There was a thrill of release as Carlos carried her through the hallway. Belinda kissed him again and again, hardly daring to believe that this wasn’t a dream. If it was, she never wanted to be woken up. She enjoyed the sensation of her breasts squashed up against Carlos’ chest. Like the night they had met. He chuckled as she delved into his neck and scraped her teeth along his collarbone the way he had said he liked.

A door slammed behind them, and within a few moments, he laid her down on a soft bed. She glanced around, eager to see what his bedroom was like.

It wasn’t sparse, but neither was it crowded. The bed, which seemed slightly larger than king-sized, sat squarely in the center of the room. The posts were made from branches with their bark scraped off until they were polished to a shine. A few of them ended in small lights, which she imagined would light the bed quite well once the forest-green velvet curtains were pulled around it. There were several steel-colored pillows on it and the bedspread was a worn patchwork quilt that didn’t look like it belonged at all.

Belinda ran her fingers over it. “A gift from a lover?”

“Not really. It was from Pan. At the time we were . . . ” Carlos frowned. “I suppose you could say we were in a queen’s harem.”

She couldn’t imagine a man with a presence like that of Carlos being content with being part of a harem. Having one, yes, but being in one?

“We were the shared lovers of the queen. Sometimes we both pleased her together. This was, oh, two thousand years ago?” Carlos frowned. He cupped her breast absently and shrugged. “Don’t quite remember. It was a long time ago, though. It was never a sexual relationship between him and me, but when I decided that it wasn’t the life for me, I offered him a job. He accepted and he’s been my most trusted friend and servant since.”

Belinda nodded, though she knew how she must look. Eyes like saucers, mouth in a perfect ‘o.’ Carlos focused on her again and smirked.

“Jealous?”

“Um . . . ” She considered her feelings for a moment. “I don’t really think so. You left that queen, right? So I don’t need to be jealous. You’re not going to ask me to have anybody else join us, though, are you? I’m not into group sex. Like at all. I tested it out a few times, and it’s just . . . yuck.”

Carlos laughed and shook his head. “I would never ask you to do something that you weren’t comfortable with. And I prefer one-on-one, too. It’s more intimate that way.”

Intimate. Belinda wasn’t sure she had ever had real intimacy. Sex, yes, but never the emotional connection between two people she read about in romance novels — not that she read romance novels.

He stroked her hair from her face, neck bent as he gazed down at her. There was something so intense in his eyes that she couldn’t stop herself from shivering. A soft, tender kiss had her moaning for more, but he pulled back again.

“I will allow no harm to come to you, Belinda. I promise.”

The assurance was more than she had ever gotten in her life before that moment. Tears welled in her eyes and she looked away at once, unwilling to let him see. “Shut up already and make this worth it.”

 “Can’t have a real moment, huh?”

Belinda rolled her eyes at that, but it wasn’t as though they needed to say anything else. Carlos’ mouth caught hers, hungry and demanding. The warmth that had filled her chest as he talked didn’t fade. It intensified. It was joined by a fire in her core, a twisting feeling that made her gasp. Her breasts tingled and seemed to swell, nipples hardening. Carlos found one through her clothing and rose a brow at her.

“I like having them played with, okay?”

“Of course.” Carlos’ expression softened as he gazed at her. One of his hands cupped her face and his thumb stroked her cheek. Belinda shivered. This was intimacy. “We have to be open with each other. If there is something you like or don’t like, just let me know.”

Belinda lifted one side of his hips, pitching him over onto his back. She grasped both of his hands and pinned them to the mattress behind him and narrowed her eyes. “Talking kills the mood.”

***

He rubbed his nose against her cheek in a way that was more intimate than their bodies pressed together. “You’re allowed to be soft, you know.”

“Maybe.” Her voice trembled. “But I want you hard.”

To prove her point, she slid a hand between their bodies and started to massage him through his clothing. With a moan, her king rolled off her. He thrust his hips forward, pinning her hand against her body and grinned at her.

“I’m trying to be romantic here. You can calm down a little. We’re in no rush.”

Belinda wanted to say that she was, but she inhaled sharply and allowed herself to relax. She realized that everything she had done with the conversation, from bringing up old lovers and talking about group sex then everything else, it was all to distract herself from what had happened. She pushed closer into Carlos’ arms and hid her face in his chest.

Carlos stroked her hair softly. “If you’re not ready, we can just lay here.”

Tears burned Belinda’s eyes. Why did he have to be so perfect? She wasn’t used to this. Being shown such gentleness and kindness. And was that why she had chosen not to kill him? She shuddered as she remembered the stake in her hand, the weight of it pressed to his chest.

Her heart clenched and she buried herself deeper into his side. “Did you know I wouldn’t do it?”

“No.”

She raised her head, her lip trembling. Why did she have to be so emotional? His face blurred, and his thumb caressed her cheekbone again. “Then why did you do that?”

“Because I knew I couldn’t hurt you.”

