CHAPTER SIXTEEN

B rianna let out an enormous yawn. Living with vampires was hard. Think of the worst jet lag and then triple it. The first day or two she’d been wired, what with nearly dying in a plane crash and discovering vampires existed. Oh, and that her best friend was a vampire.

Now she was just plain wiped.

She knew the plan was to sleep at nighttime so she and Craig could tag team the bed, so she’d left Willow to her evening and returned to Craig’s room. But could she sleep? No. Instead, she had sat up in bed with the remote in her hand. Waiting. She was finding it hard to admit what she was waiting for, but it was obvious. Him.

Eventually, she sagged against the pillows and her head began drooping. A large hand lifted hers and unwedged the remote before she was gently maneuvered and the covers pulled over her.

“Craimmh.”

“ Buonanotte , little witch. Go to sleep.”

And the world went dark.

The next time she opened her eyes, she found herself staring into a solid mass of muscle. Under her was a large bicep belonging to an arm which curled around her, ending with a big hand resting comfortably on her lower back, also known as the top of her backside.

It appeared she had curled herself into his chest for warmth—why else would she do it?—and he’d obviously accommodated her.

As she took full stock of the situation, she realized his other arm rested on top of her hip. She’d be lying if she didn’t admit it felt incredible. She fit into his body perfectly, cocooned safely.

Their legs were entwined, and on her thigh, she could feel another body part resting. Heavy, but not soft. She blinked as her body reacted to its closeness.

It had been a long time since she’d had sex. While she desired him, she really hadn’t thought this through. Sex with Craig could be dangerous. He was extraordinarily strong. What if he hurt her? Clearly Willow had survived sex with Brayden, so she could only assume they were able to control their strength.

Craig was even able to control his desire for her, so the point was moot. Yet she couldn’t help but imagine him nudging her on top of him as she lowered herself onto his clearly sizeable member, being so large her legs would ache at the spread, so he’d need to hold her hips...she sucked in a little breath as her body began to physically react to her vision.

Craig moved in his sleep. His cock began to harden on her thigh.

Bri squeezed her eyes closed, and the vision returned. Craig sitting up and taking her nipples in his mouth, pressing himself deeper into her. She felt the wetness between her legs build. Curious, she lowered the hand lying against his chest until it touched his member. It was hard, harder than it had been.

Was he dreaming?

Of her? Or someone else?

“Open your eyes.” His voice was low and seductive.

She did so with a gasp, removing her hand, but he caught her wrist and wrapped her fingers around his cock. She let out a little moan and began to slightly stroke it. His eyes lidded in ecstasy.

“Yes, little witch, just like that.”

He pulled her leg up higher over his hip and slipped his fingers inside her pussy. She gasped as his thumb found her clit, and desire raced through her veins. Their eyes connected. She ran her finger over the end of his cock and felt the precum.

“Fuck,” he said, pressing another finger inside her.

Water formed in her eyes from equal amounts of pleasure and pain from over a year of no sexual activity. Craig stilled.

“Bri, talk to me?”

She pressed into him, needing more. “Don’t stop, please.”

“Shit.” He pulled her against his chest, taking her mouth with his as she stroked him harder and faster. That was when she lost all ability to think. Her body took over, and the next minute, she came on his hand. A moment later, her stomach was warm with his sticky cum.

Craig pulled his fingers out of her as they both panted. He stared at her, a slight look of surprise on his face, and planted his mouth on hers again for a long, deliciously deep kiss.

“Do me a favor,” he started. “Please don’t regret doing this. I couldn’t stand you looking at me in that way.”

She gazed into his gorgeous face, his big green eyes full of desire, strength, and a dollop of vulnerability.

“I promise.” But the truth was, she’d just let another man bring her to pleasure; a man who wasn’t her husband. It was a big deal. Tears threatened to surface, but she pushed them back. “I don’t regret it, but it’s still hard.”

“Yes, it is.”

She rolled her eyes at the typical male comment and arch of his hips.

“Let’s get you cleaned up.”

With zero effort, he carried her into the shower. Brianna was no wallflower, but she felt like a damn virgin standing there with the water flowing over her as she took in Craig’s huge body.

Enormous. Powerful. Beautiful.

He kept giving her brief questioning glances while she stared. His body had more than the average amount of tattoos, but they were so damn sexy, she wanted to lick him.

When he handed her the soap, she pretended to wash herself.

Finally, he turned and cupped one of her cheeks. “Please say something.”

“You’re beautiful,” she spurted.

He smiled. “That’s my line.”

“But you are. You’re perfect. Is it because you’re a vampire?”

He tilted his head. “I don’t know. Do you think Brayden is beautiful?”

It was a good question. One thing she had noticed about vampires was that they weren’t overweight. They all looked healthy and in optimum condition. They were all incredibly beautiful, both males and females, but some more than others.

