House of Shadows

by Morgan Hawke

  “Say yes, Rowan.” Concentration hardened his stark features and his eyes gleamed a vibrant copper tinged with molten gold. His lips were full, wine-red and moist. He licked them. “Right now.”

  As though in a dream, she lifted her hands and cupped his face. “Yes.”

  He fell to his elbows with a heavy sigh. His mouth captured hers in a searing, possessive kiss and his arm slid under her to lift her against his fevered body. She felt his hand between their bodies, then the bold firmness of his heated flesh seeking the entrance to her moist warmth. He flexed, his back and hips arching, and pressed within.

  She arched up into his possession and gloved him in the snug, damp heat of her eager body. They both groaned and his breath stole hers. Her heels hooked over his thighs and she shuddered, her heart pounding against his in their tight embrace.

  He flexed above her, pulling back and thrusting with a groan that vibrated through her, then again, and again, taking her with slow deliberation. She writhed under him, her nails digging into his back. His pace quickened with her urging.

  Climax built swiftly in a murderous upsurge of pleasure. She felt her body tremble on the excruciating edge, then felt an echoing shimmer that felt like less like orgasm and more like magic. Confused, she resisted, holding herself back from the fall into ecstasy.

  “You are about to come,” he said in her ear in a voice thick with passion. “Let it go, I’ll catch you.”

  She gasped with wavering resistance. “I can’t.”

  “You can.” He thrust, hard.

  Rowan fell over the blazing edge, shattering in an explosion of rapture, and screamed.

  Rick gasped. “Oh, shit…” Abruptly, he climaxed with a moaning cry, flexing within and filling her body with his essence.

  Magic sparked and blazed in a wildfire of stunning power. A second wave of glittering delight rampaged through them both. They shouted in unison and shuddered violently, tight in each other’s embrace, inundated with stunning glory. A blazing ring of violet light flared to brilliance around the bed. The wave of pleasure passed and they collapsed, in panting repletion. The brilliant light died down to a soft glow, but remained a vivid violet.

  Rowan opened her eyes and sighed. Tiny tremors wracked her limbs, but her violent appetite for sex seemed to have been satisfied. Rick was a limp, heavy weight across her damp chest. Well this is the first time my body is content with only one orgasm…Gods, but what an orgasm.

  Rick rolled onto his back, with a gasping sigh then glanced to the side. “Hey, the circle is active.”

  Rowan frowned, staring at the violet glow. “It’s the wrong color…”

  He turned to her, his eyes blazing violet like a black light. “Rowan, your eyes…” There was shock in Rick’s voice. “Your eyes are glowing the same color as the barrier,” he said softly.

  Rowan swallowed. “So are yours.”

  He frowned. “What the Hell just happened?”

  “I think, our magic somehow, combined.”

  “What?”

  “That’s what it looks like to me.” Rowan shrugged and bit her lip. “Your magic is normally red, my personal power is blue. Blue and red make purple or violet. It makes sense if you think about it.”

  Rick rolled his glowing eyes and gave her a lop-sided grin. “Is this gonna happen every time?”

  “Uh…” Rowan raised her brows. I suppose this is where I tell him I’m not going to do this again…

  Rick frowned. “Don’t give me that.”

  “Give you what?”

  “The look that says we won’t be doing this again.”

  Rowan frowned. “What? Are you telepathic, too?”

  He ignored the question and rolled on top of her. “I got news for you, that was the best damn orgasm I’ve had in a long time.” His smile was grim and feral. “Purple glow or no purple glow, you’re stuck with me now.”

  Rowan bared her teeth. “No still means no, Fang Boy.”

  He kissed the top of her head. “You already said yes. You can’t take it back now.”

  Rowan opened her mouth to argue and he covered it with his, filling her mouth with his tongue in a possessive kiss. He moved against her. He was still hard, leaving no doubt as to his intentions. Her body warmed with languid interest and she moaned into his mouth.

  He abruptly released her lips. “See?” He grinned. “You still want me.”

  “You are a raging pain in my ass,” she said succinctly.

  He grinned. “Honey, if you really want kinky, I can be kinky…” He dropped his head to kiss her breast, then captured a nipple.

