The Vampire’s Kiss

by Vivi Anna

  The witch slid out of his chair, came around the desk and followed the bodyguards out. By the look in his eyes, Olena didn’t think he was too happy about being dismissed.

  Once they were all gone, Olena sat in one of the two visitor’s chairs in front of the desk. Cale chose to stand behind her. She kind of liked that he took up that position. A position of authority and protection. He probably had no real clue what his stance was saying. In vampire society, it meant that he was bound to Olena. She smiled, thinking she might let him in on it later. Much later. She was enjoying the turn of events much too much.

  “You were right. Luc and I were lovers,” Otto confessed.

  “I’m sorry for your loss.”

  His eyes widened in an obvious sign of surprise. “Thank you.”

  “How long were you together?”

  “Twenty-two years.”

  “Then you would know if Luc had been into something else, something Interpol might have an interest in?” Cale asked.

  Olena tried not to flinch, but she was surprised by his outburst, as was Otto by the look on his face. But to his credit he didn’t make a big deal out of it. Vampire politics sometimes interfered with what was truly important. Like finding a lover’s killer.

  Otto shook his head. “Luc didn’t talk about some of his dealings, and I didn’t press him. I loved him. I didn’t own him. He could come and go as he pleased.”

  “But he was into something besides part ownership of his club and several others around the city?”

  “Yes.”

  “Any inkling of what that might be?” Olena asked.

  “Computers, maybe. I overheard him one night on the phone talking about servers and networks. I’m clueless about that tech stuff, so it could’ve been anything.”

  “Do you know of anyone who would want him dead?”

  Otto shook his head. “Valentino is right. We all have enemies. You don’t work in the underworld and not have them. But Luc was well liked and well respected. I don’t know of anyone who would cross those lines.”

  Olena stood. “Thank you, Otto. You’ve been helpful.”

  “I wish I could tell you more.”

  “We’ll find whoever killed Luc.”

  He nodded, but looked weary, as if his lover’s death had taken a chunk of his life as well. Olena thought maybe it had. Sometimes that happened when vampire mates died. The death left a permanent hole in the other’s heart, in their psyche, in their soul. One that could never be filled again. This was one of the reasons Olena never took on a vampire mate. Losing a loved one was bad enough, but losing a piece of oneself as well was too much.

  Cale was silent as they left the office. Olena glanced back at him. He looked at her as if he wanted to say something, but he didn’t open his mouth. She wondered what he was thinking. He was definitely a difficult man to read. She could usually tell what most men were thinking—human, vampire or lycan. But Cale was a tough nut to crack. Maybe his telepathy came with a psychic shield to protect himself.

  They walked down the hall to the red door.

  Valentino seemed to be waiting for them. When they approached, the witch smiled. He was an affable-looking man, but there was something about him that sent a rush of cold shivers down Olena’s back.

  “I hope you got what you came for,” he said.

  “I hope we did as well,” Olena responded. “If not, we’ll be back.”

  “I’ll be looking forward to that.” He bowed his head a little, then offered his hand to Cale.

  Cale took it but it was a cautious move. He was right to be cautious. The witch was a manipulator.

  Just then the door opened and one of the big bruisers came rushing through. He ran into Valentino, which in turn pushed him forward into Olena and Cale. He wrapped his arms around them both to keep from falling. Olena set him back onto his feet.

  “Damn it, Jake!” Valentino bellowed at the bodyguard. “Watch what you’re doing.”

  Jake had the presence of mind to look sheepish and hung his head like an old hound dog. “Sorry, Val.”

  “I apologize for my brutish employee.” He swung his hand toward the open door. “I will bid you both a fond farewell.”

  Olena went out the door. Cale followed. The music had changed, and the club was even more packed now, the gyrating mob harder to get through than before.

  She pushed past the sweaty, dancing people, trying to make it to the exit. Halfway across the floor, she started to feel different. The air felt heavier, as if it pressed down around her, making it more difficult to move.

