Page 38 of Taken By the Vampires
He came out of his trance, taking a silent step back, which wasn’t that far because he still touched me. “You are too much of a temptation, Ella,” he murmured, almost too softly for me to hear, as though he’d said it to himself.
“Why?” I didn’t understand why I felt this way about all of them. Why I was unable to stop myself or this rush of deep awareness that tempted me beyond reason. If Xander thought I was temptation, he was pure craving for me.
He brought up his forearm and locked it around my chest. “Some things are not of the logical world, Ella. You will see, but for now I must prepare you. I’m only doing this because you wish to return to your world.”
“But…I have to return.” My breathing was shallow and erratic. His proximity was quickly weakening any sort of resolve I thought I had. And that was it, wasn’t it? I onlythoughtI’d be able to resist him, when in reality, I knew I really stood no chance at all.
“And I will see to your wish. Now, elbow me in the ribs and step on my foot.”
“What?”
Suddenly I was flat on my back, the wind pushed from my lungs and I lay there, stunned on the mat. A hand was thrust into my vision. “There is no warning when you are attacked. You must be ready at all times. Now get up and we will begin.”
* * *
Sweat stung my eyes when it slid down my forehead and dripped into my lashes. I’d lost track of time, but judging by the way my muscles had gone past burning with strain and now threatened to give out completely, it had to have been hours.
At first, I’d tried everything Xander told me. Done it again and again when he’d urged me to do it better. I’d followed his instructions to the letter, but he was stronger, faster, fitter and taller, and no matter how hard I tried, the harder he’d make it. I was never going to match him and I was just about done trying.
“I can’t do this anymore, Xander.” I panted through the sequence he’d had me repeat five times.
“You’re still not quick enough.”
“I’m never going to be able to throw your body over my shoulder, and I’m out of energy. I’m gassed.” He was a hard task master, but I’d learned a lot and for that I’d be grateful. That was, if he’d ever let me out of the gym to shower and crawl into a bed like I wanted to.
Xander moved too fast for me to track. I had no idea how he moved so quickly but the next thing I knew, the world spun. I tumbled to the mat and Xander was on top of me, pinning me down. My arms were above my head, Xander’s large fingers trapping my biceps to the ground.
It took me a moment to catch my breath, but when I did, Xander still had me pinned, “Enough, Xander. I’m only human.” I had to wonder if the man actually was more robot than human. He never seemed to tire even though he’d thrown me to the floor and picked me up often enough.
“Do you think Gary will care about that?” Xander’s voice was hoarse. Low.
My breath caught as I stared up at him. He had yet to release me. “Gary doesn’t care about much. You have to get to his father to get to Gary. Without the backing of his father, Gary is nothing.”
“You do know how to read people, don’t you?” Xander said.
“It’s a pity I didn’t know how to get them to do what I want them to do as well,” I said. If I did. I wouldn’t have had half the amount of strife from most of the people in town.
“I think you do know how to motivate people. You just haven’t been motivated enough to try,” Xander said.
That was a laugh. I was plenty motivated to get people to treat me better. I’d settle for a friendly good morning wave, let alone getting them to do what I’d like them to do. Like stop listening to the Holy Trinity so that everyone could claim their own life, or at the least, be able to leave town and escape them. “I’ve been plenty motivated.”
“But what have you done about it, Ella?”
I tried to lift my arms, but his hands were like steel weights. He stayed where he was, not willing or wanting to let me go just yet. The first fluttering of panic made my heart tremble. If he didn’t want me to get up, there wasn’t much I could do about it.
I realized my legs were splayed, his abdomen lodged firmly between them. His scent surrounded me, and my clit began to throb. This wouldn’t do. It wouldn’t do at all. “Get off me. I can’t breathe.”
“That’s not motivating at all. I think you can do better than that.” Xander’s serious face hovered over me, his black pupils bleeding out any color. Deep crimson reflected in the depths, flashing like a ruby in firelight. He wasn’t going to let me up. This was another one of his tests.
He tilted his hips, increasing the pressure on my clit. A deep throb of desire pulsed, making me breathless in a completely different way. I needed him off me. I needed to get away, otherwise I was going to do something I was going to regret. I just knew I was.
“I mean it, Xander. Stop playing around.”
“If there’s one thing you know about me, it’s that I don’t play around.”
No. He didn’t. Everything he did was intentional. I just didn’t know what his intentions were at the moment. “I mean it, Xander. Let me up.”
His eyes dilated more. Hardness pressed between my legs, sliding along my cleft, sending delicious currents swirling through me. “You want me off you, Ella. How are you going to do that?”
