Chapter Nineteen
Cassie slowly pushed her food around on her plate, watching the light reflect off the silver of her fork. “I guess I wasn’t as hungry as I thought.”
Malik reached across the table and touched her hand. “You really should eat a bit more if you can. You’ve had quite a lot of wine, and you know what happens to alcohol on an empty stomach.”
A soft laugh escaped her. “Are you worried about me, Malik from Alaska?”
“Not at all,” he teased, the corner of his mouth slightly lifting. “I’m sure you could drink me under this table, Cassandra from DeFuniak.”
She loved the way her name rolled off his tongue. He pronounced it Cassondra, with a reverence that caused her heart to skip a beat. “Perhaps.”
“Would you like for me to get you a box to take it home in?”
“I don’t want to go home.” The words slipped out before she could stop them. She stared at him in stunned silence, unable to believe she’d been so bold.
“Are you sure?”
The longer she gazed at him, the more she accepted her lack of fear where he was concerned. “Yes,” she whispered, pushing her plate back to stand. “I’m sure.”
Malik rose also, pulling a wad of folded bills from his pocket and tossing a twenty on the table. “I’m going to get us out of debt. I’ll be right back.”
“Okay.” Cassie grinned as he sauntered over to the hostess to pay the bill without waiting for the check to be brought out. Obviously he wanted to be alone with her also.
After declining a to-go box, they made their way to Malik’s car parked near the entrance. Neither of them spoke as Malik maneuvered through the back alleys of town, arriving at his hotel a few minutes later.
He fished out his room key and helped her from the vehicle. Cassie could smell his crisp, clean scent as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pulling her in close to his side.
She could get lost in that smell, she decided, taking several deep breaths on their walk through the lobby.
They reached the stairs seconds later, and Cassie looked around in wonder. “You know, in all the years I’ve lived in this county, I have never been up here.”
“I’m glad,” he rumbled softly. “That means new memories for us both.”
Reaching the top floor, Malik unlocked the door and pushed it open. “After you.”
The room was beautifully decorated with antique pictures and wall hangings. A king-size bed sat in the center, surrounded by artfully woven rugs.
A soft click told her that Malik had shut the door, sealing them off from the outside world.
“Would you mind if I showered?” Nervous energy from the night’s events had woven its way through her gut, leaving her weak and slightly nauseous. The wine had dulled some of her jitters, but not nearly enough.
“Of course. Through the door to your left.”
“Thank you. I won’t be long. I just need… I—”
“It’s okay, love. Take all the time you need. I have a few calls to make anyhow.”
Cassie merely nodded and hurried to the bathroom, locking herself inside.
She stared at her reflection in the mirror for long moments before peeling off her clothes and turning on the shower. She stepped over the side of the tub, pulled the curtain closed, and backed under the hot spray of water.
The thought of Malik waiting in the other room sent goosebumps across her skin that had nothing to do with her body temperature and everything to do with the man she desired. And she did desire him, she realized with no small amount of wonder. She had since the moment they’d met.
The thought of a man’s touch had always sickened her until she’d met Justin Hicks. He’d shown an interest in her during their high school years together, but had thankfully been too shy to act on it.
It wasn’t until his return from college that she’d agreed to go out with him and another year of dating before she’d trusted him enough to be intimate.
Sex with Justin hadn’t been so bad, she recalled, grabbing the shampoo and squeezing some onto her palm. But it wasn’t something she couldn’t live without either.
Cassie had trusted him, known he would never hurt her, and understood his need for intimacy.
Fearful of losing him and desperate to feel loved, she’d submitted to his desires and allowed him inside her body.
Justin had always known that something was missing with her, that she hid a part of herself, and emotionally withdrew during sex. But he’d stopped mentioning it after months of running into the excuses she’d perfected. Until she could pretend no longer and ended the relationship rather abruptly.
Strange, there’d been no pretense with Malik. Her body responded to him as much as her heart did. Unlike Justin, Malik didn’t need to coax a reaction from her. It happened every time he was near, whether she wanted it to or not.
But Malik would soon be gone, her mind whispered. And she would be left behind to pick up the pieces.
A lone tear slipped from the corner of her eye to disappear in the stream of water flowing down her face.
What did she expect from him? Malik had it all—money, looks, an exciting life of art dealing, and no doubt an endless supply of beautiful women. In other words, a world far different from Cassie’s own. A world where she didn’t belong.
Finishing her shower, Cassie wrapped herself in the fluffy white robe she’d found hanging from a hook on the bathroom door and dried her hair as best she could with Malik’s towel. His scent still lingered in the material, and she basked in the feel of breathing him in.
A light knock sounded from behind her. “Are you okay in there?” Even his voice made her knees weak.
She quickly ran her fingers through the long strands of her hair, smoothed out her expression, and opened the door.
Malik’s gaze swept over her in obvious appreciation. “Would you like a drink? I sent for water, wine, and orange juice.”
Cassie grinned. “Orange juice?”
