Darkest Risings

by S. K. Yule

  “How do you know? Should we test that theory?”

  It was his turn to suck in a sharp breath when she suddenly climbed onto his lap and straddled him. His cock did more than twitch now. It stood ready at attention, and begging to come out to play.

  “Wilhemina. This is no good. You and me. I’ll hurt you,” He pleaded with her.

  He should do the right thing. He should peel her off him, escort her to the door, and close it firmly in her face. But he doubted a better man than he could do the same in this situation. Her shorts rode high on her thighs, exposing her curves beautifully. His mouth watered, and it took all his control to keep his hands bunched at his sides. He ached to tear her clothes from her, to explore every inch of her with his mouth and hands, and to claim her.

  “It was pretty good last time until you stopped. I’m willing to bet it would be even better if you didn’t.” She bent and placed a light kiss against his neck.

  She was being abundantly clear about what she wanted, but the slight quiver that ran through her body told him she was nervous. His dominant side roared to life, demanded to be freed, demanded to be allowed to take what was so blatantly offered, but Aldin refused to give in to it. He was not going to allow his darkness to taint any sexual experience he had with Wilhemina.

  “Wilhemina,” he breathed. “You’re playing a dangerous game. You don’t understand what you are inviting.” This time, he was fully attuned to her. There were no distractions as there had been at Drake’s.

  “I understand, Aldin.” She sat up and looked down at him before placing her palms against his chest. “I may be naive about sex, but I’m not a child. And I’m not playing games. I wasn’t playing games at Drake’s either. I wanted you from the moment I laid eyes upon you.” She blushed. “I’m not experienced. True. But you can teach me.”

  “You don’t get what I’m saying.” He was about to lose what little control he maintained.

  His mind and body screamed at him to take her, to show her all the ways a man and woman could pleasure one another, but his heart warned him that if he did this, he would not be able to walk away from her again. She had no way of understanding that if they were together, if he claimed her here and now, he would never let her go.

  She leaned forward, and his eyes feated upon the perfect display of cleavage between her full breasts. He watched as her lips descended toward his in slow motion, but at the last second, he stopped her. He gently pushed her off his lap, stood, and turned on the lamp beside the couch.

  He had to get her out of his room because the maelstrom of shit that was raining down on his head with his family drama, the prophecy, the fact that his father was the supposed King of Vampyre, clawed at him for release. He didn’t want to use Wilhemina for his own personal outlet.

  Why the hell not? She’s offering. He beat the urge to ignore logic down once again. He couldn’t do it. Not to her.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Wilhemina tamped down her frustration. She may be naive where sex was concerned, but she wasn’t a complete idiot. She hadn’t missed the enormous bulge in Aldin’s jeans. He wanted her. She wanted him. Why was he being so damned stubborn? She couldn’t deny her disappointment was equally rivaled by pride. Did he not think she was pretty enough? Did he take her for such a complete nincompoop that he thought she’d swoon like some gentle Victorian maiden if he unleashed himself upon her?

  Her body ached for him, but she wouldn’t beg. She straightened her shoulders under his heated gaze and turned to leave. If he didn’t want her, it was his loss. But a foot before she got to the door, something caught her eye that she hadn’t noticed before when the room had still been dim. She looked closer at the floor and saw droplets of dark liquid. The splotches ended in front of the door she had assumed led to the bathroom.

  His eyes widened when he realized what she was looking at, but she ignored him and followed the trail to the doorway, which did, in fact, open into a large bathroom. In the corner by the shower was a pile of black clothes and a black leather coat. The stone tile on the bathroom floor was lighter than the dark hardwood covering in the other room, and her stomach began to churn when it became apparent what she was looking at.

  She bent in front of the pile of clothes, clothes she remembered Aldin wearing earlier, and picked up the duster. She gasped at all of the blood underneath it. A hand wrapped around her arm and tugged her back, She lost her grip on the duster, and it plopped back onto the floor.

