A Taste of Twilight

by Aubrey Ross

  They reached the bedroom and she went still in his arms, her eyes wide and luminous. “How do you regain your strength?”

  He grinned, moonlight accenting his fangs. “Despite your attempts to deny your excitement, I’ve seen the image in your mind. We will reenact my first night with Antonelli and see if you are willing to learn.” He set her down beside his bed and she lunged for the door. With a patient chuckle, he flung her onto the bed. “You can resist the pleasure and scream until your voice fails, but I will not fuck you or take your blood until you freely offer me the bond.”

  “You’re insane!” She rolled toward the opposite side of the bed. He caught her ankles and flipped her onto her back. She screamed and flailed as he shredded her clothes and wrestled her into position, binding her wrists and ankles in fur-lined cuffs. Tugging against the restraints with all her strength, she confirmed that she was helpless, as he had been in the vision.

  He paused, staring down at her with luminous golden eyes. “I know it’s your nature to be stubborn, but surrender will serve you better tonight.”

  Chapter Four

  With a negligent wave of his hand, Rafe dissolved his clothing and joined her on the bed. “To remain true to the reenactment, I should gag you, but that would prevent me from kissing you.”

  Jessie licked her lips, her gaze focused on his sensual mouth. “Did Antonelli kiss you?”

  “Not that first night.” He stretched out on his side and slipped one arm beneath her neck.

  “Did you and Faelon ever…”

  “Antonelli is a sexual connoisseur. She enjoys men and women in every imaginable combination.”

  “You and Faelon took Antonelli together?” It didn’t take much imagination to picture Antonelli’s slender body sandwiched between the two powerful men. Had Rafe been on the bottom or had he filled Antonelli’s ass? A violent shiver shook her and she looked away from his otherworldly gaze. Why was she encouraging him? She should resist this depravity, or at least stay silent.

  “She rode my cock while Faelon stuffed her ass.” He slipped his hand between her thighs and bent down to whisper in her ear. “You’re wet. Does the idea of being taken by two men appeal to you, or is it simply the subject matter?”

  “I’m chained to your bed and you’re fingering my clit.” Grasping for the rapidly eroding remnants of her resistance, Jessie concentrated on her breathing. She couldn’t give in without a fight. She just couldn’t!

  “Antonelli enjoys having a woman tongue-fuck her while the woman is being fucked from behind. Have you ever tasted a woman’s cunt?”

  “No. I have no desire to be a sexual connoisseur.” He pushed one of his fingers into her core and Jessie clenched her teeth.

  “Relax and we’ll begin our lesson.”

  She shook her head, her breasts quivering as her breathing hitched. He’d said he wouldn’t fuck her unless she accepted the bond willingly. That was small consolation when the sound of his voice had gotten her wet. A few strokes of his thumb would doubtlessly make her come. When had she become such an easy conquest?

  “Vampires are nourished by the liquids humans secrete.” He pulled his arm out from under her neck and sat beside her on the bed. His other hand continued its lazy slide between her thighs. “Saliva has healing properties. If I were wounded, you could help me heal with a long, passionate kiss.”

  She squirmed, distracted by the teasing penetration of his finger. “And blood?”

  “Blood provides the highest concentration of the nutrients we require. But this,” he pulled his finger out of her core and raised it to his mouth, “is intoxicating. The more we have, the more we want. Passion is addictive. Blood also tastes sweetest when infused with passion. Are you ready to feed me, Jessica?”

  “You said you wouldn’t take my blood unless I—”

  “I wasn’t thinking about your blood.” He moved between her legs and slipped his hands under her ass. Parting her folds with his thumbs, he paused to savor her scent. “It’s exhausting for the human, but a vampire can survive on cum. Be as stubborn as you like. This tastes better anyway.”

  Jessie thought she knew what to expect. She’d been engaged, for Christ’s sake. But Rafe shattered her expectations with the first stroke of his tongue. He licked her cleft from back to front, over and over, lapping her juices with noisy relish. There was nothing hesitant in his caress, nothing tender. His mouth moved over her, meticulously sucking her delicate folds and teased her aching core. He savored the last drop of her passion before positioning his mouth over her clit.

