by J. E. Taylor
“Killing me won’t change you back,” I whispered.
She snapped her teeth together in a growl and then her crazed grin faltered. She blinked, and her sharp incisors retracted. “Who says I want to kill you?” she asked, her voice barely a whisper.
I raised a questioning eyebrow.
She let go and stepped back. “I don’t know what came over me…”
“You’re a newborn. It happens,” I said, dismissing the danger and stepping around her. “Your clothes will be dry in a little while, then you can get out of that bathrobe.” I started walking away.
The ruffle of fabric made me turn and she stood in the entry way again, but this time it wasn’t bloodlust in her gaze. The bathrobe lay crumpled around her feet and I stumbled, almost falling on my ass at the shock.
She was divine and I followed her curves before returning my gaze to hers.
“What are you doing?” It took everything in my power not to move to her, to take her in my arms. This need singeing my blood was foreign and unwelcomed. It was far greater than any need the blood-hunt created and I didn’t understand why.
I stepped backwards, putting more distance between me and this goddess.
She spread her arms out. “You don’t want me?”
The hysterical laughter that spouted from my mouth was so out of character and it offended Naomi, setting her into action. She snatched the bathrobe from the ground, wrapping it around her before she stormed off.
I didn’t follow until a door slammed and momentary panic filled my bones. I bolted to the stairwell and yanked the door open. The stairs were empty and the upper door still latched from the inside. Relief swept through me and I closed the access door, leaning against it with my eyes closed.
I focused, training my ear to locate her heartbeat and followed the sound to my bedroom. Tentatively, I turned the knob and opened the door.
Naomi lay face down on the king size bed, her face buried in my pillows and the distinct shake in her shoulders told me she was crying.
What the hell is the etiquette for this? I cleared my throat.
“Go away,” she said, her voice muffled by the pillow.
“Um…this is my bedroom.”
The glare she leveled at me made me second-guess the living arrangements.
“How long till sunset?”
I waved toward the clock. “It’s not even noon yet.”
She turned away and I hung my head, debating on whether I should leave her alone or not. History and my instincts told me not to leave her unattended, but I didn’t want to set her off. Dealing with a newborn was as volatile as dealing with a bomb, one wrong move and you’ll find yourself in pieces.
I looked up, meeting her stark stare.
“What?”
I bit the snide comment that surfaced at her snotty tone, opting to stare her down instead.
“Are you just going to stand there?”
“Maybe,” I offered with a snideness of my own.
“I don’t need a babysitter.”
“I beg to differ.”
“Screw you,” she snarled and turned away again.
The venom in her voice set me into action and I moved across the room, flipping her over on the bed and slammed her wrists over her head before I could blink. I straddled her, staring down into her wide dark eyes.
“You have no idea how much I want you, so cut the crap.”
She struggled and I squeezed my thighs into her hips, keeping her still beneath me. Naomi twisted her wrists, trying to break my hold and I clamped harder.
“Why?” she screamed in my face, the fury was back and I could deal with this much better than the hungry seductress.
“Why what?” I snarled down at her.
“Why don’t you just kill me?” she roared, her struggles continued and she screamed a long lonely wail before she lay still, her chest rising and falling rapidly.
“Killing you is the last thing on my mind,” I whispered and her exhausted gaze flicked to mine.
A sheen of tears covered her eyes and I sighed, letting go of her wrists. I sat back on my heels, running my fingers into my hair, holding the back of my head to get control of the torrent flooding my senses.
“But you laughed,” she whispered.
I met her gaze, dropping my hands to my thighs. “I laughed because your question was ludicrous.” Hurt flashed in her eyes. “Stop doing that.”
“Doing what?”
“Assuming the worst.”
Her lips pressed together and she blinked away the sheen.
“You’re not running on all cylinders right now,” I said. “You haven’t finished the transition and while you’re in this state…” I trailed off not knowing how to tell her that she might feel differently once everything clicks into place. Instead, I climbed off her and stretched out next to her on the bed, staring at the ceiling.
“So, you’re trying not to take advantage of me?” she asked and I smiled, nodding without looking her way.
“Well, doesn’t that just beat all?” Naomi sat up. “A chivalrous blood sucker.”
“Would you prefer I just fuck you?” I asked, sending a glare in her direction, although just saying it sent tendrils of heated anticipation through my body.
I guess the question turned her on as well because she met my gaze and offered a come-hither smile. She shifted, swinging her thigh over me and straddled my lap like I had done to her moments ago. A wicked gleam filled her eyes and she took my hands, placing them on her bare thighs.
“I’d like that very much,” she purred and circled her hips on my groin.
The feel of her silky skin under my fingertips just about did me in.
“Naomi,” I whispered, my voice raspy with want.
“Damian,” she whispered back and leaned forward, her lips breezed over mine and trailed down my jaw to my neck.
A trail of butterfly kisses lined my throat and a low grumble started in my chest until the sharp stab of her incisors pierced my skin. Her bite burned and without thinking, I sank my fangs into her exposed throat. Her blood still tasted like summer rain and I groaned under the pulse of it.
