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Authors: Joey W. Hill
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expression. "My brother and I… our paths separated
some time ago. I'd rather not speak of him."
He didn't want to think about
Gideon, who would be apoplectic if he knew what his younger brother was doing.
"You neglect to mention
your brother is a vampire killer, that you worked with him, and you're refusing
to tell me more than that? When I can crush your windpipe before you can
blink?"
"Killing me is your choice,
my lady. What I tell you of my life is mine."
She made a noise somewhere
between irritation and disgust, a Japanese curse that sounded as if she'd
compared him to an earthworm, if he'd gotten the translation right. Being
fluent in a handful of languages was another part of his resume he'd not yet
been able to cover, though he didn't think revealing that now would appease
her. She stepped back several more feet, her expression merciless, hard.
"A rather significant
omission, from both you
and
Thomas."
Now he was glad for the command
not to speak unless requested to do so. Nevertheless, he braced himself for the
uncomfortable questions. However, after several tense moments, one of those
pauses she seemed to favor, she simply said, "You're a fool to worry about
chivalry when it comes to a female vampire."
"I'll never raise a hand to
you, my lady. If you tell me my choice is to be bound on that bed or to strike
you, then I submit. There is no choice then."
"I won't make it that easy
for you. You may go lie on the bed. Or you may leave and never see me
again."
On that note, she was gone from
his sight again. Multidirectional, her voice filled the room. It was as if he
were in the inner sanctum of a goddess's temple, hearing her voice coming from
the elements, making him unsure if it emitted from the whisper of water in the
fountains, the mysterious rustling of the trees, the flicker of firelight in
the braziers, or the stones that came from the earth itself.
"If I forced you to go to
the bed after you fought me, whether by hiding behind your chivalry or my
physical force, you'd take some comfort in that. It's harder to do it
willingly, not knowing what to expect or what it will do to you, what I'll
expose. But you'll discover far greater pleasure in the torment if you go
willingly than if you fight."
His knee-jerk reaction was that
she was trying to inflict some misguided lesson upon him. But perhaps
submitting also unlocked certain vulnerabilities in his lady. Would it give her
greater pleasure as well, to see him submit? In her voice he could detect her
urgent desire to see him go down by his own volition, though he had the
conflicting suspicion his resistance teased the sharp edge of her lust.
Trying not to think about it too
much, Jacob made his decision. Leaning his hips against the footboard to keep
his balance, he removed one boot, then the other. While he was aware of her
regard from somewhere in the room, he knew it would be pointless to seek her
out. Pushing off the jeans, he retrieved his shirt and laid both garments over
the arm of a chair, placing his boots in front of it.
As he stood completely nude,
deliberating his next move for several charged moments, he wondered what she
was thinking. He was throbbing, enormous. He hoped she took pleasure in that.
Life in a circus had helped him get past modesty about personal nakedness, but
he found himself somewhat self-conscious under the circumstances.
"You think you can commit
over three centuries to me, Sir Vagabond?"
"As long as you need
me."
"You say that, but you
resist me. Did Thomas tell you the oath to a vampire of my rank?"
"I am sworn to your
service. Compelled by absolute loyalty, I safeguard your well-being before my
own or any other ties of family or friendship. I swear it by the giving of my
blood to you and before all of Divinity, may my life be cursed and my soul be
damned if I speak false or ever betray the vow."
A pregnant silence filled the
room. "Thomas made you take the oath," she said at last.
"It was the last step in
some time ago. I'd rather not speak of him."
He didn't want to think about
Gideon, who would be apoplectic if he knew what his younger brother was doing.
"You neglect to mention
your brother is a vampire killer, that you worked with him, and you're refusing
to tell me more than that? When I can crush your windpipe before you can
blink?"
"Killing me is your choice,
my lady. What I tell you of my life is mine."
She made a noise somewhere
between irritation and disgust, a Japanese curse that sounded as if she'd
compared him to an earthworm, if he'd gotten the translation right. Being
fluent in a handful of languages was another part of his resume he'd not yet
been able to cover, though he didn't think revealing that now would appease
her. She stepped back several more feet, her expression merciless, hard.
"A rather significant
omission, from both you
and
Thomas."
Now he was glad for the command
not to speak unless requested to do so. Nevertheless, he braced himself for the
uncomfortable questions. However, after several tense moments, one of those
pauses she seemed to favor, she simply said, "You're a fool to worry about
chivalry when it comes to a female vampire."
"I'll never raise a hand to
you, my lady. If you tell me my choice is to be bound on that bed or to strike
you, then I submit. There is no choice then."
"I won't make it that easy
for you. You may go lie on the bed. Or you may leave and never see me
again."
On that note, she was gone from
his sight again. Multidirectional, her voice filled the room. It was as if he
were in the inner sanctum of a goddess's temple, hearing her voice coming from
the elements, making him unsure if it emitted from the whisper of water in the
fountains, the mysterious rustling of the trees, the flicker of firelight in
the braziers, or the stones that came from the earth itself.
"If I forced you to go to
the bed after you fought me, whether by hiding behind your chivalry or my
physical force, you'd take some comfort in that. It's harder to do it
willingly, not knowing what to expect or what it will do to you, what I'll
expose. But you'll discover far greater pleasure in the torment if you go
willingly than if you fight."
His knee-jerk reaction was that
she was trying to inflict some misguided lesson upon him. But perhaps
submitting also unlocked certain vulnerabilities in his lady. Would it give her
greater pleasure as well, to see him submit? In her voice he could detect her
urgent desire to see him go down by his own volition, though he had the
conflicting suspicion his resistance teased the sharp edge of her lust.
Trying not to think about it too
much, Jacob made his decision. Leaning his hips against the footboard to keep
his balance, he removed one boot, then the other. While he was aware of her
regard from somewhere in the room, he knew it would be pointless to seek her
out. Pushing off the jeans, he retrieved his shirt and laid both garments over
the arm of a chair, placing his boots in front of it.
As he stood completely nude,
deliberating his next move for several charged moments, he wondered what she
was thinking. He was throbbing, enormous. He hoped she took pleasure in that.
Life in a circus had helped him get past modesty about personal nakedness, but
he found himself somewhat self-conscious under the circumstances.
"You think you can commit
over three centuries to me, Sir Vagabond?"
"As long as you need
me."
"You say that, but you
resist me. Did Thomas tell you the oath to a vampire of my rank?"
"I am sworn to your
service. Compelled by absolute loyalty, I safeguard your well-being before my
own or any other ties of family or friendship. I swear it by the giving of my
blood to you and before all of Divinity, may my life be cursed and my soul be
damned if I speak false or ever betray the vow."
A pregnant silence filled the
room. "Thomas made you take the oath," she said at last.
"It was the last step in
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