Savage Bliss (Corona Pride Book 5) Read online

  She’d had no idea it could be so good.

  She leaned against him. The blossoms of her pleasure scattered in the breeze, slowly and lazily. Her chest heaved against Hudson’s. She couldn’t help but feel like something magical had just happened—it went beyond the sharing of an orgasm with another person and being vulnerable in that brief moment. It went beyond the realization of how amazing sex could be.

  She felt a connection to him—a connection she didn’t understand, but it was stronger than the elements.

  Twelve

  Hudson watched with regret as Viviana slowly stood up and stepped away from him. She was gorgeous—a beautiful woman with a beautiful mind. He wanted to learn more about her. He wanted to delight in her body every damn day for the rest of his life. He wanted to get lost in her smile, he wanted to get lost in her expressive eyes.

  He could do none of those things.

  He got up and pulled on his pants, then his shirt. What the hell had he been thinking, messing around with a client? From a professional standpoint, he’d just made a rookie mistake. If he were still working for his old private security company and they found out, he’d be fired on the spot. Sleeping with clients muddied the waters and kept bodyguards from focusing on the job.

  Idiot.

  Viviana’s shoulders, arms, and breasts were patterned with shadows from the trees, and her skin looked soft. His hands had memorized the feeling of her body, a tactile memory that he never wanted to lose.

  She gave him a shy smile. “That was unexpected.”

  “Yeah,” he said, gruffly.

  She tilted her head, maybe curious about his tone. He couldn’t reassure her; he was too trapped in his own dilemma.

  Because not only was there the bodyguard/client issue to consider—there was also the fact that he knew how shifters worked. The whole fated mates thing? He wanted absolutely no part of that.

  He should have turned this job down from the very beginning and run as far away from Viviana Corona as he could.

  Fuck, fuck, fuck.

  He ran a hand through his hair. “We should probably be heading back to the estate.”

  She looked up at the sky, then gave him one of her heartbreaking smiles. “We haven’t been out here that long.”

  He shrugged. He was eager to get back, but he didn’t want to seem too eager. Crap, he’d fucked this all up. Why did she have to be so beautiful, so perfect? Why did his heart have to beat a painful argument in his chest when he thought about never touching her again?

  Kicking at a pine cone, he said, “Okay. Where do you want to walk?”

  Her face fell, the smile fading. She must have heard his reluctance, finally noticed that he was having regrets.

  “Never mind,” she said, her voice suddenly brusque. Holding, perhaps, a hint of the chill he was feeling. “I’m going to head back now. You can come with me, or…not.”

  Oh, she’d definitely picked up on his feelings. Shifters were so damn perceptive.

  “Look, what we did—” he started.

  “Was obviously a mistake.” Her voice was tight, small. “I can tell you regret it, so let’s just move on, okay?”

  She sounded professional and cold. Hurt.

  “It was…it was amazing.” He reached out and touched her arm, and she turned to face him. The pain in her eyes was well-hidden, but he could see through her defenses. He continued, as gently as possible, “But we can’t do it again. I’m your bodyguard, Viviana. I’m not supposed to be with you like that.”

  She shrugged her shoulders, dislodging his hand from her arm. “Let’s head back. You’re right—we’ve been out here too long. Someone will notice.”

  The entire way back, she kept distance between them. No chances of brushing up against her smooth arms or their hands accidentally bumping together.

  Hudson hated every fucking step.

  When they reached the pond, Viviana straightened up and cocked her head. “Do you hear that?”

  Hudson started walking faster. “No. What is it?”

  “There are people here—lots of people.”

  They rushed toward the house together. Viviana picked her clothes up from the bench and put them back on. Hudson held the door open for her, watching her longingly as she stepped inside. Did she know what kind of effect she had on him? Even the trace scents of whatever fruity shampoo she used made him want to touch her, kiss her, twirl her long golden hair around his fingers.

