“Oh, I think I have a good idea now.” She twisted against him; if she didn’t get away from him, if he didn’t stop touching her, she would be turning her neck to him willingly for a chance to spread her thighs for him.
Bliss had never thought herself sexually easy, but she had known for weeks now that all Caden would have to do was crook his finger and she would come running, panting and eager for the fucking she needed from him.
She couldn’t explain it until she saw him with Marissa the night before. It had to be some kind of weird sexual vampire energy, she told herself. They could control people—it was what all the books said. He had to be controlling her, that was the only thing that made sense to her.
It still didn’t ease the arousal blooming in her womb, though. Nor did it slow down the insidious slide of the juices from her pussy.
“Women amaze me.” He sighed as he watched her. “Must you fight against me like this, Bliss? I would never harm you, surely you know that.”
He watched her as though it somehow offended him that she hadn’t automatically trusted in him. She wanted to roll her eyes, but for now, her fear was making her a bit more guarded.
“Uh, aren’t you the vampire I watched stick his teeth into Marissa’s neck?” she asked him fiercely. “God, Cadan. You fucking suck blood to survive and you want me to trust you?”
“Basically, yes.” His smile was too charming, too nice. Nice was not Cadan. Sensual. Seductive. A charming playboy filled with wicked appeal. Yes. Nice? No.
“Basically, not in this fucking lifetime,” she told him incredulously. “You can just keep your teeth the hell away from me.”
He stared down at her, wry amusement filtering into the cool depths.
“Well, we might have a slight problem with that, Bliss, my love,” he said softly. “Because I really, really want to bite you.”
His thumb caressed over the vein at the side of her neck. His eyes flared, his cheeks darkening with a flush of hunger as she stared up at him in shock and fear.
“Don’t do it.” She struggled violently against him now, seeing the hunger in his eyes. “Really, Cadan. You wouldn’t like it. Ask Walker, he says all the time I have ice water in my veins. I bet there’s nothing good about my blood at all,” she informed him imperatively as she bucked against him, fighting to find strength as each move ground his cock deeper into her lower stomach.
“I bet you taste like ambrosia,” he whispered, smiling slightly as he easily restrained her movements, lifting her against him until the hard ridge of his erection pressed intimately against her pussy. “I saw you in that room, Bliss. I could see the hunger in your eyes as I fucked Marissa. Just as I’ve seen it for weeks. I could give you what you want.”
Shock ran through her at his outrageous statement. A gasp of pure fury escaped her lips as she stilled, narrowing her eyes on him as offense swept through her body.
“You think I want your nasty cock now?” she demanded angrily. “Marissa’s fucked every man in that bar. It’s hard telling what kind of germs you’re carrying.”
He smiled slowly. “Vampires don’t get sick, remember? Trust me, baby, any nasty little germs were quickly killed.”
“Let me go, Cadan.” The knowledge that he had fucked the bar’s plaything was infuriatingly worse than the fact that he sucked blood to live. “You’re dirty. I bet you didn’t even take a shower before coming here.”
She should still be terrified. Frightened out of her mind by the fact that he was holding her so effortlessly, his black eyes watching her with hot demand, his hard body, aroused and clearly hungry, pressing against hers. Instead, she was anger because he had fucked another woman. Not just fucked her, but bit her neck and drew the blood from her.
She shuddered at the thought as he frowned down at her darkly; his navy blue eyes, so blue they were nearly black, were less than pleased as he watched her.
“You have a very smart mouth, Bliss,” he said as he released her hands slowly. “Do not try to escape. If you do, I’ll pin you to the wall and leave you there for the night.”
Her eyes narrowed, remembering how easily he had held her still and silent in the doorway of the bar’s private room.
He sauntered away from her; the smooth bunching motion of the muscles of his buttocks beneath those black leather pants wasn’t helping her libido to chill out much. If anything, it was only making her hand itch to caress the smooth muscle.
