Vampire in Geek's Clothing (Psy-Vamp Book 6)

by Cassandra Lawson

  “Well, then I’d better let him know where to find you,” he told her before removing a Blackberry from his pocket.

  “I don’t see those very often,” she remarked.

  “I’m not very good with technology, and Isaiah insisted I have a smart phone,” he explained. “This one still has a keyboard, so I can type out messages easier.”

  He was slow to type out his message and remained completely focused on his phone the entire time. “I’m sure he’ll be here soon to collect you,” he assured her after setting his phone on the table beside him.

  “Thank you.” She was still uncomfortable with Josef, but he seemed to be making an effort to be nice. “You said you wanted to talk to me,” she prompted.

  “First, I want to assure you that the situation you are in is not your fault. You are the victim in all this, and the reason I blamed you is that, for many years, I’ve had a habit of blaming the victim.”

  Phoenix cringed at the word victim, and she saw a softening in Josef’s face.

  “Sorry,” he said. “Victim is an ugly word. One I’ve been told I should stop using because it makes people feel weak. For what it’s worth, I don’t believe you’re weak, but I think you need to learn to defend yourself.”

  The shock must have shown on her face because Josef decided to explain his odd statement. “I’ve been seeing a therapist. Not because I’m the victim, but because I’ve been the abuser for a very long time.”

  Phoenix wasn’t sure how to respond, but Josef seemed to be waiting for her reaction. “Is therapy helping you?”

  He shrugged. “I think I’m a better person, but I’ve been told it will take time.”

  “Why are you seeing a therapist?” she asked. “I’m not sure how to say this without sounding rude, but it seemed like you didn’t believe you were doing anything wrong.”

  “I didn’t,” he admitted. “My intention when I came out here was to tell Helena how foolish she was being and take her home with me. Even after my sons told me I was in the wrong, I was angry and filled with self-righteous indignation. Nothing anyone said made a difference until I talked to Drew.”

  The startled bark of laughter that escaped her lips seemed to amuse Josef because he chuckled. “Yes, I was just as surprised as you are.”

  “It’s not that I don’t think Drew’s capable of giving good advice,” she explained, feeling the need to defend her friend. “I’m just surprised he got involved in this, especially while he’s so fixated on other things.”

  “I’m not sure what inspired him to talk to me, but he made me see what I was doing a little more clearly. He also made me realize that if I love Helena, I need to fix myself.”

  “So, you’re only doing this to try to win her back?” Phoenix asked, not sure that was the best reason. If he was only going to therapy to prove to Helena he could change, it wouldn’t work.

  “No,” he assured her. “I’m not trying to convince Helena to take me back. The other thing I’m working on is making sure Helena has access to funds for anything she needs. I just want to make sure she’s taken care of.”

  “So, you’re leaving her?” Phoenix asked.

  “She’s leaving me,” he corrected in a pained voice. “As much as I want her to stay, I’m the one who’s driven her away. I have no one to blame for the end of my marriage but myself.”

  “Yet, you’re still going to counseling?” she asked.

  “Yes,” he replied. “It is my hope that I can at least be friends with Helena, eventually. Maybe when I’m better, I’ll even ask her to go on a date with me. We never did that. What I wanted to talk to you about is Isaiah, and we’d better do it quickly before he gets here.”

  “Okay,” she said and waited.

  “My son is in love with you,” Josef told her simply. “Don’t let your own insecurities or worries that you’ve put him in danger make you push him away.”

  Isaiah cleared his throat, drawing their attention to him. “Are you ready for lunch?” he asked Phoenix, holding out a hand to her.

  With a smile, she immediately went to him before turning back to Josef. “Thank you for keeping me company while I waited for Isaiah.”

  “Any time,” he assured her, before shifting his focus to Isaiah. “I’ve already apologized to Phoenix, but I want to apologize to you for the way I spoke to her, as well.”

  Isaiah shrugged, saying nothing. Phoenix figured they had years of issues to work through, but she was glad to see Josef making an effort.

