Sweet Dreams (Sweetwater Book 2)

by Rivi Jacks

  “It is consumed quickly,” Lucas explains.

  Okaaay—

  I search his face, uncertain about my next question. “But… do vampires… would vampires rather—bite.”

  He looks deeply into my eyes again, all humor gone. “Yes.”

  “Do you want to” — I swallow noticeably— “bite me?”

  He takes a deep breath exhaling slowly, his eyes still holding mine. I watch as his pupils dilate. “Almost more than anything,” he says hoarsely.

  “Oh,” I whisper breathlessly as a soft tremble moves over me.

  “My sweet, I will not take blood from you. I’ve tasted your blood and—”

  “I don’t taste good?”

  He looks startled for a moment, and then he throws back his head, laughing out loud.

  As usual, when I think he’s laughing at me, I get mad. I struggle to scoot off his lap, digging my elbow into his stomach (hurting my elbow more than his stomach, I’m sure), but he won’t let me go.

  “Sofie,” he is still laughing, “you are precious!”

  “Let me go!”

  “Never, my sweet, never,” he vows, pulling me closer and burying his face in my hair, inhaling deeply. “I love it when you struggle, Sofie,” he murmurs, his voice impassioned. “Haven’t you figured that out yet?” I instantly stop and sit still on his lap. He flips my braid behind my shoulder and brings his mouth to the pulse point on the side of my neck. I gasp softly, closing my eyes and try not to move or react. There is a little bit of an apprehensive thrill, though. I’m not afraid, but the thought of him biting me…

  His tongue follows along the vein, and I moan, no longer able to act detached from his sensual assault.

  “I won’t bite you.” He brings his lips to my ear and nibbles on the lobe. “Not much anyway.” His voice flows over me like velvet, and I can barely contain my reaction to him. He nibbles his way across my jawline to my lips, making me melt against him. I reach my hand around to the back of his head and grab a handful of his silky hair.

  The kiss starts out gentle and then intensifies, Lucas’ tongue probing relentlessly. I eagerly match his enthusiasm, and when he releases my lips, I moan in protest.

  “You can trust me. I won’t hurt you.”

  I sit up straighter on his lap. “I know that!” I’m appalled he’d even think I was afraid he might harm me.

  He smiles the half smile that does funny things to me. “Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome.” I smile back at him and then I give him a serious face. “You… don’t go to others, do you?” I have to ask because I know it will come back to haunt me later. I remember all those women at Impulse.

  “No, my sweet.” He smooths the hair off my face.

  “Ever?”

  He takes hold of my chin and tilts my face up. “No. Luckily I need very little to survive, but even so, I want no other but you, Sofie. That goes for everything. Other women do not interest me, it’s you that I desire and crave.” His eyes glow as they hold mine with an impassioned intensity. “Only you.”

  I swallow deeply, not sure what to say, thrilled by his declaration. “That’s good,” I whisper, unable to take my eyes from his. “Because you mean everything to me. It’s a little scary at times.”

  He regards me for a moment, his expression thoughtful. And then he smiles. A very satisfied smile. He leans in and kisses me gently. “You are mine,” he murmurs against my lips.

  All I can do is whisper, “As you are mine.”

  He raises his head his eyes suddenly holding an emotion I’m not sure of. “From the moment I first saw you,” he says hoarsely. He strokes my cheek with his finger. “I like the thought of belonging to you.”

  I can’t control my smile. “Me too,” I murmur.

  He leans back against the couch, watching me. What’s he thinking? I start to squirm under his probing gaze.

  “My turn.”

  What? I look up in bewilderment. “Wait—I have more questions.”

  “Of course you do.” He lifts me off his lap, setting me onto the couch. “Sit in your corner like a good girl while I fix another drink.”

  I exhale sharply. Sit in my corner like a good girl? What the hell?

  He stands, giving me a quick smile and I narrow my eyes on his back as he walks to the liquor cabinet. Is he deliberately trying to rile me?

  “What can I get you to drink my sweet?”

