Vampires Prefer Blondes (Psy-Vamp Book 3) Read online

  “What’s going on in that head of yours?” Roman asked as he studied her. “You’ve been quiet and you’re getting tied up in your hair again.”

  “Stupid hair,” she muttered. “I could tell you that I have a lot to process right now and I’m thinking about the life changes I’ve gone through, but it would be a lie. I’m thinking about you.”

  His eyebrows lifted in surprise. “Me?”

  “Yes,” she admitted. “You’re pretty damn sexy.”

  “You’re not making it easy to be a gentleman,” he said as his knuckles gently brushed against her cheek.

  “Did you give me blood?” There was no way to hide the fear in her voice. The idea of being addicted to a man again was beyond frightening. How else could she explain this strange attraction?

  “No,” he assured her. “For the last few months, you’ve been given my energy to survive. That is probably affecting your feelings. Now that you’ve recovered, you won’t need as much so the affects should lessen. I’m afraid you’re likely reacting to my attraction to you. Just try to ignore the feelings for now.”

  “You’re attracted to me?” Yeah, she already knew that, but a girl likes hearing a man tell her she’s hot.

  “More than you can imagine,” he said softly. “Don’t worry, Lydia, I’m not going to act on that attraction. Well, other than the out of character flirting and the kiss earlier. From this moment on, I promise to behave better.”

  “I’m a lot tougher than people give me credit for,” she assured him.

  “Believe me; I didn’t mean to imply that you’re weak. That is a word I would never associate with you. What I’m trying to say is that I won’t take advantage of you.”

  “What if I want you to take advantage of me?” she asked and squeezed his thigh. When Roman nearly jumped out of the seat she giggled. “Fine, no more teasing and I promise not to molest you anymore during dinner.”

  He shook his head. “I’m not sure if I should be thanking or cursing you for that promise.”

  “You’d be amazed at how often people say that around me,” she said with a smile. “Look; our food is coming!”

  Lydia wasn’t sure if she was happy or disappointed that their sexual banter was interrupted. Either way, that part of the evening seemed to be over. The rest of the shopping trip was fun but no more lines were crossed. Well, it was probably for the best anyway.

  Justin was right about her track record with men. She barely knew Roman. Justin thought she needed to be more cautious. Still, Lydia trusted Roman Draksel. Yep, she was as crazy as everyone accused her of being.

  Chapter Six

  Lydia stared at the front door with a strange sense of trepidation. Hannah had practically begged her to go to the club. Lydia wanted to go. Caitlin, had texted the names of the bands playing and Lydia loved them all. Plus she needed a girls’ night out. Something weird was going on with her and she needed to talk about it. Still, she heard herself saying ‘no’ to Hannah. Dominic was coming and she had to see him. Talking to her friends was out of the question. Dominic didn’t want her telling anyone about him and she needed to make him happy.

  Now, she sat on the sofa waiting for Dominic with a mix of excitement and dread. Her brain screamed out to her that something was seriously wrong. Still, she didn’t run. Was this what it was like for her mom with each new man? Was this why her mom neglected Lydia to make the new man happy? Her mom stayed with countless worthless men to avoid being alone. Lydia always thought she was above that. Now, she had to wonder if it was a sickness they shared.

  The knock on the door made Lydia flinch. On heavy legs, she dragged herself to the door that would open to Dominic. Tonight, she would end things. After that she’d meet up with her cousin and friends. This was her chance to prove she was nothing like her mom.

  By the time she opened the door, her heart was pounding so hard that breathing was difficult. It felt like those times when one of her mom’s boyfriends would try to sneak into her room at night. Dominic terrified her. That was crazy since Dom hadn’t hurt her. Sure, he was a vampire or something like that, but he’d never hurt her. The knob turned slowly, and the door opened. Dominic stood on her front porch frowning.

  “Why did it take you so long to open the door?” he demanded. “I heard you at the door. Why did you hesitate to open it?”

  “I don’t know,” she admitted and stepped back into the room, avoiding the hand that reached for her. “We need to talk about things.”

