Savage Bliss (Corona Pride Book 5) Read online

  Laughter echoed from the doorway to the music room on her left.

  “Alpha?” she heard Ben say derisively. “I don’t know what Marlana’s thinking. You can’t make an alpha out of a princess.”

  Viviana held in a gasp while Doug snickered. They were talking about her. Of course they were. It was Ben. He’d have no problem trash-talking someone at their own birthday party.

  “Shut up, guys.” It was Chase, defending her. He continued, “And grow up. Because if Marlana gets her wishes, that princess will be in charge of you someday.”

  “She’s a loner, not an alpha,” Ben said.

  Viviana had heard enough. Her hands were clenched so tightly into fists that she felt her nails pierce her skin. She knew they thought of her this way; this was no surprise. But hearing it now, tonight, after a few drinks, it made her fuzzy brain feel weepy all of a sudden. When she couldn’t express her anger, it made her want to cry.

  She whirled away, and collided with someone. She wasn’t used to the high heels. She tilted too far forward, but it was Hudson she was about to fall into, so she pushed her weight backward instead. Too far, though.

  If it weren’t for his large hands coming around her shoulders, she would have fallen on her ass, right in the doorway of the music room where the Channing boys were busy talking shit about her.

  Hudson’s eyes were wide and sympathetic. The light brown had tones of green and gold, and his left iris had two freckles, just next to the pupil.

  And right now, those beautiful eyes were gazing at her mouth.

  Feeling suddenly nervous, she licked her lower lip.

  Hudson quickly let her go. Wordlessly, he gestured her forward. Smart man—he must realize that if he said anything there, the Channings would hear him speak, and then they’d know Viviana had been listening to them.

  He was a true hero.

  Instead of leading her back into the main living room, he took a few steps upstairs and spun to face her.

  “Thanks—” she started to say.

  “I had to look for you,” he interrupted. “Your mother asked me a question and I made the mistake of turning around to answer her. The next thing I knew, you were gone. You are not allowed to disappear on my watch, do you understand that?”

  “I—”

  “If you so much as need to take a piss, you tell me where you’re going. Got it?” He reached forward as if he’d grab her shoulders again.

  She stepped back out of his reach. “Got it,” she said, coldly. “I’m going to bed now.”

  *

  Viviana waited until dark. She’d left Hudson outside her door. Guarding her, babysitting her, whatever. She felt like a ten-year-old and remembered when her mom had hired Rafe Corona to watch her one night. He’d only been three years older than Viviana, and Viviana had hidden in her room the entire evening, feeling humiliated.

  She’d checked on Hudson a half hour ago. He’d set a chair right outside of her room and parked himself in it, smooth as you please, and he gave her a mock salute. She’d sneered and sniffed and gone inside her room, vowing not to care about him. Vowing not to let her eyes linger on his hard jaw line and long-lashed, light brown eyes.

  She couldn’t sleep. Knowing that Hottie Hudson was right outside her room made rest impossible, even if she didn’t already struggle with insomnia. If only she could go for a quick run. Not far from the house—she wasn’t stupid. She didn’t want that rogue vampire anywhere near her. Just…somewhere close. Breathe the night air. Expend all this pent-up energy, feel less caged. She wouldn’t even stay out very long.

  Stay close, short run. She could do this. Nobody would even have to know.

  First she padded over to her bedroom door and listened. She couldn’t hear Hudson at all. Had he abandoned his post?

  Well, if he was a shitty bodyguard, that was just one more reason not to like him.

  Since the coast was clear, she put on a dark top and leggings, then quietly, ever so quietly, opened the French doors leading to her balcony.

  The night air on her skin was a caress. She inhaled. It smelled so good out here, like summer dew and freesia. Scents of pine from the woods beyond the pond floated to her nose. She couldn’t wait to start running and exploring the forest.

  Not the whole forest, she reminded herself. Just the close-ish bits. She would not put herself in danger. Even though the siren call of wandering alone, undisturbed, was great, she had some self-control, after all. Just a quick run, she reasoned.

