by Sarah Bailey
She has no idea how good she smells. How her blood sings to me when I’m near her.
He could no more understand his need to bite Dani than his complicated feelings towards her. He watched the blood pumping through the vein in her neck. It mesmerised him. Her eyes fell on him, concern in her expression.
“Jamie?”
He almost groaned as his fangs threatened to make their presence known and the burn in the back of his throat became more pronounced. Why did he have to crave her, of all people?
“Are you… We’re in public.” Her voice was a little wary.
He moved, slowly, leaning down towards her neck and inhaling deeply. His nose brushed against her skin. She shuddered.
“You told me not to lie to you,” he whispered. “I want your blood.”
She swallowed. He felt it against his skin.
“No.”
“Is that a no full stop or a no to right now?”
Her pulse fluttered wildly. He breathed her in again. Her arousal mixed with the scent of her blood.
“Jamie, please,” she whimpered.
“Answer me.”
“Now. No to now.”
He groaned, the sound rumbling in his chest. He shifted her hands from her lap, stroking circles up her thigh.
“Do you want to know what it’d be like to let me suck your blood whilst I fuck you?”
“Yes.”
He groaned again. Fuck, this is not what I should be doing. Not at all. Not one bit. He could feel her fear mixing in with her need to let him take her right there and then. Somehow, that made it worse. The ache grew. He needed her naked. Needed to bury his cock in her and have her at his mercy.
Slowly, she removed his hand from her thigh and shifted away from him.
“But not now. I’m not ready,” she said, looking away.
He stared at her for the longest moment.
“Are you scared of me?” he asked, his voice soft.
Her eyes snapped to his, the icy blue depths staring at him with an intensity he’d never experienced from her before.
“I trust you.”
“That’s not what I asked.”
“No. I don’t fear you. I should because of what you are, but you won’t hurt me. Can we talk about something else? We agreed we wouldn’t do this every time we see each other.”
He leant back, giving her the space she needed. She was right. And he hated it. Hated that even though sex was a part of their friendship, it was better for them not to give into temptation at every given moment. It would only inevitably lead to messy emotions and feelings. That was not allowed to happen. Dani was still a princess of the fae and he was still a vampire.
“Are you going to deny you’re turned on right now?”
“As if I’d be stupid enough to think I could hide that from you.”
Her eyes roamed across his face before she looked out towards the bar, fiddling with her martini. She picked it up, taking a large gulp.
“Who’s that woman staring at us?” she said.
Jamie was so intent on Dani, he hadn’t been paying attention to the rest of the bar. He turned his head sharply, stiffening when he saw who it was.
What the fuck?
“Stay here,” he said to Dani as he stood.
She put a hand on his arm, looking up at him. His eyes softened at her expression of confusion.
“Is everything okay?”
“It will be.”
She released his arm, sitting back with her drink. He strode away, making a beeline straight for the woman sitting at a high table a few feet away from them.
“What do you want?” he asked without preamble.
“That’s no way to greet an old friend.”
“We are not friends, Selene.”
“Why are you with one of the fae?”
He fought to keep a straight face, wishing Dani was anywhere but here.
“What do you want?”
“I don’t know what’s gotten into you since you returned to London.”
“Selene,” he all but growled.
She watched him for a moment.
“Fine. I need more.”
“Just give me the names.”
She tugged out a small sheet of paper from inside her jacket, handing it to him. Her red eyes blazed with emotions he didn’t want to see or be reminded of.
“You can stop all of this. Just say the word.”
“Have I ever once changed my mind in all these years?”
She chuckled, eyes flickering with heat.
“No, but there’s no harm in me asking on occasion.”
Her gaze gave him a sick feeling in his throat.
“Next time call me if you want me. Do not interfere in my personal life again. Boundaries, Selene. Don’t start crossing them now.”
She put her hands up.
“All right, Jamie, you’ve made your point. Let me know when you’ve retrieved what I need.”
She slid off the stool and slinked away into the crowd, swaying her hips. He tried not to gag at the sight of it. Selene made him feel wrong on so many levels. What she wanted from him, really wanted, would never happen.
I won’t be her little puppet or toy. I don’t care how much she desires me.
He didn’t look at the piece of paper she’d given him, merely tucked it into the back pocket of his jeans. He walked back over to the booth and sat down. Dani’s eyes were on him but he didn’t look at her.
“What was that about? She’s a demon, isn’t she?” she asked.
“It doesn’t matter.”
She leant over, putting a hand on his thigh. Her touch made him want to pull her into his lap, but thoughts of Selene still plagued his mind.
“Jamie, what’s wrong?”
His eyes snapped to hers.
“Don’t, Dani. Not about this.”
She flinched, snatching her hand back as if his words stung. It immediately made him regret his tone. Her blue eyes swirled with hurt. He moved, capturing her face in his hands.
“I’m sorry,” he whispered before pressing his mouth to hers, wanting to soothe her.
She was stiff and unyielding for the longest minute. When she relaxed into his kiss, her fingers tangled in his hair, pulling him closer. He took and she gave. It was wrong to kiss Dani in order to make her forgive him. Wrong to crave her submission. Yet, he couldn’t abide by her being upset with him.
