Blood Red Kiss

by Kresley Cole

  “Why would I want something better? There is nothing better. This is absolutely exquisite,” she whispered as she pet it.

  With a groan, she leaped into his arms, smashing her lips against his.

  He opened for her, their tongues thrusting together, rolling and dancing. A mating dance. Her sweet taste sparked a passion-fever inside his veins, her titillating scent enveloping them both, creating a cocoon. No one and nothing else existed outside this moment.

  She tugged at his clothing, ripping the material. “Get naked. Get naked now.”

  Need consumed Lilica. As soon as Dallas was bare, she forced herself to slow. He was her man. Willingly. Happily. She wanted to know more about him. All about him. Wanted to save him.

  She caressed the musical notes etched into his pec. “Tell me,” she beseeched.

  His pupils flared. “For you? Anything.” He kissed her temple. “My mother was an Onadyn user, and during the rare moments she was lucid and cheerful, she would sing to me.”

  Onadyn. A drug some otherworlders needed to survive Earth’s atmosphere. Humans used it to get high, even though it destroyed portions of their brains.

  Her fingertips stroked a path of fire to his rib cage, where the tree of life bloomed.

  “A reminder every time I look into the mirror,” he said. “Every word and every action is a seed. One day something will grow from it. Whether good or bad. Just depends on the kind of seed I planted.”

  “That is beautiful.” He was beautiful. She bent down to flick her tongue over one of his nipples, then the other. “And the eyes on your feet?”

  One corner of his mouth quirked up. “A reminder that someone is always watching.” He dragged his fingertips along the tätoveerimine marking her shoulders. “The first time I noticed these, I wanted to lick them. I still want to lick them.”

  “Me first.” She pushed him into the chair, and he stared at her, utterly transfixed, as she dropped to her knees. “I’m going to be much nicer to these from now on.” She kissed one testicle, then the other. “I promise.”

  He chuckled, and she loved the sound. As charming as he was, as carefree as he sometimes seemed, very few people could make him laugh with genuine amusement.

  I am one of the few. I’m special!

  She curled her fingers around the base of his erection. “As you may or may not know, I’m fascinated with this part of you.” Out flicked her tongue. She traced the outer edge, then the slit in the center. A bead of desire welled, and she lapped it up.

  He sucked in a breath—and she sucked him to the back of her throat, soon growing used to the way he stretched her jaw.

  “I’ve wanted you too badly for too long,” he rasped. “You keep that up, and I’m going to blow in your mouth. I’d rather blow inside you.”

  Inside her . . . yes. Her first time. Their first time. She stood and straddled his lap, the long, hard length of him bobbing between them. “I will finish you in my mouth next time.”

  “And you won’t hear any complaints from me. Maybe a few commands for you to work me harder and faster, but that will depend on your skill level. We’ll evaluate and discuss.”

  “Funny man.” She wrapped her hand around his shaft. “Are you sure you want to tease me when I have control of your precious?”

  “Yes. Teasing you is my new favorite hobby.” He kneaded her breasts, his thumbs brushing over the puckered crests. “Such a perfect view.”

  As he leaned forward to run his tongue over the scrolls etched on her shoulders, sensation shot straight to her core, where she ached with molten desire. This man . . . oh, this man . . .

  He was every dream she’d ever had, every dream she’d never known she’d had, and every dream she would ever have. And he wanted her too. Wanted her fiercely, madly, deeply, as if she were a prize.

  “You are a prize,” he said, and tortured her nipple with a glorious suck.

  The bond had begun to strengthen again! For a moment she could even see herself through his eyes. An exotic creature with skin of ebony silk, extraordinary markings to explore, hair a mane of jet-black satin, and eyes as mysterious as a midnight sky filled with countless stars glittering with abandon. Her curves were an irresistible smorgasbord. An all-you-can-eat buffet.

  He smiled at her slowly, wickedly, before fitting his teeth over her other nipple. He did something with his tongue . . . something strange and wondrous, as if his Arcadian powers stroked her too. Stroked deeper.

