He set the box on the table and entwined his fingers in hers. “Come on. Let’s get you in that bath and get you some fresh clothes.”
“Oh!” She snapped her fingers, opened her purse, and pulled out the thong she’d shoved in the purse. “I have these.”
He cocked an eyebrow. “You didn’t happen to pack anything to go over those, did you?”
“I was in a hurry.”
He shook his head again.
Neeman set her purse down and then carried her into an adjoining bedroom and from there to the ornate bathroom. A beautiful granite counter with blown blue glass bowls sat under a gilded mirror. A toilet and bidet sat next to the counter. On one end of the bathroom stood a large, slate, glass-enclosed shower with four showerheads, on the other, a large sunken tub.
Neeman sat her on the toilet lid and turned on the water for the tub. She stared at his broad shoulders as he tested the temperature of the water. She wondered if they could both fit into the tub.
“Let me out. I can find out.”
Selene bit her cheek. How was this possible? The urges should have gone away after having sex with Neeman. But they hadn’t. The urges to ride him once more had only gotten stronger.
Between the steam from the bath and the flush of heat in her body, Selene was overheating.
She stripped off her shirt and flung it to the floor. Her bra as well. Modesty wasn’t one of her virtues. Neeman grabbed a towel and turned but dropped it and cleared his throat.
Selene laughed. “What? They’re just breasts. You’ve seen mine before. I mean, I know they’re pretty amazing and everything but you don’t need to stare.”
His eyes widened and he continued looking at her. Then his features darkened. “How did you get those?”
Her head dipped down. Her glamour magick had faded. Selene curled her hands around her middle and shut her eyes, slumping forward. She’d completely forgotten about her scars. Suddenly she didn’t want a bath. She just wanted to crawl into bed and never come out.
* * * *
Neeman stared at the burns and crisscross marks that ran in every direction from her stomach like tree roots.
He cracked his knuckles. Who could do something like that to a female? Bile rose in his throat and anger shook his limbs.
“Selene,” he said, trying to keep the rage from his voice. “Who did that?”
“I think I’d just like to lay down now.” Her voice was so small he barely heard her.
He stepped closer to her, but she cringed away.
He clenched his jaw several times. Taking a deep breath, he knelt by her, trying not to let her see his abject horror. He tried to look up into her face, but her dark hair hung loosely around her, shadowing her features.
“Selene.”
“Don’t.” Her head whipped up and she narrowed her gaze at him. The anger that rolled off her burned through him. “Don’t you dare pity me.” Shame and pain played over her features like a firework show.
“I don’t.” He yearned to hold her and keep her close. He saw her and understood finally. Her need to toy with men, to feel sexy. It was all to cover the truth as easily as the spell she used to cover the scars.
He slid his hands over hers and tried to unwrap them from her stomach. She resisted at first, her eyes conflicted and flickering between green and purple.
“Please,” he asked. Finally she let him move her arms away. The scars were all different shades and sizes. White and fine, like they’d been done with a thin blade, some jagged and thick. Long, short, old, newer. He ran his fingers over them one by one.
“You said they tried to teach you to control your inner demon. Is this what you meant?”
“Yes,” she whispered.
“How long did you endure this?” Please say only minutes.
“Days, months. These were the ones that stayed open too long and couldn’t be healed with magick.”
“So there were more?” Anger almost choked him.
Her gaze dropped to her lap. “Many.”
He wanted to tear down the walls to the fae world and kill them all for what they’d done. How could anyone be so cruel? The thought almost suffocated him. How many evils had he seen in this world alone? Why should other races be any different? The things that had been done to Vampires and vampyr by human doctors after the awakening, in an effort to figure out what they were? The things Vampires had done to the vamps after the outbreak. All of it was exactly the same, the reasoning the same. They did it out of fear.
“Come on.” He massaged her neck. “Let’s get you washed up and then figure out what we can do to heal that foot.”
Her face held raw, pure emotion with eyes rounded wide like a beaten puppy. He wanted nothing more than to carry her to the bed and cradle her. Her shoulders slumped and she nodded. He helped her up and turned her to lean on the counter. Mild pain echoed through his cheek as he chewed the inside of it. The sight of the curve of her spine, the flawless skin that flowed down to her round firm backside had his pants suddenly feeling a size too tight.
He took in a sharp breath and steadied himself before slipping his fingers in the waistband of her ripped and dirt-caked leggings and tugged them over her curvy hips. His arousal grew larger as he slid them off her shapely legs. She lifted herself up with her arms as he slid them over her feet. Standing, he caught a full view of her black, lacy thong.
Memories of how good her blood had tasted rippled through him. He stared at the creamy expanse of her neck before turning away and pushing his fingers through his hair. The last thing she needed was him trying to get all over her while she was injured.
“Neeman?”
He stared at the ceiling. Get a grip.
“It’s okay, if this is too hard for you.”
“Is that a joke?” He turned. She stared at him over her shoulder and her gaze dropped to his pants.
“It wasn’t meant as one, but I guess it could be.” She spun on her good foot and faced him.
