There was no talking my parents out of it. They were flying up to New York to make sure I was in one piece and not being held against my will. Sylvie was no less easy to convince that I was safe and sound, and after a long discussion about her suspicions that my abductors had something to do with Heath, she grudgingly returned to Baltimore with the promise of a rain check on our weekend. Both conversations left me with the worst feeling of guilt, and I had to remind myself that I wouldn't believe the truth if the tables were turned.

Sunshine crept in through the sliding glass door, and Vincent was still not home. I was told not to worry, but I couldn't help imagining him being taken down by a hunter's rifle as I curled up under a blanket on the couch. I was tired as hell, so it didn't surprise me when my brain registered the sound of voices that hadn't been there before. Apparently, I had dozed off and Vincent arrived during the interval. One of the voices was definitely his.

"Colin was supposed to wait for me. He disobeyed a direct order." Vincent's tone had a dangerous edge to it, and despite my relief at hearing it, I had no intention of interrupting his rant. "Not only did he put other gollums in jeopardy, he could have been killed. The domus can't afford to lose another member."

"He was following a lead, Vincent. The trail could have gone cold if he hadn't acted."

The second voice sounded like Jonathan, but I wasn't sure. My only clue was his reverent tone.

"I agree with his instincts but not his motives. He has his own agenda with this kill. He wants to impress Reese."

"Can you blame him? She's an eligible female with no ties to her domus."

"We all know there has to be a connection between both parties, and Reese is not interested in taking Colin as a mate."

What the hell? How dare these two discuss my interests like they know me. Apparently, gollums were just as chauvinistic as their non-winged counterparts. They needed to know I was awake before I heard more of this trash talk. I tossed off the blanket and sat up, flinching at the lingering soreness in my arms and shoulders. How many miles did I cover last night?

When I glanced around the room, I realized I was alone, which meant Vincent and Jonathan were in another part of the apartment and my freakishly acute hearing had picked up their exchange. I pushed off the couch just as they emerged from the hallway, and I greeted Vincent with an innocent smile. He returned it with a guilty gaze. Oh, those eyes. They were the mirrors to his repressed soul.

"Reese, how are you feeling?" Vincent was standing in front of me before I could answer or even move from my spot, and he smothered me inside his arms. He smelled of sweat, and pine, and raw Vincentness. "I promise, what you went through last night will never happen again. Not as long as I can help it. But I'm afraid you've become a prime target now that they know you're with us."

"Why am I suddenly so interesting to these demons. I suppose it has something to do with Heath." I looked up at him expectantly. Would he divulge?

"We're not exactly sure what their motives are. I'll know more when Colin is able to recap the battle for me. There's often banter during a conflict, which can give us clues. I expect your abductors were planning to make a stop in Baltimore, but we don't know if that was their final destination." He released his suffocating grip, tipping my head back and holding me in his intense gaze. "Keeping you safe is all I'm concerned with, which means you will need to stay here at the domus. No more running off."

"Vincent, I have a life, and an apartment, and a neighbor who needs me to look after him."

"We will tackle those things as soon as the domus meets to discuss the situation. First, I need a shower, or you won't want to be anywhere near me."

Despite my growing worry that my parents were right about me being held against my will, I couldn't resist Vincent's magnetism. I lifted my hand to his face, tracing his bottom lip with my finger. "Whatever you're wearing right now suits me just fine."

With a low moan, Vincent brought his lips to rest on mine, and he lavished me with his highly skilled tongue. The kiss was heavenly. I wasn't even worried that my mouth probably tasted like lake water. He didn't appear to mind, and the energy between us erupted like a sun flare. I pressed my hands to his chest, squeezing his firm pectorals, and my feet left the floor as Vincent hoisted me up, wrapping his arm around my waist. He held me tightly as we continued to feed off each other in a volo carnalis way.

Jonathan cleared his throat nearby. "I hate to interrupt such a happy reunion, but Griffin should be waking from her nap soon."

