"That's great." Toni eyed the pile of bikini underwear Carlos had piled up. One was spotted like a leopard, and another was striped like a tiger.
"And they'll work around my research trips, too. I would never find another employer that understanding."
"Well, the Vamps know how much they need mortals they can trust." Not that Carlos was entirely mortal. Carlos Panterra. Toni mentally slapped herself on the brow. She should have known. She winced when he set another item on the bed. Good grief. Those were the biggest nail clippers she'd ever seen.
"It's just so wonderful, menina. I've always had to keep my secret…well, secret, you know. But with this job, I am free to be myself. In fact, being a shape shifter actually adds to my value. And I've found a home for my orphans."
Toni smiled. "I'm very happy for them. And you."
Carlos skirted the bed and hugged her. "Thank you so much."
"Thank you, Carlos. You've always been a great friend." She resisted the urge to pet him behind the ears. The guy was practically purring. "I'll let you settle in. We have to be up before sunrise, you know." She moved toward the door.
He grabbed a stack of clothes and headed for the dark, ornately carved wooden dresser. "What are you going to do, menina? Will you stay with Ian or go back to Sabrina?"
That was the question of the day. Toni fingered the heart pendant on her chest. "I'm hoping that it won't be an either/or situation. That Sabrina will come around in time."
Carlos nodded. "Sometimes you must dare to believe."
Toni went to her bedroom, repeating those words to herself. Dare to believe. She loved Bri, and she loved Ian. She had to believe it would all work out.
She overslept in the morning, and didn't wake until she heard Carlos banging on her door.
"I'll be right down," she called out. Damn, damn, damn. She hated these early mornings. She rushed through her shower and threw on her uniform. She was hurrying down the stairs, pulling her damp ponytail through a scrunchie, when she spotted Zoltan Czakvar and Giacomo di Venezia, aka Jack, coming up the stairs.
"Bellissima, you are as lovely as ever." Jack bowed.
Boy was he full of it. Toni appreciated the compliment, but she knew her male uniform was baggy and ugly, and she was wearing very little makeup. "You guys retiring for the night—I mean, day?"
"Yes. We'll be in guest rooms on the fourth floor," Zoltan said. Between his yawn and his Hungarian accent, he was hard to understand.
"Bellissima, will you check on me personally?" Jack's brown eyes twinkled.
"If you like. Sure."
"Molto bene. Ciao, bellissima." Jack started up another flight of stairs.
Zoltan trudged behind him. "You're planning to sleep in the nude, aren't you?"
Jack chuckled.
Toni rolled her eyes, then ran down the stairs. Hopefully, Ian was still awake. In the foyer, she met Dougal and Phineas heading down to the basement.
Phineas yawned. "Good night, sweetness."
"Good night. Or morning." These guys were confusing her. "Have you seen Ian?"
"Already gone to bed." Dougal shut the cellar door behind him.
Too late. Dammit. It was hard having a boyfriend on the graveyard shift. She trudged into the kitchen.
"Good morning." Howard sat smiling at the kitchen table, munching on a bear claw.
Doughnuts, again? If she kept eating those, she'd be as big as a bear. She noticed Carlos was spooning something from a bowl into his mouth. It looked a bit healthier. "What are you eating? Meow Mix?"
Howard snorted with laughter, while Carlos gave her a bland look.
Toni smiled sweetly. "I hear they have a new anti-hairball formula."
"It's cereal." Carlos showed her the box.
"Hmm, Special K for kitties? Can I have some?" She fetched a bowl.
"If you'll stop being catty," Carlos grumbled.
"Sorry." She patted him on the head. She knew she was being ornery. She was just so disappointed about not seeing Ian. It would be a long, long time till sundown.
After breakfast, she offered to go check on him. "Is he on the fifth floor?"
"Yes." Howard finished his cup of tea. With extra honey, no doubt. "What do you say, Carlos? Are you up to a martial arts session? I want to see how well you can fight."
"You're on." Carlos and Howard headed down the basement stairs, while Toni started the long climb to the fifth floor.
