Would she let him? She pondered that question as she settled back on the chaise and closed her eyes. Despite what she came to think of him, the fears and confusion he instilled inside her, would she allow him to do with her as he pleased tonight? Exactly what would that mean? How far would he go?
A gentle breeze flowed over her, through her, and a finger of ice lightly grazed her skin. It began at the side of her neck, just below her ear, slid down and across her collarbone to the center of her throat. She gasped, a barely audible airy sound, at the sudden slight tightness it left in her throat before it moved onward. It felt as though she were naked. She felt the icy finger so clearly, directly on her skin, not through the barrier of any clothing. The finger moved down the center of her chest, between her breasts, over her abs and stomach. Then it stopped. Just as it reached the edge of her pubic hair, it halted and began to slowly pull away.
"No!" she cried out. The icy trail turned to a blazing heat in its wake and she writhed from the cold burn of it.
You wish to know what would please me tonight, my sweet? The voice, that lovely voice that slid over her like whipped cream and chocolate, spoke in her head again.
"Yes." She answered aloud, nearly screamed the word.
Shall I show you, give you a small taste?
"Please. Oh Damian, please show me. Let me taste it."
As you wish.
Something moved inside her, filled her, consumed her and her back arched from the pleasure. Nothing had ever felt this way. No sex, no foreplay ever took her over like this. It was as if he were in the room with her, above her, touching her. But he wasn't. Somewhere in the deep recess of her mind, she knew she remained alone in the hotel room. Yet, if that were true, how was he doing this?
She felt that icy breeze on her breasts once more and pushed all questions aside. At this point, she didn't care where he was, how he could do this to her from a distance. Especially when that icy feeling moved over her nipples, causing them to tighten almost painfully in response. Her pussy grew wet, slippery and hot. So very hot.
"God Damian," she gasped. "God! What are you doing to me?"
Giving you a taste of what is to come. A taste of what I want to do to you, what I want from you. Just as you asked.
The icy fire inside her intensified and she felt it build, grow. It pushed her to the edge. So close. So close. "Damian, please," she shrilled, bucked, her body just this side of convulsion, of release.
Yes, Kailey? His question rang with amusement.
Amusement! She would allow herself to be pissed about that later. "Please Damian. I can't take this anymore. Take me now. Fuck me!"
Oh my sweet. How I have wanted to hear you beg this way.
"Well, you got your wish. Now do it!"
And end the fun so soon?
"Da-mi-an." She drew the name out, each syllable a hiss of torture. "Oh, God. I'm sorry. Okay? I'm sorry."
Sorry for what?
"For not believing you. Is that what you want to hear?"
He sighed, a sound of breathy frustration and agony. Yes and no. I do want you to believe me. Of course I do. I do not, however, want you to simply say you do as a way to persuade me to bring you to orgasm.
"I'm not. I believe you. How could I not?"
That is an interesting question. A part of you still have your doubts.
"I—"
Are you going to argue that when I am in your head, when I can read your thoughts?
He had a point, she thought and stopped arguing.
Thank you. But all of that is neither here nor there, Kailey. Your belief in me has nothing to do with why I will not finish this now.
"Then why?"
Because when I do fuck you, as you so elegantly put it, it will be my true hard dick inside that wet pussy of yours. Not a metaphysical one.
Two things happened fast, so fast they both startled her and pissed her off. Damian left her head. He did it so abruptly, without warning that she swore she felt a pop as he severed the connection. Then a loud rap sounded at the door, followed by a voice that yelled, "Room service," and her eyes flew open.
It took a moment for the words to penetrate the fog in her mind, but finally it sunk in and she swung her legs over the side of the chaise, preparing to stand. Wetness, her own thick and sticky juices, trickled down her inner thigh as she rose and walked on shaky legs to the door. Damian would pay for this, she vowed and could have sworn she heard his melodic chuckle in her head just as she opened the door.
A girl, for she couldn't have been older than eighteen, greeted her with a wide smile. She was the same height and build as Kailey, her lower half hidden by a serving cart. Kailey studied her for a long moment, looked for something, anything that made the girl stand out, that made her different. She saw nothing.
The girl wore the black and white uniform that appeared to be required dress for all employees of the hotel. Her sandy blonde hair was long and pulled into a ponytail at the base of her neck. Her eyes were normal, her skin a deep tan, and when she spoke, she sounded of nothing but human.
"Steven asked that a tray be brought to your room."
Kailey felt so relieved and comforted to find herself face to face with a mere human that a wide smile came instantly to her lips. "Yes, thank you." She stepped to one side, held the door open while the girl pushed the cart inside. As the girl passed, Kailey saw two crimson dots on the side of the girl's neck and her heart skipped a beat. Fang marks, she realized and couldn't hide her gasp of shock.
"Is something wrong?" The girl turned to Kailey, her expression that of pure innocence.
"Your neck…" Kailey couldn't finish the sentence, didn't have a clue what else to say, how to voice the myriad of emotions that washed through her at the sight of those little wounds.
