by Tina Folsom
Amaury paddled her backside immediately to make her aware of his disapproval. “Stop it, Nina.” And for good measure he slapped her once again, left, right. She moaned into the mattress.
His hand went into her hair and he drew her head up. “Let me hear you. There’s no shame it admitting you like it rough. ” In fact, he welcomed it, the knowledge that Nina wanted what he had to offer.
His cock was halfway inside her, and he didn’t have the willpower to pull out. The vibrations each slap sent down his cock and into his balls were too much to resist. With every wave her sheath gripped him tighter and drew him deeper.
“Damn it, Amaury, do it again!” His vixen was going all wild on him, just how he liked it. Now she was ready for him.
“That’s my girl.” With the next stinging slap to her delectable derrière, he drove his cock into her to the hilt, his balls slapping against her pussy. He realized he would come too soon. Snaking his arm around her front, he dropped his hand to the juncture of her thighs and found her sensitive little nub of pleasure.
Amaury moistened his fingers with her cream and drew the engorged button up, tugging on it gently. Her muscles clenched around his shaft in response. Damn, but she was tight.
“Fuck, Nina, you’re killing me.”
She let out a gurgle of a laugh and met his next thrust with even more ferocity. He repaid her by pinching her clit in the same instance, tearing an uncontrolled scream from her throat. The little temptress was trying to steal his control, but she didn’t know him well enough yet to realize that he wouldn’t allow himself to come before he’d sent her over the edge.
“Come for me baby—you want this,” Nina teased.
“You first!”
Amaury lowered his head to her neck and sank his lips onto her skin, kissing her as he continued to torture her engorged nub with his fingers. His teeth scraped against her neck, eliciting a shiver from her.
“Not fair,” she complained and moaned.
“All’s fair in love and war.”
Love?
He had no time to contemplate it. A moment later a visible shudder went through her, and then he felt it, the ripples travelling through her and hitting his body. With a triumphant groan he drove into her again and tumbled over the edge, finding his release in her shaking body, robbing him of all his senses.
Twenty-nine
Amaury found himself cradling Nina in his arms, her back tucked into his chest, her derrière fitting perfectly into his loins. Had he fallen asleep after their lovemaking? Well, he was awake now, and so was his cock which for some reason was slowly sliding back and forth along her pussy. The moisture oozing from her soft petals coated his shaft. Was that what had woken him?
Damn, but he was randy. Could he not even keep away from her in his sleep? He brushed a lock of hair out of her face and trailed his fingers over her neck. His bite marks weren’t visible anymore, but her blood was coursing through his veins and his through hers.
He would never take blood from anybody else again. Nina would be his only source for life now. Vampires blood-bonded to humans—rather than to other vampires—rejected all other blood. Only the blood of their mates could sustain them as long as they were bonded. It ensured absolute fidelity, trust, and devotion for the blood-bonded couple. Not that Amaury thought he would ever want to touch another woman but Nina, not even without the blood-bond.
His sleeping beauty had no idea what power it gave her over him. He would explain it to her once they’d settled into their new life together.
He smoothed his palm over her shoulder and kissed her pale skin.
Nina stirred. With long, slow strokes he moved his hips back and forth, sliding languidly along her warm entrance.
“Are you trying to take advantage of me while I’m asleep?” her sleepy voice asked.
“Would you like me to?”
Instead of an answer, Nina lifted her leg slightly and with her hand guided his erection into her. Her sheath was drenched with her juices and his seed. He’d never known a more welcoming feel.
“I took you hard earlier. Aren’t you sore?” He slowly moved in and out, letting her body’s rhythm guide his movements.
“And your point is?”
His answer was prevented by a loud bang at the door. Then a familiar voice. “Amaury!”
Amaury cursed under his breath. Nina turned her head, an anxious look on her face. “Who is that?” she whispered.
“I know you’re in there.”
