Take Me (30 page)

“Then do it,” she’d said in a voice not her own.

Only then did something finally give in him. His wet finger became two inside her and he worked her in that forbidden, unknown channel so perfectly, so tenderly. He pressed his fingers in and out, scissoring them to stretch her.

“Please,” she’d begged.

“What do you need?” he’d growled, his voice so low she almost didn’t hear him.

“I need to come.”

With a low groan, he started working her faster, thrusting in and out of her tight ring. It felt incredible, bordering on pain but not quite crossing the line into it. Then he slid a hand around her stomach. Her breath caught and held as she waited. When the touch came, it didn’t disappoint.

His fingers slid across her sex to get wet then came back to press in hard and fast on her clitoris. The hard orgasm that followed couldn’t be stopped, not if the world came to a stop. Fierce cries tore from her throat as her body clamped down on his fingers. Her womb clenched and wept, disappointed that his cock wasn’t there to fill it as it should be. She wanted it all she realized, his cock inside her, his fingers in her dark ring making her feel this tremendous ecstasy, and his fingers circling her clit. All at once. All of him. She needed it with such intensity she could almost imagine the pleasure.

She’d screamed his name until finally the pleasure had ebbed and he’d curled against her in the bed, his hard cock blazing hot with unreleased passion. She’d wanted to ease him, to question him about why he wouldn’t take her, but he shushed her and pulled her into his arms until she fell asleep.

“Felicity!” The familiar male voice pushed all memories of last night away as she finally came fully awake. What she saw made a slow smile curl over her lips. Dom stood above her, dressed in a dark grey suit. He looked so amazing that her gut clenched just looking at him.

She smiled up at him. “Good morning, baby.”

His gruff expression relaxed, somewhat. Stress lines still were deep around his eyes and mouth. “You have to get up. You have a long day ahead of you.”

She licked her lips, the memories of what he’d done to her last night still lingering and the wetness between her legs wanted some attention. Throwing off the sheet that covered her warm body she undulated under his gaze. A dark gaze that widened and narrowed as it traced across her body.

“Why don’t you come back to bed for a few minutes, baby?”

His nostrils flared and
then his eyes slammed shut. “I can’t. Not now.”

Disappointment hit her like a ton of bricks. She sat up stiffly, pulling the sheet across her waist. “Okay, I understand.” She didn’t understand.

His ragged sigh brought her gaze back up to him. “Fuck, babe, you look so good I want nothing more than to crawl back into that bed and spend all day inside you.”

Her cheeks warmed. “Then why don’t you?”

He laughed without humor. “Because I’ve made the announcement that you’re to be my
bruid
and tonight we’re going to a campaign ball at the Kensington’s. You need to be ready.”

Felicity felt as though he’s just thrown a bucket of ice-cold water over her head. “What?” she said, her voice high. She couldn’t keep the tremble of fear out of her voice.

She had to campaign with him? That meant he’d expect her to act the part of a perfect political wife...someone more like Julianna. She didn’t know any of the politician’s names. Women like Julianna and Dom’s mother were perfect for this. They knew everyone’s names, what they did, what they contributed, and enough about them to ask questions for idle conversation. Felicity could help them to plan their next big party it so it’d be an event of a lifetime. Her skills hardly were similar.

“You’re going to spend the day with my mother. She’ll tell you everything you need to know. I have to get to work.”

Felicity stood in a rush. “I can’t do this! I can’t! How am I supposed to learn how to be a politician’s
bruid
in only a day?”

Dom curled an arm around her waist and slowly brought their bodies together. The action might have kept her from physically freaking out but it didn’t keep her heart from trying to pound its way out of her chest. How was she supposed to do this? Her, plain and poor Felicity, showing up on the expensive and well-known arm of Dominic Blackmoore. Hell, paparazzi waited at such events just to take his picture. The thought hit her chest like a shotgun blast. She’d be the curiosity at the party; the one everyone would try to get a peek at, and gossip about. They’d take pictures of them together. People would stare and want to know who she was. Poor, uninteresting her. She could almost hear the curious whispers now:
Why is he with
her?
What happened to Julianna?

