Terry Spear - Vampire

by Killing The Bloodlust (Triskelion) (lit)

  “We need to get dressed.”

  Tom nodded.

  “Put another pizza on.” Robert shut the door in his brother’s face. He didn’t need his guff about now. He clicked the lock shut, then turned to face the bathroom. It was now, or never.

  He took a deep breath. But if she had changed her mind...

  She peeked out of the bathroom. “Ready?” she whispered.

  He chuckled, amused at her tenacity, despite seeming somewhat shy. She wasn’t giving it up. And neither was he.

  In a couple of quick strides, he reached her. After lifting her towel wrapped body up, he carried her to the bed. “You wouldn’t believe what I was dreaming of the other morning about you.”

  “Oh?”

  “You were a warrior woman wearing very little and had bound my wrists, then intended to have your way with me.”

  She chuckled, the devilish sound sparking a new surge of desire racing through his body. “And then you found you were really tied up and--”

  “Yeah, and you know...we had this discussion earlier about getting even.”

  She grinned at him as he laid her on the bed. He yanked her towel away and tossed it to the floor. She was the most beautiful specimen of a woman he’d ever laid eyes on. Was it because she was his perfect mate? Her ivory skin glowed kissably soft, and her nipples were hardened nubs waiting for his close-up and very personal inspection.

  His gaze shifted down to the golden patch of curly hair between her legs. He’d never had a huntress before as they mated for life, and he’d never had a mate. But this one, once he penetrated her, would be his forever. Marriage vows were a human condition. Hunters kept their vows without needing the court’s approval.

  He discarded his towel. Her eyes shifted to his erection. Yeah, he was ready for her. Every bit of him, mind, body, and soul. Was she as pleased with the way he looked as much as he was with her?

  He climbed on top of her and grinned. “You’d kind of stirred me up when we were in this position before.” He ran his hands over her abdomen. “Strong stomach muscles.”

  She smiled back at him, then reached for his hands and pulled him against her. He pressed his mouth against hers, planning to slowly build up the passion, allowing her body to ready itself for his penetration, but she quickly parted her lips for him and spread her legs at the same time to his surprise.

  He shifted his body around so that he was lying between her legs, attempting to control the raging lust that instantly built up in his groin. The sweet agonizing pressure ached to be released, but he had to control the urge to mount her like some primitive man.

  Slowly, he told himself. She was a virgin and he had to treat her with respect. Only she wasn’t helping him one iota. She wiggled to get higher so he could enter her. When she tried to push him lower, he grabbed her wrists and kissed her hands.

  “Are you in a rush?” he whispered, a grin stretching across his face in amusement.

  “Yes, hurry, before your brothers come banging on the door again.”

  He chuckled. But he was doing it his way. Slowly, like it should be done the first time. He licked her nipple and she shivered in response. When he sucked the nub, she moaned and wriggled her hips again trying to work her way onto his erection.

  He had to fight the urge to laugh. If she kept squirming underneath him, he’d never make it inside of her without spilling his seed first all over the bed. He reached down and inserted two fingers inside her. She was hot and wet, fully lubricated. She was ready to receive him...well, physically, but he wasn’t sure she was emotionally.

  She writhed against his fingers and he couldn’t wait.

  He kissed her mouth again, and ran his fingers between her legs, rubbing, caressing, making her moan his name against his lips.

  Her body was covered in a light perspiration, smelling like the rose soap they’d washed in, and she moved like a sexual goddess to his touch. When she cried out in total exhilaration, he slipped his arousal between her legs. She gasped and he eased out.

  She was so tight and her inner muscles pulsated from the orgasm. He worried he’d been too quick in trying to penetrate her. She grabbed his buttocks, encouraging him to slide into her again. When he did, she thrust her hips, meeting his own movement, move for move. She bent her legs and arched her back, trying to get him as far inside her as she could. The feeling of her wanting him that much sent a new surge of burning heat through his system.

