“That’s too bad,” she said with her eyes partially closed, her hips unrelenting. “Because I think I’m going to stay right here and do this forever.”
“You are a cruel, cruel woman.” And so very beautiful. He left one hand on her waist and traced her sternum down to her breast with the other.
“I can be a very, very nice woman, too.” She continued to move her hips as she released the last button of his shirt and pulled it over his shoulders. “This is going to be so amazing.” Her smile brought light into the world. A world in which he desired nothing more than what he had right now. Except to be inside her.
“Yes, Addison, it will be.”
Perhaps she was right about something else, as well. Perhaps she shouldn’t think of herself as human any longer. Or as supernatural.
Because she was far more magical than any being he’d ever known.
Forty-two
Oh, come on! Addison had never seen anything so beautiful. And sexy. And highly skilled. His chest was as perfect as his face and his shoulders and his back and his abs and—though she’d only felt it through his pants—by all indications, his cock was stellar. After she’d traced the lines of his abs, she moved down his body, trailing her tongue along the same route.
He put his arms behind his head, propping himself up to watch her. “If you intend on ravishing me now, I should tell you to be gentle. I do not think I have ever been ravished before.”
“I think you’ll like it.” She sure would. She’d been with a few other men but no one had ever looked at her with that much passion in his eyes. It was hypnotic, seductive, honest, and totally unabashed. A leader of so many giving himself to her. Wasn’t that a big boost to the ego?
The wicked part of her wanted to stand up, say ‘thanks for the orgasm,’ and head for the door, just to see his expression. But a much stronger part of her ached to feel him inside her. If it was anything like she imagined, anything like drinking from him—
“You can’t bite me,” she blurted.
“No.”
“Don’t you usually feed while you…fuck?”
He looked away for a moment. When he caught her eye again, she flinched at its intensity. “Nothing is usual about you and me, Addison, and nothing is better.” He lifted her chin. “Would you like to drink from me? While we…” He smiled. “Fuck?”
Just remembering it almost made her come. “I don’t think I could handle it.”
“It is pleasurable for me, as well. Earlier, if we had been anywhere else, I would not have stopped you.” He paused. “With your permission?”
“Yes.” As soon as she was on her back and he was on top of her, somehow having gotten his pants off along the way, she chastised herself for agreeing first and thinking second.
But when, in one smooth motion, he hilted himself inside her, all was forgiven, if not a little painful. Not that she expected him to be small, but some things were impossible to anticipate or prepare for.
Neither of them moved, just the way she’d imagined. She closed her eyes, allowing herself time to adjust to his thickness and enjoy the sensation until the intensity passed, which would be…never. When something dripped onto her lips, she understood exactly what she’d agreed to.
“Open, Addison. Taste me.” His voice was so deep and masculine, she obeyed despite her nervousness. His blood hit her tongue as he pushed even deeper into her, and she came faster than the speed of sound, her scream a distant second. Except the feeling stayed and didn’t back down, and all she could do was hold onto him and pray it would never end.
He said something, but she was somewhere far away. A place that didn’t exist because nothing in the real world could feel this good.
“Suck, Addison. Please,” he groaned. His voice held some frustration so he’d probably been asking for a little while and she’d been too out of it to understand. She made it up to him by taking his arm and drawing him in as hard as she could. He moaned his approval and cursed, still deep and then deeper inside her, hitting every button she had.
She wanted to tell him how amazing he felt, every thrust shooting sparks through her entire body, his blood adding a layer of impossible lightness and fulfillment. But it was probably better that she couldn’t speak because what came out would be an unintelligible mess of curses, moans, reactions, and explanations. She might have even said something über-stupid, like how she was starting to feel about him. Über-stupid.
But he spoke, and while she couldn’t actually follow everything and a lot of it was mumbled, it all sounded positive. She caught words like ‘incredible,’ ‘want,’ ‘beautiful,’ and even one ‘best.’
Unfortunately, she couldn’t reach his mouth, and she really wanted his mouth. When she tapped his arm, he pulled it away and then did the fucking hottest thing she’d ever seen. He ran his tongue across the gash in his wrist where her lips had just been, gathering up as much blood as he could, offering it to her in a kiss.
It was just gross enough and right enough and messed up enough and perfect enough to catapult her into another orgasm. If his mouth hadn’t been covering hers, her scream would have woken up the village ten miles away.
He lifted both of her legs higher without breaking stride or momentum of the long strokes that brought them together.
“Holy shit!” Expectations were being met all over the place. Right before they shot past everything that seemed completely unrealistic. “You’re gonna kill me.”
Darkness marred his face for just a moment, and he stopped moving. “Never.”
“I meant figuratively.”
His satisfied grin came back. “I do not want to stop, but I will if necessary. Is it necessary?”
She shook her head. “I’m good. I mean, I’m more than good, but I’m—” An idiot. Oh powers, was she unprepared for this. He’s a vamp. A supernatural being with almost unlimited stamina. Why the hell had no one ever thought to mention that? Not even in a book or a movie.
