The Blood Covenant: Book One of The Medici Warrior Series

by Emily Bex

  Her fingers greedily unbutton his white shirt and her hands slide onto his chest. Her face is so full of passion, ready to be unleashed for him, and he is ready to take it. He places his hands on either side of her face and kisses her, as he leans over her. He slides his arms down her back, releasing her bra and letting it drop away as his hands move down her back, bending her backwards until she drops to her knees and then sits on the floor. He lowers himself over her, never breaking the kiss, and lets her slide gently to the floor. She will be his in this dream he manufactured for her tonight.

  ***

  As he rips the gown from her body, the sound of the fabric tearing away excites her. He slides her to the floor, wearing only her lacy underwear, as he lays between her legs, his cock like hardened steel pressing into her, pinning her beneath him. He grips her wrists, holds her down, as if she would leave... as if she would struggle. He will find no struggle here. She has imagined this since the moment he caught her eye and made her stumble over her own words.

  ***

  She responds to him just as he knew she would. He feels her wanting him, feels her desire to be taken, taking what belongs to him. Gripping her hands hard above her head, he lowers his head and lets his teeth nip at her neck and breasts, suckling each nipple, he teases her with his tongue, and then nips them hard, pulling at her nipples with his lips. Her hips respond and he presses his weight down hard to keep her from moving beneath him. Keeping her hands above her head, he lets his tongue explore further down her belly, dipping into the concave of her belly button, swirling it round and round.

  Letting go of her hands, she does not resist, but tangles them in her own crimson silk, and he stares at the beauty of her lust unleashed. He strips off his jacket and rips his shirt off as buttons fly in every direction. Sliding his body down hers, he can smell her heat, wet and dripping and it belongs to him. He easily rips away her panties, his eyes traveling to hers and their wide-eyed wanting tells him all he needs to know. This is what she craves and dreams about.

  He nips hard on the tender white flesh of her inner thigh. He feels her body jolt and hears the soft moan escape her lips with the gentle erotic pain from his bite and knowledge of what is to come. Lifting his body slightly, he licks the soft bud that peeps out from her sex and feels her body quiver undeniably. Taking that tender bud between his teeth, he rolls it gently, sucking and probing, stoking the passion that lies just below the surface. Feeling her legs wrap around his neck, he lets his fingers glide along those swollen, sweet, wet petals as he slides two fingers inside her and feels her muscles pull and tug for more. Thrusting his fingers into her several times, he slowly pulls them free and slides them into his mouth, sucking her glorious honey from his fingers before burying his head between her legs. The desire to be inside her is building and it is killing him with need and passion. She belongs to him, and this is his.

  Controlling her dream state, he does not let her cum for him, but takes her to the highest peaks before tumbling and feels her body shake with the need to let go. When she cums for him, it will shake her to the very core of her soul, rattle her from her immobilized state and bring her home to him to have for all eternity. He lets his tongue probe deep into her sex until she is writhing and almost screaming with want. He pulls out and runs his tongue over that sweet nub that is hardened and pulsing.

  He stands over her and strips off his pants. His cock stands at attention and he sees her eyes feast on the monster that now belongs to only her, the steel sword that will claim her as his own. Kicking off his shoes, he towers above her, his chest sweaty and broad. His thighs are thick muscle and he kneels to the floor between her legs. Sliding his hands under her ass and up her back, he lifts her upright against his chest and slides her down just above his cock and feels her body wiggle, aching to be riding him. He kisses her breasts, suckles them, and devours the white beauty as her crimson hair tangles over his face. He moans as he lowers her hard onto his cock. She wants to be taken, owned and loved. He reads her thoughts and knows gentle sex is not what she dreams of. She goes in her dreams where she fears to go in reality. Her gasp is music to his ears and then she moans long and hard as her body adjusts to the sword that has found its target. She throws back her head and he watches as she gives herself up completely to him. He thrusts his hips upwards, gripping her tight sweet ass and begins the slow motion ride of passionate love.

