Raven's Blood

by Cassandra Lawson

Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Raven was willing to admit slapping Connor had been a bad idea. She watched helplessly as everyone left the house and listened to the ominous click of the door closing.

  “Connor, I-” Before she could finish her sentence Connor crushed her against his body and kissed her.

  He pulled back and panted out. “Why can’t you behave, Raven? Why do you have to test me? Why do you have to make me want you even more?”

  She stiffened in his embrace. “Behave? That’s right, I’m supposed to be the obedient little pet and do whatever you say. Goddess forbid I act like myself. I’m supposed to constantly be on guard so I don’t force you to punish me.”

  When he grinned at her, she was tempted to slap him again. “I’m looking forward to punishing you,” he murmured, leaning forward to graze her earlobe with his fangs.

  Raven was trying hard not to melt into him. “Oh, so you are going to beat me.”

  “I might have to spank your sweet little ass while I fuck you from behind.”

  Connor’s panty-melting voice was even better than Simon’s.

  He chuckled. “Panty-melting voice?”

  “I said that out loud?” she asked, feeling her cheeks getting warm.

  “Yes, you did,” he replied before tossing her over his shoulder. He massaged her ass, and she actually moaned. Then he gave it a sharp smack.

  “Ouch!” she shrieked. “What was that for?”

  “I believe you slapped me just a little while ago, and I figured turn about was foreplay,” he explained as he carried her up the stairs.

  “The term is fair play,” she corrected him.

  “In this case,” he began, dropping her onto his bed, “it is definitely foreplay.”

  Connor rummaged through his drawer and came out with the silky ties he’d used her first night there.

  Raven started to rise from the bed, but he caught her and straddled her hips. When he leaned down and kissed her, Raven moaned against his mouth. She’d be lying if she said she was nervous about what Connor had planned. His tongue stroked hers gently before withdrawing, and she whimpered from the loss of his invasion, but he merely pulled back and rained kisses along her jaw line. His fangs grazed her neck, and she arched up toward him. Strange how she’d been terrified of his bite at first, yet now she welcomed it, craved it.

  Connor pulled away from her and rolled onto his side. He propped his head up on his hand and gave her a lazy grin. “Undress for me, little nymph.”

  She considered arguing, but decided against it since she wanted to be naked with Connor. She stripped out of her clothes without taking her eyes off of him.

  “Lie down on your back,” he ordered.

  Raven hesitated, and he must have assumed she was going to refuse because she was flat on her back with him straddling her before she knew what was happening. His knees pinned her shoulders as he quickly secured her wrists to the bed. She lifted her head and blew hot air against the crotch of his jeans, grinning when he stopped working on the ties and shuddered.

  “Wouldn’t you rather be naked with me?” she asked in a playful tone.

  He chuckled and finished securing the ties. “Don’t try to distract me, little nymph. We still have a matter of your punishment.”

  She tugged at her restraints, loving the feel of them against her wrists. Raven had never tried bondage before. She had to admit the idea of Connor having complete access to her body as she lay there helpless was arousing. She trusted him, knew he wouldn’t hurt her. Even when she’d slapped him, she hadn’t been afraid he’d hurt her.

  Connor climbed off her and took a moment to study her. His lips curled into a pleasant smile. “You are going to spend the next hour tied to this bed,” he explained.

  “An hour?” Raven squeaked.

  Connor nodded and then looked a little annoyed. “I saw your face when Simon talked about tying you to his bed. You liked the idea.” He leaned forward and spoke against her mouth. “I don’t want Simon to be the man in that fantasy. I’m going to find out how many times I can make you come in the next hour. I’m also going to find out how many times I can make you beg me to let you come. Doesn’t that sound like fun?”

  Raven’s breathing became labored. She was so aroused, she thought she might explode if he touched her. Still, giving up this much control scared her a little, making her wonder if she should ask him to stop. Her mind and body warred with each other.

  “I can see your brain hard at work trying to find a way to get me to untie you. I can also see how wet you are from thinking about this. You can stop the inner battle because I’m not going to untie you.”