“For breakfast. In case you decide to stay, that is. Forgive me for being presumptuous. I just thought—”
“I’m staying,” she interrupted, placing a finger over his lips. “And I’d love a glass of wine.”
Relief shone from his eyes, and something else she couldn’t name. He kissed the tip of her finger and spun on his heel, speaking over his shoulder. “Make yourself at home. If you need anything, let me know. If I don’t have it, I can get it.”
“Did you get your phone calls taken care of?” Following him into the room, she sat on the side of the king-size bed.
Malik poured her a glass of wine and handed it to her. “I did. Do you mind if I get comfortable?” His fingers immediately went to the top button of his shirt.
The moment of truth, Cassie thought, locking gazes with her gorgeous host. Her heart began to pound…from fear or excitement, she wasn’t sure. Maybe both. “Not at all.”
Cassie watched as he slowly removed the expensive-looking white shirt. It slid down his arms to reveal perfectly sculptured biceps and a chest lightly dusted with hair.
She swallowed through a mouth suddenly gone dry, averting her gaze when his hands moved to the waistband of his jeans.
“I can keep them on if it makes you feel better.”
The hesitation in his voice wasn’t lost on her any more than the need she’d recognized in his eyes.
She wanted him, she silently admitted to herself. The fear that normally accompanied her in intimate situations seemed to be missing. And its place lurked a craving, a longing to be possessed by a man she barely knew. A man that would leave her behind and break her heart.
Her gaze slowly lifted, stopping at his amazing blue eyes. The lust she saw burning there caught her off guard, but not as much as her reaction to it. “Take them off.”
Wetness touched the insides of her thighs, leaving no doubt that her body wanted the same thing her heart did—to be touched, taken, and loved by one man…Malik Devain.
Chapter Twent
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Malik paused with his hand on the zipper of his jeans. He’d felt the moment Cassie accepted her body’s need for him.
The desire swimming in the depths of her brown eyes nearly did him in. But nothing could have prepared him for the incredible scent of her arousal as she took in his half-exposed body.
He slowly unzipped his jeans and slid them down his legs without taking his gaze from her beautiful face.
Malik could imagine how emotionally difficult this would all be for her. He silently vowed to take it slow and make it unforgettable—a beautiful experience to replace the horrific memories of her past.
He left his boxer briefs on in an attempt to ease her anxiety and moved to sit next to her on the bed. “You don’t have to be afraid with me, Cassandra. I won’t harm you. We won’t do anything you don’t want to do. Understand?”
She moved over to make room for him, taking her drink with her. “I’m not afraid of you, Malik. It’s just that…”
He noticed her hand slightly trembled where she gripped the delicate stem of the glass. “Just that what?” He reached up and pushed a few strands of damp hair behind her ear.
“Nothing. I’m a tad nervous is all. I don’t want to disappoint you.”
Malik tucked a finger beneath her chin and gently lifted. “Disappoint me? You could never disappoint me, Cassandra. Your very presence burns me alive.”
He released her chin and coasted his fingers up the side of her face to the back of her head. Tugging her slowly forward, he dropped his gaze to her full, pink lips before brushing his mouth across their wine-flavored softness.
Her eyes drifted shut, and she leaned in, softly kissing him back.
No words were needed in that moment as time stood still for Malik and nothing mattered but the woman surrendering herself to him with a trust that humbled him.
She had no idea that the man she was about to give herself to was actually not a man at all, but rather a creature born over a century ago—a creature without a soul.
At least he’d been told that vampires lacked souls, which explained why their bodies crumbled to ash upon death.
He shook off his disturbing thoughts and pulled back to look deep into Cassie’s eyes. If he did nothing else right in his long life, he would make this night special for her. “I want you, Cassandra; more than I have ever wanted another. This need I have for you is greater than my need to breathe. If at any time, you are afraid or unsure, you have only to tell me and I will stop. Even if it kills me to do so.”
She stared back at him through guileless eyes that shimmered with unshed tears. “Make love to me, Malik. I want to forget everything and anyone before you. Show me what it’s like to feel alive.”
Malik’s heart lurched at her words as did his erection. She’d asked him to make love to her, to replace the pain of her past with his touch. This, he could do.
He pulled her to him, cupping her face in his hands as his lips descended to hers. The feel of her melting against him, accepting him, wanting him, was a powerful sensation. One he would never forget.
Cassie fell back against the pillows, pulling him down with her. She kissed him back with a passion that belied her previous fears. Gone were the anxieties, the insecurities, and in their place arose a need so powerful he could feel it in the innermost part of his heart.
Malik kissed her until she grew breathless, writhing beneath him with an urgency that called to the beast within him.
His fangs began to tingle, pulsing in time with his rapidly beating heart. If he didn’t slow things down, and quickly, he’d lose control and take her in ways only a vampire could survive.
He broke off the kiss and buried his face against her neck to prevent her from seeing his burning eyes, only to realize he was now up close and personal with the throbbing vein in her throat.
She exhaled a shaky breath. “I don’t know what’s happening to me.”
Her softly spoken confession cooled some of his instinct to sink his fangs into the pulse point of her throat.
