Reawakening (22 page)

She was situated against a strong, warm body and knew it was Rom but was in too much agony to open her eyes. The fingers of one hand stroked her arm, while the other gently massaged her scalp, sending her back into a fitful sleep.

She dreamt of mystery girl, but this time she didn’t speak and the scene quickly changed to that of the past. Mystery girl was walking on a dirt road with a tall, broad man, holding hands. Their backs were to her. They started to turn, but then evaporated into thin air like a hologram.

The next time she opened her eyes, she felt marginally better. The jackhammer had quieted down to a dull, but almost bearable, throb. Her stomach was no longer in a full-blown riot, but probably wouldn’t welcome any visitors, such as crackers or water, any time soon either. And her mouth was still bone-dry. Sleep called to her once again, but before she fell under she registered Rom’s gentle and soothing strokes.

Mystery girl again haunted her dreams, but this time she saw the young girl’s demise. She was flush with fever and pale as death. Her breaths were shallow, labored and uneven and her bed sheets soaked. The stench of mortality emanated from the entire house. A young woman ran around hysterical and crying. The scene suddenly changed and someone burst through the door, yelling. The young woman now sat at a wooden kitchen table, sobbing.

Bile rising caused her wake again.

She was sick several more times throughout the morning, mostly dry heaves, and Rom was there, caring for her. Holding her hair back, cooling her with a cloth and cuddling her against his broad, firm chest. She dosed on and off and each time she dreamt of mystery girl. And each time she woke, she thought Rom would be gone, but he never was. He didn’t leave her side and he didn’t scold. He whispered words of comfort. His touch soothed. Sleep pulled her under one last time.

She was back in the young woman’s kitchen and the woman was hysterical.

“Where’s Seraphina?” a deep voice growled.

That voice. She knew that voice. Sarah’s head turned slowly toward it. Taking up the entire small doorway was a larger than life Romaric, but she knew this was of a time very long ago, because his clothes clearly gave it away.

The young woman didn’t answer, not even realizing he stood there. He had called to her two more times before she responded.

“Who are you?” she finally asked.

“I am Romaric. Now. Where. Is. Seraphina?”

“She’s gone. Dead. She fell ill night before last and passed this morning. Three of my babies are now dead and two more are ill.”

Sarah woke again, heart and head pounding. Mystery girl was Seraphina. Seraphina had died. Rom had
loved
her, and not in a sisterly way. The devastation and loss that bled from his eyes at the news of her death was agonizing to watch. But who
was
Seraphina? Did vampires fall in love with normal humans outside of their Moira’s?

“How are you feeling, beauty?”

How was she feeling?
Better. Yes, better.

“Better, I think.” But she
reaaally
needed to brush her teeth. She could smell her own lethal breath and it almost made her gag. “I need the bathroom,” she said as she moved to get up.

“Are you going to be sick again?” he called after her.

“No. But I need to shower and clean up. I stink.”
And I need to think.

She shut the bathroom door, hoping he’d give her privacy. He was here and she supposed that was good, but things were far from right between them. He had some explaining to do about the way he’d treated her. Again.

She wanted to rehash her dreams, but didn’t want to risk him hearing. She really needed to talk to him about them. Soon. But first she needed to figure out how to approach it, because she knew Rom would shut down. And Sarah knew that this girl had been the cause of the pain that he’d buried so deep. But for now she pushed it to the back of her head to delve into later.

She brushed her teeth and quickly showered, but realized she didn’t have a clean change of clothes with her and she was
not
about to put on the vomit splashed tee and shorts she had been wearing. How Rom even let her touch him with that shit on her, she didn’t know.

Having no choice, she wrapped a towel around her nude body and opened the bathroom door. Rom now sat against the headboard, long muscular legs crossed at the feet and beefy arms crossed at his chest. Today he’d worn his traditional dress pants, in tan, but instead of a stuffy button down shirt, he wore a black fitted Henley that was pulled tautly against his broad chest. He was so fucking sexy, her mouth watered.

