Curse Touched: A Paranormal Vampire Romance (A Touch of Vampire Book 2)

by Becky Moynihan

  His eyes—blood red, like the rest in this room—bored into me with a deep intensity. They took in every inch of me, caressing and heating my skin as they went.

  I shivered, and his gaze snapped to mine.

  He was suddenly inches away, placing my hand on his shoulder and the other in his. I sucked in a gasp as he pulled me against him. Completely. Possessively. Then he moved and we were dancing.

  Just like that, my fear vanished. So did the room and everyone in it. He swept me confidently across the floor, guiding my steps with sure footing. The violins played a haunting tune, their plaintive notes drifting to the ceiling high above. I was enchanted, wholly caught up in the moment. He continued to look down at me and I at him. Nothing else existed.

  “You are the bravest, most breathtaking creature I’ve ever met,” Lochlan finally said, with such open adoration that tears sprung to my eyes. “When you descended those stairs earlier, I felt my heart stop. But when you spoke those words to my father, I came alive, more fully alive than I’ve ever felt before.” He searched my face, as though desperate to find an answer. “Did you mean what you said? Do you consider some of us your family?”

  I swallowed hard. “Yes.”

  “And me?” he said softly, so that those around us couldn’t hear. “What am I?”

  My heart threatened to leave my chest as he waited for my reply. He was so many things. So many that I struggled with how best to respond. He was my stalker turned rescuer. He was my enemy turned protector. He was my frustration and pain, my comfort and joy. He was my friend. My desire. My soulmate.

  He was so many things, but I only told him one. The one that encompassed them all.

  “You’re my home.”

  33

  KENNA

  He fell to his knees before me.

  Right in the center of the ballroom, in front of everyone. Gasps and whispers filled the air, but I was in too much shock myself to pay much attention.

  “Lochlan, what are you—?”

  He took my hand, and then did the unthinkable. He removed the gloves from both my hands, one finger at a time. When the silken material fluttered to the floor, exposing my bare skin, the hushed murmurs rose in volume.

  “McKenna Joy Belmont,” he said, loud enough that the entire room fell silent, “I offer thee this sacred vow tonight in front of the esteemed members of my father’s court, so that all may bear witness to the solemnity of my promise. I start by revoking the previous vow I made over a century ago, one that no longer aligns with my beliefs. One forged from blind hatred and self destruction. I make a new vow today, to respect, honor, and protect you for the rest of your days. I offer you this rose”—he plucked the rose from his lapel and took my bare hand, placing the flower on my palm—“as a token of my sincerity. May it be a reminder that I do not make this vow lightly and fully intend to uphold it always.”

  The moment he stopped speaking, the room erupted into chaos.

  He stood and pulled me against him as a hulking male vampire began shouting too close for comfort. When another nearly bumped into me, Lochlan stepped between us with a growl. I heard King Ambrose bellow over the din, but the shouts only intensified. Kade and Everett were suddenly in front of us, pushing the crowd back.

  “That was quite the show, Lochie,” Kade yelled, throwing us a grin over his shoulder.

  “Yeah, one that incited a riot,” Everett snapped, blocking a few ticked-off vampires from getting to us. “Get her out of here before someone accidentally kills her, Loch.”

  Lochlan didn’t have to be told twice. He scooped me up and took off at vampire speed. Thankfully, no one followed us as he sped to his bedroom on the fifth floor. The moment the door was locked and he’d set me on my feet, he whipped his jacket off and stalked to the kitchen. I watched as he poured himself a glass of what looked like whiskey, then tossed it back in a single gulp.

  “That didn’t go as planned,” he muttered, before pouring himself another glass.

  Still reeling over what he’d said and the crowd’s violent reaction to it, I fiddled with the rose he’d given me. “Will they hate me more now?”

  “I don’t know.” He tossed his drink back again. “But I doubt my declaration endeared you to them. Most were in attendance the day I publicly vowed to swear off all witches. They’re probably confused. And suspicious.”

  As he poured a third drink, I cautiously approached. When he didn’t stop me, I laid a hand on his back. His muscles bunched beneath my touch, then slowly relaxed. I rested my forehead between his shoulder blades and whispered, “You broke your vow for me. In front of everyone.”

