RAFE'S LAIR

by Jessie Lynn

  "Yes beautiful I was chosen by the people to be a League enforcer." He told her.

  "And your brother?"

  Rafe closed his eyes and buried his head in Ava's hair against the pain. "Roman was training to be an enforcer on my team."

  Ava felt Rafe shudder. This was obviously very hard for him. She wrapped her arms around his and laced her fingers through his trying to give him some strength while he faced this memory.

  "Before I could finish training him, I found him right after he'd killed a woman. He'd fed from her to the point he'd drained her. There was nothing I could do to save her by the time I got to them. If I had found him sooner, I could have stopped him. I could have saved both of them."

  Ava moved then. She pushed Rafe's arms off of her and started to get up.

  Rafe panicked. He was losing her. He knew she would never be able to accept what he was and what he'd done. Rafe reached for Ava desperately trying to find a way to make her forgive him.

  "Beautiful wait let me explain." He said trying to bring her back to him.

  Ava pushed up from Rafe and turned around grabbing onto his face. "No you listen to me." She said straddling his legs and bringing their bodies together again. "What Roman did was his own fault. You just told me that you don't have to kill when you feed right?" When Rafe nodded, she continued. "Then it was a choice that he made, not you. Do you kill when you feed Rafe?"

  "No beautiful I don't, but it's more complicated than you think."

  "No Rafael it is not." Ava said using his full name hopefully to make him listen to her.

  Rafe growled when Ava used his full name. "Little mate be careful, I'm trying to explain things to you and you are distracting me by challenging me." Rafe said wrapping his arms around Ava's back and pulling her down onto his hardening dick.

  Ava sucked in a breath when she felt Rafe slide against her core. "Should I be afraid of you?" She asked him breathlessly.

  Leaning in to kiss her collar bone, he replied. "Oh no beautiful, I would never hurt you, but I can punish you in so many enticing ways. I can do so many interesting things to you to make you beg me to let you cum for me."

  Rafe kissed his way to one of her hardened nipples and sucked it into his mouth. He supported her back with one arm as she arched into him and lowered his other to her ass to make her slide against his now rock hard dick.

  "Rafe you called me mate. Your sister did too earlier." Ava said when her foggy brain registered what he had called her.

  Shit! He'd slipped on that one. Resting his forehead against her chest, he took another steading breath. He looked back up into her gorgeous face and tried to memorize her every feature just in case.

  "Yes Ava I did. Because you are. We are meant only for each other. I should finish explaining a few things before we get wrapped up in each other and forget that we should be talking. Not fucking."

  "Gee ya think." Ava said sarcastically.

  Rafe spanked Ava lightly on the butt. "Feisty little mate you need to stop distracting me so I can finish explaining things to you then." He intentionally called her mate that time to see if she would call him out on it again. She didn't. Good. He lifted Ava out of the bath reaching for a towel to dry her off.

  "Where was I? Oh yes. There is way too much to explain all at once, but you know we have laws and enforcers. What you don't know is that we have a governing council that we bring the offenders to. I had a choice to either take Roman into custody or help him cover up his crime. I chose to uphold the laws and it cost me not only his life, but my parents' as well."

  Ava placed her hands on Rafe's face lifting it up to look at her. He smiled at her and stepped closer to her placing his hands on her thighs. Moving them to the inside of her thighs, she felt him apply pressure. He leaned in closer so she felt his breath against her lips.

  "Open for me beautiful." She did and he stepped into the v of her legs. "You were saying?"

  Ava giggled, but sobered quickly.

  "So that's what your sister was trying to do? Frame you so you had to go trial?"

  Rafe wrapped Ava in the towel and stepped back. He picked her up and carried her back to bed. After he laid her down against the huge mound of pillows, he followed her down. He pulled the towel away from her body and covered them both up so she wouldn't get cold. And of course, so he could press her naked body against his without any barriers between them.

