Situated to his left, Lori, a short brunette in an even shorter denim skirt, shifted so that his arm rested against her cotton shirt and between her plump breasts. Her palm slid seductively up and down his arm, drawing his attention. He glanced down into her eyes, touched the brim of his black Stetson, and flashed his warmest smile. Yet his thoughts continued to churn around the objective of his concern.
The unknown vampiress.
He wasn’t a parole officer, but it was protocol for the undead passing through another Master’s jurisdiction to make their presence known and promise to be on their best behavior.
This particular visitor thought she’d ignore him. Not a smart decision. He was ancient and powerful, over three centuries old. With just a mere thought he could be someone’s darkest nightmare.
And she was in his territory now.
With his back to her, he sent energy throughout the room and stroked her mind with a featherlight touch. The unexpected mind block she slung in front of him was entertaining, but useless. Amused laughter tickled the back of his throat as he dissolved the barrier, passing through it as if it were a heavy cloud instead of the solid mass she intended. More for enjoyment than arrogance, he touched her thoughts again, receiving another mental brush off.
Feisty. He chuckled and the corners of his mouth dimpled. His reaction caused a satisfied smirk to pass from Lori to Donna, the blonde situated on his other side. Clearly, Lori felt responsible for his pleasurable response. But she was wrong. His engaging expression had been for the subliminal slap on the hand delivered by the temptress behind him.
It seemed strange that her resistance to acknowledge him or his position of authority didn’t anger him. No one defied him. Of course, it wasn’t as if he had taken the opportunity to introduce himself—to actually speak with her. It was more an air of indifference she gave off than a lack of respect. She appeared to want to be left alone. But that was never going to happen. He found her intriguing and challenging.
The vampiress had spunk. He could sense her self-confidence, her strength and sexuality, so unlike when she arrived in Pinetop earlier that morning before daybreak. He had known of her arrival. He knew everything. Even more intriguing was the blend of arousal mixing with her air of defiance toward him.
The rich, creamy aroma made his nose rise as he scented her. He inhaled, deeply. Ahhh… As he exhaled, his brows pulled together in dismay.
What was it about this temptress?
The female tones around him rose above the music. Two more women joined them, but he heard nothing. Their voices were a buzz, only a murmur. He resisted the urge to brush them from his mind. Which was so unlike him. He’d enjoyed these women before. Hell, he delighted in all members of the softer sex. They were special and deserved respect. But tonight he had only one particular woman on his mind.
Once again he examined his question as his gut clenched tightly. What was it about the vampiress that stirred him, made his cock swell and harden with lust? The roar of blood making a direct path to his groin thundered in his ears. Unbearable pressure built behind his zipper. The need to cup his member was growing into a throbbing ache.
“Now, Adrian? Dance with me, now.” Soft and sexy, Lori pleaded with him as the lead guitarist released the final note of the current song they played. He leaned into the microphone and whispered, “Now for a slow one.”
“I’m next,” Donna chimed, staring up at him through mascara-darkened eyelashes. The statuesque blonde looked inviting decked out in red boots, jeans, and a lacy cowgirl blouse. But she wasn’t what he wanted tonight.
Mild amusement touched his lips. “It would be my pleasure, ladies, but not now.”
No. At the moment he felt trapped by dark desire. A lust so raw it was painful. It was perplexing that a woman he hadn’t even seen could mesmerize him beyond rational thought.
Dammit… Where was his control?
The minute she had entered his territory he had felt shaken. Surprisingly, the land had welcomed her; releasing a sigh as it cradled her within its arms. Almost as if she belonged here.
But she didn’t.
By the way she hit town this morning and sought ground she was likely just passing through.
Traveling or running?
With the sun quickly rising in the sky it had been too late to personally introduce himself. Instead he chose to greet her telepathically as she went to ground. Her frantic thoughts as he brushed her mind had torn him from his own resting place. Emotions so desperate and all-consuming clouded her mind. She hadn’t even sensed his presence.