  She cried out in bliss, her hands moving to his scalp, her nails digging in deep to hold him in place. He caressed down . . . down the ridges of her spine before cupping her ass to yank her closer. Her core rubbed against his shaft, the pleasure too much but not enough.

  “It’s as if you were created just for me,” he said, the awe in his tone undoing her. “As if I gave the lab a list, and they made my perfect woman.”

  The warmth of her breath fanned the shell of his ear before she bit the lobe . . . kissed the stubble along his jaw . . . finally reaching his lips. As their tongues thrust together, he reached underneath her to slide a finger deep, deep inside her, making her gasp.

  “So hot,” he praised. “So wet.”

  “More.” Her voice was so thick with arousal, she sounded drunk.

  “I’ll give you whatever you need. Always.” He fed her another finger, stretching her, moving the two in and out of her, mimicking the motions of their tongues. They weren’t just having sex with their mouths and his fingers, they were making love.

  “Don’t stop. Please, don’t stop. Please . . . give me more. All.”

  I’m willing to beg?

  As a child, she’d refused to beg Walsh for mercy. Refused to beg for treats or scraps of affection. She’d feared revealing a weakness, a vulnerability. Had only broken to help her sister. Nothing else had ever tempted her. Until this man. Yes, she would beg. Wanting him was a very real part of her being. The fabric from which a new, stronger Lilica had been made.

  “Would rather die than stop.” —Can’t get enough of her. Will never get enough.—

  His thoughts drifted through her mind, as rapturous as his touch. Need for him grew into a frenzied rush. She bit his tongue and sucked on the wound, savoring the taste of his blood. Her head fogged, making her ravenous for more. The same hunger consumed him. His hips jerked up, his rigid length sliding more firmly between her legs, creating a friction that sparked a thousand new fires in her veins.

  She flattened her hand on his chest, just above his heart. The muscle was as hard as the rest of him, the organ itself pounding swift and erratic. Pushing herself up so that her breasts hovered just out of reach, she peered into his eyes.

  “Your other women—”

  He scowled, interjecting, “No other women. Can’t remember them.”

  Tenderness swamped her, but she continued as if he hadn’t interrupted. “—they didn’t know you, because you wouldn’t let them. I know you, and I want to see you as you fill me.”

  “Yes. I’m going to fill you up, brand you, make you mine in body as well as soul.” With his fingers anchored on her hips, holding her tight enough to bruise, he guided her to the tip of his erection.

  She reveled in his strength.

  “I don’t want anything between us,” he rasped. “Do you?”

  She hadn’t even considered using protection, had been more concerned with the present than the future. But, like him, she wanted nothing between them. Not this first time.

  “I just want you. And don’t worry. I won’t get pregnant. The birth control I was given hasn’t yet worn off.” She pressed down, taking an inch of him . . . tried to take more but couldn’t. He was so big, so wide, and she needed a moment to adjust. Panting, she said, “No . . . going back . . . after this.”

  “Don’t want to go back.” Sweat trickled down his temples, falling to his shoulders, rolling down his chest. All the while, their gazes held. His pupils were blown, arctic irises hidden by a pool of black. And . . . she gasped. Amidst the black
were pinpricks of light, like the ones found within her eyes.

  They were becoming . . . one?

  The knowledge electrified her, aroused her to the point of madness. With a desperate cry, she slammed down on his erection, burying his length inside her. A sharp lance of pain quickly vanished beneath an onslaught of undiluted pleasure; she was fully seated on him.

  “Okay? All right?” he panted.

  “Good, so good.”

  He levered himself to his feet, still inside her, his hands on her ass to keep her balanced as he walked forward, every step wringing a moan from her. Sliding him in and out. In the bedroom, he eased her onto the edge of the mattress while he remained standing.

  She lay before him, a feast for the taking . . . and take he did.

  He pulled out of her slowly . . . only to slam back into her swiftly. The pleasure—oh! For a moment, she was almost blind with it. “Dallas.”

  “My Lily.” He slid out, slammed in again, and hissed a curse.

