by Ebony Olson
“On the house.” His face serious. “I have to give it to you, Ryder, that was hot. Even I had to calm down after that. You're smooth.”
“I messed up.”
Tommy shrugged. “So you sparked her on your first kiss in centuries, you think Williams's has never lost control while with her?”
I considered him. “I hurt her.”
Tommy lifted a brow. “Did you just?” I looked at Tommy, confused. Tommy sighed. “What came before she pushed you away?”
“She hissed at me.”
“Before that.”
“She gasped.”
Tommy gave me an exasperated look. “You're really out of practice.” He stood straighter. “Okay, I'll walk you through it. You touched her beneath her clothing, you dropped your shield, you both really started enjoying yourselves, you did what?”
“I pulled my shields back up automatically.”
“And that's when she hissed in pain and pushed you away.” Tommy cocked that pierced brow at me again then turned away to serve his customers.
I stared at my scotch. “She liked it,” I whispered to myself. I looked around the club astounded, wondering where she went. With so many people, her drift was hard to pick up but I didn't really need it. I knew where she'd end her night.
Spectra
I wasn't sure if it was a dream. There was a flash of burning pain and then it was gone. I blinked my eyes open into the darkness, trying to remember my dream. It had taken me forever to fall asleep, tossing and turning as I tried to calm myself down. My thoughts ran rampant as I repeatedly analyzed my behavior with Bay tonight. I'd finally fallen asleep tangled in my sheets. It took several minutes after the pain woke me before I felt his presence in my room.
I sat bolt upright in bed and met Bay Ryder's eyes. The panic started to build inside me but before I could open my mouth to scream, tropical heat bathed my body, relaxation flooded me, and I fell back on bed with a moan of content. Bay stepped around the end of the bed, pulling his shirt over his head and dropping it to the floor. He was good-looking with clothes on, but without he was gorgeous. And he wanted me. All the women in the world meant nothing to him, it was me that he desired. I moved my hands to grip my thighs as they itched to touch him but instead started running them along my own skin, imagining all the ways he could touch me.
“Don't,” I panted, and even to my own ears the tone was wrong.
Bay kicked off his boots, socks joining them. “I'm doing nothing. I am casting no magic, nor am I charming you.” He unzipped his jeans and dropped them to the ground.
I glanced at his naked beauty and swallowed the sigh edging up my throat. Delicious heat flowed through me, gathering between my legs, and I gasped as my fingers brushed over that area tracing my body's response.
“You're doing something,” I gritted my teeth, trying to control myself.
Bay pulled back my bedspread and watched my hands slip over the black satin nightdress I wore, a gorgeous smile spreading across his face. “I really am doing nothing, Spectra. This is all your own reaction.” He slid into the bed with me and pulled the covers over us.
I shook my head and swallowed again as the press of his body to the side of mine left me tingling to feel more of him, to explore his body. He reached over and tenderly took my hand from roaming my own body and placed it on his chest. I bit my lip against the sensation that caused in me and tried to pull away, but Bay placed his hand over mine, keeping it there.
“It's not just me reacting to you. You're the first woman to cause this...” he slid my hand to his hard on and I grabbed it, loving the feel of that hardness, the size of it, the throb just from my grasp. Bay moaned, his eyes rolling into his head, “in centuries.”
I went to stroke the length of him, but his hand held mine captive. He opened his eyes and met mine, heat burned through his gaze, and I felt my body melt to meet the contours of his.
“But you're reacting to me too, aren't you, Spectra? That's why when I tried to charm you, it didn't work because you don't react to that.” He released my hand and slid his between my thighs, cupping my heat in his hand. “You're attracted to powerful men because you react to power.”
My head fell back as he rubbed his hand against me and kissed along my jaw.
“Stop, please,” I begged.
“I'm being truthful, Spectra. Your reaction is yours. It is up to you to control your power just as it is up to me to control mine.” Bay kissed down my throat, mouthing the satin that covered my breasts, sucking my erect nipple through the material.