He felt hunger clawing at her stomach. The urge to protect her pulled him like a magnet to her side.
But before he could reach her she had already fallen into the sleep of the undead, heart and lungs empty of movement. He had stood over her resting place, listening—hearing nothing.
“Who are you?” he had wondered. “And what are you running from?” Only when his eyes burned and watered, and small, tender blisters rose across his skin as the sun began to rise did he seek his bed.
There was something odd between them that he would have liked to pursue, but he had scented a Master among her essence, a bitter redolence that concerned him. He had yet to mark its owner, but he would.
A crash of a beer bottle as a drunken cowboy pushed from a nearby table jerked him out of his wanderings. A waitress bent to retrieve the shattered glass. “Ouch!” With a tight squeal of surprise, she lunged to her feet holding her hand. “Shit! That hurts.”
Hunger rose inside him. Raw. Primitive. The heady scent of blood, rich and savory, filled his nostrils. His tongue skimmed slowly between his lips. What he would give to lick each of her fingers—one at a time. Mesmerized, he watched the blood flow and then ebb with the pressure she exerted.
“Get her a towel,” the bartender yelled.
Upon rising this evening Adrian had fed well to calm the beast the vampiress had awoken in him. But still he felt the creature lifting its head and crying out for more blood—particularly the vampiress’s. And the strangest thing was that he could feel her beast reaching out to him, needing to be touched and to feed.
“Adrian?” Lori said.
Damn. Had he missed a question? He caressed the brunette beside him with his gaze. Such a pretty woman.
“Yes, darlin’?”
“Let’s get out of here.” She batted her eyes invitingly.
Lori was ready and willing to be taken, both flesh and blood. The ache in his gums intensified, rivaling that in his jeans. Slowly, his canines begin to push through bone and skin. Donna stepped closer to him so her body touched his, and she gave him a do-you-like-what-you-see look that forced his fangs to explode. The taste of blood filled his mouth and trickled down his throat as his teeth jabbed into the inside of his bottom lip. He would have welcomed the ladies’ attention if he hadn’t had another on his mind. With a caress of his tongue he coaxed his canines to recede.
“We can make it a threesome,” Donna offered. Her thigh rubbed his in a slow up and down motion. A grin creased Lori’s mouth as she pressed her body firmly to his. The other women giggled.
Someone opened the back door and a cool breeze swept into the room. From where he stood he saw branches bending to the will of Mother Nature. The fresh outdoors clashed against the smoky scent burning in the fireplace as the wind played with the flames. Trees were shadows in the night. Something small and furry scurried across the porch and then the door slammed shut.
“Ladies, I can’t think of anyplace I’d rather be, but—”
Unease slithered across his skin as he sensed a man touching the vampiress. Without a further word Adrian broke the grasps the women had on his arms and spun around to see her for the first time, only to watch her glide onto the dance floor with another man.
His hungry gaze slipped over her picture-perfect form. Small and curvy, she wasn’t exactly what he expected, not from the feisty defiance he had felt from her previously. No, this woman would bring out a man’s
need to protect and possess.
“Adrian?” Lori tugged at his shirtsleeve, but he ignored her.
As the cowboy’s palm rubbed the vampiress’s narrow ribcage and waist, moving across her hip to settle in the small of her back, a deep growl rumbled in Adrian’s throat. “Not tonight, buddy. She’s mine.” An air of jealousy rose unexpectedly within him. He attempted to brush it off, but it only grew as the couple’s hips came together and then parted on a turn. Like a dark velvet curtain, her hair rose and settled gently against her body. Adrian felt her light and airy laughter stroke the man with too much intimacy.
He heard the disgruntled breath Lori released beside him. “I thought we were leaving?” Persistently, she pulled on his sleeve.
Donna stepped next to him on the opposite side of where Lori held him in her grip. “My house is closer.” She wound her arm through his. “We can go there. C’mon, Adrian.”
