Taste of Torment

Chapter Nineteen

(Sam)

Where the bloody hell was Jared? As I scanned the crowded parlour room wherein soft piano music was playing and smartly-dressed vampires were standing around drinking champagne-flavoured NSTs, I was reminded of the reception of my Binding ceremony. This type of posh, formal gathering wasn’t at all my thing, but it was part of the build-up to the Coronation, so there wasn’t a lot I could do about it. Yep, in under an hour’s time, Jared and I would be officially declared the Grand High Pair.

Note to self: When Jared and I step down from our positions, make the pre-party to the Coronation fun.

It had been three weeks since the attack on The Hollow, and with the help of hundreds of volunteers, the place was miraculously back to its original state – if not better. There were slight differences here and there. The main difference was that half of the mansion was now office space. When Antonio had heard that Jared and I didn’t want to move into the mansion – it just wouldn’t have felt right to us, it seemed too much like Antonio’s home – he had insisted on minimising his ‘living quarters’. He felt that us having individual work space in the very centre of the community placed significance on our role in The Hollow.

He had also insisted that the Grand High Pair couldn’t live in a simple apartment. Jared and I had told him not to be daft, that we didn’t care where we lived and didn’t need a spacious, luxurious home. So what had Antonio done? Built us a house. I had been pissed off about his complete lack of respect for our wishes until I realised that the house was built on the beach. Antonio, the sneaky sod, knew I loved the beach and that I’d find this too hard to resist. I’d still ranted at him a little. But he’d been perfectly aware that I’d been absolutely thrilled with the house – the fact that I’d uncharacteristically kissed him on the cheek might have tipped him off.

Spotting Wes with his mate and two of the High Masters Rowan and Ricardo, I made my way over to them. Wes thought of Jared as a grandson, so he had no doubt spoken to him at some point in the past hour. Although tradition was for only a few witnesses to be present at a Coronation while everyone else watched over V-Tube, Antonio had felt that these allies who had come to us at the greatest possible hour of need and had aided us in fixing The Hollow deserved to be present if they so desired. He had a good point.

Noticing me, Wes turned away from the group. “Sam,” he drawled with an affectionate smile. He placed his hands on my upper arms. “You look”

I held up my hand. “Let me stop you right there. Compliments aren’t my thing.” Of course he already knew that.

“Don’t tease her, Wes,” his mate, Leona, gently admonished. She gave me a brief hug. “How are you feeling? Nervous?”

Nervous? Definitely. But admit that to others? Not likely. “I’m fine.”

“I would be nervous in your shoes,” said Ricardo.

I smiled brightly at him. “Hello, Rick.”

His expression hardened in annoyance. “It is Ricardo.”

“Right, that’s what I said.”

Rowan shook his head, amused. “You cannot resist needling him, can you?”

Of course I couldn’t resist.

Marcia, Rowan’s mate, suddenly came to his side. She shot me a genuine smile. “It’s not often that I see you alone. Where’s your mate?”

“I have no idea, that’s why I’m here.” Turning back to Wes, I asked, “I don’t suppose you’ve seen Jared anywhere, have you?”

Wes gestured behind him. “He was talking with your personal assistant a moment ago.”

“Great, thanks.” Giving each of them a brief wave, I walked to where Fletcher stood, laughing, with Norm, Ava, and Cristiano…but there was no Jared. I went to speak, but Fletcher pulled me into a hug that was tight enough to squeeze the breath from my lungs. “Can’t. Breathe.”

He loosened his hold. “Oh don’t be so dramatic.”

I could only gape at that. “This is coming from the drama queen of the century?”

Norm laughed. “Of every century,” he corrected. When Fletcher scowled at him, he patted his back. “But you’re my drama queen, aren’t you?” That made Fletcher smile.

I stifled a chuckle. “Ooh, good save.”

Norm winked at me. “Thanks.”

Ava snatched me from Fletcher’s arms and hugged me just as tightly. The tiny female was weirdly strong. “I’m so excited about the Coronation.” Pulling back, she gasped. “I love this dress.”

“As usual, Fletcher can take the credit.” The white halter-neck was, like everything else he’d ever given me, a snug but perfect fit.

“I’m going to miss you.” Ava pouted cutely.

“You don’t have to leave. In fact, I’m hoping you don’t. I have plans for you.” She looked at me questioningly, but I simply gave her a mysterious smile. “All will be revealed shortly.”

