Her almond-shaped green eyes narrowed with anticipation. There was nothing like a thunderstorm to brighten a girl's day. Especially if it involved a hot and willing man tied to her bed, as it did this very night. Desi grabbed her flogger from its spot on the wall and ran her hand affectionately over the long tails. They slid deliciously through her fingers. She and Matilda had flogged a mile or two together, and she was about to add some new mileage to the old girl.
Desi's nipples tightened under the supple leather of her corset in anticipation, her matching leather skirt crinkling as she walked with confident strides to her bedroom. Thigh-high boots clicked with each determined step as the wet flesh between her thighs rubbed delectably.
From the doorway she surveyed the man who lay tied to the posts of her bed, his arms high above his head. His eyes were so incredibly blue, his hair the color of black silk, just brushing the tips of his shoulders. His cock lay in a nest of black curls, erect and thick against his rippled stomach. A shiver ran up Desi's spine.
It was big that's for sure, yet not quite as big as... Well, never mind. It would do for the night.
Desi wasted no time as she hitched up her leather skirt and straddled... What the hell was his name? It didn't matter. When she climaxed, the same name tore from her lips time and again. Shrugging off that unpleasant fact, she focused on the more pleasant act to follow.
"Tell me," she asked the man who lay prone beneath her, "How are you at fucking?"
He smiled up at her, his full lips tilting upwards with smug assurance.
"I'm the best you'll ever have, baby."
Running a red-tipped nail down his cheek, she smiled back, her green eyes narrowed.
"Really?" A husky chuckle rumbled from deep in her throat. "Well, handsome, now's the time to show me what you're all about. But first," she tweaked his nipple, "you have some work to do."
She reached behind her, dragging the flogger over his taut body, the supple tails splaying over his ready cock. Thrusting her groin at his mouth, she straddled his head with firm, smooth thighs.
"Lick!" she demanded, as she threw her head back and her eyes slid shut. His hot tongue pushed aside the tight auburn curls and slid into her cunt. Desi groaned as he lapped at her, suckling the swollen nub of her clit. Her thighs clenched his head tightly, pressing his tongue to her. The flogger fell to the floor as she clutched his head and tugged violently on his hair, grinding his face to her wet flesh. Spirals of heat wended their way to her cunt. As she came with a violent twist of her hips, behind closed eyes she saw the face of Zachariah, her one true love, denied to her for centuries. Elusive and fleeting, his name crossed her lips in a silent shudder.
Chapter 3
Zach took Claire for a late dinner, to what she surmised was a local vampire haunt. Everyone seemed to know Zach, nodding or slapping him on the back as they made their way to a quiet corner table. As they wound their way through the crowd, men and women alike had an odd practice of sniffing the air as she walked past, on Zach's arm. After sniff two-thousand-two, Claire wanted to know what the hell was going on. She considered taking a whiff of her armpit to check for freshness, but Zach jumped in with an explanation.
"They know you're not one of us," he explained.
Oh. Well, alrighty then, talk about a little mortal discrimination.
"They can smell me?" She wrinkled her nose.
"Yup, we have an acute sense of smell and taste."
"So they know I'm not a vampire, and they don't mind?" She hated the insecurity in her voice, but she was feeling rather outnumbered. By droves of people that thought they were vampires! "I mean, don't all vampires want to be with ... well, their kind?"
"No, honey, you're my human, and though rare, there have been several successful vampire-human Life Mates within the Polish vampire community."
He sounded like a testimonial for Vamps-R-Us. She fought to control the sheer joy it brought her to hear him say she was his human, even if it went against every 'I am woman, hear me roar' thought she'd ever had. Or maybe he was just trying to convince her that this vampire-human thing could work, without her being a vampire too. Because he really did think he was a vampire.
"They also know you're with me, so don't worry. No one will give you a hard time."
What was he, like the head of the Polish vampire Mafia?
Ignoring her misgivings, Claire set about reading the menu, half-expecting to find blood priced by the pitcher.
She was relieved to discover that burgers and fries were a part of a vampire's culinary offerings. As she watched people come and go, she found that there wasn't really much of a difference to the naked eye between humans and vampires. So why couldn't she become one too? Like now.
