by Kate Pearce
“Okay then, Vadim, although I doubt that’s your real name, anyway. You didn’t use a condom. Did you assume I was on the pill?”
He opened one eye. “I know you are.”
“You’ve never asked me!”
“But I know you. If you were planning on leaving this life on your twenty-seventh birthday, you would never allow yourself to conceive a child.”
Her hand came toward his cheek and he tensed, but she merely stroked him gently. “That’s pretty observant for a guy.”
“I’m your mate.” He caught her fingers in his and kissed them. “However, you should also know that I could make any method of birth control fail.”
She rolled away from him and sat up. “What the fuck?”
“Exactly.” He smiled. “I really can.”
“You wouldn’t dare!”
Her scowl was tremendous but not intimidating at all, because he was staring up at her heaving breasts and tight pink nipples. It was nice to occasionally get the upper hand with his female.
“Morosov, look at me. You have to swear that you will never do that, or else that is the last time I’ll ever let you make love to me.” She climbed off the bed and started looking for her clothes, which he had folded neatly on the chair beside the fire.
He smiled slowly and put his hands behind his head. They were making love now rather than just having casual sex? That was progress. She stomped into the bathroom and the shower went on. While she was occupied, he ordered room service and then rose from the bed and followed her into the bathroom.
* * *
“That’s my toothbrush!”
Ella glanced back over her shoulder to see Vadim in all his naked glory, glaring at her. She spat slowly into the bowl and rinsed.
“I’ve put it back. Keep your feathers on. After the Fae public-health service announcement you just gave me, I’m entitled to be fricking annoyed.”
She headed into the shower and allowed the steady drum of the water to soothe her tangled nerves. Her threat not to have sex with Vadim ever again was an empty one and he knew it. She could barely keep her hands off him at the best of times, and he wasn’t much better. That had surprised her. Under that calm exterior he was as wild about sex as she was, and easily the best lay she’d ever had.
“Thank you.”
“Don’t read my mind!” He stepped into the shower behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. She tried to stick an elbow in his gut, but he simply laughed and held her slightly away from him. “I’m not talking to you.”
“Even here?”
She tried, but she couldn’t shut him out anymore. “You have to promise you won’t get me pregnant.”
He nuzzled her neck and then her throat, and her knees went to jelly. “Not even if you wanted me to?”
A vision of a mini-Morosov danced inside her lust-driven brain, and she wasn’t sure if he’d planted it there or it was coming from her. That was even more terrifying than the thought of being pregnant.
He bit down slowly on the tendon in her neck. “We would make beautiful babies.”
“Shut up! I’ve only just realized I’m going to live beyond the age of twenty-seven. I haven’t come to terms with having you around yet, let alone a kid!”
His chuckle reverberated against her wet skin, and his newly erect cock pressed against her ass. This time she did manage to get her elbow in his chest and spun around to face him. He looked quite breathtaking, his dark blue eyes narrowed in a combination of amusement and lust as water dripped down his perfect cheekbones to his perfect abs and his perfect...
She stuck a finger in his face. “You’re messing with my head, aren’t you?”
“I might be.”
“Can you really make me pregnant?”
“Yes.”
“But not without my consent.”
He nodded. “Naturally.”
“Do I even need to be on contraception, then?”
He shrugged. “It’s up to you. You don’t need it.” He reached down and palmed his growing erection. “It’s much nicer for both of us if there’s nothing in between us.”
“Like a nice fluffy towel, for example.”
She stepped smartly out of the shower and shut the door on him. He kept smiling, his fingers gently teasing his thick shaft. She found it difficult to look away. She grabbed a robe and walked back out into the bedroom, rubbing her hair with a towel. Her stomach rumbled and she checked the time.
“We need to order some food.”
“Already done. It should be here fairly soon.”
He appeared in the bathroom doorway, a towel wrapped low around his hips. He strolled across to her and her stomach tightened in anticipation. “We still have a few minutes.” He sat down, and before she could say anything, he brought her on top of him, his cock unerringly finding her wet center and driving home.
She pushed back at him, demanding control, and he gave it to her, his eyes half-closed, his hands riding her hips as she controlled the depth and frequency of his thrusts. He didn’t even need to touch her clit to make her come this time. She loved it when he gave himself to her like this. It was like controlling a force of nature.
With a sigh, she rested her forehead on his shoulder and gulped in some much-needed air. His hand caressed the back of her neck, his thumb circling her spine. “See? Much better skin to skin.”
She reluctantly climbed off him. “We still haven’t talked.”
“We can do that while we eat.”
She headed back to the bathroom and heard the knock on the door that heralded the arrival of their food. The tantalizing smell of barbecue made her lick her lips and hurry to clean up.
When she emerged, Vadim was uncovering plates on the small table and setting out silverware and water glasses. He was fully dressed in his shirt, tie and pants.
“It smells good. What did you order for me?”
“Ribs, curly fries and beans.”
“Really?” She smiled at him. “Does it come with a side of you lecturing me about my eating habits?”
“No, just eat.” He shook out his napkin and sat opposite her. “You need your strength.”
“What do you have?”