"Point well made," Vincent said as he lowered me back down. "I'll take Reese next door and acquaint her with her new surroundings."

Jonathan smiled wryly as he toasted us with a coffee mug. "Enjoy your shower, you two."

Although embarrassment was not usually my thing, my face burned like a lava rock. Surely, Vincent hadn't told his brother about our previous shower escapades. As we left the apartment, I was immediately thrown by the antiquated motif of the grand corridor fronting Amelia and Jonathan's place. The wall to wall carpet boasted a paisley design in reds, greens and golds, and the space was illuminated by lanterns that could have furnished the streets of jolly old England. Of course, there was no complaint from me. I loved old shit.

"The Valentinos have owned this building for over a century, and we have tried to stay true to the original design," Vincent said as if he could read the questions on my face. "The specs are up to code, of course."

We only had to travel as far as the neighboring door, and I heard scratching and whining on the other side. Vincent bent down as he pushed the door open, and a pair of whippets greeted him enthusiastically. Both dogs had gray and white coats, but their eyes were different. One had brown eyes and the other had blue.

"Meet Bonnie and Clyde."  

"They're beautiful." I offered a friendly hello to each of the lively pups as they circled our legs, and we made our way slowly into the apartment. Once Vincent had lured them into the kitchen with the promise of treats, I stood in the foyer, gawking at his digs.

The first thing I noticed was the lack of color, which didn't surprise me. A charcoal sectional dominated the living space, accompanied by a black leather chair, both taking up residence on a black and white area rug woven to resemble a maze. The walls had been largely ignored, painted stark white with a few strategically placed black and white photographs. Captured inside the photos were ancient cathedrals from around the globe. I couldn't help grinning as I recognized each one.

Vincent joined me, slipping his arm easily around my waist. "I take it you're not surprised by my modest decorating style."

"No, but that doesn't mean I'm not impressed. So far, everything about you has impressed me." I gazed up at him, and he stared back, giving me full access to his mercurial eyes. They were my undoing every time. "How did Colin end up with a knife wound to the chest?"

Vincent's throat moved as he swallowed, and his lips turned down. "Heath turned Colin's own blade on him."

My stomach cramped and I crossed my arms over it. "Shit. I need to sit down." Vincent helped me to a chair, and I proceeded to take in oxygen, while he loomed next to me like a pillar of granite. It made me feel small and vulnerable, but my inquiries were far from over. "Why do you use knives when you have claws and fangs to rip each other's lungs out?"

"We don't rip lungs out. You make us sound so vicious. The blades we use are not made of ordinary steel. They're made of adamantium, which has necromantic properties. Both sides use them when necessary. Otherwise, we are fighting an endless battle."

I stared at Vincent as the alley battle resurfaced in my memory. "Jonathan was fighting a demon in my alley that night, wasn't he?"

"Yes."

"He killed the demon, didn't he?"

"Yes, Reese. He did. That demon had been tracking you. We hoped the information he discovered about you died with him, but we were wrong. The demons you met at Dungeon Masters were angry about the death of their fallen brother and put up a helluva fight. We aren't sure if they're in league with Heath, but I highly doubt the two incidents are unrelated."

"What happened to Heath during his fight with Colin? Did Colin get the message across that he needed to back off?"

Vincent's forehead wrinkled, and he assessed me like I might have been speaking in tongues. "No. Heath escaped before they could take him out."

"Take him out? Are you saying Colin and his battle buddies were trying to...kill him?"

The guilt of Vincent's unspoken answer was clearly displayed on his face, and my hands started tingling in my lap. I wasn't going to pretend the thought hadn't crossed my mind, but now that I had confirmation, I didn't like the way it felt. I pushed up from the chair and walked to the balcony door, putting some distance between us.

"Reese, please," he said to my retreating back.

"Don't, Vincent." I lifted my hand to shush him as I glared through the glass at the neighboring skyscrapers, using their inanimate forms to displace theemotions welling inside my gut. Bonnie and Clyde appeared to be feeling the tension as they watched warily from the arm of the couch. "Gollums and demons only seem interested in one thing. Violence." I spoke to the sliding glass door, and when I saw Vincent's reflection behind me, I chose not to turn around. I didn't want his gaze stupefying me.

