The doors slid shut and the elevator continued upward. “Why are we on a different floor?” Paige asked him.
Ian gave her a mischievous smile as the doors opened. “I figured we’d get something a little fancier for ourselves to celebrate becoming mated.”
Paige barely had a chance to register his words before Ian bent and swung her into his arms. She laughed as she wrapped her arms around his neck and rested her head on his shoulder. He carried her down the hall holding her against his chest. Adjusting his hold on her, he pulled the electronic card for the room from his pocket. He swiped it through the keypad and pushed the door to their room open.
She’d never seen a room so big or elaborate before in her life. Her eyes went everywhere at once; she didn’t think she’d ever be able to take it all in, there was too much. “Like it?” Ian inquired and nuzzled her hair.
“I love it!” she cried.
“And you haven’t seen the tub yet.”
Paige followed him through the first room that she could only describe as the sitting room. It had an assortment of deep red sofas arranged on a gleaming, oak hardwood floor. Ian kept hold of her hand as he flicked on the light switch in the bedroom. She hadn’t known they could make beds as big as the one facing her right now. Ian would fit comfortably on it; five Ian’s could sleep comfortably on it.
She was still reeling at the massive bed when Ian turned on the light to the bathroom across the way. She wondered if it was possible for a human’s, no a vampire’s jaw to become unhinged because she was certain hers almost hit the floor. The bathtub across from her could be considered a small pool or an oversized Jacuzzi.
“Tired?” he asked as he ran his hands over the marble of the tub. What those hands could do… Every bit of exhaustion she’d been feeling fled at the prospect of crawling into that tub with him. A smile curved his mouth as he turned the water on before gliding across the room toward her.
The feel of his hands on her hips seared through her clothes to heat her flesh. “Not really,” she managed to get out.
She loved his smile, she decided as he bent his head and kissed her tenderly. His hands slid down over her ribcage to grab hold of the bottom of her shirt. Her heart rate escalated, her pulse pounded in her ears. He hadn’t undressed her yet, and she felt as turned on as the lights over them. Lifting her arms, she reveled in the sensation of her clothes sliding over her hypersensitive skin.
The irresistible urge to scream built in her throat as he trailed a single finger down her chest, over the center of her bra and further over her stomach. The simple touch of his finger caused her to become wet as a growing pressure began to build within her. She reached for him, needing him inside of her already, needing the release only his body could give her.
He grabbed hold of her hand before she could touch him and pressed a kiss against her palm. Shaking his head, his eyes glimmered with amusement as he used his massive body to push her back a step. Waves of heat from the water filling the tub curled up her back, steam drifted up around them.
He stretched around her to turn the water off. She pressed her chest more firmly against his; her breath catching in her throat as the enticing scent of him filled her nose. The pulse of his blood flowing through him beat against her ears. His vein, only inches away from her lips, caused her mouth to water.
“Which hunger do you plan to fulfill first?” he murmured as his head turned toward hers. His azure eyes filled her vision. The musky scent of sex oozing from his pores made the answer to his question very easy to decide.
Her fingers wrapped around his biceps; she held onto him as his hands skimmed over her ribcage. The steam against her back had nothing on the heat of his body as his fingers unclasped her bra. Her breasts heaved; her nipples puckered as the cool air brushed over her exposed flesh.
Slowly, he bent his head and ran his tongue over her collarbone before he began to move steadily lower. A moan escaped her when he took her taut nipple into his mouth and leisurely ran his tongue over it. Her hands wrapped around his head; she held him against her as her hips thrust forward.
A rumble of pleasure escaped him when she rubbed invitingly against his groin. The friction of their bodies caused his hardened dick to strain against his jeans. Seizing hold of her hips, he walked her backward toward the marble vanity across the way. Steam from the bath had fogged the mirror, but not enough that he couldn’t see their reflection in the glass.
With her back pressed against the vanity, he undid the button of her jeans and slid them down her slender thighs and muscular calves. He tugged her jeans and panties over her feet before wrapping his hands around her calves. A gasp escaped her when he began to leisurely kiss his way back up her leg. Nipping at her flesh, he ran his tongue over the small drops of blood forming on her creamy skin, sealing the bites as soon as he made them. Her breath came in rapid pants; her hands wrapped around the edge of the marble as her head tipped back and a moan escaped her.
Pushing her legs further apart, he kissed his way up her slender thigh before pressing his mouth against her center. Her body jerked; her astonishment drifted through the bond connecting them. A growl of possession escaped him when he realized she’d never been tasted before. He’d have her unable to stand and begging for the more by the time he was done with her.
Grabbing hold of her ass, he pulled her more firmly against his mouth. His tongue delved in to savor the wetness and her delicious heat. She tasted of sex, and him, a heady combination he found impossible to resist. He plunged his tongue deeper into her as his thumb rubbed over her clitoris. Her legs began to shake and her breath coming in rapid pants as small cries escaped her. Her hands entangled in his hair; her thighs pressed against his head.
Her ecstasy beat against him as he stroked her higher and higher. He nipped at her and his fangs piercing her flesh for a brief moment before his tongue licked away the blood and closed the wound. This pain and pleasure sensation had her squirming against him; her hands tugged at his hair as he pushed her toward the brink of impending orgasm.