“Tell me what’s wrong,” she whispered against his mouth.
“Some things are best left unsaid. My dealings with her is one of them.”
“What is she to you?”
“Nothing more than a business arrangement.”
Dani ran a hand down his chest. How is it one simple touch from her makes everything feel okay again? He breathed her in. She brushed her nose against his.
“Okay, I won’t ask any more.”
She kissed him. It was forceful and demanding. This time, he relented, groaning into her mouth. He became hyper aware of her heart hammering, her skin hot against his. No sex. Not tonight. Shit. I ache for her. Her hand dropped lower, dragging across his stomach over his shirt. He caught her hand before she could touch his cock.
“No,” he whispered, pulling away. “We agreed.”
“You kissed me first.”
She tried to pull her hand out of his grasp, but he didn’t let her.
“I shouldn’t have.”
“You can’t blow hot and cold on me.”
His eyes darkened.
“What do you want? For me to take you here? Shall I drag you in the toilets, force you on your knees and make you suck me?”
Her eyes flashed with yearning. This need to talk dirty to her had come out of nowhere. The primal part of him wanted to make her wet from just his words.
“Don’t forget, we’re to be honest with each other,” he said when she didn’t answer.
“Why do you always make it sound so provocative?”
“What I want to do to you isn’t sweet or
innocent.” He closed the distance between them. “It’s dark, dirty and raw.”
The vein in her throat throbbed wildly. He kept hold of her hand but pried apart her thighs with his other one. Her underwear was drenched. She shifted, pressing against his fingers.
“Dani, you’re always so wet for me,” he growled. “I want to fuck you over this table in front of everyone.”
Her face flushed, but she kept eye contact with him.
“Then fuck me.”
And I’m so screwed.
The challenge in her voice made him so hard, it hurt. He pulled away reluctantly, letting go of her before he stood.
“Come, I’m taking you home.”
Her brow furrowed, but she got up. She downed the rest of her drink and followed him from the bar. He didn’t move to touch her until they reached an alleyway. He grabbed her hand and tugged her down it.
“Hold onto me and don’t let go.”
“What? Why?”
“Trust me.”
He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her flush with his chest. She clutched his back. The shadows folded around them. He felt the familiar rushing sound when he moved through them. Dani trembled, her eyes squeezed shut. It took him three jumps. They were on her balcony when he released her. She blinked, looking around before her eyes fell back on him.
“What was that?” she asked.
“How much do you know about my kind?”
“Only what my tutor taught me.”
“We all have varying abilities. One of mine is travelling through the shadows, although my range is limited in comparison to say, Gav’s. It’s rare.”
“Do you and he share it because you had the same maker?”
He nodded.
“Why did you bring me home? To my home, I mean.”
“We had an agreement and you said you should be back early tonight.”
She let out a long sigh. Turning away, her magic flared out of her hand, unlocking the balcony door. She walked in, he followed her to the door, but didn’t go in after her.
“I need to go,” he said.
“Even if I wish you’d stay.”
“Dani…”
“Not for that. I sleep better when I know you’re there.”
He reached for her arm, turning her around. Her eyes were full of turmoil. He cupped her cheek.
“You do?”
She turned her face into his palm.
“Yes. The nightmares don’t plague me.”
She hadn’t told him she had bad dreams, only that she had trouble sleeping.
“What nightmares?”
She shook her head a little.
“It’s too hard to speak of.”
The hollowness he felt in his chest because Dani suffered was almost unbearable. He pulled her towards him, wrapping her up in his arms. She nuzzled her face in his chest, curling her hands around his back. This thing between them was going to get them into trouble one day. He could feel it.
He kissed the top of her head. She shifted, turning her face up to him. She looked lost and afraid. And so beautiful. Yes, she’s cute and undeniably sexy, but she’s also beautiful to me. I never saw it before.
Cupping her face, he leant down, brushing his nose over hers.
“I don’t want you to suffer.”
In the cool, still night air, Dani was a furnace of heat. Her body moulded to his perfectly.
“I won’t. I’ll think of you and I’ll survive it.”
That made him smile. Dani relied on his friendship and he relied on hers. It was only ever meant to be like this. And not this desperate pull we have to each other. To give into our baser needs. To fuck each other like animals. Jamie didn’t have control when it came to her. None whatsoever.
“I’ll make it better for you.”
He kissed her, hungrily. She clung to him, her mouth hot and wet on his. He wanted to feel it around his cock, which was digging into her stomach. He was just about ready to abandon all pretence that he didn’t want to shove her up against the door and have his way with her. It was only when he registered the creaking sound on the stairs, he moved away from her so fast, she stumbled forward. She put a hand out, catching the door before she fell over.
“Jamie, what are—?”
The sound came again. She turned slowly. A man who looked very much like Dani opened the door to her bedroom and stared at the two of them.
“You must be her vampire friend,” he said.
“And you’re her brother,” Jamie replied.
“Novy, what are you doing up here?” Dani asked.