  That whole mate thing…he had to get away while he still could. That was it. He’d tell Marlana that after only a few days of being here, he couldn’t take the job, after all. Conflict of interest. Or…something came up. He’d explain he simply couldn’t be here in the capacity she needed, or the demands of the job were too much. He’d think of something that was at least mostly true, but not the actual truth, in order to get out of this without having to say that he’d fucked her daughter in the forest.

  Except…

  Viviana turned to look at him. “I don’t know what’s going on,” she whispered, “but we both need to take showers, as soon as possible. Otherwise everyone will know.”

  He hadn’t thought of that. Those sensitive noses of shifters.

  There was commotion in the great room at the center of the house. Furniture had been shoved aside so more people could fit in. It looked almost like it had for Viviana’s birthday party, except this time there was no music, no streamers.

  He wanted to ask for details, but he had to get cleaned up. Viviana had skirted along the edge of the room. She was already rushing upstairs, so he followed her. He went into his room, locked the door, and stripped on his way to the bathroom.

  Five minutes later, he was done with his shower. He dressed in fresh clothes and walked downstairs. The crowd of people was still there, and more were arriving. He found Fraze in the group, and went over to his side. “What happened?”

  Fraze’s voice sounded hollow. “Chase Channing. He’s dead.”

  Hudson couldn’t remember which of the lion shifters was Chase, but the grief of the pride was palpable. Chase had been well-liked. “What happened to him?”

  Fraze’s eyes were bloodshot. “Looks like something sucked the blood right out of him.”

  “The rogue vampire,” Hudson guessed.

  “Only thing we can think of,” Fraze said. “Gracie’s been texting me nonstop since I told her about it. The rest of her court is asleep, but she’s going to talk to them as soon as everyone wakes.”

  Marlana came into the room. It was obvious she’d been crying, from her red eyes and blotchy face, to the Kleenex she held bunched in one hand. Several other pride members looked as if they’d been crying. Hudson looked around for Viviana, but she hadn’t come downstairs yet. Was she friendly with Chase? How would this affect her? He longed to find her, to break the news gently, but leaving the room now would be too conspicuous.

  “We don’t know exactly what happened yet,” Marlana said loudly, “but Chase is dead.”

  At just that moment, Viviana came down and stopped at the bottom of the stairs. Her hand went to her mouth in shock, and she froze in place.

  Oblivious to her daughter’s entrance, Marlana continued, “I—I don’t know how to tell you how devastated we all are, but you don’t need me to tell you, because we’re all feeling it. We’re going to get to the bottom of this, and we will avenge him.”

  Several people murmured.

  “In the meantime, our pride is once again on lockdown. We can’t count on our treaty with the vampire court to keep us safe from them, and as such, we’ll need to remain indoors at night. The lockdown is only in effect from dusk until dawn; the rest of each day can be spent normally. But you must be here every evening by sundown.”

  Hudson wasn’t a shifter, but he could hear the alpha power in those words. This was an order that none in the pride would be able to disobey.

  Thirteen

  The stairway railing was smooth beneath Viviana’s palm. In some ways, it felt like the o
nly thing holding her up.

  Chase…dead?

  It felt like a fist had gone straight to her gut, then burrowed its way inside and was now clenching her heart. Chase had just been here last week. They’d danced at her party. He’d twirled her around and made her feel better after his dickhead of a brother had tried to ruin her birthday.

  This wasn’t fair. Chase was…he was just always there. He wasn’t the best of the pride, he wasn’t the least. Viviana sat down, hard, and luckily hit the stair behind her instead of falling into the railing like she thought she might.

  “Chase is…dead?” she said. Her voice was too loud in the quiet room.

  All the eyes in the room turned to her. She didn’t usually speak at meetings.

  Marlana’s eyes were puffy, red-rimmed. “Yes, he’s gone. We have his body out in the van.”

  “Was it an accident?” Viviana asked.

  Marlana shook her head. “He was…he was drained. His blood is completely gone. Obviously, this was the work of the vampire court—”

  “Actually, no,” Fraze interrupted. He held up his phone. “Sorry to interrupt. You’re free to call Gracie if you want and hear it from her, but the court had no involvement in this. They were all hunting in Missoula last night.”

