by L. Rosario
The moment didn't last long.
He turned the knob and stepped into the pitch black room. Christ, wasn't there a window? Carefully, he picked his way inside until the bed bumped his shins. Part of him was a little freaked out about being in a dark room with a vampire, but he needed answers about the bite she'd given him, and he doubted she'd actually harm him.
"Sera?” The sound of his voice echoed around the room, but he heard nothing in response. Feeling his way along the side of the bed, he reached out and encountered the unmistakable hump of a female hip. So, she was sleeping the day away. He'd just have to wait until she woke up. He turned to make his way back to the living room, but the nausea from earlier rolled in his stomach and stopped him in his tracks.
Maybe it would be best to lie down?
He stripped out of his shoes, jeans, and tee and then decided to just leave them where they fell. The room was too damn dark to attempt to move around in. Fighting down another wave of nausea, he stretched out on top of the blanket Sera was snuggled under and prayed vampires didn't wake up too hungry to think straight.
Chapter Ten
Very little could disturb a vampire's slumber, but the sound of a steady heartbeat and the warmth of mortal flesh certainly did the trick. Sera's fang dug into her bottom lip as her senses reached out toward the warm body at her side. In addition to the steady beat of a heart, she smelled the musky fragrance of male skin. She moaned quietly and shifted closer, keeping her eyes shut just in case it was all a dream.
Sliding her hand forward, she touched the warm solid mass of a bicep, then kept moving until her fingers were splayed out over a bare chest. Beneath her palm, the heartbeat continued to thump regularly. It was still early in the day, the feeling of sluggishness told her that much, but that didn't mean she wasn't waking up hungry. She scooted even closer and finally opened her eyes. Her gasp sounded loud in the quiet room.
Valentino? What was he doing here?
Seeing him only intensified her hunger. The taste of his blood still lingered in her mouth and her memory, and the hardest thing in the world she'd ever done was roll away from him and get out of bed. She needed a drink fast, or he'd wake up to the feel of her teeth in his neck. Immune to the complete darkness of the room, she located her robe, shrugged into it, and headed for the door. An unexpected pile of clothing tripped her, stalling her just long enough to give Valentino enough time to stir.
"Hey,” he called out.
Sera gripped the door knob and looked over her shoulder. Oh God. He'd removed all of his clothing except a pair of navy boxer briefs, and the sight of him stretched out on top of her red toile sheets was too much. He shifted onto his elbows and narrowed his gaze. She knew he couldn't really see her in the dark.
"Where are you running to?"
Sera swallowed, hoping to alleviate some of her hunger. It didn't work. Her fangs throbbed, her tongue worked the roof of her mouth, and her veins cried for fresh blood. “I need to get something to drink.” She didn't offer anything more as she ripped the door open and fled the room.
Once in the safety of her kitchen, she unsealed a fresh bag of blood and filled a mug. Valentino appeared, looking a little rumpled and way too sexy, just as the microwave dinged. Sera tried to ignore him as she snatched the hot mug out. She burned her lip with the first sip and swore softly. After blowing on the contents for a few moments, she drank almost half without stopping. All the while, Valentino watched her.
"Can you shut the drapes in the living room?” she asked, without looking at him. She wasn't technically supposed to be awake, and her apartment was annoyingly flooded with sunlight. Already her eyes burned.
Valentino glanced over his shoulder, then nodded and did as she asked. Sera took the opportunity to stare as he strolled away. The boxer briefs cupped his backside and accentuated the muscles in his thighs. Hell, even his spine was sexy.
Great, now she was hungry and horny. She tore her gaze from Valentino's glorious body and drank more blood. Why wasn't this working? A mug full should more than take the edge off her hunger, but it wasn't. Her fangs hit the rim as she tossed back the last drop then headed to the fridge for more. She'd feel like a glutton if she drank another bag, but Valentino wouldn't know the difference.
