a few seconds to realize what had happened. Without a word, he ran his index finger down my neck. Following the trail of drying blood, he traced the line between my breasts, leaving goose pimples in his wake. “You’re so beautiful.”
I felt my skin flush under the intensity of his gaze. “Leo, please.”
“It would be my pleasure.”
He swept the bandages from earlier into a garbage can, and placed his hands on my hips. I wrapped my legs around him, pulling him closer, as he hoisted me onto the counter. Our bodies were perfectly aligned, his unbelievably impressive cock pressing into my core. His fingertips grazed my cheek as we stared into each other’s eyes. I don’t know who made the first move, but suddenly our mouths were fused together as our hands desperately grabbed for purchase. We were frantic; months of built up tension was finally surfacing for air.
He pulled back and lowered himself to the ground in front of me. “I need to taste you, love.”
Oh Go
d! I was simultaneously humbled by the sight of this magnificent man on his knees, and electrified by the promise of what came next. I watched as he teased me, alternating kisses between my inner thighs. I shamelessly tried arching my body towards his mouth but he held me firmly in place. One long leisurely lick here. And there. And everywhere except the tiny little spot that demanded attention. I almost cried in frustration until he shifted his head just a little to the left and…jackpot!
I swear I saw stars as his hands dug into my thighs, spreading me even further. He savored my clit like it was the finest gourmet feast he’s ever known. Sucking, licking, flicking…you name it, his mouth was doing it. Pressure was already building low in my stomach as his growls vibrated through my body. He sat back on his haunches to watch my reaction as he thrust two fingers inside. The sounds of his fingers pumping in and out of my wetness echoed throughout the room. I’m pretty sure I was praying to multiple deities when he curled them in the most sinful way. He circled my tightened bud with the pad of his thumb while his fingers worked in tandem. He leaned forward and added his tongue to the mix, making me climb higher and higher towards the gates of Heaven.
“Leo, I’m so close.”
He stood up, making me whimper in protest. “You will not come until my cock is inside of you.”
The domineering command almost made me bristle. Until I got a glimpse of the man towering over me. I’d seen his body several times now but my memory never did it justice. His massive shoulders looked even bigger without clothes. I couldn’t resist running my hands over his ridiculously large biceps to his muscular chest. He shuddered when I traced his nipple with my fingernail. He reciprocated, only his ended with a little twist of the tip that made me moan. My eyes wanted to slam shut but I forced them to remain open, not wanting to break this connection.
My fingers continued trailing south until I reached that narrow patch of hair that led to his…oh my. I’d seen this part of him before too, hell, I’d even had my hands on it, but I don’t think I’d ever really looked at it before now. At six and a half feet tall, he was bound to be proportionate down there, but jeez, this was intimidating. Like, I was actually wondering if it would fit. Yikes.
