To Love a Shifter: A Paranormal Romance Boxed Set (74 page)

For now, it was him and me.

“What would you like to do?”

I expected Luka to say something irritatingly responsible like “
study for your midterms
” or something terribly nerdy like “
read the latest treatise on interracial politics
”. Whatever he wanted, I told myself I’d do it. Because this was my day to do what I wanted, and what I wanted was for Luka to be happy.

But Luka said nothing.

Instead he just let his amethyst eyes do the talking, the heat in it making me swallow.

“
Luka
.” It was supposed to be a protest, but it came out like a needy moan instead.

He smirked.

Oh God of Caros, who the hell taught Luka Georgiades to do something as impolite as smirk should be…
sainted.
With that one smirk, Luka could now make every girl’s dream come true.

“Lock the door.”

In a blink of an eye, our roles were reversed and I was no longer the bauble he forever wanted to cherish. Within the four walls of this elegantly decorated hospital room, he was my master as I was enslaved by his pleasure.

After locking the door, I had barely turned around when his next command came. “Take off your clothes.”

As my fingers fumbled over the buttons, he growled, “Faster if you don’t want to be punished.”

His words enflamed my entire body, and I was shaking with a terrible desire for his touch by the time I stood naked in a pool of my own clothes.

Luka’s gaze devoured my body inch by inch. “Beautiful,” he growled. He crooked a finger and I slowly went to him, stopping at the side of his bed. He cupped one breast, weighing it in his palm while his fingers played with my nipple.

“Mine,” he whispered fiercely as he plumped one breast before bending down to suckle my nipple.

I whimpered but this only made him suck harder. His hand went to my other breast, caressing it as if in preparation for its turn to be worshipped. By the time he moved to suck my other nipple, I was delirious, my knees about to buckle under me.

“Straddle me,” Luka said when he finally released my breast.

I hurried to do it, unable to keep back a moan when I felt his cock pulse heavily against my already slick folds.

Luka’s eyes widened then glittered in triumph. He dipped one hand between us, lining the folds before bringing his soaking wet fingers to his mouth and licking it one by one.

Ah.

I rocked my body against him, the sight of Luka licking my essence an unbelievably erotic sight, one I was sure I’d never forget. Early morning sunlight was peeking in through the windows, but the heavily tinted glass blunted its fiery effect on our skins, allowing it to simply bathe Luka’s body with golden light.

“I need you naked,” I whispered.

Luka had torn off his hospital gown before I had even finished speaking.

And then he was pulling me down, my breasts flattening against his chest as he gritted out, “Play with me.”

My eyes widened. “W-what?”

“Move against me. Hold my cock and rub it against your pussy without letting it in.” His smile was beautiful and cruel at the same time, and ah sweet Caro heaven, but the sight of it just turned me on even more.

“You be the one to do the foreplay this time.” His eyes blazed. “
Now
.”

Inserting my hand between us, I slowly gripped his cock, loving the way he groaned at my touch. I shifted while tightening my grip and when I lowered my body again, the head of his cock was perfectly positioned. I began to rub. I began to move. I began to dance and undulate before him and soon I found my rhythm as the large red head of his cock brushed against my clit with wonderful friction.

“Aaaah.”

Luka bit my lip. “No sounds.”

My eyes shot sparks of frustration at him but he only smiled, and I knew he just wanted to torture me even more.

Asshole.

He chuckled softly. “I know what you’re thinking,” he murmured just before tugging my hair to pull me down. And then he bit my ear before his tongue circled the inner skin and I almost screamed and came.

“Quiet or we’ll stop this,” he warned in another ear-tickling whisper while his hands started teasing my breasts again. “Now move.”

Wanting to sob in frustration at the way he so beautifully played with my body, I did as commanded, my nails digging in his shoulders as I tried to keep my cries inside while the pressure built inside me.

Luka threw his head back, shuddering when I accidentally let a part of his cock slip in, just enough of it to start stretching my core.

He lifted my hips, fingers biting into the flesh. “No.”

“Why not?”

“Just no.”

The painful words were out of my mouth before I could stop it. “Because it’s a betrayal of your love for Emilia?”

Unexpectedly Luka laughed harshly. “Believe it or not, but she doesn’t have any fucking thing to do with it.”

I dug my nails harder, enough to draw blood and Luka winced. I said bitterly, “I don’t believe you.”

In one twist, Luka had suddenly flipped us around, the IV tubes torn from his wrist as I landed on my back. Luka’s eyes were blazing. “It doesn’t matter. Just believe this.” And before I could even think of moving, his thumb was playing with my clit, pressing, twisting, pinching, squeezing.

“Luka!”

