Falling for the Enemy Who Tried to Take Someone's Mate

Episode 4

Eve watched the big male as he scowled and muttered to himself for several minutes. Gnawing on her lip she finally asked quietly, "Are you thirsty?"

His intense glare snapped back to her and she almost regretted the question. He looked as if he would reprimand her before his features softened. "Aye, I could use some water."

She almost shuddered at the sound of his voice. She'd never heard anything so attractive before. It was deep and gravely, with an accent she didn't recognize. Russian maybe.

"Where are you from?" she asked curiously.

"Lithuania," he replied absently.

Eve wondered if that was where his pack had originated. And just where was his pack? She didn't know much about werewolves but they always traveled in packs, didn't they?

Out of the corner of her eye she looked him over. The swelling and bruising on his face had healed dramatically and she could now see that he was in fact very handsome in a rugged, dangerous kind of way. She hadn't lied about the elixir she'd given him. Already his color was returning and his eyes were clear and focused. The fact that he could sit up and talk attested to its effectiveness.

Pouring him a glass of water she pulled another vial off the bookshelf and added a few drops. He eyed her suspiciously as she brought the glass over to him.

"What did you put in it?" he barked.

"It's to help with the swelling and any pain." She gave him a weak smile, pushing it towards him. He eyed the glass darkly before accepting it.

Taking a small sip he asked, "What's your name?"

"Evelyn, but everyone just calls me Eve." She decided to skip on telling him her full title. Telling the werewolf she was known as Evelyn the Meek seemed like a bad idea.

"I like Evelyn better," he stated dismissively.

"Oh." She blinked, oddly pleased that he preferred her full name.

"My name is Vincent Shaw," he offered on a grumble.

That's right, wolves didn't go by titles. They had full names similar to humans. Shaw? That name sounded familiar to her, but she couldn't seem to place it.

He took another sip from his glass. "Thank you for the water." It almost seemed to pain him to say the words.

"You're welcome. Are you a werewolf?" she asked in a rush.

Scratching his beard he nodded. "Aye."

She'd been right! Had he lost his pack? And how had he ended up so badly wounded? "If you are feeling up to it, maybe we could get you into a chair so I can put down clean bedding?"

"I think I can do that." Setting his glass down on the bureau Vincent threw the blankets off his body. Eve gasped before she could stop herself at the sight of his naked body, her glasses slipping precariously down her nose. He raised one dark eyebrow at her expression. "Is there a problem?"

"I...no..." she stammered, pushing her glasses back up her nose and willing herself to stop blushing.

He frowned. "Have you never seen a naked man before?"

"Yes!" Her blush deepened. "I...saw...everything yesterday." Arg! Why did she just tell him that!?

Vincent smirked at this, leaning back against the bed, still very naked. "I see. Have you ever seen a naked man besides me before?"

She was almost certain that the b*st*rd was silently laughing at her. Eve pursed her lips, crossing her arms over her chest. "No..." she admitted sullenly and immediately wanted to smack herself for it.

"No?" He seemed surprised by her answer. "How old are you?"

Shrugging she mumbled, "Ninety-four."

"And you've never seen a man?" he asked, incredulous.

"I've been busy with other things," she snapped.

"Is that so? Well please look your fill, girl. It's the least I can do," he drawled, dark eyes glinting dangerously. The look made her stomach flutter.

Before she could stop herself her eyes traveled downward. She followed the trail of black hair down his strong chest and abs to his manhood. Her eyes widened as she watched him grow hard. Suddenly, Vincent grabbed the blankets and wrapped them around his waist. Her eyes snapped back up to his own and she felt like she could die of embarrassment.

"I think you've seen enough for now," he almost sneered. "Wouldn't want our little virgin to pass out from shock."

"I'm not..." Her mouth opened and closed, stunned into silence. She wanted to deny his claim but couldn't.

A strange look crossed over his face, making her shiver. For a brief second she could have sworn his eyes flickered bright blue. Shaking his head he stood up slowly, wincing with the strain. Sitting down in the chair by the bed he gave her a dark look. "Are you going to clean the bed or not, girl?"

