With frantic movements, Ariana tried to tug the zipper of his jeans now, but he batted her hands away and took care of it himself.
Ariana murmured her approval and closed her fingers around his length. “You feel like silk,” she whispered in a dreamy voice.
His hand captured her wrist. “You can’t do that. I want to be inside you.” Wrapping her legs around his waist, he plunged into her then held himself perfectly still.
“I still remember this,” he whispered against her hair. He knew he wouldn’t last long once he started thrusting into her, no matter how much he wanted to extend the few minutes he had with her.
“Move with me, Joaquin. Let me feel you,” she commanded, her nails scoring his shoulders. Her hips began to move, impatient for his participation. “Now, Joaquin.”
He didn’t have a choice. His body took over, demanding the release. His hips began to pump, and he thrust in and out of her while Ariana screamed his name and writhed against him.
His vision greyed, his body tightening in anticipation of the impending release. Ariana tipped her head back, and the golden expanse of her throat and the pleasurable little sounds she made proved to be his undoing. He sank his teeth deep. Her spicy blood spurted over his tongue, and his climax broke free almost immediately, his body thrusting one last time as his cries mingled with hers.
He bumped his forehead against hers. “I’ve missed this.”
She touched her hand to her neck. “Well, that was a definite first.”
As realization dawned, Joaquin withdrew, the taste of her blood still clinging to his lips. “Ariana, I...” He broke off, his gaze riveted to her face.
Her hand went to the wound, her fingers covering the tiny pinpricks. “Don’t look so shocked. It didn’t hurt,” she whispered. “Actually, it felt kind of erotic.”
He blinked at her. “What?”
“When you took my blood, it didn’t hurt.”
Joaquin’s hands clenched into fists. How could she not know? Was it possible for Charon to have kept her in the dark for the past months? If so, the sorcery he’d suspected was stronger than he’d imagined.
* * * *
He dressed too quietly, and Ariana’s insides quivered. She couldn’t imagine what was going on his mind, but in hers, questions catapulted over questions. Not only had her inability to kill Joaquin surfaced, but her desire to do so had faded. And that had her asking why.
She straightened her clothes before asking, “So what’s next? You try to kill me since it’s obvious I can’t make the kill?” When he didn’t respond, nerves gnawed at her stomach. “Isn’t that what you came here for? Has one bout of really good sex changed your mind? I didn’t think vampires were so choosy about where their next meal came from.” She began to pace. She always paced when she was confused.
“I had not intended to eat you, Ariana, but if you’re offering, I won’t turn you down.”
Heat slammed into her. Had he any idea how erotic his words were? She looked up to see his face and noticed the grimness fading. Apparently so.
He had enough sex appeal for ten men. Did he know about his power over women? How enticing he could make ordinary words sound or the way the touch of his palm felt like soft silk? Swallowing hard, she shifted her stance, willing her nipples to soften, but instead, they only grew harder, punching against her shirt.
“Ariana?” He waved his hand in front of her face, making her realize she was staring into space.
The blood rushed to her face. “You know I was talking about food. Not about sex.”
“You’re embarrassed.” The smug grin he wore helped lower her temperature.
“I’ve never been embarrassed at what we’ve done between the sheets. I was just as involved as you were. Don’t try to play games with me. It won’t work.”
“Oh, I can assure you I’m quite serious.” His voice, smooth as baby oil, poured over her, both enticing and detrimental.
Her cheeks heated to an unbearable level, and she cooled them with her palms. “Were you not just listening to me when I said that was the final time? I answered your invitation to end this part of my life not to continue our affair.”
He chuckled. “I wouldn’t really call it an affair. It was more like an explosion. Every night we were together was like the first…even the last.”
Joaquin was almost as good with words as he was in the bed. And he knew it.
“Joaquin, don’t.”
“Don’t you remember that night, Arianna?”
How could I forget the last night we spent together? They’d been swept up in the moment, a night rife with moist heat and rising passion. He’d taken her in a fury of thrusts, claiming her as his own, promising her they’d be together forever. And she’d believed him, taking him at his word, only to discover the depth of his deception.
