That surprised Cassie. “How did you know she was depressed?”
“I saw a picture of her in your kitchen the night I visited your home while you were gone.”
A thought struck her. “You were in my bedroom. I noticed a picture missing of Logan and me at the park.”
Jealousy flashed in Malik’s eyes. “The way you were smiling, I assumed…”
Cassie fought a laugh. “That we were lovers?”
“Yes,” he ground out through clenched teeth. “Needless to say, I didn’t like it.”
“Logan and I are friends, Malik. We’ve been friends since kindergarten. Nothing more.”
“I know that now.”
A wave of dizziness suddenly passed through her, leaving her weak with nausea. She rubbed at her temples, fighting the urge to be sick. “I don’t feel so good.”
Malik was instantly there, lifting her into his arms. “When was the last time you ate?”
She couldn’t remember. “I don’t know.”
He carried her into the bathroom and turned on the shower before setting her on her feet. “I’m going to send someone after food. What would you like?”
“Anything,” Cassie mumbled, staring at Malik’s sensual mouth. “But it’s going to be hard to find a store open at this hour. They roll up the sidewalks at nine o’clock in DeFuniak.”
“I’ll figure something out,” he assured her, turning toward the door. “In the meantime, don’t worry about a thing. I’ll take care of you, Cassie love.” He brushed his lips across hers and left the bathroom, pulling the door shut behind him.
Cassie stripped out of her ruined sundress and stepped under the warm spray of the shower, watching as the dried blood from her hands swirled between her feet to trickle down the drain.
Her mother’s blood, she thought in a daze. How would Vivian react when she awoke to news of her change? Would she be grateful or horrified? Cassie wasn’t sure. She did know one thing for certain. Her mother had always been a firm believer in God, never missing a Sunday of church…until she’d married Harvey.
The idea of dying and rising from death in the form of a vampire might not sit well with her. What if she resents me for making the decision for her?
Shaking off her thoughts, Cassie finished her shower and vigorously dried off before brushing her teeth and wrapping the towel around her body.
She cracked open the door to make sure the coast was clear and padded barefoot across the hall to her bedroom to dress.
Cassie bypassed her dresser full of clothes, opting for the big, fluffy robe hanging from a hook on the back of her door.
A soft knock sounded. “May I come in?”
“Sure,” Cassie murmured, stepping back to allow Malik entrance.
He pushed the door open and entered her room, carrying a tray full of food. “Carly brought this over for you.”
The smell of meatloaf reached Cassandra’s nose, setting off a chain reaction of stomach growls that would rival a bear’s.
“Hungry?” Malik asked with a grin.
Cassie picked up the glass of milk and took a healthy drink. “Yes, I’m starved.”
“Have a seat and I’ll fix you right up.” Malik helped her into bed, placing the tray across her lap before taking a seat on the edge of the mattress.
Cassandra picked up her fork and took a healthy bite of mashed potatoes. Her eyes closed in delight as the warm, delicious flavor slid down her throat.
She swallowed and glanced up at Malik. “Do you ever crave food?”
“I crave you.”
Cassie’s body reacted to his words. She set her fork down and stared into his stunning blue eyes. “My blood?”
“I would be lying if I said no. But I was referring to the rest of you.”
Her heart began to pound, and heat formed at the juncture of her thighs. She wanted him too. More than anything. “Malik…”
“As much as I wish to make love to you for the rest of the night, your friend Carly is waiting to see you.”
Disappointment mingled with embarrassment, sending a blush up Cassie’s neck and into her cheeks. “I’m sorry. I—”
“Don’t you dare apologize. I couldn’t care less about who is out there waiting. I’ll take you when and how I can have you. Anytime. Anywhere.”
Cassie sighed. “The sooner I see her, the quicker we can be alone. Will you send her in here?”
“Absolutely.” Malik pressed his lips to her forehead and stood. “Finish your food.”
