A Vampire's Salvation (A Vampire Romance) Read online

Ever.

  Which meant he’d not only die, but die alone. No spouse and no children, since an unmated male couldn’t even ejaculate inside a female let alone impregnate her.

  Thank God he wouldn’t be suffering such a fate. He’d known that as soon as he’d seen his Frankie.

  He’d only been with the governor for a few days when he’d met her. The pull toward her had been so strong he’d been stunned. When she’d shaken his hand, his body had nearly gone up in flames. By the time he’d recovered, she’d turned away. He’d immediately started planning the best way to get her in his bed.

  His instincts had screamed at him to claim her. Quickly. Thoroughly. Being out of her presence actually caused him increasing physical pain. But his brain had warned him to wait. To take it slow.

  First, he had a job to do, one so important it could affect the future of vampires everywhere. Jake was and always would be an advocate for vampire rights, and most of his people were sick of hiding what they were. Sick of being the brunt of every bad horror movie and vampire joke out there. They wanted to come out of the closet, to live openly alongside the rest of the nation’s citizens, and their best chance for doing so was gaining the support of California’s newest governor and presidential hopeful.

  His second reason for taking it slow was Frankie herself. She was no slut. No female with loose morals, who was going to be led around by her hormones. If he wanted inside her body, he’d have to win over her heart and mind first. Then, once she surrendered to him physically, he’d work on the rest—explaining what he was, making her immortal, and ensuring he spent a lifetime pleasing and loving her.

  As always, Jake had listened to his brain. Time had proven his decision to be a wise one.

  Over the past six months, he’d seen Frankie shoot down every man, who asked her out. She did it by rote, as if she’d never even consider the possibility of dating someone at work. As far as he knew, she didn’t date at all. Someone that averse to intimacy was going to need convincing when it came to taking a strong alpha male—let alone one who was a vampire—into her bed and life. So he’d waited. And watched. And slowly made her grow accustomed to his sheer presence.

  It had nearly killed him, particularly because he’d refused to bed any other woman since meeting her. Although an unmated vampire couldn’t ejaculate inside a female, he could still achieve some semblance of sexual release. He’d always been able to find a certain amount of fulfillment in female companionship before.

  After meeting Frankie, however, that had come to an end; he’d tried once and his body had rebelled against the female’s touch. He hadn’t even been able to drink from her; the first taste of her blood on his tongue had been bitter, making him gag. Nowadays, he had to subsist on the blood of males or bottled blood, and neither one was his blood of choice. There was something special about a female’s blood. A subtle sweetness that appeased hunger but also enthralled a male’s other senses…

  It was no wonder his body sprang to attention and his fangs ached to lengthen every time Frankie came within five feet of him. In a way, the past six months had cemented him to her, as well. She would be his only means of sustenance from here on out. And she didn’t even know it yet.

  He knew she felt the same pull of attraction he did. He sensed it in the way she looked at him when she thought he wouldn’t notice. In the way she wouldn’t look at him when he talked to her. And in the way her breathing escalated when he got close. But she was tentative around him. Unsure when she was normally so confident. Content with fantasizing about what she thought she shouldn’t or couldn’t have.

  Well, no more. Jake was going to show her that fantasies weren’t nearly as satisfying as the real thing, even if it was with a real vampire.

  Beginning right now.

  ***

  He wanted something from her, Frankie thought, even as she tried to calm her racing heart. And from the way he was looking at her, it involved her naked and spread-eagle, very much like she’d imagined him moments earlier. She felt her forehead furrow despite herself. How could that be? She’d worked with him for six months straight and not once had he shown the slightest interest in her. He must have some kind of agenda…

  Suspicion immediately overwhelmed her, making her back stiffen and her lips purse. He was a typical male, using sex appeal to get what he wanted. Willing to pretend romantic interest for the sole purpose of using her. Anger and an undeniable trickle of disappointment planted themselves in her heart, which now felt hollow and heavy at the same time.

  “So what do you want?” she asked, striving to sound calm but knowing that she sounded hostile instead.

  One of his dark eyebrows arched, and his dazzling smile dimmed until the corners barely tipped. She grieved the lack of emotion on his face at the same time her breathing regulated. She could think so much clearer when he wasn’t smiling at her like that.

  “Don’t you know?” His voice was deep and gravelly, like rough work-worn fingers trailing against the most delicate parts of her.

  She swallowed hard, once more telling herself that the heat in his eyes wasn’t real. He wanted something from her, but what?

  If she were in high school, she’d think he wanted to copy her homework. If she were in college, she’d think he wanted a job with her father’s company or to marry her for her family’s money or to get close to her uncle, a publishing mogul. If he was any other man, she could believe he wanted inside her pants. Now? She didn’t know what to think.

  Suddenly, realization hit her like a lightning bolt out of nowhere. This had something to do with the governor. What else?

