Take Me (26 page)

He’d thought she was his
bruid
. A heavy weight sat on his chest that steadily got heavier and heavier. She should be his
bruid
.

He realized the truth with stunning clarity.

He loved Felicity Shaw.

She was strong, beautiful, smart, funny, and imperfect. She made him want to be better. She made him want to step down from his lofty position and change. He wanted to take care of her, for her to rely on him to protect her. He wanted that distinct honor on his hands. He wanted her smiling at him, waking up next to him with her soft smile. He wanted all that gorgeous arousal she had for him and he wanted to taste it, touch it, every single day until he knew her inside and out.

He had to speak to her. He had to tell her. And he had to do it now.

Dom strode to his desk, picked up his phone, and dialed her number. The phone rang on and on. He hung up and called her cell phone again. He’d paid her bill for the next twelve months so her phone couldn’t be shut off. There was no reason she shouldn’t be at home and answering her damn phone right now.

Slamming the phone down he disconnected the call and dialed Graham.

The guard answered immediately. “Aye?”

“Put Felicity on the phone.”

A heavy pause. “I don’t think that’s such a good idea, Dom.”

Dom’s breathing grew heavy as anger filled him. Something was wrong. Something bad. He knew it deep in his soul as surely as he knew he loved her.

“Mind telling me why?”

A long sigh then, “She said she doesn’t want to speak to you. She said you might try calling one of us.”

The muscle beneath Dom’s right eye twitched. “What?”

Surely he hadn’t heard any of that correctly.

“She’s been acting strange ever since Helena came by. I tried not to let her in by the stupid guard on duty let her pass.”

The floor was taken out from under him. He collapsed back into his char. Helena. At Felicity’s. He knew without being told. He knew exactly what she’d done and why.

“Strange how, Graham?”

“She’s been really quiet in the house and she’s getting dressed up. I think she’s going out.”

“I want you to drive her straight here.”

“I can’t do that, Dom.”

“Excuse me? I couldn’t have heard you correctly,” Dom said slowly. Churning, hot anger built inside his cold bones.

“Your brother pays me, not you, Dom. I’m sorry, man.”

“Never mind. I’ll be right there.”

Another heavy pause. “Not sure that’s a good idea.”

“I don’t care what you think.”

Dom slammed the phone down and was out of the house in the next second. His heart raced in a way it never had before, in dread.

He drove too fast to be safe but arrived at her house just as her front door opened and she stepped out. Her eyes flew to his and he had a moment to see sorrow there before her expression grew blank.

What the hell is going on here?

She knows about the lie, you ass.

He wanted to roar and take off heads, and most of all, he wanted to tear that blank expression off her face until she was smiling up at him again. He jammed the car into park then hopped out of his seat.

“What’s going on here?”

Graham stepped in front of him blocking him from Felicity. His body tensed as he locked eyes with the bodyguard. A deadly cold came over him, readying him to fight.

“Step aside, Graham.”

“I can’t do that, Dom.”

Dom took a step forward ready to let his fist get acquainted with the stupid bodyguard.

Then she spoke. “It’s okay, let him up.”

Dom glared at Graham as he slowly stepped to the side, then Dom mounted the steps to her front door. He kept waiting for her to smile and tell him with was a game or a joke, but she didn’t.

Instead, she stood in her doorway, blocking it. She looked incredible. She wore a flowing black skirt that fell to her knees, a pair of high heels that did incredible things to her calf muscles and showed off trim ankles, and a soft pink blouse that fit her breasts perfectly while showing off her slender neck. A lovely neck that he wanted to curl his hands around so he could feel her pulse pound as she rode him; a neck he wanted to lick every inch of until he finally, slowly, sank his fangs into her and tasted her.

“Going out?” he said.

“Yes, I am.”

One hand curled into a fist. He looked away to reign in his temper then looked back down at her. “You mind explaining how I left here this morning after nearly fucking you and now you’re giving me the cold shoulder?”

A blink was the only sign she gave that she heard him. “Stay here.”

She walked into the house, grabbed something off the kitchen table, then held it out to him. His gut clenched. It was bad. Whatever was on the paper was the cause of all of this change.

