by Debra Dunbar
Fingers gently brushed my bruised hip, tracing the swollen portion before working their way upward. My dress was nearly to my waist at this point, I was pressed up against the wall of a church two seconds from riding Dario like a pony, and I didn’t care. My priest and a bishop could walk around the corner, and I’d just wave them on.
“God, you really don’t have any underwear on.” Dario’s voice was breathy, with a desperate note to it that turned me on even more.
“No. Do you?” I snaked a hand between us to tug on his belt. I couldn’t get in his pants with it on, and we were pressed too close together for me to get it unbuckled, so instead I reached down to cup him through his jeans. “This is very unfair. Next time you’ll need to wear a dress too. I can’t manage these pants.”
“It’s perfectly fair.” He ground against my hand and I tried to rub as best as I could through thick denim and seams. “I’ll get naked later, right now I just want to play with you.”
Which is exactly what he did. One hand unsnapped my bra and tickled along my ribs to edge up under my breast. His thumb caressed my nipple while his other hand slid down between my legs. I gasped, forgetting all about what I was trying to do through his jeans. Everything fell away except the sensations his fingers sparked.
His mouth returned to mine, and he pulled my bottom lip between his, sucking and nipping, not hard enough to break the skin, but enough that I could feel the sharpness of his fangs. Then his mouth slid along my jaw and down my neck to rest where the pulse beat stronger than ever.
I was rocking my hips, riding his hand, so lost, so close, but the feel of sharp fangs brought me enough to my senses that I realized what he was going to do.
“No,” I gasped. “No blood. Don’t bite me. Please.”
His hands never broke rhythm but I felt his lips pause, a tension coiling in his upper body. Would he stop altogether? Was this a package deal only for him? Because right now, if he pushed the issue, I didn’t think I was strong enough to say “no” twice.
“Just sex.” His voice was husky.
It seemed like a question. “Yes. Please.” I angled my hips, pushing his fingers deeper inside me, my words sounding more like begging than anything else.
The tension was still there, as if he was battling with something inside himself. Then he growled deep in his throat and dragged his sharp fangs along my neck. “Okay. Just sex, then.”
At his words I fully let myself go, any reservations I’d had over the last few months gone. All I knew now was his fingers, his mouth, his body against mine. Everything built to a crescendo, cascading through me as I came.
“Beautiful. So beautiful,” he muttered against my mouth, his hands slowing as the aftershocks coursed through me.
No one beyond my parents had ever called me beautiful, but there was no doubting the sincerity of his words. I felt his hardness through his jeans, and knew how much he wanted me. This wasn’t just about blood to him. It wasn’t what the vampire in him needed, it was whatever remained of the human in him. I wasn’t sure he’d ever understand how much it meant to me that he was willing to accept an intimate relationship with me, a human, without blood. Maybe this would work out after all.
His hands became gentle, soothing as they moved to caress along the length of my body. He slid the hem of my dress down a bit and pulled away slightly, looking at me with his intense, dark eyes.
“Your place or mine,” I breathed, my gaze drifting to his mouth, at the fangs so clearly visible. It made me realize how strong he must be to hold himself back from biting me.
“Mine.” He lowered my dress all the way then came in for a quick kiss. “Mine is closer. I’ll drive.”
I’d never been to his house. I didn’t even know where he lived. Vampires were so secretive about who knew their resting spots. I’m sure he had Aaron and other Renfields guarding him while he slept, but it was another mark of trust that he was going to share that part of his life with me.
Although the mention of his house brought up a remembrance of something I’d put off asking him. It was probably a bit late now that I’d just let him get me off against the side of a church, but I had to know.
“Are you sure? How is Giselle going to take this…this thing between us?”
He frowned. “Giselle? What has she got to do with this?”
“She’s your blood-slave, isn’t she?” Had I been wrong? No, he’d clearly bitten her, and judging from her possessive attitude, sex had been involved in that gift of blood. He’d seen her at least two nights in a row, which wasn’t typical for Dario’s blood donors. She knew he was a vampire, so he’d come out to her. All that pointed to blood-slave.
“No. Never. There was the one time, and I thought…maybe if I tried. But I realized I could never give her what she wanted, that I could never share that much of myself with her. That night in the pub after you’d told us about the death mages and the angel and demons I took her home and never saw her again.” His hand reached out to stroke my hair. “Is that okay? I did have sex with her, and I did take her gift of blood.”
No, it wasn’t okay. I irrationally wanted to hunt her down and rip her hair out while punching her repeatedly in her gorgeous face. But I’d turned him down. I’d dated Zac. I’d come close to having sex with Zac a few times. I couldn’t fault him for what he’d done.
“It’s okay. I just can’t share you with a blood-slave.”
He nodded. “I can take blood without sex, but since becoming a vampire, sex has always included blood for me. This will be hard for me, but I’ll make it work.”
I grabbed the front of his shirt and pulled him in for a kiss. “I’ll be monogamous too. No sex with anyone but you. And I never slept with Zac.”
“I know.” He grinned sheepishly.
He knew? “Did you have Aaron follow me? Were you stalking me like that creepy billionaire guy from the novel?”
