Blood Craving

by Gabrielle Bisset

  *

  Shivering as he looked at the snow that surrounded him on the hilltop overlooking the valley, Dante immediately remembered how much he hated cold weather. Winter in New York was the last thing he wanted to deal with, but this was where the directions said to be. Specifically, he was to meet the coven leader at a ski lodge over the nearby hill.

  A ski lodge. When he was a human, he’d been a typical California boy. Long days spent riding the waves and nights partying on the beach were the rule. Even as a vampire, he’d spent most of his time in warmer climates. As a clyten, he enjoyed what few other vampires could. The sun was nothing he feared, and in fact, he still liked passing the hours with the sun beating down on his face. The time he’d been forced to spend in Romania at Vasilije’s place had been torture with its snow and all-around dreary weather nearly every day. If it hadn’t been for the local girls, it would have been the worst time of his life, human or vampire.

  The snow began to fall harder, so he made his way to the lodge and his first encounter with the witches. By the time he reached the front desk, he’d had enough of this winter wonderland shit. The ski lodge thing wasn’t much better. Who the hell loved wood and animal antlers enough to decorate that way? He stuck out like a sore thumb with his California surfer boy looks and liked it that way.

  The man in the reception area had a mousy look, with his round wire-rimmed glasses, thin face, and drab, frizzy hair. Dante unzipped his coat and took out the piece of paper Nico had given him with the details of where the meeting was to be held.

  The desk clerk offered a tight smile. “What can I help you with tonight?”

  Nodding, Dante leaned on the counter toward the man and read his nametag. “I’m looking for Room 257, Brad.” Looking up at his squirrely eyes, he asked, “How about you point me in the right direction?”

  Brad looked him up and down and then grudgingly pointed toward the elevator. “Take the left elevator to the second floor. When you exit into the hallway, turn right and you’ll see it a few doors down.”

  Dante tapped on the desk, making the mousy guy jump back. “Thanks a million, buddy. Have a good one.”

  A quick ride up to the second floor and he was standing outside Room 257 ready to meet a witch. He studied the hallway with its same woodsy vibe as the lobby as he knocked on the hotel room door and waited, trying to convince himself that meeting his race’s sworn enemy wasn’t as big a deal as everyone had made it out to be.

  The door opened and a tall blonde appeared in front of him, much hotter than what he’d expected. Not that he thought witches were all warts and scraggly hair, but he certainly hadn’t thought he’d be getting the chance to meet someone he might want to sleep with.

  And this woman was definitely someone he wanted to sleep with.

  “Hi, I’m supposed to be here for a meeting,” he said as his eyes scanned her from head to toe and back again.

  “Are you the vampire?” she said in a hushed voice as she looked left and right down the hallway.

  Dante followed her gaze, wondering what she was on the lookout for. “Yeah. Are you the witch?”

  The woman yanked him by the forearm into the hotel room and slammed the door. “We can’t be seen. There are many of my kind who would kill me just for talking to you. And I can’t imagine your kind would love this either.”

  As she walked past him to pull back the curtains and look out the window, he said, “My kind, as you call us, wouldn’t kill me for meeting with you. Well, they may try, but they wouldn’t get too far. Who are you looking for?”

  She fixed the curtains so they blocked the window completely and sat down at the table across from the two queen size beds. “Weren’t you paying attention? I just told you who I was looking for. God, what they say about vampires is true. You really are a dim lot.”

  Totally fuckable or not, she wasn’t going to sit there and call him stupid and get away with it. “Whatever, but at least we’re not a group of paranoid spazzes.”

  “Let’s just get down to business. I need to get the hell out of here before this storm strands me here,” she grumbled.

  “Strands you here? And we’re relying on your kind to help us against the Archons? What kind of power can you have if a little snow stops you dead in your tracks?”

  Her eyebrows shot up, and she walked over toward him, stopping just inches from his body. Her perfectly shaped mouth almost grazed his as she whispered, “You don’t want to see what kind of power I possess, vampire. I’ll rock your world.”