  “No talking,” he purred in his heavily accented voice. “Go into your bedroom and take off all of your clothes. I need you, my sweet Lydia.”

  When Lydia hesitated, Dominic’s eyes narrowed into angry slits. “Do what you are told, now.”

  “No,” she said and backed up a step. “No more sneaking around. I get that this isn’t your fault. Nathaniel is an ass for saying we can’t see each other, but we hardly know each other. Let’s just end things now, before someone gets hurt. This lying to everyone isn’t working.”

  His frown deepened. “Why are you acting like this? You should be doing what I tell you. By now, you should be following my every command, begging to make me happy.”

  “Excuse you!” she screeched. Who the hell did this guy think he was? “Now, I know this is a mistake. I don’t take orders from assholes. We’re done. Get the hell out of my house and don’t come back.”

  In a move so quick that no one would consider it human, Dominic grabbed her throat and began to squeeze. Lydia struggled but her lungs couldn’t get enough air to scream. Oh God, he was going to kill her.

  Dominic’s lips curved into a sensual smile. “I’ve had other pets, but they were too easy to break. None had the energy you do.” His free hand cupped her breast. “I can’t decide whether I love the challenge of training you or if it makes me want to hurt you. Probably a little of both.” The hand around her throat loosened and she took in great gasping breaths of air. “I don’t want to bruise your beautiful skin,” he said and massaged her throat.

  “I’ll scream.” Lydia’s voice shook.

  “If you do,” he began, and his fingers tightened ever so slightly on her throat again, “I won’t worry about bruising you. Are you going to behave?”

  She nodded. Why had she been such a fool?

  “Good girl,” he crooned and pulled his wrist to his own mouth and bit into it. “Drink,” he ordered.

  When she started to move her head away, the hand on her throat tightened more. “I said drink,” he growled.

  A sob tried to escape but there wasn’t enough air in her lungs.

  Dominic smiled as his wrist pressed against her lips and she began to tentatively suck at it. The more blood she swallowed, the more relaxed she became.

  “You don’t want to send me away,” he crooned.

  He was right. She wanted him to stay.

  “I’m all that matters to you. Nothing is more important than pleasing me,” he said.

  Yes, that’s what she wanted. Why fight him? All she wanted to do was make him happy.

  Lydia sat up in bed and screamed. The dream wasn’t a simple nightmare; it was a horrid memory. Sobs racked her body. How could this have happened?

  Roman burst into the room completely naked. Obviously, her scream had woken him and he’d rushed in to see what was wrong. “Are you okay?”

  Lydia nodded because she couldn’t stop crying.

  Roman sat down on the bed and lifted her onto his lap. His lips brushed the top of her head as he murmured. “Hush, Sweetheart, it was just a dream. You’re safe.”

  “No,” she said, “it was a memory. Roman, I can’t even tell you what he did. It was awful and I know there was more. I don’t want to remember.”

  “Shhhh. You’re safe now,” he said against the top of her head.

  “Please don’t leave me,” she said pitifully. “I’m so frightened right now.”

  “I’ll stay,” he assured her.

  Roman laid her down and settled them both under the
blankets. With his warm body at her back, Lydia let out a sigh. She should hate herself for needing Roman so much, but she couldn’t bring herself to care.

  Roman felt like a complete ass as he held Lydia’s body close. She was frightened and it was just as much his fault as Dominic’s. He should have been paying attention to the family and protecting innocent women like Lydia. Those should be the only thoughts in his mind while lying beside her. Instead, he was thinking about how sexy she looked in her new pajamas that consisted of a pair of very short boxer‑like bottoms and a little camisole. He’d picked out those pajamas which added to his arousal. There was something indescribably sexy about seeing Lydia in clothing he’d purchased. He really shouldn’t be inhaling deeply to enjoy her scent. The struggle to keep from pressing his erection against her backside shouldn’t be this difficult. Luckily, their height difference didn’t allow them to spoon very well or he’d be frightening her with his reaction.