  Chapter Forty-Six

  The text from his father had come as a relief. Isaiah had been worried when he couldn’t find Phoenix. It’s not that he thought anyone in the house would hurt her, so much as he worried she might have missed her anxiety meds and end up having a panic attack when she couldn’t find her way through the maze of hallways. Just as he’d been about to turn on the security cameras in the hallways, his father’s message had come, and he’d hurried to get to Phoenix before his father could say anything too rude. While his father had been much less vocal about his disapproval of everyone, Isaiah knew how his father could be.

  “Did you know your father is seeing a therapist?” Phoenix asked when they were a short way down the hall.

  “No,” Isaiah admitted. “I haven’t spoken to my father much since he’s been here. A therapist sounds like a big step for him. Hopefully, he’s not just doing it to prove to my mom he can change so she’ll take him back.”

  “He might be,” she admitted. “From what he said, he’s letting her go. He was actually very pleasant.”

  Isaiah had been surprised to hear his father giving Phoenix relationship advice, but that was a subject he preferred to avoid for the time being. They hadn’t known each other long, and he figured Phoenix wasn’t ready for any declarations of love. With any luck, she wouldn’t end up worrying about what his father had said.

  “Your father also said I should learn to defend myself,” she told him.

  “You should,” Isaiah agreed.

  “I’ve never had much interest in learning to fight,” she added.

  Isaiah stopped and cupped her cheek before brushing his lips against hers. “I’m not much of a fighter myself, but learning to defend yourself isn’t about fighting. It’s about surviving. Even after we stop Hayden, you should still be able to protect yourself.”

  “I love that you want me to learn to defend myself rather than insisting you’ll take care of me.”

  His eyes widened in surprise. “Why would I ever say I’d take care of everything? I mean, I want to protect you, but I’m not foolish enough to believe I can put you in a bubble.”

  “Since I’ve been sequestered here, it’s kind of felt like you all think I need to be put in a bubble for my own good,” she admitted. “The first day I was here, Roman sent me to your room.”

  Isaiah laughed at her distress. “That still bothers you, doesn’t it?”

  “A little. I still can’t believe I just went to your room because he told me to. I even felt like I was misbehaving when I left the room with Drew.”

  “If it makes you feel any better, I’d have gone to my room if he told me to. My uncle can be a little intimidating. He’s mellowed a lot, but he’s still used to getting his way, and everyone believes they need to follow his orders.”

  “That actually does make me feel better.” She gave him a sweet smile. “Maybe part of what’s bothering me is that the hunters have always told me vampires expect their women to be weak and biddable.”

  “Do you believe that now that you’ve met more of us?” he asked.

  “If I’d only met your father, I might believe that was true, but the rest of the men in your family seem to like strong women. I seriously doubt anyone was picturing Caitlin when they were talking about your women.”

  “Yeah, my brother’s wife can be scary at times. Let’s feed you, and then you can learn a little about how to defend yourself,” he suggested.

  “Are you going to teach me?” she asked.

/>   “Actually, I think it might be best to get Drew involved,” he replied.

  “Why?” she practically gasped before catching herself. “That came out sounding really rude. It’s just that I’ve been avoiding him so he won’t ask me more questions about Shayla.”

  “Sorry about that. Drew is completely focused on helping her. It’ll pass.” He paused and thought for a moment. “At least, I hope it passes. I was thinking Drew would be a good choice since he’s got more experience as a predator than the rest of us. He knows the kinds of things you’ll need to watch out for, and he knows how to fight dirty.”

  “Good point,” she agreed with a nod. “I guess it will keep him too distracted to nag me with questions about Shayla.”

  Chapter Forty-Seven

  Phoenix had no idea why she’d expected Drew to go easy on her. Drew was brutal, and she was definitely going to have bruises later. While Isaiah had told them there was a gym in the house, Drew had insisted on moving the furniture out of the way in a sitting room. He’d explained that the gym was too sterile.

  “Dammit, Nix!” Drew growled in her ear. His arms were wrapped around her from behind, pinning hers to her sides.

  “Let her go, Drew,” Isaiah ordered him.

  Drew instantly released her and stepped back, looking seriously pissed at her for allowing him to get her in that position.