“Hold your horses, Thomas.” He gave Nina a reassuring look. “It’s nothing to worry about. He’s a good friend.” Amaury kissed her. “We should get dressed.” His friend better had a good reason for showing up at Nina’s place. For sure, his timing sucked.
Minutes later, Amaury let an impatient-looking Thomas into the apartment. Thomas nodded curtly at Nina then addressed Amaury.
“You didn’t answer your cell.”
Amaury remembered having set the ringer to silent because he didn’t want to be disturbed. “How did you find me?”
“Let’s just say I had a hunch of where you’d be when I didn’t find you at home.” His gaze went to Nina. “Excuse me, I haven’t introduced myself. I’m Thomas.”
He stretched his hand out to shake Nina’s. Amaury’s stomach twisted when he saw his friend touch her, despite the touch being innocent. Was this how he would feel from now on when another male came close to her? Damn, was he in for a rollercoaster ride.
“Nice to meet you, Thomas. I’m Nina.”
He recognized how Thomas inhaled sharply then pinned him with a surprised look. Before his friend could comment on what he’d observed, Amaury continued the conversation.
“Why were you looking for me?”
Thomas’ gaze drifted around the room, clearly examining the messy bed. “It’s not I who’s looking for you. I’m here on Samson’s orders. We have a lead on Luther.”
“What’s the plan?”
“We’re going in.” Thomas looked at his watch. “Let’s move. It’s already taken me over an hour to find you. Everybody is assembling at Samson’s.”
Amaury looked at his mate. “Nina, get your jacket. You’re coming with me.”
Thomas raised an eyebrow. “I don’t think that’s wise.”
“I’m not leaving her unprotected.”
“Amaury, I can stay here if your friend doesn’t—”
He cut her off. “No, you’re coming with me.” He gave Thomas a warning look. There’d be no way in hell he’d leave her alone while Luther was out there. If Thomas could smell that he’d bonded with her, so could Luther. He’d just put her in more danger than she was ever in before. By making her his, Amaury had given his enemy another front on which to attack.
Nina turned to the closet next to the bathroom.
Thomas took a step toward Amaury. “You blood-bonded with her?” He kept his voice low so Nina couldn’t overhear their discussion.
“Yes. And it’s none of your business.”
“Have you gone completely crazy?”
“I said it’s none of your business.”
“What’s none of his business?” Nina’s voice came from behind him.
Amaury spun around. He wouldn’t communicate Thomas’ disapproval of their union to her and taint their happiness tonight. “Nothing, chérie. You ready?”
He took her hand and made for the door. “You coming, Thomas?”
A low grumble came from Thomas as he followed them out the door. Amaury imagined what his friend was thinking, but couldn’t sense his emotions. No wonder: after the amazing sex he’d had with Nina, he wouldn’t be able to sense anybody’s emotions for maybe as long as an hour. His head felt great, and not even Thomas’ annoyance could change that.
“I’m here with my Ducati,” Thomas announced when they stepped outside.
“I have the car here. We’ll follow you.” At least he would get a few more minutes alone with Nina.
As soon as they sat in his Porsche and d
rove off, Amaury turned to Nina. “I’ll have to leave you at Samson’s house so you’ll be protected.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. I don’t need protection.”
He sensed her resistance.
“You won’t win this battle, so you might as well throw in the towel now. You’re my woman, and Luther will not hesitate to use that fact against me.”
“Your woman? My, where do you get those expressions from? This is the twenty-first century, if you haven’t noticed yet. I’m my own woman.”
Amaury put his hand on hers and squeezed it. Nina couldn’t accept that he was there to protect her? He had to have chosen the most fiercely independent woman as his mate, hadn’t he? “Chérie, you are mine as much as I’m yours. Get used to it.”
Amaury pulled her hand to his mouth and kissed it. He felt himself get hard in response and shifted in his seat to accommodate his swelling cock.
“Do you always have to get your way?”
He gave her a serious look. “Not necessarily. But you have to understand one thing: you’re mine to protect, and nobody will prevent me from doing so—not even you.”