  With her running her fingers down his arms and back, and the movement of her soft body beneath his, he couldn’t hold back for long. With a couple of more decisive thrusts, he spoke her name in a satiated growl. His seed filled her womb. The huntress was now his. No other could ever claim her. Deeply satisfied, he felt at one with her....a part of him that had never been whole was now complete.

  Still throbbing deep inside her, he wrapped his arms around her and held tight. No matter what, he’d protect her, for now and forever.

  She held him back and sighed. They were mated for life.

  A pounding on the door followed. Crystal chuckled.

  He kissed her mouth. “Go ahead and get dressed and we’ll eat. We need to contact your family next.”

  “Thank you.”

  He nuzzled her face. “I love you, Crystal. You have family again...even if it turns out to only be me.”

  Her eyes misted.

  He pressed his lips to her mouth again. “It’s a choice I made freely. Don’t fret.”

  She nodded.

  Reluctantly, he separated from her. He wanted to stay with her in bed the rest of the day and night, making wild and passionate love. But Nicolai was still a very real threat. Robert had to kill the bloodsucker before he got his hands on Crystal again. He seized a t-shirt and boxers out of the dresser. He yanked on his clothes, then grabbed a pair of jeans out of the closet. Taking a deep breath, he turned to smile at her, his gut churning with worry that Nicolai might still get to her. “As soon as you’re dressed, join us.”

  “I love you too, Robert.”

  He grinned at her, then crossed the floor and kissed her mouth again. “I could kind of tell. I still think the rabbit fur bikini on you will be awfully enticing.”

  “Rabbit fur?”

  “Yeah, that’s what you were wearing in my dream this morning.”

  Crystal laughed, glad he could joke about her tying him up earlier. “Okay, go on. I’ll get dressed and be right out.” The feelings he’d stirred up in her still lingered deep inside her and she wanted him all over again. But with his brothers breathing down their necks…

  When he closed the door, she hurried to dress in an aqua spandex shirt and pair of denims. She took a deep breath trying to think of something other than the wonderful way Robert made her feel. He didn’t understand how her family truly felt about her. What had he and his brothers planned to discuss with her uncle? Robert’s new relationship with her? They would think him misguided or insane.

  After she dressed, she walked down the hall toward the living room. Robert’s brothers scrutinized her. Had she and Robert made love after all? That’s what they wondered. Nobody spoke a word. She took a deep breath and strode to the kitchen. Robert pulled the pizza from the oven, then winked at her as she joined him. He sliced off a piece of pizza for her.

  Crystal leaned against the counter and rubbed her shoulder. A dull ache radiated from the bullet wound, undoubtedly from exercising it too much.

  Mark stepped into the kitchen and walked over to her. “You ought to rest a bit if your shoulder’s bothering you.”

  Robert crossed the kitchen, handed her the piece of pizza and forced Mark to step aside. “Mark’s right. You probably do need to rest.” He took her hands in his and squeezed lightly. “Did you want to lay down in bed and watch something while you eat?”

  “What about you, Robert?”

  “I need to find out what the game plan is with your family.” He grabbed a slice of pizza, then attempted to lead her down the hall to his bedroom, but she shoo
k loose from him.

  “I’m interested in finding out what happens as well.”

  She joined Robert’s brothers in the living room. Mark sat on the loveseat and patted it. “There’s room here.”

  Robert took her arm and steered her toward an oversized chair. He sat, then pulled her between his legs. His brothers considered them, smirks lighting up their faces.

  Tom held up his cell phone. “Have you got a number I can call?”

  Crystal shook her head. “The phone numbers have been changed since I left.” She took a bite of her pizza.

  Robert rubbed her back with one hand. “No numbers at all?”

  She stared at the floor. Only Boniface’s number, but if she let them know that, her family would suspect she’d given it to them. And then Boniface would be in trouble for giving his new number to her in the first place.

  Tom made a call. “I need the number for...”

  He paused, waiting for Crystal to give him a name.

  “Max Anderson.”

  Tom said, “Max Anderson, head of the family in Killeen.” After a few seconds, he smiled. “Thanks, Mildred. I owe you for another.”

  Crystal took another bite of her pizza. She was surprised she’d worked up such an appetite, despite the sickening notion her disagreeable uncle would soon be meeting with Robert and his family.

