Bleed For Me (Loved By Gods #1)(8)
Author: Cynthia Eden

And the idea of drinking from someone, of taking a man’s blood…it had repelled her. Terrified her. What if I lost control? What if I took too much blood and accidentally killed my prey?

She’d gone as long as she could without feeding. But the hunger had burned her constantly and her body had trembled with pain. When the red haze of bloodlust swam before her eyes, she’d broken.

She’d gone to Hades and found Apollo.

Apollo moved in a blur. He grabbed her by the arms and pinned her against the wall. The sheet caught between their bodies. “Don’t lie to me,” he ordered. “You were no virgin. I wasn’t the first you’d taken to your bed—”

“Since my change, you were,” she snapped right back.

His eyes narrowed and his fingers bit into her flesh. “You said you changed a month ago.”

She nodded. “I’ve had lovers but that was before—” Before Eric. Before her life had turned into a waking nightmare of blood and death.

She swallowed to clear the lump in her throat and finished, “Before I turned into a vampire.” She closed her eyes to shut out the sight of his angry eyes and tight features. After-sex scenes sucked whether you were human or vamp. “Now, can I just get my dress so that I can get the hell out of here?”

His hand lifted and his fingers wrapped around her. “No.”

Her eyes flew open. “Give. Me. My. Dress.” The guy had sliced her apart with his questions and his asinine accusations. Suck and f**k. Now she just wanted to get away. She’d run back to her shabby little temporary home and lick her wounds.

Apollo watched her with those enigmatic bright blue eyes. Tension stretched between them. Angry, thick tension.

How had they gone from having great sex to—to this?

Just when Terese thought she would scream, he released her. Apollo stepped back and motioned toward a nearby white door. “Your dress is in the bathroom.”

“Thank you.” The words snapped out.

His lips tightened, but he didn’t stop her when she shoved past him.

And Terese fled into the bathroom, fled as if…well, as if an angry god were on her trail.

* * *

He’d hurt her.

Apollo stared at the closed bathroom door and tried to reign in his rioting emotions.

Dammit. He knew he’d hurt her. He’d seen the shine of tears in her eyes.

He’d just gotten so angry—the thought of Terese with other men, the thought of her drinking from them, having sex with them—

A growl rumbled in his throat.

The image of her with another enraged him.

Terese was his. His. The perfect match for him in bed. The only woman who’d ever equaled his passion. And the thought of her with another was unacceptable. Gods don’t share.

She was dressing now and probably planning her escape. He knew she wanted to leave him. Hadn’t she said as much?

But he didn’t want to let her go.

He’d just found her, and he wanted to keep her.

Apollo paced toward the door. But if he wanted her to stay, if he wanted to have another chance to touch that delectable body of hers, well, then he’d have to swallow his pride…and apologize.

Dammit.

Good thing his brother Ares wasn’t around. The war god would laugh himself silly at the idea of Apollo apologizing to anyone, especially a mortal.

Apollo’s knuckles tapped against the wooden door. “Terese?” Better to just go ahead and get the whole apology thing over with. Before he choked on the words.

No response. She was probably sulking or giving him the silent treatment. Women, both immortal and mortal, seemed to love the good old silent treatment.

He tapped again. “Terese, we need to talk.” I need to apologize for saying you f**ked other men. Oh, yes, that would be a hard one to utter.

Still, no response.

He grabbed the doorknob and twisted with his hand, but the knob didn’t turn. She’d locked him out. “Terese!” He yelled her name this time. “Open the door!”

There was no sound from the bathroom. Not a gasp, not a whisper. Nothing.

A cold knot of dread formed in his stomach. “If you’re in there, get away from the door.” He paused a moment, trying to give her time to obey. Still no sound. Lifting his fist, he shattered the wooden door with one hard blow.

Terese wasn’t inside. Her dress was missing, and the small window inside was open. Its curtains billowed in the breeze.

Apollo lunged forward. Wrapping his fingers around the window ledge, he stared out into the night. “Terese!” A strange emptiness filled him.

She was gone.

Because he’d f**ked up.

* * *

Using her vampire strength to go as fast and as far as she could, Terese ran for five miles straight.

Apollo’s home was in the middle of the woods, far away from any other houses or businesses. An old, two lane highway cut through the trees, and she stuck to that bumpy road, praying that she’d get lucky and someone would drive by. If she could just see a car—

Yes. Fate wasn’t spitting on her anymore. A pickup truck rattled down the road with country music blaring from its radio. The truck’s high beams shined in the night.

Terese stepped out into the middle of the road and right into those beams of light.

The driver slammed on the brakes, and the squeal broke the night as the truck screeched to a stop less than two feet away from her.

My ride.

She stalked toward the vehicle.

“Lady, are you out of your damned mind?” A man’s angry voice snarled. “I almost killed you!”

Terese stared up at the driver. The light from the truck’s interior hit him, revealing young features and wide eyes. A baseball cap covered his hair and sloped over his forehead.

She took a deep breath and said, “I need a ride.”

“You need a—” He broke off, shaking his head. Then he shoved his door open. “You’re one crazy bit—Oh…” His eyes widened and his Adam’s apple bobbed. “I-is that leather?” His gaze drifted over her body. Lingered on her br**sts, her hips.

She gritted her teeth. Her hand caught his chin and she forced him to look up, to gaze into her eyes and not at her br**sts. “Lookie here, dude.”

He blinked, but stared into her eyes.

Okay, I can do this. Terese looked deep into his puppy-like brown eyes and tried to summon her vampire powers. She had to have them. According to Eric, all vamps had them.

Eric had originally lured her with his compulsions. He’d stared at her, his green eyes shining, and he’d pitched his voice seductively low. Before she’d even realized what she was doing, she’d found herself in his arms, head tilted back, neck arched, and all but begging him to bite her.