by R. E. Butler
“I don’t either, but you wouldn’t deny me, would you?”
He snarled. “I wouldn’t deny you anything.”
She felt his erection against her hip as he hovered over her. His fangs peeked over his lips, the tips sharp and gleaming.
“Let me take care of you,” she said, opening her legs to let him settle into the cradle of her hips. She wrapped her legs around his waist and lifted her hips, rubbing her pussy against his thick length. His hips angled back, and he slid home inside her, filling her so perfectly and hitting all the right places. Her eyes closed as he snarled softly and struck, sinking his fangs into her throat. It burned at first, but changed quickly to a slow throb that slid down her body like a heated caress. Her nails dug into his back, and she moaned as he began to move within her, his fangs holding her close as he sucked on her flesh and drank her blood.
Through their connection as truemates, she felt him hit the point where his thirst was sated, and he disengaged his fangs and licked the marks. “You taste like sugar and sunshine,” he growled in her ear.
He began to fuck her hard and fast, and she held on for the ride, reveling in his possession of her body. She had given him her body and her blood, and the only piece of her remaining was her heart and he’d already claimed it. The early stages of love, new and blooming, were cementing their relationship quickly.
“Mine,” she growled, sinking her teeth into his shoulder.
“Fuck, Lia, yes, fuck,” he shouted.
Her head snapped back as she came, screaming his name, and he followed, coming deep inside her. He held her close as he kissed her neck and her throat, whispering softly that he was hers completely, to the very depths of his soul.
Tears pricked her eyes as she wrapped her arms around him. “I’m yours, too, Caleb. Every inch of me.”
Chapter 6
Caleb watched with an amused expression as his mate walked around the penthouse. She hadn’t seemed to understand just how big the penthouse was, but it took up the entire fifteenth floor of the hotel. The six bedroom, six bathroom suite had automatic shutters that opened and closed with the sunset and sunrise, balconies off each bedroom, and a private movie theater.
“Is this the kitchen?” she asked as she stood in front of the mini fridge that served as his kitchen.
“Nash has a contractor coming next week to make it into a real kitchen for you,” he promised. “We’ll stay in a suite on the fourteenth floor while the work is being done.”
“Okay. I know it’s only for a few years until you turn me, but I do like cooking.”
“And you should have whatever you like.” He strode to her, sliding his arms around her and drawing her close.
“I like you.”
“I like you, too.” More than like, actually. He was falling head over heels for his mate. He kissed her throat in the place where he’d drunk from her just two hours earlier. Her blood was amazing. It was so sweet, it put the so-called honey-bloods to shame.
“My family is coming in a few minutes,” she said huskily as he licked her pulse.
“I can’t help it. You’re so fucking tempting.”
Her fingers wiggled between the buttons of his dress shirt and touched his stomach. “You are, too.”
As he considered ripping the jeans from her body and bending her over the counter, there was a loud knock on the door. They both growled at the interruption.
“That’s probably my brothers.”
“And my sister.”
“We’ve suddenly both got a really big family,” she said, smiling at him.
They answered the door together. Lia’s three brothers, Caleb’s sister, and a she-wolf stood in the hallway. Everyone was smiling except for the one male he hadn’t personally met yet – Galen, the youngest brother. He looked like he hadn’t slept in a few days. Dark circles ringed his eyes, and his cheeks were covered in stubble.
The females rushed inside, hugging Lia and laughing like old friends, and Caleb pushed open the door farther and gestured inside. Alaric, the oldest brother, introduced Galen.
As he was shutting the door, Caleb heard the rhythmic sound of wheels and saw Nash with three carts being pushed behind him.
“Good evening,” Nash said as he walked into the suite. “I’ll have everything set up quickly.”
“Thanks, Nash,” Lia said. Caleb loved how she settled easily into the role as mistress. As his truemate, she had a lot of power within the kiss. When she became a vampire, she’d have even more standing within the kiss.
Slade, Alaric, and Galen looked at the females and all shook their heads. Caleb gestured to the couch and said, “Why don’t we sit and chat while our mates catch up.”
The males followed him, and he sat down on the couch, joined by Alaric and Slade. Galen went to the large windows and stared out silently.
“Is he okay?” Caleb asked.
“It’s been a little tense. He’s started having mating dreams, but they’re vague, which tells us that he probably has to move on to find his mate. It took me a year to find Aubrey. He’s going to stay a few months, which is how long Jonathon will be here with the NWFA, but then he’ll be moving on.”
“He’s bummed to be leaving our family behind. We all figured we’d stay together as a group, but the girls’ lives are here so we’re staying,” Slade said.
“Will he come back when he finds his mate?”
Alaric shrugged. “It depends on her. If she’s tied to her community or family, then probably not. A lot is up in the air for him which is stressful, but the dreams alone are enough to drive a male batshit crazy.”
Technically human, Caleb hadn’t experienced anything more paranormal in his life than becoming a vampire. His connection to Lia, however, was amazing and intense. He couldn’t imagine what it was like to have mating dreams but have no idea where his mate lived or who she was.
He had felt like not being able to talk to Lia while she was in her shift for a few hours was torture. True torture would be not having any clue how to find her.