I threw my head back, reaching for the headboard at the same time. I saw the flash of something on the back of my hand and opened my eyes wider to look closer. The shield Phillipa drew on my hand redrew itself momentarily and then faded again.
I stared at the back of my hand, trying to ignore the heat flooding through me. My reaction. Phillipa explained I naturally absorbed Alexander's power and turned it into what he needed. Was my reaction now to Bay the same thing? Last night it wasn't dropping his shields that hurt, but when he snapped them back up and cut me off from that warmth.
I gasped as his finger slid into me, stroking me, his determination reflected in the pressure he applied and the steady rhythm of his fingers. He'd figured it out. That I'd absorbed his desire and now he was using it against me, dropping his shields just enough to blanket my senses with it.
I swallowed another moan as his teeth gave a gentle tug on my nipple through the material and he started kissing his way back to my mouth as he moved his body to lie between my legs.
I closed my eyes and felt for that shield Alexander activated on Sunday night. I imagined grabbing hold of the cold blackness and tugging hard in both directions. It didn't budge, and when Bay's mouth took mine hostage again, I forgot about trying to shield and lost myself to the heat and passion of his kissing.
Bay positioned himself, and the feel of his naked hardness sliding between my labia nearly undid me. I wanted him so badly, I wanted to feel my desire unleashed again. That thought morphed in my head while he kissed me, I want him to unleash his desire on me.
“Not like this.” I murmured, and Bay stopped, pulling away to hear me out. “Please, Bay? You know I'm not in control of myself, that this wouldn't be my choice. It's not right. Not here, not like this.”
Bay's eyes were full of the heat I could feel flooding my veins. He swallowed visibly, closed his eyes, and blew out a breath, his voice choked. “How, when?”
“I don't know, I can't think clearly like this.”
A tear slid down my cheek and Bay sighed, wiping it away before he rolled to lie beside me and caress my cheek. I felt him slowly pull his power back in, making sure not to hurt me with the whiplash this time. “I hope you respect what I'm giving up here, Spectra.”
He slipped out from under the covers, scooped up his clothes from the floor, and the burn of his power flared as he walked across my room. A heat of a different kind, of my true desire, flickered as I watched his muscular physique walk away from me. He took a step into the darkness and disappeared, the same way Alexander appeared on Sunday to save me from this same man.
As the coldness of his absence washed over me, the shield I'd tried to use stretched wide enough to cover my chest and then recoiled back to nothing. I rolled onto my side, Bay's emotions still raw and unchecked inside me, colliding with my own confusion. I cried until I fell asleep from the exhaustion of it.
CHAPTER EIGHT
Bay
I sat at my desk, trying hard to focus on the report in front of me. Luke sat opposite, his normally patient composure slowly fraying, tapping a pencil against his notepad, the noise of which was driving me up the wall. “That's distracting.”
“You've read the same sentence twenty times and counting. You have gone past annoying. Are you ready to talk about it yet?”
“I let her go.”
“Why?”
“I discovered her weakness a
nd used it. If I'd continued despite her willingness, it would have been rape.” I slammed the report closed and slouched back in my chair. Frustrated didn't begin to explain how I felt.
“There is no law in the Nachtwelt regarding rape.” Luke's face was the perfect mask of indifference, but I knew better. Luke was the only other de Sang in my house, because he was the only one I'd met, so far, who managed to retain his moral fortitude after being taken. He wasn't mine, I'd never taken anyone to this life, and neither did Luke.
“You think the law would matter if I raped the woman L'Ordre loves?”
“He would twist the law to state you took her unwilling.”
“Exactly!”
Luke considered me a moment. “Is that the only reason you stopped?”
I sighed. “I have defiled nuns within convent walls, entered their rooms like a messenger of God, seduced and fed from them. None have ever met my eyes and asked me to stop.” I stood up and walked to the window. “She was drowning in lust, and she still kept her head enough to ask me not to do that to her.”
“I'm surprised you were able to.” Luke raised a brow. “You seem pretty intent with her.”