  Marlana pursed her lips as if she would argue, but then she nodded. “Well, it was the work of some vampire, somewhere. The wounds are faint, but we did find puncture marks on his neck.”

  Chase’s mother and father, Teresa and Emil, were huddled on another sofa, crying silently. Their other children, Ben, Doug, and Agatha, sat around them, their faces showing mixtures of shock and sorrow.

  Viviana’s heart broke for them. Chase had been a good guy.

  There was nothing to do now. Evening wasn’t far away, and soon it would be night. Everyone would stay in the mansion, over in the north wing where there were several bedrooms lined up as if in a hotel, and two shared bathrooms on each floor. Viviana was grateful she had her own room on the more private east wing, with her own bathroom.

  She didn’t want to be here; she wanted to curl up in a ball under her comforter and stay there for ages.

  Several other pride members were trying to get Marlana’s attention, so Viviana let them have it. She made herself quiet and still, sitting on this step and not speaking to anyone. She was used to this, to not being the center of attention and processing news alone.

  Someone sat next to her. She remained quiet, staring at her hands. They were too cold, but the air conditioner was cranked because of the hot afternoon. It was probably time to turn it off. Maybe she should do that. And maybe, while she was standing in the hall next to the thermostat, she should remain hidden in the hallway for good. Nobody would know she was gone. Nobody would know that she felt Chase’s loss just as much as the rest of them.

  The person next to her said something.

  Hudson’s voice. Warm, low. “You okay?” he asked again.

  Viviana blinked, shook her head, looked up at him. “I don’t know.”

  “Were you friends with Chase?”

  “I don’t know.” She shrugged. “As much as I’m friends with anyone, I guess.”

  He nodded, then reached over and touched her wrist. The small spark of their contact reminded her of everything that had happened in the woods. It seemed so long ago.

  The last deaths in the pride had been Fraze and Dristan’s parents, and another guy, Mickey, after their failed coup. Years ago.

  There’d have to be a funeral. Something quiet, without fanfare. A cover story would have to be created so that the human population didn’t suspect foul play and investigate. An exsanguinated body would surely raise questions—questions the pride couldn’t afford.

  But Viviana could rest. She didn’t have to do any of these things because her mother, the alpha, would take care of it all.

  “You want to talk about anything?” Hudson asked.

  He was still sitting here? She looked up from her hands again. “No. No, I don’t think so. I’m cold, though.”

  He moved toward her, then seemed to think better of it. “I’ll find a blanket for you.”

  “That’s okay,” she said, standing. “I’m just going to retire early, I think. Goodnight.”

  She stood and turned to walk up the stairs, but her mom called after her. “Wait, Viviana.”

  “What is it?” Viviana asked, spinning to face her.

  Hudson stood and walked into the great room, probably to give them privacy.

  Marlana frowned as she watched him walk away. Quietly, she said, “You’re not going to like this, but I want Hudson to stay in your room tonight.”

  “Stay? In my room?” Viviana must have heard her wrong.

  “Yes. I know how you get, when you’re upset. You’re going to want to sneak out. And if you can’t go out the door, I wouldn’t put it past you to try the balcony. And if the vampire comes to your room, who knows if it can make you disobey my orders to stay inside.”

  Viviana shook her head. The darkness was too dangerous. No way would she sneak out tonight, of all nights. She’d take the insomnia over the terror of meeting a rogue vampire.

  Marlana gave her a sad smile. “I know you, dear. You’ve got the best intentions for staying in. You’re so obedient in everything—you follow instructions and you accept direction. But when you’re upset, you can’t sleep and you need to run. Whatever you do, you can’t do this, not until the killer is caught.”

  Viviana pursed her lips. Her mom was wrong, but she’d never listen to reason. “Putting a man in my room is not the solution.”

