Page 18 of Viktor's Temptation
Viktor blinked down at her. She was still asleep. Was she having a nightmare?
A moment later, Mikail and Trent appeared in the doorway and right behind them were five more guards with weapons out.
“She had a nightmare,” Viktor explained softly.
It took another moment, but eventually, the guards relaxed. One of the men even chuckled lightly as they turned and walked away.
Viktor knew that the laughter wasn’t derisive. It was more along the lines of a release of the tension.
When the group was gone from the hallway, Viktor looked down again at Gracie. She was awake now, and those eyes of hers were glowing. Immediately, his body tightened with awareness and a reciprocating desire.
“You need more sleep, Gracie,” he murmured. “You’re body has been through a huge trauma.”
She pushed her hair out of her eyes and tried to sit up. “I’m not tired,” she argued, but he was unconvinced. Those silver eyes flashed up to him and he again wondered what it would be like to kiss her.
His hands gripped her shoulders and he considered taking her up on her unspoken question. Just a kiss. A kiss wouldn’t hurt, right?
He lowered his head, still holding Gracie in his arms. He only allowed himself a light brush of his lips against hers, just a taste. But as soon as their lips touched, he wanted more. Needed more. Deepening the kiss, he let his lips linger. When she didn’t pull away, when she actually leaned in, her soft, sweet lips trembling under his mouth, Viktor shifted his arms, pulling her in closer, so that he could angle his head and deepen the kiss further.
She moaned and the sound burned away whatever control he might have had. Shifting, he wanted to…!
“Ouch!”
Viktor pulled back and looked down at the woman in his arms. Her lips were swollen from his kisses and her eyes glowed with desire. But he laughed when he realized the problem. Her fangs had dropped and she’d bitten her lip again.
That reminded Viktor that Gracie was new to this life. He couldn’t take advantage of her like this. First, he had to teach her how to get on in the world as a vampire. Once she understood her new life and her body’s new powers, then she could make informed decisions.
He pulled back with a small sigh, but couldn’t stop his hands from exploring her soft curves.
“What’s wrong?” she asked, blinking back tears.
Viktor wiped the tear away. “Nothing is wrong, Gracie,” he assured her. “But I won’t take advantage of you like this.”
With great pain, he stood up and took her hands. “How do you feel?”
Chapter 10
Gracie looked down at herself, tugging at her loose, grimy clothes. She was still wearing the same outfit she’d been trapped in—yesterday, the day before, and who knew how long before that. The fabric smelled of fear and sweat, clinging to her skin like a reminder of the horror she’d endured.
Her mind reeled as she thought back to that awful room, the cold chains biting into her wrists and ankles, and the overwhelming pain that had consumed her for what felt like an eternity. The most pain she’d endured before that nightmare was when she’d had her wisdom teeth pulled at seventeen. That had been a blip in her otherwise normal life. She’d grown up with two loving parents, her biggest concerns revolving around exams or forgetting to text her mom when she stayed late at the library.
And then Warren. Gracie’s jaw tightened at the memory of her ex-fiancé. She’d thought he was the worst thing to happen to her—his condescending attitude, his controlling nature, the slap that had shattered their relationship. But even Warren paled in comparison to the hell she’d been through recently.
“I’m fine,” she said, lifting her chin with all the dignity she could muster, despite her filthy clothes and wounded pride.
“Are you, Gracie?” Viktor asked softly. His silver eyes seemed to pierce through her defenses, and when she refused to meet his gaze, he ducked his head slightly to look into her face.
“Yes. I’m perfectly fine.” She smoothed a hand down her shirt, the fabric stiff and coarse against her fingertips. Thegesture only reminded her how badly she needed a shower. “I really need to get home. I need a shower and clean clothes.”
He was shaking his head before she’d even finished speaking. “I’m sorry, Gracie, but you can’t leave. Not yet.”
Her eyes widened, terror creeping into her expression. Viktor immediately raised a calming hand. “Not because you’re a prisoner here,” he clarified. “But because you need to stay until you’ve learned to control your new powers.” His thumb brushed the back of her hand, the touch unexpectedly soothing. “You need to understand how to live as a vampire, Gracie. Since your sire abandoned you, I am taking on that responsibility. I will train you personally.”
She shook her head vehemently, waving her hand as if to dismiss his words. “No, that’s okay. I can figure this out on my own.”
His glowing eyes dimmed, but a faint smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. “And how exactly do you expect to learn to fly, Gracie? Or control someone’s mind? Or even stop your fangs from dropping at inopportune moments?”
Her mouth fell open, and Viktor chuckled at her horrified expression.
