The funny thing was, Shayna wasn’t offended at all by the offer, though her senses told her Eve was only half serious anyway. No wonder Yvonne had spoken of her as not being in the mainstream. So what was it—could Eve help, or did this world lack counselors generally?
“I’m seeing a few questions pass through your eyes. I’ve been told you like to dissect all kinds of issues.”
Shayna shook her head, collecting herself. “Yep, I’m known for my inquisitiveness, but please come in. Yvonne is something special, and she really believed you could help me.”
“I hope I can, but if not, then we’ll figure out what to do next.”
Shayna liked her. She was the kind of woman that lived life full-out, nothing held back, and she doubted she ever apologized for anything. Eve also seemed to have an undercurrent of common sense and kindness about her.
Shayna started to close the armoire door then caught sight of her reflection again. Glancing down, she realized in putting on the tank top she’d forgotten about her original plan to wear it backward. “This will not do.”
“What? Marius will love it.”
“That’s not the problem. All the other men will as well, and that won’t fly.”
Suddenly Marius appeared in the doorway, scowling as he looked her up and down. “No, it sure as hell won’t.”
“Ah. The man has arrived.” Eve turned toward him. “Rumy said you were in bad shape. How you doin’, warrior man?”
“I’ve been better.” He glanced a second time at Shayna, still frowning.
Eve laughed. “Well you look fantastic, like you always do.”
Marius turned toward Eve, a different kind of frown forming a trough between his brows. “So what exactly are you doing here?”
Eve explained, which gave Shayna a chance to just look at Marius. He may have been at death’s door not long ago, but right now he looked amazing. He must have just showered, because his hair was damp, and Rumy had provided him some clothes. He looked sexy as hell, wearing blue jeans that fit his muscular legs beautifully and a long-sleeved navy T-shirt, open at the neck so that his blood-chain showed.
A small tremor went through her at the sight of the single-chain, and what it meant, how connected they were.
She touched hers and her heart rate sped up.
When he glanced her direction, she could see the question in his eyes, but she just smiled and shook her head. In the back of her mind she knew she needed to flip the T-shirt, yet somehow she wanted him looking at her just like this, with her breasts spilling out.
They’d been through so much recently that she’d forgotten for a moment what this part of her relationship with him was like, the powerful sexual drive toward him that took so little to ignite.
Marius kept glancing in her direction, probably aware of her thoughts because of the chains, though he continued to speak in a quiet voice to Eve. Shayna probably could have followed their conversation, but she was too caught up in looking at Marius to listen or to even want to.
Eve finally turned in her direction. “I’ll catch up with you later, during the potluck they’ve got going on in a few minutes. After dinner, you and I can talk about what’s going on. Right now, our favorite man here needs some alone time with you—at least that’s what I’m getting.” She put both hands on his shoulders and kissed his cheeks, each in turn. Shayna could see just how much Eve respected Marius, something Shayna had witnessed repeatedly now, from every quarter.
She wondered if he had any idea how much he was loved in his world. Somehow she doubted it, and she knew his guilt prevented him from seeing himself clearly.
Shayna waved as Eve slipped past the door, closing it behind her.
Marius didn’t move though. “Hey,” he said. Once more his gaze drifted over her chest, and she felt his desire spike.
“I should change this shirt,” she offered.
“In a minute. But besides the fact that the shirt you’re wearing is hot as hell, I just want to look at you, to see that you’re safe. That means more to me than anything.”
Her heart swelled and for a moment she honestly couldn’t breathe. She’d expected him to say a number of things, even to pick up his earlier thread about not wanting her to wear the shirt. What she hadn’t thought he’d express was how much he’d been worried about her.
Her feet started moving in his direction and when he headed toward her and opened his arms, she gave a little yelp and ran to him. As she landed hard against his chest and slung her arms around his neck, he caught her up in a full embrace.
“Hot as hell.” He’d said that to her. Michelson had expressed nothing but criticisms. Marius was a new world for her in every possible way.
A very pure affection rippled through her, for this man she hardly knew, and she hugged him hard. He responded in kind, holding her fast for a good long minute.
“This feels way too good, Shayna. And I meant what I said, you look fantastic in that shirt.”
She couldn’t resist. She drew back and let him look at the low-cut top and her breasts pouring over the edge. “Rumy has a very specific idea about the kinds of clothes I should wear around you.”
“He’s pretty hopeless that way.”
He caught her hips and connected low while he looked down at her cleavage. “But I think I love this shirt.”
She opened her eyes wide. “But you came in and announced I couldn’t wear it.”
He chuckled, his voice low and husky. “And you know damn well why. As I recall, you shared my opinion.”
She smiled. “Yeah, I did. I do. And I have no intention of wearing this in public. But why would Rumy think this was okay to wear in a family setting, around kids?”
“Actually, this is tame by his standards.”
She looked down at her breasts. “Well, I’m definitely not used to being on display like this, but Eve said something about using me in her show.”
Marius groaned and shook his head. “She owns and operates The Ruby Cave, a very successful BDSM club in The Erotic Passage. I don’t recommend that you take her up on her offer.” His eyes glimmered with amusement.
