Wicked After Dark: 20 Steamy Paranormal Tales of Dragons, Vampires, Werewolves, Shifters, Witches, Angels, Demons, Fey, and More
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“It was a mistake. I didn’t know she was here.”
“If you’re going to lie to me, you’re no good to me.” Joseph raised one hand above his head. Electrical currents enveloped his hand, his arm, his body, and Mia’s body as well.
“Wait!” the vampire shrieked. “I will tell you the truth. I will tell you who sent me to kill her. Just don’t destroy me. The woman,”—he looked a Mia—“has a price on her head.”
“The woman?”
“I apologize.” Trembling, the vampire bowed its head. “Your woman.”
“So, you came here to kill my mate for money?”
“No. I came to warn her.”
“What did I say about lying?” Joseph asked.
Mia blinked. The vampire appeared to shrink a few sizes. His entire body trembling, he took a clumsy step backwards. “Yes, I came here to kill your woman.” He paused for several seconds before he smiled as if he believed he’d figured out a way to get out of trouble. “But I didn’t know she belonged to you. If I had known, I wouldn’t have even considered it.”
“She’s not a piece of property. She’s my equal.” Joseph looked down at Mia and winked. The equal thing has to win me some points, right?
Only a few.
The vampire nodded way too enthusiastically. He looked pathetic. “Of course she is.”
Mia kept her gaze focused on Joseph as he turned his onto the vampire. Joseph was amazing. Ruthless. Powerful beyond belief. She knew he could easily kill the vampire. She knew he wanted to kill the vampire. But she also knew he was too smart to lose the opportunity to have the vampire spread the word that she was under his protection. “My power, my strength belongs to her. She has access to it at anytime.”
“I understand.”
“Do you wish to survive this encounter?” Joseph asked.
“Yes.” The vampire met his gaze. “Tell me what you require, and I will do it.”
“Get the word out. Make sure your fellow maggots understand that I’m her protector.”
“It’s done.”
“I will know if you fail. And I will destroy you without any hesitation if I ever catch you even looking at her wrong.”
“Of course you will.”
“Apologize to her and leave us alone.”
On hands and knees the vampire crawled to her and bowed his head at her feet. “Forgive me for intruding in your home.” He touched her feet. “It will never happen again. I will spread the word.”
“Yuck! Don’t touch me.” She kicked at him and then moved behind Joseph. “Make him leave.”
With a wave of Joseph’s hand the vampire disappeared.
~ Thirteen ~
“I CAN’T BELIEVE OUR luck.” She tried to stop it, but laughter burst out of her.
“What?”
“I will never forget the look on the vampire’s face when you were talking to him. I wish I could have the same affect on them. I guess I’m just not as scary looking. ”
Joseph slowly turned around to face Mia. “You’re not mad?” He looked worried.
Mia stared at him for a few seconds before she realized what he was worried about. It felt pretty damn wonderful to be Joseph Payne’s woman. It wasn’t an ownership thing. She was part of him. He was part of her. He was as much her man as she was his woman. She studied, savored the sight of his muscular, well-defined chest, knowing that it belonged to her. He belonged to her.
“At you?” She moistened her lip as her gaze leapt to his face. It was wonderful to feel cared for. Loved. Cherished above all else. How could she be mad at him? Why would she want to be mad? “Are you serious?”
He didn’t move. For a moment, he didn’t react in any way at all. In awe, she studied the hunger, the raw need burning in his eyes. He wanted her. He needed her. Finally, he nodded. “Yes.”
She took a step toward him. “Not at all. Well, at first, when I realized that you were preventing me from moving freely, I was mad as hell. But I get it. You weren’t bragging. You were showing me what you’re capable of doing. Ever since the day we met, you’ve been here for me. I understand you were never trying to turn me into something weak and helpless. You were showing me you have my back. You were showing you care about me. I don’t have your strength. I don’t have your power, but I have your back, too, Joseph.”
