“Celeste!” Jonathon called out, dropping to the ground to gather up the books she had so carelessly dropped. As he reached for the fifth book, some asshole stepped on his hand, which made him re-drop the books as well as the scrolls.
“Damn!” he cried out, falling back on his butt, holding his hand against his chest.
Celeste heard the door slam open above her as she raced back to the library, hoping to calm her over-zealous hormones. Not watching where she was going, she crashed into Mrs. Barnes. As both women tumbled to the ground, Celeste offered a hasty apology before scrambling to her feet. “Sorry, Mrs. Ba…. Oh, damn!”
“Celeste!” he called out in his sinfully wonderful voice, a mere floor above her; fifteen feet, fifteen short, little feet. Offering Mrs. Barnes a frantic glance over her shoulder, she raced through the library, hoping to reach sanctuary from her own desires.
He was so close; she could feel the heat emanating from his body. Wave after wave of sensuous heat rolled towards her, the promise of fulfillment hitting her as she burst through the break room door. Laying her hand flat against her chest, she tried to bring her breathing back under control. He was so close and she hungered madly for him. God, even in Paris the attraction wasn’t this strong! And he was going to be walking through that door any mome….
“Celeste,” he breathed, pushing the door open and practically falling through. His head turned to the side and he met her eyes with his, the desire burning brightly mirroring her own lust. His body turned as he held her gaze, until it was pressed against hers. Bending his head towards her, he inhaled her scent, closing his eyes as her familiar smell filled him. “What have you done to me?”
“Nothing,” she whispered, as his lips crushed hers in a bruising kiss. His hand was on her thigh, gathering the loose skirt into folds, exposing the smooth skin beneath. His fingers drifted over her skin, closing on the waist band of her panties. Celeste found the buttons of his pants, opening them; both were desperate to mate.
“I can’t,” he breathed, tearing the underwear from her body as she pushed his pants down. “Get enough,” he growled, lifting her up as her legs opened to receive him. “Of you,” he finished, sheathing himself in her heat; Celeste’s body arched in ecstasy as he filled her once more.
Both let out a breath as if they had been holding it for the last three weeks; a breath of relief after the frantic need to join bodies. Now that they were connected, the urgency tapered off, and Adam rocked within her slowly, deeply. Wrapping her legs around his waist and her arms around his neck, her lips tilted up in a grateful smile, she breathed, “Adamanteros.”
“Celeste,” he murmured, pressing his lips to the corner of her smile, her cheek, her jaw. He almost couldn’t believe that she was with him, in his arms; that he was in her warm body. It was like coming home. “What have you done to me?”
“I don’t know,” she murmured, enjoying the slow movement of him inside of her, not caring that they stood in the break room, that someone could walk in on them. None of that mattered because she was with Adam. Her fingers twisted in the silkiness of his hair, holding his mouth to her neck. She felt his teeth grazing her skin, knowing that he was keeping himself in control. But she didn’t want him to be in control, not right now. Pressing her lips against his ear, she whispered, “Bite me.”
Tilting her head back, she reached up with one hand and pulled her shirt open, exposing her throat. With a low growl, his teeth punctured her skin, driving her to ecstasy as her hand moved back to his hair. His rhythm increased as he drank of her, pounding her against the wall, bruising her back in the process. Yet it felt too damn good to stop or to care. Whimpers of pleasure forced their way out of Celeste’s mouth each time he pumped into her, until their bodies stiffened and pleasure exploded in mutual release.
Her eyes flew open as desire spilled through her and the colors danced once more. This time, they sang as well as Adam’s mouth drank her blood, his cock shuddering in her feminine heat. Resting her head against his, she smiled to herself, feeling complete, whole. His breath was hot against her neck, sending little tingles of warmth and pleasure through her entire system. “God, that was incredible.”
“Mmmm,” she murmured, since coherent speech was a little difficult to manage at the moment. They eventually managed to disentangle their bodies and Celeste slid back to the ground, holding onto his arms since her legs were still wobbly.
