by Lisa Fox
“I was.” He wondered what the man was getting at.
Some of the bartender’s cheerfulness faded away and he became serious. “Be good to her. She’s a special lady.”
Trask read the man’s aura, trying to unravel the tangle of thoughts and feelings he found there. Affection, anger, warmth, loyalty, it was so much and he could only marvel again at the wild complexity of human nature. “You are…” His voice trailed off as he searched for the word. “Protective of her.”
The bartender inclined his head slightly in agreement and smiled. “She’s my friend.”
Trask could see that the word meant a lot to him and he respected the man’s devotion to Rena. “I will do my best.”
The bartender seemed satisfied and he nodded to Trask before walking away to serve other customers.
Trask leaned back in his seat, clutching a beer he only had the vaguest memory of ordering. Where could Rena be? He had to see her again. He needed to taste her one more time. The memory of her lust, like vibrant honey in his veins, washed over him. She was so perfect. Alive. Free. Uninhibited. And she had tasted so very, very good. She had somehow managed to calm some of the constant, insatiable craving within him and he wanted more. He could almost feel her in his arms again, her naked flesh pressed against him, the sultry chorus of her moans as he thrust into her. He wanted a whole lot more of that.
“Hi,” an overly seductive female voice said close to his ear and his gaze slid toward the sound. A generically pretty, petite woman stood beside him, an overly bright, wolfish smile plastered on her face. “You look like you could use some company,” she said, and slid onto the empty chair beside him.
Her hungry gaze raked over him and Trask’s eyebrow rose in amusement. This woman thought she was a hunter. Out of curiosity, he dipped into her and was unsurprised to find a shallow well at her core. It wouldn’t take much for him to bend her, twist her, convince her to do things she’d blush about for the rest of her life and never willingly admit out loud. He could take her lust to places that would forever haunt her dreams. Show her the real power of a hunter. And what it meant to be prey.
He turned away from her, disgusted with himself and annoyed by the chafing vibrations of her lust. She was nothing like Rena. His Rena was no moppet to be used and then tossed aside. Her personality and strength of will made that impossible. He didn’t think she’d acquiesce to anything he suggested unless she wanted to. Maybe that was what set her apart, made her stand out in his mind. Unlike the many before her, Rena had not been subjugated by the force of him. Such strength was rare in a human.
The only time he had experienced anything even remotely similar had been centuries ago, when he’d met a mortal whose appetite he thought matched his own. That woman had been insatiable, a true libertine, and he had taken her again and again at her bidding. He had been young then and hadn’t known how frail humans were. After a month of his attentions, she’d become drawn and pale. A month after that, she was dead. The doctors attributed her death to consumption. He supposed in a way it was.
But Rena was different. She wasn’t a slave to her carnal appetites, spurred on by greed and the relentless desire for self-indulgence. She was stronger than that. Seeing her twice probably wouldn’t hurt her. He gave it some thought and estimated that he could probably see her every day for a week and she’d be fine. Besides, he was older now, more experienced, and he could moderate himself, not take quite so much. Just little tastes here and there. Or maybe a break would help. Maybe that was the key. He could see her a few days in a row, let her rest for a while and then…
His unwanted companion stirred beside him and Trask looked over at her and sighed. He should take her, fulfill all her dirty little fantasies, use her for some of his own. He did have a lot of good dirty little fantasies. Fun things to do in the dark of night. His cock stirred to life as he pictured a blindfolded, bound Rena, kneeling naked before him, a fistful of her red hair in his hand. His cock in her sweet, moist mouth. The thought of coming in all that extraordinary wetness made him hard. Then he could stand her up and give her a quarter-inch of his cock, just let her have the tiniest taste of his head at her entrance, tease her until she went crazy for him, begging him to fill her. He smiled to himself. Yes, he’d very much like to hear her beg.
A hand fell on his arm and, annoyed by the intrusion, Trask knocked it aside. The woman gave him a pouting frown, something meant to be cute and playful, but it only grated on his nerves. He needed to get rid of her. His hand whipped out, ready to blast her away, but he stopped himself in time. It wasn’t her fault. She didn’t deserve that kind of punishment. “Go,” he commanded, and the woman blinked once very hard before standing up. She exited the club and the door shut behind her with a soft thump.