  "Yes I think so." He continued. "She blames me because after Roman was executed, my parents left to go back to Italy. They were grief stricken from the loss and blamed me for allowing him to be executed. Their plane had a mechanical malfunction and crashed on landing. I thought I lost all three of them, but apparently it was just our parents."

  Rafe looked down at Ava's little hands resting on his chest, petting him yet again. Dammit. Guess he had to start liking that. She made him feel so much it almost hurt. He truly thought his heart died with his family on that plane. Now he actually dared to hope again. All because of her. He had fallen in love with her almost the moment he met her that first night in the club. She was everything to him already and he really didn't know what he would do without her now that he knew they were mates. He had no idea how he was going to tell her everything without pushing her away from him for good. Ultimately, it was her decision to accept what they were or to reject him completely.

  "So where does this mate thing fit into all this? Am I like a vampire too and just didn't know it?"

  Rafe threw his head back and laughed. Damn that felt good. How could he not love this incredible woman? She'd just been kidnapped and her life threatened. Now she's just been told she's been sleeping with a 361 year old vampire that she is actually mated to, and she asks if she's been a vampire all along and somehow not realized it. She was absolutely perfect for him.

  "What! It is a perfectly good question. Crazier things have just been pointed out to me lately. So what do you expect me to think?" Ava asked a little irritated now.

  "Yes beautiful it is a fairly good question although a ways off base, I must say. No you are not a vampire and you never will be."

  "Well then life is gonna suck for you when I get old and all wrinkly and you stay all hot and sexy. How are you going to explain that I'm not your ancient grandma, but your mate? Or will you just put us both out of our misery and finish me off when I get too old?"

  Rafe pushed Ava to her back and raised her hands above her head lacing his fingers through hers to hold them there. He followed her over and settled himself between her legs. Dipping his head, he kissed her lips, then kissed his way down her jaw. Ava never hesitated; she moved her head to give him access to her neck. He licked her pulse as it beat wildly in the vein at her neck and he savored the shiver that worked through her body. She widened her legs to allow him to slide his dick through her soaking slit.

  "No my beautiful. Now that I've found you and you know what I am, I intend to keep you with me for as long as we both live." He told her then scraped his fangs lightly down that pulsing vein.

  Ava lost her breath when she felt his teeth scrape across her skin. That should not have turned her on so much. Those things were really freaking sharp and he'd just gotten done telling her some vampires like to kill with those suckers. No pun intended. Not him though. She told herself. Rafe would never hurt her; he'd promised her he wouldn't.

  "Rafe?" Ava said suddenly very unsure about this.

  Rafe felt the fear tighten up Ava's body like a stab through his heart. He pulled back and rolled them so she was straddling him. He lifted her head and framed her face with his hands.

  "Ava I promise you I won't hurt you. Baby I can't hurt you. You’re my life, my heart. I can't live without you, you need to understand that."

  "Okay, but you want to bite me don't you?" She asked sitting back a little.

  Rafe tried to figure out how to explain this to her without scaring the shit out of her. There was no easy way that he could think of though. He just had to show her.

  "Ava yes I want
to taste you, but I can promise you the only thing you'll feel is pleasure. You'll actually feel more pleasure than when I'm not at your vein. We both will. It will be better than anything you've ever felt that you'll want me to bite you every time I make love to you."

  Ava looked down at Rafe's chest. She could see that his tattoos covered his shoulder and extended to the center of his chest covering his heart. They went up the back and side of his neck and came down to his fingers. It was a tribal pattern that looked almost like a kind of hieroglyphs and she had a feeling they meant something important. Well whatever it was, they were actually very pretty.

  "If you keep biting me, won't I run out of blood?" She asked.

  Dammit. He had hoped to have this conversation later. Like after he'd gotten inside her at least. By that time, she would be so wrapped up in the pleasure, she wouldn't think twice about drinking from him. He stroked her lips with his thumb. He could already feel her clinging to him as she drank from his neck while he fucked her till she came all over him.