She chuckled. “I already turned her down.” She thought for a moment, then, while still keeping her hands on his shoulders, she said, “As I recall, you’ve never been here before, right, to Rumy’s villa?”
“That’s right. Rumy has kept this place very private. It’s probably the most secure location in our world. And he has one helluva security force here as well.”
“Well, did you know that Rumy has brought a number of sex slaves here?”
“No, we hadn’t gotten that far. I was having way too many pieces of shrapnel removed from my body.”
She told him about Yvonne, her marriage and children, and about the local village.
He shook his head in disbelief. “All I was told was that we were having some kind of potluck or something. I thought it was a strange choice of words for what, at the time, I thought would be a meal served to his security team.”
“That would sound strange, as in fighting men organizing a potluck.”
Marius laughed.
As she stared into his gold-flecked eyes, and drifted her fingers over the tough muscles of his shoulders, she asked, “So, not to change the subject, or anything, but have you seen any of Eve’s shows?”
Marius didn’t answer right away, but a speculative light entered his eye. She could tell he was weighing his responses and finally opted for, “A few.”
“Being careful, I see. Gauging your words.”
Marius chuckled. “Trying to.”
Shayna couldn’t help but laugh. “This is such a different world. I’m used to having my nose in a book and here you are, a vampire warrior in your world, and we’re here in Rumy’s secret villa with Yvonne and all the other former slaves who live here, and talking about Eve’s sex show.”
“So how many former slaves are we talking about?”
“Yvonne said they had at least two hundred people living here
, fifty of them children.”
“Fifty children? Wow. How is that possible?”
She shrugged. “You have to remember that the women are human and probably have brought our quick-procreation genetics to the table.” She thought for a moment. “Why did Rumy bring us here? I mean, if he’s kept it secret for so long, why now?”
At that, his tension returned, a heavy vibration through the chain at her neck. “When I contacted him after we left Costa Rica, he said that Daniel had The Erotic Passage crawling with his men—otherwise, Rumy would have given us an apartment to use. He just didn’t think we’d be safe anywhere else. We’re targeted now, both of us.”
“What do you mean targeted?”
At that, his expression grew grim. “Daniel has called out a warrant for our arrests. Apparently, I’ve committed treason and you’re a CIA spy sent to expose our world.”
At that, Shayna burst out laughing. “Really?” She wrinkled up her nose. “Who’s going to believe that? I mean, me? A spy?”
“The truth doesn’t matter, only that he’s offering a reward for the capture of either of us of two million dollars apiece.”
“Wow. Two million. I guess he’s serious, but I have to say I think this smacks of desperation.” She smoothed her hands over his shoulders. “He definitely wants us out of the way.”
“I think you’re right.” He then searched her eyes. “Are you sure you’re okay?”
“I’m fine. I’m not hurt. I was tired after the flight and I needed to rebuild my blood supply, but they gave me a transfusion and some soup. I’m also siphoning your power again so I feel great.”
“That’s not what I meant. When I spoke with you earlier, telepathically, you seemed angry about something.”
“Oh. That. Yeah, well, I was thinking about my ex and realizing he was a bad man. Until I met you, Marius, I didn’t have a decent frame of reference. I’ve lived on my own a long time and I barely knew my father. The boys I’ve dated have all been so immature, which was why Michelson fooled me. He seemed all grown up, caring, smart.
“But when I really look back at the way he talked to me and the way his words made me feel, I’m disgusted that I was ever with him or that I ever believed a word of his left-handed compliments or his outright slurs, all meant to be helpful criticisms. Especially when he demeaned my body.”
Marius’s brows rose. “He found fault with your body? That’s not possible.”
“All the time. He thought my breasts were too big and my hips too wide. He thought my knees were bony.”
“He wasn’t just an asshole, the man was blind.” He narrowed his gaze. “Or he had a small cock. That could explain a lot.”
She bit her lip and felt guilty saying it, but she said it anyway. “Well, there was that.”
Marius smiled and finally Shayna released a long-held sigh, something she’d been holding back for months now. “I thought the world of him as a teacher and I wish now I’d had enough wisdom to not get involved with him. He did inspire me to take up anthropology as a profession and I’ll always owe him that because I’m built for this kind of work. But he hurt how I viewed myself.”
“That’s unforgivable.”
She shrugged. “What Daniel does is unforgivable. What Michelson did was controlling and self-serving. I’d like to see his ego flogged, but I want Daniel dead and I never thought I’d say that about another person in my entire life.”
CHAPTER 10
Marius drifted his gaze over Shayna’s face slowly, memorizing each feature so that he could remember her when she left his world and returned to her life in Seattle. His chest ached in a way he’d never experienced, which was one more reason he needed to get this job done, keep the final extinction weapon from falling into Daniel’s hands, and get Shayna home.
He was already attached to her. He couldn’t deny what he felt anymore, how one out of every two thoughts turned to her, how the whole time the surgeon had worked on him he’d thought of little else but getting back to her.