“Fuck,” he muttered under his breath and took a sip of his beer. Coming here was a bad idea. What if Rena had been here? He’d have taken her and they would have had fun and then what? What else was there? In Trask’s experience, nothing. And yet, it seemed as if there should be something. Something…more.
The foreign thoughts churned in his head, frustrating him endlessly. He couldn’t quite fathom why he was thinking about any of it. There was nothing to think about. No matter how strong she was, Rena was still just a human. One of very, very many. He should go out and find another one to play with and never come back here.
Trask’s jaw tightened, everything in him rejecting the thought of never seeing her again. He sent out one last probe for her, but she was not there. He slid out of the chair with a mingled sense of disappointment and relief. That settled it. It was time to go.
He stood outside the club and stared up at the starry sky. He needed to go home. Watch a movie. Play on the internet. Jerk off. If he could get through tonight, he’d be all right. He’d be much better tomorrow.
He turned toward home, but the sudden feeling of the sharp, magnificent psychic energy that was Rena made his head snap around. His breath caught in his throat when he saw her striding up the avenue toward him. The familiar, undulating sway of her hips made his mouth water. He looked her over from head to toe, his cock rapidly stiffening in his pants. She was a vision in her close-fitting black top, jeans and high-heels. Her red hair hung around her shoulders, a mass of tumultuous waves. She was a goddess.
His goddess.
She noticed him then and the smile that lit up her beautiful face strummed something deep within him. Trask felt his own smile grow.
Chapter Three
Rena’s heart stopped when she saw Trask standing outside Lucid and her first instinct was to run away. She wasn’t prepared for the violent surge of longing he inspired. Anticipation, nerves, thrilling fear all mingled in her chest, making her pulse race. Had he come here to see her? Was it just a coincidence? Would she get to see him naked again? She really, really wanted to see him naked again.
“Rena,” he said when she stopped before him. The deep, velvet purr of his voice washed over her, melting all her right spots.
“Hello, Trask,” she answered. Cool. She had to be cool. Just because he made her feel like a schoolgirl didn’t mean she had to act like one. Her eyes flicked from him to the club and then back to him. “Did you just get here?”
“No.” His gaze moved over her, a penetrating, intimate caress. She felt naked before him, exposed, and very, very turned on. When their eyes met, Rena felt the electric shock of his lust right to her core. A pleasant warmth flared in her belly and her pussy moistened in anticipation. Any pretense she had about working tonight instantly dropped away. He was the only thing she wanted.
“Are you hungry?” she asked. Food was usually a surefire way to get a guy back to her place. It had never failed her in the past. They could eat, they could talk, they could fuck each other’s brains out.
He grinned at her like the Cheshire Cat. “Always.”
Rena smiled back. She did not at all mind the thought of being his dinner. “I have some lobster salad at home if you’re interested.”
“I’m very interested.” His voice held a note of flirtatiousness, but his eyes were darkly serious.
Heat rose to her cheeks and it took her a moment to realize that he was making her blush. How long had it been since she had done that? Never. He had the strangest effect on her. “Okay, then. Come with me.”
His smile grew wider. “I’d love to.”
The giggle burst out before she could stop herself. He really did make her feel like a schoolgirl. She turned on her heel to head back down the avenue. “All right, handsome,” she called over her shoulder. “Let’s go.”
He took hold of her wrist and pulled her back to his side. Rena’s pulse jumped as she breathed in that clean, spicy scent that was all him. Her eyes fixed on his mouth and she licked her lips, remembering his kiss. She had to have just one more taste of him, for just one more night. It didn’t have to be about anything other than sex. Really. She could handle it.
She met his gaze and shivered. The look in his dark eyes was enough to inspire several lifetimes of raunchy fantasies. She smiled as a sizzling tingle washed over her skin, igniting heat in her belly. Tonight was going to be fun.
He smiled back and laced his fingers through hers. “Lead the way.”