“Have your memories stolen your voice?”
She had to get away from him. Just to stare into the depths of his eyes unleashed a primitive feeling inside, a power she didn’t think she could control much longer. She took a step back, almost stumbling over an exposed tree root. Her jeans were still unzipped, and she quickly fixed the problem, feeling Joaquin’s eyes on her nether regions.
His hand snaked out and captured her wrist. “Such a shame to cover up now,” he whispered, turning her hand over in his palm. “You have such beautiful skin.”
Mesmerised, Ariana couldn’t pull her hand free as he brought her arm to his lips and gently licked the exposed area just below the wristband of her watch. An erotic pull enveloped her body. Would she ever be free of his spell?
“Let me go.” The words sounded broken even to her ears.
Joaquin lifted his eyes and met her gaze. “Perhaps we should continue our conversation elsewhere.”
No! She couldn’t go anywhere with him. They’d come together in a frenzied mating in the middle of an alley which was open to a very busy street. She didn’t have to imagine what they could do alone. “If you don’t intend to try to kill me, and I can’t kill you, we have nothing to discuss.”
One eyebrow lifted in a sexy, challenging manner. “No? You know as well as I do that you should have felt the pain of my branding. Aren’t you just the least bit curious as to why you didn’t?”
She stared at him as her fingertips rubbed the spot his teeth had marked. “No. My body heals very quickly, and no doubt, I was simply caught up in the sexual experience.”
“Do you really believe that’s all there was to it?”
“What difference does it make? We hate each other.” Desperation clogged her throat. “You do hate me, right?”
He inclined his head shortly. “Yes, I would imagine I did at one point.”
“You did? What do you mean you did? Surely you’re not saying you don’t hate me now? That’s impossible.” Hearing the words, she knew she was really as hysterical as she sounded. “What could possibly have changed your mind?”
She barely blinked and he’d returned to stand before her, powerful and sexy, his eyes haunted. “Now I find myself wanting to kiss you again and again, just to savour the taste of your lips.”
Ariana couldn’t think of one reason to deny him. She made the first move by standing on tiptoe. Easing into him, she allowed her lips to barely caress his. A taunt more than a kiss. Were a vampire’s lips supposed to be this soft? She’d always wondered that about him.
Joaquin cursed softly and snatched her closer to his body. “I am not supposed to want you. Yet, whenever I’m with you, I only want more. Each night we’ve spent apart damned me to a miserable existence.”
Common sense slipped away, and the creature in her arms segued into a living, breathing man with every intention of taking her again. And she had every intention of allowing it. Damn the consequences. “Kiss me again, Joaquin.”
“Did I kiss you?” His voice rumbled next to her ear. “I thought it was you who had kissed me.”
Ariana didn’t waste time arguing. She simply hooked her fingers behind his head
and dragged his lips down to meet hers. Only he could make her feel so alive. He invaded her senses, her mind, her soul. And she wanted him to stay.
He lifted her hands and secured them against the bricks, his mouth leaving damp impressions against her neck. Ariana gasped and arched her spine. When his teeth went deep again, she cried out from the sheer pleasure before pushing back against him.
She took the upper hand, her strength matching his as she shoved him against the far side of the opposite building. He ripped at her clothes in a wave of frustration, but the burning feel of his skin intoxicated her too much to help.
Their scents combined, a heady reminder they’d shared so much more than words this night. Her ears picked up the sound of rushing blood, and it pulled her closer, drawing her head to his neck.
How could she have missed this before? The steady thrum of warm blood flowing beneath his skin. The veins on the side of his throat pulsed, and she rose up on tiptoe to lick the skin.
Joaquin groaned and cupped her head with obvious encouragement. Following her instincts blindly, Ariana kissed a warm patch of skin before sinking her teeth deep. His blood spurted over her tongue, and she moaned at the intoxicating rush. She’d never tasted anything so divine.