With one more nip, he swirled his tongue over her before pulling away. Her displeasure beat against his mind; he couldn’t hide his amusement from her or his desperate need to be buried within her. To feel her muscles contracting around him, draining him and calming him in a way only she could.
A small groan of disappointment escaped her. Before reality could crash fully over her, he spun her around. Her eyes flew open to meet his in the clouded mirror. His gaze held hers as he undid his jeans and swiftly pulled them off. Paige’s mind spun; her body quaked with its need for release. She was still trying to get control of her body when he nudged her legs further apart and stepped in between them. His cock pressed against her, but he didn’t plunge into her, didn’t ease her torment as he continued to rub and tease her.
Paige groaned; she pushed more demandingly against him, but he still didn’t give her what she so desperately craved. His eyes met and held hers in the glass. Deliberately, he finally slid into her inch by thick, filling inch. A moan escaped her and her hand pressed against the mirror as she braced herself. Her hand wiped away the steam; leaving a streak behind on the surface. She shuddered when he sank deep within her, stretching and filling her completely.
He leaned over her, his chest pressing against her back as the massive size of him covered her. His heated breath tickled her neck; his fangs grazed over her flesh as he taunted her further, but didn’t bite deep. She tried to close her eyes, to lose herself to the rhythm of their bodies, but his gaze wouldn’t let her look away.
“What do you want, Paige?” His tongue ran over her ear as he asked the question.
She had no idea how to answer that or what answer he sought from her. “I… I don’t know.”
Her fingers curled into the glass and marble when he thrust forward, and went still within her. “Do you want me to make you cum?” His husky tone and thrilling words made her body tighten. He dipped one hand between her thighs to rub tantalizingly again
st her clit while the other hand clasped her breast. “To make you scream and beg for more?”
“Yes.” The word came out as more of a whimper, but what he was doing with his hands should be illegal.
“Or would you prefer if I tasted you?”
A cry escaped her as his fangs brushed her neck, but still didn’t pierce her flesh. The pressure building within her made her long to scream. She found she couldn’t make any sound as he withdrew from her and drove slowly into her again. “Tell me what you want or I’ll keep you panting for more all night,” he whispered against her neck.
“All of it,” she moaned as his fingers continued their magic, and her knees began to tremble.
Ian relished in dragging this out and listening to her pants and moans, but he could feel his own control coming to a breaking point as her muscles compressed around him when he drove into her again. He rubbed her pert nipple between his fingers. This time when he ran his fangs over her flesh again, he left a trail of blood behind that he licked away with his tongue. Her eyes dilated as she watched him; her heart rate accelerated.
“Do you want me to fuck you?” he murmured.
“Yes!” she cried.
An arrogant smile curved his mouth before he thrust into her once more. “Tell me what it feels like to have me inside of you. Describe it to me.”
She could barely process a thought, never mind understand his question. “What it feels like?” she whimpered.
His breath tickled her flesh; his lips rested against her ear. “What it feels like to have me inside of you.”
A lump formed in her throat; she didn’t know how to respond to him. How could she possibly describe this overwhelming sensation of falling apart and coming together adequately? She’d never experienced anything like what he made her feel, but she couldn’t get those words to come out.
“Tell me, Paige,” he commanded. His eyes became glittering shards of ice in the mirror. “To get what you want, tell me what it feels like.”
“It feels like you belong,” she finally managed to gasp out. It wasn’t the sexiest of descriptions, but it was the truth, and it was all she could think of to say. “Like you’ve always belonged.”
She saw the snapping within him as red flashed around his eyes, and his hands stilled on her. A cry escaped her when he grabbed her hips, spun her around and lifted her onto the countertop. He slid her ass forward and plunged himself deeply within her again. A scream of pleasure erupted from her, but even as her body reacted to the exquisite feel of him inside of her, his fangs were sinking into her neck. She’d believed she’d attained her peak before, but she’d been completely wrong. He was taking her to a whole new level of pleasure and sensation as he drove relentlessly into her and fed from her with ravenous abandon.
Her fingers raked at the skin on his back as she tried to pull him closer to her. The scent of his blood on the air drove her into a frenzy as she eagerly met each of his demanding thrusts. She sank her elongated fangs into the thick vein in his throat. The blood pumping into her mouth and his body plunging within hers pushed her over the edge. Another cry escaped her; her legs locked around his waist as the first wave of tremors shook her. He didn’t relent, didn’t give her time to breathe as he continued to drive into her. She couldn’t breathe, couldn’t think, all she could do was feel him and taste him as he filled her.
Withdrawing her fangs from him, her head fell back and another cry escaped as he released his hold on her throat. He licked over her flesh, tasting the salt of her sweat and inhaling the scent of him within her. He’d meant to make it last, had intended to savor her, but his control was rapidly coming to an end. Then, with another throaty moan, she came again. The clutch and pull of her muscles around his dick shattered all of his control. A shout escaped him as he drove into her once more and found his release in pulsating waves that left him shaken and barely able to stand.