It had begun as a game to test Zach, to see if eventually he would just confess to being as mortal as the rest of them. But her logical mind was giving in to the idea more rapidly, as was her desire to be with Zach, damning all the consequences. An unexplainable need stirred her insides, turning them inside out.
A wicked thought crossed her mind, and she struggled to contain it without giving Zach reason to probe her mental innards. Every so often she felt a slight nudge, which set her ears to itching. Zach seemed to hover on the fringes of her thoughts, but with each passing hour, she found the subtle sensation more detectable, making it easier to block.
She grinned to herself while she watched Zach consume his burger. Hell's bells, he was sexy, and sexier still when he licked ketchup off those long fingers. Claire moaned, chastising herself for being sidetracked. She had a mission to accomplish and she may as well start giving some thought to it tonight.
* * * *
Desdemona flung open the door of the restaurant, the light from outside illuminating her sleek, supple form. Her red hair flew about her shoulders in a swirl of waves, highlighted by the dim lighting inside. Her long legs were encased in tight leather. Ample breasts in a silk shirt thrust forward, bouncing slightly as she strode to the far corner where Zach sat with a woman.
Heads turned as she passed. Desi made an entrance wherever she went, she made sure of that. Subtly she sniffed the air. A human. Interesting.
Slapping what was an over-practiced, warm smile on her face, she put her hand on Zach's arm. "Zach, darling, it's so good to see you out and about again." She planted a kiss on his cheek, letting the tip of her tongue ever so lightly graze his skin. Her nipples tightened when he stood to embrace her. His blue gaze was warm and welcoming.
Good, poor, stupid, hotter-than-hell Zach.
"Hey Desi, how are you? Long time no see, huh? Why don't you join us so we can catch up?" Zach busied himself getting Desi a chair while Desi assessed the bimbo. Her eyes narrowed. If the damn whore would just come back looking the same every century, it sure would make it easier to identify her. Desi smiled at Claire as she sat down.
"And who's this, Zach? Have you forgotten your manners?" She purred the question, then waved Zach off absently. "Never mind. I'm Desdemona Smitrovitch, an old friend of Zach's. Really old, if you know what I mean."
Desi laughed, with a sultry tinkle. Claire wiped her mouth with a napkin and smiled back at her, sticking out her hand.
"I'm Claire. It's nice to meet you."
Desi smothered a yawn. It was the same game every time, every damn century. Booooring. Desi took Claire's hand, enveloping it in a firm grip.
"So tell me where the two of you met. Narcoleptics Anonymous?" she joked, following up with a wide grin. "I want to hear all about it," Desi said, as she plucked a French fry from Zach's plate, licking it while ogling Zach's crotch. She made sure her full breasts, clearly defined within her silk shirt, pressed enticingly against Zach's arm as she leaned over, reaching for the salt. Claire squirmed in her chair, while Desi watched from the corner of her eye.
She loved it when they squirmed. Time to make nice with the mortal chick.
"Are you a vampire too?" Claire asked, all innocent and friendly.
She was still in the 'maybe this i
s impossible, but it might not be such a bad gig' stage. Yuk, Desi thought. Hookay then, here goes.
"Yes, darling, I'm a vampire, too. So, Zach's told you about us, has he? Don't worry, we're an easy bunch to get along with. I know the whole blood thing takes some getting used to, but once you're over the hump so to speak, it's all downhill." She winked at Claire, and turning to Zach, she asked, "How's your mother?"
The warmth in Zach's grin was evident. "She's good, Des, real good. Still designing houses. She never seems to run out of ideas, even after all this time."
Even if they were simple little cottages one could barely turn around in. Desi shuddered at the very idea.
"That mother of yours, Zach, she's really quite something." Talk about longevity.
"So Claire, what do you do for a living?"
Claire smiled at Desi. "I'm a coroner at the county morgue."
Oooh, playing with the dead people, what a way to fly. Desi kept smiling, ignoring the twitch in her jaw.
