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by TIFFANY

  Chloe digested that. She faltered, unsure what to say. He sneered at her, his lips curling downward.

  “I couldn’t protect her or my son. Now you wish to take the seat next to me. So then when it happens again, I’ll be left alone to—” he shook his head and left the room. He threw open drawers and started pulling clothes out with violent movements.

  “Tyrian, I’m so sorry,” she said, tears blanketing her eyes. “But that was such a long time ago. You won’t be alone because I’m not going anywhere. I’ll be here with you.” He pulled a pair of black cargos over his legs.

  “Even if I...” he paused, shaking his head sadly. Chloe had had it. Her heart was

  threatening to break, her emotions were living on a wire, and she didn’t know if she was about to break down or throw something.

  “I mean what is wrong with me? What is so terrible about me that you can’t even try to talk to me? To be with me when what I feel towards you is more...powerful than anything I’ve ever felt before.” He was quiet for so long that she found herself fighting back tears. Shaking her head, she turned to leave. As her hand touched the metal doorknob, he spoke.

  “There is nothing wrong with you, Chloe. That is the problem, in fact,” he said in an odd voice. Chloe turned to him, shocked to her core. Looking down he said, “I’ve spent the past thousand years alone and since I’ve met you, you have done nothing but consume my thoughts.

  Everywhere I go, whether I’m overseeing my men or strategizing to kill your demon, you are always there.”

  “You’re in mine, too,” Chloe said hoarsely. He shook his head slowly.

  “The path we are headed in is dangerous. I’ve been there before. I was naive then, so young. I learned the hard way what happens when you let your emotions take over. When you allow someone you care about to stay with you. To let yourself feel.”

  “Wouldn’t it be worth a shot? Worth the time together?” She had to blink back tears to keep them from falling.

  “Is the pain worth the pleasure? I can’t honestly answer that, Chloe. Don’t ever think, for even a moment, that I do not like you.” He tossed back his head and laughed, his hand rubbing over the back of his neck. “Look, already, at what I’ve succumbed to. I cannot resist you. I’m talking about feelings. My heart races every time you’re near me and I experience emotions I haven’t felt in ages, if at all. Your scent follows me and when it finally leaves me, I walk into the same room with you and it bombards me all over again. I miss it when it’s gone. I crave it when I’m around it. It makes me feel so old. Then I look at you and see how young you are.”

  “I won’t always be young,” Chloe whispered. The corner of his mouth kicked up in a

  rueful smile.

  “But I’ll always be ancient in comparison. I’ll always be the jaded man. You don’t want that. I could never bring you the kind of happiness you need, that you deserve. I know that with certainty.”

  “Yes, you could. I feel it. I know it, Tyrian. Fate has put us together. Why don’t we give it a shot and see what happens?” Her heart was tight. Even as he shook his head, she rushed on.

  “There is no stopping the feelings I already have for you. I can’t make them go away. I wouldn’t even begin to know how to. I know that when I’m not with you, I want you. That when we’re together, they are some of the happiest moments I’ve ever experienced.”

  Anger slashed over his features. “Impossible. What sort of miserable life did you lead before that the moments spend fighting with me are good?”

  “I’ve led a good life, Tyrian. A happy one, as a matter of fact. Sure I wish we had more conversations, that we knew each other better, but even the fights we have don’t feel like fights to me. I feel like I’m fighting to get you to open up. Not fighting because we hate each other. I’m fighting for you,” she said the last raggedly, her voice lower than a whisper.

  His eyes flashed to hers for long, endless moments. Her breath froze in her throat, heart skipping a beat.

  He stood slowly. He stalked towards her like a predator, eyes feral and bright. When he reached her, he cupped her face in his big hands, and slammed his mouth down on hers. He took her mouth again and again, kissing each of the corners, then each lip in return. His tongue feasted inside her mouth, licked her lips, biting and tugging, claiming. He was claiming her. When he finally lifted his mouth from hers, he pressed his forehead against hers.