They strolled down the avenue, past the wine bar, the newsstand, the Italian meat market and the nail salon, past the Vietnamese restaurant and the tattoo parlor that often had two-for-one sales, the pizza place that had been there since the fifties, the bank that seemed to change names every few months, and then turned down tree-lined Kane Street. It was a pleasant night, good walking weather and the moon was high and bright in the sky. She could feel the weight of his presence at her side, the warm comfort of his hand in hers, and desire burned in her chest. She snuck a glance at him and was all too easily able to envision herself straddling his waist, rocking back and forth on his long, hard cock. Her inner muscles clenched, wanting him again.
“Do you live around here?” she asked, needing to distract herself from her hot thoughts. She wasn’t going to make it through dinner if she kept that up.
“I do.” He pointed to the north. “Just on the other side of Atlantic.”
Rena pictured the area. That meant he lived in Brooklyn Heights. Probably at one of the nicer addresses judging from the black jacket he wore, the pants so perfectly tailored there was no way they came off any rack. “Have you been there long?”
“Not long,” he said.
Rena waited for him to add more, but he didn’t. Not that she was surprised. She was certain her sexy Darkman had a lot of secrets. She wondered if she would ever learn any of them. She wanted to. They were probably pretty damn interesting.
“I grew up here,” she continued, filling the comfortable silence between them. “My dad owned Lucid before me.” She smiled. “Well, it wasn’t Lucid then, it was Grant’s and it was just your typical local watering hole for the guys after work.” She laughed, taking in all the new construction around her, the hipster couples, the people who would have been too afraid to explore one of New York’s outer boroughs not so long ago. It was completely different from the working-class place in which she had grown up. “This neighborhood has changed, but I still love it. I don’t think I’ll ever leave.”
“Really?” Trask said. He seemed to become aware of their surroundings, looking all around with sudden interest. “I don’t know that I could stay in one place for that long.”
“Oh no?” She tried to keep the disappointment out of her voice and chastised herself for allowing it to be there at all. That kind of pointless sentiment was only going to get her in trouble. “Why not?”
He shrugged, gave her a grin. “I get bored.” He dropped her hand and slid his arm around her waist, drawing her tightly against him. “I do like Brooklyn though.”
Rena rolled her eyes. Why did men always have to do things like that? In one breath he was telling her how he easily he gets bored, and in the next, he was all in love or something. Did he think she needed the empty reassurances in order to get laid? It was such a stupid, unnecessary game. “Right,” she said, drawing out the word for effect, “because Brooklyn has everything you need, doesn’t it?”
He blinked as though he was surprised and looked over at her curiously. “Brooklyn does have everything I need.”
Rena groaned good-naturedly. “Whatever you say.”
Trask’s eyebrows knitted together and he contemplated her for a long time before answering. “You doubt me.” He shook his head in what seemed like amazement. “Why do you doubt me?”
“It’s not that I doubt you exactly,” she said with a shrug. “It’s more that I don’t need the sappiness.”
“Sappiness, is it?” he said quietly. He met her eyes. “And what if I told you straight out that you are everything I want? Would you believe me then?”
Rena snorted out a laugh. “Absolutely not.” Still, his insistence was nice and it lit a small, brilliant light way back in the recesses of her heart. “Though it is nice to hear.”
“But I do want you,” he said, emphasizing each word.
“I know you do,” she said, and her heart hurt a little. It was too bad he didn’t mean it the way she wished he could.
Trask shook his head, laughing even as confusion wrinkled his brow. “If you know, then why do you doubt?”
Rena laughed along with him. “Okay, okay,” she consented. “You have a point.” She grinned over at him. “Please, Trask, constantly tell me how much you want me. How does that sound?”
“That sounds like something I can do,” he said, gathering her closer.
She leaned into him, enjoying his heat, the comfort of his arm around her. “So, what do you do?” she asked, changing the subject to more neutral territory. She ran her hand up and down his side, loving the feel of all that hard muscle under her palm.
He tilted his head from side to side, thinking the question over. “I guess I’m an art dealer of sorts. Antiques, rare items, oddities, things like that.”
