Kiss of Temptation: The Kavanaugh Foundation, Book 3

by Crista McHugh

  “Of course.” She cleared her throat. “Sophia mentioned you’re in the habit of rescuing lost souls.”

  He chuckled. “Jealous already?”

  “More like curious.” Daniela tucked her hair behind her ear and jutted her bottom lip out into a pout. “Is this how you rescue all of them?”

  He laughed harder now. The little coquette was trying to lay a claim on him. If she was smart, she’d stay far away. “These lost souls she mentioned are people I happen to find wandering the streets after being a vampire’s snack.”

  “They don’t kill them?”

  “Not all of them kill. Some are quite content to use them for a quick meal. Others are interrupted in the middle of their feed. And some of the victims are so deeply enthralled, they willingly offer themselves. I’m surprised you don’t know this.”

  Her eyes widened. “But that’s not what’s taught in the Academy. All vampires are bloodthirsty fiends and their bites are excruciatingly painful.”

  More like having hundreds of nails hammered into your body while your soul is forcibly ripped from it. At least, that was his experience, but he wasn’t going to share that tidbit. “Most are that way, and they leave a trail of bodies behind that quickly catch the attention of the Foundation’s hunters. But the ones that can master the technique of enthralling their victims and controlling their thirst tend to live the longest among mortals without being detected.”

  “How do you know so much about this? Were you enthralled by a pretty little vamp into becoming her snack?”

  “No.”

  Daniela jumped in her seat at the tone of his voice. He crossed his arms and held her gaze, unwilling to apologize for snapping at her. She had pushed too far, and he needed to let her know before she delved into the dark recesses of his past.

  “How do you know these things if you aren’t a member of the Foundation?”

  “Years of experience. Most of the victims I find are young girls. All they can remember is having a drink with a stranger and waking up disoriented in the middle of the street with two fresh puncture marks on their necks. They carry no painful memories of the incident. Instead, they believe they were drugged or drank too much.”

  “All of them?”

  He took a deep breath. “No. Only the lucky ones.”

  “Is that why you return to Rome, even though you live in Paris?”

  “Partially.” How could he explain the constant pull Rome had on him? The dreams that haunted his subconscious? The eerie feeling of déjà vu when he explored the ancient heart of the city? To admit that might give evidence to Morwen’s crazy belief in reincarnation. Instead, he chose to attribute it to the memories of his maker that had slammed into his mind when he was turned. “I know I have a purpose there.”

  She nodded. “It is good of you to take them to a place where they can recover.”

  “Don’t try to make me into a saint, Daniela.”

  “I already know you’re not.” She bit her lip and ran her hand up his thigh under the table. “You can be quite wicked when you want.”

  He stopped her before she reached the aching ridge of his erection. “Hasn’t anyone ever warned you not to play with fire?”

  “Lucky for me, it’s my strongest element.” She slipped her hand free and stood next to him. “Perhaps you’d like to play with me,” she whispered in his ear.

  The warmth of her skin called to him like a siren’s song. He needed to resist it or he’d drown in a sea of blood. Why was God testing him like this? Even after he’d accepted his damnation, he’d still tried to remain good. He’d never taken a human life, never forced himself on an unwilling victim. But from the moment he saw Daniela, his thoughts raced down a sinful path of lust and gluttony he needed to resist.

  “I’ll be waiting for you.”

  Luc forced himself not to watch her as she left the dining car, but in his mind, he still saw the sway of her hips, still remembered her tight wetness as he plunged into her. His hands shook as he finished the last of his wine. Common sense told him he should remain in the dining car all night instead of returning to the berth, but he also knew he needed to watch over her and protect her from any vampire that might have snuck on board. If any of them hurt her…

  He bolted up from his chair and ran down the corridor. She’d been so focused on seducing him, another vampire could easily surprise her. When he got there, he’d give her a stern lecture about being hypervigilant so that the incident at the train station wouldn’t be repeated. He’d force those impure thoughts from her mind, from his mind, and replace them with fear. He’d remind her of her mission.

  He flung the door open and Daniela yelped. His mouth went dry as soon as he saw her. For the first time, he soaked in the luscious curves of her naked body, from the heavy globes of her breasts to the narrow cinch of her waist to the vee between her thighs.

  “Are you going to let everyone have a peek?”

  His chest tightened, intensifying the hammering of his heart. What kind of magic was this? A blessing? A curse? His eyes never left her as he closed the door behind him.

  “Stop trying to talk yourself out of it, Luc.” She pressed her body against his. “We’re both adults. There’s no reason why we can’t enjoy our time together and satisfy our desires.”

  He reached up to cup her breasts. Would he ever be satisfied? Even if he made love to her all night, he’d still crave her blood.

  She pulled his shirt off. The touch of her flesh almost sizzled against his skin. His breath hitched when her lips brushed against his. “Do I have to undress you?”

  His muscles locked. I must not lose control.

  She continued to trace his mouth with featherlight kisses and flicks of her tongue, while her hands unbuttoned his pants and pushed them to his ankles. Part of him breathed a sigh of relief at the release of the erection straining against the fabric, but a groan choked his throat when her fingers grazed the sensitive place on the head of his cock. “Please don’t fight me, Luc, not when we both so obviously want each other.”