  “You have no idea what happens when you let someone in, Chloe. How much it

  hurts...when they’re gone.”

  Chloe swallowed back the tears and hugged his waist fiercely to her. “I would rather know and experience it than never at all. You said that all there was between us was sex. Well, I think you’re wrong.” His arms surrounded her, pulled her close to the heat of his body.

  “What you ask of me...,” he said raggedly.

  Chloe held him tighter. “I know. But please let’s at least try it. I care for you so much already.” She was laying her heart out on the chopping block. All it would take was one hard whack and she’d be done for, would never be able to put the pieces back together.

  His hand turned to cup the back of her head, fingers twisting in her hair. His lips scorched a path up her jaw to her lips where he kissed her with such devastating force that she didn’t know where she began and he ended. The room spun and her mind blanked from all thoughts but of him, his taste, his scent. His tongue slid past her lips and took her, drowning her in his masculine taste until she was swimming in him, pressed against him so tightly air couldn’t pass between them.

  However much time passed, she didn’t know, but when he finally lifted his lips from hers, her lips tingled close to numbness. His eyes were hazy, half-lidded and her body pulsed in response. He lifted her into his arms and carried her to the bed.

  Her heart soared. He’d made his choice. The vampire commander, Tyrian en Kulev, was hers.

  * * *

  Tyrian lay his succubus onto his bed. The sight thrilled him more than it should. But seeing her spread out in that sexy black dress, eyes burning with desire, Tyrian felt lost, hopeless.

  He was in her small hands now. It was complete stupidity, went against everything he’d striven for in all these long, tireless years. Yet he could no sooner deny her request, deny his own needs, than he could hurt her.

  He was mad. Yet as he looked down at her long hair spread wildly around her like a halo, her body warm and welcoming, eyes accepting, there wasn’t any other place he’d rather be. She wanted him. Even knowing what he did and who he was. She wanted him with a fierce passion that rocked him on his feet, and for the first time in centuries, made him feel fear.

  “I think you’re the most impressive man, I’ve ever met,” she said. Tyrian’s heart felt heavy and bigger than usual in his chest. She did that. From the first moment he saw her.

  “More impressive than Telal Demuzi? The infamous demon.” She laughed, the sound

  almost making him smile.

  “Way more. He doesn’t have the aura around him like you do.” He picked up her ankle and started rubbing muscles in gentle circles. She moaned and the sound sent his cock flying to break out of his pants. Her eyes closed and a sensual smile played over her lips. He liked that.

  Too much. But he didn’t stop. He moved to the other ankle and knocked off her ridiculously sexy heel so he could rub the arch of her foot.

  Suddenly, she started laughing a great belly laugh. He stopped rubbing and glared at her.

  “What?” She wiped a tear away, breathing hard.

  “I just remembered how you told me that you’re not the husband type. The kind of man who’d rub his woman’s feet.” She broke into another peel of laughter. He dropped her foot.

  Quickly she sat up, trying hard to stifle her laughter. “No please, don’t be mad. I’m not actually laughing at you. I just think it’s funny how things change sometimes.”

  Tyrian started away from her. He knew this had been a bad idea, but her legs snaked a
round his and pulled him against the bed. He fell forward and would have slammed into her if he hadn’t braced his arms on either side of her head. She smiled up at him. None of this could be good for him. But, he liked it when she smiled, made him feel good, like he’d done that.

  “I’m sorry, Ty. Really I wasn’t laughing at you. I love it when you touch me.” He made a grunting sound of disbelief and saw her white teeth flash in her smile. He started to lift off her, but her soft hands cupped his cheeks, pushing gently up into his hair.

  “I also like widow’s peak right here. It makes you look so dark and angry all the time. I wish I had one, it might help me to look more intimidating.”

  “You don’t need to be intimidating. I’ll protect you.”

  She rolled her eyes and his muscles loosened as her hands ran through his wet hair, tracing his scalp. “You can’t always be around for every second. What if I go shopping and some lady butts in line ahead of me? Maybe if I had a widow’s peak like you, she’d back the hell up.”