“I know you can do it. I’ll be there for you. It’ll be fine.”

She searched his face. “If it’s going to be fine then why do you look so stressed?”

A rugged laugh escaped him before he kissed her, dipping her head back and licking once inside her mouth before pulling away. “Probably because it was hard as hell to sleep last night.”

A frown tugged at her lips. “Why?” She found herself curling her body into his to try to make him feel better.

He arched one dark eyebrow. Then it hit her—he hadn’t come last night. A blush crept over her cheeks and she smiled up at him. Her voice was husky as she spoke. “I’d be more than happy to repay you...” Her hand slid down to cup him through his expensive slacks. She found him hard, hot, and heavy.

His head fell back as a long groan escaped him. Then he fisted her hair and crushed her mouth with his, his tongue sweeping inside to plunder her. A muffled moan escaped her as she tightened her grip on his cock, trying to stroke him through his pants.

“Let me—” she whispered against his lips.

He tore his mouth away and physically took a step back. “I can’t. I have to work. Trust me when I say I wouldn’t go if it wasn’t important. Building a new campaign and garnering votes with a new mate at my side is going to take a lot of work.” His eyes trailed down her body once more, and then he shook his head ruefully. “Only two days until the campaign and tomorrow,” he paused to cup her head in his hands, his eyes softening, “tomorrow we have our own ceremony to attend.”

Her breath caught. “What?” Tomorrow would have been the day he would mate with Julianna. In the ceremony she’d planned.

A slow smile formed at his lips. He kissed her gently. “Tomorrow, I’m going to be mated to my new
bruid
in front of all of vampire society. Tomorrow I’ll share my love with you in front of all.”

“Really?” she breathed. She wanted to say more, she really did, but was having trouble forming words. When the man wanted something he sure moved fast.

He nodded then lifted her hand that wore his ring. He looked at the black diamond on her finger then kissed the knuckle by it. “Tomorrow night you become mine in all ways, we'll be inseparable. And then, with you by my side, I’ll await to hear my name called as the next president of the council.”

Tears formed at her eyes but she blinked them away. Her heart felt so light and joyous it could have burst from her chest. Reaching up, she cupped his jaw, and then pulled him down for a kiss. “I love you,” she said against his lips.

His smile reached deep inside of her and released a level of happiness that only he’d ever created. “I love you, sweets.” He kissed her once more, then she knew from his frown that he had to go.

“When will I see you again?”

“Tonight, I’ll be here for most of the day working. I may have to leave so if you need me call me. Your cell is on the dresser. Until tonight,” he promised. He gave her another lingering kiss then left.

Felicity was all alone now at the Blackmoore estate, and she apparently had an appointment with Dominic’s mother. Moving into action, she showered in Dom’s bathroom then dressed in the same clothes she’d come in. She decided, as she pulled on the skirt again, that she wouldn’t be burning it. This skirt now had a lifetime of memories attached to it, for in this skirt she’d broken things off with Dom, had been taken by Dom in a savage, delicious way, then gotten engaged to him. She’d also been given an orgasm in Beth’s apartment, and then had her body worshipped for most of the night. Yes, she’d seriously be keeping this skirt.

After brushing her hair out until she looked somewhat presentable, she made her way out of Dom’s room and found herself in an unfamiliar hallway. She might have seen his bedroom at his “real” house, but not here. She wandered down a hallway and turned right and saw the light of the grand chandelier that adorned the ceiling by the front door. She quickly made her way down the staircase that she’d first seen Helena, Dom’s ex.

As if on cue, the door to the study opened and Dominic Blackmoore’s mother took one step out.

“Ms. Shaw, if you’ll come with me.”

Felicity’s gut clenched with apprehension but she put on a smile and followed Lady Blackmoore into the study. The study was empty this time, no sight of Dominic or his brother Lucas. They were all alone and Felicity self-consciously brushed a lock of wet hair behind her ear. Silence filled the room as she waited for Lady Blackmoore to speak.

Lady Blackmoore took a seat on of the sofa. She sat with her back straight, shoulders square, and her knees bent exactly the same way and pressed together. She made it look easy but Felicity knew she’d never match the same queenly look.