“Why did you follow me, anyway?” Her hand gripped the doorknob. All she needed was to distract him a moment.
He stopped at the doorway to the kitchen, drew a deep breath and shook his head slowly. The long, thick strands of dark brown hair caressed the cotton of his black T-shirt as the metal under her hand suddenly became incredibly hot.
“Damn you,” she cursed as she jumped away from the door. “Cadan, let me out of here or I swear I’ll make you pay.”
He turned, leaning against the doorframe as he arched his brow questioningly. “And you intend to do this how?”
She hated male arrogance. It really infuriated her.
He smiled back at her slowly, tauntingly.
“Tell me, little Bliss, how do you intend to make me pay?” he asked her teasingly.
Teasingly? Were those deep blue eyes really filled with such complete male playfulness as he advanced on her?
“I could tell you many ways to make me pay,” he suggested in amusement. “Come, baby, tease me. Let me see that pretty body and know that you are never going to let me taste you.” Her breasts swelled as he said the words with low, brooding emphasis. “Touch you.” He licked his lower lip as her stomach clenched in arousal. “Fuck you until we both scream from the intensity of the pleasure.”
He was too close. He was towering over her, surrounding her; the unique male aura that had drawn her in the past weeks was like a cloak around her now. She ached.
“Your vampire mojo isn’t going to work on me.” She moved quickly, trying to pass him, only to come up short as he suddenly blocked the attempt to escape.
“Vampire mojo?” He laughed silkily, his lips curving beguilingly. “What is vampire mojo, Bliss? This is a new one for me.”
She backed away from him slowly. “You know what I mean,” she snapped, watching him carefully as she sought another venue of escape. “That weird thing you’re doing that is supposed to make me crazy with lust.”
His eyes widened as laughter gleamed in his gaze.
“Is it working?” he asked her softly. “I was unaware of this mojo you’re talking about, but I would be more than willing to learn to use it more effectively. I have dedicated my life to learning such things, you know.”
She sneered back at him. “You think you’re so smart.” She slapped at his hand as he reached to touch her. She wanted to smack his face as she heard the chuckle that vibrated in his chest.
He stalked her around the room, his big body corded and ready, the bulge at the front of his pants impossible to miss as her gaze flickered downward. She wanted to groan at the sight of it. It made her pussy cream, spasm with hunger. She could feel the silky slide of her juices along the warm folds and knew she was in deep trouble. She had never desired a man this deeply. And it was just her luck that he sucked blood for a living.
“Why are you here torturing me?” She wanted to stomp her feet at him, wanted to smack the smirk from his face as his lips tilted in that sexy curve.
“How am I torturing you?” he asked her softly, spreading his hands wide as he watched her carefully. “I am just visiting, Bliss. Perhaps I want to get to know you better.”
Were there insane vampires? Evidently there were, because this one wasn’t sane in the least.
“You are just not right.” She watched him sadly as she shook her head.
His smile was filled with male confidence and superiority. “I’ve heard that said many times.” He nodded, watching her carefully. “I feel I should warn you, Bliss, if you sprint for that bedroom as you are so obviously intending,
then I will chase you. I will catch you. And when I do, I will fuck you.”
She stopped. Her gaze went to the bedroom door once again. So near and yet so far. She looked back at Cadan.
“You are not sucking my blood,” she told him fiercely. “I need it, too, and it’s mine.”
He crossed his arms over his chest and arched a brow curiously. “How about just a little bitty taste?” he asked her as he tilted his head to the side and regarded her with those laughing eyes. “I promise you, you will enjoy it very much.”
Her heart lurched. “Just what I need,” she snorted. “Death made pleasurable. Why in the hell are you here, anyway? Why did you have to follow me? And how in the hell can you stand in full sunlight? You’re a fucking vampire. Don’t you know better than that?”
