by Rose Wynters
Shayne sighed, with a sad smile on his perfect lips. “At the time, I didn’t know what the sulfur smell meant. Although I had lived and breathed Christianity, I believed demons were something that only lived in Hell. In the years that have passed, though, I’ve learned my lesson well.” He let out a short, bitter laugh. “Only too well.”
“What happened then?” Anna asked, gently. Even after all those years, the memories still tore him up. She could understand his grief and pain. Both of them had lost their families because of demons.
“Naturally, I was declared heir of the land and the remains, but I had no desire to stay. Something died inside of me that day, and I was half insane with grief and rage. Nobody could tell me who had done that to my family, so there was no outlet for the blood lust that raged inside of me. In the end, I provided for the lad who had lost his own family, and then I left the area for good. The years passed as I wandered from one place to the next, drinking and whoring my time away. One night, once again my life was changed, only this time it would be forever.”
He tilted the glass of wine he placed at his lips and completely finished it. “In 1470, I found myself in London. As usual, I was as drunk as could be, with no consideration for my future. I’d found a place to drink and a pretty maid to tup, and I was satisfied with that. A group of sailors came across me as I made my way back to the room I had rented. Their intentions were to shanghai me, and they very nearly had me. There were five of them and one of me, and I found myself on the losing end pretty quickly. Just when I believed it was over, a man walked out of the shadows of the night. He saved my life, in more ways than one. Onafiel gave me the choice to continue on the way I was or to become immortal and fight evil for an eternity. He was the one to finally explain what had happened to my family. Once he did, there was really no choice. I wanted them vindicated, and becoming an endurer was the only way I could do it. I owe a lot to Onafiel. Because of him, I finally had answers, and I was eventually able to find the closure I needed. The rest, as they say, is history.”
“Who is Onafiel?” she cautiously asked Shayne. She'd learned there were things he would tell and things he wouldn't. She didn't want to push him, not when he wasn't willing to be pushed.
He shook his head, a small smile playing about his lips. “Another time, pet.”
“Well, thank you for sharing that with me. I know it had to be difficult.” She wondered what it would take for her to find the closure he so clearly had. There in that moment, she still felt pretty raw.
He grimaced and changed the subject. “I feel like I've let you down, Anna. I should have taken better care of you. I’m an endurer. That’s what I do. I’ve never failed so miserably before. I’m genuinely sorry about the concussion.”
“It’s not your fault,” she corrected him. “I appreciate what you’ve done for me.” She couldn’t stop the blush that ran across her cheeks. She thought back to their last night in Alaska. Some people would say she’d already shown her appreciation.
“Listen, Anna. I just want to say I’m sorry about the other night at the hotel.”
Anna felt her face paling. Shayne glanced at her, muttered a curse, and quickly corrected himself. “I’m not sorry that it happened, just sorry about how it ended. I wanted more, much more.”
His voice changed, becoming more seductive. “You’re in my blood and in my head, and I can’t get you out of either one. I want to feel your body pressed against mine and hear you moaning my name as I claim you.”
Shayne stood up and gently pulled her to him. With a finger beneath her chin, he tilted her head and then took control of her lips. Her knees almost buckled as he masterfully kissed her, igniting a fire deep inside her body.
Her hands slid up his broad chest, feeling the heat of his body through his shirt. She wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling his mouth closer to hers. His body was hard and powerful, making her feel completely feminine and desirable, as only he could.
Shayne wrapped his arms around her and lifted her, aligning her mouth with his. She couldn’t have stopped kissing him if her life depended on it. With a growl, he carried her over to the bed.
Placing her down as if she were made of glass, he quickly yanked off his shirt. She stared up at him, unable to tear her eyes away. His powerful shoulders flexed when he reached for her, as he pulled off her shirt and bra.
It felt as if his hands and mouth were everywhere. He slowed when he reached her chest, as he lifted both of her breasts and pushed them together.
“Beautiful,” Shayne muttered, lowering himself down to his knees on the bed. A slight sheen of sweat broke out across his face and body. “You have the most exquisite breasts I've ever seen” He began to take turns suckling them.
The feel of his mouth was incredible, the sexy braids from his beard teasing her nerve endings. His wandering hands quickly stripped her of her pants and panties as she gave an encouraging moan of delight.
SHAYNE GROANED IN HIS own need of her, as he slid his hand across her hip and leg. “So soft,” he rasped. He wasn’t capable of forming a complete sentence with her beautiful body spread out in front of him. His finger moved gently across her slit, testing her wetness.
He wanted to take it slow, but his body wasn’t cooperating. Every nerve ending burned, as his cock begged to be slid into her hot depths. “You want me,” he said, stroking her body gently. “This creamy opening is just begging to be ridden.” He felt like he’d waited an eternity just to claim her.
Slowly, he slid his finger inside of her. He went deep enough to feel her hymen, and he couldn’t prevent the feral smile that lifted his lips. She was his.
Her passage was pink and tight, but it wouldn’t be by the time he finished with her. Her body grasped his finger, contracting and clenching around it in her need. It was enough to drive any man past the point of no return.
