RAFE'S LAIR (15 page)

    "Where am I? What happened?" Ava asked. The sound of her own voice was way too loud to her ears and she winced at the pain it caused. She looked over at Marie then at the foot of the bed she was in and had to remind herself how to
breathe. The scary/hot guy that had come to their table was sitting there petting her foot. She had the urge to pull it away until she saw the look he gave her.

Rafe saw the glint in his mate's eye. She was thinking she was going to pull her dainty foot away from him just to be
ornery. He dropped his brows down, looked her in the eye, and shook his head slightly letting her know that was unacceptable and there would be consequences if she did. She immediately dropped her eyes and submitted to him. He wanted to roar his triumph. She was absolutely perfect for him, feisty when he wanted her to be yet submissive at her core.

    "You
’re in my apartment above Lair beautiful. Do you remember passing out?"

Ava shook her head and again regretted the movement. She tried to sit up, but he
slid his hand higher on her leg telling her to stay lying down. She wasn't even going to examine how good that felt at the moment. Not while she was lying here vulnerable. She needed to hurry up and get her bearings so they could get the hell out of here. Getting the hell away from him being the most important. This man was dangerous to her wellbeing for so many reasons.

   
“Beautiful don't try to sit up, I don't want you to stress yourself any more than you already have." Rafe tried to sound calm and non-threatening, but he wasn't sure he succeeded.

    "I'm fine really. Thank you for your concern. If you'll hand me my shoes, we'll get out of your hair." Ava said looking at Marie, silently pleading with her to go along with her and get them the hell out o
f here. She tried to sit up again and this time succeeded until she realized the covers fell and her dress was wide open. She grabbed for them and managed to move too quickly and make herself really dizzy again. She grabbed her head instead and moaned from the pain and nausea.

                                      CHAPTER 24

      Rafe jumped up. "That's it! Beautiful, I will not sit here and let you hurt yourself for no reason." He came around to the side of the bed where Marie was. "Marie, could you please let me talk to Ava." She looked like she was going to protest so he cut her off. "I'm not asking you to leave the room, I'm just asking you to let me sit where you are so I have Ava's undivided attention.”

Marie looked at Rafe for a minute. She knew Av
a would be mad at her if she moved, but the guy had a point. It obviously hurt Ava when she moved, so she needed to rest here until she could move with less pain. Marie nodded and squeezed Ava's hand.

    "I'm not leaving I promise." She said to her friend
, then got up to move toward the end of the bed.

Rafe looked at Marie and nodded his head. "Thank you."

    "Oh don't thank me asshole. I moved only because I agree with you on this one and you promised me you would always treat her with respect. But if you do something to scare her more, then I'll damn sure help her up outta that bed and carry her home if I have to. We clear?" Marie said blocking the guy from getting to Ava right away.

Rafe smiled at Marie wanting to tell her there was no way in hell she w
ould be doing any such thing. Ever. But he needed to keep Ava calm and lying down, so he kept that info to himself for now.

    "We understand each other perfectly. We both want what's best for Ava and we'll work together to take care of her so she's no lo
nger in pain and you can get her home."

Marie nodded once and moved around him so he could come to the side of the bed next to Ava. Rafe leaned over Ava and she shrank back into the bed trying to get away from him. That pissed him the fuck off, but he kept
the warning growl he wanted to give her to himself. He gently reached under her and lifted her higher on the mound of pillows he'd pilled just for her. He wasn't taking any chances with his mate's comfort. She looked so small in his huge bed lying on all those pillows all alone. She should be lying against him, but he wasn't going to let himself go there again right now.

She whimpered so quietly that he could tell she was trying really hard not to and that just pissed him off even more. They would have a t
alk about that later. She would not hide anything from him, especially not her pain. They would never be able to do everything he wanted to do to her if he couldn't trust her to be completely honest with him about everything. After settling her back against the pillows, he sat down next to her so they were touching. His leg was flush against hers; too bad there were blankets and clothes between them. Might as well start accustoming her to his touch now since he would be touching her more often than not. He pushed a tendril of hair off her face and couldn't resist caressing her cheek as well.

    "Beautiful, I know you
’re scared and I know you’re confused, but you need to let us take care of you so you don't hurt yourself more. Now do you know why you passed out?" He asked her.

Ava shook her head. "No I don't know why." She lied.

