CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

P iper felt his presence before she saw him. Her card was poised ready to slide through the device on her hotel room door when his hand covered hers and slid it down.

Then those fingers ran up her arm and before she knew what she was doing, she leaned back into him. He pulled her hair away from her neck and his mouth was on her.

“You want to fuck a vampire, Piper?” Oliver asked.

She closed her eyes and moaned.

“You want me to bite you? Sink my fangs into you. Make you come as your blood runs down my throat?”

Fucking hell.

Her pussy clenched and her nipples hardened as her already aroused body ached for him to do all of those things. Regardless of how crazy they sounded.

Oliver pushed the door open and somehow her body disconnected from his and her feet took a couple of steps inside. When she turned, he was right there, his startling eyes dark and fully aroused as they roamed over her body.

“Why do you want me to leave?” she asked. He began to unbutton the top she was wearing.

“Don’t wear shit like this around other men,” Oliver replied, blatantly ignoring her.

She blinked.

“He was lucky I took a humorous approach tonight, wife . I wanted to tear out his throat for looking at you the way he did.”

She frowned despite the heat for this dominating man pulsing at her core.

“It was a business meeting. Wait, why the fuck am I explaining myself? I’m a single woman. I can do what I want.” She pushed at him.

“Piper,” he growled.

“No. Stop with all this growly man stuff. I want answers. You need to stop.” She waved her hand around in the air. “Stop with all this sexy stuff, and talk to me.”

He smirked, but his eyes were still full of need.

“Ughhh,” she stomped further into the room and pulled her phone out of her pocket and dropped that, and the room key, on the table.

“You think I’m sexy?”

“I think you’re frustrating.”

Oliver sat on the edge of her bed and pulled off his top. “Come here.”

Fucking God on a stick. He was gorgeous.

Layers of tanned muscles—an eight-pack at least—tempted her while she searched for one little word.

No.

Say no.

Demand answers.

She swallowed slowly as her eyes lowered to the little dusting of hair leading to... paradise. She knew it was that, because she’d already experienced his thick, long cock.

He undid the top button of his jeans.

Damn him.

“Oliver, please answer my... questions.” Piper tried to glance away. It was getting hard to think.

He unzipped and pulled out his swollen cock. She swallowed again, not able to take her eyes off it, even when he kicked his jeans off.

“I’ll answer your questions afterwards. Right now, I want you on your knees and your mouth around me.” He stroked himself. “Now, Piper.”

Like a moth to a flame, she was across the room and Oliver pulled her down to his mouth, cupping her face.

“I hate you.”

“Channel that hate, baby.” He tore open her top, then pulled it from her and tossed it across the room. Piper gasped, but he was already doing the same to her skirt.

“You’re an animal.”

“More of a predator. Let me show you.” He winked. “On your knees.”

Piper’s body trembled as he guided her down and onto his cock. His words were dark, but his touch was nearly tender. Dominant but not dangerous.

The contradiction sent a thrill through her she’d never felt before and she wanted more.

A lot more.

She lapped his swollen head and then took all of him into her mouth. Her eyes stayed on his as his mouth opened in complete pleasure.

“Yes, shit. God, Piper.”

He lifted his hips to sink into her mouth deeper, his hand on her neck, reminding her that he was in control and there was no question about it.

She licked and rolled her lips up and down him until he pressed in deeper, and she gagged. She’d never been one for deep-throating.

“Fuck, you’re so damn gorgeous.”

Her eyes lifted to his and the raw lust radiating from him sent need plummeting to her core. Suddenly he grabbed the base of his cock and pulled out of her mouth.

“What?”

Had he not liked it? She’d never had any complaints before, and it went without saying she’d had plenty of practice.

“I’m going to be inside your pussy when I come,” Oliver said, gripping her hips and pulling her onto his lap. “Damn panties.”

“Don’t rip them,” she cried. “I don’t have all that many with me.”

Her hands flew to his, but he lifted her with complete ease and slid them off.