"Will you give me a chance to explain?" His words came out tentative rather than commanding, and he waited patiently until I turned to acknowledge him. "I know you don't understand most of what's going on. There's a lot of backstory that needs to be filled in. Gollums and demons are an ancient species. Demons came into existence with the dawn of man, and gollums were bred to battle them. Violence is in our nature, but it is not the only thing. We are also very passionate."

"Okay. I'll agree on the passionate thing, but explain the mark to me. How did Heath mark me? Is it something demons do to their significant others?"

"Yes. When a demon takes a mate, they mark their partner with their essence. It's a little hard to explain past that, but the mark stays with each of them until death."

Ugh. So, that's why they need to take Heath out.

"But, how did he mark me?"

"Through sex. Specifically, unprotected sex."

I gritted my teeth. What was he insinuating? "We were both tested before I got on the pill."

"A very prudent decision, but birth control doesn't protect you from the mark."

"So, what does this mark do to the demon's partner once it's passed onto them?"

It was clear Vincent didn't relish answering me, but he wanted a chance to explain, and I was letting him do that. "You have the scent of a demon. Both Colin and I noticed it right away. That's why my instinct is to treat you like my enemy every time we get close."

"Then why don't you think I'm a demon? Is it my human scent? I noticed neither of you liked my perfume."

Vincent's eyes darkened as he stood in front of me. Only the lifting and lowering of his chest made him seem more like a man than a block of stone. "Your perfume has nothing to do with it. I can't tell you how we know you're not a demon. Not while you're vulnerable, but your connection to Heath will continue to torment me until one of you dies. And I am opting for Heath to make the sacrifice." 

I huffed out an annoyed sigh, and my hands clenched automatically. It was probably time to start deep breathing. "Is this written down somewhere, or do you know this from experience?"

"Gollums keep detailed records. So, yes, it is written down. I can request the document if you'd like."

"Yes, I would like. I would also like to know how gollums got their hands on that information. I have a hard time picturing demons knocking on your door handing over a list of humans they infected that week."

Vincent's head was shaking before I even finished. "Reese, can you just trust me on this?"

"Don't tell me what to do. You're not the one who had sex with a damned demon. That's three shades of screwed-up." I redirected my body away from Vincent and started circling the dining room table. I needed to pace while I breathed. "This mark. It sparks my anger, doesn't it? It has me raging all the time, even in bed."

Through my peripherals, I watched Vincent's body language change. The move was subtle. His shoulders rounded slightly as he directed his stance toward me. He probably thought I hadn't noticed, but I had seen the move before. Heath had one similar.

"Ego in pace. Say the mantra, Reese. It will help."

I stopped to glare at him and his stormy eyes met mine, holding me under their spell. Why did I always feel the urge to submit whenever Vincent looked at me? I could smell him from across the room, inviting me. I knew he was vulnerable whenever we were together. He wanted me like a junkie jonesing for a fix. So, what was holding me back from indulging my own needs while giving him what he wanted? 

"Ego in pace," I breathed as I left my stress circle and strolled toward him. "Yes, that does feel better.

Vincent appeared to be struggling to hold his position, but the tension had left the room. Or had it just left my body? I did feel better after saying the mantra, and both whippets hopped off the couch as if they had felt the positive mood change.

"I don't want to fight with you," I said as I came to stand in front of him. "I need a shower, and I'd like to take one with you. This time, I'm going to be prepared and take my clothes off first."

The restraint was clear in Vincent's eyes, and I also saw his desire. He bit the inside of his lip, a move I'd never seen him make, and I knew he was undergoing a mental skirmish. "Reese, think about the risks? I asked you to trust me. Failure on my part is not an option, not even to take you right now until you're three shades of screwed."