Not once did he gaze down at them, his vision fixed on the woman moving across the dance floor. “Ladies, excuse me.” He pulled from their embrace and, with just a thought, coerced both ladies and the others standing nearby to seek other entertainment. The two cowboys who just walked in would love what the women had in mind tonight.
When finally left alone, Adrian turned his attention back to the dark-haired beauty who intrigued him so. The desperation he had sensed in her when she rose from her resting place this evening was gone. He hadn’t been able to stay away from her. Earlier as he hunted he had mentally checked on her. She had been in a terrible state, but now she was completely composed. There was no insecurity or despair in her movements. Instead, a full-frontal seduction campaign was being waged on the dance floor.
She had chosen tonight’s victim.
“Over my dead body, darlin’,” he whispered beneath his breath.
For several heartbeats, Adrian watched the sway of her hips and wondered what they would feel like beneath him as he parted her legs and drove between them. He had no doubt she would be tight, slipping over him like a glove to hold him in her cradle. As her leather-clad ass moved back and forth, the ache between his thighs grew firmer. His lust became a flame that raced uncontrollably through him.
And damn! She could dance.
Every step was executed to perfection and used to show off her talent. Graceful, light and agile, she moved quickly and easily in and out of the cowboy’s arms as they two-stepped across the dance floor. She made the man in her arms look good. The pride on his face said it all. He was the envy of every man, and he knew it.
“Man, what’s wrong with me?” Adrian’s balls drew tight against the base of his cock. He let the pain wash over him, through him. Just the thought of thrusting in and out of her warm, wet body woke the beast within him. His mouth watered. His canines ached to sink into her slender neck to mark her and make her his. Of course, there was the small problem that she belonged to someone else.
Sonofabitch! He didn’t just want her—his body demanded her. He’d have to deal with that little complication later.
She stole every opportunity to press her body against the cowboy’s. As her dark, thick eyelashes swept across the top of her cheekbones an expression of pure sensuality greeted the man in her arms each time their eyes met. The woman oozed unadulterated sex appeal. It thickened the air and called to every man in sight, including Adrian.
He pulled his hat from his head, and ran his fingers through his hair before settling his Stetson back into place. “Fuck. Woman, you’re killing me.” Perspiration beaded his forehead. His pulse raced. His damn heart thumped against his breastbone. For a moment he thought he heard someone call his name. But he was too mesmerized by the scene on the dance floor.
This wasn’t like him. He was a Master vampire, not a callow youth. What happened to his control?
With a twist she spun away from the cowboy, her body dissolving into the music as her eyes closed. Her boots and hips moved to the beat. Her shoulders undulated, her breasts pressed tight against the leather halter top. Another movement caused the material to gape and exposed the slightest hint of her rosy areola.
Adrian’s mouth salivated. His palms itched to cup her fullness. With a thought he could vanish her clothing. Another thought and he could have her in his bed. He felt weak-kneed as a shiver slid across his skin.
God. He wanted—no—needed to taste her.
Arms raised above her head, her knees bent, taking her body down in a wave. When she raised, her eyelids opened.
Eyes the color of violets met Adrian’s, sending his mind into a tailspin. The low, ominous sound that crawled up his throat made her freeze in place, her movements dying along with the music.
His self-control went up in flames as he moved toward her. The beast roared inside him as his fangs emerged. Determination was in his step as his boots clicked against the wooden floor.
“Holy shit!” She choked the words just before he pushed between the cowboy and vampiress and took her into his arms. For a moment he simply drank in her beauty. Her mesmerizing eyes were wide with wonder—or perhaps fear. He didn’t know—didn’t care. All he knew was it felt right to hold her, to have her body pressed against his.
“I’m cutting in,” he shot over a shoulder, as he sent a silent command to the cowboy to seek another beer. At the same time he requested the band to play another slow song. When the music started he trailed one hand to the small of her back, while the other rested beneath her hair. He held her close, and let his body move hers across the floor.