  He liked this woman. Licking his lips, he let his fangs snap into place. “What’s your name? I have to know the name of the female who’s brave enough to challenge me.”

  Her eyes grew wide as she stared at his two sharp fangs. “Scarlett. And is that as big as they get?”

  Scarlett. The perfect name for the one who’d feed him tonight.

  “Depends on how excited I am. I’m Dante.”

  She stepped closer and seductively brushed her body against his. “Dante, I’m getting the feeling you’re pretty excited already. You sure you’re going to be able to have our meeting?”

  God, she was hot! His cock was already rock hard, and he hadn’t even kissed her yet. Fuck the meeting. He wanted to get inside those jeans instead.

  He couldn’t let her know that, though. First, he needed to take care of what he’d been sent to do and then they could have a good time. “Don’t worry about me, baby. You’re the one giving off the in-heat vibe.”

  Scarlett arched one eyebrow and lowered her head slightly to look up at him through her bangs. “Oh, so you’re a ‘baby’ kind of guy.”

  Sliding his hands down over her hips, Dante teased her more. “Oh, baby, I’m just the kind of guy you need me to be.”

  She leaned close to his ear and whispered low, “You have no idea what kind of man I need. Now remove your hands from my body before I show you what kind of power witches possess.”

  Dante leaned back, thinking she was kidding, and saw the familiar look of a woman ready to smack his face. Since he could do without the painful sting of her hand on his cheek, he put his hands up in surrender, silently assuring himself that like all women, all this one required was the right touch and a little patience.

  He’d get what he wanted. It would just take a little more work. “Fine. Fine. We’re here to take care of some business. No problem.”

  Scarlett studied him for a moment and smiled. “And they say your kind is difficult. I’d say you’re as easy as they come. Let’s get down to work.”

  *

  As she watched the vampire jot down the main points from their meeting, Scarlett couldn’t help but notice how incredibly hot he was. She’d always heard terrible things about his kind, including how ugly they truly were, but he was no monster. Sure, those fangs of his were a bit frightening, almost like a wild animal’s, but something about even that part of him was sexy.

  And the man had swagger, no doubt.

  She hadn’t planned on feeling anything for the first vampire she ever met. She’d just assumed he’d be like some wizened, pale as a ghost creature she’d sit with for a while and then be done with. Dante wasn’t anything like that. He looked more like those models for men’s cologne than some sad bloodsucker. Sandy brown hair tinged with blond highlights and blue eyes gave him a sexy look like one of the guys she met at the beach the summer between high school and college.

  “So that’s about it,” he said as he stuffed his notes into his jacket and leaned back in his chair. “I guess your coven leader will decide if you can help us and contact the Order, right?”

  “Dante, I’m the coven leader. I’m guessing if you knew that you would have tried a little harder?”

  She knew it was wrong to give him a hard time since he’d been all business and a perfect gentleman all during their meeting, but it was too tempting. Anyway, a man with all that swagger didn’t want it easy. That’s what made him so sexy. He enjoyed a challenge, and men who loved a challenge were
all too rare.

  For a moment, she thought she saw a flicker of annoyance in his eyes, but then it was gone, replaced by that sexy look he’d had when she’d first invited him into the room. “Played me, huh? I think I deserve something for being such a great guy about all this you put me through, don’t you?”

  Scarlett let all the possibilities of what she might give him race through her head. “Deserve something? I don’t know about that.”

  Dante leaned back to look out the curtains and smiled. “Looks like you might have to stay here tonight. The weather’s gotten pretty treacherous out there. Your broom might not fly right in snow like this.”

  A lilt in his voice told her he was trying to be cute, so even though for most other people the broom comment would bring her wrath down on their heads, Scarlett couldn’t muster anger at this male. His cockiness was just too hot.

  Taking a seat at the edge of the queen size bed, she leaned back on her elbows and smiled up at him. “I could leave right now. My coven has what it needs to make the decision.”

