The Art of Loving a Vampire

by Jaye Wells

  “Hey—” she started but then got a good look at her attacker. Long, greasy black hair fell limply around razor blade cheekbones. A black Guns N’ Roses T-shirt hung on his bony frame. She struggled, but for someone so gaunt, he had a surprisingly strong grip.

  “Well, well, look what we have here. Are you lost little girl?” Syd flinched away from him as his putrid breath fanned over her face.

  “Let me go!” she hissed.

  “My buddies and me are always looking for someone new to play with. You’re coming with me.” He started to drag her down the street toward the alley.

  Syd panicked. Part of her wanted to call for help, but she didn’t want to blow her cover and have Logan discover she’d followed him. She dug her heels into the concrete, which only seemed to amuse the thug.

  “What? You wanna play? I can arrange that,” he growled. Syd looked up and gasped at his glowing red eyes.

  Screw the cover, she thought.

  “Logan!” she screamed as the freak with the red eyes dragged her to the alley.

  Logan stopped arguing with the bouncer when he heard it. For a moment he thought he imagined Sydney’s scream. Then he heard more sounds of distress coming from the side of the building.

  He sprinted around the corner to see a greasy vamp dragging Sydney down the sidewalk. He didn’t think as his primal instincts took over. His canines extended as he raced toward the fiend. The punk heard him coming and pushed Sydney toward the wall. Logan moved with preternatural speed. He grabbed his opponent and pushed him into the alley, hoping to get out of Sydney’s line of vision.

  “Come on, gramps, let’s see what you—”

  Logan’s fist connected with the younger vamp’s nose before he could finish his taunt. Logan knew he should probably just grab Sydney and go, but he couldn’t tamp down the rage he’d felt at seeing the asshole’s hands on Sydney.

  “You need to learn to show the lady some respect.” Logan grabbed the snarling miscreant by the neck of his T-shirt, which ripped, and threw him across the alley, where he bounced off the wall and landed in a heap. The thrill of battle danced through Logan’s limbs. He grabbed the rogue off the ground and punched him again. Ah, that felt good, Logan thought.

  Now that he had worked out some of his anger, he remembered Sydney was nearby. He couldn’t risk her seeing him in battle mode with his fangs extended. It was time to end this and go check on her. He lifted the lid on a nearby dumpster and threw the other vamp in.

  He took a deep breath and willed his fangs to recede. Thankfully the drugs he took prevented his eyes from glowing like the other vamp’s. Then he turned and rushed toward Syd, who stood at the mouth of the alley with her mouth hanging open.

  “Syd? Are you all right,” he asked quietly as he approached. When he reached her, he cautiously ran his hands over her face and arms to check for injuries.

  She stared at him with wide eyes. “You . . .he . . . what?”

  “Are you okay?” he repeated as he stared into her eyes, looking for signs of concussion.

  “Yeah, I’m fine. Banged my head a bit when he pushed me, but . . . um, Logan?”

  “Yes,” he said.

  “Did you just lift that guy and throw him in a dumpster?”

  “I guess I did,” he said with a shrug.

  “But . . . but . . .”

  “I don’t know what came over me,” he said. “I got scared when I saw him dragging you down the street. I guess it was adrenaline or something.”

  Syd stared at him for another moment. He tried not to squirm under her scrutiny. She looked to the dumpster and then back at him again. Her gaze roamed down his body, and he felt it like a caress. He really wished he knew what she was thinking. He hoped she wasn’t afraid of him. But she surprised him.

  “That was awesome! That guy must have been on drugs or something. Did you see his freaky eyes? I was so afraid when he grabbed me, but luckily you were there.” She grabbed him and gave him a hug. He held onto her tightly for a moment. His eyes closed as he breathed in her scent, relieved he had been there to save her. Wait a minute.

  He pulled back and held her arms with his hands. She smiled up at him.

