Forbidden Hunger by R.L. Kenderson
Ten
Ram stood in the doorway,watching Siya’s brow furrow as she concentrated on something on her laptop. She had her legs crossed underneath her as she sat on his big, stuffed chair. When he had gotten his own room, it was the first thing he’d bought since there was only one bed now. He loved that thing because it fit his body. She looked like she was drowning in it.
It had been hours since he’d fetched her from outside. When he’d kissed her.
He ran his thumb over his bottom lip, as if he could still taste her there.
He should forget it’d happened.
The two of them hadn’t said two words to each other since then. She’d gone right to his room and not come out since. He had tried to leave her alone as much as possible, but he needed sleep. He’d been awake for almost thirty hours, and the sun had stolen quite a bit of his energy.
He was going to need blood soon. Normally, he could last another week or two, but after being outside so long, he was going to have to feed in the next couple of days instead.
But that was something to worry about later. His body required rest first.
Maybe he should have let someone else talk to her after she ran out of the house. Many had offered, but he had insisted it should be him. Either way, what was done was done. He couldn’t go back now.
Ram cleared his throat from the doorjamb, and Siya’s head popped up.
For a second, she looked like a deer caught in headlights, but it was gone before he could really assess it.
“I need to sleep.” He looked at the bed. “Will that bother you?”
She winced. “No, it’s fine. I should have known. It is daytime after all.” She closed her laptop and went to grab the notebook sitting beside her in the chair.
He held out his hand. “You don’t have to get up. It won’t bother me if you stay.” He looked away, almost embarrassed to admit the next part. “In fact, it might be easier if you stay.”
Siya bit her bottom lip as she considered it. “Are you sure?” she finally asked. “Because it’s kind of loud out there. It’s much quieter in here.”
“I’m sure.” He pulled his shirt from over his head as he said, “All the rooms have some soundproofing. Not completely, but more than regular bedrooms. It can get pretty noisy otherwise.”
“Huh?”
He looked over at Siya. She looked lost in thought.
“What did you miss?”
She shook her head. “What? Oh. Nothing. Yes. Soundproofing. That makes sense.”
Lifting his brow, he asked, “Are you okay?”
“Yep. I’m just fine.”
“Okay.” He turned his back, shucked off his pants, and flipped back the covers as a loud crash sounded behind him.
He spun around, ready to fight anyone who might have broken in to hurt Siya.
But she wasn’t in trouble. She was bent over, picking up her computer.
“Sorry. It slipped off my lap.”
He chuckled. “No worries.”
A second later, it occurred to him that he was still naked, and now, his dick was facing her way. He quickly turned back around and got under the covers before she could see his junk.
“Are you working on something?” he asked as he rolled onto his back.
“Kind of,” she said. “But nothing for actual work. This is just for fun, I guess.”
That reminded him…
“When are you supposed to go to work again?”
“Tomorrow.”
He braced himself for what was going to come next. “You know that you can’t go back to work at this time, right?”
She sighed. “Yeah, I know.”
Ram was taken aback. “You do?”
She smiled. “Yes. Even though I still think everyone is overreacting, Monica knows where I work now. I’m probably not safe there.”
“Wow. I didn’t think you’d accept that so easily.”
“Why? I’m not unreasonable.”
“Yeah, it’s just that you insisted on finishing work last night.”
“That’s because Monica would have been really stupid to come back last night. She had no idea who was waiting for her. And I’m sure she had other things to do once she escaped. Like taking Emery somewhere.”
“I suppose that is true.”
“Thanks, I think.”
“What are you going to tell work?”
“I already called them and told them something personal came up and I needed time off. I had to send out some text messages to get some of my shifts covered at the last minute, but I have PTO—paid time off—so they let me use it.”
“That’s good.”
“Yeah. It’s not really what I would like to spend my vacation time on, but here we are.”
“We don’t have to stay in the house all the time,” he offered. “You can’t go out alone, but I’m willing to take you places.”
She perked up. “Like my house?”
He narrowed his eyes. “The last time you left when your life was in danger, your car blew up.”
“Technically, yes, that was my car. But that bomb was meant for Demi.”
“Still proves my point that someone can easily find where you live.”
She sighed. “Yeah, you’re right.”
“I promise we’ll keep you safe.”
“I know. It’s just…I don’t think I’m in any real danger. It’s not like Monica let me know where she’s staying, and all her paperwork at the hospital was fake. Plus, I already told Vance, you, and the others about her. What would killing me do?”
“She might do it out of retaliation. Revenge has no logic.” Ram cleared his throat. “Or she might not kill you.”
Siya’s brow furrowed. “What would she do then? Just hurt me?”
“She might kidnap you and use you.”
A horrified look crossed her face, and then much to his surprise, she burst out laughing.
Flying into a sitting position, he barked out, “Why is that funny?” Someone forcing her to have sex so they could make money made him sick.
She bit her lip to stop herself from laughing and held out her hand. “I’m sorry.” She waved her arms back and forth. “And in no way am I laughing at the trauma Monica has caused anyone.” A sad look crossed her face. “In fact, I can’t get Emery out of my head. I wish I could have helped her.” She shook her head. “But I was given the backstory. She goes after young girls. Which makes sense. I’m way too old to be of interest to Monica or her clientele.”
“You don’t know that. Not everyone likes barely out of their teens women.”
“Yeah, well, I’m not even in my twenties anymore. Plus…”
“Plus what?” he asked when he knew he shouldn’t have.
“Plus, I’m not exactly the most beautiful woman in the world. I’m pretty, but I have big hips and a tummy. Monica would lose money, kidnapping me. I’d eat more than she’d make on me.” Siya started laughing again. “That would be kind of funny though.”
He balled his comforter into his fist. “Enough.”
She blinked at him a couple of times. “Excuse me?”
“Stop talking about her kidnapping you. I—I can’t—I can’t handle it, okay?”
Her big eyes were wide now. “Okay.”
“Thank you,” he said, exasperated.
“You are one strange man.”
“I’m not a man. I’m a vampire.”
“Fine. You’re one strange male then.”
“I’m not strange. I’m a vampire, and I don’t like the thought of my—” He clamped his jaw shut.
Where the hell did that thought come from?
Tilting her head to the side, she asked, “You don’t like the thought of your what?”
He had actually thought, I don’t like the thought of my mate being kidnapped. But why that particular phrase had come into his mind, he didn’t know. They were so far from mates that it was almost funny.
“Nothing.” He fell back down onto his bed.
“Okay. Fine. But are you sure you don’t want to talk about it?”
“No,” he said and rolled over, putting his back to her. “And you’re fucking beautiful, so stop saying you’re not.”
“Yikes. You sure are moody.”
Moody was an understatement. He was worried, he was horny, and he was mad that they didn’t know where Monica was. He was also tired. Hopefully, when he woke up, he’d be in a better mood.