  Her skin started to itch. She glanced down at her arms and noticed her hair standing to attention and sweat beading her flesh. Licking her lips, she glanced around her. The lights seemed to be dancing around her, playing a game of tag. And she was it.

  Magic. She could feel it penetrating her pores. Sweat rolled down her back. Something deep within her belly started to flutter. The sensation traveled lower still, until the ache between her thighs became unbearable.

  She turned to say something to Cale when he grabbed her arm hard. Sweat was pouring down his face, and he was licking his lips nervously, just as she had done. “I’m feeling a little strange, Olena.”

  It was then she noticed his missing amulet. Panicked, she reached up to her neck for hers. But it was also gone.

  Valentino must’ve slipped them off when he fell into them in the corridor. They were in a lot of trouble. If they didn’t get out of there soon, they would be pulled under by the sexual spell. And who knew what would happen then?

  Chapter 10

  A rush of adrenaline surged through Cale. He felt not only light-headed, but giddy with it. By the stunned expression on Olena’s face it was obvious the magic in the room was affecting them both.

  “Our amulets are gone,” she said. “We need to get out of here.”

  She grabbed his hand to pull him through the crowd on the dance floor. The moment her skin touched his, he felt a lightning bolt of power zing through him. It went from the tips of his fingers to the tips of his toes, making all the parts in between tingle. The sensation exhilarated and frightened him at the same time. Especially since he had an insatiable urge to pull Olena to him and crush his mouth to hers.

  He wanted to bury his hands in her hair and kiss her hard and long. The thought of her tongue dancing against his made him instantly hard. So hard that he found it a little bit difficult to walk. His legs were shaking, as was the rest of his body. Shivers of hot desire made his flesh quiver and sweat. And he wanted to press his slick body to Olena’s. He wanted her so much. He could hardly breathe from the explosiveness of it. He had a crushing urge to drop to his knees and bury his face into her flesh.

  He knew it was the magic making him feel this way. But he also knew that those feelings of desire and want had already been there. The spell was just amplifying them. It was so overpowering, he could barely resist it. As they managed to cross the floor, he was hanging on to his sanity.

  When they reached the door, Cale gritted his teeth against the violent urges. But it was too much; he couldn’t control his hunger any longer. Maybe just a taste would sate him enough to continue.

  Yanking Olena to a stop, Cale grabbed her by the shoulders and pushed into a shadowed nook by the door. He slammed her up against the wall and ground his body into hers.

  Her eyes widened, darkened, but she didn’t protest when he crushed his mouth to hers. In fact, her lips parted and she moaned as he kissed her. Her hands fisted in his shirt and it was as if she was holding onto him to keep from falling.

  She tasted like a hot, humid day at the beach. Sultry and salty. Warm and languid. God, if only he could feast on her all night, maybe then his hunger would abate. But as it was, it was growing fiercer, more violent by the second.

  He wrapped his hands in her hair, reveling in the way the silky strands caressed his skin. He pulled on it to bring her closer to him. Grinding himself into her, he let her know just how hard and hot she was making
him.

  She moaned and mimicked his motions, which made him even hotter and hard as steel.

  His restraint was fraying. He clamped his eyes shut against it and pulled his mouth from hers. She groaned in protest.

  “I can’t hold on much longer,” he grunted.

  “We have to get outside,” she panted as her hands spread across his chest and began to massage him through the fabric.

  “I don’t think I can let go of you,” he said through gritted teeth.

  “Don’t then.” She lifted a leg and wrapped it around his waist. “Lift me up and carry me outside.”

  Burying his face into her neck, Cale let his hands slip down her body. He skimmed his fingers past her breasts. He felt her flinch and quiver at his light touch. He groaned, biting down on his lip as he wrapped his hands around her round, firm derriere.

  Slowly, torturously, he lifted her up so both her legs could fit snugly around his waist. But the movement forced her pelvis to tilt up and he could feel the heat of her center nuzzled against his groin.