Cristiano arched a brow. “I’m guessing that invitation doesn’t extend to me.” Most likely in response to my ‘oh shit’ expression, he shook his head. “Joke. I’m eager to get back to my nest. I’ve been away from them for long enough. Actually, I’ll be leaving straight after the Coronation.”

That was good, because although Jared had grown to…tolerate Cristiano, I knew he wouldn’t cope with him on a permanent basis. “Be a better leader than Victor was.”

“That goes without saying.” He tilted his head. “Joy left last night, you know.”

“Really?” Jared had predicted that she wouldn’t want to serve us directly, but…“We’d sort of reached a truce after she killed Eloise.” I shrugged. “Clearly the truce is over.”

“Just because someone can accept that they can’t have the person they want doesn’t mean that they can stand to watch that person with someone else.”

The odd look on his face made me frown. “You all right?”

He nodded, swallowing hard. “You, er…take care.” He looked like he wanted to say more, but instead he just smiled. It wasn’t one of his usual smirks. It was an actual smile.

“I will. You, too.” I nudged Fletcher. “Where did Jared go after you spoke to him?”

Fletcher frowned thoughtfully. “He said something about going to find you, but then Antonio called him over.”

Knowing Antonio was near the patio doors with Lucy, Sebastian, and Luther, I said, “Okay, thanks.” It wasn’t until Fletcher grabbed my hands that I realised I’d been fidgeting nervously.

Fletcher kissed both of my cheeks. “You’ll be fine, luv. You might want to put on a little blusher – you’re white as a sheet with nerves.”

“I’m not nervous.” I gave him a gentle shove and then went to seek out Jared. Instead, I came face-to-face with Max, who stood with Chico, Jude, Damien, Denny, and David.

“Coach,” Max greeted with a wide smile and a manly pat on the back. “Damn, you’re pale – even for a vampire.”

Denny cocked his head at me. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you nervous before. It’s weird.”

Jude gave him a ‘Seriously?’ look. “Wouldn’t you be nervous if you were about to be crowned Queen of the Undead?”

“Queen of the Undead,” drawled Chico, curling an arm around her. “I like that.”

I resisted shifting from foot to foot. “I’m not nervous. I’m just not feeling too good.”

“Because you’re nervous,” said Damien. At my scowl, he held up his hands in a gesture of innocence.

It didn’t placate me. “I’ll speak to you all later. I’ve got to find Jared.”

David frowned. “I’m surprised he’s left your side.”

“I was late getting ready, so I told him to go on ahead of me.”

“Late because you’re nervous,” Damien again insisted. So I slapped him over the head. “Ow, Coach, that was just mean.”

Snorting, I advanced toward the patio doors…only to find that Antonio, Lucy, Sebastian, and Luther were no longer there. More importantly, neither was Jared. I knew through our link that he was close, but I didn’t know his exact location. If I’d have had his gift to teleport, I could have used the link to take me immediately to him.

Inwardly growling, I still headed for the patio doors, wondering if they had wandered outside. As I neared the doors, I saw that Butch, Salem, Stuart, Reuben, Harvey, Paige, and Imani were huddled in the corner. It wasn’t a surprise to find that Butch was standing a little too close to Imani, or that Stuart was teasing Paige, or that Salem had his eyes on Ava despite that she was at the other side of the room. “Any of you seen Jared?”

Harvey turned to face me. “Well hello to you too, Coach. I’m doing great, thanks.”

I rolled my eyes. “Have you seen him or not?”

Paige pointed to the patio doors. “He was there a minute ago.” Imani nodded.

“Wow, Coach, you’re kind of…pale,” said Stuart with a wince.

Reuben grimaced. “Seriously pale.”

“I’m a vampire. I’m hardly going to have a bloody tan, am I?”

Butch snickered. “I think Jared might have gone outside.”

“Thanks.” I went to walk away, but then I noticed that Salem’s heated look had morphed into a scowl. Tracking his gaze, I saw that Damien was flirting with Ava. “You know, you could just go over there and talk to her.”

Salem frowned down at me. “I talk to her.”

“But you also blow hot and cold with her.”

He sighed. “She’s…”

“What?”

“Good…and I’m not.”

He flinched when I slapped his arm. “Hey, what was that for?”

“None of us are particularly ‘good’, Salem, or we’d be crap at our job. But we’re not ‘bad’.”

He sighed again. “She’s leaving with her brother tonight anyway.”

