Alpha Male Incorporated: Take Control (15 page)

Thorsten sighed. “Why are you trying to defy me over such a simple request? I only want to speak to you. Is there a reason you are telling me no?”

“I told you no because I can,” she answered, placing her hands on her hips. “I know you may not hear that word a lot from women, but I don’t have a problem saying it to you now or in the future.”

Moving swiftly, he positioned his body mere inches from Raya. He heard her breath catch, but she didn’t move. Her thick, black lashes were long and behind her glasses. Raya’s eyes looked big, brown, and inviting. He couldn’t look away from them.

“Be careful of the words that come out of your mouth, sweetheart. You might not like the consequences.”

Her pink tongue came out and moistened her bottom lip. His cock jumped inside his pants. Staying here was a mistake, but he couldn’t leave. The need to taste her mouth was overwhelming. He wanted to imprint this night in her mind as the time she spent with him, not Alec.

“I don’t know what you want. Why don’t you just tell me so you can walk right out the door behind you?”

“Raya, I’ll do something better. I’ll show you,” he said.

Wrapping his arm around her waist, Thorsten tugged Raya’s body against his then captured her mouth before she could protest. His usually placed calm was shattered by the first gentle touch of her lips. The world around him moved, swarmed with twisting emotions as the innocent taste of her settled in his blood. The heady awareness of having his mate in his arms made his erection grow even longer and thicker to the point of being beyond painful.

He continued moving his mouth over Raya’s, devouring its softness. He had never tasted anything like it in all of the centuries he had roamed the earth. Parting her lips, she raised herself to meet his kisses and gave him entry inside her luscious mouth. He used his tongue to explore the delicious recess.

His skin tingled when the tips of her fingers brushed along the back of his neck. Not bothering to break the kiss, Thorsten used his mind to move them over to the couch and lay Raya down on it. He slipped his body between her warm, smooth thighs, brushing his throbbing cock against her damp underwear. The scent of her need was driving him wild. Kissing other women had never felt this right in his life; Raya’s full mouth was made for his.

Leaving her swollen lips, he showered kisses along her jaw and he felt his fangs descending when his mouth brushed against the pulse at her neck.

One taste
…that was all he needed. Just something to take the edge off of this hunger she had created in his body. Thorsten lowered his mouth and when his fangs were mere centimeters away a conversation with Jax earlier came to him.

You can’t win Raya over with sex. Her love has to be given freely or you can still fall prey to the sleep of the dead
.

Cussing, Thorsten pressed his forehead into the crook of Raya’s neck as his body burned for him to break the rules and take her for his mate tonight, but he had self-control. Little by little, he allowed his body to calm down. His fangs retracted back into his mouth as the blind lust taking over his common senses faded away.

“Thorsten, what’s going on?” Raya’s soft voice asked as her smaller body moved underneath his. His cock jerked and pressed more against the front of her panties. He knew the instant she felt him because she stopped squirming.

“Why are you on top of me? How did we end up on the couch?” she questioned, confused.

He raised his head from the crook of Raya’s smooth neck and found her looking at him through a pair of crooked glasses. He had never seen a cuter sight. Gently, he removed them from her face and laid them down on the table next to them.

“Don’t you remember?” he asked, brushing a strand of her hair off her forehead.

Unconsciously, Raya’s brow furrowed as she thought about his question. “I remember we were arguing about my upcoming lunch date with Alec, then you kissed me but we were standing over there in the middle of the floor. I don’t have a clue how we ended up way over here.”

“Don’t you like where we are better?” he asked, lowering his head. Thorsten planted a kiss at the side of her mouth.

“Please, get off me.” Raya placed her hands on his shoulders and gave him a shove, but it wasn’t hard enough to move him off her.

Why should he move? He was pretty comfortable right where he was, but after a second or two he decided it might be better for both of them if he did get off of her. The feel of her hard nipples pressing into his chest made his cock ache to be inside of her tight pussy. He gave her another quick kiss and he eased off her sexy curves.

Standing at the side of the couch, he watched while Raya pulled her dress down over her knees and then stood. She swayed a little and he instantly moved to her side but she waved him away.

