To Die For

by Trista Ann Michaels

  Amy stood and smiled. “If I need you, I’ll just pull out my cell phone.”

  Stacy giggled. “I know exactly how you feel. I swear this place is so big it should have two separate zip codes.”

  Vincent frowned. “It’s not that big.”

  Amy gave a very unladylike snort. “To quote you from earlier, you’re kidding, right? I need a map to get around this monstrosity.”

  Vincent’s mouth spread into a devilish grin. “Jason has some printed. If you like, I can actually get you one.”

  Amy shook her head and waved her hand at him in dismissal. “Good night, you two.”

  Vincent’s chuckle followed her down the hall. “Sleep tight, sweetheart.”

  * * * *

  Amy strolled into the bedroom Stacy had indicated and sighed as she plopped onto the bed. The mattress was soft and billowy; down was what she believed Vincent had said they were. She’d never be able to sleep on her own mattress again once she got used to this one.

  Her eyes closed instantly. She was so tired she didn’t even take the time to undress, just let herself fall into a deep sleep. She instantly found herself back in her apartment the night Kaelen was injured. She relived their encounter with such vivid clarity. Every touch, every look, every kiss, every wild, erratic beat of her heart as Kaelen made her feel a passion she’d only imagined she could feel.

  They were right where they’d left off. Right where Kaelen had pulled her back on the bed when she’d tried to get away; right where they’d originally been interrupted; right where she hoped Kaelen would finish what he’d started.

  Amy watched in stunned silence as his head dipped. He was going to kiss her again, and God help her, despite the fear of losing her life, despite her anger, she couldn’t fight against this. She realized with growing anguish that she actually wanted him to kiss her.

  One hand gripped her chin and neck, holding her still as his mouth devoured hers in a kiss that left her breathless. It was wild and raw, dominating and so damn sexy. He’d had centuries to perfect his kiss, and he’d definitely perfected it. Her lips parted as she slid her tongue into his mouth and returned his kiss. The grip on her chin loosened, and his hand slid to the back of her neck to settle in her hair.

  Amy could hardly think clearly. This was where someone had broken in; he’d never kissed her. Right? Or maybe… Kaelen settled his weight over her, and she moaned as his chest pressed into her breasts. What had she been thinking? She had no idea. She couldn’t get past the way his body felt against hers. If real life was anything like this dream, Lord help her.

  It was so real, his touch so warm, his kiss so wicked. Dreams were distorted, jumping from one image to another, never making sense. She’d never experienced a dream like this.

  One of his thighs slid between hers, spreading them, and she moaned into his mouth. She bent her knees, allowing him to settle against her aching mound. Could he feel how hot she was there? Her hips lifted against him, and he growled into her mouth. The sexy sound vibrated her nipples, and she arched her back, pressing them more firmly into his chest.

  Her hand slid between them and into the opening of his shirt. She just had to touch him. She couldn’t stop herself. His flesh felt smooth and warm as her fingers moved over the taut muscles. Warm? Shouldn’t vampires be cold? Oh, but he was far from cold. He was so hot he scorched her.

  Kaelen lowered his hand to her ass, lifting her to meet his grinding thrusts against her mound. Her pussy clenched in need as he moved his thick cock against it in enticing circles that made her whole body shiver.

  “You make me crazy,” he growled against her mouth. “Why the hell do you make me so fucking crazy?”

  He sucked her lower lip between her teeth and bit down softly. He let it go with a soft pop, and she moaned, shocked at how much she liked his wickedly rough side.

  “What is it about you that makes me forget how much I hate humans?” he whispered as though she would have the answers.

  She didn’t even know herself what was going on. All she knew was this man, this vampire, this creature of the night was making her feel things no other man had. And she didn’t want him to stop.

  She could feel herself tensing as her hips lifted higher, fitting herself tighter against him as he continued to move and grind. She wanted to rip their clothes off, force his cock into her so badly she wanted to scream. Unfortunately, she could do nothing but moan and groan into Kaelen’s mouth as his lips continued to wreak havoc on her sanity.