He laughed. “No. I didn’t need to. I’ve seen you with enough frequency that I would have smelled him on you.”
Okay, that was embarrassing. “Like the same night smell? What if I take a shower? What if you and I hadn’t seen each other for a week?”
“I’d know.” He gathered me close. “So don’t get any ideas about cheating on me, because I’ll find out the moment I’m within twenty feet of you. Some things don’t wash away that easily.”
I’m sure I was beet red at this point at the thought that his sense of smell was that acute. I tried to remember the times I’d just given the important parts a quick wipe, thinking that was enough. “I did shower before I came out tonight,” I assured him.
“Yes. I know your shampoo, your conditioner, your body wash, and your deodorant. I know that you changed toothpaste brands last week, what you had to eat and drink, your monthly cycles.”
That was too much information. I was now horribly self-conscious. My consternation must have shown on my face because he reached up to cup my chin and place a gentle kiss on my lips. “You smell amazing to me. I know the moment you enter a room, when you’re nearby. I want you so bad it hurts. I’m not sure how I’m going to walk properly right now, I’m so damned hard.”
“Let’s go so I can put you out of your misery,” I teased. He made a small noise then kissed me again, hard and hungry. I wasn’t sure I could make it to his house either. Again I considered splaying my hands against the wall, ass in the air as he took me from behind.
His phone rang. He kept kissing me, and I went along. It was two thirty in the morning. Whoever it was, they could wait.
Evidently not. My skirt was halfway up when it rang again, this time with a different tone.
Dario cursed and pulled his mouth away from mine, yanking it from his pocket.
He punched the screen like he was trying to stab his finger through the phone. “What?” he snarled. There was the rumble of conversation on the other end and Dario’s expression changed. Suddenly he was a vampire again. He was the “boss,” and this call was clearly urgent business.
“I’ll be right there.” He hung up and sighed, pocketing the phone.
“What is it?” I knew it was bad—bad enough that additional sexy-times would be postponed until tomorrow night at the earliest.
“We had something weird happen earlier tonight. Two of our family were irrationally hungry after having fed from a scheduled donor. We granted them extra, because sometimes a vampire needs a bit more to hold the hunger back. We have to weigh the importance of conserving resources with pushing everyone so close to famine that they snap and kill.”
I had a bad feeling where this was going. “And?”
He sighed, his hand still on my thigh. “Even that didn’t seem to satiate them. We confined them for the night, put them under observation.”
“One got out?” Had there been an assault? Would I need to call Tremelay and try to smooth this over?
“No, this was a different vampire. He’s killed two humans, drained them, and mauled them.”
It wasn’t the first time a vampire had killed, and probably not the last. I doubted Dario would normally share the “oops” moments of his family with me, so clearly there was something here beyond the normal scenario. I was betting it had to do with the mauling. And if he thought he was going to check this out without me, he’d better think again.
Chapter 7
Dario hated for her to see this. It was rare for one of their Balaj to lose control and kill one human let alone two. Vampires knew to come forward if they thought the hunger was more than they could control, or if they needed additional donors. They all helped those who felt they were on the edge, knowing that someday their own hunger might be more than they could bear. It’s why Michael and Pierre had been allocated two additional donors, why they were under observation at Leonora’s.
They couldn’t afford for this kind of thing to happen. The way Aubin had run the Balaj was dangerous and unsustainable. If the majority of humans found out about them, saw them as a threat, then it wouldn’t take long for the hunts to begin. He’d survived one hunt, bedding down in a different spot each night before dawn, not sure if he’d wake come nightfall or not.
And if the hunters didn’t come, then they’d burn through their food source. Gluttony was a badge of honor for vampires. It showed power, dominance, and superiority over those that only supplied pleasure and served as food. Such an arrogant display was foolish. A Balaj that let their hunger run unchecked would severely decimate their supply of donors.
Then the hunters would surely come. Or the Templars. He looked over at Aria in the passenger seat. It wouldn’t take much to stir the embers of old hatred into flame. If that happened, would she stand with him against her own family? Would he find himself at the pointy end of her sword?
“Penny for your thoughts.” She turned to smile at him. Dario could see that she was tired. It was only four hours until dawn, and he knew she had to wake early for work. She should be home in bed right now. He should be home in bed with her.
Damn it. He’d been ready to reach through the phone and rip Madeline’s head off. This was the worst timing ever.
“I’m worried. This isn’t like Marcus. He’s over a century old. He seemed fine tonight, had only one donor then left. It was his blood-slave’s turn tonight.”
She sucked in a breath. “Did he kill his blood-slave?”
“No. That’s the odd thing about this. He was with Shelly until about midnight. After she dozed off, he ran out for a quick pickup, then lost control and killed. One was his pickup, the other was a passerby that he’d grabbed.”
“He left Shelly? He has sex with her, drinks a pint of her blood, then sneaks out for more? Is that what you guys do?”
She was angry, worried. She didn’t need to worry. There was no way he’d ever leave her bed for a quickie with another, even if the hunger gnawed at him.