His teeth flashed in a full smile. “Perhaps I am not a vampire.” He shrugged, his eyes widening innocently. “Are you certain you saw what you thought you did, Bliss? Perhaps it was the stress of watching me fuck another,” he said with false regret. “I can understand you’re upset, sweetheart, really. I would have been most displeased had I caught another man’s cock up your sweet little pussy. I may have even had to resort to murder had I seen such a thing.”
Bliss gaped at him. Surely he wasn’t serious?
“This is so insane,” she muttered, glancing from the door that led from the apartment to the bedroom doorway once again. There had to be escape somewhere.
“Are you hungry yet?” he asked her, completely changing the subject as though it meant nothing at all. “I was checking out your fridge earlier. I liked the look of those steaks…”
He turned from her, heading to the kitchen, and Bliss knew she would find no better opportunity. She sprinted for the bedroom and the French doors that would lead to freedom. If not freedom, then at least someone to hear her screams.
Chapter Four
Cadan could barely contain his shout of triumph as he felt her run. He turned, watching her flee through the doorway, and sprinted after her. He was faster. He was stronger. Besides that, his symbiot was damned powerful.
Stop her, he ordered the male creature that resided calmly inside him.
Immediately he felt the surge of power that began to flow through the apartment, sealing it off, blocking her from the doors through which she had tried so desperately to escape.
“You son of a bitch!” she screamed as his arm wrapped around her waist and he threw her to the bed.
She bounced against the mattress, gasping for breath as he shackled her wrists to the bed, rising above her, his legs straddling her thighs as he laughed down at her triumphantly.
Her creamy skin was flushed a delicious pink, her sea green eyes filled with fury as she cursed him, struggling weakly to escape. Her delicate hands were clenched into fists as he released her wrists. Immediately they slammed into his chest ineffectually, more amusing than harmful, but she wouldn’t be pleased to know that. Above all things, he did want to please her at the moment.
He winced in false pain as one little fist struck his chin.
“Now, Bliss, you’re going to hurt yourself.” He frowned as he caught her wrists once again, pretending to struggle to hold her still.
“I’m going to hurt you,” she raged, slapping at his head as he let go of her.
The leather strip holding his hair back broke free then, causing a flare of frustration to spark inside his loins.
“Stay still,” he growled, as he leaned over her, his long hair sliding over his shoulders to curtain her surprised face. “Look what you have done, Bliss,” he whispered. “You’re going to make me get all rough and bad with you. Is that what you were after, baby?”
He knew many ways to get to Bliss St. Claire. She was a sensualist, a wild woman parading as a good girl. But he had seen her fantasies, had felt them, watched them as they played out within her imagination each time he was near. Cadan had little compunction against using the powers the symbiot gave him. He never killed while feeding, he didn’t cheat, he didn’t steal. But he did so enjoy many of the other little side benefits. Although, to be honest, he had rarely used the ability to peek inside a female’s fantasies as he had with Bliss’s. There was just something about her eyes. Something untamed, something that had always called to him, made him hard and reckless.
He watched her eyes widen at his question, felt her body tremble in response.
“This is a nightmare,” she suddenly moaned. “I’m trapped in a nightmare and no one will wake me up.”
He had to laugh at her exaggeration. She was amazingly cute, feisty, and handling what she had seen much better than he had expected her to. She should have been screaming, crying, completely hysterical. Instead, she was angry and aroused.
Some females do know how to conduct themselves, unlike certain males I am becoming acquainted with, the female symbiot injected sarcastically.
Shut her up, Cadan ordered the male counterpart. So help me, if she bothers me right now I’ll leave her in there to torment you forever. Do you understand me?
There was silence, blessed silence within his head then.
“Now, where was I?” he whispered as he leaned over her slowly, smiling wickedly as her eyes widened. “Ah yes, I was seriously considering kissing you, Bliss St. Claire. What do you think of that?”
Her eyes narrowed again. She looked so damned cute when she did that.
“Did you wash your dick before you came here, at least?” she snapped.
“Of course I did,” he murmured as his head lowered, his lips stroking over the soft shell of her ear. “Don’t worry, baby, I would never fuck you with the leavings of another woman on me. Even I am not so inconsiderate as that.”