  “Nothing, thank you.” I don’t bother to hide my irritation. How does he have the ability to seduce me one minute and annoy the hell out of me the next?

  I scoot to the end of the couch, pulling my legs up beside me. He returns to stand in front of the couch staring down, his brows arched in amusement. He has a glass in each hand, holding the tall one out to me.

  “I brought you a glass of water.”

  I look up from the glass to see he’s trying not to smile. I’m glad he finds me so amusing. “No thank you, I’m not thirsty.”

  “You’ll defy me even over a glass of water?”

  My brow lifts in surprise. He really is trying to get me riled up. I study his face as I wonder what he’s up to, biting my lip to keep myself from smiling. “I’m not defying you, Lucas. I just don’t like being told what to do by bossy people.”

  His eyebrow quirks. “Bossy people?”

  “Yeah, you know. Someone who’s a—bully.”

  He lifts his chin, nodding slightly as if he’s considering my words before reaching forward to set both glasses on the table behind me. While he’s still leaning over the couch, he turns his head and gives me a wolfish grin. I smirk. In the next instant, with one swift move, he grasps my ankles jerking my legs out to bring me down flat on my back as he comes down on top of me. The sudden movement makes me draw in a sharp breath.

  “What did I say about calling me names?” He asks softly, his expression impossible to read.

  I bite my bottom lip but can’t stop the giggle that escapes. “I wasn’t calling you a name,” I say as I sober and try to push him off me. “Just—stating the obvious.”

  Geez, he’s heavy.

  His gaze holds mine. “Is that right?” Now he’s definitely trying not to smile.

  “That is correct.” I try to arch my body to leverage him off. “Any indignation on your part is just your—guilty conscience.”

  His pupils flare slightly, and his gaze drops to my mouth. “Is your conscience clear?” he asks softly, his tone deceptively quiet.

  I frown as he lifts his gaze to lock on mine. “What are you talking about?”

  “Would you have other names to call me if you caught me flirting with someone else?”

  My eyes widen, and my mouth drops open with the realization of what he’s implying. I promptly shut my mouth and narrow my eyes on him.

  “Get off me!” I demand as I push against his chest. He has the audacity to grin.

  I keep pushing against Lucas’ shoulders while I use my legs to try and leverage him off. His body shakes with his laughter as I kick his butt with the heels of my feet. Growing up my uncle Jake instructed me on several self-defense moves, and I’m just waiting for an opportunity to use something against Lucas. I know it’s futile, but I’m more than a little irritated at his comment about me flirting with that guy at the shot-gun shack earlier. When he laughs out loud, I grab hold of his hair and pull with one hand as the other pushes against his forehead. When he manages to grasp my wrists, I lean in and bite the area between neck and shoulder. I hear him grunt and then he’s rolling us off the couch. He takes the brunt of the fall, but he quickly rolls me over onto my back, holding my arms high above my head, securing my legs with his.

  “You want to play rough?” He rasps. He’s breathing heavily, as am I, but his heavy breathing is not from exertion. He’s
aroused. And with his pupils dilated, he’s never looked more like a predator than at that moment. He also has a major hard-on pressed against my belly.

  I smile and raise my head as if to give him a kiss. He grins and releases my hands to run his down my body, I use the opportunity to grab his hair again and slam the palm of my hand against the underside of his chin, but not before I see the surprise in his eyes.

  Ha! He’s truly underestimated me if he thinks—

  Lucas knocks both my arms away with his and rises to his knees, flipping me over onto my stomach. The move is quick, and before I have time to do much more than loudly expel my breath, he roughly pulls my sweatpants off. He immediately rolls me back over, his hands going to my panties, ripping them free of me. Again, it happens so fast I don’t have time to react before he captures my arms and binds my wrists together—with my torn panties.

  He raises my arms above my head, holding them with one hand while he stretches his body out on mine, trapping my legs. My chest is heaving with my gasps as I try to catch my breath. “Now I’ve caught you my pretty,” he growls, laughing.