She looked up at him, fascinated. “Really? And you sell them? Do you have a store?”
“No, nothing like that,” he said, caressing her hip. “I prefer to acquire unique items rather than sell them, though I do that on occasion.” He looked down at her and her pussy tingled from the strength of his gaze. “I have an immense appreciation for beautiful and exceptional things.”
Rena smiled and shook her head. It seemed he was going to persist with his flattery. She decided to let it slide because apparently nothing she said was going to deter him. She tried very hard to ignore the flare of warm delight that he ignited in her chest, but it was difficult, mostly because she didn’t want to ignore it. It felt too good.
They turned another corner and Rena pointed to the opposite side of the street. “Here,” she said, excitement building within her. “We’re here.”
Trask followed her up the brownstone’s stairs and into her apartment. They paused in the foyer and her eyes instantly flicked to the left. Toward her bedroom.
One thing at a time, she told herself and took a deep breath. “Food,” she said. That was step one. Everything else could come later. She flashed him a smile and then headed for the kitchen. “Let’s go get something to eat.”
He took hold of her elbow, stopping her in her tracks. His dark eyes met hers and Rena’s panties just about melted. “I’m not really hungry for food.”
“No?” she asked as he drew her into his arms. Her pulse fluttered in her throat, racing to life as she settled against him.
“No,” he said, and then pressed his lips to hers. He worked her mouth open and touched his tongue to hers, sending a rush of liquid heat to her pussy. She opened her eyes for a brief second as they kissed, peeking at him. He was so achingly beautiful. His long, dark lashes curled against his cheek and his eyelids fluttered as he deepened the kiss. Rena let her eyes drift back shut, losing herself in the taste of him.
He dove into her and Rena truly felt as if he was actually savoring her, the
intensity and depth of his kiss sinking to her core. Her fingers twined in his dark hair and her breathing accelerated as he backed her up against the wall. He squeezed her breast over her shirt and then dipped his hand between her thighs. Rena’s legs went rubbery when he ran his knuckles over the length of her entrance and then pushed.
His mouth moved to her jaw, licking and nipping his way along her throat. “Rena,” he murmured against her ear and tugged on her shirt. All his desire, all his longing, was evident in that one word and it made Rena’s heart soar. He made her feel like the most beautiful and desirable woman in the world and she wanted to be exactly that for him.
He lifted one of her legs around his waist and she let out a soft, “Oooh,” when he pressed his erection into her. His hands gripped her ass, spreading her legs wider. He bent his knees and pushed up into her, a hard thrust that smashed her against the wall. She clung to him as he thrust again, the length of him rubbing against her. Her mouth found his and she kissed him with everything she had in her.
He lifted her other leg around his waist, fully supporting her weight. He rocked against her, dry humping her against the wall. He broke the kiss to nuzzle her throat, his breath hot on her neck. Her legs tightened around him. “Now,” she panted, clawing at his back, trying to tear away the annoying clothing between them. “Please.”
He shifted his weight, got a better grip on her and then carried her through the apartment. She pointed to her bedroom and he toed the door open. Rena laughed when he dropped her abruptly down on the bed. She reached for him, but he stepped back, out of her grasp. The smile that touched his lips was both dangerous and sexy and Rena’s pussy got a whole lot wetter. He stroked himself over his pants, a wildfire burning the caverns of his dark eyes. “Strip for me, Rena.”
An electrifying tingle traveled from the top of her head, right down to her toes. Her eyes followed his hand as it slowly moved over his cock. This was a game she could get into. She rose up on her knees and lifted her shirt over her head, smiling at him as she tossed it aside. He leaned back against the opposite wall, stroking himself as he watched her, a small smile on his lips. Keeping her eyes locked on his, she stood up on the bed and unbuttoned her jeans. She shimmied them down her legs, fully enjoying the heated weight of his stare. She ran her hands over her breasts, gave them a squeeze just for his benefit and then knelt back down on the bed. Her nipples were already hard and she gave them a little pinch before reaching behind her back to unfasten her bra and then toss it aside. Only her panties remained. She slid her hand down between her thighs and cupped her pussy.