A Vampire's Fallen Christmas Star (Vampires On Holiday #2)

by M. L. Guida

  “I have friends.” She lowered her voice. Longing swelled inside her. Janus had found Deirdre, and they had married. She had been at their wedding and could not help but envy the new bride. Eleanor had pushed her tears back. Janus had been the only man she’d trusted, and she couldn’t help in falling in love with him. But the feelings had not been mutual. When he looked at Deirdre, his eyes softened, his lips turned up into sexy smile, and the worn lines of being a hunted vampire vanished from his handsome face. He’d never looked at Eleanor that way. No man had.

  Jayden pushed a lock of hair behind her ear. She jumped, forgetting he was there.

  “You’re more nervous than a virgin bride on her wedding day.”

  Her heart beat faster than a hummingbird’s flapping wings. “I’m not nervous.”

  “Then let me create a new memory.”

  “A new memory?”

  “Let me kiss you.”

  She licked her lips. Temptation rippled through her body, but she needed to stay focused on teaching him how to survive as a vampire, not diving into becoming his dark lover. She ripped free of his gasp and clutched her arms tight around her middle, shielding herself. “No.”

  “I promise you’ll like it.”

  What if he didn’t like kissing her, like Janus? “So sure of yourself?”

  Wickedness flashed in his eyes.

  “Yeah, I am. Eleanor, you’re stronger than me and have proved it several times. You’ve saved my life twice. Let me do something for you.”

  “So you want to repay me with a kiss?”

  “I want to erase your fear of men.”

  “I’m not afraid.”

  “Liar.”

  “A kiss isn’t going to do anything.” She avoided looking at his mouth. She didn’t want to admit that men never craved her kisses, at least, not by men she wanted to kiss.

  “Then you’ve never been kissed.”

  “Jayden, you’re talking in circles.”

  “I won’t give up on this. If you don’t like it, I promise I’ll stop. You’re a beautiful woman, Eleanor.” He ran his fingers up and down her bare arm.

  Chills of desire rushed through her. When Janus would kiss Deirdre, Eleanor had always wanted to taste those sexy lips. But she wouldn’t be kissing Janus now. She’d be kissing Jayden.

  His eyes mesmerized her, but it was his lips that fascinated her.

  “And you deserve to be kissed.”

  Had he cast a spell on her?

  He leaned closer.

  Her boundary broke. She should throw him across the room, teach him a lesson about being so arrogant.

  He laid his fingers on her throat, stroking her pulse.

  She couldn’t move and didn’t want to. What if he was right? Could he erase some of the pain, the taste of that night? The gentle touch strummed desire through her veins. It opened new doors for her, ones where men and women didn’t hurt each other. A simple caress. How could it carry such a power?

  He cupped her chin and slid his fingers through her hair.

  She shivered, not from fear, but from an eagerness. Eagerness to taste his lips. Anticipation rushed over her like hundreds of feathers brushing over her skin. Breathing became difficult.

  Concentrate. Inhale. Exhale.

  Was she going to let a man kiss her after all these long years? Aye, damn it. She was.

  “Your hair is so silky. Love how it feels.” He kissed her lips, softly, tenderly.

  Hunger rose up inside her, squashing the need to engage in a fight or flight response. She closed her eyes and allowed Jayden to move his hand from her throat down to her arm and around her waist. He pulled her toward him.

  The terror of Carver’s imprisonment along with the disappointment of Janus’s rejection flooded her. She tensed, making a sound of protest.

  “Relax, beautiful,” Jayden said. “This is only the beginning.”

  Jayden’s smooth and silky voice broke the vision, but it was his mouth that buried the memory. His lips were hot, hard, and possessive. He hadn’t lied. His kiss was skilled and sultry. He devoured her, kissing her as if he feared she’d push him away. She lost herself in smoldering passion that ignited a deep desire for him and only him.

  He pushed open her lips with his tongue.