“For the most part, you’re right. But you’re wrong about one thing. You have every ounce of my strength and power. No matter where you are or what you’re doing, it’s available to you at any time.” He closed the distance between them and swept her up in his arms. “And it scares the hell out of me, but I’m honored to know you have my back, angel.”
“I need you, Joseph.” She wrapped her legs around his waist. “I need to be with you, to make love with you.”
“Not here.” He tipped his head back to look up at her. “There’s no way in hell I’m taking any chances of anything or anyone else interrupting us.”
“Where do you want to go?”
“I want to take you to my home.”
“The hotel?”
“No.”
She had no idea where his home was, but she didn’t care. She would go anywhere with him at that moment. “I don’t care where you take me.” She kissed his neck, his ear. “Just hurry up and get us there.”
He was kissing her as the weightless sensation of them shifting overtook her. When they regained physical form they were skin to skin, and he was still kissing her with such passion and hunger she was barely able to catch her breath. First she started to feel lightheaded, and then she panicked because she couldn’t catch her breath. She pushed at his chest and his shoulders, but he didn’t even seem to notice. He continued to kiss her with suffocating force.
In desperation or instinct, she reached for his mind, but she instantly withdrew from the darkness, the fury. Hitting him, shoving him, she tried to fight him off. It was no use. He growled, holding her in his iron-like grip, refusing to let her go.
His dragon. It suddenly dawned on her that this was what he’d feared. This was why he’d stopped whenever they were close to making love before. He’d lost control of his dragon. He was going to kill her. But why? No. She didn’t know how she knew it, but she knew he wasn’t killing her, not really; he was making her a part of him for all of time. And, considering she couldn’t imagine ever being separated from him, it was a good thing.
Sealing her fate, his fate, she stopped fighting him. She stopped fighting for air, for life. Moving closer, allowing her body to melt into his, she returned his kiss with passion to match his and gave herself to him fully. I love you, Joseph. I trust you with all my heart and soul. I’m not afraid. I want to be with you forever. I will go wherever you take me.
He continued to hold her in his arms, but his grip loosened a bit. His kiss slowly gentled until he broke it off and stared into her eyes. “Mia.”
He looked tortured by something. She believed it was guilt over whatever it was he was about to do to her. She knew he would never truly hurt her, but he obviously didn’t know it. He started to move as if to get up, but she wasn’t about to allow anything to stop him from making love to her.
She didn’t know where the strength or the speed came from, maybe her wolf, but she pushed him onto his back and climbed on top of him, straddling his waist.
He gripped her thighs.
She trembled when his hands moved from her hips to her inner thighs. “I love you, Mia.” His voice was a deep, harsh whisper. It sounded as if he was struggling to breathe. His eyes never left hers.
“I know. And I love you, Joseph.”
He reached behind her, grabbed her ass, and lifted her a few inches off his body. Then, putting one hand on her ass to keep her in place, he reached between her legs and pressed his free palm against her aching sex. Just the touch was enough to cause her legs to tremble and her knees to nearly buckle. Then he moved his fingers, rubbing and caressing her in a manner that felt so damn good. “You enjoy me touching you like this.”
“That’s it.” She felt his fingers slide inside her and stretch her just enough that she burned for more. She heard him groan his approval when she reached behind her and grabbed his cock.
Once it was in her hand she didn’t know what to do with it, but she wasn’t the type of woman to do nothing when she wasn’t sure what to do. She gripped him and began to move her hand up and then back down the length of him.
“Do you enjoy me touching you like this?” It was a miracle she could find her voice with his fingers caressing her, teasing her, making her insane wanting more. She couldn’t help but imagine the thickness and heat of his cock replacing his finger and sliding inside her.
“Very much so.” His voice sounded hoarse.
“You’re so big, so hard, and so hot.” She continued to move her hand over him. “I want to feel you deep inside.” She wasn’t sure it was possible, but she swore he hardened and swelled even more in her hand.
