by Kate Wendley
“You can take your shoes off if you want. I don’t usually wear any at home.”
He automatically looked down and grinned heartily to see she was bare footed, her toenails painted a pretty shade of dusty rose. Everything about her was feminine and sexy.
He slipped out of his shoes as she asked, “So what were those guys doing here?”
He wondered how much to tell her. Was it too soon to admit everything? “They were here to make amends for last night. Ethan knows the owner of the restaurant as well, and when Oni heard you were Ethan’s friend, he insisted they apologize to him. It’s an old time philosophy. A head of the family type of thing.” He put a sound barrier around them as he walked away from where their shoes were neatly piled.
“What does that mean? Are they like the mob or something?”
“No.” He closed the distance between them with little care for being nice about it. He just needed her in his arms.
She let out a gasp, but quickly fell into his embrace.
His kiss was harsh with need, and much too short because his fangs immediately came in. He didn’t want her to feel them, or worse, get nicked by them, so he reluctantly pulled away. At least he’d gotten to taste her, if only for a moment. It would do for now.
But her warm body was supple and willing in his arms, and her demanding whimper when he pulled away made it clear she didn’t want their embrace to end.
He spent a heartbeat of time debating whether or not to pull completely free from her arms so he could keep his focus on masking his glowing eyes and protruding fangs, hopefully prolonging the time he had with her before she ran screaming from his life. When she firmly snaked her arms around him, though, he knew there was no going back.
The spark of heat between them roared to a full fire. He trailed kisses along her beautiful jaw and tempting neck while her hands roamed his body. She was unapologetic as she gustily whimpered and caressed him all over, eventually making her way beneath his untucked shirt. The heat from her touch on his cool skin sent a shiver through his entire body, and he couldn’t help a hearty moan.
How many years had it been since he’d had a woman’s hands on him? Seventy years was too many, and Kaia’s every touch made him greedy with need for more. He hadn’t realized until now just how starved he’d been for this.
She breathed out, “You like that, baby?”
He tried to calm himself, though he knew that was a lost cause. “Yes. More.”
“More?” She arched her neck for him as he kissed her, and if he didn’t know better, he’d be suspicious that maybe she already knew he was vampire. Maybe she was baiting him into making a mistake with her so Ethan could charge in here and put a stake through his heart once and for all.
All rational thought fled his mind when she pressed her entire body against his. She rocked her hips just right to rub perfectly against his rock hard erection while her exploration continued. A shiver of desire washed through him and he gasped out, “I’m yours, my sweet.”
He reached a hand around her to carefully pull her long hair back, giving him unobstructed access to her neck. He gently licked at the harshly thumping vein that so mercilessly teased him, his entire body aching in relentless need as she rocked her hips against him in growing fervor. He battled with his conscience over how much he wanted her body and how much he also wanted just a small taste of her rich, life giving blood. It would be an exquisite indulgence for such a long life of sacrifices.
He closed his eyes and trembled with the knowledge that if he bit her now, their relationship would surely be over in a matter of seconds. He didn’t want that, so he grit his teeth and shakily forced his attention away.
He instantly missed Kaia’s body heat when her hands slid away and she took a small step back. His dismay was short lived because she began unbuttoning his shirt, letting herself be pulled close again when he took her by the hips and pressed his harshly aching body against hers.
Her eyes were focused on her task as she let him guide her hips exactly how he wanted her, and he trembled yet again as he split his attention between his desires and his need to keep focusing his power on masking his vampire features.
Kaia’s eyes sparked in passionate need and she sucked in a deep breath when she finally pulled his shirt open wide. Her warm kiss on his bare chest made his body clench tight as she looked a question at him.
He slid one hand to her bottom to keep her firmly pressed against him, and guided one of her hands to his exposed skin.
She cooed, “What do you want, baby? What do you like?”
He groaned in maddening desire. He wanted to have her naked in his bed, burying his achingly hard erection over and over again in her warm, soft body. And he wanted her blood on his tongue when he finally released inside her, but all he could make himself say was, “I want you. All of you.”
“Show me.” She looked so innocent and naive with her kiss swollen lips and rosy cheeks as she unbuttoned his cuffs, then slid his shirt off his shoulders. He wasn’t sure what she found so appealing about him, but right now he didn’t care as long as she kept touching him.
He released her to let his shirt fall to the ground, but before he could gather her back up in his arms, she took a step away and pulled him along.
Her hungry gaze roamed his body as she directed him to sit down on her cozy sofa, and he decided he’d do anything to never have to see fear of him on her sweet face. He desperately didn’t want that image burned into his photographic memory like all the other women in his past. Not this time, please not this time. He’d do everything in his power to keep her from finding out he was vampire… at least for tonight.
She smoothly straddled atop his lap and picked up his hands, kissed them, then guided them to her body. “Touch me, baby.”
He loved the sweet command in her voice and the way her body moved effortlessly in sync with his. But he reminded himself to be careful with her. If he ever forgot himself, even for a second, he could seriously hurt her, and he’d die inside if he ever did that.