  ***

  Kate feels his mouth between her legs, his tongue probing, setting her on fire, taking her to the edge of orgasm and then pulling back. She watches as he stands and rips away his remaining clothes, his body glorious as he towers over her. When he kneels between her legs, he lifts her up as if she weighs nothing, his strength seems otherworldly. He slides his cock into her abruptly and she gasps, in pain and in pleasure, as he fills her, quelling the ache deep inside of her to be taken by him.

  ***

  Taking her to the highest levels of erotic pleasure and then down again, he is lost in her, lost in the passion she gives in return. Watching her face is the most beautiful thing he has ever seen as she rides him unabashed, her passion spills from every pore of her body. Laying her back softly on the floor, his cock buried deep inside her, she wraps her legs tightly around his narrow hips as he pounds her hard and deep, his body responding fast, but he taps it back down.

  He wants her to cum in an explosion of sensations unlike anything she has ever felt before. He thrust deep before pulling the head of his cock right to the edge of her sweet sex then holding, before thrusting again, over and over, until he can feel her body’s need for release. She grips his shoulders and lifts her hips to meet his thrusting and it almost does him in. He watches the small trail of sweat trickle down her brow and he leans down and licks the salty liquid from her forehead, letting it roll across his tongue.

  He feels his heart racing and his breathing increases as he holds back the beast inside him and the volcano of passion her body has built. He nuzzles into her neck as he feels her legs tighten around his hips. He stops moving, still buried deep inside her, and feels her muscles clamping and releasing his cock on their own volition.

  He whispers in a deep growl, demanding his due, “Cum for me, mi amore, give me what you crave.”

  He feels her body ignite one last time, and he goes deep and hard, thrusting into her and feels her orgasm, as his own thunders through his body and he calls out, “Mine, mine, mine!”

  ***

  He grips her body, holds her firm, and controls her response to him. He leads her where he wants her, pushing her body’s response. He is not making love to her. He is claiming her, owning her. When he pauses in his relentless pounding to whisper 'cum for me' she is already on the edge, she has been on the edge because he has held her there, and she explodes with him. Riding the waves of ecstasy his body gives as she clings to him, clutches at him, claws at him, her legs wrapped tight around him, pulling him deeper still, as the orgasm sends her spiraling out of control.

  She can hear him scream out ‘Mine’, and she hears another loud cry, and realizes it is her voice she hears. The orgasm does not stop, but continues to roll through her, heart pounding, gasping for air as her hands grip his hair, and her hips continue to ride him in this orgasm without end. She feels every cell in her body come alive with him as the sensation gradually fades, and she is left gasping for air.

  ***

  Kate awakes with a start and finds her head is thrown back on the pillow, her heart racing, her body covered in sweat as she grips the sheets in both hands, and the sound of her own moans still ringing in her ears. She sits upright suddenly, looking around her bed.

  That was not a dream. Not a dream! She is still breathing heavy, gulping in air as her body still tingles from his touch. With a shaky hand, she knocks the clock off the bedside table as she turns on the lamp by her bed and swings her legs over the side of the bed.

  She tries to stand, and the muscles in her legs are shaking. She walks on unsteady feet to the bathroom and flips
on the light switch, turns on the cold water and splashes it on her face. She looks at herself in the mirror, her hair is tousled, and her lips are swollen and puffy, like they have been kissed long and hard.

  She runs her fingertips across her lips, as she becomes aware of the tenderness between her legs. Her brain feels scrambled as she tries to sort out what has happened.

  It felt real... so real... him, all of him. How could I have a dream that feels more vivid than anything I have experienced in my waking hours? Her hand trembles as she flips off the light and walks back to her bed, the sheets wrinkled and tumbled, as she climbs in, and falls back asleep, wanting him again already.

