by D
Her response was to glide her tongue in a wet spiral all the way to his groin, pausing only to take nipping bites of his flat belly, while her nails traced bright lines down his sides. His hand fisted in her hair, twisting until it was a sharp tug against her scalp. “Julia,” he repeated, his tone demanding enough that she raised her eyes to meet his. “I don’t have that much control,” he warned in a rasping whisper.
She looked up. “That’s all right. I do.” She smiled, then lowered her head, and without warning, sucked his cock into her mouth, lavishing the iron-hard stretch of it with sweeps of her tongue as she struggled to take his full length into her throat. But he was simply too big. Surrendering to physical reality, she gripped the base of his erection, her fingers pumping tightly, as she slowly eased her mouth up to the tip. She closed her teeth teasingly there, until he growled a darker warning, his grip on her hair tightening to the very edge of pain. Smiling around his thickness, she raised up and kissed his tip in apology, before once more taking him deep into her throat, her head bobbing as she tried again to take all of him.
Lachlan’s groan of approval told her she’d succeeded, and she reached for his balls, caressing them as she sucked, until his sac tightened and his hips jerked upward. Gasping for breath, she pressed her tongue against the heavy vein on the back of his shaft, licking and swirling around and around, loving the scent of him, the velvet thickness of his cock . .. Until suddenly, she was being lifted into the air and pressed flat on her back by the hard, masculine body on top of her.
“But I wanted—”
“I know what you wanted, witch. But it’s my turn now.” Not giving her a chance to protest, he positioned himself between her thighs and slid his entire length into her with a single, hard, flex of his hips.
Julia’s body was so wet and ready that she took his thickness easily, her pussy drenched with slick heat as he began fucking her with steady, deep strokes. She wrapped her arms around his neck, holding on, the pleasure of their joining seeming unnatural in its intensity, making her feel as if her entire body was alive and about to float off the bed. She almost believed it would have, if not for the heavy weight of him, holding her to the earth.
She gasped back to reality when his teeth grazed her neck, shuddering with fresh awareness of the thrill yet to come, wondering if she’d survive, or if this would be the time her mind finally gave out under the electrifying high of his bite. “Lachlan,” she breathed, trying to protest, to fight for her sanity, but his only response was a deep chuckle a moment before his fangs pierced her skin and went deeper, sinking into her vein until she felt the warm flow of her own blood.
She barely had time to process the sensation before the euphoric in his bite hit her bloodstream and drove away every thought, every feeling, on a wave of such intense, erotic ecstasy that she couldn’t even scream, drowning as she was in such violent passion that her breath was driven from her lungs. It was Lachlan’s kiss that forced her to breathe, his mouth hot and hard against hers, his breath slamming into her lungs, even as his cock shoved ruthlessly into her body.
His strokes slowed gradually, his eyes wicked and smiling, as he gazed down at her. “I love fucking your pussy after you’ve come. You’re all juicy and trembling. Hotter than hell itself.”
Julia was still too breathless to respond, her heart seeming to beat a thousand times faster than it should, while her lungs were only beginning to function normally. She ran her hands over his broad arms, gripping his biceps as if she had a chance in hell of controlling him. He kissed her with the same, slow, lush strokes as his shaft moving inside her.
“Delicious,” he murmured, “but I want more.”
Her nails dug into muscle as his hips flexed harder, driving his cock deep inside her once again, his balls slapping her ass with every forceful plunge. She cried out as fresh desire sparked to life, her arms sliding up to tighten around his neck, her legs crossing behind him as a renewed thrill had her lifting her hips, meeting every thrust, teeth closing over the hard line of his shoulder as she fought to hold on, to claim him as he was claiming her.
Lachlan grunted wordlessly, but he didn’t try to pull away, only lowered his head to her neck once more and slid his fangs into her vein.
They climaxed together, his shout of orgasmic pleasure drowning her cry of joy as they tumbled over the edge and collapsed into each other’s arms.