  “Are you hurt?”

  “I’m fine.”

  The hard set of his mouth told her he was not happy with her sleuthing skills. That was the least of her worries at this point. There was a lot of blood on the floor, and she needed to know he was okay.

  She jerked her arm from his grasp and faced him.

  “Did you get hurt?” She put her hands on her hips and raised a brow as she waited for his answer.

  “Just a nose bleed. Nothing to worry about.”

  She stepped closer to him, cocked her head sideways, and took a good look at his nose. If his nose had bled that much, it had to be due to an injury, yet his nose looked perfectly straight. No bruising, no blood, not a hint of a scratch.

  “I don’t believe you.”

  “I’m fine.” He sighed.

  “What happened?” she asked again with less patience.

  He shrugged. “I got into a fight earlier. I got tagged one in the ribs with a blade. It’s no big deal. I’m good. Only a flesh wound.”

  “Y-you got stabbed?” Terror hit her hard. All sorts of horrible images ran through her head. Most of them with Aldin lying helpless in a pool of blood. “Let me see.”

  She reached for his shirt, tugged it from his jeans, and exposed his ribs before he could stop her. She frowned when her examination only revealed a small cut about an inch long between two of his ribs that looked several days old.

  “You did not bleed like that from this.” She ran her finger over the slightly puckered edges of the injury. “This is nearly healed.”

  “I’m a fast healer.” He pulled the shirt down.

  “No one heals that fast.” She stared at him.

  “I do.”

  His expression remained unreadable, unrelenting. Finally, she sighed. It was obvious he was not going to give her any more information.

  Suddenly, tiredness etched his features. The look on his face resembled utter defeat, and once again, her heart ached for him. Why couldn’t he talk to her?

  “Do you ever let anyone in, Aldin?”

  “I don’t need to let anyone in, Wilhemina.”

  “Everyone needs to let someone in at some point in their lives. Why can’t you let me be that person? I’m here. I can tell something is bothering you. Whatever you tell me will stay between us.”

  He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose again. “My family is completely fucked up at the moment, and I’m not the nicest guy to be around right now. Hell, to be honest, I’m not the nicest guy to be around most of the time. But I really don’t see any need to bring you into this mess.”

  “I’m not asking you to bring me into the mess. I’m simply offering to be here for you.” She stepped toward him and slowly wrapped her arms around him before resting her head against his chest. The steady beat of his heart thumped under her ear in a soothing rhythm.

  His body stiffened, and she looked up at him. He cupped her face between his hands. “You need to leave before I lose control. I don’t seem to have much of it around you.”

  “Please, lose it,” she whispered up into his dark face.

  Suddenly, his expression turned from one of defeat to one of resolve. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

  Before she could respond, his mouth came down on hers. It wasn’t a gentle, lazy kiss. It was one born of determination, demand, promise of pleasure, and…desperation. His tongue delved past her lips and her senses reeled. His scent engulfed her and his taste ignited a visceral wanting she didn’t know she possessed, a wanting that had laid
dormant inside her that only he could awaken.

  She stood on tiptoe, straining to slide her arms around his neck, his size shadowing her smaller frame. She gasped into his mouth when he picked her up as if she weighed nothing and walked several steps before gently dropping her onto the couch. The leather creaked against her skin, and she stared up at him as he rid himself of his t-shirt.

  She licked her lips. Not an ounce of extra fat was anywhere to be found on his mouth-watering body. She supposed she should be daunted by his size, but his big frame had the opposite effect on her. She couldn’t wait to feel his hard muscles pressed against her, couldn’t wait to run her fingers over the outline of every one of his abs. But before she could move, he reached for her shirt and yanked it over her head.

  She instinctively crossed her arms over her breasts, but he tsked at her. “Don’t ever hide yourself from me.” He pulled her arms away and held them at her sides while his eyes slowly perused her bared breasts.

