Chapter Nine
Viktor heard the little patter of Halle’s bare feet as she came down the stairs. Truth be told, he’d been so distracted imagining her in the shower he didn’t even know how long he’d been standing in front of the fire in his study. He had no idea what in the hell had gotten into him. Even when he’d met his wife all those years ago, he hadn’t remembered having such an obsessive reaction to a female.
However, nothing could have prepared him for the sight that met his eyes when Halle came around the corner. There she stood, fresh and warm from her shower, her blonde locks framing her face in soft layers.
Sweet Goddess.
She was wearing one of his button-down shirts, the top open enough to show a delicious tease of her ample cleavage. His cock quickly went from half hard, to “trying to break out of his pants to reach her” and he had to adjust his stance quickly to try to hide that fact. His eyes roamed over her bare legs. They certainly were long and toned for such a tiny little thing. Her shifter genes were apparent in the perfection of her curvy form. Viktor could hear the increase in her heartbeat as she got closer to him. Naturally, he assumed it was nerves or fear, but when she stepped closer and he picked up her scent, it was the sweet aroma of heat and arousal that teased his nose.
Now there was really no hiding what she did to his body. He’d never been so hard in all his life. Her eyes dropped to the large outline of his cock through his pants, and the scent of her honey increased, drawing a low moan from his mouth when her pink tongue darted out to lick her lips. Now he was fully imagining those plump lips wrapped around his dick and if he didn’t distract himself soon he would lose control.
No, I brought this woman into my home to protect her from Conrad, and I would be just as bad if I jumped on her myself.
Clearing his throat, he took a step back from the temptation in front of him. After all, Viktor was nothing if not in control of his baser urges. He still held much regret from his actions when he was first turned and there was nothing worse in this world than regrets. They were always there … haunting you.
“Dinner will be ready in an hour or so. Would you like a tour of the house? I have quite an extensive art collection,” he said with a tense smile, offering her his arm to escort her.
****
Halle had seen the desire on his face when she walked into the room, and it was impossible to miss the enormous bulge in the front of his pants that confirmed his interest. So why the most feared and reputed villain of the entire paranormal community was acting like a perfect gentleman was baffling to her.
Dori had told her repeatedly that Viktor really wasn’t the man his reputation painted him to be, but in the back of her mind, Halle had expected a lot of habits and behavior that she’d have to either try to change or accept about this man she didn’t know, if she went through with this plan.
Especially if they were indeed mates. Her leopard paced inside of her head impatiently, implying there was no doubt in its mind that Viktor was their mate. The cat wanted to pounce on him immediately and never let him go, no matter what people said about him. Her animal half was proud that their mate was a fierce fighter and would be strong enough to protect their young. That was all that was important to her.
When it came to fated mates, shifters were a simple bunch. If your beast told you that someone was your mate, then that person was it. Whether your human half liked them at the time or not. So there was always the possibility that fate would give you the shaft and mate you to someone who was a complete dick. Hope began to blossom in her that Viktor was something more than the monster in the stories told to frighten young para children.
She looped her arm through his, her cat itching to get that much closer. When she stepped into him and the side of her breast brushed against his arm she felt his muscles tense.
“I’d love for you to take me,” she said in a low purr.
“What?” he answered, startled, his eyes growing wide.
“On a tour of the house? Like you just said?” Halle answered, blinking innocent big green eyes up at him with a small smile.
Oh dear. This is going to be way too much fun. Halle all of a sudden felt the full force of her feminine wiles for the first time ever, and the brat inside of her was gleefully rubbing her hands together imagining ways to tease the handsome vampire.
“Oh … of course,” he answered, looking a bit suspicious of her big kitty cat eyes. “We’ll start in the great room.”
Halle delighted in tormenting Viktor throughout the entire house tour. She would step in close to him to get a better look at certain paintings, touching him whenever possible and absently playing with the buttons on the shirt she was wearing. It was probably the most fun she’d ever had in her life, but teasing was a double-edged sword. The more aroused Viktor became, the more she wanted him in return. By the time he ended their house tour she could see his fangs had fully extended and hers were aching to answer in kind.
The only problem now? She had no idea how to take things to the next level, being the virgin that she was, and her stubborn vamp seemed determined to resist their attraction. While her cat was telling her to pounce on what was theirs, she wasn’t sure she had the balls to do it.