Her perfectly perky breasts stared at him, begging to be touched.
“What do you think is going to happen when you get me in the water?” she asked. “If it’ll help I can use the toilet first and ruin the moment for you.”
“I’m good.”
He stepped up to her and tried to look anywhere but at her tempting body. He wiped his slick palms on his pants then hooked his fingers under her waistband and removed her underwear. Then, he swooped her up and placed her in the tub, propping up her broken foot on the edge with a towel.
Intimacy had never been his strong suit. Sex, yes, he was good at that. Taking a woman, bending her over, and getting down to business. Cuddly emotional connecting stuff, he’d never learned. Yet it was just that sensitive, cuddly stuff that Selene needed.
He located a washcloth under the sink, rubbed soap on it, and dipped it in the water.
Selene closed her eyes and relaxed into the water.
He wasn’t sure what to do. “Uhm... Do you want to...”
She opened her eyelids. “You’re supposed to be helping me.”
“Okay.” He cleared his throat and started at her shoulders, working the washcloth over her neck and collarbone. He pushed back her hair and wiped the smears and dirt from her face. The bruise on her cheek had stopped swelling, but the grayish purple hue was still ugly.
Dirt and blood dripped off her body into the water, staining it brown. He grabbed the shampoo and lathered her hair. He massaged her scalp and she slid down dunking her head under the water and swishing it back and forth. When she finished he drained the tub while refilling it at the same time so she didn’t get a chill. He lifted her wrist and squeezed the washcloth over a cut to her upper arm and then proceeded to clean her other arm.
Selene snickered. “I think you can move on to other parts.”
He swallowed back the boulder wedged in his throat. “Are you sure? You’re in pain.”
“My pain dulling spell helps.�
�
Okay.
Neeman swirled the washcloth lower over her firm breasts that bobbed under the surface of the water. Desire shot straight to him like a bullet, making his erection strain against his pants, begging to be let free.
Her ripe nubs puckered at the touch of the washcloth. She moaned and turned her head to the side. He moved the washcloth lower and rubbed over her stomach. Then lower to her thighs. His gaze trained on her neck. The vein at her throat pulsed with life. Her blood pumped faster as he rubbed down one leg and up the other.
He reached her most sensitive spot and hesitated.
“Don’t stop.” Her voice was husky and low.
He slid the washcloth between her legs and pressed it against her, making her moan again. He moved the cloth in slow circles. She reached out and grabbed the collar of his shirt.
“Neeman,” she breathed.
He tried to hold back. To be gentle. To give her what she needed. But his body throbbed and pulsed with need. His teeth ached, wanting to bite into her peachy flesh.
He worked the washcloth softly over her small nub, making her body jerk. She pulled him close and he stopped an inch from her lips. His erection pushed painfully against the side of the tub.
“Kiss me,” she demanded.
He froze with fear. He didn’t want to do this again. Didn’t want to make love to her only to have it mean nothing and for her to suck him dry again. But he did want her.
Leaning in, he pressed his lips firmly to hers. She wrapped her arm around his neck and pulled him closer. Water soaked his t-shirt as her tongue swirled against his teeth, demanding access. He gave in to her. He continued working his fingers against her. She panted into his mouth and he tasted her sweet breath. His head swam with wanting to bite into her, to taste her and feel the euphoria he had just hours early.
She broke their kiss, nibbled down the side of his neck, and grabbed his t-shirt, trying to pull it off.
“I want you,” she whispered.
His restraint broke. Dropping the washcloth, he then stripped off his shirt and helped her from the tub. Her slick body rubbed against his bare chest and he kissed her again, hard. Standing on her good foot, she turned to the bathroom counter. He planted his palms on either side of hers and moved her hair aside, nipping and suckling her neck.
The friction of their bodies had him wanting to be inside her again. Reaching around under her arm, he squeezed her breast, making her arch against him.
He grazed her throat with his fangs.
She jolted. “Damn.”
“Did I hurt you?”
She hopped on her good foot. “No, it’s just my broken foot. I got so caught up that I put my weight on it.”
A knock on the outer door pulled his attention. He growled low in his chest.
“Hello?” called a female.
“What?” he yelled.
“Uh... I was told to bring some clothing—”
“Leave it.”
He waited till the door closed and then turned to Selene. His gut clenched as he stared into her deep green eyes. The ends of her hair dripped down, making her skin glisten. He wanted nothing more than to lap every last drop from her.
What was he doing? He settled his hands on her waist and bowed his head till it rested on her shoulder. This wasn’t right.
“I should get you into bed,” he said.
“The bed might be a bit more comfortable, I agree.”
She was willing. He should take her and take her blood.
He grabbed the towel from the floor and wrapped it around her. “Not tonight.”
The encounter left him pent up and the look on her face told him she felt the same. His body ached for a release, or for sustenance. But more than that, he ached for her. The admission left him shaken to the core. He’d resigned himself to never wanting another woman again.
Neeman licked his fangs, wishing for the millionth time he wasn’t what he was.
