Eden

by Eden (lit)

  “Yes,” he replied and again there was so much in that word.

  They passed several doors along the way and though Viktor didn’t walk too fast, he never paused. Candelabras lit the way as they reached the end of the staircase and took another door to the right. It seemed like they descended stairs forever. When Viktor finally paused in front of a massive door Catrina was snapped out of her daydream.

  He removed a key from an inside pocket on his robe and opened an iron door which must have been three feet thick.

  “Iron,” she commented. “To keep out the fae?”

  “The Unseelie Court is unaware of my resting place, but yes, to keep out the fae.”

  “Interesting.”

  “Right this way,” he said with a smile as he replaced the key to his pocket.

  Catrina walked through unsteadily and jumped when he closed the door behind her. By the time he faced her again she was blushing. Not being able to hide her reaction was mortifying.

  “You are the bravest monster hunter I have ever met,” he said calmly. “But you cannot always be brave. And you cannot always have control.”

  “This is all strange to me,” she admitted as she followed him into what looked like another grand lobby. “For the last five years I knew exactly where you belonged. No offense, but you had your place and I had mine.”

  “Speaking of my place,” he said, as they entered what looked like his living room, “I believe you have come to discuss the renegotiation of our agreement.”

  “Yes,” she said, grateful for the slight change in subject.

  Catrina watched as Viktor draped himself elegantly over a sofa which matched his long robe. He leaned back, resting both arms across the back of the sofa, inviting her to join him with his eyes.

  As she looked at him, drinking in his masculine beauty with her eyes Catrina made a decision. She would not deny herself the pleasure of his company any longer. After all, she had come here to agree to his terMs.

  “First, let me say that I have come here to agree to your terms,” she said as she sat down beside him. “But I have something to tell you first.”

  “Go on,” he said softly.

  “I met Alexander a few days ago.”

  This admission seemed to quench his libido, though only slightly.

  “What do you mean you met him?”

  “He showed up at my doorstep.”

  She relayed the story to Viktor, leaving nothing out.

  “You don’t think he’s capable of murder,” Viktor said at last. It wasn’t a question.

  Catrina ran a hand through her hair. It was a nervous gesture, but one that Viktor was fond of watching. She wanted to answer him honestly, but knowing how he felt about Alexander it would have to be done delicately.

  “I think everyone is capable of murder,” she said after a moment. “But do I think he killed your friend? No, I really don’t.”

  “How can you be so sure about someone you’ve only just met?”

  “I can’t,” she admitted, casting her gaze downward to his bare feet once more. “But I’m willing to help you. I know what it’s like for someone I love to be hurt and to never know who was responsible. It’s something I wouldn’t wish on anyone. I don’t believe Alexander is responsible, but maybe he can lead us to the one who is.”

  “Very well,” he said with a sigh. “But we will have to agree to disagree on Alexander.”

  He rose from the sofa, causing his robe to make a soft swishing sound with the movement. Catrina watched as he walked over to the massive fireplace along the wall and lit it with a flick of his wrist.

  Sensing her question he explained, “Fire is one of my familiars. If you are to pretend to be my lover, there are things you should know about me. But before we go there, I have one last request.”

  “What?”

  “Let me call you pussycat,” he said playfully.

  “Anything you want, sugar fangs,” she teased.

  Her comment lightened the mood and Catrina was glad for a chance to smile. It helped to calm her nerves.

  “Let me offer you some hospitality,” he purred.

  Viktor left the room and returned with a chilled bottle of red wine and a glass. She watched with rapt fascination as he poured the dark liquid and offered her the glass.

  “How did you know I liked red wine?” she asked before taking a sip.

  His smile promised everything she had dreamed of and more than she would have dared ask for.

  “You were just thinking how much you could use a drink,” he replied.

  “You’ve really got to stop that,” she scolded half-heartedly.

  He leaned in close enough to kiss. The heat rising from his body let her know that he had fed before coming upstairs. And the way he licked his lips let Catrina know he wanted her just as much as she wanted him.

  “What is it you want me to stop? Reading your mind or fulfilling your desires?”

  “At the moment … neither one.”

  With that admission, Catrina closed the distance between them. His full, sultry lips were even softer and warmer than she had imagined they would be and he tasted even better than the wine.

  She felt Viktor’s hand opening her jacket and he suddenly withdrew.

  “Take it off,” he panted.

  “Aren’t we rushing things a bit?” she asked breathlessly.

  “I cannot come closer until you remove the blessed blades.”

  Catrina stood up slowly, deliberately. They both knew that removing the blades was much more than a courtesy, it was an admission of her desire. When she took off that coat it meant that she welcomed his touch, that she wanted his hands on her body.

  She opened the jacket slowly and his eyes devoured her. Viktor leaned forward as she let the jacket fall from her shoulders. It was hanging now by only her fingertips and he could hear the blades bumping together as it slid further toward the floor. The instant the jacket hit the floor along with the offending blades, he had her.