  Phoenix glared right back at Drew. “I’m doing my best!”

  “Fuck your best!” Drew shouted.

  Isaiah grabbed her arm when she took a step toward Drew. What she was going to do when he’d already proven he could hurt her, she had no idea.

  “You’re a hunter,” Isaiah stated in a firm tone. “While the tattoo is muting some of your abilities, you’re still stronger than a human. Why are you holding back?”

  She thought for a moment because she wasn’t sure why she was holding back. “I don’t want to hurt him,” she finally admitted. “I thought this would be sparring where no one gets hurt.”

  “You’re weak,” Drew spat out with a nasty smirk. “I could do whatever the fuck I want to you because you’re too pathetic to do anything to stop me. That’s your choice. You could have fought and saved lives. Instead, you ran like a fucking coward.”

  “Don’t talk to her that way,” Isaiah hissed at Drew.

  “Why not?” Drew sneered. “You want me to lie to her so she can end up dead? Get the fuck back over here, Nix, and stop acting like some weak human.”

  Phoenix jerked away from Isaiah and stalked toward Drew. “What is your problem?” she demanded. “Do you get off on making me feel bad about myself?”

  When Drew laughed at her, she saw red and her fist slammed into his diaphragm, knocking him to the ground. There was a loud whoosh as the air left his lungs, and for a moment, she felt terrible about hitting her friend, even if he was being a jerk. That guilt quickly melted away when she noticed he was quietly laughing at her.

  “Now, we’re getting somewhere,” he praised, lifting his shirt to reveal the place where her fist had connected. From the looks of it, he’d have a nasty bruise. “That’s the kind of shit I want to see from you when I teach you how to fight.”

  For the next hour, Drew was relentless, and by the end of that hour, Phoenix no longer felt at all guilty about hurting him.

  “That’s good for today,” Drew told her when she was pretty sure she couldn’t take anymore.

  “You are such an asshole,” she grumbled.

  Isaiah was watching her with the strangest expression on his face. Sitting on the floor with one leg bent so he could rest an arm on his knee, his eyes locked with hers, and Phoenix’s breath caught in her throat.

  Drew chuckled as he passed her. “That’s the adrenaline, babe. As for my cousin, he just likes seeing you hit me.”

  “Huh?” she asked, suddenly having trouble forming a coherent sentence.

  Leaning closer to her ear, Drew whispered loudly. “The door to this room locks.”

  “Why are you telling me that?” she asked him.

  Drew chuckled again. “Yeah, like you don’t know what’s going to happen as soon as I walk out that door. If you need more coaching, I could always stay and watch.”

  “No,” Isaiah told him, never taking his eyes off of Phoenix.

  “Come on, cuz. I’ve watched you fuck before, and I’ve fucked Nixie. It’s not like either of you have anything I haven’t seen.”

  Phoenix let out a long-suffering sigh, hoping Drew would take the hint and leave.

  “Fine,” Drew relented. “I’ll let myself out, and I’m such a nice guy that I’ll even lock the door.”

  When the door clicked behind Drew, Isaiah stood and prowled toward her.

  Chapter Forty-Eight

  Isaiah never would have guessed he’d get so turned on watching Phoenix fight with Drew. Sparring was definitely not the word for what they’d been doing, and it had been hard to avoid intervening at first, even knowing why Drew was being so hard on her. They didn’t have months to teach her how to defend herself. If Hayden got his hands on her, he wasn’t going to be gentle. At first, he’d cringed every time Drew had tossed her on the ground or pinned her against a wall. Then it had all changed. When Phoenix had slammed her fist into Drew’s diaphragm, Isaiah’s dick had instantly woken up.

  “I should take a shower,” Phoenix said with a shy smile that made his dick even harder.

  “Do you really think that’s what’s going to happen?” he asked, standing directly in front of her, but not touching her. If he touched her, he’d lose what control he had.

  “What else would we do?” she asked innocently, which is when he realized she was teasing him.

  “Take off your clothes, and I’ll show you,” he suggested, reaching out to tug at the hem of her shirt.