His head turned at the sound of the door opening. Hungry eyes bulged and traveled slowly down her barely covered body. Her nipples beaded and her pussy went wet at his perusal.

God, even after what happened yesterday and how angry she still was, he simply lit her body on fire, without a word or touch to her flesh. Just a look was all it took and she was wet and aching and wanting.

The raging desire to rip his clothes off and sink onto his hard cock was almost too much to ignore. But she willed her feet firmly into the floor instead. There was only so much rejection a girl could take and she’d had her quota for the week. Or month. Or ever.

Besides, even though he’d spent all morning taking care of her, she was still very much pissed and confused at not only his rejection to bond, but also the way he’d ignored her all day.

“I, uh … need some clean clothes.”

“Come here, Sarah.” His voice was low, firm and demanding. He held out a hand, expecting her to blindly obey. And her body wanted to. Hell, even Rosie and Nancy were doing cartwheels at both his blatant invitation and the colossal bulge in his pants. But her resolve held firm.

“No. I just need some clothes.”

“No?” he asked incredulously. Eyebrows arching high, he swung his feet over the edge of the bed.

His eyes glowed and jaw ticked as he waited for her response. He had some goddamned nerve mocking her after what he’d done yesterday. Fucker.

“Yes. I said no. I mean I realize you’re not used to hearing that word, like
ever
, but maybe you should get used to it. Because I plan on saying it. A. Lot.”

That felt like the right thing to say until a predatory look overtook Rom’s beautifully hard features. Every tightly coiled muscle rippled underneath the fabric of his shirt.
Oh. My.
She’d unknowingly thrown down a verbal gauntlet and there was no way someone like him wouldn’t pick it up.

Shit.

“You do realize you’ve just challenged my beast, don’t you, beauty?”

Double shit.

“Life would be pretty boring without a challenge. Wouldn’t you agree?” She may sound calm and cool on the outside, but inside she was shitting bricks. Big ones.

“You’re mine,” he growled, as he pushed slowly from the bed and stalked toward her. Breathing became difficult and
damn
… what she wouldn’t give to have panties on, soaking up the rush of desire that ran between her thighs.

The need to flee was strong, but she stood her ground, crossing her arms, pulling the towel tightly around her. She was woman … hear her roar, dammit. Gone were the days of letting people intimidate her. Her chin lifted a little higher, her shoulders stood a little taller.

Bring it, vamp boy. You’ve met your match.

“You do realize you’re sending mixed messages, right? Four days ago you said you’d bond with me
that minute
if I agreed and then yesterday, I practically
threw
myself at you, begging you to fuck me and make me yours and you rejected me. Rejected me! So do
not
stand there and give me that
‘I am strong vampire, you are mine, do as I say’
bullshit.”

Her breathing was ragged, but now it was more due to anger than desire. He’d continued to glide slowly across the room the entire time she ranted, the wolfish look never leaving his face. She should be scared, but she wasn’t. She was just plain pissed. When he reached her, their gazes held as he grabbed the towel and tugged it away, dropping it to the floor.

Her arms went to cover herself. “Why you ass—” But she was cut off as he grabbed her, spun them and pinned her against the wall.

“I was wrong,” he rasped, holding her naked body solidly in place with his massive, clothed frame. Holding her wrists above her head in one hand, he slowly ran the other down her arm, grazing the outside of her swollen breast, continuing down her torso. When he reached her hip, he palmed the round globe of her bare ass and squeezed, pulling her against his hardness. An involuntary moan escaped her parted lips.

Jesus, Sarah. Stop.

You’re angry.

You’re hurt.

You deserve an explanation.

Reason tried overriding the raging inferno of pent-up desire that had built to now volcanic proportions inside her, but hot flames kept tamping that bitch down. One final attempt to use her brain prevailed.

“Let me—”

Once again he didn’t let her finish as his mouth swooped to take hers in a brief promise-filled, panty-melting kiss.
If she had panties on, that was.
Breaking away, he whispered against her now swollen lips. “Jesus, Sarah. I was so fucking wrong. I’m sorry.” His lips trailed a wet path to the shell of her ear. “I want my cock inside of you and your blood on my lips. And I want to make you mine. I can’t wait another goddamned minute.”

