Neve headed down the hallway ahead of Jake, turning around and placing a single finger to her lips as she moved without a sound. She lifted her nose in the air, and the cool, dry scent of vampire filled her senses like a warning bell. She glanced back at Jake, who also had his nose on high alert, but he likely hadn’t gotten the same warning bells she had.
Dhampirs and vampires had built-in triggers that signaled a visceral reaction when they were close to one another. Neve hadn’t scented the vamp in the casino, but there had likely been too much interference with all the other people and smoke down there.
This vamp was definitely old.
From the scent of his power, he was much more skilled at cloaking himself than any other vampire Neve had encountered before, which wasn’t saying much as she’d only come in contact with a handful in her life. She passed by the ridiculously expensive suite Jake had rented for the night in favor of pacing toward the vamp’s door. It occupied the entire corner, and the vamp’s scent was all over the area.
And now Neve’s would be as well.
The vampire might wonder for a moment why she was here, but he would know immediately she was a halfling and would file it away under nothing to worry about.
A mild irritant at best.
Jake made a move to join her by the door, and Neve put her hand out to stop him.
He froze mid-stride.
Shit, she hadn’t thought this through. She blamed it on the fact she usually worked alone and didn’t have a hulking hellhound padding after her to mess things up. But having hellhound scent all over the vamp’s door complicated things, especially since he’d likely spotted Jake already. It would give the vampire too much to think about. In fact, coming up to his door might have been a little too bold if she wanted this Collection to run smoothly.
Now she needed a plausible diversion to undo any suspicion the vamp might have when he returned to his room.
Nevada crept silently back to Jake. When she got to him, she reached up and hooked her hand around his neck and pulled him close. He acquiesced, bending over to position his ear next to her lips. “We need to”—Neve cleared her throat to get the words out—“pretend we’re lovers.”
Jake’s head whipped back so fast, Neve stumbled against his chest as he snapped her forward. She let go of him and took a step back, busing herself brushing off an invisible piece of lint she’d just found on her vest.
“Right here?” His voice was strained and barely audible. He’d taken his cue like a pro, and even in his surprise at her bizarre request, he had kept his voice so low no human could overhear them. “Did you honestly just say the word ‘lovers’ to me?”
“Yes,” Neve mouthed, trying not to be too irritated by his reaction. She leaned in closer to whisper, “We need to create a solid reason why we’re standing in this hallway”—she gestured between them—“and a bunch of pheromones will do the trick. It will give us enough cover while we poke around. If the vamp thinks we’re here on our honeymoon, he won’t take much notice. He already spotted you downstairs, so now we give him a solid reason why you’re here, and leave it at that.”
Jake tried to hide his surprise, but he was an open book to Neve. “You want to make out in the hallway? Right here?” He scrubbed a hand over his face.
“Hey”—Neve’s voice grew steely as she moved forward—“it was your bright idea to rent a hotel room, not mine.” She pushed a finger into his chest, pressing him back into the wall. She knew he’d gone along with it or she wouldn’t have been able to budge him so easily, but it was satisfying anyway. “This is all you. I’m just trying to find the best plan to go along with your super-shitty one.”
“And what would you have done instead?” He crossed his huge arms and braced his broad shoulders against the wall, edging slightly away from her, which irritated her all over again.
“I would’ve scaled the building and landed like a ninja on his balcony right after sunrise. Vampires and the sun don’t mix, in case you’ve forgotten. But because I’m not a full vamp, I would’ve remained unaffected by the bright yellow orb in the sky. We would’ve tussled for a little bit, but I would’ve prevailed, knocking him out with one of my many silver implements, and then I’d have brought him in. End of story.”
Neve was leaving out the “he bites me, drains my blood, and leaves me in a heap on the floor” part on purpose, because there was only about a ten percent chance of that happening.
It didn’t matter, because Jake wasn’t buying it. “Yeah, right. More like—”
Neve was done discussing this.
She leaned in and pushed herself firmly against him, covering his mouth with hers.
If anything, just so she could shut him up.
The moment Neve’s soft lips touched his, Jake was lost. Completely gone. He never had a chance. Her smell, her lush mouth, her soft mewing noises were more than enough to disarm him. Add in her taut body pressed against his, and it was throw-in-the-towel time. He was man enough to admit it. This girl had power over him like no one else ever had, and the problem was, he liked it.
He instantly threaded his hands through her hair and tugged her close, trying to meld every part of her to him. There was no need to worry about generating enough pheromones.
Pretty soon the entire hotel would be choked with them.
Neve edged closer, melting seamlessly into his body, her tongue entering his mouth again and again like a white-hot flame. He growled his pleasure and efficiently took hold of her hips, twisting her around and bracing her up against the wall.
He pinned her there with his hands, and his mouth.
The kiss was hungry, deep, and thorough.
He felt her hesitate for a moment, and Jake was about to break the kiss, but then she dug her hands into his shoulders and yanked him against her hard, her mouth seeking and tasting even more as she wrapped one of her ankles around his calf and pulled him even closer.