Shayne pulled her hips toward the edge of the bed, giving himself more freedom to play. One hand returned to where it had been, playing with her in a practiced pattern that made her breathy pants and moans fill the room. Her legs began to tremble against him as she neared her release. Shayne gave a smile of pure male satisfaction as he pushed her right towards it.
His other hand moved down to his jeans to quickly free himself. His dick popped out, just inches from her spread slit. He watched as it arched upwards, seeking her entrance. It took every ounce of control he had to make himself wait. But just then, Anna found her pleasure.
Now he would find his.
ANNA FELT SOMETHING much bigger than a finger prodding between her nether lips. Shayne held his length in his hand. He worked the head of his shaft back and forth against her, causing her body to tremble.
“That’s it, baby,” he said, his voice like liquid heat to her ears. He stared at the area where their bodies were meeting as if he couldn't look away. His face was tight with need.
Anna knew he was into it; she could tell he wanted to finish what he had started. Thoughts raced through her mind. As much as she wanted him, they had made no promises to each other. As she'd gotten to know Shayne, it only made her like him more. Could she be happy with just a casual involvement with him, or would it shatter her forever? She couldn’t bear being just another countless face among thousands.
The head of his shaft pressed against the entrance to her body. It felt so good that her mind blanked out. Need knifed through her. She was running out of time to decide. Her body warred with her mind, as she remembered how terrible it felt when she'd believed he wasn’t interested in her before. Could she survive that feeling again, knowing she had given him her virginity, and it didn't meant a thing?
The reality of what she was doing washed over her, dousing the flames burning brightly in her body. He had made her no promises. There was no mention of a future between them. Rejection from him would devastate her... and having sex first would only make that pain even worse.
Her decision made, she inhaled, as she prepared to speak.
“JUST ST
OP.” ANNA SAID, pushing him away. Wrapping up in a sheet, she walked over to the window and gazed out at the bright full moon. The pale moonlight illuminated her hair and skin, giving her an ethereal glow. She was beautiful and sensual, without realizing it.
Standing at the edge of the bed, Shayne ran his hand through his hair as he muttered an expletive. “Stop? You want to stop now? Can’t you just go with it?” he said. Frustration ran through his body, his dick as hard as a rock. “I don’t have an ulterior motive. I’m sure as hell interested. Our attraction to each other has been leading up to this since the night we met. Why can’t we just enjoy each other?”
Twisting around, Anna glared at him. High color had risen in her cheeks, and her eyes were spitting fire at him. “Yeah, enjoy each other for a night? Two nights? So I’m special enough for a fuck in the bed, but not good enough to stick around?”
Her hands gripped the sheet around her chest. She bit her lip and looked away for a moment, before turning back to meet his frustrated eyes.
“Is that what you’re telling me, Shayne?”
He pulled his jeans back up and quickly fastened them. He couldn’t get them on fast enough. “What do you expect from me, Anna? I’m an immortal endurer, not a man looking for a wife,” he said, resentfully. “I’m not going to keep playing these games with you. You either want me or you don’t, but I’m not going to be cock teased. Not anymore.”
Anna stood completely frozen, her body as still as a statue. Her bearing was proud, her chin arched as she stared him straight in the eyes. “Get out,” she said, her voice as cold as ice.
“Wait,” Shayne said, in a placating tone, with his hands out in front of him, palms facing forward. He realized things were getting out of hand, but he didn’t want to leave her. “I just need a little time. We haven’t even known each other that long, and I don’t know what to think.” When it came to sex, things were explosive between them, but he didn’t see how it could ever be more than that, though.
Her expression didn’t change. “That didn’t stop you a few minutes ago,” she retorted, in the same wooden voice. “Five minutes ago, you were willing to take my virginity and my heart, without a second thought about what that would mean to me, once it was over. In the same breath, those very things wouldn’t have meant a damn to you, come tomorrow. Losing my pride and my self-worth isn’t worth what I would get in that bed. Get out,” she said, raising her arm and pointing at the door. “And don’t come back.”
“Wait a second,” he growled, yanking his shirt back on. “You’re in my damn house. How in the hell can you throw me out of my own home?”
He wanted to provoke her and keep her arguing, realizing that as long as she was still talking to him, there was still a chance he could muddle his way out of the mess he'd created. But he could tell from looking at her that Anna was done. She was refusing to participate anymore, and he wasn't ready to say the words she so clearly felt she needed to hear. It was a stalemate. His eyes closed in regret, as he realized he’d lost her.
A terrible pain shot through his chest, making it hard to breathe. “I can’t leave you without protection,” he said, quietly. His pretty words and smooth ways wouldn't lead him out of his current predicament, but he was desperate to somehow work it out. “Let’s just talk about this for a minute.”
“We could talk about it all night, and it wouldn’t get us anywhere,” she responded. “The damage has already been done. When I take a man into my bed, it’s going to be with someone who wants and desires all of me, all the time. Someone who has a care for my feelings and my well-being; someone who will seek out my companionship outside of the bedroom and not just in it. It won't be with someone looking for an excuse to get away from me five minutes after it’s over. Don’t make me ask you again.” Anna turned back to the window, for all intents and purposes done with him and the conversation.
