Casey sat, relishing what little comfort the canvas gave to her tired body. An odor wafted up from the material. Musty and mildewed, her makeshift perch could use a good washing but this was the first time that she had not sat on cold, solid rock since she had awakened in this horrid place. Casey let herself relax for a moment, grateful for even this small luxury.
Dirk raked his hands through his hair and sighed.
Casey looked up at him. He looked bedraggled and pale. “Dirk?”
“Hmm?” He looked down at her, his eyes far away as if his mind was somewhere else.
“Why the candle?” she asked, pointing at it. It was burned down to about two inches. It wouldn't last much longer. Then, they would be embraced by the dark.
“What do you mean?” Dirk asked, frowning.
“Can't you see in the dark?”
Dirk shook his head.
“Strange,” Casey said. “The others can. Connor only uses the candles because he likes the color of the flame and the way that the light flickers. I thought all vampires could see in the dark.”
“I'm not a vampire,” Dirk said, his voice firm.
Casey let out a laugh. “Yeah. Tell me another one. After you wipe the rest of the blood from the corner of your mouth.”
Dirk's hand flew to his mouth, viciously scrubbing the specks of blood away. Eyes flashing, he glared at her. “I am not a vampire.”
Casey watched him for a moment, gauging just how far she could push it. Did it really matter? She was a genealogist, stuck in a coal mine with five vampires. She knew how to track the dead, but she never thought that she would be trying to fend them off from sucking her blood dry. Casey let out a snort, the irony tickling her funny bone. “Could'a fooled me, Bucko.” She leaned back, propping her head on one hand. And waited to see what Dirk would do.
Dirk stood stock still, his breath heavy. Trying to control himself. Then, he turned his back to her.
Casey frowned. She had figured that he would jump her or something. Rant and rave. Try to convince her that he wasn't a monster. She sat up slowly, watching him.
* * * *
Dirk had to turn away from her. He was in trouble here and he knew it. Already he could feel the vampire DNA moving through his system. Changing him. Enhancing the genetic makeup that was already laced with vampire essence that had been passed down from his vampire hunter ancestors. He was becoming … one of them.
Dirk knew that he was going to have to find some way to get back to where his car was parked. He'd left all of his supplies there, including his cell phone. He needed backup. He needed to contact the Unkindness.
Anger surged up in him anew. Never before had he had to ask for help. Never had he felt this off balance.
And it was because of Casey and her luscious brown eyes. Dirk fisted his hands, angry that for the first time in his life he didn't feel in complete control. This woman had shaken him to the core. And he had to get her out of this. Get them both out. Without one or both of them being turned.
Dirk knew what John would order the others to do if that happened. Maybe John would try to save Dirk, try to transfuse him back to human. But Casey was another story. John would more than likely order the others to destroy her along with the Clutch. Dirk couldn't let that happen. He turned back to face her.
The way she lay there, those big brown eyes looking up at him, questioning. If only he could tell her who he was, what he really was. He could see that he was going to have to prove to Casey that he wasn't a vampire.
Too bad she had already made up her mind.
Chapter Five
Connor Fagan shook his head in aggravation. These two twins were going to be the death of him.
Connor laughed out loud at that thought. As if he would ever perish. Connor would always walk the face of the earth. No one could attempt to threaten him.
But the twins, Bonnie Lou and Bobby Sue, seemed intent on wearing him out. Sexually. They couldn't get enough. Even though Connor could experience pleasure with any female, it was Casey that he craved. Connor disengaged himself from the tangle of arms and limbs and rose from the floor of his alcove. The sun was rising. He could feel it, even under this solid blanket of rock. Time for the twins to leave him. Connor had no qualms about letting the two sate his sexual appetites but sleeping with them was another matter.
He looked down on the two crimson haired beauties. Young vampires that they were, the coming dawn had already lulled them to sleep. He nudged them with his foot.
“Mmm,” Bonnie Lou groaned, turning away.
“Get up,” Connor said, nudging her again. “Go to your own chamber.”