  This wasn’t going to be easy. Not when he wanted to rip off her pants and plunge into her right there and then. He knew she’d be hot and wet and open for him. He could already feel the warm, damp desire against his trousers.

  “Hurry, Cale,” she murmured against his ear.

  Digging his fingers into the flesh of her rear end, Cale carried her out of the dark alcove and toward the door. The friction of her groin against his nearly brought him down, but after two more steps he was able to kick the door open and carry her out into the brisk early-morning air.

  He thought for sure he’d feel the relief instantly.

  But he didn’t. Desire, hot and hard, still ran rampant through his system like heroin. He’d never felt a more potent drug than Olena.

  “I don’t feel any change.”

  She squirmed in his arms and moaned against his neck. “Maybe we need to get farther away from the club.”

  Cale ran toward the car. When he reached it, he set Olena onto the hood. That was a mistake. Now his hands were free to roam elsewhere.

  “The keys are in my pocket,” she panted, and leaned back against the hood to allow him access to her front pants pocket.

  That was another mistake. Because now to Cale it looked like she was offering herself to him. He looked down at her parted, swollen mouth and couldn’t help but take another taste of her.

  When his mouth covered hers, she responded in kind, wrapping her hands in his hair and locking him tight to her. The heels of her shoes dug into the backs of his thighs, and she slid a little forward.

  Enough that their bodies were touching again.

  “Damn it, woman. You’re killing me,” he groaned against her lips.

  “I’m sorry,” she whispered, “I can’t help it.” And then gripping his hair tight, she kissed him again, sweeping her tongue over his.

  His hands had been braced against the car hood, but now he moved them over her, seeking her, filling themselves with her generous breasts. Her nipples were hard and rigid, and he rubbed his thumbs over them, wondering what reaction he could get from her if he ran his tongue and teeth over them instead.

  “Lower,” she groaned, “move your hands lower.

  To my pocket.”

  He glanced down between them, to the crotch of her pants. He had the sudden vision of tearing the seam in half and sliding his fingers into her slick warmth. He thought about how she would feel inside, how she would squirm and moan as he manipulated her hard and fast.

  “I don’t think that’s a good idea.” He nibbled on her bottom lip, intrigued by the way the tips of her fangs scraped his top lip. He wondered how she could control the urge for blood at a time like this. If it had been reversed and he was a vampire, he wasn’t sure he’d have that kind of restraint.

  “Do it. It’s our only chance to escape this.” She licked his lips and then the side of his jaw up to his ear. “This isn’t how you want me, is it? You want it to be on your terms, don’t you?”

  Her words penetrated his fog of euphoria and prompted him into action. He did want her, desperately, but not like this. Well, like this maybe, with her pinned underneath him, but not because of a magic spell. He didn’t need any spell to want to bury himself in her.

  Closing his eyes and biting down on his lip, he streaked his hand down to her leg, careful not to touch her where he wanted to most. His fingers searched for her pocket, found it, and squirmed inside to retrieve the keys. Once he had the ring around his finger he pulled them out, dangling them in front of her eyes like a prize.

  “Good,” she said. “Now we just have to get into the car.”

  He shook his head to clear it. Was he starting to feel the magic fade? He couldn’t be sure, but for the last thirty seconds, he’d been able to concentrate on something other than burying himself deep inside Olena. There was hope at least.

  “On the count of three, push me away,” he told her.

  “I don’t know if I can.” She kissed his chin again, and then licked his lips.

  He kissed her. He couldn’t deny himself. Not when the taste and feel of her was like ambrosia. After a thorough taste, he pulled away and rested his forehead against hers.

  “You can, luv. Just remember what an ass I am.”

  “You are an ass.” She reached around and squeezed the flesh of his buttocks. “And you have an amazing one as well.”

