by Elisa Adams
She buried her hands in his hair and yanked his head up to meet hers. “Stop teasing me,” she said through clenched teeth.
He laughed before he crushed her mouth with his in a kiss that left no doubt of his intentions. Teasing time was definitely over. Lifting her hips, he drove his cock into her cunt in one stroke. Amara moaned low in her throat, her body convulsing as he thrust hard and fast, making no apologies.
He’d never felt so out of control in his life. His fangs completely elongated against his will, something that hadn’t happened in years. He tried to force them back in, but it was no use. Beyond the thinking stage, he sank them into her neck. Her blood flowed easily over his tongue and her nails dug into his back again. That was enough to send him into a furious climax that nearly blinded him. He buried his cock in her to the hilt and rode out the sensations, wondering if he was going to black out. He didn’t, but he didn’t have much strength left by the time he was done, either. A lot of that was probably due to the fact that he hadn’t fed as often as usual since she’d been here. He hadn’t wanted to leave the house to find a donor, but he couldn’t feed off of her every time the need arouse. Her fragile human body wouldn’t be able to take it.
He didn’t allow himself to feed for long. He pulled his mouth away, even though his thirst was nowhere near sated. Tomorrow he’d be able to get back to his regular schedule, feeding every night instead of every few, and feeding off of complete strangers. Without the emotional connection he felt with Amara, his senses wouldn’t be so frazzled.
Amara pulled his head down for a kiss. Even after she’d just come, she was nearly crawling all over him. Her hands were everywhere. He knew she had to taste her blood on his tongue, but she didn’t complain. In fact, she seemed to like it. She thrust her tongue into his mouth and moaned, her hand curling harder against his neck. He should have taken that as a sign to pull back, but he was too sated to read her actions.
He felt a quick stab of pain when she bit his lip. Damn it. She’d broken the skin again, and this was much more than a little nip. She’d gotten him good. He felt a line of blood trickle down the side of his chin. Before he knew what she was going, Amara licked his skin clean with one swipe of her tongue.
Floored, he pulled away. “What are you doing?”
She blinked, looking like Amara but acting like some kind of vampire vixen. “I thought you liked it rough.”
He did, but he couldn’t get rough with a human woman. “You bit me.”
“You didn’t seem to mind when I did it before.”
“Yeah, well it’s different now.” That was an understatement. “What the hell is going on with you?”
“Nothing.”
“You’re scaring me. I’m supposed to be the unstable one.”
She laughed at that. “You’re not unstable. We all have our moments where we lose ourselves.”
“Like you’re having now?”
She shook her head. “No. I know exactly what I’m doing. I just can’t stop myself. Maybe I don’t want to.”
She licked her lips, but there was nothing nervous about it this time. Another trickle of warm wetness trailed down his chin and he licked his own lip. He tasted the blood she’d drawn, his blood. And there was a lot more of it than last time, even more than he’d first thought. He shook his head. Good thing he’d pulled away, or else she might have—
There was no use even thinking about that. She hadn’t gotten enough to do any permanent damage. Once he’d returned her home, she’d be fine. In a few weeks she’d be back to normal, sleeping at night and eating normal meals and not trying to drain him of his blood.
He hoped.
Chapter 11
This just sucked.
Two days ago Marco had brought her back to her townhouse, and he hadn’t even bothered to call. Not even once. He’d promised her he’d be in touch, but that was a crock. She had hoped to hear from him, but she wasn’t going to hold her breath. He’d gotten what he wanted from her, and now he was gone from her life.
How typical was that? Every man was the same when it came down to it. They took and took and took, and then they left. She didn’t need him, anyway. She didn’t need any man to make her life complete.
Never mind the fact that he’d had to drag her back home, literally kicking and screaming. Her neighbors probably thought she was out of her mind. First she was gone for days, then when she returned she acted like a total nutcase.
The thought of being separated from him had scared her to death. That was an odd reaction, considering how they’d met. But something inside her protested his choice to get rid of her. She didn’t want that—she would have been perfectly happy to stay with him for the rest of her life. She’d assumed that once she’d been away from him for a little while she’d feel more like herself again.
She’d been wrong. She hadn’t been able to stop thinking about him, trying to understand how he could wreak such emotional havoc on her in just a few weeks. She’d never be the same, and being without him felt wrong.
Someone, probably the woman who’d brought her clothes when she was with Marco, had stocked her fridge and cleaned her house. Her car was right where she’d left it. Her mail was piled on the counter. It was as if nothing had changed, like she hadn’t been gone at all.
Or it would have been, if her voicemail hadn’t been littered with calls from Robby trying to get her to renegotiate her deal.
Ha! Like that would ever happen. But that didn’t mean she couldn’t have a little fun with him. She’d come to an important realization when she’d been with Marco. She didn’t need that job. She didn’t need Robby, or Derek, or Midnight. She was her own person, one who couldn’t be threatened and pushed around, and it was about time Robby understood that.
She walked out into the bright sunshine of the afternoon and was practically blinded. Apparently all those days, and nights, in the woods were still affecting her. Damn. The sun had never bothered her before. She pulled her sunglasses out of her purse and put them on. Much better. Now she could at least walk down the sidewalk without falling over her feet.
