by T. S. Ryder
"Far from it." Thomas groaned. "I had to take a cold shower after reading it. I love it. I don't usually enjoy romances, but I just… It spoke to me. I wouldn't be surprised if we see a movie in a few years."
Adrielle flushed with pleasure. She put her arms around his neck, grinning at him. "I think you're just saying that because you want a reward."
His hands gripped her hips and pulled her tighter. He ground against her, causing her to gasp. A tightening started in her core. Her clothes felt too small, and it was all she could do to stop herself from simply tearing off his clothing. She had plans for tonight, and she wasn't going to let him distract her from them.
"I'm not saying that because I want a reward, but if you want to give me something I won't say no." He dropped his mouth to hers, then moved to her neck. Her skin tingled, pulling tighter. Moisture pooled between her legs and she pressed against him, enjoying the sensation of her breasts mashed against his chest. "What kind of reward were you thinking?"
"Maybe something like… hmm. I know. I'm going to put you on that bed and ride you like a horse. But first I want you to stand right there while I slowly undress you. I'm going to kiss every inch of your body and – oh!"
A zing went through her as he nipped at her neck. Forget slowly undressing him. Forget her plans. She ripped open his shirt, sending buttons flying everywhere. Thomas drew back with a chuckle as her hands greedily explored the contours of his taut muscles.
"You're costing me a fortune in clothes," he told her, hands still on her hips.
"Tough luck. You're rich enough to afford more." Adrielle dropped to his chest, swirling her tongue over his hard nipples. Her hands yanked at his belt, working it free so she could push off his pants. Thomas rubbed the back of her neck with one hand while the other carded through her hair.
Once he was exposed in all his glory to her, she had to repress a moan. It seemed a shame to her that clothes were necessary to cover all that up. Although, she had to admit that she didn't like the thought of anybody else seeing him. Taking his hand, she led him to the bed and had him sit. Then she slowly removed her own clothing. When she took off her bra she thrust out her breasts, making them bounce, and Thomas groaned. He hardened up a whole lot just watching her, and Adrielle had to giggle. She loved that she had that effect on him.
She slipped off her lacy thong and joined him on the bed. She bent over him, taking him into her mouth. The effect was instant, and Thomas groaned as his kneaded his knuckles into her lower back. She sucked hard, feeling him harden and grow bigger in her mouth. One of his hands threaded through her hair and rested on her neck, massaging in small circles, while the other slipped over her ass. He squeezed briefly before sliding his hand between her legs.
Another suck, and he found her clit. It was already swollen, and one touch was enough for her to jerk and gasp as a zing went through her. She began stroking him with her hand, giving herself the space to moan as his thumb zeroed in. Thomas's hand on her neck tightened. His head fell back and he let out a throaty moan as he began rolling his hips upwards.
"Adrielle," he groaned. "Oh, Adrielle…"
She knew exactly what he meant without him having to say it. Her lips closed around him again as his fingers worked on her. Everything was tight, creeping slowly but surely towards the edge. A pleasant warmth filled her, pulling everything in towards her core.
"I need to be inside you," he whispered. "Please."
Adrielle had planned to keep at it until Thomas had finished, but his breathless plea had her chucking out all her plans again. She straddled him, groaning as he focused in on her breasts. Still holding him tight with one hand, she eased herself down on top of him. Thomas's hands gripped her thighs, lifting her slightly so he could start a rhythm. She thrust herself down on him hard, putting an end to that, and began to grind.
The king jerked. His head fell back and a deep, guttural moan vibrated through his chest. Adrielle buried her face in his neck, kissing and sucking as she rode him harder, panting with the effort. Her body lingered on the edge and she clamped down on her lower lip, determined that she would not finish before him this time. Thomas rolled his hips in time with her but seemed content to let her have control this time.
Their eyes met as they moved, both panting and gasping, grunts and groans coming in time with their bodies. Adrielle clung to him, heat flooding her chest and moving up her neck. Thomas lifted one of her breasts in his hand and sucked the nipple in his mouth. She couldn't stop herself and buried her face into his neck again. Her teeth scraped against his collarbone, then clamped down on the joint between his shoulder and neck.
He jerked beneath her again. With deep groan, she felt him finishing. It pushed her over the edge, and her whole body shook as the powerful pleasure ripped through her. Her back bowed and her head was flung back as she screamed. Darkness rolled over her vision and she collapsed against him. They fell together onto the bed, panting for breath.
When she could breathe again, Adrielle kissed his jaw and shifted so she wasn't laying on top of him. Thomas' arms tightened around her and he rolled as well so she couldn't come out. With a smile, he brushed her hair from her face.
"There's something I want to ask you," she said, reveling in his warmth.
Thomas nodded to show he was listening.
"I was wondering… Does being human again mean we can have more children?"
"Yes."
"And do you want more?"
Thomas smiled. "Yes. Do you?"
Adrielle nodded. "Yeah. I want Clarissa to have a little brother and a little sister." Warmth flooded her and she kissed him again. "I love you, Thomas. I love you so much."
"I love you, too. And I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with you."