  “You first,” she insisted.

  Isaiah quickly stripped his t-shirt over his head and tossed it on the floor before kicking out of his shoes.

  “You don’t look like a computer geek when you take your clothes off,” Phoenix told him, reaching out to explore his chest with just the tips of her fingers. His nipples instantly hardened under her touch, making him groan.

  “What do I look like?” he asked, trying to keep from tearing her clothes off and fucking her against the door. That wasn’t completely out of the question, but he wanted her just as turned on as he was before he slid into her body.

  “A runner,” she replied as her fingers traced his abdominal muscles. “Maybe a swimmer.”

  “I like to do both,” he admitted, his eyes fixed on her fingers as they worked at the buckle on his belt. When she undid his pants and slid them down his legs, he practically moaned in relief at having his dick freed from the confines of his jeans. She reached out to grip his erection over the fabric of his boxers.

  “You like that, don’t you?” she asked with a sexy purr.

  “Yes,” he admitted, his eyes drifting closed as his arousal grew even more.

  “I want to taste you,” she breathed out, pushing his boxers down to free him.

  When she moved to drop to her knees, he gripped her elbows to stop her. “Undress now,” he ordered, kicking his pants and boxers the rest of the way off.

  When she looked down at his dick like she was being denied her favorite treat, he chuckled. “I want to enjoy you at the same time.”

  Her eyes widened when she realized what he was saying, and she quickly stripped out of her clothes. While she was undressing, Isaiah tossed the cushions from one of the sofas they’d moved against the wall onto the floor. Grabbing her hand, he led her to the makeshift bed before leaning forward to kiss her. His tongue slid along hers, making her moan and writhe against his body. Isaiah was on the verge of coming when she sucked his tongue into her mouth, imagining she’d be doing the same to his cock very soon. He’d been close to the edge before she’d even touched him. Now, he was practically shaking with need.

  Fisting her hair, Isaiah pulled her head back, angling his mouth so he c
ould take charge of the kiss. His tongue thrust into her mouth, mimicking sex. His tactics had the desired effect, and soon, Phoenix was panting and trying desperately to get closer to him.

  Tearing his mouth from hers, he settled onto his back and held out a hand to her. “I need to taste you,” was his desperate plea, and he was beyond thankful that she didn’t ask any questions.

  Phoenix settled over his mouth, and he used his fingers to spread her open so he could feast on her. Just as his tongue slid into her hot pussy, Phoenix’s hand gripped the base of his cock, while her tongue traveled up the shaft before swirling around the edges of the head. Focusing on the task of bringing Phoenix to screaming orgasm wasn’t easy with her touching his cock, and when she slid it inside of her mouth, he moaned against her, which must have felt good since she echoed his moan. His tongue moved against her clit, while he used his hands to keep her open to him.

  When she was rocking against his face, sucking his dick so far into her throat he was sure she’d gag, Isaiah slid two fingers into her body as his teeth grazed her clit. Phoenix jerked at the sensation, sucking harder on his throbbing dick. When she relaxed against him, he sucked her clit into his mouth and strummed it with his tongue, thrusting his fingers into her while she worked her hot mouth up and down his shaft in time with his fingers.

  Her body tightened around his fingers, and her moans grew louder. Those sexy moans were vibrating around him, bringing him closer to the edge. His control was almost gone. When he felt the first spasms of her orgasm around his fingers, Isaiah knew he wouldn’t last much longer. Still flicking his tongue around her clit as he suckled it gently, her body rocked with the spasms of her climax. Her jaw loosened as she let out a little shriek, and that should have been enough to bring him away from the edge. Instead, he moved even closer as her orgasm settled, and his fingers slowed.

  In the aftermath of her orgasm, she started to suck his dick like a woman possessed. “No more or I’ll come in your mouth,” he warned.

  That didn’t stop her. If anything, it made her even more desperate. She gripped the base, sliding him in and out of her mouth faster while sucking hard until Isaiah couldn’t hold back any longer. Bucking his hips up toward her mouth, he groaned loudly, gripping her hips for support when his intense orgasm rocked his body.