  “Roman,” she said sleepily.

  “Yes,” he said and recognized how strained his voice sounded.

  “You don’t have to work so hard to hide your erection,” she said. “I felt it when I was on your lap.”

  “Sorry,” he said.

  “Don’t be. It’s not like I’m some innocent virgin. I’m kind of glad I affect you that way. You make me pretty hot too.”

  Roman smiled against her hair. “You are so different from any woman I’ve ever known. I just don’t want to hurt you.”

  “Yeah, I got a look at the whole package when you came in. It’s impressive, but I’m pretty sure it won’t injure me by rubbing against my pajamas,” she said.

  That made him chuckle. How could she joke this soon after her nightmare? “Go to sleep, Lydia. It’s been a rough day. We’ll talk about the dream tomorrow. The details might give us some insight into Dominic. The sooner that bastard is found, the better.”

  “You don’t think Dominic will give up, do you?” she asked after a long pause.

  “No,” he said and hated scaring her, but he’d seen the crazed look in his nephew’s eyes. The security system for this home was state of the art. His nephew, Isaiah, was an expert at those things. The grounds themselves weren’t quite as secure. There’d never been a reason to worry before now.

  Lydia’s rhythmic breathing alerted him that she was asleep again. Lying there with her in his arms, Roman was awed by her all over again. He was the last person any woman should trust to keep her safe. His own past was a testament to bad choices. The thought of losing Lydia made his insides tighten. When this was all over, he’d let her go. His last marriage had taught him how wrong it was to take advantage of someone’s reliance on him. Lenore had been completely dependent on him. Things were usually that way back then. Still, he’d added to that reliance by isolating her from her family and preventing her from having any friends. A sick realization came to him. Other than Justin, no one knew Lydia was even in his home. He’d done the same to her in many ways. Well, he’d resolve that in the morning. First, he would get his granddaughter over to see her. Ivy would be able to help with the nightmares. With that settled, he pulled Lydia even closer and drifted off to sleep with her in his arms.

  Chapter Seven

  Lydia was both relieved and disappointed to wake up alone. The last thing she wanted to do was talk about her dream. Well, she knew it was a memory. Eventually, she’d have to talk about it because Roman needed as much information as possible to help her. Even knowing that, she found herself hoping she wouldn’t remember more details of her time with Dominic. The memories filled her with fear and shame.

  Lydia’s behavior with Dominic was an embarrassment before she started to remember the really bad things. Her mom was right about her. She was a magnet for trouble. Having known Dominic was a vampire, she should have run screaming. A normal person would have. Instead, she’d stuck around to be used by him. Now, she lived with a different vampire and believed this one would protect her. She shouldn’t trust Roman either, but she did trust him. There was some connection between them that went beyond the fact that she needed him.

  So it was good that she didn’t have to talk to Roman about her dream. Waking up next to Roman would have been nice. Crazy as it was, she was twenty‑five years old and last night was the closest she’d ever come to spending an entire night with a guy. Ending up like her mom was one of her greatest fears. That fear made her work hard to keep a certain amount of distance from the men she dated. Sleeping with a guy was too intimate. Well, she’d spent one night with Dominic, but she’d been drunk and it had been the beginning of a huge mistake. Time with Dominic had always involved fear or an unnatural detachment from reality.

  With Roman, she felt safe and more than a little hot. The man came into her room naked and aroused but all he’d offered was comfort. He’d asked for nothing in return. When had that ever happened with a guy?

  Lydia pulled herself out of her bout of self‑pity and headed into the shower. There was no way she wanted to figure out how to deal with all of that hair so she cut it to her ears before climbing into the shower. Before, her hair needed daily washing. Luckily, that was no longer the case. It was still a good thing she’d cut it or she would have needed to spend an hour blow drying it. By the time she stepped out of the shower her hair was brushing her shoulders. What a waste to cut it all off every morning. She’d put it into a sloppy braid before bed and that now hung over the back of a chair in her room. She made a mental note to find out how to donate the hair to Locks of Love later.