*****
THE END
Did you like what you read?
”The Vampire King’s Nanny“ is a standalone book in a series of Vampire King romance novels. Other parts of the series (more coming soon!):
- Claimed by the Vampire King
- Owned by the Vampire King
- Chosen by the Vampire King
- The Vampire King's Captive
- The Vampire King’s Mate
- The Vampire King’s Virgin
The books each have a guaranteed HEA and contain plenty of action, hot vampires, steam and pregnancies.
Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed reading “The Vampire King's Nanny” as much as I liked writing it. Please consider leaving an honest review here; it means a lot to me to hear from you.
T.S. Ryder
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Read on for FREE SPECIALLY SELECTED BONUS CONTENT
Specially Selected Bonus Content
The Shifter's Nanny
Description
Does this hot panther shifter need me to take care of his daughter or does he want my curves for another reason as well?
Rose Doctor needs a job. After years of emotional abuse by her ex-boyfriend, she’s broke and deeply scarred. So when a gorgeous shifter needs her help to take care of his infant daughter, she accepts.
Her new boss is hot as hell. But she’s not going to let her heart get the best of her. Not this time.
Devon was always a loner. He’s not looking for romance, much less a mate. All he needs is a nanny. Yes, she has curves in all the right places. But no, she’s here to look after his daughter, and that’s it.
But everything changes when Rose’s past catches up with her. Her ex-boyfriend is back and will stop at nothing to force her to take him back...
Will Devon do what it takes to protect Rose? Can he resist the primal urge that’s roared to life in him? And can Rose find it in herself and trust again?
Sometimes risking everything is the only way to find out…
Chapter One – Rose
Rose self-consciously smoothed down the plum pencil skirt that she wore to all her interviews, glad she had at least matched her business suit with a fun frog-themed necklace and had kept her dyed autumn-red hair in loose waves around her face. It showed that she was fun as well as professional. At least, that's what she hoped it showed and didn't make her look crazy.
I look fantastic, she told herself to try to calm her churning gut. Anybody would be lucky to have me working with them.
She took a deep breath before she knocked on the front door. Her pep-talk wasn't helping the butterflies in her stomach at all, but then she hadn't thought it would. This was her first job interview in nearly five years. She didn’t know what to expect anymore.
The door opened, revealing her potential employer. The first thing that struck her about him was the suspicious squint in his silver-grey eyes. They swept up and down her, and she got the feeling that if he didn't like what he saw, she wouldn’t even get the interview. She tried to stand a little straighter, unconsciously sucking in her gut to try to make herself look thinner. Not that it was possible… her ex-boyfriend was always fond of telling her how she needed to trim down for him, and she'd only gained weight since she left him.
"Hello." She stuck out her hand. "I'm Rose Doctor, here to interview for the position of nanny."
"Devon McGullicuddy," the man replied. He didn't shake her hand. "We'll sit out here for the interview."
Rose nodded. She thought it was strange that he wanted to interview her at his home but was relieved she wasn't going to have to insist on not setting foot into his house just yet. She wanted to get to know him a little better first. They sat on a couple of chairs set out on the covered porch.
"Miss Doctor," Devon started, setting down. "Before we start, you are aware of my heritage, yes?"
Rose's gaze swept down his strongly muscled body. What did he mean by that? His ethnic heritage? If he came from money? Did he have some sort of famous ancestor? His bronzed skin spoke to a more temperate climate, but what was she supposed to guess?
"Er…"
"I'm a shifter," Devon clarified.
Heat rushed to her cheeks. "Oh! Yes, yes I understand that. And the baby is a shifter as well, yes?"
He nodded. "She is, yes. She won't start shifting until she's a little older, though, so you don't have to worry about knowing how to care for a kitten."
"A kitten. So what are you?"
What did I ask him that for?
Rose bit her lower lip, ducking her head. She hated it when people walked up to her and asked her that question. Her Eurasian heritage was something she was proud of, but for some reason, people thought that they ought to be privy to her heritage. It annoyed her to no end–and here she was asking the same question!
"I'm sorry," she blurted. "That's none of my business."
Devon grunted. If Rose's heart sunk any lower, it'd be on her feet. This was exactly the kind of disaster she was worried about on her first new job interview. Social awkwardness combined with five years of emotional abuse from someone she loved was not a good combination.
"I suppose if you are going to work for me, it is something you ought to know… I'm a Panther." Devon folded his arms and scowled at her.
If she wasn't so desperate for a job, she would have run right then. Not because of his alternate form, but because of his expression. She didn't need any more short-tempered men in her life, and from the look on his face, Devon looked like somebody who always wanted things done his way and fast.
"I read your resume. You just graduated college with a degree in early childhood education. Why are you looking to be a nanny instead of working at a school or a daycare?"
Good. It was a question she was prepared for. Rose took a deep breath and raised her head again, meeting the shifter's eye. "I would ideally like to be a teacher, but there are no openings in the city right now, and I really need a job. I have student loans to pay off, I need a new car, and I haven't worked in five years. I love kids, and I need something that will help me feel like I'm making a difference. That I'm helping somebody."
