by Larissa Ione
She palmed his chest, felt the ripple of firm muscle beneath her hand. “Challenge accepted.”
A growl rattled through his chest, the masculine, needy sound spiking her temperature. “Do you know what you’re accepting?”
Not. A. Clue. Well, maybe. She might be a virgin, but she wasn’t innocent. She’d grown up in her father’s house, and he had a . . . healthy . . . appetite. She couldn’t count the nights she’d heard the noises from his bedroom or walked in on his exploits. And then there was college, and her roommate . . . but none of that could compare to what went on in the supply closets at Underworld General. When a hospital was run by sex demons, there tended to be a lot of . . . sex.
There was the slightest tremor in her hand as she took his and pressed it to her breast. “Show me.”
No hesitation. In one massive surge, he was on her. Taking her mouth with his, he pushed her back against the wall. His tongue pushed deep, tangling with hers, penetrating and retreating in a carnal rhythm that coaxed a moan of acquiescence from her.
“You’re so beautiful,” he murmured against her lips. “Sweet. So . . . pure.”
Pure. Yeah, okay, but not by choice. She’d wanted this for so long. She should probably feel guilty, given that she still hadn’t ascertained the extent, if any, of his involvement in Vaughn’s death, but if she was wrong and Nate wasn’t involved, she couldn’t pass this up. Besides, the closer she got to him, the more information she could get from him, right?
The justification for what she was doing was lame, and she knew it. But she also knew what her body was feeling. She’d been aroused before, had been attracted to males, but never like this. It was as if her body had been a dormant volcano, and now it was awakening after countless years of only minor quakes.
Her blood flowed like lava in her veins, liquid heat erupted between her thighs, and inside her chest, an aggressive growl shook her all the way to her bones. Closing her eyes and shutting off her mind, she let her body react. Nate’s hands came up to cup her face, his fingers splayed to hold her for his kiss. His thumbs stroked her jaw as his tongue caressed her lips.
Desire swirled and coiled tight, fueled by Nate’s sensual energy, and she found herself arching against him, rolling her hips to rub on the hard ridge of his erection. He made an erotic noise of approval and intensified the kiss, sweeping his tongue over her teeth, the roof of her mouth, and nipping at her lips.
Shivering despite the steamy heat building between them, she clung to his biceps, pulling him as close as possible, loving the way his size made her feel so feminine. She wished they were at her apartment, or at a hotel . . . anywhere but here. She wished . . . what? She couldn’t remember where her thoughts had been headed, because Nate’s hands slid down her throat and shoulders, then lower. One arm slipped behind her back while his hand drifted over her breast, and her knees nearly buckled.
He seemed to know, and pushed one thick thigh between her legs to brace her against the wall. The move also put the most delicious pressure against her core, and she gasped with pleasure.
“That’s it.” His voice was a husky, ragged drawl as he kissed a sizzling path along her jaw. “Let me hear you.”
“No doubt,” she said in a raspy, turned-on voice she didn’t recognize as hers, “your ego likes that.”
She felt him smile against her skin. “My ego doesn’t need boosting, but yes, it likes it.” One hand slid down the back of her pants while the other tugged at the drawstrings at the front. Her pulse thudded obnoxiously loud in her ears as he cupped her butt beneath her panties.
Was she really going to do this? He hissed, and she realized she’d dropped her own hands to his rear and was squeezing the firm globes through his slacks. She’d also lifted one leg to put her mound in contact with the bulge behind his fly, and her question about whether or not she was really going to do this was answered.
She wanted this. Desperately. So desperately that when he started to push her scrub pants down, she helped, hooking her thumbs under both her panties and the pants and shoving them to mid-thigh. Nate didn’t waste time taking them off. His hand slipped between her legs, and when his fingers found her wetness, they both groaned.
Her head lolled back against the wall, and if there had been any nervousness before, it was gone, replaced by a mindless, primal desire to get this male on top of her, inside her, all over her. She nearly wept at the realization that he couldn’t be inside her, but then sparks shot through her at the sweep of his thumb at the top of her cleft, and all that mattered was reaching that ultimate peak.
