Gaping at her new surroundings, she tightened her hold on Aidan. Excitement filled her. Elation, too.
Tilting her head back, she grinned up at him. “That is so cool!”
His face brightened with a grin. “I’m glad you like it.”
“Can we do it again?” she asked, as eager as a child wanting another piggyback ride.
He chuckled. “Maybe later, when I’m at full strength.”
A man entered the room from the adjoining kitchen. “Glad to see you all survived the battle.” He glared at Aidan. “Next time you can damned well take me, too. My job is to protect Ethan and Heather. I can’t do that if you leave my ass behind.”
Aidan nodded. “My apologies, Ed. Time was short and I was low on energy.”
He nodded. “I’m guessing that wasn’t all you were low on.”
Dana dropped her gaze to the dark bags he carried. The excitement tingling in her belly sank like a stone. “Is that blood?”
Ed glanced over at her, seeming to notice her for the first time. Dismay flashed across his handsome features. “Oh, shit.” He tucked the blood bags behind his back. His gaze flew to Aidan. “I was so worried about Ethan and Heather that I forgot…”
Beside her, Aidan loosed a long sigh.
She glanced up at him. “It is blood, isn’t it?”
“Yes.”
She tried to school her face into an expressionless mask so he wouldn’t see her disgust. “And you drink it?” Gross. “Immortals drink blood like vampires?”
“No. We don’t drink it,” he corrected. “Our fangs behave like needles and siphon the blood directly into our veins.”
“Oh.” That was less gross. “I thought you said you didn’t need blood.” She had asked him as much before they fell asleep earlier.
“I lied,” he admitted.
“Because you didn’t want to scare me?” she guessed.
“And because you were the only source available to me at the time.”
Dana opted to forgive him the lie. She didn’t know what she would’ve done if he had told her yes, he needed blood and would like to partake of some of hers. “Does blood loss weaken you?”
“Yes.”
From the corner of her eye, she saw the others share an uneasy look and understood better why he had not revealed all this sooner. By answering her honestly, he had just revealed a vulnerability that could be used against every immortal in this room, not just himself.
But if blood loss left him weaker…
She frowned. “You weren’t at full strength when you fought the vampires?”
“I was strong enough.”
“But you weren’t at full strength,” she pressed.
A muscled jumped in his jaw. “No.”
The knowledge chilled her. He could have lost his life, simply because he hadn’t wanted to frighten her by taking her blood.
She motioned to Ed. “Give him the blood.” She looked up at Aidan. “And you do whatever you have to do to restore your strength.” And stay alive. She didn’t want to lose him.
He shook his head. “I’ll do it later.”
“Do it now,” she insisted. “You want me to know everything, don’t you? You want me to see it all?”
Clamping his teeth together, he nodded.
“Then show me.”
Without another word, Aidan set her bag down and crossed to Ed.
Ed brought his hands out from behind his back and offered Aidan one of the blood bags. “Sorry, man. I wasn’t thinking.”
“No worries,” Aidan murmured.
While Dana watched, Aidan parted his lips. Just as they had at her place, two long fangs descended.
His eyes on hers, Aidan raised the bag and pressed his fangs into the plastic. Almost immediately, the bag began to lose its fullness, sinking in on itself as the blood it contained found its way into Aidan’s veins.
When the bag was empty, he handed it to Ed.
Ed gave him a second bag.
Dana looked at Ethan and Heather, both of whom watched her warily. “You, too.”
The couple joined Aidan and sank their teeth into bags of blood Ed handed them.
After two battles—the first with Roland, then the second with vampires—Aidan must have been dangerously low on blood, because he consumed more bags than the others.
No. Not consumed. Infused himself with?
Dana wasn’t sure. But the unease that painted every expression save her own gradually began to amuse her. “You all look like you’re waiting for me to faint or something.”
Aidan handed Ed an empty bag. “You Tasered Roland. You’re not the fainting type.”
