Authors: Crissy Smith
“That’s it…yes… God, your mouth, Paige. Yes…baby!” he mumbled before crying out and filling her mouth.
Paige drank down everything he had to give and licked him clean. She wasn’t surprised when he pulled out of her mouth and was still rock hard. There were some things she was learning about vampires that turned out to be so great. Grant could go over and over.
“You did it,” he praised as he dropped down to his knees with her. “I knew you could.”
Paige was delighted that she had made him proud, but really needed something more right then.
“Anyway you want me,” he confirmed and she grinned.
She pushed him back until he was laid out on front of her. She eagerly shed her clothes before she straddled him.
“Ride me,” he urged. “Take me inside of you.”
That was exactly what she had planned. She positioned herself over his cock and slowly impaled herself.
The fullness almost took her breath away, it felt so good.
Once she was fully seated she paused.
“Mine,” she told him, feeling almost desperate.
“Always,” he agreed.
Paige started to move. First rocking until she built up to full-out riding him. Grant urged her on with a firm grip on her hips.
She liked his hands on her. Liked the feel of his fingers digging into her hips. Her fangs descended and she leant forwards to tease his neck. He tilted his head to the side giving her permission to bite down.
So she did. Smoothly her fangs slid into his flesh. His blood rushed out to fill her mouth. He shuddered under her as she took deep pulls.
“Only drink from me,” he told her. “Mine.”
Never would she admit to how much his possessiveness turned her on. Drinking and riding him, they were connected on every level. When she had her fill of blood, she closed the cuts with her tongue and bent back to concentrate solely on the cock inside of her. Grant pumped his hips up and she meet each thrust.
When she climaxed, she shouted and threw her head back. Almost immediately he stiffened and joined her. Together they released, and it was just about as perfect as she’d ever thought possible.
Too perfect.
* * * *
Adam took over her training when Grant wasn’t there, without the sexual motivation, of course. A tip had come into the compound about one of the missing girls. Grant was hoping it would lead him to his sister.
Paige knew Grant had been working hard to find his missing sister, and that knowledge was the only thing keeping her together. She missed him so much. They’d spent the night before he left in his room, making promises with words and their bodies.
He had made love to her for hours and they’d shared blood before she fell asleep in his arms. He was gone by the time she woke up.
It was a new feeling for her to miss someone. Even as a human, she had never had the same reaction to a man. Eventually she was going to have to leave him, but she still had to prove to him she could take care of herself. She’d convinced herself a dozen times she would be better off
with
him than without. But each time she thought of telling him, she couldn’t bring herself to say the words. To give that power over to someone.
A kick to her side took her thoughts from Grant to the man in front of her. She grunted through the pain and managed to keep her balance.
“Pay attention,” Adam ordered.
Paige scowled but didn’t respond. Adam was a good sparring partner, but there was still something that seemed off about him. She tried to shake the feeling when he was near but something in the back of her mind nagged at her.
They battled for another fifteen minutes before he called for a break. Paige collapsed on the mat.
Adam grabbed two waters then sat down beside her. She gratefully took the bottle and guzzled down half of it.
“You weren’t concentrating today,” he observed.
“Sorry.” She knew he was right.
“It will be easier the longer you’re away from each other.
He is a good man but you can’t stay here.”
Paige looked up in surprise. Everyone else had tried to talk her into staying.
“Yes, I know,” he chuckled. “Everyone wants you to stay. You’d be safer here. But you weren’t meant to be caged.”
“What do you mean?”
“Grant’s your Master now. Or as close to a Master as you’ll ever have. The longer you stay here with him, the more of yourself you’ll lose.”
He sounded so sincere and concerned that Paige wondered how she had ever felt uncomfortable around him. “Samantha stays with you.”
He shook his head. “Samantha will never be as strong as you. It just isn’t in her makeup.”
Paige frowned. “I thought you loved her.” It didn’t make sense if he loved Samantha that he would talk about her in such a way, and with a distinct sound of disappointment.
“She needs me, and I am happy to do my part. Grant doesn’t love you, and he never will,” Adam told her.
Paige almost dropped her bottle of water. “What?”
“I’m sorry, Paige, but I’ve known Grant a long time. Every time a pretty girl comes in, he’s the first one at their side to offer help.”
Paige couldn’t believe it. She shook her head. That wasn’t true. It couldn’t be. They were connected, bonded.
“The bond,” Adam said as if he could read her mind. “It’s not like he meant to.”
“Well, no…” She knew he hadn’t meant to, but if they had been meant to be…
Adam lowered his voice as he continued, “Grant fancies himself a hero. That’s why he still chases after his sister.”
“He just wants to protect her. To bring her home,” Paige argued.
“If she wanted to be helped, why hasn’t she come to him?” Adam questioned back.
Paige didn’t have an answer for that so she sat quietly.
“There’s so much you don’t know about when you were taken. But I was here. I saw everything that they were doing. They could have gotten to you sooner.”
Paige wanted to correct him, to call him a liar, but she just wasn’t sure.
What if he was right?
Maybe Grant had asked her to stay because he knew she wouldn’t.
“Did he tell you that the man who took you—who changed you and the others—that he eventually killed, was his uncle?” Adam asked finally.
Paige felt her stomach drop and bile rise up in her throat.
No way!
Grant had never told her that.
“I’m sorry, Paige, but you needed to know,” Adam said sincerely.
Paige felt the betrayal deep in her heart. She had known that Grant hadn’t been telling her the whole truth and now she knew why.