  “Yes!” Enjoying the ferocity of the ride, she arched her back and reached overhead to fist the covers.

  His—control—snapped.

  He hammered into her again and again, completely unrestrained. She loved it. Her head thrashed, and her hips rose to meet him. Without slowing his thrusts, he leaned down, taking one of her legs with him. Her thigh pressed against the mattress, making her more open to him, more vulnerable.

  He kissed her then, his taste as drugging as his sex. Pressure built inside her. Pressure and pleasure, pleasure and pressure, until the two were the same. A heady combination. She bit at him, sucked on his lip, demanded more . . . more . . . oh, he gave her more!

  She gasped his name until she was no longer coherent, until all she could do was moan and groan. He reached between them, his fingers finding the heart of her, where she throbbed. With a single press, he sent her hurtling over the edge, screaming her release.

  As her inner walls clenched and unclenched around him, he thrust into her a final time, threw back his head, and roared.

  15

  Dallas stood under a spray of hot water, his mind in turmoil. He’d left Lilica sleeping in bed. His woman. The girl who’d gifted him with her virginity. He’d been her first, and he would be her only. Just as she’d been his first. The first to work her way past his defenses and reach the man inside.

  As they’d cuddled, enjoying the afterglow, he couldn’t help but tease her. “That was an orgasm.”

  She’d slapped his chest. “Figured that out on my own, thanks.”

  “Just so you know, I’m the only man in the entire world who can give you one. Sure, your friends will try to tell you any man can do it, but they are lying.”

  She’d snickered, and he’d cherished the sound of her amusement.

  Just as wondrous, she’d trusted him enough to fall asleep in his arms.

  Though he’d wanted to wake her and shower with her, he’d known just how badly she needed rest. She’d gotten none the night before, and he doubted she’d get much in the coming days. Plus, she had to be sore.

  Soon, her sisters had to be dealt with.

  A few minutes ago, he’d been as high as a kite, ready to conquer the world. He and Lilica were bonded for good. She’d agreed to marry him. His body had never been so completely sated. Then he’d gotten a call from Mia. Trinity was sick again . . . and Jade hadn’t healed.

  Mia now thought the only way to contain the Schön once and for all was to burn the hosts with a full-body SS. Maybe the alien hosts would die, maybe not. Maybe they’d heal and need to be burned again, maybe not. But even trapped inside a dead host, the Schön could live on, perhaps dormant. If ever someone opened up the bodies, all bets were off.

  If AIR performed such a deed, Lilica would rage. And rightly so. It was cruel. Beyond cruel. And it might not work.

  And what if she blamed Dallas for it? Would she ever be able to forgive him?

  He wasn’t sure he would be able to forgive himself. But AIR couldn’t let Lilica’s sisters go free. Trinity would continue to spread the disease. Maybe Jade would resist the need to spread it, maybe she wouldn’t . . . if measures weren’t taken, she would die and the disease would spread anyway, finding a new host—maybe even if she were shot with the SS. Right now, there were too many unknown variables and zero room for mistakes.

  This was a lose-lose situation all the way around.

  He needed to speak with Lilica. And whatever she wanted him to do, he would do.

  Determined, he shut off the water, towel dried, and dressed in the white button-down, slacks, and boots required for the job.

  Hinges squeaked as he stepped out of the steam-filled bathroom. He moved toward the bed—and drew up short.

  Lilica lay on the floor, fully dressed despite the fact that she’d been naked when he’d left her. Her eyes stared out at nothing, the stars no longer inside them, no longer twinkling, blood smeared at the corners. Blood smeared the corners of her mouth too.

  Horror drilled him to his knees. How had she . . . what could have . . . no. No. He crawled toward her, his mind locked on a single thought. No! She couldn’t be dead. The bond—

  The bond!

  “Dallas?”

  Her voice! He whipped around, seeing a very much alive and well Lilica standing in the doorway. Her bloodied image had already vanished from the floor.

  Another waking vision, he realized. Relief chased away the horror as he dove on her, wrapping his arms around her, locking her against him, taking comfort in the beat of her heart.

