Seared by Desire

by Jennifer T. Alli

  “Enough,” he interrupted. “I don’t want to hear anymore of this. I have told you what is going to happen. When Sara wakes up she will decide. Until then we have work to do.” He clasped his sword tightly. “You three, come at me.”

  The three men in question trembled, silently cursing their commander’s actions, Gareth had made Lucian angry but it was they who were going to suffer. Taking a deep breath, they approached their leader, swords in hand and attacked. He moved so quickly that he was a blur to their eyes and without much of an effort they had been disarmed.

  “Pathetic,” Lucian hissed. “How do you intend to protect Lady Sara with such appalling skill? I should have you flogged or better yet I should use my own blade to show you why exactly you need to improve.” He lifted his sword, as though he were going to slice cleanly through their flesh when a familiar voice stopped him in his tracks.

  “Lucian, I didn’t make that sword for you to attack your own people with. Here I am ready and prepared to improve that sword for you but I’m not so sure I should now, not if that’s what you want to do with it.”

  His world seemed to stop, narrowing down until there was nothing but Sara’s voice. He was almost afraid to turn around lest he find that the sound of her voice was nothing more than something his fatigued mind had fabricated to get him through yet another night.

  “Lucian?” she called out. “Aren’t you even going to look at me? I want to see you Lucian.”

  Her voice was moving closer to him now and he risked a brief glance over his shoulder and there she was. Dressed like temptation given flesh in her sword crafting uniform, her skin aglow with life and a welcoming smile on her luscious lips she moved towards him, clearly unaware of the effect she was having on him. His heart was pounding, his fangs throbbed and his mind was overwhelmed with relief. The speed with which Lucian had disarmed his three opponents earlier seemed slow in comparison to how quickly he moved to reach Sara. One moment he was standing at the end of the training grounds and the next he was standing in front of her. His hands reached for her greedily, pulling her close as his lips descended upon hers, stealing her breath and inflaming her senses. There was only Lucian and her close encounter with Seraphina had only made her appreciate him more. Never again did she want to be separated from him and her body quickly followed the actions of his, her arms rising to lock around his neck. She moaned in pleasure as he nipped relentlessly at her lips, his moist tongue desperately seeking entrance to the warmth of her mouth. Their tongues clashed as their grip on each other tightened, each frantic for the reassurance only touch could provide.

  As Sara’s warmth seeped into him, warming the parts of himself that had frozen since she’d been asleep, he felt his hunger come to life. His normally iron control over himself was beginning to falter because of the lack of care he’d taken with his body. His fangs were lengthening, his kiss becoming shaper and harder with each passing second. He snarled in frustration as he pulled away, only slightly shocked by the lack of regard he’d had for the location of such an intimate encounter.

  “Missed me?” she purred, pulling his body close to hers.

  “You’ve been asleep for days now, of course I missed you.”

  He nuzzled her cheek gently, peppering kisses against the bare skin of her neck, consequences be damned. He gradually became aware of their surroundings once more, taking note of the many eyes that were now on them. He hissed angrily, his fangs lengthening further as Sara’s barely there attire became paramount in his thoughts. Cursing himself for failing to bring the long overcoat he usually wore, Lucian turned his attentions back to Sara.

  “I thought we agreed that you were never to wear this get up in public.”

  “I don’t remember agreeing to any such thing Lucian. How am I meant to craft swords if I don’t wear this? Nothing else will do.”

  Her earlier attempts to temper Lucian's armour had quickly reminded her the error of wearing anything but her uniform when working with her flame. While the flames that covered her when she was on the offensive didn’t damage her clothes, the fire she used to craft swords utterly annihilated anything it came into contact with on her person. The look of mortified embarrassment on George’s face had demonstrated to her that it was far better to wear next to nothing than to start out wearing many layers and end up in absolutely nothing. But she wasn’t going to let Lucian in on the reasoning behind her actions. George had nearly had a heart attack at the idea of Lucian finding out that he had seen her naked however brief the glimpse had been and she was reluctant to have such a nice man killed over something he couldn’t help.