Did I really have to fear for my life if we got naked? Would he accidentally morph into his gollum form and subdue me? My body quivered at the thought, but it was a good quiver, and a picture popped into my head of Vincent subduing me with his gollum-sized...

My thoughts were swept aside as Vincent breached the gap between us and claimed my waist. While the initial force was anything but gentle, once he had my pelvis pressed against him, his lips approached me reverently, seducing me in slow motion. His gaze didn't leave my eyes, like he needed the connection to maintain that gargantuan restraint of his, and I leaned happily into his arms. This was where time stood still and the stars aligned.

Vincent heaved a needy sigh as his hand left my hip and traveled up my torso to slide deftly inside my shirt. When his fingers brushed the underside of my bare breast, his body stilled, even his lungs. We were sailing into uncharted territory, and the thrill of crossing that boundary had my heart racing. I was sure he felt it against his chest.

"Reese."

My name left his lips as a plea, like he was begging me to stop him, but I had no intention of stopping him. My need was past the point of no return. He'd waved the baggie in my face. The next word out of his mouth was definitely a curse, but I heard it as an incoherent growl as he scooped me off my feet and carried me toward an open door. Oh, my. Had I broken his resolve? Had I just sealed my doom with one kiss and lack of undergarments?

"What are your intentions, Vincent?" My question sounded more pragmatic than it felt. I was scared, but my body had taken all the power away from my brain. There was just adrenaline now, and it was surging toward my nether region.

"Shower."

Bypassing a minimalist's dream bedroom, Vincent detoured into a bathroom and made straight for the shower without bothering to undress. I wanted to be angry with him. I really did. His constant restraint was getting annoying, and I had borrowed these clothes from Amelia. But we were in the shower together, which had been my initial proposal.

"This is for me more than you, this time," Vincent said as we settled under the shockingly cold spray. His eyes were still on me, and his eyelashes glistened with water droplets. I watched the rivulets course down his temples and catch at the apex of his upper lip. This man was sex personified, and he could take a bite out of me right here and I would beg for more.

"How about you let me stand? I think I've got the hang of it." My voice came out throaty, betraying my need, and my arms never left his neck as he set me on my feet. I'd gotten him this far. I didn't want to break the connection, although it forced me onto my toes. I just needed to get out of my shirt.

Vincent didn't seem ready to let go either. He captured my lips in a kiss much less reverent than the first. What else could I do but submit? I could do this all day, actually.

"I'm still dressed, Vincent. Do you mind helping me with that?"

His posture stiffened, lifting my toes further away from the bathroom tiles, and he used his eyes to mesmerize me as he pressed kisses to my lips. "What you do to me..."

"Right back at cha, big guy."

Vincent lowered my feet to the floor and took hold of the hem of my shirt, peeling it slowly upward until I was forced to release his neck. When I had been unsheathed, he hung my shirt on the shower wall. I didn't make a move as his eyes traced my body. A silver sheen had taken over their usual gray, and the command they held on me was inescapable. I felt like a she-wolf caught by an alpha, terrified and turned on at the same time.

Vincent grabbed a bottle of shampoo and handed it to me. "Wash your hair. I want to watch you touch yourself."

I took the bottle, feeling a thrill at the carnality of his words. I didn't need to see the bulge under his zipper to know he was just as thrilled. I savored the experience as I lathered up my hair,  scraping my nails across my scalp and triggering a flurry of chills. Damn, this was good, although it would be better if his hands were on me and not clenched at his sides. 

When I finished, he stepped aside to let me rinse, then obediently repositioned himself in front of me. His predatory gaze hadn't deterred me in the least. In fact, it made me braver. Without breaking eye contact, I wiggled my sweatpants to my ankles and stepped out of them. I hadn't bothered with panties when I changed at Amelia's place. I knew it was a bold move, but a girl had to take a proper shower, didn't she? 

Vincent took in a sharp breath and backed up. Before he got too far, I grabbed him by the hand. "Please, Vincent. No more running off." I motioned to a neat row of bottles on a shelf. "Could you hand me the body wash? I'm not done with my shower yet."