  ***

  When he felt her cum for him, he knew she was his mate, the one he will never go without, the one he will die for, breathe for, live for, and kill for. He feels her collapse and relax beneath him. He quickly leaves her dream and teleports back to the penthouse; naked, sated and watches from the window.

  He smiles, like a greedy mongrel, and he does it without regret. She cannot believe what has happened to her, but all the signs are there on her body. He watches her drift back to sleep and he teleports back into her condo and watches her slumber. She tosses softly, and sweet moans tell him she still dreams of him. He lets his hands run through her crimson, and he kisses her cheek gently.

  “You belong to me, mi amore. Come back to me now, we are done playing this game. I want you, I need you, and I have only begun to love you.”

  Feeling the heat of the rising sun, he teleports back to his penthouse, closing the blackout drapes and barring the door. He flops into the bed and awaits the death slumber to steal him away from her. He hates this feeling, knowing she is now vulnerable, and he cannot come to her aid in the sunlight hours.

  He vows in their next encounter, he will reveal all to her, all that he is and that he is capable of loving her as she deserves, for all eternity.

  “You belong to me, Kate Reese. Ti amo, mi amore, per sempre.”

  16

  Kate is reeling from the dream. Everything about it felt real, like the rose petals she found in her bed. Yet she knows he was not here. It has been a few days, and she can’t shake the memory of it, and is not sure she even wants to. Still, she has not called him.

  She has an invitation to Rissa’s annual Halloween party. It is the one event Rissa actually does invite her to every year. It is costume required. She knows if she goes there, she will probably see him, and she feels torn. There is a part of her that wants to run back to him, hopes he will be there. And then there is another part of her brain that says this is a dangerous man, steer clear.

  She always feels like a third wheel at this party anyway. Most of the people there will be couples, and not just couples, but high-brow couples from the social elite of Washington. Kate hates going to events where everyone is already paired off, talking about their kids’ soccer games, last week’s polo match, and carpooling.

  She’s beginning to lose faith in the whole idea of romantic love and has decided it only exists between the pages of books or on the big screen in the movies. She talked to Shannon, who is pushing her to go. Shan thinks she acted too rashly about Shade, that she should give him another chance. That she should make her own decisions about him and not be influenced by Rissa. And then there was that dream. Her face turns red, and she can feel the heat creeping up her neck. Oh God, that dream.

  She decides, at the last minute, she will go to the party. She tells herself she’ll just make an appearance and then slip away un-noticed.

  But now she needs a costume. She has waited too late to buy anything. Maybe she can just put a costume together from stuff she already owns. She digs through her closet and finds a very short black dress, which she has worn to rock concerts. The dress is all straps and buckles across the bodice. She has some biker boots that also have a lot of straps and buckles. She has a black wig she bought to cover her red hair when she would travel alone in Asia because it helped her blend in. She finds some black lace stockings in the lingerie drawer and rips a few holes in them. This will do, throw on some Goth make-up, and voila… a costume.

  The entire time she is dressing, he is in her head. Or maybe she should say Rissa is in her head, Rissa’s warnings about him, the fact he is a major player, a ladies’ man, a heart-breaker, the stuff about the rough sex… and a vampire. Really? A vampire? This is the 21st century!

  Kate has no doubts about his past with women. She’s sure there have been many, and he has admitted as much. The rough sex? The memory of the dream flashes through her head again. That was not rough sex, but there was a savagery about it, something primal, but still a dream, her own imagination taking over.

  She shakes her head, trying to remove the pictures in her brain, but they are indelibly etched there. They taunt her, tease her, and lure her. Kate has not had enough time with him to know if these claims about him are true, or whether it is just Rissa trying to scare her away. She only knows he is achingly handsome, charming, and very intimidating. She still feels he is completely out of her league. And that whole vampire thing, I mean, come on. It is the one piece of information Rissa threw at her that makes her discredit everything else.

