Free As Long As by Jackie Ivie Page B

words he dreaded. His heart seized up. His belly clenched. His solar plexus felt like it took a blow. The vibration she called his growl enveloped them as he fought for control. And the look of satisfaction on her face didn’t help.

CHAPTER NINE
    Sokar’s reaction to her request was immediate and it just kept growing. His growl sent vibrations throughout the room that knocked over several small statues and ruffled the fabric walls. It was déjà vu, as if they’d been transported back to the boardroom where they’d met, minus all the carnage. It was rather disconcerting. Geena decided to ignore that emotion, along with the niggling itch of guilt.
    The room they stood in was cavernous. The ceiling looked incredibly high, maybe forty feet if she had to guess. Light came from somewhere up there, but it wasn’t bright. It was candlelight dim at floor level. Which was odd. He should have some lamps. She knew he had power. The suite she’d awakened in, and spent some time exploring, had been amazing. Beautifully designed. With all kinds of modern conveniences. In the desert somewhere. Underground. Completely hidden.
    Unbelievable .
    This room however, was beyond that. The multi-hued décor bore various shades of blue and gold. Draped panels sparkling with gold decorated the walls. The floors were covered with thick, overlapping rugs. The furnishings were low to the floor, consisting of backless couches, foot-high tables, and a lot of ornate pillows. Everything contained splashes of gold. Probably real gold. She’d wondered about that when she’d seen the threadwork in her caftan. She’d since disregarded the observation. What did it matter if he had real gold all over his compound? She had bigger worries. With incense stands scattered through the room, the room resembled a decadent movie set. For a despotic king and an entourage of women. It looked – and felt – like the perfect setting for an orgy.
    At least, it had until now.
    “You vixen!” he announced.
    Geena’s brows rose. “You’re name-calling now? Nice.”
    “You used my desire against me!”
    “Oh, don’t be so surprised. You made it easy.”
    He pitched his head back and yelled. Loudly. Geena watched smoke from the incense burners waver throughout the room as throbs from his voice reached them. She climbed onto a table to reach his level. Wobbled for a moment until the table stabilized, and then she faced him. He was breathing really hard. She matched it. He was flushing, too. She watched a dark tone move through his chest. Shoulders. Neck. It reached his jaw. He had that clenched. Sharp-looking spikes were clearly evident along his lower lip.
    Her heart missed a beat. He pulled his head back as if he knew it.
    Oh! This was bad. The man already sent her pulse into overdrive, her hormones into frenzy, and her body temperature to fire-starting level. Anger seemed to take those afflictions to a higher pitch and hold them there. She was close to lunging for him and finding out about the orgy thing. She had to start speaking. And fast.
    “Look. Sokar. Don’t you think your reaction is a little excessive? I mean you’ve been using some kind of hypnosis on me. I think that makes us even, don’t you?”
    His breathing slowed slightly. He was still massive. Muscled. Masculine. And not wearing much. She had to force her gaze to ignore his waist area, where a six-pack-plus of abs gained definition with the force of each inhalation.
    “That was not hypnosis. It was a thrall.”
    “A thrall?”
    “Vampires have many powers.”
    “That is a violation of—”
    “To the realm of Set with your rules! I am a vampire! I have enthralling powers. I have been doing my best not to use them on you!”
    “You are a male chauvinist who is used to getting his way. And I, for one, am finally calling you on it.”
    He crossed his arms and glared at her. That put a lot of emphasis on his pecs, shoulders, and biceps. The light was making a shadow play across his skin