Without Tarian.
She glanced back at her partner as he shut the door behind them.
“Are you hungry?” she asked. “We could get room service.”
“No.” He strode toward her. “At least, not hungry for food.”
Heat flooded her at the lust in his expression. Melissa tamped down the butterflies in her stomach when he reached for her.
Tarian danced her into his arms to bring a smile to her face.
“You’re far too serious,” he murmured as he walked her backward toward the bed.
“Don’t worry. Vampires can’t get frown lines.”
“Tomorrow you will be in the arms of your family.”
She nodded. “And our alliance will be at an end.”
“I’m not ready for that.”
Melissa closed her eyes, knowing the feeling. “Me neither.” But there was no delaying the inevitable. They needed to reach Lucian in time to plead Tarian’s case.
“One last night,” she whispered, looking up at him. “One last touch.”
“Like this?” He trailed his fingers down her cheek.
“That’s a little more subtle than I was thinking,” she said. “I want more.”
A soft smile flitted over his face. “From an enemy?”
She pressed her body against his. “I don’t think that word has applied for a while now.”
His lips claimed hers.
Melissa moaned as she twined her arms around his neck. One brush of his fingers and her panties were soaked through.
This isn’t wise, her inner voice cautioned.
Screw it, she replied. She was this far down the rabbit hole. Might as well enjoy the madness.
Grabbing Tarian’s shirt, she pulled him back toward the bed.
“We don’t have to worry about the dawn this time,” she said, her fingers skimming over his rock-hard erection.
Tarian hissed through his teeth. “Melissa…”
“Don’t start something I can’t finish?” she said. “Short of a group of zealous necromancers descending on this hotel room, nothing is going to stop me.”
He raised his head to meet her gaze.
“I don’t care,” she whispered, seeing the question in his eyes. “What happens next, what we are to each other… I don’t care. For once in my life, can’t I just leap?”
“Yes,” he replied. “I’m here to catch you.”
His arms wrapped around her waist and lifted her off the floor. Laughter bubbled up in her throat as he tossed her onto the motel bed.
Melissa righted herself, bouncing on the mattress.
“What are you waiting for?” she asked, crawling back onto the center of the bed.
“Not a single thing.”
Tarian gripped his shirt and tugged it over his head in one easy motion.
Hot, she thought, licking her lips in anticipation. She’d battled her desires for days and now here he was. No barriers, no pretenses. Her golden opportunity.
“Quid pro quo, right?” she asked, rising to her knees. Gripping her shirt, she pulled the cheap polyester over her head.
“More,” he replied, staring straight at her breasts.
Melissa dragged a teasing finger along the rim of her bra. “If you want this gone,” she murmured, pulling down on the lace to give him a peak of a nipple. “Then you need to lose another piece of clothing.”
“Women have an unfair advantage in this game,” he said, pushing the denim of his jeans over his hips.
She smoothed her triumphant smile with a hand. “Looking good, Tarian.”
He stood before her in only his boxers. “Bra,” he demanded. “Off.”
Obligingly, Melissa reached around for the clasp. Parting the metal hooks, she wiggled out of the confining contraption.
Tarian had no words as he stared at her, bared from the waist up.
A moment of hesitation hit her, since she didn’t have the chest to rival most immortals. She didn’t have the curves that brought men to their knees. Glancing down at her small breasts, she tried to muster her moxie. If he wanted this to go any further, then he had better think she was incredible, despite the handicap her immortality imposed on her.
“Seven hundred years,” he said, his gaze locked on her. “And you are still the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.”
The honesty in his voice warmed her. Her doubts melted away under the complete acceptance in his gaze. It didn’t matter what issues she had about her body; to him she was perfect. And for the first time in her life, she was beginning to feel that way.
“Come to me,” she said, reaching out to him.
He crawled onto the bed and hooked a hand around each ankle.
Melissa gasped as he tugged her flat onto her back. Her fingers flew to the clasp on her jeans and quickly undid the few buttons keeping her clothed.
With heated eyes, Tarian stripped the denim from her body.
“I think you missed something,” she teased, wiggling backward in only her black silk underwear.
“Luckily, I’m a man who knows how to correct his mistakes.” Gripping her panties, he tore the loose binding around her hips.
Melissa glanced at her ruined underwear with only mild regret. “You realize I’ll have to go commando tomorrow.”
His pupils dilated at the thought. “I’ll never be able to drive us where we’re going,” he said. “Not when I know all I have to do is reach over and…”
Melissa caught his questing hand as it inched up her thigh. “Not so fast,” she taunted.
“No?” He stood back against the side of the bed. “I guess it’s only fair.” He shed his boxers and Melissa’s mouth went dry.
She’d known Tarian was muscled and hard in every area, but the sight of his cock jutting proudly from his body made her want to lick her lips. Hers. For tonight at least. She’d be damned if she wouldn’t make it count.
“Come here,” she said, holding out her arms to him.
Tarian wasted no time crawling back onto the bed. The mattress dipped under his weight as he leaned into her waiting arms.
