Passion By Control (Passion Series Book 2) (19 page)

Fabian

Fabian was furious, furious with himself for allowing Sirene to get to him and furious with his body for reacting to her as soon as he’d seen her, as soon as he’d seen the gentle swell of her breast. Most of the women he’d used for blood and sex over the past month had hardly raised any interest in him at all. In some cases, he’d barely been able to get hard and yet, just seconds in front of the little witch and he’d wanted her. That made him instantly enraged, but his anger turned to fury when he saw that some fucker had put his hands on her and torn her dress.

Just one look at her, one glimpse of her creamy smooth skin and she completely fucked him up again. He’d come here, ready to exact his revenge on her, ready to kill her and she’d cursed him again. One look from those beautiful green eyes of hers, hearing her husky voice and seeing her smooth, creamy skin that was exposed from her torn dress and he’d crumbled again.

Damn, damn and fuck her. He couldn’t do it. He couldn’t kill her. He couldn’t even bloody well hurt her. He was a vampire, a fucking vampire and one tiny little woman, a fucking witch and she turned him to putty. She was fucking with his mind and body and she didn’t even need to cast a spell on him to do it.

Shit, he really needed to find a warm welcoming body to feed from and fuck. He would find some willing woman to use and flaunt whoever she was in front of Sirene too. Make it clear that there was nothing between them anymore. Make her see he didn’t want her even though his body had made a liar of him, his damned cock hardening as soon as it got anywhere near her.

God he was pathetic, what she had reduced him to. He was turning into a child, a child who had to try and ‘prove’ he had no further interest in her. He wanted to use another woman to rub in her face, let her see, he didn’t want her or care about her any more. What the fuck was wrong with him? They hadn’t spoken in over a month. She’d made no effort to look for him, talk to him, so why the hell did he think she’d give a shit if he flaunted another woman in front of her anyway?

He needed to have some sense of victory, even if it was only a victory in his head. That woman had unmanned him so many times. Even now she was doing it again. She’d successfully messed with him enough that he couldn’t kill her. He hated to admit it, despite that little voice in his head telling him it was true, the reason she messed with him so much, was because he liked her. He was cursed; he knew that, fucking cursed for liking her when she was a damn witch. Witches were nothing but trouble to him and he was a fool for feeling the way he did, but he couldn’t help it. She’d somehow managed to get under his skin. It made no difference anyway. He needed to stay right away from her. She was dangerous to him.

When he’d seen her with her torn dress, she had seemed for just a moment like she was pleased to see him, but maybe he’d imagined it. She might have been relieved it was him and not some other drunken fucker trying to get his slimy hands on her. Even if she did like him, it made no difference. She was trouble and the smartest thing he could do was stay right the hell away from her. A vampire and a witch couldn’t be in a relationship. It had always ended in disaster for him before and it had ended badly for him with Sirene. He was too proud to put himself in a position where she could humiliate him again even if his mind and his body were drawn to her.

Fabian knew that his ego had taken quite a hiding from that damned witch so he needed something to make him feel better; a new body to bury himself in and to feed from. If he made Sirene a little jealous while he flaunted another woman around in front of her, then that was a good thing as far as he was concerned. He ignored the little voice inside him that questioned just how childish it was to use one woman to make another one jealous. That little voice could go and get fucked. Anything or anyone with unwanted advice could go and get fucked. Swearing violently, he stormed back into the club. Dammit, he was going insane, he had to be; voices in his head now? That damn witch was sending him crazy.

Sirene

Although I didn’t normally drink alcohol between sets when I was performing, I let Chloe talk me into a rum and coke this time to help settle my nerves. She thought I was shaky because of the oaf who had manhandled me and torn my dress, but it was actually because of Fabian. Running into him like that, seeing him, being in his arms, even if it was only briefly had unsettled me.

