by Lia Davis
“Incredulous human!” Max headed after her, but Grant grabbed his arm forcing him back into the study.
“What the hell are you doing?” Grant asked. “What has gotten in to you?”
“Me? She’s the one acting like a child. I only meant to protect her.”
“Protect her from what?”
“Barbaric vampires who feed in exchange for money.” The vile thought didn’t sit well with Max. He’d tried to shut that ally down on more than one occasion, but vagrant vampires kept populating it. Vampires who didn’t care where or how they got their next meal.
“She’s not going back to that horrid place. She doesn’t have to. So scolding her held very little merit. All you did was upset her.”
“We have auction houses in place so humans don’t have to sell their blood to scum.”
“Not every human knows that. We can’t exactly advertise it.”
“I know.” Max pinched the bridge of his nose. “The thought of her, well, it could have ended badly.”
“You’ve connected with her too.”
“What? No.” Max was stern because he wasn’t ready to admit what was happening. It was bad enough she was Grant’s human. Max couldn’t complicate matters by lusting after her. “Why would you say that?”
“I saw what happened when you touched her. Do you think our relationship is so one sided that only you know what I’m feeling?” Max detected the hurt in Grant’s voice. “You don’t think it goes both ways?”
If Max didn’t need air he might think he was suffocating. Losing control wasn’t something he was used to. He had no idea how he had such a strong attraction to Cassie. Vampires were drawn to one human in a lifetime. One vampire, one human. That was the way it had always been. Max already had his human.
“Then be honest with me.” Grant took Max’s hand. “What happened when you touched her?”
I wanted her.
“I’m not sure.” He sighed. “My feelings are not important at the moment. Please go to her and explain my aggravation over that wretched place.”
“Why can’t you do it?”
“You’ve created a bond with her. I see the longing in her eyes when she looks at you. It’s time you followed your instincts. Do what comes naturally.” Max had no choice but to give Grant permission to pursue his feelings. It was the only way Max could ensure that he wouldn’t lose his lifeline.
“I won’t be with her without you.”
“I appreciate your consideration for me, but it’s not necessary. I trust what we have. I trust your heart.” Max pressed his lips to Grant’s. “We brought her here to take care of her. Neither of us can do that if you’re apprehensive.”
“I don’t understand you.”
“That’s a first,” Max said. “Perhaps it’s a sign.”
“Why are you doing this?”
“Doing what?” Please drop this.
“Deliberately pushing me into her arms. If I do end up being intimate with her, you’re going to be right there with me. The way you always are.”
Could I love this man any deeper? Max wasn’t sure that was something he could witness. “I have to go out,” he lied.
“Out? Where?”
“I have business to tend to.”
“Then I’ll go with you,” Grant said.
“That’s not necessary.” Max didn’t want to hurt his lover, but what choice did he have? If Max didn’t push Grant in the direction of his destiny it could end badly. For both of them.
“I don’t like being away from you.”
“I need you to explore this relationship.” If Grant could be with Cassie, and then come back to Max they could find a way to make whatever this was work. “You have to see if she’s your human on your own. That’s the only way it can play out.”
“You’re wrong.”
“No.” Max kissed Grant’s jaw, dismissing the conversation. “Apologize for me. Will you?”
“You can do that on your own.” Grant stepped way, turning toward the door. It wasn’t often Grant put up a fight, but when he did Max knew he could expect a challenge. “When you return from your business.”
Maxim closed his eyes as Grant quietly left the study. You need to trust me, my love.
Chapter 5
Grant stormed up the steps and straight to Cassie’s room. If Max wanted Grant to give in to instinct then that was what he would do. If Max didn’t see anything wrong with Grant’s attraction to Cassie then why should he? Because it didn’t feel right. No matter how drawn he was to that human, it wouldn’t be complete without Maxim.
“Whoa.” Grant stepped around several boxes, packages and shopping bags as he made his way into Cassie’s room.
She was curled up in the corner of the couch with her knees pulled into her chest. “I’m trying to put it all away.”
She had changed out of her clothes and now wore a tiny pair of pink cotton shorts and a tight fitting t-shirt. Grant assumed this was her new bedtime attire. He found her to be as irresistible as always.
“I see you and Lea had a productive shopping trip.”
“I told her it was too much,” she said. “But she insisted. I don’t need all of this stuff.”
“When was the last time you went on a shopping spree?” He sat down next to her, resting his hand on her thigh.
“Umm, never,” she admitted. “Anything I’ve ever bought was out of necessity. Most times I get my clothes at thrift shops and goodwill stores. I haven’t even been to those places in almost a year because I haven’t had any money to spare.”
“Well, then I’d say you were long overdue for some new clothes.” He gazed into her eyes, wondering how she had been so unfortunate in her short life? Why had she never been adopted? “Clothes that aren’t secondhand,” he continued. “You deserve new things. Now that you’re here you can have whatever you want.”
“When I stare into your eyes I know exactly what I want.” She leaned into him. “When you look at me like that I want to...” She bit her bottom lip. “I can’t explain it.”
