by S. K. Yule
She still hardly knew the man and shouldn’t be bothered by his avoidance. Maybe he had decided their encounters had been a mistake and didn’t want to have anything further to do with her. Remembering how his eyes had turned black with desire when he had touched her had her doubting that. He had wanted her as much as she wanted him. Then why was he going to such great lengths to stay away? When she reached her room and lay down, exhaustion overtook her, and she fell into a fitful sleep.
* * * *
Ashe was running out of reasons to avoid Ebony. Sitting behind his desk, he rolled a pen back and forth between his fingers as he contemplated the past few days. He hadn’t gotten as much as an hour of sleep and suspected she hadn’t slept well either, evidenced by the black circles he had seen marring her beautiful eyes. Estril had filled Ashe in on the plans Ebony and she had made for the ball. He was proud of Ebony and Estril for the elegance they had injected into the project. It looked to be a stunning turn out, and he was sure everyone would be impressed. Now, if only it served to find them a lead to Ebony’s attacker it would almost make wearing that damn monkey suit bearable this year.
Aldin had run into dead ends. His brother had been out every night since Ebony’s arrival, but every lead had proved to be nothing. They had several contacts with other hunters and checked in with one another on occasion for leads on known shadow drifter locations and hideouts. None knew of any drifter or vampire in the near vicinity that were known to keep drudges. He had practically exhausted his source of possible information, and they were beginning to lose hope in finding anything out about the drudge who attacked Ebony.
Aiston had faired no better. Either no one knew anything, or they weren’t talking. Although, Ashe and his brothers thought it was most likely that no one knew. While most vampires were tight-lipped with information and kept to themselves, some of the younger vampires were still cocky, drunk with their powers and tended to brag about most anything feeling it made them look important, suave and all-knowing. Ashe thought it pretty much just made them look like asses. Ashe hadn’t found out any useful information either. He figured at this point they would have to wait until the ball, and hopefully it would provide new opportunities.
Ashe had been able to stay away from Ebony for the most part, not that it hadn’t been harder than hell. His urge to claim her had nearly consumed him, and he knew the next time he was alone with her, he would have her. There had already been countless times that it had taken every inch of his will to keep from going to her room and taking what his body insisted was his.
The few times they had found themselves together the past several days, he had made excuse after excuse to leave, and the disappointment that had flashed in her eyes each time made him feel guilty and angry. He couldn’t take that hurt look of rejection one more time. It was obvious she knew he was avoiding her. He was caving, and he was going to lose himself down that spiraling, emotional ladder if he wasn’t careful.
Estril told him she had ordered a gown for Ebony and her friend, Avril, for Saturday. Estril also hinted it might be nice if Ashe invited Ebony as his date. The thought of holding Ebony in his arms, dancing, and being with her the whole evening seemed almost more than he could bear. Estril told him that Aiston was more than eager to take Ebony to the ball if he wasn’t interested. Breaking his brother’s neck if he saw him touching Ebony was not something he really wanted to do.
Grudgingly, he accepted the inevitable and planned to ask Ebony if he could escort her to the ball tonight after dinner. The least he could do was show his appreciation for her hard work. He knew Avril was coming tomorrow and would stay until Sunday. He was hoping she would provide the perfect distraction for Ebony and the perfect solution for him to maintain distance from her. While he didn’t care for the idea of Avril being brought into any possible danger, he knew her friend’s presence would be a comfort to Ebony.
Looking at his watch, he only had an hour to kill before dinner. He would ask Ebony to the ball afterward. She didn’t actually have a choice in the matter. He had to have her close to him to keep an eye on her. However, chivalry was not beyond him, and he knew she would be more willing to go with him if he asked instead of demanded. He wondered if she had realized the effect she had on him yet. At least he would be able to hold her and not worry about losing control. After all, it wouldn’t be possible to take her in front of more than a hundred guests. Hurrying up to his room, he took off his clothes and went for a quick shower before heading down to eat.
By the time Ashe came down to dinner, Estril and Aiston were already at the table and informed him that Aldin was out and would not be joining them. Aiston filled Ashe in on last night’s progress which consisted of about thirty seconds of nothing. Ebony’s attacker was apparently very clever in concealing the fact that he had drudges. No matter, someone somewhere knew something, and when he found that lead, Ashe would follow the trail to the source. He would take great pleasure in eliminating the threat to Ebony. He had every intention of making sure she had a safe life to look forward to. Hell, maybe he could even look after her here and again without her knowing, after she returned home.
The soft sound of footsteps announced Ebony’s arrival, and Ashe sucked in a silent breath at her appearance. God, she was beautiful. Her hair was shiny and loose and hung over her shoulders. The cornflower blue top she wore showed her breasts to perfection and gently lay over a black skirt that hugged her luscious hips lovingly. The slender curves of her ankles were emphasized by the black heels on her tiny feet. He grew hard instantly.
She smiled at Estril and Aiston and gave Ashe a tentative look before sitting down. He knew she was weary of him avoiding her and decided he would do so no more. He could handle almost anything, but knowing he was hurting her was out of bounds for him. If he found himself alone with her again, he would just have to be as polite as he could and stay for just enough time to ease her weariness.
