Lover Awakened (Black Dagger Brotherhood #3)(112)

Six o’clock. Almost time to go.

Bella looked around the guest room she was in and figured she’d packed up everything she’d brought with her. She hadn’t had much to begin with, and anyway, she’d moved it all from Zsadist’s room the night before. Most of it had already been in an L.L. Bean bag.

Fritz would be coming for her things any minute, and he would drive the stuff to Havers and Marissa’s. Thank God the brother-and-sister pair were willing to grant Rehvenge a favor and take her in. Their mansion, and the clinic, were a real stronghold. Even Rehv was satisfied she’d be safe.

Then at six thirty she was going to dematerialize over there, and Rehv would meet her.

Compulsively she went into the bathroom and checked behind the shower curtain again to make sure she had her shampoo. Yup, nothing there. And there was nothing of her left in the bedroom. Or in the house at all, for that matter. When she left, no one would know she’d ever been at the mansion. No one would…

Oh, Christ. Shut up with that, she thought.

There was a knock on the door. She walked over and pulled the thing open. “Hi, Fritz, my bag is on the—”

Zsadist was standing in the hall, dressed for fighting. Leathers. Guns. Blades.

She jumped back. “What are you doing here?”

He came into the room, saying nothing. But Jesus, he looked ready to pounce on something.

“I don’t need an armed guard,” Bella said, trying to keep cool. “I mean, if that’s what this is all about. I’m going to dematerialize there, and the clinic is perfectly safe.”

Zsadist didn’t speak a word. Just stared at her, all power and male strength.

“Did you come to loom at me?” she snapped. “Or is there a point to this?”

When he shut the door behind him, her heart started to pound. Especially as she heard the lock turn.

She backed up until she was against the bed. “What do you want, Zsadist?”

He came forward as if he was stalking her, his yellow eyes fixated. His body was all coiled tension, and suddenly it didn’t take a genius to figure out what kind of release he was looking for.

“Do not tell me you came here to mate.”

“All right, I won’t.” His voice was nothing but a deep, purring growl.

She put her hand out. Yeah, like that was going to make a difference. He could take her if he wanted to whether she said yes or not. Only…like an idiot she wouldn’t turn him away. Even after all the crap he’d pulled, she still wanted him. Goddamn it.

“I’m not having sex with you.”

“I’m not here for me,” he said, coming up to her.

Oh, God. His scent…his body…so close. She was such a fool.

“Get away from me. I don’t want you anymore.”

“Yes, you do. I can smell it.” He reached out and touched her neck, running his forefinger down her jugular. “And I can feel it pounding in this vein.”

“I will hate you if you do this.”

“You hate me already.”

If only that were true…“Zsadist, there is no way I will lay with you.”

He bent down so that his mouth was at her ear. “I’m not asking you for that.”

“So what do you want?” She shoved against his shoulders. Got nowhere. “Damn you, why are you doing this?”

“Because I just came from my twin’s room.”

“Excuse me?”

“You didn’t let him drink from you.” Zsadist’s mouth brushed against her neck. Then he pulled back and stared down at her. “You will never accept him, will you? You will never be with Phury, no matter how right he is for you socially, personally.”

“Zsadist, for chrissakes, just leave me alone—”

“You will not have my twin. So you’re never coming back here, are you?”

She exhaled in a rush. “No, I’m not.”

“And that’s why I had to come.”

Rage boiled in her, rising to meet the desire for his sex. “I don’t get it. You have taken every opportunity to push me away. Remember that little episode in the alley last night? You drank from her to get me to walk, didn’t you? It wasn’t about that comment I made.”

“Bella—”

“And then you wanted me to be with your brother. Look, I know you don’t love me, but you’re well aware of how I feel about you. Do you have any conception what it’s like to have the male you love tell you to feed someone else?”

He dropped his hand. Stepped away.

“You’re right.” He rubbed his face. “I shouldn’t be here, but I couldn’t let you go without…In the back of my mind I always figured you’d be back. You know, to be with Phury. I always thought that I would see you again, even if it was from a distance.”

So help her, God, she was sick of this. “Why the hell would you care if you saw me?”

He just shook his head and turned for the door. Which made her nearly violent.

“Answer me! Why do you care if I don’t ever come back?” He had his hand on the knob as she screamed at him, “Why do you care?”

“I don’t!”

She launched herself across the room, intending to hit him, claw him, make him hurt, she was so frustrated. But he wheeled around, and instead of slapping him she grabbed his head and dragged his mouth to hers. His arms snapped around her, holding her hard enough so she couldn’t breathe. As his tongue shot into her mouth, he picked her up and headed for the bed.