  He paused, the drink halfway to his lips. “Yes.”

  “Do you regret it?”

  “No,” came his immediate reply.

  At the sincerity in his tone, the tension along my spine eased.

  “The roses,” I said, lifting the flower to inhale its scent. “The ones you gave me in the past. What did they mean?”

  He slowly set down his glass, but didn’t turn. It took him a moment, but he finally said, “Presenting a red rose is a tradition my father started many centuries ago. They are only given to someone you view with high regard, often in a way that represents your current feelings for them. The moment you asked me to spare that human’s life, the one trying to hurt you in the graveyard, I felt admiration toward you. I left a rose on your windowsill as a sign that I would protect you.”

  He turned then. Leaning against the counter, he gently grasped my hips and pulled me against him. I met his eyes, hardly daring to breathe, as he said, “Time went by and my feelings for you changed, as did the meaning behind the roses. The rose I left on your pillow at the cabin represented my growing affection toward you. As did the rose I gave you for your birthday.”

  My heart pounded frantically inside my chest. Lifting the rose between us with trembling fingers, I whispered, “And this? What does this one represent?”

  His expression softened and he reached up to touch my cheek. “My love for you, McKenna.”

  A tear slipped down my cheek and he gently wiped it away. As the invisible hand reached inside my chest again, welding our souls together, a certainty unlike anything I’d felt before washed over me like warm sunshine. “I wish to be bonded to you now. Fully. Completely.”

  I’d never been more certain of anything in my entire life.

  Shock flooded me, followed by sharp fear.

  “Lochlan?” I pulled back, startled at the strong feelings pouring off him. Hurt pierced me as he looked away, as he tried to hide from me. “I thought . . . I thought you wanted me.”

  “I do. I just . . . I need a minute.”

  More hurt dug its talons into me, along with confusion. I pulled back even more, until we were no longer touching.

  Cursing under his breath, he shoved a hand through his hair and pushed off the counter. “Let me draw you a bath. When you’re done, we can . . . talk.”

  A bath? He wanted me to take a bath right now?

  He left without another word, disappearing around the corner into the bathroom. Sure enough, I heard water running a few seconds later. He didn’t emerge right away, which gave me time to collect myself. Except that I was too numb with shock to cry, or be angry, or be anything at all. I simply stared at nothing, twirling the rose’s short stem round and round as I desperately tried to figure out what had gone so horribly wrong.

  When he returned, neither of us looked at each other.

  “It’ll be ready soon,” he said, his voice strained. When I simply nodded and headed for the bathroom, he added, “Wait. Let me unzip you.” I stopped. As he approached, I stiffened, wondering if I should just bolt for the bathroom and slam the door. But I didn’t, because I wanted to be near him too much. Wanted his comfort, his reassurance that we were okay. That he still wanted me and our bond.

  That he loved me.

  His knuckles grazed my naked spine and I almost lost it. Almost melted into a puddle on the floor and begged him to tak
e me back. I was losing him. I could feel it. Like he’d looked me in the eye and verbally rejected me. He silently undid the dress’s zipper, stopping just shy of my underwear. I held the front to me so it wouldn’t fall and whispered a quick thank you before hurrying to the bathroom.

  When the door was closed, my composure crumbled.

  I sank to the floor in a pile of silk and tulle, clutching at my bleeding heart. I didn’t make a sound though. Not a single sob or sniffle. I didn’t want him to hear. I didn’t want him to pity me.

  When I could stand again, I removed the dress and set it on the counter. It was too pretty to toss it in the corner in a fit of self-loathing like I wanted to. I set the mask and rose down beside the tub’s edge before turning the faucet off, then stared at the inviting water. I debated taking a cold shower instead. Somehow, the thought of soaking in this gigantic sunken tub all by myself felt extremely lonely. But I did it anyway, sitting on the ledge before slipping into the steamy pool.