"Is it safe for you to be awake?” He inquired from across the room. Without being asked, he came back into the kitchen and shut the curtain over the sink. Propped against the counter, with his arms over his chest, he watched her prepare a second mug of blood. “Do you always drink this much?"
She ignored the second question. “As long as I avoid the windows and the lovely sun, I'll be fine.” Sera slammed the microwave door and hit the numbers. Damn, her hand was shaking. She glanced toward Valentino, and his expression left little doubt that he had noticed the state she was in. Did he realize he was to blame? “Why are you here?” She shook her head. “How are you here?"
"I did a bit of investigative work.” He flashed a triumphant smile that nearly knocked her over. “It would have been easier if I knew your full name and what you do for a living."
Sera watched the green numbers on the microwave. Why were they going so slow? She began to tap her nails on the counter. “Seraphina Scala, and I work at the library downtown."
Valentino chuckled. “Yeah, aside from the full name, I knew the part about the library."
She jerked her gaze up. “How?” The microwave finished, but she ignored it and waited for Valentino's answer.
He shrugged and lowered his arms to brace his hands on the counter. Doing so pulled her attention to the perfection of his chest. He didn't seem to realize the display he was putting on. Though why would he? He was paid to display his body. “A friend of yours spent the evening with a friend of mine, and he told me where she worked. I figured if you didn't actually work with her, she'd at least tell me how to find you."
Sera glanced at the clock on top of the fridge, then back toward Valentino. “Becca doesn't work this early, and I don't believe for a second Mr. Henry gave out any information."
"Is he the old troll behind the desk?"
The description was dead on. Sera laughed and finally took her mug out of the microwave. The first sip wasn't so painful this time. “Yeah, that would be my boss."
"Friendly guy.” Valentino's tone said otherwise. “You're right though, he didn't help at all. But Jennifer did."
Sera hid her irritation behind her mug. No doubt Jennifer had only helped after exacting some price from Valentino. One didn't need to be a genius to figure out what, either.
"She told me where you lived, and here I am.” He spread his arms as if to say, come and get me.
Sera lowered her mug and cradled it in both hands. “And what do you owe her now? Or should I say, how many nights?” The jealous edge in her tone bothered her, but she was still too hungry to focus on tempering her mood.
"Does it matter?"
Did it? Should it? Sera took another drink instead of answering.
Valentino sighed and crossed his arms again. “Look, it doesn't matter what I had to agree to, to get Jennifer to help me, what matters is that I'm here and I need to ask you some questions."
"I'm listening."
Valentino cocked his head to the side, drawing attention to the angry mark on his neck. “Is it supposed to look like this?"
Sera stepped closer and stared at the puckered flesh. “I have no idea.” It was nasty looking though. Maybe she'd been too violent?
"What do you mean, you don't know?” He glared at her from behind some roguish strands of sable hair. “I doubt I'm the first person you've fed off of."
"Maybe you are,” Sera mumbled on her way out of the kitchen. She headed back into the dark sanctuary of her room, her mug still clutched in her hand. Maybe Valentino would take a hint and leave? She didn't want him here, looking good enough to eat, nor did she want to talk about being a vampire. Yes, the bite she'd given him looked spooky, but she'd never heard of any mortal dying from one little bite. It too
k more than that. Didn't it?
Wonderful. Now she was hungry, horny and scared that her bite might actually harm Valentino. Was it too late to pretend she'd never woken up?
* * * *
Valentino was too stunned to move for several moments, but eventually he shoved away from the counter and followed Sera. He stepped into her room just as she was settling into the center of the bed. He left the door open to allow some light to filter in. She sipped her blood and completely ignored him. Despite the cold shoulder act, she looked damn cute wrapped in her big terrycloth robe with her hands wrapped around the mug that read “My ex-boyfriend is a vampire."
The irony wasn't lost on him.
"How long have you been a vampire?"
She answered without looking up. “Three centuries, give or take a decade or two."
Jesus, she was over three hundred years old? It took a moment to digest that. “How can I be your first?"