“Are you okay?”

“I feel so dizzy,” she whispered, falling back down on the couch.

He took a seat next to Raya. All of his thoughts about making her forget Alec left his head. He was totally focused on her. She might not want his help, but he was going to offer it to her all the same. He ruled out one thing. Raya wasn’t dizzy from lack of blood. What if he had crossed some code that he shouldn’t have?

“Sweetheart, do you need me to get something for you?” he asked.

“No, I’m alright. I didn’t have any lunch today and then I left the restaurant before I ate. I shouldn’t have drunk any wine on an empty stomach.”

“Let me fix you something to eat,” Thorsten suggested. “Where’s your kitchen?”

Raya’s head whipped around and she gawked at him. “Uh…no thank you. I have some cold chicken in the fridge that I can eat. You can leave now.”

Annoyance took over at Raya blowing off his offer of help, but he wouldn’t push. Anyway, he should spend some time thinking about Cordelia’s surprise appearance tonight. As much as he didn’t want to, he might have to visit Jax before heading home.

“If you are sure you want me to leave,” he hedged.

“I’m positive. I want you to go,” Raya got up from the couch and steadied herself before walking to the front door and holding it open for him.

Thorsten stood up and went to his mate across the room. He could feel she was still under some stress and he wasn’t about to put her under any more tonight. Tomorrow would be good enough to see her again, after she had eaten something and gotten enough sleep.

Stopping in front of her, he bent his head down and brushed his lips across her forehead. “Eat something and get some sleep,” he whispered then stepped back.

Raya pressed her back against the door. “Stop it now.”

“What’s wrong? Are you okay?” He hadn’t done anything wrong. Why was she upset with him?

“I’m not sure why you’re being so nice all of a sudden, but we both know you always have a hidden motive.”

“I swear I’m not trying—”

“Will you just walk out the door? Please don’t make me ask you again.”

Taking the hint, he gave Raya one final look before walking out into the cool, crisp night air. He turned around to tell his mate one final thing, but she shut the door in his face.

Standing on the front porch, he looked at the door, completely taken back by the turn of events. His date hadn’t gone as smoothly as he had planned, because two unforeseen obstacles appeared out nowhere, pushing him yet another step back.

He wasn’t able to tell Raya that she was his mate tonight. It didn’t work into his plans but he would get another chance.

****

Moving away from the peephole, Raya rested her back on the door and pressed her fingers against her lips. She could still feel the imprint of Thorsten’s mouth on hers. She couldn’t believe she let him kiss her after everything she saw at the restaurant.

Confused, she eased away from the door and wandered restlessly around the living room. How could she allow herself to fall his games? Raya was irked that she had let Thorsten sidetrack her so easily. The urge to throw something was shimmering beneath the surface but she pushed it down.

Her head was swimming with perplexing emotions, but she wasn’t going to let them rule the rest of her night. She was going to take a long, hot shower and then hit the kitchen to get herself some food.

Raya turned in the direction of her bedroom, relieved she hadn’t gone past some kissing with Thorsten. One thing was for sure, nothing like that between them would
ever
happen again.

Warm night air blew through the opened patio doors, and the white curtains floated in the breeze. The figure paused in the open doorway, consumed with hate and watching the sleeping figure on the bed.

The innocent scent radiating from the human’s body toward Cordelia raised her anger another level. Her fangs fully descended as she watched Raya’s petite body rolling around on the purple sheets while she mumbled Thorsten’s name in her sleep.

Cordelia seethed with anger as she realized her enemy was having a dream about
her
lover. Thorsten was hers! She wouldn’t allow this female to take him away from her. She didn’t care if a
Unique
woman was a rarity, which made them untouchable to any vampire.

The consequences wouldn’t matter anyway, because by the time anyone found Raya’s lifeless body, she would be back home and her father wouldn’t allow any of the Irizarry vampires to touch her, no matter how powerful they might be.

Gliding towards the door, she was almost through it when someone grabbed her by the arm and forcefully turned her around. She looked up into a pair of eyes black as night.

