A Mate for Lance (The Program Book 5) (16 page)

She gasped. “What happened? Did the wolf get to the human? Did he take her for himself?”

“Don’t you read the paper? Or watch the news?”

She shook her head. “I read books and watch movies. I also work a hell of a lot. Tell me. What happened?” This whole thing sounded like something from a fairy tale.

Lance shook his head and smiled. “I’ll save that story for another day. The wolves and the elves arrived at the castle in order to steal the queen but instead, they took Stephany.”

“Your mate.”

He nodded. “My estranged mate,” he corrected. “I was there. In the thick of battle. I watched as a wolf grabbed her. The bastard punched her. He knocked her unconscious and ran with her.” His eyes were wide. Amber could see that he was reliving the moment in his mind’s eye. “I went after her. It took me straight into range of the elven archers. I didn’t give a fuck. I needed to save her. I guess a part of me felt ashamed for never acknowledging her as my mate.” His chest heaved.

He remained still for a long time. “What happened?” she finally asked. Her voice was barely above a whisper.

“I failed. I was a stupid youngster when things began. I failed her in all ways.” He swallowed thickly. “I vowed to get her back. I stopped fucking around with the other females. I vowed to find her and to spend an eternity making it up to her but I was too late. She wouldn’t have me. Stephany had moved on.”

“That’s so sad. No wonder you’re such a mess.”

His eyes darkened. “Don’t pity me. I deserved everything I got. I should’ve been exiled or put to death for the shit I caused. I’m lucky. I learned a few truths recently. One of my close friends took a human mate. It made me realize some things.”

“Like?” She shouldn’t be asking him all these questions but she couldn’t help it.

“In short, I have demons. I’ve learned how to deal with them.” The barest hints of a smile tugged the ends of his sinful mouth. “You’re not making things easy for me.” She was sure she heard him mumble something about having to sniff more roses but that couldn’t be right.

It looked like he was conceding.
Couldn’t be.
She was almost disappointed.
Shit!
She should be running away. This wasn’t an ideal situation to say the least. “Are you agreeing?” She could hear the shock in her voice.

“Yes, Amber, I am. I must be fucking certifiable but I’m agreeing. A few dates and then it’s back to the original arrangement. You won’t fall for me?” He looked so stern it would have been comical if his arrogance didn’t piss her off.

“I won’t fall in love with you.” She huffed, hands on her hips. “Just as long as you don’t fall for me.”

He rolled his eyes and gave her his signature smirk. “Not happening.”

She shrugged. “Okay then.”

“Good, it’s decided.”

“I suppose it is.” She should leave.

“When is our first”—he grimaced— “date?” He said the word like it tasted bad.

“This evening.”

“Where are you taking me?” he looked bored and she felt her blood boil. Infuriating vampire!

She felt like slapping that look off of his face. “Oh no! You’re the guy and I’m the girl. You can pick me up. Call me old fashioned. I’ll be ready in two hours…be here at six. Make sure you plan something good. We might have to date but that doesn’t mean we can’t have a good time.”

He frowned. “
You
said we needed to date. Not me. I’ll be here at six but that’s where it ends.”

“You’re an ass,” she shot back. “This was a bad idea.” Whenever he used his mouth for anything other than kissing, he ended up irritating the shit out of her.

“You’re right. Let’s just skip the dating and fuck.” His eyes actually lit up.

“No! If you want to fuck me ever again, you can pull your finger out of your pompous ass and take me out on a damned date. Be here at six and plan something for the evening or don’t bother coming at all. Remember, you want me more then what I want you.”

“Bullshit.” Lance glanced down at her boobs. That asshole’s smirk graced his handsome face. “What are those then?”

“None of your business.” She glanced down. Her nipples were hard, jutting points. Damn her body. Damn it for going against her brain at every turn. At least, at every turn where Lance was involved.
Infuriating.

“You want me,” he said, so all-knowing and arrogant.

She gave a shrug. “So what? It doesn’t mean I’m going to give in.”