Dom grabbed the paper and felt his blood run cold.

It was a picture of him and Julianna at a campaign ball. She was smiling demurely up at him and he had his hand tucked around her waist. The picture was taken at one of the balls he’d taken Julianna to after he told Felicity that he’d broken it off with Julianna. The headline above the magazine article read:
V-Society’s most glamorous new couple!

Fuck.

“I can explain.”

Could he? He had lied, after all. He would have done anything, would still do anything, to keep her close.

“I’d love to hear that, but if you’ll excuse me I have somewhere to be.”

She squeezed past him and locked the front door.

“Where are you going?”

“That’s none of your business.”

“Bullshit it isn’t.”

Still she didn’t scream at him, she didn’t hit him, she wouldn’t even look at him. The pain in his chest was crushing.

“Felicity, please—”

“Don’t,” she said, and then strode down the steps. Toward Graham

He followed her, panic and anger mixing into something desperate and ugly. “I can explain this.”

“I really don’t care.” To Graham she smiled softly. “I’m ready now.”

The bodyguards filled the SUV as they prepared to take her wherever she was going. She looked ready for a night on the town.

Dom considered his options. He could stand there like an idiot and watch his woman drive away with her guards or he could do something about it.

He decided. In a flash, he had Felicity over his shoulder and shoved into the passenger seat of his car. Graham rounded on him and Dom let loose a punch that broke teeth before the guard had a chance to move. The other guards hesitated. After all, Grayson might have hired them but Gray was Dom’s brother. He could see the apprehension of attacking their boss’s brother glinting in their eyes.

“She’s coming with me. You can follow us or not, that’s up to you.”

He stared them down. Graham wiped the blood from his mouth looking furious and ready for a fight, but he turned and nodded to his team. “We’ll follow behind. Do anything stupid, Dom, and I’ll take you out. You hear me?”

Felicity tried to get out of the car, but he shoved her back inside and slammed the door shut. Racing to the other side, he had the car in drive and peeled out before she could try to jump out.

It took several minutes before he felt calm enough to speak. “I deserve an explanation,” he said.

She snorted. “I don’t think you deserve anything.”

“So you know about...”

She let out a laugh that sounded a lot as if she was trying not to cry. He cast a glance at her to make sure she wasn’t. He couldn’t handle her tears right now. Right now he needed to fix this, he needed to be as close to her as possible. He had to bring them back together. He needed her. He loved her.

“Yes, I know that you lied to me, Dom. I know that you didn’t really break off the engagement with Julianna. I know that you’re still mating with her in a matter of days, and I know that the reason you didn’t want me to stop working on the decorations for the mating ceremony is because there will still be one. And here I thought everything was finally going my way.” She laughed bitterly, the sound cracking a place in his heart.

“I did lie—”

“I know you did,” she snapped.

He continued over her interruption. “I lied because I know I need to mate with Julianna to help secure enough votes for the presidency, and I can’t let you go. You’re mine Felicity. I’d do anything to keep you. I can’t tell you how sorry I am about this.”

She laughed again. “You’re not sorry. You’re smart and you were smart enough to know exactly what you were doing when you did it. You got what you wanted, for a short while anyway. Lady Julianna will still be yours but I guess I didn’t hold up my end of the bargain. You didn’t get to fuck me.”

“I have not fucked either of you,” he growled.

“At least there is that.”

“I care nothing for her.”

Suddenly, she spun in her seat to face him. Her eyes blazed with raw, bright pain. “Then why don’t you leave her and take me instead!”

Her outburst stunned him. Not that he hadn’t thought of the very same thing himself, but at her enthusiasm at the idea. She wanted him as much as he did her. That knowledge made the pressure over his heart ease considerably. If she cared then she wouldn’t really leave him.

“Felicity, it’s not that easy. Our people need a strong vampire as president. You know this.”

“Don’t tell me what you think I know.”

He grinded his teeth as his patience slipped a notch. “I’m sorry I hurt you. I never meant to. I’m asking you to forgive me, please.” God, it hurt to say the words. To beg and plead, but for her he’d do it.