  “Clearly your absence has made me forget just how disobedient you can be. Don’t worry, I’ll show you the error of going against your Lord.”

  “Really?” she purred, stroking the nape of his neck. “And just how do you intend to do that?”

  “It’s really quite simple.” He lifted her into his arms, protecting her from the curious stares of his people with his body as he moved back towards the estate. “I’ll let you know when it’s just the two of us…alone.” As the indoors of the estate fast approached, Lucian turned back to the men that had gathered. “I want you to continue training, I’ll test the effort that you’ve put in later. If I find any more pathetic excuses for swordsmanship or any other skill I will not be pleased.”

  With Lucian's long stride, quickly eating up the distance between them and their final destination it didn’t take long for them to be alone within the sanctuary of their room. He kicked the door shut firmly behind them with the heel of his foot, the resounding slam echoing through the room. Lucian let Sara slide down the length of his body, relishing her every curve as she pressed closely against him. It was in the split second before her feet touched the floor that he realised tonight was going to be the night he succumbed to temptation. He was going to bite her, sink his throbbing fangs into the creamy skin of her neck and drink deep.

  He had come too close to losing her and her absence had exposed the flaws in the reasons he’d had for not taking her blood up until then. He’d been misguided in the belief that if he didn’t drink her and something happened to her his strength would remain untouched. He hadn’t taken enough of her blood thus far to be so affected by her absence but he’d been weakened without her, his will to complete tasks necessary for his existence severely diminished. Regardless of if he drunk her or not, if Sara were to die, Lucian knew that he would fade into nothingness. He didn’t want to continue living into eternity if she wasn’t with him. He’d been denying himself for far too long and it was going to stop. Now.

  His resolve firm, he held her close nuzzling her cheek gently in affection. He’d always thought the icy armour around his heart was shatterproof, his life dedicated solely to a seemingly never ending war but Sara had easily melted his cold façade, shaking his world with her fiery presence. “I missed you,” he whispered against her skin.

  She shivered slightly as his breath ghosted over her sensitive neck, closing her eyes to better relish his proximity. “I know I was asleep through most of it but I missed you too. I always miss you when we’re not together.”

  His grip tightened almost to the point of bruising. “You lied to me Sara.”

  “What are you talking about?” she questioned genuinely perplexed.

  “You told me you’d only be asleep for a little while. Four nights and three days you’ve slept. That isn’t a little while Sara.”

  “I couldn’t help it,” she protested in self-defense. “I really only thought I’d be asleep for a few hours. It isn’t my fault Seraphina took more out of me than I thought she had.”

  “I know. It’s not your fault; it’s Russell’s. The bastard lured me into a trap, if I hadn’t trusted him then I would have been there to protect you from yourself.”

  “You can’t protect me from everything Lucian, the world’s a dangerous place and you’re only one man.”

  “I don’t want to talk about the world and all the problems it brings
. I just want to talk about you and me. We’re all that matters.”

  “Really?” she crooned, leaning into his body. “And in this world where we’re all that matters, what would we talk about?”

  “This outfit of yours obviously.”

  “What about it?”

  “You don’t seem to know what it does to me. It’s one of my favourite dreams and my worst nightmare all at the same time.”

  “How is that possible?”

  “It’s very easy. Whenever I see you wearing it I want to ravish you on the spot, I want to tear what little there is from your body and expose all that beautiful skin of yours. It makes me want to touch you even more than I usually do but when other people see you in it I want to rip their eyes out. No one else has the right to look at you like this except me. Only me Sara. Do you understand?”

  His hands began roaming over her body, his long fingers easily caressing her skin with the lack of protection she was wearing. Her body trembled in anticipation when he cupped the curve of her arse pulling her into the hardness of his erection before thrusting frantically against her.

  “Lucian,” she groaned on a long sigh, her temperature skyrocketing. He lifted her leg, wrapping it around his waist and exposing her further to his ministrations. She gasped as the contact between the most intimate parts of them increased, her breasts feeling increasingly heavy, her nipples tight. “Lucian, I, I…” Her words were lost to a loud moan as he lifted her from the ground, wrapping both legs around his trim waist and increasing the tempo of his thrusts so that they were wild with desperation.