He smiled. “For the record… I like it when you say fuck. You should say it more often.” He winked at her. “I’ll think about it.” Then he turned and walked out.

What did he mean ‘he would think about it’? Was he going to think about where he was going to take her? Or was he going to decide whether or not he was even going to take her out in the first place. She would find out soon enough, like if he didn’t show up at six. She found that she didn’t like the idea of that.

She’d dated all of two guys and both of them had broken up with her. It sucked to be dumped like that. They didn’t have a relationship but if he didn’t come tonight, she would still feel rejected. She should just go. Pack her bag and go. Instead, Amber bent over her suitcase and started putting her things back in the closet.

There was another knock at the door. Amber clasped a hand over her mouth. “Surely not.” This was crazy. She looked around the room. Every available surface was covered with flowers. There were lilies, roses, daisies, sunflowers, daffodils, tulips and a whole range of blooms she didn’t know the names of. Good thing she wasn’t allergic to pollen.

She opened the door, it was yet another guard, holding, yet another bunch of flowers. Big orange lilies with yellow roses in a ceramic vase. It was beautiful.

“Um…thanks….there’s still a space next to my bed on the far table.”

The guy nodded. He placed the vase on the table.

The vampire handed her something on his way out. It was a beautifully wrapped box with a card. Her name was scrawled across the paper. She tore it open and removed a plain white card:

Dearest Amber,

So, you’re really going to make us go through

with this whole dating thing?

You could still change your mind and I would be

100% onboard with that.

The flowers, as well as any other gift I give you, are

for appearances only. They don’t mean anything.

They are to prove without a doubt

that you are not just another notch on my belt.

The gift in the box is totally from me to you though, it’s

straight from the heart…

You are most welcome!

Lance

She lifted the box and stared at it for a few moments. It was wrapped in beautiful black and white paper. Tied with a black velvet bow. Did she really want to know?

Yes.

Unfortunately, not only did she want to know what was inside but she needed to. Like a kid at Christmas, she ripped the paper from the box and pulled off the lid. Two packs of batteries and another wrapped box. She ripped the paper off of this one as well.

“Oh...” She had to snort out a laugh. Such a pig. There was a Post-it note attached.

Don’t even think about using this on yourself.

What? His message implied that
he
planned on using it on her. She read some of the text on the side of the box. Extra large, rubber penis. Three settings. Has a second smaller head designed for clitoral stimulation.

God!

What the hell.

Really?

Amber opened the box and pulled out the plastic see through container. The one that held the dildo. It was big. It did indeed have a smaller head and it was hot pink. She swallowed hard.

There was another knock at the door. She shoved the vibrator in the drawer next to her bed.

“There’s no more…” She sucked in a breath when she saw who it was. “I was going to say, space. There’s no more space. Are you nuts? It’s too much.”

“Yes. No sex for three days. I’m as crazy as they come.” His gaze slid down her body. “I like the dress.”

It was royal blue and looked really good on her. “I’ll just grab a jacket and we can go.”

Lance nodded. “By now you should know that I don’t do things in half measures and that includes dating you. You wanted everyone to know…” He shrugged, looking far too sexy for his own good. “Well, now they know.”

“Yes, they do.”

“By the rubber scent in the room, I can tell that you got my…other gift.”

She shook her head and rolled her eyes. “I can’t believe you bought me that.”

“Everyone thinks that you have a vibrator that you use often. We can’t disappoint them now that we’re dating. Can we?” He wore dark blue jeans and a lime green button down shirt. Nothing fancy or over the top but it worked. He looked good. The shirt did a fantastic job of showcasing his broad shoulders, his thick biceps. Holy moly!

“You left a note to say that I’m not allowed to use the thing so it doesn’t help much.” She tried not to sound snippy. It was her that had insisted on the whole dating thing.

Lance gave her a panty-wetting half smile. “We can’t fuck. I can make damn sure that one of us stays satisfied…namely you.”