“Let me know when that changes.” He kissed her so deeply, she almost forgot what she was panicking about. “And it would be kind of you to give me a bit of warning.”
“Um…sure.”
Vampires could probably go all night, no breaks. And her vamp didn’t need to sleep, so this could potentially be 24/7 for the foreseeable future. How many orgasms had she already had? How many more were humanly possible without combusting internally?
“Addison, do not look so nervous.” He forced her to make eye contact. “We can stop whenever you need a break. For any reason.”
She felt her already-heated body get hotter with embarrassment.
He pressed as deep as he could and then was still. “You will tell me what is wrong right now.”
“I’m about to freak out,” she said finally in one big gush of words. “It’s just too many overwhelming things at once. You know, they’re all really, really great, but…” She covered her face. “I’m so sorry. I got five more minutes in me. Tops. And then I’m going to need to chill out for a bit.”
He sighed. “Are you sure?”
“I’m so sorry.”
“I meant about the five minutes.”
When she felt him pulling out, she grabbed his shoulders and wrapped her legs around him. “I said five minutes.”
His jaw moved back and forth while he considered…something. “I was patient far longer than I have ever been, and I do not intend to ruin it before I have had my fill of you. Your body is human and my blood will keep it well, but I do not want to run the risk of…overwhelming you. Because, tonight, I plan to do far more with you. And to you.”
She swallowed. “You mean like, ‘It’s not a sprint—it’s a marathon’?”
“It is what I hope will be a marathon made up of many, many, many sprints of variable durations and intensities.’”
She laughed. “In different locales?”
“Excellent idea.” He lifted her off the bed and sat them on the small couch in front of the fireplace, setting her knees to his sid
es so he wouldn’t crush her. “You feel incredible around me, do you know that?”
His eyes never left hers, holding a depth of emotion she’d never imagined possible in the eyes of a super. She shivered, worried he felt the same connection she did.
No, he couldn’t. And she wouldn’t. Not if she was smart. He held her closer, kissed her as if he knew what was going through her mind and wanted to shut her up. Smart guy.
Pleasure. Nothing more. Don’t waste it. She didn’t. Closing her eyes, she arched her back, rocking against him while he filled her with all kinds of awesome. Because she was setting the pace and intensity, she had a chance to collect herself and stop worrying. He was inside her and seemed like he was having a pretty good time, so what did she have to worry about?
He groaned into her neck, his hands tightening on her hips as if he was trying really hard not to take over.
She couldn’t let him. After all, a girl has her pride. Since she wasn’t freaking out anymore, she needed to prove she could hold her own, even though that was a total lie because no one could hold their own against Rhyse.
When he started lifting her up and dropping her down his length, increasing the speed she’d set, she took his hands. “Don’t even think about it, buddy. For once, I’m going to lead.”
“What do you—?”
“Shut up and let me concentrate.” Her breath stopped when he raised his hips at the same time he slammed her down onto him.
“Did you just tell me to ‘shut up’?” He would’ve been terrifying if he didn’t look so amused, and if he wasn’t still tipping his hips up just enough to barely glide in and out of her, keeping the pleasure at a low hum.
But just in case, she quickly added, “Nothing a person says during sex counts.”
“Really?” After she nodded, he said, “Very well then. I have wanted to tell you something for some time now. Two things, in fact.”
Oh shit. That could mean anything. Good, bad, indifferent, about any subject in the history of everything. Times two.
“What?”
He stopped moving, except to put his forehead to hers. Hopefully he wasn’t waiting for her to relax because that wasn’t going to happen until she knew why he was dragging this out.
“What?” she repeated but more pathetically.
“The first is that I believe you have been thoroughly claimed.”
She smiled and let out a sigh of relief. “Yep. Multiple times. But I’m okay with it.”
“The other is far more serious.”
Aaaand right back to oh-shit. “Okay.”
“Addison…” He took a breath. She waited without one. “Do you truly consider this a ravishing?” Then he burst out laughing, undoubtedly the most to come out of a vampire’s mouth ever.
Damn him. “I’m so sorry, kind sir. I am but a poor almost-human, so please”—she looked at him through her fluttering lashes—“your grace, please tell me how a proper ravishing is done.”
“I think it is better to show you, but you must pay close attention.”
No more than a heartbeat later she was vertical, coarse stone scratching her back. What the fuck? She gasped even though it was his eyes that widened.
“I forgot about your proclivity towards nausea. Do you feel ill?” They’d phased outside somewhere and were both completely nude, and he was worried if she felt nauseous?
“No, but I’d sure like to know where the hell we are.”
“Right where we are supposed to be.” He put his forearm between her back and the wall behind her to keep her from scraping against it while he thrust into her. She held onto the wall too, but it was so she could push against it, forcing him even deeper into her. She couldn’t keep her eyes open, couldn’t concentrate on anything other than the way he moved inside her. The volume of her next moan flicked on the memory of where they were.
“Rhyse, we can’t be here!”
“I am ravishing you right now; therefore, we can be wherever I choose. When it is your turn—if I give you another turn—then you may pick the location.”
