Chapter Four

 

 

Desiree knocked first, and then eased the door open calling out his name before entering the office of Professor DePaul. It was 4 o’clock on the dot, and no one was around.

Where was this man? Maybe she should have called to confirm with the administration’s office prior to coming. That would have been the professional thing to do, but the appointment was only made seven hours ago. Had he forgotten that fast? Desiree decided to give him a few minutes before calling it quits.

Grace’s classmates had told her that the professor spoke briefly to Grace in private on the day of her disappearance. Hopefully, he would be able to shed some light on the poor girl’s disposition prior to all the hoopla. With any luck, they could have this case wrapped up or at the least have a few good leads to follow.

Frankly, Desiree found Noland to be a bit…, well, insane. He was acting prematurely, launching an investigation. The girl was over eighteen, which meant she was free to run off whenever she felt the urge, and she did not need written consent from him to do so. That was the beauty of being an adult. You had the right to do as you pleased. Desiree was doubtful that she was truly missing. She probably just needed a break from the stress of school and daddy dearest. Most of the time these so-called runaways ended up in Mexico drugged up or in Vegas celebrating. Not that she was judging anyone because she had her fair share of both. Considering the amount of money Noland was paying them, Desiree would gladly put her nose to the grindstone and do whatever it took. They would find his daughter and drag her spoiled ass back by her extensions if that is what it took.

She glanced around his office feeling like an uninvited intruder. It was apparent the office belonged to a man. Thick dust and cobwebs hung in the corners. An antique desk and chair, a beat-up old couch, and a floor lamp were the only furnishings. What caught her eye were the bookshelves that covered every wall except for one that allowed space for a window. Thousands of dusty books, magazines, and news articles filled every inch of the shelves.

She loved the smell and the feel of books and, of course; she loved to read. It was one of her favorite pastimes. She had spent countless hours lost in the pages of a good book- a murder mystery, sci-fi, or a steamy romance. It didn’t matter. She loved them all. It allowed her to escape her ordinary life for a brief while and step into the world of the unknown.

She crossed over to the window and looked out at a family of ducks that were splashing around in a pond. They seemed to look straight at her as if trying to warn her of something. A momentary streak of fear hit her. It did not linger for long; she barely had enough time to process the reasoning behind her anxiety before the feeling was gone.

The University of California San Diego was a prestigious university with students coming from around the world to attend. She and Camille attended community college while working their butts off to pay for it all. It was far from the privilege of attending UCSD, but it got the job done. Look at them now, proud owners of not one, but now two businesses. When you think about it, it does not matter where you attend college. It is the information you gain while there and the ability to apply it successfully in life that counts.

Where was this man, Desiree sighed in frustration? It was now five o’clock. She should have left like she started to fifteen minutes ago leaving a nasty note on his desk letting him know how rude it was to blow off an appointment. Something kept her from leaving, and it wasn’t the money. It was something deeper, something for the life of her she could not explain, so she took a seat on his couch and waited.

Whatever Professor DePaul was doing, it had better be a matter of life and death. She was growing more and more annoyed the longer she waited. The moment he showed his face she would let him know just how annoyed she was.

 

****

 

Urgently summoned, Roman appeared in the middle of a hellacious war that was taking place in one of his abandoned warehouses. The voice in his head warned him of a dire emergency, calling it a matter of life and death. By the looks of things, death was winning.

The sound of clanking metal to metal, scraping and sliding bounced off the walls and echoed throughout the empty warehouse making the sound even more forbidding. Taghavii demons were known assassins. Each one stood close to seven feet tall. When their wings came out, they had a wingspan of a Boeing 747. These dudes were kick-ass bad, and they were literally kicking the asses of Roman’s men.

Looking around, Roman felt ill at the sight of his men falling like flies. One was propped up against the wall, still alive but had a gaping hole in the center of his chest. Another one was flat on his back and gutted like a fish, his eyes staring at him begging to be put out of his misery. Those who could fight continued to do so like the brave soldiers they were trained to be, but try as they might, ten of Roman’s men were no match for one of the Taghavii demons.

Kourosh had supernatural powers that had grown to freakish proportions. Even from his dark castle in Portugal where he spent most of his time, his powers reach out far and wide across the waters like beacons. Always on full alert, warning him whenever something was astir. That is when he would send out his assassins to roam the streets. To listen, to watch, and to find the problem giving them full authority to destroy entire cities, kill, mutilate, or maim. It did not matter how many were killed or how long it took as long as they returned with answers.