He brought the car to a stop outside of Samson’s Victorian home. Thomas was already parking his motorcycle.
Before Nina could open the door, he pulled her into his arms. “Promise me, you’ll stay at Samson’s until I’m back.”
Her eyes looked at him, searching, questioning, as if she wanted to protest, but then she simply said, “Fine.”
He took her lips and kissed her fiercely. Despite her initial resistance, Nina yielded to him and parted her lips. Amaury moaned and dove into her, possessing her mouth, sparring with her tongue, tasting her sweetness. Did he deserve such luck to have a woman like her?
A knock at the window pulled him out of his bliss. Thomas was getting impatient.
And it turned out he wasn’t the only one who was impatient. The moment they entered Samson’s house, he and Thomas were commanded to the office.
Samson expected them together with the rest of the gang: the four New York vampires and Ricky. Without giving Amaury as much as a glance, Samson pointed at a blueprint.
“This is the warehouse where we believe Luther is operating from. We think he has at least four or five men with him. Zane and Yvette will take the back entrance, Gabriel and Quinn will come in from the roof, I’ll be with Thomas going in the front. Amaury and Ricky, you take the side.”
“Weapons?” Gabriel asked.
“Stakes and semiautomatic guns with silver bullets. Ricky, get them out from the arsenal below when we’re done here,” Samson ordered and threw him a set of keys.
“I want to take him alive, but if your lives are in danger, you know what to do. His men are all new vampires; they are most likely inexperienced. We can use this against them.”
Finally he looked at Amaury. “Where’s Nina?”
Amaury didn’t like the way the question sounded. “In the living room with Delilah.”
“You brought her here?” Samson seemed outraged.
Amaury squared his chest. “She needs to be protected.”
“We can’t trust her. We have reason to believe her brother Edmund isn’t dead, but was turned into a vampire by Luther. We think he’s working for him.”
Amaury felt his throat constrict. “Are you sure?”
“Ninety-nine percent,” Gabriel answered in Samson’s stead.
“She’s most likely a mole and has been handing information to Luther all along,” Samson went on.
Amaury shook his head. No. This wasn’t possible. Nina wouldn’t do that. She was his mate. He would sense if she was betraying him.
Thomas cleared his throat. “Are you gonna tell them, or should I?”
He looked at his gay friend and swallowed hard, before he met his boss’ and best friend’s inquisitive stare. “I’m blood-bonded to Nina. And as such I will defend her with my life, no matter whose side she’s on.”
Amaury barely heard the collective gasps and mumbled comments of his colleagues as he looked at Samson’s reaction. His friend closed his eyes briefly, then looked back at him.
“Amaury, how? What happened?”
Amaury shrugged his shoulders, not being able to explain it himself. All he knew was Nina was his, and she would remain his. If she was indeed helping Luther’s side, he would do everything to turn her away from him. And if his own friends wanted to harm her, he’d take her away from here and live in exile with her. As long as he was with her nothing else mattered.
“She’s mine, Samson. You of all people should know what it feels like. It was the only thing I could do.”
Samson nodded slowly. “You know what this means, don’t you?”
“I’m prepared for the consequences. If she’s guilty, all I ask is that you give us a day’s head start. I’ll sign my interest in the company over to you.”
Samson’s mouth dropped open. “You would leave us for her?”
Amaury had never been so sure of anything else in his life. He would exchange two-hundred years of friendship for eternity with Nina in a heartbeat.
“She’s mine to protect. There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for her.” Amaury widened his stance, ready to prove he wasn’t bluffing.
“She’s played you,” Gabriel accused him. “You of all people. Didn’t I warn you this could only end badly? But you didn’t want to listen, did you? How did she get you to do it? Is she really that good in bed that you’d give her such power over you? Are you that far gone?”
Livid with rage, Amaury lifted his arm and swung—but didn’t connect with Gabriel’s face. Instead, he found himself being restrained by Samson. Amaury twisted out of his grip and faced him.
