“This way, we get to be at each other’s mercy,” her words were a breath against my face.
I rested my forehead against hers and sighed. “My shining star, I’ve been at your mercy since you plowed into me on that sidewalk all those weeks ago.”
She stroked her fingers along my scruff. “Can I touch you?” she whispered.
“You are touching me,” I teased.
Her skin flushed. “You know what I mean.” Her gaze darted down to where my cock was briefly visible among the shifting bubbles. I gave her a wink and tipped my head, giving her permission. Hesitantly, she slipped her hand beneath the surface of the water. Small fingers wrapped around the part of me that was demanding the most attention. My breath hissed out as she gave a tentative stroke.
There was a God. She moved her hand from root to tip.
And there was a devil. Because only Satan would make this angel want to touch me like this.
Without my guidance on her hand, she was more hesitant in her movements. But even with her inexperienced touch, it was the best hand job I’d ever received. Blood raced to the focal point of her caress. I literally ached with the need to come.
I wrapped one arm around her waist and dragged her closer to me then urged her to arch her back. The rhythm of her strokes changed as I leaned down and drew her nipple into my mouth. It seemed once my focus was split between what she was doing to me and what I was starting to do to her, she was able to relax and not stress about stroking me wrong. When the fingers of my other hand grazed her slit, her motions stuttered and became more erratic. I didn’t care. It wouldn’t take much to send me careening over the edge. I just wanted her to make the fall with me.
Expertly, I tapped the perfect pearl at the top of her slit, eliciting a moan from her pouty lips. Wanting to own those sounds, I captured her mouth with mine. As our tongues battled, I doubled my attention on her clit. The whimpers that vibrated up her throat and into my mouth sent a jolt to my dick.
I gently thrust one finger up into her heat as my thumb continued to circle and tease her pleasure point. Her narrow channel clenched around my finger as she shattered. That feeling of her body gripping and welcoming my invasion was all it took to catapult me into delirium.
I allowed myself a couple breathless moments before I eased to my feet, with her still wrapped around me. I slipped one arm beneath her ass, holding her in place. She gave me a lazy smile as she rested her head on my shoulder. Gingerly, I stepped out of the tub, thankful for supernatural balance. A stack of fluffy towels was on the shelf to the side of the vanity. With my free hand, I grabbed two.
I halfway unfolded one on the countertop so I could set her on it. Once she was unwound from my body, I draped the other towel around her shoulders. After I secured another towel around my waist, I pulled the plug on the tub. When I turned back to her, she was wicking the water from her flawless skin with the towel no longer wrapped around her shoulders. With quick hands, I finished drying her off. Then I took the fabric now filled with her scent and rubbed it across my own form.
“There’s a snack and a movie with our names on them.” I steered her toward the bedroom.
I rifled through my clothes and grabbed a pair of boxer briefs. As much as I’d like to stay naked with her all night, I wasn’t sure it was prudent.
“Get ready for bed. I’ll go grab the snacks.” Without turning around for a last look at her bare form, I strode to the kitchen.
I took my time in the kitchen, giving her ample opportunity to put clothes on and get in bed. When I returned with everything, she was propped on pillows in the massive bed. I held up the box of crackers for her to see, and her face lit up like the sun.
She clapped her hands excitedly. “I can’t believe you found them. I figured you’d bring back sprouts or tofu or something healthy.”
I handed her the crackers and can of cheese, then set our drinks on the bedside table. Pulling back the covers, I climbed into bed next to her. My thigh brushed against hers as I scooted over. While she opened the box, I grabbed the remote and started the movie I knew she’d enjoy.
“Magic Mike?” she mumbled around a mouthful of cracker and cheese.
I twisted the cap off her Dr. Pepper and handed it over to her so she could wash down the dry snack.
After taking a swallow, she handed the soda back to me. “Thanks. You want to watch Magic Mike with me?”
“Is it not a movie you want to watch?”
