Chương 7: Chapter 7: Seduction
Beware that you do not lose the substance by trapping at the shadow - Aesop
On the corner of the couch, I run my fingers through my wet locks. Combing out the tangles, I gather my hair up and wrap a ponytail holder around it, keeping it out of my face.
How long have I been here? I still don't know where here is. God, how in the hell am I going to get back home? Is Vlad going to let me go? O am I a prisoner?
"Here." His voice makes me jump.
"I didn't hear you enter the room." He's light on his feet, stealthy.
'I informed you earlier that you were not a prisoner.' He hands me a pair of dark sunglasses. 'You are under my protection. The differences between prisoner and protection remain miles apart.'
"Well, what you call protection seems a lot like imprisonment." I set the shades on top of a small table next to the sofa. "I need not wear them in this lighting."
"Remember, you must work on channeling your responses. It is the only way you will learn how to shield your inner emotions and thoughts." He struts to the other side of the room.
I'm drawn to his face. His cheekbones are high and chiseled. Long blond lashes edge his piercing green glowing eyes. His sculpted jawline makes his profile stand out.
He's attractive. I'd have to be blind not to notice.
'Here, you may put these on.' Shaking his head, he drops a pair of shoes and socks on the floor next to the couch.
"Really, I may put them on. Wow, I didn't realize I needed your permission for that task." I glare at him. 'What else do I need your permission for?'
"You do not need permission to put them on. And when and if you need my approval for something, you will know because I will direct you in a clear and precise manner." He clenches his jaws. 'Your wordplay is unnecessary. However, you did successfully channel a message to me. It was dripping with sarcasm, but you did it, none the less.'
"How did you know what size, I mean, for the clothing?" I level my shoulders. At this point, I'm actually not sure I want to know the answer.
'When you were unconscious, we checked your clothing sizes.'
"You did what?" Anger rises in the pit of my stomach.
'Relax! Gaila performed that function.' He chuckles.
"That's not funny."
'Perhaps not, but your expression is priceless.'
"You really are a butthead. Did you know that? Look, I really need to go home. My family will worry. I can't stay here. Hell, I don't even know where here is."
"The continued sarcasm and name-calling are unwarranted." He kneels in front of me. 'You will leave, but only when it is safe.'
"You seem to have everything planned out. So, tell me, when will it be safe enough for me to leave?" I draw my knees up to my chest. 'Give me a date, timeframe, or something to go on.'
'When we know they will not target you again, you may leave.'
"Can I at least call my father? You have my cell because it's not in my hoodie. And I know it still works because it's waterproof."
'No, that would not be wise. Plus, you would not receive reception down here.'
"And where is down here? Where're you holding me? I've the right to know."
'You will be told when it is necessary.' Vlad reaches for my leg. 'May I?' He takes my foot in his hand.
"What do you think you're doing?" I yank free of his grasp.
'I am going to view your toes.'
"You've got to be kidding. Do you have a foot fetish or something? Ever hear of boundaries?" My gaze drifts to his mouth.
The memory of his soft lips on my skin invades my thoughts, leaving me wondering what it would be like to kiss him.
"I would be more than happy to discuss boundaries if you like." A predatory grin washes across his face. 'Shall we start the conversation with an in-depth discussion on why you should control your vivid and emotionally arousing thoughts? And just so you know, my fetish is not that obvious. However, I do find what you are thinking rather distracting at the moment and wish you would stop.'
He leans forward, causing me to sink into the cushions of the couch. Easing my right leg off the sofa, he slides his hand over the top of my foot.
Holy crap, why does it feel like an electrical current running through my body every time he touches me?
"You must learn to control what you are thinking." He examines the toes on my right foot, then left. 'It really is rather distracting to hear how my touch affects you.'
"Vlad." His name passes my lips, barely above a whisper. "How do I control it or block my thoughts?"
"It is not something one can truly teach, it is different for each person. It will take time. But you must practice."
Hair strands cover his eye. He brushes them away. The individual tentacles sway, wrapping around his fingertips.
'You may touch my hair if you are curious.'
I scoot to the edge of the couch. "Are you done playing with my feet?" I turn to avoid his penetrating gaze.
Okay. Don't look at his face, his eyes, his hair, his mouth, or his lips. Oh crap, stop thinking.
"Look at me." He caresses the side of my face.