“I warned you to stay away from my mate,” Thorsten hissed, his face a glowering mask of fury.

She swallowed hard, trying not to reveal her mounting anger. “I can’t smell your blood flowing through her veins, so Raya isn’t your mate yet,” she spat. “She isn’t under your protection. I can…No, I
will
hurt her when I get the chance and get her out of our lives. Once she’s gone you will come back to my bed where you rightfully belong.”

“If you harm a hair on Raya’s head, I’ll kill you myself. We’re over. Don’t make things worse by breaking the unwritten rule.”

Cordelia heard the menacing warning in his voice, but she wasn’t afraid. Pulling her arm away, she glanced back through the doors at Raya, hating the exotic natural beauty of the woman. Her flawless, brown skin stood out against the purple sheets. She could see why Thorsten might be so transfixed by the African-American woman.

“How can you threaten me to stay away from your mate when you don’t love her?”

Thorsten’s jaw clenched and his eyes slightly narrowed as his hands balled up at his side. “You don’t know what you’re talking about. Stop speaking as if you know how I feel about my woman.”

“I feel no bond between the two of you for her to be your beloved mate, the only person that can save you from the curse. She doesn’t look at you with love in her eyes or speak about you with love in her voice. I think she hates you. Am I wrong?”

Thorsten’s handsome face set into a vicious expression as his fangs descended. “Don’t give me your opinions about Raya. Cordelia, I won’t warn you again or you’ll regret it. Another thing, you better be glad Raya is a sound sleeper because if she heard any of this I can’t promise you will like the outcome,” he warned in a low, threatening voice.

She took a step back, giving Thorsten a tiny smirk. She loved she still had the ability to get under his skin, but she wouldn’t push him any further tonight. She would hang back and see how well her words worked their way into his relationship, rather non-relationship, with Ms. August. Not that it would matter, because the pathetic woman in that bed wouldn’t ever win Thorsten’s heart.

“I’m going to go, but I’ll always be in the shadows watching and waiting for my perfect opportunity,” Cordelia promised, then vanished before Thorsten could stop her.

****

How was he going to get rid of Cordelia? Thorsten wondered. Staring at the spot where Cordelia stood only seconds ago, he gazed at the small woman sleeping soundly inside her bedroom.

Taking a step into the room, he slowly made his way over to the bed and took a seat on the edge. Raya looked so peaceful. No one would guess what a fighter she could be when she was wide awake and staring directly into his eyes.

He wasn’t sure how his motives changed towards her, but he knew she wouldn’t be a match for Cordelia if they went one on one. His ex-lover was beyond venomous when she got crossed, and her hatred probably heightened when she found out the truth why he dumped her.

Being linked to her was a chance by fate. Nothing could be done about it and he wasn’t sure if he wanted to change it now. Raya was a strong woman, someone who wouldn’t let anyone rule her world unless she allowed it.

Reaching out, he ran the back of his knuckles gently down her smooth arm. Raya moved in her sleep but didn’t wake up. He gently touched her mind with his, hoping to soothe her distress and lull her into a deep sleep.

Calm down, sweetheart. Go back to sleep. You’re safe. Get some rest.

Moaning, Raya’s body twisted around on the sheets as his mind communicated with hers. She looked so peaceful and angelic, but he sensed the restless rolling around in her head. He didn’t want to upset her, but he couldn’t leave her alone just yet. He had to stay and make sure Cordelia didn’t make her way back here. Sliding his hand up her arm, Thorsten loved how the silkiness of her smooth skin under his fingertips.

“Thorsten,” Raya suddenly mumbled in her sleep. “You’re a liar. I won’t let you trick me again.”

His hand instantly stopped at the sound of his name coming from her soft lips. He had to fight his own battle of personal restraint to keep from telling her how wrong she was about him. It was an awakening experience that left him reeling. He moved his hand off her body, then stood. Standing to one side, an overwhelming need to prove his mate wrong took him over. He didn’t like how hearing those words coming out of her mouth made him feel.

Raya’s opinion towards him was his own fault. He caused her distrust and he knew of only one person that could help him. He would swallow his pride and go there tomorrow.