“Don’t be too sure of that.” I didn’t respond to his arched brow. Instead, I turned away and headed outside. My vampire night vision enabled me to easily spot Antonio, Lucy, Sebastian, and Luther at the other side of the pool…but no Jared. I was starting to wonder if he was deliberately avoiding me, if maybe he was having second thoughts about the Coronation. I could pick up through our link that he was slightly nervous, but he was also excited. If he was having doubts, he was doing an extremely good job of hiding them from me.

Confused and frustrated, I went to Antonio and the others. He gave me a beaming smile. “Sam, you look…” – his smile faltered – “annoyed.”

“My mate seems to be avoiding me.”

Lucy shook her head. “He said he was going to find you, but then Evan came and took him aside.” She pointed to where the brothers were standing on the fringe of the beach. Finally.

Sebastian studied my face. “Aside from annoyed, how are you feeling?”

I shrugged nonchalantly. “Fine.”

Luther twisted his mouth. “You’re rather…pale.”

I was getting sick of people commenting on that, even though it was true. I gave him a sardonic smile. “You’re good for the ego, Gandalf.” He just grinned.

Antonio curved an arm around my shoulders. “It is okay to be nervous. It does not make you weak.”

Lucy nodded. “It happens to us all.” Currently, it was happening to her. She had every right to be nervous. The plan was for Antonio to Turn her later tonight. She had actually confessed her worries about being a Keja to him. Antonio had offered to have a Sventé Turn her – he really was too sweet. But she had changed her mind, not wanting to be linked to anyone other than him. I knew that had relieved Antonio.

If Jared and I had been in that situation, he wouldn’t have given me the option of being Turned by another, he would have hounded me until I changed my mind. Jared wasn’t the ‘sweet’ type, but that was fine with me. If I had a ‘sweet’ person, I’d make them cry sooner or later.

“You should go and get Jared,” Antonio told me. “It is almost time for the Coronation.”

Nodding, I moved out of his hold and made my way to the brothers. When they sensed my approach, they both turned. I halted. “Am I interrupting anything?”

“No,” Evan assured me, gesturing for me to come closer.

Jared held out his hand. “Get over here, baby.”

Walking to him, I slipped my hand in his, allowing him to tug me to his side. When he frowned at my expression, I pointed hard at him. “Tell me I look pale and I’ll”

His mouth landed on mine, giving me a hard but sensual kiss. The second the stiffness left my body, he broke the kiss and briefly sucked on my bottom lip. “Better?”

Yes, actually. Weirdly, his kisses had a way of calming my nerves. Relaxing against Jared, I looked at Evan. “Where’s Alora?”

“Chatting to a bird,” he replied dryly.

Not what I’d expected to hear.

“I was just telling Jared that I asked her to Bind with me in a few months’ time.”

“Really?”

“She said no.” Strangely, he didn’t sound guttered. In fact, he’d used the same tone that one might use when referring to a confused toddler...like it was kind of cute that she thought she had a choice. Yeah, well, Evan’s determined streak wouldn’t allow him to ever accept a ‘no’ from Alora. He’d been waiting too long to find her.

“You can hardly blame her,” I said gently. “I mean, she’s only just got out of one Binding. It makes sense for her not to want to throw herself into another one straight away. Give her some time.”

Evan smiled. “They were almost her exact words. I’m just happy that she’s no longer joined to that prick. It means we can have that one day, when she’s ready – thanks to Imani. I owe that girl more than she can ever realise.” Imani had used her gift to sever the bond between Alora and Gregory. I was guessing that the bloke hadn’t taken it very well, but fuck him. Alora belonged with Evan – anyone could see it.

Jared cocked his head at Evan. “Ironic how much I panicked about bringing Paige here. If she hadn’t come, I’d have lost Sam and you for sure. And if Paige had never requested refuge for her and Imani, we would never have realised that Imani is your only chance to be able to Bind with Alora one day.”

Evan nodded. “It seems like sometimes we have to go the long way round before getting to the place we need to be – if that even makes any sense.” Seeing Alora approaching, he raised his arm invitingly. She melted against him, smiling. “Did the bird have anything interesting to say?”

She gave him a playfully impatient look. “So, what have I missed?”

“We were just talking about Imani and Paige.” Evan looked at me then. “I heard that Paige was having second thoughts about staying here, worried that people would be told how she’d healed me, you, Max, and Stuart. She didn’t want to become someone’s tool that was put away until the next time The Call surfaced.” Which was totally understandable.