  "Ava I'll need you to drink from me as well."

  CHAPTER 39

  Ava sat straight up. She had started to accept the idea of having him drink her blood if it didn't hurt, but if he expected her to drink his blood too; he'd lost his damn mind. She pushed away from him trying to get off.

  "Ava stop, calm down and listen to me baby."

  "No Rafe, now you've gone a little too far. I thought you said you weren't going to turn me into a vampire. I don't like the taste of blood, and I don't want to like the taste of blood. So therefore, I do not ever want to have to know the taste of anyone's blood. Not even yours or my own. So thanks, but no thanks."

  Rafe sat up and held onto her, keeping her straddling his legs. "Ava that's enough. I am not going to turn you by sharing my blood with you. You won't crave blood or have to drink it all the time, but like when I drink from you, you will enjoy drinking from me as well. Not to mention there's no way I can take too much from you if I give you mine in return."

  Rafe grabbed onto Ava's hands and brought them behind her back. She fell into his chest and he held on tightly keeping her flush against him. Her head came down and rested against his shoulder so he had perfect access to her neck. He bent his head and kissed her once. He felt her freeze and suck in her own breath against his neck.

  "Ava stop fighting me and calm down. Let me show you just a little of what it'll be like between us. I promise if you don't like it, I'll stop immediately." She whimpered against his throat. "Ava have I lied to you yet? Have I not stopped when you've needed me to? I've gone very slow and eased you into everything we've done so far haven't I?"

  Ava just laid against him half listening to what he was saying and half listening to the steady beat of his heart. It was so strong and steady just like him. She closed her eyes and just breathed him in. He felt so good wrapped around her holding her tight. How could it feel this good if what he wanted was going to hurt her? He had been so gentle with her so far. He'd taken great care to ensure she felt only the greatest amount of pleasure from his touch. He'd made her feel so many wonderful things and with every touch, every word he'd made her fall for him more. Could she trust him with this final leap? Could she give in completely and let him have this last part of her?

  Ava felt him move. He moved both her hands into one of his and brought the free one up to move her hair back. He kissed her softly then slowly slid his hand down her back and patted her behind.

  "Beautiful, you haven't answered me."

  He whispered in her ear and opened his mouth onto her neck, resting his throbbing fangs against her skin letting her get used to the feel of them there. Ava tensed against him momentarily, but he held her to him and waited for her to relax again. A shiver raced through her and she blew out the breath she'd been holding against his neck.

  "Ava I can feel how wet you are. Rock your hips against me baby." She did as she was told and they both moaned at the friction it created between them. "That's it. Ride me beautiful; slide that silky pussy along my dick. Make us both desperate for me to bury myself inside you."

  Rafe deliberately didn't specify what he was going to bury inside her and he doubted she noticed. Ava never took her head off his shoulder as she started to move against him. Not only could he feel her bare pussy slide along his dick, but he could feel her hard nipples rake across his chest. Her movements were becoming more erratic as well as her breathing. He slid his hand slightly lower under her ass and lifted her, helping her gain more pressure to her clit exactly how he knew she loved it.

  Ava moaned when she felt Rafe rake his teeth down her neck again. He was helping her grind against him as she moved her hips back and forth. He still hadn't let go of her hands and that was only adding more fuel to the fire raging inside her. She was very quickly starting to not care about him biting her just as long as he kept up this exquisite friction against her core.

  "Ava. Tell me what you need. What you want."

  "I need you inside me."

  "Do you now? Where do you need me Ava?" He asked her. He flexed his hips into her. "Do you need me here baby?" He asked. Then he bent and lightly bit her neck not breaking skin. "Or here?" He asked then. He did both again, this time together. "Or do you need both beautiful?"

  "Yes." Was all she could say.

  "Yes what beautiful? You want me inside you filling your tight little pussy as I taste your delicate neck. Is that what you want Ava?" Rafe asked her trying to get her to accept both.