Belinda sniffed. She shifted herself again so she straddled him, rolling her hips gently as she gazed down at him. There was something in his eyes that she had never seen before, and she wasn’t entirely certain how to handle it. Was that love?

No. Of course, it wasn’t. They barely knew each other.

And yet it was the most tender look she had ever seen.

“I want you,” she whispered. “I want you inside of me. Filling me.”

Carlos’ hand drifted over her breasts again. “Soft and sweet or like an animal?”

Both sounded good. “Somewhere in the middle.”

Carlos nodded. “Okay, then. That sounds like a plan. I suppose we can’t be too rough anyway.”

His hand moved to her stomach. At first, there was a pang of disappointment that they wouldn’t be able to resume their Olympics from their first night together. But then, it reminded her that she had a baby growing inside of her. The warmth in her chest grew until it was like there was a cat purring inside of her.

“Not too gentle, either,” she whispered.

Before Carlos could speak, she flung herself down on him, kissing him hard. She ended it with a nip to his lower lip, then ran her hands down the smooth contours of his chest, the way she’s been wanting since he had stepped into the room they’d had their fight in. She tugged his waistband down and Carlos moved her up a little, then curled around her and stripped off his pants.

Then he grasped either side of her hideous blue scrubs and ripped them in half. The sensation of the cloth tearing off her skin left Belinda giggling breathlessly. Carlos tossed her clothes aside and sat up, holding her with one arm. He latched onto one breast and sucked eagerly while sliding his free hand between her legs. She was so sensitive that it didn’t take long for her to be slick and ready for him. By then he’d sucked both nipples, leaving them stiff, swollen, and aching for more. His hips thrust upwards steadily. The friction between their bodies soon left him hard and Belinda panted as she fought her rising arousal.

“I need to do something for you,” she pleaded. “I hate not reciprocating.”

Carlos sucked on her left breast again. “No. You hate not being in control. But right now, I’m in control. You do everything for me and it’s my turn to show you just how much I love it.”

Belinda’s head fell back with a groan. Even though she straddled him, her body over his, he was right. At that moment, he was in total and utter control. And she loved it. So much so that it frightened her . . . but when he nudged inside of her, thick and ready, she forgot about everything.

“Is that okay?” her king breathed as he began to move.

All the fight went out of her. In an instant, she knew that she didn’t have to fight him for control. That giving over wasn’t a defeat. That trusting him wasn’t a weakness. She wasn’t really aware of herself moving, rolling to allow him on top. But then he was over her, resting himself on his elbows to avoid crushing her. He stared into his eyes as he moved steadily, the tightness inside of her nothing compared to the connection between them that she could almost taste.

Her back bowed. Galaxies exploded overhead and she let out a cry of delight.

***

Humans were sensuous creatures. Nobody could deny that (except, perhaps, humans themselves). Still, none of them could compare to his lover. Belinda was not only sensuous: she was soft in all the right ways, yet hard in others. A woman who didn’t give up control. Yet, in that minute, she did. She gave him everything she had, holding nothing back. As a vampire, he had extreme control, but it was difficult to hold back as she screamed his name.

It wasn’t until he was certain that she was orgasming, feeling her clench around him as her eyes rolled into the back of her head, that he allowed himself to finish. A wave of dark washed over his vision as he thrust wildly, needing to fill her but also desperately not wanting to hurt her. Her nails dug into his shoulders and her teeth clenched onto his shoulder. He felt her canines break his skin and he couldn’t stop himself from nipping at her throat, his own fangs breaking the surface. The taste of her blood was so sweet and intoxicating that he roared with pleasure, his orgasm hitting him harder than it had even during their first time together.

Both of them collapsed, panting for breath when he finished drinking. Belinda’s whole body molded against his and a sleepy smile crossed her face.

“Mmm,” she sighed. “That’s that good stuff. I don’t know why so many people are against sleeping with the fae. You guys know what to do even if you don’t do much at all.”

Carlos chuckled. “I’ll take that as a compliment.”

“You should.” She yawned. “It is. That was amazing. That biting thing you did . . . ”

Carlos propped himself on his elbow. “You mean when I drank from you?”

Her eyes rounded. “You drank from me?”

“Is that okay?”

“Is that what made it so explosive?”

“Yes . . . ”

She grinned. “Then it’s okay.”

He laughed as he combed his fingers through her hair. Gazing at her now, he couldn’t help but have a renewed determination. There was nothing to keep him from protecting her. That meant taking out Daye. And in order to do that, he had to find her first. He tried to stifle a sigh as he laid back but didn’t quite make it. Everything was happening so fast. Too fast, in fact. Things had never moved so quickly in his whole life, and all of sudden, everything had changed in the course of a day?

One thing was for sure. He’d die for the woman in his arms. It made no sense. It was certainly too quick for love. Real love, at least. Perhaps it had something to do with the fact that she was carrying his child. Perhaps it was just because in his thousands of years he’d never really met anybody like her before.

Belinda curled into his chest. “I know what you mean.”

“Hmm?”

