Deny Me If You Can, page 3
But at the same time the thought of being hunted by him made her body tingle all over. She found it exciting, and what was even more insane was that she looked forward to seeing what would happen.
She knew she had to do everything to avoid him, and that she would. She didn't want to risk Stacey's life, but why not have a little bit of fun while she was at it? Jaromir would do everything to make her feel whatever he wanted her to feel, and she would have to resist it. Honestly, she didn't want to. His strong and muscular arms looked comfortable and cozy.
Was there a way for her to trick him into his own trap? She had no idea. For now all she could do was go with it and see how things turned out. Maybe something would come her way. Maybe she would be able to play him out, or maybe not.
She remembered the strong feelings he had thrown at her inside his office during the kiss. That sure had been something! She had never experienced anything like it. The emotions had almost turned her into a thoughtless beast whose only wish was to satisfy the need he had awakened within her. And when he had left her standing, it had felt like being torn apart. It had been an uncomfortable and unpleasant feeling mixed with frustration, until he had taken it all away somehow.
All that made her worry. She hadn't been able to withstand those emotions. If he hadn't removed them, she would have thrown herself at him. But, she hadn't been ready for it. She hadn't seen it coming, but she was ready now. Somehow, she would withstand him this time if he tried again. As long as she managed to keep him at a distance, she would be fine. Well, she hoped at least.
Megan took a deep breath and gave the room one last look before deciding what to do. Jaromir was probably not far behind. Maybe he was already in the hallway outside the room. That meant she should stay in here. Leaving the room now would be a bad idea, but being stuck in here wasn't a good idea either. Eventually, he would find her.
Megan headed for the balcony. She opened the glass doors and went outside. The balcony looked big from the inside. She hoped that it was connected with the room nearest to this one, but it was a dead end.
Disappointed, she went back in again and looked at the other door. With a few large steps, she crossed the room and opened it. Just like she had expected, it was a bright and fresh looking bathroom, and of course, another dead end. This was getting stressful. She had to do better than this. Jaromir would find her any minute. Entering the room in the first place hadn't been one of her brightest ideas.
Chapter 11
Jaromir kept smiling to himself. He couldn't remember when he last had experienced this kind of thrill, but he was in no hurry. He wanted to prolong it, and prolong it he would. He had five sweet hours to enjoy this.
Finding her was no big deal. He knew, more or less, where she was. Her scent told him that, and the more he breathed her in the more he wanted to touch her and make her his. He licked his lips and felt his heart beat faster. His body temperature rose, and so did another part of him. He shifted foot and tried to calm down. It was getting a little bit too tight inside his jeans.
Jaromir scanned the hallway in front of him. He took a few deep breaths. Megan's scent still lingered in the air. It was like nothing he had ever smelled before, and it pulled him to her like a flower to the sun. She smelled fresh. Her fragrance reminded him yet again of an ocean breeze. It made him imagine that he stood on a sandy beach and looked at the ocean that melted together with the clear blue sky in the horizon. Unfortunately, he couldn't stand in the sun. He wouldn't die from it, but his skin was sensitive enough to get burned. He hadn't seen the sun since the day he was turned into a vampire, but he still remembered what it looked like. Megan's scent made him miss it, and he had never missed it before.
“Jaromir!”
Jaromir turned around and watched Jillian heading up the stairs toward him. Her beautiful face displayed anger and her determined steps told him that she was not pleased. Her presence made him feel not pleased too.
“What are you doing?” she asked.
“That's none of your business.”
Jillian's gaze darkened. “Why is there a human among us? And why is she running around in here?”
“Yet again ... it's none of your business.”
He tried to remain calm, but Jillian always managed to push his buttons. He wished he could get rid of her, but that meant throwing her out on the streets. He wasn't a cold and heartless monster, didn't matter what the humans thought. Luckily, this building was big enough for the both of them. He and Jillian had been friends for many years. They had both been young vampires when they had met. They had sought the comfort and knowledge from each other when everything had still been new and unfamiliar. They had even been lovers for many years. But somewhere along the way, they had grown apart. Jillian just refused to see it.
“Then make it my business,” she demanded. “I want to know why she is here.”
Jaromir tried to control himself. Jillian was getting on his nerves. It wasn't the first time, but this time she stood in the way between him and Megan, and that was a huge mistake. If Jillian tried anything, Jaromir knew that he would do everything to defend Megan. She was his prey, and no one else's. Only he had the right to her, and if Jillian didn't back off soon he would show her that.
“She's here to save her sister,” he said. “She and I came to an agreement and that's all I'm telling you. Now you better leave before I make you.”
“You wouldn't dare,” she hissed.
Jaromir showed his fangs and took a threatening step closer to her. “Try me.”
Silence rose between them and they stared at each other for a long time. Jaromir knew that he would attack if Jillian made the wrong move, and he saw that Jillian understood that. Her determination slowly withered and sadness graced her facial features.
