Arys had been working the streets of New York City more than three centuries ago when Harley’s mistress had taken a liking to him. She was the last client Arys would ever entertain. Once Harley discovered the angelic beauty she’d brought home to play with, the greedy vampire simply had to have Arys all for himself.
Harley had envisioned the stunning, dark Arys to be the partner in crime he’d always longed for. But, despite Arys’ enjoyment of the vampire lifestyle, it hadn’t always been that way. Arys had been a troubled young man that resented Harley for making choices for him, especially the one to leave his human life behind. It wasn’t a case of foreboding vampire syndrome but rather the fact that it hadn’t been his idea. Arys was too headstrong and confrontational to be what Harley wanted him to be. He was no one’s sidekick.
As far as unhealthy predator and prey relationships go, those two had one of the worst. They had parted ways on the worst of terms. Of course, Arys having burned Harley’s house to the ground with his vampiress lover inside may have played a role in that.
“Why would he be in Edmonton? I thought the last time you saw him he was living in Vegas.” Fear caused my spine to tingle uncomfortably. A knot formed in my throat, and my stomach hurt.
Harley was a sick bastard who divided all people into two categories: those who could be toys and those who were just food. I couldn’t help but wonder which one I’d be.
“He was. And, still is.” Arys stood up, pulling me with him. “Harley owns The Wicked Kiss, Alexa. That’s why I don’t want you there. He owns a string of them across the entire country.”
I tripped over the question on the tip of my tongue. “He owns it? Thanks for thinking to share that information sooner. Are you trying to get me killed?”
“You’re going to get yourself killed. And, I’m sharing it with you now.” He reached out for my hand, and I surrendered it but didn’t budge from where I stood.
He gave my arm a gentle tug, pulling me toward the darkened hallway and the bedroom beyond. “Come, lie with me.”
“Arys, I can’t.” I resisted, though I wanted desperately to cling to him. “I have to go home and get some sleep.”
He never let go of me, forcing me to walk along beside him. “You can sleep here. I won’t bite.” He raised a dark eyebrow then and grinned. “Unless you ask me nicely. And unfortunately, there’s more.”
“I’m not doing anything to reward your bad behavior. And, what do you mean, there’s more?”
He visibly shuddered. The tangy scent of fear came off him in small traces, but it was still there. On most other people, the scent would have been enticing. On my dark vampire, it was all wrong.
“He’s here because he knows about us. Being my sire, he likely sensed the changes in me despite our lack of communication. He’s curious to see if I’ve blood bonded you.”
He pulled me in close so that my nostrils filled with the wonderful scent of him and placed a kiss on my forehead. “Come to bed. I just want to hold you until I fall asleep.”
It was such an unexpected request that I couldn’t deny it. I followed him in to the bedroom, which was even darker than the living room. It was always impeccably clean and smelled like scented candles. I knew how soft the thick black comforter was, and I began to anticipate getting under it.
Arys wasted no time dropping his robe over the desk chair in the corner. He looked like a marble statue of some great angel. I let my gaze linger over him as if he were a fine piece of artwork. When he caught me staring, he actually looked embarrassed. That’s no easy feat for that vampire.
“For a girl who isn’t looking for any action, you’ve sure got the hunger in your eyes.”
My cheeks warmed as I began to take my clothes off. “Just admiring the view.” I left my lacy black bra and panties on and climbed on the bed.
We sat awkwardly in the bed side by side. It occurred to me that we had never been in this room together without being in the throes of passion. When we were together, it was usually a combination of metaphysically driven intimacy and the predatory urges and gratifications we desired by nature.
It wasn’t that we had no deeper emotion for each other but rather that we had never acknowledged it. The sweet romantic side of me only came out with Shaz. Likewise, the worst of my predatory nature was reserved for my time with Arys.
He moved quickly to pull me into an embrace that was as tender as it was surprising.
“This is new for us.”
“It is.” I got settled against him so that my head was on his chest, one leg thrown over his as I snuggled into the feather soft blankets. “It’s … different.”
Arys rested his head against mine, one hand idly stroking my hair. “I like it.”
This softer side of him was certainly unusual. Rather than create an awkward moment by making mention of it, I chose to go with the flow. Maybe I was being too analytical, imagining this newfound sensitivity.