Page 28 of Fangs and Family
‘Of course, Master. You finally brought her home. How exciting! Will you be taking her to bed? Your mate should sleep with you, of course.’ The female voice said, and suddenly the lights dimmed, and the soft, alluring voice of Sade1[1]filled the apartment, singingSmooth Operator.
My chin hit the floor, especially when a blush blossomed on Adam’s pale complexion, and he roared.
‘Stop the music, and do as you are told!’
‘Of course, Master. Your humble servant follows your every command.’ The voice from the ceiling answered. I could clearly hear the sarcasm and offence in her voice. One thing was good in all this, I was so focused on this bizarre situation that thoughts of the assault and worry about my brother dimmed a little in my mind.
‘Smooth Operator?’ I asked, pressing a hand to my lips to prevent the mad laughter from escaping when I saw the blush darken on his cheeks. He was still walking, and I was wondering where Adam was taking me when he crossed his ‘steel and concrete’ decorated living room.
‘She likes this song. Lorelai can be wilful sometimes, but she is an excellent housekeeper,’ he answered curtly, and I was wondering how often his wilful servant played this and for how many women.
‘Oh well, I’m sure it will be a novelty to not have your conquest sleep in your bed. Lorelai will be shocked, poor thing,’ I said.
Unfortunately, sarcasm was unable to hide the undertone of hurt in my voice. Two years ago, despite becoming close, Adam didn’t once offer to bring me here, yet his servant immediately assumed his female visitor would be sleeping with him.Smooth Operator, indeed.
‘Nina, you’re the first woman I’ve brought here to stay the night, so don’t read too much into Lorelai’s assumption.’ He said, lowering my feet when we entered a large, modern bathroom.
Could I believe him? Everybody knew vampires weren’t big fans of chastity. On the contrary, if you wanted sex in any configuration with any partner or partners, their kind was happy to oblige.
I wanted to believe him, but all I could see in my mind was the image of a stream of women entering this beautiful room, Adam biting on their necks, feeding and pleasuring them. At the same time, soft music played in the background. I didn’t like it one bit. It shouldn’t matter, but it did. We weren’t a couple, but I felt strangely possessive of my vampire. Whoever warmed his bed was none of my business, but the thought of Adam with another woman pissed me off so much that I pushed him away.
‘Well, I’m safe now, so you can call one of your charitable donations because you’re not feeding from me tonight. You don’t have to be so nice, you know. I preferred it when you were being an arsehole. At least then I knew what to feel.’
The unfiltered thoughts poured out of me until I took a deep breath, angry that I let my feelings escape my control. I was still reeling from the magic and subsequent memories. It wasn’t the best moment to talk to Adam about anything, not when I felt like this. He did nothing wrong, yet I was lashing out because I needed him, and I didn’t know how to ask for his help. I was better than this. He deserved better than this.
‘I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that. Can you…? We have a deal, but I’m exhausted. Can we not do it tonight? You will feed from me just… leave me alone for a moment, please?’ I said, standing up.
The water was already running in the large sunken tub, the decadent marble reminding me of ancient Roman baths. A combination of steam and the tart scent of male grooming products was intoxicating and made my legs buckle. If not for Adam catching me at the last moment, I would have crashed helplessly to the floor.
Until now, I hadn’t realised the huge toll the last few weeks had taken on me. How utterly depleted my body had been because of the constant worry, blood loss and fighting the geas. This latest outburst had burned through the remains of my energy, and Adam must have sensed it. Another embarrassment to add to the growing list. I tried to show Adam I didn’t need him, but the only thing that stood between me and face-planting his marble tiles was this damn vampire.
‘Thank you. I’m good now,’ I said, hating my own weakness as he wordlessly helped me to a chair near the vanity stand.
I knew I needed a bath, and not just to clean away the dirt of the day. The session with the witch had been exhausting. She returned my memories, making me relive the events for my conscious mind to acknowledge the reality while Sara held my hand, grounding my spirit and witnessing what happened. It was like a nightmare I couldn’t wake up from and left me covered with the stench of fear, a layer of sweat, and aching muscles. In the end, the witch ripped away the vampire’s compulsion, and my heart almost stopped when the spell rushed through me.
I couldn’t blame Sara for retching. She was in my head when the witch connected us and felt how I reacted…
The memories of the pleasure forced upon me by the stranger’s bite left me feeling tainted, unclean in a way I wasn’t sure soap could ever erase. No, I needed to wash it off. I didn’t care how irrational it sounded or that I would most likely drown in the deep bathtub.
I didn’t want Adam to see my weakness. Not him. I could deal with the bite, but not with the pity in Adam’s eyes, and I wasn’t sure if I could stop myself from crying.
He crouched next to me, placing his hands on my knees. My breath hitched, and all I could feel was the heat of Adam’s touch because he didn’t hesitate. Something had triggered this reaction, and I saw his eyes change from deep blue to black, and I drowned in the boundless depths of his irises. His touch was still gentle, but his expression was not, and I flinched seeing pure, unbridled fury before he bent his head downward, hiding it away.
‘Nina, do us both a favour; shut up and let me look after you. I don’t need your blood, and I’m not being nice to get it. Whatever you think of me, we both know you need my help. You’re in no shape to bathe by yourself, so be a good girl because I’m not leaving you alone like this,’ He stated, his voice quiet but unyielding.
Adam emphasised his words with a gentle squeeze of my knees, and I felt like he was reading my mind. I knew this was stupid, but I didn’t want his touch when he was so angry, not when he thought he had to do it.
‘I’m no one’s good girl!’ I said, standing up rapidly, only for a wave of dizziness to leave me falling back down onto the chair.
‘Well then, could you be a smart one before you crack that thick skull of yours and get blood on my tiled floor? I’m sure a nice bath will help us both relax and be a little calmer. So unless you want to earn yourself another bite from an out-of-control vampire, I suggest you just suck it up and accept my offer. What is so fucking offensive in my trying to help you, anyway?’
It was the last sentence that stopped me in my tracks.
Did he think I was repulsed by his touch?I wondered, looking at the bath and imagining myself naked with him there.I don’t have a problem with nudity, so what’s stopping me?I weighed my options. I felt Adam’s hand tense, and he looked at me with an uncertainty that suggested he needed it as much as I did. I could work with this, and for as long as we help each other, I could accept his offer.
‘Fine, but no funny business. I’ve had enough bloodsuckers hanging off my neck to last a lifetime,’ I said, and my reluctant au pair sighed heavily, grabbing the rim of my jumper.
‘Lift your arms,’ he ordered, and I followed his instructions, letting him strip me of the clothes I’d borrowed from Sara.