  He’d licked her clean, now he intended to make her wet again. The realization sent violent shivers up and down her spine. Her nipples tightened and her core throbbed.

  It’s exhausting for the human, but a vampire can survive on cum. He’d meant it literally. He flicked his tongue against her clit, starting a new cycle of arousal. She trembled, her spirit rebelling. “Stop it!” She wouldn’t lie here passively while he fed from her sex. They would share this experience or she wanted out. He ignored her objection and continued to devour her cream.

  Tension gripped her belly, pleasure mounting with astonishing speed. Her thighs flexed, spread wide by her position. He lifted her, tilting her hips as his mouth closed over her mound. Sucking and rubbing her clit with his tongue, he summoned wave after wave of sensation. She cried out, arching into his mouth then violently twisting away. Why did it have to feel so good?

  Stark and unapologetic, he took what he needed and rewarded her with exquisite pleasure. Over and over he commanded her release. Jessie tugged against her bonds, frightened by his detachment. Regardless of the staggering orgasms, she didn’t want to be his—food.

  “Please,” she cried. “No more. I don’t want…this.”

  Kneeling between her thighs, he raised his face. His mouth gleamed with her cream and his gaze bore into hers. “What do you want?”

  Rafe watched her eyes, judging her reaction. If he took this any further, opened a link between their minds, she would feel the emotions seething inside him. Never had his spirit responded with such intense and conflicting feelings. Her taste enticed him. Her resistance fueled his determination. He wanted to conquer, to fuck her hard and fast with no more pretence. She was his and her body knew it. Yet the desire to release her from the cuffs and cradle her in his arms was every bit as strong.

  “I don’t have casual sex and this is even worse.” Tears shone behind her lashes. She stubbornly blinked them away. “You feel nothing but—hunger when you touch me and I won’t be anyone’s meal.”

  “You have no idea what I’m feeling.” He’d meant the words as comfort despite the growl in his voice. “Offer me your throat and I’ll show you.”

  “How much of my blood do you have to drink before you control my mind?”

  “The blood bond will only last as long as your blood is in my body. A few hours, a day at most. Controlling you is not what I want.”

  “What do you want?” she repeated his question.

  “Accept the bond and I’ll show you.”

  She pressed her lips together in an attempt to hide their trembling. “I hate this. Why do I have to surrender control?”

  “You don’t.” He cupped the side of her face, teasing her lips with his thumb. “The cuffs are now at your command. Wish them away and you’ll be free.”

  Her brow furrowed and she nipped his thumb, uncertainty expanding within her eyes. She paused, her movements stilled for a moment, then her long legs wrapped around his hips. He looked at her hands, waiting for her to banish the other set of cuffs. She just smiled at him.

  “I like a man who understands compromise.” She turned her head and kissed the center of his palm. “Get it over with,” she whispered, her warm breath wafting against his skin.

  He turned her head until their gazes locked. “It doesn’t have to hurt.” Leaning down, he covered her mouth with his, caressing her lips and nibbling her chin. “I want to be inside you when I establish the bond.”


  Her breath released in a long, ragged sigh. “I want that too.”

  Still on his knees, he rotated her hips, lifting one of her ankles to his shoulder. Hot, wet, ready, her body opened for him. She watched him, her eyes wide and passion bright, her arms stretched above her head in willing surrender. He traced her slit with the head of his cock, teasing her and lubricating him. Antonelli had taught him to savor the moment of penetration. Any beast could ram a cock into a hole.

  He circled her opening and pressed her clit with his thumb, waiting for the telltale throb of her slick pussy. She murmured and pushed up with her free leg. He smiled, not yet ready to fill her. Anticipation was its own sort of pleasure. He had learned to be ruthlessly patient. Pushing just the flared head of his cock inside her, he paused and looked into her eyes.

