by L. E. Wilson
Holding the gown up out of the way, she stepped into her shorts, then pulled it over her head and tossed it onto the bed. It’s not like he hadn’t seen her naked before. Well, almost naked anyway. In any case, she’d lost her modestly a long time ago. Grabbing her cut-off shirt, she’d gotten one arm in a sleeve when she heard a sharp intake of breath. She froze in panic, worried that someone was about to barge in and force her back into the cuffs again.
But the only one looking at her was Christian. His eyes were roving over her breasts at a leisurely pace, like they had all the time in the world, even as his posture told her a completely different story. She didn’t move, completely entranced by the desperate hunger she saw there. No one had ever looked at her like that before. Not ever. Not even when she was working the pole.
His upper lip curled back from his teeth, two of which were growing longer right before her eyes. Anger and something else she couldn’t name emanated from him. It shot out from him and straight into her until she couldn’t tell his emotions from her own. Those haunting eyes of his grew lighter and brighter as they stared at her, until they glowed yellow like a large cat of prey.
Shaking herself out of the trance he put her in, she continued getting dressed. Moving cautiously now, she pulled her shirt the rest of the way on. When her head popped out of the hole in the neckline, he had turned back to the door again. She searched the bag for her hair ties, but they weren’t in there. Oh, well. Calming her hair down as well as she could with her hands, she twisted it up and tied the mass into a knot of sorts on the back of her head. Sliding her sandals on, she said a bit unsteadily, “Ready.”
Christian glanced over his shoulder and opened the door. His emotions were less intense now that she was dressed, and his canines were hidden again. Checking the hall again, he waved her forward. “Come on.”
When she reached him, he held her in front of him and looked her over, then tucked a stray piece of hair into her makeshift bun. Lowering his nose to the top of her head, he inhaled and then exhaled with a soft groan. His behavior should’ve weirded her out, but it didn’t. Not at all. She wondered for a moment if he was going to kiss her again, but with a last longing look, he turned away. “Okay.” He cleared his throat and tried again. “Let’s go. Just stay calm. Remember, they can’t keep you here. Not while I’m around.”
She took his hand, and he glanced down in surprise. A scowl marred his smooth brow, but then he tightened his fingers around hers. Taking the lead, he led her from the room. Ryan’s heart was pounding a mile a minute, and he must have heard it, for he gave her fingers a reassuring squeeze. But he didn’t seem nervous at all. He just strolled down the hall like he didn’t have a care in the world. And it worked. They only saw one staff member this late, and they were walking in the opposite direction. Before she knew it, they were out the front doors and on the sidewalk outside the hospital.
“Just keep walking,” he murmured to her, and she nodded.
Once they got about two blocks away and no alarm was raised, she found she could breathe again. Taking a deep, cleansing breath, she asked, “Where are we going now?”
“Uh, not sure. I haven’t thought that far ahead yet. A hotel? Somewhere quiet?” Glancing over at her where she walked beside him, he ran his eyes over her face. “We have some talking to do, you and I.”
Her pulse sped up again at the thought of being alone in a hotel room with him, and he stopped walking, turning to face her. Ryan stared up at him, mesmerized by those amazing eyes. She felt a little like the rabbit cornered by the lion.
“You don’t have to be scared. I swear to the gods I won’t hurt you.”
She could only nod.
He sighed. “Come on.” Taking the lead again, he led her away.
A few blocks later, they found a small motel. “Wait here,” he told her, and left her outside the front door while he went in to secure a room. She wasn’t sure how he was going to do that, and honestly, she didn’t think that she really wanted to know. Two minutes later, he came walking back out with a key and took her hand again.
“Did you hurt them?” She didn’t mean to ask that out loud. It had just come out somehow.
He frowned down at her. “No. Of course not. I just helped him realize that it would be to his benefit to rent us a room. He won’t remember anything in a minute. Just that he rented a room to a well dressed gentleman and his wife.” Climbing to the second floor, he led her to room 204. “Here we go.”
She hesitated only briefly before entering the room. He closed and locked the door behind them, then went around checking the blinds and turning on the small air conditioning unit. It kicked on with a knocking sound, and within minutes surprisingly cool air was blowing into the room.
Ryan rubbed her arms.
“Is that too cold?” he asked, but she shook her head.
“So, you can mess with people’s heads? Is that what you did back there?”
Shoving his hands into his front pockets, he took her measure from across the room. Probably wondering how much truth she’d be able to handle. Then he shrugged. “I can change memories, or erase them all together. A human will know what’s going on when I’m standing in front of them, but as soon as I leave their sight, they only remember what I want them to.”
“Do you do this a lot?”
“I do it when I need to.”
“Have you done it to me?”
“No,” he said after a pause.
He was telling the truth. She could feel it.
“Ryan, can I ask you something?”
She gave him a sarcastic smile. “That’s why we’re here, isn’t it? To talk?” Turning away, she pretended to check out the room. She knew why they were really here. And even though she should be worried, or offended at the very least, she wasn’t. If she was going to be honest with herself, she hadn’t stopped thinking about him since he’d kissed her. She had her back to him now, so she closed her eyes and let the things she felt rush through her.