He groaned as he traced his hands greedily down her body until he was cupping her luscious rear end again. He pulled her closer, her hands and kisses returning to his bare shoulders and neck. Her breasts grazed his chest, and the feel of her incredibly warm body rubbing against him was making him lose his mind. She let out a gusty sigh and he fought with himself over how far he could let this go and still be able to keep himself masked for her, let alone make sure he didn’t lose control and bite her.
His caution didn’t stop him from sliding a hand under her shirt, though. He needed to feel her more intimately, and to find out if his touch made her burn for him just as he burned from hers.
She whimpered and continued to shower him with hungry kisses, then sat back and pulled her top off as if it was a distraction between them. He froze and looked her over, his eyes unable to stop drifting to her beautiful breasts in her pink, flowery bra. It was thin material, thin enough to see her very pert nipples through, and he trembled with the force it took to stay calm and keep his mask on. He had to keep his focus if he was going to get through this night without losing her.
He groaned when she guided him again, though he didn’t need much encouragement to cup her beautiful softness in each of his hands. He delicately traced the pads of his thumbs over her nipples, and she looked incredibly sexy writhing in desire at his touch.
She pulled her bra strap down on one side until she completely exposed her breast to him, forcing a shiver throughout his entire body. He looked into her hooded eyes, seeing only desire for him in their depths. His hands wrapped neatly around her sides as she arched her back, her pert nipples beautiful and rosy as he leaned closer.
“My sweet. I don’t deserve you.”
He took his time trailing his tongue over her, then delicately suckled her, careful not to nick her with his teeth. She whimpered and trembled in his arms, unable to stay still. The tender feel of her finger combing his hair back, then holding him close as he l
apped at her brought out a feeling of closeness that he’d only experienced a teasing glimmer of with women in his past. Everything about Kaia was new and terrifying to his senses.
The intensity between them continued to climb as his hips rocked in a desperate rhythm, and she seemed just as unable to stop herself. He was confused when she pulled away and slid down to the floor in front of him, but when she determinedly reached for his belt buckle, his trembling hands found hers, unsure if he should help her or let her be.
She didn’t seem to need any help to unbuckle his belt and unzip his pants. He lifted his hips for her, though, so she could impatiently draw his pants down enough to expose him. She thankfully wasted no time taking him into her lovely mouth. He groaned out loud in pure, overwhelming desire, and he prayed she wouldn’t look at his face right now because there was no way he could keep his mask on.
Her soft hands and her warm, wet mouth on his most private body part made him cry out hard as an intense shudder of orgasmic desire ran through him. He never wanted her to stop. His hips rocked in time to her movements, up and down, in and out… He tilted his head back and half closed his eyes, focusing on the feel of her taking him. Her body writhed against his, her own whimpers constantly insistent.
He rocked his head forward and watched her… up and down, over and over again… He grunted in pure, male need, his stomach harshly clenching at the incredible feel of what she was doing to him.
Some of her long hair slipped down into her face and he shakily reached down to brush it back, then just held it for her. She whimpered at his touch and he tried to remind himself how important it was to be gentle with her as he became frantic with a fantasy of her naked body rocking heatedly beneath him.
She seemed just as frantic as she kept tasting him… up and down, up and down… his hips thrusting, his erection sliding in and out of her mouth… his muscles clenching over and over…
His body wanted what it wanted and it wanted it now.
Now!
He firmly grabbed her hands, a barely intelligible grunt escaping him. “Bedroom?”
She writhed in his grasp as she hungrily whimpered and pointed towards a hallway between them and the kitchen. The need between them was overwhelming, and he swore he was going to lose all control if he couldn’t take her soon.
Chapter 18
They desperately kissed and fumbled with each other’s clothes as they stumbled to the bedroom. Anthony’s pants were already half off and fell the rest of the way from his body as they tried not to trip on each other in their anxious haste.
Kaia’s jeans took very little time to unfasten once he let go of her long enough to do it. He’d only been this brazen with a woman once before, so he briefly felt guilty for how demanding he was being, but he was too caught up in the moment and dammit if he didn’t feel like he deserved this. Besides, she seemed just as eager.
They were soon in her darkened bedroom. She bounced backwards onto her bed and flicked a switch, and a string of garden lights illuminated the room in a warm, soft glow.
His heart beat wildly in his chest as he followed her to the bed, and she watched him with anxious eyes as he removed her jeans and panties from her beautiful body. He struggled with the need to take her as he slid a hand behind her back to unfasten her bra. He had no idea how to unlatch it and didn’t care to learn right now, so he cheated and used a little of his power to do it for him. She sucked in a sharp breath at the quick pulse of his energy, but if she worried about what she felt, it didn’t show.
He pulled back and felt completely hedonistic as he spent a few moments gazing at every tempting inch of her, his hand trailing along her contours as she anxiously writhed and reached for him. Her quiet whimpers tore his gaze from her supple flesh and back to her desperate eyes.
