Tainted (Vastow Vampires Book 1)

by J Johnson

  A man that has been standing behind Zoe steps around her and gets in Jackson’s face.

  “The lady doesn’t want you here, so I suggest you leave.”

  “Fuck off.”, Jackson says.

  The man swings his arm, but Jackson ducks just in time. Smoothly, I might add, like he’s done it a million times, which I’m sure he has if he’s also in the family business. He swings back and connects with the man’s nose, sending him backwards into Zoe.

  “JACKSON!”, she yells. “What the fuck are you doing!”

  She tries to push Jackson towards the door, but he doesn’t budge. The bouncer appears at that moment and helps her. They finally get him out the door with me and Zoe right behind him. When we get out into the parking lot, I stay back a bit and let them have round two.

  “You are an asshole, Jackson! You tell me you don’t want to be in a serious relationship with me, then get jealous and act like an idiot when you see me with another guy. What the hell do you want from me?”

  “I want you to not be rubbing up against other men.”

  “No.”, she shakes her head profusely. “No. This is not how this is going to work. You go out at night, all hours, and don’t come back for days. I don’t know what you’re doing, and I don’t ask. Why? Because you made it clear you didn’t want to be with me like that. So, no. You either tell me we’re together, like really together, or you tell me we’re not. If not, then I do not have to answer to you. Ever.”

  The tingling feeling starts again, which makes me glance around. I’m betting I look like a crackhead.

  “I don’t want you fucking around with other guys. That includes having your ass in their crotch while dancing! It’s my ass!”

  Oh boy. He did not just say that.

  I watch as Zoe’s eyes widen, and her face turns a shade of red I’ve never seen before on a person. Her fists ball up at her sides and she tenses up. I’m not sure if I should step in to stop her or cheer her on. Before I have a chance to do either, she hits him right in the mouth. He grunts then grabs his face.

  “What the fuck was that for?”, he asks.

  “For being an ass. This ass.” She points at her backside. “This ass right here belongs to me. Not you or anyone else. This is fucking insane. You’re insane. I knew you were crazy, but I didn’t realize how crazy until now. How did you even know I was here?”

  He shrugs. “I followed you.”

  “That’s it. I’m done. We’re done.” She turns to me. “Let’s go.”

  “Not so fast.”, Jackson says as he grabs her arm. “We are not through talking.”

  “Oh yes, we are.”

  “Nope.”, he tells her then turns to me. “Hi. I’m Jackson. You must be Ashlyn. I’ve heard lots of things about you and I would love to get to know you better, but can you excuse us for just one minute?”

  “Uh… sure.”

  Zoe rolls her eyes but goes with him to a black jacked up truck and climbs in beside him. Now I’m alone in the parking lot. I debate going back inside but quickly throw that out the window. I don’t like bars to begin with. I glance over at Zane’s and shove that thought out of my head. I can’t go running to him. I don’t want to be with him anymore.

  Yeah right Ash. Keep trying to convince yourself of that.

  I start towards Zoe’s jeep when I feel him again. This time he’s close. Closer than he’s been in three months. I stop dead still and close my eyes.

  “Zane.”, I whisper.

  “You can feel me.”, he says. His voice is like music to my ears. I want to hear it again and again. “I tried to keep myself away from you, but I felt you the moment you pulled up. I couldn’t help myself. I had to see you.”

  I don’t dare turn around. I’m afraid if I do, everything I’ve tried to convince myself of the last three months will be forgotten. I’m afraid I’ll throw myself into his arms and it’ll be over. It took everything I had the last time to walk away from him.

  “You’ve been watching me this whole time.”, I whisper. “So, you have seen me.”

  “You know I’ve been watching you. How do you know that, Ashlyn?”

  “I can feel you when you’re near me.”

  “You shouldn’t be able to.”, he mumbles. “Maybe it’s because you’re gifted. You have better senses than most people. How have you been? Are you okay?”

  “I’m fine.”

  “Then why aren’t you looking at me? Why won’t you turn around?”

  I shake my head.

  Don’t turn around. Don’t turn around. Just keep walking. Start walking, Ash. Go.