“Some grilled halibut, mashed potatoes and asparagus.”
“Of course.” She would’ve said more, but she was too busy devouring the ribs, scooping up beans and eating fries with her fingers. She’d probably need another shower after this. Vadim would be amazed...
“How did you manage that?” She gestured at his clothing. “You love having a shower. I can’t imagine you got dressed without one.”
“It’s an old Fae spell.”
“Can you show me how to do it?”
“If you wish. But eat your dinner first. We’re running out of time.”
Chapter Five
“We still haven’t talked.” Ella pushed open the door into the hospital and Vadim walked through beside her.
“It’s difficult to have a conversation with someone eating ribs with such gusto.”
She stopped and faced him. “Don’t you want to discuss our relationship?”
He pressed a hand to his heart. “Words every male, both human and Otherworld, is just longing to hear.”
“But you said you wanted to talk!”
He sighed. “And you’ve been avoiding me all day. Why now? What do you want, Ella?”
“It’s more a question of what you want.”
“I want you. That’s it.”
“But what about the logistics? What about where we’re going to live, how often we see each other, what we tell our friends and family, or colleagues?”
His expression tightened. “You’re so fucking contrary. At one moment you’re pushing me away and telling me not to get in your space, the next we’re setting up home together?” He shook his head. “You’re the one who seems to have the problems with this, not me, so why don’t you work it out? If you don’t want me at your place in Tiburon, what do you want? Should I stay in the c
ity and you can just join me at my hotel when you can’t do without the sex?”
“That’s not fair.”
“Life’s not fair, Ella. You know that.” He started walking again, his last comment thrown over his shoulder. “When you work out how I’ll fit into your life, let me know.”
She let him leave, her heart stuttering, her breath uneven. Didn’t he understand? She never made long-term plans. She’d never had to. Someone barged into her, and she moved to the side of the hallway and continued toward the stairs.
He was waiting for her by the door, his head lowered, his gaze averted.
“I’m sorry, Ella. I keep forgetting that for you this is an extremely difficult transition.”
She stared at his blue-and-yellow tie until the pattern blurred into a swirl of dots.
After a long moment, he sighed and held open the door. “Shall we go up?”
She forced the words out of her mouth. “Will you come with me to my parents on the weekend?”
He hesitated, one hand braced against the frame. “If you want me to.”
“Yeah.” She swallowed hard. “You can use your charm to distract my mom from complaining about me.”
His smile made her feel loved, which was ridiculous. “I’d be more than happy to do that. Let’s go and check on Brad Dailey.”
* * *
As Vadim approached Brad’s room, his Otherworld senses came to high alert and he studied each person in the hallway with all his unique abilities. Beside him, Ella reached for her weapon. Delia sat by the door, but she didn’t look up as they approached, her gaze seemingly fixed on some pleasant faraway memory. Vadim touched her shoulder.
“Delia?”
She didn’t respond. The kick of Otherworld magic hit him hard.
“Ms. Walsh, get out of the way.”
He didn’t wait for Ella’s indignant reply, just pushed in front of her and tried to force the door open. Dark magic shot up his arm, making him clench his teeth. If a human had touched the handle, the person would probably be dead now. He focused on the door and pushed the power back out, turning the spell on itself and blasting through it. Inside, someone was screaming like a wounded animal.
“Ella, call security!”
The room was in chaos, the bed halfway across the floor. Brad was no longer sedated or secured to the gurney. He stood on the windowsill, his scarred face free of bandages and contorted in agony.
Vadim held out his hand. “Mr. Dailey, calm down. Whatever is wrong, we can fix it.” As he spoke, he sent calming magic toward Brad, but he appeared to be impervious to it.
“I’m a freak! My grandfather couldn’t even look at me. I don’t want my parents to see me like this!”
“It’s not that bad. Your face can be altered again. We’ll find the best plastic surgeons in the world to work with you.”
He heard Ella and someone else approaching down the hallway and motioned for them to stay put at the door. He advanced toward Brad, still holding out his hand.
“Please get down, Brad.”
“You’re fucking lying! That SBLE doctor said plastic surgery wouldn’t work! That I’d be like this forever!”
He swung his fist and it went right through the glass with an ease that surprised Vadim. Cold air rushed through the hole, and the rest of the window simply gave way, sending slivers of glass exploding in all directions. Even as he instinctively covered his eyes, Vadim was moving forward. He grabbed for Brad’s skinny, tattooed ankle, but Brad slipped from Vadim’s grasp, throwing himself forward into the night.
Vadim came down hard on his knees and shards of glass pierced his skin. Why hadn’t he been able to keep hold of the man? What malign magic had held him at bay? From below came the sound of screaming and the wail of an ambulance. He pushed himself upright and looked out of the window. Brad lay sprawled on the unforgiving ground just in front of the ER, surrounded by a cluster of people who were either running around like ants or looking up and pointing.
“Are you okay, Morosov?”
He looked over his shoulder to see Ella advancing cautiously toward him.
“Stay over there, Ms. Walsh. There’s glass everywhere.”
She ignored him and came across to his side. She looked out of the window.
“Shit, that happened so fast!”
