Jon turned his head toward the deep voice, seeking the comfort it conveyed. He didn’t understand the draw of the voice or the body next to him, and it hurt his head too much to figure it out.
As a strong hand gently brushed the hair back from his forehead, Jon snuggled his face against the broad chest under his head and let himself drift off again. For the first time since he could remember, he felt safe.
“Just sleep, rajaaka.”
So he did.
* * * *
The first thing Jon realized as consciousness came to him was how warm he felt, but not the same warmth that came from being swaddled in blankets. He felt warm inside and out, his entire body flowing with heat.
Jon opened his eyes, blinking a few times as the light’s glare blinded him. Once his eyes adjusted to the brightness, confusion filled him when he realized his head lay on a smooth, muscular chest.
Jon lifted his head, tilting it back until he looked into the deepest blue eyes he’d ever seen. His breath caught in his throat at the intensity he could see in the piercing gaze looking back at him.
“Uh, hello,” Jon croaked, his throat dry and a little sore. He wondered if he had a cold or something.
“Hello.”
Jon was graced with a smile so bright and delighted it made him start to remember something, but then the memory faded before it could form.
“How are you feeling?”
“Fine, I guess.” Jon frowned. “Why? What happened? Am I sick?”
The man flashed his brilliant smile again, capturing Jon’s attention and making his heart pound just a little bit faster. “No, rajaaka, you are not sick.”
“Jon. My name is Jon.”
“I am well aware of that, rajaaka.”
There was that smile again. Jon leaned into the hand caressing the side of his face before he could stop himself. The man’s touch felt so good, making his skin tingle, but a second later, realization set in. He jerked back, his face flushing with heat. Jon dropped his gaze. How embarrassing! How could he act this way with a complete stranger?
“I’m sorry,” Jon whispered. He started to push himself away, but the arms surrounding his body tightened, keeping him plastered against the man holding him. “I think—I really need to go.”
“I kind of like you just where you are.”
Jon’s mouth dropped open. He looked up to find those same deep-blue eyes gazing down at him. “Who are you?”
“Nikolas Vaile.”
Oh damn!
Jon’s head dropped forward as he realized he lay wrapped in the arms of the man he’d hoped would be his new employer. Well, that clearly wasn’t going to happen now. He wasn’t sure what happened, but apparently he’d done something—fainted, maybe—to embarrass himself. He just needed to get out of there as fast as he could before he lost what dignity he had left.
Jon tried to resist the hand lifting his chin, but Nikolas seemed to be having none of it. Jon allowed his face to be tilted up but kept his eyes downcast. From his vantage point, he could see Nikolas’s broad chest rise and fall.
God, it was a magnificent chest, too.
“Jon, rajaaka, look at me.”
Jon raised his eyes, not sure what expression he would find on the handsome man’s face. The hard body pressed against his made Jon’s breathe move in and out of his body in rapid little pants. He tried to look away, fearing the man would see the desire Jon knew must clearly be showing in his eyes, but a strong attraction made him seek Nikolas’s gaze. He sucked in a breath, shocked by the lust he could see burning in the man’s eyes. This was Nikolas Vaile, the owner and CEO of Vaile Industries. He could have anyone he wanted, man or woman.
“Do you know who I am, Jon?”
“Yes,” Jon replied. “You said your name is Nikolas Vaile. I came here to apply for a job with you, the personal assistant position.”
Nikolas nodded and continued to brush the curls back from Jon’s face. “I’m afraid the personal assistant position is no longer open to you.”
Fuck! Jon dropped his gaze. “Yeah, I kind of figured as much.” Despite Nikolas’s protest, Jon pushed himself away and turned to sit up, realizing with a bit of shock he was lying on a bed. “Where am I?” he asked as he looked around the room.
“This is my penthouse on the top floor of my office building.”
“Nice.” Jon snorted. “Guess commuting to work isn’t a problem for you then.”
“No, not really.” Nikolas chuckled. “I have a private elevator leading to my office below us.”
Jon’s legs shook as he got to his feet. He grabbed one of the wooden posts at the top of the bed to steady himself then started for the door.
“Where are you going?”