  She lowered herself over the edge of the balcony, dangling by her hands. Her shoulder pinched slightly, but it was almost completely healed. Tomorrow, she probably wouldn’t feel it at all.

  Damn that Ben.

  Taking a deep breath, she let go of the railing and let herself fall.

  When she landed, someone tackled her.

  The vampire? She started to shriek, but a hand clamped over her mouth. She bit the soft edge of it, and a man swore.

  Hudson?

  He kept his hand in place, but brought his face around so she could see him. “Quiet,” he said.

  What the hell was he thinking? Telling her to be quiet. She tried to open her mouth to tell him so, but he said, “You want your mother to hear us out here?”

  Oh. That made sense. Viviana nodded, and Hudson removed his hand.

  “I’m going for a run,” Viviana whispered.

  “The hell you are.”

  She stood up and started across the lawn, but found herself pulled into his chest again, his thick arms wrapped around her. He was strong, that was for sure. Maybe even as strong as a shifter.

  “You’re not going anywhere,” he said, “except back up to your room.”

  There was only one move she knew for this—no, two. She could step on his foot, but she didn’t really want to injure him. He wasn’t a shifter and he wouldn’t heal as fast as she would. So instead of hurting him, she let her entire body go limp. He wasn’t expecting that, and she slithered out of his grasp.

  He followed her to the ground, faster than she’d have thought possible. She was just moving to spring up again when she felt the warm weight of him covering her body.

  “Damn you,” she said. “Let me go.”

  “Nope.”

  The feeling of his body over hers, the scent of him, masculine and musk, had her body tingling. She didn’t want to feel this way about him. It wasn’t fair—what was it about him? He wasn’t even a shifter. She shouldn’t react this way to him.

  But she was reacting. His chest was mashed up against hers. Her traitorous nipples were hardening, and she prayed he wouldn’t be able to feel them through his light sweater. And one of his legs was between her thighs. If she moved slightly, she could rub against it and hit her pussy just right.

  No, she wasn’t going to cave to this kind of temptation. With an asshole, nonetheless.

  She tried turning to the side, but he brought up one of his arms to block her. She tried spinning the other way, but he did it again. His arms were now on either side of her head, his knee between her knees, and his face too close to hers.

  She looked up into his eyes and saw determination there. None of the lust that she felt warring with her body. She wanted to go for a run, but now she also wanted to kiss this man. This determined, cocky, self-assured bodyguard who had no business lying on the back lawn with her like this.

  She blew her bangs out of her face. “Fine. I’ll go back up to my room.”

  He didn’t move right away.

  “Hello? I said I’d go back up.”

  “Not sure I can trust you, princess.”

  “Do not call me princess.”

  His eyes widened at the harsh tone she’d used. Simply, and with a conciliatory tone, he said, “Okay.”

  So it was that easy with him. Tell him what she didn’t want, and he didn’t do it. How different this guy was from Ben.

  He eased back, looking as if he were ready to pin her down again if she tried to escape.

  “Rea
lly,” she said. “I’m going inside.”

  He sat up on his knees and she could feel his eyes on her as she stomped back to her window.

  She knew he was watching her, but it was easier to get up there after shifting into her lion form. She could jump better that way.

  Well, if he’d been raised in a pack, someone stripping to shift wouldn’t be a new idea. He’d seen it before. She shimmied out of her pants and took her shirt off. Then she shifted, allowing her muscles and bones to pop into place. Carefully, she picked her clothes up with her teeth and leaped onto the balcony.

  With a turn of her head, she could see Hudson out in the grass, his eyes on her. She couldn’t see color so well as a lion, and it was dark. But he looked…uncomfortable.

  Get used to it, she thought. She refused to change anything about herself to make a human more comfortable in her pride.

  Once inside, she shifted back into her human form. She looked at her clothes, rumpled on the floor, and opted not to put them on. She slid into her sheets naked and turned on her side. She hadn’t gotten that run she needed, and it was going to be a long night.