They lay silently while Julia wiggled her toes trying to figure out if feeling had fully returned to her appendages. She didn’t know if Lachlan was doing the same, but she could feel his heart pounding against her chest as she lay sprawled half on top of him, too boneless to move. Eventually, he broke the silence.
“Dawn’s not far off. You need to decide what you’re doing today.”
“Doing?” she repeated, wondering if she was expected to climb out of this soft bed and go be productive somewhere.
His hand slid down her back in a warm caress, ending up on her butt. “I’ll be sleeping the day away. You know what that’s like by now. You need to decide if you’re staying here with me, or moving across the hall. There’s a guest room that’s—”
“I’m staying,” she said, interrupting his offer. “I’m not afraid of a little down time while you do your vampire thing. I’ll probably sleep right along with you. I’m wiped.” She expected some teasing reply about how he’d worn her out, but that’s not what she got.
“You’re sure? Once the sun comes up, there’s no opening that door until I’m awake enough to do it.”
“You might not have noticed, my lord, but I’ve been awake right alongside you these last few nights. I’m ready to sleep. And if I wake early, I’m not that easily bored. I can read or get some work done on my laptop. Just leave me the Wi-Fi password.”
His chest moved in deep chuckle. “It’s taped to the phone.”
“Unbelievable. Great security. Well, then, I’ll be perfectly entertained ‘til sunset.”
His phone rang before he could respond. He kissed the top of her head and stretched to pick up the cell from the bedside table, leaving Julia to listen to half a conversation.
“Aye. Ye back?” He paused. “The fuck ye’ say.” He sighed, then, “We’ll talk th’morra.” He nodded silently. “See ye then.”
She looked up at him with a grin. “I love the accent.”
“I’m nae th’ yin wi’ an accent, love.”
She laughed. “I’m guessing that was Fergus. I thought he was already here.”
“He was, but he drove over to Killilan to brief the others, and Munro came back with him.”
“Killilan,” she repeated, then remembered. “The clan fortress you like best.”
“The same.”
“You sounded pissed. What happened?”
“Erskine’s suddenly decided to spend time in Inverness.”
“He’s here? But you said—”
“He’s rarely here. Aye, and he snuck in, or I’d have felt him. Which means he’s planning something. You sure you want to stay? You could go back to Edinburgh tomorrow. You’ll be a lot safer.”
She sat up with a glare. “I can’t believe you’re asking me that.”
“Come here, princess,” he said gently, pulling her down on top of him again. “I just want you safe.”
“Fuck safe. What I want is to see him dead. Besides,” she muttered grudgingly, “I’m safer with you.” She waited for his gloating response, but it didn’t come.
He simply hugged her close and said softly, “I’ll protect you. No matter what.”
“Hey,” she said, lifting her head to meet his eyes. “No heroics, okay? I want you to be safe, too.”
He gave her a crooked smile. “Still worrying about me? We’ll keep each other safe, then.” He tucked her head against his shoulder. “Sleep now. You’re going to need it. Because I plan to spend tomorro
w night inside you, before I have to consider the fate of every vampire in Scotland.”
Chapter Ten
JULIA HAD BEEN right about how tired she was. She’d closed her eyes as soon as Lachlan dropped into his daylight coma—calling it sleep was simply ridiculous from her point of view. He wasn’t asleep. He was unconscious. She’d had her e-reader ready to go, having figured she’d need at least an hour or so to fall asleep, since it was nowhere close to her usual sleep schedule. But she didn’t manage a single page of her current book before falling asleep mid-read.
At some point, she’d rolled over and curled up next to Lachlan, which, in retrospect, she found odd. She wasn’t accustomed to sleeping with anyone and hadn’t had a serious relationship in years. She’d dated a couple of guys long enough to have sex with them, but when they’d spent the night together—which hadn’t been often and spoke to the not very serious nature of the relationship—she’d never had the urge to curl up with any of them.