Her head fell into the hollow of his throat; her breath came in rapid pants against his flesh. He continued to cling to her, keeping himself buried within her as he struggled to come back to reality. “That’s because I do belong. You’re mine, Paige.”
Her mouth curved into a contented smile against his neck. “I’m yours,” she agreed. “And you’re mine.”
“Forever,” he vowed.
Ian wrapped his arms around her. Lifting her up, he carried her over to the still steaming tub. He placed her gently into it before sliding in behind her and pulling her against his chest. “I love you,” she whispered.
He couldn’t help but smile. “I love you too.”
Chapter Twenty-Three
Paige rubbed at her temples as she stared around the crowded casino floor. Between the rapid beats of the hearts surrounding her, the stale stench of cigarette smoke, alcohol, and the musky scent of lust, she felt as overwhelmed as a kid on their first day of kindergarten. She didn’t know if she should run away, curl into a ball, or sink her teeth into the closest person to her. Ok, maybe not the ones closest to her, a few of them had stringy hair, sweat stained clothes, and smelled like they’d run a marathon. She was amazed they got up to use the bathroom. They definitely weren’t getting up to shower.
On the opposite end of the spectrum were people dressed in suits and beautiful dresses with their hair neatly styled. Some of them looked a little hectic, but most of them were laughing and cheering on their friends. Then there was the middle of the crowd, people simply content to sit and play games, socialize with people and laugh and talk in their jeans and t-shirts. She’d never seen such a vast assortment of people before, and she knew this was only the tip of the iceberg.
Ian stayed close by her side; his hand in the hollow of her back as he led her down the narrow pathways carved through the people and stools lining the slot machines. His reassuring presence at her side and in her mind helped her to keep control; she didn’t know if that would last. She took shallow breaths through her mouth in an attempt to mitigate the aromas pummeling her.
Ian bent over and whispered in her ear, “Concentrate on my smell and my heartbeat.”
She leaned into his side and inhaled the pleasant aroma of soap and male radiating from him. Her fingers curled into the front of his shirt; they slid over the chiseled ridges of his abs as she sought to comfort herself further.
Ian kept Paige tucked against his side as they navigated the casino floor. He could feel how overwhelmed she was, how much this upset her, but no matter how much distress she emitted, she continued stalwartly forward with her chin thrust forward and her eyes rapidly searching the crowd.
Ronan led the way through the room, parting the crowd with ease. People were clueless about the supernatural beings amongst them most of the time, but they knew power when it was within their midst. Brian, close by Ronan’s side, searched the room constantly. Ian did the same as he stared over the sea of heads crowding the room.
He scented the air, but the numerous potent smells filling the building would cover the garbage scent of the murderers that existed amongst their kind. Her father and his groupies could be nearly on them before he detected them. The thought had his fangs on the edge of descending and his murderous impulses at the forefront.
Brian turned back to them and jerked his head to the side. Paige’s hand curled into his shirt as he led her toward the massive doors leading out to the strip. Her head bowed closer against him, she didn’t lift it up when they changed direction. “Where are we going?” she asked.
“Outside.”
Her relief brushed against his mind. It took all he had not to lift her up and carry her back up to their room so she didn’t have to go through this. He glanced at Ethan and Emma; he hadn’t expected for Ethan to let Emma be here for this, but his brother probably felt better with her with him than away from him. No matter what he wanted, he knew Paige wouldn’t agree to return, and he was unwilling to leave her alone and unprotected. Fighting over it wasn’t going to do any of them any good.
The doors slid open with a whoosh; the hot
air of the desert drifted over him as he stepped outside. Neon lights illuminated the street enough so that it almost appeared to be daytime along the crowded sidewalks. People hurried about; they strode across the road and mingled near the doors of the casinos. Catcalls, laughter, and shouts filled the night, beneath it all he detected more than a few people in tears. The heat caused sweat to bead across his brow, but Paige’s discomfort eased. She finally lifted her head to take in the sights and sounds of the city.
“Do you know where he is?” she asked Brian.
“There’s too many souls here to tune in on just one and pinpoint it,” he replied. Ian didn’t know what that meant, but he couldn’t shake the image of a radio dial being turned to a spectral station from his mind. “You might be able to locate him.”
“Me? How?” she squeaked.
“He’s your father; you have a connection to him.”
Anger flitted across her face before she thrust back her shoulders. “I’ve barely had any contact with him over the years, and it’s never been good.”
“That doesn’t matter,” Brian replied. “He’s still your blood.”
Paige swallowed heavily; her pulse picked up as sweat tickled her neck and slid down her spine. She didn’t want to be connected to her father in any way. Everything within her rebelled against such a notion. Ian’s hand slid over her back and rested on her hip. “Will he find me here?” she inquired.
“It’s a possibility,” Brian replied with a shrug.
Paige shuddered as her gaze ran up and down the crowded thoroughfare. Ian shot Brian a ferocious look, but the man simply cocked an eyebrow before turning away from them. He bent his head to Paige’s and kissed her temple. “He’s never going to hurt you again,” he vowed.
The Vampire Awakenings Bundle: Books 1-5 Page 110