  “You know,” —I say between gasps— “you… just ruined a brand new pair… of panties, and… they were my favorite.”

  He grins. “Were they, my pretty?”

  “Yes.” I lean up and try to grab his lip with my teeth, but he’s leery of me now and leans back out of my reach.

  “I think I’ve caught a little hellcat.” He uses his free hand to rub against the spot where I bit him, and I try to pull my bound hands out of his hold as I buck beneath him. He laughs and gives me a wicked smile. “Calling me names and then an unprovoked attack are serious crimes against the Santiago.” He stares into my eyes, and I see his excitement. My breath hitches. “The penalty for such a crime is severe.” I lick my dry lips, knowing where this is leading. “But,” he drawls, “since you are my favorite—” He leans down and takes my bottom lip between his teeth. I moan, and when I try to kiss him, he quickly pulls away, letting his eyes roam over me. “I like this,” he says, looking at my bound hands.

  “I don’t. Let me go.”

  “Oh no, my sweet, I have plans for you.”

  I struggle beneath him. “I can’t believe you’re accusing me—again, of flirting with that guy tonight,” I hiss. “And we’re supposed to be talking, remember?” I snap.

  His eyes hold mine as he looks down into my face. “First, I apologize for—suggesting—you might be flirting.”

  My eyes narrow. Suggesting, my ass!

  “But I can see from your honest reaction that I was clearly” —he muffles his laugh— “over-reacting.” I exhale my breath with a sharp sound. His answering grin is nothing if not salacious as he says, “Secondly—you will talk.” His eyebrow lifts, reiterating his veiled threat.

  My breath catches as my traitorous body tightens in anticipation of his next move. My eyes drop to his mouth, my tongue darting out to moisten my lips. When I look back up, I catch the knowing gleam in his eyes. I try to buck him off again, but my strength is waning.

  “Hmmm, let me see.” He rises slightly. “First I think we’ll get rid of this.” He moves his legs to either side of mine to come up into a kneeling position, not sitting fully on me but enough to hold me down. Grabbing the neck of my t-shirt with both hands, he rips it down the front.

  “Lucas!” I gasp his name.

  He grips the front part of my pretty new bra between my breasts and pulls me up as he leans down to take my mouth in a searing kiss. Unhooking my bra, he pulls it and my t-shirt up my arms to my bound wrists, using them to tether me to the wooden foot of the couch.

  Oh, my. My breathing escalates.

  “Oh yes, I like this, my sweet.” He’s looking at my breasts, and my nipples elongate under his lascivious regard. He leans down and takes one between his teeth, biting down.

  I cry out and twist trying to get away. Shit! That hurt.

  “Shhh. A bite for a bite, my beauty.” I whimper as he licks the throbbing nipple repeatedly. Wrapping his hands around both breasts, he squeezes firmly before leaning back down to pull the other nipple into his warm mouth, sucking forcefully.

  “Ahhh.” I writhe beneath him. “Please, Lucas,” I whine as the sensation resonates deep in my core.

  He releases my nipple and sits above me again. “You make me a happy man, Sofie. First struggling against me, and then begging me to fuck you.” His voice is dark and velvety, moving across my skin. “Is that what you want?” His eyes blaze when I say nothing. “Answer me,” he snaps.

  “Yes!” I immediately blush.

  He stands, and I see the proof of his arousal straining boldly against his jeans. He stands there looking down at me, and I feel my body flush. He leans over the back of the couch for his drink and knocks it back, replacing the empty glass on the table. Coming down on his knees between my legs, he continues to look at my body, his eyes moving over me, settling at the junction of my thighs.

  I’m panting hard now. Why is his penetrating gaze down there so hot and embarrassing?

  I groan when his cell phone rings.

  Before he answers, his eyes meet mine. “Quiet,” he orders.

  I pull at my bindings, determined to get free while he’s preoccupied.

  “What is it?” He asks brusquely before he pauses to listen. “Why the hell there?” Whoever is calling, it must be important because he reaches to untie my hands before standing. “Call and tell Clea I can be there in—”

  I hesitate on my way to find another change of clothes, looking back. Who’s Clea?