  “Vampires are elemental creatures, much more so than humans.” As soon as he formed the blood bond, she would sense his overwhelming possessiveness. He didn’t want to frighten her. “We don’t mate indiscriminately.” He drove deeper, watching her body welcome his shaft.

  Her breasts quivered and she tossed her head, her expression wild. “Do we have to talk about this now?”

  “We often fuck when we feed. Sexual energy enriches the blood, makes the taste more pleasurable. That’s not what I’m talking about.” Deeper and deeper, her slick passage accepted his cock. She shook, obviously on the verge of orgasm. He watched her face and circled her clit with his fingertips as he pushed in the last few inches. She came with a sharp cry, her inner muscles rippling rhythmically. “There’s nothing casual about what I feel for you. I just wanted you to be prepared.”

  Shifting her legs to his waist, he arched over her and started moving. Her soft breasts pressed against his chest, the nipples forming hard little points. He braced himself on one forearm, leaving his other hand free to touch her. Cupping her chin, he turned her face to the side and angled his head. He moved faster, drove deeper, distracting her from what he was about to do.

  Even so, she tensed, her legs tightening around him. He licked her neck from the base of her shoulder to the sensitive spot behind her ear. Trailing his tongue and scraping his teeth, he waited for her to relax. Had she forgotten she could wish away the chains or did she find security in the restraints? The thought intrigued him, but now was not the time for questions. He sank his fangs into her throat without breaking the rhythm of his hips. She gasped, shuddered, then groaned, her pussy fluttering in response.

  He reached for her mind, delighted to find her open and waiting. They met and embraced, the bond more profound than their physical joining. She whimpered. He sensed wonder, not fear, so he poured affection across the newly formed link.

  Her fingers tangled in his hair. She’d finally rid herself of the cuffs. He paused for a moment, giving her the opportunity to push him away. She trembled. “I feel so hot,” she whispered.

  Do you want me to stop?

  “No! I just… I think I’m going to—”

  Her cunt gripped him so tightly he pulled his fangs from her throat, panting. She was incredibly responsive, accepting the new sensations without hesitation, reveling in the pleasure. Framing her face between his palms, he captured her mouth, matching each hard thrust with his tongue.

  You’re amazing. He sent the words to her mind and a staggering rush of emotion returned across the telepathic link. Passion and curiosity. Greedy and impatient, she demanded his breath, his heat, his strength, his virility. Thrilled by her ravenous desire, he claimed her without reservation. She matched him thrust for thrust, her fingers still tangled in his hair.

  His balls tingled with the onset of his orgasm and he reached again for her mind, sharing the splendor he had only found in her arms. She clung to him, wrapping her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist as her inner muscles triggered his release. He raised her hips off the bed and came in shuddering spurts, his entire body trembling with the intensity of his pleasure.

  Panting and shaken, he wrapped his arms around her hips, holding her flush against his body. She continued to pulse with tiny aftershocks as she sagged back against the bed.

  “Is it always like this?” she asked with a sleepy smile.

  “It will be for us.” There was so much more he wanted to say, but he knew better. She needed time to accept the rapid changes, to release her hold on her old life and accept what lay ahead. Wrapping his arms around her, he rolled them to their sides. One of her legs extended as they rolled, the other still circled his waist. He stroked her warm thigh and savored her breath against his chest. It had been centuries since he’d felt so alive.

  * * * * *

  Jessie took the square of caramel-filled chocolate from Rafe’s fingers, sighing in contentment as the confection melted on her tongue. They sat in the middle of his bed, facing each other, her legs wrapped loosely around his hips.

  “Somebody has a sweet tooth.” He smiled into her eyes, watching as she licked the sticky residue from her lips.

  “Where did you get a Caramello at this hour?” She slid her hands up his chest and explored his shoulders, enjoying the feel of his flesh nearly as much as the chocolate. “You were only gone a few minutes.” And he’d wasted no time getting naked and back into bed.

  “I live to fulfill your every desire.”

  She chuckled. “I’ll keep that in mind.” He’d transported her up the coast without breaking a sweat. Pilfering a candy bar wasn’t even a challenge. He held out another square and she nipped his fingertips as she took the treat.