“Antonio doesn’t need to tell anyone anything. The only people who knew that some of the people here had been tainted were Bran, Covington, Langley, Collins, Eloise, and Quentin. The first five are dead, and because Quentin was so grateful for all Antonio’s help and for us rescuing his brother from the humans, he agreed to let Ryder wipe what had happened to us from his memory.” The Pagori had a psychic hand that could search a person’s mind and even steal specific memories, though he couldn’t wipe away years of memory.

“So she and Imani might stay here permanently?” asked Alora.

“I hope so.” I had plans for them.

Able to read me well, Jared narrowed his eyes. “Something I should know, baby?”

“Nah.”

He chuckled. “Fine. I guess as long as it’s not that you’re planning to run, it doesn’t matter for now. Besides, Evan…we have something to ask you.”

Evan stiffened, but his smile remained in place. “What?”

“Sam and I would like to ask you…if you’ll accept the position of Heir.”

Shock painted Evan’s features as his mouth started bopping open and closed like a landed fish.

Jared pinned him with his gaze. “This isn’t because you’re my brother – I need you to know that. It’s because you’re the one person we trust to do the best for all vampirekind and to protect those who need it. I know it’s not something you originally would have wanted, so I understand if” Evan’s abrupt, solid, one-armed hug cut Jared off. “Is that a yes?”

Releasing his twin, Evan cleared his throat and nodded, doing his best to look cool about it all. “It’s a yes.” Evan turned to Alora. “Oh, but I”

She put her index finger against his lips. “This doesn’t change anything. I still want to be with you. It’s a scary thought to one day rule, but I have a perfectly good role model in Sam.”

Me a role model? I inwardly snorted.

“You’re fidgeting,” Jared noted, tucking my hair behind my ear. That was when I realised that I’d been clasping and unclasping my hands. I instantly relaxed them, blanking my expression. Cupping my chin, he turned me to fully face him. “You don’t have to put on an act for me. It’s perfectly normal to be nervous right now. Hell, even I am. I don’t think this is something anyone can ever really be totally ready for – not even me, and I’ve had a hell of a lot longer to get used to the idea than you have. If you need more time”

I squeezed his hand, shaking my head as much as his grip would allow. “Stop worrying about me. I’m as ready for this as I’m ever going to be.” And that was all I could really ask of myself.

Hearing someone delicately clear their throat, we all swerved to find Antonio. He smiled. “It is time.”

(Jared)

Five minutes later, Sam and I were standing hand-in-hand on the man-made podium of the parlour room while Antonio, who was in front of it with the Prelate, gestured for silence. It was the same Prelate that had performed the Binding ceremony. I hadn’t been kidding when I told Sam I was nervous, but luckily they were good nerves. Still, having all these people about to witness our Coronation and knowing that the whole thing was being shown live on V-Tube…it was a little unnerving.

“I realise that it is unusual for so many to be present at a Coronation,” began Antonio, addressing those witnessing over V-Tube. “But I think we can all agree that it was unusual circumstances that brought these vampires here. Their aid and support will never be forgotten. And neither will the actions of the pair you see here – Samantha Parker and Jared Michaels.”

Sensing Sam’s anxiety intensify, I comfortingly rubbed my thumb along her knuckles.

“I am sure you have all already heard the story of how she was willing to not only give up her bond with her mate but to sacrifice her own life for the lives of so many. I am sure you have also heard of how Jared defended his mate, avenged the harm that she and everyone here had suffered. These are people who will risk themselves for those who are under their protection, who will fight to the death if need be, who will avenge those that have suffered. I do not believe there is a bonded pair who would be better suited to rule and protect vampirekind.”

Antonio looked around the room then, addressing everyone. “And so I hope you will all follow and support them as I step down from my position and they rise as the Grand High Pair.” Sam’s hand tightened on mine as both Antonio and the Prelate joined us on the podium. They each laid a hand over our clasped ones, smiling.

The Prelate spoke then. “With everyone here as witness, do you, Antonio, relinquish your position as Grand High Master?”

“I do.”

“Samantha, Jared – will you both agree to lead in his stead?”

“We do,” she and I both said in unison.

“Do you accept their pledge, Antonio?”

Antonio smiled widely, proudly. “I do.”

The Prelate then recited a string of Latin and lifted our raised hands. And it was no more complicated than that.

Antonio’s smile widened as he stepped down from the podium and bowed. Everyone followed suit, including the Prelate.

Oh God, they’re bowing again! Sam was totally freaked out.

It’s all part of the formality.

When we step down, it’s going to be fun, not stiff and…weird.

