It still wasn’t enough.
The scent of Mollie’s growing arousal tantalized his nose when Mike stopped before the small shelter they stayed in before. She slid down him, but instead of shying away from his growing erection, her hips leaned into his, and she rubbed against him.
Mike gritted his teeth to keep from groaning when he released her and stepped away. He had to make sure it was still safe inside the small enclosure. Walking was difficult as he made his way to the hollow of rocks, pulled aside the sticks he’d left covering the entrance, and poked his head inside. He scented the air before slipping inside to discover their hiding place still empty.
When he returned, he held his hand out to Mollie, and she took it. Mike stayed near the front to rebuild the cover over the entrance while she slipped inside and settled at the back. He was almost done replacing the sticks when the first howls punctured the air. Mike crawled over to join her and drew Mollie into his arms as the tortured scream of impending death pierced the air.
* * *
Mollie sat on Mike’s lap as she curled against his chest. Outside, thunder rolled, and the distant flash of lightning illuminated the branches, rocks, and dirt blockading the entrance. She’d woken a few minutes ago, but though her neck ached, she stayed where she was so as not to wake him; he’d slept little over the past few days.
Shifting against her, Mike murmured something that sounded like her name. His fingers twitched against her ass as, sometime in his sleep, his hand had fallen to her butt. She wasn’t going to complain about the intimate hold. Then he jerked against her and released a muffled noise.
Fearing something was nearby, and that was why he was so unsettled, Mollie lifted her head to examine the dark crevice. When nothing moved, and Mike’s breath tickled her ear, she realized he still slept and must be having a bad dream.
Mollie chanced hitting the light button on the side of her watch. The dim glow under Mike’s chin lit his face but didn’t penetrate far beyond the shadows surrounding them. His expression was not relaxed in sleep but tensed, and lines etched his forehead. His legs jerked beneath her; his mouth flattened into a firm line as his grip on her became almost bruising.
Under normal circumstances, he would never harm her, but in his sleep, he might do something without realizing it. But how did she wake a sleeping vampire having a nightmare without winding up snapped like a toothpick?
There was a reason they said let sleeping dogs lie. What if she startled him and he reacted by breaking her neck?
Mollie gulped, but when he jerked again and kicked out, she realized she had to wake him. If he didn’t kill her in his sleep, he might attract attention if this kept up. She hadn’t heard any howls since waking, but that didn’t mean things weren’t out there, hunting them.
Resting her hand on his cheek, Mollie slid it over until it covered his mouth. Please don’t kill me.
She gripped his shoulder and gave him a rough shake. His mouth pursed against her hand and a line formed between his brows, but he still didn’t open his eyes. When Mollie gave him another shake, his eyes flew open to reveal their ruby color. His lips skimmed back against her palm, and his fangs touched her skin.
Mollie’s heart leapt into her throat; she threw herself back to jerk free of his arms, but they cinched around her, drawing her closer.
“Wait! No!” she gasped.
“Easy, shh, it’s okay,” Mike soothed as the glow from her watch went out, and he realized he’d scared the shit out of her. The rush of her pulse sounded like drums in his ears. “Easy, Mollie.”
Ever so slowly, she relaxed in his arms. But she placed her hands against his shoulders and kept her arms ramrod straight in a useless attempt to hold him back should he try to sink his fangs into her.
“I won’t hurt you,” he whispered, but her anxiety didn’t ease.
In the dim light filtering through the branches, her face remained pinched, and her eyes narrowed though he doubted she could see much of him now that her watch was off.
“You… you were having a nightmare, I think,” she croaked.
He frowned as he recalled the dream that had gripped him in its bleak depths. In the nightmare, they were attacked, and he was unable to save her. She’d died in his arms after countless vampires fed on her. He’d been helpless to protect her, and even in his sleep, the loss of her tore his heart from his chest.
“Your eyes were red when you opened them,” she said.