  *

  Her dreams were fitful. One image was a dark shape in the forest, whispering to her. Princess of the Corona Pride. She hated that nickname, princess. Ben and Doug had given it to her when she was a kid. It had never been fair. They never called Mendy that, and nobody called her brother Michael a prince.

  The dark shape in the dream forest was chased away by light, but continued to whisper, and then Hudson showed up in the dream. He wore loose-fitting pants and no shirt. His torso was a work of art, planes of muscle, lines of strength etched in shadow that she longed to trace with her fingertips.

  He stepped slowly over to her in the dream, and didn’t bother with a kiss, just pressed his hand against Viviana’s mound. She felt the ridges of his calluses against her skin, and moved against them. Suddenly he was naked, just like her, and she pushed him onto his back, climbed on top of him, and slid his cock inside of her. So good, so full.

  Just when her pussy clamped in orgasm, she woke up.

  Dammit. She could have stayed in that dream much longer.

  Except it was Hudson.

  Was he in the hallway in that chair, now? Or was he keeping watch outside her balcony, waiting for her to escape again? She walked on quiet feet over to her bedroom door and listened. Heard his quiet, even breaths.

  She wanted to invite him in. She wanted to live that dream for real. But with him? No, she told herself, not with him. Besides, it didn’t matter. The few times she’d tried having sex with Ben, he always got off fine, but Viviana hadn’t been able to climax.

  She’d do better for herself, on her own.

  Eight

  Hudson waited until first light at five a.m., then he walked the few steps over to his bedroom and went inside. There were grass stains on his clothes from wrestling with Viviana last night. She’d been turned on by that, if her half-lidded eyes and gaze on his mouth had meant what they usually meant. The way her eyes had changed when he was on top of her—darkening, dilating. He would’ve had to be blind to miss it.

  But arousal didn’t mean anyone had to act on it. He could tell she certainly didn’t like him, and he didn’t like her, either. Self-important brat.

  He got a few hours of sleep, then was up at nine. The family was still breakfasting, so he walked in to help himself to some food. Waffles, eggs, sausage. He hadn’t had such a good breakfast in weeks.

  “You sure I can have this?” he asked Marlana.

  She smiled. “Of course. While you’re here, you get your salary and room and board. It’s in the contract.”

  “Thanks.”

  Viviana was watching him from across the table. She wore her blond hair in a loose ponytail. Her face looked flat and guarded, wary.

  “Did anything of interest happen last night?” Marlana asked.

  Hudson kept his face blank. He knew he couldn’t lie to a shifter, so he simply said, “Nothing to report.”

  Marlana nodded, satisfied, and sipped her coffee. “I think I’ll walk the perimeter today. Jeff, do you want to join me?”

  Jeff, Marlana’s husband, had barely spoken in the time Hudson had been at the Corona mansion. He seemed like an okay guy, but it was hard to get a read on someone who never spoke. “Of course. Sounds nice.”

  Despite the bland words, Hudson could tell that Jeff was devoted to his mate. It was in the soft expression on his face when he looked at her, in the way he made sure she had everything she needed while they finished their breakfast.

  It was messed up. A co-dependent relationship that would only end in heartache. Who wanted to be everything to another person, anyway? That sounded like a lot of fuckin’ pressure, and Hudson didn’t need that in his life.

  Eventually, Marlana and Jeff left the table. Hudson listened to their footsteps walking toward the back door. Viviana stood to go, too. Hudson refused to look up at her. If she had something to say, let her say it. But he didn’t have anything. No words for her.

  Finally, she said, “Why didn’t you tattle on me? Everyone always tells her in the end.”

  Hudson set down his napkin and met her gaze. “Simple,” he said. “I need your trust more than I need hers.”

  Viviana’s eyes went wide with surprise. “You’re the first person to ever say that to me.”

  Hudson shrugged. Who cared? None of his business how this pride ran things. Different prides, packs, clans, they all did different things. The basic structure was in place, with an alpha and everything, but the hierarchy after that could vary. At least, that’s how Gregory had explained it.

