Take Me (21 page)

“Point won.”

Beth gave her a haughty look. “As always.”

Felicity pretended to growl. “Just continue your damn story.”

“He took me to his condo. It sits right in the middle of downtown. There’s an elevator that goes up to his floor. It’s like his front door. It was some amazing rich man stuff let me tell you, except the place was an outright disaster. But never mind that. He was so intense. He made me sit down and he just stared at me. It was pretty weird.”

Felicity frowned. “That’s...bizarre. I can talk to Dom if you want and have him talk to Luc about it.”

“No! It’s okay. Now. I’ve had time to think on it and well after we talked it was fine.”

Thank god, Felicity would rather have her fangs pulled out then have to go to Dom for help. He’d find some way to twist her around his long finger and have her swooning in his arms before she knew it.

“So he said he recognized my scent. I admitted to practically stalking his concerts. I played it up to just liking his music though.”

“You didn’t mention your sexy dreams of him?”

Beth choked. “Hell no! I’m not crazy!”

Felicity snickered. “Okay, just saying it would have made things more interesting. That’s all I’m saying.”

“More interesting. I was sitting in Lucas Blackmoore’s condo in the middle of downtown St. Louis after he sprinted me there with vampire speed! I could see the Arch from his window. It was ridiculous already. So, his eyes got all glowy.”

“Glowy?”

“Yeah, and he started acting weird and twitchy like a druggy or something. I started to debate my escape to be honest. Then he told me there was something else that it wasn’t just that I’d been to his concerts. He knew something about me.” At this Beth ducked her head and focused way too hard on the gluing the foil. “He said it had to do with my scent.”

“What was it?”

Beth mumbled under her breath.

“What was that?” Felicity said louder, grinning at Beth’s discomfort.

“He knows I wrote him letters.”

This was getting good. “What kind of letters?”

Beth’s cheeks burned hotter. “Fan letters I guess you can say...”

“Did these fan letters happen to mention how crazy in love you are for him?”

Beth stayed silent. Her eyes diligently watched the pat of glue she squeezed before she pressed a piece of foil to it.

“You did, didn’t you?”

Beth spoke breezily as if she hadn’t a care in the world. “Apparently he liked my letters or something so he kept them. I wrote those years ago. I wrote them while I was in Iraq, you know. He knew I wrote them though. Recognized my scent from where I’d touched the letters.” Beth clamped her mouth shut and Felicity knew there was more she wasn’t telling.

“Yeah...so he took you to his house and talked to you. That’s all?”

Beth pursed her lips. “No.”

Felicity glared at her. “Spill it all.”

“He kissed me.”

“No way! How was it?” Felicity barely managed to pick her jaw up off the floor.

Beth gave her a wicked, slow smile that set Felicity’s own heart racing. “How do you think?”

Felicity remembered Dom’s kisses and nodded gravely. “I think the Blackmoore’s kiss could knock a woman’s socks off her feet.”

“Or her panties off her legs,” muttered Beth.

Felicity and Beth fell into gales of laughter.

The guard, Graham, sitting in her tiny kitchen groaned as he stood. “I’ll be outside. I can’t take any more of this.”

Felicity waved her fingers at him. “Bye, Graham!” The big warrior gave her a dark look as he went out front. The door slammed closed with a bang, and the girls fell into more laughter.

Later that night, Beth yawned off and went home. Being as it was only three in the morning Felicity was still wide-awake. So she turned on the TV and listened to infomercials on kitchenware she didn’t need as she meticulously finished off the vases. When those were done she started on the centerpiece for the two new mates.

The sun had crept up and the guards switched to
weres
for the dayshift. Her dayshift indoor guard was named Petra. He smiled with only the corner of his mouth and had a slender but very hard and strong looking body. He didn’t say a word to her, just nodded and took a seat at her kitchen table as Graham had done. What a boring job, she thought.

Felicity drank a bottle of AB for breakfast and was headed for bed when her phone made a tinkling sound. It wasn’t the usual tone from receiving phone call. Curious, she dug the very outdated cell from her purse and flipped the top open. She had a text message. Felicity tried to think if she’d ever gotten one before and couldn’t think of one. She didn’t exactly stay with current technology; it moved too fast for her.