  She plans to arrive at the party late so there will already be a lot of people there, and she can blend into the crowd. Rissa has this party every year to promote her event planning business, and there will be about two to three hundred people in attendance. She arrives at Rissa and Alec’s Georgetown house to discover the party is spilling outside, into the courtyard around the pool behind their house.

  ***

  They have set up a fire pit to take the chill off the late October evening, and they have a DJ with a designated dance floor. The crowds of people are doing red jello shots out of syringes. Kate stops at the food table and grabs some cheese and a few crackers. Someone hands her a jello shot syringe and she downs it. They laugh and hold up another syringe to her. She opens her mouth and lets them inject it into her mouth, and it goes down with ease.

  She asks, “What’s in this stuff?

  The stranger answers, “You don’t want to know.” He hands her a cocktail and tells her she needs to catch up. She takes a sip, but he puts his hand under the glass and says, “Chug it!”

  Laughing, she swallows down the drink as the stranger continues to tip the bottom of the glass, feeling the burn as it hits her empty stomach. She should have eaten something. She can feel her head spinning already.

  She heads for the dance floor and grabs the hand of a werewolf on the way, who hands her another drink. She has no idea who is inside that costume, and she doesn’t care. She just wants a dance partner. She sips from the drink as they walk past the bar on the way to the dance floor and she sees Shade sitting there alone, in all black leather. She defiantly downs the drink in her hand before tossing the cup aside, already losing count of her alcohol consumption.

  The memory of that dream flashes through her head, and she is not ready to approach him. From the dance floor she keeps surreptitiously casting a glance at him. He carries himself with confidence, or is it cockiness? He carries himself like the guy who always gets the girl. His hair is almost black, and he wears it down tonight; long, loose, almost to his shoulders. It looks like he may have just climbed out of bed and run his hands through his hair, and it makes her want to run her hands through it too. Those eyes, those ice blue eyes, electric blue, piercing her soul blue. They catch her glance and lock with hers as she dances. His lips are full, sensual, and he sports what looks like a perfect three-day stubble on his strong jaw. He inhales on a cigarette and then slowly exhales, and the smoke rises slowly around his face. The skin tight leather accentuates his body in a way those hand-tailored Italian suits never could. He catches her looking at him and holds her gaze until she looks away. She is not ready. He still intimidates her, and she turns on the dance floor so she can no longer see him.

  She runs through a series of dance partners, first the werewolf, and now a Viking, then Freddie
Kruger, followed by a guy dressed as Snow White. Someone keeps passing her those jello shots, and she downs them quickly. The werewolf laughs and warns, “Be careful with those. That’s tequila you’re throwing back.”

  The DJ is great, and the music never stops, and neither does she. The entire time she is dancing, she is aware, acutely aware, that he is sitting at the bar, and watching her.

  Rissa comes onto the dance floor and asks the DJ to stop the music.

  “Okay everyone, we’re going to play a game. I have a bowl filled with cards and you will be asked to draw a card from the bowl. Your card will describe the character you play in my horror movie. And for the rest of the evening, you must remain in character.”

  Kate is designated as the third person to draw from the bowl. She walks up and reaches in and pulls out a card. It reads ‘The first to go’.

  She starts laughing and say, “Oh great, I’m the stupid chick that gets knocked off in the first ten minutes of the movie.” She steps back, staggering slightly as she feels the alcohol muddle her brain.

  Several other party goers draw their cards, and then Shade steps up and pulls a card from the bowl. He reads the card aloud, and as he does, he locks eyes with Kate, and she feels her knees buckle.

  “Spends the rest of the movie looking for number three.”

  He starts to walk toward her. She can’t help but notice him, I mean really notice him. His hair, dark and long, frames his face in loose curls, his ice blue eyes sheathed in coal black lashes. He is wearing a black V-neck t-shirt, a leather jacket, those freakin’ leather pants that leave nothing to the imagination, and boots that lace up above his ankles. So he has a super-hot vampire costume. Okay… don’t get distracted… he’s a player, remember?