To say that Roman was peeved, pissed, or irritated as he watched his men went down like flies would have been the understatement. He kept his calm because he had a can of whoop ass godlike powers that he was about to put into action. Delilah’s last words were to use them responsibly, well; he intended to do just that. He would be responsible for gutting each one of them before blasting them into oblivion.

Before he could take a step a dazzling bright light that appeared before him, it swirled and shimmered with colors he had never seen before. In the center of the dazzling light appeared a sword.

“Take it!” Delilah urged him. “It was made just for you. It will aid you in battle.”

Roman held out his arm and reached into the light. The sword affixed to his hand as if it belonged there. The long, red hilt was perfect for one or two-handed use. He gripped the sword with his dominant hand, then gripped beneath with his left hand, holding it up in a ready position he stood ready to fight.

This was a one of a kind battle sword made of iron and steel; the finest materials making it excellent for balance and control. He practiced slicing through the air with the long, heavy blade. Whipping it around several, times like a true warrior, as he needed to get a feel for his new weapon. It had had a rather unique-hand-hammered pommel and a wide cross-guard undoubtedly to withstand excessive pounds of stress.

Inscribed on both the hilt and serrated blade were magical runes that granted the wielder certain mystical powers. When used in battle the sword was deadly to its enemies. It had to remain in his possession at all times. Otherwise, the weapon would turn against him.

Roman was ready- Ready to kick ass and to hell with taking names. He vanished and reappeared in front of the demons.

“Well, well! The creature snarled looking down at Roman letting his wings span out to its full capacity before bringing them back in and folding them under. “Look who finally shows up at the tail end of a bloody battle.”

“Sucks for you. Now you won’t get the chance to report back to your master,” Roman said lifting his sword to fight.

 He vanished, and then reappeared next to a demon who was busy removing the heart from the chest of one of his best fighters. Wielding the sword with proficiency, Roman sliced his arm away right below the elbow. Spinning around he disappeared and reappeared behind the creature and sliced off a wing.

 The beast roared out in pain but managed to come stomping after Roman faster than lightening. The sword transformed into a blade at the perfect time for Roman to sink it deep into the demon’s chest. With his free hand, he removed his heart and shoved it into the demon's mouth before he hit the ground.

 He went after the others slicing and dicing his way through them leaving a bloody mess in the wake. When the battle was over, the sword retracted up his arm and vanished. It was now a permanent part of him, always with him, ready to do battle when needed.

Roman stood back looking around at all the bloodshed. Only three out of twenty were still alive. His fighters were tough and resilient, but death followed once the heart was removed. As for the others, they would be okay as long as they rested and replenished their bodies with human blood. He waved a hand and disappeared taking his men along with him.

Nepenthes was a place where injured vampires went to recover until they were strong enough to fight again. It was a healing place where they could rest and forget all of their troubles and sorrows, a place where human blood was plenty and worries of Kourosh were light years away.

Roman appeared in the room with his men as doctors and nurses worked to save their lives.

“What the hell happened?” Doc Stevens asked as he worked over the vampire with the hole in his chest.

“Kourosh and his demons happened,” Roman said as he watched Stevens do what he did best. Patch up mangled vampires. Not long ago he was once a top surgeon at one of the top hospitals in California. In the prime of his life and at the top of his game, he was only fifty-one when given the devastating new of a rare, terminal disease. He had only a few months to live. Within those months, he searched high and low for a cure. None came until he met Roman.

Stevens pulled Roman out into the hallway where they could speak in private.

“Are you sure this revolution is a good idea? I haven’t seen so many mangled bodies since Iraq. Is it worth so many getting killed?” He asked pulling off his bloody gloves and tossing them into a red trash can.

Roman knew the devastating consequences of starting a revolution and yes, it was worth it. He hated to see good men go down, but each one picked a side and knew what the result could potentially be. They also knew the greater danger of many more suffering if Kourosh remained in power.

“Yes, I believe it is worth it.” He said just as his phone buzzed. He dug it out of his pocket and shook his head.

“What is it? Another battle going on?”

“No. I’m late for an appointment with some P.I.”

“A private investigator? What the hell for?”

Roman felt reluctant to tell Stevens what was going on. He gets himself so worked up over the smallest matters. “Grace Bauer is missing.”

“Jesus Christ, Roman! And you don’t think this is all connected somehow?”