  She indulged in his masculine taste of spice. It was happening too fast, but she found herself thrusting her tongue deeper into his mouth while tiny, desperate noises escaped her throat. She had never been on fire before, not even when she kissed Janus. But her feelings ruled her mind, and she refused to listen to the inner voice telling her to stop before she got hurt.

  Shutting out the logic, she forced herself to be bold and slid her shaking hands up his naked chest, his muscles flickering under her palms, and she couldn’t help but be pleased at finally being able to dip into her indulgence.

  Stay calm. Be daring.

  He left her lips, and his mouth moved lower, his tongue licking and sucking on her neck. Hotness and warmth spread over her, and she clung to his shoulders. Tingling sensations traveled through her veins and pooled at the core between her inner thighs. She’d never felt this way before, and a door opened that awakened passions she had kept tightly closed. Starvation for his lips gripped her, not just on her lips, but to feel them on her neck, her breasts. She had never been kissed like this, let alone sucked or licked any place else, but Jayden stirred something that had long been locked away. Desire and lust rushed over her, sharp and terrible, so much so that the intensity frightened her.

  His arm tightened around her waist, pressing her to his hard muscle. He put his other hand on her breast, and she shuddered. Only her night shirt kept him from touching her sensitive bare nipples. He kissed her between the hollow of her breasts and slid his hand underneath her shirt, brushing against her naked skin. Too much. Terror shot through her. Control. She needed control.

  “Stop,” she said, her voice barely audible.

  His fingers touched her heavy breast, and she trembled. “I said stop.” Her voice rang louder and stronger. Tears formed in her eyes, and she blinked them away. Don’t betray me.

  Jayden lifted his head. “What’s wrong?”

  Her heart thumped faster and faster and she had difficulty gathering her thoughts. “I canna. Please.” Her breath came out harsh and labored.

  “Eleanor, trust me.”

  He removed his hand from her breast, and she was surprised at how cold her skin felt where warmth had been there moments earlier.

  “I wouldn’t hurt you,” he said. “And I’ll stop. For now.”

  Her eyes widened and quickly narrowed. She clenched her fist to blow into his gut to teach him what would happen if he took her against her will.

  “You can calm down, tigress, and retract your claws. I’d never hurt you.”

  The hint of amusement rang in his sulky voice. She wasn’t sure she could trust him. When he twirled his finger in a strand of her hair, she sprang to attack.

  “Next time,” he said. “You’ll have to ask me and tell me what you want.”

  His voice was so low that she had to read his lips to figure out what he was saying.

  He released her hair and slid off the bed, heading toward the bathroom. He shut the door, leaving her stunned.

  Ask him to kiss or touch her? She was a one-hundred-year-old vampire that had fought and killed vampire killers. But this was different. Vulnerability scared the hell out of her. Did she have the strength to ask, or would she shy away, allowing fear to rule her?

  Chapter Eight

  Jayden leaned against the bathroom door and folded his arms across his chest. What the hell had he done? He’d only wanted to kiss Eleanor, to show her that this simple pleasure wasn’t something to fear, but instead, he lost himself in her soft curves and passionate whimpers and fueled her terror. He had needed to go slower, much slower, and not concentrate on satisfying his own desire to suckle her breasts. He was a selfish bastard.

  He moved away from the door and turned on the si
nk, splashing cold water onto his face. He was rock hard for Eleanor and hoped she hadn’t realized how much he wanted her. She was such a contradiction. With her vampire strength, she could rip him in two if she decided to, but she wielded her strength only when she needed to. One minute she was a warrior, fighting to save them, and the next a frightened waif hiding in the shadows. He’d never met a woman like her, and he wanted her, God, he wanted her.

  He turned on the shower but only let the cold water run. He stripped and jumped inside, biting back a yelp to cry out. Icy water pelted him, punishing him for taking advantage of such a vulnerable woman. His release was as a cold as the stream beating on his skin. After he finished his chilly shower, he dried off and put back on his sweats, vowing to stay at length from Eleanor. If he had been a boy and his father had still been alive, he’d have whipped him with the belt for pushing his lust on a frightened girl. Another nail pounded onto his cross on why he disappointed his father.