Eve's temper flared, replacing her embarrassment with annoyance. "You don't have to be rude. I did save your life you know."

He grinned. "Aye, that you did. Now be a dear and make my bed. Maybe if you're really good I'll even let you give me a bath."

That knocked her off balance. He wanted her to bath him? The thought shouldn't have excited her as much as it did. "I bathed you this morning," she blurted, hurriedly rushing to strip down the bed. She could feel his eyes on her. The wolf was incredibly intense, her knees felt weak just to look at him.

Vincent chuckled from behind her. "Is that so? You enjoyed yourself I trust?"

Was the wolf trying to seduce her? "You were sick with fever," she whispered, laying a clean sheet over the bed. She yelped as two strong arms suddenly wrapped around her waist, pulling her backward and onto his lap. "Shaw?"

"Vincent," he corrected roughly. His head dropped down to her neck, breathing her in. "You smell like honeysuckle," he murmured against her skin, sending shivers up her spine. "Next time you give me a bath I'll make sure you enjoy it more."

She thought she might faint. Her mind was reeling from this man. He went from grumpy to frightening to downright seductive all in the breath of a few minutes. "Uh...are you feeling alright?" Her body trembled as he nuzzled the skin behind her ear.

"Mmm...very well." His hot tongue lapped at her skin. She jumped at the contact, a soft sound in her throat. That felt good, so good.

What was he doing? "Vincent?"

"Your taste," he growled. His mouth latched onto the soft spot of her shoulder, sharp fangs scraping her skin. With a groan deep in his chest he s*ck*d hard.

"Oh!" Eve's stomach jolted, hot heat pooling between her thighs. She wiggled her hips, desperate for relief.

Vincent grunted, a big hand pressing flat against her stomach, holding her tight. "Be still."

"I can't," she keened.

"Responsive little thing," he rumbled. His hand trailed downward, cupping her fully between her thighs over her thin dress.

Her hips bucked. The pleasure! A moan fell from her lips.

Vincent's own hips moved beneath her, rocking against her backside. "I'm half-dead and you're making me hard as f*ck, girl."

A thrill ran through her. She could feel him beneath her, thick and hard. She did that to him!

His lips trailed up her cheek, hitting the rim of her glasses. He raised his head and frowned down at her. "I hate your glasses."

That hurt.

Her desire evaporated. She had been teased and taunted over her glasses through much of her younger life. To her extreme disappointment her eyesight never improved before she reached immortality.

"I can't see without them," she mumbled, dropping her gaze.

Vincent reached up, slipping a finger under her glasses and pulling them off her nose. Immediately her vision blurred.

"That's too bad," he murmured huskily. "You might even be pretty if not for these." He tossed her glasses onto the bed as if they offended him.

Her chest pinged painfully at his insult. She couldn't change the way she was. Tears welled in her eyes, even though she tried desperately not to cry. His words shouldn't hurt that much. She shouldn't care what this wolf thought of her.

But she did.

She looked up at him, realizing that he was watching her carefully. "Why are you crying?" he asked softly.

Anger welled inside her. "I'm not crying. And I can't help it if I'm not pretty." She shoved against his chest roughly. Vincent let her go with a grunt. She stood briskly and snatched up her glasses. "I don't need someone like you to remind me of the fact!"

She slammed her glasses back on her nose and turned to finish making the bed. Embarrassment had her stomach churning. Eve didn't know what the hell had just happened, but it certainly wasn't going to happen again!

Vincent watched her quietly before asking slowly, "Evelyn?"

She spun around and glared at him. "What?"

He ran a hand through his hair and shook his head, as if trying to clear it. "What was in that potion?"

She blinked at him before smacking herself on the forehead. "Oh my god, I'm so sorry. I forgot about the side effects!"

"Side. Effects?" He punctuated each word as he glowered up at her. "What side effects, Evelyn?"

"Uh..." She twisted her hands nervously as she offered him a shaky smile. "You're going to feel out of it for a while. If you start seeing bright colors, don't panic."