This time Rafe did growl his warning. "Never lie to me Ava. Do you understand me? Never lie to me for any reason what so ever."

His Ava's eyes grew wide and filled with tears. Then she
looked over at Marie then down at her lap trying to hide the tears starting to fall down her cheeks. He knew that came across way too hard, and he'd just scared her more. It tore him apart seeing her cry and knowing he was the cause. But he had to set the ground rules now while she was still learning. Reaching his fingers under her chin, he lifted her head to look at him again.

    "Ava, baby answer me." He said to her gently while he wiped away her tears.

Ava just nodded her head yes at first until she saw the look on Rafe's face. He expected her to verbally answer him. "Yes I understand you." She answered in a small voice.

Rafe smiled at his beautiful mate. "There's my good girl." He said holding her head in place by her chin. He brought both his hands up
to either side of her face then. He wiped her eyes again to get the tears that were still slowly falling out, then stroked her cheeks with his thumbs and watched her pulse kick up in her neck. His mouth suddenly watered at the sight and he had to remind himself of the dreams she'd been having of him.

    "Now. Beautiful do you know why you passed out?" He asked her again.

Ava nodded yes again and again got a disapproving look. "Yes I know why. Okay?" She snapped back at him.

She was starting to get irritated now and she wanted to go home before she pissed this guy off more. She was getting tired of him acting like he knew her well enough to be able to tell her what to do. There was no telling what he could and would do when s
he pissed him off by telling him exactly where he could go and what he could do once he got there. She knew she had to do something to get him to want her to leave more than she wanted to. She decided that maybe if he thought she was crazy, he'd back off and leave her alone. If she did it right he would even carry her to Marie's car himself just to get her the hell away from him. She didn't know a single guy that wanted to be stuck with a psycho chick.

    "I know your voice and when I heard it, my brain kin
da short circuited. I know it cause I've been dreaming about you and I hear you talking to me every freaking night. You’re a real piece of work in my dreams by the way. You’re a goddamned vampire and you drink my blood among other things. It hurts like hell when you bite me at the end to kill me. And I know somehow I've been here before. Happy now?" She asked knowing she'd totally threw him off wanting anything to do with her now.

Rafe had to admit he was shocked at the confession she'd just given him. He s
miled a big wicked smile knowing she blurted all that out to try to get him to leave her alone and make her leave. She was hoping that he would think she was a raving lunatic and would run for the hills as fast as he could. Little did she know that he truly was a vampire and he knew all about her dreams because he'd been having them with her. Hell he really was in them every freaking time. That was how he was able to change her last one. He was there in it with her making sure he thoroughly loved his little mate instead of letting her think his bite hurt and that he wanted to drain her to kill her.

Ava looked over at Marie hoping she hadn't scared her so much that Marie would head for the door that instant and tell Ava she could find her own freaking way out
ta here. And that she'd pack her stuff and leave it on the porch. That she shouldn't bother trying to use her key cause she'd changed the locks and Ava was on her own from now on. What she actually saw made her want to cry in relief. Yes, Marie was shocked, but she didn't look at Ava like she didn't want anything to do with her anymore. Marie actually looked like she wanted to wrap Ava in a big hug and protect her instead.

Rafe reached out and grabbed a hold of Ava's chin turning her head back to him. He sm
iled and leaned in close so they were practically nose to nose. His eyes involuntary dropped to her lush lips when he caught the tip of her pink tongue peek out and lick those lush lips. He smiled wider at the look on her face. She wanted him to lean in a little more and kiss her.
Oh no my gorgeous mate not yet, not until you understand I'm not letting you go.
He thought.

    "Beautiful. Did you think that little confession of yours would scare me away?" He shook his head tisking her. "Oh no baby. That does
n't scare me at all. So you've heard my voice before, big deal. That's nothing strange." He said and she looked at him like he was the one that was crazy now. He just chuckled at her and continued. "Well I'm quite sure there's a perfectly good reason as to how. Tell me baby. Have you ever been to the Cafe' Barista?" He named the coffee shop near her condo he'd seen when he was there the other night.

Ava's eyes went wide. "Yes!" She exclaimed trying to sit up again until he kept her against the pillows by ho
lding her shoulder and chin.