  Her new wardrobe was very different from her old one. Roman had definitely influenced her purchases. Maybe, she also didn’t want to be the same person anymore. Since she was dying to walk Roman’s grounds today she slipped into a pair of blue jeans and a pale blue cashmere sweater. The jeans were her choice, but Roman had picked the sweater. She decided to skip the makeup and head downstairs for breakfast.

  Lydia’s stomach grumbled as she neared the kitchen and the delicious aroma of bacon cooking. The feminine laughter coming from the kitchen made her frown. Why the hell was she getting jealous anyway? It’s not like Roman was really her husband. Just because he was nice to her didn’t mean he planned to turn this into a real relationship.

  The sight in the kitchen was a bit of a shock. Roman was working over a grill. There were eggs and bacon on one end and pancakes on the other. He looked pretty damn sexy cooking and she couldn’t take her eyes off of him until she heard the giggle again. A petite blonde sat at the breakfast bar chatting with Roman.

  “Good morning,” Lydia said a little awkwardly. What was the protocol for walking in on your husband with another woman when the marriage wasn’t even legal? Hell, there was no way she could be jealous. What had she expected? A man like Roman would certainly have a woman in his life.

  The blonde at the breakfast bar turned toward her with a warm smile. “You must be Lydia.” Everything about this woman was feminine, from the soft voice to the petite build and delicate features. Her super short hair would have made most women appear less feminine but not this woman. She was probably a perfect lady too. Lydia wanted to hate her, but she seemed too nice to warrant hatred. Why hate a woman she didn’t even know? Jealousy made no sense. Yep, if Lydia kept telling herself that, she might believe it.

  “That’s me,” Lydia said with a forced smile and a shrug.

  “I’m Ivy,” the blonde said.

  Roman had just finished putting breakfast on the plates. He set two on the breakfast bar and smiled at Lydia. “I asked Ivy to come over and talk to you about your dream.”

  Lydia stiffened. “So Ivy is a shrink?”

  “Yep,” Ivy said, “and I told him you wouldn’t be happy about having me stop by unannounced, but you know how my grandfather can be.” Ivy bit into a piece of bacon.

  “Grandfather?” Lydia asked as Roman set down glasses and a carafe of orange juice before sitting across from them with his own plate.

  “Yes,” he said. “I’m a little older than I
look.”

  “How old are you?” Lydia asked.

  Roman reached across and set two pills on Lydia’s plate. “Take these,” he said before swallowing two.

  Lydia eyed them like they were spiders that were going to jump up and bite her. “What are they?”

  “Supplements,” Roman explained and started eating.

  “Don’t you think explaining the supplements might be a good idea?” Ivy asked and started to drum her fingers on the counter.

  If Lydia wasn’t mistaken, Roman looked embarrassed. The color on his cheeks deepened ever so slightly and he cleared his throat. “Sorry. I’m used to giving orders and having them obeyed without question. You don’t know me well enough to follow my orders yet.”

  Lydia had just taken a drink of orange juice. The juice sprayed out of her mouth across the counter and narrowly missed Roman when the laughter erupted from her lips. Watching him dab at the juice with his crisp linen napkin only made her laugh harder. Soon the snorting started.

  Roman’s lips twitched and he shook his head. “Are you snorting?”

  Covering her mouth, she nodded. Finally, she got the laughter under control. “You don’t really think I’m going to follow orders, do you?”

  He shook his head. “No, but it does make things easier when people do what I tell them to do.”

  “Sounds pretty boring,” she said. “Don’t worry; life with me is never boring.”

  “I don’t doubt that.” There was a strange expression on his face. He cleared his throat. “The pills replace nutrients in your body. Our bodies don’t process the nutrients from solid food very well. The supplement allows us to avoid consuming blood.”

  “Okay, I will definitely take these,” Lydia said and stared down at the monster pills. “Is there a smaller version?”

  “The supplements are broken into six pills. Take two with each meal.”