She nodded, drugged by the rolling motion of his hips and the movement of his lips as he spoke.
His body drew away and she started to follow, but he dragged apart the lapels of her leather jacket and reached for the buttons of her shirt, plucking them apart to bare her breasts. Then he reached for the button at the top of her leather pants and opened it, dragging down the zipper just far enough to fit his hand inside. He smoothed his palm down her lower abdomen, his fingers combing through her pubic hair, until he dipped between her lips and toggled the hard little knot burgeoning at the top of her sex.
Snuggling her face into the corner of his neck, she sighed, licking her lips, letting her fangs descend and scraping them lightly over his throat.
He drew back sharply. “Uh-uh. That’s what he’s for,” he said, nodding to Dread-man standing right behind them.
Dread-man fitted his body to her backside and slipped an arm around her belly, his hand sliding up to cup a naked breast. “Kinky, much?” he asked, a smile in his voice. Then he lifted his other hand and turned his wrist, offering it to her mouth.
Chessa licked his clean, salty skin once. With her gaze on Alex, she sank her fangs deep into a vein, moaning when warm, viscous blood filled her mouth. God, he was delicious! Rich, alcohol-free.
Dread-man’s gasp was as harsh as the cock grinding into her ass.
Sandwiched between the two men, she let herself go, trembling uncontrollably as blood slid a sinuous path down her throat to fill her belly, and Alex began rubbing her aching clit.
His thick fingers circled, his nail scraped the tender hood, lifting it, baring the tiny kernel to the exquisite motion of his fingertip, swirling harder.
Chessa moaned and shook, then undulated her hips between them, grinding backward to take the thrust of her host’s cock and forward to tempt Alex into penetrating her clasping pussy.
“Want more?” His voice was a sexy slide of bass tones and sugar.
Her teeth still gum-deep in flesh, she could only murmur hungrily.
Alex’s lips curved with smug approval, and he shoved her pants down her hips.
Dread-man squeezed her tit hard, fitting the ridge of his cock between her naked cheeks. His thrusts grew harsher, stronger, pausing at the top of each upward stroke, pretending he buried himself in her ass. He came quick, hurried along with a long hard draw of blood that left him cursing as he ground against her.
Alex cupped her pussy and thrust fingers inside her cunt.
Desperate to be filled, she circled on his two fingers, clasping her inner muscles, welcoming the wet surge of desire as it coated his hand.
Dread-man, still acting amorous after his release, came into play, palming a bare cheek and sliding long slender fingers into her crevice.
When he fingered her asshole, Chessa jerked.
“Easy, lady. Let me in,” he rasped in her ear.
She quivered then backed onto his finger, wriggling side to side to ease his entry then riding up and down to take him deeper.
Only Nicolas had ever breached her there. All the more reason to let this stranger take her now. She couldn’t let Nicolas be special.
Alex thumbed her clit and stroked three fingers inside her. “Let go of his wrist, sweetheart.”
Barely understanding, she murmured and kept on riding the many fingers thrusting hard inside her body.
A rich, deep chuckle tickled her ear. “Let me kiss you.”
A kiss. Alex’s mouth on hers. His tongue…
She opened her jaw and disengaged her fangs from her host’s arm, lapping quickly to close the wounds. She tilted her chin to lock lips with Alex.
His tongue stroked into her mouth, tasting of butterscotch, and something else wild and unknown.
His mouth came off hers and she moaned, clutching at him as he slid down her body. She grabbed at his shoulders when her trembling legs threatened to give way.
When his tongue lapped at her clitoris, she bit back a deepening groan and stopped all movement. Concentrating instead on just holding herself erect while he plied her pussy and throbbing clit with wicked glancing caresses.
When his fingers entered her again, she screamed, rocking back and forth, fucking both their hands, surrounded by male heat and scent.
Her orgasm stole her breath, leaving her lungs emptied of air, her heart pounding fiercely. Her head felt as though it exploded, blown away with the strength of her release.