She wished his arms were around her right now, his hard body pressed to hers.
She was suddenly very aware of her breasts and the delicious heaviness low in her belly. What would it feel like, she wondered, to have him ease that ache?
A deep growl from behind her skated across her sensitized skin, and when she opened her eyes, Christian was standing in front of her. She hadn’t heard him move.
His eyes roamed over her face and his hands buried themselves in her hair. “Would I live up to your crappy expectations of a typical man if I kissed you right now?”
Excitement and a tiny thread of fear shot through her at the thought of this beautiful creature wanting her. But the fact that he was dangerous only increased her attraction to him. She had no idea why she reacted the way she did to him, and right now she didn’t really care. “Yes. But I’d like you to do it anyway.”
She saw the muscles in his cheeks as he clenched his jaw, and then he was lowering his mouth to hers. This was no tender exploration like the last time. Oh no. This kiss was all dominant male. Although he’d wanted her permission before he kissed her, he took her lips in a way that led her to believe he knew he hadn’t really needed to ask. And the fact that he had endeared him to her even more.
Ryan moaned as he thrust his tongue inside, devouring her like the predator he was. Her hands found their way to his biceps, and the muscles flexed where she touched him. She gripped his arms, hanging on tight, because if she didn’t she was afraid her legs would give out and she’d crumple to the floor in a puddle of feelings.
One of his hands left her hair and travelled down her back, then slid around to squeeze the side of her hip. From there it moved down to cup her backside. Her skin burned everywhere he touched, even through her clothes.
His other arm wrapped around her shoulders and he pulled her up and into him until she was on the very tips of her toes. She felt his hard length against her belly, and her body responded with a rush of moisture between her legs.
He gr
owled again as he broke off the kiss. Pulling away just enough that he could look at her with apprehension filled eyes, he asked, “I don’t scare you?”
Her own eyes roved over his taut features, his strange, beautiful irises, down to the tips of his fangs she could see peeking out of his parted mouth. “I think you’re beautiful,” she told him honestly.
He inhaled sharply and clenched his jaw again as he studied her. Trying to determine if she were telling the truth? A look of determination came over his face, like he’d made a decision. Turning around and taking her with him, he carefully laid her out on the bed. He followed her down, trailing kisses from her jaw to her throat, over her fluttering heart and lower, to nuzzle underneath her swollen breasts that were begging for his attention. She arched her back, encouraging him without saying a word.
Pushing her shirt up, he bared her breasts to his hungry gaze. And even though he’d seen them many times before, he caught his breath and stared in awe as if this were the first time. Her nipples tingled under his hot gaze, and she threaded her hands through his dark hair and pulled his mouth down to one tight bud. He sucked it into his mouth eagerly, and she cried out at the scratch of his fangs grazing her tender skin.
Then without warning, she felt a sharp sting as he bit her. But the sting was instantly replaced with the most amazing feeling as he started to suckle her, gently at first, and then with greater insistence. Appreciative moans accompanied every pull. Licking her wounds closed, he did the same to her other breast. Ryan writhed beneath him, then opened her legs wider and raised her hips, rubbing herself against his hard ridge until he thrust against her with a hoarse groan.
“Gods, I want you,” he whispered. Her nipple stiffened even more at the feel of his warm breath against her wet skin. “I don’t want to stop.” His voice was husky and strained.
“Then don’t,” she told him.
Eyes too bright for a human flared impossibly brighter, and his body suddenly went rock still, the muscles in his arms bulging with the strain of holding himself above her. Running her hands over those muscles, she tilted her hips up towards him. “Christian?” Her voice sounded breathless even to her own ears.
Those eyes bore into hers for a moment longer, and then he seemed to make another decision. Lowering his head, he took her nipple in his mouth and flicked it with his tongue, then moved lower still to spread slow warm kisses and little sharp bites across her stomach.
When he reached her shorts, he yanked them off impatiently. His shirt quickly followed, and she swallowed hard at the sight of those powerful shoulders and rippling abs. She waited for him to remove his pants, but he didn’t. Instead, he came back to her and picked up where he’d left off. Burying his nose in the soft reddish curls between her legs, he inhaled deeply, his low growl vibrating against her sensitive skin on the exhale.
He pushed her thighs even wider apart and she felt a flash of nervousness. She’d never felt so exposed in front of a male before, not even when she was dancing. But her nervousness was quickly forgotten when she felt the first wet touch of his tongue. Pleasure seared through her and she cried out as her body bucked upwards of its own accord. His arms slid under her thighs and his hands tightened down on her hips, holding her still. He settled in, separating her folds with his mouth and finding that sensitive spot.
Ryan’s eyes rolled back in her head and she forgot everything but the sensations he was pulling out of her.
She’d lied before. She didn’t want to die of an overdose. If she had to go, she wanted to go while doing this with him.
Chapter 21
Christian rolled his hips into the mattress, seeking relief for the rock hard erection that was popping out of the top of his waistband. He wanted to be inside of her. Needed to be inside of her. But he also wanted to be right where he was. The taste of her sex was nearly as good as the taste of her blood, and he was in no hurry to leave this spot.