No, she’d waited until she was dating a vampire to do the whole cuddle routine. And dating? Was that what they were doing? Not much dating going on so far. It was more of a business agreement with benefits. Although it felt like more, damn it. She’d become a cliché. The rich daddy’s girl who falls for the ultimate bad boy. It consoled her somewhat that her good friend Cyn had fallen down the same rabbit hole, but that didn’t mean her story would have the same happy ending.
Thankful that she’d at least awakened before him, she rolled out of bed and headed for the bathroom, hoping she’d have enough time to shower and dress before sunrise. Lachlan would probably appreciate her absence when he woke up, too. Sure, they’d had lots of hot, sweaty sex, and God knew they had chemistry, but she doubted she was the woman he’d planned on to rule Scotland by his side. Some nice vampire chick would do better, she thought as she stepped into the shower. Someone who understood vampire society and customs. Even more importantly, someone who would live forever, just like he would. Her stomach clenched at the truth of that thought. Sure, Lachlan could be killed, but he was already nearly two centuries old, nearly indestructible and clearly powerful enough to defend himself against all comers. He’d go on living for a long, fucking time yet. Cyn had told her Raphael was even older. She’d wondered at the time how Cyn handled that, knowing she’d get old and gray while Raphael didn’t. She hadn’t asked, figuring it was too personal a question. But Cyn had volunteered the information, something about drinking Raphael’s blood and remaining young as long as he lived. Of course, that she’d only known Lachlan a week, and they were lovers, nothing more. She’d be long gone and out of his life before gray hair became a problem.
The idea made her feel sad. No surprise there. The prospect of gray hair wasn’t exactly a cheery thought. She leaned toward the mirror, rubbing away steam with her towel and checking her reflection. Probably a good thing she’d washed her hair tonight. In this mood, she might pluck herself bald searching for stray strands of age.
That was how Lachlan found her, naked, leaning over the counter, staring at herself in the mirror.
“Well, now, that’s a pretty sight,” he commented, sneaking up behind her and scaring her half to death.
She spun around. “How the hell do you do that?”
He grinned, eyeing her naked body. “Do what, princess?”
“Sneak up without me hearing anything. I mean, you’re huge! How do you not make any noise?”
“I told you before. I don’t sneak. As for the rest, it’s a gift.” He gestured at the mirror she’d been focused on earlier. “What were you doing there?”
She turned away to conceal her embarrassed blush. “Just wiping the mirror, so I could do my hair,” she lied, reaching across with a towel to finish what she’d started.
He rested his hands on her hips and snugged his naked body up behind hers. She straightened in reaction, too aware of the temptation he presented, all charming and studly as he was. He could talk her into anything. He bent his head and kissed her neck in precisely the spot he’d bitten her the previous night. It was tender, but the mark wasn’t as dark as she’d expected.
“You’re bruised,” he said, sounding truly concerned.
“It’s not bad. I bruise easily. It’s the curse of pale skin.”
“I can fix that, if you’ll—” His head turned at some sound she didn’t hear. “Stay here. Get dressed.”
“What is it?”
“It’s my head of daylight security. He wouldn’t interrupt me this early if it wasn’t important.”
Julia watched him go, worried, disappointed and relieved all at the same time. After her in-the-mirror pep talk, she’d been half-heartedly trying to avoid another round of sex. It was one thing to fall into bed with a vampire, it was another to stay there, knowing the relationship couldn’t go anywhere. On the other hand, her body thrilled at the memory of him standing behind her, knowing what he could have done with his lovely cock and her in that position.
“Stop it, Jules,” she hissed quietly. “You’re supposed to be getting over him, not fantasizing about bathroom counter sex.” She froze at the sound of the hallway door opening out in the bedroom and had a moment of panic, wondering if he’d overheard her muttering to herself. She shook her head. If he had, he’d never have let it pass. He’d have been back in there and between her thighs before she could say, “vampire.”
