Chapter 36
Sunset was at seven-fifty-five p.m. Raul woke at seven. The setting sun weighed on him like a thousand weighted blankets. With iron determination, he ignored the warm heaviness pushing him down and forced himself from the bed.
In the bathroom, he pulled off his sleep wrinkled clothes and got in the shower.
Each movement felt as if he was swimming through rubber cement.
He didn’t let the shower warm up first, stepping directly into the icy spray.
The cold water blasted him in the face, shocking him completely awake.
Raul shuddered, shaking his head like a wet dog, but he didn’t turn the water to hot.
He left it on cold as he soaped himself up, the chill counteracting the warmth of the late afternoon sun.
By the time he got out and got dressed, his head was clear and he was almost moving at his usual speed.
He swiftly descended the staircase, ready to head out to Willow Bend. He didn’t have time for breakfast. But Xavier was there with a large mug filled to the brim with blood.
“It’s packaged blood,” he explained as he held out the blue stone mug. “But I thought it would help to wake you.”
Raul gratefully accepted the drink. “Thank you, Xavier.” He quickly drank the offered blood down. The taste was bland—cold even though it was heated—but it did give him a shot of energy. “You were right,” he said as he handed the mug back.
Xavier smiled and handed him a small bottle containing the special after drink to rinse the blood from his mouth.
“Your truck is out front along with a follow car of guards. Human of course. I don’t think any vampire on staff could be on their feet and coherent this early.”
Raul huffed a rueful laugh. “I should still be asleep myself. But this is important. Thank you for preparing everything so well.”
“You’re welcome, sir. Good luck.”
“Thanks. I have a feeling I’m going to need it.”
Determined to make things right, he went outside to his truck. He would go to the hotel to talk to Ji-Su, fix his fuck up, and bring his sweet little human back here where he belonged.
JI-SU HAD JUST FINISHED using the complimentary hotel toiletries to brush his teeth when someone knocked on his hotel room door.
He went to look through the peep hole, expecting to see housekeeping.
But to his surprise, Raul stood on the other side.
It was only seven-thirty. How was he here already?
Ji-Su unlocked the door and pulled it open.
Raul was dressed casually in a chocolate brown pull over and jeans, but his hair was damp and rumpled, evidence that he hadn’t taken much time with his appearance before coming here.
The vampire’s amber brown gaze swept over Ji-Su from head to toe, clearly checking to make sure he was alright before he gave him a gentle smile.
“Hello.”
“Hi.”
Ji-Su couldn’t help but be happy to see him. They’d only been separated for less than a day. And maybe it had been silly of him to run off. But he was glad that Raul had come for him, even pushing himself to arrive while the last of the sun’s rays were still in the sky.
“May I come in?”
Ji-Su nodded and stepped back to allow Raul to enter, then closed and relocked the door behind him. “I guess I avoided another awkward conversation,” he said with a somewhat embarrassed laugh.
Raul smiled.
“Only delayed it. And that’s okay. Are you up to talking now?”
Ji-Su nodded again.
“Let’s sit down then.”
The room was nice enough to have a pair of wingback chairs separated by a small end table. They both sat down.
“Before I say anything, tell me why you didn’t want me to join you in the shower.
I know you don’t have to invite me into your shower if you don’t want to.
But it felt like you were purposely shutting me out.
Like you were rejecting me. And I can’t...
” He swallowed, his throat tight with emotion.
“I can’t handle that again.” Ji-Su anxiously flexed his fingers like he did when he was about to start the most challenging part of a video game and waited for Raul’s answer.
“Ji-Su. Look at me.”
Ji-Su took a deep breath before he slowly looked up and met Raul’s gaze.
“I am sorry for making you feel rejected. That was not my intention. I was so worried that I might physically hurt you that my only thought was to leave as fast as I could. I should have taken the time to explain myself and I’m sorry I didn’t.”
“Explain it to me now. Why are you treating me like I can’t handle sex with you when we both know that’s not the case? Is it because of your vampire strength?”
“No. I don’t even have to think not to use my vampire strength with you. That would never happen.”
“Then what is it?”
Raul sighed and raked a hand through his hair before he answered.
“I do worry that I will hurt you physically. Because sometimes I like rough sex. And I find myself wanting that with you. I want...” He trailed off into silence. Looking down at his hands, he repeated Ji-Su’s earlier action and flexed his fingers. “But I can’t.”
“Why not?”
Raul looked at him with a confused frown on his brow, like he didn’t understand Ji-Su’s question.
“Because when I look at you, I see a pure, sweet thing.” He reached out for Ji-Su’s hand, holding it between both of his own as if he were cradling a fallen dove.
“You’re small and delicate and your skin is so soft.
” He raised Ji-Su’s hands to his lips to kiss the tips of his fingers.
“I want to protect you. Even from myself.”
“I don’t need protecting from you, Raul.”
“You do.”
Ji-Su shook his head. “I don’t,” he stressed. He stood up from his chair. “I know that I look like this. But maybe my outside doesn’t match my inside. Maybe I’m like those Beny Locochas candies.”
Raul tilted his head back to look up at him in question.
“What do you mean?”
“I mean I’m sweet on the outside and spicy on the inside.” He blushed. “Okay, maybe that was corny. But it’s true! I want you to—.” He faltered and had to push past his embarrassment to continue. If he wanted it, he had to ask for it. “I want you to fuck me hard. And I trust you not to hurt me.”