Melissa lay flat against the sheets, looking up at him. As much as she’d dreamed of this moment, she’d never really expected to experience it in real life.
Her fingers rose to trace over his cheekbones, examining him with a gentle touch.
“Beautiful,” she breathed. In every way. Tarian satisfied all the requirements she’d once set out for a mate.
“That’s my line,” he said, as his mouth touched hers.
Closing her eyes, she gave herself up to the pleasure of his touch. His mouth dragged along her in a sensual caress that had her moaning for more. Parting her lips, she met his questing tongue with her own.
Their panting breaths mingled as Melissa hooked a leg over his hip. She undulated against him, pressing her breasts up against his hard chest.
His hands caressed down her sides, sliding over her hips as he explored the smooth lines of her legs. Melissa raked her nails down his chest, keeping her touch light enough to tantalize but not to hurt.
That she had the right to touch him in any way she saw fit filled her with a raw power she’d never felt before. One hand dipped low to brush against his erection, and she smiled at his swift inhale.
“Did I do something you like?” she asked, wrapping her fingers around his hard cock.
Melissa captured his lower lip between her teeth as she pumped her fist over his erection. Every moan that escaped him spurred her on. Tarian could control her with a thought, but right then, she was the one with the power. She couldn’t stop her grin.
“Vixen,” Tarian murmured. Grabbing her hands, he pressed them over her head.
Melissa tugged against her pinned hands. His strength held her in place, but they both knew she could tear free if she wanted. Score one for vampire advantage. “Don’t you want to see what I can do with my tongue?” she taunted, arching her back to thrust her breasts up for his view.
“Yes,” Tarian pante
d. “But not quite yet.”
His hands left her wrists as his mouth kissed its way down her torso.
“Tarian,” she breathed when his lips ran over her navel.
But he dipped lower. Heated hands pressed against her thighs, forcing them wider apart as he ducked between them.
The first lick of his tongue along her slit nearly sent her rocketing from the bed.
Pleasure swamped her senses as he moved higher to encircle her clit.
“Yes,” she cried as he wrung waves of delight from her willing body.
One hand joined his expert mouth. He teased a single finger along her folds as he took her clit into his mouth.
Melissa reached out to fist her hands in the sheets around her. The light scrape of teeth against the most sensitive nub on her body left her gasping with pleasure. When one finger stroked into her, she was beyond words.
Her fingers tangled in his hair as she fought not to press him forcefully against her. He drove a single digit into her while his tongue tortured a response from her. There was no stopping the helpless pleas that escaped her lips. Though her body craved a more complete release, she struggled not to rock against his mouth.
“Tarian,” she gasped. “More.”
Her lover left her with one last lick before climbing her body.
“Ready?” he asked, grinning down at her.
“I’ll pay you back for that,” she vowed, reaching up for him.
“I look forward to it.” He reached down to adjust himself and Melissa felt the head of his cock press against her slit.
He drove into her without another word, and she threw her head back in pleasure. When he sat fully lodged within her, she fought to come to terms with the new feeling of fulfillment. Tarian stretched her to the limit, but he gave her time to get used to him, even as his muscles tensed and his breath came in shallow gasps.
Melissa wiggled, only to be rewarded by a bitten back curse.
“Again,” he panted.
She was more than happy to oblige.
Tarian gripped her hips and withdrew to the tip before surging back into her.
Melissa planted her feet squarely on the bed as he rocked into her. The changed angle forced him even deeper in to her, wringing gasps of pleasure from her lips.
She wrapped one leg around his hips to urge him forward. Again and again she lifted her pelvis to meet his thrusts.
More, she begged, unsure whether the cry had left her mouth or merely echoed in her mind. Every movement within her spiked a sensation unlike any she’d known before.
They writhed together, straining to find completion. Melissa felt her orgasm pulling at her, demanding just a little more. Just another stroke.
Her teeth scraped against his skin as she fought the urge to drive her fangs into his neck.
“Do it,” he groaned.
It was all the permission she needed.
Melissa bit down. Blood washed over her tongue as Tarian thrust wildly within her. Every sensation, every touch, was heightened. Her body clenched around him even as she tried to match his desperate speed.
She swallowed the rich blood as he drove back into her, and her world shattered. Waves of pure pleasure buffeted her. Melissa heard Tarian cry out as his climax claimed him, felt the hot seed spurt into her, but his satisfaction only added to her own release.
Melissa thrashed as the sensations crashed over her. She clutched Tarian tight, as her anchor in the storm. Even when the tingles of pleasure started to fade, she refused to release her grip on him.
Luckily he seemed to share her affliction. His arms wrapped around her, holding her close as she took one last pull on his throat.
“Amazing,” she purred, lapping her tongue over the tiny puncture wounds.
“Seconded,” he panted as he rolled to his side.
She snuggled against him, closing her eyes in utter contentment. Sleeping with him was supposed to have gotten him out of her system, but she feared their tryst would have the opposite effect. How did she give up the best sex of her life?
