by Wendi Zwaduk
“They don’t feed us every day unless we allow them to feed from us.” She tucked into herself. “Sorry.”
“For what?” She hadn’t done anything to be sorry for.
“Rushing.”
“Don’t be.” He flattened his palms on the counter. He no longer felt the chill of the granite. He’d rather hold her than touch cold stone. Her warmth could save some piece of his destroyed soul.
She stared at him. “You’re being nice to me because you feel guilty.”
“I am.” He did feel guilt at not having protecting her when he’d had the chance. But he liked her and wanted to shower her with affection. “But there’s a little more to it.”
“You don’t have to be nice,” she said. “I appreciate it. I haven’t had any dignity in four years—since…” She picked at the sleeve of his jacket. “Anyway, I know my place.”
“Why don’t you have a shower? You deserve to be warm, clean and dry.” He brushed her hair back. “Yes? Then we’ll talk.”
She narrowed her eyes, then sighed. “And I call you Casey?”
“Please?”
“You’re an odd vampire. Most every other one I’ve known wants me for dinner. Either you don’t because you’re weird or you’re lulling me into liking you so I’ll give in. If you are, you don’t have to make me like you. I’ll give in. I know the rules because you bought me. Remember?”
“Why don’t you shower and maybe get some sleep? I won’t kill or drain you.” He wanted her to trust him, but he didn’t want compliancy. Not yet and not outside of the bedroom. He liked her fire and the spunk he’d seen at the club.
“I don’t have much of a choice,” she said. “May I have this?”
“The wine? Of course.” He poured himself a glass of merlot. “Let’s drink to your freedom and new home.”
She stared at him, and he couldn’t read her expression. Wary? Confused? He wasn’t sure.
Casey sipped his wine. “Feel free to use whatever’s in the bathroom. I have no secrets from you.” Not many.
Her eyes widened again, and her lips parted. “You scare me.” She drank the wine in one gulp, then coughed.
Good merlot should be sipped—not gulped. But he hadn’t gone two days without food. “Why do I scare you?”
She shrugged out of his coat. “Because I can’t tell what you’re thinking or what you want from me.”
“Oh?” His previous girl had said he’d telegraphed every move.
“I don’t know what you want and I can’t figure out if you’re telling me the truth.” She left the stool. “I’d like that shower, though, please?”
He kept getting her right to the edge of opening up when she shut down again. Soon, he’d know her secrets, and she’d know his. He led her to the set of rooms along the back of the house. “In here. I’ve got towels, soap and anything you need in the drawers.”
“Even a flat iron?”
She’d volleyed a challenge. Nice. He liked her spirit. “If you want.” He turned the water on in the open stall. “I’ll leave you to your shower.”
“You can watch. I haven’t showered in ages.” She removed her filthy dress. “I used to have guards so I wouldn’t run away. I don’t know what it’s like to have privacy.”
Lomax used guards? Interesting. Casey spied the lines on her back. Lashings? “Were you whipped?”
She shuddered and didn’t turn around “I was told I deserved it.”
He touched the silvery scars. He remembered when he’d seen her at the club, she’d gotten off on being flogged, but not to the point of bloodletting. What she’d been through was abuse. She flinched when he touched her again.
“I’m sorry.” He pressed a kiss to her shoulder. “I’ll never do anything like this to you ever.”
She tensed, but didn’t pull away. “Uh-huh.”
Soon, she’d give him her trust, and he’d prove not all vampires were evil. He wasn’t a nice man—more a son of a bitch—but not with her. She could be his salvation, and he refused to screw that up.
Chapter Two
Raine showered and basked in the water all over her body. A real shower. She hadn’t been able to bathe in anything but a sink in over a year. Lomax had refused to let her be alone, and no one at the auction house allowed showers.
She fought the urge to glance over her shoulder. Casey remained in the bathroom. Didn’t he trust her, either?
“Are you okay?” Casey asked. “Do you need help?”
This time she did look at him. “Sir?”
“Casey.”