  When he opened the door to the bedroom, Eleanor was gone and the king-sized bed was freshly made. He gritted his teeth and went to his bedroom to throw on some clothes. He owed her an apology.

  He hurried down to the kitchen and the smell of coffee floated up the stairs. He wished he could indulge in the morning pleasure. Eleanor sat at the counter, her hair damp, sipping from a cup. She lowered her eyes, and her cheeks turned a ruby red that clashed with the fluffy white robe wrapped tight around her curvy body. He bet she blushed all the way down to her delicate toes.

  “Eleanor,” he said. Her name came out in a guttural tone as if he had suddenly turned into a bullfrog.

  She raised her eyebrow.

  This time, heat rushed over him, and he cleared his throat. Shit, he’d never become tongued-tied over a woman before. Usually it was the other way around. “I wanted to apologize.”

  “For what?”

  He should have been paying attention to that icy tone, but he was so caught up in his apology, he missed it. A stupid mistake. “For doing more than just kissing you. I shouldn’t—”

  Her eyes blazed and her nostrils flared. She sat her cup down on the counter and coffee splashed out on the side. “You regret being intimate with me?”

  “Yes.” Dumb answer. “It won’t happen again.”

  The chair slid across the floor, and a flash of movement headed straight toward him. He went flying through the air and smashed into a wall. Pain gripped his face, and dizziness surrounded him. He slumped onto the floor and lay on his back. God, with her strength, the woman could win a Mr. Universe contest.

  She towered over him and glared. Hurt and anger flashed into those eyes. Guilt swirled in his gut.

  “So, you were appalled by sampling damaged goods.”

  “No,” he sputtered. Blood sipped into his mouth, and he touched his nose, his fingers reddening. He rolled onto his side and pushed himself away from her, wary she’d smash him into the ground as like an aluminum can. “How could you say such thing?”

  “Why else would you regret kissing me?” Hurt dripped from each of those words and he winced. She folded her arms across her chest as if to squash her bosoms.

  He held up two fingers. “Truce. Obviously, you can beat the shit out of me, but hear me out.”

  “I’m listening, but ’tis your own mouth that got your nose broken.”

  “You were vulnerable, and when I kissed you, you responded in such a passionate manner I wanted to do more than just kiss your neck. I couldn’t keep my hands and lips off you. I frightened you, and for that I’m sorry. I should have known I couldn’t stop at just kissing you.”

  Those hard violet eyes softened, and her tight lip unwound. “You couldna?”

  “No,” he said, wiping the blood off his nose with the back of his hand.

  She hurried to a drawer and snatched out a flowered dish-towel and handed it to him. “I’m sorry. I shouldna have lost my temper.”

  He dabbed his nose. “After what happened to you, you’ve a right to not trust men, but you’ve got to realize that not all men are evil. Just like not all women are good. Women can commit deadly atrocities.”

  She sat besides him. “I know. That night. I want to forget it, but no matter what I do, it taints my life.”

  Not sure if he should do it, he clasped her shaking hand. She didn’t crumple his fingers or flip him over or break his hand. He brought her knuckles to his lips and kissed them softly. “Then let me help you forget that night.”

  “But you said you regretted kissing me…”

  “Ah, Eleanor. You’re so naive. I only regret it because I thought I scared you. I wanted more. So much more.”

  She leaned her head on his shoulder. “Thank you.”

  “Thank you? For what?”

  “For kissing me.” Her cheeks reddened. “I liked it. It was nice.”

  “Nice? That’s all you’ve got to say about it. It was nice?”

  She lifted her head and smiled, laughter dancing in a sea of purple irises. “You have that much of an ego, sir?

  He laughed and put his head back. “Yeah, I guess I do.”

  She moistened her lips. “Will you do something for me?”

  He gazed down into that angelic face. “Anything.”

  “Kiss me.”

  He raised his eyebrow. “Are you sure? I don’t want to end up in the hospital and have to explain that a woman beat me to a bloody pulp.”