Just in case, however, she didn’t waste any more time searching for invisible gray hairs. Damn it, she wasn’t even thirty yet. Cracking open the door, she peered out into the main room, and finding it empty, hurried out and grabbed her small suitcase, rolling it into the bathroom behind her. Dressing quickly in black jeans and a long-sleeved knit-top, she rolled her case back into the bedroom and sat down to pull on socks, along with the hiking boots she’d packed, but hadn’t thought she’d need when she boarded the plane. She’d assumed they would be staying in Edinburgh until the next night, giving her plenty of time to change clothes. Fortunately, she wore heels often enough that they hadn’t stopped her when the shit hit the fan on the way to Inverness. But that didn’t mean she wanted to keep wearing them.
She finished tying her boots, then zipped her case shut and went looking for food. She didn’t know where Lachlan had gone off to, but he’d already eaten well the previous night, thanks to her. She was the one who needed to replenish her reserves . . . for both of them. Besides, it would give her a chance to compliment Graeme on the sandwich, maybe win her way into his good graces, after apparently insulting him by suggesting she could prepare it herself. Although she didn’t know why his good graces mattered, since she’d probably never see him again once Erskine was dead. She kept forgetting that she and Lachlan couldn’t be a long-term thing, no matter how much it was beginning to feel like one.
“IT’S PROBABLY poachers, my lord,” the head of his daylight security was saying, bringing up a series of photographs on his laptop in the main security office next door. “We’ve had some few th’ last six months or so. Caught a pair of ‘em just two weeks past. Let ‘em go a’course, but ah’m thinking this tonight might be connected. Maybe friends, maybe partners. Ah’ll ‘ave another go at ‘em, find oot whit thay ken.”
“They’re still in our custody?” Lachlan asked.
“Oh, aye. Davie wants to question’em himself,” he said, tipping his head toward the vampire standing near, who was overall security chief for the Inverness property.
“I didn’t like some of their answers, my lord,” Davie said. “We decided to let them sit for a while, to contemplate their sins, as it were. But even if they’re just poachers, we can’t let this stand. People hereabouts need to know this property’s off-limits.”
Lachlan stared at the images of the so-called poachers, considering whether to take over the interrogation. Davie was a strong vampire and good at what he did. He was more than capable of wringing the truth out of human thiev
es, if that’s what they were. On the other hand, there was Julia to consider. If these so-called poachers were Erskine’s people in disguise, looking for a way to grab her while she was out on a walk, say, a much stronger response would be needed. Especially with his own plans against Erskine very much on a short timeline. His vampire fighters would have arrived from Killilan before dawn, and along with them Munro, who’d already be busy poring through Masoud’s files that Julia had provided. Those financial records would be important for the future of Scotland under his rule. But they could not be the instrument that took Erskine down. Vampires didn’t imprison their leaders for so-called “white collar” crimes. Vampires challenged and killed the current lord as proof of their power to rule. It had always been that way. The rule was, you keep what you can hold. If a vampire lord was incapable of holding his territory, he was no longer strong enough to be its lord.
Before the end of this night, Lachlan would be meeting with his cousins and senior advisers to finalize their strategy, though it really came down to two choices. Did Lachlan simply confront Erskine and challenge him to a one-on-one duel? Such a plan would save lives, assuming Erskine could be trusted to keep it one-on-one. Or, second option, did he launch a full-scale attack on Erskine, who’d now conveniently moved to his Inverness house? Some—Lachlan among them—saw the vampire lord’s timely relocation as too convenient. It smacked of planning, more than coincidence, and it made him think Erskine had his own strategy afoot.
“Talk to them,” he told Davie. “And if they say anything, or if you need me for any reason, call.”
“Yes, my lord.”
Lachlan strode back to the main house, taking his time, stopping to have a friendly word with several of his people along the way. He had a good group on the estate. They were accustomed to him being gone for long periods of time, but they still expected him to keep up with what was going on in Inverness. Once he became Lord of Scotland, he’d have to spend more time in Edinburgh, while the Killilan fortress would become even more the occasional getaway. He could see himself on some wintry future night, snowed in there, tucked up in his suite with Julia in his bed. The unexpected thought made him stop for a moment as he crossed the gravel drive. He didn’t know if she’d still even be here by then, or if she’d want to be. Much less in his bed.