Rafe chuckled at her shock. "Well beautiful that happens to be one of my favorite coffee shops. I know for a fact that we've been there at the same time more than once. Now I'm quite sure you didn't notice me, but I damn sure c
ouldn't help but notice you every single time. I'm surprised you didn't catch me staring at you, because beautiful every time I couldn't take my eyes off you. Believe me I tried. I didn't want you or anyone else to think I was some crazy stalker." Rafe lied to her easily. He knew it was wrong, but he had no choice. He would explain everything when he was sure she wouldn't freak when he told her. He couldn't exactly say.

    "Well beautiful, the real reason you think I'm a vamp is cause I am one and I actual
ly drained you dry the first time we met. Here by the way, and that's why you remember being here. Oh! And to make things even more cooler, my crazy asshole demon friend had to bring you back to life after I bit into your delicate neck and practically ripped your throat out. He had to wipe your memory clean afterward so you wouldn't know it actually happened. So that's why you've been dreaming about me biting you, but see I should have been fucking you while I did so your dreams are only kinda wrong. You’re going to love it when I bite you by the way.”

   
“Oh yeah and let's not leave out the fact that your my mate and will totally spend eternity with me cause I'm just gonna have to share my blood with you after I drink from you every time I fuck you so I don't kill you again. And it'll totally get us both off even more too. That is of course unless something manages to take me out at some point in our long ass existence, and then you'll be left alone to suffer without me until you can't take it anymore and find a way to off yourself. So good times. Come here and give me a big kiss and let's get started now."

Yeah not exactly what you want to tell the girl that completely passed the fuck out the first time you talked to her in real life since all this shit went down.

    "I don't know how I don't remember seeing you there." Ava looked down at her lap and spoke very softly. "I would have definitely noticed you, there's no way I wouldn't have. I'm quite sure everyone notices you."

Rafe smiled at his shy Ava. Laughing he leaned in closer. He couldn't help himself.
She was so damn cute lying there in his bed, covers pulled up to her neck and she was embarrassed about admitting she found him attractive.

    "So shy my little beautiful. I'm glad you like what you see when you look at me almost as much as I love what I
see when I look at you. Ava, baby don't ever be embarrassed to look at me whenever you want. Don't ever be embarrassed to do whatever you want to me when you want. And you damn sure better not be embarrassed to admit it to me."

He had been whispering that
in her ear, then ever so gently touched his lips to the soft skin of her neck. He lingered there just a moment and slid the tip of his tongue out to taste her a little more. He was playing with fire and he damn well knew it, but he couldn't help himself. Ava jumped slightly, but didn't pull away from him when he did. Hell yes. They were making progress finally.

He turned her head back to facing him, kissing her jaw as he did. He pulled back only slightly so he was still only inches away from her. They were
still so close he could feel her soft breaths blowing across his lips. She looked at his lips, but wouldn't meet his eyes. Her pink little tongue slipped out and licked her lips again and he knew that was a nervous thing she did. He was so damn close he felt the movement. She kept her mouth slightly open like she was having trouble breathing. Well that made two of them. He closed the small space between them and gently tasted her soft lips for the first time since he'd killed her. A shudder went through his body at the contact, but he kept the kiss light. It literally took everything he had not to take her mouth harder. Reluctantly he pulled back to see her blue eyes closed and her lips glistening from their kiss.

    "Ava, baby." He cooed to her when she st
ayed like that.

She opened her sexy eyes so damn slowly and blinked them like she didn't want to stop savoring their kiss and didn't think it was over so soon. He smiled at the dreamy look in them when she finally opened them all the way to look at him.

    "I want you to stay in this bed and relax for a little while beautiful. I'll bring you some water and a little bit to eat. Marie will stay here with you so you don't have to worry about being alone with me yet. When you’re steadier, she'll take you home. Okay? No more trying to run away from me cause you’re scared to let me get close. I'm already close baby so you need to let me take care of you. Do you understand?"

Ava nodded her head. She didn't think she could find her voice right now even if she tr
ied. He didn't scowl at her for not verbally answering him this time. Thank goodness. He kissed her forehead and his lips lingered there a while just holding her close. "There's my beautiful." He said almost too softly against her skin. He pulled back and tucked a few tendrils behind her ear.

    "I love your hair down beautiful." At Ava's scowl, he added laughingly. "Coffee shop remember? You should wear it down more often."

Oh yeah she'd forgotten again so she nodded her head. He gave her another knowing smirk. Rafe got up and headed to the door chuckling again. He looked back at her when he reached the door.