Chapter 11
The next night, Ji-Su looked around at all the boxes and packages on the floor in what was to be his gaming room.
He was beyond appreciative that Raul had helped him replace everything Cedric had destroyed.
Thanks to Raul, he didn’t have to budget, didn’t have to dip into his savings, didn’t have to stress.
He would miss some time practicing and streaming while he got his replacement system set up, but not nearly as much as he would have if he’d had to pay for everything himself. Raul was wonderful to do this for him.
Grabbing the tools he needed, Ji-Su got busy assembling one of his gaming chairs.
As he worked, he smiled to himself, remembering Raul’s surprise when he’d told him he thought his assistance was a loan.
His handsome face had gone from confused to barely contained amusement.
It was cute, and if Ji-Su had thought it was appropriate, he would have thrown himself in the big vampire’s arms and smothered him with kisses.
He’d contented himself with a reserved hug and sincere gratitude once they were back at the mansion.
But he’d wanted to do more. He still did actually.
Unfortunately, Raul was insistent that he should wait before he started serving as his blood pet.
Ji-Su truly appreciated Raul wanted to give him that break.
But he was ready to give Raul his blood now.
In gratitude for all he’d done, because it was his job, and because he wanted to let Raul drink from him.
Something told him that he would enjoy feeding Raul much more than he had Cedric.
Especially after their intimate time together during the storm.
Physical attraction had never factored into his contracted time with Cedric.
But with Raul the two were tied together in his mind.
He imagined the warmth and intimacy he would feel as Raul drew him close and set his lips to his throat.
Ji-Su paused in twisting the final screw tight, gaze going a little hazy as he wondered what it would have been like if Raul had bitten him that night in his bed.
Ji-Su shook himself and finished tightening the screw. It was his goal to convince Raul that he didn’t need time to recover and to drink from him now rather than later. In order to reach that goal, he needed to figure out how to go about convincing such a strong-willed man to change his mind.
Once the chair was complete, Ji-Su sat down in it to test it out. It was perfect. The chair was comfortable and had great back support. Ready for a break, he stood up and stretched.
He was trying to decide if he wanted to get a snack when outside, he heard a van door slid shut.
Nosily wondering who was there, he went to the window that overlooked the front of the house.
In the driveway, there was a white delivery van with TDJ’s Fast, Fresh Blood Delivery painted on the side.
As the van pulled away, he realized the delivery was probably for Raul.
If it was, then this could be the perfect opportunity to get the vampire to change his mind and drink from him.
He’d read that some vampires didn’t like to use blood bags.
Since Raul was used to drinking direct from humans, he probably wasn’t too happy with the switch to bagged blood.
Raul needed to feed. Was more than likely about to do so soon. All Ji-Su had to do was find him before he drank from the blood bag. He was certain that if presented with a choice between bagged blood and blood straight from the source, Raul wouldn’t be able to resist choosing him.
Not about to miss this opportunity, Ji-Su quickly took off his hoodie, yanked his T-shirt off, then pulled his hoodie back on and zipped it up. After taking a deep, steadying breath, he left the room, and went to find his blood patron.
RAUL LOOKED UP AT A knock on his open office door. Gloria was there holding a tray.
“Your delivery is here, sir.”
Raul set his pen down and closed the file he’d been working through.
He gestured for her to come in and she brought the tray over, setting it down on his desk.
The bag had TDJ printed on the front and had a flat square bottom so that it could stand upright.
Gloria had heated the blood for him and provided him with a mug.
“Looks delicious, no?” she asked with gentle sarcasm.
“Don’t be a blood snob, Gloria,” he said with an amused chuckle.
Gloria had a blood bonded mate—a cute Afro Cuban woman that she’d been with since the nineteen nineties.
The blood bond meant that her mate would remain alive, never aging as long as Gloria regularly fed from her.
And since she had a blood bonded mate, she had no reason to drink packaged blood.
Although he’d teased Gloria, he had to admit that he wasn’t thrilled about drinking from a blood bag.
Throughout his many years alive, he’d rarely used them.
They got the job done, providing the nutrients he needed.
But drinking from a straw or a cup didn’t come close to the feel of sinking his fangs into a vein, listening to his donor’s heartbeat, and feeling their warm skin against his lips as he drank.