Resting his forehead against hers, his hands at her waist, calmness washing over him, through him, he whispered, “Why did you run?”
“I was terrified,” she murmured, running her fingers across his chest, feeling the strength beneath his shirt. She smiled because they were still mostly dressed; of course, her underwear had been destroyed. This was the excitement that awaited her. She should have known, nothing but Adam could make her feel so vibrantly alive.
“Of me?” he asked haltingly. She could hear the concern in his voice, the uncertainty.
“God no; of me,” she clarified, feeling his body relax, his hands gently caressing her. “Of how I respond to you; we barely made it to this room before we… you know.”
He laughed, brushing his lips against her cheek at her inability to say what they did. Reaching between them, he straightened his pants, refastening them. Resting his hands on her hips, he just drank in the sight of her, feeling at peace.
Taking a deep breath, Celeste looked up at him, “I didn’t think I’d ever see you again.”
“I wasn’t about to let you get away from me that easily,” he murmured, wrapping his arms around her and holding her close at the thought of how close he came to losing her. “But you didn’t give me much to work with; I wasn’t sure how I was going to find you.”
“How did you?” she asked.
“It was surprisingly easy,” he smiled, melting her insides. “You work for me.”
“This is your company?” she asked, her eyes widening. Why didn’t she know that?
“Well, my brother and I are the ones who convinced the Hive to create BioGenesis,” he clarified, unaware that he referred to the Apocritae as the Hive, a word only used in familiar circles, never with outsiders. But, Celeste wasn’t an outsider. “Though it hasn’t always gone by that name; it’s gone through several variations over the centuries.”
“I can imagine,” she murmured, running a finger over his lips, needing to touch him, to feel him. She hadn’t realized how desolate she had been not being able to touch him. The long, cold winter she had been living was over and spring had arrived in full bloom.
He sucked her finger into the heat of his mouth, closing his eyes as if it were the greatest pleasure in the world to simply taste her. In a low, gravelly voice, he said, “I think I’m addicted to you.”
“It’s just because you can bite me and I won’t change,” she said with a playful grin. Then she realized that this was the first time she had acknowledged him as what he truly was and not her imagination trying to convince herself he was something else. Slowly, she glanced up and saw a peculiar expression on his all-so-handsome face.
“You know what I am,” he said; it wasn’t a question.
“I do,” she nodded her head slightly. “You’re an Apocritum.”
“Are you sure I’m not a Calix?” he asked with a flash of amusement in his black eyes.
She laughed out loud, “I’m sure; I figured it out shortly after I returned home, even though I think I knew what you were the first time I saw you.”
“Did you?” he asked with a quirk of his eyebrows, pressing his pelvis against hers. “Then how come you’re not a Calix now; or a Thraell?”
“I figured it out,” she smiled, proud of her deductions. “You’re not the one who’s different; I am.”
He popped an eye brow at the statement, making her smile widen. “Really?”
“Yes,” she nodded, pressing her palms flat against his chest, feeling the rise and fall of each breath he took. She had missed him so much and she choked on an unexpected
tear. Damn hormones.
“What is it?” he asked, cupping her cheek, making her tilt her head back and look at him. When he saw the tears in her eyes, his heart nearly split in two. With the pads of his thumbs, he brushed the glossy tears away.
“I missed you,” she whispered, sliding her hands up and around his neck, pulling him forward until she was hugging him to her body. Maybe it would have been better if he never re-appeared in her life – how would she ever be able to let him go when he grew tired of her?
Holding her in his arms, Adam became aware of how much he had missed her as well; not just her blood, but her. Nuzzling her neck, he whispered, “Go to lunch with me.”
“Now?” she murmured, loving how his breath fell across her skin, the feel of him in her arms. She never wanted to let go of that sensation, of him.