“Yes, sir,” Cassie agreed with a small salute. She picked up her fork and resumed her meal the second Malik left the room.
Chapter Thirty-Four
Malik paced Cassandra’s porch, passing Psycho the cat with every trip past the chair the feline lounged in.
He stopped to face the familiar. “Would you mind growing a mouth so that we can talk?”
A moment later, a nude Kyle sat where Psycho had previously been. “Is this better?”
“Great,” Malik muttered sarcastically, glancing at Kyle’s nakedness. “Another penis. Just what I wanted to see.”
The corner of Kyle’s mouth lifted. He tugged a small blanket from the back of the chair and laid it over his lap. “There. Is that better?”
“Much. Thank you.” Malik pinched the bridge of his nose. “Someone saw Cassandra and you leaving the scene of the fire the other night.”
“That’s impossible. I checked our surroundings. There was no one there.”
Malik stared into the familiar’s eyes. “The cops were at Logan’s earlier, asking questions about Cassandra’s whereabouts that night. They claim an anonymous call came in about you and her being there.”
“Only the two of us? Nothing was said about you or Ben?”
“Apparently not.” Malik blew out a breath. “Are you sure there’s no one at all that would want to see you brought down?”
Something flickered in the familiar’s eyes. “Not for many years now. And no one knows what I am besides the people in this house and the Murphy sisters.”
Malik began to pace once again. “Someone knows something. I suggest you do some digging and find out who.”
Kyle nodded. “I’ll get right on it. How is Cassie doing?”
“She’s doing as good as can be expected, considering. But…”
“But what?”
“She has yet to ask me about Harvey. It’s as if she’s blocked out what happened tonight at the Cohen place.”
Kyle stretched his legs out in front of him. “It’s her coping mechanism. She shuts down, blocking out the bad and pretending it never happened. I suspect she’s always been that way.”
“Harvey is responsible for the walls she’s built around herself. What I wouldn’t give to be able to kill him again,” Malik snarled.
The door opened, and Carly stepped out onto the porch. She touched Malik on the arm on her way toward the steps. “You’ll be happy to know that she ate everything on her plate. I’m going to head home and let her get some sleep. She looks exhausted.”
Malik sent her a grateful look. “Thank you, Carly. You’re a good friend.”
With a nod in Kyle’s direction, Carly descended the steps and climbed into her car.
“I’m going to go check on Cassandra,” Malik announced, strolling toward the door. He stopped with his hand on the knob. “You might want to pay the Murphy sisters a visit. They may have some knowledge that will help us pinpoint our anonymous caller.”
“I’m on it,” Kyle confirmed as Malik stepped inside and shut the door.
Ben immediately stood. “Do you want me to stay here tonight?”
Malik shook his head. “I appreciate the offer, but that won’t be necessary. Vivian will not wake until tomorrow’s setting sun, and I’ll be here in case Cassandra needs anything.”
“Okay,” Ben conceded, moving to open the door that Malik had recently entered. “I’ll come back in the morning and keep an eye on things while you sleep.”
“Thanks, Ben.�
��
“Yep.”
Malik trailed off down the hall to check on Cassandra. He stopped in front of her partially open door and poked his head inside.
“I’m awake,” she muttered softly. “You can come in.”
“Are you sure? I know you’re tired.” He stepped into the room.
“Close the door.”
Malik’s stomach flipped. He shut the door and approached the bed, taking a seat next to her hip. He noticed tears swimming in her beautiful eyes. “What is it?”
“I’ve never been in love before, Malik, and I was okay with that. It kept me detached, lonely at times, but I was safe. You took that from me.”
“You’re safe with me.”
“Don’t you see? You will always have the ability to hurt me as long as I live and breathe, which won’t be even a fraction of your lifespan.”
Malik’s heart cracked with the knowledge that she spoke the truth. “It doesn’t have to be that way.”
“You will grow tired of me once I begin to age.”