“She was siphoning my desire, which took the edge off. She's a siphon, but she hasn't learned to close herself off to it.”
Luke frowned. “She's young, so that's possible, but siphons are predators, and the ones who feed on desire feed on humans.”
“She feeds on power. That's why she's dating powerful men.”
Luke shook his head. “An Angelis would never date a siphon. A watcher would never protect one. You're wrong about this.” I raised a brow at Luke, and he shrugged. “I've probably never said that before, but you're definitely wrong on this one.”
I sighed. “Then I still don't know what she is, but she can siphon my power.” I watched the sun lowering towards the horizon in the sky.
The door opened, Calin walking in, shrugging out of his jacket before rubbing a hand through his sandy hair. “It's cold enough that my balls may have retracted out there.” He moved to the fireplace and put his back to it, sighing with relief. “The things I do for you, boss. Mind you, that girl must be very pious. She spent the entire morning on her knees in Mary's grotto praying for direction. The stone under her knees left her shivering and turning blue, but she stayed there till the priest and a rather scary nun wrapped her in a blanket and dragged her inside the church.”
“Probably punishing herself for letting the devil crawl into bed with her,” Luke mumbled, shooting me a scathing look.
Calin frowned. “What? What did I miss?”
“Not important,” I glared at Luke. “Where is she now?”
Calin took a step away from the fire as he warmed. “Well, she spent an hour sitting in the church talking to the priest, then he walked her back to the convent. That's where she was about the time I started wondering if I'll ever be able to achieve an erection again. Did I mention it's damn cold out there? I reckon it will snow tonight.”
Luke sighed, looking at his watch. “We might get dinner early tonight if that's the case. We don't want Calin's balls retracting at a vital moment and you not being able to get your dinner.”
I nodded, agreeing. I didn't want to get caught in the city during a snowstorm. Grabbing our jackets, we headed out. I only lived an hour’s drive from the city, so by sunset we were safely ensconced in a high-end townhouse at a smorgasbord. They were the best parties for someone like me. I didn't have to be the one dipping my wick to get my food. For the humans, it was a swinger’s party. Lots of the wealthy citizens, with more money than sense, usually grew bored and ended up in these promiscuous lifestyles, which enabled predators like myself.
Luke went off to find his own food while Calin and I mingled and picked out my dinner. “That one,” Calin pointed to a leggy brunette with pale skin and deep blue eyes. I gave him a suspicious look. “She's the closest to your girl than any other woman here. Maybe if you close your eyes and pretend it's her, you might get a twitch and be able to fix your own meal.”
I rolled my eyes but indicated Calin should make his play. I watched Calin approach the woman, the way she smiled at him, and after a few minutes, her body language was very positive. A few more minutes passed and Calin pointed to me. I gave the woman a nod and took a sip of the champagne. She damn near swooned at whatever Calin whispered in her ear next. He took her hand and led her towards the stairs to the rooms set aside for private gatherings upstairs.
I followed them, and at the top of the stairs, they waited for me to catch up. “Private party for three please,” I tipped the concierge. He led us down the hall and opened the door, giving the woman a wink as we passed inside and shut the door after us. Calin pulled the woman into his arms and started kissing her immediately as he danced her to the bed. I loosened my tie and slipped it free, throwing it to a chair along with my suit jacket and my shirt.
Calin and the woman were tugging each other's clothes off over by the bed as I stepped towards them. My phone buzzed in my pocket, but I ignored it. By the looks of this woman, this was going to be a quick party.
“Do I get to fuck you both?” She smiled as Calin hovered over her.
“Let's see how you go with me first.” He smiled and shoved into her.
I smiled at how in sync Calin and I were. We'd gotten very used to picking the women who would need preparation and persuasion to achieve climax, and those so randy they'd be climbing the curtains as soon as the fucking started. This woman was definitely one of the latter. I knelt at her head, grasping her breasts and squeezing while I kissed her neck. The attention of two men simultaneously was apparently too much, and she screamed her way to her pleasure.