  “Aren’t you going to undress and join me?” Raven asked.

  Connor shook his head and sat down at the foot of the bed. “I want to watch you like this for a little while. My control will be better if I’m still dressed.”

  “I don’t see how it could be very exciting watching me do nothing.”

  “Oh, trust me, little nymph, it’s very exciting seeing you tied to my bed, knowing your body is mine to do with as I please.” He slipped his fingers between Raven’s legs and then brought them to his mouth, moaning when he ran his tongue along them. “Seems like you like it quite a bit, too.”

  Raven groaned. “Please touch me.”

  “Well, since you asked so nicely,” he began as he crawled up the bed to straddle her hips. His hands cupped her cheeks, and he lowered his mouth to hers slowly. His kiss was soft and teasing as he savored her mouth, making her crave more. She tried to arch her hips off the bed to get contact with her most sensitive areas, but his weight kept her immobilized. One of his hands crept down to run feather light caresses across her sensitive nipple.

  “Harder,” she mumbled against his lips.

  He pulled back and chuckled. “Ask nicely.”

  “Harder, please,” she panted out.

  He leaned down and took one nipple into his mouth, grazing it with his fangs. His mouth closed over her nipple, and he sucked hard, almost painfully. “Oh, yes,” she moaned.

  His attention shifted to her other nipple, leaving both hard and making the ache between her legs nearly intolerable.

  “I need you in me, now,” she panted out.

  He shook his head and smiled. “Not yet. I want this to last a lot longer.” With that, he began to kiss down her body. When he finally got to her hot core, he slid two fingers in and hissed as his own eyes closed.

  Raven gave a satisfied smile. “Wouldn’t you feel better if you gave in to what you obviously want?”

  “Don’t get cocky, little nymph, or I’ll stop touching you,” he threatened. “Are you going to be a good girl?” he asked with a wicked grin.

  Raven laughed. “Probably not, but I’m kind of enjoying the fact that you’re suffering as much as I am.”

  “Probably more,” he admitted, leaning down to swirl his tongue around her clit as his fingers continued to move in her. Raven writhed, trying to get closer. It wasn’t long before she climaxed. He removed his fingers as soon as the spasms started so she was left feeling somewhat achy and needy.

  “That’s one,” he said as he sat back on his heels, “and I didn’t even make you beg for it.”

  “Too bad,” she taunted. “Now that you’ve taken the edge off, it seems less likely you’ll be able to make me want it enough to beg.”

  “I do love a challenge,” Connor remarked with a grin. His hand drifted between her legs, caressing her softly. “You are so incredibly sexual.”

  “Duh,” she panted out. “I thought we covered the wood nymph thing already.”

  He increased the pressure on her clit and slid two fingers back in her. “I’m dying to taste you again,” he said, never taking his eyes off his fingers as they penetrated her. “I could go down on you for hours and never get tired of the way you taste or the sounds you make.”

  Raven moaned. His words made her insane with lust. She had to have his mouth on her again. “Please, Connor.”

&nb
sp; “Please what?” he asked. When she didn’t answer he pushed her. “Tell me what you want me to do, little nymph.”

  “Taste me,” she gasped. “Put your mouth on me.”

  He didn’t hesitate to cover her aching core with his mouth. He removed his fingers and probed her with his tongue. Then he pulled his tongue from her and sucked her swollen clit into his mouth. His fangs grazed her sensitive flesh, but instead of hurting her, it made her even more crazed. She began to thrash around, trying to bring his mouth even closer, something that was impossible to do.

  He didn’t pull back this time or tease her, he literally devoured her. Her orgasm rocked her so hard she screamed.

  “You win, Raven,” he panted out as he untied her. “As much fun as that was, I need to be in you. Actually, I feel like I always need to be in you.”

  “I don’t mind,” she cooed. “In fact, I like you best when you’re in me.”

  He lay on his back and pulled her on top of him. “Did you slap me because of Norah?”

  She sat up and straddled his hips, staring down at him in confusion. “Why would I slap you because of Norah?”

  Connor looked uncomfortable. “I guess she didn’t tell you.”

