by Lily Harlem
On Sean’s neck.
And I knew exactly what they were.
Bite marks.
“Oh fuck,” I said, shoving my hands through my hair and fisting the long strands.
I’ve been bitten—by a vampire.
Now I had no lingering doubts what I was dealing with.
Aimery was indeed a vampire. A real one, not something from a book or the television. He was an actual heart-stoppingly gorgeous vampire who craved me and my blood.
I willed my breathing to remain steady. The last thing I wanted to do was hyperventilate again. I needed to keep my wits about me and think about what had happened.
Was it a good or a bad thing that I’d barely even noticed him biting me? I’d thought that nip of pain was all part of our passionate lovemaking. I recalled his words as he’d slunk down my body, spreading kisses over my chest and belly. I’m going to taste you again. Ah, fuck, it must be a bad thing to be bitten by a vampire. I would have to tell him that he couldn’t do it anymore. Shit, I should just get the hell out of here before what happened in the movies happened to me. I’d seen Dracula bite people’s necks. Hell, I’d seen Ryle bite Sean’s neck.
But the fact I was alive and sated held me still and dampened down my flight instinct. Instead I pulled the plug on the soapy water and watched it swirl down the drain. Was that what I wanted to happen to my new relationship with Aimery? Slip away? Run down into the drains and never be seen again? No, of course not. I had to get a grip. Aimery was the nicest bloke I’d ever met, by miles. So he was a vampire and he’d got a little carried away in the heat of the moment and nipped me. But that was okay, in fact more than okay, it had felt fucking fantastic. And who was to say I wouldn’t sink my teeth into him if I got the chance? Had his shoulder or arm or chest been near me when I’d come there was every possibility I would have treated him to the same passion-infused bite, though admittedly mine would be more of an arc of teeth marks rather than two tiny fang holes.
I hugged my arms around myself and despite my apprehension, I suppressed a shiver of delight. It was wonderful to know that I’d pushed such a magnificent man who always appeared to be in absolute control to the very brink. Seeing him, feeling him abandon to carnal desire, had been glorious and I had to admit when he’d bitten me my pleasure levels had soared so high I was almost in need of being peeled from the ceiling.
I brushed my mound with my fingertips. If I had to have a little bite mark as payment, then I was willing to pay the price. In fact, it was a damn good deal.
Two minutes later, I padded back across the bedroom and slipped under the covers, still naked.
The bedroom door opened.
“Ryle,” I said, clutching the sheet to my neck.
“Hey, Bea, not shy, are you?”
“Well, I…” What the hell was he doing here? And damn, he looked seriously gorgeous now that he’d cleaned up. Kind of like a chilled surfer dude but with a dangerous streak running through him. It was an extremely sexy combination—edgy yet alluring.
He wandered over to the bed, sat on the edge and passed me a red mug. “Tea, you’ll need to replace fluid after spending, um…quality time with Aimery.”
A flush crept up my neck and onto my cheeks. So Aimery had told him what we’d done.
“Where is Aimery?” I took the drink and sipped. The incredibly sweet, warm liquid trickled down my throat and pooled in my stomach. Heat was also pooling between my legs. The sexual energy that radiated from Ryle could not be ignored.
What is up with me?
I must still be sexed up from my mating with Aimery.
“He’s in his office,” Ryle said with a nod toward the door. “He had a couple of calls to make.”
“Oh. Okay.”
Ryle now wore a black t-shirt that was tight over his shoulders and highlighted the squared shape of his pectoral muscles.
“Did you, you know, get rid of…?” I glanced at his biceps, bulging under the sleeves of his top, and imagined his strong arms maneuvering Sean’s bulk into a shallow grave. Quickly I shook my head to rid the image and instead pictured Ryle holding my hips the same way Aimery had earlier as he’d forged into me over and over. I pictured Ryle’s angular jawline tense, his lips pursed and his head thrown back, taking pleasure, claiming what he needed as a man. Taking that satisfaction from me.
“I did,” Ryle said softly. “And I’m really sorry you had to see me take him out. If there’d been any other way to do it I would have.”