Ed laughed. “Everyone is going to love you for that one.”
“Why?” she asked. “Is Roland a bad guy?”
“Nah.” Ed chuckled. “He’s not a bad guy. He’s just not a very likable guy.”
“I sure as hell don’t like him,” she muttered. The man had tried to kill Aidan.
Aidan laughed, his fangs retreating and leaving straight white teeth that bore no bloodstains. “Let’s go ahead and get settled, shall we?” he suggested, picking up her bag. “Ed, did you call Brodie?”
He nodded. “He’ll be here any minute.”
“Good.”
Heather started down a hallway. “You can stay in one of our guest rooms.” She stopped beside an open door. “This one is the largest.”
Dana peered inside. She had feared they would end up sleeping in a cold dark basement like the vampires in movies did. But this bedroom was on the ground floor and large enough to encompass most of the first floor of Dana’s duplex. Beautifully decorated, it reminded her of something she might find in a high-end hotel and had windows with curtains and everything.
“Is this okay?” Heather asked them. “We have another one if you’d prefer it.”
“This is fine,” Aidan assured her, following Dana inside.
Heather smiled. “Good. Just let us know if you need anything.”
“Thank you, Heather. We will.” Aidan closed the door.
Dana looked at the king-sized bed, the bedside tables, the plush chairs and large-screen television, and realized this was where her vision had shown her they would make love.
Warmth unexpectedly unfurled inside her as she recalled the feel of Aidan’s mouth on her breast.
Turning, she found him studying her.
He tilted his head to one side. “Tonight? Or ever?”
She raised her eyebrows. “What?”
His lips turned up in a faint smile. “I thought you were going to tell me you’re not having sex with me, like you did on our first date.”
Smiling, she motioned to the bed. “You recognize this place?”
He nodded, his eyes acquiring an amber glow. “This is where we made love in your vision.”
Her pulse picked up. “So it is.” What the hell was wrong with her? She had just had the scare of a lifetime—two actually—but suddenly could think of nothing but the feel of Aidan’s hands on her, tugging her shirt over her head so he could touch bare skin, teasing her nipples and tantalizing her with his tongue.
Heat flashed through her.
“Shall I tell Heather we’d like another room?” he asked.
Dana shook her head.
He took a step toward her. “Do you want me to sleep on the floor?”
Again she wagged her head from side to side, staggered by the desire that suddenly coursed through her.
Aidan slowly approached her. “What do you want?” he asked softly.
“Honestly?”
“Honestly.”
“I want you,” she stated boldly. “Naked. I want to feel your bare body against mine.”
His eyes brightened with amber light. “Dana,” he whispered, his voice deepening as he drew close enough to touch.
“I think,” she said breathlessly as she tilted her head back to look up at him, “that I’m doing that thing where—after narrowly escaping death—you feel a sudden, driving
need to reaffirm life.”
He settled his hands on her hips and squeezed as though he wanted desperately to let those hands go exploring and was barely keeping them in check. “Don’t tempt me, sweetheart.”
Easing forward, she leaned her body into his. “I’ll tempt you and more,” she promised, sucking in a breath when he slid his large hands around and down to cup her ass.
Both moaned when she rose onto her toes and arched against the hard length behind his fly.
“I don’t want you to do anything you’ll regret tomorrow,” he said, though his body was clearly more than eager to play with hers.
“I don’t care about tomorrow.” Reaching up, she cradled his face in her hands. “I thought you were going to die tonight, Aidan. Twice, I thought you were going to die. And we both died in my vision.”
“Dana—”
“I don’t care about our differences. I don’t care that you’re immortal and I’m mortal. I care about you. When I awoke from that vision… The grief I felt in the seconds before I realized you hadn’t died, that you were still sleeping beside me, made that abundantly clear to me.” She drew her thumbs across his beard stubble, enjoying the prickly feel of it. “I care about you,” she whispered, pressing a kiss to his lips. “I’m falling in love with you.” She tasted his warm, soft lips again. “I want you.”