Nevada Hamilton did everything hard, and Jake couldn’t get enough.
He obliged and settled himself tightly against her as he devoured her mouth. Hellhounds were tough, and having a female even try to harness him was pure bliss. His hound howled in his mind as he snarled into her mouth.
She nipped his bottom lip.
He panted, breaking the kiss for a mere moment, “Let’s go to our room.”
She responded by running her hand along his jeans just below the zipper. He exhaled sharply. Damn. Then without warning she grabbed him hard. He arched forward, pressing himself into her hand, groaning, his tongue plunging deeply between her warm lips once again.
She matched his thrusts, undulating against him as she grasped him tighter. He leaned down and locked one forearm around her waist and entwined his other hand in her hair as he swung them around toward their suite door. He maneuvered her easily, his mouth still locked tightly on hers, her hand still firmly placed between his legs. He moaned in pleasure as they moved.
Her hand rocking against his hardness as he walked was nothing short of mind-blowing.
The pheromones and lust they had already generated were on an epic scale. One thousand percent authentic. When this vamp came back to his room, there would be no doubt that two supernaturals had been here, but he might have a tough time trying to figure out what kind of supes they were through all the carnal fumes.
This had been what Neve wanted. She had started it, but now that he had her, he was going to finish it.
When Neve’s backside hit the door, it jarred her enough to break the kiss. When Jake glanced down at her, he noticed her eyes were slightly unfocused. He pondered what it meant for a split second, before she uttered a single word: “More.”
That was enough for him.
Screw the Collection.
He had Neve back in his arms, and she’d come willingly, and he wanted her more than anything he’d ever wanted in his long life. All the emotions of their prior coupling and their lengthy separation came crashing down around him, leaving only stark need for her at
the forefront.
Since the very moment he’d been with her, it had always been her.
Who had he been fooling all these years? All those empty nights he’d spent trying to feel what she’d made him feel in one single night. Never again. He’d have to find a way to make her understand this time. When they were done, he would explain why they should stay together and give this a long-term try. Something he should’ve done years ago. Shame flared in his heart for not finding her sooner.
She looked up at him and blinked. “More, Jake.” She licked her lips.
“Your wish is my command,” he answered, his voice husky as he pulled the key card from his back pocket. He managed to slide the card into the slot behind her, hardly fumbling it, even though his hands shook with an influx of adrenaline, which had hit his system the moment her lips had touched his, and need.
They weren’t even fully across the threshold when Neve grasped him by the front of the shirt and banged him back against the wall, plowing her mouth against his. He ignored the door and let it whoosh shut on its own, choosing instead to reach around and grab her ass, rocking her against his hardness until she gave a delighted moan.
He was lost to her so completely his sane mind had gone on hiatus.
He wanted more of her.
So much more.
He tore his lips off hers to tell her as much, but before he could do anything else, she slid her hands under his shirt, her nails raking deliciously over his abdomen, moving up quickly. She hadn’t said a word to him except for “more” and his name, but she was clearly enjoying the interaction, her open hands racing over his pecs and then back down to torment his stomach. For a moment Jake had to remind himself that this wasn’t like before. There was no doubt she was clean this time. She had zero substances in her system.
“Neve,” he managed on a whisper, “let’s move this to the bedroom.”
“Hmm,” she murmured up at him, her eyes closed, her lips slightly open. “Just give me more, Jake. I need this.”
“I’m all set to give you more, darlin’, but I want to lay you down so we can enjoy this.”
Neve grinned as she rose on her tiptoes. His hands were still clenched around her backside, and he gave her a squeeze as she put her mouth next to his ear. “You called me darlin’ last time. I remember. Your Southern roots come out to play when you’re turned on…and I like it.” She brought her head around and slanted her lips over his mouth once again, lapping at his tongue.
He opened up to her, letting her lead.
If she wanted to do it up against the wall, he’d give it to her, hard and fast. Anything she wanted. His coherent thoughts were barely functioning anyway. When she abruptly changed course and began to tug him down the short hallway into the living room, he followed along, his hands still locked around her hips.
They stopped every few feet to deepen their kiss, their mouths melded together, hot and frantic. He had to be careful not to run into any furniture or knock anything off the wall in their growing frenzy, which wasn’t easy. Their kisses had become more furious with each step. Both of their libidos had amped way up, which he hadn’t thought possible.
As they passed the couch in the sitting area, they came to the opening that led into a big, spacious bedroom. Neve was in front, walking backward. She broke away from his grasp and reached down and lifted his shirt over his head in one motion. Before they stepped into the bedroom, she ran her tongue over his nipple, nipping him hard.
He bellowed, “Good gods, Neve! What are you doing to me?” With a guttural sound, he bent over and lifted her cleanly off the floor. She wrapped her legs tightly around him as he walked them into the bedroom. He laid her gently on the bed, immediately covering her with his body.
She took his weight easily, wiggling beneath him, her hands diving into his hair as she pulled his head down for another searing kiss.