“What happened to you?” she sobbed. “We used to be so close, and now you just push me away like I mean nothing to you anymore. Have you forgotten all the fun we used to have? Are you throwing all that away? Just like that, and for what? A human woman can never replace me!”
Jaromir blinked. He hadn't expected that. “I never said anything about replacing anybody. She's here for this one night only, and after that I will never see her again.”
“Oh really?” She placed her hands on her hips. “That's not what it looked like to me downstairs. You defended her as if you two were mated. You have never attacked Ryan before. Why now all of a sudden? You knew that he would never hurt the human. It's not something he does, and yet you attacked as if you thought he would kill her. And don't tell me I'm lying because I saw everything!”
Jaromir gaped and looked at her with huge eyes. Jillian's words hit him in the chest, and realization followed. Something about what she said rang true in his heart. He had seen Megan as his from the start, but only because she had agreed to be his prey. There couldn't be another reason. Right?
And yet when he turned his head and looked at the door that led into the room where Megan was hiding, he know he was wrong. He had seen his equal within her from the first moment she had walked inside his office. Her bravery had made him look at her with different eyes.
He knew that love functioned differently with vampires. For humans a love relationship often developed over time. For a vampire on the other hand, things went a lot faster. Most vampires remained single for hundreds of years until that right one came along. That didn't mean they didn't enjoy themselves, they just refused to involve themselves in serious relationships.
He and Jillian had had fun many times, but it hadn't been more than that for neither of them. For him, it was over a long time ago. Jillian still wanted more even if she didn't love him, but he wasn't able to give her more. His heart had begun beating for a little human called Megan, and if things went down this path, he knew exactly where he would end up. He would fall in love, and for the first time in his life, he looked forward to it.
“You better leave now, Jillian.”
Jillian snorted. She turned around and headed down the stairs with angry steps.
Jaromir didn't pay her anymore attention. He was still in hunting mode, and he had a prey to catch.
Chapter 12
What took him so long?
Megan looked at her watch that she carried around her wrist. Half an hour had already passed, and still no Jaromir. She had been sitting inside the bathroom during this whole time, biting her nails and waiting for him to suddenly storm in. All this pressure gave her a headache, and if she went on like this, she would have a muscle ache too. She was way too tense.
Megan approached the door with a lump in her throat and opened it. She looked around in the bedroom. It was empty. Jaromir was not there and she couldn't help but wonder what was going on. Was this a part of his game?
Megan entered the bedroom and couldn't decide what to do. If she stayed in here, she would maybe be safe. Jaromir hadn't found her yet after all. She could just let the minutes pass by, but that also meant she wouldn't get the blood. Shane had wanted her to play a good prey for the Vampire King.
Megan snorted and disliked that man for it. She only wanted the blood. She didn't ask for much. That she had to go through all this to get it was just ridiculous! It was not fair. Couldn't Jaromir just have been generous and given it to her? Couldn't he just have helped her save her sister's life out of kindness? Why he wanted to hunt her was beyond her. Maybe it was a vampire thing, or maybe it was a Jaromir thing. She didn't know, and she didn't care.
Determination awakened within her. She would get her hands on that blood and she would save her sister, no matter what the cost, she told herself. She straightened her back and took a deep breath while she looked toward the door that would take her back to the hallway. Jaromir was somewhere out there, maybe just waiting for her to take a step.
Megan placed her hand on the door handle when she stood in front of the door. Her heart was beating a hundred miles an hour. Her hand was shaking and she expected her knees to give in any second. The excitement was too much. She was not used to experiencing this kind of pressure. Who knew what would happen when she opened the door. She decided she would open it fast and run out of the room, just like that. She would head toward the stairs and aim for another floor. This building had at least ten floors for her to hide on. She doubted that Jaromir was nearby. He probably searched for her somewhere else.
Megan prepared herself with several deep breaths. When she was ready, she jerked up the door. She took a step to run out, but instead of ending up in the hallway she ran into a man's hard chest. Megan groaned from the impact that sent her head into a spin.
She looked up when her head cleared and she paled. It was Jaromir, and he was grinning. He blocked the way out with his big body, and his pale eyes were flashing. Megan realized that he had been standing outside the room this entire time. She saw it clearly now. There was no fun in running around and chasing her. He wanted to play, like a cat playing with a mouse.
“Shit,” she cursed and tried to shut the door. Jaromir blocked it with his hand. Megan gasped and jumped back when he forced the door open with a hard push.
This was so not good. There was still much time left, and she was stuck. The only way out was through that door, and she doubted that he would let her run away. He had her now. Megan feared what would happen. He looked like a predator with his pale gaze and sharp fangs. She almost expected him to lick his lips and drool. His grin didn't ease the impression. Neither did the way he came at her. Instead, it enhanced it. His hands were slightly in front of him with his fingers widely apart and his nails were replaced with sharp claws.
When Megan saw the claws fear rose within her. Maybe he was going to hurt her after all. She kept backing away from him while he advanced on her. He looked ready to lunge himself at her any second.
“Please don't kill me,” she said and tried not to sound so scared, but it was impossible to hide her fear.