It had been over a month since I’d seen him last; on that night we agreed to leave the other alone. There hadn’t been a single sighting of him over that time. It was like he’d disappeared completely. To see him suddenly, for him to show up as he did, had certainly taken me by surprise.  It had taken just those few short moments he’d held me in his arms, to stir my senses, to awaken my body to the remembered attraction it had for him. It had taken just those few short moments for me to remember what it had been like and for me to want him.

I was kidding myself when it came to Fabian. Whether it was right or wrong, I liked him. It felt wrong to care about him, to be attracted to him, given what he was, what he’d tried to do to Dominick and Allegra, but I liked him. I couldn’t help how I felt, I didn’t want to feel the way I did, but I don’t think we can control who we are drawn to, who we are attracted to, who we fall in love with. One moment in his arms again, and I suddenly felt open, exposed, raw to the emotions he made me feel. My heart was open and vulnerable to him and I knew it wouldn’t take much for me to fall in love.

Vaguely I realised Chloe was still talking to me but I barely heard her. My mind was reeling with the shocking revelation that I cared for Fabian, that I finally admitted to myself, that I could actually come to love him. It was crazy, I was crazy. Wanting him, caring about him was insane. I knew it, but it didn’t change anything. No matter how rational and reasonable my head could be, my heart was not thinking this through at all.

I shook my head and stood up, trying to clear my head of thoughts of the beautiful, brooding vampire. This was not the time to dwell on him, I had to get back on stage. I just hoped that he’d left because I didn’t need the distraction of watching Fabian hunt for a suitable victim for blood and sex, while I was trying to perform.

Fortunately Tony had found me something else to wear. He’d been so pissed off that someone had attacked me to begin with, he’d insisted that he pay for a new dress for me.  I was lucky to have someone like him. He not only had given me a permanent job performing in his club, he’d been so good to me and was almost like a father, fussing and making sure I had whatever I needed.  Still it worked both ways. I was drawing good numbers to the club so he was making more money as a result. It was a win, win situation for both of us.

I stood up, giving Chloe a brief wave and pointed while she was serving, to let her know I was going back to work. She shot me a wide grin, before her attention returned to the customer she was serving. I hitched the tight fitting red dress down, that I was now wearing to replace the torn one, trying to get the hem to a less revealing length, but it was impossible, so I gave up.   

This time Benny accompanied me to make sure I wouldn’t have an issue with drunk men who thought it was ok to put their hands on me, and once I was safely back on stage, I launched straight into my first song, my eyes scanning over the crowd. I often did that anyway but this time was different, this time I was looking for Fabian. Of course I had no idea if he was still in the club or not, but that didn’t stop me from looking, all the same.

He probably came here to look for someone to feed from and fuck. I didn’t want to think about that though. It hurt, surprisingly it hurt a lot to think of him fucking another woman, and I actually felt a moment’s regret that Chloe and Cassie were still protected from Fabian by the spell I’d put on them. At least I’d have known who his cock was ending up in, but then knowing he was in the house fucking my housemates and wanting nothing to do with me, didn’t sound like a favourable situation either. ‘God, you are all fucked up aren’t you?’ That little voice in my head asked and this time I had to agree with her.

I finished the first song and moved straight onto the second one. It was a personal favourite of mine; My Heart Will Go On that Celine Dion sang for Titanic. I was able to pour all my emotions into the song and with my eyes closed, I sang my heart out, finally opening my eyes after the chorus, and as I glanced down at the audience, my eyes met Fabian’s.

God, did he have to show up for that song? He was watching me, before he suddenly turned his head; to a woman I hadn’t noticed standing by his side. As I watched, she reached up and combed her fingers through his hair, before pressing her lips to his ear as she said something to him. At the sight of him with someone, allowing her to touch him, kiss him, I felt a wave of jealousy surge through me.

Did he have to stand right in front of the stage with her? Had he brought her here or met her here? Fabian didn’t seem to be the ‘dating’ type. He seemed more focused on getting his blood meal and sex only, not putting time into dating someone. That was the impression he’d given me anyway, and the fact that I was even contemplating his relationship status showed I had a problem.