  Tyrian looked at her as if she were crazy. “That’s nonsense.” Now she looked at him like he was crazy.

  “Obviously you’ve never been shopping during Christmas rush. Things get nasty, quick.”

  He shook his head and couldn’t keep from touching her anymore. His fingers trailed down her cheek to her neck, feeling the thump of her pulse. Her cheeks flushed.

  “What?” he asked. If anything, her blush deepened.

  “Nothing.” Tyrian’s lips pulled into a smile.

  “Tell me.”

  Eyes twinkling she said, “Is that an order, Commander?” He nodded as he would to one of his warriors and she laughed.

  “Well, I...” she looked away then squeezed her eyes shut and said, “I was just

  remembering when you’d bitten me. The way you touched my pulse reminded me. I liked it a lot.” Her eyes shot to his, hungry and hot. Tyrian felt his fangs descend. His cock pulsed against her.

  “I did too.” For some reason talking to her felt natural, right. It completely disconcerted him. He watched as pleasure left her face, turning into anger.

  “No more frimar. Please, I can’t stand the thought of you going and using her when I’m here.”

  “No, impossible.” She wrapped her legs around his thighs and brought him flush against her sex. He could feel the heat of her through her barely there dress and it burned. If she was trying to use sex to convince him, then he was afraid it might actually...work.

  “Let her be Draven’s or someone else’s. You are my Protector and my vampire

  boyfriend. That means I’ll serve that need—happily, I might add,” she said huskily. Whether on purpose or not, her hips rocked against his, catching his cock against her pussy lips and stroking it. He took a steadying breath.

  “I’ll think about it.”

  “Say yes, please,” she whispered, her hands stroking his shoulders, pulling his mouth down to hers. She slanted her lips against his on a moan and kissed him with growing passion.

  Soon their tongues were thrusting against each other, their breaths mingling like a dance.

  Tyrian was lost. She could ask for the world in that moment and he’d find a way to give it to her. “Yes.”

  She smiled brilliantly at him then pulled him down for another kiss. Her mouth was wet and soft, lips even softer as they pressed against his. Something so wonderful had to lead to devastation. Tyrian pulled back from her and stood once again at the edge of the bed. She pouted at him and he couldn’t help but smile.

  “I like it when you smile. You actually look happy.” Tyrian immediately frowned. She laughed at him and poked him in the stomach with her toes. He grabbed on to her foot and couldn’t keep himself from rubbing the gentle arch of her foot, the slender bone of her ankle. She was so much smaller than he was, so fragile in comparison.

  “If we’re going to do this, then it will be my way.” He couldn’t believe he was doing this.

  Her toes curled in his hand as he caressed her calf up and down.

  “How so?” she asked breathlessly.

  “You’re mine. No one touches you. You don’t touch at another man.”

  She scoffed. “As if I could be interested in anyone else when I have the leader of the Atal Warriors at my feet stroking me to heaven.”

  “This isn’t stroking you to heaven, but I will be soon.” It was a dark promise that sent her eyes wide. Tyrian ran his hand up her slender thighs and felt the lacy press of her garter. He tossed the skirt of her dress up. Had to see it.

  A deep, masculine groan left his chest at the sight of black stockings and creamy skin.

  Her stocking met her thigh halfway and two dainty straps held her stocking up to some contraption around her waist.

  “This is...” he stopped, unsure how to describe it, what to say. She smiled at him and he swore she wiggled her hips at him.

  “My garter belt. Do you like? I was hoping you would.” Tyrian’s skin bunched tight. His control was slipping past him with unsettling ease. He ran both hands over her knees to caress the soft bare skin at the tops of her thighs.

  Raggedly, he said, “The only thing that would be better would be if you’d worn no

  underwear at all. Then I could see all of you, spread open and soft.” She gasped and undulated like a wave.

  “Tyrian...I need your touch.”

  He was in a sexual haze, something she always managed to make him feel when she was around. He reached and grasped her slender hips, loving the way she quivered in his hands.