When she got to the restaurant where she’d agreed to meet Robby, he was already sitting at one of the outdoor tables. He stood up when she approached, taking her hand in his and kissing it. She blinked. What the hell was that all about?
His smile was sickeningly sweet when he spoke. “Hey, baby. How are you doing?”
There was a nervousness about him she’d never noticed before. It made her laugh. To think that a few months ago, she’d considered getting down on her knees and begging this man for a job. She’d never actually seen him for what he was—a lemming so desperate to keep his job he’d jump through flaming hoops if the great powers-that -be told him to.
“Fine, Robby. How are you?”
He stared at her for a few seconds, his brow furrowed. “You look a little pale. A little too thin, too. What’s going on with you?”
She shrugged and sat down. “Not much. I just took a much needed vacation.”
“Usually you return my calls right away. I’ve been calling you for almost a week. That isn’t like you, kiddo.”
She hadn’t done much of anything like her since she’d been back. There hadn’t been time. Most of her days were still spent sleeping, although she was trying to break herself of the habit. Her nights were divided between late night movies and thoughts of Marco and why the hell hadn’t he called…it had already been two days and he’d promised he’d be in touch—
The next time she saw him, he was in for a truck load of pain.
Robby was talking about something, but she couldn’t focus on the conversation. The longer she sat outside, the more the noise bothered her. Too many people talking, too many car horns blaring. She couldn’t stand it. How she’d ever lived in this city for so long was a mystery to her now.
“So what do you think?”
“What?” She looked over Robby’s little, greasy-haired body and wished she was someplace else. Anywhere but
here. Preferably anywhere she could be with a dark, sexy vampire. Naked.
“I was just telling you about the…”
She tuned Robby out again, concentrating instead on the dull throbbing that was starting in the back of her head. She needed a cup of coffee in a bad way, before it turned into a full-blown headache.
Robby’s chattering wasn’t helping. He went on and on, but she paid no attention to his words. She focused on the pounding in her head. Suddenly she had the oddest sensation of being able to feel the pulse beating in Robby’s neck beating in time with the pounding in her head. She blinked and swallowed. Her throat had gone dry and her breathing had become ragged.
What the fuck was wrong with her? This was Robby!
“Amara, are you okay?”
She nodded and licked her lips, but it was a lie. She wasn’t okay at all. She felt like she was going to pass out.
“Do you need me to call a doctor?”
“No.” She needed that pulse…
“Are you on drugs or something?”
“What?” She had to struggle to understand what he said. “No, no drugs.”
God, what she wouldn’t give to just taste that vein—
Stop! Okay, she’d obviously spent way too much time living with a vampire. She shook her head hard and gestured for a waitress. She needed a cup of coffee.
Or maybe she needed vodka.
She needed something, and it sure as hell wasn’t Robby’s blood. She’d definitely been with Marco for a little too long. Now she was the one who was delusional.
Robby scooted his chair back a little while he spoke. “Um, the producers are willing to keep the movie soft core.”
She laughed. “It’s not going to happen, Robby. I don’t need this job, and I don’t need you.”
She sipped the coffee the waitress set in front of her, but she gagged on the bitter taste. She added half a cup of milk, which helped a little. Even though it was cold, she could at least choke it down.
Shoving the cup away, she opted instead for the water the waitress brought with the coffee. At least that didn’t have any flavor to begin with.
Robby blinked at her food choices. “Do you want something to eat, honey? You look like you could use it.”
She shook her head and waved her hand in the air. “Not hungry. And just for the record, my name is Amara. If you call me honey, or baby, or anything demeaning like that again, I’m going to rip your throat out and stuff it up your ass. Okay?”
Robby’s eyes widened and he scooted his chair back another couple of inches. When he spoke, his voice came out as a squeak, his head bobbing vigorously. “Yeah. Okay. Sorry. You really should eat something, though. You’re wasting away.”
She sighed. “You know, I really don’t need you to run my life. This meeting was a bad idea. I’m going to leave before you make a fool of yourself by getting down on your knees and begging me in public.”
“Is that what you want? You want me to beg?”
She had to admit, the idea held more than a little appeal.
“Why the sudden change?”
Robby looked at the ground. “Derek won’t do the movies unless you do, too.”
Of all the dirty tricks. “Derek can go fuck himself. I’m through with him.”
“Come on, Amara. We need Derek. You’ve got to help me here.”
“You need Derek? Why is it that everything is always about Derek? Are you screwing him, too?” She slammed her hand down on the table, making Robby jump.
He didn’t answer, and he kept his gaze trained on the table top.
“I can’t believe this. Why did it take me so long to see Derek for the asshole he is? Steve was bad enough, but you? What does your wife think about it?”
He sucked in a breath. “You can’t say anything to Carol. Don’t you dare.”
“Please. It’s not worth my time. You’re not worth my time. If you need anything else from me, call my agent.” She shoved her seat back and stood up. “On second thought, don’t bother. He’s fired. Goodbye, Robby.”