Groaning, he lowered his head and claimed her lips in a long, deep, pulse-spiking kiss. Heat seared her as his tongue slid inside to dance with her own. Every tantalizing stroke made her body burn.
She moved her hips. He was so hard for her. And it felt so good to rub against him while he did such wicked things with his tongue. Never had a kiss aroused her so thoroughly.
Still cupping her ass with one hand, he slipped the other beneath the hem of her button-down shirt and smoothed it up her side to palm her breast. Her breath caught as he drew a thumb across the taut peak. She hadn’t taken the time to don a bra earlier, so only the soft, thin material of her tank top separated them as he teased her, toyed with her, then delivered a sharp pinch.
Lightning shot through her.
Dana buried her fingers in his hair. Sliding one leg up his, she hooked her knee over his hip and opened herself to him. A low growl of approval rumbled in his chest as he ground his erection against her core. So good. She wanted more.
Without warning, Aidan lifted her and spun in a blur to press her up against the nearest wall. Dana gasped, wrapping her legs around his waist and holding on tight.
His lips left hers, trailing a fiery path down her neck. “I’m sorry,” he whispered. “Did I scare you?”
He had moved preternaturally fast, but…
“No.” She moaned as he began to rock against her. “Don’t stop.”
His hands grew more aggressive, his rough touch increasing the pleasure while his thrusts continued to build the pressure, making her frantic for more. She gave his hair a tug.
Another rumble of approval.
She stroked his back, loving the heavy muscles that moved and flexed as he drove her wild. She gripped his tight, muscled ass and urged him on. “Why aren’t we naked?” she complained on another moan. If they were naked he would already be inside her, driving into her with deep powerful thrusts and assuaging this burning need.
A sound of protest escaped her when he released her breast. He fumbled with the tiny buttons on the front of her shirt. “Why did you have to go and put more clothes on?” he grumbled, his voice raspy with arousal.
She laughed.
He sent her a boyish smile, holding her up with his hips while he worked the buttons with his fingers. When he looked down again, he froze. “Shite. I forgot.”
“Forgot what?” she asked, squirming against him and delighting in every dart of pleasure it inspired.
Aidan abandoned her buttons. Wrapping his arms around her, he stepped back. “Let go for a moment,” he murmured.
Frowning, she lowered her feet to the floor.
Cool air rushed between them when he released her and moved away. But it didn’t dim her desire in the least.
Dana looked up at him in confusion. “Aidan?”
He held up an index finger as he backed away. “Hold that thought.”
A breeze whipped her as he darted into the bathroom at preternatural speeds.
Swaying drunkenly, she stared after him as he closed the door behind him. Her thoughts scattered. Her body hummed with desire.
A thunk sounded, followed by a squeak. Water splashed.
What was he doing in there?
The bathroom door opened.
Dana’s eyes widened. Her already pounding heart went into overtime, slamming against her ribs as Aidan strode out, naked save for a white towel wrapped around his hips.
“Holy crap,” she whispered.
He was beautiful. His body rippled with muscle as he prowled toward her as smoothly as a lion. His eyes still glowed. A sensual smile tilted his lips.
“I’m sorry,” he said as he stopped before her. “I forgot I was covered in blood.”
Blinking, Dana glanced down. Red splotches marred her shirt where the blood that hadn’t dried on his clothes had rubbed off on hers. “Oh.”
Taking her chin in one hand, he produced a damp white washcloth and gently drew it across her cheek and down her neck. “I didn’t mean to sully you.”
Dana ogled his bare shoulders and chest, wanting badly to tell him to just drop the towel and take her. “Do you, um…?” What were they talking about? “Do you want me to shower?”
If he did, she was damned well going to drag him in there with her, because she couldn’t wait that long for him to touch her again.