“Good. Because you’re going home.”

She rolled her eyes and undid her bra before he tried to destroy that. When she wiggled, trying to widen her legs around his enormous frame, Oliver noticed and simply lifted her up at her hips and she stretched out her legs behind him.

God, he was strong.

“You eat a lot of spinach?” He might have been buff, but she wasn’t a size zero.

“Something like that.”

His fingers slid between her legs and they both groaned as he found her hot, wet flesh.

“Have you been wet all day wanting me?” he asked, his fingers sliding through the delicately aroused parts of her that needed so much more.

She bit her lips.

“Answer me.”

She nodded. God damn, she was supposed to be on guard and getting answers from him, not turning to putty in his hands. And fingers.

He pressed inside and she arched.

“Good girl.”

In and out, his fingers fucked her, slipping down to her ass, tempting those sensitive spots before circling around her clit. The man knew his way around a pussy.

“Watch me,” he said. “Look at me as you come.”

Piper’s heart thumped with desire and fear and a complete feeling of being overwhelmed by this powerful man underneath her. She wanted to look away, but his eyes owned her. He had control of her body and, despite her mental resistance, every inch of her was having a party.

Traitor.

When his other hand flicked her nipple, she began to lose all control.

“Shit.”

“Let go. Scream for me,” he said. “Then you can have my dick inside you.”

Oh, Jesus. The compliance continued as her walls contracted and pleasure filled her core. She screamed, digging her hands into his bulging biceps, then flopped onto his chest.

Oliver gripped her head and pulled her back to look at him, then wiped her juices on her lower lip and slammed his mouth down on her.

She was going to die.

Right now. In this moment. Full of utter pleasure.

Then he lifted her and walked to the window. He dropped her to her feet and spun her.

“Legs wide and hands up.”

As she did as he said—again—he ran one hand down the side of her body and the other across her breasts. Pinching. She cried out.

“I can’t wait to get back inside you.” He tilted her ass out. She felt his swollen head at her entrance. “Are you ready to be fucked again, darlin’?”

She needed his cock in her more than another breath of air. She pressed back, trying to take him.

“Say please.”

“No.”

She needed some damn pride after this.

His mouth was at her neck, his breath hot and then something a little sharp. She turned, drawing in a breath. Surely, he wasn’t going to bite her.

“Say please.”

Her pussy throbbed with need.

“God damn you, Oliver. Fucking please .”

All she heard was a dark growl as he thrust inside her, his hands firmly gripping her hips. He went deep, hard, and fast.

“Fuck me,” he cried. “You. Feel. Too. Fucking. Good.”

Her breasts pressed against the cold glass of the window as her fingers clawed and slid while Oliver slammed into her. The act was aggressive, dominant, and absolutely perfect.

She felt him swell and come moments before her next orgasm hit.

They both screamed out their pleasure and when he tugged her head back and took her lips, his eyes burning with pleasure, she knew they were far from being done.

OLIVER STEPPED INTO the shower and turned, reaching out to the female he’d spent the last two hours pleasuring.

Piper took his hand, followed him inside, and melted against him. Her legs could barely hold her up, but she’d told him to stop carrying her everywhere.

He’d let her have control back, the predator in him satisfied after dominating her so completely. He had been surprised she hadn’t put up more resistance, but he sensed her powerful desire for him.

She wasn’t alone.

His need to fuck her seemed to be unending. It was only because she was human and exhausted that he was stopping.

He wrapped his arms around her and let the water flow over them. Pouring soap on the sponge, he ran it over her body, kissing her when she lifted her face from his chest.

Then he did his own.

“How do you stay in such incredible shape?”

I’m a vampire.

“I train a lot.”

“You look like an athlete,” she mumbled, running her hands over his shoulders, chest, and biceps. Oliver pushed her wet hair from her face and waited for her eyes to meet his.

“This is the only time you don’t fight me,” he said, his thumb running over her cheekbones. “Is this what I need to do? Fuck the fire out of you.”