Stifling a smile, I brushed my thumb over her knuckles again. When Antonio gestured for me to speak, I turned my attention to our audience. “Before I say anything else, I have to thank all of the people who came and joined us against Harry Covington. I also have to thank all of you for accepting Sam’s hybrid status. It was a change that was forced upon her, and she didn’t deserve to be punished for something that she’d never wanted by being hunted or targeted.”

To come after Sam would be to face the wrath of every single resident of The Hollow. Whether she realised it or not, they were as much her protectors as she was theirs.

“With regards to replacing Antonio, I’m torn about the whole thing. On the one hand, this position is an honour and it’s one that I’ll enjoy. But on the other hand, I’ll miss having Antonio as our Grand High Master. I’ll also miss my life as it is now…which is why Sam and I have decided that some changes should be made.”

The Prelate looked horrified by the prospect.

I squeezed her hand. “Want to take the floor, baby?”

She didn’t, I could sense, but I knew that she wouldn’t back out. We’d discussed in advance how this would go, and this was as important to Sam as it was to me. Taking a deep breath, she announced, “Jared and I won’t be isolating ourselves the way that rulers have done before us. It’s not in our nature to sit back and dish out orders while everyone else takes the risks. We like to be in the thick of things. That’s why, although we’ll no longer be Commanders within the legion, we’ll still be personally commanding the squad we have trained.”

Since I was watching all ten of the guys closely, I saw the effect that this emotionally had on them. Hell, not even the mostly emotionless Butch had been untouched by that, though he tried to cover it quickly by bowing his head.

Jokingly, Sam added, “I mean, really, how could we – in good conscience – hand over those awkward sods to another Commander?” The guys just laughed. “They’ll be thought of as the personal squad of the Grand High Pair. Oh and Fletcher, you’ll be remaining our PA.”

Unreal as it was, Fletcher was actually crying and dabbing his eyes with a tissue, while an amused Norm was patting his shoulder.

Sam continued. “The next few matters are kind of close to my heart. There will be no consorts within The Hollow from this night forward – anyone who knows me will no doubt find this amusing, but I don’t care.” And they did find it amusing; the entire room was laughing. “Bonk as much as you want, but if you want exclusivity, you give those girls – or blokes, in some cases – a better title than ‘consort”; that’s all I’m saying. I hope this will become a trend worldwide, but that’s up to you.

“As for anyone who doesn’t want their maker at the Binding ceremony, they don’t have to have them there – sod their rights. Also, the act of Turning humans against their will is punishable by death from this night onwards. Hey, if you’re going to take someone’s human life, why shouldn’t I take your vampire life?” And that was a pretty good point. It was a point a lot of people would agree with, since almost half of the population hadn’t chosen this life for themselves.

“And lastly…”

Lastly? She should have been done by now.

“As part of rebuilding the legion, I’ll be introducing an all-female squad.”

Smiling, I groaned. I shouldn’t have been at all surprised.

“My hope is that the females in this room by the names of Alora, Jude, Ava, Paige, and Imani will accept a place in that squad – you have all earned it.” Going by their pleased expressions, they intended to accept her offer. “Sebastian has agreed to help me scout for other additions to the legion as a whole. So if there’s anyone out there – male or female, Pagori or Keja or Sventé – who thinks they have what it takes, I look forward to meeting you. For now, though, I’m going to say goodbye so I can go spend some time with my mate.”

As everyone clapped and cheers rang out, I turned to face her. “An all-female squad, huh? I should have seen that coming.”

She smoothed out the collar of my shirt. “It will make things interesting.”

Before I had the chance to agree, Luther and Sebastian joined us on the podium, bowing – and, thus, freaking Sam out again.

“The bowing is not necessary,” she assured them.

Sebastian smiled at her fondly. “We just want you to understand that we have pledged our loyalty to you.”

“A few words of explanation could have cleared that up just fine,” she told him.

“We will serve you as we have served Antonio,” vowed Luther…who was just the person that I wanted to speak to.

While Sebastian chatted with Sam, I took Luther aside. “I wanted to ask you something. Your visions…do they always come true?”

My question clearly surprised him. “No. Most of them do, and most of them are extremely accurate, but not all. I have come to think of them as warnings rather than glimpses of what is coming.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, if what I see is something bad, it gives me the ability to find some way to prevent it from happening. That would suggest that the future is not set in stone. We can change it.” He studied my expression for moment. “Your vision did not come true,” he guessed. Although Luther could help a person have a vision, he never saw that vision for himself.