“What?” Her heart raced a little faster at his words. Her cheeks heated and yes, her nipples puckered. A zing of need raced through her but not for the vibrator.

His nostrils flared. “You heard me, Amber.”

“I think we should go.” Before she did something stupid. Like beg. For sex. Hot, hard sex. Sex she knew he could deliver.

He held eye contact for what felt like the longest time and then he nodded.

She breathed out in a sigh.

****

“Oh my word.” Amber clasped a hand to her mouth. “It’s so beautiful.” Her eyes were firmly on the skyline and not on the beautifully decorated table.

His eyes moved in the same direction and he had to agree. The lights from Sweetwater and the dark looming mountains in the distance were breathtaking. Tranquil and beautiful. The moon hung from the sky in a half crescent reflected on the lake.

“I come here often.” The castle roof was another one of his hangouts. The views, the feeling of open and freedom. The feeling of peace it instilled in him.

“Do you bring women here often?” She looked a little hurt. The tight line of her jaw and a flash of something in her eyes.

He shook his head. “No. I don’t date remember.” He wasn’t sure how he felt about her reaction. Was she jealous? He sure as hell hoped not.

“Not to date to…” She let the sentence die. A look of anger flared.

Lance held up a hand, trying not to laugh. “No. I’ve never brought anyone here. You’re the first.” Fuck! Now it sounded special. “I had to ask permission to bring you here and to set this up.” Fairy lights twinkled. The table was spectacular. Crystal glasses, white roses and candles. Allison had outdone herself. “Rumors will spread. The flowers, this dinner…they’re going to think that I’m fucking head over heels and that you’re making me work hard. You won’t look like just another notch. I’ll make sure of that.”

She looked relieved and it worried him some more. No, she wasn’t about to fall for him. Amber had said that her parents wouldn’t approve. That he drove her nuts and that she didn’t even like him. They were good. This was all so that she didn’t look like another notch on his belt. That was all.

He hadn’t lied about that. This female wasn’t just another, nameless fuck. He didn’t want the others to see her that way either. In many ways, she was special. She was going to make some male very happy one day. He felt everything inside him tighten at the thought. Even his gums itched, his fangs wanting to erupt. Right now, she was his.

Her body was a work of fucking art. A work of art. Dammit. The dresses she wore revealed nothing and hinted at everything. All tits and ass. Was there any other combination?

Lance stepped towards her and her eyes flashed to his. Nervous. She sucked in a breath. He clasped an arm around her waist.

“What are you…”

“You’re my date.” Lance growled. “I can kiss you.”

“No, I—” He covered her mouth with his. Fucking delicious. Soft, pliable lips that opened on a sigh. He cradled her cheek with his other hand and deepened the kiss. Her chest heaved against his. His other hand clasped her ass and she pushed him away.

“Hey…” She gave his arm a slap. He released his hold on her ass, moving it back to her waist.

“Shhh.” He gestured to the waiter behind them.

Amber’s cheeks flushed further and she bit down on her lower lip, pulling away from him. The waiter filled the wine glasses and left.

“Shall we?” He gestured to the table.

She nodded, not making eye contact with him.

“I would look like a pussy if I didn’t try. They would smell a rat. I might be a lot of things, but a pussy isn’t one of them.”

Her gaze moved to his, a confused look on her face. Her eyes were big and so damned beautiful.

“I can be seen, at least trying, to get between those thighs.”

Her throat worked as she swallowed thickly. It was good to know that she wanted him just as badly. They sat down across from one another. Lance picked up his glass and held it out to her. She picked up hers as well. “To the orgasm I’m going to give you later. I’m envious of a piece of rubber. Who would’ve guessed?”

She blushed like mad. Her gaze dropped to the table top.

“We can’t toast to that.” She was sexy as fuck. As much as he wished he could replace the dildo with his own cock, there was a part of him that looked forward to watching her unravel while he remained fully clothed and in complete charge of his faculties. Being inside her made him lose it. Coming inside her took him away to the point where he could only feel. For once, all he wanted was to give. He saw this as an opportunity.