* * * *
The throbbing need inside Selene was enough to drive her batty. She’d read book after book about sex and the mind-blowing, amazing release that was supposed to come along with it; but that she herself had never achieved. She’d been taught sex was for obtaining a male’s chi. And with chi you could do magick that wasn’t possible on your own, like caging her inner demon. There had been times where she had wanted more, craved more. But how did you ask a guy who was vomiting into the toilet to come in and service you?
The way Neeman had touched her, stirred her... It made her believe that maybe he could possibly be the one who would finally give her that release. But he didn’t want her.
He wrapped her in a towel and carried her to the bed. Then he got her the clothing and helped her put them on. She wanted him to lie next to her. To hold her and touch her, the way he had in the bathtub. But he simply propped himself in the bedroom doorway snapping and popping a fresh piece of gum, his arms folded over his chest. Every inch of his posture was rigid as steel. Even so, his eyes sparkled like blue diamonds.
“I’ll go get you something to eat and then you can rest.”
He was leaving.
She didn’t want to be alone. All she’d been since she arrived was alone.
“What about me? I’m here.”
“Are you going to stay here tonight?”
He jerked his thumb over his shoulder. “I’ll sleep on the couch to make sure you don’t need anything.”
“Don’t be ridiculous,” she said. “That thing was barely big enough for me, there’s no way you’ll fit.”
He shrugged. “I’ve had worse.”
Why did everything have to be so hard with him? “Neeman, there is more than enough room for both of us in this bed. I promise to keep my hands to myself.”
He stared at her for a moment and then headed out the door. “It’s not your hands I’m worried about.”
“Come on, we can be adults about this,” she called.
He looked back at her and the desire in his eyes hit her like a punch in the gut. “No. We can’t.”
Chapter 15
Selene awoke the next evening to find a note from Neeman. He’d run an errand for William and would return later. He’d left her some fresh fruit and water. She smiled. No one had taken care of her like that before.
Recharged and refreshed, she sat up. The blankets out on the couch in the sitting room were folded neatly.
“Neeman?”
There was no answer.
She shifted and her foot shot with pain. Throwing back the covers, she looked at the swollen purplish bluish limb.
“Reparo.”
The bone knit back together and she covered her mouth to stifle a cry. The throbbing subsided after a moment and she breathed in deeply. She fixed every scrape, every bruise, every cut. Then she pulled up her shirt and ran her fingers over her stomach.
“Reparo,” she whispered.
The air around her stomach shook and shimmered, but nothing happened. Tears threatened to spill. She’d never shown someone her scars before. Not that she’d had anyone to show besides her mother. But Neeman... He’d been gentle with her, concerned, angry even. He’d seen her as raw as it got, and hadn’t turned away.
“Obscondo.”
The air shimmered again and a veil fell over her skin, masking the scars. She stood and tested her weight. Her foot held.
There was a knock on the outer door and then it opened. “Selene?” Mason called.
“In here.”
Mason entered and looked her up and down. “Feeling better?”
“Right as rain.”
“Good. I need you to stay out of trouble tonight.”
She crossed her arms over her chest. They’d barely had a chance to speak since she’d been back and this was what he had to say to her the first chance they had to be alone?
“Please,” Mason said. “Today is visiting day and I can’t have anything go wrong. Word is already spread
ing about the compound explosion. We are saying it was a gas leak, but that isn’t going to hold forever.”
“What’s visiting day?”
“Prospective masters are coming to meet the humans.”
She shook her head. “I thought the humans weren’t slaves anymore.”
“They aren’t. They get a chance to pick their new…masters. Though they aren’t masters anymore, they are more like mentors.”
“How can you even say those words? You know as well as I do that this society isn’t right.”
“Don’t, Selene. Don’t even start. The world is what it is now. You don’t understand because you weren’t here when it all went down. The fighting, the wars, the death. You can’t even imagine. Danika is a good person. It’s because of her and William that these humans haven’t been turned over to the slave market. They are getting a choice in the matter of where they go. She’s trying to help them.”
They stared at each other for a long minute. He’d changed. Whether it was because of Danika, being mated, or because of what he’d been through, she didn’t know.
“Okay.” She held up her hands. “I’ll be good.”
His stance relaxed. “Thank you.”
“Do you know where Neeman went?”
Mason chewed his lip for a minute. “You like him.”
She shrugged. “He’s all right.”
He laughed. “Don’t lie. I can see it on you.”
“See what?” A flutter raced through her stomach like a rabbit on the run.
“Happiness.”
She cocked and eyebrow. “Oh really? You can see happiness? Is that a new power you gained in my absence?”
He crossed his arms over his chest and his amber-colored eyes flashed with anger. “You know what I mean.”
She didn’t want to anger him. “So what? Maybe I do like him. He’s handsome and strong. Why shouldn’t I?”
He gave her an impassive look. “I didn’t say you shouldn’t.”
“Then what?”
“Be careful.” Mason’s gaze was serious.
She scoffed. “Don’t worry, big brother, I won’t get hurt.”
Rise of the Fae Page 15