  God, she was going to come, and he hadn’t really done anything yet. This was crazy and wild and so hot. She’d never met a man who could do this to her, not one who could get her this turned on or this desperate.

  Just as she was about to fall over the edge, Kaelen’s lips left hers and moved to the side of her neck. Soft, teasing kisses made her relax as her womb tensed, then pleasurable sensations exploded throughout her limbs. Her hips bucked wildly as her release screamed through her at an ever-increasing pace. At the height of her orgasm, Kaelen sank his teeth into her flesh. He gently sucked as the pain morphed to a blinding pleasure.

  It didn’t last long. The second she realized what he was doing, she tensed and tried to shove him away. Kaelen lifted off her throat and grasped her wrists, pinning them over her head.

  “Relax,” he growled, then licked away a small drop of blood that clung to his lower lip. “I’m not going to kill you.” He let one of her wrists go. “Touch it.”

  She frowned up at him warily, still slightly weak and groggy from that amazing orgasm. And he hadn’t even entered her yet. She lowered a shaky hand to the side of her neck and felt for the bleeding holes, but there weren’t any. She pulled her hand away, staring at it in confusion. There was a little blood on her fingertip but no cuts on her neck, no pain, no nothing. She’d felt him bite her. He’d had blood on his lip.

  “I don’t understand,” she whispered as she gazed up at him in confusion.

  He kept his eyes glued to hers as he lifted her wrist to his mouth. She tensed but watched silently as he sank his teeth into her wrist. The bite of pain caused her to hiss, but as he sucked, the pain ebbed, and pleasure took its place. Her mouth opened in surprise at the pleasure snaking up her arm. Before she could comment on it or enjoy it further, his teeth retracted, and he licked over the puncture holes, closing them.

  Amy stared at her arm in shock. He’d healed them instantly. “How did you do that?”

  “We can talk about that later. Right now, I have other things on my mind.”

  Amy watched in paralyzed silence as he pulled his shirt over his head. His chest was wide and smooth, his pecs firm and flexing wickedly as he tossed the shirt aside. There was no scar. Where was it?

  “I didn’t think you liked humans,” she murmured.

  “I don’t,” he growled.

  She should tell him to stop. She should tell him to go away, that he wasn’t good for her. Unfortunately, her mind wouldn’t work. Neither would her tongue. All she could think about was touching him, running her hands over every inch of his smooth, hard chest.

  “But for some reason I can’t seem to fathom, I can’t get you out of my head,” he snarled, his lip curling just a little. “Literally or figuratively.”

  Amy frowned. What the hell did he mean by that?

  “I think for now, though…” His hands moved to his pants, and she swallowed as he unzipped them, exposing his long, thick cock to her curious gaze. “It’s probably best to just go with it.”

  What had he said?

  He moved off the bed so his slacks would slide off and pool at his feet. He kicked his shoes off and stepped out of the slacks, leaving them forgotten on the floor.

  Her shaking fingers moved immediately to her skirt and began to push it off her hips, but Kaelen’s eyes narrowed on her, making her freeze. “Don’t,” he growled.

  “What?” she whispered, confused.

  “I’ll do it.”

  “Oh,” she sighed as a tingle of excitement
traveled along her limbs.

  Chapter Three

  Kaelen stared at Amy, trying to keep himself from just jumping on her and slamming into her pussy. The way she’d exploded beneath him only seconds ago had shocked him. What had shocked him more, though, was his own raging lust. She was human. A species he’d avoided for centuries unless to feed.

  He now found himself desiring her more than he could remember desiring anyone. Ever. He tried not to look at it too closely. Just the fact that he was here, in her head, in her dream, confused the hell out of him. This shouldn’t be happening with her. She was human. Despite that major flaw, he couldn’t keep his hands off her.

  His cock twitched as her gaze lowered to take him in. He reached down with his hand to squeeze his rod, trying to calm himself down. Damned if the way she was looking at him didn’t make his lust worse.

  He wasn’t sure she’d figured out yet that this was all a dream. The second she’d fallen asleep, his mind had connected with hers, putting them back in her apartment so they could finish what they’d started. When she woke up, she may or may not realize what had happened.