  That made him laugh, and he could feel the tendrils of magic unraveling. He just needed a little more restraint and he’d be able to take his hands off her amazing body. It would be hard, but he needed to do it. If they succumbed to their desire now, it would ruin their working relationship. But even as he knew that, accepted that, it was damn near impossible for him not to kiss her again or touch her on every rise and slope of her fine form.

  Leaning down, he framed her face with his hands, gently stroking her hair. He kissed her, a light brushing of his lips. “I want to give in to the spell and have you. I ache so bad for you. But we both know it would be a mistake that couldn’t be fixed.”

  “I know,” she said.

  “Push me away, Olena. I don’t have the power to do it on my own.”

  Clamping her eyes shut, she kicked him with her legs. The movement sent him sprawling backward and he had to put his hands out to the sides to keep from falling over. But the second he was separated from her, his head started to clear. He could almost think straight. Almost. The sight of her, doe-eyed and sprawled out on top of the hood sent sparks of heat zinging all over his body. He was still as hard as stone.

  Olena also seemed to be breathing easier. She sat up on the hood, tucked her hair behind her ear and let out a loud sigh. “We’re not out of the woods yet, but I think we’ll make it.”

  He handed her the car keys. “You drive. I don’t think I can.” He glanced down at himself. The crotch of his trousers was bulging.

  He realized his blunder at making notice of it when her gaze settled there and another rush of heat swelled over him.

  She licked her lips. He had a sense that she was going to jump on him, tackle him to the ground, but instead she stood and went around the side of the car to the driver’s door.

  He followed her lead and got into the passenger side.

  She buckled in, started the engine and put it in gear. “Hang on. This is going to be one fast ride.”

  Chapter 11

  The drive to Cale’s hotel took all of ten minutes. Olena drove way over the speed limit, using the vehicle’s police lights to get them through the intersections. Thankfully, there wasn’t much traffic this early in the morning. She didn’t want to be accused of abusing her authority for her own selfish needs.

  Although her needs were just about killing her by the time she pulled up in front of the hotel doors.

  Sweat had soaked her entire body, and she’d driven with the window down. Anything to keep her mind alert and off the sexy, delicious man in the passenger seat.

  It took al
l she had to keep her hands on the steering wheel and off his remarkably powerful body. She had felt every single muscle and ridge of him when he’d had her pinned to the hood of the vehicle. Although deep down she knew it was wrong, forced by magic, she had wanted it, wanted him so badly she didn’t think she could survive without his touch. Without him taking her right there and then.

  But she hadn’t perished. They were both now sitting in the car in front of his hotel. But neither one of them had made a move since.

  She glanced over at Cale. His fingers were pressing into his legs. She could see the quiver in his arms and the twitch along his jawline. She had to fight the urge to reach over and smooth down that line, to unfurl his fingers and entwine them with hers.

  She bit down on her lip. The taste of blood exploded on her tongue. It relieved her insatiable hunger temporarily.

  “I should get out of the car.” He looked at her and she could see the rapid need in his gaze. It made her body quiver even more.

  She kept his gaze, not wanting to lose the intensity of the power zinging between them. The energy brushed over her, giving her gooseflesh. She shivered, then dropped her gaze.

  “Yeah, you should,” she was finally able to say.

  Without another word, Cale opened the door and slid out. She didn’t watch him while he walked into the hotel. She couldn’t and still be able to drive away. The spell was slipping, but it was all the other feelings, the authentic ones she harbored for him, that made her want to shout at him through the window to get back into the car and finish what they’d started.

  But she stomped her foot on the gas pedal and drove away.

  Only when she pulled up to her high-rise apartment building did she relieve the pressure. As quickly as she could, she put the car in park, grabbed her bag and almost ran to the front door. She tossed the keys to the valet who always parked her cars. Peter grabbed them on the fly and didn’t say anything to her. She never gave him a chance, anyway.

  The doorman, a large, imposing lycan, quickly opened the door for her. “Good morning, Ms. Petrovich.”