Covering her mouth with my hand, I bit gently into her neck. She moaned anew, and as Calin flooded her with his pleasure, her eyes fluttered, a smile spreading further across her face. I felt her heart rate slow and pulled away, cleaning the bite and sealing it with my saliva.
Calin was already redressing as I stood and pulled the phone from my pocket. Surprised by an email from Spectra.
Eight o’clock. Pick me up from the church. Dinner at Margareta's. You're paying.
Calin raised his eyebrows. “You look surprised.”
“That I am.” I slipped the phone away and started redressing. “You and Luke right to find your way home?”
“You got somewhere else to be?”
“Apparently, I have a date.”
* * *
She was beautiful without effort. I knew that the night I met her, but with effort... The night the Angelis bought her to Gladys's smorgasbord, I'd been blown away by how stunning she was, and I noted straight away Gladys's jealousy. She walked to the curb where I waited by my car, her long black jacket covering whatever she wore, but by the heels and the minimal makeup, I suspected she'd dressed the part for the high-end restaurant she'd booked.
“You're early?” She looked concerned.
“I was already in the city when I got your email.” I opened the passenger side door for her.
She stepped forward but froze before sitting. “You've eaten already tonight?”
“Yes, but I wouldn't mind something solid.” She gave me a half-hearted smile and sank into the leather seat, tucking herself in like a trained lady.
As we pulled away from the curb, I examined the set of her shoulders, the way her hand continuously flexed and clenched. She was as nervous as they came, almost to the point of terrified. I reached over and took her hand. Her eyes fluttered, and she entwined her fingers with mine, looking out the window.
“It's become cold very quickly,” Spectra sighed.
“Calin suspects it will snow tonight.”
“Calin?” She looked at me curiously.
“He's my bodyguard, of sorts.”
Spectra looked over her shoulder at the empty back seat. “No offense Bay, but unless he's invisible, he sucks at his job.”
I smirked. “I sai
d of sorts. In truth, it's a job title on paper. He takes care of all the training for my company.”
“Which company is that?”
I swallowed. I understood she wanted to put herself at ease and possibly get to know me better, but this was something complicated.
“Oh!” She turned away. “This is something to do with that big government contract.”
My eyes went wide. “How do you... doesn't matter. While I'd like to explain the nature of my business to you, I'm actually bound by one of your boyfriend's contracts to not even mention my company name.”
Spectra nodded, but her jaw was tense. “Bodyguard it is.” She waited for a heartbeat longer. “Alexander isn't my boyfriend. We've never been in a relationship.”
“And the Angelis?”
Spectra became fixated on the passing scenery. “Is my boyfriend.”
“Does he know where you are tonight?”
She shook her head slowly. “We have a very relaxed relationship.”
I pulled up to the front of the restaurant and climbed out while the valet opened Spectra's door. I handed the keys to the valet and walked with Spectra quietly into the restaurant. “The booking is in your name,” Spectra mumbled as we approached the maître d'.
“Mr. Ryder.” Sophia the maître d' smiled before her eyes turned to Spectra, who was busy scanning the restaurant. Sophia's eyes widened a little in recognition. “Miss Michaels, I haven't seen you in a while.”
Spectra gave a false smile and nodded. Sophia stood a little shocked for a moment until I cleared my throat.
“Sorry, your table is ready, Mr. Ryder.” Sophia led the way to the back of the restaurant where the private dining rooms were located.
A waiter was waiting and took Spectra's coat. She wore a black velvet dress that clung in all the right places, and flowed enough to still be considered conservative. As she turned to take her seat, I felt my body react to the skin the backless dress exposed.
I waited till we were seated and the waiter drew the sheer curtain and left with our drink order before raising a brow at Spectra. “I'm guessing this used to be a regular date place for you and Alexander.” Spectra avoided eye contact, and I understood she didn't want to discuss her relationships with me. “Can I ask how you managed to get a spur of the moment booking here? Even with my name, it's usually booked out well in advance.”