  The fact that he’d been able to connect with her like this at all had told him what he’d been refusing to accept before now. The reason he couldn’t get her out of his head was because she belonged to him. She was meant for him.

  His inward struggle with that bit of insanity would have to wait. Right now, his body, his throbbing cock, and his need to consume her ruled everything.

  He tried to reason with himself even as he stared down into that beautiful, flushed face. Just because he could connect with her didn’t mean he had to turn her. That didn’t mean he had to accept any of this at all. He could use her physically for a while, get her out of his system, then move on, leaving her to age and die just like all other mortals.

  Thinking of her aging and dying made his gut tense. She deserved better than a hardened vampire who would only endanger her life, even if he were to turn her. Pushing thoughts of his questionable future aside, he put one knee on the bed and reached forward.

  He slid his hands under her ass and grabbed the waistband of her thong. He tugged it slowly over her raised hips, keeping his eyes on hers the whole time he slid it off.

  He moved to his knees, settling at her feet. Grasping her ankles, he pushed her feet back, forcing her to bend her knees. Her skirt bunched around her waist, exposing her pussy to his gaze. Cream glistened on her clean-shaven labia. He wanted to taste that cream, to feel her come against his mouth.

  Pain stabbed at his chest, and he winced at the intensity. He was using too much of his strength to hold on to this connection. It was weakening him. He should’ve known better than to do this. He should’ve waited until he was fully recovered and done it in person, not in her mind where she would think it was a dream, but he’d found himself here even before he’d realized what was happening. And once he was here, he couldn’t get out.

  He lifted his eyes and found her watching him with concern.

  “Kaelen?” she asked.

  Another sharp pain sliced through his chest, and he gasped, bending at the waist. “Son of a bitch,” he growled. “I’m sorry, Amy.”

  Amy woke with a jerk and glanced around the darkened bedroom. Her body still hummed from the wicked arousal of her dream, and she quickly looked down at herself to make sure she was still clothed. With a sigh, she realized she was and let herself fall back to the mattress. It had to have been a dream, but it had felt so real.

  Had it only been in her mind, truly?

  She sighed and sat up. Her feet hit the floor, and she stood. Should she check on Kaelen? Was he hurting, or had it just been in her dream? She bit at her lip with indecision. If he was hurting, she needed to know. Vincent would need to know so he could help him. For whatever sick reason, she couldn’t bring herself not to worry about him.

  He could’ve left her at home for the other vampire to finish off. He didn’t have to insist she come along so she would be safe. If killing her wasn’t his intent, then what was it? What did he want from her?

  She turned the knob to his bedroom door and quietly slipped inside. Bright moonlight shone through the windows, lighting the bed where he lay silently. The sheet was bunched around his waist, and his brow was covered in a bead of sweat. Moonlight glistened on it, and she had a sudden urge to walk over and wipe it away.

  Blood soaked the bandage on his chest, and she frowned, concerned at the amount that continued to seep through the covering. Why was he bleeding again? When vampires took a blow that close to the heart, it took a while to heal. Was that what was wrong? The silver had also complicated things, according to Vincent.

  Deciding to do something for him, she began to cross the room when the door behind her opened. She jumped and found herself staring at Vincent’s surprised face. “What are you doing in here?”

  “I thought I heard him stirring,” she lied, unsure if she wanted to tell him the truth.

  Vincent went past her to the bed and scowled at the bandage. “What the hell did you do?” he demanded at Kaelen. “Didn’t I tell you not to get out of bed until that thing healed?”

  Kaelen growled. “Don’t yell so loud.”

  Amy blinked in surprise at their exchange. She had assumed Kaelen had been asleep. Apparently, he was awake. Or at the very least, he was awake now.

  “I’m not yelling,” Vincent snarled. “But I may yet. You’ve set yourself back at least a day.”

  “Is it that bad?”

  “No, you’ve just reopened the damn thing.” Vincent bent forward and grasped the bandage. “This is gonna hurt, Kaelen, but it’s no less than your stubborn ass deserves.”