He returned it deeply, plunging his tongue into her warmth, tilting his head to connect them fully. After a long moment, he came up for air and ran his tongue over her lips and down her neck. “Neve, I’ve waited too long to feel you again. You are perfection.” His tongue reached her collarbone, and she arched up, urging him on with both hands braced around his shoulders.
He propped himself on his elbows and bent over, obliging her, as he ran his tongue down toward her cleavage, nudging the necklace she wore, an ornate ring on a leather string, to the side. There was a low-level current coming from it. He had an inkling of what it was, but he was too muddled to put the pieces together in his brain.
Instead, he eased open her leather vest just enough to expose one of her sweet peaks. He took it in his mouth and suckled it, reveling in the taste of her.
Neve went rigid beneath him, sputtering once.
Then she launched him across the room.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Neve shouted as she sat up, readjusting her vest at the same time.
She felt dazed, like she’d just woken up from a hazy dream—or quite possibly a nightmare. She pressed the back of her hand to her forehead, but her head wasn’t clearing quickly enough for her liking.
The last thing she remembered was leaning in to kiss Jake in the hallway. Then all of a sudden his mouth was on her breast. Once his lips had touched her there, an inner buzzer had gone off. Her brain had literally sounded the alarm to wake up, and she had, only to find him over her.
She had no idea how he’d gotten there.
“What am I doing?” Jake yelled, regaining his footing instantly.
Neve realized she had tossed him clear across the room, which had been no small feat. Throwing the hellhound had been a trigger response, and if the situation had been less dire and awful, she would’ve been proud of herself for being able to send him that far. Considering where he stood glaring at her, it had been pure luck he hadn’t crashed into the sliding glass door two feet to his right. But the damage to the wall was bad enough. There was a hole in the sheetrock the size of an angry hellhound.
“I’m not buying this, Neve,” he said when she didn’t immediately answer him. “You can’t suddenly pretend to wake up and act like you didn’t just want this as much as I did. We were just together and it was mutual. You started all this by kissing me!” He waved an irate hand between them. “You just told me you wanted more, and that you liked that I called you darlin’. I didn’t coerce you into anything, and I’m not going to let you accuse me of any wrongdoing this time. I took all my cues from you.”
He was right.
Neve remembered, and she’d done exactly what he said she had, but it was like she was peering through someone else’s foggy memory, not her own.
She stood with as much dignity as she could, straightening her vest and trying to be inconspicuous as she wiped her leaking eyes. Then she started to pace. Jake gave her a wide berth and went to pick up his discarded shirt, pulling it crisply over his head.
He was furious, and she wasn’t sure she blamed him.
“We were supposed to make out in the hallway,” Neve countered, finally turning toward him. “For, like, two minutes. Just enough time to create some pheromones to distract our Collection. That was it. I…I don’t understand how we got here.” She motioned to the rumpled bed.
“Maybe you should’ve specified a length of time before you informed me you wanted to be my lover,” Jake retorted. “Or maybe outlined a few kissing do’s and don’ts before you launched yourself at me. Instead, you plastered yourself against me like no rules applied.” Neve watched as he grasped his head with both hands and turned in a frustrated circle. “But all that doesn’t matter, because I’m not buying what you’re selling, Neve. You’re not drunk, you’re not stoned, and you’re not out of your mind. You’re perfectly coherent. You can’t stand there and tell me you didn’t want me as much as I wanted you. Your pheromones say differently—and the proof is all over this damn hotel!” His voice had ratcheted up several octaves.
Neve needed to think.
She walked to
a chair in the corner and sat. Something had happened to her when she’d kissed Jake that she didn’t understand. She had no words for him—no acceptable answer for what had just happened or why she’d blacked out. Last time she’d blamed it on the leftover effects of her alcohol binge. But as painful as it was to admit, that had clearly not been the case.
She lifted her gaze to meet the hellhound’s furious stare. “It seems I owe you an apology.”
Jake was clearly taken aback by her revelation, as his expression went from dark anger to blatant surprise in the blink of an eye. He ran a hand through his thick hair as his bicep and jaw muscles jumped in tandem. He turned around again, clearly warring with himself, and finally walked over and sat on the edge of the bed facing her. “Neve, what’s going on? You were quiet at the beginning, and your eyes were a little glazed, but later you said things to me—”
Neve jumped up from the chair, flustered. “I get it”—she held up a hand—“and I don’t want to hear it. I blacked out of it for a while, and I’m not blaming you, but whatever I said to you, please, you have to strike it from your memory. Do you understand? Until I figure out what’s going on, this thing between us was just a fluke, nothing more. You can’t read anything more into it.”
Jake stood, crossing his arms, irritation written all over his face. “Fine. It was all a mistake. A wet, hot fluke. But I’m not doing this with you. Not again. That night three years ago, you crawled into my bed, willingly, and it destroyed me. Tonight you somehow managed to do it again.” He directed a thumb at his chest. “I’m outta here. The Collection is all yours.” He didn’t wait for a response. Instead, he stormed out of the room.
The hotel door closed behind him with a quiet, hushing noise.
Aces Wild: A Sin City Collectors Novella Page 4