“When I’m done with Gabriel, I’ll deal with you!” Yes, he’d given Nina power over him, but he trusted her with his life—she wouldn’t betray him. “Nobody gets away with insulting my mate.”
A nod of Samson’s head and Zane and Quinn took hold of Amaury, their grip viselike. No matter how furiously he tried to shake them off, they held him fast.
Then Samson shoved a pointed finger at his chest. “You, my friend, listen to me now. We’re going to take out Luther, and you can either be with us or against us. Nina will remain here—Carl will watch her. If she does anything suspicious, Carl will restrain her. And there’s not a thing you can do about it. Delilah will talk to Nina.”
Samson’s wife was a former auditor and as such had an uncanny way of finding out information. “We’ll see what she can find out. If it turns out she’s innocent, you’ll get my sincerest apologies, but in the meantime, my word is law. So, what’s it gonna be?”
Amaury pulled against Quinn and Zane, but the two didn’t give an inch. With defiance he glared at Samson. “I’m with you, but if anybody harms her, God help him, because I’ll hunt him down and tear his heart out.”
Samson nodded. A moment later the two New York vampires released him.
Samson’s basement was a veritable arsenal of weapons. The need to survive two centuries of wars had made it necessary to be prepared for everything.
Amaury took his weapons—several stakes and a semi-automatic with silver bullets—and familiarized himself with the blueprint of the building. Everybody did the same. Nervous energy rippled through the room. Again, Samson made sure each member of the team knew their position.
After they synchronized their watches, they stalked upstairs.
Amaury watched how Samson pulled Delilah into the kitchen for a private talk. Nina stood in the hallway. He saw her look at the vampires as they congregated there. Nobody said a word, yet they eyed her suspiciously. Amaury took her aside and stepped into the living room with her.
“We’re going to smoke out Luther.” Did she know this already? He searched her eyes, but found nothing suspicious, only concern. For him?
“Take me with you.”
“No. It’s too dangerous. You’re safer here.” If she was truly on Luther’s side, she would interfere and give their positio
ns away. And in the melee? She could get hurt.
Amaury sensed her apprehension and wrapped her into his embrace. Not wanting to be overheard by his colleagues, he whispered into her ear, “Chérie, please stay here. If anything happened to you, it would kill me.”
Nina lifted her lashes and looked up at him. “You come back in one piece, okay?”
“I promise.”
She attempted a smile, but it was miserable at best, as if she knew of the danger ahead. “Can I take that to the bank?”
He chuckled, trying to put her at ease. “Like cashier’s check—it’s guaranteed.” He took her lips and kissed her passionately. Her arms tightened around him, and her lips responded with the same passion as earlier in the night. No, his Nina was no traitor. She couldn’t be. This kiss felt true, not like a lie.
With his mind, Amaury reached out to her, but before he connected with Nina’s mind, Gabriel’s voice came from the hallway. “Ready everybody?”
Amaury pulled himself out of Nina’s arms. It was time to fight.
Thirty
“I’m hungry. How about you?”
Nina turned to Delilah who stood at the door to the kitchen. “How can you eat now?”
The house was eerily quiet now that all vampires but the butler were gone.
“I can always eat. And right now I eat for two. How about I cook us something? Come, join me.” She waved her into the kitchen, and Nina followed.
“You don’t look fat. I can’t believe you’re eating for two.” She didn’t mean to insult her, but Samson’s wife truly looked perfectly proportioned.
Delilah laughed. “I’m pregnant. Juice, water?” She pointed at the bottles in the fridge.
“Water is fine.” Nina took a seat at the counter. “I was wondering whether you were human or not, but I guess that clears it up. I’m assuming vampires can’t get pregnant.”
“Amaury didn’t tell you? Men, they often forget the most obvious things.”
She and Amaury hadn’t exactly had an awful lot of time to talk. They’d barely discussed their own relationship, if it could even be called a relationship.