were afraid that I would bite you and end up like those crazy drugged-out vampires.”
“So they really don’t want my blood. Your colleagues, they’re not keeping me because of that,” she said as if talking to herself.
“No. They wanted to protect me. Even though they were royally pissed when they found out that I already knew about your blood and didn’t tell them. Anyway, now that they think they’ve kept me from you, they’re busy combing the city for any evidence of where the blood brothel moved to. They want to destroy those vampires. I promise you.”
“And the girls and I? What will they do with us?” There was a trace of fear in her voice.
Oliver had worked for Scanguards long enough to know what they were planning, even though nobody had talked about the ultimate plan. “Once we’ve found them, we’ll make sure they go back to their families, and if need be, we’ll set up new identifies for them so nobody will ever find out about them and what makes them special.”
“They will do that? For us? For humans?”
Oliver stroked his knuckles over her cheek. “Yes. They’re there to protect you. Just like I am.”
She inched closer. “How did you even find me?”
“One of the girls here overhead when you said something about me, and she called me.”
Her eyes widened and she jerked back from him. “You’re a client here?”
Oliver leaned closer. “No, I’m not. I just come here for . . . uh company.”
“Company?!” She looked at him, clearly not believing him.
“I’m friends with Vera, and her girls like me. But I’ve never come here for sex.” He grinned. “At least not until tonight.”
30
Oliver wanted to sleep with her. Ursula felt a wave of heat shoot from her belly all the way into her head and spread in her cheeks. If she looked anything like she felt right now, she’d say she was blushing like a ripe tomato. Her anger at Oliver had vanished when he’d recounted what had happened at the nightclub and afterwards. Oliver hadn’t betrayed her secret. He’d kept his word. Even though by doing so he’d drawn the wrath of his colleagues upon him.
When Oliver leaned in even closer, she dropped her lids. “I’m sorry I cursed you behind your back.”
His lips approached her mouth, his breath ghosting over her skin. “I can live with that if you’re willing to make it up to me.”
She opened her eyes fully, meeting his sensual gaze. The blue of his eyes was almost blinding. “How?”
“A kiss would be a good start.”
“What else?” she asked, meeting him halfway.
“You, naked.” He glanced behind her, a wicked smile forming on his face. “Preferably tied to this wrought iron headboard.”
Her breath caught in her chest. Instinctively, she pulled back a fraction. “Why?”
“To teach you to trust me. To teach you that even if you’re tied up and vulnerable, I would never do anything to hurt you. That even when you’re at my mercy, you still have your free will, you’re still the one in charge of your body and your mind.”
She stared at him, scared, because she’d spent three years of her life with her hands tied to her bed, being robbed of her free will. She shivered. “It won’t work. I can’t let you tie me up. They did that to me. They—”
He put his finger over her lips. “I know what they did to you. That’s why you and I will do this together now. To wipe away the bad memories. When we’re done here, you’ll associate being tied up with pleasure, not with fear, frustration, and pain. Because I’ll make sure that all you’ll feel is pleasure. Nothing else.”
She didn’t doubt that he wanted to shower her with pleasure, but she couldn’t imagine ever being able to forget those days when she’d been chained to her bed. “What makes you think it will work? Psych 101?”
He smiled. “I never went to college. But I’ve always been able to read women. And when we made love in my van, you couldn’t let go of the chains they bound you with. They’re still there.” He softly knocked at her temple. “Still in there. And as long as you can’t shake them, you’ll never be able to share your body freely. Call me selfish, but when I make love to you, I want to feel all of you. I don’t want you to hold back because you’re afraid. I want you to be free.”