  He scowled with playful menace. “You shouldn’t bite the hand that feeds you.”

  “Isn’t that a bit hypocritical?” A shiver raced down her spine and the small wound on her neck tingled. “So, what’s true and what’s superstition?”

  “In regard to vampires?” She nodded. “We don’t sleep in coffins. At least we don’t need to. I know several who find it amusing.”

  “How did it all begin?” She combed her fingers through his hair, luxuriating in the silky texture. “Faelon transformed you, but who transformed him?”

  “Faelon is organic.” He smiled at her startled expression. “He was born a vampire. That’s why he’s so powerful. There are few organic vampires left.”

  Jessie just stared at him for a moment, her mind in turmoil. It never occurred to her that someone could give birth to a vampire. More of the lore and superstition had taken root than she cared to admit. “Are Faelon’s children vampires? How many vampires are there in the world? Are you immortal?”

  He chuckled and slipped another piece of candy into her mouth. “Immortality is relative. A true immortal would live forever. Vampires are immune to disease and are able to heal most wounds, but we can be killed. I have no idea how many vampires exist worldwide. What else did you ask? Ah yes, children. Faelon has three daughters. Two were produced with lovers. One with his wife. All three daughters are vampires, as were their mothers.”

  “Cecilia, the female who transformed Etoro, was Faelon’s wife?” Rafe nodded and she began fitting the puzzle pieces together. “When did Faelon meet Antonelli?”

  “They had been lovers for many years when Faelon bowed to convention and agreed to accept an ‘appropriate’ mate. The union produced a daughter who despises him nearly as much as her mother. Needless to say, Faelon returned to Antonelli and has been content without other children.”

  “Only organic vampires can produce children?”

  He set the rest of the candy bar aside and traced her lips with his fingertip. “It’s rare for any vampire to be able to procreate. That’s why we resort to transformation. Very lucky ones are able to conceive with their soul-bonded mate.”

  “There have always been vampires?” She still couldn’t wrap her mind around the concept. “How have you kept it a secret from the vast majority of humans?”

  “Humans believe what they want to believe. Every culture has recorded some form of vampirism since written history began. The Covenant requires that we be discr
eet and integrate with established societies as much as possible. Intentionally bringing attention to our kind is grounds for punishment, sometimes execution.”

  “Who determines which, and who carries out the punishment?” She suddenly pictured Buffy the Vampire Slayer and smiled.

  “Why are you smiling?” He cupped her breast and arched his brow. “Is this really what you want to talk about?”

  “I’m just trying to understand your world.”

  “My world?” He grinned. “As far as I know, we’re both indigenous to Earth.”

  “You know what I mean.” His other hand grasped her bottom, pulling her groin snug against his. She ignored his growing erection and asked, “Can you go out in the sunlight?”

  “Vampires are nocturnal by nature and we’re extremely allergic to ultraviolet light. The invention of sunscreen has given us some freedom, but it’s generally not worth the risk.” He traced her spine and nuzzled her neck. Each time his moist breath wafted across the puncture wound, heat curled into her chest.

  “Can I read the Covenant?”

  “Right now?” He teased her nipple with the pad of his thumb.

  “Have you ever had a mate? How many people have you transformed?”

  He sighed and moved both his hands to her hips. “Why did you leave the police force?”

  It was his way of warning her away from any more questions. He expected her to retreat. Instead, she called his bluff. “Dalton and I were working an especially horrible case involving a serial rapist. Jeff, my fiancé, was part of the multi-jurisdictional task force. I had one of my—visions, which led the entire team into an ambush. Four people were killed because of my gift. Jeff and my brother were among them.”

  He framed her face with his hands and pressed his lips to her forehead. “I’m sorry.” Easing back, he looked into her eyes. “You said ambush. Was there more than one rapist?”

  “During the raid we took out someone with DNA linking him to most of the victims, but there were at least three others shooting at us. None of it makes sense. But there have been no more attacks, so the case is closed.”