  Tom punched in the number. “Hello, this is Tom Parker.” He paused and raised his brows, undoubtedly stopped in his conversation. “Yes, older brother of Robert. We’re from...oh, you knew that already.” He glanced over at Robert. “My brothers...I see, yes, Mark and Samuel.” He leaned back on the sofa. “We came to kill Yorovitch, only one of your family killed him first. Who?” He smiled at Crystal. “Crystal Anderson.”

  She paused to take another bite. What did her uncle think of that?

  He nodded. “Yes, well, apparently she had no trouble taking care of him and several others recently as well. I wish to meet with you though, about another concern.” His gaze focused on Crystal.

  She swallowed hard. Tom and his brothers couldn’t think of interfering in her family’s decision to ostracize her. It just wasn’t done.

  “At Robert’s house? Yes, that would be fine. But before dark. The vampires get restless around here after that.”

  He hung up the phone. “Have any more pizzas, Robert? Five members of the Anderson family are arriving in a few minutes. They said they’re just around the corner.”

  “What did they say about me?” Crystal asked.

  “You’re dangerous.”

  Robert leaned over and kissed Crystal’s cheek. “But we already knew that.”

  Mark grinned. “But what I want to know is can she cook?”

  She hmpfd. “Is that all you guys ever think of? Your stomachs?”

  Robert chuckled under his breath and squeezed her hand.

  Samuel whistled. “Won’t touch that one or it’s bound to get me into trouble.”

  The brothers all laughed.

  Crystal’s cheeks burned with embarrassment. Walked right into that one.

  Robert nudged Crystal to stand. “I’ll throw another pizza on. You want to help me?”

  “To see if I can cook?”

  He grinned at her and wrapped his arm around her good shoulder. “To keep me company.”

  She glanced back at his brothers who all watched her with smiles still plastered on their faces. “Or to make sure I don’t hear what’s being said in my absence.”

  “You sure are suspicious.” Robert kissed her cheek and steered her into the kitchen.

  She slipped her arm around his waist. “And why shouldn’t I be? You pretended to be a daylight vampire.”

  He laughed out loud.

  Tom called out from the living room, “No telling jokes that we don’t get to hear.”

  Robert opened the freezer door and pulled out another pizza. Then he set it on the counter while she grabbed another cooked slice.

  “I thought you were a vampire because you had no food in your fridge.”

  He smiled and shoved the frozen pizza into the oven. “Mostly just frozen food or canned. Anything else seems to grow penicillin.”

  “But you had wine.” She tugged at his belt.

  “Yeah, well it keeps longer.” He pulled her close and kissed her forehead. “You want to lay down for a bit until...”

  The doorbell rang.

  She dropped her hands to the side. He quickly grasped her fingers and gave her a reassuring squeeze. “They must have been really close by.”

  Tom greeted the Andersons at the door while Crystal froze with Robert in the kitchen. “Come on in. We hoped you’d share some pizza and wine with us,” Tom offered.

  “We’d like that.”

  “Uncle Max,” Crystal said under her breath. Her eyes misted.

  Robert wrapped his arm around her shoulder. “Shall we join them?”

  “I won’t be welcome, Robert.” She looked up at him. “Don’t you understand? They’ve rejected me.”

  “We’ve taken you in. You’re part of my family now.”

  “Not exactly. We belong together, but...” Her voice had elevated slightly and though for a few seconds the men in the other room had exchanged names, all of a sudden the conversation died to silence.

  “We need to get this over with.” He threaded his fingers through hers then locked on tight. When he tugged her into the living room, all eyes were upon them.

  Crystal lifted her chin up and stared her uncle down. She might not be part of the family and she certainly wasn’t part of Robert’s, not without the head of his family’s permission, but she wouldn’t be intimidated by anyone. Older than the rest of the family, her uncle’s dark hair was mostly streaked with varying shades of gray. His blues eyes glared at her with hatred.

  The men all sat on the couches and chairs. The silence seemed graveyard quiet with not even a whisper of a breeze to stir the dead.