“Oh no, I like the movie. I just didn’t figure it would be something you’d want to watch.”
“It is a dance movie, right? And you really like dance movies. It’s the only one you mentioned before that’s playing on the cable here. I can arrange something else if you’d like,” I was rambling. Why did I want to please this girl so much?
She rested her hand on my leg over top of the covers. “It’s fine. I love this movie.” She stared at me, her head tilted, questions on her face.
“What?” I murmured.
“How are you not someone’s real boyfriend? You’re so considerate and sweet and sexy and . . . amazing.” She dropped her chin in embarrassment.
“I . . . uh . . . never wanted to be. And with everything in my past and future, it just didn’t seem prudent.” I shrugged.
She peeked at me through the curtain of her hair. There were so many things I wanted to say. Like how I wanted to be her boyfriend for real. How I wanted to be more. How I wanted to be her everything. But I couldn’t say those things. I wasn’t free to be her anything.
Needing to lighten the mood, I nodded at the blue and white cardboard box in her hands. “What’s so special about those anyway?”
“When you try one, I won’t have to tell you.” She reached into the box and withdrew a golden cracker. Then she tipped the cheese in a can and squirted some on the cracker, making a little decorative mound of yellow. Satisfied with the amount of cheese, she lifted it to my lips, and I opened my mouth.
Once the salty treat hit my tongue, I moaned in understanding. I washed it down with a sip of bottled blood. “That should not taste that good,” I said in shock.
She giggled and fixed herself another cracker. “I know.”
I glanced at the flat screen TV, and my mouth dropped open. She shoved a cracker into it as I tried to reconcile the sweet innocent girl next to me with one of her favorite movies. Shaking my head in awe, I wrapped my arm around her, drawing her to my side as we got comfortable to watch apparently a movie about male strippers. If male strippers got her going, I’d be sure to give her a show later.
♪ Pony by Ginuwine
20
Celesta
I leaned across Toven’s lap so I could gape at the view as Kent drove along Pacific Avenue. The houses in Venice Beach were works of art. Toven’s hand rested at the small of my back, rubbing circles absentmindedly, heating that small patch of skin through the silk of my cover-up.
Kent found a parking spot, and we climbed out of the car.
“I’ll be in the area,” he told us as he waited by our open door.
“Thanks,” Toven said as he grabbed the canvas bag Kent held out.
After linking his fingers with mine, Toven started walking toward the beach. My feet sank into the soft sand, grains seeping into my sandals. Toven’s stride slowed in the shifting dirt. He didn’t go very far before a heavy sigh slipped from his lips. His hand let go of mine, and he thrust the bag at me. Then he leaned down and with great ceremony, removed his pristine sneakers and socks, shaking the light tan granules from the interior of each.
I couldn’t stop the giggle that escaped. He peered up at me from his bent over position.
“You laughing at me?” he taunted.
Still chuckling, but trying not to, I shook my head. A look of mischief crossed his features.
“I’ll give you something to laugh about.”
He lunged, but before he could get his footing, I dashed farther onto the beach, toward the crashing waves. Wind lifted my hair, blo
wing it into a chaotic mess. His laughter floated to me from behind, getting louder as he got closer.
Strong arms wrapped around my waist from behind and lifted me off my feet.
“I caught you,” he said in my ear, mirth making his words sound like a melody.
“Maybe I wanted to be caught,” I challenged as he swung me around in a circle.
Once he set me on my feet, I turned and draped my arms across his shoulders. “Not an avid beach-goer, I take it.”
“No. It’s not the scene for most vampires—not even those of us who don’t have an aversion to the sun.”
“Why not? It’s beautiful and peaceful.” I didn’t understand why anyone wouldn’t find the power and beauty of the rolling waves a place of wonder.
He pressed a kiss to my lips, then grabbed the bag from my shoulder and steered me to an empty spot farther down the shore. His shoes landed in the sand silently. I figured he wasn’t going to answer my question since he dug into the bag and withdrew a multicolored, folded beach blanket. He proceeded to shake it out then spread it onto the sand. My mouth went dry as he gripped the hem of his shirt and tugged it over his head.