Bobby Sue blinked, then rose from the floor like a trained pup. She grasped Bonnie Lou's hand and pulled her up. Without a backward glance, they stumbled from Connor's alcove, leaving him to the dark.
Connor shook himself, stretching his muscles. They had been rough on him this time, both of them clawing for his attention. He welcomed it though. Anything to get his mind off of Casey and her tryst with the Fledgling.
Connor went to his bed of stone and lay down. The cold seeped into his back but he was used to being cold. He was dead, after all. Had been for almost as long as he could remember. He rested his head and tucked his arms beneath it, looking up at the blackened ceiling of rock above him. He would be warmed soon. Warmed by the blood of Ravens. Connor grinned as he formed his plan.
The Fledgling Dirk was most definitely of the Raven line. And Dirk was attracted to Casey. As long as Connor could keep his hold on Casey, Dirk would stay. And if Dirk stayed, it stood to reason that more Ravens would follow.
Connor let out another laugh, this one deep and evil.
Before long, he would sate his thirst with Ravens, then quench his inhuman desire with Casey Delaney.
* * * *
Casey lay on her bed of moldy canvas and met Dirk's gaze with a steady one of her own. His eyes swirled with unease and questions. She could feel a war raging within him. A war not unlike the one brewing inside herself.
Trust me. You must trust me, a voice inside her head whispered. Dirk's voice. Shaky but sincere. He took a step toward her then hesitated. Casey searched his face, looking for any indication that he would harm her. She saw none. All she could read was the fact that he needed comfort.
Casey shakily took a breath, her heart melting. Such a strong-willed man looking so unsettled tipped the scales in favor of her feeling of connection to him, winning out over her fear.
She raised a hand to him.
Dirk came to her without hesitation. He lay down beside her, his face set in a serious expression. “I'm not what you think I am,” he said.
Casey turned her body so that she faced him, her breasts lightly touching his chest. Immediately, her nipples peaked, his nearness like turning on a light switch in her body. “I don't know what you are but I can't seem to stay away from you,” she said.
“Then don't,” he replied.
“Are you my savior?” she asked, running one finger along the line of his jaw.
“Yes.”
Casey felt contentment swell within her. Vampire or not, she had to be with this man. For tonight. For tomorrow. For eternity. “If you are a vampire,” she whispered, “then make me yours. Make it so that we can be together forever.”
“No.”
“Then I'll just have to convince you that you can't live without me,” Casey said. She eased herself up off of the makeshift pallet and stood over him.
With trembling hands, Casey began to unbutton her blouse. Her eyes not leaving his, she worked her way down the buttons, then slid the blouse from her shoulders. She let it drop to the floor. Next, her jeans. Slowly she stripped, taking her time, the heat in Dirk's eyes keeping the chill of the mine at bay.
“You don't have to do this,” he said, his words in contradiction with his obvious desire.
Casey smiled softly, unfastening her bra and letting it fall away.
Then she wore nothing.
Casey
had never stood naked in front of a man before but right now, she felt no embarrassment. No shame. What she did feel was a burning ache inside, yearning for his hands, his mouth to explore her body like no other had.
She lowered herself to where he lay, kneeling beside him.
Dirk reached up and tangled one hand in her hair, pulling her mouth to his.
Casey drew in a breath and held it, her lips moving over his, tasting the vestiges of his blood drinking on his mouth. It excited her, made her thirst for something that her mind couldn't put into words but her body craved. Dirk's tongue pressed at her lips. She opened to him, allowing him access.
Casey's hands moved of their own volition, working the buttons of his shirt open then straying to the waistband of his jeans. When her hand brushed the bulge of his erection as she slowly unzipped his jeans, he caught his breath.
Casey smiled against his mouth, then ran her tongue inside its depth and stroked his teeth. She jerked, feeling the sharp point of one of his fangs, then delved deeper, carefully running her tongue over the dangerous point.
Dirk shifted his hips, pushing his swollen member against the palm of her hand.
“Help me,” Casey said, tugging at his open jeans.
Dirk gently moved her aside and within seconds, his clothes were flung across the space.