  “Do you need me to smooth something over with the governor? Is he still being stubborn about security measures for the gala?” The green gala was to celebrate the governor’s partnership with the nation’s largest car developer and their agreement to provide him, his staff, and all state employees with natural-gas vehicles. It was one of the partnerships Frankie had been working hardest on and represented a huge coup for both herself and environmentalists in general. It was also a deal that had shot the governor’s approval rating sky high.

  Jake stared at her, a bemused expression on his face. Then he shook his head slightly, as if to clear it. “I’ve tried telling him inviting a table of ‘everyday, ordinary’ citizens to the event is dangerous, but he won’t listen to me. Just like he doesn’t listen when I tell him not to sneak a smoke on the Capitol’s veranda.”

  Frankie jolted in surprise. California’s go green governor, her governor, smoked?

  “Don’t feel bad. He’s very good at hiding these things.”

  Things? Frankie immediately opened her mouth to ask what “things” Jake was referring to, but he spoke before she could.

  “Like you, for instance. And like me. We all hide who we are. The things that make us unique. Vulnerable. It’s more than just part of our jobs, isn’t it? It’s part of who we are.”

  Her heart started beating fast again as he reached out, took her hand, and pulled her to her feet. In disbelief, she watched as he raised a hand and caressed her cheek, the one with the scar. She gasped and pulled back, and he immediately let go of her hand. Her knees hit the back of her chair and it flew back, hitting her filing cabinets with a thud.

  “Wh—what are you doing?”

  He smiled again. “What I should have done a long time ago. Letting you know I’m interested.”

  “Interested in what?” As soon as the words left her mouth, she wanted to smack herself for sounding so naïve.

  He just looked at her, and she could no longer deny that this was about sex, not security. She shook her head. “N—no. You’re—and I’m…. It would be crazy.”

  To her surprise, he nodded. “I agree it’s complicated, our working together. But since that’s not going to change, we’ll just have to work around it.”

  He sounded so confident. So sure that having a relationship with her was a foregone conclusion. But then, she was jumping to conclusions, wasn’t she? He hadn’t
said he wanted a relationship. Chances were he just wanted a night in bed together.

  Instead of repelling her, the thought held instant appeal. So much so that it jolted her out of her shock. She’d been ready to beg and bribe her way into his bed less than thirty minutes ago. And here he was expressing interest.

  She hadn’t had a lover in so long.

  Certainly not one as sexy and virile and honorable as the man in front of her.

  She wasn’t one to waste opportunities, but she wasn’t foolhardy either.

  She needed to think about this.

  She cleared her throat and tried to project the image of a cool, calm, and confident professional. “Exactly what are you proposing here?”

  He looked surprised that she wasn’t arguing with him. He crossed his arms over his chest and tilted his head. He trailed his gaze down her body, starting at the top of her head and working his way slowly down, stopping at the more interesting points along the way. By the time he was done, she was practically quivering.

  “I want us naked. I want you coming. And I want to be inside you when it happens. Other than that, I’m open to suggestions.”

  The wave of heat practically knocked her over, and she parted her lips, trying to catch her breath while looking unaffected. A hundred scenarios played in her mind, some familiar, some completely new. All of them fulfilling Jake’s three requirements. She dabbed at her lips with her tongue, not to flirt but because they suddenly felt so dry. Nonetheless, his eyes followed the movement, and she could practically see the muscles in his chest and arms tighten. She darted her eyes down, wondering if he…

  Her eyes widened as she saw the distinct bulge in his dark trousers.

  He groaned, and she immediately raised her eyes to his. He hadn’t moved, but his lids were heavy from watching her watch him. He seemed in no hurry to rush her. To get an answer to his outrageous proposal.

  And that’s what made up her mind.

  He wanted her, but he wasn’t going to push her for more than she could give.

  “That sounds good.” When he started to walk toward her, she held up her hand. He immediately stopped.

  “For starters. Why don’t we take a break for dinner. We’ll…discuss…the exact terms of our agreement.”

  For a moment, she thought he was going to protest. She prepared to shoot him down. To tell him she’d changed his mind. But then he simply nodded. “I’ll get your coat.”

  Jake stepped back and turned away. She fell back into her chair and wondered whether she’d lost her mind.

  CHAPTER 2

  The next evening…

  Frankie smoothed the skirt of her plum-colored dress and tugged the neckline down the slightest bit. The cut and color were far more daring than what she normally wore, but this was her second date with Jake and she…well, she wanted to knock him off his feet. Literally. She knew how the night would end. How she wanted it to end. So she’d prepared for everything down to the smallest detail.

  She wore her best lingerie from Victoria Secrets, a two-piece set of black lace that hugged her figure, pushed up her breasts, and rode high on her hips. She’d used a heavy hand with her make-up and left her hair down for the first time in weeks. Gone was the composed, professional woman. In her place was a hot, writhing bundle of nerves ready for the perfect man to cool her down.