“It was the worst nightmare I’ve ever had,” he admitted, closing his eyes; she couldn’t see them, but he knew they were still red.
“I didn’t want to wake you, but you were making noise, and I was scared you might hurt me in your sleep.”
“Never. I would never…” His voice trailed off as a hideous possibility occurred to him and self-hatred unlike anything he’d ever experienced swamped him. “Did I hurt you?”
“No. You were holding me tight, but you didn’t hurt me.”
Mike’s shoulders slumped. “Good. I swear to you, Mollie, I will defend your life with mine.”
Mollie eased against him, but she didn’t remove her hands from his shoulders. “I believe you, Mike, but you scared me.”
“I’m sorry,” he murmured, and his head fell forward.
Mollie finally relaxed her arms and leaned toward him. She couldn’t see him, but she heard the distress in his voice. When her arms slid up to his shoulders, his head bowed until it rested against her chest, and he inhaled a deep breath. Sensing he’d been more upset by what happened than she was, she threaded her fingers through his hair and held him against her as she sought to comfort him.
Mike’s arms locked around her waist, and he held her close, savoring her warmth. His dream was so real that the bloody image of her haunted him as he clasped the very much alive version closer.
Lifting his head, he gazed into her green eyes, which were vivid in the shadows hugging the contours of her face. He cupped one of her cheeks and ran his thumb over her silken skin before drawing her closer.
Mollie didn’t resist when he pulled her to him, and his lips unerringly found hers in the dark. He can probably see me better than I can see him.
Mike’s hands flattened against the small of her back as her mouth opened to his invasion. He tasted the heated depths of her in long, leisurely strokes. He’d never felt this in sync with a woman before; there was no hesitancy or uncertainty with Mollie as she countered each of his thrusts with ease.
Because she belongs to me. He did not doubt it anymore, not after that nightmare. The woman in his arms was his mate, and he didn’t know how he would get them both out of this mess alive. But no matter what it took, he would make sure she survived.
When Mike’s hands dipped down to the bottom of her shirt, Mollie didn’t stiffen against him as she had last time. She knew this might be the only chance they would have to be together. They had no idea what tomorrow held on this island and, vampire or not, she wanted this man.
When his hands slid under her shirt, Mollie gave herself over to the exquisite sensation of his large palms moving against her flesh. Tomorrow they would go back to fighting for survival, but tonight, she would lose herself in him.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Mike sensed a giving in Mollie as she leaned in to him with a sigh. His cock strained against the zipper of his jeans as the overwhelming urge to possess her consumed him.
Easy, he cautioned himself. Take your time and enjoy her.
He wanted to savor her for hours, but the knowledge he was about to take his mate for the first time had his vampire nature trying to take over. His fangs pricked and lengthened with the impulse to sink in to her delicate throat.
She’s in so much danger on this island, and I can make her stronger.
But the transition from human to vampire could take hours, it was excruciating, and she would have to feed soon after. She could drink only from him, but he would have to consume lots of blood beforehand to sustain her. He’d only had animal b
lood since arriving here, and he hadn’t fed today.
He couldn’t change her until he was better prepared and they were somewhere secure. Then…
His thoughts trailed off when she rested her hand on his cheek, instinctively calming him with her touch though she couldn’t know how close he was to unraveling.
This deep connection to someone that went beyond blood, sex, and family was what he’d been seeking in his life. He’d never experienced it with anyone before. He loved his family, but Mollie was the piece he’d been missing.
Mollie broke the kiss to lift her arms when he tugged her shirt up until it rested beneath her breasts. Mike pulled it over her head and tossed it aside. When lightning flashed outside, it illuminated him enough that she could watch as he feasted on the sight of her. Her black bra was simple and didn’t push up her small breasts, but he gazed at her as if she were wearing the sexiest piece of lingerie in the catalog.