Riding a wave of the purest sensation, Ariana clawed at his shirt as she drank. Her body took on a will of its own, sucking and sucking until Joaquin’s hands clamped onto her shoulders and forcibly broke her away.
She stumbled backwards, horror causing her insides to tighten. What had she just done? Her hands fumbled against her lips. She could still taste his blood on her tongue, and her knees went weak.
Joaquin reached out for her, took her in his arms. She pushed against his chest to put some space between their bodies, but his arms held fast. “Joaquin, please.”
He fixed those dark, sexy eyes on her face. “What’s going on in that mind of yours, Ariana? Talk to me.”
She placed a finger against his lip, an action which only caused him to growl in the back of his throat. Instantly, she removed it. “Don’t. I don’t know what just happened. It must have been the moment. I never should have allowed any of this. I have to go.”
His fingers edged up her spine. “No, you don’t. You can’t walk away from this, Ariana. It’s time to face up to what you are, what we are when we’re together.”
“What I am? I’m a hunter who is supposed to kill your kind.”
“Is that why you enjoyed my blood so much? Think about it, Ariana. When was the last time you drank a vampire’s blood?”
“No! Stop!” She fought so hard he finally let her go. “This wasn’t supposed to happen. Don’t you get that? And I don’t understand why I wanted to taste you, why I couldn’t quell the urge.”
“Because of what you are.” His voice hardened.
“You keep saying that, like you know more about me than I do.” She held up one hand. “We just need to—”
She didn’t get the opportunity to finish before a scream and a flash of light rent the night air.
Chapter Seven
Joaquin’s instincts kicked in. He shoved Ariana behind him and took a fighting stance. All the muscles in his body tensed, and he focused every ounce of his attention on their visitor.
The brightness faded, giving way to black silk and flowing hair the colour of polished copper. Eyes like twin diamonds blinked at him from beneath heavily accentuated lashes, and a voice as black as sin reached out to him.
“Joaquin Shepherd. You’re looking incredibly well for a dead man.”
Ariana tried to see over his shoulder, but Joaquin effectively blocked every move she made.
It took Joaquin a moment to recognize her. Over ten years had passed since the last time he saw Charon, and she hadn’t looked like this. Whatever sorcery she had her hand in worked too well. She looked downright dangerous which put him on edge even more. “Coming to check up on your protégé, Charon? Don’t worry. She’s still in one piece.”
“I’m not her protégé.” Ariana pushed forward, coming to stand by Joaquin’s side. “Charon, what are you doing here?”
The sorceress shook free of the black cloak and allowed it to slide to the ground to pool at her feet. Wearing a white sheath that clung to her every curve, she sailed forward. “It’s so nice to see you too, my sweet.” The neckline of the dress dipped low, revealing full breasts, a feast for any man’s eyes. But Joaquin knew the evil that lay beneath the dress.
That she’d gotten to Ariana before he could stop her still twisted his insides. But for her, Ariana would still be living a normal life. Instead, Charon had convinced her vampires needed to be eliminated, that she would, no doubt, perform a service for her fellow man. What Ariana didn’t know, couldn’t know, was that Charon’s help always exacted a price.
“I came immediately when I sensed your agitation.” Charon moved forward quickly, and Joaquin shot backwards, putting enough distance between him and her to make it a fair fight.
“Did you know I was with Joaquin?” Ariana’s eyes narrowed.
Charon’s lips pursed. “You’ve never questioned me before.” Her eyes flashed in the darkness, and Joaquin sensed a tension in the sorceress’s muscles, as if preparing for battle.
“You’ve never shown up at one of my kills.”
Charon tipped her head, and the heat of her gaze scorching Joaquin’s skin. Her wrath touched him as tangibly as the rake of fingernails down his arm. He didn’t flinch.
“Obviously, this isn’t a kill,” Charon pointed out with just enough ice in her voice to make Ariana suck in a sharp breath. “Were it a kill, Joaquin would already be dead. You’ve never taken this long to complete a mission before, my dear. Perhaps I underestimated your charm, Mr. Shepherd.”
He gave her a grim smile. “Perhaps.”