This time he didn’t keep me from crying out. Luka started to move, rubbing his cock against mine, its length sliding against my folds smoothly while he continued subjecting my clit to the sweetest torture.

I bucked against him as my arms and legs twisted around him, wanting more closeness, more friction, more Luka in every way I could.

“Close,” I managed to gasp when the pressure inside me was starting to feel like a tornado that was about to explode and whirl me away into a spiraling cyclone of pleasure.

Luka’s jaw clenched hard when he heard me and without another word, he lifted his body up before slamming back hard, enough to bury the entire head of his dick in while at the same time pressing hard on my clit.

The pressure broke, and I was immediately swept away by the most blinding pleasure. As I gasped, eyes rolling back, I heard Luka growling, the sound rough, guttural and primal as he came with me.

Neither of us stirred after, our bodies plastered together, the silence between us deep. He played with my hair and I kissed his chest once in a while, driven by my weakness to claim him.
So beautiful
, I thought drowsily. And he was mine. He was mine.

A knock sounded on the door, a male voice asking hesitantly about the IV transfusion since it had registered in their system that the bags were completely out.

I was about to call out for the nurse to wait when Luka’s fingers suddenly gripped my shoulders. I looked up, saw the feral possessiveness in his gaze and knew it wouldn’t do for any male to see me while the scent of our intimacy was so strong in our room.

“It’s okay. Could you leave fresh bags outside our door? We’ll be the ones to hook it up instead.” My voice was just a little breathless when I spoke. When the male nurse murmured his understanding, I looked at Luka in consternation.

He only smiled at me lazily. Sprawled on the bed—which was a lot bigger than it should be—with the covers down past his hips, just an inch away from revealing his jutting arousal, Luka looked so sensually beautiful I seriously wished I could chain him to me.

“You look,” he said quietly, “as if you wanted to eat me.”

I turned red.
Asshole.

“I can hear you.”

“I meant you to,” I returned sweetly.

Another knock on the door. “The bags are here, Ms. So—”

“Thank you. You may go now.” Luka’s dismissive words were polite but with a distinctive chill to it. I could almost see the male nurse hurriedly walking away before Luka could freeze him with his voice alone.

I lifted my head up so I could give Luka a chiding look. “That wasn’t nice.”

“The way he was imagining you naked wasn’t nice either.”

My eyebrows shot up. “You can read minds now, is that it?”

“I don’t have to read minds to know what a man is thinking about a girl locked up—”

My embarrassed groan cut him off. “Don’t remind me,” I pleaded. “I can just imagine tomorrow’s headlines. You know how fast news travel and everyone will know about what happened here—” Remembering how Luka reacted about our public appearances, I added hastily with a frown, “And before you even think about it I’m
not
worried of people knowing I’m with you. I’m just a little worried of what my parents would say about…
this
.”

Luka reached up to caress my cheek. “I think it will be fine.”

Even when Emilia Moretti hears of this, too?
It was in the tip of my tongue to ask the question, but I chickened out the last minute. I grabbed the menu from the bedside table. “I’m hungry,” I said brightly instead. “What do you want to order?”

Luka hauled me back and I bounced on top of him. “You, just like this, every meal.”

Time passed as if I was we were in another world, too quickly for my taste. I couldn’t remember the last time I had this much fun, that I had so many reasons to smile about. Or at least I could remember—but I didn’t want to.

Ah, God of Caros.

Why couldn’t he be in love with me instead?

The thought, coming out of the blue, had me jerking and I accidentally knocked my head against the door on my way to the bathroom.

“Going through solid objects is not one of our powers,
mi vavli
,” Luka teased behind me.

“Very funny, Luka Georgiades. That’s definitely going to win you some more votes,” I muttered as I slammed the door shut. Luka’s laughter followed as I slowly sank to the ground, feeling myself go white at what I had just thought.

Luka Georgiades, in love with me?

This time I knew I had it all wrong. I had it backwards, and oh God of Caros, but it scared me.

While Luka was struggling not to turn vampire because of his love for Emilia, I had been struggling with the same, doing my best not to turn vampire because I loved Luka.

When I came out, Luka was watching me with narrowed eyes. “I smelled your tears,” he said quietly.

I tried to laugh it off. “You’ve been spending too much time with your Lyccan princess. Now you’re telling me you have their abilities, too?”

“Don’t change the subject. Why are you crying?”

The sudden ringing of the room’s phone saved me from answering and I hurried to take it. “Hello?” My eyes widened. “Umm, yes, please connect him.” Still facing Luka, I tried not to be intimidated by the forbiddingly cold expression that came over his face.

“Hey, beautiful,” Jeff said a moment later.

I cleared my throat. “Hey.”

“Can I come up?”