She whimpered against my throat, and I couldn’t help myself, my hand found her delicate folds and my fingers circled, playing with her and turning her whimper into a lust filled moan.
“Damian,” she whispered and I realized she wasn’t biting anymore. I relinquished my hold on her, the release flooding me with disappointment until our eyes met. My gaze dropped to the thin line of blood trailing down her throat, sliding between her breasts and I lost control.
I flipped her under me, pushing the bathrobe open and licked the trail away until her skin was pristine again. Her body responded to my touch and the heat between us increased, turning my heart into a frantic drum in my chest.
She fumbled with my belt and I stopped my exploration, raising my gaze to hers.
“You do realize, hawks mate for life,” I said.
Her hands paused and it took her a few seconds to digest my words. Her eyes narrowed.
“You mean to tell me you haven’t fucked anyone for over two thousand years?”
I laughed and raised an eyebrow. “I’ve fucked thousands of women but none of them were vampires.” I chuckled at her wide-eyed reaction, enjoying her shock and then my laughter faded. “None of them were my own kind.” When my gaze locked with hers, I saw the hesitation and it was enough to dampen my lust.
Chapter Seven - Naomi
He pulled away, gently setting my bathrobe back in place and the disappointment overwhelmed me. I covered my face and rolled away from him, the volatility in my range of emotions grating on my nerves. On some level, I knew this was a normal part of the transition between being mortal and turning into an immortal monster.
“You don’t have to be a monster,” he said with his back to me. “It’s a choice.”
I didn’t see how, not with the waves of hunger that kept knocking me senseless. Without elaborating, he got up a
nd left me alone in the bedroom. I reached up and pulled the pillow from under the covers, hugging it. Burning tears choked my throat and I nuzzled into the soft down with the sweet taste of his blood still in my mouth.
Exhaustion settled in and I closed my eyes.
Chapter Eight - Damian
I crossed to the bar in the corner of the living room and pulled the stopper out of the flask holding an aged brandy. I poured myself a drink, swirling the amber liquid in the glass, watching as it coated the crystal before retreating in a sensuous liquid dance. I sighed and closed my eyes, downing the alcohol, feeling the heat spread through my system like a wildfire spreading through the dry California timber.
I slammed the glass on the counter and gripped the edge of the bar, feeling the burn now. I clenched my jaw against the sudden pain in my abdomen, knowing it would abate but relishing the momentary punishment. It took a few minutes before the burning agony subsided and I stumbled to the easy chair, dropping into it with relief.
Alcohol always made me feel more human than demon and I sighed, rubbing my face and looking toward the bedroom. Just the thought of her almost brought me to my feet, but I resisted, instead, I analyzed what made her so damn hypnotizing.
Beauty wasn’t the reason I felt like a horny teenager in her presence. After all, I had held court with some of the most beautiful women in the world. No, it was something more subtle and elusive and I wondered if it was her blood that connected me to her, that made me want to protect her, even from herself…even at my peril.
Guilt bit at the lining of my stomach and I shifted in the chair, keeping my eye on the hall in case the hunger overwhelmed her again. She had exercised a great deal of restraint already, showing coherent thought as opposed to ravenous rants.
I glanced at the clock and raised an eyebrow. Naomi had made it far longer than any of my other doomed bids for partnership.
Of course, none of them drank my blood beyond that first minor infusion.
My eyes widened and I snapped the chair closed.
None of them had wanted my blood the way Naomi did.
Was it just newborn syndrome or did she crave me as much as I craved her?
I stood and crossed the distance, pushing the bedroom door open. A slight rise and fall in her chest, the rhythm of sleep, greeted me and I sighed, leaning on the threshold and just watched her. My gaze traveled to the ceiling and I wondered if Michael would smite me the moment I stepped out of this hideaway.
If I were in his shoes, I would.
The shuffle of fabric caught my attention and I dropped my gaze. Naomi rolled toward the door, tucking her hands neatly under her cheek in an angelic pose that slammed the point home.
I turned away, heading to gather her clothing before she woke. When I returned to the room, her breathing transitioned into a light snore that shattered the angelic vision and I smiled. I placed the pile at the foot of the bed and started out of the room.
“Don’t go,” her soft voice stopped me in my tracks.
“I can’t stay,” I said without turning.
“Why not?” she asked, the lilt in her voice that of curiosity as opposed to either hunger or lust and I tensed, glancing back at her.
“Because.”
It wasn’t the answer she was looking for, but instead of the open hostility that would have brought to the surface a few hours ago, a vulnerable disappointment shifted through her features.
“Damian?” she said as I started out of the room again.
This time I turned. She sat with the covers pulled over her chest, her shoulders bare and the bathrobe hanging half in and half out of bed. Her disheveled hair and breathy pout set my heart on fire.
“What?” I tried to keep my voice from shaking, to keep the fear that now pounded in my veins away. The speed of her transition was not possible, there wasn’t an ounce of bloodlust left in her gaze, what was there now was a curiosity that leapt from the depths of her mind like a beacon.
She looked around the room and back at me.