Still, she wasn’t attracted to any of them like she was to Craig. From the very first moment she’d laid eyes on him.

“He’s very good looking, just like Timmy.”

He raised an eyebrow and growled. “So Timmy’s fired.”

She playfully slapped his chest. He caught her hand and kissed it. “Stop it.”

“I’m not joking. I can’t fire Brayden, otherwise, he’d have to go too.”

She laughed.

“But you are beautiful, Craig.” She blushed. “You’re enormous and...powerful.”

He stared down at her, his eyes glimmering with unsaid emotion. She wasn’t sure what it was, but it suddenly felt like too much. Remembering what Willow had told her, Brianna stepped away an inch and saw his eyes narrow.

“What just happened?”

The last thing she needed was to get emotionally attached to this man because they were being intimate together. She’d never been the type to have casual sex. Even if she wouldn’t remember him, she’d had a long year of grief, and didn’t need any more. And he couldn’t connect with another female, so he shouldn’t be looking at her like that.

“Nothing. Just keeping it real. You vampire, me human. So as beautiful as you are, we can’t do this again.”

“Bri, you know as well as I do that we can’t keep our eyes or hands off each other.”

And there it was. He just wanted a sex buddy. She shook her head and stepped out of the huge shower, wrapping a towel around herself.

“Hey. Talk to me.”

Ignoring him, she got dressed and began brushing her teeth, all while he followed her around with his big damn cock swinging between his legs. The guy had no shame and too much confidence.

All of it deserved, damn him.

“For God’s sake, female. Tell me what I said wrong. You are attracted to me, are you not? Don’t answer that. I know you are.”

She turned, one hand on her hip and the other holding her toothbrush in her mouth.

“Scho I’m jchush a bothie to schtick yor cok inchoo?”

He raised an eyebrow. She spat into the sink and rinsed. When she stood, he held up a hand.

“I understood you well enough. And no. You are not.” He frowned. “What do you want from me, Brianna? As you pointed out, you’re a human and I’m a vampire.”

She stared at him, feeling an uneasy chill come over her.

“In a few days, you’ll go home to Los Angeles. I’ll remain in Italy and lead the Moretti Royal Army. We are two different species.”

She wrapped her arms around herself.

He stepped in closer.

“This is not about what I want but what we can have. Here. Now.” He laid a hand on her hip. “If I could—and you wouldn’t scream your lungs out and it wasn’t punishable by death—I’d steal you away to the other side of the planet and keep you for as long as I could.”

Her eyes widened.

“You mean that?”

He rolled his eyes at her.

“Clearly”—he waved a hand over his tattooed body, looking as dangerous as a male could—“I’m the sort of guy who writes Hallmark cards, so please don’t believe a word of it.”

She smiled and melted as his lips landed on hers.

“So what is this, then?”

He walked out of the bathroom and pulled on his black Moretti uniform. When his jacket was in place, he turned to her.

“It’s called ‘I can’t keep my hands or mind off you.’ The ball’s in your court, Bri, but I can’t offer you any more than you can offer me.” She nodded, and he pulled her into his arms, threading a hand through her wet hair. “I want more of you, and I think you do too.”

Before she could answer, he stole her lips for another one of his passionate kisses, and she lost all ability to think.

“The king arrives in a few hours. No matter what you decide, when we are in his presence, you must act as if I am your mate. Do you understand?”

His tone was serious now, and she understood why.

“Well, I think our attraction is obvious.”

“Mates love each other too.”

Oh. The reminder that he had loved another and that she was simply a female he was attracted to, not loved, was a harsh one. She hardened and nodded. His face went dark, and he stepped away.

What had just happened?

“I’ll return for you in two hours.” Then the door shut behind him.

She walked to the bed and sat down, staring at the wall. What the hell just happened?

Any time the topic of mates came up, he shut down. He was quite happy to lust after her and taste her body, but anything more emotional, and he went cold.

It hurt her.

She shouldn’t feel this way about him. Her body lusted after him, and hell, she’d have to be dead not to. But there was something else. All day and night, she thought about him. When he was near, she craved him; when he wasn’t, she felt like she needed him.

She really needed to talk to Willow, but how could she after their discussion? All Willow would do was remind her that Craig wasn’t available to any woman. It was just so hard to believe it when he looked at her the way he did. And yet, when he shut down, she knew Willow was right.

Brianna let out a sigh.

Distance was one solution. If she could just move out of his living quarters, they would be able to manage more easily the attraction between them, but with the king arriving, things had just heated up.

The ceremony was only five days away, so she just needed a plan. In the evenings, she would spend time with Willow while he worked, and then later, sleep. During the day, she would entertain herself while they slept. In theory, she would barely see him.

Five days.

She could do it.

For Willow.

For the best friend she was about to lose.

Because falling for an unavailable vampire was not on her bucket list.