by Calista Fox
Cane didn’t think his cock could get any harder. It did. He let out a low grunt from the discomfort. And the passion that roared through him. The beast within him pushed toward the surface, but he kept it tamped down, fought it back.
He wanted sex, not death.
Intimacy, not horror.
He wanted his passion sated, not his vampire thirst. That would come later, when he was alone. Hurting this woman in any way was the absolute last thing he wanted to do and he would call on every ounce of restraint he possessed to keep from doing so.
Yet, that made him hold back now, when she’d implored him not to.
“Bev,” he said, his voice tight. Strained. “I could hurt you.” He had to warn her. It was only fair.
But then she turned the tables on him. Her body gravitated toward his until she was pressed against him, melding to him. “No,” she said in a low tone. “You can’t. You won’t. Trust me.”
She had no idea the fire she was playing with. He couldn’t warn her further nor could he walk away from this moment. It was selfish and somewhat hypocritical, he knew it.
But to not have her…
He couldn’t even fathom resisting this temptation.
His eyes closed as she leaned toward him and took a deep breath, as though inhaling his scent the way he did hers. She all but purred in delight and anticipation and it made him grip her waist tighter, crushing her body to his. Liquid heat raged through him as she rose on tiptoes and sealed her lips to his, telling him with certainty that she wanted him as much as he wanted her.
The first thing that registered in Cane’s head was acceptance. Mutual desire and need. The second thing that consumed him was the warm and supple feeling of her mouth. Her lips were heaven on his and he fantasized about how they’d feel on his skin as they blazed a trail over his chest, down his abdomen. How mind-blowing they’d feel wrapped around his cock.
And then he concentrated on the way her body felt as it joined with his in a soft, sensuous entwinement that made him think she’d become a part of him.
Their mouths opened at the same moment and his tongue delved deep, tasting, teasing. Giving as much as he took. He could hear her heart hammer in her chest. The erratic beats pounded in his head. He could feel her desire escalate as her fingers twisted in his hair and she gave herself over to the passion that consumed them.
Outside, thunder roared loudly, but it barely registered above her pulse. The lightning that illuminated the stained glass windows in the foyer created flashing light like strobes behind his closed lids. He couldn’t focus on anything other than Bev, though.
In his arms, pressed against him, moaning softly as he deepened their kiss.
His hands roamed her body, needing to touch and caress and please. His fingers slipped behind the lacy material of her top and glided up her silky skin until he palmed her bare breasts.
Christ. No bra. His cock was this close to exploding. Biting back a groan, he skimmed the pads of his thumbs over her small, hard nipples. Gently at first. A teasing touch that perhaps was subconsciously meant to be a test to determine how far she intended to let him take this seduction.
Or a warning on his part as to how far he intended to take it.
Her body seemed to coalesce with his even more, giving him the answer he sought. He rolled a tight nipple between his thumb and forefinger and her mouth tore from his as she gasped for air.
Cane could barely breathe himself, but there was no letting up now. His mouth was on her neck and he found the restraint he’d hoped for because his need to fuck her overrode his need to bite her.
One of his hands slid to the small of her back to hold her in place, to keep her long, luscious body melded with his. The other hand cupped her breast and gave a slightly rough squeeze. More so than he’d intended, but his passion was welling within him, fast and furious. He toyed with her nipple, making her squirm against him. Her fingers were still tangled in his hair and she let out breathy little moans that drove him wild. His tongue slid along the column of her neck, tasting her sweet, slightly salty skin, exploring the cords as they pulled tight, pressing against her flesh as he drew in a pinch of it.
Not nipping or biting. Sucking softly. Carefully.
Though Cane’s mind clouded with the sensual abyss he was lost in, there was a part of him that remained detached enough to keep himself in check. He wanted her body tonight. Not her blood. He wanted to pleasure her, not drink from her. The lines were blurry, of course, but he held fast to the firm grip he had on his restraint.
So he thought.
