Irresistible Nemesis

by Annalynne Russo

  Natasha shook her head and feigned innocence. “Andreas, her name is not on the official guest list. You specifically told Ivan not to admit anyone whose names does not appear on that list. I am only trying to be more diligent in light of our conversation earlier.”

  “Can’t you see that whore is lying through her teeth?” Eva fumed, then lunged toward Natasha.

  Andreas caught her around the waist a mere millisecond before she reached the source of her anger. “You’re not making this any easier.” He swung her around, depositing her at her boss’s feet.

  “Oliver, please escort Ms. Sambucco to the archives room on the second floor. I’ll be up there to check on her in a few moments.” Oliver groaned begrudgingly before he complied with the vampire’s request. He led Eva up the spiral staircase and deposited her in the tiny room at the top of the stairs. Andreas kept an eye on them, making damn sure she was locked up good and tight, not only for her own safety, but for that of others as well.

  Andreas lowered his gaze and focused all his attention on Natasha. And boy was he furious with her. He needed tonight to go down without a hitch, especially if he wanted to ensure his seat on the arts council. Yet Natasha’s meddling had him trapped smack-dab in the middle of a cat fight. No more Mr. Nice Guy. He had no choice but to give it to her straight. He snatched up her by the wrist and dragged her to a more secluded spot underneath a stairwell far away from the main ballroom.

  “Natasha, you need to back off. I personally invited Ms.

  Sambucco to this evening’s festivities.” Andreas scrubbed his hand over his face, desperate to tamp down his temper. “You have to stop acting like you have a say in my life. I’m trying to be considerate of your feelings here, but you’re stepping way over the line.” Natasha raised an eyebrow in disbelief. “Andreas, do you have any idea who that woman is?” She sputtered, her mouth gaped open.

  “She’s the one that broke into your office. Into your own home. Have you forgotten? She works for the agency that’s trying to desecrate our very existence?”

  “Do you think I’m totally incompetent? I know exactly who she is, and I’m telling you right now to back off.” Andreas said as he turned away, too infuriated to even glance toward Natasha. He fought the urge to slap some sense into her. Pacing back and forth helped him gain control. Then he returned to her side and spoke softly, needing to quell the sting of what he was about to say. “Let it go, Natasha. You and I both know this is not about the huntress. It’s about you and me. Our non-existent relationship. You need to come to terms with it. We will never be anything more than we are.”

  “I see. So that’s the way it’s gotta be, huh?” Natasha lifted her chin as tears swam in the depths of her eyes.

  “That’s the way it’s always been, Natasha. You just didn’t want to believe it,” Andreas replied. Guilt already welling up inside.

  “I’m sorry. I’ve gotta go prepare for my speech.” Chapter Nine

  Explosive Results

  Eva strode back and forth from one end of the tiny room to the other. She’d never been more furious in her life. Andreas had some nerve locking her up in this musty, rat-infested hell-hole. No bigger than a closet, the tiny room housed never-ending stacks of dusty card catalogs and antiquated art history books. Sure, Eva had a soft spot for literature, but this was freakin’ ridiculous.

  How dare the bastard dismiss me like that? Clearly, his bullshit radar is way off. Either that or he’s taking her side out of some whacked-out vampire code of honor!

  The old-fashioned clocked ticked on the wall. The sound reverberated in Eva’s ears. Ten minutes passed since Andreas ordered Oliver to whisk Eva away, sequestered in a dingy corner of the building like a criminal who’d been handed down a guilty verdict.

  Her patience wore thin. She planned to let him have it as soon as he walked through the door. But first, Andreas had to tear himself away from Natasha’s evil clutches.

  Thinking about Natasha sent her blood boiling. Eva pivoted on her heels, and let the spike of her three-inch platforms grind into the floor. With her back to the door, she perched her rear-end on the edge of a nearby table. The dust from its surface rose into the air, tickling her sensitive nose, making her sneeze several times in succession.

  Stupid allergies. Stupid vampires. What the hell had she gotten herself into?