  “Get the fuck away from her!”, Jackson yells suddenly.

  I hear a loud noise and whip around to see Jackson hit Zane in the face. Zane maneuvers to avoid being hit again, but he’s not using his vampire speed. I see Zoe out of the corner of my eye and realize that’s why. He can’t show himself in front of her.

  “Jackson, stop it!”, she yells. “Stop it!”

  “He’s a filthy…!” Jackson’s voice is interrupted by Zane’s fist. “You son of a bitch!”

  Zoe and I both try to get a handle on them, but our size difference is making it extremely hard. I push at Zane’s chest while Zoe pushes on Jackson’s until we finally get them away from each other.

  “Go.”, I tell her. “Go now. I’ll be fine. I’ll call a cab. Go take care of that. You obviously need to talk to him.” She glances at Zane, tears rolling down her face, then back at me. “I’m fine. I promise. Go.”

  She throws me her keys and shoves Jackson in his truck, then takes off. She almost can’t see over the steering wheel.

  “I’m sorry.”, he says. I hadn’t thought out what I was doing until now. My heartbeat speeds up as I realize I’m alone with him, something I didn’t want to happen. Or I did. I honestly can’t tell anymore. I close my eyes and try to prepare myself for what I’m about to do. When I open them again, I see glowing eyes staring back at me. Holy shit. “Ashlyn.”

  “Oh God.”, I blurt out. “I… Oh God.”

  “What’s wrong?”

  Just leave Ash. Get in the jeep and go home. Don’t talk to him. Don’t look at him. Go Ash! Move!

  I grab his face and kiss him. He opens up to me instantly and I sigh. The world fades away and the next thing I know, we’re in his bed. I don’t care that he used vampire speed to get us there. I don’t care that I can see his fangs peeking slightly through his lips. I don’t care that he could kill me with one hit.

  “Make love to me.”, I gasp as he kisses my neck. “Please, Zane. I need you to love me.”

  “I love you. I will always love you.”

  Eighteen

  ∞∞∞

  He rips my clothes off, and I mean that literally. They are laying on the floor in pieces. His fangs graze my skin gently and I moan completely forgetting that he’s supposed to be a dangerous supernatural being. He unzips his pants and slides them and his boxers down his legs in one movement. He’s inside me an instant later.

  “Mine.”, he growls against my neck. “You are mine. Say it, Ashlyn. Tell me your mine.”

  I moan at just knowing he wants me to be his and only his. We’ve been apart for so long that we both reach our breaking point quickly. My orgasm rips through every cell, every nerve, every part of my body. He pushes into me, exploding himself and grunts. When he’s finished, he lays his head on my chest gently, keeping most of his weight off me, and sighs.

  “You came back.”

  “I hadn’t planned on it. I was going to stay away from you. Never see you again. But Zoe begged me to go to the club with her. The moment I saw you, it was over. I wanted you.”

  “So, this is just a onetime thing?”, he asks as he rolls over to lie beside me.

  “No.”, I shake my head. “I’ve tried not to love you, not think about you. It’s not working. I’m tired of fighting it.”

  “Say you’re mine, Ashlyn. Tell me.”

  “I’m yours, Zane. I’ve been yours since the first time I walke
d into your office and I’ll be yours until I die.”

  He pulls me over on top of him and kisses me. “I love you.”

  “I love you too.”

  I can feel his cock getting hard again, so I position myself over him and slide him into me slowly. He closes his eyes and moans. My movements are slow and steady, driving him wild. He tries to move his hips to speed me up, but I shake my head at him.

  “No. Let me do it this time. I need to know that I have some control over you. Just relax.”, I murmur. “You have the most gorgeous body I’ve ever seen on any man.” I bend down and lick his nipple, extracting another moan from him. When I move to the other one, he reacts the same way. “I’m sorry it took me so long to figure it out.” I kiss his lips gently. “I’m sorry that I tried to fight it.” I kiss his jawline. “I want to be with you.” I nibble on his neck. “I want to have babies with you if we can.” More nibbling. I lift all the way up off his cock, almost pulling him out completely, before plunging back down on him. “I love you.”