  “Sydney, what in the hell are you doing down here? Following me?” he demanded. His blood pressure ratcheted up with each word. But before he could get his answer, the dumpster start to rattle. He grabbed her hand and pulled her down the street toward his car.

  “I can’t believe it! Of all the idiotic things to do,” he railed as he dragged her behind him.

  “Logan, slow down. I can’t keep up,” Syd said and tugged on his hand.

  He spared a glance over his shoulder at her and tugged her arm. Behind him, the rogue’s running footsteps and snarled curses echoed in the night.

  “Keep up. He’s moving fast,” Logan chided. She turned to look and yelped when she saw the bedraggled hooligan gaining on them. She instantly increased her pace.

  When they finally reached the Porsche, he threw Syd into the passenger seat. He stalked around the front of the car, and then they were speeding down the road in no time. In the rearview mirror Logan saw the rogue give chase for a few seconds before giving up.

  “Wow,” she panted, trying to catch her breath. “You’re crazy fast. Did you run track in college or something?” Syd asked.

  Logan mentally kicked himself. He had been so angry and in a hurry to get out of there he’d forgotten about his supernatural speed. Luckily, he hadn’t gone as fast as he could have. That really would have amazed her.

  “Yeah, something like that,” he said. He looked at her with an arched brow. “Did you take Spy 101 at school?”

  She grimaced.

  “Logan, about that . . . I um . . .”

  “I don’t care why you followed me,” he cut her off. “Wait, strike that. I do care, but we’ll discuss that in a minute. What I really want to know right now is why you continued to follow me when you saw this neighborhood. This is no place for a woman alone at night.”

  “I know I was careless, but I had to know what was going on. You blew me off with that ridiculous web search! I wanted to know why you were all being so secretive. I am starting to think something illegal is going on.”

  “So you decided to follow me to a dangerous neighborhood in the middle of the night and almost get yourself killed?”

  “Oh please, Logan, you wouldn’t have told me the truth.”

  He gripped the steering wheel as he shot through the empty street toward his house. She had a point, but it didn’t excuse her reckless disregard for her own safety.

  She turned in her seat and stared him down. “Logan, please tell me what’s going on.”

  He took his eyes of the road for a moment to glance at her. He wanted to throttle and kiss her at the same time.

  “I can’t tell you, Syd,” he started. She threw her hands in the air and started to say something. “But, please know we aren’t doing anything illegal.”

  She turned toward the window and didn’t say anything.

  “Syd?”

  Silence.

  “Hello?”

  Nothing.

  “Oh great, that’s just fine. I don’t want to talk to you either. But just know this discussion isn’t finished.”

  With that, he reached down and turned on the radio. Pat Benatar’s “Love is a Battlefield” exploded from the speakers. He winced and switched it back off.

  Damned ’80s station, he growled in his head. He glanced over at Sydney. Her back was still to him.

  Damned woman.

  Chapter Nine

  The rest of the silent ride pulsated with tension. When Logan finally pulled to a stop in front of his house, Sydney’s indignation had reached a dangerous level. She supposed she should be a quivering mass of nerves after the attack and Logan’s superhuman show of strength that followed. But for the moment, she preferred focusing all that energy on working up a really good lather toward the hardheaded man next to her.

  She threw open the
car door and stomped toward the house. She heard Logan get out too, and before she could take more than a few steps, his hand grasped her arm and swung her around.

  “We’re not done talking,” he said.

  She tried to yank her arm out of his hand, but he held on tightly enough to let her know he meant business.

  “I have nothing to say to you. I am going to go call a cab since you forced me to leave my car behind,” she said. His eyes narrowed, and she raised her chin.

  “I didn’t make you leave your car; we were running away from the asshole who attacked you. I’ll take you to get it tomorrow. You will sleep here tonight.”

  “Like hell I will,” she said, her voice rising an octave. “Unless you want to tell me what is really going on, I want nothing to do with you and your secrets.”

  Logan’s jaw worked for a moment.

  “Don’t turn this around on me or my family. You just don’t want to admit you were wrong to follow me and put yourself in danger,” he said. She grimaced at the reminder.