“If you give me—?”
“Shut up,” he mimicked. “Obviously, anywhere in the mountains would be unacceptable, as I cannot take the chance of you catching cold. And it is hardly my fault you were unaware that a proper ravishing must happen outdoors. Thankfully, I stepped in before any permanent damage was done. You may thank me later.”
“You did not just say that.” It’s hard to sound tough while being fucked against a wall in an alley somewhere tropical and loving it. Really tough. Because she was really loving it. “Wait. Wait a second.” She pushed his chest and kicked her legs to get him off her. The only reason she got free was because he stepped backwards, confused.
“Did I hurt you?”
“Only my ego.”
He nodded slowly. “I was teasing. Something you are quite good at and, evidently, I am not.”
Trying to forget the fact that she was naked, she looked at him, understanding why he seemed just fine with it. He was perfection. So what kind of idiot would stop him then? Stupid. Really stupid. Her body already missed having him inside it, all that power and strength and experience focused on both of their pleasure.
Really, really stupid.
But behind that stupidity was the fact that he’d already proven himself to be the best lover she’d ever had a hundred times over. And what was she? She didn’t want to just be a body to him. Or a trophy—proof he could have whatever and whoever he wanted.
“I want to be someone you’ll remember,” she said quietly.
“That is something that should never concern you, Addison. You are unforgettable.” He didn’t move, but his intensity made her want to push herself through the wall. “Firstly, you are the only being to ever chain me to a bed,” he said with a small grin.
When he took a deep breath, his smile disappeared. “Secondly, you are everything I imagined you would be and more. The way you taste, how strong your passion is, how incredible it feels to be inside you. More than anything in this world or any other, I need to feel you again. Will you give me what I need, Addison? Please.”
If it had been an order—Prime to servant—she might have been able to say no. But, even though his tone was a billion years away from weak or submissive, he was telling her that he needed her. No one else. Her. So she didn’t even have to try to refuse.
“Yes.”
“Does that mean you are finished feeling unjustifiably inadequate now?”
“Guess so.”
“Are you absolutely sure?”
“Yes.”
“Good. Because I am finished being gentle now.”
“What does that mean?”
“It means you should hold on.” Vampires move fast—that’s part of the package. But the speed at which Rhyse was on her—hand cradling her head, mouth opening hers, cock so incredibly deep inside her—put everything else to shame. She didn’t even have time to close her eyes.
“What’s going on down there?” someone yelled from the far end of the alley.
“It’s okay!” she called back as Rhyse kissed her neck, very not-gently thrusting into her. Her words were broken apart by the pace he’d set himself. “I’m just being ravished!”
“Tell him we promise to be done in four or five more hours.” While she tried unsuccessfully to get a large enough breath to laugh, he held her more tightly, phased them back to his bedroom, and made good on his promise.
When her body became useless, her muscles having atrophied during her last orgasm, she gave him another five-minute warning. Amused and unfairly coherent when she’d stopped being able to think ages ago, he thanked her. Then he claimed her lips, groaning as he finally lost control, which honestly was the most incredible thing she’d ever heard.
“That was…” She took another breath. “I’ll be ready for another round in, like three years. Give or take a few.”
He caressed her face lightly. “Your smile is so beautiful. If I could, I would change the
entire world to your liking so it would never fade. You and I—”
She kissed him, afraid of what he’d say next. There were too many unknowns in the Heights, too many variables to predict anything. She’d always tried not to think about the future or plan anything, and now? Now the world was even more frightening. So she held onto him, knowing he was the only chance she had.
“Sleep now,” he whispered, setting her down on the bed and tucking her in. “I will wake you once I can no longer wait to be inside you again.”
She shut her eyes until he left the room, then stared at the ceiling, clutching the blanket with both hands.
Vampires weren’t nice. They weren’t thoughtful. They didn’t care how anyone else felt. So why was he pretending he did? And what would happen when he stopped pretending?
Forty-three
“Powers, Rhyse, have you ever heard the expression ‘too much of a good thing’?”
After at least thirty minutes of hearing her do nothing but moan, scream, and beg, he was surprised she could still speak. “What are you referring to?”
“One guess.”
“Come once more and I will let you rest.”
“I can’t. It’s impossi—” The word turned into a long wail as soon as he stopped holding himself back.
“Never doubt what you are capable of, Addison,” he said, chuckling.
“There are a lot of things I hate about you,” she said on an exhalation. “This isn’t one of them.”
“I am glad.” When he pushed the hair from her face and saw a beauty far surpassing the superficial, it was he who could no longer speak. He who could no longer pretend.
Three centuries apart, they were created for each other.
Rhyse had not become Prime by being indecisive or ignoring threats. Or even by denying the existence of weakness in himself and in others. There would always be areas of vulnerability in any defense, any offense, in groups and individuals, in every thought, every belief, and every action. The true danger came when such liabilities were not acknowledged or recognized until it was too late to alter one’s path.
Unseen (The Heights, Vol. 1) Page 21