Jon glanced back at Nikolas, surprised to find the man sitting on the side of the bed, a forlorn look on his handsome face. Jon gestured toward the door and then started toward it. “I need to head home.”
“Why?”
Jon blinked. “Um, I need to go find a job?”
Nikolas grinned and shook his head. “That is no longer an issue, rajaaka.”
“But you said the personal assistant position wasn’t available anymore.”
“It is not for you,” Nikolas said as he stood and crossed the room. “I still need a personal assistant, but you are no longer fit for the position. Your duties lie elsewhere now.”
Immediately, anger overshadowed Jon’s confusion. How dare Nikolas play with him over something so serious? “Since the position is no longer available to me, then there is no reason for me to stay.”
Nikolas now blocked Jon’s exit. Once again, he lifted his hand to caress Jon’s face. “I can think of many reasons for you to stay.”
Jon inhaled sharply as Nikolas’s meaning became clear. He gritted his teeth and clenched his fists at his side, trying very hard not to deck the man. “I may need a job, but I am no one’s whore.”
Nikolas’s eyebrows shot up nearly to his hairline. “I would hope not. I would be very disappointed to find out you were involved with anyone else. It would not make me happy.”
Jon struggled to follow Nikolas’s train of thought. He could see the desire burning in the man’s eyes. Jon wasn’t stupid. He knew when someone wanted him, and Nikolas most certainly did. Jon just didn’t understand why.
“Why?” Jon asked, voicing his question.
“Do you not sense it, rajaaka?” Nikolas asked quietly as he moved closer. He stroked the side of Jon’s face then brushed his thumb over Jon’s lips. “Do you not feel the connection between us?”
Jon frowned. He felt something but…“You keep calling me rajaaka. What does it mean?”
Nikolas’s grin was feral. “Mine.”
Chapter Five
Nikolas didn’t give Jon time to respond before he lowered his head and covered Jon’s mouth with his own. He could feel Jon’s shock in the sudden stiffness of his body. But then he melted against Nikolas, groaning as he opened his mouth to Nikolas’s exploration.
Nikolas’s calm was shattered by the hunger welling up inside of him as he kissed Jon’s mouth. He slipped his hands down Jon’s arms then gripped his hips, pulling him closer. He caressed the length of Jon’s back.
The hard shaft pressed against him told Nikolas Jon’s desire mirrored his own. He couldn’t be more thrilled at the prospect. To not be desired by his rajaaka would be a nightmare of epic proportions.
Jon groaned, his hands tightening on Nikolas’s shirt. Nikolas felt a low rumble build in his chest. Before he could stop himself, he licked his way down to the soft pulse in Jon’s neck and sank his teeth in.
Jon arched toward Nikolas. The combination of Jon’s hard body pressed against his and the taste of sweet, hot blood exploding across his tongue created a heady combination. And knowing it was his rajaaka he held in his arms only added to the desire coursing through his veins.
Using his superior strength, Nikolas picked Jon up in his arms and carried him back over to the bed. He lowered him to the mattress, moving to cover Jon’s body with his own.
Nikolas extracted his teeth and licked the bite mark closed before lifting his head to look down into Jon’s dark, chocolate-brown eyes. He smiled, nearly overcome with the knowledge that the man he held in his arms was his rajaaka…the one he’d searched for all these years.
“I want to make love to you, rajaaka,” Nikolas said softly.
Jon inhaled, his eyes widening. “J–Jon.”
Nikolas smiled and reached up to caress the side of Jon’s face again. He couldn’t get over how soft the man’s skin felt, how wonderful it felt to just touch him. He couldn’t wait to feel Jon’s naked body pressed against his. The sensation would be like wrapping himself in warm silk.
“I know who you are, rajaaka.” Nikolas saw the wonder in Jon’s deep-brown eyes and smiled. What color would those eyes be when the man was in the midst of an orgasm? “I still want to make love to you.”
“I–I don’t even know you.”
Nikolas could see the confusion in Jon’s face, the uncertainty. He could also see the desire to give in. Nikolas stuck his index finger into his mouth and pricked it on one sharp fang.
“You know me,” Nikolas said as he rubbed his bleeding finger over Jon’s lips. “You know me better than anyone in the world.”