When she roused, she found herself squatting between them, held tight, her forehead pressed to Alex’s chest.
“We should stand her up. Get her clothes back on,” Dread-man said quietly.
“Leave us,” Alex said.
“Sure, man.” He patted her shoulder, giving her a quick squeeze.
“Thanks for the gift,” she murmured, feeling drained and too tired to act tough.
“Anytime, lady. You just ask for Leo.”
“Think you can move?” Alex asked.
“Of course,” she huffed, embarrassed to find her pants trapping her ankles, her body draped like a drunk’s with her ass hanging out. “What the fuck just happened?”
“I’d say you left it a little too long. You should have had a bite before you came out.”
She stirred, turning her head to look up at his lazy smile. “How do you know so much?”
“Been around a while.”
“That’s no damn answer.” Chessa shook her head. “How do you know so much about vampires?”
“I’ll tell you all about it, someday soon.”
She pulled back, a nasty suspicion forming. “Are you a Revenant?”
Alex’s lips twisted. “I’m no walking corpse.”
Nicolas would love to hear himself described like that! She pushed away the thought. Alex might not be a turned vampire, but he was something—and she was just the girl to figure out what.
“Ready to stand?” he asked, quirking an eyebrow.
“Oh!” She’d forgotten she was only half dressed, and the interesting half was completely naked. She scrambled up, reaching down for her pants.
Alex was already gliding them upward, his hands smoothing up her naked thighs as he “helped.”
Chessa slapped his hands away, feeling her cheeks heat. In all her years visiting this bar, she’d never given in like that. She liked being the one in charge. She straddled the bastards she chose and kept them tethered until she was done. They were the ones left weak-kneed and smiling.
Not that she was smiling now.
Alex stood beside her, and she realized he’d blocked anyone’s view of what had happened in their dark corner all the while with his broad shoulders. Had he known how out of control a vampire’s feasting could get—how close to the edge of desperation she’d been?
“This isn’t happening again,” she said, with the sinking feeling he knew she was all bluster. Someday, probably sooner than later, she’d put off feeding just a little too long, and he’d be there, waiting to oblige her. Likely choosing her next blood donor.
She hoped it would be someone as tasty as Leo.
“Where to next?” he asked, hands shoved in his pockets, emphasizing the bulge of his cock at the front of his pants.
She realized with a start, he could have had her, but didn’t even try. Instead, he’d seen to her pleasure.
Now, he was back to business, like nothing had happened between them. She liked that. Appreciated the fact he didn’t get maudlin over a little sex and expect it to lead to anything.
Damn, she was finding it hard to hold on to her resentment.
“Back to the station,” she replied, her tone curt. “We’ve exhausted our list. With communications out, we’ll have to check in with Reba for any new reports of trouble.” She left her shirt hanging out of her pants and tucked her sleeves back under the cuffs of her jacket.
When she finally lifted her gaze, she noted warm approval in his expression. “Don’t start getting sentimental.”
“Wouldn’t dream of it, partner.”
> “Yeah well, time to roll.”
His hand on her arm stopped her. “You always so grumpy?”
Not always. Once, she’d actually been content. But that time was long ago. “If it’s a problem, you know what you can do about it.” The huskiness in her voice wasn’t due to the sudden onslaught of memories—of a soft baby’s cheeks or the sweet, warm glow in her husband’s eyes.
Those memories were shut away along with the manila file that burned a hole at the bottom of her locked file cabinet. Rene had found it only yesterday, exposed it and her.
Only Rene had touched the one soft spot she still had buried deep inside her heart. She’d wept in his arms, let him love away the pain—at least for the moment.
The room shimmered and she didn’t know she cried until Alex swept away a lone tear from her cheek with the pad of his thumb. “Sure,” he said softly. “I know what I can do. Meantime, we have a city to keep safe.”
Grateful he didn’t pass a comment or try to soothe her with an embrace, she turned and strode away, tamping down the pain and the memories until the next time they surfaced. What the hell was it with partners, anyway?