  “I thought you were—”

  “I know.” She clung to him just as tightly. “I saw it too. And I know about my sisters. I heard your thoughts.”

  “I’m so sorry, sweetheart.”

  “I think . . . I think what I’m planning to do is what caused—causes—my death.”

  “What are you planning?” He lifted his head, his hands on her shoulders, holding her in place. “I won’t let you put yourself in danger.”

  “I must. I have to try to save Jade.”

  “She wouldn’t want you to endanger yourself.”

  “You’re right, but I can’t make my decisions based on the wants of others. I can only do what’s right.”

  “This isn’t right.” He gave her a hard shake. “Dying isn’t right. Leaving me isn’t right.” He would rather die than live without her. Not that he would go on living. They were bonded. What happened to one would happen to the other. “You’ll be putting me in danger.”

  “Just as you’ll be putting me in danger every time you leave to do your job. But I’m not going to stop you. Your job is part of who you are.” She placed a soft kiss on his lips. “I would rather die knowing I tried than live knowing I did nothing. And now that we know a possible result, we can take measures to prevent it from happening. We can have medics on standby. That is why you have visions, isn’t it? So you can change the outcome of what you see?”

  “Maybe. Or maybe I’m being warned about what will happen no matter what.”

  Another kiss. “Then we’re screwed either way, so why not go out fighting?”

  Dallas led Lilica through the warehouse in No Man’s Land, his footsteps heavy, his heart and stomach contemplating switching places.

  Devyn waited in the hallway entry that led to the cages, his expression wiped of its usual smirk. He ignored Dallas in favor of hugging Lilica. “Thank you. Thank you for saving Bride. I will be forever in your debt.”

  “Yes, you will,” she said, and Dallas smiled. His first since Mia had called him, but it didn’t last long. “I’m going to expect regular payments.”

  “And you’ll receive them.”

  “All right,” Dallas said. “The chitchat can wait.” A sense of urgency beleaguered him. If they didn’t put Lilica’s plan into motion soon, he was going to knock her out, carry her away, and deal with the fallout later.

  He clasped Lilica’s hand and drew her toward Mia, who stood in front of Trinity’s cage. The disease had m
ost definitely returned. Her hair now hung in limp tangles around her emaciated face. Her pale skin sagged, and sores circled her bloodshot eyes.

  Because she hadn’t been allowed to share the taint with others, the toxins had built up inside her. They were feeding on her.

  Trinity spotted Dallas and stretched out her hand. “Help me.” Her voice was weak, frayed at the edges. “Help me.”

  This. This was his vision. If only he could shoot her, ending the whole debacle here and now.

  “Help me.”

  The vision hadn’t changed the future, he realized, but had led him straight to it. Same with the one he’d had of Lilica in his chair. The third waking vision would happen. He knew it with every cell of his body.

  “Help . . . please.”

  “You can’t do this,” he told Lilica. “You just can’t. We’ll find another way.”

  “There isn’t time to find another way. You know that.”

  “If . . . live . . . they . . . live . . . die . . . they die,” Trinity said between panting breaths.

  A suspicion arose. What if she wasn’t talking about her people but about her sisters?

  He swallowed bile as a horrifying thought dawned. If he’d killed her at any point in the past, he wouldn’t have met Lilica.

  Mia pressed a button, and a door between the two cages opened, allowing Jade to step inside the cell with Trinity. In the corridor, John, who’d stood sentry all night, moved with Jade, stopping beside Mia.

  Trinity disregarded her sister, remaining focused on Dallas.

  Jade had continued to deteriorate, her once vibrant skin now littered with sores.

  Dallas’s hand twitched on the handle of the SS, which was sheathed at his side.

  John spotted the action and growled at him.

  “Lilica, please,” Dallas said, willing to beg.

  As she turned to meet his gaze, he grabbed hold of her and kissed the air out of her lungs.

  When they pulled away, she lifted her chin and squared her shoulders, and he knew. He knew she wouldn’t back down.

  “I love you,” she told him. “I love you with all my heart.”