He shook his head. “The rest is just on your shirt.” Tossing the cloth into the bathroom, he eyed her speculatively. “How angry would you be if I tore your clothes in my haste to remove them?”
She nodded to the plush white cloth wrapped around his hips. “Depends on how fast you ditch the towel.”
Grinning, he dropped the towel.
Dana sucked in a breath. Aidan was perfect. Broad, muscled shoulders. Well-developed pecs. Washboard abs. She had never been with a man who had such a superbly sculpted body. Her gaze dropped to the erection jutting toward her.
And all of him was perfect.
She felt a tug on her shirt. Something clickety-clacked on the floor like a string of pearls falling. Glancing down, she gaped.
In less than a heartbeat, without even moving her, Aidan had stripped her bare except for her shoes.
Looking up, she met his brilliant amber eyes and breathed one word. “Finally.” As quickly as she could, she toed off her shoes, then bent to remove her socks.
Aidan backed away toward the bed, his hands curling into fists. “You’re beautiful,” he said, his voice rough with need as his heated gaze roved her like a pair of hands.
How did he do that? How could he sharpen her arousal with just a look?
“You’re beautiful,” she said, closing the distance between them. At the last minute, she veered around him and knelt on the mattress. Turning to face him, she moved back in invitation.
The mattress dipped beneath his weight as Aidan knelt before her on the bed.
She stilled, her pulse fluttering wildly at the heat in those glowing eyes.
Cupping her shoulder, he slid his hand down to clasp her breast. Her breath caught as he teased the tight peak with thumb and fingers, tweaking the sensitive bud.
Her body went liquid.
Aidan curled his arm around her and drew her up against him, trapping his erection between them. He lowered his lips to her other breast, drew the hard pink nipple into his mouth and stroked it with his tongue.
Burying her fingers in his hair, she moaned. “That feels so good.”
Leaning into her, he urged her back against the pillows.
Dana shifted her legs restlessly as he transferred his attention to her other breast, laving and sucking and nipping. The ache within her grew, rapidly becoming
unbearable. She wanted him to lower his body to hers, wanted to feel all of that delicious weight pressing down on her as he plunged inside. But Aidan had other ideas.
Abandoning her breasts, he kissed a path down her stomach, dipped his tongue in her navel, then moved on.
Excitement built.
His warm breath brushed her clit just before he lowered his head and delivered a long, slow lick. A throaty sound of desire, unlike any she had ever made before, escaped her as she fisted her hands in his hair.
Another lick followed, then another and another, ratcheting up her need. He closed his lips around the sensitive nub, flicking it with his tongue. That oh so wicked tongue. She arched against him, breath shortening, muscles tightening as the pleasure built and built until she threw back her head and cried out as an orgasm swept through her. Ripples of pleasure rocked her, going on and on and on as Aidan continued to work her with his mouth. And just as the tingles were fading, he did something preternaturally fast that sent a second orgasm careening through her.
Dana cried out in surprise as ecstasy whipped through her anew.
At last she collapsed against the pillows, her breath coming in quick gasps.
Aidan kissed his way up Dana’s lovely form, wanting her so badly he nearly shook with it. His heart raced. His pulse pounded in his ears. And he was so hard for her he didn’t think he could wait much longer to be inside her. She was so beautiful. So passionate. Her taste titillated him. Her scent intoxicated him.
Her breath emerged in short pants as he pressed kisses to her delicate rib cage and caressed her breasts.
Reaching up, she cupped his face in her hands. How he loved that, those small soft hands stroking his rough cheeks as her eyes met and held his.
Aidan settled himself between her thighs, his cock teasing her slick entrance.
Dana leaned up and delivered a long, slow kiss. “Now you,” she murmured with a siren’s smile.
Sliding her hands down his neck, she smoothed them across his shoulders then fondled her way to his chest. Her fingers brushed his nipples, toyed with them, pinched them as she rolled her hips.
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