Gracefully, he sank into the middle of the colorful square, leaning back on his elbows. He drew in a deep breath as he squinted up at me.
“Vamps avoid the beach because it’s too tempting to be around so much tantalizing flesh. Even in this day and age where we aren’t in hiding, there are still laws governing us. And the vast majority of us really do try to live within the guidelines set by the powers that be.”
“You mean about willing donors, consent and all that?” I asked. Though I was aware of the laws, I hadn’t really paid attention to them because I honestly never thought they’d apply to me.
“Yes. But there are still urges, hormonal changes that make it hard to ignore too much temptation when a vampire is thirsty. It’s easier to just avoid the potential for trouble.”
I nodded in understanding.
“You planning to keep on all those clothes or are you going to show me your new bathing suit?”
I looked down at my partially hidden body. The mesh pants really left nothing to the imagination, except that the colorful top I wore hung down low enough to hide my suit. A shot of nervous adrenaline surged through my veins as I glanced around at all the perfect bodies dotting the beach. I hadn’t worked out in a while, and my skin wasn’t really beach ready.
Then I peeked back at Toven. The hunger in his gaze made me momentarily forget that there were any other women on the beach. What the hell? With care, I balanced on one foot and started to unbuckle my sandal.
“Let me help.” Toven sat up and gripped my ankle.
I rested one hand on his sun-warmed shoulder as he removed one shoe then the other. Soft fingers crawled up the edge of my pant leg, stroking the back of my calf. How was it possible that such a simple touch could be so seductive? Could flip my switch?
He smirked up at me, no doubt reading my body’s reaction to his touch. Maybe it was time to turn the tables and make him react to me.
Reaching beneath the hem of my top, I grasped the low-slung waistband of my pants and pushed them off my hips. Though he’d gotten an eyeful of my naked legs this morning and then some, the expression on his face was as if he was seeing me for the first time. It was empowering.
Emboldened by the lust in his eyes, I lifted away the silken top, revealing the blue and green shimmery feather pattern.
“Better?” I asked, propping one hand on my hip while desperately trying to not be self-conscious.
His mouth opened then shut like a gaping fish. Finally, he nodded at me. He held his hand out to me. When I placed mine in his open palm, he helped me drop to the beach blanket. Once my knees sunk into the earth, I felt inconspicuous enough to survey those around us, making sure no one was staring at me, judging me and finding me lacking.
Toven shifted closer to me. His breath caressed my skin.
In a low, sensual tone, he murmured in my ear, “You are more stunning than anyone I’ve ever seen, let alone anyone on this beach. Never doubt that.”
Sincerity was written all over his face. I relaxed into him.
“Did you want to swim? Or go for a walk?” he asked as I stared longingly at the rolling waves.
“I do, but I don’t think we really have time for that.”
He leaned back, examining my hair, as if picturing it like I described. “You’d still be beautiful. But I understand. Another time. How about a walk?”
I nodded and got to my feet, eager to soak up this west coast atmosphere. Agile as a cat, he sprang to his feet. I started for the packed sand by the sea, longing to feel the water on my toes. Toven quickly caught my hand and tugged me back by his side.
“As much as I love the view with you walking in front of me, I don’t want there to be any doubt to everyone here that you’re mine.” His arm curled around my waist and gripped my hip.
The cool splash of water over my feet helped to cool the heat his possessive tone created. “That’s a bit chilly,” I confessed.
He laughed. “Yeah, might be a little too cool until the temperature increases. But those kids don’t seem to mind.” He pointed to a handful of kids splashing in the surf.
“Kids don’t have the same thermometer adults do. When I was a kid, I would swim until my lips were blue. Then still beg for five more minutes with my teeth chattering.”