“I would never grow tired of you,” Malik swore, inching closer. “And you don’t have to age. I can give you immortality.”
The tears glistening in her eyes spilled over. “But I’m physically and emotionally damaged.”
Malik leaned in and brushed a lone tear from her cheek. “I know what your stepfather did to you.”
Surprise registered in her eyes. “You do?”
“Yes. I’ve known since I arrived in town.”
She tried to shrink back from him, but he wouldn’t allow it. He enfolded her in his arms, holding her close as he pressed his cheek to the top of her head. “Nothing you could tell me would change how I feel about you. Nothing.”
Her shoulders shook with the force of her tears. “I can never give you the children that you deserve.”
Malik tightened his embrace. “I only want what you want, gorgeous. If you never have babies, then I’m okay with that. But immortality would give you a choice.”
That slowed her tears. She sniffed and lifted her head to meet his gaze. “I could have children if I become like you?”
He nodded. “Your body would become whole, and whatever problems you have with fertility would no longer exist.”
“But how can vampires have children if they never age?”
“We age, sweet Cassandra. Only not in the same way as you. Once we mature into adults, the effects of aging begin to slow.”
He softly kissed her lips. “Are you prepared to spend forever with me?”
“I will never love another the way that I love you. Yes. I want forever with you.”
Malik’s heart began to pound. Cassandra had professed her love and agreed to spend eternity with him. He wasn’t sure if he should make love to her all night or change her first and show her how thrilling sex as a vampire could be. “You have decided to do this then?”
She gave him a watery smile. “I have some things I need to take care of first, and I need to talk to Carly about replacing me, but I want this.”
Malik studied her expressive eyes. “Do you want to remain here in DeFuniak, or return with me to Alaska?”
“I have a choice?” she asked in a soft whisper.
“You will always have a choice. And this isn’t something that you must decide on immediately. Take all the time you need. I want you to be one hundred percent certain.”
“But what about Mama?”
“I’ve been giving it some thought. If she will agree to it, of course…”
“Go on,” Cassie prompted as his voice trailed off.
“My mother’s name is Farah. To the eye that doesn’t know any better, she appears to be about the same age as Vivian. I feel that my mom would be a good friend and teacher to yours.”
“You want me to send my mother to Alaska?” Cassie asked in surprise.
“It would be good for her. She would have a companion and a new start in life without the constant reminders of Harvey and his abuse.”
“Okay.”
Malik lifted an eyebrow. “Okay?”
“Yes. Okay to everything. Mom will go to Alaska, and so will I, after I take care of things around here. Will you stay with me until I’m ready?”
“Cassie…there’s nowhere I would rather be than by your side. Of course I’ll stay with you. Forever.”
Chapter Thirty-Five
Cassie had just agreed to forever with Malik. Something inside her shifted, releasing years of doubt, insecurities, and memories she’d kept hidden, even from herself.
Something strange happened to her the longer she stared into Malik’s glittering eyes.
Images of a young girl surfaced, sad and haunted, her sorrow hidden behind smiles and laughter.
Harvey’s face, twisted with pain, his neck broken. A watery grave swallowing him up, holding him in its clutches where he could never hurt her or her mother again.
Vivian’s tinkering laugh. Cassie had forgotten how beautiful it sounded.
Carly and Logan holding hands as they leaned over Grayson’s crib, smiling with all the love and pride their hearts could hold.
Malik sitting around a fire, reading to a little boy with ink-black hair.
Cassie gasped, breaking the spell. “How did you do that?”
“That was all you. I merely helped you to open a part of yourself that you’ve always feared.”
“But how could I have known that you drove Harvey’s truck off the bridge?”
The corner of his mouth lifted. “That part was me.”
“I want you.” And she did. She wanted to experience everything with Malik. To open herself completely and freely to him. And well, the mind-blowing orgasm she knew would be coming didn’t hurt either.
His eyes grew hooded, searching hers for what she felt was confirmation.