It was a small mercy he hadn’t stepped into Dani’s room. He was relatively sure Novus wouldn’t approve of her having given him an invitation to their home. Only the person who’d offered it could rescind it. And she won’t do that because she doesn’t want there to be a time where I can’t get to her when she’s in London.
“I wanted to speak to you.”
“Can it wait?”
“By all means, say goodbye, I’m not stopping you.”
Dani’s back went rigid with tension, but he couldn’t see her face.
“I’ll come down and find you.”
There was a moment of silence as a look passed between the siblings. Novus visibly relaxed and sighed.
“Fine.” His eyes found Jamie. “I expect you to take care of my sister when she’s with you. I know she’s a handful and never likes to do as she’s told, but I’ll hold you responsible if anything happens to her.”
Jamie simply nodded. Novus stared at him for a moment longer before disappearing back into the hallway and down the stairs.
“Honestly, does he have to be so over dramatic?” Dani muttered as she turned back to him, annoyance painting her expression.
“I imagine he’s overprotective because you’re his baby sister.”
“I’m not a child any longer.”
He cocked an eyebrow.
“Oh, I’m perfectly aware of that.” His eyes roamed down the length of her. “All woman.”
She stepped out, her ice blue eyes heated and her face flushed from his perusal.
She’s still so aroused, I can smell it. And fuck am I done delaying the inevitable. I’m done pretending I have a semblance of restraint.
“We’ve been playing this game all night. I can’t do it any longer. I’m aching, longing, craving everything we said we wouldn’t do. I can hardly string a sentence together let alone think straight.”
Chapter Ten
Seconds ticked by, but to Dani, they seemed like hours. Jamie’s silver eyes were molten with desire. The air around them was stifling even though it was winter and cold outside. He wanted her to beg. She could feel it. She read him like an open book. The way he spoke to her tonight made it obvious. He needed her to submit. It turned him on, knowing she’d let him do anything he wanted. Jamie wanted her to live in the darkness with him and she’d go wherever he led her.
He’s the one thing in my life which doesn’t make me feel constrained. We are whatever we need to be for each other. And right now he needs me to play my part in this game between us.
She took the final steps towards him before she dropped to her knees and stared up at him. Jamie’s nostrils flared.
“Please, make my torment end.”
He tucked a hand under her chin, his cool skin a balm to her heat.
“Dani, you have to go speak to your brother.”
She almost let out a mewl of frustration. Why was he doing this to her? She pushed his hand away. Before he had a chance to stop her, she tugged open the buttons of his jeans. He hissed when her hand met his cock, pulling it from his boxers. She had no idea what she was doing when it came to oral sex. Relying on instinct, she stared up into his grey eyes, sheathed her teeth and wrapped her lips around him. He shuddered, his fist clenching at his side.
“Fuck,” he grunted.
His other hand curled around the back of her head. She thought he might pull her off him, but instead, he pressed
against her, encouraging her to take more of him in her mouth. She obliged, trying to set a slow, steady pace. Having him in her mouth made her very aware just how big he was. She could barely fit half of him before he hit the back of her mouth. His eyes darkened significantly. His other hand curled around her head.
“I’ve imagined being in your mouth, but nothing compares to the real thing. Are you really prepared for what I’m going to do to you?”
She couldn’t answer him. She planted a hand on his thigh, steadying herself. I think I already know what he wants. For all Jamie’s joking, teasing nature, when it came to sex, he was a different kettle of fish. His baser desires called to her. She wanted to make him lose control. Knowing she could push him beyond his limits turned her on.
He tipped her head back. Sweat beaded at the back of her neck in anticipation. Her nerves tingled. She tried not to gag when he pressed deeper, inching down her throat at an almost painfully slow pace.
“That’s it, I want you to take it all.”
She found it increasingly difficult to breathe. She pressed her hand against his thigh, trying to tell him to stop. Her eyes widened, panic setting in. Her other hand gripped his trousers, tugging them. His hold on her loosened after a moment. She wrenched herself out of his grasp, choking and gasping for air as she fell on her hands. Jamie was beside her the next moment, rubbing her back.
“Shh, just breathe,” he murmured, brushing her hair out of her face.
Her lungs burnt a little, but after a minute, her breathing slowed. She looked up into his face. His silver eyes held a hint of regret.
“Don’t apologise,” she whispered, not trusting her voice.
He’s stopped when she’d needed him to. Sorry was unnecessary in her eyes.
“Then let me take care of you,” he replied.
She wasn’t sure what he meant until he pulled her up from the floor and tugged her over to the door. He made her face the glass and placed her hands against it.
“I want you to stay right there for me,” he whispered in her ear.
“What if Novus comes back?”
“He won’t. I’m going to fuck you hard and fast. Just like we both need.”
Her breath clouded against the glass as he tugged up her skirt and pushed aside her underwear. He sunk into her in the next moment, both of them moaning. He slapped a hand over her mouth before he gripped her hip and pulled back. The pace he set was brutal. Dani couldn’t help crying out, the sound muffled by his fingers.