  His lips kindled a curl of warmth and she felt her nipples stir, rising to points. Better stop this now before my body decides to take this further than I want to go…Again. She grabbed a handful of black hair and yanked his head up. “Can we get up now?”

  He sighed dramatically. “I suppose…” He rolled off of her and sat up, gloriously nude. She watched him reach for the remote control for the lights. They came up to full brightness in a matter of moments.

  Rowan blinked in the brightness. “Oh, my gods…” she squeaked. Smears of bright scarlet stained her thighs and darkened the red sheets below her.

  “What?” Rick turned around on the bed to look at her.

  “It’s blood.” Rowan swallowed. “A lot of blood.”

  Rick bit his lip. “I was going to tell you about that…”

  “What did you do to me?”

  “It’s not you, it’s um, my ah…” He gave her an uncomfortable look. “It’s my cum.”

  “Your what?” Her words ended with an embarrassed squeak. She swallowed, completely unable to tear her eyes from the darkened smears.

  He shrugged. “I’m a vampire, remember? So, my uh, semen is blood-based.”

  “Blood-based?”

  “Well yeah.” He rolled his eyes. “Vampires reproduce by infecting others, not by um, making them pregnant.”

  “I figured that.” She frowned. “But, I thought it was a matter of drinking it from you, as in: from your veins?”

  Rick’s cheeks became amazingly pink. “Let’s just say that there are short-cuts to the process.” He held up a hand. “Don’t ask any more questions because that’s all I’m going to say about it.” He looked away then slid off the bed completely nude.

  “Is this why your sheets are red, to hide the blood?”

  “Yeah,” he said off-handedly.

  Rowan bit her lip. All of a sudden she wanted to take the question back. She didn’t want to think about how many women might have lain on these sheets before her. I have no right to be jealous; sex does not mean ‘relationship’. She flinched inwardly. What the Hell am I thinking? I do not want a relationship with an immortal being…

  He stepped past the softly glowing violet ring of the barrier before Rowan could call him back. She blinked. He hadn’t even noticed it. “Well, that’s odd,” she said softly.

  “What now?” he called over his shoulder while rummaging in the drawers of one of his dressers.

  Rowan sat up and pulled the sides of the shirt closed. “You shouldn’t have been able to cross that barrier.” He turned to look at her. Her eyes fell to his upwardly curving shaft that rose from a nest of dark curls. A small throb of sexual hunger churned in her belly. She swallowed. Oops, I guess my body is not completely satisfied…

  Frowning, he strode back toward the bed with a red shirt thrown over his shoulder and a pair of jeans in his hands. He crossed the barrier and shrugged. “I don’t feel a thing.” He tossed the clothes on the end of the bed and held out his hands. “Come on.”

  “Where are we going?” She took his hands and he hauled her off the bed. She stood and she was forced to hang onto his arm. Her legs felt too weak to support her. I will not look down…

  Rick’s brows shot up. “Having problems walking?”

  Rowan glared at him, but continued to hold his arm while her knees shook.

  He grinned shamelessly. “It was that good, huh?”r />
  Rowan shot him a withering look. “Yeah, it was that good. Feel better now?”

  “Hell, yeah.” His grin broadened to show the points of his fangs. He abruptly leaned over and scooped her into his arms like a child.

  She threw her arms around his neck in surprise. “Hey, where are you taking me?”

  “To shower.” He strode for the bathroom.

  She leaned back to look in his face. “I can shower by myself, you know.”

  He shoved the bathroom door open with his foot, then quirked a brow at her. “It’ll be more fun this way.”

  “I can imagine,” she said dryly. Her thoughts drifted shamelessly downward…

  He stopped by the glass shower stall. “Oh, can you?” He grinned and shifted her in his arms until he held her, belly to belly. Her legs dangled and he cupped her ass in his palms. Slowly, he let her slide down his body. Her feet landed on the fluffy bathmat on the floor.

  Still wrapped in his arms, Rowan caught herself peeking at his still-erect shaft. “Haven’t you had enough?”