“Yes,” he said, running his tongue along the two puncture wounds on her neck, not tasting the blood; just Celeste. His mouth widened as he tasted more of her skin, licking along her throat, her jaw; damn, she tasted good. Sucking an ear lobe into his mouth, he felt her body shudder against his. Smiling, he whispered, “A restaurant and everything.”
“I think I’d like that,” she replied softly, her blood starting to boil once more as his tongue did wicked things to her body. It’s not a good idea, Celeste, her brain interrupted.
“I think I am addicted to you,” he whispered, pressing his lips to her temple, inhaling deeply as his hands slid up her ribs, curving over her breasts. “And the way you smell. I could get used to this.”
“Yes,” she moaned, arching into him. Her mind started to protest in earnest, but her body was determinedly in control. As long as he continued to drive her to distraction her head would never be able to guide her. And that way led to madness. Oh well, it was a hell of a way to go.
“Celeste!” Mrs. Barnes's concerned voice called out as she began to open the door.
Adam dropped his hands to her waist and froze, holding Celeste close to him. She smiled as the door opened and Mrs. Barnes walked through. Leaning to the side to see the older woman, she smiled, “Mrs. Barnes; I hope I didn’t hurt you when I knocked you over.”
“I was… just,” a crease formed on the older woman's brow as she saw the large body standing protectively in front of Celeste; a tall body belonging to an Apocritum. “Are you all right?”
He looked over his shoulder and Mrs. Barnes caught her breath; he was so beautiful with those black eyes and sculpted face; truly, the most beautiful of all the Apocritum. “Did you need something?”
And that voice! Goodness, enough to charm the wings off a bat. “N… no.”
“Leave,” he ordered.
“I am,” Mrs. Barnes obeyed.
“Wait!” Celeste called out, grateful for a return to sanity and an escape as she slid out from between the wall and Adam’s wonderful body. Grabbing Mrs. Barnes arm, she stopped the woman from leaving the room. “Is there anything else you need me to do today?”
“Actually there is,” the woman began, but then her eyes glazed over for a second as her expression went completely blank. After a brief moment, she smiled at Celeste, “No, dear; you can take the rest of the day off.”
Celeste looked over her shoulder at a smiling, unrepentant Adam and frowned, “You have to stop doing that.”
“Doing what?” he asked innocently, stepping towards her and placing a kiss on her neck, sliding his hands around her waist and pulling her back into him.
“That,” she said. Then he kissed her neck again and her eyes fluttered shut, “Oh, that.”
“Yes?” he murmured, splaying his hands against her stomach, pressing his erection against her back. “And this?”
“Yes. Oh!” Her eyes widened and she saw the interest in Mrs. Barnes eyes and realizing that if she didn’t do something soon, she was going to lose herself all over. Stiffening, she forced a smile to her lips, “Mrs. Barnes, I’m almost done with my break.”
“Of course, dear,” she smiled blankly, no longer seeing Adam. Patting Celeste on the arm, she added, “You can go home now.”
“It really won’t be necessary,” Celeste said as her supervisor left her alone with Adam once more. Stepping out of his arms, glancing at him briefly, she frowned at the way he manipulated Mrs. Barnes without having to say a word. Bending down, she picked up her destroyed panties and murmured, “I really need to get back to work.”
“Celeste,” Adam whispered, grabbing her hand, taking the slip of material with his free hand and putting them in his coat pocket. “Come with me.”
Her eyes met his and she saw the fires burning within. He was Apocritum: powerful, potent, seductive, devastating. In a few months, she would not exist anymore. Hell in a few days, she wouldn't care. And the baby…. She licked her too-dry lips, realizing what he did to her and how it could affect the baby. Slowly, she shook her head no, “I can’t.”
“Why not?” he asked, taking both of her hands now. Bending his legs a little, he met her eyes at her level, knowing how disarming it was for her, “You know what I am, why won’t you go with me?”