Casey sat back on her knees and let her eyes feast on his bare skin.
Dirk's chest was wide, tapering down to a muscled stomach. Just below his navel, a line of dark hair began, spreading in a thick triangle down to hug his solid member.
His legs were well muscled. Even in the dim light, Casey could see the definition in his thighs and calves. He was mouthwateringly gorgeous. As he neared her, Casey's heart stuttered. Dirk stopped directly in front of her where she knelt.
Her eyes locked onto his erection, the head of his cock engorged and slightly purple. For a moment, she felt hesitant. She'd never had the chance to explore a man's body before. She ached to do it now. Reaching one hand up, she grasped his hard thickness, feeling the pulse of blood through the tightened skin. Her fingers were barely able to grasp his girth.
A vibration began inside her, thinking about how it would feel with Dirk's hot length filling her as he did away with her virginity.
“Casey … I…” he said, his voice thick and rough.
Casey looked up. His eyes were smoldering and dark. Dirk took a deep breath and stroked her hair with one hand. Without breaking eye contact, Casey leaned forward.
* * * *
At the first flick of Casey's wet tongue across the head of his dick, Dirk thought he would explode. She was tentative at first, her tongue barely brushing his sensitized member.
But it didn't take her long to lose her hesitation. Her eyes locked onto his, Dirk gasped when she slowly closed her luscious lips around him. One hand stroking her hair, the feel of silk tickling his palm, Dirk fisted his other hand fighting for control. Her mouth was a furnace … hot, wet and oh-so-welcoming.
Casey's eyes crinkled at the corners, betraying her smile that her lips couldn't form at the moment. She inched him into her mouth, using her tongue in amazing ways. It spiraled around his cock, stroked the underside. Drove him crazy with the urge to grasp her head and drive himself into her throat. Her hand, looking very small, began to caress the length of him that she couldn't fit into her mouth.
Dirk's leg muscles started to twitch. Casey broke eye contact and got down to work. She matched the stroke of her hand to the pull of her mouth, milking him until he thought he would break his jaw from gritting his teeth as he tried to hold onto what little control he had. Dirk was sure that she had never done this before. He had read it in her mind. But now that she had begun, Casey was purely enjoying herself. She was one sexy woman, sliding his cock in and out of her mouth, sucking hard every time she pulled it out to the edge of her lips. Then she would dive on him again, burying him to the back of her throat.
Dirk reared back his head, jutting his hips toward her hungry mouth. Closing his eyes, his breath hissed through his teeth. The pressure was building. Dirk clenched his fingers in her hair, the movement of her head as she dove and pulled back, dove and pulled back, enhancing the racing lust that clouded his mind. His balls ached, begging for the explosion that he knew was not far off.
Casey hummed in her throat, sending vibrations up his shaft all the way to the root.
“God damn,” Dirk hissed. He couldn't take it. The hand that was clenched at his side joined the one in her hair as he thrust forward into the wetness of her mouth. He felt her stiffen, his cock bumping the back of her throat. But he couldn't stop. He felt like a runaway freight train, on the edge of a collision. Dirk felt the pulse of his release moving up his hot, throbbing member. He groaned deep in his throat, his head dropping forward, his hands pulling her toward him. Her hands moved to his butt, fingernails digging in. Adding pain to pleasure. With one final thrust, Dirk's seed burst into her mouth. He yelled, the scream primal, echoing in the chamber. She took him in—his full length—swallowing fiercely as if starving for his cum. A rush of ecstasy moved through him as he spent the last of his orgasm into her mouth. Dirk shuddered, sighing, his body drenched with sweat even in the chill of the mine.
Tenderly, Dirk moved her away from him. She let out a tiny whine, her tongue giving the head of him one last pet. Dirk looked down at her. He took a deep breath. She was the most seductive woman he had ever seen. Even though he had just finished blowing the most explosive orgasm he had ever had into her luscious mouth, he felt his dick give a twitch as he looked down into her flushed face.
