It’s not often I make the first move and initiate our lovemaking. Usually Gabriel is so in tune with my emotions, he knows what I want before I know it myself. But this time was different. I could feel him hesitate even though his own body trumpeted to the world how much he wanted me.
“Rowan, this might not be the best time. You’ve been through a lot, you need time to recover, you need—”
“To feel you moving inside me,” I interrupted. He stopped speaking, and I could see he was getting ready to find a different way to refuse me. “Please, Gabriel . . . I need this . . . I need you.”
And then he rolled me beneath him, and there was no more talking, and no more thinking. Just his hands stroking my skin, his mouth kissing mine as his own need met mine, giving me some delicious moments when I wasn’t sure I would ever breathe again.
Chapter 4
It was getting close to dawn when Gabriel murmured in my ear. Some quality time in his sarcophagus was needed, and though I was loath to let him go, I understood why he had to leave me. Propped up on one elbow, I watched as he dressed. It was a striptease in reverse, and the sight of Gabriel naked was enough to derail whatever train of thought I might be on. I gawped like a schoolgirl gazing at her first full-frontal centerfold, minus the always awkwardly placed staples, of course.
Knowing all too well the effect he had on me, Gabriel turned his back. Unable to help myself, I let out a whimper seeing his glutes tighten and relax. The ripple of his heavy thighs as he stepped into his jeans made me salivate, and the play of muscles in his arms and shoulders as he pulled on a T-shirt had my imagination doing sinfully wicked things to him with my tongue and a bowl of whipped cream. I swear I could watch him dress and undress a hundred times a day and never get tired of the show. And he knew it.
Throwing back the covers, I followed Gabriel’s lead and got dressed myself. I doubt the show I put on was anywhere near as sexy or seductive as the one he gave me, especially not when I almost fell over putting my panties on. Still, it was nice to see the look of disappointment on Gabriel’s face as I hooked up my bra. I don’t think he’d mind one bit if I chose to go braless for the rest of my life. I, on the other hand, am not quite ready to be so bold. And besides, a C-cup needs support. I completed my ensemble with a pair of unimaginative gray sweat pants and a favorite NFL T-shirt.
“Is Aleksei going to be all right here?” I was concerned that whoever had jumped him might decide to try again, once they discovered he hadn’t been eaten by Smokey the Bear. Of course, whatever carnage my lover had left behind might give them second thoughts.
“This is probably the safest place for him right now,” Gabriel assured me, “but even if it wasn’t, he’s not going to want to leave. At least not for a day or two.”
“Why not?”
Taking my hand, Gabriel sat on the edge of the bed and pulled me onto his lap. “You may notice some changes in Aleksei’s behavior, especially in the way he relates to you. I promise it’s only temporary, but until it passes, it’s better if he stays here with you.”
“Better for who?”
“Him definitely, but probably both of you.”
This was starting to get weird. “What sort of changes?” I tried not to sound overly concerned.
“Um, well, he’ll most likely want to maintain a connection to you.”
“What sort of connection?”
“A physical one.”
“Uh-huh. And what does that mean exactly?”
Puffing up his cheeks, Gabriel blew out a breath. “It’ll probably be something fairly innocuous like wanting to hold your hand.”
“Well, that doesn’t sound so bad.” To be honest, I had no idea what I’d been expecting.
“Um . . . all the time . . . for the next few days,” Gabriel added.
All the time?
“What, even when I need to pee?” I gave a nervous laugh.
“I think if you’re firm enough, he’ll stay outside the bathroom, but it might be best to lock the door. Just in case.”
I stared at Gabriel’s face, waiting for the telltale twitch at the corner of his mouth that would tell me he was joking. There was no twitch, only an anxious crinkle at the corners of his eyes, making me ask, “You’re serious, aren’t you?” It was a stupid question, and even though Gabriel nodded, I didn’t need him to answer. Nothing about this was funny. “But why would Aleksei want to hold my hand?”
“It’s an emotional response to having your blood in his system.”
“So is he going to want to hold your hand as well?”