“I know.” He should look away, break their connection, but he couldn’t find the strength to do it. “This is all very new for me.” Threading his fingers through her hair, he tilted her face. He controlled the urge to bare his fangs. He’d already done that once in her presence. “There’s only been one person in my life. Betraying him isn’t something I can do.”
“Why do you have to betray him?” The curiosity in her gaze excited him. There were so many things he could show her. “He brought me here for you. If he was worried that you would betray him, why am I here?”
“Because I’m drawn to you in ways that I can’t explain.”
“You were trying to get me to go,” she reminded him. “It was Max who suggested I stay.”
“He’s very wise.” Max always had a plan, but Grant was usually privy to it.
“He’s not happy with me,” she admitted.
“That’s not true.” Grant stroked her hair, moving to rest his palm on her warm cheek. “He prides himself on maintaining a peaceful and trouble free territory. The vampires where your friends found you are vagrants and don’t have much respect for human life. It’s a battle Max has been fighting for years.”
“I didn’t know it was that dangerous.” She closed her eyes and leaned into his hand. “I just didn’t have many options.”
“I understand.” He hated to think about her alone and afraid. “I’m glad your friend found you and directed you to the auction house. They led you to me.”
“I’m causing trouble in your perfect world.”
“Why would you say that?”
“You’ve been with Max a long time. You love him. I can see how much the two of you mean to one another. When we’re in the same room it’s consuming. It’s almost like I can feel it.” She looked back into his eyes. “It sounds crazy, I know.”
“What does?” His usually controlled thoughts were racing, images flipping around, phrases swirling in his head. H
e’d always been so focused, but this woman had him out of sorts.
“I’ve only known you for twenty-four hours.” She tentatively reached out, but stopped before her fingers reached his cheek. “But I belong here.”
“You can touch me.” He encouraged. “I won’t bite you.” He grinned. “Not tonight anyway.”
She traced her fingers along his cheekbone, down to his jaw.
“Well?”
“You’re softer than you look.”
When she trailed her finger over his lips, his body trembled. The urge to taste her was prominent, but other instincts were more persistent.
“I thought you’d be harder.”
You have no idea. “My body is durable, built to last the centuries, but I still have human characteristics. It’s how we blend in, but most humans can usually tell what we are.” As the decades past, the human race became smarter, more open to other possibilities.
“You’re freezing.” She ran her palm along his cheek. “Is that annoying?”
“Annoying?”
“I hate being cold.”
That could create a problem considering he planned to be close to her more often than not.
“It doesn’t bother me. I can’t really feel it.” He directed her hand back to his mouth so he could kiss her fingertips. “You were telling me you felt like you belong here.”
“You don’t know my past. I’d like to forget it, but I’ve bounced from home to home. I’m a product of a failed system. I’ve never been comfortable enough anywhere to say I’ve wanted to stay or that I was meant to be in a certain place until now.” She shook her head, anxiety flowing from her veins.
It pained him to be so in tune with her dire feelings.
“Why am I telling you this?”
“Because you’re mine.” He took her face between his hands, guiding her lips to his. “Max told me I needed to explore this on my own, but I didn’t believe him. I still don’t, but I cannot deny there is something very strong between us.”
“You’re loyal to him. I can’t come between that. I don’t want to.”
“You’re not going to come between us.” He was certain that nothing would ever tear him and Max apart. They’d been through too much for anyone to break their commitment to one another. “There’s a reason you feel like you belong here. I don’t believe in accidents or coincidences. I’ve been around too long. You were put in my path for a reason. Max thinks it’s because you are my fate. I know the universe isn’t that cruel.”
“What do you mean?”
I already have a fate. “I haven’t figured it all out yet.” He pressed his lips to hers because he couldn’t fight it any longer, slowly kissing her. “I’ve wanted to do this from the moment I saw you in the auction house.”
“Please.” She gripped his biceps, massaging her delicate fingers against his taut muscles. “Don’t stop. No one has ever made me feel like this.”
He heard her heart rate increase as he kissed her again, this time longer, harder. The heat of her mouth, mingled with the iciness of his. Like the evening before, the space where his heart should have beat, jolted to life, but this time he anticipated it. Kissing her was different from kissing Max. Grant had all the control with her. She surrendered the moment his lips were on hers. Sliding his hands down her cheeks, he smoothed them over her neck and to her shoulders. She moaned when he swirled his tongue along hers. The pressure built in his stomach, dropping lower until it settled in his groin. The ache intensified, but he had to pull back. He vowed to himself nothing would happen with her if Max wasn’t there to share it. As much as he wanted her, something deep inside him told him it wasn’t complete without his creator.
“You’re so beautiful.” He kissed her jaw, working his way to her ear. “I could kiss you all night.”
“I won’t object.”
“You’re so at ease with me.” He brushed a stray hair from her face. “You have been from the moment we met.”
“I’m safe with you.” She closed her eyes. “I’ve never experienced this kind of security in my entire life, but I’m afraid to trust it.”
“I’ll always protect you.” He lifted her into his lap, smiling when she curled herself around him and rested her head on his chest. “I read your application you submitted to the auction house. I know you were never adopted.”