  “Well, we wouldn’t want you to rush off in bad weather. I wouldn’t be any kind of gentleman if I let you go out in a storm,” he purred. “Maybe we should stick around for a few minutes more.”

  “Just a few minutes? That’s all it takes?” she teased as he walked over to her and stopped just an inch or so away from her legs.

  “You are a tough one. Not going to give me an inch, are you?”

  “I thought a man like you preferred a challenge, but then again, maybe you’re not the kind of man I took you for when I saw you standing out in the hallway. I thought I was looking at someone who knew how to handle a strong woman.”

  She watched his gaze slide up her body until it settled on her breasts. Her heart beat wildly, making her chest rise and fall as she struggled to control her breathing. A frightening thought raced through her mind. If he had this effect on her now, even before he laid a hand on her, what would she be like when they finally got past the sexy verbal sparring?

  “So you want to be handled? Is that it?” he said, his voice low and deep as he bent down to hover over her.

  His lips glistened with moisture, making her want to kiss him, but his razor sharp fangs still frightened her. She’d never been with a vampire before. Would he want to bite her? Drain her of all her blood? Every horror story she’d ever heard from other witches about his kind marched through her mind.

  “Don’t worry about the fangs. You’ll like it,” he whispered. Looking deep into her eyes, he continued, “I can hypnotize you, if you like, so it won’t hurt at all.”

  “I’m not sure I want that. I mean…” Her sentence trailed off as she dropped her gaze to stare at his lengthening fangs.

  “Don’t be afraid. I promise you’ll love it.”

  He lowered his body to gently rest on hers, but she pushed her hands against his chest to keep him away, worried if she didn’t protect herself he’d plunge right into her neck. “I’m not afraid. I’m just not sure I want that.”

  Dante’s expression showed his confusion. She couldn’t blame him. One minute she was playing at being seductress, and the next minute she was putting up barriers. She didn’t mean to run hot and cold. It was just who she’d been for so long she didn’t know any other way to be around men.

  “Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea. I can see my fangs are a problem for you, so maybe we should just leave things the way they are.”

  Scarlett had a hunch he didn’t want to leave any more than she did, but the idea of practically begging a man to stay didn’t sit right with her. Neither did letting this one get away. So she had a choice to make.

  But before she could choose one way or the other, he stood up from the bed and was at the table next to the window, halfway to putting on his jacket. Damn, this guy moved fast in everything!

  Scrambling to her feet, Scarlett hooked her forefinger through one of his belt loops and tugged him back toward her. “You didn’t give me a chance to answer.”

  Dante turned his head and smiled. “I don’t want to pressure you into anything you don’t want to do.”

  God, he was so cocky! “Pressure me? I’m a big girl. A little bite isn’t going to scare someone like me.”

  Turning around, he took her in his arms and kissed her hard. “Good. I’d hate to see us miss this chance to get to know each other. I can’t remember the last time I wanted a woman this much.”

  Exhilaration coursed through her veins, and deep inside an ache coiled through her at the sound of his words. All the while as they’d negotiated the terms of their respective sides, she’d wanted to feel what it was like to be in those strong, muscular arms and what those gorgeous lips would feel like as they trailed across her skin. He seemed like the kind of man who knew how to take care of a woman, and she wanted to see for herself if the fantasy playing in her mind was true.

  He pressed his mouth to hers, slipping his tongue in to mingle with her tongue and sending a shiver of excitement through her body when he playfully flicked the tip. If this was what kind of skill he had with his tongue, she hadn’t been wrong in thinking sex with him would be incredible.

  As much as she wanted to take her time, her urges had different ideas. She quickly unzipped his jeans and slid her hand in to palm his rock hard cock. Wrapping her fingers around it, she slowly moved to the swollen head, loving the feel of his silky soft skin against her hand.

  “Oh, baby, don’t stop,” he moaned into her mouth when she paused a moment before rubbing her thumb over the moist tip.