My lover shook his head. “The amount of blood I gave was enough to make sure his body could complete the healing process started by you,” Gabriel explained. “Right now he has more of your blood in him than his own. It will take a few days for his body to process it, and until then he’s going to want to stay close to you.” Pulling a curl free from my hurriedly pulled-together ponytail, Gabriel curled it around his finger. “Under the circumstances, it’s a perfectly natural reaction.”
“And when I feed him again?”
The finger playing with my curl stopped in mid-twist, and the arm around my waist tightened enough that I noticed. “That won’t be necessary,” Gabriel said huskily. I looked at him, seeing his eyes turn a dark slate color. “The amount of blood you have already given is more than sufficient to carry Aleksei through the next few days. By the time he needs to feed again, Anasztaizia will be able to take care of him.”
Oh my God—Anasztaizia! I’d almost forgotten about the lovely Hungarian.
“Is that why Aleksei broke his bond with her? Because he knew she might be in danger?”
“That would be my guess. In order to keep her safe, and make sure she could not be used as coercion, all other vampires had to believe he was done with her. The reason why was not important, just the end result.”
“But now he can reestablish their bond, right?”
“Yes, once he has overcome the effects of your blood.”
For a few moments neither of us spoke as I tried to grasp all the possible ramifications my blood could be having as it coursed through the Russian vampire’s body. It was obvious that Gabriel was keeping a hold on his temper. I caught him staring at the rumpled bed sheets, a fierce look on his face. Was he worried that Aleksei’s out-of-whack emotional response might manifest itself in some sort of display of carnal lust?
You’d never be able to fight him off, my inner bitch declared in a horrified tone. Hell, you couldn’t even hold him up when he fell through your doorway!
Thanking my inner bitch for the reminder, I told her to stow it or get locked in a box. If she was going to make comments, they needed to be constructive and useful. Tell me what I could do, not point out what I couldn’t. She snorted disdainfully. Motivational Coach wasn’t in her job description. But she did have a point about my inability to protect myself.
I put my palm on Gabriel’s cheek, pulling him away from whatever dark thoughts he was having. “Is that all he’s going to want to do? Hold my hand?”
Realizing what I was asking, and that I’d noticed his concern, Gabriel leaned forward and brushed his lips across my mouth. “He won’t want anything more from you.”
“You’re certain?” It was a valid question. My lover was about to go across town and submit to a self-induced coma for possibly the next twelve hours or so. A hell of a lot could happen in that amount of time.
“If Aleksei wanted to be . . . intimate, he would have broken the door down while I was with you.”
Recalling Gabriel’s initial reluctance to have sex, I pulled out of his arms. “Please tell me that’s not why you made love to me. To test him in some way.”
He reached for me, pulling me back to him. “No. It was an afterthought only.” Gabriel kissed me, his tongue pushing into my mouth in a way that could only be described as politely insistent. His fangs dropped, and I felt a prick as he pierced my lower lip. Unable to feed from me himself, he needed a taste of my blood. Hi
s tongue swiped over my lip, sealing the pinprick holes, before he let me go. “You’ve given your blood to another vampire, Rowan. I needed to reclaim what is mine.”
“But you didn’t seem to want to.” It was the first time I had ever known him to be hesitant.
“Rowan, Rowan, Rowan!” He punctuated each repetition of my name with a little shake of my shoulders. “I always want you, but after what you’ve just been through, I needed to know you still wanted me. I needed to hear you say it.”
He’d been worried my life-saving action might have caused a shift in my affection. It was gratifying to know there were times when he was vulnerable, that his confidence could be shaken. A warm glow erupted in the middle of my chest. I took his hand and linked my fingers with his. “So . . . hand-holding only?”
His dimple winked at me. “Why don’t we go find out?”
Chapter 5
Aleksei was taking up far too much space in the apartment’s small kitchen. Hearing Gabriel and me, he turned to greet us with a carafe of cold water in one hand and a canister of coffee in the other. If I didn’t know better, I’d think the expression on his face was some sort of commentary regarding my coffeemaker. Mr. Coffee may not be a top-of-the-line machine, but it gets the job done without having to show off and light up like the instrument panel of a 747 every time it’s switched on. However, the look on Aleksei’s face had nothing to do with kitchen appliance performance levels.