“It’s what some vampires do, just like some humans. This wasn’t typical for Marcus, though. He said Shelly was asleep and he was overcome with hunger. He knew he couldn’t take more blood from her without endangering her, so he snuck out, intending to be back to spend the last hour before dawn with Shelly.”
Aria furrowed her brow, chewing on her bottom lip. Dario’s mind detoured, remembering the taste of her mouth, the feel of those lips on his, thinking of how much he wanted those lips elsewhere. His hands gripped the steering wheel tight until he felt the metal begin to bend. Damn Marcus. Of all the nights he picked to lose control, tonight was the worst.
“What will you do to him?”
What did she think would happen to him? He’d killed two humans, endangered them all with his recklessness. The only thing that might save him from immediate execution was that he’d come to his senses and called Leonora, and hadn’t gone on even more of a killing spree.
“That’s Leonora’s decision, not mine.” He liked Marcus. Leonora liked Marcus. Maybe she’d be lenient, but with the visitors that were about to descend on them, he doubted it. She’d want to appear strong, in control, an enforcer of rules in front of a rival Balaj.
Which reminded him of something he’d put off asking Aria.
“The timing is really bad for this,” he told her.
Her heartbeat picked up, warmth coloring her skin. She shot him a sly smile. “I know. Raincheck? I still want to see your house, and…you know.”
You know? He bit back a laugh. The woman could lop his head off with one swing of her sword, blister him with her blessings. He’d forever bear the cross-shaped scar from where she’d smited him. His Templar was a force to be reckoned with, but she still blushed and got embarrassed at the topic of sex. It was cute. Especially since he knew she was far from prudish.
“There will be no need for a raincheck,” he assured her. “I intend to drag you to the bedroom the next sundown and not let you out of there until dawn.”
Her scent changed, her breathing became short and shallow. He felt himself grow hard in response. Damn Marcus. This was not how he wanted to spend his last few hours before dawn.
“This is inconvenient for another reason too. Leonora has invited the Master of the Philadelphia Balaj along with a group of his family to be our guests for a feast. They’re arriving tomorrow, and we’ve got Pierre and Michael in lockdown on the verge of losing control, and Marcus killing two humans. It makes us look bad, like we’re weak and disorganized, like we can’t take care of our own family.”
“I thought you all didn’t socialize with other Balajs? Why in the world would Leonora invite them down for a party?”
Because she sometimes was a fool. “Their Master has made a play for our territory in the past. They’ve grown quite a bit, and we’ve seen indications that he might try again. This is a way to show him that we’re not afraid, and that we’re strong enough to hold our territory.”
For all their quarrels, he did care for and respect Leonora. The vampire had risked herself many times for him and others in the family. She’d earned her position, and for the most part had led with a firm but fair hand. It was only lately that she’d become reckless and sometimes brutal.
“You’re just coming out of a devastating attack by a necromancer, and been fighting rogues on your borders. Don’t you think this party is ill-advised? This guy has got to know about the events of the last few months. He’s going to see through Leonora’s smokescreen and he’ll be here with, what, a dozen of his strongest vampires? Dude. Trojan horse. Don’t bring it in the gate.”
He agreed. “We’re not as strong as we’ve been in the past, but we still have over three hundred vampires who’d die rather than give up our territory. Simon would have a difficult time ousting us with a dozen of his own.”
She made a snort noise and he hid a smile. Aria had never seemed afraid of Leonora. She’d never seemed afraid of any of the vampires. She acted as if they were all equals, which was endearingly peculiar
for a human. Most humans were awestruck by vampires, intimidated even, but Aria would make fun of Leonora’s leather, talk back to the Mistress, and stand up to her less-than-subtle threats. She was like a vicious little badger when there was a wrong to be righted. His little vicious badger.
She was so much more than a potential blood-slave. It was one of the reasons he’d agreed to an intimate relationship without including blood. As much as he wanted to taste her, he got the feeling that taking her blood would ruin it all, would send them down a path they could never return from—a path which would end in her eventual death.
And his. If he lost control and took too much, ruined her, killed her, then he’d meet the dawn. There’s no way he could ever live with that kind of grief in his heart.
“Leonora wants you to come.” There. He’d just throw it out there and let her make her own decision. Dario didn’t want her there. He didn’t want her anywhere near this feast, but Leonora had commanded he request her presence, and she was the Mistress.
“At the feast thing? With the rival Balaj? Why in the world would she want me there? She hates me.” She shot him a quick glance. “Unless I’m the food. Does she expect me to be on the buffet table with an apple stuffed in my mouth?”
He instantly envisioned her on his table, naked, with something else stuffed in her mouth. Damn Marcus and his lousy timing.
“No one will feed from you; I can promise you that.” Because he’d kill them. They all knew she was off limits, and their guests knew the price they’d pay for poaching, even if Aria wasn’t technically his blood-slave.
“So I’m your date? Me and all the blood-slaves, mingling and socializing? Is it formal? All my fancy dresses are home in Middleburg.”
“Leonora wants you there as added security. If you take the job, it’s a thousand dollars. If not, then you’re welcome to come as my date.”
No, she wasn’t. Dario didn’t want her to see them like that. He didn’t want her to be reminded of the monsters they truly were.