  “That you had sex before?” Raven asked and had a hard time containing her laughter.

  “Yes,” he replied. “I haven’t since you’ve been here.”

  “Connor,” she began, “I’ve spent a large part of my life around humans, so I’ve picked up some of their sexual hang-ups. I think I’d be angry if you were still having sex with her.” She paused to think for a moment. “Well, maybe not if it was all of us together.”

  Connor closed his eyes and groaned. “Raven, you are seriously going to be the death of me.”

  “Actually, I’m sorry to have to take that fantasy back, but I think that would bother me now. The wood nymph in me is fine with it. Actually, the nymph part of me finds it exciting. It’s a human hang up I can’t get over.”

  “It’s okay,” he assured her. “I couldn’t handle more than you in my bed. It was a pretty sexy visual though.”

  “I’m sure you could handle me with Norah,” Raven told him. “Again, that’s the extent of my human hang ups. I don’t mind that you had other partners before me. Sex is part of my survival. I need it. Sure, I can take care of things myself some, but eventually I need a partner.”

  “Meaning you’ve had a lot of partners,” he deduced, and she could tell he was trying to keep his voice steady.

  “Are you jealous?” she asked with an amused grin.

  “No,” he said with a shake of his head. His eyes were closed, and his breathing was heavy. “I’m trying to figure out when I turned into a masochist, because that is the only explanation for me trying to strike up a conversation when I have a sexy woman on top of me.” His eyes opened, and he lifted his head slightly to look at her. “Put my cock in you, Raven.”

  “Aren’t you going to say please?” she asked sweetly.

  “No,” he replied with a predatory grin, “I’m going to say that if you don’t put me in you soon, I will tie you to this bed again.”

  “No, you won’t,” she said with a playful smile, “but I would never make you beg when I want you this much.”

  “Ah fuck, Raven,” Connor practically groaned. “I love how comfortable you are with your sexuality. It is the hottest thing I’ve ever seen.”

  Raven sucked in a sharp breath as she felt more liquid heat pool between her legs. She loved the way Connor was so open with his desires. She loved the way he talked to her in bed. Positioning herself, she slid down his shaft, feeling the delicious stretching sensation that always came when he entered her. An involuntary moan escaped her lips, and she let her head fall back.

  When she started to move slowly, Connor gripped her hips tightly and moved her faster against him as he thrust up. Raven moved faster and once more became consumed by her desire for this man. No longer did she consider him just a vampire. No longer was he just a way to relieve her sexual tension. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she heard a voice telling her Connor was her mate, but she refused to think about that. All she wanted to think about was how perfect it felt to be joined with him physically.

  “Fuck, Raven,” Connor groaned. “Please tell me you’re almost there because I’m not sure how much more I can take.”

  His words sent her over the edge, and she screamed. She had to put her hands on his chest for support as her third climax rocked her body.

  When the waves of pleasure finally ended, she looked down into Connor’s eyes. He was watching her with such intensity, her muscles clenched tightly around him. Connor growled and then flipped her onto her back, entering her again so quickly, she let out a startled gasp. His powerful thrusts caused the bed to slam into the wall, and it was enough to make her climax again. This time Connor joined her.

  Raven wasn’t sure she could move. She had never been quite that sated. Her body was deliciously achy. Connor seemed to be in the same condition. It was more than a minute before he rolled off her and started absently making circles on her belly with his index finger.

  “Hmmmmm.” She stretched like a cat. “If I’d known this was how you were going to punish me, I’d have slapped you the first day we met.”

  He laughed drowsily beside her. “Oh yeah, I’m sure you would’ve gone for that. You weren’t exactly my biggest fan when we first met.”

  “True,” she agreed. “You weren’t exactly thrilled with me, so I doubt you would’ve been interested in punishing me this way.”

  “If you’d given me any encouragement at all, I would have had you flat on your back. I was so fucking aroused that day, I was afraid I’d embarrass myself by having a wet dream while I slept next to you. I was tempted to jerk off in the shower before bed.”

  Raven gasped.

