Relentless (Vampire Awakenings Book 11)

by Brenda K. Davies

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Cassidy woke in Dante’s arms feeling more secure than she ever had. The carved muscles of his bare chest and abdomen were melded to her back, and contentment stole through her as she nestled against him. This was where she belonged.

  The realization caused her heart to knock against her ribs. Am I ready for this?

  But it didn’t matter if she was ready. Life didn’t care what her plans and expectations were.

  When his hand caressed her hip, her mouth went dry and her pulse raced. Earlier, she was too tired to do more than crawl onto his bed and pass out, but now her body was coming alive as his fingers set her blood on fire.

  She should break away before this went too far and it was impossible to turn back, but she didn’t want to. She craved his touch and the joy that would come from losing herself to him for a little while.

  Dante felt it when Cassidy came awake. They only had a couple of hours before they were supposed to meet Lindsay Parks, and she needed clothes and a shower, but he couldn’t stop touching her as his cock stirred and his fangs tingled.

  Unable to resist the curve of her shoulder, he bent to kiss her neck. Her breath hitched, and her lashes fell to shadow her cheek as her lips parted. When he was younger, his parents took him and Maya to a tree farm. As Cassidy’s cherry scent intensified on the air, he felt as if he were standing in the grove of cherry trees again with all their beautiful, pink blooms surrounding him and awe filling him.

  Cassidy moaned when his mouth teased her skin and his tongue tasted her flesh. His fangs scraped her neck, and she braced herself for their prick, but it didn’t come. Instead, his fingers slid down her belly and toyed with the sweatpants he gave her to wear. She’d tied the strings, but they’d worked their way down her hips to reveal the edge of her lacy, red underwear.

  She hadn’t dressed last night with the expectation of finding herself in his bed this morning, but she did have him in mind when she slipped on the sexy underwear and matching, see-through bra.

  When he leaned back, Dante’s dick tightened as he saw the red underwear he explored last night. The bright color against her pale skin was like waving a red flag in front of a bull. He pushed the sweatpants lower to reveal the intricate holes within her underwear that did little to conceal the curve of her taut ass. Dante leaned into her again as he traced the tiny holes.

  When she didn’t tell him to stop, he slid his hands between her legs and discovered her already wet. He had to ease her, and as he stroked her through the material, her scent and sounds ensnared him.

  Cassidy didn’t know if she was ready for this, but she couldn’t stop it. She’d never felt anything as magnificent as his fingers caressing her and his cock pressing into her lower back.

  All she could do was feel while in his arms, and the only thing she felt was the awakening of something new. She didn’t know what that awakening was, but she welcomed it. He tugged her underwear down and when she parted her legs to give him better access, he dipped his hand between her legs.

  He caressed her clit until he had her on the verge of coming before delving a finger into her. The exquisite sensations he roused were almost too much to bear as the tension coiling in her stomach grew to higher levels.

  When he kissed her neck again, she almost screamed as he teased her with the promise of his bite. But instead of easing her need, his hand slid away, and she whimpered in disappointment.

  She didn’t have much time to feel disappointed as he rolled her onto her stomach and tugged her sweatpants and underwear down her hips and thighs.

  Dante tossed the clothes aside, and his mouth watered as he gazed down at her half-naked form. She was exquisite with her ivory skin, taut ass, and long legs. He nudged her legs apart to kneel between them; he ran his hands over her shapely calves and thighs as he explored her body.

  Unable to stand the feel of his boxers against his skin anymore, he removed them and tossed them aside. His erection stood out from his body as he resisted parting her legs further and burying himself inside her.

  He wanted to fuck her until they couldn’t walk, but he also wanted to savor every second with her. He was finally going to have her; he had no doubt.

  Cassidy tried to control the blush creeping over her skin as she felt his gaze on her. She’d never been this exposed to anyone, and she found herself trapped between self-consciousness and lust. When his hands touched her with a reverence that shook her, she forgot all about her embarrassment and uncertainty.