Using his name seemed so foreign.
“Are you feeling lightheaded? Overwhelmed?” He touched her lower back. “I’ll help you.”
Weak, but not lightheaded—it might not be a bad idea to have him close in case she tumbled over.
“Raine?” He didn’t force or push. His voice soothed her.
“Keep an ear out.” She leaned into his touch, appreciating his concern. Vampire senses were keen and meant he’d know everything she did, even if he wasn’t in the same room. If he didn’t hear her, he’d smell her.
“I will.”
The way he caressed her soothed her. He reassured her. She crept under the hot spray. The water stung her skin. Her hair slipped into her eyes. Dirt swirled in the drain, and tears pricked behind her eyelids. She had no idea if Casey would hurt her, but she wasn’t with Lomax. Her captor was gone.
“My sweet.” Casey stood with her in the stall. She flinched but her will broke. He brushed his lips across her shoulders. “Let me help you,” he said. “You’re shaking.”
“Thank you,” she murmured. She rested against him and allowed Casey to cleanse her body. Each caress and stroke on her skin took some of her pain away.
He rested his forehead against the back of her head. “I will never whip you.”
She wanted to trust him that much, but she’d learned not to trust vampires.
“No one has the right to do that.” He massaged shampoo into her hair.
She moaned and leaned into him again. The way he touched her felt good, like he cherished her. She brushed her ass against his crotch. He wore pants? In the shower? Holy hell, he was being a gentleman.
He nudged her under the spray to rinse her hair. Her knees wobbled, and the heat of the water made her head swim. She sagged into Casey.
“Let me condition your hair, then I’ll get you to the bedroom.” He massaged her hair again and rinsed. He kept one arm around her as he turned off the water. Still holding her, he grabbed a towel.
Raine allowed him to dry her. She didn’t argue when he scooped her into his arms and carried her to the bedroom.
“I should brush your hair.” He draped a blanket over her naked form. “But you need to rest.” He switched the light off. “Sleep.”
She couldn’t keep her eyes open if she tried. Raine snuggled in the sheets. The fabric smelled like him and comforted her. The bone-deep weariness overwhelmed her. She closed her eyes and succumbed to sleep.
Darkness filled her head. She didn’t dream. Just slept. The unyielding blackness felt wonderful. No one was attacking her while she relaxed. No one was coming in and touching her.
A vision of Lomax filled her mind. He glared at her and bared his teeth. “You’ll never get away from me.”
She shuddered. No, she’d been left. Dumped. He’d wanted another girl. But she didn’t doubt he’d come back. He wanted to harm everyone and everything.
Lomax came toward her and gnashed his teeth. “Don’t hide from me. He won’t protect you.” He grasped her arm.
“Stop.” She struggled against him. “Stop.”
“Raine.”
The grasp on her tightened, and she screamed. She couldn’t breathe. “Stop.” Tears streamed down her cheeks. “Let me go.”
“Raine.”
She froze and surfaced from sleep. She recognized the voice. “Sir?”
“Casey.”
She opened her eyes. Casey lay beside her. He’d tucked her to his bare
chest. He’d stretched out on top of the covers and wore sleep pants. “Sir?” she asked. “I’m sorry.”
“You’re safe.” He held her. “Sleep. I won’t let him get you.”
Keeping her guard up wore her out. She needed an ally and friend. She still didn’t trust him, but had little choice. “Stay with me.”
“Of course.” He brushed his mouth across her forehead. “I won’t leave you.”
He confused her with his kindness, and a tiny piece of her wanted to admit she liked his protectiveness. He could turn on her, but she almost wanted to trust him.
“Sleep, sweet. I’ll be right here,” he murmured. “No one will hurt you.”
She snuggled into him and gave into sleep once more. He wasn’t like other vampires. He hadn’t tried to bite her, rake his teeth over her to grab a small taste or try to fuck her. It was almost like he had a conscience instead of being a mindless eating and fucking machine.