  Why hadn’t she worn a bra? Because bras sucked, and she refused to wear the offending garment to sleep in when she was forced to wear it most every day, all day long. She quickly looked down, embarrassed that he was brazenly staring at her nude chest. He placed one long finger under her chin and tipped her face up to meet his gaze then cupped her full breasts in his hands.

  “These are beautiful. You are beautiful, and there is never a need to be embarrassed with me.”

  She nervously nodded. He dropped to his knees, straddling her hips, and she thought he would kiss her again. Instead, he picked her up and turned her until she rested on her knees in front of him facing the back of the couch. He guided her arms over the back cushion before breaching the distance between them. The warmth of his body covering hers sent delicious shivers of delight skittering through her, and when his lips nibbled her ear, she fought back a moan.

  He wrapped one arm around her just under her breasts and the other hand began exploring her. She groaned when he pressed his erection against her bottom before nipping her neck and skimming his fingers along her side.

  “You smell good enough to eat, Wilhemina,” he whispered against her ear.

  His hand traveled around to her stomach then dipped deftly under the waistband of her shorts and panties. His fingers slid easily through the wetness of her lips, and she groaned, trying to push against him, then let out a cry of frustration when he shifted his hips harder against her, effectively imprisoning her.

  He slipped one long finger inside her, stroked deep, then receded. His thumb rubbed over her clit before he slid inside her again.

  “This is where you taste like honey.”

  He stroked her over and over, and she squeezed her eyes shut, concentrating hard to keep from flying apart.

  “Last time, I only got a quick taste. This time, I’ll get my fill. I want you to come with my mouth on you.”

  “Aldin!”

  “Yes. Say my name. Never forget it is I who makes you feel this way.”

  Just as she thought she’d tumble over the edge, he flipped her around to face him then lifted her and deposited her on the back of the couch. The leather was cool under her bottom, and he reared up when she reached for him.

  “Remember. You only touch me when I say you can, Wilhemina.” He growled low in his throat.

  The gravelly sound of his words made her quiver with need. He placed her arms behind her back and easily entrapped both wrists with one hand.

  He pulled her shorts and panties down her legs with his free hand, along with her slippers. She blushed when he spread her legs wide and wedged his broad shoulders between them. His eyes rested on her most private part. Her breathing was coming in short gasps, and pressure built inside her. He had the ability to make her squirm in need just by looking at her.

  He reached down and spread her lips. She tried to close her legs, but his body wedged between her knees made it impossible to do so. He looked up at her and slowly shook his head.

  “No, I want to see,” he said. He looked down again and spread her wider. She closed her eyes, and gasped when his thumb covered her clit. He finally released her hands, and looked up at her before bending his head to lay a kiss beside her navel. “Show me what you like, Wilhemina.”

  He lowered his head and gave her a long lick. She speared her fingers through his hair and held him against her. Words were lost to her as the fog of pleasure quickly overtook all logical thought. There was need to show him anything as he proved to be an expert at providing exactly what her body needed, what she needed.

  He curled his hands around her thighs and increased the pressure of his tongue on her clit before dipping inside then returning to the tiny nub of nerves. She unashamedly thrust her hips in response, and when he slid two long fingers inside her and focused his lips and tongue only on her clit while he stroked in and out, the ever growing pressure inside her exploded.

  She clutched at his hair as he ate at her and fucked her with his fingers relentlessly while she cried out over and over. He didn’t stop until her cries died down to whimpers. Without saying a word, he stood and stripped off his jeans. Her breath caught in her lungs and threatened to strangle her. Her experience with him at Drake’s had made her all too aware of how well-endowed he was, but touching and seeing were two completely different things.

  She swallowed hard. How had he fit inside her? It was impossible. Fear shot through her and her fight or flight instinct kicked in hard. She began to scramble off the couch when he grabbed her by the ankle and tugged her under him, efficiently trapping her. When his lips descended upon hers, all fear and doubts fled as the tension of need wound tight in her body again.