  I do this to him repeatedly until he’s begging me to go faster. Begging me to let him lead. I know he can take over at any point, but he restrains himself somehow letting me continue my slow torture. Letting me know that I have some control.

  “I’m going to fucking explode, Ashlyn. Fucking hell. What are you doing to me? I need you. Please go faster.”

  “Not yet.”, I whisper in his ear, then nip it. “Just think. When you do finally explode, it will be that much more intense from the buildup.” I don’t know where my bravery has come from, but I feel powerful with him. Confident. Strong. Loved. Safe. He groans and his cock expands inside me. He’s close. I force myself to keep the steady rhythm I have going, even though I want to ride him hard and fast.

  “FUCK!”, he moans loudly. “I’m cumming baby. What the fuck…”

  I feel him explode inside me and it sends me over the edge. I grit my teeth, still forcing myself to keep the slow rhythm. When my orgasm hits me it’s like nothing I’ve ever felt before. My body tenses up and I almost stop altogether. He grabs my hips and helps me keep going, but he never speeds up. We’re both falling over the edge so hard, I’m afraid when we hit the ground we’ll die.

  “Fucking. Hell. Oh. Shit. Ahh… I can’t... I can’t stop cumming.”, he says in brief spurts. “What. The. Fuck. What are… you doing… to me… love?”

  I don’t know, but I feel it too. A connection that is so overwhelming, an explosion that is so intense, that I’m not sure we’re going to survive it.

  I wake up in the middle of the night and open my eyes. It’s dark. It’s quiet. I’m alone. My heart pounds in my chest again at the thought of being alone. Is he out hunting food? Is he hurting some bad guy?

  “I’m right here, love.”, he says a second later. He climbs in beside me and wraps me up in his arms. “I’m right here. I could hear your heart beating wildly from the other room.”

  “I thought you left.”

  “No. Never.”

  I close my eyes as exhaustion takes over again. My breathing slowly returns to normal as I drift back off.

  “I love you so much, Ashlyn. Please don’t leave me.”, I hear him whisper before the darkness takes hold.

  I wake up the next morning and glance around. Well, I think it’s the morning, but it’s so dark I can’t see. Why is it so dark? I get up and feel my way around trying to get to the window to open the curtains and stub my toe on the corner of the bed.

  “Fuck!”, I yell as I grab my injured foot and rub it.

  I start back towards the window and finally feel the curtains I was looking for.

  “Don’t open that.”, Zane says from the darkness.

  I jump and scream at the same time. He chuckles.

  “Fuck Zane! You scared the shit out of me.”, I say while holding my chest.

  He comes up behind me and wraps his arms around me.

  “If you open that, I’ll die, love.”

  “Oops.”

  He laughs at my response.

  “Where’s my clothes? I have to get ready for work.”, I ask him.

  “Well, if you remember correctly, I kind of shredded them last night.”, he says apologetically.

  “How am I supposed to leave? I can’t walk out naked.”

  “You could just stay here with me all day. I’m sure we can find something to do.”, he says as he kisses my neck.

  “I can’t. I have things to do today.”

  “You sure?”

  His mouth is doing wonderful things to me.

  “I can’t.”, I groan then reluctantly pull away. “Hey, when’s the last time you… you know… ate?”

  “A week ago.”, he shrugs. “I’m fine. I’ll go grab something later.”

  It’s nice how he makes it sound like he’s going out to grab a burger or something.

  “Uh, hell no you won’t.” He turns and looks at me with amusement. “It’s not funny. I told you already that I don’t like that. I don’t want you taking from other people like that.”

  “Really? And why is that?”, he asks. I’m quiet for a few moments as he walks towards me slowly. “Tell me why, love. Tell me.”, he whispers as he gets closer.

  “I told you already. It’s like you’re stealing from them and it’s not nice.”

  “That’s not the only reason. Is it?”

  “I don’t want you to. You’re mine and I don’t like sharing.”

  He grins and picks me up, crushing me to him.

  “Damn, I love you.”, he laughs.

  His eyes begin to glow that same stunning white color. I’m mesmerized by them.