And he sure as hell couldn’t blame the chains. The tradition in his world made it clear that blood-chains could only reflect what already existed, which was why couples who argued a lot, but tried the chains out to see if they would improve the relationship, only ended up arguing more.
He sensed he and Shayna were highly compatible and could probably develop a strong relationship. But on an essential level, they both knew she would have to leave.
The thought, however, made his chest hurt even more.
When he slid his hand behind her neck, she caught his arm. “Marius, what are you thinking about? You feel so sad suddenly, but I have no idea why.”
He shook his head. “It’s simple. I was just wishing everything was different, in every possible way, that I was human or you weren’t, that you didn’t have a life to go back to, that I had a different life here. That’s all.”
Her emotions shifted to match his. “I was thinking just a few minutes ago how much I care about you even though I barely know you. We seem to connect on a level that has surprised me and makes no real sense. The disparity in our cultures is so great that you might as well have been living on the moon. Yet I feel like I know you, really know you.”
He drew back enough to meet her gaze. “Me, too.” He leaned into her and slanted a kiss over her lips.
She responded as he expected her to, with a soft moan, a sound he’d come to love. He explored her lips and her mouth, memorizing the feel of her in this way as well. He didn’t want to forget anything about her.
She slipped her arms around his neck and leaned into him so that he felt her well-supported breasts pressed against his chest. He held her close and curled his hips into hers, wanting her to feel his arousal.
She responded by writhing against him and uttering another moan.
He deepened the kiss, stroking in and out of her mouth as he pushed his hips into her. He wanted to take her to bed and do it right. He wanted her under him, looking into her eyes as he brought her repeatedly. He wanted to lock his hands with hers, to be completely joined, then he would take her blood.
The thought of it set his heart racing. He gripped her bottom and began working her, pushing against her mound.
Marius, I’m so close and all you’re doing is kissing me and holding me.
He drew back, breathing hard. “I wish I could finish this right now, but there’ll be a call to dinner any second.”
“I know.” She searched his eyes. “I want to go to bed with you. I want that so much. I mean, I know we’ve had sex, but I really want to be with you. Does that make sense?”
“I’ve thought the same thing, so, yeah, it makes sense. Maybe after dinner?”
She nodded, but he saw the concern in her eyes.
He thought he understood. “You’re thinking about the weapon.”
“Yeah. It’s really been bothering me and at some point soon, I want to talk it over with you. I’ve had some thoughts about what I think is going on.”
A knock sounded on the door right behind Marius. He felt Shayna jump. “Yes?” He wasn’t willing to invite anyone in, not until he’d calmed the hell down, and definitely not until she’d changed her shirt.
“Rumy sent me to tell you that we’re gathering for the communal meal.” He didn’t recognize the woman’s voice.
“Thank you. We’ll be there in a couple of minutes.”
“I’ll let Rumy know.”
He released Shayna and she stepped away from him. “I need to finish getting dressed and brushing out my hair.”
As she walked over to the armoire, she took off her shirt then turned it around. He wondered why she felt she needed to wear two shirts, until she put on the second one and saw that it was low-cut as well. He shook his head. Rumy really was hopeless.
A few minutes later, he led her out of the villa and onto what proved to be a front lawn that led to an underground river. Linen-covered tables and chairs, as well as a laden buffet table, sat to the left, as well as the vi
llage Shayna had told him about. There had to be dozens of houses about a quarter mile off as well as a park with trees and a large playground.
The front lawn of Rumy’s villa stretched all the way to the river’s bank. For quite a distance, Rumy had built up the river walk with a low wall to keep the young children safe.
The river itself was fairly broad and had been further improved with a beach area and a shallow pond for swimming.
The cavern itself was massive, larger than any he’d ever seen except one in the Himalayas a couple of centuries ago. Rumy’s cavern was easily five hundred feet in height at its tallest point and well over two miles long, maybe even more. But it was the sound of children in the distance, all headed toward the villa, that got to him. So many in one place was nothing short of a miracle in his world, though he was pretty sure that Shayna had it right, that human females had brought their enhanced baby-making abilities into the mix.
“This is like a dream,” Shayna said. She slid her hand in his and squeezed, adding another layer of ache to his heart. She looked wonderful, her blond hair parted in the middle, brushed to a shine, and reaching to mid-back. He ignored how young she looked and how young she actually was compared with his four hundred years.
He watched more villagers arrive, adding to the already groaning buffet table, setting down the dishes they’d prepared. He’d lived a warrior’s life for such a long time that the sight of traditional home-cooked meals, from all parts of the globe given the range of ethnicities represented, made him long for a different kind of life.
Mostly he ate food on the run at human fast-food restaurants anywhere around the globe, or at any of several excellent restaurants in The Erotic Passage. But he couldn’t remember the last time he’d sat down to a family meal.
“I know I had soup just a bit ago, but I’m still really hungry. Can you believe the aromas coming from that table?”
“No, I can’t.”
The next few minutes were spent greeting Rumy again as well as Eve. Rumy also introduced them to his security team, made up of no less than thirty men, most of whom had married former slaves.