The girl's hand fluttered to her neck. Her fingers lightly brushed over the marks. For a brief heartbeat, her eyes took on an almost dreamy look. Then she smiled and a look that clearly said a light bulb just came on washed over her face. "Oh, that's right. You don't believe in them."
"Them?"
"Vampires."
"Did Damian tell you that?" Kailey instantly felt embarrassed, angry. How dare he share such a private thing with this girl!
"No. The Master would never share such a thing with me. He does, however, talk with others closer to him and sometimes, well, word spreads in close quarters, if you know what I mean."
"Sounds to me like Damian should pay more attention to who he is close to," Kailey muttered. Her tone accurately displayed her unhappiness.
"But it's true, is it not?"
"It was." Kailey's voice dropped to barely a whisper and she averted her gaze.
"Until tonight?" The girl sounded pleased now, satisfied.
Kailey pinned her with a glare that she knew wasn't the least bit friendly or soft. "Did he do that to you?"
Again, the girl's fingers found the puncture wounds. Her eyes gleamed when she said, "Yes, just last night. A welcome home present."
"A welcome home—" Kailey started to repeat but broke off in mid-sentence. How could anyone consider being treated like a piece of meat a gift?
"I took a month off to spend time with my parents and friends back home. Yesterday was my first day back."
"And Damian's present to welcome you back was to suck your blood?"
The girl laughed, a sudden burst of nearly hysterical sound. "Suck my blood. Oh, that's priceless. It's been a long time since I've heard someone quote Count Dracula." She dropped her voice to a raspy baritone, mimed the voice of one of those actors in the old B-rated Dracula films. "I vant to suck your blood."
The girl's continued laughter made Kailey bristle. She certainly didn't like being made fun of. "Okay," she managed to say slowly. Only a small amount of anger leaked out. "What do you call it then?"
"Feeding." The girl said it as if it were the most simple, obvious explanation in the world.
"Feeding." Kailey felt her stomach lurch. So much for grabbing a qu
ick bite to eat off the cart, she thought.
"Yes. Master Damian fed on me when he awoke."
Kailey didn't know what to say to that, so she didn't say anything.
The girl laughed at the look Kailey knew must be on her face. She shook her head, pinned Kailey with a quizzical glare. "Starting to believe yet?"
"Do I have much choice?" Kailey asked dryly.
"If it's evidence you want, all you have to do is look around."
"Yeah, it appears that way."
"I have to get back to work." The girl walked back to the door, paused to shoot Kailey another look over her shoulder. "Just push the cart into the hallway when you're finished. Someone will be by to pick it up later."
Kailey knew she should say thanks, maybe give the girl a tip, at the very least smile. But she couldn't do any of that. Instead, she stood and watched, her gaze all but glued to those fang marks, Damian's fang marks, until the girl shut the door behind her.
"Jesus, what have I gotten myself into?"
I am not sure He would be the one to answer that. Damian spoke in her head. We are, after all, considered by most to be the dammed.
"Was that your mistress?" Kailey asked and didn't try to hide an ounce of the anger she felt. A bit young for you, isn't she? She thought but said instead, "Or is that what you intend to make me?"
Jennifer is twenty-two. Damian's voice came back with a knowing hint in the tone. He answered the question she merely thought first. It was the second time he did that. How stupid of her. If he could talk in her head, what made her think he couldn't read her mind?
I am trying not to read your mind but you do make it difficult when you think so loudly.
"Then get out of my head," Kailey said simply.
Would you not like for me to finish answering your questions first?
She started to think about that but how in the hell does a person think quietly? Since she didn't have a clue, she went with gut instinct and anger. "No. Actually, I want you out of my head now."
You are angry with me. He sounded almost shocked, maybe even a bit hurt.
"Good assumption."
Because of Jennifer?
"No. That's jealousy." The words were out of her mouth before she could stop them. Not that it really mattered. They were in her head. This mind thing with Damian was really starting to suck. "Look. You've screwed with my head twice since I arrived tonight. You've made me…"
Horny? He offered when she faltered.
"I didn't really need your help with that one," she said through gritted teeth, and if she could have seen him at that moment she was certain she would see him smiling. "But yeah, horny. So either fuck me now or get out of my head because I have food, real food," she added for good measure, "to eat and a party to prepare for."
So pleasantly blunt. You are starting to believe me at last.
"Like you left me any choice. Now go!"
As you wish. And with that, she felt the metaphysical pop of the severed connection again followed by blessed silence. Too bad the silence couldn't last.
Too much, she thought. Too much happened in the short time since she pulled her ION into the valet area of the hotel, and all of it threatened to consume her thoughts almost the instant those thoughts became only hers once again. Mark, Steven, Jennifer, the fang marks, Master Damian. What had Jennifer said? If it's evidence you want, all you have to do is look around.
Oh yeah. She suddenly had more proof than she needed.