“Calm down, Doc. Let me handle this. Just take care of my men. I need them back out there on the streets where they can keep an eye on Kourosh’s demons.”

Stevens knew it would do him no good, but he had to try to talk some sense into Roman before things got any worse.

“Listen to me, my friend.”

Roman did not want to hear it. He knew that Stevens would try to talk him out of moving forward with plans to overthrow Kourosh. He was not in the mood for a talk or a fight.

“I lost a lot of good men tonight, Doc. I’m really not in the mood.”

“That’s my point. Maybe you should think about…”

“How soon before I can speak to my men?” Roman said as he stood. Stevens was too kind hearted to understand what he was going through. He should be thankful that he never had to deal with Kourosh in the same way that he had. If he had, he wouldn’t be so quick to let bygones be bygones. This whole conversation was pointless.

Stevens had never met a more stubborn man than Roman. Once the man had it in his mind to do something he never let it go until it was done. He would back down for now. But he would never stop trying to make him see that his efforts to take down Kourosh were futile.

“If they behave and do as told, I see no reason why they shouldn’t be back up and ready to fight again by tomorrow night.”

“Fine! I’ll check in on them before then.” Roman said, and then vanished.

Roman pulled up outside of the administration building in shark gray metallic Corvette Stingray. It was getting late. All he wanted to do was to get home and meet with his men to go over their next move before Kourosh killed them all.

He stepped out of the car, hit the lock button, and headed toward the front door, buttoning his suit jacket. He had forgotten about the scheduled appointment and was secretly hoping that whoever was waiting for him inside would have taken off by now. The last thing he wanted or needed was to waste time talking about Noland Bauer’s brat.

One hour and twenty minutes later, Roman opened the door to his office and went rock-solid hard as he saw Desiree perched on his desk.    

Great! Desiree thought, another good-looking, lying, cheating ass brother to deal with. Could this day get any worse? First, the inconsiderate bastard kept her waiting over an hour and secondly he turns out to be another Liam. She wanted to throw her hands up and scream to the heavens, why me? 

Standing, she quickly sized him up to be in the neighborhood of thirty-five to forty, maybe older, but his demeanor and style of dress stated otherwise. His suit was expensive. That she knew for sure because it fit him perfectly. His jacket was buttoned, but she was able to see that he wore no belt, his pants hung just right off his hips, and his tie matched but was playful and hip. Yeah, he was under forty she concluded. Strangest thing – she wasn’t that upset with him anymore.

Roman’s eyes traveled the length of her body taking in every luscious curve. He was enjoying himself and didn’t care that he was staring like a teenage boy who had fallen upon his first poster of a naked woman. He was totally enamored.

Desiree was finding it hard to open her mouth to speak the longer she stared at Professor DePaul. He wasn’t just fine; he was unbelievably fine. She tried to divert her eyes but found that she could not. There was something mysteriously alluring and intriguing about him. 

“Professor DePaul,” She managed to say with her hand extend. “Thank you for taking time out of your obviously busy schedule to speak with me.” She made sure to emphasize the word, obviously. The man was fine, but she wanted to keep it real, he was still over an hour late, and he had better have a damn good reason for keeping her waiting.

Roman took her hand not so much as to shake it, but simply to hold it. His hard, steady gaze held her rooted for a moment as he examined her soul. She was Delilah’s daughter, the goddess he was tasked to protect.

Desiree gasped at his firm grip and intense gaze. What astonished her even more was the tingling sensation that ran from his fingertips into her hand and straight up her arm. It touched every erogenous zone in her body causing her to shiver as though she was about to climax.

A wave of dizziness washed over her as she felt a strange connection to him. Like the immediate connection, a mother feels with her newborn baby. “I’m Desiree Chase.” She said trying to shake off the odd feelings. 

“Pleased to meet you, Desiree Chase.” 

Wow! What a magnificent creature she thought as she looked into his eyes. The way he said her name made the butterflies in her stomach come alive and take flight. It was a short, nonstop flight south from his lips directly to her clit.

Roman could not take his eyes off her. Damn, she was beautiful- The spitting image of her mother, a little taller; more curvaceous. Dark, hypnotic eyes, a flaming hot body, and a sweet innocent face that kept him hard. Delilah was right; he was quite pleased.

“I’m here on behalf of Noland Bauer.” She said pulling her hand free of his hold.

 “Yes, of course. I am sorry to have kept you waiting. Something came up.”