  “I’m not denying that I want you. I want you in ways you can’t imagine.”

  “Show me.” She punctuated her challenge by kissing him again, deeper this time, her tongue prying into his mouth and swirling around his.

  Her aggression surprised him. He was used to being the hunter, the dominant one, the person in control. But from the moment he’d entered the berth, his role had changed. He was the seduced, the pursued. The victim, his mind whispered. He broke away from her. “What kind of magic is this, Daniela?”

  A wrinkle formed between her brows. “I haven’t cast any spell on you, Luc. Why are you fighting something that is human nature?”

  “Because it’s our self-control that separates us from the beasts, from the monsters that lurk in the darkness.” From the monster that lives inside me.

  Her face fell and she took a step away from him. “You must think I’m some sort of whore, throwing myself at you this way.” Then her mouth tightened into a thin line. “But you’re wrong. I don’t hide behind this moral façade you conveniently throw up whenever you want to think you’re better than me.” She whirled around and reached for her clothes.

  He grabbed her hips and pulled her back to him. His cock pressed against the softness of her ass, so close to the slick folds he so desperately wanted around it. The pulse in her neck quickened, calling to him like an oasis in the middle of a desert. He gently kissed it, and his fangs elongated. How would her blood taste? “Are you calling me a hypocrite?”

  A shudder rippled through her body, and he smelled fear mixed with desire. “Perhaps.”

  “You shouldn’t tempt me.” He pinched her nipples and nibbled at the junction of her neck and shoulder, taking care not to sink his fangs into her. “You have no idea what I’m capable of doing.”

  “I can handle you.” Despite her brave words, her voice trembled.

  I should show her what I am, a dark voice whispered in his mind. I should end my mis
ery and drink her dry. The stupid witch won’t even stop me. She’s too caught up in her own lust to recognize the evil behind her.

  She shifted in front of him, standing on her toes so his cock nudged the opening of her cunt. Her whimper rivaled the sweetest music he’d ever heard. “Please, Luc. I need you inside me.”

  His teeth grazed her neck, poised to pierce the thin skin over her vein. Would just a few drops of her blood quench this desire, or would her flesh be enough to satisfy his hunger for now? He closed his eyes and let the war between his thirst and the last shreds of his humanity play out inside him.

  “Luc.”

  He snapped his eyes open and saw his reflection staring back at him in the window. This can’t be possible. Monsters like me don’t have reflections.

  Daniela wiggled her ass, teasing him and coating his cockhead in her cream. The sound of her hoarse panting heightened his arousal. “Damn it, Luc!”

  Her cry of frustration snapped out him out of his daze. He pushed her head down, bending her at the waist and placing her sweet blood as far away as possible while he guided his cock into her from behind. They both sighed simultaneously. The sound brought a smile to his lips, but she cut his joy short when she changed the angle of her hips and rocked forward on her toes. He smacked her ass and she froze. “Naughty girl.”

  She moaned and melted against him, taking him even deeper than before.

  He massaged the hand-sized mark on her cheek before spanking her again. Her walls clenched around him and her eyes sparkled in pleasure as he watched her reaction in the window. So, she liked that? Another smack, and she arched her back and clamped down so tightly around him, he could have sworn he’d made her come right then and there.

  “More, Luc.”

  What kind of woman was she? He began to thrust inside her, controlling the movements of her hips and spanking her when she tried to dictate their rhythm. Each time he did, her smile widened and his balls tightened. If he continued like this, he’d come too quickly. His dug his fingers into her hips and rammed even harder into her, determined to maximize the friction of every stroke.

  She braced herself against the window and rocked with him. “Mmm, you know exactly how to please me.”

  A grin touched his lips. “Always a pleasure.”

  And he meant that. Every second inside her was pure bliss. The way his head rubbed against the tight walls of her sex. The curve of her ass in front of him and the sight of his cock entering the slick pink folds beneath it. The soft floral scent of her perfume that rose from her sweat-damp skin. All of it was perfection. Making love to her seemed to be ordained from above. His heart grew lighter with every stroke, completely free of the guilt that had weighed upon him in the past.

  “I’m close, Luc, so close.”

  So was he. The orgasm welled inside him, threatening to tear down his restraint. But he wanted to make sure she found release first. He let go of one of her hips and sought out her clit. As soon as he touched it, she gasped. He caught it between his fingers and rubbed, slowly increasing the pressure until her body went rigid and her breath came out in harsh pants.

  When she cried out in pleasure, her cunt seized around his cock, and he couldn’t hold back any longer. He exploded into her. The waves of his orgasm matched the spasms rocking her body, and for a second, he didn’t know where he ended and she began. He held her close, not wanting anything to interrupt their shared ecstasy, until the last drop of come had been milked from him.

  He leaned forward and pressed his lips between her shoulder blades. “Satisfied?”

  She made a purr of contentment. “For now.”

  “You’re going to be my undoing, Daniela.” He pulled her into the bed with him and curled his body around hers. His heart pounded even louder than before, almost blocking out the sound of her breathing. He remained awake long into the night, his mind running over the events of the last twenty-four hours.

