Page 49 of Desired for Her Blood
“Withouttellingme? When was this?”
“The day after the auction,” he says. “When I was assisting Shana with the gold bars, and before you even went on your date with Ryker. I was planning to tell you. Toaskyou.” He looks down. “I planned to make you a job offer from DEFTA that you would not find easy to refuse.”
“You think I can be manipulated bymoney?” Anger and hurt build inside me.
“No.” Head down, he shakes it vigorously, obviously feeling guilty about what he did. But then he raises his gaze to meet mine. “I was in a panic,” he says. “A state to which I am not accustomed.”
“Panic?”
“I was concerned about the pirate—”
“I’ve got a fucking name,” Ryker barks.
“Yes. Ryker. Please understand.” He turns from Ryker toward Axe. “All of you. Please understand. My goal has always been to protect Ember. I did not know Ryker’s character, except that he was a pirate and a scoundrel and…”
He sighs, his shoulders visibly rising and falling, then he looks up at Ryker. “You irritated me. Very much. I admit that you have an uncanny ability to get my goat, as they say. When you were in that interrogation room—”
“You interrogated Ryker?” I turn back and forth between the two men.
“We had a chat.” One side of Ryker’s mouth quirks up in a cocky smile.
“I fully admit that,” Zuben nods toward Ryker, “based on my impression of your character that day, I fully believed that if you ever discovered how you could use Ember to your advantage, that you would try to take her away—”
“And I did try,” Ryker says, sounding guilty.
I turn to him. “But not like Zuben means.”
Ryker shrugs. “I wasn’t planning to chain you up and drink from you every morning,” he says. “But I’d be lying if I didn’t admit that the idea of being able to walk in the light…” He shakes his head.
Unease twists my belly. Moments ago, I felt so sure about my decision, and so sure of these men—so sure of them and their feelings about me that I was willing to risk death and change what I am—but this conversation is reminding me how they can take advantage of me. How their feelings about me might not be fully genuine. Insecurity creeps in.
Their attention and affection, Axe’s declaration of love, has all of it been offered to keep me near for their benefit?
Are they only unwilling to leave me behind because of what I can do for them once we’re free?
Tears well in my eyes and I cast my gaze down.
“Baby.” Ryker hooks his finger under my chin and tips it up, forcing me to look into his eyes. “It’s never been about the blood. Not for me. I’ll never put my fangs into you again if that’s what you want.”
“Me too,” Axe says.
“Yes.” Zuben adds. “While I do admit that my intrigue regarding your blood might always have been greater than that of these other gentlemen, that is only because of my research, and my excitement in seeing my years of labor finally coming to fruition.” He looks into my eyes with so much sincerity. “But I cannot deny that meeting you, tasting your blood was a thrill for me.”
“I appreciate your honesty.”
His cock presses against the silk tie holding it down and his abs tighten as he tries hard to hide his discomfort.
“But what I did not expect.” Zuben’s tone of voice is softer now and his words come slower, like he’s fighting to find the right ones.
He shifts his position and semen beads at the tip of his erection. “I did not expect to developothermotivations in relation to you. I did not expect to develop…feelings.”
“Robot’s have feelings?” Ryker chuckles. “Clearly robot cocks do.”
I mock slap his arm.
Zuben turns away for a moment, clearly embarrassed at Ryker calling out his obvious arousal. Which is hardly fair, because Ryker and Axe are both hard at the moment too.
Zuben turns back to me. “I am very sorry that I went behind your back to have a discussion about you with your employer. I should not have done so.”