Casey's eyes were dreamy with a look of pure satisfaction. Her pale cheeks were flushed a lovely rose color, her lips swollen and reddened from devouring him. She ran her tongue over her lips, licking a drop of his cum from the corner of her mouth. Then she smiled. “Mmm,” she purred, “I had no idea that it could taste so good.”
Dirk bent, taking her arms in his hands, urging her to stand.
She unfolded from the floor and pressed against him, her arms automatically circling his neck. Her body was heated, molding to his.
“Damn, woman,” Dirk said, “I thought you were going to eat me.”
Casey grinned. “Isn't that what I just did?”
Dirk laughed then planted a kiss on her delicious lips.
When they came up for air, Casey placed her palm on his cheek. “Make love to me now.”
Dirk glanced at the pile of canvas behind her. This was not the type of place in which she should bestow the gift of her virginity upon him. This was not the time. It hadn't been the right time when he had gone down on her and tasted her sweet juices. It hadn't been the right time when she had almost swallowed him whole. It wasn't the right time, period.
Plus, when she was this close, Dirk was having trouble not giving in to his raw hunger for her blood. If he lost control, if he drank from her again, they would both be lost.
Dirk wanted to spend his life with her but not as a monster.
With a shaky will that teetered on collapse, he moved away from her. Disentangling himself from her arms, he scooped his jeans out of the corner and stepped into them.
“Dirk? Did I do something wrong?” she asked, her voice sounding hurt.
“No,” he said turning to face her. He zipped his jeans. “You were … amazing. But this isn't the place.” He walked to stand in front of her, grasping her chin and tilting her head to look up at him. Dirk's heart clenched when her eyes began to shine, threatening tears. “Don't.” He pulled her to him, encasing her in his arms. “Don't cry. Casey, I want you more than anything. Damn, I mean that.” He grasped her arms and leaned back. “I shouldn't have seduced you earlier but I had to taste you. I shouldn't have allowed you to taste me. It was wonderful, both times, but I wish the circumstances could have been … different. You are the most beautiful, sexy woman that I have ever seen. I don't want to screw this up. Can you understand that?” Her eyes were wide and searching. Dirk held his breath, wa
iting for her answer.
Finally, she nodded. “Alright,” she said. “But are you sure that I…”
“Casey, you were perfect.” Dirk took her by the hand and led her back to the canvas pile. “Why don't you put your clothes back on? It's cold in here. And we need to get some rest.”
Casey smiled shakily and began to dress.
Dirk watched her, firming his resolve to get them both out of this mess and back into the light.
And destroy Connor Fagan in the bargain.
When they were both dressed, Dirk cuddled Casey close to him and stroked her long, dark hair. Thoughts raced through his head. Hatred of Connor, fueling his need for vengeance. Softness of his heart for Casey, wishing that they were already out of this predicament so that he could love her as she should be loved. Worry that the growing increase of vampire DNA in his blood threatened to provoke him to do something that would put his soul and his purpose in danger. Dirk ran his tongue over his fake fangs and wondered if the hunger would strike him. He already felt its edgy claws digging into his body. How long would it be before his mind would also be taken over by inhuman cravings?
With a sigh, Dirk realized that Casey had fallen asleep. Her breathing was shallow and regular, her face smooth with the sleep of the exhausted.
The candle sputtered then flared for an instant before going out. Dirk was left to his thoughts in the darkness, the tinkling drips of water an uneasy music to soothe his mind as it began to drift into a light sleep. The day was breaking and Dirk had much work to do when the night fell again.
* * * *
Connor's mind stayed alert, even though his body was frozen with the sun's hypnotic presence above the rock ceiling that he lay under.
Thousands of memories assaulted him but the one that stood out was how fulfilling it had been when he had drained Roth Raven of his lifeblood. He ached to do it all over again but that wasn't possible. You could only drain a body once. Then it was nothing but a tattered shell. Pity.
But there were more Ravens. One right here in this mine with him. How many others there were, Connor had yet to find out. But he would. And he would savor every last one of them.
Dirk The Savior - Book 3 of the Raven Series Page 6