She lifted her cup and her gaze. “Synthetic blood is a wonderful invention."
Valentino frowned. “That couldn't have been around three hundred years ago.” How would Dr. Reynolds feel if he discovered he hadn't cornered the market on engineered blood?
"No, it wasn't around until just a few years ago. In the beginning I fed off of animals."
Valentino tried not to flinch, but he failed, and Sera dropped her gaze again. Cautiously, he approached the bed, aware of her watching him through her lashes. “I thought vampires had to feed off of humans?” She stiffened, and he regretted the question. “But I could be wrong."
She looked up and shook her hair off her forehead. “We don't have to, but those of us who choose not to are considered outcasts."
The pain in her voice drew him closer to the bed. He wanted to snuggle up next to her and hold her. He wanted to offer comfort, instead of sex, but he sensed she might refuse. He stayed where he was, feeling helpless and more than a little out of his element. “Outcasts from what? Do you have like a coven or something?” He'd seen movies and read books, after all.
With a resolved sigh, she reached across the bed to put her empty mug on the little nightstand. “You aren't going to stop with the questions, are you?"
He shook his head and took a seat on the bed. He didn't miss the way her gaze roamed over his body. Yeah, he wanted her, too. “I'm sorry if my curiosity bothers you, but you're the first vampire I've met."
"You can't know that for certain. I'm just the first one to bite you."
Okay, he'd concede that point. He directed her gaze toward his neck with a gesture. “So, why does it look this bad, and why did I feel like shit when I woke up this morning?"
"I really don't know, Valentino.” Regret oozed from her reply and her gaze as she swung her eyes to meet his. “I'm sorry.” She licked her lips and lowered her attention to his neck again.
It was hard to misinterpret the look on her face. “Are you still hungry, Sera?” Lord, was he offering to feed her?
She nodded without meeting his gaze and licked her lips again. Each pass of her tongue might as well have been over his dick. He shifted to alleviate the weight of his erection. “I'm not so sure another bite is a good idea."
Her focus flew to his face. “Then maybe you shouldn't make the offer,” she bit out. He'd never seen her angry, and the glow in her eyes was mesmerizing.
"I didn't."
With an enraged snarl, she crawled off the bed and stood glaring down at him. He decided not to tell her that her robe was gaping open. “Just being here, in my room, looking like that,” she waved at him and shook her head, “is a damn invitation to bite you."
"Sorry."
"Ugh!” She whipped around and headed back out the door. This time he caught her before she could escape. She spun around in his arms and fisted her hands against his chest. “Let me go!"
"Calm down, Sera."
She lifted her burning eyes to his face and her nostrils flared. “Calm down? I can't calm down, for your information. In fact, telling me to calm down is like telling a grizzly about to attack that you don't mean it any harm."
"You aren't a wild animal.” Though she sort of looked like one, with her eyes blazing and her jaw clenching and unclenching. The hint of fang peeking over her bottom lip didn't help either. Maybe he should go?
"No, Valentino,” she said in a surprisingly calm tone, “I'm not a wild animal.” She spread her hands open over his chest and pushed him toward the bed. He went a little too willingly, his body still eager and rock hard to have her naked and shrieking his name. “I'm a monster."
One good shove and he was flat on his back, and she was crawling over him. He barely had time to grip her hips before she encircled his throat with her cool hands and lowered her face close to his.
"You have no idea what I'm capable of,” she warned.
He knew she expected a spark of fear to show in his eyes, but damnit, he'd never been so turned on in his life. “So show me."
Her lids drifted over her icy eyes, and she curled her lips back enough to flash more than just the tips of her fangs. He probably needed therapy for thinking she looked sexy.
She swept her tongue over her pointy teeth, then across her bottom lip. “I've never done this."
"Done what?” Valentino had to force the words out over the loud cadence of his breathing.
"I've never pinned a mortal down to feed from them.” Her gaze locked on his neck.