“Please.” She rushed, untying the sash of her robe.
Malik stood, unbuttoning his shirt and dropping it to the floor before removing his jeans.
He climbed onto the foot of the bed and crawled up her body, stopping once he reached her neck.
“You smell so damn good.” Burying his face against her throat, he inhaled deeply and opened his mouth against her skin.
Cassie came alive beneath him, squirming and arching her hips in an attempt to get closer.
A soft chuckle resounded in her ear. “Patience, little one. The buildup will be worth it. I promise.”
Warmth and wetness touched her thighs, and she realized it came from her. Her body was on fire, and if she didn’t have him soon, she felt she’d burst into flames.
He slid down her smaller frame, licking and sucking his way to her breasts. She held her breath as he hovered above one sensitive nipple
“So beautiful,” he breathed, enclosing the pink tip inside his mouth.
Soft pulls from his tongue shot sparks of pleasure from the point of contact to settle between her thighs.
“Oh, God,” she moaned, only to have Malik suck harder, sending more sensations down the same path.
He moved to the other breast, giving it equal amounts of attention before licking his way down her ribs to her navel.
Cassie’s hips moved of their own volition, seeking something only Malik could give. She feared if he touched her where she craved him most, she’d pass out from pleasure overload.
And that was exactly what he did.
Malik nuzzled her with his cheek before propping himself up on his elbows. “Lie back and let me explore you.”
Inhaling a shaky breath, Cassie let her head fall back against the pillows in anticipation of his next move.
He lightly blew his breath against her. “Open yourself to me, Cassie. Feel me from your soul.”
Cassie’s eyes drifted shut as a gentle swirl of feelings wrapped around her mind, coaxing, pulling at her emotions.
The warmth inside her felt amazing, matched only by the heat from his hands resting on her inner thighs.
His thumbs slid up the crease of her legs, slowing mo
ving toward her center. He stopped just short of where she wanted him most and applied a gentle pressure, opening her to his gaze.
She felt no embarrassment, no desire to pull away. Her mind wanted what her body craved…release.
The thought of him looking at her sent her into a frenzy of need, and a moan escaped unbidden.
“So wet for me,” he growled and swiped his tongue through her opening.
Cassie’s hips jerked with the first tingle of nerves sparking to life. She could feel herself swelling with every pass of his tongue.
He applied more pressure with his thumbs and sucked her swollen bundle of nerves into the heat of his mouth.
Cassandra came apart. Sensations scattered throughout her fevered body, lighting her up from the inside out.
She couldn’t remain still any longer. Her fingers flew to his hair, gripping him tightly against her as she rode out her orgasm in blissful wonder.
He continued to manipulate her with his tongue long after the insanity slowed and she could breathe once again.
“You smell so damn good.” Malik’s whispered words seeped into her brain, pulling her out of the overwhelming aftermath of her orgasm.
She could feel him nudging her inner thigh with his cheek, and she opened wider for him.
Kissing his way back up her body, he pressed his erection against her entrance and returned his mouth to her neck.
The longing in his voice couldn’t be denied any more than the red swirling in his eyes as he lifted his head and pinned her with a heart-stopping stare. “Cassie?”
“Yes,” she breathed, turning her head to the side to expose her throat. “God, yes.”
The feel of his thick girth stretching her to accommodate him, while the sharp points of his fangs sank into her neck, sent her racing down the path of another budding orgasm.
“Malik?”
His answer was a slow, deliberate thrust.
Cassie couldn’t catch her breath. The gasping reflex due to an impending release made breathing nearly impossible.
He thrust again, penetrating her as deeply as possible while continuing to feed from her neck.
Her eyes slid shut, her legs began to shake, and nothing mattered but the desperate climb to fulfillment.
Malik suddenly broke the suction on her neck and covered her mouth with his. His hips pumped faster, harder, taking her on a ride she never wanted to return from.
Cassandra (Scruples Book 2) Page 15