  Viktor’s kiss was pure desire. He flowed through her veins like a delicious poison as his hands roamed over her body. Catrina no longer cared about maintaining their agreement. After all, that had changed. She had wanted Viktor since the first moment she laid eyes on him. And now, she damn well meant to have him.

  “So nice to know,” Viktor whispered against her lips. Obviously, he was still reading her mind. “If it’s of any consolation, I don’t expect you to sleep with me just because you’re pretending to be my girlfriend.”

  “Really?” she asked, half teasing as she ran her hands inside his robe.

  “No, I expect you to sleep with me because I’m irresistible,” he teased.

  Suddenly, Viktor winced and withdrew again, grasping his side.

  “What’s wrong?” she asked.

  The vampire held up her left hand and inspected the ring she wore.

  “Silver,” he said flatly.

  “Oh, sorry.”

  Catrina quickly removed the ring and placed it on a table beside the sofa.

  “Are you alright?” she asked, opening the robe wider to inspect his side. There was a small red mark where her ring had touched him. But it was already beginning to fade. She leaned forward and pressed her lips against the spot.

  Viktor moaned and it sent a thrill coursing through her.

  “I’ve been better,” he answered.

  “I’ll bet you have,” she purred, looking up at him once again.

  Catrina ran her hands over his chest, marveling at the feel of his flesh beneath her hands.

  “I have wanted to touch you so much,” she whispered fiercely. “It all seems so pointless now. Stupid agreement. If I had had any idea …” She paused. “You realize we can never go back to the way things were?” she asked.

  “And why is that?”

  “Because I will never be able to forget what this feels like,” she answered, standing on tiptoe in order to kiss him again.

  She melted against him as his touch warmed he
r body the same way her words had warmed his heart.

  “I didn’t come here to spend the night with you,” she whispered against his lips.

  “I know.”

  He unbuckled her belt.

  “This was just supposed to be business.”

  “I know.”

  He unzipped her pants.

  “Well,” she said, pulling back. “Aren’t you going to show me your bedroom?”

  Chapter Four

  Viktor laughed as he took her by the hand and began to lead her down a hallway to the left. Catrina was surprised to find that she was no longer afraid to be alone with him. In a strange way, they had become friends over the years. No matter how hard she had maintained a physical distance and even a psychic one, Viktor had become a part of her life.

  “I trust you,” she said suddenly, a hint of surprise in her voice.

  The vampire paused before a massive mahogany door and looked down at her.

  “Does it really surprise you so much?” he asked.

  “Well, a little bit,” she admitted. “I am a monster hunter. And even though we’ve worked together--”

  “I have always been honest with you,” he interrupted. “In all these years, I could have overpowered you if I chose to, yet I didn’t. I upheld the rules that you insisted upon. My dear,” he said with a smile, “I am not the kind of monster you’re used to dealing with.”

  “Apparently not,” she agreed.

  He turned his back to her and threw the doors open wide. His bedroom was just as large as the living room, complete with a cathedral ceiling. Viktor walked into the room and lit the fireplace here in the same fashion he had done before. And as he turned back toward her, dozens of candles lit themselves about the room.

  The door behind her closed of its own accord and Catrina felt herself beginning to float toward him. When she reached him in front of the fire she thought her heart would jump through her ribs. The vampire circled her slowly as if he were deciding which part of her he would devour first. He turned her around with her back to him and the fireplace.

  “I won’t hurt you,” he said softly, running his hands up her shirt.

  Her eyes took in the enormous four-poster bed with its satin sheets and thick bed curtains. It was decorated in different shades of red and she couldn’t help but think how good he would look draped across those sheets, both with the matching robe … and without.

  “I want this,” she thought. “I’ve wanted it for five years. But what will happen if I stay here tonight? I’ve still got a job to do.”

  Viktor’s lips were warm against her throat. His long fingers reached up to cup her breasts, bringing her nipples to tight points through the fabric of her bra.

  “Nothing has to change,” he whispered into her hair. “We can still work together. The job will still get done.” He breathed deeply of her scent and when he spoke again it was closer to a sigh. “If you ever want anything more, just let me know. Whatever you offer me tonight I will not take for granted. But I have one question.”

  “Yes?” she asked, turning to face him.

  “Will you still respect me in the morning?”

  It was her turn to laugh now as she reached up and ran her hands over his shoulders underneath the robe. She slid the smooth fabric down his arms and gasped as it fell to the floor. My God, he was gorgeous. The firelight reflected off the curves and valleys of his body, revealing to Catrina all the places she had yet to touch. She had always known he was well built, but had never imagined all that his clothes kept hidden. Alright, so she’d tried to imagine, though her fantasies had not done him justice. Viktor Van Helsing was as close to perfect as she could imagine any man being. He was muscular, as was evident in his gorgeous curves, though not overly so. He was what Catrina would describe as “just right.” His silver eyes glowed in the faint light as she pressed her body against him, rubbing her face across the fine hair on his chest like a cat.

  Even with the heels she wore, Catrina only reached the middle of his chest. She wanted so badly to run her fingers through his long hair. She stretched her arms up, and Viktor leaned forward to oblige.

