Waking up to his smiling face was something I could definitely get used to.
“It can’t possibly be time for you to be awake yet,” I said sleepily. “I must be dreaming.”
It seemed like only minutes ago I had rolled over to find him sprawled out beside me, his body still warmed by my blood. His scent lingered on the sheets that I pulled back underneath my chin. I sighed and rolled toward where he sat beside me, curling my body around him.
“You don’t have to look so damn cute,” he said, laughing. “It makes it even harder for me to snatch you out of bed if I have to.”
My eyes fluttered open again. “You’d really snatch me?”
“We’ve got to go if we’re going to get out of here without reporters finding us. I’m sure those cops have already told everyone they know about what happened last night.”
Memories of the night before made me smile as I stretched again and forced myself to sit up. “Is it noon already?”
“Thirty minutes past.”
“Shit.”
The room was dark except for the lamp Marcus had turned on beside the bed. I’d heard that hotels catering to vamps were light-tight, but that description didn’t really sink in until now.
“Damn, it’s dark in here.”
“They have shutters up during the day,” he explained. “Do you want me to turn on another lamp?”
I sat up, tossing back the sheet. “No. I just need to find my clothes and freshen up a little.”
“Already found them. They’re in the chair at the foot of the bed.” I gave him a surprised look and Marcus slapped my ass. “All you’ve got to do is get ready and help me get out of here.”
I yawned. “Give me twenty minutes.”
Chapter Sixteen
I took a quick shower and put on my clothes.
“Do you have anything to pull my hair back?” I asked.
Marcus handed me a small black band and I used it to secure my long braid. There really wasn’t much else I could do with my hair when it was wet. By the time I was finished he was packed and ready to go.
When I walked out of the bathroom Marcus was just pulling on his long dark robe. Even knowing I wasn’t in danger, the sight was still pretty intimidating, especially when he pulled the hood up. His face was almost completely covered. Only his full lips and the point of his goatee were visible.
“There should be some gloves in my bag. Would you get them for me?”
“Sure.”
I pulled out the gloves from the side pocket he’d pointed to and ran my hand over their surface. “They’re silk?”
Marcus took them from me, offering a wicked smile as payment for my help. “They’re for looks. Besides, I just need something to keep the sun from touching my skin.”
“Should I put on any makeup?” I asked.
He placed one gloved hand underneath my chin, tilting my face upward. His eyes sparkled as he studied me. Marcus’ soft kiss left me breathless.
“You look fine.”
“Well, I guess we’re ready then.”
There was a young man working the front desk today. It would have been so much easier to explain things to the woman who worked last night, but it looked like that wasn’t going to happen. He was on the phone with someone and as we approached I could hear his conversation.
Apparently, they weren’t used to guests being up this early, because he didn’t seem to care what he said. “Yeah, some bitch called and complained. I’m telling you, he’s really staying here. From the sound of things he’s got someone with him now too.” He paused to laugh, still unaware of our presence. “Yeah, the guard that worked last night said it sounded like someone was getting slammed like a screen door in a hurricane.”
Great. Just fucking great. Everyone was talking about us and we couldn’t get out of here without talking to them.
“No, I didn’t see her. Dan did last night. Said she had an ass that’d make you beg. Tits out of this world.”
This was about the time that Marcus went from looking slightly amused to looking really pissed off. I would not have traded places with the idiot behind the desk right then for anything. If I had to guess his age I’d say the clerk was about eighteen. The only reason I estimated him to be that old is because I knew for a fact you had to be eighteen to work in establishments that catered to vampires. Honestly, he looked fifteen. He also looked scared shitless when he noticed Marcus. To his credit Marcus didn’t growl or flash fangs or any of the other things his posture said he might do.
“I’m Marcus Payne and I’d like to check out early.”
“B-b-but you can’t be up during the day. This is a joke right?” the young man sputtered.
Marcus lifted his hood just enough to show his face. “Afraid not. We’re in a little bit of a hurry. Could you send someone to get my bags? I could carry them myself, but they might tug my cloak one way or the other and I really can’t take a chance on letting any sunlight touch me.”
The clerk’s eyes widened. “Of course. Yes, sir.”
The guy that came to get his bags was just as talkative and had apparently worked a double shift because he was there the night before too.
“I just wanted to apologize for that woman complaining last night,” he said. “Normally, folks who stay with vampires don’t call the cops over a little screaming.”
Marcus stopped in his tracks across the parking lot and turned back to the other man. From underneath the hood I could read his expression and I burst out laughing.
“Sorry,” the guy said. “I didn’t mean anything by it. It’s just that she seemed like kind of a prude. She checked out this morning. I think it must have been her first time with a vampire or something. Man, you guys really scared the hell out of her. What were you doing in there anyway?”
Marcus stopped again and looked down at the man, his smirk clearly visible even to the porter this time.
“Sorry. It’s none of my business.”
He put the bags in the backseat of my car and hurried back to the hotel.
Marcus was laughing as he got into the car, moving carefully to keep his cloak from opening.