“What did you think would happen? Honestly? Did you think I wouldn’t find out? Did you think that come the day of the ceremony I wouldn’t figure out that it wasn’t a presidential party, but a fucking
mating ceremony?
I’m not stupid, Dom.”

“I don’t think you are,” he said between tight teeth.

“Apparently you do. What does Julianna have to say about this? I’m sure as your
bruid
she’s none too happy that you were in my bed this morning.”

“She doesn’t know anything about it, and I haven’t touched her.”

She glared at him with bright eyes. “You’ll have to after the ceremony to make it complete. I guess it won’t be so hard for you having been so long without a woman and all.”

“What the hell is that supposed to mean?”

“Did you do all of this just to sleep with me? You had to have known I’d find out soon with the mating ceremony only days away. Did you tell me that you broke it off with her just so you could fuck me?”

His hands gripped the steering so hard the leather creaked. “No,” he bit out.

“Funny, I don’t believe you.”

“I’m not lying.” He’d lied because he couldn’t stand the thought of losing her and he’d do anything to keep her. He wanted so much more from her than a fuck. He wanted her smiles, her conversations, her everything.

Her eyes cut to him, then cut him to the quick. “That’s the thing about lying, it breaks one’s trust. Now I can’t tell your lies from the truth, Dom.” She lifted her chin and stared out the front window. “Drop me off at the nearest corner. I don’t want to be around you.”

His chest had a crushing weight on it. He hissed in a breath at her blow. “I can’t let you go, Felicity. I care too much.”

She didn’t say anything for a long minute and he glanced over at her to find her blinking rapidly trying to fight back tears.

“Fuck!” His fist slammed into the steering wheel with each outburst “Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!”

She didn’t jump at his outburst, but she did stiffen and he hated that too.

“Pull over,” she repeated softly.

“No, I’m taking you to the estate.”

She tensed. “I really don’t want to be there. We might run into your
bruid
, after all.”

He hissed at the low jab. “Sweets, you really know how to fight, don’t you?”

She shook her head. “This isn’t about knowing how to fight. It’s about being honest. You lied to me. You made me believe you when this whole time you were never going to leave her. You were never going to give me a chance. It was always her,” she said raggedly, softly, her voice tortured.

“Baby—”

“Take me home!” she screamed, the sound nearly making his ears bleed.

“I can’t do that.” He looked over at her. Tears glimmered in her eyes, her forehead was creased with stress lines, her mouth pulled into a deep frown, and still she made his heart ache. “Don’t you see? I fucking love you, Felicity. I can’t let you go.”

She started blinking fast. “What did you say?” she whispered.

“I said I fucking love you.” His cheeks burned at baring his soul, but if that’s what it took he’d do it a thousand times a day for the rest of his life.

Suddenly her small fist slammed into his cheek. His head jerked left as throbbing pain burst at his jawline. She had quite the punch.

“What the fuck!”

Her chest heaved, her teeth bared, and eyes glowed red as the vampire in her came out. “I hate you.”

“Well, I love you.”

“If you loved me then you’d make me your
bruid
!”

He stilled and for a brief moment, considering it. They’d plaster her name everywhere. They’d find every little piece of dirt possible on her from her history to her mother's to her father's. They would leave no stone unturned and they’d do it within a matter of hours. Word would spread fast. With Zeke playing ugly, he’d make certain the rumors spread were nasty. Julianna was safe and had an impeccable past; her family was untouched by scandal. Not even Zeke could find dirt on her, but Felicity... Dom had seen Vas’s file on her. They had enough there to make her family look bad which would in turn make her look bad. It wouldn’t work. Then again, with Julianna on his side he was losing the race.

“I love you but I can’t make you my
bruid
. I’d never win.”

“I hate you.”

Dom rubbed at the twinge in his ribcage, but nothing he did could make it go away. His body felt ragged down to his bones with pain. He pulled up the long drive of his estate and put the car in park.

“Felicity...listen, damn, I’m sorry. I’m sorry about all of this, but I wouldn’t take it back, not if it meant taking back what we had last night and this morning.”