Desiree waited for more of an explanation, but no more came. Guess that was all she was going to get.

“Please, have a seat.” He said gesturing toward the couch, allowing her to walk ahead of him so that he could get a good look at her from behind. He loved the form fitting, tan pencil skirt that hugged her ass. It zipped up in the back from hem to waist. A white button down blouse and black t-strap leather shoes made her professionally sexy he thought. She wore her hair slicked back into a neat, long ponytail that would be good for holding her head in place while kissing her. The amount of make-up she wore only enhanced her beauty because he knew she would be perfectly beautiful without it.

He took a seat right next to her, placing his elbows on his knees the tips of his fingers touching forming a little teepee.

“How can I help you?” he asked looking directly at her. 

Desiree could feel herself melting, sinking under his steady gaze. If he truly wanted to help her, he could start by not looking so freaking amazing. The man was smoldering hot, pure perfection, sex on a stick, yet there was a hard edge about him. It added to his handsomeness. He had her thinking naughty, no filthy thoughts. She had to get the hell out of there. Her mind was in the gutter, and she was finding it impossible to concentrate on anything other than fucking the professor. She stood.

“I’m sorry, but I need to visit the ladies' room before we get started- If you don’t mind?”

“Not at all,” He said as he stood and opened the door for her, pointing the way down the hall.

Desiree could not get away from him fast enough. Something strange was going on. She needed a moment alone to piece it together, to figure out why she was suddenly so hot and bothered.

She entered the restroom and made a mad dash for the sink. Turning on the cold water, she splashed some on her face. Her body was aching and hot with desire. Never before had she ever wanted to jump a man the way she wanted to jump the professor. It was so unlike her to react in such a way. Yes, the man was fine, but the moment she looked at him, she craved him. Certainly, that was not normal. 

She had to pull herself together. She had a job to do. Noland was counting on them to find his missing daughter, and here she was lusting over their first lead like a bitch in heat. She was too embarrassed to think about it anymore. She left the ladies' room determined to keep her lustful desire in check and to complete the interview like a professional P.I. 

She entered the office to find him sitting in the same spot. For a hot second, she thought about taking a seat behind his desk but that would be rude and obvious, so she took a seat next to him.

His gaze was unrelenting. He never once looked away as she entered the office and took her seat. That along with the scent of his cologne practically undid her. Her head started to spin, and all she wanted to do was to give herself to him. She had not been back in his office a good minute, and there she was losing control again. What the fuck was going on?

She shook her head trying desperately to get back on track, but she couldn’t remember why she was even there she thought. What was happening to her?

“Are you okay?” He asked in a calm voice that only made matters worse. His concern for her woke up every erotic desire in her body. Her heart rate soared as wetness began to pool between her legs.

“Yes.” She moaned in a voice that barely resembled hers. Then, it happened again. She was losing control. Her body was behaving as though it had a mind of its own. Surely, it did because at this point she was not in control of anything.

She needed another time out; time away from this man who caused her body to react with sexual excitement. She stood abruptly. “I need to use the restroom.”

“You just came from the restroom, Miss Chase.” He said with a look of confusion on his face.

Desiree felt like a damn fool, but she had to do something. Being this close to him was too much. She felt like she was on the verge of having an orgasm, and he hadn’t touched her. She had to come up with a plausible explanation as to why she kept running away from him. “Well, I need to go again. I think I have a UTI.”

Roman looked up at her trying hard to hold back his amusement. “A urinary tract infection?” He asked unbelievingly. “Well, please, don’t let me stop you.” He said dismissively.

Desiree entered the bathroom again and headed straight for the toilet. She really did have to pee. She felt ridiculous sitting there. “A UTI?” She yelled out into an empty room. “Couldn’t you have come up with something better than a UTI?” She asked herself aloud hitting her head on the wall next to her.

How could she possibly conduct an interview if she could not sit in the same room with him for one minute without feeling aroused?

She had to pull herself together and unravel the mystery of Professor DePaul. Come on girl use your street smarts. She started by telling herself that he was nothing more than your typical, black man, that he was just like the rest of them, liars, cheaters and always up to no good. As hard as she tried to convince herself, she wasn’t buying it. She knew that it was true. There was something different about the professor. He was far from a typical anything, and he had a hold on her that needed to be broken. Fast!

“Everything come out okay?” He asked standing as Desiree entered his office and took her seat once again.