Besides, he wasn’t going to have sex with her. Not all the way. This fucking dick of his was not going to rule his life. Not anymore. Never again. He didn’t care what kind of shape he was in. He’d rather be unable to do his job because he was racked with pain, then unable to do it because he was getting led around by the wrong head.
Resisting her completely though? Yeah, he’d have to work on that.
Because even though his brain was telling him to back away from the bed and the gorgeous female on it, the rest of him wanted nothing more than to hear her scream his name as she came against his mouth. And came from his fingers as he sucked her pretty nipples. And then his mouth again…
Her fingers slid through his short hair and gripped tight, holding him against her, and his hands dug into her hips in response. Adjusting her position so he could see her better, he looked up her hot little body.
Ah, gods.
She was lifting her hips in spite of his tight grip, moving herself against him, her body undulating like she was working the stripper pole. Only this time, she was dancing a private dance only for him.
He laved her, sucked her, flicked his tongue against that sweet little bud. He committed to memory every little sound she made, every time she said his name, every response of her body. Expertly, he worked her higher and higher until her thighs were quivering against the sides of his face. She suddenly tensed, then her entire body jerked as his name tore from her lips.
His balls tightened and his hips bucked against the bed as he strained to reach his own orgasm, but it wouldn’t happen. With a grunt of frustration, he brought her down gently and then turned his face and kissed her on the inside of her soft thigh.
“Oh, my god.” She ran her fingers through his hair, gently now, and he closed his eyes and fought the fire burning through his veins.
Do it. She’s right there. Naked and ready for you. Just do it! What the fuck is the matter with you?
No. No! He wouldn’t do it. He needed to get a grip on this shit. The weeks in that little room had proven to him that he wouldn’t die if he didn’t get laid, even though there were times he’d wished he would. He just needed to learn to control it. That was all. Yeah. He’d learn to control it.
“Christian? Is something wrong? Did I do something wrong?”
Ah, fuck. “No! Gods, no.” Crawling up the bed to lay next to her, he cupped her cheek in his hand and brought her face around so she would look at him. “You’re beautiful and amazing. And you drive me completely wild for you.”
Her brows lowered in confusion. “Then why are you stopping?”
“I just…” What? What was he going to tell her?
Sorry babe, it’s not you, it’s me.
“I just…” Just think of something! Anything!
But before he managed to say anything else, she rolled towards him and lifted up onto one elbow. He fell onto his back and her fiery hair fell across his bare chest. He moaned as the soft strands teased his hypersensitive skin. She traced the skin under his eye with one finger, then ran it across his cheekbone, and down his jaw and over to his mouth.
His lip pulled back, exposing his fangs. She glanced up and he closed his eyes, not wanting her to see how she was torturing him with just that small touch. But then they popped open again as he felt her pressing against the tip of his fang with her finger. She pushed until a drop of blood appeared on the tip.
Christian’s body felt like it was made of burning steel. He couldn’t move if he wanted to, but could only lie there and let her torture him with her soft exploration. Keeping his arms at his sides, his fists gripped the comforter as he let her satisfy her curiosity.
Her finger left his fang and she used it to rub her blood across his bottom lip. His nostrils flared as he caught the scent, and his tongue immediately found where she had touched his lip. At the first taste of her his entire body seized, and he had to fight like hell to keep from flipping her under him and sinking his teeth viciously into her throat.
A bead of sweat trickled down his temple in spite of the A/C, and he closed his eyes again
and tried to think of something, anything, that would get his mind off of what she was doing. But the only thing that came to mind was the way her body had moved when he’d made her come. He wanted to see her do that again.
Something warm and wet touched his collarbone, then moved down to his smooth pecs. By the time he realized what she was doing, her little tongue was teasing his nipple. Something between a hiss and a moan tore from his throat as he watched her from beneath hooded lids, and she took that as encouragement. Running one hand down his stomach while she continued to kiss and lick at his chest, she found the button of his jeans. His cock kicked up as she pulled open his jeans and set him free.
He needed to stop her before she drove him completely insane. And he was just about to, but then her small hand wrapped around him and he lost all thought. He could feel her eyes on him as she slid her hand up and down his shaft. He was so cranked up, her fingers wouldn’t reach all the way around. Coming back up to the head, she gave it a tentative squeeze.
Ah, gods!
Before he could reach down and pull her hand away, she had scooted down the bed to kneel between his legs. At the first tentative touch of her lips, his back arched up off the bed as his fists slammed down to grip the blanket again.
Holy. Fucking. Shit.
Her name burst from his lips as her mouth engulfed him as far as she could. Her hand stayed wrapped around the bottom half, and she started up a pumping rhythm that was just the right speed. Every time she pulled back, her tongue would flick around his head, and then she’d take him in again. The hot wetness of her mouth and firm grip of her hand was the perfect combination.
The heat in his blood all rushed to his groin as she worked him as expertly as he’d worked her. His legs stiffened and his abs tightened as he rocked his hips up and down and in and out of her sweet mouth. His balls tightened up and the head got all hot. He was so close to coming. He was right. Fucking. There.