Jaromir blinked and stopped. Realization seemed to slap him in the face and some of his predator mode went away, but he still stared at her with that hungry gaze he had shown from the start.
“I'm not going to kill you,” he said and took another step closer. Megan backed away again, but this time she hit the wall. She pressed herself against it, hoping that she would somehow vanish through it. But, of course, the wall remained solid.
“Then why do you look like that?” she said and looked into his excited predator eyes.
“Because you are my prey,” he grinned and took a deep sniff. Megan gasped when she felt his nose against her throat. It sent chills through her, but not the kind of chills she had expected to feel. Instead, they were chills of pleasure. The lower part of her body shivered from anticipation. Maybe he was going to bite her, and for some reason she wanted him to. It excited her. A fierce longing for him awakened within her. It made her heart beat faster and without a second thought she slowly, like in a haze, tilted her head to give him better access to her throat.
Megan tensed and tried to push him away when she realized what she was doing, but he remained where he was. She was sure that a bite would be painful and anything but pleasurable. Besides, the longing she felt was all his doing. He was using his powers on her again just like he had said he would. She was sure of it. She had to snap out of it and remember why she was here. She was doing this for her sister, and it didn't matter that every part of her wanted him more and more, almost to a point that it became painful.
Megan tried to be sober. She had to endure.
“I thought this was a game,” she whispered with a shaky voice.
“Oh, it is. A very, very serious game. You are my prey, and I am your hunter. And I must say that so far you're making a lousy job as a prey. Finding you was way too easy.”
She angered and tried to push him away again even if she didn't want to. “Well, excuse me. I'm not used to being somebody's prey.”
The push barely moved him from his spot. She expected him to grin some more, but he became serious instead and possessiveness crossed his gaze. “Good, because you are mine and mine alone.”
Megan winced. “What are you talking about?”
“You could say that once a vampire considers something to be his then no one can take it away from him.” He placed his hands against the wall on each side of her, trapping her in.
Megan thought her heart would jump out of her chest any second. It was beating so hard that it almost hurt, and it was impossible to slow her fast breathing. His face was so close. If she just leaned a little bit closer, she could kiss him.
He sure had a hell of an effect on her, but she kept telling herself that it was all his doing. Thanks to that, she somehow managed to stop herself from wrapping herself around him and fulfilling every naughty thought that crossed her mind.
“I never agreed to that,” she said.
“Oh, but you did, whether you were aware of it or not. You are mine. Forever.”
Chapter 13
Jaromir watched Megan's eyes grow big. “Forever?” she asked with a surprised look on her face.
Jaromir didn't understand why he had said that. It had just slipped out of his mouth. He wanted her to be his for the night during the game. But when he looked into her mesmerizing eyes, he realized that he would have a hard time letting her go once the night was over. The vampire side of him screamed that she was his mate, but the reasonable side of him told him that it was all because of the game. The longing for a good hunt drove him into a frenzy that created a deeper need for her. He was sure that there was nothing more to it. At least, as long as he avoided looking into her eyes, but now that he stared into them, the need and possessiveness awakened like a mad fire within him.
Mate.
The word echoed within his mind.
He had at first seen her as a perfect candidate to become one of his vampires when she had walked into his office and faced him like no human had ever faced him before. Now he saw so much more. He saw a woman, a lover and a queen.
His mate.
Jaromir shook his head. Maybe the hunt was getting to him, and it had barely started. It filled him with adrenalin, making him need this badly. He was sure that that was the reason why he looked at her as a potential mate. He had gone too long denying his vampire needs. That simple thought turned his hunting mode on again. Megan winced when he grinned wickedly.
“If you don't do something soon you are going to lose, Megan.”
“Why, you ...?” she said, but he didn't give her the chance to finish.
Instead, he bent down and kissed her hard. He felt her tense and a squeak left her mouth before he silenced it with his tongue. He surrounded her with his large body while his lips took what they needed. He wasn't one of those vampires who jumped from one bed to another. He wasn't interested in things like that, but with Megan ... well, he gladly jumped into bed with her, over and over again.
She made him feel, she made him long, and she made him burn. He knew how to kiss, but when he kissed her it felt like his first kiss. Her lips were sweet, warm and just perfect. She closed her arms around him and pulled herself closer to him. It was all her doing. He wasn't using his powers on her, and he didn't have to. She responded just fine on her own, and that was what he wanted.
Jaromir moaned and pushed her against the wall before he pressed his aching erection between her legs. She rewarded him with a loud moan and deepened the kiss.
Holly hell. She was sending him straight to heaven. His body ached in an unfamiliar way. A wild desperation awakened within him, and if he didn't get her soon, he would go crazy.
When her gentle fingertips made contact with the skin on his back under his shirt, he shivered. Goose bumps spread on his arms and it became uncomfortable inside his jeans. He opened one button and exhaled. He wanted her hands on him, everywhere. He wanted the game to go on forever. After having her this close, he couldn't figure out how on earth he would ever be able to let her go when the clock turned five a.m.