“Yes, I’m fine, thank you.” She answered, already feeling the effects of his magic. The man was like a vibrator that stayed inserted in her virginal and left on super-high mode. Her desire for him took over and once again, she found herself unable to function normally.

She would just have to work through it at least until she asked him a few basic questions. “I…I just have a few questions for you, Mr...” Hell, what was his name again?

For the life of her, she could not remember his name. This was becoming embarrassing and a cause for concern.

“DePaul.” He answered with a slight smile. 

“Yes, that’s it. Mr. DePaul.”

Heat rose from her chest and made tiny little beads of sweat form on her forehead. She wanted to use her hand to fan herself, but that was a classic sign of sexual arousal or frustration. Something odd was happening. This was not her, acting like a blundering idiot, a silly, immature love-struck schoolgirl in awe over her handsome teacher. She had never acted in such a manner. Well, maybe once or twice when she was in high school, oh, and there was that one time in college, but she was a grown ass woman now. What was going on?

Flustered and feeling like she could climax at any time. Desiree she stood again.

“The bathroom again, Miss Chase?” He asked. His voice was not unkind, but he was firm. It was clear to that he was approaching the end of his patience.

Desiree ignored him as she trotted over to the window and flung it open. She needed to breathe in the fresh air, or better yet, to be out in the fresh air and as far away from his office as she could get herself.

Then, things deteriorated. The room started to close in on her. All of the air in the room seemed to have disappeared. She clutched her neck, suffocating as her heart hammered in her chest. Dear God, she was having a heart attack, or maybe a stroke. No, not here, and not now in front of the handsome professor; but wait, she thought. A serious illness would be the perfect solution, the answer to why she was behaving like a sex crazed, weird woman.

She turned back around to find Roman standing behind her holding a glass of ice water. Not that it was such a big deal for him to offer her water in her present state; it was the fact that she never saw him move from where he was seated. He didn’t have time to leave the room much less commandeer a glass with ice and water and then return. Her back had been turned away from him for five or six seconds at the most. However, her throat was dry, and a cold glass of water was needed.

He handed her the glass with a genuine look of concern on his face and watched her as she gulped it all down. “Easy.” He instructed her as a doctor would instruct a sick patient. “Better?” He asked attentively making her stomach and clit react at the same time.

Shit! She did feel better. Who knew that a glass of ice water was all it took to cure a heart attack? “Yes,” she answered looking up at him. “Thank you.” It was all she could do to keep from batting and fluttering her eyelids like a damn fool. Geesh! Why was she acting like a psycho?

She handed the glass and accidently touched his fingers. The same electrifying sensation of pure pleasure ran through her body again. She could only stare at him while she let the feeling consume her then subside.  

Wow! He’s amazing Desiree thought, just like Mr. Peterson her seventh-grade teacher whom she had fallen madly in love with from day one. She would stare at him the entire period fantasize about their wonderful life together. That was only a silly childhood crush. She was grown up now but feeling much the same way about Mr. DePaul. Well, maybe not exactly the same way because Mr. Peterson never had the ability to evoked such indecent thoughts.

For the love of God, snap out of it and pull yourself together! She told herself. You are here to do a job, not lust after a man who, by the way, is off limits for the next two years-remember? Stay focused; get the job done so that you can get the hell out of this office. Besides, a man like the professor must have women foaming at the mouth and standing in line waiting for their chance to have him. You do not want to end up being one of his many bitches. 

Feeling better and with a new perspective, Desiree crossed back over to her seat determined to get down to business. Enough with this foolishness she thought as she reached into her purse and pulled out a pen and notepad that Camille had insisted she take along to make her look more like real P.I.  

“We can reschedule if your UTI is getting to you, Miss Chase.” He said. She did not know if he was mocking her or if he was serious, but she didn’t care. She was ready to interview and leave.

“I’m fine, Mr. DePaul, but thank you for your concern.” She said clearing her throat as Roman took his seat next to her again. Desiree cleared her throat for the second time and jumped right into questioning him. “I’m sure that you’re aware of the disappearance of Grace Bauer.”

“Yes. It is sad. Her father must be worried sick.”

Hmmm…solicitous and handsome. “Can you tell me anything about her?”

“Sure,” he said as his eyes slid down to her breasts and stayed there for a moment before looking back into her eyes. “But I’m afraid I don’t know very much. She was a sweet girl…”

Desiree shot him a look. “Was?” She asked with a raised eyebrow. “Why do you say was like she’s gone for good?”