Grant had never even hinted that his own uncle had been the one to turn and torture her.
Paige jumped to her feet and turned her back on Adam. She wouldn’t let him see her cry. She only knew one way to protect herself.
“You have to back me when I say I’m ready to leave,” she told Adam quietly.
“Paige,” he started but she shook her head.
“You’re right. I need to get out of here. The sooner the better.”
Chapter Seven
Grant called out to Paige as he came around the corner to the training room. She was headed back to the rooms at a fast pace. She didn’t look back as she sped up. Confused and worried, he hurried to catch up with her.
As she turned the corner to her room, he reached out and grabbed her shoulder.
“I was just coming to find you,” he said and tried to turn her around. She jerked from his grasp. “Paige?”
When she didn’t look at him, he blinked in front of her.
“What’s wrong? Why are you crying? Did Adam hurt you?” he demanded.
Paige shook her head.
“Paige, what’s wrong. I can feel that you’re angry and hurt,” he questioned desperately. If Adam had hurt her, Grant was going to kill him.
“Damn empath! Just leave me alone,” she snapped and tried to push past him.
“Hey! Wait!” Grant responded and reached for her.
What the Hell?
Paige backed up as far as the narrow hallway would allow. “Don’t touch me,” she demanded softly.
“What happened?” he asked gently, stuffing his hands in his pockets.
“Nothing,” Paige lied. Grant knew it was a lie. Not only was it obvious, but he could practically feel it. “I just got done with training, and I’m hot and sweaty. I’d like to go shower, if you don’t mind.”
Grant took a step towards her. “Don’t lie to me, Paige.”
Paige’s eyes widened before they narrowed. “Don’t tell me what to do, Grant.”
She turned to go again, and Grant lightly touched her shoulder. “Will you come to my room later? To talk? Let me help you.” He would beg if he had to. He’d thought they were past her keeping things from him. He’d been so excited to get back and share what he’d found out, but now his skin crawled, knowing he was losing her.
Paige dropped her head. His fingers ached to reach out to her. “I’m leaving tonight.”
“No! Paige no,” Grant grabbed a hold of her. “I’m sorry. I don’t know what I did, what went wrong, but please don’t leave. Not like this… You’re not ready.”
She stiffened in his arms.
What the Hell was going on?
Paige met his eyes searching. “I’m not ready, or you’re not ready to lose your bed partner?” she questioned.
Grant jerked back like he’d been slapped.
Where had that thought come from?
“You can’t really think that.”
Paige lifted her chin higher in challenge.
Very slowly, Grant let go and stepped back. This was it. She did believe it. She was going to leave him. “I see,” he said softly, his heart breaking.
“Bye, Grant,” she replied and walked away from him.
He didn’t say anything else as she walked away. What could he say? He loved her, he needed her, but she didn’t want him.
He leaned against the wall, full of so much hurt. Paige hadn’t even given them a chance. He slid down the wall and buried his face in his hands and he started to cry.
He’d never been a Master before. He’d never turned anyone in his life, but he knew what he felt for Paige was more than just that type of connection. Their souls belonged together.
“Grant?”
He didn’t lift his head as Sam’s voice reached him.
“Grant?” Sam’s large hand came down on his shoulder.
“She’s leaving me,” Grant told his best friend with a sob. “Why is she leaving me?”
“Shit!” Sam exclaimed and knelt in front of him.
Grant lifted his face hoping to find comfort in his friend. All he saw was worry.
“We need to talk,” Sam told him standing.
Grant accepted the hand Sam held out to him. He had to get control of himself. He was crushed, yes, but that didn’t mean he was just going to let Paige walk away.
She could learn to love him. He knew she felt something for him. He would use that. Use whatever he had to, because he knew he would never survive without her.
“I won’t let her go,” he told Sam quietly.
His friend nodded. “That’s more like it. Come on.”
Grant followed Sam down the hall to his friend’s room. Once inside, Grant started to pace as he worked out a plan. Sam left him alone to think as he leaned against the door with his arms crossed over his chest.
“She’s scared,” Grant shared his thoughts out loud. “And whenever she gets scared, she runs. I won’t let her run away from me. We belong together. I know she feels something for me.”
Sam nodded. “I think there is more to it than that.”
Grant paused and lifted an eyebrow in question.
“I’ve been watching. Adam is different now that Paige is here. Before we couldn’t keep him away from Samantha. Now it seems like every time you are with Paige, he’s around somewhere.”
Grant frowned. He hadn’t noticed that.
Sam grinned. “You’ve been a little preoccupied.”
“Okay,” Grant said slowly. “You think he’s after Paige?”
“I don’t know,” Sam told him with a shrug of his large shoulders. “I don’t feel any threat from him, but it’s like he’s just there watching.”
“Why didn’t you say anything?” Grant asked.
“Like I said, I didn’t feel any sort of threat. I wanted to make sure. You have enough on your mind.”
Grant had to smile at his friend. “Always taking care of me.”
Sam blushed, actually turned red. “It’s what we do.”
“Yeah,” he agreed. It was. Sam and he had been best friends since they’d started school together.
Their paths had crossed and that was all it had taken. Sam’s family had been wonderful, filling a hole in Grant, without his father around.
Of course Grant hadn’t known why his father had left. He only had the stories his mom used to tell him and his siblings. Turned out, his mom was very inventive with some of those tales.
He shook that thought from his mind. He wouldn’t dwell on it just then.
“What am I going to do?” he asked Sam.