"That sounds delightfully interesting. Tell me, is it like CSI? Do you solve murders? Oh, I do love that show, how exciting. It must get desperately lonely though, doesn't it?" Desi rubbed her arms to ward off the chilling thought of a bunch of dead folks for friends. Ick. "I mean, there isn't much conversation going on, is there?"
Claire and Zach exchanged warm grins that didn't escape Desi. Yup, it was her. Time for the bitch to die... Again.
"It's not so bad, I guess. But you're right, it does get lonely sometimes. I work the night shift so it's pretty dead there." Claire snorted at the obvious pun.
Oh, saints alive, this one was worse than the last. A real comedienne. Zach reached across the table to run his index finger along Claire's cheek, and Desi felt a knot of jealousy tighten in her stomach.
"Well, lovebirds, I'll get out of your hair. I just wanted to stop by and say hello. I'm off to grab an end-of-the-day drink." Wiping her lips with a napkin she leaned over to kiss Zach, while waggling her fingers at Claire.
"Now Zach, you be a good boy and give Claire my number, you hear?" Turning to Claire she said; "Call me when you two come up for air, okay? We'll have lunch and get to know one another." With a wave and a nod of her head, she set off toward the bar.
Two broad, leather-clad backs sat side by side, hunkered over frosty mugs of beer. Their bald heads gleamed under the glow of the track lighting. Desi slid her slender body between the two of them and whispered.
"Oh, look," she acknowledged each of them, "It's Dumb and Dumber." She nudged in further between them while they grumbled something about her being a bitch.
Got that right.
"Now listen up, you knuckleheads. Do you see that woman sitting with my Zach?" She grabbed them before they turned around and hissed, "Don't turn around, you idiots, be casual." They each nodded slowly.
"It's her," Desi confirmed, with venom.
"Wow, boss," Dumb said. At least she thought it was Dumb, maybe he was Dumber, "She's hot." Dumber added his two cents with a vigorous nod. She clenched her fists at her sides to keep from giving them each a good slap on their shiny heads.
"She won't be hot for long if you idiots follow my instructions. I want the bitch dead, and this time I intend to have Zach all to myself." Chuckling, she grabbed Dumber's beer and gulped it dry.
* * * *
Claire whistled sharply. "This is some pad, handsome. Is this where you've brought all your hot and willing honeys over the centuries?"
"Claire..." His tone took on that warning he'd become so good at.
Ooh, big bad vamp doesn't want to talk about his past, like twenty lives, and gaggles of women. Fine, she'd rather not know anyway.
Claire ran her hand over the rich brown leather chair, marveling at how buttery soft the real thing could be. He had impeccable taste. The dark hues of his furniture complemented the muted, lighter tones of the walls. She eyed the spiral staircase that no doubt led to his bedroom. She shivered, wanting to throw her arms around him and beg him to take her, anyway he liked. She saw Zach watch her assess her surroundings, with curious amusement from the corner of the room.
"Who is Desdemona?" There. It's out in the open. Frankly, the woman had given her the creeps, but she'd sensed a connection between Desi and Zach, however brief. She couldn't shake the feeling that she knew Desi.
She crossed the room and cornered him, pinning him to the wall with her body. Claire ran her hand over his hard frame, stopping just short of his ever-growing cock. Zach groaned loudly and grabbed for her wrist, but she pulled it out of his reach.
"Nope, tell me about Desdemona or there'll be no nookie for you, Cookie." She was consenting to nookie, threatening him with it even ... having nookie didn't mean he still wasn't crazy, she consoled herself.
Zach's lips turned downward in a pout as he slumped forward. "I get the feeling you're rather enjoying this power you have over me."
Claire smiled, winking at him. It was sort of a rush. No one had ever wanted her like Zach. Hell, she hadn't ever wanted anyone like she wanted Zach. Okay, so it was the single biggest thrill of her life, to be so completely adored.
She wrapped her arms around his neck as he ground his hips toward her, allowing him a small measure of mercy.
"Desdemona..." she reminded him. Zach began to unbutton her blouse, his warm breath fanning her face.