She was breathing a bit heavily by the time she reached the fifth-floor office. The room was dark, the aluminum shutters closed. An empty blood bottle sat in the sink at the wet bar. Ian must have had a snack before going to bed.
She opened the double doors leading into the bedroom. Light spilled from the partially closed bathroom.
"You left the light on. Shame on you." She approached the left side of the bed.
Ian was lying there in his white T-shirt and plaid flannel pajama bottoms. He'd folded back the tan suede comforter to lie on the cool cotton sheets. His black hair was loose from its leather thong and made a dramatic contrast to the white pillowcase.
He was in the usual position he assumed for his death-sleep. Flat on his back, big feet pointed to the ceiling, hands clasped neatly over his flat stomach. He'd probably learned this position from centuries of sleeping in a coffin.
Toni did a double take to the area below his clasped hands. There was a definite bulge in his pajama bottoms. She leaned over for a closer look. Good grief, he'd fallen into his death-sleep with a hard-on. Was it possible for a stiff to be that stiff?
She straightened with a deep breath. "Naughty boy," she whispered and glanced at his handsome face. A shadow of dark whiskers lined his strong jaw. His black eyelashes were so thick. She would hate him if she didn't love him so much. She reached out to touch the cute dimple in his chin.
His eyes suddenly opened. She jumped. A hand locked around her wrist in a tight grip. She gasped.
"Surprise." He seized her by the arms and rolled her onto the bed.
CHAPTER 24
He'd certainly surprised her. She lay on the bed, her bonnie mouth dropped open. He rolled onto his side to face her and propped himself up on an elbow.
"You—you're not dead," she whispered.
He smiled. "No' at the moment."
"How? You took that drug? The Stay-Awake drug?"
"Aye. I know where it's hidden."
She sat up. "But Ian, it makes you grow older."
"One year for each day." He shrugged one shoulder. "So I'll look twenty-eight instead of twenty-seven."
Her mouth fell open again. "You were willing to age a year?"
"To spend a day with you, aye."
"That's so sweet." She stretched out, facing him. "But are you sure you should be sweet? I mean, you're awake, and the bad guys are asleep."
His smile widened. She was as much a warrior as he was. "So ye want to slaughter them while they're unable to defend themselves?"
She winced. "I realize it's not a very honorable thing to do, but they would do it to you in a second."
"Aye, they would, so we'll have to make sure they never get that drug." He reached out to brush a tendril of damp hair off her cheek. "Actually, I would be tempted to kill them all and be done with this mess, but they have about twenty Russian mafia guys guarding them with high-powered assault rifles."
"Oh." She made a face. "That would be nasty."
"Aye, verra nasty. Ever since Roman visited them during the day, they've been extra vigilant." He trailed a finger along the line of her jaw. "And then there's the problem of me burning to a crisp if I go out in the sun."
"I guess we'll have to stay inside."
"Aye." He skimmed his finger over her ear.
"I guess we could think of something to pass the time." Her eyes twinkled as she glanced at his pajama bottoms. "It looks like you've been thinking ahead of me."
He smiled wryly. "A man should never be unprepared."
It was true that while he lay in bed, waiting for her
to arrive, he'd grown aroused just thinking about making love to her. He knew his eyes were turning red now. A red tint shaded the room, making Toni's skin look pink and ripe with blood. It would be a challenge to keep control. He'd purposely filled up with synthetic blood to make it easier.
The way she'd looked at him when he'd unleashed all his Vamp power in Dr. Proctor's library—that had stretched his control to the max. He'd heard her heart racing. He'd smelled the scent of her arousal. He'd wanted to leap on her and sink his fangs into her neck.
His gums tingled, and he collapsed on his back, squeezing his eyes shut.Control. He didn't dare make love to her if he couldn't control himself.
"Are you all right?" she whispered.
"I doona want to influence you in any way. If ye stay in my bed, it should be yer decision. But know that I will make love to you."
"Well, I was sorta counting on that." Her voice sounded muffled, then something soft fell on his face.
He brushed it aside and opened his eyes. There was a navy polo shirt in his hand. Her shirt. She sat beside him, sliding her bra straps off her shoulders. The heart pendant he'd given her was nestled between her breasts.