“Well, at least we know we made the right decision in leaving so early. That stupid kid up front has probably called everyone he knows already.” He paused after adjusting his cloak again. “You’re not mad at me, are you?”
I had a six-foot-seven vampire in my car, bending forward to keep from hitting his head on the ceiling. He was draped in a heavy cloak, looking just like the Grimm Reaper incarnate sitting next to me and he wanted to know if I was angry with him. The hilarity of the situation could simply not be ignored.
“No.”
I put the car in gear, continuing to snicker as I backed up.
“What the clerk said didn’t piss you off?” he asked.
“Yeah. Of course it did. But I’m not mad at you for something some idiot said. Besides, even though he was crude about it, he kind of paid me a compliment.”
“I don’t like men talking that way about you, but I’m really in no position to start an argument. Besides the fact that I didn’t want to expose myself to daylight, one smack and I’d have broken that kid’s neck. Oh, and don’t forget the bad press. Nybras would kill me.”
I reached over and took his gloved hand. “It’s not something I’d normally put up with either, but hearing that my ass could make someone beg was kind of sexy.”
Marcus shook his head, his laughter flowing over me like a second pair of hands. “I’ve really missed you.”
By the time we got to the house I was starving and mentally going through everything in my refrigerator when Marcus said, “I should check on David as soon as the sun goes down.”
He told me the name of David’s hotel while retrieving his bags from the backseat. “Help me watch to make sure this thing doesn’t come open,” he said, referring to his cloak.
I unlocked the door and when Marcus went in ahead of me a thought crossed my mind.
“How
were you able to get in the other night? Have I ever invited you in before?”
Vampires have to be invited in before they can enter your home. Public places don’t really count, so I didn’t think twice when he walked right into the bar. But I had no recollection of ever inviting him into my house before. I hadn’t been living there when we dated.
“You invited me when you were drunk out of your mind on the balcony.”
He put his bags down beside the sofa and immediately started closing all the drapes.
“I don’t mind of course. I mean, I want you here. I was just curious.”
Once the room was cast in shadow, Marcus pulled back his hood, letting his long hair fall forward. For a moment it was like he became a part of the shadows. Damn he was sexy.
“Your voice came to me on the night wind, whispering my name as if it were a prayer. If that’s not an invitation, then I don’t know what is.”
There was purpose in my every step as I moved toward him. I was close enough that the front of our bodies touched when I placed my hand against his chest and gave a gentle push. Realistically, I knew that I didn’t have the strength to push Marcus down. But he took my cue and fell back onto the couch.
Recently I had started to understand that I must have decorated my house with him in mind. There was no other way to explain how well he “matched” my home. He looked like he belonged there, like a dark god resting back against my cream-colored sofa. The red pillows around him only added to the dramatic effect.
“You know, I can’t leave this room,” he said. His deep voice was like velvet, caressing me in the semi-darkness of the room.
“And why is that?” I opened his robe wide before straddling his waist.
“Because I can see sunlight streaming in down your stairs and shining on the floor leading toward the kitchen. That means I’m stuck in here until you close some blinds.”
“You could keep your cloak on,” I teased.
“I could, but you don’t really want me to.”
I ran my hands over the soft skin on his neck, stroking down and over his shoulders, sliding the cloak down his arms.
“You’re right, I don’t. I’ve got you right where I want you.”
I kissed him softly, slowly, letting his goatee tickle against my skin. I wanted to savor the feel of his soft, full lips against mine. His hair fell from my fingertips like dark silk as I pulled him closer. It took every bit of control I had to keep from moving faster and ripping off his clothes.
“What did you have in mind?” he asked, smiling against my lips.
“Shhh.”
I pulled back from him and he finished removing the cloak. He was wearing a black undershirt and matching dress pants underneath. The undershirt had thin straps in front and met right down the middle of his back, revealing every muscular curve I had admired the night before. When he turned to toss the cloak over a chair I got a good look and enjoyed every second of it.
“Just sit there, look pretty, and let me have my way.”
He laughed softly. “Look pretty?”
“Shhh.” I pressed a finger to his lips to emphasize my point and he kissed it.
“That’s better,” I said.
I stood up slowly, deliberately teasing him with my movements. He watched in silence as I stripped. When I was naked I knelt in front of him, spreading his legs wide the way he’d done mine the night before.
The look on his face as he watched me unbuckle his belt was priceless. He only raised an eyebrow, but that look said so much. I watched his expression change from amusement to unbridled lust as I reached into his pants and pulled out his cock. Even though he wasn’t erect he was still huge. I ran my tongue up the underside of his shaft and watched as his eyes rolled to the back of his head.
“Marc, is it true that vampires can’t get an erection if they haven’t fed?
“Yes.” His answer was more of a pained hiss as I continued to stroke him.
“So, I could do this to you all day, but you need my blood before you can get hard?”
His laugh was a mixture of pain and surprise. “You wouldn’t.”
I took him in my mouth and he whimpered. “Tell me you don’t like it and I’ll stop. But we both know you do. Even though you could bite me any time you want, you’d rather have me make the offer. To give myself freely is much more of a turn-on. Besides, I like torturing you this way.”