  “I’ve wanted to do this for five years,” she said with a sigh, curling her fingers through his long ebony locks.

  “Can I show you what I’ve wanted to do for the past five years?” he teased.

  Before she could answer Viktor snatched her shirt over her head and tossed it into a chair by the fire. Then something else unexpected happened. The silver cross necklace she wore began to glow.

  He hissed and threw an arm up over his eyes. Catrina knew that the cross would only glow in the presence of a true believer and was a little bit surprised.

  “You believe in God,” she said softly.

  “And the tooth fairy,” he said. “Now will you please remove that thing?”

  “Give me a second,” she said as she began to undo the clasp. “I need to put it someplace where I’ll remember.”

  “There’s a table beside the bed,” he offered. “You can put it in the drawer. If you don’t remember, I will.”

  Catrina crossed the room and dropped the still glowing necklace into the drawer. She had barely closed it before Viktor embraced her from behind.

  “Now, where were we?” he said, pushing her playfully back onto the bed.

  She scooted up on the silky sheets and stretched one slender leg toward him, stopping him for a moment with the spiked heel of her boot. He ran his hands up her leg as far as he could without impaling himself on the spiky boot. The look in his eyes said he wouldn’t have cared if she walked on him with them, just so long as he got to touch her. He massaged her through the leather pants, making soft creaking sounds with the movement as he got closer to her foot. Viktor went to unzip her boot and she yelled, “No, wait!” He jumped back and she said, “I’m sorry, but I just remembered, there are more blessed blades in my boots.”

  He took another step back as Catrina slid from the bed and hurriedly removed her boots. She tossed them across the room and he laughed softly. Having rid them of the last of her weaponry, Catrina placed her fingers inside the top of her tight leather pants and looked into his eyes as she slid them to the floor.

  “Now,” she said, crawling back onto the bed, “where were we?”

  The vampire watched as she crawled up to the head of the bed and rested back against the pillows. Her dark hair spilled over her shoulders and onto the surrounding crimson pillows. The black lace bra and panties that she wore complimented her pale skin, which was only marred by two large bruises. However, these discolorations could not distract from her beauty. She was muscular, though not to the point of being unfeminine. With her extensive martial arts knowledge, he expected nothing less. But, even with the muscle her curves were smooth, soft and inviting. With every breath her full breasts looked as if they would burst free from the lace bra and he wanted to help them do just that. What had he done in all his long years to deserve such a sight? Surely this was someone else’s good karma he was getting a taste of. Viktor was certain he had never done any deed good enough to land the lovely Hellcat in his bed. Oh well, what was that stupid expression about a gift and a horse?

  He moved to the foot of the bed and with all the grace of an animal of prey, began to crawl toward her. Catrina’s heart was beating so fast now she thought she might pass out before he reached her. As Viktor hovered above her, drinking in her beauty he asked, “How did you get these bruises?”

  Though her shoulder and thigh were still healing, they were now a few different shades of yellow and grey rather than the purple they had been before.

  “I got them delivering that message a few nights ago.”

  “Would you like me to heal them?” he asked softly.

  “You can do that?”

  “I can do a lot of things,” he said with a smile.

  He rested back on his knees and motioned for Catrina to rise. She faced him, also on her knees and watched as the vampire pierced the tip of his finger
with one of his fangs.

  “What are you doing?” she asked.

  “Be still,” he said. Though his voice was soft it said clearly that she should not object further.

  Viktor placed a drop of blood on her shoulder and very slowly began to rub it into her skin. At first the light pressure of his touch was painful, but as the pain began to subside so did the discoloration.

  “How in the hell?” she asked, staring in amazement at her shoulder.

  “Would you like me to do your thigh?” he offered.

  Catrina nodded and watched as he repeated the same process. When the bruise was almost completely faded he rose to his knees once more. She shivered as he licked the tip of his finger, closing the small wound.

  “Now, any more surprises?” he asked playfully.

  “What do you mean?”

  “If there’s a silver clasp on that bra, I give up.”

  Catrina reached forward and took both his hands. She caressed his knuckles gently, admiring the strength of his long fingers as well as savoring the magic in his touch. Viktor had nice hands. One look spoke of their obvious strength and for years she had wondered what they would feel like against her skin. She pulled him against her gently and placed his hands against her sides.

  Viktor lowered his lips to hers once more as he unclasped her bra. With their bodies still pressed together, he pulled the thin lace garment from between them, sliding it expertly down her arms without breaking contact with her lips.

  She moved against him and the hair on his chest made her nipples even harder. Catrina’s soft moan of pleasure was captured by his mouth as he wrapped his arms around her. Viktor slid his hands down her back and underneath her panties to grip her butt. When she moaned this time he took the opportunity to plunge his tongue deeper inside her mouth. He nibbled gently at her lips, mimicking with his tongue exactly what he planned to do to her body.

  “I can’t take any more,” Catrina panted.

  She pulled back enough to run her hands inside his pants. She took him in her hands and nearly cried out from the contact. Naturally, she had hoped he would be well endowed. Who doesn’t want such things from a lover? But Viktor was huge.