We need to talk.

Felicity swallowed, a blush forming on her cheeks. She turned so the
were
at her table wouldn’t see it. “Goodnight,” she called.

He gave her another nod as she closed herself in her bedroom, heart racing like stampeding horses.

She knew the number it came from and the name next to it: Dom.

No, we don’t,
she texted back. A spark of self-satisfaction made her smile at her proud words. It was what he deserved. A minute passed before her phone made that tinkling sound again.

I’ve made a decision about us.

That got a laugh from Felicity.
I’m sure you did, babe.

She meant the endearment sarcastically but apparently sarcasm didn’t translate to text.

I like it when you call me sweet names. Shows how much you care for me.

Felicity hastily typed back.
Does not. Was sarcrasm.

I’ve made my decision. I choose you.

Felicity panted at the words:
I choose you
. No, he couldn’t. He wouldn’t. He’d said so himself. Pain throbbed in her chest, but beneath the ache a sprig of hope blossomed.

You go through an awful lot to get laid, Dom
.

You know it’s more than that. Don’t lie to me or to yourself.

Even over a text he could be arrogant and high-handed. Yet, he’d figured out her deflection so easily.

Really?You won’t mate with Julianna?

Really
, he texted.

Felicity slowly smiled until her eyes crinkled and her cheeks hurt.
Good
, she texted back. Then she fell back on her bed cradling her phone to her chest like a teddy bear. Pulling the covers over her head, she read all the texts again and again, trying to stamp the words into memory.

I’ll be busy campaigning, but I’ll come see you as soon as I can. Yours always, Dom.
He finished texting her as if he’d been writing her fancy letters the whole time.

Laughing softly and still smiling like a fool, Felicity texted back one last time.
Can’t wait. -Felicity.

Her words weren’t nearly as eloquent but they were her.

Smiling, she fell asleep thinking about Dominic Blackmoore and being with him in all ways. Thoughts of him even drifted into her dreams that night.

She dreamed in heavy slumber, limbs caught in her comforter and sweat slicking her body. None of that she knew as she dreamed, because she dreamed of him.

Their limbs were entangled, sweat slicked their bodies, his hips thrust. His hard, long shaft, so thick, slid into her wet and hungry. He caught her groan with a hungry kiss, taking it and mixing it with his own. As he brought her to pleasure, taking her on a ride she never wanted to get off, she clung to him with her chin buried in his shoulder.

Her eyes dazedly closed on a particularly delicious thrust. Then he spoke her name and she opened her eyes and froze. Over his shoulder she met the eyes of a beautiful redheaded woman—Helena—crawling across the bed towards them.

Felicity curled her fingers into Dom’s back to warn him of the danger but he only groaned and moved faster inside her. She opened her mouth to scream but nothing came out. Helena’s eye flashed red with evil and then she was upon them. Felicity was caught underneath Dom’s heavy body.

In the blink of an eye, Helena stood on her knees with her arms raised in the air, a long, silver blade glinting between her palms. She smiled, her sharp fangs flashing, and then she thrust the blade down just as Felicity reached her peak. Dom shuddered above her but not from pleasure. The blade stuck out from his back. Felicity knew the long blade had reached his heart.

A different kind of wetness, not sweat, flowed across her fingers clenching his back. She lifted her fingers, shaking to see his blood coating her fingers. As he lifted up from her, his face hidden in shadows, Helena smiled with satisfaction and slinked away.

Shaking like a leaf, Felicity’s gaze went to his chest. A brief sense of relief hit her but was quickly vanquished by the sight of the silver tip, not even a quarter inch long, protruding from his heart. With trembling fingers, Felicity touched the sharp point and felt her skin give on her thumb.

Then as if waiting for her touch, blood seeped from the wound in great rivulets running down his chest, landing on hers until they were covered in his blood.

Screaming, she kept screaming but no sound came. She shook him, tried to grab onto his face and bring it into the light but it wouldn’t move.