Rising up on his knees, he reached for the waistband of his boxer briefs. “Cassie?”
The wild, feverish look in her eyes drove him insane with lust, and more blood rushed to his already painful erection. “Do not be afraid. I will be gentle.”
With as much patience as he could gather, he slowly dragged the offensive briefs down his thighs, freeing his shaft from its confines.
Malik sat completely still as she lowered her gaze to his straining erection before meeting his hooded stare once again.
“You’re beautiful to me, Malik. I’m not afraid of you.”
Relief poured through him at her words. She had no idea how tense he’d been up until this moment. It had taken an enormous amount of strength to smother his basic instincts enough to retract his aching fangs and will his burning eyes to calm.
Kicking off the briefs, he reached for the tie of her robe.
“Let me,” Cassie whispered, continuing to stare up at him with her luminous brown eyes.
Malik watched as she loosened the belt and opened the robe, baring herself to his hungry gaze.
“Perfection,” he breathed, drinking in her beautiful form.
Rounded breasts sat high on her chest with pink, rosy tips that begged to be kissed. His gaze traveled down her ribcage, across the diamond stud resting inside her navel, until he reached the juncture of her thighs.
He felt as if he’d been kicked in the gut. She had the most incredible body he’d ever seen. And he’d seen a lot in his long life.
Her mound was pale and devoid of hair. The bikini lines associated with her tan framed it perfectly, displaying a triangle of temptation he could feast on for the rest of his life.
Malik rested his hands on the insides of her thighs and gently applied pressure, opening her to his view.
He slowly lowered himself, giving her time to protest, yet praying that she wouldn’t.
She stiffened briefly before relaxing and allowing her legs to part.
A soft gasp escaped her as he brushed his nose up the crease of her leg and followed through with his tongue.
The sweet scent of her arousal blasted his senses, driving him to distraction. This was about her and making her feel good. As much as he wanted to drive into her over and over while sinking his fangs into her tempting neck, he couldn’t.
Malik held his breath to keep from torturing himself with her amazing essence and softly swiped his tongue through her wet heat.
Her hands flew to his hair, gripping, pulling him closer, moaning as she lifted her hips and pressed herself to his waiting mouth.
Malik Devain, a two-hundred-year old vampire…was lost.
Chapter Twenty-One
Cassie was on fire. Malik’s mouth was everywhere at once, devouring her, worshipping her in ways she’d never dared to imagine.
She felt no fear with him, no hesitation in her response to his touch. Her body came alive beneath his masterful tongue, seeking, craving something just out of reach.
He applied suction, pushing her thighs farther apart with his big hands, demanding, taking, leaving her no choice but to give up the tiny thread of control that barely remained.
Her hips came off the bed with the power of her first orgasm. She gripped the sheets tightly in her hands as near-violent contractions exploded from the oversensitive bundle of nerves he sucked on, traveled through her abdomen and raced up her spine.
Cassie had never experienced anything as incredible as the sensations slamming through her body, and she never wanted it to end.
Malik continued to nuzzle, gently tasting her until her nerves began to settle and the rush of orgasmic adrenaline slowed its onslaught.
“Your scent is intoxicating,” he growled, climbing his way up her trembling body. “I could feast on you for the rest of my life and never grow tired of your sweet taste.”
He settled between her still open thighs, his gaze boring into hers. “I ache to be inside you, Cassandra.”
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nbsp; She wanted him inside her more than anything she’d ever wanted in her life. “Yes,” she whispered, wrapping her legs around his hips.
Relief was evident in his eyes. “Relax for me. I will not hurt you.”
The feel of him pressing against her opening had to be one of the most incredible sensations Cassandra had ever felt.
There was nothing dirty or shameful about allowing Malik inside her body. No negative emotions or regret filled her mind. Instead, she felt beautiful, desired, and cherished.
He inched forward, and all thought fled but the feel of him stretching her to accommodate his great size.
Her eyes rolled back in her head as he pulled back and penetrated her again. How had she spent her entire adult life without experiencing the kind of feelings Malik invoked in her? She didn’t know, but she had him now, and she wasn’t about to let him stop.
“You feel so good,” Malik ground out through clenched teeth. “You belong to me, Cassie. Only me.” He buried himself deep.
Cassandra’s world tilted on its axis. Nerves came alive with every thrust of his shaft, tingling, overwhelming her senses.
Another orgasm built, stronger this time, taking her breath, her thoughts…her control.
She cried out with the first explosion of spasms contracting through her in waves of pure, unadulterated ecstasy, gasping through the pleasure that was now robbing her of breath.
Malik suddenly laced their fingers together, covered her lips with his, and groaned into her mouth, filling her with his seed.
He continued to rock against her for long moments, riding out her release until she had nothing left to give.
Neither of them moved for several minutes as Malik continued kissing her with a reverence that brought tears to her eyes.
No one had ever made her feel more alive or more special than Malik Devain.
The wall she’d erected around her heart from a young age instantly cracked, and in its place stood a feeling she had never felt before.
Cassandra (Scruples Book 2) Page 9