I sipped more tea and was aware of my nipples beading against the sheet. “Where did you get rid of the body?” This conversation was surreal, not least because I was feeling so turned-on while we discussed the disposal of a murder victim. My life was getting stranger by the minute.
“It’s best if I don’t tell you. That way you won’t have to lie if anyone ever asks you.”
“True.”
“Are you feeling better? You looked pretty shaken earlier.”
“You can understand why.” I suppressed a shudder at the thought of what Sean had planned for me. “Sean is, or rather was, pretty hateful.”
“Please don’t think of Sean again, Bea. There is so much more in our future. Good stuff, fun stuff.” He grinned cheekily.
“There is?”
“Oh yeah. Sean isn’t coming near you, not ever, I’ve ensured that.”
I swallowed tightly. A fleeting image of Sean fucking me against my will made my blood run cold.
“Hey.” He cupped my cheek in his palm. “You’re going quite pale. Push whatever images are in your mind away, they won’t do you any favors and you’re safe now. With Aimery and me looking out for you, you will always be protected. No one will ever get that near to hurting you again. I promise.”
I stared into his eyes. They were full of earnestness. He seemed to truly believe what he was saying, and more than that, I did trust in his abilities to keep me safe. Also the thought that he and Aimery were so passionate about looking after me was quite a turn-on. It made me feel precious, treasured even.
“Yes,” I whispered. “I’ll try not to think about it anymore.”
“Good.” He slid his hand into my hair, threading his fingers through the strands. He leaned close, so close I could smell his skin—crashing waves, salty air and early morning breeze. I could make out a tiny amount of stubble sitting over his top lip, pale blond and just catching the light from the fire.
“Ah, Beatrice, you’re awake.” Aimery’s voice booming around the bedroom jolted me from my study of Ryle’s lips. I jerked backward, slopping tea onto the sheet.
Ryle didn’t move, he continued to stare at my mouth as though deciding whether or not to eat me up. He kept his hand in my hair while the other took the mug and set it on the bedside table.
“Aimery.” My heart fluttered at the sight of him. He wore a silver-gray suit with a neat, sky-blue cravat. His hair was carefully styled in the slicked-back state he usually wore it and he carried an armful of clothes. “I…I’m…” I gulped. My situation was rather incriminating. Had he been ten more seconds I’m quite sure I would have let Ryle kiss me.
How can I be so stupid? Just when things are going so well between me and Aimery.
“Hey, don’t look so worried,” Ryle said, urging me to look back at him.
“But I—”
My words were cut short. Ryle took possession of my mouth with a force that snatched my breath away. It wasn’t a soul-searching kiss, more of a soul-plundering kiss. I hardly knew which way was up and which was down, my head spun and my body felt like it was floating.
He swept his tongue over mine. His flavor was intoxicating, fresh and minty. One taste and I wasn’t sure I would ever get enough. His breaths blew cool and fast on my cheek. He tilted his head to gain deeper entry and a pulse throbbed between my thighs. I reached for his face, letting the sheet drop and expose my breasts. His cheeks were as smooth as glass as they hollowed with each wild search of my mouth.
“Oh yeah, fuck, yea
h,” he said pulling back and glancing down at my chest. “You are truly delicious, Bea. And beautiful too.”
I was panting. My thoughts were fracturing. I’d been kissed into a dazed stupor.
I turned to Aimery with a mixture of panic and lust sizzling over my flesh.
He placed the clothes he was holding on a dresser then sat on the bed, the opposite side to Ryle, and stared at me.
His dark eyes blazed and his full mouth held a sheen, as though he’d just licked his lips.
As he leaned closer, I couldn’t help myself, I kissed him too and let myself get lost in sucking and teasing, allowing lust to pour out of me. I wanted him again, now. Kissing Ryle was good, but I wanted Aimery. I wanted all of Aimery, like I had before. And I wanted Ryle at the same time, perhaps.
Oh fuck!
The thought of fucking them both at the same time steamrollered me. I broke the kiss, grabbed the sheet and covered myself to my chin. “Oh God, I’m so sorry.” I glanced around the room, searching for my clothes. “I have to go. I’m really sorry.”