  She touched her lips as she remembered the kiss Jake had given her just before he’d dropped her off last night. It hadn’t resembled a first kiss, at least not one she’d ever received. It had been a claim on both their parts. It had been all tongues, teeth and racing hands. A no-holds-barred message that the dinner and conversation they’d had beforehand had merely been something to get through so they could get to this point in the evening. And what had come afterwards.

  As she watched her reflection in the mirror, her skin turned a rosy color and her chest began to skitter up and down as she struggled for breath. Her eyes looked wide and dazed, her mouth red, her nipples hard. Dear God, she was ready to orgasm just remembering that kiss. She whimpered and squeezed her thighs together, trying to ease the ache that had begun to throb there.

  She was sure if she’d let him into her apartment last night, he would have been inside her in ten seconds flat. As it was, he’d had her pressed against the door and her legs wrapped around his hips before she’d even known what she was doing.

  That’s what had made her stop—the fact that anyone could have come by and seen them, and she hadn’t cared at all. As much as she ached to invite him in and fulfill every fantasy she’d ever had, she’d felt too out of control to let it happen. She’d spent the night getting her control back and thinking about how to proceed. Part of her was willing to take a risk, but a calculated one.

  They’d have sex tonight, but on her terms. When she was ready. And in a way she was ready for.

  She’d touch his body. Kiss him everywhere she’d dreamed. She’d relish every moment with him while it lasted, knowing that it was safe. That they both had the same expectations.

  Sex, not love.

  Pleasure, not commitment.

  She’d slake her desire with him while never jeopardizing her heart.

  And if the act felt slightly hollow afterwards, she’d force herself to remember what had happened the last time she’d thought she was in love.

  She raised a hand to her cheek.

  And how it had ended.

  ***

  Jake hesitated outside Frankie’s door, telling himself he was a civilized vamp. He might want to kick in her door, rip off her clothes and throw her on a bed, but clearly he couldn’t do that. Not yet, at least.

  And not because she didn’t want him, but because she’d gotten it into her head that that’s all he wanted from her. And all she wanted from him.

  He’d been both surprised and pleased when she’d openly indicated a willingness to be with him. However, a part of him had been immediately cautious. It had been too easy, his mind had told him. But his body, for the first time in awhile, had effectively stifled the voice.

  Shut up, it had said. She wants you. So he’d let down his guard and had almost choked on his “wine” later than night—in truth, it was a vintage AB negative the restaurant owner only shared with a select few vampires—when she’d told him the terms of her acceptance.

  “Just sex,” she’d said. Anything between them was to be just sex. It was also to be completely secret. And it was to end when she said so, with no questions or protestation from him.

  He’d been so stunned he hadn’t been able to respond. She’d simply smiled when the waiter had appeared and then she’d ordered her food. When they’d both turned to Jake, he’d recovered enough to give his own order—steak, rare, something he could eat in small doses, though it did little to nourish him. Then he’d given her a reply.

  “Why?” he’d asked. “You don’t seem the type of woman to be into casual affairs. You haven’t even dated anyone in the six months we’ve worked together.”

  She’d raised an eyebrow and shot him a teasing glance over her own glass of wine. “As far as you know.”

  He’d frowned. Was she saying she’d had lovers? The very thought enraged him. Made his muscles tighten and his fists clench with the need to kill the bastards, then fuck her until she remembered no one’s touch but his. Instead, he’d maintained his cool and nodded. “All right. It ends when you want it to end.”

  Not missing a thing, she’d narrowed her eyes. “When I say it’s over,” she’d clarified.

  Jake had hummed, and she’d looked ready to pin him down. For a moment, he’d been tempted to use his persuasion powers on her. To make her agree to accept more from him than sex. Of course he hadn’t, for the same reason he rarely used his persuasion powers. He wasn’t that weak or that dishonorable. Barring a life or death situation, if he wanted something, he could damn well get it without resorting to coercion. And while part of him knew he’d die if Frankie refused to mate with him, he was nowhere near ready to concede he nee
ded to play that dirty to win her.

  Besides, making her fall in love with him using his persuasion powers would only be temporary, and it would be useless when it came to the bonding ceremony. Plus, as she’d clarified the terms of their so-called understanding, he’d realized what a sheer turn-on her spunk was for him. And finally, Jake knew that he had other powerful means to persuade her—when it came to capitalizing on their mutual desire for one another, he was willing to play as dirty as he had to.

  Lucky for him, or maybe for her, the waiter had chosen that moment to arrive with their orders.

  Thus began the most agonizing meal Jake had ever had to sit through. He’d chatted with her about work and answered her questions about his “family” as best he could while watching her sip and bite and pierce and scoop her way through dinner. She didn’t pick at her food like most women he knew, but unapologetically savored her meal, almost as if she was starving for the sensory satisfaction after a long day of work. His eyes had nearly crossed when she’d slipped her spoon of chocolate mousse into her mouth time and again, moaning each time her tongue absorbed the sweetness of the lush dessert.