After the light faded, she still felt his eyes on her. At one time, anyone else gazing at her in such a way would have made her cover herself up and flared her feelings of inadequacy. But over the years, she’d grown more comfortable with her body, and she didn’t feel any shame, especially while Mike was looking at her as if she was the most beautiful woman in the world.
Mike’s eyes ran over Mollie again when her arms lowered to her sides. She was long, lean, and delectable. Sliding his hands around her, he unclasped her bra and tossed it aside. His breath sucked in, and his erection jumped against his jeans when he bared her breasts to him.
Bending his head, he kissed her collarbone while he clasped her breasts. Mollie’s back bowed as she arced into his touch and her fingers threaded through his hair. She held him closer while his tongue flickered over the nipple his thumb had brought to life.
A couple of years ago, after her mother’s death, Mollie had sought something—she still wasn’t sure what—from one of the mousy men she’d dated. Alvin was her first, and his touch had lacked something she could never explain.
Mollie remembered doubting what she was doing with him as she was doing it, but lost and lonely, she stayed with him for a couple of months before his job moved him to Arizona. She wasn’t upset when he said he was leaving. He hadn’t suggested she go with him, and she happily helped him pack. After him, she decided not to date again until she was over her grief, and she hadn’t.
However, she had no doubts now as Mike’s touch lit her blood on fire and turned her body into something she didn’t quite recognize as she shifted to wrap her legs around his hips. She moaned when the movement brought her into intimate contact with the obvious evidence of his arousal.
Lifting herself, she eased back down the rigid length of his erection and shuddered when little jolts of pleasure ran down her spine. Desperate to feel more of him, she gripped the edge of his shirt and tugged it up. Cold air rushed over the wet nipple he’d been sucking when he released it to help her pull his shirt off.
Mike encircled his arm around her waist and, lifting her, reclaimed the quilt that had fallen free of them. He dropped the blanket over the ground before laying her on top of it.
Another flash of lightning illuminated the night, and thunder shook the ground. In the burst of light, Mike’s eyes were the most vibrant blue she’d ever seen as he stared at her with a look of reverence she didn’t understand, but she thrilled at it. He gazed at her like she was the last lifeboat on a sinking ship, and she longed to be the one who saved him. She had no idea what she was saving him from, but she sensed he needed it.
Then she was left in the dark again. Her breath caught when his hands fell to her waist and he slid the button of her jeans free. Mollie lifted her hips when the zipper slid down before he tugged her jeans and underwear down to her calves. His touch was tender when he pulled her sneakers and socks off before slipping the rest of her clothes free.
Another strike of lightning revealed him kneeling over her with his hand on the button of his jeans. She marveled at the expanse of his shoulders and the thick muscles cording his chest and shoulders before the illumination faded.
Uneasiness slid through her; he was an immortal, powerful being, and she was so very mortal.
Shifting, Mike untied and kicked off his boots before tugging his jeans down and tossing everything aside. He turned his attention back to Mollie, and when the lightning flashed again, he saw the desire as well as uneasiness in her gaze.
“Human and vampires can do this?” she whispered.
Mike smiled as he rested his hand on her chest. The beat of her heart thudded against his palm as the tantalizing scent of her teased his nostrils. “Yes,” he assured her.
“What about diseases? I doubt you have a condom.” She didn’t want to be asking these things, not when her body was screaming for him, but the practical part of her brain was rearing its ugly head.
“Vampires can’t carry diseases.”
“But you can get me pregnant?” She’d stopped taking the pill when she gave up dating.
“I won’t spill in you.”
Not foolproof, but neither were condoms.
He knew she was satisfied with his answer when her back arched into his touch as he ran his hand down the center of her body, over her flat stomach, and down to the trimmed patch of black hair shielding her sex from him. When he dipped his hand between her legs, Mollie squirmed toward him as he slid his fingers over her enticing wetness before rubbing her clit.
“Oh,” she breathed as her fingers curled into the quilt and pulled it toward her.