“Hey, hey,” Aimery said, pressing his hand on my shoulder. “Why would you need to go? We have so much to do.”
“You must think I’m a right slapper. Kissing him.” I pointed at Ryle, who was staring at me. “After I’ve just been with you.” I shook my head. “I don’t know what came over me, really I don’t. This isn’t what I’m like. I’m a one-bloke woman, under normal circumstances.”
“Look at me.” Aimery turned me to face him. “I knew Ryle was coming in here to taste you. In fact I’m surprised you two hadn’t taken it further.”
I stilled. “What?”
“I thought you got it, Beatrice.” Aimery cocked his head and licked his lips.
“I’m not sure what you’re talking about.” My brain swam in confusion.
Taste. Take it further?
“This, us,” Aimery said.
“We’re different,” Ryle added.
“Well, yes, I…” I hesitated and glanced between them. “I understand that you’re different—you both, er, bite.”
Chapter Nine
Aimery smiled. “Yes, we do bite, but not to hurt you, Beatrice, you must understand that. We would never do it to hurt you, only to bring you exquisite pleasure.”
A flush traveled over my skin and the two bite marks hidden in my pubic hair tingled. Exquisite pleasure was the right phrase.
“I haven’t hurt you, have I?” Aimery stroked his finger over my cheek.
“No. No, you haven’t.”
“I’ve only made you feel good, haven’t I?”
I nodded. “More than bloody good, fucking fantastic.”
“Excellent.” He smiled. “You see, what you must understand is that the world is made up of many different people and many different species. Luckily these days we exist in harmony.”
“What do you mean?”
“Us, here,” Ryle said. “We are men of our word and we promise to love, honor and protect you, Beatrice. There is nothing to fear from us, except…”
I gulped. “Except.”
“Except you might be overwhelmed.”
“Oh I…” I shook my head, nerves tangling in my stomach. “I’m not sure I understand.”
“Aimery and I have discussed it at length and we want to share you, Bea,” Ryle continued. “We both like you, a lot, and since we’ve been friends for more years than we can count, the best solution is to share rather than fall out. Plus it offers you maximum protection.” He paused. “If you’re agreeable, of course.”
“You both want me?” I nibbled on my bottom lip as the mental pictures of moments ago danced in front of my face again. Me naked and aroused and being satisfied by these two gorgeous men at the same time. Aimery fucking me, Ryle kissing me, or maybe Ryle fucking me and Aimery shoving his cock into my mouth. How would it feel to orgasm like that? They were so damned hot, so bloody sexy.
“Yes,” Ryle said, “We both want you. We both want to enjoy you individually and together.”
Oh God, Ryle had guessed what I was thinking. A tremble besieged me and I wiped at a bead of sweat on my brow. I was suddenly flushed and hot, my pussy more than a little damp. But I had one more question to ask of Ryle, the same one I’d asked Aimery earlier. “Is it just my blood that you want?”
“No.” Ryle shook his head and frowned. “How can you even think that?”
“Because why would two gorgeous…” I hesitated, the word lingering on my lips. “Why would two gorgeous vampires want me?”
For a moment the V-word hung in the air.
“We are vampires, that is correct,” Aimery said quietly.
I’d thought a confession might bowl me over and that the enormity of finding out beyond doubt would send me into a spin. But it didn’t. It was the opposite. It was like solving a puzzle or finding the answer to a nagging question. “I’m…” I hesitated. “I’m okay with that.”
“Good, I’m glad.” Aimery smiled and his shoulders relaxed, shifting his suit jacket a little.
Ryle moved closer. “I’m glad too, and I’m thrilled you find us gorgeous, of course, but what you should understand is that while Bombay blood is like the finest champagne to us, that is only the tip of the iceberg in terms of what we find attractive about you.”
I said nothing, waiting for him to go on.
“You’re beautiful, smart, sexy and your soul is pure.”
“How can you know that?”
“I have dreams, I told you, dreams that show me the very depths of a person’s character.”