“Is there anything I can do? The wolves are good trackers. I’m not saying sabers aren’t, but some of the wolves specialize in tracking supernatural creatures and if they had something, like a description, they might be able to help.”
Galen turned slowly from the window. “Unless they can find pink and gold, then I have nothing else to go on.”
Caleb frowned. “I’m sorry?”
Galen scrubbed a hand over his face. “All I see in my dreams are pink and gold. I wake up with a raging hard-on, but I’ve got nothing to go on. Whoever she is, she’s not near me or I’d be seeing more.”
“I still think she’s traveling,” Lia said as she joined them, sitting on Caleb’s lap. Nash followed her, holding a plate and glass of wine.
“Why do you think she’s traveling?” Caleb asked.
“Because the dreams are fuzzy, which means distance. Maybe I’m just feeling hopeful that Galen won’t have to leave. I want us to all be together.”
“You just want to be the boss of everyone, Mistress Lia,” Slade said, sarcastically.
Nash bristled, setting the glass of wine and the plate down on the coffee table. “Watch your tone, cat. That’s my master’s mistress you’re speaking to.”
Lia wrapped her arms around Caleb’s neck and kissed his ear. “I love being your mate.” She lifted her head and grinned at her brothers. “Ha, ha, I’m the boss of you.”
Gretchen tweaked Slade’s ear. “Be nice to my sister.”
“She was my sister first,” Slade said, grabbing Gretchen around the waist and hauling her onto his lap. “I’ll only be nice to you, but I’ll be respectful to my sister.”
Nash glanced at Caleb for approval, and he nodded. He muttered under his breath, “Siblings,” and lifted the plate, handing it to Lia. “Is there anything else you need, mistress?”
“It looks wonderful, Nash. Thank you so much.”
He ducked his head and snapped his fingers, pointing to t
he door. The workers hustled out, and Nash said, “I’ve cleared your schedule for tonight. Mistress Lia’s office is being furnished as we speak, and her schedule is filling up.”
They’d spoken already about the vampire females’ need to see their mistress and what she would be handling as his mate. Among other things, Caleb wanted her to handle the family and mating problems so he could focus on the businesses. He had a mate to take care of for eternity and children to provide for. He wanted to ensure that they had plenty of money to secure their future.
Lia said, “I can’t believe people have to make an appointment to see me. How freaking cool is that?”
“Just don’t let it go to your head,” Alaric said.
“She’s the mistress of Belle Terra. Let her have her moment,” Aubrey said. “She has to put up with my brother forever. It has to come with some perks.”
“It’s got a lot of perks,” Lia said, winking at Caleb.
Caleb chuckled. “We’ll see you tomorrow night, Nash.”
Nash slipped from the room, and Caleb settled back as his mate and her family chatted about the change in their lives that coming to Belle Terra had brought. Alaric and Slade were going to become the heads of security for the hotel. He knew they would do well in their positions. Having their mates working in the hotel meant that they would be extra sensitive to security. The wolves and vampires who worked in security would have to be briefed on the changes, and a meeting had been scheduled for the morning.
“I guess I’m a night owl now,” Lia said.
Alaric put down his empty plate and pulled Aubrey a little closer to his side. “Are you going to be turned?”
“Not until we have a few kids. I don’t want to miss out on being a mom, but I also want to help keep our kind going,” Lia said. “Since the saber is dominant, there’s a good chance any children we have will be sabers.”
Caleb didn’t have to ask to know that no one else in the room wanted to be turned. They wanted to have kids and grow old together. Maybe they’d change their mind someday, but he didn’t think they would.
When they were alone again and had made love, he twisted a lock of Lia’s hair around his finger, looking at the golden strands.
“I don’t think your family will want to be turned.”
She snuggled closer to him. “No. It will be strange to stop aging while they continue to, but I’d never take their choices from them, and I know you wouldn’t either. We have each other and our future kids. Knowing we’ll all be together forever makes me happy, even though I will be sad to not have my brothers and new sisters with us.”
“At least we can promise to watch over their children and future generations. As long as I’m master of Belle Terra, sabers can always call this place home.”
She kissed his shoulder. “You’re one amazing male, Caleb Night. I’m so glad you’re mine.”
He rolled on top of her and kissed her throat. “I’m so glad you’re mine, too.”
* * * * *
The following night, Lia walked beside him as they entered the kiss’s offices. The receptionist stood and bowed, introducing herself. “If there’s anything I can do for you, mistress, please let me know.”
“Thank you,” Lia said.
His mate wore a beautiful black silk suit, with a skirt so short it made his mouth water. She wore high heels that brought her petite frame a few inches closer to his height. When they’d woken that night, Lia had gone into one of the spare bedrooms with a boutique clothier who had brought dozens of clothes for Lia to choose from. Her belongings had been brought from the RV, but aside from the ball gowns she’d worn to the fights, her clothing wasn’t what she called mistress of the city acceptable. She was taking her new role seriously, and he was grateful for it. He wanted her to embrace all that he was, and that included running a city full of supernatural creatures and focusing on the members of the kiss.