  He pulls the phone from his ear glancing at it and then meets my eyes across the room as he places the phone back to his ear. His eyes sluice down my naked body, causing goosebumps to erupt across my skin before he turns from me. I watch as he runs his hand through his hair in irritation. “I should be there in about four hours. Notify Larry to get the jet ready.”

  I hurry on to the bathroom.

  “How long will you be gone?” I’m sitting cross-legged on the bed at the main house, watching him pack a bag. I don’t want him to leave, but I try to keep the whininess out of my voice.

  “Two days at the most.”

  That means he’ll be back by Friday. I still need to let him know that I’ll be going back to work on Monday. But that can wait. “I don’t know if you heard Jake reminding me earlier about Ben and Lucy having dinner at their house Sunday? For everyone.” I add.

  He looks up from zipping the bag closed. “That should be okay.”

  “Do… would you like to go with me?” Why am I so nervous about asking him to a family dinner? I guess it’s like taking a boyfriend home for the first time. Wait. I would be bringing my boyfriend home for the first time.

  “I’m not sure; I guess it depends on how this meeting goes.” He walks back to the bathroom, clearly pre-occupied.

  Oh. Okay. Raising my voice I say, “Get-together dinners are a big thing in my family.” Can he even eat food? Yes, I’ve seen him eat. Kind of. He drinks. I’ve served him coffee, and he drinks alcohol. Okay, so he’ll fit right in.

  He walks back into the bedroom, unzipping his bag to add his toiletries, and then he’s back to the closet. I want to ask him who Clea is but I don’t.

  The next thing I know, he’s pulling me to my feet. “I will try to make dinner on Sunday, my sweet.” He smiles. “But while I’m gone, I want you to be careful. I don’t want you going out on your own or alone with Diane or Emma Rae, understood?”

  “Yes.”

  “Max and Taylor will be here until I return so you go to them if you need anything.”

  “Okay.”

  He frowns down into my face. “You’re awfully acquiescent.”

  “I like being obedient.”

  He throws back his head and laughs out loud,
pulling me into his arms, kissing me deeply. “I’m going to miss you, my sweet.”

  “I’m going to miss you too, Lucas.” There’s a little catch in my voice. “Please be careful.”

  “I will. You stay here and stay safe.” He’s kissing me again as he lifts me up, and I wrap my legs around his waist, my arms going around his neck. My hand grasps the hair at his nape as his weave into my hair to hold my head in place. His kiss is endless, his tongue probing, possessing, and intoxicating me with desire. I’m not looking forward to sleeping alone the next two nights.

  He stands me beside the bed and then he’s grabbing up his jacket and bag, giving me one more quick kiss before heading out. He suddenly stops at the bedroom door and walks back to the closet. I drop down on the bed, wondering what he’s forgotten and when he comes out, he has my torn panties from earlier.

  “I can’t forget these,” he says with a cocky grin, and then he brings the panties to his nose. “Mmmm.”

  My mouth drops open, and I know I turn as red as fire because I swear, I feel hot enough you could fry an egg on me. Lucas laughs wickedly. He walks over to the bed and leans down to give me a swift kiss. “Soon, my sweet.” And then he’s out the door, laughter trailing behind him.

  In a heartbeat, I jump up and run after him. I catch up at the front door. “Lucas,” I whisper, conscious of the fact there are other people in the house.

  He turns from the door with a smirk on his face. “My sweet?”

  “I want my panties back.” I continue to whisper.

  “Your panties?” He raises his cocky eyebrow.

  “Yes,” I hiss. “Give them to me.” He steps toward me, but I stand my ground and hold out my hand. “Hand them over.”

  A slow, sexy, seductive smile pulls at his lips as he looks down at me. “Since I paid for these panties, I consider them mine—and every delectable scent on them.”

  Oh, my gosh! He’s impossible. He chuckles as my face reddens further.