“Damn it.” He grabbed her arms and pulled her down over him. “You’re very naughty, Mia.” He was breathing heavily. Some people might even call it panting. “You’re far too good at making me absolutely insane, and I’m convinced you don’t even try.”
“I don’t understand. I thought you enjoyed me touching you.” Lucky for her their minds were merged deeply enough for her to understand his nearly explosive dilemma. “Oh.” She stretched out over him, rubbing her breasts, her way too wonderfully overly sensitive nipples, over his solid, muscular body to kiss his neck and chin. And then she slowly kissed her way to his ear and whispered, “Or did you call me naughty because I told you that you’re so big, so hard, and so hot … and that I look forward to feeling you deep inside my body?”
“No. Not naughty. Evil. You’re one hundred percent evil.” Grabbing a fistful of her hair, he kissed her rather roughly. “I will never lose sleep over the thought of you going to hell. Satan would never allow you inside. He would be too afraid to lose his dominion.”
“If seems odd for a demon to call a werewolf evil,” she whispered against his lips.
“I never said I didn’t like it.” Then using his great strength Joseph moved her so her legs straddled his head with her most intimate place directly over his mouth, before she could even think to protest. “That would be a lie.”
The pleasure was intense; it was overwhelming. Her breath burst out of her lungs in a violent gasp when she felt his hot, moist breath on her. The instant his mouth touched her, so much sensual pleasure assaulted her at once that every muscle in her body clenched to the point of pain. And then his mouth moved over her, suckled on her. She couldn’t stifle the cry that seemed torn from her soul. “Joseph!”
It was too much! She was shocked by the intensity of the wondrous sensations engulfing her body. She would’ve jumped off him if he hadn’t gripped her hips and held her to him to continue his ravenous feasting.
She felt strange. No, drunk. She felt dizzy with intoxication. And hot. Her skin burned, her muscles ached, and her head was spinning. His lips were driving her insane with the most unimaginable pleasure. And his tongue. Oh, God, his brilliant tongue licked, teased, and probed until she felt so much glorious pressure building that she thought she was going to die of the wicked delight.
Her hands found the headboard as her body of its own accord began to move back and forth, searching for the right rhythm, rocking her hips to bring her further into the ecstasy overtaking her. The most shocking, sensational pressure was growing. It was building in her core. His mouth and tongue were kindling such a marvelous firestorm of raw, erotic sensations. It couldn’t get any better, right? Wrong, for his hands were kneading her breasts and his fingers pinching, squeezing, pulling on her nipples. The carnal pleasure was more wickedly fantastic than any other. She knew she was going to burst into flames at any moment.
Just then, she felt something wild, something violent and uncontrollable rise up in her. Her gums ached. She ran her tongue over her teeth and was shocked. She had elongated canines. She knew it was her wolf, but she didn’t have long enough to consider it to fear what was happening. It hit her hard and fast. Every thought was centered on the delicious fire his wicked mouth and tongue were stoking between her legs. It was as if he’d tossed gasoline on the fire. Fully engulfed in the flames of the most mind-blowing pleasure, she cried out his name and dug her fingernails into the headboard as wave after magnificent wave of pleasure flooded her body.
As the waves subsided he lifted her and pulled her down his body. As if he understood she was in a state of blissful shock and needed a moment to recover, he wrapped his arms around her and held her over his thundering heart.
Once she regained the strength to lift her head, she looked up into his eyes. “Joseph.” No other words came to mind. She kissed him instead of trying to find the words to convey all she was feeling at that moment. It was the most amazing kiss they’d ever shared.
He poured all his love and lust for her into the kiss. Her entire body trembled, and tears of joy filled her eyes. He loved her, and he cherished her as if she were a precious treasure. He rolled over, taking her with him so she was on her back looking up into his eyes. “You’re precious, but you’re much more than a cherished treasure to me. You are a miracle. You’ve given me life, Mia. You are my life.”