"Are ye certain?"
"Do I look uncertain?" She flung her bra on the floor.
He pounced, pushing her onto her back. "I love a decisive woman."
She smiled. "I love an aggressive man."
He splayed a hand around her rib cage. "I know ye havena known me for verra long."
"But I've waited for you for years."
"For centuries. I think my heart recognized you the verra first night we met. It just took a few more nights for my brain to catch up."
She touched his face. "I was the same way."
He skimmed his hand up to cover her breast. "I want ye to know that I'll be faithful. I love ye dearly. That will never change."
"Oh, Ian." She wrapped her arms around his neck. "I love you, too."
He leaned down to kiss her lips. They were soft and moist, and they opened sweetly. He swirled his tongue inside, exploring and tasting. She quivered beneath him, so fragile in her mortality but so strong with passion. She was everything he wasn't. Everything he craved. Life and light. Pure and good.
Her tongue skimmed along his teeth, then swirled bravely around the sharp point of one of his fangs. He groaned. Did she know how badly she was flirting with danger? She pressed her tongue against the point.
With a sharp breath, he broke the kiss. Her skin, her neck, her breasts—they all looked pink and delicious through his red-tinted eyes.
"By all the saints, I want you." He trailed kisses down her throat to her breasts. Her pounding heart echoed in his ears, pounding faster and accelerating the flames of his passion. He scooped a hand behind her back and lifted her rib cage in the air. Her back arched, pressing her breasts against his mouth. With a moan, she flung her arms to the side, as if surrendering her body to his needs.
And he needed her. Every inch of her. He nibbled and suckled on her plump nipples till the tips grew hard in his mouth. He sucked on one and pinched the other one lightly. When he tugged on both, she gasped.
"Oh, please." She grasped his T-shirt and pulled.
He yanked his T-shirt over his head and threw it. Then he unbuckled the belt around her hips and attacked the waistband and zipper of her khaki trousers. "Bloody hell, I never thought I'd be removing a pair of men's pants."
She laughed and tried to help him by lifting her hips in the air. He groaned at the sight. He tugged her pants down to her ankles, but was halted by her athletic shoes. With a quick flick of his wrists, they went flying into the air. Her socks and trousers followed.
"I love yer legs." He grasped an ankle and lifted her bare leg so he could plant kisses along her calf.
"Take off your pants."
"Now?" He tickled the underside of her knee.
Her leg jerked. "Yes. Now."
He lowered her ankle onto his shoulder, then rose to his knees to pull his pajama bottoms down. His erection sprang out.
She propped herself up on her elbows to get a better look at him. "Wow."
"I hope ye doona expect me to dance like that guy at the Horny Devils." He tossed his pajamas on the floor.
"What guy?" she murmured, her eyes glued to his crotch.
The more she stared, the more swollen he became. At this rate, he wasn't going to last another minute. He needed to distract her quickly. "Now, where were we?" He kissed her ankle.
"No." She slid her leg off his shoulder and leaned forward. "I want to touch you." She circled her hand around his erection.
"Och, lass. I canna endure this for long."
"Aw, come on." She squeezed gently. "You're a tough guy."
"Aye." He hissed in a breath as she teased the tip with her thumb. He'd already leaked a drop, and she spread the moisture around. "I am tough." He gritted his teeth. "I'm a seasoned warrior."
"A real he-man." She shoved him back onto the bed.
His head was halfway off the end of the bed. He gasped when her mouth enveloped him. He crushed the comforter in his fists. He could handle this. He wasn't a green boy. "I–I grew a few inches over the summer."
She made a sound of appreciation deep in her throat. Her fingers tickled his balls, then squeezed. Her tongue was swirling around him. The room swirled around him. He couldn't believe it. This was different from all the sex he'd had over the centuries. Maybe it was because his equipment was slightly different—bigger and more mature. Or maybe it was because Toni was…Toni. She was making love to him. He never wanted it to stop.
But it was going to stop, and bloody well soon.
"Nay! Toni!"