They headed out through the throng of close-pressed bodies. When they reached the street, they spotted Lieutenant Williams who waited, his face set in a grim mask.
Christ! Had he been inside? Did he know just how chummy they’d gotten? She cleared her throat. “You waiting for me?”
He nodded and looked up and down the street, a furtive look that wasn’t part of his nature. “I need you to see something. Think it’s right up your alley, Cheech.”
She stiffened. “What’s happened?”
“Bodies down by the river,” he said, his voice tight. “Uniform cops. Their hearts ripped out.”
Sick and twisted—something only kin would do. Her blood chilled.
CHAPTER
5
Nicolas stuck to the shadows, standing beneath the long fronds of Spanish moss trailing from an ancient oak. He watched as the cops combed the bayou bank with their flashlights, looking for clues, photographing the victims, and grieving over their friends’ bodies.
He waited patiently, knowing Chessa would be here sooner or later. Since the night was burning away fast, he hoped for sooner.
The carnage had begun. The Devourer had fed and would grow stronger and more frighteningly cunning as he cut a swath through New Orleans.
A squad car pulled up and Chessa climbed out, looking rumpled and wearing a man’s wrinkled white shirt beneath her leather jacket.
Nicolas stiffened, his gaze darting to the tall man climbing out to stand beside her in the glare of headlights. As though the gesture was an old habit, the man’s hand settled at the small of her back.
Chessa didn’t deliver him a blistering glare, just a quick worried glance.
Merde! Bitch! Nicolas drew a deep breath, stunned by what he saw. Only hours ago, she’d begged him to fuck her, but here she was with another man—one she seemed to know rather well.
His hands fisted at his sides, readying to drive them through the handsome face of the human standing beside her.
Nicolas forced himself to think, drawing a deep cleansing breath.
He’d never been a jealous lover—knew all vampires craved sex almost as much as they did blood. A blood fuck with a host wasn’t considered an infidelity. But vampires left their hosts behind. They didn’t consort with them afterward. Courtesy among lovers meant seeking strangers to feed the two hungers. Comfort and affection were drawn from those you loved.
Only Chessa didn’t love him. Regret washed through him. Maybe she never would.
But who the hell was this man?
He stepped out of the shadows and strode toward the cozy couple as they conferred with several officers beside a long yellow stripe of crime scene tape.
“Halt! Get your hands above your head or I swear I’ll pull this damn trigger.”
Nicolas rolled his eyes, tempted to flash by the young officer faster than he could blink.
Chessa’s gaze landed on him, and her eyes widened for a moment. She gave him a subtle shake of her head.
He paused, then raised his hands obediently.
“It’s okay, Len,” she said, her voice husky. “Let him through.”
Len gave him a narrowed glance that swept him up and down. A warning not to cause any trouble because he’d be watching. Then he holstered his weapon and stepped back.
Nicolas gave him a mirthless smile and ducked beneath the tape to join Chessa and her “friend.”
“I’m Nicolas Montfaucon,” he said, ignoring everyone else as he leveled a glare at the man standing beside Chessa.
The man’s lips curved in a slight smile, his expression slyly amused, and he held out his hand. “I’m Alex, Chessa’s new partner.”
Another bloody partner! Although he would have preferred to ignore the hand held in his direction, Nicolas gripped it hard, gauging the other man’s strength.
“Good grief, Nic,” Chessa muttered. “If you wrestle him to the ground, I’ll fucking clout you.”
Nicolas flushed, realizing he had been squeezing a little too long and hard, not that the human showed any signs of conceding the silent battle. He was strong. A cocky young bastard.
“Who’s he to you?” Alex asked.
“Family,” she bit out. Then giving Nicolas a searing glance, she lifted her chin toward the river’s edge. “I take it you’ve already seen the damage.”
Nicolas gave a sharp nod.
“Damn,” Chess said. “It’s your guy, isn’t it, Nic?”
“I warned you we would need to work together.”
“What’s this all about?” A barrel-chested black man in a dark suit asked.