She growled furiously. He loved that little sound. The vibration in the back of her throat made his cock harden, made him wonder what she would sound like as she became more heated, as she began to lose herself in the pleasure that would grow between them.
At that moment, though, he regretted the episode with Marissa more than he regretted anything within recent memory. Had he any clue what tonight’s outcome would be, he would have never touched the other woman. But it had been fuck Marissa, or rape Bliss. That was not a crime he wanted to carry on his conscience, but his lust for her was becoming nearly as overwhelming as the physical hungers the symbiots caused within his body. Driving, desperate, a need rather than a mere desire.
“I’m going to regret this, aren’t I?” she finally asked him with a small groan. “I know I am. I can feel it.”
“Hmm, are you certain that is what you feel, or is it this?” He moved quickly, spreading her thighs as he pressed against her. “This hunger, Bliss. I would have spared you from it if I could have. But it will not go away, nor can another assuage it, as I learned last night. I don’t want to fight it any longer. I won’t fight it any longer. Today, Bliss St. Claire, I will make you mine.”
As he said the words, he knew the truth of them. For three centuries he had roamed the earth, fighting against the demonic Knights, doing all he could to preserve the honor and the life forms that he had found so long ago. Through it all, he had searched and never realized what he had searched for. Now he knew. He had searched for this.
She was watching him curiously, instead of with the fear he had first expected.
“You’re going to bite me, aren’t you?” She sighed. “Really, Cadan, I don’t like being bitten. I need to keep all my blood. And that’s just gross. Do you have any idea how gross sucking blood is? It’s just going to make me sick, I swear it will.”
He wanted to laugh in sheer pleasure. She was unlike any woman he had ever known. How could he have known that his mission to this small town would bring him such an amazing woman?
But he had no illusions that this would be easy. When she learned what he was about to do, she would be furious. She might well kill him the moment she realized.
You are certain she is strong enough for this? He asked the female symbiot. She will not be pleased.
She is the one I have searched for all these ages, Cadan, Cerise assured him, her thought ringing with her conviction. She’s strong, and she will accept. I’m not wrong, I swear this.
He lowered his head, resting it against Bliss’s forehead as he stared down at her. He would take her. There would be no chance of losing her should the Knights find her. They would destroy her, turn her into a pale copy of the woman she truly was, and he couldn’t allow that.
“Are you going to deny me?” he asked Bliss then, his body throbbing with desire.
He hadn’t expected this. He had avoided her all these weeks, knowing that his response to her was too deep, too intense to ever let her go once he had her. He had no desire to fight against the incredible response. He had fought alone for many years, knowing instinctively that the women he had met, both with and without the sentient life forms that inhabited his own body, did not possess the temperament and the love of life he knew his woman would require.
Bliss St. Clair was different. She had that love for life, but she also had an innocence, an energy, that enchanted him.
“I should.” She sighed. “I really should. Because I just know you’re going to do something really weird to me. I mean it, Cadan, I don’t want you doing any weird shit.”
“And what would you classify as weird shit, Bliss?” he asked her suggestively, smiling down at her, knowing her fears, yet seeing the adventurous streak that shimmered in her gaze.
“I don’t want to have to suck blood, Cadan. If fucking you requires sucking your blood, then I don’t think it’s going to be worth it.”
“Hmm, what would you consider sucking then?” he asked her, pressing his lips to her forehead before trailing them to her cheek, her jaw.
Her breathing began to quicken, the smell of her arousal grew thicker. She was getting hot for him, the touch of his body doing the same to her that the touch of hers was doing to him. Making him go up in flames.
He was burning for her. His cock was already fully erect, the blood pumping hard and heavy through the thick flesh. He shouldn’t have been so hard, so aroused after taking Marissa the night before, but he admitted that since meeting Bliss, no other woman had satisfied the strong sex drive that filled him.
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