We stopped walking to watch a guy balancing on a rolling cylinder while juggling a bunch of colorful pins. It was quite entertaining. A little farther down the strand, a group of guys sat in front of overturned buckets and played them like drums. Toven’s fingers found the rhythm and tapped it along the skin of my hip.
Brightly-colored flags waving in the distance caught my attention, so I started in that direction. It was one of many shops along the boardwalk. I’d never seen so much creativity crammed into one small space. It was overwhelming. Toven followed wherever I went, seeming to be content to watch my delight over everything.
A spinning rack of handmade jewelry caught my eye. Gently, I lifted an anklet adorned with a dangling rainbow of glass beads interspersed with silver baubles. As it shifted in my palm, a melodic tinkling sound filled the air.
“It’s pretty,” Toven murmured from over my shoulder.
“Yeah, it is.” I moved to hang it back up, but Toven plucked it from my fingers and strode to the register. Before I could protest, he’d bought it for me.
With a satisfied smirk on his face, he made his way back to me. He dropped to his knees and fastened the handmade piece around my ankle. Unable to resist, I stretched my leg out so I could admire it. It was so pretty.
Linking our fingers, Toven led me to the next shop. The shelves inside were filled with hand painted rocks. I oohhed and ahhed over so many of them. There were rocks of all shapes and sizes and decorated with flowers, abstract designs, ocean themes, butterflies, anything I could imagine.
“They’re all so pretty. The detail on these is unbelievable,” I said.
“Perfect pebbles,” Toven agreed.
I wandered the rest of the shop, lingering over a particularly sparkly one. A dolphin jumping along a sunset stained sea. It was stunning.
“We should probably head back. Don’t you have some people coming to help you get ready for tonight?”
“Oh, yeah. I forgot.” I put the rock back and took his extended hand.
As we strolled back down the beach toward our stuff, I noticed a roped off area. I paused to watch as a bride in a flowing white dress walked down a makeshift aisle, heading to where her groom waited barefoot on the sand.
A dreamy sigh escaped my lips. “It’s such a gorgeous place for a wedding,” I said in a hushed tone.
“Yeah,” he agreed as he set off toward our towel.
Traffic was minimal, so we arrived back at the hotel in no time at all.
When we got out of the car, Toven turned to Kent. “Can you wait here? I have some errands I n
eed to attend to while Celesta gets ready.”
“Sure thing,” he responded.
“You’re leaving?” I murmured once we were on the path to our bungalow.
“Yes. Unless you aren’t comfortable with me being gone.” He stopped walking and peered deeply into my eyes.
“No. Of course not. I was just enjoying being with you.”
He squeezed my hand. “I won’t be far. But I did arrange to get ready in a different suite.”
“Why?”
“Because I want to come pick you up like a proper date.”
The thought of that made my heart flutter. “I like the sound of that,” I admitted.
He glanced at his watch. “I gave Circe our itinerary so the stylists or whatever it is her spa arranged should be here in about fifteen minutes.”
Toven opened our door then stepped aside for me to enter first.
“I’m going to go grab my stuff, why don’t you relax while you wait for them to arrive?”
“Actually, if you’re going to be here for a few minutes to listen out for them, I’m going to hop in the shower and wash the sand and salt from my skin.” A shower after they did my hair and makeup would be impossible.
“Good idea.” He moved into the closet to get his things while I moved past him into the bathroom. I paused in the threshold, debating about whether I should shut the door or not. He’d already seen every part of me, no sense in hiding now. Straightening my shoulders, I strode across the tile.
I hung a fluffy robe on the hook right outside the shower then undressed. Once I was enclosed in the see-through rectangle, I turned all the knobs until hot water rained on me from every direction. I peered through the glass while it was still clear, hoping Toven might join me. Not that we had time for any of that, but I was fast becoming addicted to his touch. To him. My heart and body kept forgetting this was all just part of my job. He stood in the bedroom, his back to me, talking on the phone.
Blood Song: Refrain (Blood Song Series Book 2) Page 21