God, she wanted to give in. She wanted to scream ‘
for the love of God,
what are you waiting for’?
So why couldn’t she just shut off reason and leave well enough alone? He wanted her … wasn’t that all she needed to know?

“Why?”
Apparently not. Sarah, you stupid bitch.

He groaned, leaning his forehead against hers. “I promise I’ll tell you. Tomorrow. We have a lot to talk about, but I’m done talking. I’m done waiting. I need you, Sarah. I must make you mine.” He kissed her slow and deep. “Please,” he begged.

Rom begging. That’s it. Fiery flames burned reason to ash. “Yes.”

Holding her tight, he said, “We’re not doing this here.” The words barely left his mouth before he’d flashed them to his house. A hard wall met her back and his firm unforgiving mouth was once again upon hers. But this time she gave back. She let all the all-consuming desire she’d felt for Rom finally take over.

“God, I want you,” he muttered.

Hands trailed down her flushed body, cupping her full breasts. Hot lips drew down her neck, latched onto her flesh and sucked. Her heavy head fell back as her hands flew to his head. The ferocious need to have him take her blood brought tears to her eyes.

“Rom, please. I need you inside me,” she croaked. She’d thought of nothing else but this moment for weeks. Her soul and body felt empty and only he could fill both places.

“Not yet, Sarah. I want to enjoy seeing your naked body completely for the first time.” Pulling back, he quickly disrobed and all the oxygen was sucked out of the room.
Good Lord Almighty.
A clothed Romaric Dietrich was impossibly sexy. But an entirely naked Romaric Dietrich was downright awe-inspiring. She was speechless.

Brawny muscles rippled with every single movement he made. She wanted to trace each honed inch of tanned flesh with her tongue. His very large, very erect cock stood at attention, begging to be stroked and sucked. She wanted to drop to her knees and be the one to make
him
lose all control.

But instead he was the one on his knees in front of her. His arms wrapped around her waist and he placed slow, reverent kisses to her stomach. Her hands went involuntarily to his head, holding him in place. It was an unusually sweet and poignant gesture in the heat of passion and it was nearly her undoing.

That one little action made her heart almost burst. She was undeniably in love with this wonderfully sweet, caring and loving male. Tipping his head upward so their eyes met, she told him so. “I love you, Romaric. I’m yours. I don’t want to wait a minute longer.”

“Sarah …” His voice broke and she swore there were tears in this strong male’s eyes. “I will spend the rest of my days worshipping you. Making you happy. Loving you.”

In one swift move, he stood and scooped her into his arms. She thought he would walk to the bed, but instead he strode through the room and to the balcony, depositing her upon one of the chaise lounges. As it was late afternoon, the sun was beginning to set, casting shade on the private deck. She smiled. They would become irrevocably bound together under the sky unencumbered by clouds that they both loved so much.

“Spread your legs,” he demanded.

The sweet and reverent moment was gone, replaced by raw lust and voracious need. And she was miles beyond ready. Holding his eyes, she did as he commanded.

“Wider, Sarah.” She heard a low curse when she complied. He’d stepped back into the sun and the rays that shone done on him made him look otherworldly. He stood tall and proud like the sex-god he was.

Controlling.       

Commanding.

Domineering.

Cock-sure.
But he’d clearly earned that right.

“Show me how wet you are for me, beauty.”

Ahhh …
e
mbarrassingly.
She’d never done anything like this before, but she felt empowered and bold and she wanted to drive him mad with desire for her.

Taking her hand, she ran it slowly down her stomach to her wet folds. Wet was an understatement. Running a finger easily through her drenched slit, she brushed over her swollen clit and, leaving a glistening trail behind, drew it back up her stomach, circling first one pert nipple, then the other. Inspired by how his hungry eyes devoured every move, she brought it up to her mouth and sucked it clean.

“Very,” she purred.

The deep rumble emanating from the back of his throat at her brazen move had her smiling. “Oh, Sarah. You naughty, naughty girl.”