"Desdemona Smitrovitch is from another breed of vampire. Russian, to be precise." He smiled as he cupped a soft swell of breast. Claire moaned and swatted his hand, taking both and holding them firmly at his sides.
"Well, duh. Smitrovitch is a dead give away. But what does that have to do with you? Lay it on the line for me. She looks at you like an alcoholic eyes a good bottle of whiskey. Something happened between the two of you and I think it's only fair I know, so give it up." Zach's hands twitched at his sides and she loosened her grip a bit, just enough for him to rest his hands on her hips.
"Desdemona's family is very powerful, and so is mine. A marriage of the two families would make us that much more powerful and bring some much-needed respect to the Smitrovitch's. They've long been known for their underhanded practices and shady business dealings. That history doesn't exactly work in their favor, not if we're to accomplish acceptance in modern day society and live peacefully with humans. Marrying one of my breed would help speed that process up for them. But the Smitrovitches are only interested in wreaking havoc over all other breeds of vampires. The Kowalski's aren't. We're perfectly happy to live our lives peacefully, no waves and no commotion."
Now we're getting somewhere. So Desdemona wanted Zach? Her stomach clenched. The woman was everything she wasn't, tall, lean and utterly fabulous. She bit her lower lip to keep it from trembling. And according to Zach, he thought she was a vampire too. Hell, she thought she was a vampire.
"I suppose Desdemona, of the legs up to her eyeballs and the hair like a Pantene commercial, wants you, then?" she asked sarcastically, as she began to pull away from him. But he grabbed her hips and pulled her close. His blue eyes pierced hers, forcing her to look at him.
"No, honey, though at one time she did, I guess. It's been over between Desdemona and me for a long time. We dallied some centuries ago, but then..." Zach sighed, raking a hand through his glossy hair. "I lost interest and we parted friends. And before you ask, we didn't make love, ever. Her family thought a marriage between us was the perfect solution to omnipotence, and they were pretty upset for a while when I didn't choose to marry her. My family supported that, and Desi seems to be okay with it. She wants to have lunch with you. That must tell you something. Desdemona wasn't and isn't my Life Mate, Claire, you are. Desi is an old friend. She's revered in her circle of vamps, and sometimes it doesn't hurt to have an ally as strong as Desi. But that's it. We're just friends, okay?"
An ominous chill sent goose bumps up and down her arms. Talk about denial. Desi wanted Zach in a big way. So big deal, Zach didn't want Desi. Desi was utterly gorgeous. Shouldn't be too hard to go find her own damn Life Mate, she
thought. This went deeper than the merger of two families, but Claire couldn't quite put her finger on the underlying motivation.
Zach unzipped her jeans and thrust his hand in them to cup her pussy, bringing all coherent thought to a screeching halt. Claire leaned against his solid frame as he toyed with her clit. Nipping his jaw, she sought his mouth, thrusting her tongue deeply into the cavernous depths. Claire shuddered as his tongue swept hers, capturing it between his lips. He suckled as her knees weakened and she melted against him.
"Okay, beautiful, it's the 'I must fuck' thing happening here. If I don't get into you pronto, I'll explode. Then where will we be? A vampire with a deflated cock."
Claire giggled at him. "Well now, we couldn't have that could we, blood sucker? What kind of Life Mate would I be if I didn't answer the call of the MONSTER?"
Scooping her up, Zach climbed the big spiral staircase and stepped into his bedroom, dropping her unceremoniously on his bed. He padded off to the bathroom. Claire watched his tight ass as he went, and sighed.
In a word, his bedroom was all Zach. Vivid and larger than life. She snuggled into the thick pillows lining the bed. An armoire in rich tones of mahogany stood in the far corner, surrounded by broad-leaf potted plants. Arched, stained glass windows lined the far wall, the graceful fall of a sheer curtain its only covering.
Claire closed her eyes and ran her toes over the warm, gold down comforter. It smelled like Zach, spicy and male. What would her mother think of her lying on a vampire's bed, ready and willing to screw the life out of him? Claire wished, now more than ever, that her mother were still alive. She would have loved Zach, despite the Count Dracula thing.
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