  Dante’s heart thundered with excitement as he ran his hands up the small of her back. As he moved, he pushed up the T-shirt he’d given her. She’d looked unbelievably sexy in his clothes last night, but now they had to come off.

  When he pushed the shirt higher, she lifted her arms, and with some maneuvering, he pulled it free. Leaning back, he ran his hands over her rib cage before skimming his fingers across the side of one of her breasts. Lowering himself over her, he clasped her hands and held them near her head as he traced her spine with his tongue.

  Cassidy’s fingers clenched around his as the growing ache between her legs became almost unbearable. She wanted this to end, but it couldn’t stop. She could spend the rest of her life in this bed, with him, and be completely happy.

  Dante released her hands to clasp her hips and lift her off the bed. He nipped at her shoulder before gripping his shaft and guiding it into her. His blood thundered in his ears. He’d planned to explore and learn every inch of her, but he couldn’t wait any longer. Next time, he would draw this out and learn everything about her. And there would be a next time; he did not doubt it.

  Cassidy opened her mouth to tell him she’d never done this before when she felt his head pressing against her entrance, but she bit the words back. What difference did it make? And honestly, she wanted him too bad to stop now.

  She bit her lip as he started to slide into her, but she couldn’t suppress a gasp of pain when he thrust deep inside.

  Dante had only a second to register a resistance before he buried himself inside her. He froze when Cassidy became rigid beneath him and the knuckles of her fingers clutching the bedding turned white.

  “Shit,” he hissed as he pulled out of her.

  He didn’t have to see the blood on the head of his cock to know what he’d done, but the accusatory red droplets only hammered guilt deeper into him. He cradled her in his arms as he rolled to the side and mentally berated himself.

  “Shit, Cassidy, why didn’t you tell me you were a virgin?”

  They’d talked about so many things last night, but past relationships or lack thereof hadn’t come up. Clora was the only one from their pasts they discussed.

  She rolled over to face him. She played with the brown, wiry hair on his chest before navigating lower to the rigid muscles of his abdomen. “It’s supposed to hurt.”

  When her touch threatened to drive him mad, Dante clasped her hand against his stomach. “I wouldn’t have been so rough. I wouldn’t have taken you so roughly or in that position.”

  She was a virgin, and he was mounting her like a dog. When Cassidy peered at him from under the thick fringe of her lashes, his heart skipped a beat. She was so beautiful, trusting, and innocent, and he hurt her more than he should have.

  “It wouldn’t have been so painful,” he said.

  “There was also a lot of pleasure,” she said as she leaned forward to nip his ear.

  She didn’t tell him the pleasure ended when he entered her; that wouldn’t last. It would hurt this time, and maybe for the next few times, but she would get used to it, and then, according to her older sisters, it was supposed to be amazing. And on this, she trusted them.

  Dante’s hands splayed across her hip as he was torn between pulling away and getting closer. He’d always considered himself a strong man, one who could weather any storm and stand up to anyone or anything, but he was putty in her hands.

  He turned his head and rested his palm against her cheek. When she smiled
at him, he was completely lost to her, and he hoped never to be found again. This time, when he kissed her, he hoped it conveyed the depth of how much he was coming to care for her.

  Cassidy lost herself to his kiss as his hands and mouth reawakened the passion dampened by the pain. His hands explored her body with ease. When he broke the kiss to follow his hands with his mouth, she gave herself over to the exquisite sensation as he kissed from her collarbone to her breasts and lower.

  His tongue delved into her belly button as his hands gripped her ass and lifted her off the bed. Cassidy didn’t know what he intended until his mouth settled between her thighs and his tongue delved into her.

  At first, she was too shocked to respond. She knew men did this sort of thing; she was a virgin, but that didn’t mean she’d lived under a rock when it came to sex. She’d discussed it with her girlfriends, her sisters, and seen movies, but she hadn’t expected this. Her hands entangled in the sheets as he tasted her in slow, tantalizing movements that had her body begging for release from this exquisite torture.