"You like it, don't you? You like having me at your mercy. I can tell by the look in your eyes.” Maybe it was dangerous to taunt her, but if she didn't bite him soon, he'd beg for it.
She dragged in a deep breath of air and tightened her hands around his throat. “I don't want to do this,” she ground out. “I want you to get the hell out of here, so I'm not forced to do this."
"No one is forcing you, and I want it."
Something snapped. It was hard to say if it was in her eyes, or in her entire body, but he felt a change come over her. Her fingers flexed at his neck and her thighs tightened around his waist. At some point, the robe had come completely undone. Maybe when she'd crawled on top of him? It gaped to reveal her breasts and flat belly, and he had to curl his fingers into her hips to resist fondling her.
"What's it gonna be, baby?” he prompted. “Are you gonna bite me, or should I just flip you onto your back and fuck you?"
Chapter Eleven
Sera's whole body shuddered with the force of her groan. Valentino certainly knew right where to hit a girl. She stared down at him, trying to ignore the pulse of his tendons under her fingers. Easier said than done. Every time he swallowed, his skin pulled against her fingers, making her fangs ache. What would be the harm in biting him? She'd done it once and they'd both survived.
Her gaze strayed to the mark just barely visible above her hand. Why did it look so angry?
"Plan on answering in the near future?” His voice pulled her attention to his face.
He grinned, and she wanted to growl at him. “I do not want to bite you.” It was true. Sort of. Her fangs certainly wanted to sink into his skin, and her veins all but wept for his blood, but her conscience did not want to do it. Acting like a monster had never been her gig.
"How ‘bout option number two?” The grin turned down right naughty.
Sera's body melted in a pool of lust, and she stretched out on top of Valentino to seal her lips over his. He kissed her long and hard while his fingers dug into her hip bones. Between her legs, his erection strained against the flimsy confines of his underwear to tease her exposed sex. The smell of her arousal was sharp in the air.
Breathing harder than ever, she pulled back from his kiss to look him in the eyes. “What is it about you?” she whispered. His questioning gaze made her elaborate. “Why do you have this effect on me?"
His hands slid from her hips to cup her bottom. He squeezed her through the thick robe. “You're just lucky, I guess."
She doubted luck had anything at all to do with it, but she let the matter go.
"Take your robe off, baby."
Again, her body pulsed in response to his smooth voice, and she was helpless not to obey. Sitting back up on his lap, she shrugged the robe off and left it pooled over his thighs. Very aware of his wandering gaze, she held still and tried not to let her anxieties get the better of her.
Constantine had enjoyed looking at her in the beginning, but then his gaze had turned ugly and disinterested. She'd never survive seeing the same change come over Valentino. Not that she cared to analyze why that was.
She looked away from his face to focus on the safety of her closet door.
Valentino cupped her breasts and shoved them together. His low sound of approval captured her attention, and he winked when she caught his eye. “Come here.” He urged her forward with the grip he had on her until she hovered over his mouth. He bit her left nipple without so much as a warning lick, and Sera squeaked at the pleasure. “Too bad I don't have fangs,” he murmured, before taking another bite.
"They get in the way,” Sera forced out. God, she wanted to press down and rub against the hard line of Valentino's teeth. She wanted to bleed. She wanted him to have fangs as well. The thought made her groan, and she squeezed her eyes shut and dug her hands into the bedding near Valentino's shoulders. He continued to pull at her sensitized nipple, and just when she thought she'd climax as a result of the fixed attention, he moved to the other one.
The first nip of his teeth caused another squeak. She sucked air through her clenched teeth and considered begging him to stop. The words never came.
He stopped his biting and licked her for a few moments before taking his mouth away altogether. “Let me get naked."
Oh man ... were there four more beautiful words in the English language?
Sera scooted off Valentino's lap, still a little uneasy that she was allowing this to happen. Constantine had warned her about losing control again. Was it possible not to with Valentino? He removed his boxer briefs by lifting his hips off the bed, then he looked her way as he dropped them over the side. Naked and glorious, he held out his hand to her.