Mike slid a finger into her and groaned when her muscles gripped his finger while he moved deeper into her. He teased her as her breath came more rapidly and her body thrust against his palm. He wanted to pull his hand away from her and replace it with his cock, but he found he couldn’t stop his exploration of her body or tear his attention away from her reaction to him.
Running his other hand over her breast, he rolled her nipple between his thumb and forefinger. He grew harder when her head fell back to expose the delicate column of her slender throat. While he explored her body, he stretched her sheath further by slipping another finger inside her.
His dick throbbed with need as he watched her breasts sway and her delicious moans filled his ears. She was all he could see, smell, hear, and feel as every one of his heightened senses attuned to her.
Saliva filled his mouth, and his fangs lengthened as he stroked her faster. Her muscles clenched around his fingers, her body bowed, and she came with a cry. Mike slid his hand over her mouth to muffle the sound of her ecstasy, though he longed to hear her screaming his name.
Panting, Mollie collapsed on the ground as another flash lit Mike’s face. The ravenous look on his face as he gazed down at where his fingers still idly moved within her caused her haze of euphoria to dwindle. This powerful vampire would consume her in every way possible, but instead of the realization scaring her, she found herself longing for it.
Then his hand slid away, and his eyes met hers before darkness descended. When Mollie lifted her arms to him, he came into them, and she embraced him against her. She’d never experienced anything more sensual than his unyielding body moving against hers as his skin slid over her aching nipples while he settled himself between her thighs.
Grasping his shaft, Mike guided it to her entrance and rubbed against her as he bent his head to claim her mouth. Slick with longing, she parted for him as his head stretched her while he slid further into her. The tightness of her sheath enveloping him nearly caused him to spill as excitement hammered through his body, and a sense of rightness stole through him.
Mine, she’s all mine.
Mollie’s fingers dug into his back; she wiggled her hips as the size of him caused her some discomfort, but gradually she adjusted to the feel of him as he settled himself deep inside her. She expected him to start thrusting until he finished, but he remained unmoving as his hands caressed her face.
“Mollie,” he breathed before kissing her again.
> Unprepared for him not to finish himself off and roll away, it took her a second to respond to his questing tongue while he remained unmoving within her. Then he pulled slowly out before sliding back into her. The delicious friction of the movement stoked her already hypersensitive body to higher levels of passion.
Her fingers entangled in his hair as she drew him closer and deepened the kiss. His canines extended against her lips, but they didn’t stir anxiety within her; instead, she found herself licking the tip of one fang.
When she wrapped her legs around his waist, the movement drew him deeper into her. She licked his fang again before nipping at his bottom lip and lifting her hips to meet his when he plunged into her.
Mike slammed his palms onto the ground to keep from embracing her, lifting her off the ground, and fucking her until she was too exhausted to move. Human! Human! Human! Never had he needed to remind himself he was with a mortal before, but all his restraint was spiraling away.
When her tongue grazed his fang, his restraint crumbled, and slipping his arms around her waist, he broke their kiss and lifted her off the ground. Mollie’s eyes flew open to meet his as lightning split the sky and a deluge of rain pounded the rocks over their heads.
Bracing his knees apart, Mike glanced at the ceiling to make sure her head wouldn’t hit it before guiding her body against his. Staring into her eyes, some of his control returned as she found and matched the demanding rhythm he set for her.
When her lids started to droop and her breaths came in pants, he knew he was pushing her toward climax again. Bending his head, he caught her nipple between his teeth and nipped at the bud.
Mollie’s fingers dug into his sweat-slickened back when his fangs scraped her flesh. She’d believed she would hate the sensation, there was nothing worse than a cat scratch or one from thorns, but she found herself craving more.
If you offer me your blood, I will gladly accept. His words from days ago returned to her. He was inside her, a part of her, yet she yearned for more. She didn’t understand it and thought maybe she’d lost her mind, but suddenly she had to know what it would feel like to have Mike taking her in more than one way.
Consumed: The Vampire Awakenings, Book 8 Page 15