Panting, aching, she unzipped his slacks and released his massive erection. When she wrapped her hand around his shaft, his mouth fell open and before her eyes, his fangs lengthened and his lips blushed red. Oh, oh . . . my. Her head involuntarily tilted to the left, exposing her throat. The fact that she’d so easily offered herself should have bothered her . . . would bother her later . . . but for now all she wanted was to feel those gorgeous canines buried deep in her flesh.
“Please,” she whispered.
Instantly, his head came down, the tips of his fangs striking her throat . . . but not penetrating. For a long, breathless moment, he did nothing, though his fingers continued to play in lingering, smooth strokes back and forth through her slit. A heartbeat passed. Two. Three. And then, with a sound similar to a purr, Nate closed his mouth over her throat but didn’t bite.
“No,” he said roughly, giving her the gentlest nip over her jugular. “No marks.”
Before Lena could protest, because right now she’d willingly take his mark, he dipped one finger inside her entrance, using his fingertip to circle the ultra-sensitive tissue. His thumb brushed lightly over her clit, tiny, teasing flicks that became firmer as she rolled her hips into his hand, desperate to land his touch where she needed it. At the same time, she squeezed his shaft, her strokes clumsy and unpracticed, but if the little hitches in his breath were any indication, he didn’t seem to mind.
He captured her mouth again, and between her legs, tension mounted. “You’re amazing,” he murmured. “I’ve never met anyone like you.”
His words were a silken caress that made the world shrink so that only they existed. He changed the tempo of his strokes, and the slick friction had her writhing, panting, running right to the edge and leaping off it.
“Yes,” she cried out, the orgasm tearing through her, a whirlwind of sensation that robbed Lena of all her senses and maybe even her consciousness for a moment. Her legs turned to gel, her vision went dark, and if not for Nate’s big body, she’d have slid to the floor.
As she came down, she wondered how she was going to tell him she couldn’t go any further than this.
Maybe she didn’t need to. She pumped her fist slowly up and down his rigid length. Maybe she could pleasure him the way he’d pleasured her—
A knock at the door froze that thought and brought a nasty snarl from deep in Nate’s throat. His lips brushed her neck as he snapped, “What?”
“We have business.” Fade’s voice was an icy, crisp command that instantly dropped the temperature in the office.
Nate swore under his breath. “I’ll be out in a minute.” He stepped back from her and zipped up with a small wince. “Stay here,” he told her in a low, hushed voice. “Give me three minutes to get the demon away from here, and then get out.”
She tugged up her pants, feeling suddenly exposed and seriously embarrassed. “Why the caution?”
“Because he wants you, and if he knows I do too—” He cut himself off with a curse, and goosebumps shivered over her skin, but she wasn’t sure if they were pleasant ones that came as a result of being wanted, or prickles of foreboding for the same reason.
With that, he left her, half-dressed, disheveled, and seriously conflicted.
Nate’s temper balanced on a machete’s edge as he slipped into the hallway, careful to make sure the door was locked behind him and that Fade didn’t get a glimpse of Lena. Man, he’d been close t
o Heaven in there, could still taste Lena on his tongue, could smell her on his body. Her sweet sounds of passion were still ringing in his ears.
And his cock and fangs were both throbbing with hunger that wasn’t going to be sated anytime soon. He was a ticking time bomb, and he really wanted to go off on Fade in a bloody, painful explosion.
The evil smirk on the demon’s face said he knew exactly what had happened in the office. “You have a female in there.”
“I always have females in there.” Nate started down the hall toward the guarded door that led to the secondary entrance to Gladius from Thirst. “What’s so important?”
Fade didn’t follow immediately, but Nate kept walking, swearing under his breath and hoping the bastard would follow—and that he’d be distracted enough by the question to forget about Lena. Nate had never worried about Fade’s interest in Nate’s bedmates before, but then, the females had never been anything but one-night stands to him. Lena captured Nate’s interest more than anyone else had since his mate died, and if Fade caught on, Lena could pay with her life for Nate’s lack of control.