He did not like what she was hinting. “It’s just a word, Miss Chase.” He replied calmly but in a firm tone. “You said she was missing, so I assumed she is no longer on campus. I’d be happy to use whatever word you like if it helps you in your investigation.”

She felt like she had just gotten her hand slapped. She wanted to beg for forgiveness. To promise him that she would never upset him again. “Please continue.”

“She is a sweet girl, wherever she is.” He added for her sake. Very smart, a bit reserved from what I could tell. She always handed her assignments in on time, and she never missed a day of class.”

Wow! Desiree swooned. She was mesmerized, totally enthralled, and spellbound by every word that escaped his mouth. Even his voice was sexy. It was like listening to music. She could listen to him go on and on forever even if he were talking about rocks. She liked his mustache, goatee, van dyke combo he had going on. He even had perfect teeth, straight and white, full lips, big strong hands and those dark, mysterious eyes that had a way of pulling her in when she stared at them. What a magnificent black stallion. He must have more names of women on his contact list than words in the dictionary. “Did she hang out with a particular group of people, perhaps a boyfriend?”

He leaned back and crossed his ankle over his knee as he took a moment to think. “Not that I noticed,” he said stretching his right arm out over the back of the couch. He slowly trailed the length of his neatly trimmed mustache with his thumb and index finger, never once taking his eyes off her.

Desiree imagined him fucking her with those long fingers and then watching him suck them clean. She glanced at his nails. Naturally, they were manicured perfectly with just a touch of a shine to them. She admired a man who took good care of himself from top to bottom. She wondered if his toes were as perfect as his fingers. 

Feeling herself veering off track and heating up again, she cleared her throat, repositioned herself. She had to make a conscious effort to concentrate on Mr. Bauer and what’s her name, but looking at the professor made it extremely difficult. She was fighting with herself to stay on course. One side of her wanted to play private investigator, but the other side wanted to play the naughty girl with the professor. Seriously, something was up.

Desiree forced herself to look away from him. She could only take him in small doses. He had a way of making her feel vulnerable and weak, needy and nerve-rackingly aroused. It had to be his eyes, she thought. They were hooded, dark, and mysteriously mesmerizing. They had a way of looking at you and holding you captive. Maybe he was gifted with the power to hypnotize. She had heard of people who had the ability to control others by staring into their eyes. Like vampires.

Seriously? Was she going there? Vampires? Really? She chuckled at herself but still decided not to look up at him for any length of time. She kept her gaze down as she concentrated on the few notes she had written on her pad, but she could feel the sizzling heat from his unbreakable stare. It was causing her to wilt like a flower; making her clit swell with heat.

It was then she realized that Roman DePaul was not an ordinary man. He was a self-assured, manly, powerful, and strong being who had the ability to make her do anything he asked.

The burning desire to have him would not abate. Every inch of her was on fire, and every thought was of nothing more than to please him. She was now convinced that he had her under a spell. She was sure of it. What she could not figure out was how and why. And lastly, who was Roman DePaul?

She struggled to control the passion that had a strong grip on her. She fought against the urge to tear off her clothes and straddle him, to satisfy the burning need that was pushing her to surrender. She had to concentrate hard to keep her ass planted where it was. 

The awkward silence in the room became deafening. With his gaze permanently fixed on her, it was obvious he was not going to let up.

She had to find a way to call this meeting to an end. She needed out and fast before she did something stupid. 

“Stop fighting it, Desiree, go to him. Give yourself to him.” As if her current problem was not enough now she heard voices. It spoke to her with the clarity of someone standing next to her. Okay, that did it. It was time to leave. Desiree stood.

“Well, thank you for your time, but I should be going.”

“So soon?” He asked looking up at her with those dreamboat eyes that beckoned her to stay.

Why didn’t she just shake his hand and leave? No! She could not have been that simple.  Something forced her to say what she said next. “Soon?” She grunted. “Thanks to you I’m over an hour late for my next appointment.” 

It wasn’t so much of what she said; it was the fact that she said it and the implication behind it. It did not sit well with Roman. He was not the type of man who would ever tolerate disrespect from anyone for any reason. Those who knew him knew him well. They understood and accepted his no-nonsense approach to everything. He was not one for joking around. He never pulled pranks, and it was on rare occasions that they even saw him laugh.  

“Are you upset for some reason, Miss Chase?” He asked with a slight edge to his voice.