  “You brought this upon yourself Sara. I can’t resist you anymore.”

  “I can take anything you’ve got to give,” she purred.

  Lucian groaned, giving himself over to sensation. His lips slammed against Sara’s, his tongue slipping past the natural defense of her lips into the warm cavern of her mouth. She came alive in his arms, a full participant in the kiss, her arms locking around his neck to prevent him from pulling away. As their tongues duelled, passion rising within them, Lucian moved, walking them over to the solid surface of a wall. The stone was cool against Sara’s back, the hard material scraping against her skin almost painfully. Lucian pulled away from her and a soft sound of protest spilt from her lips until the moment he tore the thin material of her shirt from her body exposing her to his gaze.

  His eyes darkened further as he stared at the rosy tips of her nipples, watching them harden right in front of him. His thumb ghosted over one of the hard nubs making Sara bite her lip in frustrated pleasure. The wall at her back made it impossible for her to arch into his palm, to force him to touch her, her arms were wrapped around his neck preventing her from grasping his hand and placing it on her breast so she used the only option left to her.

  “Lucian,” she pleaded, her tone desperate. “Please, touch me.”

  “I am touching you.” His thumb touched her nipple even more fleetingly than it had before.

  “Lucian, touch me properly. I need you.”

  “How can I say no when you ask me so nicely?” He cupped her breast fully within his large palm, rubbing her nipple purposefully between his thumb and forefinger. Willing to cooperate now, his lips descended on her unattended breast, sucking the bud into his mouth, his tongue swirling over her nipple and bringing forth pleasured moans from Sara’s lips. He continued his exquisite torture, alternating between all out assault and touches so light and fleeting they were barely there. Sara’s moans of pleasure quickly filled the air as her body thrummed with heat, the most intimate part of herself throbbing with need as she became wet between her thighs.

  Desperate for more skin-to-skin contact, Sara reached for the collar of his shirt, tugging frantically at the material, uncaring of if it fell to pieces beneath her strong grip. Her actions pulled him away from his task and he lifted his head from her breast, staring into her eyes, desire burning in the depths of his dark gaze. He released her, letting her feet once again touch solid ground. Without the strength of his arms to hold her up, she swayed slightly, leaning back against the wall for support. Lucian stripped quickly and efficiently before her eyes, throwing the shirt from his body and hurriedly pushing his breeches from his legs. Her mouth went dry at the sight of him in all his naked glory, her hands reaching out to touch the solid muscle of his chest. Her hands were no longer hesitant as she rubbed them over his chest before stepping out of the shredded demi breeches she wore for her craft. Now just as naked as he, she stepped close to him, rubbing her entire body against his.

  Her hands caressed his skin, marvelling over the strength of his body. The fingers that had been fascinated with his chest, drifted lower, wandering over the trail of hair that led to his hard shaft to wrap firmly around the length of him. Lucian groaned, his eyes drifting shut to better relish the sensation of Sara’s hands on him. Her hands moved firmly up and down the length of him, making his seed rise and his temperature skyrocket. A memory of a conversation she’d once had with Abigail about how to please a man intruded on Sara’s thoughts. She’d never been able to use the knowledge Abigail had imparted that day but as she watched Lucian's face contort in pleasure, she wondered if he would enjoy it. The hands moving on his shaft stilled as Sara lowered herself to her knees, eyeing his shaft curiously.

  Lucian sucked in a ragged breath when he saw the new position Sara had placed herself in and he was suddenly desperate for her to take him between her gorgeous lips, for his shaft to experience the warmth of her mouth. He rocked his hips towards her, groaning, “Please Sara.”