  Connor laughed. “I love it when you get embarrassed.”

  “Maybe I’m offended,” she told him.

  “I don’t think so, little nymph.”

  “I’ve been living with humans a long time,” she reminded him.

  “Which is why you get a little embarrassed. You feel like it shouldn’t get you hot, but it does.” He gave her a wicked grin. “Most of the time, it just gets you hot and you don’t do anything to hide your arousal. There’s always been a stupid prejudice against human females. If they admit they crave sex as much as the males, they’re called sluts. They’re supposed to romanticize the act and use pretty words.”

  She shrugged. “I don’t think that’s as true as it once was. I know we’re kind of isolated in this part of the world and still a little backwards, but I’ve seen changes.”

  He snorted. “I’ve met humans from a lot of different settlements, and many places have reverted back to older ways. They’ve decided it was sins against their god that resulted in the vampires. Maybe the women have more freedom in your settlement, but in some, women are beaten or even killed for having sex with a man they aren’t married to. Oh, and they don’t get to choose who they marry. A lot of the human females who come to live with us do so to escape those lives. I’m not really surprised so many human men are like this now. I heard the way men talked to the blood whores. We were warned that when women came in we had to tell them we wanted to make love to them, even if all they wanted was to have us bury our faces between their legs. The only honest ones were those who got off on beating us. Sex is a guilty pleasure for humans, but it was okay with us because we weren’t human. Although, some humans wanted the blood whore practice stopped because they considered it bestiality.”

  Raven flinched. While she’d known Connor had lived that life as a teen, she hated the reality of it.

  “In some ways, it was better with the men,” he continued. “At least, they were more honest.”

  “Men?” Raven gasped.

  He laughed at her distress. “What? Did you think only women came in to use the male blood whores? It was men more often than women.” He studied her with a vulnerable
look in his eyes. “Does that bother you?”

  “It bothers me that you were forced to do things you didn’t want to,” she explained. “The idea of you being with a man willingly doesn’t bother me. I guess I just never thought you were attracted to men, so it seems like a bigger violation. Now that I think about it, that’s a stupid way to look at it. You probably weren’t attracted to any of the humans who used you.”

  “I’m not attracted to men, and you’re right, the women didn’t do much for me either,” he admitted. “Luckily, I wasn’t very popular with the men. I was a funny looking kid at thirteen, so I wasn’t used by humans until I was fourteen and finally filled out. At that point, I already looked a little too grown up for most of the men who came in and too young for the others. For some reason, they all wanted grown men or pretty boys.”

  Raven wondered how much of this her father had known. Had his desire to keep the ugliness of the past a secret actually made things worse for humans and vampires? She couldn’t ask him now, but maybe she could make a difference. “We didn’t know about any of this at the human settlement where I lived. I can’t help thinking if you let me go back and tell them, things would be better,” Raven remarked.

  He snorted. “You know as well as I do it won’t change anything. We’ve been through this. They’ll think you’ve been mind fucked by a vampire. You’d be putting yourself in danger.”

  “I could easily disappear if I needed to,” she argued.

  “Just like you did here?” he asked. “You don’t know if they have a way to hold you or if they’d tranquilize you before you knew what was happening. You are not going back there.”

  “Connor, I know you think letting me go will make you look weak, but what if we could get Ian and Simon to agree it’s a good idea?”

  “No,” Connor replied.

  Raven opened her mouth to argue, but Connor cut her off with a kiss. She was breathless by the time he pulled away.

  Connor pulled Raven’s head down onto his chest. “Sleep,” he ordered in a gruff tone.

  “Fine,” she relented and tried to rise.

  “You sleep here from now on,” he insisted.

  “Connor, I don’t think that’s such a good idea.”

  “Please,” he said almost desperately.

  That single word, spoken with such need, was her undoing. She snuggled into his side, and Fang climbed into the bed, resting against her back. As she dosed off, she realized Connor hadn’t turned the television on. Every night she’d heard it through the wall, and obviously he couldn’t sleep without it. That night, he fell asleep in a quiet room with Raven in his arms.