The nerve of him asking her if she was upset- Yes, she was upset, and she had every right to be. Forget about the fact that she was strangely aroused, she was still highly pissed at him for making her sit around waiting on his ass. Men seem to think that they can take advantage of women simply because they can. Making a person wait for over an hour was rude and unforgivable.

“To be honest yes, Mr. DePaul, I am extremely upset.”

“Why?” He asked blatantly as if he couldn’t figure the shit out on his own.

“Because you waltz in here over an hour late- Actually it was an hour and thirty-seven minutes to be exact, but who’s counting?”

“Apparently you are.”

“And you offer no reason other than something came up. I have a life too you know.”

“I apologized for my tardiness. Was that not enough?”

“Apparently not because I’m still pissed…”

His spell on her was finally broken, and the old Desiree was back and in rare form, but she was messing with the wrong person at the wrong time. Roman was heading up a revolution. He had meetings scheduled with some of the most powerful supernatural beings trying to gain their support. He had men recovering from demon attacks all around his region. He would be tied up for months if not years until this was all over, and he was the new ruler of his people. The last thing he needed was a woman giving him grief for being late. 

“Well, you’re just a little bitch, aren’t you?”

Desiree’s eyes flared in surprise, and her mouth fell open. “Wait just a fucking minute! How dare you call me a bitch! You don’t know me like that. No one has ever spoken to me in such a rude manner.”

Roman shot to his feet. “Maybe that’s your problem. No one has ever put you in your place. Maybe it’s time.”

Had he gone completely mad? Had the professor suddenly turned into the nutty professor? “I beg your pardon?”

“Oh, you will be begging soon enough, goddess.”

Goddess? What the hell kind of foolishness was he sprouting? She was not the one acting godly she mused as he took a step closer hovering over her like a mountain. She would have been lying if she said she was not just a little bit scared.

“You come in here pretending to be something you’re clearly not, putting on a show with your pen and pad like that makes a difference. You’re no more of a private investigator than those ducks swimming out there in the pond.”

This was the very reason she was taking a break from men. They infuriate her to no end. Now the professor had gone too far. He was forcing her to show him just how much of a bitch she really was. Was it time to get street thug on his ass? She could not believe she had waited around only for it to end this way. She raised her hand to slap his gorgeous face, but he grabbed her by the wrist stopping her.

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you, Miss Chase.”

She tried to pull away from his hold, but he pulled her into him closer. “Behave like a good girl and maybe I’ll go easy on you.”

He could feel the fury rising through her body. She was genuinely peeved for being restrained this way, but this only excited him and made him grip her even tighter.

Desiree was more than peeved; she was livid. She hated it when men used their muscles to overpower her. It wasn’t fair. “Release me.” She said through gritted teeth.

He could clearly see her desire building for him. Even though, she did not like being treated this way something deep inside of her craved it, needed it. She would never admit it, but she could never hide it from him. The sexual attraction scorched him and fed his excitement. He was consumed with lechery as waves of uncontrollable lust shot through his body as he stared at her beautiful red lips. He had to taste her. He had to have her. Now!

He leaned down to kiss her. The sound startled him first and then the sharp sting on his face shocked him. She had slapped him. Hard!

Roman was stunned if only for a brief second. Never before had any woman had the nerve to slap him. Delilah was right. She was spirited. If there was any goodness in this woman, it was well hidden.

He stood there with his hand cupping his aching cheek trying his best to keep the beast calm. It did him no good because when the beast was threatened it reacted instinctively hissing and baring its fangs.

Desiree never saw it coming. One minute she was standing and the next she was lying across his lap. Even though, she was fully dressed it did nothing to soften the blows as his hand came down hard on her ass. She couldn’t believe she was being spanked by the professor. She fought back hard kicking and squirming, doing everything in her power to stop him.

Roman went about spanking her ass with harsh determination only stopping long enough to demand that she hold still. He was kind enough to let her know that if she didn’t obey him it would only prolong her punishment. When she did not heed his warnings, the blows became harder, so she stopped moving and waited for it to end finally.

As awkward and humiliating as being spanked by a total stranger was, Desiree could not put into words or begin to understand how it was possible that with each painful blow she also felt herself reaching a climax. Each blow was sharp and quick, making her gasp and scream out in both pleasure and pain. When she had reached the height of her climax, she could no longer hold it in. The feeling hit her hard, overwhelmed her and took her completely by surprise to an unfamiliar happy place. She cried out as her orgasm washed over her. It was powerful and surreal as she released herself right there on his lap, shivered as the warmth from his touch filled her with excitement.