  Uncle Max’s gaze shifted from Robert’s hand possessively holding hers to Tom. Robert led Crystal to his oversized chair and again sat down, then pulled her between his legs.

  She avoided her brothers’ eyes. Boniface and Victor undoubtedly would dislike Robert’s family treating her like their own, just as much as the rest of her family did.

  Then she looked at Boniface. His face wasn’t harsh like she expected it to be. In fact, he seemed almost pleased a hunter wanted her. To her annoyance, her eyes burned with unshed tears. He quickly turned away. When she caught Victor’s eye, he did the same. They never could bear to see her cry, despite maintaining a lack of emotion most of the time.

  But Uncle Max’s expression remained stony, his blue eyes stormy. He wasn’t happy about the proceedings at all. Two of her male cousins, the only ones who had red hair in the family, ignored her completely.

  Tom cleared his throat. “We wish your approval in allowing us to kill Nicolai, first and foremost. We also want to kill his brother, Dimitri.”

  Uncle Max leaned back into the sofa and folded his arms. “Why?”

  Tom looked at Crystal. “To kill those who are after your niece, Crystal Anderson, the huntress who avenged our sister’s death.” He faced Max.

  “We don’t avenge deaths in this business.”

  Tom frowned at him. “Yes, sir, but in this case, your niece has helped us in this regard. We must repay the debt.”

  “To kill one vampire, but not the other.”

  Her uncle didn’t like it that hunters from another territory would step into his arena and take over. His words and actions verified that.

  Tom tapped his fingers on his knees. “If we don’t kill both, we fear the one who remains would come after Crystal.”

  Her uncle’s neck muscles tightened as he clenched his teeth. “Then she must deal with it in her own way.”

  Tom shook his head. “We want to take her in as part of our family.”

  “You can’t.”

  Raising his brows, Tom said, “Sir?”

  “Sh
e’s an abomination.”

  Crystal’s blood boiled. Robert reached around and ran his hands over her arms in a soothing caress trying to console her.

  Max waved his finger at her. “Her parents were warned to kill her some years earlier. They refused to do so. What’s left of the family has watched her in anticipation of this very problem now facing her. We assume only Nicolai or Dimitri would have the strength to turn her. And then--”

  “They can’t turn me!” Crystal screamed at her uncle as she jumped from the chair.

  “Silence, you ingrate!” Her uncle rose from the couch, a six-foot-four giant, towering over her petite form. “You should have died long ago.”

  Certain steam spewed out of her ears, she took a deep breath trying to quell her anger. “Well, I didn’t. And I don’t plan to anytime soon.” She spoke haughtily, despite trying to remain cool and detached.

  She turned to Robert. His dark brown eyes were full of concern, touching her with warmth. “I’ll be doing my laundry. And then I’ll lie down for awhile.” She rubbed her shoulder again.

  She glanced at her blond-haired twin brothers who watched her with unease, their brows furrowed. Only they knew what she’d be up to next. She stormed into the kitchen, then smiled as her fingers touched the outline of the spare key to the convertible in her pocket. She stepped into the garage and smacked the garage door button. After dashing around to the driver’s side of the car, she climbed in.

  How long before Robert would think of the laundry trick again? She backed down the driveway, then closed the garage door. She glanced into the backseat. A cane lay on the floor. Not the same one she’d been using, but it would do. The men could eat, drink and visit. She had business to take care of and no need of any of them. If she didn’t kill Nicolai, she’d never have a life.

  A host dressed in black jeans and a leather jacket dove in front of the car. Her heart leapt into her throat. She swerved to miss him, nearly colliding with a black SUV traveling in the opposite direction. The convertible’s tires screeched. She cringed and her skin crawled.

  If Robert or any of his family realized she’d slipped out of the house again...

  As soon as she managed to get back into her lane, the SUV whipped around behind her. Her body heated with anticipation. The chase was on. She couldn’t stop until Nicolai was dead. And then? She had to leave the area and disappear for good. Making love to Robert had been a mistake. She knew that now. His trying to keep her safe would only get him killed.