And the microwaved temperature was never quite right.
But he could deal with it for a few weeks until Ji-Su was ready.
“You’re sure you don’t want me to summon Ji-Su?”
“I’m sure.”
“Okay. Enjoy.”
She left the office, closing the door behind her to give him privacy.
Raul sat back in his chair and sighed as he looked at the bag of A positive.
Since he hadn’t drank from Linda or Alan the night they’d returned from the dinner theater, he figured it was best to drink now to make sure he wouldn’t be tempted to drink from Ji-Su before he was ready to take on the duty of feeding him.
He could have used a donor from a blood service but when he thought of biting anyone besides Ji-Su, something unpleasant tightened in his chest.
As he eyed the bag, he considered not bothering with the mug. Before he could decide, his office door opened. Raul looked up, expecting to see Gloria again. But it wasn’t his mayordoma.
Ji-Su stood in the doorway, looking lovely and soft. His hair was fluffy and tousled, his feet were bare, and he was dressed in a white, oversized hoodie and relaxed jeans.
“Ji-Su. Did you need something?”
Ji-Su shook his head. “No. but I thought that you might need something from me.”
“What do you mean?”
Ji-Su walked into the office, closing the door behind him.
He nodded at the blood bag Raul held. “Why are you using that when I’m here?”
“You know why. I want you to recover first.”
“What about what I want?” Ji-Su softly asked.
“What do you want?” Raul cursed himself after asking the question.
Stupid. He shouldn’t have asked that. He should have sent Ji-Su away.
Instead, he’d given him an opening to offer to feed him.
He watched as a small smile curled those full, pink lips before Ji-Su answered exactly the way he thought he would.
“I want to feed you.”
Ji-Su unzipped his hoodie and let it slip off one shoulder. He wasn’t wearing anything beneath. Raul’s eyes immediately fastened on the pale gold shoulder and throat that he’d exposed. His fangs tingled. Determinedly ignoring the feeling, Raul shook his head.
“Did Gloria send you in here?”
“No. I haven’t seen her. But I saw the delivery van and thought I would give you another option.”
“I’m fine using pre-packaged blood for now. Maybe later, once you’re truly comfortable and settled in—.”
Ji-Su cut him off with a sharp shake of his head. “I’m already comfortable and settled in. Let me do this. I’m feeling really jobless right now and I want to contribute or feel useful.” He came closer, walking around the side of the desk to stand next to Raul’s chair. “Please drink from me.”
At the sweetly voiced offer, Raul’s fangs lengthened in his mouth.
Fuck. He stood up from his chair and took a step back from Ji-Su.
He wanted to drink from him—more than he’d wanted to drink from anyone in recent memory.
But his protective instincts told him to wait and let Ji-Su heal.
He was about to walk away when Ji-Su put a trembling hand on his arm.
“Please, Raul.”
The light touch kept him in place as easily as if he’d been anchored to the floor.
He looked down at Ji-Su. The rush of blood in his veins was such a pretty sound.
And his big, dark eyes silently pleaded for him to say yes.
Feeling as if he would hurt Ji-Su by continuing to turn him down, Raul gave in to what they both wanted.
He slowly wrapped his arms around Ji-Su’s waist and picked him up in a hug so that his mouth was nearly even with Ji-Su’s throat. “Are you sure?”
Ji-Su braced both hands on his shoulders and tilted his head to the side, baring the smooth line of his throat. “I’m sure.”
He shouldn’t do this but...
Raul lowered his head to the spot where Ji-Su’s neck and shoulder met.
He brushed his lips over satiny skin, feeling the thrum of his pulse.
He waited to see if Ji-Su would flinch as he had the night he’d arrived at the ranch.
When he didn’t, Raul bit, his fangs piercing Ji-Su’s skin and sinking into his flesh.
The moment he began to drink, Ji-Su shivered and moaned.
Raul almost stopped after the first pull, hoping that single drink would be enough to satisfy both of their needs.
But the taste of the blood sliding into his mouth...
soft and sweet and warm like the man he held in his arms. Raul groaned.
There was no way he could stop. He drank, controlling his breathing, and keeping a tight leash on the passion that wanted to burst free.
However, he couldn’t hold back a rough groan, the sound revealing the truth of his arousal.