A lesson in humility is a hard one to teach, but it can taught. And it can be learned. One must first free themselves from pride and arrogance. After feeling as if she had learned her lesson in humility and respect, Roman released her by letting her tumble to the floor.

Desiree sat there in a sated heap. Her mind was working at warp speed trying to figure out what the hell just happened. Did she seriously just have a mind-blowing orgasm while being spanked by the professor?

Roman stood and headed for the door and opened it. “I believe you said you had another appointment to get to.”

Seriously, dude. Give a girl a minute to recoup and regain her footing. Her body was still reeling and tingling from the aftershock. She needed a few more minutes to calm herself, but he was not in the mood to show her any patience.

“Now, Miss Chase; I am a busy man.”

Was he actually kicking her out? He was nothing like her old teacher. Mr. Peterson was loving and kind. This man had something virulent seeping through his pores and it rocked her to her core and forced her to see him for more than just a good-looking piece of eye candy. There was nothing loving nor kind about Professor DePaul, but there was something dark, lethal, and oh so fucking scary about him.

This had turned out to be the worst first day of work in history. The only thing left to do now was to pick herself up off the floor and leave. After gathering her belongings, she did just that. As she passed by Roman, she thought about slapping that smug look right off his face but she could barely look at him let alone touch him. She was ready to return every cent of Mr. Bauer’s money back to him. She no longer wanted to play private investigator. She wanted to end their agreement.

So, that was Delilah’s foul-mouth, out of control spirited daughter- The goddess of the seven virtues. He had to laugh at that one. From what he saw, she was anything but virtuous. He had a good mind to pay the Queen a visit and to demand more. He deserved one hundred percent of her powers for agreeing to take on such a task. He knew it was too late. The agreement was already in order, and Delilah was already working her magic, permanently locking their souls together, and connecting their life forces to ensure a life-long union.

The moment he set eyes on her, he felt the process-taking place; the bonding, created by the gods. Humans refer to it as love at first sight or finding their soul mate. Truth be told the gods always had a finger in the pot, stirring the love pool to ensure the perfect match made in heaven. Now he was permanently locked to Delilah’s daughter. They would forever remain united. Heart, spirit, and soul, they belonged to each other now. Not even the grim face of death could come between them. Most importantly, Kourosh could never come between them.

Delilah had warned him against using magic. Her submission had to be of her own free will to make it airtight. There could be no loopholes through which Kourosh could slither. She knew his type. He would use anything to turn the tides. Even a tiny hole would suffice.

Roman thought he could get her to submit to him on their first visit, but Desiree was not an easy one to control. She was willful and fought against his powers to seduce her. He felt human and powerless around her. This was not going to be easy, but he wasn’t worried. He was looking forward to the challenge that Miss Chase presented. 

He waved a hand so that he could examine their encounter more closely. An image of them appeared before him. Smiling he watched as he toyed with her, making her aroused. It amused him at how quickly she became flustered and wet for him. He would have fun with her in the future.

Her frequent trips to the bathroom to calm her libido amused him even more. It only proved that her body was reacting to him, even though, her mind refused to follow. He would fix that in time as well. He would make her body and mind work together to be in tune with his needs. 

Standing, he took a step closer to the image watching as Desiree took a seat on the couch. He recalled the way she made him feel just sitting next to her, the way she unknowingly teased him with just a peek of her full breast through a slit in her blouse. The way her skirt emphasized her perfectly rounded ass that aroused him in ways no other woman had the ability to do. All he wanted was to remove her clothes, sit her bare ass on his desk, and eat her as if she was Sunday dinner.

Roman stood. The image quickly vanished from view. He was never one to waste time reminiscing over a woman especially when he had much bigger things on his plate, but he was indeed baffled over the power she had over him. Oh, he sat there cool as a cucumber while she was there but her presence in the room was wearing him down, weakening him. She was a true goddess who came with the right equipment to control him. Thank the gods she was not aware of those powers.

Slapping him was a surprise and a mistake. No woman had ever been brave enough to try such a thing. Her bravado was refreshingly different. It aroused the beast but aggravated the man.

He could see trouble looming around the corner if she would not conform to the customs of the vampires. There were many brutal ways to force submission if need be, but Roman could not see himself hurting one hair on her beautiful head. He was already in love with her and would kill, even die to protect her.