Chapter 3
The water felt good, almost too good. Kailey rolled her head forward, pulled her hair to one side so the hot water beat on the back of her neck. Her hand drifted up, brushed the left side of her neck and a clear picture of the fang marks she saw on Jennifer's neck came rushing back to her vision. How did it feel to have a person’s teeth sink into your skin? Or would it be a monster's teeth? Did it hurt? Feel good? Oddly enough, a part of her actually wanted to find out.
Would it be seductive? She wondered and her hand slid slowly from her neck, down to glide over her breast. Her nipple hardened from the contact and an arrow of red-hot desire shot straight down her insides, settling in her pussy. Would it be a pleasurable pain? How would Damian react if she asked? Did she have the nerve to try it?
May I come in? Damian's voice in her head put an immediate end to her solitary game of twenty questions.
"Not unless you plan to fuck me," she answered and made sure he would know from her tone that she meant it.
He laughed. Not in your head. Not like this.
"Then get out."
I am outside your door, my sweet. Invite me in and I will give you what you want. Anything you want.
Was it her imagination or had that anything sounded a bit on the smug side, as though he knew a little too much.
Of course he knew too much. It stood to reason that if he could possess her mind he could do it with or without her sensing his presence. The question was, could she somehow prevent him from invading her mind at will?
Yes. You can learn to shield against me, block me, keep me out. I will show you, but I can not do anything until you invite me in.
"If it will get you out of my head, by all means, please come in." She took a small step backward, directly under the showerhead and wondered if it were possible to drown someone metaphysically. Could a vampire drown metaphysically or otherwise? Stupid, she thought as the water beat down on the top of her head. Some of the things that came to her mind sometimes were just plain stupid. All the more reason he needed to stay the hell out of her head.
"May I join you in the shower?"
Kailey's eyes popped open and she yelped, gasped and choked as she breathed in water instead of air. Great. Here she had been wondering if a vampire could drown and she nearly drowned herself. It only took a teaspoon of water to drown a human, after all.
Her hand flew to her chest, just below her throat, and she took a staggering step out of the shower stream. She coughed violently. Her heart hammered so hard she felt it in the palm of her hand through her skin. Great. Inches away from drowning and having a heart attack to boot!
"My sweet." Damian's tone held more concern in those two little words than she ever thought possible of anyone. "Are you all right?"
Kailey moved to lean against the shower wall as he opened the door of the huge square glass-walled shower and put one bare foot on the ceramic tile inside. She opened her eyes and looked at the ceiling. Her head rested on the wall behind her. She dropped her hand, splayed both palms on the cold glass at either side of her thighs and stood there while she attempted to catch her breath, waited for her heart to resume a normal rhythm.
"Christ on a pogo stick, Damian!" she said after a long moment and was proud when her voice sounded even rather than panting and frantic. "Are you trying to kill me?"
"Never." That one word held so much emotion and so much truth that a blanket of comfort fell over her. "I did not mean to scare you so badly."
"Then you shouldn't have snuck up on me like that."
"You told me to come inside. You invited me in." His tone now held a defensive edge.
"Yes. I did. But I expected…I didn't…I should have…" She stopped and took a deep breath, managing to exhale without a trace of cough, a first since he dammed near scared the shit out of her. "One second you were talking in my head and the next you were right there." She pointed at where he stood in the open doorway of the shower. "How the hell did you do that?"
"We have the—" he seemed to struggle for a word and finally settled on, "power, the ability to move fast and soundlessly."
"We? Do you have a mouse in your pocket?"
His thin dark brows drew together over eyes of sapphire blue and a look of puzzlement flashed across his handsome features. He even glanced down at the hand not holding the shower door, the movement making his long ebony strands fall like a curtain around his perfect flawless narrow face. He had shoved his hand in the pocket of the black silk robe he wore, but pulled it out now, actually loo
king a bit surprised when the hand came out empty. "I do not carry mice around."
Kailey bit the inside of her cheek to keep from laughing. Dammed him for making her want to laugh when she was so pissed at him. "It's a figure of speech. Surely you've heard it before. You said we, yet you are alone." When his puzzlement only deepened, she sighed, shook her head. "You've never heard someone say that?"
"I am afraid I am not as familiar with all of the modern slang as I would like to be. Perhaps you can teach me."
Was that a challenge she heard in his voice or merely a genuine desire to be educated? Kailey narrowed her eyes as she watched him, the feeling that he was once again toying with her growing strong. Still, she answered him truthfully. "You said, 'we have the power, the ability to move fast and soundlessly'. Who does the 'we' refer to? The undead? Vampires?"
"Vampires, yes. Vampires can move faster than the eye can see without making a sound. It is one of the many, shall we say, perks of being the undead."
Perks? For some reason, that made Kailey bristle even more. "Well, next time make some noise. Okay? Clap your hands, stomp your feet, yell, scream. Hell, sing if you must. I don't care."
"You wish for me to sing?" The corners of his starkly male lips curved upward in a smile that almost reached his eyes. "I am good at a lot of things, my sweet, but sadly singing has never been one of them."
"What I wish is for you not to sneak up on me like that again. Just make some dammed noise to let me know you’re coming instead of causing me to have a stroke."
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