  Taking his words as a sign of consent, Sara placed a gentle kiss to the thick head of his member, the heat from her mouth and the feel of her breath causing Lucian to moan loudly. Her tongue licked all around the head before she drew him into her mouth. Her hands continued to stroke him while her lips moved over him, her tongue occasionally lapping at the firm flesh in her mouth. Unable to help himself, he rocked his hips, forcing her to take more of his length. As the pleasure mounted, Lucian pulled her back to her feet, kissing her soundly in reward for her actions.

  Lucian groaned as he ran his hands down the length of her body, his fingers wandering over her thighs until he came to the core of her. Sara shuddered, moaning against his chest as his talented fingers made their way to the warm depths of her core. The flesh that greeted his questing fingers was wet with pleasure, her body readying to receive his. He tipped her head back, kissing her as his fingers plunged into her and capturing the pleasured groan that spilt from her lips. Her flesh contracted hotly around his fingers and the pleasured sighs that were coming from her spurred him on, encouraging him to touch her more firmly, his thumb joining the fray to rub against the small bundle of nerves guaranteed to bring her pleasure. As he touched the small nubbin, she threw her head back exposing the glorious column of her neck to him. His dark eyes became rimmed with red and his fangs lengthened, practically dripping in thirst. It was time.

  He pulled his fingers from the heat of her core, bringing them to his lips and licking them clean. His eyes closed and he groaned as the taste of her exploded on his tongue, whetting his appetite for her blood even more. A disappointed sigh fell from Sara’s lips as he withdrew from her but it was soon swallowed by a moan of pleasure when he gathered her into his arms, their sexes pressing intimately against each other. Heat seeped into his body as Lucian held her close, gripping the curve of her arse to pull her wetness closer to his throbbing shaft. He thrust against her as best he could from their current position before moving her to the bed on a frustrated groan at the limited speed he was able to achieve. He lay her down against the cool sheets, hovering over her, his frame suspended mid-air by the strength held in the corded muscles of his arms. His stillness began to worry Sara, as did the internal battle she could see being waged in the depths of his red rimmed eyes. Her heart began to slow when after a few minutes Lucian still hadn’t touched her.

  Hesitantly, she reached for his cheek, cupping it gently. “Lucian?” s
he coaxed. “Is something wrong?”

  “My mind won’t let me simply be at peace. One minute I decide to do it and the next I can’t even stand the thought,” he chuckled ruefully to himself. “I don’t know why I’m even hesitating. I can’t resist you and I’ve wanted to do this for so long. I can’t help myself and if I’m honest, I don’t want to.”

  His fangs lengthened, gleaming dangerously in the moonlight. A single gasp of surprise was all that Sara was granted before Lucian fell on her. He moved as quick as lightning, grasping her wrist firmly and bring the skin to his lips. He kissed the sensitive skin of her inner wrist gently, lovingly; his tongue swirling over her flesh before without warning, he struck. His fangs sunk into her flesh and he began to drink. The moment her rich blood touched his tongue he cursed. Nothing had ever tasted so sweet, so perfect. Ambrosia. It was the only word suitable to describe the taste; only Gods should be able to taste something so divine. Sara groaned and for a moment he was frightened he was taking too much, using her body carelessly but then her free hand gripped his head, her fingers sinking into his hair to keep him close and he knew she liked what he was doing.

  From Sara’s perspective, like was far too meek a word to sufficiently describe the sensations running rampant through her body. His bite was ecstasy. Each draw of blood from her wrist felt as though he were once again within her touching the special place only he had ever touched, the one that made her gasp with need as her body reached towards a pinnacle she knew would shatter her into pieces. She wanted more.

  The strong grip Sara had on him forced Lucian to realise the ugly truth, his hunger for her was too strong and he was going to drink her until he was satiated. It wasn’t ideal for a first time donor but he didn’t have a choice. His body was no longer his own. He was like a man possessed, he needed to have Sara in every possible way. He withdrew his fangs from her wrist, licking the wound slowly. As the flow of blood began to stem, he contemplated for a moment simply finishing feeding by quickly swiping his tongue over his bite, the swiftness of the movement erasing the mark completely but he wanted others to know she was his. His tongue continued making languorous circles over her wrist, allowing the mark to settle into semi-permanence.