“You like my fire.”

Yeah, he did.

“I also like you alive,” he growled quietly. “You need to go home, Piper.”

She shook her head and frowned at him.

He wanted to shake her. Oliver couldn’t tell her anything to make her see reason, but it didn’t mean he wasn’t frustrated. A woman like Piper was too independent and stubborn.

She was vulnerable right now, and he didn’t like it.

“You don’t understand. I have to break this story. I have to... I have to be someone, Oliver.”

What the hell was she talking about?

“You are someone. You don’t have to prove yourself to anyone. You are perfect just as you are.”

Wow. He’d had no idea he felt like that.

“I mean, you’re still a pain in the ass,” he clarified, “but you are not nobody.”

She nudged him and laughed. Then sobered. “You don’t understand.”

“Then tell me.”

She shook her head, turned in his arms, and ran her head under the water. When she emerged, she wiped her face with her hands and let out a long sigh.

“Have you ever felt like a failure?” she asked.

Ah, yes. He knew all about that.

“Like, for no reason. You just weren’t good enough? And for some inexplicable reason you do something really stupid just to prove them right. And then you’re stuck trying to redeem yourself forever.”

Oliver wrapped his arms around her and pulled her back against him.

“Piper, you’re perfect. Trust me. Whatever happened, just let it go and move on. Don’t put your life in danger to prove something to someone who doesn’t matter.”

She glanced away.

“I’m not perfect. If you really knew me—”

“Who hurt you and said these bullshit things?” Oliver growled as unreasonable anger rose within him. Whoever it was, he wanted to kill them with his bare hands.

This female... he needed to protect her.

And that kind of scared him.

HE WRAPPED HIS ARMS around Piper, who was now in a white hotel robe, and they stood staring out the window at the night lights.

Memories of the disappointment on his father’s face came flooding back. Here he was telling Piper to ignore her abuser, but after all this time, he still craved his father’s respect. He’d never get it because the vampire was dead. Now he’d transferred his need for acceptance and praise to Ari.

And he was fucking that up completely.

His focus and mind should be on the job and yet he was in Ari’s sister-in-law’s room, fucking.

Not just fucking her, but embracing her.

Worse, he wanted to know who had been filling her head with these thoughts that she wasn’t good enough.

“Who said those things to you?”

“It doesn’t matter, Oli. You just need to understand that I can’t and won’t leave,” she said. “I’m breaking this story and proving to him, and the world, that I’m not a failure.”

Then it hit him.

It was her father. A young woman with daddy issues was hardly new. Hell, everyone had issues from their childhood.

Even vampires.

“Nothing is going to stop me.” She turned.

Fuck it.

He understood the driving force behind her motivation and a part of him respected her passion for proving she was worthy—even if she already was. Unfortunately, Piper had chosen a story he could never let see the light of day. He didn’t doubt she was capable of finding the truth. Hell, she was standing right next to a damn vampire.

This wasn’t the answer to her problems. She could end up dead, or worse, and Oliver wasn’t going to let that happen.

“The story. It’s about vampires?” he asked, playing dumb.

“Yes,” she nodded. “Please don’t tell anyone.”

That he could pinky-swear.

“Is that why George is going to call you tomorrow?” Oliver asked.

She went to pull away, but he grabbed her hand and stared down into her glowing wild, beautiful blue eyes that matched his.

“Oliver, stop. My leads are confidential and private. I’m not telling you anything more.”

“Piper, you need to go back to Seattle. This is dangerous.”

She narrowed her eyes, and they were full of questions, but she didn’t ask them.

“No,” she finally said.

God damn it.

Yes, Ari had told him to keep an eye on her and keep her safe. But this was more than a job. He was getting far too attached to this female.

Oliver knew the desire to prove someone wrong. He knew that the actions he’d have to take soon would destroy her plans and ensure she hated him.

And he didn’t know if he was okay with that.

Despite everything.