“So, Ebony, you must tell me about your friend, Avril.” Aiston gave her a grin, swirling his wine in the dainty stemmed glass. “Is she pretty or hideous? Does she have a big wart on her nose or anything else grotesque?”
Grinning, she said, “No, no wart on her nose, just the big one on her chin. But, you don’t really notice because when she smiles the gap from her two missing front teeth camouflage it.” She burst out laughing at the same time Aiston and Estril did. Ashe looked astonished for a moment before he began to chuckle. Ebony, Aiston, and Estril’s mouths fell open at the sound.
“Aiston, you should be ashamed of yourself. Avril is a gorgeous, smart woman. She’s also had her share of miserable men and has been on a male bashing crusade for the last couple of months so you better watch out.” Helping herself to some fettuccini and a piece of crusty, buttery bread, she glanced at Ashe wearily.
“Sounds like you might just come in contact with a woman who won’t be willing to be your love slave. It’s about time someone knocked you off your high horse, brother.”
“Absolutely not.” Aiston chewed thoughtfully before saying, “I never back down from a challenge, and I have never lost one yet. Women are like putty in my hands. Once Avril meets me, she will be ruined for other men.” Aiston chuckled some more before finishing his meal and excused himself.
“Well that was interesting and somewhat amusing to say the least.” Ashe hoped Avril would prove to be the one challenge Aiston lost. He hoped she could be the one to finally teach him that not all women were ninny headed puppies that would follow him around with their tales wagging, waiting to jump at his next command.
“How are you tonight, Ebony?” Ashe loved the way she laughed. It was a magical sound that washed away his tension.
She cleared her throat after nearly choking on her bread. “Fine, Ashe. Just a little tired from all the planning of the ball, but very excited to see Avril tomorrow.”
The dark circles under her eyes were still visible, and he wondered if she was getting enough sleep. “Yes, I’m sure it will be nice for you to see your
friend.”
“Well, I’m off to make some last minute phone calls.” Estril got up from the table after gently dabbing at the corners of her mouth and headed out the door and up the stairs.
Estril was gone before Ashe could come up with a reason to stop her. Great, he didn’t think he would find himself alone with Ebony so soon. He could already imagine throwing everything off the table and replacing it with Ebony. She would make a fine feast. The finest feast he would ever have. Damn! He had to control himself.
Ebony finished her meal and scooted the chair back. “I’m going to go find a movie to watch in the family room. I hope you enjoy the rest of your meal. It was nice seeing you.” With a false smile she started for the door.
Ashe lightly grabbed her arm as she tried to make her exit. “You don’t have to go. I know it seems I’ve been avoiding you lately, but it’s not what you think.”
“Look Ashe, what it seems is you can’t stand the sight of me and don’t want to be anywhere near me. That’s what it seems like, so don’t worry. I won’t bother you anymore.” She tugged at her arm, but he refused to let go.
He sighed. “It’s not true that I don’t want to be near you, but it is true I don’t want to be alone with you.” Tears pooled in her eyes. Standing, he gently brought her hand to his mouth and kissed the back of it. He turned it and lightly ran his tongue along her palm before cupping her cheek in his other hand. “But it’s not because I can’t stand the sight of you. It’s because I’m afraid I won’t be able to keep my hands off of you. That’s why I don’t want to be alone with you. Do you know every time I’m near you all I want is to be inside you?”
She gasped. “Oh,” was all she could manage in response before his hand tangled in her hair, guiding her lips to his own.
He tasted her slowly. His tongue pushed into her mouth with lazy, greedy, thrusts. She moaned and tilted her head back, and he deepened the kiss. She tasted of wine and woman. He devoured her with his mouth and hands, kissing, nipping, licking and massaging. When he withdrew from her, she let out a small sigh. He kissed a hot trail along her jaw and down her neck wincing a little when she tensed.
Ashe whispered in her ear. “Ebony, I promise I won’t drink you again unless you tell me it’s okay.” He hoped he could make good on the promise because need to taste her sweet blood sang through every cell. “Trust me.” Ashe began exploring her neck again with gentle kisses and nibbles. Her muscles relaxed once again, and he scooped her up and carried her toward the family room.
He toed the door shut behind them, sat her on the soft, oversized couch and knelt beside her on the floor. He wanted to shimmer them both to his room where he could take her on the huge bed but he was too worried about upsetting her, and he couldn’t deny his need for her any longer. Yet, no matter that it would be next to impossible for him to stop now, he would if she said no.
“Ebony, look at me.” Her beautiful green eyes were glazed with passion, and he thought he would parish in their depths. “I want you, but if you want me to stop, you have to tell me now.” Gritting his teeth he prayed she wouldn’t ask him to. “If you want me to stop, say so now, because in a few more minutes I don’t think I will be able to. Do you understand what I’m saying?”
She nodded her head in understanding. “Please don’t stop, Ashe.” Her reply came in a breathy rush.