  Lowering herself to her knees, she stared up at his beautiful face as he waited for her to take him into her mouth. She loved the look a man got as he watched her suck his cock. She’d get hers in a little while, but first she wanted to show him what sex with a witch was all about. His eyes watched her, the haze of desire and need filling them as she took just the head of his cock into her mouth and sucked gently.

  His skin tasted like nothing she’d ever experienced before. He was long and thick with barely a hint of saltiness and an earthiness that teased her taste buds as she eased him in and out between her lips. Her hand stroked the lower half of his cock to the base as he moaned his desire for her to give him what he wanted.

  Dante buried his hands in her hair and tugged her down to take all of him, and as the soft line of hair on his belly brushed against her nose, she heard him groan her name. His voice echoed the need she felt in his body, exciting her.

  Suddenly, he pushed her head away and pulled her up to her feet. Stunned, she stared into his eyes, unsure of what had just happened. “Dante?”

  “Shhh, baby,” he whispered as he cradled her face in his hands. “A man likes to think he has some control over the woman he’s about to fuck.”

  Scarlett opened her mouth to tell him control wasn’t exactly something that sat well with her, but he quickly covered it with his in a passionate kiss that took her breath away. The room swam around her as he stripped her jeans from her body, and her hands seemed to have a mind of their own as they tugged his down his legs, along with his boxers.

  They made quick work of one another’s shirts, and in seconds her bra and underwear were flying off to the side of the bed. It was all happening so fast, but she didn’t want to stop for anything in the world. Dante wrapped her arms around his neck and lifted her up so she was perfectly positioned to have him enter her.

  There was no more waiting, no more teasing one another. With one hard thrust, he pushed into her, filling her body with his. He was so sexy, holding her as he plunged into her over and over, reaching that perfect spot that made her eyes roll back in her head every time his cock slid over it.

  Whispering hoarsely, he said, “I think you must have put some spell on me.”

  Scarlett kissed him and arched her back. “No spell. Something told me you didn’t need any to be this good.”

  Dante slid his hand up her back and pulled her close to him. “Let me show you how good I am.”

 
Instinctively, she wanted to counter his boast with one of her own, but the feel of his body taking hers to places she’d never before experienced pushed any words out of her mind. Their moans filled the room as each of his thrusts into her inched them closer to that point of oblivion between two souls so perfectly matched.

  Her eyes flew open at the sound of a single, sharp click, and her gaze shot to his mouth to see his fangs hanging over his full lower lip. Reaching up, she ran her finger over his perfectly white teeth and found them sharp enough to pierce skin with even the slightest pressure. A tiny trickle of blood made its way down from the tip her finger toward her wrist.

  Scarlett stared at the thin red line and wondered if it would be as painless if she let him bite her. As if he read her mind, he said, “I promise it won’t hurt. You’ll love how it feels.”

  She looked up and saw his eyes widen as he stared at her finger. “Do you promise?”

  His lips spread into a devilish grin, and his hips stopped their thrusting. “I promise. You can turn me into a toad if it isn’t the most incredible feeling you’ve ever had.”

  She wanted to experience something incredible. She wanted to know what truly being with this man was like, so she slid her finger over his lip, letting his tongue lap against the tip to taste her blood.

  “Fuck, you taste so good,” he groaned as he began to thrust his cock into her again. “I want to feel your vein under my lips and taste your blood as it slides over my tongue, giving me what I need. Let me, Scarlett.”

  His words enthralled her, and when he turned her head to the side to expose her vein, she didn’t fight him. For the first time since admitting she was a witch, she would let a man have the power over her. No spells. No enchantments. Nothing to shield her from him. Never before had she felt this way, and if she didn’t know better, she’d have thought he put a spell on her.

  She closed her eyes and felt his hand slide behind her to cradle her head. Although she was sure the only thing she should be feeling was pure fear as he pressed his mouth to the tender skin just below her ear, she felt nothing but excitement at what would happen when his fangs pushed into her and provided him with the blood he needed as a vampire.