She wasn’t sure how long she slept, but when she woke, Casey had remained beside her. He’d shocked her by sticking around. He still had his arm around her and her tucked to his chest.
She splayed her palm on his pecs. He didn’t have a heartbeat as she expected and wasn’t warm, but he also didn’t have the same vampire pallor. Like part of him was still alive. He had no breath and was so still he could’ve really been dead.
Well, he’s dead—being a vampire means he isn’t part of the living.
She studied his features. He hadn’t shaved in a day or two and the outcropping of hairs on his chin and cheeks added a rugged quality to him. His thick lashes lay against his skin and his hair had streaks of silver through it, mainly at the temples. He’d parted his lips slightly, and she almost wanted to kiss him.
What would it feel like to kiss Casey? What would he taste like?
She flopped onto her back. What the hell was she thinking? He was a vampire and he’d purchased her. She shouldn’t be attracted to him. She should run.
But where to?
Lomax would find her and there weren’t many places a human could hide. The vampires could hear her heartbeat. They’d smell her fear.
“Raine.”
She forced her attention to his face. “Sir?” She should’ve known he’d realize she was awake.
“Casey.”
She’d never get used to using his name. “Si—er—Casey.”
“Slow down.” He slid her onto his chest. “You’re scared.”
Was she shaking? “I’m worried you’ll kill me,” she confessed. “And I should run.”
“I know.”
“You’ll chase me down.”
“To protect you. The other vampires won’t see you as a person. They’d see you as dinner.”
She tensed on his chest. “Then I’m a prisoner.”
“No, you’re free to go if you want.” He petted her hair and met her gaze. “Sweet, I want to take you away from your fear and worry. I want you to be happy.” His cock thrummed between her legs.
She missed the freedom of being with someone out of love, not expectations or slavery. She longed to stay in his arms and hide forever, too.
He smiled, and his eyes flashed silver. “I want you to meet some of my people and see we’re not all dangerous.”
“Vampires?”
“Not exactly.”
Her heart hammered. If he had people he wanted her to meet who weren’t vampires, then what was he? Vampires only ever ran with other vampires. Anything else was dinner.
Casey wanted to tell her everything, but he doubted she trusted him. He loved the way she felt against him and how her body responded to him. He craved her. He longed to feel her body beneath his, to bring her to orgasmic highs and prove she belonged with him.
“I don’t understand,” she said. “Tell me about you. Who are you?”
Why not? He wanted to keep her. “I’m Casey Willis. I grew up in this house. My father built it for my mother, and I renovated it after they died, but before the darkness hit. We’re at the edge of the Fae realm.”
“We are?”
He nodded. If she did escape and ran west, she’d be in the realm of the Fae and safer than on the vampire streets, but she stood the chance of being killed simply for being human.
“Why do you stay? Why not get the heck away from the Fae? They’ll kill you.”
“It’s my home.” He patted her ass. God, she had a nice ass. Full and with a little jiggle. He wanted to make her happy in the same way he’d seen her at the club.
“Don’t you feel unsafe?” Her eyes shimmered. “Or is that part of the nasty thing you mentioned?”
“I’m a vampire. I can still kill you,” he said. “I won’t, but I could.”
She wriggled, but didn’t pull away. “Do you like me?”
“I do.” He massaged her skin, fighting the urge to spank her. “One day, I hope you’ll come to like me, too.”
“You’re a vampire. All you have to do is glamour me, and I’ll fall for you.” She narrowed her eyes. “But you won’t, will you?”
“No, I won’t.”
“So I’ll trust you? That’s it? You tell me things you think I want to hear so I’ll give in and do what you want.” She rolled her eyes. “It won’t work.”
“I want to play with you like you did at the club. You came alive under the cuffs and flogger.” He stared deep into her eyes. He could get lost in those eyes. “I would like a contract, one involving us discussing what you will and won’t do, what you’ll allow me to do and giving me the honor of being your master. I’d be honored if you’d be my girl.”