Her words brought relief along with swift pleasure to his very soul. He reached for her top, yanked it off over her head and began kissing her with all his pent up need, devouring her mouth, branding her. She was his, and he would kill anyone who tried to take her from him. His tongue delved in her mouth, tangled with hers in a sultry dance. Her desire pounded at his senses but he vowed to be careful with her. Her first time would be painful regardless of anything he did or did not do, but he wanted to be sure she was completely ready for him, hoping to keep her discomfort to a very minimum.
He took her mouth once again in a hot, demanding, soul searing kiss. Her body felt soft and pliant against his hard one. Her blood along with the need to take her thrummed loud in his ears. He trailed his lips down her neck to the top of her breasts and rained kisses on them while he unfastened the front clasp of her bra. When the cool air touched her skin, her nipples beaded into tiny, pink begging buds. Mine! He licked his lips before fastening his mouth on one of the tips, lapping, licking and sucking. She curled her fingers in his hair and tugged it, holding him to her while she arched into him and moaned her approval.
Another small cry escaped her lips when he scraped his whiskers against her delicate skin before moving to the other nipple. He treated it to the same sweet torture, rolling his tongue around it until she arched even harder into him, silently begging for more. His hands came up and cupped both breasts pushing them together so he could feast on both at the same time with his fingers and mouth. He wanted more. He needed more.
“Ashe, please. I feel like my skin is on fire.”
He sat up and unbuttoned his shirt. As he pulled it off his shoulders she ran her hands over his chest through the dusting of black hair. She gently pinched his nipples, and he growled low in his throat as they puckered at her touch. She explored further lightly drawing her nails back and forth and then down across his tight abdomen. He groaned in pleasure as her hand traveled lower and cupped his erection through his jeans. He grabbed her hand and moved it away from him then reached for her skirt, pulled it down her shapely legs then tossed it to the floor along with her shoes.
He sucked in a sharp breath. “My God, you’re beautiful.” Her black lace panties highlighted the paleness of her smooth skin. Her blonde hair was tousled and fell in disarray over her shoulders, and her lips were pink and swollen from his kisses. She was the most beautiful woman he had ever laid eyes on, and he was finally going to have her. He stood, unzipped his jeans and slowly worked them along with his boxers down his thighs never taking his eyes from hers. He kicked them and his shoes off in one smooth move.
Ebony gasped when his erection sprung free from his jeans. “Um, Ashe?”
He sensed her doubt and smiled a wicked grin. “Don’t worry. I promise I will fit.”
“I’m not sure about that.”
“I’m sure.” He reached for her hand and guided it to him. “Touch me, Ebony.”
Her small, pink tongue darted out and glided along her lower lip. She stroked tentatively from tip to base and back again. Then stopped at his harsh intake of air and snatched her hand back. “I’m sorry. Did I hurt you?”
Ashe chuckled and pulled her hand back to him. “No, you didn’t hurt me. You’re killing me.” Her blush quickly turned into a wicked smile.
He wrapped her fingers around his shaft and showed her how to touch him. She gripped him with one hand, stroking him over and over while palming his balls in the other, testing their weight. She grew bolder at his growled approvals. He bucked his hips up every time she pushed down. He watched in fascination as her hand pleasured him, enticing a small bead of clear moisture to the head of his erection. She licked her lips and bent forward, but he stopped her before she reached her destination. Her disappointment bounced through the air.
It was obvious she wasn’t done exploring, but he was nearing the edge, and if her sweet mouth had touched him, it would have been over. “No more.” He urged her onto her back, wedged one leg between her thighs and gently blanketed her body with his own. She was so tiny, and he was careful to keep most of his weight off her.
He caressed her body, exploring everywhere with his hands—the back of her knee, the crook of her arm—while he kissed her long and possessively. He wanted to touch every single inch of her skin. He was claiming her, branding her as his own. His body demanded more, and he moved down to her breasts again, only to shower small kisses over them as he burned a fiery trail to her belly. She gasped and arched into his mouth when he ran his tongue around her belly button.
He let out another low, predatory growl when he pulled her panties down her legs discarding them on the floor wi
th the rest of their clothes. He grasped her hips, pulling her to his mouth. He inhaled her scent deeply. She gasped and tried to sit up in response to the unknown intimacy, but he pushed her down and held her still with one strong hand on her soft belly. “Trust me, Ebony.”
“But, oh!” His wicked tongue flicked a small circle around the tiny nub nestled in her soft curls, and she cried out his name. Her stomach muscles clenched under his hand, and he gave one long lick down then back up her delicate folds, briefly stopping to lick her center. She tried to move her hips, but he held her firmly in place. She reached down and tangled her fingers in his hair to hold him to her, surrendering to the passion he promised.
He moved his hands entrapping a creamy thigh in each, holding her against him while he tasted her sweet, intoxicating scent. He wanted to devour her. He could taste her like this for hours, and still it would never be enough. He knew she was close to climax by her small gasps and the tugging of her fingers in his hair. He released one of her thighs, ran his index finger through her blonde curls and placed it at her opening. He continued to lick and lightly suck her clit as he gently eased inside her heat.