  I deserved a good soak. And, holy fates, this tub was heavenly. It had seats along the edge, so I settled into one and laid my head back. It wasn’t long before grief pressed down on my chest though. Fates, every part of my being still wanted him. Still desperately wanted to complete our soulmate bond. I ached all over just at the thought of it, at how utterly perfect I imagined our union would be.

  But he didn’t want me. He didn’t—

  The door opened.

  I squeaked and tried to cover myself, almost slipping off my seat. When Lochlan filled the doorway, I froze, blinking up at him. He wordlessly entered and began to unbutton his red vest. “Lochlan, what are you—? Lochlan, stop. You don’t want this.”

  “Yes, I do,” he said determinedly, removing his vest, then unbuttoning his shirt. “I want this more than anything in the world. But I’m still scared, McKenna. Scared of standing naked before you. Of being wholly vulnerable and allowing you complete control over me. I’m scared out of my mind, but here I am, asking you to accept me.”

  His shirt slithered to the floor and he began undoing his belt. “I’m broken, McKenna. Darkness still plagues my thoughts and dreams. I’ve been a monster for so long that I struggle to let others in. But I want to. I want to let you in, fully and completely. I want to make love to you and seal our bond. I want to be wholly connected to you, my other half. I want our souls to be one, now and forever. I want you, Kenna. God, you have no idea how much.”

  In the wake of his confession, a ringing filled my ears. Speechless and lightheaded, I tried to process, to accept all that he’d said. My heart pounded a frantic beat as I watched him remove his belt, then unbutton his pants. Fates, he was serious. He was really doing this, despite how utterly terrified he was.

  And I knew then, without a shadow of doubt, that I loved him. Every single dark, broken, flawed piece of him.

  So I lowered my arms and let myself be vulnerable too, pushing all the love I felt for him through our bond. And whispered, “Then come here, solemae, so I can help you heal.”

  A sigh shuddered from him, long and deep, as if it had come from his very soul.

  He briefly closed his eyes, then stripped off his pants, standing completely naked and vulnerable before me. Only his golden mask remained. I didn’t suppress my gasp, wanting him to see and hear my reaction to him. Every inch of him was raw power and gloriously male. He was the first man I’d seen nude, and I couldn’t seem to tear my eyes away from the juncture between his thighs. A part of me was intimidated by his size, nervous that I wouldn’t be able to hold him. But mostly, I was fascinated.

  He must have guessed my thoughts, because his mouth suddenly curled at the corners. “Like what you see, mate?”

  I nodded mutely, even as my face flushed scarlet. When I reached for him, he immediately came, sliding into the tub with feline grace. With him this close, this naked, nerves tumbled through my stomach. He didn’t give me a chance to retreat though, reaching forward to brush his fingers along my cheek. I sucked in a sharp breath, startled at how sensitive, how alert my skin was. At that simple touch, my nipples hardened and an ache pulsed between my thighs.

  Making sure my abilities were firmly under control, I lifted my own hands out of the water and slowly undid his mask. When it fell away, revealing his face to me, our gazes locked. A look passed between us, one filled with so much vulnerability, and want, and love that I could no longer hold myself back from him.

  The mask slipped from my grasp, plunking into the water as I reached up and touched his lips. He grew preternaturally still, watching me closely as I stroked the soft skin. When he didn’t shy away from my touch, I eased my hand behind his neck and urged him closer. “I wish to kiss you.”

  The words snapped him out of his sharp focus and he smiled softly. “There you go again, wishing for things you already have.”

  My huff of laughter was cut off as he pressed an achingly sweet kiss to my lips. He cupped my jaw, tilting my face up so he could kiss me more fully. My head spun as I breathed in his delicious scent. When he kissed me again, I felt the outline of one of his fangs. A thrill shivered up my spine and I opened my mouth for him. His tongue immediately swept inside, caressing mine in languid circles.

  My hold on his neck tightened as I fought for control, desperate not to ruin this moment. With each brush of his tongue, my arousal increased, until pain bloomed in my core. I moaned into his mouth, instinctively lifting my legs to wrap them around him.

  He grasped one of my thighs before I could, lightly digging his claws in. “Slowly,” he said, his voice low and rough with desire. “I need to know what you’re doing.”