They climbed the stairs and walked to the right, where her glass-enclosed office was next to his. A large cherry desk sat in the center of the office, with a black leather desk chair behind it. Two high-backed, embroidered chairs were placed across from the desk, and against one wall, a wine colored plush couch rested.
“Are you happy with the décor?” he asked as he held the door open for her. Her desk matched his, but the couch and chairs were more feminine. Behind the desk was a large mahogany shelf with a file cabinet on one side, cabinets for storage on the bottom, and lighted shelves. They were empty now, but he knew she’d fill them up quickly with curios and knickknacks.
“I love it. I especially love that I can look over and see my sexy mate anytime I want,” she said, sliding her hands underneath his suit jacket and linking them behind his back. “Wanna fool around?”
“For the record, you never have to ask me that because I always want to fool around. However, it’s your first day in the office, the walls are made of glass, and you have meetings in a few minutes.”
“Aw, spoilsport.” She lifted her face, and he kissed her.
“I’ll come have you for lunch.”
“Don’t you mean you’ll take me out to lunch?”
“Nope.”
She purred. “I love the way you think, Caleb.”
“You can call me master when we’re in the office.”
“It’ll cost you an orgasm.”
“Now that’s a deal,” he said, laughing.
After kissing her once more, he left her to explore her office and settle in. Meeting Nash in his own office, he said, “How are the responses to the request for an assistant for Lia?”
He sat behind his desk and glanced through the wall to see Lia giggling to herself as she sat in the desk chair and spun around.
“I have seven interviews for her lined up for tomorrow. Two she-wolves, but the rest are vampires, all females.”
As if he’d allow her to have a male assistant. He might be a progressive guy as far as women’s rights went, but there was no way in hell he’d allow his sweetheart to have a male hovering around her all day.
“Good.” It took some effort, but he managed to turn his attention away from his tempting mate and to the work at hand. “I’ve got a lunch date with my sweetheart. Let’s get to work.”
Chapter 7
When the office closed at four a.m., Lia walked to her new assistant’s office and said, “I hope you had a good first day at work.”
Her assistant, a sweet vampire named Georgia, had stepped right into the role and helped Lia learn about the kiss. She had been engaged to a human before she was turned twenty years earlier, and the human had claimed she was a monster and broke off their engagement. Because Caleb and Lia were truemates, Georgia hoped that she would find her own truemate someday.
“I have a great boss,” Georgia said, smiling.
“I’ve arranged for two guards to walk you to the club so you get home safely.”
“Thank you so much for thinking of me. Have a good night, mistress.”
“You too.”
She joined Caleb by the front doors and they headed out. She’d never considered herself all that much of a night-owl, but her mate was definitely one so she needed to get used to it. She knew as her body adjusted to being awake at night that she wouldn’t need quite so much coffee to keep herself going. Four vampire guards walked with her and Caleb to the hotel. Caleb had won the title of master vampire by killing the previous vampire who ruled Belle Terra. Her mate was fierce, but after meeting with several female vampires, she could see how much he was adored by the kiss. The other master had been cruel and hadn’t cared about their well-being. Caleb wanted everyone who was oathed to him to be safe.
Leaving the guards behind, they entered the private elevator and took it to the penthouse.
“I noticed an invitation to a wedding,” she said as Caleb held open the door for her.
“He’s a member of the kiss, and she’s human. It’s nothing personal. It’s my understanding that humans behave the same way and invite their boss to
their wedding without really expecting him or her to attend.”
“I think we should go.”
“Do you?” His brow rose.
“Yeah. I haven’t been to a wedding in ages. Plus, I think it would be a nice thing to do for them.”
“If you want to go, then we’ll go.”
“Good. I already had Nash RSVP for us.”
He chuckled. “I guess you’re pretty thankful that I agreed to go.”
“Well,” she said, thoughtfully, “if you’d said no, I planned to work really hard to convince you to change your mind.”
“You can still do that.”
He pulled her close and kissed her. He was so sexy. From his intense green eyes to the curve of his lips, to the broad shoulders and tapered waist. Underneath the tailored suit, he was all hard muscles. When he smiled, it made her panties melt.
Tugging on his tie, she licked her lips with a soft purr. Their lips met and their clothes disappeared in a flurry as they made their way to the master bedroom. They had time to play before the sun rose, signifying the end of their day. It was an excellent way to celebrate her first night at work.
* * * * *
Lia walked out of the bedroom in a silk, champagne-colored gown. It had a daringly high slit in the front, and when she walked in matching four-inch heels, the dress parted to reveal almost her entire leg.
She found Caleb in the living room, looking at his phone. Her mate was a hard worker, but he was always willing to put away the work in order to spend time with her. They’d only been together for a few days, but she already felt closer to him than she ever had to anyone else. She couldn’t get enough of his beautiful smile and the spicy scent of him.
He stood and smiled. “You look gorgeous, sweetheart.”
He wore a black tux that fit him perfectly. The vest and matching tie were black with golden swirls, which he said was to remind him of the way her eyes changed color when they made love.
“You don’t look so bad yourself,” she promised. “I’ll be the envy of every female there.”