“Adam, you know why,” she frowned. Why did he have to make this so difficult? She was just a mere human, one he could bite and drink from any time he wanted. And that was exactly the problem: she would give all of herself; let him drain her dry, until she was gone. Until she was truly a Calix. She turned her head away from his penetrating gaze, desperate to break the spell he held over her, “I can’t.”
“It’s just lunch,” he murmured seductively, sensing her reluctance. “We’ll be in a public place; what could possibly happen?”
She looked at him, the light in his eyes, the determined set of his jaw, and felt her resolve slide away. When he drank from her she only suffered from mild dehydration. She survived the first time he drained her dry; everything was going to be fine. She just had to keep her head, if that was even possible. “Just lunch, right?”
He smiled triumphantly, taking her hand in his and pulling her towards the exit, “For now.”
“Adam!” she protested with a laugh at his arrogance as she followed him.
Chapter 9
The two of them sat side by side at a private table in the back of a nearly-empty restaurant. Adam watched Celeste with the intensity of a predator tracking its prey. She couldn’t bring herself to look at him, not yet. It would be devastating to look at him and see the hunger in his black eyes, knowing her own desire lay just beneath the surface and she was no more than a passing fancy to him. “I don’t think I should be here with you.”
“Sweetheart, there is nothing about this situation that should be so,” he murmured seductively, leaning forward and running a tongue along her throat, over the newest bite marks that were already fading. Celeste’s eyes closed automatically as her body instantly responded; she was annoyingly disappointed when he tilted his head back and looked down at her, wrapping a hank of her hair around his fist and giving it a gentle tug.
She forced her eyes open, finally looking at him as she desperately tried to hold onto her resolve, to keep a measure of distance between them. How could he command her with just a look? A slight curving upwards of his decadent lips? How was she going to resist such overwhelming temptation? “I suppose.”
“I want you to move in with me,” he said imperiously, tugging once more on her hair to bring her mouth to his.
“I can’t,” she shook her head, falling forward into him, wanting to fall and not wanting to lose herself. There was so much at stake, so much he didn’t know about; so much she didn’t know and couldn’t explain.
“Why not?” he asked indignantly, like one not used to hearing the word ‘no.’ Ever.
“You’re an Apocritum,” she explained slowly, his lips a hair’s breadth away from her own.
“What does that have to do with you moving in with me?” he murmured in genuine curiosity, his breath melting into her mouth, beckoning her to accept his offer, damn the consequences. His fingers released the lock of ha
ir, sliding to the back of her head and pulling her mouth towards his.
“You have to stop doing that,” she whispered against his lips, not able to fight.
“What am I doing?” he asked softly, his other hand sliding along her thigh.
“Seducing me,” she breathed, her hands flattening against his chest, needing to feel him, as his lips closed over hers.
Move in with me; let me take care of you, his voice whispered in her head. Let me keep you safe.
She pulled back, frowning slightly, “I can't just up and move in with you; it's something I would have to seriously consider."
“How can you deny me?” he asked, truly not understanding. Kissing along her jaw to distract her, he pulled her skirt up and exposed the skin of her upper leg.
“Trust me,” she murmured as the heat of his lips inflamed her skin further, weakening her resolve. His hand burned a path along her thigh and she was drowning in sensation. The world ceased to exist beyond Adam. “You don’t make it easy.”
“It should be impossible,” he growled, sucking the lobe of her ear into his mouth, running his tongue along the delicate curve, over the simple gold studs. His other hand pressed into the core of her sex, gently rubbing the sensitive nub.
“I thought we’ve already established that there were several things about us that are impossible.” She sighed as he slid a finger into her, her breath catching in her throat as he hit a particularly sensitive spot. “Oh, God, that feels good.”
“Move in with me, Celeste,” he whispered, running his tongue along her throat, teasing her clit with his thumb.
"Adam," she protested feebly, her brain melting as pleasure wrapped around her, tightening her body and destroying her doubts.
“I want you,” he purred, tapping his fingers against a spot that sent shocks of pleasure down her spine, throughout her belly and her thighs. "To live with me."
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