Trailing her fingers lightly over his chest, she knew she was well and truly stuck. Can’t let him go, can’t find a way to keep him. What was she supposed to do?
In the absence of an answer, she merely watched her lover’s happy face and wished, just this once, that the night would never end.
Chapter Thirteen
“Maybe I should face him alone.”
Tarian arched a brow. “You think he’s not going to open the door the second he hears the elevator?”
“You can stay inside.”
“Or I can face your father and try to stop him from going after my people.”
Melissa shifted from foot to foot, staring at the rising numbers above the door. “Promise not to use your voodoo on him?”
“No.”
She hadn’t been nervous in years, but the moment they crossed into the city limits, her blood pressure had shot through the roof. Well…if she had blood pressure. But the feeling had been similar. Introducing her father to the man that was indirectly responsible for her kidnapping was not going to be an easy ride. Especially when said man was also her lover. The last time she’d brought a partner home had been in the early thirties, and watching him run as fast as he could from her door had been great incentive not to repeat the experience.
“Remember,” Tarian said as the numbers climbed toward the top floor. “What happens from here on out is not about us.”
“We just have to calm the waters,” she agreed. Even so, she stepped into his arms and inhaled his scent. After the night they’d shared, she couldn’t imagine letting him walk away from her. If she had to fight her father to keep him, she would.
A small ding signaled the end of their journey.
Rolling her shoulders back, she stepped into the tasteful hallway that boasted an apartment at each end.
Just as Tarian predicted, the door to her father’s penthouse was open.
“Thank you,” she whispered to Tarian. “No matter what happens.”
He caught her arm and pressed his lips to hers. “All’s not lost yet, sweetheart.”
Giving him a last smile, she strode through the open door.
Inside was exactly as she’d expected. Lucian paced the length of the living room while Abbey sat curled up on the sofa looking worried.
“Hi,” she called, feeling both uncertainty and longing at the same time.
Both Lucian and Abbey swung toward her. Abbey’s face drained of blood before a wide grin curved her lips.
“Melissa,” she said like a prayer, pushing from her seat.
Lucian was faster. Using vampire speed, he crossed the room to her in an instant.
“You’re safe?” he demanded, looking her up and down.
“I’m fine,” she replied.
“Good.”
She was pulled into a tight hug before she could get out another word. Instead of protesting, she closed her eyes and hugged her father back. How many times since her ordeal began had she wanted to simply wrap her arms around him and listen to him promise that everything would be all right?
It was lucky she didn’t need to breathe or Lucian’s grip would have crushed her. She was only saved when Abbey caught up with them and elbowed Lucian out of the way.
“Abbey, it’s good to—oomph.” Her words were cut off as her friend wrapped her in an equally tight embrace.
“We thought we’d never see you again,” Abbey babbled in her ear. “Those first two days were torture.”
She wrapped her arms carefully around the human and returned the hug. Abbey had not been in her life as long as Lucian, but she’d become equally as dear. Though the woman would one day technically be her stepmother, Melissa had waited decades for a friend like her.
“I’m sorry,” she said. “I would never have left you of my own volition.”
“Precisely,” Lucian said. “Which is why we will crush whoever took you.”
Melissa shook free of Abbey and face
d off against her father. “You need to listen to me first.”
“All I need to do is get the relevant details before I contact the council,” he replied. “We’ll bring those who took you to justice.”
“That’s where I come in.” Tarian stepped through the door, hands in his pockets.
Lucian bared his teeth as he lunged for the necromancer.
“No,” Melissa shouted, jumping in front of Tarian. “You will sit and you will listen, Father, or I will march out the door with Tarian.”
“I knew it,” Abbey murmured.
“I can smell the necromancer blood in him,” Lucian growled. “You brought one of his kind into my home.”
“I did,” she agreed. “Because he saved my life, and you need to listen to what he has to say.”
Lucian’s gaze flicked from her to Tarian. “Saved your life how?”
“He wasn’t among the group who kidnapped me.”
“The date—”
“Look,” she said. “Let’s not stand here in the entryway like scrabbling children. At the very least we can talk about this like civilized adults.”
Civilized adults that have been trying to kill each other for most of the millennia, she amended, as she shooed them down the few stairs into the open concept living room. Abbey followed her directions by plopping down into an overstuffed armchair while Lucian stood over her. Given the vampire’s refusal to sit, Tarian also stayed on his feet, moving so the wide windows were at his back.
Melissa sighed, running a hand down her face. “Okay, here’s the deal. Yes, I was kidnapped by necromancers but they are a small faction that do not represent the majority of their kind.” Lucian snorted but she talked over him. “Tarian risked both his life and his family ties to come get me. He snuck me out of the necromancer property and kept us off their radar as we drove home. Right from the start, his only goal was to get me back here, safe and sound.”
“Why?” Lucian demanded. “What was his motive?”
“To keep an innocent from harm,” Tarian snapped.
“Even if that innocent has fangs? I very much doubt it.”
“Just because you are blinded by your own prejudice doesn’t mean I am.”
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