Bleed For Me (Loved By Gods #1)(5)
Author: Cynthia Eden

Apollo slammed her back against the ground. He didn’t even appear to strain as he pinned her.

What the hell? A dark suspicion grew in her mind. “Apollo…what are you?”

A smile spread across his face. His dimples flashed, and some of his rage seemed to fade. “Ah, love…now, you know I asked first.”

He’d asked—

Terese screamed as agony ripped through her.

The sun had risen. The golden glow wasn’t a faint hue anymore. The beams of light were around her, on her. Burning her.

She could smell her charred flesh. Could feel the lick of flame on her fingers, her arms, her face.

Oh, God, it hurt—

“By the Fates!” Apollo scooped her up into his arms. “Hold on, love.”

But she couldn’t hold on. Couldn’t fight. The pain was too intense.

She knew that she was dying.

His hands tightened around her. She felt a curious rush of wind against her flesh, and then the world went dark.

* * *

“Don’t move.”

Terese cracked her eyes open, and it took all of her strength just for that small movement. She was on a soft, cushy surface, probably some kind of bed, and in a blessedly dark, windowless room. A man was with her. She could just make out the blurry outline of his body.

Apollo.

She’d been with him, out in the light. The sunlight. The fire—

A terror-filled cry trembled on her lips.

“Shh…” His arms caught her shoulders and she realized that she’d jerked upright. “Take it easy. You’re safe now.”

Safe. It’d been so long since she felt safe. Since she hadn’t known that every moment, she was being hunted.

“Relax, Terese. Nothing’s going to happen to you.” His voice was so soothing, and she didn’t have the power to fight then. Her body sagged back against the mattress.

“I’m going to heal you, okay? Just lie still and let me take care of you.”

“Y-you…don’t…have to.” A heavy lethargy filled her. She didn’t know how much longer she’d be able to stay awake. When the sun rose, her strength fled. Since her change, she hadn’t been able to resist the powerful lure of the day sleep.

His fingers touched her arm in the lightest of caresses. “Love, you’re burned badly. I can help you. I can take the pain away.”

The pain was already fading. “Heal…myself.” She’d learned about that little talent the night she’d finally managed to escape from Eric. She’d jumped from a second story window and wound up with a broken leg and a shattered wrist. But after her day sleep, she’d awoken completely healed.

Her lashes were drooping, and no matter how hard she struggled, she couldn’t keep them open. There wasn’t much time left. Soon the need for sleep would overwhelm her.

She didn’t know where she was or how she’d gotten there. Terese only knew that Apollo had saved her. He’d taken her out of the deadly sunlight and carried her back to the safety of darkness.

“Apollo.” She swallowed, trying to force herself to stay focused just for a minute longer.

His fingers wrapped around hers. “Save your strength.”

“Th-thank you…for s-saving me.” No one had ever helped her before.

His grasp tightened.

And she sank into the drugging depths of the day sleep.

* * *

Terese slept during the day.

She burned in sunlight.

She had superhuman strength.

And she’d left a real unusual hickey on his neck.

Apollo leaned back in his chair and studied the woman who slept so peacefully in his bed. Terese Lafitte. He’d bet a load of ambrosia the woman was a vampire.

A vampire.

He’d met tons of nymphs, he’d chatted with gargoyles, and even been briefly smitten with a mermaid, but he’d never met a vampire before.

Terese had said that she could heal herself. He hadn’t waited around to see if she’d spoken the truth or not. The sight of her red, angry wounds had pained him, and he’d had to heal her with a little of his magic. Her injuries had been his fault. He’d held her down and let the sun burn her delicate flesh.

He wouldn’t make the same mistake again. He’d never hurt her again.

She was perfect now. Her pale skin completely unblemished.

The sun was setting. Terese had slept all day. During those hours, her chest had barely appeared to move with her breaths. He’d checked four times to make sure her heart still beat.

If he was right, if she really were a vampire, she’d be waking soon.

And when she woke, Terese would be his.

Chapter Three

She slept long past sunset. Apollo watched her, he waited, and he wanted.

He’d never wanted another the way he longed for her. What had the vampiress done to him?

He didn’t really care—he just wanted more.

Her eyes opened slowly. She blinked and said, “Apollo?” in a husky whisper that stroked right over his groin.

He climbed onto the bed beside her. “I’ve been watching you for the last…” Damn, how long had it been? He’d left her just to check in with Zeus, then raced right back to her side. “Oh, I’d say at least ten hours.”

Her gaze drifted over him. Her eyes widened when she saw the heavy erection pressing against his fly.

“And I’ve been wanting to f**k you that whole time.”

Her lips parted. “After what you saw…you still want—”

“I want you.” Needed her. But a god never looked desperate, and there were other things he wanted… “But before I take you, I’m going to taste you.” Because once hadn’t been enough for him. He just might be growing addicted to her.

Dangerous.

She sat up quickly and the sheet dropped, revealing her tight little ni**les. Ah, a perfect place to start that tasting.

But she tensed when he reached for her.

Apollo froze. “You don’t want me.” Had she just been feeding last night? Rage began to hum inside his body even as he prepared to withdraw.

But Terese shook her head and her hand reached for his. “I-I didn’t think you’d want me anymore.” Her confession was stark and the laugh that followed it was bitter as she said, “Apollo, I’m a monster.”

Now that rage did boil through. “The f**k you are.”

He caged her with his body. “You’re the sexiest woman I’ve ever seen.” And over the centuries, he’d certainly seen his share. “The fact that you have fangs doesn’t make you a monster. It just makes you…different.”