  “Are you wet and ready for me? Do you want me to touch your pussy? Will my cock sink inside you?”

  “Yes.” Her answer was hoarse and filled with a need he understood.

  The snap of the garter breaking was loud in the room. Tyrian didn’t care. He had to get her naked beneath him. He tugged the black stocking down over her creamy leg. Each new inch of skin raised his ardor like a stoked fire. He couldn’t keep himself from pressing his lips to her inner thigh.

  His tongue flicked out, licking her warm skin. He smelled her sweet sex and wanted to pound in and never stop. But he couldn’t do that to her. He’d been rough so many times with her.

  She deserved to be treated with gentle, slow loving. And if he kept a reign on his passion, he might just be able to do it.

  Her hands tunneled into his hair and she almost seemed to be tugging him closer to her sex. He could smell her rich scent and didn’t want to leave. He’d tasted her before and knew first-hand how the taste and scent lingered on his tongue for days. It was ecstasy and torture.

  His lips pressed against the rapid, throbbing pulse of her thigh as his fangs descended. He felt parched like he hadn’t drank in ages. He wrapped an arm around her lush, round thigh, cradling her close as he slid his free arm up her dress to latch onto a soft breast.

  She moaned, her head swishing back and forth, hips pushing towards him in a rocking rhythm. He didn’t hesitate a second longer, he bared his fangs then sank them deep into her thigh.

  She cried out, panted his name in a husky voice as her hands gripped his hair for support.

  He lost his mind in her taste, in her essence. His cock throbbed so hard, so fast he was going to come if he didn’t stop. He heard her choked sob as she came, felt the pulsing waves soar through her. He kept at it, prolonging her release for as long as he could.

  It was the hardest thing he ever had to do, to pull his mouth away, and lick the points of his passion.

  Tyrian stood and dropped his cargo pants before climbing over her. She looked

  disheveled and flushed—it was the sexiest thing he’d ever seen. She had one high heel on, one stocking on, and her dress was push up to her belly button.

  Tyrian gripped the low hanging collar of her dress and ripped it down the middle.

  “Baby! You didn’t have to do that.” He grunted, his eyes raking like coals over her breasts, her hard-tipped nipples.

  “Disagree,” he said, then latched onto one breast,
sucking as much of her as possible into his mouth. He licked and pulled at her nipple until she made soft, gasping sounds. Her legs scissored around his, her hips seeking, searching.

  “Take me. Take me.”

  Tyrian switched breasts, tried to go slowly and tamper down the raging lust that pressed inside him.

  He had just started kissing his way up to her neck when she said, “Why don’t you see how easily your cock slides in now?”

  Tyrian tore away from her, eyes wild. He couldn’t wait anymore. Not another second. He grabbed her underwear and garter belt in a fist and yanked it from her body. It stretched then snapped with a satisfying sound.

  He was inside her in the next second, pumping hard and fast. Gasping, she clutched at his back, her nails digging deep.

  “Is it... ah...to your liking?”

  Tyrian could have died a happy man in that moment. Her sex gripped him like wet, hot velvet. She clenched against him with little tremors of pleasure and he knew she was close to climax.

  “Fucking perfect.” He’d told himself he’d be gentle. He’d go slow and show her slow, gentle loving, but somehow she always managed to snap something inside him.

  He pounded her into the mattress and her hips met him thrust for thrust, grinding and arching against him. Her feet dug into him, nails biting hard. Her sex gripped him tighter, faster and then she sank her teeth into his shoulder.

  Tyrian roared as her sex started milking his cock in tugging pulls. She screamed over the bite, her hips bucking against his, and Tyrian lost himself. Taking her harder, faster, letting her working muscles stroke the release from him.

  He shouted, his balls exploding his release, shooting out from him and dousing her

  deeply in long hot spurts. He kept thrusting through her tightening muscles, their moans mixing as one.

  Long minutes passed and they stayed together, locked tight, joined as one. She gently released her grip on his back and her arms fell like dead weight to the bed.

  A slow laugh bubbled out of her.