  “Of you?” He rubbed suggestively against her belly then dropped a quick kiss on her forehead. “Never. And from your hard nipples, neither have you.” He stepped away and pulled a pair of fluffy towels from the cabinet then set them on the sink’s counter.

  Embarrassed, she crossed her arms over her chest. “Why don’t you let me take a shower while you go get my suitcases from the car, so I can change into clean clothes after?”

  He turned to grin at her. “What if I like you naked?”

  Rowan raised a brow. “Around Klaus?”

  Rick grimaced. “Good point.”

  Rowan smiled sweetly. “The car keys are in my red velvet shoulder bag under the foot of the bed.”

  His fingers closed on her shoulders. “I don’t want to leave you alone.”

  Rowan made a face. “I’m safer from him than you are, remember?”

  “Don’t remind me…”

  “Lucky for you it’s daytime, so Klaus should be holed up in a dark corner somewhere.” She patted his hand. “Go fetch my suitcases like a good little vampire while I clean up, then you can take me to breakfast.”

  “Got a better idea…” Rick pulled the glass shower door open and turned on the shower. “It’ll be faster if we shower together. I’ll make mine quick, then leave you to finish while I get your stuff.” Steam fogged the glass. “

  “That’s okay, I’ll wait while you shower.”

  “Chicken?”

  Rowan crossed her arms. Yes… She gave him a stern look. “I have work to do. House-cleaning, remember?”

  He rolled his eyes. “There you go, reminding me again.” He slanted a narrowed glance at her. “I don’t think we’re going to be able to drive him out of the house while the sun is still up, so technically we have until sunset.”

  “Take your shower, will you?” Rowan stomped her foot. “I’m all sticky and I want to get cleaned up.”

  “Fine, whatever…” The shower door closed. “Coward.” Water splashed on the inside of the glass and the sweet scent of shampoo filled the moist, humid air.

  Rowan sighed in relief. That was close. It wouldn’t take much to wake my sex drive again... A bit more magic and I would have pinned him against the shower wall.

  Long minutes passed before Rick slid the door open and reached for the towel Rowan held out for him. She darted into the shower and firmly closed the glass door in his face. She stood under the pounding water and promptly moaned with the delicious warmth.

  “Hey…” The door slid open a few inches. “Don’t get started on anything interesting without me.”

  Rowan flung water at him. “Go get my clothes!”

  The door thumped closed. “Yes, oh mistress,” Rick intoned in a deep voice.

  Rowan heard the bathroom door open then close. “Gods, that man.” She sighed, then cringed. Oh Goddess, I just fucked a vampire...

  - Ten -

  Thirst

  Rowan stepped out of the shower more wrung out than when she went in. Exhaustion must be catching up with me… She grabbed for a nearby towel. At least my libido seems to be back under some control.

  Wrapped in a huge towel, Rowan stepped out of the bathroom. With delight, she saw that her suitcases were sitting at the foot of the bed unopened. Rick was sitting on the bed in a scarlet T-shirt and black jeans, reading a newspaper. The loose pages were scattered all over the bed. Rowan blinked and walked closer. A vampire that reads the Wall Street Journal? She shook her head.

  Rick looked up from his paper. “I was beginning to think that you planned on staying in there.” He folded up the newspaper with a crunching rustle, and then laid it to one side.

  “I thought about it.” Rowan grinned wryly. “Thanks for getting my suitcases.”

  “That reminds me, what the Hell have you got in that one?” he gestured toward the larger of the two. “It was heavy even for me. I don’t know how you got it in your car.”

  Rowan frowned. “It’s not that heavy, but it does have a bunch of my magic books in it.” She felt a smile creep onto her face. “Maybe they just don’t like you.”

  He frowned ferociously. “Bullshit.”

  Rowan shrugged and grabbed the handle of the larger suitcase. She lifted it from the floor using both hands and groaned. “You’re right, it is a little heavy.”

  His mouth fell open. “How the Hell did you do that? I know I’m a hell of a lot stronger than you and I think it’s heavy.”

  Rowan set the case down. “Oh, that’s right… I forgot! Witchcraft.” She bit back a smug smile. “I have an anti-theft spell on it. It’s supposed to make the suitcase too heavy to lift.”

  “You forgot,” he said with heavy sarcasm.