  “I didn’t know it would be dangerous. Besides, it worked out okay.”

  “If you call being attacked by a psycho okay, then I’d hate to see what you consider dangerous, lady. If I hadn’t been there to bail your ass out, what would have happened?”

  Sydney knew he was right, but she would never admit it. She didn’t know what had gotten into her tonight. First she acted completely out of character by following Logan. Then she got totally turned on watching him handle the thug who attacked her. She only knew she couldn’t back down now, even if he had a case. “If you think I am going to apologize for following you, don’t hold your breath.”

  “I can hold my breath longer than you think. But if I ever catch you doing something so harebrained again, I am going to lock you up for your own good,” he declared.

  “Harebrained?” she yelled. “You . . . you . . . ass! Who do you think you are, ordering me around?”

  “Apparently, I am the only person here with a logical bone in his body. Sydney, did you happen to notice that bar was in the worst part of town? Did you not hear me tell you tonight that the group we’re dealing with is dangerous? But no, you completely ignored common sense and took off without any thought to your safety. Lord, what I wouldn’t give to be able to read that mind of yours!”

  Sydney narrowed her eyes as she stepped closer to him. “I have news for you, buddy. I do whatever I want, whenever I want. You can’t allow me or not allow me to do anything,” she said.

  He grabbed her finger, which she had used to poke his chest while she spoke.

  “I don’t think you want to test me,” he said in a low voice.

  “Oh yeah, or what?” Sydney taunted, practically panting from the combination of anger and lust boiling inside her.

  He leaned down until they were nose to nose. “Or I’ll spank you.”

  The words hung in the air as they glared at each other. Their labored breaths mingled in the chilly October air. Sydney felt her nipples pucker as his eyes roamed to her mouth.

  “You wouldn’t,” she finally whispered. His gaze left her lips and he met her eyes again. The lust she saw there took her breath away. Obviously, she wasn’t the only one aroused by their exchange.

  “You’re right. Maybe I’d have to tie you up instead,” he said, grasping her wrists as his low tone caressed her. She closed her eyes to fight the assault he waged on her senses. But closing them did no good—she could still feel him, smell him, hear him.

  “Sydney, look at me.”

  She opened her eyes slowly. He was closer to her this time, his lips a fraction away from her own. His hands came up to frame her face.

  “Don’t ever scare me like that again,” he whispered fiercely. She licked her lips where his breath caressed them.

  Before she could respond, his lips crashed into hers. All of the pent up emotions from the night crested as she plastered herself to his body. The feel of his hard frame and the deep thrusting of his tongue made her go liquid with heat. After either a few hours or moments, she didn’t know which, Logan lifted her into his arms and headed for the house.

  He broke from the kiss to fumble with the door. Once inside, he stopped in the foyer and kissed her more slowly.

  “I need you, Sydney,” he said. She didn’t allow herself to analyze the repercussions of her decision; she merely nodded and took his lips again. While he ran up the stairs, she busied herself with his neck, learning every sinew. Once in his room, he set her gently on her feet next to the bed.

  He sprinkled kisses along her cheeks and down to her neck. She gasped when he found the sweet spot just below her ear and sucked the tender flesh there. A jolt of electricity raced straight to her groin, which clamored for attention. He gently grazed her throat with his teeth, but then abruptly pulled back.

  She opened her eyes to see what caused the reaction, but he stalled her question by taking her mouth again. Desperate to touch his flesh, she ran her hands up and down his hard torso. She ripped the shirt out of his waistband and caressed the rock hard muscles of his stomach beneath the fabric. But soon that wasn’t enough. She needed to press herself against him—to put her face to his skin and inhale his scent. She pulled her hands back and started working on the buttons of his shirt. Frustrated by her slow process, Logan grasped the placard and tore it open for her. Buttons flew and ricocheted off the floor.