Felicity shot awake with a muted scream that evening. Her nightmare still clung to her. She swore she could still feel his thick blood on her fingertips. She climbed out of bed silently and didn’t tell anyone of the nightmare.

Chapter 14

“You look lovely tonight,” Dom said.

Julianna sent him a surprisingly heated look. Lady Greenwich had been taught from an early age to hide her emotions, just as his mother had. Only another reason why she’d make a perfect political
bruid.
Right now, though, her eyes snapped at him.

“I told you I do not like this, but thank you, Mr. Blackmoore.” She couldn’t even make herself not thank him for the compliment. Such was her nature.

Dom shook his head and grabbed her hand to lead her up the steps to the Maracado house. Gioni Maracado put the blue in blue-blooded. His family came from some of the oldest vampires in the world. There may be some older than his family, but none who had the documents to prove it. Gioni also kept very traditional views politically, and had supported Dom’s father. As long as Dom played it straight, he should be able to secure Gioni’s vote, and thus his followers. And the man had many.

Dom nodded to the valet holding open a large iron door. It looked like something straight out of a dungeon. Gioni did miss “the old days”. His house was proof of that with dark gargoyles crouched on stone pillars around the house, a wrought iron fence enclosing his land, and dark stones making up his mansion. Inside had more dark colors. Incredible crystal chandeliers hung from the vaulted ceilings, and heavy, dark carpets cushioned his feet.

Dom led Julianna into what used to be a ballroom but had since become a party room as the times had changed. Dom began making rounds. Julianna fit in perfectly. Holding out her hand, bowing her head, and smiling when needed. She said not a word unless asked something specific and then she kept her answers simple and quiet, never stirring a conversation. She’d make a perfect
bruid.
If only she was Felicity.

They received many congratulations as they met with old faces and some new ones. Their engagement had already been announced the day after he met Julianna and Felicity. By now every vampire and
were
in the world knew they were to be bonded before the election. The deed would be done just in time to secure him the necessary votes to beat Zeke.

A sudden deep and gravelly voice cut through the room. Dom halted in his conversation with an old family friend to glance over his shoulder. His lip twitched with anger but that was the only emotion he showed at seeing Zeke’s presence.

Zeke didn’t have to come to these political parties, but he’d been campaigning as viciously as Dom over the past few weeks. The man at least wore a suit this time though it looked like he’d forgotten to put a shirt on underneath. He wore only a jacket, his pants, and shoes. Yet, when he spoke, people listened. The man had magnetism about him that Dom did not like.

Dom made his way to Zeke who held the attention of many prominent figures in both
were
and vampire society.

Fucking great
.

Dom broke into the circle which naturally parted for him and Julianna. Zeke caught his gaze and Dom noted his eyes looked slightly more sane than usual, not quite as shaky. Maybe the
were
was getting medicated.

“Hello, Zeke.”

The
were
grinned. “How’s the lip?”

Dom frowned. “What are you talking about?”

Zeke tilted his head far to the side as his eyes grew faraway in thought, then it snapped back. “I socked you good in the mouth. It’s healed but I know that one hurt.”

Dom stiffened as anger rose high and fast in his blood. He’d forgotten. So much had happened, especially with Felicity, that none of his thoughts seemed organized anymore.

Zeke thought to embarrass him and his pride in front of voters, to make him look weak. He didn’t hide the fact that he’d sent one of his men to try to assassinate him, rather poorly Dom might add. Everyone here already knew about it and not one person mentioned it. It was a man verse man competition to become president and if one died in the process then he was considered weak. If Zeke managed to murder Dom he’d probably end up with more votes because he would look strong.

“How’s your throat?” Dom asked bringing up the vicious bite he’d torn into Zeke’s neck.

Zeke smiled, looking completely at ease that Dom had caught onto his game. “I don’t mind getting bitten every now and then. It’s a
were
thing.”

Gioni, a short, thin man with slick backed russet hair, and a pointy goatee lifted his glass to get the circle’s attention. “Enough of that now. Zeke was just telling us about his plans for
were
reform if he gets into office. He already has the backing of Anthony Bennet and Olivia Cash.”