All Chapters of A TASTE OF TEMPTATION: Vampire King And His Hybrid Bride: Chapter 61 - Chapter 70

I took a step closer, desperate to regain control of the situation. “On the road, you sneered at me constantly.”He tilted his head, feigning confusion. “Sneered?” He looked back at his warriors, then back at me. “Does anyone here think I have a habit of sneering?”His warriors exchanged glances, then, in a perfectly synchronized chorus, replied, “No, Your Majesty.”Jason turned back to me, an apologetic expression on his face. “Forgive me, Lady Ollivara. It seems my sneering is entirely in your imagination.”I glared, crossing my arms. “For a king, you sure know how to lead an army of jerks,” I said, my tone dripping with sarcasm. A few of his minions threw me disapproving looks, but I didn’t care.Jason gave a slight, regretful shake of his head. “It’s truly unfortunate if that’s what you think of me,” he said softly, though his eyes held a flicker of amusement that told me he was far from sorry.My anger reached a boiling point. He wasn’t just unbothered; he was toying with me. All

“When you make up your mind, it might be too late!” I hissed, angry that he denied me again.“This is the thing between us that you don’t get, Sunshine,” he said. “You might be frustrated now, but if we don’t control the wildfire before it’s the right time for us to mate, it’s going to end badly, just like before.”“What happened before? Why must you keep me in the dark? I already know there’s a past between us, and it isn’t peachy. If you tell me, I won’t make the same mistake, if I ever made one.”“It’s not that simple, Ollivara,” he said. “I like this new version of you, and I’ll do everything in my power to preserve your light.”He pulled me to him tightly, but I glowered at him, brimming with desire, anger, and sexual frustration. My face burned hot as feverish need still coursed in my bloodstream.He pressed a kiss to my lips, sensual like the night.“Get ready.” He chuckled softly. “I’ll take you out for dinner.”“You mean going out, like on a date?” I asked, my eyes bright, my

A hush fell over the room, the silence stretching as my friends processed my words. Finally, Patrick whispered, “I’ve heard the stories about the Vampire King. They say he lost his bride a century ago, and it nearly destroyed him. But Phia, that couldn’t possibly be you. You weren’t even alive back then. Maybe you look like her, sure, but you’re not the same person.”I bit my lip, wrestling with the doubt that had been gnawing at me. “I’m not sure about that anymore,” I admitted, my voice barely audible. “I can’t remember anything from my past. What if… what if I really am this Ollivara he lost? From what I’ve heard, she wasn’t exactly a saint. People say she was selfish, even cruel.”They exchanged looks, their expressions hardening in denial. They weren’t ready to believe it, to believe that the Phia they loved could have ever been someone so different.But even as the uncertainty churned inside me, their loyalty gave me comfort. It felt good to be surrounded by them, to have friends

I swatted her hand away before she finished. I already felt so anxious that the powder was the last thing I needed. I just wanted to get to the restaurant before things went wrong again.“Uh, Henry…maybe you can drive faster?” I asked. I skipped the criticism that he drove like a grandpa since I really didn’t want to offend him when he was in the driver’s seat. “There’s no need to be so on edge and stress out the others,” Henry said in a smug tone. Now he was getting his petty revenge. “We’ll get there, Lady Phia Ollivara. Sit tight and enjoy the view of the college town of Crollitia. As you said, life’s short and karma’s a bitch.”I didn’t even know what he was talking about, but the view was indeed gorgeous. The valley town was surrounded by a ring of mountains arranged under the pink horizon like silver-gray waves. We passed a lush park and cruised up a curvy, tree-lined street with upscale shops and buildings on either side.“I just don’t want us to get ambushed. That’s all,” I s

“Would you feel sad if things had turned out to be different—with me staying in the shifters’ world?” I asked.“You have no idea,” he said, his eyes turning dark and dangerous. “It was killing me to walk away from what I came for.”There was more to it, I could feel it, but he wouldn’t say more.“You aren’t as bad as people say,” I said.“Oh, I’m bad. Make no mistake,” he said. “You might not like what you see after you see more.”“Should I run now?”“It’s already too late, Sunshine,” he said, heat searing his eyes. “I’ll never let you go again. Now that I’ve got you back, I wouldn’t mind chaining you to myself if I have to. Call me a selfish bastard, but you’ll never leave me.”I shivered at the dark promise, yet my blood heated.“For whatever end, I’m glad you came for me,” I said. “Thank you for coming for me.”His throat bobbed up and down, a bonfire of emotions igniting in his eyes.“Always, Sunshine,” he said. “There’s nowhere you could go where I wouldn’t find you.”“You make i