“Please, have a seat. We have much to discuss.”

Felicity took the seat across from her in a chenille wooden framed sofa with thick brown cushions and a floral pattern on the back cushion. Felicity sat, her body naturally mimicking to look like Lady Blackmoore’s.

The older woman sighed, her eyes looking tired but determined. “My son has clued me in on the activities around here. I understand that you are to mate with him tomorrow night.”

“Yes.” Felicity floundered to say more but couldn’t think of anything so she clamped her mouth shut.

Lady Blackmoore’s cool gaze locked on her. “He says he loves you. I don’t believe it, and I don’t say that to be rude or to make you angry. It is simply what I believe. Nonetheless, he has taken with you and the mating ceremony with Lady Greenwich has been called off. In her place tomorrow night you’ll stand. Now, I’m going to tell you something and I want you to listen very carefully.”

Felicity tensed. A mixture of anger and affront surfaced that his mother so blatantly thought her son’s feelings were void. The audacity of the woman. However, the last thing she wanted right now was to create a rift between what would soon be her mother-in-law, someone she’d likely see far more often than her own mother, and her new mate. So, she bit her tongue and lifted her chin a notch.

“All right then, I’m listening, Lady Blackmoore.”

“Please, call me Diane.”

Felicity inclined her head. “Diane.”

“Helena was horrible to my son, and he put up with her antics for far too long. It came as a great relief to me, my dead husband, and the rest of the family when Dominic announced he’d be ending their blood bond. She never saw the greatness inside him. I hope you won’t make that same mistake. For if you do, then I have only one warning to you.”

Felicity swallowed hard, surprised at the change in topic yet pleased to hear that at least they both agreed about how terrible Helena was. “What would that be?”

Diane’s cold gaze could have frozen an ocean into a glacier. “If you’re using him for his name, his wealth, or for anything but because you care for him then I will have you eliminated.”

Whoosh, the air rushed right out of Felicity’s lungs. She didn’t know whether to laugh or run away. The woman was dead serious. She’d have Felicity killed. Felicity looked down at the ring on her finger and smiled.

“I love him. I
really
love him. There was just something there when we first met, and I knew he was something different. I knew we could have something great together. I resisted—as much as I could—though maybe not as much as I could have, but he wore me down. Now, I’m going to mate with one amazing man tomorrow night and I’m going to do it with my chin held high and a smile on my face. I would like to have your support for us not because he’s your son but because you believe in us. And, by the way, you can threaten me all you want because I’m not using him for anything more than
him
and all the great, handsome, brooding that is him. And I love all of that about him.”

Slowly, one of Diane Blackmoore’s eyebrows rose and was matched neatly by a prim smile. “I see my son has chosen wisely.”

Feeling a bit imperious, Felicity sniffed. “Indeed.”

At that, Diane tossed her head back and laughed. Then, before Felicity knew it, she was wrapped in a tight, motherly embrace.

With family business taken care of the next several hours flew by in a whirl.

Diane showed Felicity picture after picture of politician’s faces. Diane taught her their names and their histories until they all started blurring together. The one picture that kept popping up in front of her face was that of the
were
alpha running against Dom for presidency.

“And who is this?” his mother asked, her voice never tiring.

Felicity winced as the hairstylist, Diane’s personal hairstylist, yanked at Felicity’s curling strands as he tried to style it into something Felicity doubted he could do.

“That’s Zeke, alpha and
were
and madman.”

Diane tsked. “You will not use such language tonight or any other night to refer to Alpha Zeke or anyone else for that matter. You must think queenly. You will keep your head high, your shoulders back, and your lips curled into a pleasant smile. Like this, see?”

Felicity gave Diane a bored stare as she smiled a perfect, closed-lipped smile.

“I see. Ouch! Will you take it easy?”

Edwardo the hairstylist glared down at her. “I will not take it easy, lady. You have hair like squirrels live up in here.”

Felicity sputtered. “Excuse me?”

He sniffed and went back to curling her hair. “You heard me, lady. Your hair is so dry if I brought a match within fifteen feet of this wiry mess it’d go up in flames.
Poof
just like that.”