  “Why do your eyes glow sometimes?”, I ask.

  “They only glow when I’m around you. It’s part of the mate thing.”, he responds as he picks me up again. “Wrap your legs around me.”

  “Zane, we don’t have time…”, I start. He’s shaking his head. “Just do what I say. That’s not what we’re doing. Just trust me. I want to show you something.”

  I wrap my legs around him, and he carries me to the bed and sits down so I’m straddling him. We’re both naked and it’s taking all I have not to impale myself on his cock. He must think the same thing because the next thing I know, that’s exactly what happens.

  “Damnit Zane. I said we don’t have time for this.”, I say as I moan again and start moving. He chuckles and holds me still.

  “Just be still and trust me.”, he says, his eyes still glowing. “And hold on to me.”

  I wrap my arms around his neck and nod, barely able to concentrate on anything other than fucking him. He brushes my hair aside and kisses my neck lightly, sending a shiver down my spine. Without warning, he pierces my skin with his fangs, sending a jolt through my body.

  Instantly an orgasm erupts through me, so intense I feel like I’m going to shatter into a million pieces. I hear a scream somewhere far off, then realize it’s coming from me. I’ve never felt anything like it. With every suck of my neck, it prolongs my climax until I start convulsing. He holds me tighter against him and slowly extracts his fangs. His seed fills me up, sending me straight over the edge. I fall against him exhausted and I haven’t actually done anything.

  “Love? You want to shower?”, he mumbles in my ear.

  I nod because talking takes too much energy. He chuckles then lifts me up, still inside me and carries me to the bathroom. After making sure the water temperature is perfect, he steps inside under the hot spray.

  He mumbles sweet things as he still holds me. My legs are still wrapped around him, his cock still inside me. I feel it harden with each word he says, each stroke of my hair or back.

  “I can’t.”, I murmur against his neck. “Too sensitive.”

  He backs me into the wall and forces me to look at him. His eyes are still glowing.

  “You do this to me. It’s one of my body’s ways to recognize you as my Aroha.”

  My eyes widen in horror as the story of how we bond comes to mind.

  “We… we
uh… did we just…”, I stammer.

  He shakes his head. “No. I need to feed from you and be inside you while cumming for that to work. I stopped feeding before I filled you with my seed.” His voice grows deeper, huskier by the second. His cock swells more, filling me to the max. “I need you again. I’ll always need you.”

  My day is going by smoothly so far. I’ve closed a few cases and put an abusive mother in jail. She’ll be going to rehab first thing in the morning for the much-needed help. I only have two other cases open and right now they’re at a standstill.

  By the time four o’clock rolls around I’m so eager to get back to Zane I can hardly stand it. One more hour of this place and I can see him. I love my job, but right now all I can think of is him until my phone rings.

  “Hey Jordan. What’s up?”, I ask.

  “Ash, you need to get to the hospital. It’s Zoe.”, he says out of breath. “She’s been in an accident.”

  I hang up the phone without asking questions and race out the door. Five minutes later I’m in the ER asking the nurse where my friend is. She points me in the direction I need to go, and I’m running before she can finish talking. When I see Jordan, I head straight for him.

  “What happened?”

  “She left to go grab some lunch for us and a few minutes later I got a call that she was here. I don’t know what happened. All I know is that she was in an accident. They’re checking her out now.”, he says as he runs his hand through his hair.

  “Is she awake?”

  “No.”, he shakes his head. “She’s unconscious. They told me to wait out here until they were done and that’s when I called you.”

  We sit in some chairs up against the wall and wait for what feels like hours.

  “Are you both with Zoe Gilbert?”, a doctor asks, sending me straight to my feet.

  “Yes. Is she okay?”, I ask him as I try to fight back tears.

  “She has some internal injuries, a broken leg, a broken arm and a few broken ribs. She’s cut and scraped up good, but she will be fine. We have her sedated for the pain. We’re fixing to take her back. It’ll be about an hour or so before we’re done, but she will be okay. She’s a lucky girl. I’ve seen far worse. I’ll update you as soon as we’re finished.”