Lilacs. He buried his nose into her hair and inhaled the sweet scent along with the fragrance of her leather clothing. Clothing that suited her small frame. His fingers played unconsciously with the knot of material at her back that kept her halter top in place.
An uneasy huff sent her warm breath to brush his ear. “Uh…you’re not thinking of untying that, are you?”
He nuzzled her neck finding the pulse of her life essence. “Not right now, but later…” He scraped his fangs along the blue vein and let the promise of his words linger.
Silence answered him.
“I won’t be here later. I’m just passing through.” Her voice didn’t sharpen, but when he pulled away and looked down at her he could see she meant it.
No way could he let her leave. Not now, not before he discovered what this uncontrollable urge to have her was all about. He had to think of something—quick. “You’re hungry. I can’t allow you to hurt anyone under my protection.”
She stumbled as she crammed her hands between them, palms out, and gave his chest a push. Sharp nails made her point as she poked them into him. A bluish-purple flame sparked in her eyes. Her lips drew back in a silent snarl. “I don’t take life.”
Relief filtered through him. He attempted to draw her closer, but she held her ground, ducking and slipping from his arms. She was quick, but he was quicker as he caught her arm before she pivoted to leave. He could have sworn she snarled as she spun around and nailed her hot glare at his hand on her biceps. Never removing her withering stare, she jerked, but he held her firmly. “Let. Me. Go,” she said between clenched teeth.
She tensed at his touch. Anger moved beneath her skin, hot and fast. Gone was the fun-loving woman. Clearly, she was primed to resist him.
Stupid move. There was no way she could defeat him. Yet, her action earned his respect as he watched for her next move.
The moment her anger flared, so did her hunger.
It was true she had to feed and soon. Her skin was too pale. He would prefer to see the healthy glow he knew would come when she had substance. He sensed her strength waning, she should have been a tad more powerful in attempting to shun his mental probing. Her health was at risk—or another’s life.
“I can’t let you leave. Not until after you have fed.”
A harrumph of disbelief made her chest rise. Her skin was damp with perspiration. His gaze followed a drop of moisture that beaded and fell between her breasts. “I thought you were afraid I’d drain one of your flock
of their precious blood,” she said beneath her breath. Her tone reflected the tightness in her body.
A hungry vampire was a dangerous vampire—male or female.
Adrian said the only thing he could say, “It is my responsibility to watch over my people. You will feed tonight.” His skin felt like it shrank two sizes too small as he continued, “But you will drink from me.”
Chapter Three
Fallon couldn’t move. Loud and rampant thunder rolled through her head. The powerful vampire holding her hostage on the dance floor as people waltzed around them couldn’t possibly have said what she thought she heard.
“You will drink from me.”
His words replayed, over and over, in her head as his gaze burned into hers. She blinked once with a deer in the headlight expression she knew had to be plastered on her face. Her tongue quickly slid across dry lips. She swallowed hard, attempting to recover from what he freely offered.
A couple dancing by accidentally bumped her shoulder, causing her to stumble toward him. A whirlwind of emotions whipped through her body. Excitement prickled her skin and sent a shiver up her spine. Her thoughts were short and quick flashes.
One… Masters didn’t share their blood with those outside their lineage. Well, unless there were other circumstances involved, as in life or death. It just wasn’t heard of.
Ancient blood was powerful.
Two… Chavez’s blood had made her immortal and given her strength and power. What results would come from mixing another ancient’s essence with her own?
Three… What would be the consequences of a steady diet of one so powerful? Blood, not to mention sex. The idea was heady.
And four… Was he the Master she had been looking for to teach her what she needed to know to kill Chavez?
Holy shit! The intensity of it all slithered beneath her skin. Had she inadvertently stumbled upon just who she was looking for? She felt poised on the edge of a precipice. The possibilities could be immeasurable. She hadn’t felt up to dealing with a Master tonight, but there was no way she’d let an opportunity like this pass by.
Fallon's Revenge Page 2