Raul suddenly stood, towering over him, crowding into his space.
“Is that right?”
Ji-Su nodded as his heart began to pound.
Raul raised a hand to press to Ji-Su’s chest, palm flat above his heart.
“This isn’t fear.”
It wasn’t a question, but Ji-Su answered anyway. “No. It’s excitement.”
“I know. Fuck. I know.”
Ji-Su’s heart sped up even more when Raul reached down and grabbed his ass with both hands.
“So, if I were to squeeze your perfect little ass hard enough to bruise that pretty skin, you would like it?”
“Yes.”
“And what if I want to feed you my cock and fuck your sweet mouth? You’d like that too?”
Ji-Su’s lips parted as if he could feel the heavy weight of Raul’s cock on his tongue already. “I would love it.”
“And if I held you down and fucked you until you screamed—.”
Ji-Su didn’t even let him finish the question. “I would love that too. Raul, please,” Ji-Su begged as he grabbed Raul’s shirt in both fists to pull him down to his level. Raul laughed, a dark husky sound that set off butterflies behind Ji-Su’s navel before he kissed him.
Their lips met in a hungry, desperate kiss.
Ji-Su moaned when Raul licked into his mouth and gasped when he nipped his lips with his sharp fangs.
He slid his hands around Raul’s shoulders to hold on while Raul gripped his ass in an even tighter hold to haul him up against his body.
He worked their bodies together, the friction of Raul’s clothed cock rubbing against his own enough to have him panting but not enough to get him off.
Ji-Su broke off the kiss to tell Raul what he wanted.
“I want you to fuck me right now. But there’s no lube.”
Raul pecked him on the nose.
“If I had known this would be the outcome of our talk I would have brought some with me.”
Ji-Su rolled his eyes. “Ha-ha, very funny.” He pressed his face to Raul’s chest, hiding as he issued a shy demand. “Take me back to the ranch and fuck me,” he whispered.
Raul went rigid before he slid a hand into Ji-Su’s hair and tugged his head back so they could make eye contact. Raul’s irises glowed like amber fire, leaving no doubt in Ji-Su’s mind that the vampire wanted him.
“I’m going to fuck you good and hard tonight, mi carino. Let’s go.”
DOWNSTAIRS IN THE LOBBY, Raul tossed Ji-Su’s keys to his guard stationed there. “Petra, please drive Ji-Su’s car home.”
“Yes, sir, Mr. Raul.”
With Ji-Su’s hand in his, Raul went to the front desk to settle his bill, putting the charge on his credit card despite Ji-Su’s protests.
After the front desk attendant gave him the receipt and thanked them for their stay they turned to go.
But at that moment, the hotel’s sliding doors opened and a familiar figure walked in.
Cedric.
Raul stopped. So did Cedric. When their eyes met, Cedric looked surprised then disappointed before his usual smug expression returned.
Raul caught the flashes of expression and knew immediately what they meant.
Cedric knew that Ji-Su was at the Willow Bend hotel.
But he hadn’t known that Raul had followed after him.
“What are you doing here?” Raul asked.
“I’m simply checking in for a night’s stay.”
“Bullshit,” he snarled as he strode forward to get in the shorter vampire’s face. “I warned you to stay away from Ji-Su. Stalking him here was a bad idea.”
Cedric raised his chin, a sneer curling his lip. “I didn’t stalk him anywhere.”
“You’re lying.”
“So what if I am?” Cedric scoffed. “You can’t prove it.”
“You think I care about proof?”
“It doesn’t matter,” Cedric said with a shrug.
“You’re right it doesn’t. From now on, if you see Ji-Su, you turn around and walk the other way. I won’t warn you again.”
With Ji-Su protectively tucked against his side, Raul moved to walk past Cedric and leave.
“You got here in time to save your little pet,” Cedric whispered just loud enough for Raul’s vampire hearing to pick up. “Better keep him close because next time he might not be so lucky.”
At the threat to Ji-Su, Raul saw red. He stopped and turned back to Cedric. “There’s not going to be a next time,” he furiously growled. Quicker than anyone could blink, he grabbed Cedric by the throat and started to squeeze.
Chaos immediately erupted in the lobby. Cedric’s people rushed forward to try and defend him.
Raul’s guards jumped in front of them to hold them back.
The hotel desk attendant shouted for security in a panic.
Guests screamed and ran. And Ji-Su grabbed onto Raul’s arm, trying to pull him away from Cedric.
“Raul, don’t! Please take me home! Please.”
Raul took his eyes off Cedric long enough to glance at Ji-Su. His eyes were wide with fear as he desperately pleaded for him to let go of Cedric.
The urge to destroy Cedric and his need to protect Ji-Su warred within Raul. Protecting Ji-Su won of course. Right now his top priority was to get Ji-Su away from Cedric. With extreme reluctance, he let go of Cedric’s throat and shoved him back.
Ji-Su took his hand and lead him out of the lobby, walking quickly as Cedric gasped and coughed behind them.
“See you later, Ji-Su,” Cedric called out.
Raul tensed but didn’t stop or respond. He kept moving forward, helping Ji-Su into his truck and then going around to get in the driver’s seat. They pulled out of the parking lot with a screech of tires, his guards following behind them.
He would deal with Cedric later. Paying him off hadn’t worked. Warnings hadn’t worked. A beating hadn’t worked. There weren’t too many options left. In the meantime, Ji-Su was now going to be under round the clock guard. He wasn’t letting Cedric get that close to him again.