Sneaking a look at Luka, I swallowed and said weakly, “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

“He doesn’t want another visitor?” Jeff was trying to sound like he didn’t care, but the surly note in his voice was unmistakable.

“He’s really tired after what happened.”

“I see.” There was a long moment of pause before Jeff said with forced cheer, “Well, maybe you could at least sneak off for my birthday party tonight?” When I didn’t answer right away, he pressed, “Just drop by, please. It’s my birthday. Surely he could give me just five minutes of your time?”

I knew he was guilt-tripping me into saying yes, but it didn’t matter. It worked. With a sigh, I said, “Yes. Later.”

Jeff laughed, his humor clearly restored. “Stay beautiful, babe. I’ve missed you. And, oh, one last thing…”

I frowned. “What is it?”

“I had someone send up my gift to you.”

“But it’s
your
birthday not mine.”

“Your gift is to wear something I gave you tonight.”

Oh.

“Please, Caylie, I know you’re never going to be mine but just…just for tonight can’t you let me pretend?”

Ah God of Caros, I was so easy to manipulate with guilt. “Yes,” I answered with a sigh, followed almost shortly by a knock on the door, which I knew was Jeff’s gift being delivered. “It’s here now. I have to go.”

“See you tonight?”

“I…yes.”

“What was that about?” Luka asked the moment I put the receiver down.

Instead of answering, I quickly went to the door and received Jeff’s gift. Inside the tiny emerald velvet box was a sapphire bracelet, too flashy for my taste but I put it on anyway since it was only for tonight.

I turned around and almost bumped into Luka, his eyes turning black as it landed on the new bracelet gracing my wrist. “What. The. Fuck. Is. That?”

“It’s Jeff’s gift—”

“Take it off,” he roared.

“No!” I took several deep breaths. “It’s just for tonight, okay? Jeff invited me to his birthday party tonight and I was thinking of going—”

“Not without me you won’t,” Luka said coolly.

Bitterness unexpectedly flared inside me. “If I tell you
not
to go to Emilia Moretti’s parties, would you?”

His gaze became hooded. “That’s different.”

I wanted to ask why, how, what made it different but no sound came out from my mouth when the entire room was plunged in darkness.

I stilled, unable to believe that this was happening in a Caro-owned establishment.
Something was wrong.
The words pounded in my brain. My gaze immediately sought Luka’s, the darkness not an impediment to our sight.

Luka was swiftly putting on his clothes and he quickly placed a finger on his lips when he saw me glance at him. He opened the window and I shivered as a blast of icy wind swept through the hospital room. Our eyes met again, his reassuring, mine confused.
Ready
, he mouthed.

My eyes got even bigger.
Ready for what?

And then I was flying out of a tenth floor window just as masked strangers with stake-loaded guns barged inside.

A silent scream tore out of my throat as we fell. Seconds may only have passed, but every moment of it was crystallized in my brain. I was absolutely sure we were going to die. Yes, yes, Caros had extraordinary strength and abilities but jumping off from a ten-story room wasn’t exactly something I did every day.

I was pretty much out of my mind the moment we got airborne, but I was half-aware of Luka pulling me close then positioning me behind his back, making sure that my arms and legs were wrapped securely around him.

We landed in one hard but almost inaudible thud. I wanted to take a deep breath, but I couldn’t because Luka was already running. “Let me get down,” I hissed.

“No, stay,” Luka commanded. “You’re just going to slow me down. Just hang on tight.”

Luka ran for one or two hours. I couldn’t really tell how long it was and he was running so fast that everything was a blur. When we finally stopped, I found myself staring up at a ramshackle house made of beaten up wood and boarded windows. The tall trees around us effectively concealed the house from view, casting scary shadows on its scarred façade.

Luka slowly lowered me down.

My feet instantly wobbled and I would’ve fallen to the ground if Luka hadn’t taken hold of me. I leaned on him gratefully. “They’re numb,” I explained, feeling ashamed at how weak I was.

Luka’s face became grimmer. “I’m sorry.”

I shook my head quickly. “It’s not your fault.” As he took my hand and led me towards the house, I asked worriedly, “Are we safe here?”

“It’s Brethren property, specifically designed as a hideout.” He gave us our location and my eyes widened at the realization that he had run far enough to cross over to the East Coast. No wonder everything seemed unfamiliar!

Luka fished out a card from his pocket and slid it across what seemed like a vandalized portion of the door. It lit up, revealing a computerized screen in disguise, before the door clicked open. “We’ll stay here for the meantime while I gather information.” Luka positioned me behind his back as we entered and only relaxed his guard when a quick sweep of the area revealed that the hideout hadn’t been compromised.

“It’s better not to have the lights on,” Luka said as if apologizing.