“Cane.” She whispered his name. That one word was filled with need and desire.
His eyes snapped open. Lightning lit the windows again and a kaleidoscope of color filled the small room, the varying hues covering the bare skin that was exposed before him. Her long arms. Her tempting neck. Her strikingly beautiful face.
Lord help him, he’d never wanted anything more in his life.
But it wasn’t bloodlust that raged within him. It was physical lust. A red-hot need that flowed over him, through him.
“Say yes,” he said on a low, sharp tone that almost constituted a growl.
“Yes.”
Damn it. And… Hallelujah!
Hell, maybe he was the one playing with fire tonight. Maybe he was condemning his own soul for wanting her so damn much.
He didn’t have any answers. All he knew was that physical pleasure beckoned him.
No. It was more powerful than that. It screamed at him, begged him to be satiated. And he would obey. Not just for himself, but for Bev as well. Especially for Bev.
His mouth was on hers again, but for a few brief moments before he broke away as he shoved her tank top upward over her head, letting the lacy material drop to the floor. He stared at her, captivated. He took in the full, lushly rounded breasts that indeed were accented by small, tight, dusty-rose-colored nipples. And then his gaze lifted, reveling in her bronze flesh, her prominent collarbone, her perfect neck.
Cane sucked in a breath as he devoured the sheer beauty of her. The face that would materialize behind his closed lids every day henceforth. For the rest of his tortured eternity. The lips he could still feel on his mouth. The eyes that, when he looked deep into them, begged for so much more. From life. From him.
He couldn’t explain what he saw when he looked into Bev’s sparkling green eyes. But in his gut, he knew there was a secret hidden in their depths. A truth he wanted desperately to know. A yearning he couldn’t fully identify. A mystery he wanted to solve.
Cane wanted to know everything about her. Wanted to explore every fantasy, fulfill every dream.
His desire for her was overwhelming, yet at the same time the absolution he felt at this moment was enough to give him the kind of peace he’d wished for since the change two hundred years ago.
Her fingertips skimmed lightly over his cheek, down to his clenched jaw.
“You get so lost,” she said, her eyes narrowing on him, curiosity and confusion in her soft voice. “Where do you go?”
He shook his head. Christ. She had no idea how swept away he was. By her.
His throat was tight, but he managed to say, “You’re the most beautiful creature I’ve ever laid eyes on.”
A soft smile touched her lips and her green eyes changed, as though his words and her reaction to them took her by pleasant surprise.
Cane grinned back. He’d made it this far with her. Had pushed past the primal need. Had tamped down the beast. Had focused solely on the man he was. Not the vampire. Not the demon.
He had masculine needs, was enrapt by a stunning woman who stirred more than his bloodlust.
Bev made him focus on his humanity. The essence of him that he’d lost twice now. The essence of him he’d fought so damned hard to recover both times.
After the change. After Amy.
This woman made him feel more like a man and less like a vampire.
The liberation that came with that realization helpe
d him to hold onto his sanity. His restraint.
He could do this.
For her.
With her.
“Bev,” he continued, his voice tentative. His breathing was erratic, as was hers. Their chests rose and fell together. Her eyes blazed with desire and he knew his did too.
His hand covered her bare breast. His eyelids dipped as he zeroed in on her soft, slightly parted lips. If he had a beating heart, it’d be thundering in his chest like the storm outside. Like the hammering in her chest.
“Whatever is holding you back,” she said in a raw voice, “let it go.”
His jaw tightened further. For a moment. And then he did let go. He found his center—the man conquering the beast—and his mouth crushed hers as his body swallowed her up. His arm around her held her to him. His hand on her breast squeezed and caressed. He backed her up until she had nowhere else to go. She was trapped between him and the large round walnut table in the center of the foyer.
There was no fear in her kiss was the first thing that penetrated the passion-induced haze clouding his brain. There was nothing but reckless abandon. As though she’d quickly weighed all the pros and cons as he had, fought all the internal demons and…let them go. Cut them loose.