  Giving it a tug, he ripped it from Kaelen’s flesh harshly. Kaelen gasped, then let out a string of Romanian words that made Amy’s eyes widen in surprise. He sounded angry, and she’d bet at least half those words were words that would make a navy man blush.

  Despite her anger toward the handsome vampire, she winced at how much that must’ve hurt. “Vincent,” Amy chastised.

  “Damn it, Vincent. Take it easy. What the hell are you trying to do? Skin me?”

  “I’m trying to get through to that thick head of yours. When I say stay in bed, it means exactly that. Stay in bed.”

  “I did stay in bed,” Kaelen growled, but Amy didn’t miss the fatigue lacing his voice.

  “Amy said she heard you stirring.”

  “I didn’t get out of bed, Vincent,” Kaelen replied tiredly as he sent Vincent a pointed look Amy wasn’t quite sure she understood. For that matter, she didn’t understand the two of them, either. They growled at each other, snapped at each other, yet Kaelen had asked for him when he needed help the most.

  “Then what were you…” Vincent turned and stared at Amy. He sighed as though he’d finally figured it out, then turned back to the table next to Kaelen’s bed and grabbed another bandage. “Amy, you should probably go back to bed. Kaelen will be fine.”

  Amy nodded without another word and left the room. She really didn’t want to be a part of that conversation anyway, nor did she want to explain to Kaelen why she’d been there, and she most definitely didn’t want to hear Kaelen say he’d been seducing her in her dreams. To hear him actually say it would make it way more real than she wanted to deal with right now.

  Kaelen watched her go and swallowed. She knew. Why else would she have been in his room? And for that matter, what the hell was she doing here? Vincent had told him earlier he’d brought him to England, but he’d never said a word about Amy being here. She’d been so close, it was no wonder his mental connection to her had been so strong. He’d initially thought she was still at home and had been shocked to see her standing in his room, watching him warily.

  After a dream that vivid, he had no doubt she knew. Unfortunately now so did Vincent. With a quiet sigh, he braced himself for the rant. He didn’t have to wait long.

  “What the hell are you doing, Kaelen? Were you in her head? Is that why you�
�ve had a setback without even getting out of bed?”

  Kaelen closed his eyes. “Don’t start with me, Vincent.”

  “Not only do I plan to start, I plan to finish it. I told you once already, she’s off-limits. I don’t care if you can get into her mind.”

  Kaelen rolled his eyes. “It’s my life and none of your—”

  “Don’t even go there with me, Kaelen. Need I remind you that you came to me for help? I had to come halfway around the world and drag your ass back, toting Amy to boot. Don’t you dare tell me to stay out of your life. I have your life in my hands, and that girl is my soul mate’s best friend. I’ll be damned if I’ll sit back and allow you to screw her up.”

  “I’m not going to—”

  “I’m not finished,” Vincent growled as he placed the clean bandage on Kaelen’s still-seeping wound and pressed down hard. Kaelen growled low in his chest at the pain that, at the moment, he felt he deserved.

  “That girl has no idea what it means that you can get into her head, but I do. Do you really plan on making her your mate? Turning her so she can spend eternity with you?”

  “I don’t know, Vincent,” Kaelen said with a sigh. “For God’s sake, I’ve hated humans my whole life, and now I find myself mentally connected to one. Can I at least have a fucking day to try and figure this shit out before you take my damn head off?”

  “I have the perfect solution for you. Leave her alone.”

  “How can I know if I leave her alone?” Kaelen argued.

  “You already know, Kaelen. If you can get into her head, then you know.”

  “I was shocked that I found myself there,” Kaelen murmured, growing tired from the additional loss of blood. “I was sleeping. Then the next thing I know, I’m with her.”

  Vincent sighed and studied him silently as he continued to clean him up. He remained silent as he attached another bag of blood to the IV in his arm. Kaelen knew Vincent meant well. He cared for Amy and didn’t want to see her hurt, but if she became his mate, there would be a good chance she would be.