Her hands slipped up his strong arms to his powerful shoulders. “And you’ve given me life.” She meant it literally. His power and his willingness to take her pain when she could no longer bear it had been sustaining her life. She would’ve died months ago without his love for her. “You are my life, my joy, and my strength. I’ve never felt like this, Joseph. I’ve never felt this much love from or for anyone.”
Reaching around his neck she pulled him closer to kiss him. “I love you, Joseph,” she whispered against his lips. “I love you with every ounce of my heart and my soul.”
“And I love you, Mia. With all that I have and all that I am, I love you for forever.” He took possession of her mouth. At first it was such a gentle, tender kiss, but it quickly became something more urgent and demanding. His hands began working their magic on her body again. He was touching her everywhere, setting her flesh ablaze once more.
She felt the peculiar ache in her gums again, but she was more focused on the broad head of his cock pressed against her aching core. Her nails digging into his shoulders, she wiggled and arched her body against his. His cock was incredibly hot against her ultra-sensitive skin. Her heart was pounding. Her head was spinning.
“Joseph!” She growled a warning, attempting to shove him off her when, as earlier, she felt something uncontrollable and flat-out vicious rise up in her. She feared for his safety.
“Surrender to it. Don’t fight it. It’s you, Mia. Your wolf. Your spirit. Embrace the heightened sensations it stirs in you. Let your spirit soar free with mine.” Then, getting her full attention, he pushed the swollen head of his cock just inside the entrance of her body.
“Your spirit is intense and passionate, but it’s nothing to fear,” he whispered hoarsely, between clenched teeth.
Fingernails biting into his back, she cried out in alarm against the burning pain of him pushing past her innocence. With her hands on his biceps, she felt his muscles tense as he shuddered with what she believed was the effort it took for him to hold back. “I want all of you, Joseph.” Though she’d never had sex before, she knew enough to expect some pain the first time, but she wasn’t afraid of it, of him. To encourage him, she ran her hands down his muscular back and lifted her hips as she pushed down on him, causing his erection to slide a little deeper into her body. She felt the burn of her body stretching to accommodate his width when he pushed forward even deeper.
“Wait.” When she lifted her hips again he made a sound that was something between a groan of pl
easure and a growl of frustration. “You’re so damn tight, Mia.” He fully gave himself to her in one sudden, unexpected thrust of his hips.
“You’re so hot, so tight.” His entire body trembling, he went completely still as he buried his face against her neck and struggled to catch his breath.
The burning subsiding, she turned her face toward him and closed her eyes as she breathed in his addicting masculine scent. He lifted his head and stared down at her. “Are you okay, Mia?”
“I think better than okay.” She reached around his neck, pulled him down to her, and kissed him. “Much better. And you?”
“Very afraid.” He rested his forehead on top of hers.
“Of what.”
“Moving.”
“That might be a serious problem,” she teased. “I’m not at all experienced in this, but I do believe some amount of movement is required in making love.”
“I am convinced there has never been and never will be a woman even slightly as wicked as you are.” Barely moving, his gaze never once leaving hers, he pumped his hips as if testing his limits. “One way or another I will find the strength to properly punish you and put you in your place.”
“I hope you do.” And she meant it. She began to lift her hips and move with him as a fire spread throughout her body and centered at her core. Her body was alive with his thick and hard cock moving inside her, stretching her and creating the most spectacular friction.
“Hope? Where is your faith in me?”
Nothing in her life had prepared her for the way it would feel to have him join his body with hers and share such intimate physical pleasures.
“Lift your legs, Mia. Wrap them around me.” Without hesitation she followed his instruction. “That’s it.” Enjoying his body and celebrating in the knowledge that he too was enjoying hers had to be a sin worthy of eternal damnation. It felt too damn good in so many ways to be anything less.