  “Actually, yeah.” She knelt and opened the smaller of the two. Gripping the towel around her with one hand, she dug out a fresh pair of black jeans and a black T-shirt emblazoned with ‘Don’t make me get my winged monkeys’ in broad, white letters.

  “I put the spell on the suitcase ages ago.” She shrugged. “I’m so used to it that I don’t feel it anymore.” She tossed clean underwear and fresh socks on the pile, then gathered her stuff in one hand and stood up to see Rick watching her with interest.

  “Red satin panties and a matching bra, I like it.” He flopped on his stomach across the bed and propped up his chin with both hands.

  She frowned. “Do you mind?”

  “What?” He smiled and fluttered his lashes.

  She growled and headed for the bathroom.

  “Where do you think you’re going?” The bathroom door shut with a hard slam.

  “Did you do that?” She turned to glare at the smug vampire.

  He raised a brow. “And if I did?”

  “What? Are you telekinetic or something?”

  “Actually, yes, somewhat.” His smile was sharp, and pointed. “I guess I forgot.” He shrugged. “It kinda comes and goes. It seems to be working pretty good today.” He raised a brow. “I must be eating right.”

  Rowan firmly decided to let that last comment pass. “I was going to dress in the bathroom.”

  “Oh, give it a break, will you?” He rolled his eyes. “I’ve seen everything already. Dress here, I can feel Klaus moving around in the house.”

  “Whatever…” Rowan bit out in defeat and tossed the clothes on the bed. Fuming, she grabbed her underwear then turned her back to him. She tucked the towel as securely as she could then balanced with her butt against the mattress. Balancing precariously, she struggled into her panties. She felt the bed shift.

  Rick chuckled directly behind her. “Here, let me give you a hand with that.”

  Rowan’s head jerked up sharply only to feel the towel grabbed and tugged off. “Hey!”

  “I suggest you quit worrying about me and hurry,” his voice was soft. “Klaus is coming down.”

  “Shit,” she hissed. She jerked the bra on, fastened it in the front, then turned toward the bed, reaching for her T-shirt. Rick was
leaning over the side with the shirt dangling from his fingers. His grinning mouth was barely an inch away. She snatched it from his hand and tugged over her head.

  He held out her jeans, but his eyes were on the vault door. “Hurry.”

  Rowan stepped into her black jeans and tucked her shirt in quickly. She felt the shimmer of unearthly power. She buttoned and zipped as fast as she could, then turned, barefoot with her socks in hand. A pool of shadow was coalescing by the door.

  Klaus formed in the corner of the room by the closed vault door, frowning and staring directly at Rowan. “I will ask you not drive me from this house, ved’ma.” He folded his hands into his tattered robe and sniffed.

  “What?” Rowan glanced at an equally surprised Rick.

  “Look Klaus, I’d like to keep you as a guest...” Rick threw a bewildered shrug at Rowan and slid off the bed. “But I can’t have you, um... Feeding on me.”

  Klaus looked away. “I do not need so much. A glass will do.”

  Rick tilted his head to the side. “Only a glass?”

  Rowan’s mouth fell open and she looked wide-eyed, at Rick. “You can’t be serious?”

  Rick grabbed Rowan’s arm and leveled a sharp look down at her. What now? She raised her brows in question.

  Be still! Rick’s voice was as clear as a shout.

  She flinched then realized that though she had heard him, his lips had not moved. He’s telepathic, too? Rowan thought to herself in alarm. Shit, what’s next?

  Rick nodded at her. Yeah, I’m telepathic with anyone I drink from. He shrugged. It’s a vampire thing.

  Rowan felt the hair on her neck stand up. How telepathic and is this permanent? Mother of Heaven, she did not want him poking around in her mind.

  You have to actually form a sentence clearly and kinda shout it at me, for me to hear it. He smiled grimly. But then you tend to shout mentally anyway. I can normally pick up the drift but not always the exact phrase when you’re pissed—even without the blood sharing.

  Terrific, she thought back at him with a sour smile. Just what I always wanted, a man that knows my mind. She frowned. Wait a minute, are you saying that I’m normally loud enough for you to hear?