A wistfulness filled her eyes. “I miss it.” She focused on him. “If you know about my being there, then tell me what you saw me do.” She wriggled her hips, grinding on him.
Intentional movement? Or a nervous reaction? He wasn’t sure, but he enjoyed her warmth seeping into his bones. She made him feel normal again.
“What did you see?” she challenged. “Tell me.”
“Very well,” he said. “That night I visited, I had come to the club because I detected you there.”
“My essence?” She crooked her eyebrow.
“Yes, sweet.” He slid his index finger along the crease of her ass, teasing her.
“What did you see?” she managed, her voice low.
“At the club?” he asked. “When I walked in, I took a seat in the Masters Only section and watched the play. I looked over and saw the most beautiful woman cuffed to a St. Andrew’s cross. Your hair glistened in the light, and your eyes sparkled. Each time the Dom spanked you, your breasts jiggled. I smelled your arousal and decided I wanted you.”
“To punish me?”
“No.” He traced the shell of her ear and continued to touch her ass, too. He couldn’t get enough of her. “To set you free.”
She parted her lips, but said nothing.
“You live for the play. The excitement of being bound turns you on. Surrendering yourself to someone sets you free.” He caressed her back along her spine. “I remember more than your essence. I remember the little mark above your hip. Everyone thinks it’s a tattoo, but it’s a birthmark.”
Her eyes widened. “You saw it?”
“I did.” And he remembered it like he’d just seen the mark.
“But how? Did we play, and I don’t know? Don’t remember?”
“No. Before I could approach, he did.” He refused to use Lomax’s name. Lomax could rot in the pits of hell. All Lomax wanted to do was kill anything not vampire and punish until the victim begged to die. How in the name of the Goddess could vampires survive if they killed everyone?
“I wish you had intervened.” She tucked into him. “He hurt me.”
“I know, sweet.” He caressed the back of her head, touching her forehead to his. If he could take away every awful memory from her mind, he would. He’d replace them all with good memories.
She trembled. “You were there. Why should I believe you? You’re a vampire. I shouldn’t trust you a bit.”<
br />
He had to tell her. If he wanted her to believe him, he needed to share his secret.
She stared at him.
“I have authority in the club because I have money. They want my cash,” he said. “But I don’t have as much clout as he did because I’m a vampire, but a full-gray blooded one.”
“What are you?” she murmured.
“My mother was human, and my father Fae.” There. He’d said it. He’d let her in on his secret.
She tensed, then frowned. The creases deepened in her forehead. She scooted down his body enough to sit up and look him in the eye. “Fae?”
He nodded. She hadn’t run away yet, but there was still time for the fear to sink in.
“I didn’t see wings,” she whispered.
“They’re on my back like a tattoo. Do you want to see them?”
“Yes.” She slid off him and covered her nudity in the sheet. “They mistreated you?”
“The clubbers?” He sat up. “No. They think I’m beneath them.”
“You’re a master.”
“I am. I’m also a vampire.” He shifted on the bed, turning enough to give her a good look at his rear. “See for yourself.”
She touched his skin, caressing the spots where his wings had meshed into his flesh. He groaned. He hadn’t been touched by a lover in so long. She awakened his need to not only protect, but to possess her. To drape his collar around her neck and for her to take his name.
“These are real?” She inched around to face him. “How? Vampires hate Fae. Did they spare you? Why?”
“Because my father was a guard in the former King’s Order. I’m not royalty, but I’m important because I’m half-Fae. If I return to the court, I’d be in the current king’s service. I don’t believe there’s a king right now, so I doubt I have to worry about being called up.”
“Do you want to be?” she asked.
“If there is a king, I doubt he’d have me.” He tensed. “I’m a vampire. The Fae are afraid of me.”
“They’d be smart to have you.” She eased onto his lap. “Should I be afraid of you?”
“Yes.” He was still a vampire and still had the urge to kill and feed.
“But you haven’t tried to destroy me. You offered me food and a shower. You said something about clothes.” She held on to his hands. “Do you want to kill me?”