  Rafe felt Ava nod against his shoulder. Not exactly what he wanted, but he wasn't about to push his luck on this. He could continue teaching her after he showed her how much they both needed this. He released her hands, wrapped his arms around her back, and lifted her as he turned and laid her on her back again. He momentarily thought about chaining her hands again, but he remembered her dreams and decided against it.

  Rafe quickly grabbed the dagger he kept beside his bed without letting Ava see it. He would score his own neck right before she climaxed and hope she would be too far gone to fight him. He looked down at his mate's face then followed the line of her naked body until it disappeared under his. Rafe sent a silent prayer up to the Fates that he didn't fuck this up with his beautiful. He bent his head and spoke against her lips the same words he spoke to her in the warehouse.

  "I love you beautiful. No matter what happens, always remember that baby."

  "Rafe?"

  Those words he just spoke against her lips kinda made Ava uneasy, but Rafe didn't give her time to dwell on it long. He started kissing his way down her body, stopping to pay close attention to her breasts and nipples.

  "Have I told you how so very much I love your hard little nipples beautiful?" Rafe asked as he licked each nipple then blew warm air across them to watch them harden further. "Ah see look how pretty that is."

  Ava looked down to where Rafe was laying against her. He was looking at her nipple as it puckered almost painfully. She could see the goose bumps break out across her skin and she knew he was seeing the exact same thing. Rafe looked back up at her and she squeaked. He immediately looked back down. She knew she hurt him, but he just startled her. His eyes were glowing that bright emerald green.

  "Rafe. I'm sorry. Please look at me. You. You just startled me, that's all. I'm not afraid."

  Ava reached for his face where he was resting his forehead against her chest. He was panting and his hands were flexing against her sides. She threaded her fingers through his hair and slid her hands down to both sides of his face. She tried to pull his head back up so he would look at her again but he kept it pressed firmly against her chest. His shame about his eyes broke her heart.

  "Rafe please look at me? I... I... Think your eyes are beautiful. Please look at me."

  "Just give me a minute to calm down a little." Rafe said.

  Dammit. How could he be so careless? The last time she'd seen his eyes, he was breaking chains and about to kill his sister for threatening Ava's life. No matter what she sai
d, he knew they scared her. He'd seen it at the warehouse and she did that squeaky mouse impression just now, like she did when something scared her.

  "No damn you! Look at me now while they're still glowing." Ava practically yelled at him.

  Rafe reluctantly looked back up. Ava stroked her thumbs under his eyes. They were actually very pretty. Though she doubted he would like it if she called them that.

  "So are you mad right now?" She asked.

  He shook his head furrowing his brows in confusion. "No. Why would you think that?"

  "Because when you were really mad earlier they glowed like that. So I was wondering."

  "They'll glow when I'm feeling extreme emotion." He told her.

  "Okaaay. So you’re extremely emotional about my boobs?"

  Rafe pinched one of her nipples. "Well yes. Aren't you?" He asked playfully giving her that lopsided grin that made him look even more devilish than he already did and turned her insides to jelly.

  "Nope can't say that I am."

  "Hmm well then we'll just have to change that won't we? Now stop interrupting me while I'm entertaining myself with your body."

  Ava stuck her tongue out at him. "Yes sir." She said saluting him. At least he was playing now. She hated that she'd hurt him with the eyes thing. Rafe started kissing her again and pinched her other nipple for good measure. Ava closed her eyes and just enjoyed everything he was doing to her. She ran her fingers through his silky hair. It was thick and dark and showed his Italian heritage. She felt him start to move lower, kissing and licking her as he did.

  Rafe stopped at Ava's hips and looked back up her body. She had her eyes closed and her lips were parted. He absolutely loved the picture she made sprawled out naked in his bed lost to the pleasure he was giving her. He continued his progress down to her dripping pussy. For just a moment, he just looked his fill of her. She was the prettiest shade of pink and he could see her thick syrup coating her lips. He blew warm air across her skin to watch it prickle again.