“I couldn’t stop him.” Vadim stared down at the scene below them, which was now being dealt with by the hospital staff and the authorities. “It was as if my magic bounced off.”
“You’re bleeding.” She touched the corner of his mouth. “Maybe it did. Maybe that dude Adam got to Brad while we were having dinner.”
Vadim swore softly and walked toward the door, glass falling from him like raindrops. Two of the hospital security team pushed past him and surveyed the ruined room and began to take pictures. He paused by the empty chair outside the door.
“Where’s Delia?”
She seems to be in a trance. No one can wake her.”
“Perhaps I should go and see her.”
Ella grabbed his sleeve. “Hold up. You haven’t told me exactly what happened here yet.”
“Isn’t it obvious? You said it yourself. Someone got in here and killed our patient.”
“Did Brad say anything to you? I thought I heard him shouting when I was coming back along the hallway.”
Vadim let out his breath. “He said an SBLE doctor told him he would never regain his true face even after plastic surgery.”
“What?”
He got out his handkerchief and dabbed at the blood now dripping from his lip. “Someone got in here, convinced Brad his life was worthless and set him free to kill himself.”
“And by someone, I assume you mean Adam.” She took his injured hand and he sucked in a breath. “Come on, we need to see the security footage and get you fixed up.”
“But what about Delia?”
“She’s being guarded by SBLE security. I doubt they’ll be quite as easy to fool. You can go and see her in a minute.”
He allowed himself to be marched down to Ms. Phelps’s office and sat in a chair while they waited for Mr. Feehan and the police. Jose came to check out the state of his hands and face and applied warm cloths to his skin and then a thin layer of white glue, which he peeled off after it set, bringing most of the tiny splinters with it.
“I think you’ll be okay now, Vadim.” Jose rose to his feet. “When you get home, take some painkillers and have a long bath. That should loosen any other pieces. If you see any reddish or swollen sites, come back. You might have an infection.”
“Thanks, Jose.”
“You’re welcome.”
He was quite capable of healing himself, but in present company, he didn’t want to draw attention to his magical powers. Frustration boiled under his skin. He felt far too exposed. Had he spent so much time controlling his powers in this world that they wouldn’t respond to him any more? Feehan arrived, his thin hair blown wildly around by the wind, a smudge of red sauce on his knitted sweater.
“Are you all right, Vadim?”
“I’m fine. I can’t say the same for poor Mr. Dailey.”
Feehan took the seat opposite him. “What happened?”
“The SBLE version, or the one I’m going to tell the police?”
“I’ll handle the police. Tell me how you saw it.”
“Someone got in to see Brad by bespelling the nurse and pretending to be an SBLE doctor. This ‘doctor’ told Brad his face was unfixable and that he’d always look like that. Brad believed him and decided to jump out of the window.”
“Damn.” Feehan shook his head. “This is not going to go down well with our head office or with the Dailey family.” He hesitated. “Um, we don’t have doctors in the SBLE, do we?”
“No.” Vadim pressed his handkerchief to his lip again to stem the bleeding. “Where’s Ms. Walsh?”
“I passed her in the hallway. She’s gone to find the security tapes, or whatever they call them nowadays, for this floor. We’ll b
ring them back to our office to review.” Feehan patted Vadim’s knee, making him flinch. “Let’s hope we get an image of that so-called doctor.”
The sound of an altercation at the door reached Vadim’s ears and he looked up. Ella was toe-to-toe with one of San Francisco’s cops.
“He’s not ready to be interviewed. Can’t you wait until we’ve cleared up our part of the investigation before you start on yours?”
“I’m okay, Ms. Walsh.” Vadim waved the police officers over. “How can I help you?”
He told them the cleaned-up version of how Brad had been standing on the windowsill, threatening to jump, and that despite Vadim’s efforts, he hadn’t been able to reach Brad in time to stop him. The officers seemed okay with that, nodding as he described Brad’s fragile mental state and his often-expressed desire to die. The hospital records would confirm his words. It was contrived, but at this point, it was in everyone’s best interest to believe that the death was viewed as a suicide—everyone apart from Brad, his family and the investigating team of the SBLE, of course.
The police officers departed to check in with the medical team in the ER, where Brad now lay. Vadim shoved a hand through his hair and dislodged another shower of shards.
“You look like the Christmas fairy.” He looked up to see Ella standing in front of him, arms crossed over her chest, her expression fierce. “Are you really okay?”
Her mind tentatively touched his, and some part of him relaxed. “I’ll be fine.”
“Feehan wants us to go back to the office. Do you want me to put him off until the morning?”
Vadim got to his feet, aware of a thousand small pinpricks of pain stirring in his still-tender skin. He felt like an old man. “I’d rather get this out of the way while it’s fresh in our memories.”
“Then at least let me drive. Your car’s still here, isn’t it?”
He dug in his pocket and handed her the keys. “You don’t actually use the key. The door will unlock when you approach the car. You start the engine by putting your foot on the brake and pushing the start button.”
“Got it.” She jangled the keys in her hand in a manner guaranteed to set his teeth on edge. “Do you want me to bring the car around to the front of the building?”