“I can assure you. I’m immune.” Charon parted her lips in an evil semblance of a smile.
“Tell me what’s going on,” Ariana demanded, reaching forward to grip Charon’s arm. “You’ve always given me rein to dispose of the vampires on my own. You’re not here because you wanted to make sure I was okay. There’s more to it than that.” The bit to Ariana’s voice caused Charon’s face to frost.
“Oh, I’m sorry. Was it not you who was just tangled up the vampire you’re supposed to kill?” Charon tapped her fingernails against her chin. “Perhaps I was mistaken. Do feel free to enlighten me.”
Ariana turned to face Charon fully. “You were watching us? You had no right.”
“And you had no right to allow this creature to come anywhere near your body!” Charon leaned in, spitting fury. “He’s a worthless vampire, Ariana. Tell me, was his dick as cold as it was hard?”
Joaquin saw the arc of Ariana’s hand, but he couldn’t move fast enough to stop it. Her hand connected with Charon’s cheek with a loud pop, and the red in Charon’s eyes turn to a fiery glow.
Snatching hold of Ariana’s arm, he leapt upwards, jumping to the relative safety of the nearest rooftop. He hoped the sudden movement would catch Charon off-guard long enough for him to get Ariana to an even safer place.
“What are you doing?” Ariana pried his fingers away from his wrist and walked to the edge of the rooftop to peer down into the alley.
“Skipping the death scene.”
“You don’t need to take me with you to do that. Charon wouldn’t kill me. She’s been angry with me before.”
Joaquin’s feet thumped against the concrete, and while his gaze searched the night sky for an escape route, his lips curled upwards in a sardonic smile. “You really think she was going to let you live after you just destroyed her plans and humiliated her all in one night?”
When Ariana only blinked at him, he continued, “You really are in the dark, aren’t you?”
“Ariana,” Charon trilled, but from where, Joaquin couldn’t tell. She could be over his shoulder or ten feet below him.
“Piss on this. We’re getting out of here until you realize you who’ve actually trusted.” He di
pped, tossed Ariana onto his right shoulder, and leaped from one building to the next until he saw an opening to land just outside the city. Ignoring Ariana’s protests and fists against his back, he took off, looking for a shelter, a place they could hide in plain sight.
Ariana might think Charon wasn’t dangerous, but he’d seen the look in the sorceress’s eyes. She’d traded her soul for immortality and magic when she’d given her blood to the sorcerer who’d sired her. And now she wanted the ultimate domination, to control vampires too scared not to follow her.
No way in hell would she let Ariana stand in her way now.
“Hell and damnation,” Joaquin shouted when they’d landed safely inside a copse of trees inside Francis Marion National Forrest. The darkness surrounded them, but except for the sound of the wind, it was eerily silent, as if even the animals sensed the danger.
Ariana didn’t see the cause for his anger. If anyone should be angry, it should be her. She’s just been carried like a sack full of potatoes and against her will at that.
“What in the hell is going on, Joaquin, and don’t give me any of this ‘you don’t know who you are’ bullshit. For the first time since I’ve known you, tell me the truth.”
Joaquin raked a hand through his hair, and, in spite of her ire, she admired the way the silky length flowed across his fingers like dark wine. “Fine. I’ll spell it out for you. You drank my blood. I don’t know about your definition, but that says vampire to me.”
Folding her arms, Ariana threw up her wall of self-defense. She didn’t need to explain herself to him, but there was one thing she didn’t want, and that was him thinking she was one of his kind.
“I am not a vampire.” She said the words as sweetly as she could considering his supposition just reignited the desire to drive a stake through his heart.
“Really? What makes you so sure?”
“Not that I have to explain myself to you, but I’ve walked in the sun. I sleep during the night like ordinary people. Well, after I’ve made a few kills. I can hold a cross in my hand, and though I’ve never tried it, I’m sure holy water wouldn’t burn me. Oh, there are the other small things like breathing, eating, and hearing my heart beating.”
Vampire Betrayed (Vampires Destined 3) Page 7