His wicked grin was all the invitation I needed to continue. In his current state I could take all of him in my mouth. And so I did. When he reached the back of my throat I moaned, enjoying the way he shivered at the vibration my voice caused.
“Oh, God,” he gasped. “No one’s ever done that to me before.”
“You mean no one’s ever sucked you while you were soft, or never been able to take you all the way?”
As I took him in my mouth again he answered, “Both.”
I took him as far as I could, only pulling back for air when I had to. It thrilled me to know I was touching Marcus in a way no one else ever had. Part of what attracted me to him in the first place was his age. I’d always had a thing for older, more experienced men. Being able to bring a new experience to someone like that was more erotic than I can say.
He growled as I held his cock deep inside my mouth again, moaning while I sucked him. I reached up, offering him my wrist. With my eyes I told him all he needed to know. Marcus sank his fangs into my wrist and I gasped.
Pain and pleasure coursed through me as he lapped at my wrist while I continued to suck his cock. In a matter of seconds he was throbbing, hard, and ready. I rose and ran my hands between my legs, watching Marcus’ expression as I cupped my aching pussy.
“You’ve got me so wet.”
He smiled. “What do you suggest we do about that?”
I grabbed his pants at the waist and tugged. Marcus lifted up to accommodate while I slid his pants to mid-thigh. I straddled his waist, claiming his mouth with my kiss as I positioned the tip of his cock against my wet pussy lips. I spread my pussy wide, letting him slip inside me inch by inch until I couldn’t take anymore.
The only position I could take him fully was flat on my back. Otherwise he was just too big and hard. When I ground my hips against him Marcus’ eyes did that sexy little roll again, letting me know I was hitting the right spot. I ran my hands underneath his shirt, feeling his abs contract as he thrust upward. He moved one hand to touch my pussy and began to rub my clit with his thumb. At first his touch was gentle, his strokes, like his cock, were long and thorough. But then he applied more pressure, moving faster and harder. As if by command I moved my hips to the pace he rubbed my clit.
“More, Marc. Just a little bit—”
Whatever I was about to say was lost in a wave of pleasure so intense it hurt. The ache started in my thighs, moving up through my ass and into my back, traveling all around before settling between my legs. My pussy contracted so long and hard that I thought the next pulse of release might never come.
“Come inside of me,” I begged. “I want to hold you down on this couch and feel you come.”
I took his hands, spreading his arms wide over the back of the sofa. “Come in me,” I whispered. I took his earlobe into my mouth, sucking gently as I moved up and down on his shaft. My sexy plea must have been what sent him over the edge. Marcus tilted his head back, crying out with his release. I’d never heard a man scream quite like that before and it turned me on something fierce.
I continued to ride him slowly while he came, taking over where he’d left off, stroking my clit until I came again.
Chapter Seventeen
Relief flooded through me as I collapsed against Marcus’ chest. I don’t think I’d ever felt so at peace. When he wrapped his arms around me I knew without a doubt that this was where I belonged. I was just about to kiss him again when my stomach growled.
“It’s been so long since I had to eat that I forget people around me might be hungry,” Marcus said. He patted my ass. “Close
the blinds in the kitchen and I’ll fix you something to eat.”
“You cook? But you’re—”
“A vampire. Yes, I’m aware of this. Hey, just because I can’t eat doesn’t mean I don’t know how to cook.”
“All right. Give me a minute.”
I hurried into the kitchen and pulled the curtains. There was only one window, a small one above the sink where I grew herbs in a little tin pot. I sat the pot aside to allow the curtains to close completely before yelling, “Okay, it’s all yours.”
Marcus was just coming out of the half bath underneath the stairs when I walked back into the living room. “I used the last of your soap.”
“I’m gonna go get freshened up.” When I stood on tiptoe to kiss him it was almost comical how much distance was still between my lips and his. Marcus lowered down with a smile and pulled me against him for a long, soft kiss. He sat me back down and I smiled up at him. “Try not to burn my kitchen down while I get dressed, okay?”
After gathering my clothes from the living room floor, I hurried upstairs. It surprised me how happy I was to have Marcus in my home. It felt right that he should be here. I was thrilled to know that when I went back downstairs he would be waiting.
My favorite jeans were easy enough to locate. I kept them close to the top of the stack in my closet for easy access. They were old, faded and had a few worn places on the knees and pockets. But they fit like a second skin and felt like I was wearing pajamas they were so soft. I looked around for a top and found a cute purple t-shirt. Marcus’ favorite color was purple. I hadn’t worn it in a while because it was tight and that always made me self-conscious. But I figured if there was anything about my body Marcus didn’t like, he’d have said so by now.
I decided to unbraid my hair. It was still damp so I sprayed it with some gel to keep my curls from turning into a mountain of frizz.
“All done,” I said, checking myself in the mirror.
I slipped on my fuzzy pink bedroom shoes and headed back downstairs. As soon as I stepped out into the hallway the smell of food hit me and my stomach growled even louder than before. Whatever Marcus was cooking it smelled wonderful.
Till the Break of Dawn Page 12