I jiggled my head. “Part of it did. The thing is…I was happy in the vision. No, not happy. I was content. So the vision wasn’t bad, although I’m happier and more content with the way things are now.”

He thought on that for a few seconds. “Then maybe the vision was a warning. A warning that if you remained on the path that you were then on, the future ahead of you would not be one of total fulfillment.”

That would make sense. Back then, I hadn’t believed that I was built for relationships or that there was any point to them. I’d been fine with being mostly alone, with only having consorts. Maybe I would have been reasonably content if I had continued that way because I wouldn’t have known what I was missing. Now though, I couldn’t even imagine being without Sam. It was her who had changed my perceptions on relationships. “In other words, it was a warning to get my shit together?”

Luther chuckled. “Yes, I would say so. I have had my fair share of those.”

Feeling better, lighter, I smiled and patted his upper arm. “Thanks, Luther.”

“You do not need to thank me. I am your Advisor now.”

“Just don’t think that means you need to be a constant companion for Sam and me. It’s obvious that you and Sebastian spend so much time with Antonio because he’s a close friend. You should continue to do that. I can teleport to you if I need your advice – which will probably be often, but you know what I’m getting at.”

“You are telling me to ensure that I live my own life and not to allow my position to dictate who I am.”

“I once made that mistake. I don’t want you to do the same.”

He nodded. “Then I will take your advice, as you will take mine. Now go and rescue your mate from Sebastian – he is teasing her about how her initial doubts to attend the try-outs could have led to her missing out on all that she has now. She is not impressed.”

Glancing at her, I realised that no, she wasn’t impressed at all. I smoothly came to her side. “Thanks for keeping her company, Sebastian.”

Taking the hint, he nodded and walked away, seeming extremely too amused for Sam’s liking.

She gave me a grateful look. “I have to wonder if he’s curious about how much my whip hurts. Surely common sense told him that this is not the right time to wind me up.”

Cupping her neck, I searched her gaze. “You sure you’re okay? I mean, this probably wouldn’t have been something you’d have taken on if it wasn’t for me being Heir. And yet you Bound yourself to me anyway.”

“Why wouldn’t I? You’re good in bed. You get rid of unwelcome creepy crawlies. You don’t leave the toilet seat up. And, being nice and tall, you can reach all those places that I can’t reach. I reckon I got a good deal.”

Laughing, I pulled her flush against me. “Maybe you think you got a good deal. The truth is that you could have done better. But no one else would have loved you like I do.” I kissed her gently, meaning every word. “Tell me you know that even though we have all these huge responsibilities now, you’ll still always come first to me.”

“I know.”

That was easy. I arched a brow, surprised by the confidence in her response. “You do?”

“It’s kind of hard not to believe you when you won’t stop harping on about it.”

“I don’t harp.”

“Yes, you do.” She slid her arms around my neck. “And, for the record, I did in fact get a good deal. I love you in spite of the harping, and the overprotectiveness, and the fact that you’re squeezing my arse in front of all these people and while anyone watching over V-Tube can see.”

“Can’t help it.” I gave it another squeeze. “Do you remember what you said to me the first night we met?”

“Now who’s the pretty girl?” she offered, referring to the time we had duelled and she had put me on my ass.

I scowled. “No, after that. You said you could improve the squad’s control of their gifts within five nights”

“Actually, I think you’ll find that I originally said ‘seven’ nights.”

“and I proposed a bet: that if you didn’t manage to do it within five nights, I’d get to taste you. But we both know that no one can get you to do anything that you don’t want to do. So the question is: would you have let me bite you if I’d won the bet?”

She pursed her lips. “Using the excuse that I was just honouring the bet…yes. But I’d have wanted you to do it – although hell would have frozen over before I admitted that.”

“I wouldn’t have done it, you know.” I could see that I’d surprised her. “I didn’t want to taste you until I knew for sure that you wanted it. Of course I strongly suspected that you did, but the fact that you enjoyed whipping me and causing me physical pain didn’t instill me with confidence.”

“I’m all about the tough love.”

“You fought me and fought me back then. Fought me on every level…but I wanted you too much, and I was too determined to have you. And now you’re mine.” Not even Imani’s gift could sever our bond; it was solid and untouchable.

Her arms tightened around my neck as she kissed me lightly. “And you’re mine as well.”

“Baby, I’ve been yours since you put me on my ass and called me a pretty girl.”

She laughed. “We should thank Antonio for playing cupid. I’ve got some matchmaking games of my own to plan.” Her smile was impish. “Want to play?”

“What did you have in mind? Or should I say, who?”