  ****

  Andreas stood at the entrance to the archives room and took in a series of deep cleansing breaths. He had exactly twenty minutes to prepare himself to address the roomful of bourgeois intellectuals in attendance at tonight’s gala. He needed to get it together. No way could he risk the inevitable physical change that overcame him every time he lost control. Glaring red eyes and protruding fangs were simply out of the question. First, he had to settle things with Eva. There was no way in hell she’d wait until after his speech. But facing the huntress in his current state of mind had its disadvantages. The woman could be lethal even in the best of circumstances. Considering he called her out in the middle of the dance floor, Andreas’s instincts told him he was about to experience her wrath on a whole new level. H took the bull by its horns and knocked on the door tentatively. Then he turned the knob and steeled himself for her reaction. Her back was turned to him. Her rigid, upright stance clued him in to her menacing disposition.

  “How dare you!” Eva seethed as she turned to face him. “So have you come to personally escort me out of the building? You bastard! You and your little sex kitten may have won this round, but believe me when I tell you, I will take you down in the end.” In the tight confines of the room, Eva tried to push her way past Andreas. But before she reached the door, he stepped in front of it and blocked her path. Andreas took her head in his hands, and stared into her eyes with fierce intensity.

  “Eva, baby. Stop!” Andreas beseeched her, his voice steady but stern. “Calm down and listen to me, okay. I am not kicking you out. I made that crystal clear to Natasha and every other woman in the room. You are here tonight as my personal guest. Hell, Natasha will probably turn in her resignation by morning. But if you walk out that door, it’ll all be for nothing.”

  Eva glared back at him. Contempt and anger rolled off of her in waves. He was a monster for Christ’s sake, and the huntress saw straight through him to the bone. Cutthroat and ruthless, Andreas didn’t take shit from anyone. But for some reason, this tiny woman with the powerful punch had him completely twisted. The mask was slipping and a side of himself he’d never expected was emerging.

  Superhuman physical strength and the ability to charm the pants off the ladies, took a back seat to passion and emotional vulnerability. At least when it came to Eva.

  Suddenly Andreas saw her gaze soften, and for a split second, his words seemed to penetrate her mind. Eva reached for him. She pulled him close and captured his succulent lips in hers. Not a gentle kiss, but rather a profound mixture of anger, lust, and frustration personified. Andreas wasted no time questioning her motives. He simply acted in response to the sheer magnitude of the moment.

  Desire ignited like a candle flickering to life. Touching, tasting, and exploring became necessity once their intertwined tongues no longer sufficed.

  Andreas needed more. He guided Eva eagerly back toward the table where she’d been seated. She collided with the edge of it and her knees buckled. It put her in a precarious position, and he intended to utilize it to his advantage. Eva didn’t seem to mind. She opened up to him like a flower in bloom, parting her thighs as Andreas settled between her legs.

  His nimble fingers crawled up past her wobbly knees, as goose bumps formed on already-sensitive skin. He reached her core and felt the silky softness of her G-string. With a quick snap, he ripped the shimmery material clean off. No hesitation as his talented fingers delved deep inside of her. A gasp of pleasure escaped her ruby-red lips. In seconds, she laid moaning and writhing on the table like a cat in heat.

  “Andreas, please.” Eva murmured something incoherent. Her breathing shallow and inconsistent.
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  “What is it, love?” Andreas coaxed her with sweet, gentle utterances, urging her to surrender. His hand trembled with the need to be inside her. His body raged like a storm at its peak. Never had he wanted a woman as much as he wanted Eva. He needed to taste her.

  He dipped a finger inside her and sucked the hot, sweet nectar as it swirled around his mouth and on the tip of his tongue.

  “I. Need. To. Touch. You. Too.” Eva panted breathlessly and reached for the waistband of his trousers.

  Andreas shook his head and swatted her hand away. “Not yet, baby. I want you to come for me first. Ask me to fuck you with my fingers. Tell me how you want it.”

  “I. Can’t.” Eva’s raspy voice came out as no more than a whisper. “Can’t. Even. Breathe.” Andreas groaned and grabbed her hand and wrapped her delicate fingers around the length of his cock.