I doubted few people had ever seen the look of grim disquiet he now wore. Aleksei could no more influence or manipulate the effects of my blood running through him than he could walk outside at high noon. Clearly, it was not a condition he was comfortable with.
From the way Gabriel had been talking, I half expected the Russian vampire to take one look at me, rush to my side, and enfold me in one of his giant hugs while giving me an adoring, sappy-dog look. And it might have been true if he had made eye contact with me. But Aleksei was studiously ignoring me, keeping his eyes firmly fixed on Gabriel. The big guy might have more of my blood running through him right now, but it wasn’t enough to make him forget who was the dominant presence in our little triangle.
Well, isn’t this deliciously awkward?
It would seem my inner bitch didn’t quite grasp the concept of constructive and useful. I sighed, wondering why I even bothered.
Atta girl.
There was a sudden shift in Aleksei’s expression. The disquiet now changed to something veering toward apologetic. Did the Russian feel he needed to ask forgiveness for wanting to make coffee, or was he worried he should have asked permission first? Either way, he was addressing the wrong person, but given the noticeable swell in tension and testosterone, I wasn’t about to have my new apartment wrecked over a cup of joe. Disentangling my fingers from Gabriel’s grasp, I opened the cupboard above the stove and took out a box of filters.
“Here,” I said, putting them on the counter in front of Aleksei. “You’re going to need one of these.” With a low grunt that I interpreted as a thank-you, Aleksei resumed his work as a barista.
Noticing the faded blue jeans and T-shirt he wore, I was about to ask Aleksei who’d outfitted him when the answer came down the hall from the general direction of the utility room.
“I’m sorry, Aleksei, but I think your coat is destined for the bonfire.” Tomas held the offending article in his hands. “I’m not sure even I can get all the bloodstains out, and did you know you’ve got brain matter on one shoulder?” He lifted one of the sleeves to his face. “I don’t even care to speculate what that might be. I’ve never smelled anything like it before.” The sentinel sighed. “It truly is beyond repair, laddie.”
I imagined Tomas was the only person who could get away with calling Aleksei laddie. Probably having been with Aleksei from the start of his journey to becoming a vampire helped, but the sentinel’s adopted Scottish accent, with its soft rolling burr, didn’t hurt either.
“But I’ve had it a long time,” Aleksei protested, sounding decidedly miserable.
“Yes, well, perhaps it’s time for a new one. I’m sure you can go back to Moscow now. It’s been what, seventy, eighty years since you were last there?” Aleksei nodded, looking dejected. “I doubt there’s anyone still alive who would remember what happened. At least not in any detail,” Tomas added.
“What did he do?” I blurted out.
Three heads swiveled in my direction, and I felt myself being pinned by three pairs of eyes. Gabriel’s were filled with a quiet amusement, Aleksei’s were slightly ashamed, while Tomas had the kind of look I’d last seen on my dad’s face as he dealt with the unenviable task of helping me negotiate my way through puberty.
“I was drunk,” the big guy stated miserably.
Oh ho, this is going to be good!
“I’m surprised you could still stand,” Gabriel murmured with more than a touch of admiration.
I turned to Tomas, looking for an explanation. The sentinel shrugged as he began to stuff the army greatcoat into a heavy-duty black plastic bag.
“I’m sure it’s not the first time Stalin woke up to find a heifer in his bedroom,” he said, tying the corners of the bag together. “The difference being this one had four legs, not two.”
“It was still disrespectful,” Aleksei muttered.
“Did you say heifer? Like an actual, cud-chewing, milk-producing animal?” They gazed at me again, clearly wondering what other type of beast I might possibly be thinking of. “You put a cow in Stalin’s bedroom? While he was asleep?”
“I think the effect would have been ruined if he’d been awake, lass,” Tomas said.