  Viviana cleared her throat, a delicate sound. “Do you…do you want to go for a walk in the forest?”

  He looked up, his mug of coffee halfway to his lips. Was this standoffish woman actually trying to interact with him?

  “Uh…sure,” he said.

  “You could even walk next to me,” she said. “Instead of behind.”

  She’d already turned away, and he decided he’d be grateful that he wouldn’t have to stare at that sweet little ass the entire time they roamed the forest. It had been difficult enough when he’d been guarding her at the party last night.

  Was he attracted to her? Sure. But he was a professional.

  Of course, at the moment he was technically off the clock.

  Nine

  Viviana couldn’t believe she’d invited him for a walk. He didn’t even like her. But the thought of spending the rest of the day alone, when he was so obviously right here, didn’t feel quite right, either.

  She waited at the sliding back door while he grabbed a pair of shoes. Her mother and father were ahead, coming back from their walk. They waved at Viviana as they approached.

  “All’s well?” Viviana asked.

  “Yes, all’s well. I wish you’d come out with me sometimes, Viviana,” Marlana said. “I want to tell you more about our territory and our pride. You could learn so much. If you don’t want to go with me, you should at least walk around on your own.”

  Viviana wanted to tell her that’s what she did when she came out to run at night. She tired herself out, yes, but she also explored and learned the territory. She opened her mouth, but just then Hudson came into the room.

  “Ready for that walk?” he asked.

  Viviana smiled. “Yes. See, Mother, I’m going out on one of those walks.”

  Marlana’s expression turned approving. “Very well, then. Don’t keep him too busy today, because he has to stay awake at night to guard you.”

  Viviana nodded. She waited for her parents to pass, then stepped outside.

  Hudson came to stand next to her. “Where do you like to go?”

  “Just…wherever, I guess. I don’t follow a path or anything. I just amble around.” Well, usually she ran instead of walked. She had so much pent-up energy from staying in last night. And those dreams. Shyly, she cast a glance over at Hudson’s profile. He had a strong nose and ch
in. His cheeks were covered in a faint stubble, and it looked like it would feel scratchy-soft against her hands.

  Focusing back on the ground in front of her, she started to walk. She said, “Thanks for not telling Marlana that I tried to sneak out last night.”

  He shrugged and fell into step beside her. “Like I said, I’m here for you. She pays me, but in order for me to do my job, I need you to trust me.”

  It made sense.

  Hudson continued, “What I don’t get is why you’d try to sneak out at night, especially without me. You know it’s dangerous. We all heard about the rogue vamp. So, sneaking out? Leaving your bodyguard behind? I guess I thought you’re smarter than that.”

  Well, he just had to open his mouth to destroy all the goodwill she’d started to feel toward him.

  “It’s not like that at all,” Viviana said. “And maybe if you weren’t insulting my intelligence, I could explain.”

  They were past the pond now, the air slightly humid, the trees ahead of them promising shade. Viviana stomped forward, and Hudson rushed to keep up.

  “So, tell me,” he said.

  Viviana sighed. “I can’t sleep sometimes, okay? Like, at all. And the only thing that helps is going out and running around. Part of that is my thoughts won’t quiet, because I know I’m going to have to take care of our pride someday, and I know I need to learn the territory. And I’m not an idiot. I wasn’t even going to go far last night. Just to the pond. Hell, I was thinking of running laps around the pond, sticking close to the house. I don’t want to put myself in danger. I just can’t settle, okay?”

  Hudson nodded. “Okay. I don’t think you’re stupid. I just didn’t understand.”

  She continued walking. A few seconds later, she heard him following her.

  “What else?” he asked.

  “What else what?”

  “Something else is bothering you, I can tell.”

  Could he tell she was attracted to him? She felt her cheeks heat up. He couldn’t know—she wouldn’t allow that. Too embarrassing. Having a lady hard-on for one’s bodyguard was such a cliché. She was Whitney Houston to his Kevin Costner, and it had been done a thousand times. She wouldn’t be like that. She had more self-control.