Shayne stood still for a moment. He looked down at the floor, as his heart shattered into a million pieces. He was in love with her, he realized, in a moment of startling clarity. However, he had been too ignorant and conceited to realize it. For the moment, it was too late to right his wrong. He needed to be alone in order to consider his next move.
Turning away from her, he walked back toward the door. Placing his hand on the doorknob, he stopped, and with one last look back, he said, “If that’s what you want, I'll honor your request.”
Anna didn’t respond. Her body was rigid with contempt in the moonlight. He walked out of the door and closed it behind him. His face felt cold. It wasn’t until he was halfway down the hallway that Shayne realized the coolness on his cheeks was tears.
After collecting his gear, he found Ian in the kitchen. He was eating a huge submarine sandwich. Shayne rolled his eyes. It was amazing that Ian could even move with the amount of food he ate. Feeding Ian was like feeding an army. An army of one.
Ian stopped eating, and his eyes narrowed as he looked at Shayne's face. His eyebrow arched, when he enquired, “Going somewhere, hmm?”
Shayne shook his head in disgust, wondering how long it would be before Ian ate his way through everything in his house. Then again, it didn’t really matter. Not to him. Not when he felt as if his entire world was changing.
Slinging the duffel bag over his shoulder, he replied, “I’m leaving, and I won’t be back until this Jesse drama is finished. Guard Anna, and if there are any problems you can't handle, call Arch.”
Ian dropped his sub on the table and stood up. “What’s going on here, Shayne?”
Looking away, Shayne hesitated for a second. Then he sighed and replied gruffly, “It doesn’t matter. Just take care of Anna.” He walked away and didn't look back.
Chapter 7
ANNA STOOD STILL FOR several minutes, staring blindly out of the window. Tears dripped out of the corner of her eyes, but she didn’t have the strength to wipe them away. She'd never felt more alone. Her heart was completely broken. Severing her connection with Shayne made anything she had gone through in the past seem like a picnic.
She had lied. Her self-worth was already destroyed. Shayne didn't believe she was worth a relationship. Her shoulders bowed in defeat. It was time to face what she already knew: She was born to walk the world alone. Something about her, be it her weight or her in general, was just wrong when it came to matters of love.
Anna felt so foolish. She'd let herself slip up, by reading too much into it. She'd let her own emotions get into the way, creating a romantic fantasy in her mind and becoming delusional in the process. Of course, he didn't want a relationship with her. She'd known that all along. Some would say she was lucky he’d even considered a pity screw. Jesse’s words from that fateful night washed over her, and she flinched. Maybe Shayne thought he was doing her a good deed by offering to take her to bed.
Turning away, she started to walk toward the wardrobe, but everything hit her at once. She had never felt such pain inside. She sat down in the nearest seat, completely paralyzed. Sobbing quietly, Anna wondered if she could ever recover from it. How many heart-wrenching blows could one person take, before they lost the ability to move on from them, at all?
Without a doubt, Anna loved Shayne. She'd fallen in love with him that first night—love at first sight. That love had been rejected, though, and definitely not wanted. She was just grateful she hadn’t made her feelings known. Something had broken inside of her with his departure, something that could never be repaired. Whether she lived another day or a lifetime, the hopes she'd harbored of ever finding someone who could love her was gone.
Several minutes passed. Then a gentle knock sounded on her door. “Anna? Are you awake?” a quiet British voice asked. When she didn't answer him, Ian partially opened the door and peeked around it. His face was serious and drawn, and she could see the endurer was deeply concerned.
She stood up, her cheeks flaming, as she made sure everything was covered. “Yes, give me a moment please. I’ll be right out.”
“I’ll wait for you downst
airs,” Ian replied, closing the door. She heard the sound of his footsteps as he walked away.
Determined not to let on about how upset she truly was, Anna quickly washed her face and dressed. Maybe Shayne didn’t feel like she was worth much, but she wasn’t going to give him the satisfaction of knowing how much it devastated her. She would be leaving, just as soon as possible.
Going downstairs, she couldn’t help but notice how lovely his home was. It was very natural looking, with lots of wood and creamy white walls. The ceilings in the rooms were high, leaving plenty of open space.
Checking from room to room, she finally found Ian in the kitchen. The tension in her shoulders left her when she realized he was alone. Her emotions were raw, and the last person she wanted to see was Shayne.
Ian watched her approach with a speculative look on his face. His usual cheerful countenance had been replaced with a somber and drawn look that didn’t bode well for her. He looked deeply uncomfortable, and she had a premonition that he was going to tell her something she didn’t like.
“Anna, I’m just going to say this outright,” he said. “Shayne is gone, and he doesn’t plan on coming back until this is over.” He waited for her reaction.
The hurt and anger she felt at his words nearly crippled Anna, but she was determined not to show it. Although Shayne couldn’t have made his feelings any plainer, it wasn’t Ian’s fault. He had left his fellow endurer in an awkward situation, leaving him to deal with the woman he couldn't commit to. She was going to make it very easy for Ian.