I couldn’t even begin to imagine the logistics involved in pulling off such a feat. “How did you get it into his bedroom?” I blurted.
“I carried it,” Aleksei replied in a slightly bewildered tone. The rest of his explanation was in unintelligible Russian, and I just nodded in what I hoped were the appropriate places.
“As I said, no one will remember.” Tomas patted the big guy on the shoulder before turning to me. “So, lassie, how are you feeling?”
“Good. A little tired.”
“I would imagine so. May I offer some advice?” I nodded. If Tomas was going to give me one of his homemade remedies, I was all ears. “No more untruths between us.”
“Untruths?”
“Aye, silly notes to tell me where you aren’t going to be.”
I felt the heat rush to my face. Obviously, the sentinel had seen through my ruse—telling him I was going to spend the night at a hotel when my true destination was my apartment. My intentions had been good. If Kartel was coming after me, and we still didn’t know for sure he wasn’t, he might think twice if I was in a place with a lot of people. And I’d thought that if Tomas was confronted by the blue-haired Original Vampire, he stood a better chance of getting away if he didn’t also have to protect me. So I’d left him a note.
“Did you check with the hotel?” I had gone through all the motions of actually checking in, making sure the receptionist would be able to recall me if anyone asked.
Tomas gave me a disappointed look. Another reminder of my dad dealing with his teenage daughter. “I didn’t need to, lass. Did you not recall I am a runecaster? Your words on the paper fairly jumped up and screamed they were a lie.”
I ought to have known better. I’ve never been able to lie convincingly, and if I couldn’t do it with Gabriel, why did I think I’d be able to fib to his sentinel? Even with a note. I didn’t realize I was about to cry until I felt strong arms pivoting me toward a hard chest. A hand began to rub comforting circles on my back, and a voice above my head murmured soothing endearments. In Russian. I pulled back my head and was rewarded by puppy-dog brown eyes staring adoringly back at me.
Aw shit!
Awkwardly, I disentangled myself from Aleksei’s embrace and looked over my shoulder at Gabriel, who was staring at both of us with a face that was calm, giving away nothing. Except I could feel the heat surging through h
im. I grabbed his hand and led him out of the kitchen toward the front door. He needed to get to his sarcophagus.
“Perhaps this isn’t such a good idea,” he murmured. “It might be better if I stayed.”
I took hold of his chin and made him look at me. “Are you certain all he wants to do is hold my hand?”
Powerful shoulders moved slightly. “He may want to feed you dinner . . . while you sit on his lap.”
I got an instant visual of the last time I’d sat on Gabriel’s lap while he fed me. Strawberries and cream, as I recall, and we’d both been naked. I’d make certain Aleksei kept his clothes on. I sensed rather than saw both Tomas and Aleksei come into the living room. I don’t think either of them actually believed Gabriel was going to leave, and they were waiting to see what I would do.
“Do you trust me?” I asked, looking up at my lover’s face.
“Always.”
I pulled his face toward me so I could kiss him. I made it fierce and hungry, my tongue lapping across his fangs when he dropped them. His erection was threatening to pop each and every button on his fly, so I slid my hand between us, covering it. “Save that for the next time you see me,” I told him when I pulled my mouth away.
Gabriel grinned. Whatever uncertainty he may have been feeling, it wasn’t about Aleksei. He never would have allowed the other vampire to stay with me if there were any doubt. Gabriel had simply needed reassurance from me. And I was pretty sure I’d just delivered in a way that was more than convincing.
He was almost at the door when he bent and picked something up from the floor. I remembered holding the pale blue jewelry box in my hand, thinking the knock on the door was the giver come to take it back from me. But it had been Aleksei standing on the other side, and I’d dropped the box to catch him. The necklace must have spilled out. To be honest, I’d forgotten all about it . . . until now. I don’t know why I felt guilty, but I did. It was never my intention to hide the necklace from Gabriel, or to keep the visit from the demon who gave it to me a secret, but the way my heart was racing certainly made it seem that way. And from the look on Gabriel’s face as he turned to me, he thought the same thing.
A Vampire's Hunger Page 4