  “You know I’ll fit,” he said in assurance. “We’ve done this before.”

  She looked up into his face as he nudged his hips deeper between her thighs, and his cock lay against her stomach.

  “Yeah,” she gasped. “But I don’t know how.”

  “Let’s find out. Shall we?”

  He pinned her wrists above her head and swooped down on her breasts. He swirled his tongue around one nipple before nipping and coaxing it into a hard pebble that rolled under his lips. She cried out as she strained against him, silently begging for more.

  “So sweet. You have the kind of body a man could lose himself in, Wilhemina.”

  The hot breath of his words fanned over the sensitive peak of her nipple with every syllable he spoke. She pulled against the hand holding her wrists hostage, but it was no use. She was no match for his superior strength.

  “Let me touch you, Aldin.”

  She gasped when he reared up and stared down into her face. His eyes swirled with the same raw need she knew danced in her own.

  “And how do you want to touch me?” he purred. The sound much like she would expect to hear from a panther or lion instead of a simple housecat.

  “I just want to touch you,” she panted.

  He shook his head slowly back and forth, and she frowned in confusion.

  “Tell me how you want to touch me. Tell me where you want to touch me.”

  “I don’t understand. I want to—”

  “No!” he whispered vehemently. “Do you want to touch my cock?”

  Her inner muscles clenched involuntarily, and she licked her lips and nodded.

  “Then tell me. Tell me exactly what you want to do to me.”

  She closed her eyes and felt the heat rushing her face. God, this man turned her on. She’d never talked dirty with anyone, never thought such a thing would excite her. But oh, if Aldin turned her on any more, she’d burst. She looked up to find him still staring down at her with an intense need burning in his eyes. She wanted to tell him how she wanted to touch him, but she didn’t know how. She didn’t want to embarrass herself.

  She licked her lips. “I want to run my fingers over every single hard muscle, and pinch your nipples to see if they will tighten into tiny pebbles like mine.”

  When she looked down at his small male nipples, her eyes widened when s
he saw they were pebbling from her words.

  “And where else do you want to run your fingers?” He gazed down at her.

  “I—I want to wrap my fingers around your cock.” She swallowed around the lump in her throat.

  The words she never thought she’d say to a man were making her as hot as they appeared to be making Aldin.

  “I want to stroke you, and I want to taste you as you did me.”

  His nostrils flared and onyx engulfed the turquoise of his eyes, but before she had time to wonder how his eyes had turned black, his mouth slammed down on hers. She cried out when he released her wrists and wrapped her arms around his neck tightly. His tongue delved deep, and she tasted him, tasted a hint of her own orgasm, and the pleasure pulsed through her veins with each stroke. He trailed open-mouthed kisses along her jaw to her neck.

  When he sucked on the sensitive skin between her neck and shoulder, she nearly came. He swirled his tongue over her before nipping gently, and she held him to her, letting her head fall back to give him better access. Suddenly, she felt a slight prick of pain before he groaned and light spots of pleasure danced behind her lids. He continued sucking at the spot on her neck as she rubbed against his cock.

  Just as she was about to tumble over the edge again, he gave her a long, slow lick then reared up over her.

  “You make me fucking crazy, Wilhemina.”

  “You do the same to me.”

  He was finally going to take her, slide into her hard and deep where he belonged. She opened her knees wider and he positioned himself at her opening.

  Tap, tap, tap.

  “Son of a bitch,” Aldin muttered under his breath.

  It took her a moment for her to realize that someone was knocking on his door. All the heat she was feeling suddenly rushed to her cheeks, and she wiggled to get out from under him. But it was like trying to push a tank off her.

  “Don’t be embarrassed. There is no need,” he said before giving her a quick kiss.

  Tap, tap, tap.

  He sighed and rolled off her before reaching for his jeans. She scrambled for her clothes while he casually pulled the denim up over his long legs. He looked back at her to make sure she was dressed before going to the door and jerking it open.