Page 241 of Flirting with Darkness

It was impossible to hide my reaction. My throat ached and my eyes stung. No one had ever promised me anything, let alone that they were going to protect me. I couldn’t speak, so I nodded. His thumb brushed my lower lip, sending sparks through every cell in my body.

“Good. Now, are you going to eat? You have a long day ahead, and you’ll need your strength for what we are going to do.”

“Why? What are we going to do?”

He just grinned. “I’ve already told you.”

Somehow I knew he was planning something more than inspecting a perimeter and checking in with his men. I huffed. “Okay, whatelsehave you got planned then?”

That shit eating grin just stayed there. “You’ll see. Just be warned, I might be awake now, but I prefer the night, so you’d better learn to like it too. You’re going to be awake for a long time today. ”

I smiled. A part of me was still waiting for the blows to fall, but another part of my brain told me they never would; that I could trust his promise. I cocked my head, softening my voice. “So I sleep when you sleep. Wake when you wake?”

“That’s right.”

“Then I think I’ll learn to like it just fine.”

Dav’s satisfied smile did something to me, but he didn’t say anything else. He just released my chin and looked pointedly at the cutlery he’d passed me. I picked them up and finished every morsel of the omelette. It wasn’t hard, my stomach was cramping with hunger. Even since leaving Victor’s, no matter how much I ate, I was always starving. It was nothing new. I couldn’t remember a time when I’d not been hungry.

While I finished, Dav cleaned up. As soon as I swallowed the last mouthful of that delicious omelette, he took my plate. I watched him move, enjoying the way his t-shirt moulded to the muscles of his torso and his large defined arms as he cleaned the kitchen. My cheeks heated. What would it be like to be held in those arms? To be kissed by that full mouth? Or to feel the strength of his body against mine?

The smooth and powerful way he moved was predatory. He wasn’t just a bodyguard, he was a warrior, his body a lethal weapon wrapped in the trappings of civilised life. I smiled to myself, wondering at all the fashions he must have worn over the years. Frills and pantaloons came to mind and I couldn’t suppress a snort of laughter at the image of this kickass vampire warrior dressed so ridiculously.

Dav eyed me suspiciously. “What?”

I coughed and cleared my throat, trying to look innocent. “Nothing. Nothing at all.”

He narrowed his eyes but went back to wiping down the marble kitchen top.

Happily, I eyed his perfect arse. Nope, it really didn’t matter, he’d look hot whatever he wore.

8

DAVLOV

Elliot aimed the gun and smoothly pulled the trigger.

“That’s it,” I whispered in his ear, releasing my hold on his arms.

“Thanks,” he said huskily, before he coughed, clearing the hoarseness from his voice.

I smiled. It had been like this for three days. We’d get up early in the evening, and I’d make him eat before I caught up with my men, got a report and planned the security detail for the night.

Even though Elliot ate everything I gave him, I worried about his rapid weight loss. He got tired quickly, and wasn’t anywhere near as strong as I’d have expected a part breed vampire to be. I’d ask the Count’s permission to get one of our doctors to see him. My urge to make sure he was cared for and not in need of anything wasn’t something I could deny.

Some of my men entered the gym. Their faces flickered with surprise at my closeness to the male, who was essentially my prisoner before they masked it and greeted Elliot politely. I bit down on a snarl as Vito, a guard I’d known for at least two hundred years, eyed Elliot up and down before smirking and licking his lips.

Showing them what he meant to me was not an option. They’d tell him why I was so attentive, either by design or mistake, and that wasn’t how I wanted Elliot to find out. I wanted him to come to me of his own accord because he was drawn to me and wanted to be with me—but only when he was free and safe. Until the Count returned, not even I could guarantee his safety.

I ushered Elliot over to a matted area. At least, when I threw him, he’d not hurt himself.

“Come on, time to learn some knife defence skills that actually work. Not something some idiot just told you would work when the moves mean nothing against someone far stronger than you.”

Elliot’s dark brows drew down. We’d discovered that as well as being lied to, his ‘training’ had been less than stellar. Since we’d started to teach him some effective fighting techniques, he’d progressed more quickly than any recruit we’d had before. He listened, practised and then executed with such skill it amazed even me. He was a natural fighter. With more strength, knowledge, and endurance, he’d be lethal.

I grinned at him as he blocked my simple knife attack and landed a punch in my ribs. He wasn’t powerful enough to hurt me, but he would be if he ever unlocked his vampire nature. Maybe constant training, and more self-confidence would make that happen?

“Well done. That was a good, clean attack.” I stood tall and smirked. “But let’s see what you can do against this knife attack.”

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