“This isn’t a dream, is it?”
The sincerity and sweetness in her voice caught me off guard and a lump formed in my throat. I shook my head slowly and the guilt came crashing down, mowing me over like a rogue bulldozer. Overwhelming sadness hit and I stumbled from the room, falling to my knees in the hallway from the power of it.
The wrongness of it all tossed me into a dark pit of despair and I covered my face, horrified at what I had done.
When her hand slid onto my shoulder, I couldn’t meet her gaze.
“I’m sorry,” I managed to whisper.
She didn’t speak. She didn’t tell me it was okay, instead, she knelt beside me and wrapped her arms around my shoulders and leaned her head against mine.
I turned, meeting her gaze and she offered a conciliatory smile.
Jesus, how I wanted her, and I couldn’t help myself this time. This time when I kissed her, it was met with surrender and I soared with the gentleness of it. This creature was so different in demeanor than the woman I turned that I began to wonder if it was indeed a dream.
“It’s not,” she whispered against my lips.
“Not what?” I pulled away meeting her gaze.
“Not a dream,” she answered, sending chills through my frame and before I could react, she pulled me into another kiss.
Chapter Nine - Naomi
He picked me up in his strong arms and carried me to the bed. This time I was lucid and in control of all my faculties as opposed to the volatile she-devil that took over the moment his blood slammed down my throat. His touch ignited my skin and his blue eyes sparkled with mischief and lust.
He stripped the bathrobe before he laid me on the satin sheets. He paused, taking a moment to scan me from head to toe, and the rapture in his expression left me breathless. No man had ever looked at me the way he was and when his gaze locked with mine, I couldn’t help the thrill that blanketed me.
He stripped his shirt and my gaze traveled over his chiseled torso. The view was magnificent and he crawled on the bed, straddling me and planting one of those kisses that should be illegal. My entire body melted into him.
When his lips left mine and trailed down the line of my neck, I tensed and he moved to my ear, taking my lobe in his mouth, sucking gently, before he whispered “I’m not going to bite you.”
The hushed timber of his voice lulled me, making my muscles feel like a mass of warm silly putty. Wherever his lips landed, a small bloom of heat spread and I sighed. Damian was a volatile mixture, but at this moment, he displayed gentleness and tenderness I didn’t think capable of a vampire. The way he teased with his hands and mouth drove me farther into the land of pleasure than I had experienced in my human life.
He took his sweet time with me; his slow progression south only heightened my anticipation. I couldn’t help my comparison of him to my ex and I think I even chuckled, because Damian paused, meeting my gaze and offering up a slow smile that promised so much more.
There was no comparison, perhaps it was Damian’s two thousand years worth of experience versus the self-centered bastard who sold me out. This was miles away from the “if you won’t fuck me, you better damn well suck me” attitude Mark had.
I could get used to this pampering.
Damian stopped at my belly button and tilted his head, sending a questioning stare in my direction, pulling my attention back to him.
“He really treated you like that?”
I blinked and raised an eyebrow. The idea that Damian heard my thoughts sent another wave of chills over me, hardening my nipples further. I didn’t speak, but I nodded, confirming his question.
Damian’s eyes flashed with a brutal anger and he took a deep breath, closing his eyes a moment before he leveled his gaze at me. “Let me show you how a goddess should be treated,” he said and continued his slow progression.
Did he just call me a goddess?
The sideways glance and sudden appearance of dimples confirmed that he could
read my mind just as easily as if I had spoken aloud. When his mouth dropped between my legs, all thought ceased and only the tendrils of erotic pleasure remained. Slow circles of his tongue caressed my clit and I voiced the thrill of it with a wordless purr.
He toyed with me, licking, stroking until I couldn’t catch my breath and a hot wave started in my toes, traveling with lightning speed.
“Oh…my…god!” I gasped as aftershocks wracked my form.
He slid his finger inside me and stopped. His eyebrows arched and his mouth dropped open just before his gaze shot to mine. “You’re a virgin?” his breathless question caught me off guard and I met his shocked stare.
Consuming heat still filled my form and I nodded, not understanding the shadow that passed over his face. He slowly pulled away from me; the absence of him cooling my fiery skin and slamming a layer of disappointment over my already raw nerves.
“Is…” I started and swallowed the question back. Mark hated that I was a virgin and he tried to undo that at every opportunity. I wondered if it would be the same with Damian. “Is that a bad thing?”
Damian laughed, settling over me, his jeans still on, but I could feel the hard outline of him against my crotch and for a second, I wanted to throw my virginity to the wind and give Damian exactly what Mark coveted.
Damian caught me with another kiss, tender and soft. When he pulled away, he studied my face, tracing his fingers over the skin and a set of small chills traversed my spine
“No, it isn’t a bad thing, besides, I wouldn’t dream of forcing you into anything you’re not ready for,” he said.
Blue eyes that held the secrets to this dark world stared at me. His heart pounded against mine and the feel of him on top of me was more natural than anything I imagined. He was right, there was so much I didn’t know about vampires and this was one facet I never believed existed.
Chapter Ten - Damian