He held his mouth agape as he took in my naked body, devouring me with a long, scorching gaze. A bottle ended up in my hand, and I began the ritual of rubbing my skin with soap, spending extra time on my breasts. Boobs didn't usually require a thorough cleaning unless you were a lady mud wrestler, but when you were trying to seduce a hottie with too much self-restraint, clean breasts were a must.

Vincent still hadn't made a move to remove his clothes. No surprise there, but his erection strained so badly I thought he was going to breech his waistband, and my sex ached when I imagined what he might taste like. I wanted to reach out and touch him, but that would scare the skittish giant off. Instead, I eyeballed his groin with a purposeful gaze, licking water off my lips as I slid my fingers between my legs.

"Baby... You're not playing fair." Vincent moaned as he took a bold step forward.

"Okay. I forfeit. You win. Time to collect your prize." I offered him an impish grin as I closed the gap between us until my nipples rested on his chest. This elicited another moan from him.

"You don't know what you're asking. I'm an aggressive lover. I don't want to hurt you."

An aggressive lover, huh? That sounded amazing. I'd read about Vincent's rude sexual tendencies in a blog written by one of his exes. I was no stranger to rude sex. That was the only kind of sex Heath knew how to have, and while most of it was pretty hot...hmm. Maybe I needed to heed Vincent's warnings.

"Ego in pace," I whispered against his mouth. "C'mon, say it with me."

I only had a moment to glimpse his smile before he reclaimed my lips in a fierce possession, like his resolve had washed down the drain with the water. Or, maybe he was taking my advice, calming his raging hormones with the mantra while his fingers made their way over the curve of my hip to linger above my pubic bone. A low growl echoed inside his chest as he licked my lower lip then sucked it into his mouth. I felt the slightest pressure from his teeth, and I tensed until he resumed kissing me, thrusting his tongue as far as it would reach.

My center had become slick with the intensity of his desire, and I wanted to direct his hand between my legs. But I didn't want to disturb the precarious position we were holding. The only option I saw was to keep touching myself, and I had no trouble finding what I wanted. Within seconds, my body was working toward that sweet buildup.

My head dropped back as I panted at the ceiling, and Vincent left my mouth to lick the water from my chin. A moment later, his middle finger had joined mine, and I stealthily removed my hand to let him take over. Vincent's pulse ran rampant at his neck, and the veins stood out between the channels of water. I reached up to touch them, letting my fingers continue through his wet hair. A guttural purr replaced his growls as he maneuvered beside me, wrapping his arm around my waist and forcing his hardness against my hip. His finger circled the entrance to my sex, teasing me with slowly increasing pressure, while this thumb stimulated the most sensitive part of me.

"Vincent, please. Oh, please don't stop."

Despite my desire to prolong the connection, I let myself orgasm under his expert touch, climaxing swiftly and powerfully as his finger breached my swollen walls. His teeth grazed the skin of my shoulder as he pumped his hard-on into me, rhythmically, almost violently, while my body quivered with shockwaves. When my panting slowed, I caught him staring at me, his eyes shining like nickels in a fountain. He was nearly gone.

"Vincent, come back to me."

"Oh, baby. I'm gonna come."

He moaned deep and primal as he jerked against me, the pleasure of release clearly written on his face as he captured my mouth in a kiss. I felt the sharp points of his teeth on my lips, but his passion had me hypnotized, and I responded by offering my tongue, ignoring the hazards as I took everything he relished on me. When the mania had subsided, Vincent backed away, brushing his drenched hair out of his eyes as he shook his head at the ground.

Holy shit, that was hot.

"You're definitely overdressed," I said, stretching for the zipper of his jeans. He caught my hand before I reached him.

"You're going to kill me, Reese. You finish your shower. I'll wait my turn."

And with that, he yanked a towel off the rack and stepped out.

Mr. Pragmatic strikes again.

PLAYLIST SONG: Dark Necessities by Red Hot Chili Peppers