“Yes you can.” He moved his glass closer to hers. “I insist.”

She finally met his stare and chinked her glass against his. “So damned bossy.”

“So I’ve been told.” He took a sip of the wine. “Three and a half years.” Too fucking long for a sensual female like Amber to go without so much as being touched. Even three days seemed too long.

Her throat worked and her eyes flashed to his for a second before looking away. “Can we talk about something else? I should never have told you that.”

Lance shook his head. “I’m glad you did and I want to know. Why the long wait? Did the last guy break your heart or something?”

She shook her head. “Who, Freddy?” She gave a dismissive laugh. “Hardly. He owned a barber’s shop down the road. Really sweet. He lived with his mom.”

Lance barked out a laugh. “With his mother…sounds like an upstanding guy. This bozo was the groping one that didn’t know his ass from his elbow?”

“I really liked him a lot at the time,” she explained. “We dated for over a year. We had a good relationship even if things were a little…awkward in the bedroom.”

“Awkward.” Lance heard the rumble in his voice. “Did he hurt you? I swear to god if he—”

“No…” Her eyes were pleading. “Nothing like that.”

“Was he a sicko? Did he expect…” Lance saw red at the thought of this bastard hurting Amber in any way.

“He was really bad, that’s all. The sex was over in minutes and uneventful.” She was talking quickly. “You talked of him not knowing his ass from his elbow, well, it was more like he didn’t know my ass from my elbow. He was a bit rough with his hands, scratched me with his nails and couldn’t find my clit to save his life. I don’t think he knows what a g-spot is.” Her cheeks became more and more flushed. “At least he tried though, my first boyfriend never made any effort. I had my first orgasm on my own…how damned embarrassing. My first orgasm with another person was with you, so you’ll excuse me for not wanting to give this up just yet.” Then she covered her face. “Oh shit! I shouldn’t have said all that.”

Fuck! Lance found himself wanting to punch walls. He also felt proud that he had given something to this female. That he had been her first fucking orgasm. Amber refused to meet his stare. Her blush intensified. Damn, she was definitely only with him for the sex. Good. Great. That was fucking fantastic. He huffed out a breath, waiting to feel relieved. It didn’t happen. “So the sex was bad. That’s probably why you broke up with him. Compatibility is important. You need to know that it was him and not you.”

She finally met his eyes. Hers were blazing. “Don’t be so rude. Sex isn’t the most important thing in a relationship. Freddie wasn’t a bad guy.” She took a big gulp of wine.

“Like hell it isn’t. It’s up there, Amber, one of the most important things; otherwise, you may as well mate your brother or your best friend. Freddie was a dick. He should have tried harder to please you. He didn’t give a shit. I don’t need to know him to know that.”

“We had a good relationship,” she defended. “Don’t call him that.”

Lance ran a hand through his hair. “Let’s talk about something else. We can agree to disagree. All I’m saying is that if he loved you, he would’ve made you see fucking stars.”

“He couldn’t find my clit, that doesn’t mean that he didn’t love me.”

“He should have tried fucking harder.” Lance got up off the chair and moved right into her space. So close that he could feel just the tips of her lush breasts against his chest. Christ! “He should’ve asked you what you liked, how you liked it. He should’ve paid more attention to how your body responded to his touches. He should’ve bought a fucking book. He should’ve had a map fucking drawn…he should have pleased you and he didn’t.”

Her breaths were heavy. Her mouth hung open. Just a smidgen. Her bottom lip was wet. The scent of her arousal made him harder than he’d ever been.

She swallowed hard and tried to move her chair back. “You’re right about the subject change. I’m an only child. I was sickly. My parents decided not to have any more. He left me by the way.” Her eyes wouldn’t meet his. Her fingers played with the edge of the napkin. She was embarrassed.

“Freddie was an idiot,” Lance repeated, adamant. “Anyone still living with their parents once they hit adulthood—”

“I still live at home,” she blurted. That edge of defiance flashed in her eyes.