  Would she be his undoing? Or his salvation?

  Chapter Five

  The train jerked to a stop so suddenly, Daniela would have fallen out of the narrow bed if a strong arm hadn’t tightened around her waist and held her close. A warm ridge of flesh stiffened against her thigh and a deep voice groaned behind her, “Are we coming into Paris already?”

  She smiled and settled deeper into Luc’s embrace. The soreness between her legs gave testimony to the forcefulness of his lovemaking, but so did the pleasant memories of coming over and over again with him inside her. And still, she wanted more. “I would guess so, based on how the train is crawling.”

  “Too bad.” He pressed his lips against her shoulder. “I would prefer to stay just like this.”

  “Me too.” She wanted to add that it was the best night’s sleep she’d ever had, but that would be a half-truth. Luc haunted her dreams. Or at least, someone who looked like him dressed in a toga. Instead of being freaked out by these visions, they strangely comforted her.

  I must have drunk too much last night, she thought as she sat up and rubbed her eyes. Either that or I inhaled some kind of hallucinogen while in the catacombs. Why else would I dream about Luc in ancient Rome?

  “You might want to close the curtains before you give anyone along the tracks a view of your lovely breasts.”

  Heat rose to her cheeks when she remembered how he’d taken her from behind last night. The sensation of his thick cock stroking her sex. The wicked gleam in his eyes as he spanked her when she tested him. Her pleasure at watching their reflections in the window while the Italian countryside blurred by under the moonlight.

  She grew wet just thinking about how naughty it all seemed now. Perhaps she’d been too good with her other lovers, too eager to please them. Luc brought out a new side to her, one that promised more pleasure than she’d ever experienced. And better yet, he was still in her bed when she woke. Could this be the beginnings of a relationship?

  Luc grabbed the edge of the fabric curtains and yanked them shut, shaking his hand after he released them. A hiss escaped his lips.

  “What’s wrong?”

  A look of panic crossed his face a second before he smoothed the wrinkles. “I wrenched my wrist a little.”

  “Let me see.”

  “No!” He jerked his hand back when she reached for it, hiding it behind his uninjured hand. “We should get dressed before the conductor catches us naked again.” He gave her a playful smack on her bottom and her sex clenched. His grin widened. “The sooner we get back to my house, the sooner we can continue this little game.”

  Merda, he wanted her as much as she wanted him. Was it insane to think of nothing but fucking him over and over again? She studied his lean frame as he searched for his clothes. He was thin, but the sculpted lines of his muscles spoke of his underlying strength. The only criticism she could come up with was that he appeared too pale, like he’d spent too many days locked away from the sun. Perhaps they should remedy that with a nice vacation to the Greek Islands.

  “Get dressed,” he reminded her again and pulled her out of the bed. He gently kissed her fingers. “When we reach my house, I’ll give you my map to part of the staff and you can thank me properly for helping you find it.”

  A chill rippled over her skin, puckering her flesh. Was that his interpretation of last night? That she was using sex as payment for his help? She snatched her clothes from him and dressed quickly, refusing to look at him for fear he’d see the shame on her face. “I am not a whore,” she whispered to herself.

  “I never said you were.”

  She froze. How had he overheard her? Her cheeks burned and her stomach churned. “I—”

  “I know you didn’t mean for me to hear that, but I did.” He tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear. “Forgive me, Daniela. I’m in a position I’ve never been in before with a woman.”

  “What is that? Never had a woman seduce you to get something from you before?” Her words sounded shrill and bitter to her ears. His face darkened and she regretted ever saying them,
even in sarcasm.

  “Is that what this is to you?”

  The low, even tone in his voice scared her more than any shouting would have. Her mouth went dry. “No.”

  “Then why did you say that?”

  “Because that’s obviously what you’re thinking.”

  His fingers curled around her arms and he stared at her in silence for almost a minute. “You have no idea what I’m thinking, streghetta.”

  The use of that one derogatory word hurt more than a slap in the face. Flashbacks of the taunts she endured as a child flooded her mind, of how everyone in her village avoided her because she was a witch. Images of the angry villagers calling her streghetta and dousing her with holy water flitted through her mind. Her parents were only too happy to hand her over to the red-haired woman who’d mysteriously appeared one day and offered to take Daniela away to a special school in America.

  His grip loosened and his lips fell open. “I said something that hurt you.”

  She wrestled free of him. He was no different than the others. No, he was worse. He actually made her believe he could accept her for what she was, only to throw it back at her. “As soon as I find the Staff of Octavius, I’m returning home to New York.”

  He looked away, and she almost thought she saw a hint of sadness in the way his brow wrinkled. “That’s probably for the best.”

  She didn’t ask for him to elaborate, although the question nagged at her worse than an itchy spot she couldn’t scratch. Delving into his thoughts would probably only cause her more pain. She didn’t want to know why he was rejecting her. The point was already clear. He didn’t want her at the end of this, and she needed to stop deluding herself into thinking there was something more to it than just great sex. Mind-blowing, hot, intense orgasm-producing sex, but sex nonetheless. It was just physical. No need to involve her heart.