  Sydney rained kisses all over the wide expanse of his chest while inhaling his scent. A sprinkling of crisp, dark hair tickled her nose. She found a nipple and ran her tongue over it before taking it between her teeth. She smiled at his sharply drawn breath. The ability to make this gorgeous man react to her touch caused a rush of pride and satisfaction to surge through her. She quickly lapped at the nipple again and then sucked. His responding groan enhanced her excitement even more.

  He drew her back up to his mouth for a quick kiss before pulling her own shirt off. Leaning down, he sucked through the fabric of her lacy bra. The sensation of his wet mouth and the rasp of the scratchy lace against her already sensitive nipple had her gasping. Before she knew what happened, her bra flew across the room. He worshipped each nipple with his mouth for a few moments before straightening up and pulling her to his chest.

  “Ahhh,” she breathed as their skin met.

  He looked down as they held each other for a moment. The passion in his eyes almost made her look away. She felt more exposed by looking into his eyes than she had when he’d had his mouth on her breasts. But then he smiled. She couldn’t help but smile back.

  Slowly he lowered his head and kissed her again. This time he maneuvered her to lie back on the massive bed. He kissed his way down her body and ran his tongue along the waistband of her jeans. She squirmed.

  “Are you ticklish?” he asked, looking up to meet her eyes.

  “A little,” she admitted. “But I like it.”

  He chuckled before kissing her there again. Soon she was gasping and laughing at the same time.

  “Logan!” she pleaded.

  “Sorry but you’re fun to watch when you’re wiggling around like that.”

  Her cheeks heated, but then he started working on the zipper of her jeans. Every inch or so he’d kiss her until she was squirming again, only this time it didn’t tickle. She reached down to help him push the pants off, but he stopped her hand.

  “Slow down. We have all night,” he said. The sensual promise in his voice only served to make her more impatient.

  “I am going to die if you don’t touch me,” she pleaded.

  “I know the feeling, love.”

  Finally, he pulled off her pants and underwear in one sweep. She closed her eyes in anticipation of his touch. A few seconds crept by with nothing but silence. She cracked open one lid to see him gazing at her.

  “What are you doing?” she asked, embarrassed by his intense perusal of her exposed flesh. But when he met her eyes, she forgot her self-conscious reaction. The raw admiration she saw there made her feel like
an enchantress.

  “Sydney, you’re beautiful,” he said with awe. Without a word, she held her arms out to him. He came in for another kiss as his hands memorized every curve of her body by touch.

  She held her breath as his hand caressed her hip bone and stroked its way to between her legs. Rubbing the sensitive flesh of her inner thighs, he teased her for a moment. She struggled not to arch her hips and beg him to touch her more intimately.

  Finally, he ran one fingertip softly along her cleft. Giving in to her body’s demands, she arched her hips. His long fingers swirled around the slick area—the center of all her concentration. Sweat broke out on her brow as he continued to torture her.

  Unable to stand the torment anymore, she grabbed his head and thrust her tongue in his mouth. Taking her cue, he dipped one finger into her. She rode his hand until she felt the first wave of an impending orgasm hit her. Gasping, her mind went blank as she went rigid with pleasure.

  As the aftershocks melted away, she felt a soft kiss on her lips and then his weight lifted from the bed. Easing open one lid, she saw him quickly removing the remainder of his clothing. She unabashedly took in every inch of tantalizing skin he uncovered for her viewing pleasure. Saliva pooled in her mouth when he stood before her finally naked—a prime example of masculine beauty. She kneeled on the bed and reached for him to gain access to the buffet of delights he presented.

  Logan clenched his jaw as Sydney’s hands explored his body. While he wanted to her to feel comfortable with his body, he had already been about to explode from her orgasm. But looking down to see her small hand wrapped around his straining member, he almost came again. Without thinking, he tossed her back on the bed and pressed his full length between the folds of her sex. She gasped as he rubbed back and forth along the moist warmth there. He knew he was torturing himself, but he couldn’t get enough of her. He needed to explore every inch of her—with his tongue.