He groaned in pure male need, then immediately reminded himself, mask, mask, mask… This would all be over way too quickly if he let her see his fangs. He wanted this night to work out. He needed it to be different from all the other nights with human women in the past. He wanted to be buried deep in Kaia’s innocent body, to be accepted by her, even if just for one night, so he’d try his hardest to keep his mask in place. At least until he could fill his desire. It’d been so long…
He swallowed hard and filled her open arms. She looked expectantly at him, anticipation plain on her face while her quiet whimpers sent shivers through him. She wanted him and was waiting impatiently for him to take her. Had it ever been this simple for him? No. Never.
The shock of sensation as he slid inside her overheated body was nearly overwhelming and he gasped out loud. He felt like he was in a dream haze as soon as he was wrapped up in her, their bodies moving effortlessly in time with one another. She was soft and warm in his arms and her scent was light and sweet. He closed his eyes and just breathed her in.
Feelings overwhelmed him as she whimpered in his arms, grasping him everywhere, kissing and begging for more. It was so surreal, he almost felt like it couldn’t possibly be him here with her. She was too perfect, too beautiful.
And she was hungry for him. Her body craved his. He could feel it and it only made him want her even more. He felt like an addict, never wanting this high to end. Is this what he’d been missing out on his whole life? He’d had sex a handful of times, but never like this. Never where he felt so good. Everything felt right with her.
He smiled briefly as she cried out louder than before. She gripped him with her warm hands and frantically kissed him while he pumped in and out of her soft, welcoming body.
Her skin smelled wonderful and he couldn’t stop licking and kissing her neck. She tilted her head to give him better access and he almost lost control at the tempting gesture. The vampire part of him wanted her blood as bad as his human side wanted her touch, her kisses, and to be inside her.
He needed to stay away from her neck, so he closed his mouth and turned away, gritting his teeth for a moment. He held himself up from her on the bed and focused on his strength instead. He didn’t want to accidentally hurt her. Not his sweet Kaia.
He gushed out, “You’re so beautiful.”
She whimpered and moaned, trying to look him in the eyes as she clamored for him, desperately rocking in time with his thrusts. Her breathing was heavy, a slight sheen of sweat on her skin, and the look of pure desire on her face made his body clench. He wanted this to go on forever. If only it could.
Her sweet nothings were music to his ears. “Oh baby, you’re the beautiful one. You’re perfect.”
Her words touched something deep inside him. No one had ever said such lovely things to him unless he’d had his mask on, and even then they hadn’t wanted him this badly. He adored her calling him ‘baby’, too. Her pet name made him feel like he was really hers, even if it was only in this lucid dream. Emotion rolled through him and overtook his senses, and he wondered if this was what absolute bliss felt like.
She ran her hands all over him as he continued to thrust in and out of her. His muscles were being used in ways he wasn’t used to, but he never wanted this to stop.
Her sweet thighs clenched him as she breathily cried out, “Oh yes, baby. Yes.”
He couldn’t take it anymore. He stopped thinking so hard and just held her close, smelling her, tasting her, kissing her… He whimpered in need, desire, in anguish and in joy. Far off in his mind he knew this couldn’t be real, but he wanted it to be. He wanted it to be real every night for the rest of his life.
Her nails dug lightly into his back, and even though it wasn’t much pressure, it sent an erotic shiver through him and he couldn’t form conscious thought anymore. Her body was wrapped so perfectly around his, her hands now grabbing his rear end, her nails pressing into his flesh, he just couldn’t stop, couldn’t stop, couldn’t stop… He bucked against her… Two hundred and sixty five year’s worth of pain… and frustration… with every… thrust…
He desperately pierced soft flesh with his fangs and the decadent taste of his bloody addiction pushed hi
s senses over the edge. He clenched the soft, womanly body in his arms as he lost his mind to his orgasm, wave after blissful wave of tremors wracking him from head to toe. He greedily swallowed warm, rich blood as he came inside the most heavenly creature on earth.
His mind was unfocused as he let himself be free in the moment, his muscles shaking as he very slowly came down from his incredible high. When he realized he’d been quietly whimpering, he stopped and focused on his breathing instead. He panted as incredible bliss rolled through him, the intensity slowly, ever so slowly dying down. When he was finally spent and started to come back to his right mind, he realized with a shock what he was doing.
He was drinking Kaia’s blood.
No! No, no, no! Dammit! This was not how he wanted her to find out. No!
He immediately released her from his bite and licked her neck to make the bleeding stop, then tried to put a wall up in his mind to block his intense emotions. He needed to be clear headed to deal with the aftermath of what he’d just so recklessly done.
He’d been so close… so close to a real relationship… and he screwed it up. His body was numb but his mind threatened to break down in agony and defeat. He suddenly felt so alone.
He held onto Kaia, his face in her neck, and lightly kissed her. He hated himself right now. If only this hadn’t gone completely wrong tonight. If only he could take it all back.
He held her close and never wanted to let her go. He tried not to break down right here and now, but his loneliness in life hit him like a brick.
Kaia turned her head towards him but he didn’t move. He didn’t want to hear her screams. She was being quiet so far.
Her sweet voice startled him. “Baby? Are you ok? You’re shaking.” She ran her hands over his back and kissed his bare shoulder.