  Dante relished the taste of her as her head fell back and her breasts rose. Unable to resist, he released her ass with one of his hands to caress her breast. When he rolled her nipple between his fingers, she arched, so she pressed more intimately against his mouth.

  When she was on the verge of coming, he used his mouth and fingers to push her over the edge. The pressure in his shaft was almost unbearable; he nearly came with her when she released an erotic cry and he tasted her orgasm.

  She was still panting when he lowered her to the mattress and crawled back up her exquisite body. When she gave him a bliss-filled smile, he settled himself between her thighs again as he ran his finger over her lips.

  “I need back inside you,” he growled.

  Cassidy didn’t say anything; she simply enclosed her legs around him and dug her heels into his back. He reclaimed her mouth as he grasped his cock and guided it back into her. She was wetter than before, and though he was tempted to thrust deep and keep going until he found his release, he forced himself not to rush so she would have time to adjust to him.

  Cassidy threaded her fingers through his hair as he reclaimed possession of her body. This time, the discomfort wasn’t as bad as he stretched her, and she thrilled at the feel of his powerful body moving against hers. His muscles bunched and flexed against her as his scent of leather and man increased.

  When he was settled deep inside her, Dante broke the kiss to pull back and gaze at her beautiful face. Her midnight blue eyes were full of awe when they met his. It was as if she’d been made for him as her body fit his perfectly. Mate or not, he was never going to let her go.

  At first, he moved slowly within her so she could continue to adjust to him, but as her body rose to meet his and her fingers dug into his back, his control unraveled. He moved faster as her eager movements urged him on until all he knew of this world was her.

  When she came again and the tight muscles of her sheath contracted around his shaft, he followed her over the edge with a loud, guttural cry.

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Cassidy sat on the end of the bed while she watched Dante dress. She couldn’t get enough of admiring his lean, honed body and the fluid way he moved. She could live a thousand years and not be used to how magnificent he was.

  When he lifted his locket from the nightstand and slid it over his head, she couldn’t stop herself from asking, “What’s inside the locket?”

  Dante glanced over his shoulder at Cassidy and smiled before turning to her. He pulled the gold chain back over his head and walked over to sit beside her. They’d taken a shower together, and he washed every inch of her with soap while massaging her. He could still smell himself all over her, and he loved it.

  He showed her the rose compass on the front of the circular, gold locket. “My father gave it to my mother for their tenth anniversary.”

  He turned it over to reveal the inscription on the back. Written in elegant, cursive handwriting were the words Where you go, my heart goes with you. Love always, Mateo.

  He hit the button on the top of the locket, and it opened to reveal a picture of his parents on their wedding day. They were beaming at the camera as joy poured from them. On the other side was a photo of him and Maya when they were three and two. She held him before her, but he’d turned to hug her, and they were smiling at each other.

  Tears welled in Cassidy’s eyes as she gazed at the happy, loving family. What happened to them was so unfair. And while she knew life was unfair, that didn’t mean she couldn’t weep for those it was cruelest to.

  “It’s beautiful,” she whispered.

  “It was supposed to go to Maya,” he said. “My mom told me to make sure she got it when I found her, and I will give it to her, even if it goes into the ground with her.”

  Cassidy blinked away the tears burning her eyes as she placed her hand on top of his. “You’re going to find her.” And she would do whatever it took to ensured it happened.

  Dante rested his hand on her knee and squeezed it before kissing her cheek. He contemplated more but pulled away before he lost himself to her again. “How are you feeling? Are you still sore? If I’d known, I would have done things differently.”

  Damn it, she was going to blush again. Throughout her whole life, she hadn’t blushed as much as she had since meeting Dante. She gave a dismissive wave of her hand. “I’m fine.”