She looked up at him just as he lost control. With a groan, he spurted on her chest. He retained enough control to turn away from her. Mortified, he ejaculated all over Roman's suede comforter. And the damned stuff kept coming.
"Och, lass. I'm so sorry. I'm no' used to this longer…I dinna control it properly." He lowered his head, too ashamed to look at her.
The sound of giggling broke the silence. He looked warily at her. She was rolling from side to side, laughing so hard there were tears in her eyes.
His face heated up. "Och, it is truly every man's desire to be laughed at in bed."
"Ian, you're so cute. Och, mercy! Me cock is too big. It's out of control!" She mimicked his Scottish accent and laughed some more. "You poor baby. It's so sad to be over-endowed. I think I may have to cry."
He glowered at her. "Ye're certainly enjoying this."
"Of course." She sat up, wiping her eyes. "I am so thrilled that I could make you lose control."
"Really?"
"Oh yes! It's like an amazing power trip." She flexed her biceps. "Mere mortal drives hunky, immortal vampire past the brink of his control. I feel like Superwoman!"
"Ye liked it?"
"Oh God, yes." She pressed a hand to her chest, then laughed some more when her fingers landed in cum. She grabbed the edge of the sheet and wiped her hand and chest.
Ian was amazed. He could embarrass himself with Toni, and she still loved him. He was the luckiest man on earth.
"And I have to say that I really appreciate those extra inches." Her gaze dropped to his crotch. "You are magnificent."
"Thank you." He was feeling much better now. "I could easily be persuaded to lose control again, since it makes ye feel so good."
Her mouth twitched. "That's real noble of you."
"I aim to please. In fact, now that I'm no longer in danger of exploding, I can devote more time to pleasing you."
Her eyebrows rose. "That sounds good."
"Aye." He trailed his fingers up her bare leg. "It will be my mission to drive you past the brink of control."
"I love a man with a mission."
He arched a brow. "Off with yer undies, lass."
With a giggle, she lay back. "Aye, aye, medieval warrior." She hooked her thumbs in the waistband of her panties and slowly wiggled out of them. "You may have
your lusty way with me."
"That I will." He admired the way she moved her hips.
When her undies reached mid-thigh, she couldn't reach any farther with her hands. "Could you be so kind as to offer me some assistance?"
"My pleasure, dear lady." He hooked a finger in her undies and dragged them down her legs.
"Why thank you kindly, sir." Her Southern accent grew more pronounced, and she gave him a sultry look.
He chuckled. He should have known making love to Toni would be like nothing he'd experienced before. She filled his heart with joy. "You are most welcome, fair lady."
He tossed her panties in the air. When they defied gravity, he looked up and spotted them hanging from the light fixture.
Toni reclaimed his attention when she planted one foot to the right and then, with a seductive sway of her hips, she planted the other to the left. She opened her legs. "I do hope you'll enjoy the view."
"Aye, I do." He could see the moisture glistening on her tender folds. He inhaled deeply, savoring the scent of her arousal. "Och, lass, ye are the most beautiful of all fair maidens."
"Hmm. You are too kind." She wiggled her hips provocatively. "I shall endeavor to accommodate your manly size." She grinned at him.
"I'm going to suck on you till yer eyeballs pop out."
Her eyes widened. "Okay."
He grasped her ankles and placed them around his neck. "Hold on, sweetheart. This could get wild."
She giggled.
He seized her hips and buried his face in her scent. She gasped when he started to lick and trembled when he sucked. He inserted two fingers and stroked her gently. With panting breaths, she moved her hips in rhythm with his fingers.
She was so wet now. So hot. So beautiful. And he was growing hard again. He enjoyed one last look at her wet, engorged flesh, then moved in for the final assault. He flicked his tongue, increasing his speed as only a vampire could do. Her legs clenched. Her hips rose. Almost there.
With a squeal, she jolted. Her inner muscles spasmed around his fingers. Her whole body shuddered.
He kissed her trembling thighs and lowered her feet to the bed. He kissed her belly, her breasts. He held himself poised over her, and the tip of his erection grazed her slick opening.
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