Allowed passion to reign supreme.
That revelation made him even harder.
As her hands skimmed over his shoulders, he eased away from her just enough so that her fingers could work the buttons on his shirt. She tugged the hem from his pants and then flattened her palms against his bared abdomen, the muscles clenching beneath her touch. His own hands had shifted to her biceps to allow her the freedom to explore his body to her heart’s content. She leaned into him and her lips grazed a nipple, causing his cock to jerk behind the confining zipper. Her tongue flicked over the pebble and teased it.
Cane forced himself not to press his fingers into the soft muscles of her upper arms. She seemed to take great pleasure in discovering what turned him on and he had no desire to stop her. Still, she was making him so damn hot…
“You’re perfect,” she muttered in a dusky voice.
She licked his other nipple and he groaned.
Careful, sweetheart.
It was a mental warning neither would heed and he knew it.
Her lips trailed over his chest, her tongue tasting, her mouth dropping kisses on his now-tingling skin. His hands moved up her neck, over her jaw to her hairline. His fingers plunged deep into the lush auburn strands, tangling and twisting, until he worked his way to her ponytail holder and unclasped it. The clip hit the hardwood floor as the silky curtain spilled over his hands and wrists. His head dipped and he inhaled the fresh, floral scent of her hair. Lilac.
She lifted her own head and his mouth pressed to hers as he pulled her into another long, demanding kiss. His desire exploded all over again and Cane’s hands moved down her body. His fingers slid behind the waistband of her pants and panties and he shoved the material off her hips.
Breaking the kiss so he could strip the rest of her clothing from her, he knelt on one knee and dragged the soft material to her ankles. One hand rested on his shoulder to steady her as he freed her from the pool of soft gray at her feet and then Cane’s hands and eyes eased slowly up her bare legs, over her knees to her thighs. He leaned in close, his lips and tongue brushing her skin, making her whimper softly as he moved upward.
When he reached the apex of her shapely legs, he dragged in a lungful of her rich, musky scent.
And let out a low growl.
Goddamn, she sent him into a frenzy of lustful, carnal needs.
He heard her swallow hard as his mouth hovered close to her neatly trimmed mound. So close he only had a move a few centimeters forward and his lips would graze hers. A tempting prospect, for he longed to taste her. To pleasure her. To slide his tongue along her swollen labia and then tease her clit with the tip of his tongue.
But he remained patient. Took his time. Kept himself in check.
“Spread your legs for me, sweetheart.”
She shivered as though his breath on her naked flesh excited her even more. Which in turn tested his restraint. She widened her stance and Cane’s hands skimmed over her velvety skin to her backside. He cupped her taut cheeks in his palms and pulled in one more heavenly drag of her scent.
It was more than he could stand. Restraint was suddenly an inconceivable notion. His mouth covered her fully.
Her gasp shattered the silence and rocketed through him, prompting Cane to pull out all the stops to take her to dizzying heights of pleasure. His tongue slid over her swollen lips, stroking slowly. Her breath quickened. The fingers she’d rested on his shoulders pressed into his muscles. She teetered slightly, swaying under his erotic touch, but he had a firm grip on her.
Wanting desperately to make her come, to hear her cry out his name, he targeted her clit. The long strokes turned into quick flicks, interspersed with occasional sucking that caused sensuous, groin-stirring moans to fall from her lips.
He shifted one hand and pushed a long finger deep into her wet pussy.
“Cane!” She gripped him tighter, her nails digging into him through the thin material of his shirt. “Oh god.”
She rocked slightly and he picked up her rhythm. He stroked her tight cunt with two fingers now as his mouth worked her quivering flesh. He licked and sucked her clit, worked her a little more frantically until she cried out. Her orgasm hit hard and fast and Cane pushed his fingers further into her contracting pussy to heighten and prolong the sensation. Wanting to give her even more. Everything he possessed.
She was vitally important to him. A part of him now in so many ways.