“I’m going to open a new fight club,” Fade said, catching up with Nate. “The underworld turmoil is starting to affect the human population, and I foresee an opportunity to franchise.”
“What, you want to be the McDonald’s of death matches? In case you haven’t noticed, in most countries even animal fights are illegal.”
“The Apocalypse is coming, vampire. And in the aftermath, the world will be changed. Demons will walk the earth, and they love blood sport.”
No shit. “Demons will arrange for death matches in their own backyards at that point. Why would anyone pay to see them?”
“People can grill burgers in their backyards too, and yet, fast food chains are making a fortune on them.”
Nate wondered if Lena liked burgers. He’d love to watch her eat one. There was just something incredibly sensual about watching a female eat meat . . . especially if it was something he’d prepared himself.
And what the hell? Clearly, all his blood was still in his dick.
He thrust his hand through his hair and came to a halt, letting his fantasies run to ripping the demon’s throat out instead of watching Lena eat hamburgers. “So you intend to provide cheap entertainment without the hassle of procuring fighters, setting up an arena, managing cleanup . . .”
“All while providing comfort, food, and drink.” Fade grinned. “I’ll make legends of some fighters, stars everyone will want to be with. For a price, of course.”
“And, no doubt, you’ll make sure any competition is squashed.” The disgust that bubbled up when Fade grinned wider at that was startling. It had been decades since Nate experienced any kind of negative reaction to the demon’s machinations. “So why are you telling me this? Does this have something to do with the ‘business’ you mentioned?”
“I want you to manage it.”
Oh, hell, no. “I’m happy here.”
Fade waved his hand in a dismissive gesture. “Your happiness is not my main priority. You will oversee all elements of the business, from groundbreaking to building and hiring.”
This wasn’t going anywhere good, and Nate started walking again, as if he could outrun the demon and his unholy plans. “Have you chosen the site already?”
“Yes.” Fade fell into step with Nate. “With so many plagues mowing down humans, poisoned land is available on every continent. I’ll open clubs everywhere, but this first one will be in a South American jungle. You’ll leave tomorrow to assess and lay claim to the site. It should only take a couple of days.”
“Send Marsden. Or Budag. I have business here.”
Fade snarled, and Nate resisted the urge to snarl back. “This isn’t up for debate. You will go, and next week, on the eve of the new moon, you’ll return to the site to perform a sacrifice.”
Instincts twitching, Nate halted in the middle of the hallway. “Something tells me you’ve already chosen the victim.”
“I have. A lovely virgin I found in your own club.”
Nate let out a bitter laugh. “There hasn’t been a virgin in this club in . . . well, ever.”
“Oh, you’re so wrong.” Fade clapped his hand on Nate’s shoulder, his eyes little more than black, oily pools. “Your new medic, Vladlena, is untouched.”
Fuck. Very deliberately, Nate schooled his expression into neutrality. If Fade had even the slightest suspicion that Lena interested Nate at all, there would be no talking the demon out of this.
“I can’t lose another medic. They’re too hard to find. Get another virgin.” And seriously? She was a virgin? No . . . way. Then again, it would explain a lot. Like the pesky purity and innocence he’d been sensing.
“A sacrifice means nothing if it isn’t important. She’s important to this club, and therefore, perfect.” Fade lowered his voice to a dark, dangerous rumble. “There will be no more discussion on the matter, but to make sure you don’t fuck me over, I’m sending Budag to keep an eye on you. After you secure the site, you will return there with her and torture her to death.”
Since the demon wouldn’t be swayed, Nate’s only choice was to play along. For now. “As you wish.”
If Fade got his way, Lena would be dead next week. But he wasn’t going to get his way. Nate was. As soon as Nate returned from his trip, he’d make sure Lena couldn’t be sacrificed.
Because she’d no longer be a virgin.