  Even fully-clothed, there was no mistaking his desire. “You feel that?

  Hard. Thick. Pulsating. God, the need for you is driving me insane!”

  “Mmm…hmmm,” was all she could manage.

  He took hold of Eva’s wrist and forced her palm up and down the length of his shaft. Andreas growled deep in his throat as her nimble fingers wantonly stoked the flames of his desire.

  “It’s all yours, baby.” Andreas promised, barely able to utter the words. He needed to come so fucking bad. “All I need is a tiny, little orgasm before I give it to you. Now tell me you want me to fuck you with my fingers. Say it!”

  “Andreas. Please. I want you. To fuck me. With your fingers!” Eva gasped and submitted to his inevitable demands. More than happy to oblige, Andreas lifted her dress higher and pushed past her moist folds with two eager fingers. He stroked the sweet spot inside her and grazed his thumb over the bundle of nerves surrounding her clitoris. Andreas felt her arms and legs go limp as she relinquished control of her ravenous body. He took hold of her wrist and pinned it to the table. Her pulse beat against his palm and before long she started to whimper like a puppy dog, helpless as she writhed and moaned beneath him.

  Andreas applied more pressure as he flattened his hand against her nub. His two fingers continued to pump with vigorous enthusiasm inside her. He felt Eva’s womb clamp down on him. At the same time, she jerked free of his grasp. She wrapped both arms around his neck and held on tight. Then raked her sharp nails against already-sensitive skin. Hot, wet liquid drizzled down slowly as Eva shook.

  Her earth shattering convulsions turned his arms to gelatin. Ready to collapse, Andreas groaned aloud and withdrew from the shelter of her body. He kissed the tip of her nose and rested his forehead against hers. Eva. She made him feel things he’d never before experienced.

  She made him forget about his own raging desires. Pleasuring her was the only thing that matter.

  Seconds seemed like hours as the two remained entangled as they stared into each other’s eyes. Then Eva reached out to caress the hard angles of his erection through his pants. Andreas moaned, heated breath whispered her name into the hollow of her neck as she moved to unbutton his trousers. But before she succeeded, a knock at the door interrupted their interlude.

  “Mr. Kristopolous,” a voice called. It took Andreas a minute to process, but soon recognized the voice as Ivan’s. “Your speech.

  They’re waiting for you downstairs.”

  Andreas pulled away as he let out an audible sigh. “This isn’t over. Not by a long shot.” He lifted Eva’s hand to his lips and worshiped her with a gentle kiss then backed away toward the door.

  “That’s exactly what I’m afraid of,” she whispered as Andreas disappeared out of the room.

  Chapter Ten

  Judgment Day

  In general, vampires were a reticent breed known for their strict anonymity. The coven’s board of trustees was no exception. So Andreas wasn’t surprised by the shroud of secrecy surrounding the governing body summoned to decide Ivan’s fate. Only a handful of individuals, besides those handing down the judgment, had ever been invited to one of these hearing.

  Andreas’s position as head of the vampire coven naturally allowed him to sit in on all proceedings. His title afforded him no voting rights on the board and therefore, he rarely made an appearance at their meetings. But today, his presence was twofold.

  First and foremost, he needed to prove something to all vampires, including the Russians. He would not tolerate reckless acts or risk exposing the entire New York City coven to the outside world. And second, to attest to Natasha’s character in case the members of the board tried to crucify her.

  Just as he’d anticipated, the driver left a blindfold draped over the seat in the back of the waiting limo. Andreas reluctantly place it over his eyes and tied it at the back of his head. Laying his head back against the leather seat, he released a frustrated groan. How did he get himself into this mess? His mind tossed around a million thoughts at once. The urge to defend Natasha even after he publicly rejected her, his responsibility to uphold the laws of the coven; the duty to protect his people, and his obligation to eradicate a potential threat from within. He’d had a hell of week to say the least.

  Even more daunting was the fact he couldn’t seem to get Eva Sambucco out of his mind. The image of her sprawled out on the table in a tiny room filled with dusty, old books had him in an almost perpetual state of arousal. The image of her beautifully-flushed face, mixed with anger and lust, a constant distraction. And after he tasted her intoxicating essence, he knew he needed more.