  “I want to be closer,” I breathed against his lips, my desperation growing the longer he held me in place. “I’m in control. I’m ready. I need more of you.”

  He growled, clearly pleased with my words, but didn’t pull me closer. I whimpered and he chuckled cruelly, nipping at my lips before running his nose along my jaw and down my neck. When he reached the juncture between my neck and shoulder, he nuzzled my skin, murmuring, “You think you have control?”

  I dug my other hand into the hair at his nape and arched my neck for him. “Yes.”

  He cradled the back of my head and said against my skin, “Then let me claim you.”

  My eyes popped open. “W-what does that mean?”

  “It means that I bite you. Right here.” His fangs scraped my sensitive skin and I sucked in a gasp. “It’s a vampire’s way of marking what’s theirs. My scent will penetrate your skin, warning all other males away.”

  My stomach went crazy with nerves and excitement. “That’s . . .”

  “Barbaric?”

  “Hot.”

  I felt him smile against my skin. “Is that a yes?”

  I hesitated, remembering the last time I’d been bitten. “Will it hurt?”

  “Yes. But only for a moment. Then you’ll feel nothing but ecstasy.”

  Holy fates. I was so turned on right now. I almost combusted right then and there, and we’d hardly even done anything.

  “Then yes,” I replied shakily. “As long as you don’t suck me dry.”

  “I promise,” he whispered, right before he plunged his fangs into my neck.

  My eyes flew wide as pain zinged through me, hot and sharp. I opened my mouth to scream, but froze when an incredible sense of euphoria gushed through my body. My eyes rolled back and I choked out a moan. I felt the first pull on my neck, long and deep. Lochlan released a guttural groan and gripped my hair tightly.

  As he drank, my euphoria lifted me higher and higher until I left my body completely. I was floating, swimming in a sea of bliss. This was heaven. Nothing could reach me up here. Lochlan growled, as if to remind me of his presence. Of my need to stay focused. I hung on by a thread, drifting between exquisite bliss and reality.

  When my grip on him slackened, he shifted his hold on my thigh, sliding his hand up higher and higher. I screamed his name as he dragged a claw up my center and shooting pleasure-pain roc
keted through me. I bucked against him, but he pinned my legs with his, anchoring me in place.

  I shuddered and moaned as he relentlessly pleasured me, driving my control to the brink. This. It was too much. Too much. But he drove me onward anyway, stroking and sucking on me until I nearly blacked out from sheer ecstasy.

  Just when I thought I couldn’t hold on any longer, I came hard. So hard that I trembled uncontrollably and screamed, gouging my nails into Lochlan’s neck. He immediately withdrew his fangs and licked the bite mark while my body quivered with aftershocks.

  Eventually, I sagged against the tub and opened my eyes to find him watching me. He tenderly brushed damp hair off my forehead, pressing a kiss there before scooping me into his arms. He carried me to his bed dripping wet and carefully placed me in its center, then leaned back to look his fill of my body.

  After what he’d just done to me, I felt anything but shy. I felt beautiful and powerful, and the longer he stared, the more amazing I felt. He spent an ample amount of time gazing at my legs, then between my thighs, so long that heat began to simmer in my core again. He swept his eyes over my stomach next, then my breasts, taking in each hill and valley. He sent a lingering look to my bite mark, his bite mark, before meeting my eyes. His pupils were dilated. Red blazed along the rims, burning intensely.

  “You’re perfect,” he said, the words hoarse with emotion.

  Emotion tightened my own throat and I sat up to kneel before him. “Can I . . . touch you?”

  Flickers of his fear pinged in my chest, but he slowly nodded anyway, swallowing audibly.

  “I won’t hurt you,” I promised, reaching up to touch his cheek. “You’re safe.” I could hear his heart thundering as I let myself explore his silken skin, marveling at how hard he was beneath. He closed his eyes as my fingers tripped down the thick column of his throat. His pulse jumped beneath my touch, but he didn’t pull away. When I reached his chest, I pressed my palm over his heart where the rose tattoo was, hidden within the darkness of his skin. He jerked, hissing lightly between his teeth.