Chapter 7
Lena had been employed at Thirst for four days now, and her time here had turned out to be a bust. Nate had gone missing, the door to his office locked so she couldn’t explore whatever lay behind the wine rack, and aside from that creepy Fade guy lurking around with a seemingly keen interest in her, she hadn’t uncovered anything even remotely unusual. Nate and Marsden ran a tight ship, and anyone who broke rules, from employees to patrons, paid the price. They didn’t even allow drugs in the place, which, according to Shade and Wraith, wasn’t normal for a place like this.
Something else that she didn’t think was normal was the way Marsden hovered, appearing out of nowhere to run interference when Fade got too close to her. Nate’s assistant also made sure she had everything she needed, and once, he even asked if she liked hamburgers. If she hadn’t been here in an undercover capacity, she’d actually enjoy working in the club.
Then there was the package Marsden had delivered a few minutes ago. She’d opened it, thinking it contained medical supplies. Her eyes had stung at the sight of the new stethoscope inside . . . an extremely expensive stethoscope with a gold-plated chestpiece and eartubes. There was no note, but she knew the gift was Nate’s doing, and his act of generosity leveled her. He understood her silly attachment to the one that had belonged to her father, knew that if she bought one, it would almost feel like a betrayal.
Nate had saved her that pain, and she was having a hard time holding onto her belief that he could be the monster she’d initially believed him to be.
“Nice necklace you have there.” Con, a blond vampire mated to Eidolon’s sister, Sin, stood in the doorway to the medical office, one shoulder propped against the doorjamb. All of the Sem brothers, as well as Sin, had come to check on her, and Eidolon called her every day when she was at home. Today Con had drawn check-on-Lena duty.
Lena smiled down at her new stethoscope. “Standard issue around here.”
“Uh-huh.” Con let out a dubious snort. “Even E doesn’t have one like that. You selling organs on the black market or something?”
“It’s not that expensive.” She looked up from disinfecting the exam table that had been bloodied by yet another drunk idiot who picked fights with bigger guys. “And I don’t need a babysitter. I’m doing fine by myself.”
Her father might have kept her completely secluded and sheltered, but in the nearly three years since his death, she’d gained some healthy independence. She’d forced herself to try new things and go to new places, and she hadn’t regretted a minute of it. Ac
tivities that appeared scary were never as bad as she’d thought, and she’d even done the human club thing with her roommate once. She hadn’t gotten brave enough to hit an underworld club yet, but after seeing how Thirst was run, she was ready to give it a try.
“I’m not babysitting,” Con said. “Just checking on you. We all wish we had more time to devote to this, but with the way the underworld is churning . . .”
He didn’t have to say anything else. The world was on the verge of Armageddon, and there were a lot more important things to deal with than a fight club that was only one of hundreds, maybe thousands.
“I get it,” she said. “I appreciate all your help.”
“Yeah, well, we might have something for you soon. Wraith is looking into whatever Gladius is. He sent a message just before I got here. Said he has a lead, asked for an hour to squeeze some dude for info, but he indicated that this is the break you need.”
Con’s news should have put her on the moon, but instead, all she felt was dread. As much as she wanted to find those responsible for killing her brother, she wanted Nate to not be one of them.
She pasted on a smile. “Great. Can’t wait.”
Con’s keen ears must have picked up the sound of footsteps, because he said quickly, “We want you back at UG. Eidolon will give you a raise.”
“I’ll match it and add 20 percent,” Nate said from behind Con, and her heart gave a little flutter. The stupid thing seemed to have missed him.
“We want her back,” Con said, not missing a beat.
Nate stepped inside the medic office, his blue-black hair gleaming under the harsh lights. “She’s mine.”
Con cocked a tawny eyebrow. “Yours?”
“Thirst’s,” Nate ground out. “I’ve come to promote her, in fact.”
“Is that so? Convenient timing.”
Nate’s ebony brows slammed down over eyes that darkened dangerously. “It’s my club. My timing conveniences me, and me alone. When I want something, I get it.” He shifted his gaze to her, and his eyes darkened more. “And I want her.”