Rebecca Zanetti: Tamed

Paul captured her hand and shook. “It’s all right, Lily. No judgment here.” He yanked on his silk tie and loosened the top. “I like your bar.”

“This is my first time here.” If Paul didn’t stop ogling her chest, she might have to kick him. “This doesn’t seem like your kind of place.”

“We finished signing a deal around the corner, and this seemed like a good place to let off some steam. I’m a financial broker.” His voice lowered on the last as if the statement should impress her.

“That’s nice.” Lily tried to signal her friends. Time to leave.

“What do you do?” Paul asked her breasts.

“Well, they just sit there mainly.” Lily waited until his gaze rose to her face. “I, on the other hand, am a counselor.” Which was true. “But I have an early morning tomorrow and need to get going.”

“Early morning? What are you, twenty-five?” Paul leaned in close, charm in his smile.

Three hundred and twenty-five, actually. “I feel much older.”

He frowned and brushed her hair from her face. “You look like a princess with those shining eyes and white-blond hair. And you smell like . . . what is that?”

Strawberries, or so she’d been told. She allowed her empathic abilities to open just a bit and then drew away from the darkness in her new companion. Kindness lived nowhere in the man.

“Strawberries,” he mused. His eyes darkened. “I’d love to taste you. How about we get out of here?”

Caution straightened her shoulders, and she plastered on her smoothest smile. “I appreciate your offer, but I must be going.” She moved to scoot from the booth.

His hand wrapped around her wrist. “Don’t tease. I heard you earlier—and I know what you want. A girl like you from a place like this? You could even earn some money if you make me really happy. You gave the token refusal, and now we’re going to go.”

Lily centered her mind. This was so bad.

Janie Kayrs instantly appeared at the table. “Is everything all right?” She glanced pointedly at Paul’s restraining hand.

“Just fine.” Lily shook loose. “Though I’m ready to go.”

Paul grabbed her upper arm. “You’re not leaving.” He glared at Janie. “Get out of the way, or you’re going to get hurt.”

Janie slid one leg back. “Let go of my friend. Now.”

Lily’s heart roared into gear. God. This was going to be disastrous. She bunched her free hand into a fist and nailed Paul in the Adam’s apple. His eyes widened, then he released her and grabbed his throat.

Janie tugged her from the booth. “Let’s go.”

They turned and ran into Paul’s friends. The closest one glanced at his choking buddy and then frowned at Lily. “You hit him?”

“She sure did.” Janie instantly side-kicked one guy, following up with a punch to the gut.

Lily went for the groin shot, knocking the guy down.

A third man ran from the pool area, and Hilde smacked a beer bottle down on his head. “Whoo-hoo,” she yelped as he fell.

Oh, things just couldn’t get worse. Lily grabbed Janie’s arm. “Run, now.”

Paul launched from the booth and captured Lily from behind. Bugger that. She’d trained for three hundred years and might accidentally hurt the guy.

The front door opened, and the situation went from disastrous to pure hell. Lily stiffened, her eyes widening as two men stalked into the bar. Tension spiraled through the room, and furious multicolored eyes met hers.

“Caleb,” she whispered.

He was even bigger than she remembered. Well over six feet, broad, and dangerous as hell, the Realm Rebel filled the doorway. His blond hair hung to his shoulders, and those odd eyes promised death. He filled out his dark T-shirt under a scuffed leather jacket, and long jean-clad legs led to biker boots. Someone so sexy shouldn’t be allowed to wear leather or boots.

He took in the scene with one glance, focusing on the male currently holding Lily against her will. He stepped forward, but the vampire king grabbed his arm.

“They’re human,” Dage muttered, his voice easily reaching across the room.

“I don’t give a shit.” Three steps into the room, and Caleb focused on the guy behind her. “Let go, or I’ll take your head off.”

Paul released Lily and paused, as if trying to decide whether or not to take him on. Good sense apparently took over, and he angled to the side to haul his buddies up. “She said she wanted to get laid—I was just trying to help. Let’s go.” They scurried from the tavern.

Caleb didn’t move, yet somehow his gaze landed on her. “What in the hell are you wearing?”

“None of your business.” She’d give anything to retrieve her sweater from Hilde.

The king sighed, his focus on his niece. “What are you doing in a bar without bodyguards?”

Janie pressed both hands against her hips. “You tracked me? I mean, you have a tracker on me?” Fury flashed red through the woman’s face.

“No.” Dage shuffled his feet in the peanut shells. “We have a tracker on Hilde.” He winced and glanced at the forty-something woman. “Sorry, but we figured you’d venture out at some point.”

Hilde pursed her lips, thought, and then shrugged. “Yes. Good call.”

Lily lifted her chin and tried to find some dignity. “I believe it’s time we went on our way.”

Caleb pivoted and blocked her path. The scent of male and wildness washed over her along with his heat. She’d forgotten his heat.

“Dage, we’ll be along later. Prophet business and all that.” Caleb didn’t move as he spoke. His eyes dared her to contradict him.

“You sure?” Dage asked, reaching for Hilde’s arm.

“Yes.” Caleb gestured Lily back into the booth. “We need to talk.”

She thought about protesting, but truly, she’d caused enough of a scene for one night. Plus, they did need to talk about the upcoming peace talks. The bar was as good a place as any. So she retook her seat.

Dage escorted Hilde and Janie out of the tavern. Anybody who’d watched the scuffle went back to their business.

Caleb’s gaze raked Lily’s top, her breasts, and rose to her face, effectively pinning her in place. Red spiraled across his rugged cheekbones, and his nostrils flared. “So. Rumor has it you want to get laid.”

Caleb forced himself to keep his gaze on Lily’s stunning midnight eyes, which wasn’t nearly as difficult as he’d feared, considering the creamy breasts spilling out of the bustier. Sweet, gentle, classy Lily Sotheby wore a bustier.

Who the fuck would’ve thought it?

He hadn’t kissed her in over three centuries, but even now, he remembered her taste. Strawberries and woman.

The brand on his neck that marked him as a prophet began to burn, and he rubbed his nape out of habit. “You want to get to it right here or go outside?” he asked, wanting more than anything to see her light up in anger again.

Instead, she gave the small, polite smile he truly hated. “Funny, Caleb. Did you wish to discuss the meeting tomorrow, or shall we be on our way?”

“Actually, I’d like to tug that bustier down and see the rest of you.” The words emerged before he could stop them and held much more truth than he’d like.

Her classic chin lifted, and her polite smile widened. “Really, Caleb. Let’s keep it to business.”

His temper began to stir. “Business?” He glanced around the now quiet bar. “You bring the king’s niece, the woman the entire world wants either dead or kidnapped, to a dive bar so you can scratch an itch? How is that business?” And why the hell didn’t she knock on his door if she wanted to explore sex? An unwelcome hurt slid through his anger. No. That was just pride, damn it. He didn’t still have feelings for the woman.