  How ironic. Here I am about to hand over evidence implicating one of my own and all I can think about is seducing this city’s most notorious vampire hunter. There’s something very wrong with this picture.

  The brakes of the limousine came to an abrupt halt and jostled Andreas in his seat. They must have reached their destination. Still blindfolded, the driver led him to an elevator, and they began the seemingly endless ascent. He could still sense the limo driver’s presence in the compartment, even though he hadn’t uttered a word since he picked him up at Miravale. Finally the elevator dinged, signaling their arrival.

  This wasn’t his first time at one of these proceedings. He knew the drill. The five members of the board of trustees would be seated behind a two-way mirror, while witnesses both for and against the accused testify one at a time. No one will ever get a glimpse of the council or anyone else for that matter. The only evidence of their existence projected via the speakers in all four corners of the room as they asked questions and handed down judgment.

  His patience wore thin. Andreas waited in the small room he’d be placed in until his turn to testify. And the wait was killing him. He knew the answers they sought would infuriate Natasha and get Ivan deported. More likely, Andreas’s testimony would incriminate his head of security and get the poor Russian bastard executed. But what else could he do? If he didn’t exert his position, he’d have vampires beating up innocent women and leaving dead corpses all over town.

  The media circus generated from that would certainly stir some major drama. Not only would he have to the face the ire of the super-secretive board of trustees, he’d also hand the BPA his head on a silver platter. And while his fierce attraction to Eva seemed genuine, he was by no means blinded by it. Andreas understood that their little cat and mouse game was a ploy. It was a way for her to bide her time, while she waited for him to fuck up. She’d pounce on Andreas when he least expected it.

  Suddenly, the door to the room flung open, as footsteps neared. “Mr. Kristopolous, the members of the board of trustees will see you now.” It was a man’s voice. His shallow breathing and languid gait echoed that of the limo driver. Andreas would bet his last dollar the men were one and the same.

  The man ushered Andreas into another door and sat him on a hard stool at what felt liked the center of an interrogation room.

  “Please keep your blindfold on until after you hear the door close behind me.”

  Andreas turned his head toward the sound of the doorknob click shut. A loud, autho
ritative voice came over the speaker system.

  “You may now remove the blindfold from your eyes.” Andreas obliged without question. His eyes squinted as he adjusted to the light. Then his vision cleared. A two-way mirror covered an entire wall and four speakers hung from the ceiling, one in each corner of the room.

  “Mr. Kristopolous, we’re in a rather precarious situation. As the leader of our coven, it is unprecedented to have you called as a witness. Would you mind explaining your presence to this body of governance?” inquired another nameless articulation.

  He needed to appear impartial if he wanted to have any sway with the board. “My esteemed colleagues, I have allegiance to neither the prosecution nor the defense. I am merely here to ensure that the individual responsible for this heinous crime receive due punishment.” Andreas twitched uncomfortably in his chair. He hated talking to the walls.

  “Would you be so kind to tell the board how you became acquainted with the accused, a Mr. Ivan Olshanskey?”

  “Of course. Mr. Olshanskey is employed by one of my business establishments. He’s worked for me for the past eight months at The Crypt, a nightclub I own here in the city.” A pregnant pause raked against Andreas’s nerves. It was an eerie silence. Finally, another voice spoke over the PA system. “Are you aware of the crimes Mr. Olshanskey is accused of?”

  “Yes, I am aware of the accusations. I have seen the photographs of the human he abused. I have personally spoken to the victim and tried to make amends on behalf of our people.” Andreas pinched the bridge of nose and forced blood into the area to keep him calm. He’d done nothing wrong. So why the hell did he feel like he was on trial? “Mr. Olshanskey must be punished by the authority given to this council. If our coven does not act swiftly and harshly, it will leave us vulnerable to attack by outsiders.”

  “Well said. It is good to know we are all in agreement on this matter,” echoed another member of the group. “If you don’t have anything else to add, Mr. Kristopolous, you are dismissed.”