My stomach flip-flops. Our eyes lock. He slides a hand behind my back, igniting a wave of heat that ripples across my skin. Inhaling sharply, my breath hitches in the back of my throat.
He presses me against his kneeling frame. The rhythmic beating of my heart intensifies, pounding in my chest. Tipping my chin back, he claims my lips.
A charge of electricity engulfs my body.
His tongue parts my lips, darting into my mouth.
My stomach does a somersault and butterflies stir. The outline of his muscular chest is firm. My hands fan out, sliding toward his shoulders.
Lacing my fingers through his hair, I draw him closer.
The strands are warm to the touch. They intertwine, looping and lacing around my fingers. The tips of each individual iridescent tentacle caresses my skin. The touch is light and tickles.
Our kiss deepens. He eases me onto the cushions, along the length of the sofa. Rolling me onto my side, he maneuvers his frame until his hips press against mine. His lips leave a hot trail of desire across my jawline before nibbling on my neck.
"Breathe," he says in a low, throaty tone of voice. He holds my gaze with probing eyes. 'So, did my hair feel the way you thought it would?'
Shaking my head, I exhale a ragged breath. "Not really, it's softer than I thought it would be."
Images of our kiss cross my mind.
"I have instructed you numerous times to work on controlling your thoughts." His lips claim my mouth again. 'They are particularly vivid.'
Vlad slips a hand under my shirt, stroking the bare flesh of my back. My skin quivers under his electric touch. His hand slides up my side and over my bra-covered breast.
My body stiffens, and my mind screams a single word, 'Stop.'
"I am sorry. I do not know the set boundaries. And you are not telling me what they are." He looks into my face with smoldering eyes. 'Your thoughts on intimacy are intense and confusing, unlike my people's.'
I blush. "I don't understand."
'We do not view sex the same way your culture does. Intercourse is more of a social bonding event with my people that keeps the community united. We are not, what was the word in your thoughts a week ago, monogamous.'
"You all have sex with other people, even when you're in a relationship with someone else?" Warning flags go off in my head. I squirm under his frame, trying to wiggle free of his grasp.
"Wait. What do you mean you heard me a week ago?"
A single rap at the door makes me jump.
"Come, Sarah." He rises from the couch. 'We are being summoned. And you must channel your thoughts more.'
"We're being summoned? You got that from a knock on the door?"
'No, the knock was a warning because the council is waiting for us.'
"The council, I didn't hear a summons." I sit and readjust my blouse. Concentrating, I touch the outer edge of his mind and push a thought. 'Why didn't I hear it? And who or what are they? Will they let me see Morph?'
"That was good. And I am sure they will let you see your pet, soon." He smiles. 'The council is like your three branches of government. They hear cases, make decisions, and implement laws when and where needed. You did not hear the summons because I know how to block my thoughts. From what I can gather, my people can only hear you if you allow it.'
"Then, how the hell can you hear my thoughts? I don't recall sending you a personal invitation to the party in my head."
'I am not sure. However, I have formulated a hypothesis.'
"Really, you want to share that thought?"
'No, not one I care to reveal. The council has many unanswered questions they seek to resolve.'
"Yeah, well, they're not the only ones. I want to know where the hell Morph is. And when you and your people will release me?"
'You are the first in over five-hundred years to communicate with our kind. They want to know why.' He draws me into his arms. 'They will answer your questions and let you see Morph when appropriate.'
"When appropriate - five hundred years - what?"
His fingertips brush against the skin above my waistline.
Drawing in a deep breath, I arch my back.
The motion presses my breasts against his hard, lean frame. Pushing against his arms only rubs the fabric of my bra across my hardened nipples.
Oh, God, can he feel them, too? Heat burns a path up my neck and over my cheeks.
Vlad chuckles and shakes his head. 'Your thoughts are a breath of fresh air and chaos all rolled into one.' He peers at me with hooded eyes.
"I um . . ."
"We shall finish this conversation when the meeting is over because I do not want to leave any words unspoken or unexplored." He claims my lips once again.
I struggle briefly, then give into the intoxicating touch and smell of the man holding me.
He breaks our kiss. "You are an intriguing creature of the night, Sarah DeLuz, and I would like nothing more than to stay in my quarters exploring unchartered depths of passion with you. However, the council will only wait for so long before they lose patience. Come. We must go."
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