It didn’t matter who she was, how long he’d known her or what his intentions were. The sad fact was, there was a woman by his side, pressed up against him, touching him, and he didn’t seem to mind her hands being on him at all.

She was taller than me, but then just about anyone was taller than I was. Her hair was blonde; cut in some shaggy type cut that barely brushed her shoulders and revealed a long slim neck. Fabian would like her neck, plenty of area to sink his fangs into.

The woman was still touching him I noticed and finally she stepped in front of him, wrapping her arms around his neck. As I watched, from the corner of my eye, since I wanted to pretend I had no interest at all, in what was happening before me, I saw her reach up and start kissing him. Reluctantly, that got my attention and when my eyes  fell on them again, I could see Fabian was kissing her back, but as he kissed her, his eyes locked on mine.

Watching him kiss another woman while focusing on me, both hurt me and confused me. I didn’t want to see him kissing her, but how into it was he, if his attention was on me?

Somehow I managed to shut them off, to ignore them and gave what had to be an award winning performance in feigned indifference. I got through the song and the rest of my set. I joked and responded to comments from the crowd, and managed to put on a convincing front that hid what was really going on inside me. I did everything I could not to make eye contact with Fabian again, although I knew he was there with the blonde woman, who spent most of her time glued to him.

This night was the longest night of my life, the longest night’s performance ever. Having him here, seeing him with her, turned what was normally a very enjoyable time for me, into a nightmare and I couldn’t wait for the evening to end.

About ten minutes before I finished my last set, I noticed out of the corner of my eye that Fabian was leaving with the blonde woman, and I considered casting some kind of spell to deny him doing whatever he had planned with her. I didn’t want to think about him doing the same things to her that he’d done to me that one night we’d been together. Of course I couldn’t do anything. If it was an obvious spell, he would notice, and I’d promised him, I wouldn’t use spells on him again, no matter how great a temptation it was.

Chapter Eleven

Sirene

I felt physically and mentally exhausted by the time I walked out of the club, finally finished for the night and ready to go home. There were very few people outside at that time of night since most were still inside for the late night disco which would go until 3am.

I’d almost reached my car when I became aware that someone was following me. I started walking faster, the click clack of my high heels loud on the concrete, and as I walked I dug around in my bag for my car keys.

For a moment I thought I was going to get to my car and be safe, but suddenly hands descended on my shoulders and I was dragged backwards. I tried to turn, but only managed to twist just enough to look over my shoulder. Desperately hoping that it would be Fabian, my stomach tightened with fear when I saw it was the man that had groped me earlier and torn my dress.

“What do you want?” I asked him, trying not to let him see my fear.

“Aw now come on girl, don’t be dumb. I’m sure you know exactly what I want. All I wanted inside was a kiss but you stupid bitch, you got me thrown out, and it’s my fucking birthday. I got to spend my fucking birthday outside the fucking club because of you.” He yelled, and I could feel the fine spray of his spit on my skin. “Now I want more, you owe me more.” He lowered his head and I nearly gagged when his lips closed over mine.

Damn, I needed to get free of his arms. I needed to get his horrible mouth off mine. I couldn’t think and I needed to think so I could find a suitable spell to use on this disgusting man. His lips moved over mine, his tongue trying to gain entry to my mouth and I nearly gagged. I needed to put some sort of spell on him but my brain was half fried. I couldn’t think with his lips on mine giving me a wet and horribly sloppy kiss. His breath reeked strongly of alcohol and he smelled of sweat. The combination was powerful and revolting.

In an effort to get him to release me, I bit down hard on his lip and he screamed, pulling back. I saw blood begin to spill from where my teeth had torn a chunk of skin away and when he realised what I’d done, he bellowed with rage and pain. As if in slow motion, I saw his arm come up. I watched it, but I couldn’t move or react. It was like I was frozen and it was with a kind of dazed fascination, I saw him pull his arm back and suddenly shoot forward.