“I came close a couple of times, but it didn’t work out. By the time I was fifteen, I went to a group home where I stayed until I was eighteen. That’s where I meant Andrea. She was never adopted either. We were released around the same time and tried to make it, but two eighteen year olds with no money, no skills and barely an education weren’t going to get very far.”
The pain in her voice gnawed at him, rendering him helpless. Now he understood why Max lashed out in the study. He wanted to protect Cassie from her past too. He was just as invested in her as Grant was. Silly man. Now Grant had to get him to see it.
“She met this guy and we went our separate ways. For a while I did okay, but when I lost my job a few months ago it all started to fall apart for me. It was like no matter what I did, I couldn’t catch a break.”
He rested against the arm of the sofa, propping his legs up and positioning her between them, so her back was to his chest.
“You’re never going to be alone again.” He played with the ends of her hair. “Max and I will make sure of that.”
“I don’t understand how your relationship works. You’ve been with him for a long time.” She looked up at him. “Is this considered cheating or do you have an open relationship?”
“I’m not cheating on him,” he assured her. “He knows I’m with you, but no, we don’t have an open relationship. We’re totally committed to one another.”
“Before you kissed me you said I was yours.”
“Vampires find one human that we bond with. Once that happens they are connected forever. The bond can become stronger for different reasons.” He linked his fingers with hers. “If I feed from you I’ll be able to find you, sense when you need me through your emotions.”
“Max can do that with you?”
“Yes, he knows where I am and who I’m with at all times.”
“He knows we’re together right now?”
He nodded.
“Does he know you kissed me?”
“I’m sure he sensed it.”
“How else can our bond become stronger?” she asked.
“If we make love then wherever you go I won’t be far behind. My existence will hinder on you.” Grant was already tethered to her. Her emotions were linked to his and he hadn’t even had sex with her or fed from her. How powerful would their bond be then?
“This happens every time a vampire has sex with a human?”
“No.” He kissed her hair, breathing in her sweet scent, committing it to memory. “The human has to be a true companion. I’ve been with other humans before. I fed from them and I’ve had sex with them, but none of them ever meant anything to me other than to sustain my life or satisfy a need. Max was all I’ve ever wanted until I saw you.”
“I don’t understand, a few things, come to think of it.”
“It’s very confusing for me too, but I’ll try to answer your questions.”
“You told me Max was your creator. I’m guessing you were his human, his true companion.”
“I am and I always will be.”
“So then how did you fall for me?”
“I had no control over it. I don’t want to control it, but I need to figure out how you fit into my world.”
“I told you I’ve never felt a sense of belonging, but when I’m with you and Max it’s almost as if this is what has been missing. I thought about it all night after you went back to your room. At first I assumed it was because I had hit rock bottom, I mean, a vampire auction? I had no idea what I was getting myself into.”
“There are lots of great vampires out there.” He smiled. “I happen to know two.”
She giggled a
nd he liked the way it sounded.
“Continue.”
“I’ve been in and out of many homes. Met different people and families when I was in foster care. Some were good and others not so much. Every time I landed someplace, even when I aged out of the system, I never fit in. I can’t explain it but when I was in the car with you and Max I knew I wanted to come home with you. Maybe I am your human.” She shrugged. “All I know is I want to stay here.”
“Good.” He wrapped his arms around her. “Because I don’t want you to leave.”
“You said you had sex with other humans.”
“And vampires,” he admitted. “I’m old. I’ve been around a long time.”
“If Max is your true companion how...”
“Max and I have an eclectic sex life. When you’ve been together as long as we have you mix things up. We’ve dabbled in some things and invited others to our bed.” They were being so open with one another, but he wasn’t sure now was the time to tell her that he wanted to share her with Max.
“You’ve been with one woman at the same time?”
“Sometimes it’s not always a woman. Vampires are sensual and can be attracted to either sex.”
“That doesn’t bother me,” she said. “Umm, I kind of liked watching you and Max kiss.”
“I know.” He grinned. “I saw the lust in your expression.”
“It wasn’t lust, it was curiosity.”
“Okay.” He laughed. “Maybe we’ll do it again for you.”
“I’d like it if you kissed me again.” She turned in his arms to face him. “Can we do that?”
“Most definitely.” He cupped the back of her head and gently brought her to his lips. “I plan to kiss you quite often.”
“Hmm...” She sighed into his mouth. “You’ll get no complaints from me.”
Max readied himself for bed. It was still early by vampire standards. The sun wouldn’t be up for another three hours, but Grant was with Cassie, so Max retreated to his bedroom. When he returned home, he made a few calls concerning that dreaded alley. His team assured him it would be cleaned up by morning. This was the second time this year he had to have the place cleared out. It was a hazard for both humans and vampires. Rogue vampires who preyed on desperate humans never worked out, especially for the human. Max wouldn’t tolerate chaos in his territory. Those types of vampires would either conform to a civilized existence or move to an area that didn’t have the structure he maintained. Many of his kind were adapting to a more peaceful existence with humans. The council had been working on maintaining order for over thirty years in the states. They were seeing less of degenerate vampires, but as with any society there was always an exception.