Chessa sighed. “Lieutenant Byron Williams, meet Nic. He’s a…well, you know…”
A grim smile stretched his broad mouth. “Another bloodsucker? I guessed,” he said, his voice pitched low. His gaze narrowed on Nicolas. “I s’pose we could use a specialist’s help with this one.”
Chessa’s eyebrows lowered, and her hands fisted at her sides. “We aren’t teaming up!”
The lieutenant’s gaze whipped to Chessa. “Can I trust him?”
Chessa’s lips thinned, but she gave a sharp nod.
When he looked at Nicolas again, his expression turned thoughtful. Seeming to come to a decision, he pulled a tissue from his pocket and wiped at the sweat gleaming on his forehead. “Look, I don’t know you. Any other time, I’d tell you to butt out and let us do our jobs, but I gotta city in chaos and half my officers are gone.”
“This is not a good idea,” Chessa gritted out.
The tall black man gave her a lopsided smile. “Cheech, normally I’d let you handle whatever it is you do alone and give you backup only when you ask. I can’t do that right now. You’re gonna have to work with your people on this one.”
“He’s not one of mine.” This time her rejection was softer, but no less agitated.
Nicolas felt a ripple of satisfaction at Chessa’s anger. Although he hadn’t planned on joining the police investigation, it made sense. They could keep tabs on the victims and try to find a pattern, a direction the demon was heading.
The lieutenant ignored Chessa’s tight-lipped rejection. “You got knowledge of what this thing is?” he asked, directing the question to Nicolas.
Nicolas grimaced. “I know what, just not who he is at the moment.”
The burly black man sighed. “Sounds like this is gonna get complicated.”
The lieutenant didn’t have a clue just how complicated it already was. Not that he had a need to know. “It’s going to get bloodier before we’re done,” he conceded.
“Just so you know, there are only a few of us on the force who know about you guys—know there’s scarier things out there than human killers.”
Nicolas bowed his head, understanding the unspoken stipulation. This arrangement would be strictly confidential. “We’d like to keep it that way, too.”
“I need to know what we’re facing.”
Nicolas glanced around, making sure no one listened beyond their select circle, then pitched his voice low. “It’s a demon we seek. An ancient one. Our coven kept him imprisoned in a sarcophagus for eight hundred years. Yesterday when the water rose, a river ripped through the cemetery, flooding the mausoleum, and allowing him to escape.”
“A demon? Shouldn’t be hard to spot. What’s it look like?”
Nicolas leveled his steady gaze on Byron. “You have anyone missing from the patrol?”
“Bernie Watson.” The lieutenant’s dark eyes widened. “He looks like us? Like Bernie?”
He nodded, his mouth tightening. “For the moment. Until Bernie’s body dies. Then he’ll crawl into someone else.”
“Fuck me!” His lips pursed around a low whistle. “What’s with the hearts?”
“His favorite meal.”
“And he’s been on a diet for a long damn time.” The lieutenant scrubbed a hand across the top of his close-cropped hair. “Fuck me!” he repeated.
“Precisely.” Nicolas slid a glance at Chessa who’d folded her arms across her chest. Defiance bristled in her stiff posture.
“So, we look for a trail of bodies with missing hearts,” Alex said, his expression grim. “What’s that gonna tell us? How do we catch him?”
Nicolas would have liked to ignore the other man, but knew he had to work with him if he was going to team with Chessa. “That’s the tricky part. After he’s finished his feeding frenzy, he might lay low for a while, but he’s going to remember things. He’ll want revenge.”
“Against whom?”
“Against me,” Nicolas said quietly. “For one.”
“You two got a history?” This from the lieutenant whose eyebrows lowered in a suspicious scowl.
“I was the one who imprisoned him. I was his guardian.”
Those thick brows pressed ominously closer. “You thinkin’ to be the bait?”
Chessa jerked, her wide-eyed glance settling on his face.
Nicolas locked his gaze with hers. She cared. She might not admit it even to herself, but she did have feelings for him.
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