  She laughed. “I promise. Please. You donna have to do if you donna want too.”

  “Oh, I want to. Don’t worry about that missy.” He tilted her chin and captured those pouty lips.

  She leaned against him, breasts brushing against him, and desire brought his cock to attention. He ignored it and concentrated on kissing her, exploring her sweet mouth that tasted of cream and coffee. Delicious. He indulged in her essence and cupped her head, determined to show her how much he wanted her. She wrapped her arms around his neck, and they kissed slow and tender, breaking down more barriers between them. She ran her fingers through his hair, and he groaned at the passion gushing through him and his cock demanding to be satisfied. Crap, he’d have to take another icy shower.

  His heart pumping into a non stop race, he forced his hands to stay on her slender shoulders and not to explore her tempting curves.

  Kiss. Stay on her lips.

  Her soft tongue danced in his mouth and he pulled her closer, his fingers massaging her. He wanted her to walk away this time without fear. This time, he’d allow her to set the pace and keep his own lust locked in a cage.

  The phone rang, and Eleanor moaned. She put her small hands on his chest and pushed him away. “I have to answer that,” she said, as the phone let out another shrill.

  “Now?”

  “You donna understand. My number’s unlisted and people only call me if ’tis important.”

  “Oh,” he said, trying to hide the disappointment building inside him.

  She left and answered the cordless phone stuck in the receiver. “Hello?”

  Her face paled, her eyes grew huge and her bruised lips trembled. She slammed the phone down onto the counter, splintering it into tiny gray pieces.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “The vampire hunters have found me.”

  “Why do you say that?”

  “A male voice said “we know your phone number, we’ll find you soon. Watch your back.’”

  “And?”

  “He hung up.”

  “I still don’t—”

  “’Twas Desmond.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Aye, I am.” Tears fell down her cheeks. “If he touches me, he’s dead.”

  Jayden drew her into his arms and held her tight. She buried her face into his skin, and he could feel her rapid heart pounding faster and faster. So fast he worried she’d have a heart attack. “I promise I won’t let them hurt you again.”

  Even if it meant he’d have to kill his best friend. The blood drained from his face, and his legs shook. It took all his s
trength not to collapse onto the floor. How did that pop into his head? He had never let a woman come between him and his friends. Friends and family had always been more important than chicks. Until now.

  Eleanor picked up the broken gray plastic that used to be her phone lying on the counter, and a lump formed in her throat. Her home had been her sanctuary, protecting her from her past and the present. The future had seemed predictable and safe. And now, it was unstable and daunting. She’d taken a risk and look at what it had gotten her, throwing her back into the nightmare.

  “I’m sorry,” Jayden said.

  “I love this house,” she said. “Sitting by the fireplace and reading. Sewing and designing costumes in my work room. I was safe here.”

  Jayden studied her as if she were a new discovery, one that was a puzzle. “No, you weren’t.”

  “Aye—”

  “You lived in your own prison.” He motioned with his hands. “You kept the world out. But it wasn’t just the bad you kept out. You kept out the good. It’s time you learned the pleasures of life. Let me show you.”

  He clasped her hand, then slowly kissed each one of her knuckles.

  Cool shivers raced up her arm. She tried to concentrate on what he was saying, but her brain turned foggy. “How?”

  “By kissing you.”

  His eyes deepened into a indigo blue. It was as if he could read her mind. He bent his head and kissed her leisurely, tenderly, teasing her, tempting her with more pleasure.

  He brushed her hair behind her ear. “So beautiful.” He released her and leaned against the counter.

  Disappointment pooled in her stomach. Just because she asked a question didn’t mean she wanted him to stop kissing her.

  “I wish I had more time to show you more pleasure,” Jayden said. “But I’m going to find out what the fuck Desmond has planned.”

  She clasped his hard forearm. “No. You can’t. We must flee.”

  “Eleanor, they’ll find you again. We stay and fight.”

  “You saw what happened last night at the Mountain Grill. You almost died.”

  “I wasn’t prepared. Now, I am.”