She glanced up at him through her lashes. “That big sigh you just gave. I understand. Everything’s just changed like that.” She snapped her fingers. “And I have no idea what it means now. Or what this is even between us.”

Carlos wasn’t certain of what to say to that. Certainly, it was something that needed to be resolved – and the sooner the better. He cleared his throat. “Well, for starters, it means you are no longer my prisoner. If you were going to kill me, you would have already.”

“Doesn’t mean I’m not plotting anything else.” She tweaked one of his nipples and raised a brow with a crooked smile.

He touched her lips. “You’re not. If you were, I’d taste it in your blood.”

“Really?”

“No,” Carlos admitted. “But I’m a pretty good judge of character.”

“Hmmm.” Belinda rested her chin on his chest. “So, if I’m not your prisoner, what does it mean that I am?”

Carlos rolled his eyes. “My lover, of course.”

“Lover.”

“And I will not allow any harm to come to you.”

She rolled her eyes but still smiled at him. Her smile was bright enough to light the whole room and he wasn’t sure that he had seen anything quite as beautiful. He kissed her again, lifting her chin as her eyes fluttered closed.

As she rolled him onto his back, he smiled up at her. He had to be careful with this one. Caring was one thing – falling in love with a human was an entirely different landmine he wished to avoid altogether.

***

Even though she knew it was necessary for her to be free from The Guild forever, it was difficult to overcome the years of brainwashing and fear to tell people about it. She sadly reflected that if Carlos had asked her, she’d have had a much easier time spilling all of her guts. What had he done to her? She’d never loved anybody in her life. And she wasn’t ready to say that she was in love with Carlos either, but for the first time, she found herself thinking about possibilities outside of The Guild. Possibilities of a life where she could choose who she wanted to be . . . 

Pan cleared his throat, bringing her attention back to him. “Where are your headquarters located?”

“Washington. That’s where all the calls come through. We have this big hotel complex where all the members live and there’s a large gym nearby that serves as our training grounds. When we’re given an assignment, we’re taken to the penthouse and given all the relevant details.”

Pan nodded. “We’ve arranged for your partner to escape so we could follow him back to your headquarters. I think we’ll still follow through with that. Can you tell me how experienced he is?”

Belinda shook her head. “I never heard his name until this assignment. We’re kept separate from the other divisions. Up until now, I was only on retrieval missions. This was my first assassination. An assignment I didn’t want,” she added.

“Given what I’ve observed, not one that you’d be able to fulfill unless you were sent to kill a truly awful being.” Pan shifted at his desk, then gave her a wry smile. “I have heard your name whispered in awe, and yet, we were able to catch you as though you were a bumbling rookie. You screwed up on purpose.”

Belinda ducked her head. “As much as I appreciate the sentiment, it’s not true. I had every intention of killing him. Despite all the good he has done. I was too afraid of losing my own life to save his.” She spoke with true regret. If she had been braver, a better person, then perhaps what Pan was saying would be true. She wished that was the case. “I failed because you recognized me.”

“I recognized you because you froze. And really, the best you could come up with was poisoned tea?”

Belinda glanced back up. She licked her lips as she considered what he was saying. It was true that even with everything that had gone wrong, she hadn’t played the bounty with her normal finesse. Her shoulders sagged slightly as a well of relief rose in her. Maybe he was right. Maybe she had flubbed on purpose, at least subconsciously.

She managed a smile at him. “Well . . . I’d rather think that I’m a good person deep down than just incompetent. Thank you.”

Pan nodded at her. “I’m glad I could help.”

“You’re quite smart yourself, you know. How is a brilliant man like you still a servant rather than a king or general?”

“I would do anything for Carlos. This is the position through which I can serve him best.”

She frowned, remembering what Carlos had told her about his past, of sharing a lover with Pan. For a moment, jealousy flared in her heart. “Are you in love with him?”

Pan rose a brow and she flushed.

“I mean,” she said. “You were in love with him, right? Are you gay? Or bi?”

“No.”

“Then . . . you’re straight?”

“None of the above. The fae doesn’t think of sexuality the same way humans do. You have all these rules and regulations. Among us, we ask two questions. Do I want it? Does my partner want it? If there is any uncertainty in either of those things, we don’t proceed. It’s as simple as that.” Pan smiled softly, his violet eyes taking on a far-off look. “To answer your question . . . Yes. I love Carlos. I have always and I will always love him.”

Belinda glanced away.

“Not the way you’re thinking of, though. I hesitate to use the phrase ‘just friends’ because being a friend can be just as if not more intimate than being a lover. But you don’t have to be jealous of me. We were never lovers, and he has never desired me in that way.”

Her blush deepened and she ducked her head.

Pan laughed. “I will be back soon, Miss Greene. In the meantime, rest. You will be safe here.”

Belinda nodded. As she watched him walk away, her hands drifted to her stomach. It was still flat, with no outward sign of the small life that was inside of her. Her brief jealousy faded away, but it was replaced by stabs of nerves. Carlos would protect her, she knew that. But there was still that voice at the back of her mind, wondering what had she gotten herself into.