She left him at the table, gaping and sputtering. Why had it taken so long to see what an idiot he was? She nearly laughed at the whole idea. Apparently Derek, the man who had claimed he would love her until her dying day, screwed anything that breathed within a ten mile radius. The drug problems should have been a sign that there was something seriously wrong with him. If not the drugs, certainly his predilection for playing with dildos after they'd had sex should have tipped her off.
She’d let him walk all over her. She’d let everyone walk all over her, mainly because she was used to it. Her mother had done it, with her string of boyfriends and husbands, and when she’d struck out on her own she’d actually gone looking for it.
Her agent had bossed her around, and she hadn’t thought twice. The directors she’d worked with had been the same. It was time she stopped that from happening. Now she just had to decide what she was going to do with the rest of her life.
She tugged at the collar of her shirt and wiped a couple beads of sweat off her forehead. Maybe she was coming down with something. It wasn’t that hot outside, yet she felt like her blood was close to boiling.
Robby was right about one thing—she needed to eat. Food would make her feel better. Once she started eating like she used to—before she had to watch her weight and squeeze her body into clothing sized for a twelve year old boy—she’d feel better.
* * * * *
She didn’t have a chance to fix something to eat. A few minutes after she got home someone knocked on her door. A little wary, since the last time she’d had a visitor he’d kidnapped her, she opened the door a crack.
No angry blood suckers this time. It was a woman. “What can I do for you?”
“Amara? I thought we could talk for a while. I’m a friend of Marco’s.” The woman smiled. “My name is Ellie.”
Sighing, Amara opened the door and let her in. She found it hard to believe that Ellie was only Marco’s friend. She was a good two inches taller than Amara, and super-model thin. Her skin was so fair it appeared nearly translucent, and her shiny, black hair hung past her waist. Her eyes were a shocking shade of bright blue that stood out against her pale skin. The woman could make a fortune in Hollywood—the rail thin, pale look was hot right now.
A thought struck her. Even though Marco said she wasn’t, Ellie looked like a vampire.
Ellie frowned. “Is something wrong?”
“You’re not a vampire, are you?”
“No, I’m not.” Ellie laughed. “I guess I’m just genetically cursed.”
Amara snorted. Blessed was more like it. “So what is it you want to talk about?”
Ellie’s expression grew serious. “Marco.”
“Let me guess. You want me to stay away from him. I’m moving in on your territory, and you want me to back off.”
Ellie’s eyes widened in shock just before she burst out laughing. “Trust me. It’s not like that at all. Marco is hardly my type. He’s more of a brother to me than anything.”
Relief washed over Amara. “That’s good to know.”
“Would it be possible to get a cup of tea?”
“Um, sure. I’ll make a pot and we can sit in the kitchen to talk.”
A few minutes later Amara swirled her spoon in her mug, knowing she wasn’t going to be able to drink the tea. Just the smell alone killed her.
Ellie smiled sympathetically. “This is a tough time for you, huh?”
“You mean because that scumbag of a friend of yours dropped me off without so much as a goodbye and hasn’t even bothered to call?”
“Actually, I meant…” She paused, her brow furrowed. “You know what…never mind. It’s not important. So how does it feel to be back home?”
Was there some kind of a requirement that Marco’s friends had to be so cryptic all the time? “It’s fine, I guess. I just wish he’d call.”
Ellie took a sip of her tea. “Would it make you feel any better if I told you
he wants to?”
“No, it would make me feel better if he actually did.” She shook her head. “Wanting to and following through are two very different things.”
“He cares about you.”
Amara shook her head. “He cared about getting what he wanted. He got it, and now he’s moving on.”
“That’s not true. He cares a great deal more than he’s willing to admit.” Ellie sighed audibly. “He’s a very stubborn man, and he can be a real ass sometimes.”
Amara blinked at how easily that word slipped from Ellie’s mouth. She looked so cultured, so collected. The cuss didn’t fit her.
Ellie smiled, and Amara couldn’t help but laugh. “Yeah, I have to agree with you on that.”
Ellie was silent for a moment. She finished off her tea and set the cup down, leaning her elbows on the table. “You do care about him, don’t you?”
Amara didn’t even hesitate. “Of course I do.” Probably a lot more than she should.
“He needs someone like you in his life, whether he realizes it yet or not. He’s made some mistakes, and he’s been hurt before, but I think you’re good for him. Somehow I don’t see you putting up with any of his crap.” She patted Amara’s hand. “Don’t worry. He’ll come around.”
She shrugged. “We’ll just have to wait and see. How did you two meet, anyway?”
“It was a long time ago. I feel like I’ve known him forever. I was, ah, having some problems with some neighbors and he stepped in.”
“Enough said.” She didn’t want to hear the gory details. “Do you want another cup of tea?”
Ellie shook her head. “No, thanks. I have to go now, but I’ll leave my number in case you ever want to talk again.” She handed Amara a slip of paper. “Feel free to call anytime, if you need anything at all, okay?”
“I’m okay, but thanks.”
She looked at the paper after Ellie left, surprised that Marco’s number was there as well.