“And the future.”
“And the future, and you, my sexy Bea, are most definitely in our future.” He dropped his voice to a low, dense murmur that seemed to vibrate right through me, heightening my already aroused state.
Beautiful, smart, sexy.
“You do want me, don’t you?” he asked.
There was no denying it. Ryle had a bad-boy lure that appealed to me. “Yes,” I said a little breathily.
“Good, because I want you, right now. I want to show you how much I’ve come to adore you in the short space of time since we met.” He spoke in a whispering, almost hypnotic voice. “You are everything I’ve been searching for in a woman. Everything Aimery has too. It’s time, beautiful Bea, to show you just how special you are.” He stroked the column of my neck and rested his hand over my sternum, as though feeling my heartbeat. “And that I’m quite prepared to kill for you is only further proof of the depths of my feelings.”
“But I, it’s all been so fast, and—”
“It isn’t fast in my mind. This has been a long time coming.”
“We only met yesterday,” I whispered.
“When souls are meant to connect, what difference does waiting a few more hours or days make?”
I gulped. What he said was true. I did feel incredibly connected to this big, fascinating man who’d behaved so wildly to save my life. I didn’t want to wait to have him pleasure me, or indeed to pleasure him.
I glanced at Aimery, who was sitting still and silent. “Aimery, I—”
“Shh, it’s just you and me this time,” Ryle said.
“We had our time earlier, Beatrice,” Aimery said, tugging the sheet from me, as though presenting my body to Ryle. “Enjoy what Ryle has to offer. I think you’ll enjoy his particular brand of loving.”
Questions still tumbled through my mind but they seemed small, as if they were fading into the distance, washing away on a rainy day.
Aimery wants me, and Ryle too. Fuck.
Ryle caressed my left nipple, stroking over it with the tip of his index finger.
A shiver of lust went through me. Ryle’s touch was like gasoline to a fire already burning. It turned up the temperature and made my lusty desires all the harder to ignore. My breasts were heavy and my nipples tight knots, begging for more stimulation.
“Can I fuck you, Beatrice?” Ryle whispered. “Can I take from your body what I need most and give you exquisite pleas
ure in return?”
“Yes,” I said. “Yes, I want you, Ryle.”
His sudden kiss was savage. He gripped my head, pulled me down the bed and settled over me. His erection pressed thickly into my thigh, leaving me in no doubt how much he did indeed want me.
Consumed by need, I tugged at his t-shirt, my fingers fumbling and not feeling quite like my own. He paused in his desperate kisses to drag it over his head, then kicked at his jeans and boxers as he reconnected our mouths. The scent of my arousal drifted up and swirled between us, combining with the sweet scent of apple soap and his icy aroma.
He was busy exploring my curves with big, sweeping strokes of his hands.
I wanted to touch him everywhere at once too but didn’t know where to start. I settled for his buttocks. Like Aimery’s, his skin was as flawless as freshly glossed wood, and he too was cool, despite the heat of the fire and the blaze of our passion.
I stabbed my tongue into his mouth.
He gripped my right breast, squeezing until I squirmed with a mixture of want and pain. “Fuck, I can’t wait,” he gasped. “I need you now.”
Suddenly I was flipped over to my stomach. Ryle tugged my arse high into the air and sent down a stinging slap on my right buttock.
“Argh, fuck,” I cried, trying and failing to crawl from Ryle’s steely grip on my hips. “What are you doing?”
“Go with it,” Aimery said, stooping, cupping my chin and tipping my face to his. “Let Ryle take you so high we have to stop you floating away.”
Another stinging slap, this time on the opposite buttock.
“Ouch! But—?”
“Ah, yeah, all that beautiful blood is coming to the surface,” Ryle said. “You go pink so fast, Bea, it’s fucking gorgeous.”
“Oh, but it hurts. You said you wouldn’t hurt me.” I tried again to escape but couldn’t.
“It is good pain,” Aimery said, his lips pressed into the shell of my ear and his words full of earnestness. “Harness that heat and soon you will realize how incredible it will make you feel when mixed with everything else we have to offer.”