  “It’s a temporary one,” Marlana said. “He’ll stay in there, make sure you’re safe. Otherwise, I won’t be able to concentrate on anything, and Viviana, I’ve got so much to think about right now, so much to figure out. I’m scheduling a meeting with Gracie and Bo first thing, and we need to get to the bottom of this.”

  “This isn’t…” Viviana stopped. She could help her mom again. Help her with this one thing so that she didn’t have such a tough job. Chase was dead and Viviana could only imagine how much needed to be done.

  Also, it never worked in her favor to argue with Marlana. Never.

  “Fine,” Viviana finally said. “Fine.”

  Marlana reached out. Hesitated. Then she pulled Viviana into a hug.

  Viviana stiffened at first. Marlana hadn’t hugged her in ages. Viviana had avoided being close to her mother, ever since Marlana sent Mendy away. She’d been angry, hurt. But now, a hug seemed…okay. It seemed necessary.

  Fourteen

  Hudson watched as Viviana walked upstairs. The hug with her mom had looked awkward, but he was glad to see some affection between them.

  He stood up. If Viviana was going to bed, then he’d need to take up his station outside her door.

  On his way to the staircase, Marlana stopped him. “I have a request,” she said.

  Hudson nodded. “Go ahead.”

  “I want you in her room.”

  “In it?”

  “Yes. She has a tendency to…wander, when things get hard. Please.”

  Hudson nodded. This pride had been through so much in the last few hours. Staying in Viviana’s room was the least he could do. “Is she on board with this?” he asked.

  “Yes. Barely.” Marlana gave him a rueful smile. “I apologize in advance for any attitude she gives you.”

  He’d let Viviana do her own apologizing, but he nodded at Marlana anyway. “Thanks. See you in the morning.”

  With that, Marlana stepped out of his way and he went upstairs. For the longest moment, he stood outside Viviana’s door. He listened for sounds of her within. Taking a deep breath, he finally knocked.

  “Yes?”

  He tried the handle, which was unlocked. “Sorry. I—your mom told me she wants me in here tonight.”

  “Yes,” Viviana said. “She does.”

  She turned and walked away from the open door, leaving Hudson there, staring after her. He was supposed
to go into her room. Why was he so nervous? They’d just had that beautiful moment in the woods, and now it felt like everything was ruined.

  He didn’t need shifter senses to tell that Viviana was sad. He also didn’t flatter himself that her sadness was about him and what they’d done, and what they’d decided afterward. She missed her pride member, pure and simple.

  Hudson stepped forward, then closed the door behind him. “What can I do?” he asked. “What do you need right now?”

  She turned wide blue eyes to him. “Nothing. I’m fine. Just…just cold.”

  Without a word, he walked over and stood in front of her, then held out his arms. “Come here.”

  She leaned forward, into his embrace. Her, in his arms. It felt so right. Why did it have to feel so good, as if something that had been unfinished was now perfectly complete? He shook off the thoughts.

  She smelled good, like shampoo. Like woman. He didn’t know all the subtle scents that he’d heard his pack mates talk about when he was growing up. He probably couldn’t even distinguish lavender from rosemary. But he did know that she smelled divine.

  He led her to the bed, then turned back the covers. “Get in. We’ll get you all wrapped up and you’ll be warm.”

  He sat with her on the edge, helping her under the blankets, and tucked her in. It felt right, it felt wonderful, to stretch out alongside her, so he lay down over the covers. He wrapped his arms around her, holding her to his chest, trying to convey all of his comfort and care in that one gesture. Holding her, his Viviana.

  She shivered lightly within the blankets, then turned her face toward him. She pressed her nose into his neck and inhaled. “You still smell like me,” she whispered.

  “I—I wouldn’t know.” This was wrong—already his cock was waking up. She was hurting, she was sad, and his damn dick couldn’t keep still.

  “That was a lot of fun, in the woods,” she whispered.

  Oh hell, he thought. Only worse. She was reminding him of all the pleasure they’d shared. And his cock was now definitely interested. He moved uncomfortably in place.