"Why haven't you worked in five years?"
"Um… school, mostly," Rose lied, looking at her feet again.
She wasn't going to tell this perfect stranger that her ex didn't want her working… He wanted her to stay home and keep the house clean and make sure a meal was ready as soon as he got home from work.
And if it wasn't, there was hell to pay. That was why it took her five years to complete a two-year program. She had to plan her school schedule around taking care of Percy.
Devon jumped to his feet. At first Rose flinched, thinking that he was going to order her away, but he ran into the house without a word. Rose stayed where she was, frozen in shock. Was that his way of ending the interview? But moments later she heard a wailing baby, and her shoulders relaxed. It wasn't her, it was his daughter that had made him leave so abruptly.
"There, there, Jamie. What's wrong?" The gruff tones Devon had been using on her have completely melted away to a voice that was like buttery caramel.
Something shivered from Rose's stomach, working its way up and down her limbs just hearing that voice. She stood and peeked into the doorway. Devon stood in the middle of a modestly decorated living room, gently rocking a blanket that was messily tucked around a flailing baby.
Rose stepped into the room, not wanting to assume Devon was helpless, but the baby's crying tugged at her heartstrings. She couldn’t just leave. "Do you mind? I'm not so great with words, but I can show you how well I work with babies."
A fierce glare answered her, but at another, louder wail, Devon's gaze softened. He handed the baby to Rose–reluctantly, she thought–and hovered at her shoulder as she checked baby Jamie's diaper. She frowned. The diaper was dry, but it was put on backward.
"She wants to eat. When did you last feed her?"
"At 11:02," Devon replied promptly. "The books say babies need to be fed every two hours. She shouldn’t be hungry for another hour."
Rose nodded. "She's probably just tired then and wants something to suck on for comfort. Do you have a pacifier?"
"The books say pacifiers can ruin children's teeth."
"She doesn't have any teeth yet," Rose reminded him gently. She knelt on the floor and unwrapped Jamie before burritoing her up tightly. The baby still cried, until she was snuggled up against Rose's chest as she bounced and swayed from side to side.
Within five minutes, Jamie had dropped off to sleep again. Rose smiled as the little body became utterly relaxed in her arms. She smiled up at Devon, who looked so surprised it was actually comical. He smiled at her and nodded.
"Can you start tomorrow?"
Rose jolted in surprise. "You want to hire me?"
"Yes."
"Oh." A wide smile broke over Rose's face. Maybe the interview didn't get off to a great start, but at least things were looking up! A job would really help her find her feet again. She nodded. "Yeah, I can start tomorrow."
"Good. I'm a veterinarian and I've been away from the practice for too long already. My boss is getting antsy about it. Now, I need your cell phone number… do you have all emergency personnel, fire department, 911, police, etc. in your phone directory?"
Rose shook her head.
"If you're going to watch after my daughter, you need that. And you have infant CPR training, so we're okay with that. And I have Nanny cams around the house. That's something I thought you should know."
Rose frowned. She didn't like the idea of him being able to watch her without her knowing about it. But he did tell her about the cams, so he wasn't looking to sneakily spy on her.
"Oh!" Devon nodded and headed for the kitchen. "I'll show you how to make a bottle. I don't want you microwaving it. In fact, I'd prefer you not to use the microwave at all. Or cell phones around Jamie, so if you have any calls you
have to make, please use the landline unless it's in a case of emergency."
"You can calm down, you know." Rose shifted the baby into one arm and laid her free hand on Devon's arm. "She's going to be fine with me. I promise."
Devon stared at her hand on his arm. Rose suddenly realized how strong the muscles beneath her fingertips were. He was like a god, carved to perfection from the hand of an artist. Her heart rate spiked and a rush of heat rose to her face. She coughed and stepped away.
"Where is her crib?"
"Upstairs in the bedroom." Devon's head cocked to one side. "Do you have a boyfriend?"
Rose tensed. She narrowed her eyes at her new employer while backing away from him. "If I'm going to work for you, I'll be taking care of Jamie. I'm not here as your… playmate."
He held his hands up in the air. "I'm sorry. That was inappropriate of me. But I'm glad to hear you are so forceful about the issue. I've heard of women taking care of single men's children in the hopes of getting married… especially where shifters are concerned."
"And you asked if I had a boyfriend in the hopes that I did?"
"Yes. There is a lot of romanticism about us in the media, and… I just wanted to make sure we were on the same page. This is a strictly professional relationship, for Jamie's sake. Nothing else."
"Oh." Rose let out a sigh of relief. It would be a lie to say she wasn't attracted to this man, but at this point, she wanted nothing to do with romance. "Good. Now… why don't I put the baby down, and you can tell me her routine and everything else I need to know?"
Devon smiled at her. "Yeah. That sounds good."
Chapter Two – Devon
Maybe he should have run a background check on her. Devon hovered behind Rose as she demonstrated yet again that she knew how to change a diaper expertly. The truth was that she clearly knew more about taking care of infants than he did, but that wasn't surprising. According to her résumé, she had experience in babysitting since she was twelve years old.