No turning back. He wanted her in whatever capacity he could manage that would not defy the humanity he’d worked so hard to restore.
Her hands moved to his head, threading through his hair. She tugged on the strands, likely unaware of it. She whimpered softly, rode the wave. Her legs trembled.
He stared up at her, loving the way she gave herself over, completely, to the sensations that consumed her. The feelings he evoked. The satisfaction he gave her. With her head thrown back, her lips parted, her eyes closed, she was an erotic vision he’d never tire of seeing.
Withdrawing his fingers from her dripping cunt, he kissed his way up the length of her. Standing before her, his cock throbbing, his mind reeling, he fought for his own composure. He wanted to make her come again. Over and over. He wanted to pleasure her until she begged him to fuck her.
But to not be buried inside her now, thrusting into her until they both exploded… Damn, it was all he could do not to take her hard and fast this very second.
His mouth swept over her exposed throat and her blood stirred his soul, as always.
“That was incredible,” she whispered, her eyes still closed, her head still back on her shoulders. Long, tousled strands of hair clung to her neck. Her skin was dewy from the humidity and her arousal.
“Get naked with me,” she said. He could hear the smile in her voice, the relaxation she felt from her release. But there was also the underlying desire that told him she wanted—needed—more.
He stared down at her. When her eyes opened, they burned with lust. And satisfaction.
Her hands were shaky as she pushed at his opened shirt, shoving the material down his arms and to the floor. Then she reached for his belt. As she worked the silver buckle, Cane mentally prepared himself for the fervor building within him. The powerful sensations that made his gut coil tight and his groin strain to the point of pain.
Careful, he warned himself again.
The sound of his zipper sliding down the track was swallowed up by the crash of thunder and the sizzle of lightning. Damn close. He could feel the heat from the prongs that lit the night. But it was nothing compared to the heat that seared him to the core of his being as Bev’s fingers pushed his pants and briefs down his legs and then her long fingers were wrapped around his cock and it was all he could do not to bend her over the
table and fuck her hard from behind.
His fists clenched at his sides. He didn’t dare touch her. His eyes squeezed shut when she eased to her knees before him and then her warm, soft lips were on him. From base to tip, she teased him with her mouth, her tongue stroking before her lips closed around his head.
“Goddamn,” he ground out. “Bev…” He swallowed hard. “Careful, baby.” This time he had to say it out loud. For both of them.
But she didn’t get it. Didn’t understand the tightrope he walked. The thin strand of composure that was rapidly unraveling.
Instead, she seemed to put her heart and soul into pleasuring him. “Bevelyn.” His voice was rough. His restraint slipping. “Jesus.”
Her head bobbed as she picked up the pace, sliding up and down his erect shaft. Cane wanted to touch her, to twine his fingers in her hair and force her into a faster rhythm. Precisely the reason he kept his hands balled at his sides. He couldn’t unfurl his fingers. Couldn’t push them through her silky strands as he pushed his cock deeper into her mouth. Because then he really would lose all control.
She took as much of him as she could and though it was pure heaven—better than that—he wanted more. He wanted to be burrowed in her warmth and wetness to the very hilt. He wanted to be inside her, the muscles of her tight pussy squeezing him, milking him.
This was heaven and hell. Triumph and torture. Pleasure and pain.
When her fingernails grazed his balls, Cane could take no more.
“Bev,” he said sharply as his hands clutched her upper arms, pulling her away from him, forcing her to relinquish her erotic grip on him as he hauled her to her feet.
She stared at him in bewilderment. But only for half a second. Realization dawned so quickly, she smiled.
“I want that too,” she said, the corners of her lush, talented mouth tilting further upward.
His hands gripped her hips and he lifted her up and onto the round table that was the centerpiece of the foyer. The chandelier overhead dripped cut crystals that sparkled in the soft light emitted from the small bulbs.
Though really it was the lightning from yet another freak thunderstorm that provided the major source of illumination in the room.