  “Are you sure? I really—”

  “Stop,” she said as she rested her hand against his stubble-roughened cheek. “It was wonderful, and I wouldn’t change anything. But though we discussed our favorite sports teams, our past relationships never really came up, so trying to squeeze ‘I’m a virgin’ into the conversation would have been a little awkward.”

  “I can see that,” he said as he turned his head to kiss her palm. “I don’t have many past relationships to discuss. My high school girlfriend dumped me; I dated a couple of girls casually after college but nothing serious, and then there was Clora. I’ve been with a couple of girls since, but I’ve mostly been solitary since becoming a vampire.”

  “I dated a couple of guys in high school, and then I moved here. Since arriving here, I’ve been out with a few guys. I never met anyone I wanted to see again after going on a date with them.”

  “Until me,” he teased as he nudged her shoulder.

  She beamed at him. “Until you.” Then her smile faded away. “We probably should have discussed this sooner too, but I’m not on any kind of birth control.”

  Dante felt the color drain from his face at the same time a surge of joy shot through him. A baby, a family with Cassidy. He couldn’t think of anything more amazing or terrifying. He’d seen what losing a child did to his parents, but he wouldn’t let that happen to them.

  “I’m not ready to have children,” she said.

  He clasped her hand in his and rested it on his leg. “Then we’ll be careful from now on, and when you are ready…”

  Cassidy quirked an eyebrow when his words trailed off. “You’d want to have a baby with me?”

  “I want to experience everything with you,” he said.

  Cassidy thrilled at this; she wasn’t ready for babies, but it was good to know he was as lost to her as she was to him. If last night resulted in a child, she would love the hell out of it. She didn’t mention this; if she got pregnant, they would deal with it together.

  Dante kissed the tip of her nose before pulling away. “We better go if we’re going to get you some clean clothes before meeting Lindsay.”

  Cassidy rose and tugged at the bottom of the shirt she wore last night. She tried not to think about walking into her apartment with her brothers and Aida there; if she did, she’d wear these clothes for the rest of her life instead of returning home.

  “I’m ready if you are,” she said and tried to sound cheerful when she felt like she was walking to the guillotine.

  Cassidy held her breath as she opened her apartment doo
r. I will not blush. I will not blush. I will not blush.

  No matter how many times she told herself this, heat crept up her neck and into her face as she opened the door and poked her head inside. Cassidy scanned the empty hall to the bedrooms before looking to the empty couch. She was about to breathe a sigh of relief when she spotted Aida in the kitchen.

  “What’s going on, Stealth Ranger?” Aida asked as she bit her bottom lip to keep from laughing.

  “Stealth Ranger?” Cassidy inquired.

  Aida opened the fridge and removed a bag of blood before closing the door. “I don’t know; you look like you’re trying to be all sneaky. Stealth Ranger was the first thing that popped into my head.”

  “Where are my brothers?” Cassidy asked as she stepped into the apartment; Dante followed her inside.

  Aida grinned at Dante and waved before shooting Cassidy a knowing look. Unlike her brothers, she didn’t worry Aida would say or do something stupid, but her friend would demand details later.

  “Kyle still hasn’t come home from last night’s adventure; he’s kind of like you in that way,” Aida said with a wink, and Cassidy’s blush crept to the roots of her hair. “Julian ran out to get me the paper; I want to take a look at the Realty section, so I’m making his breakfast.”

  “I’m glad he’s out,” Cassidy said. “But why not look online?”

  Aida tore off the top of the blood bag and poured it into a mug. “We already did, but there might be something in the paper that’s not online. I know it’s unlikely, but I like to cover all my bases. Besides, Owen had a big showing last night at a gallery in the Back Bay. I’d like to see if it made the papers.”

  “Who’s Owen?” Dante asked.

  “He’s an artist I used to work with; I’ve handled a couple of showings at the gallery where I work,” Aida said.

  “Aida is an extremely talented photographer, and she’s just as talented when it comes to setting up galleries to display art,” Cassidy said.