She put her head down on the piano and closed her eyes. A vision of Jonah on the stage at Carnegie Hall standing to a thunderous ovation passed before her eyes. Her heart swelled with pride. It was as though she were actually there with him.
The image faded and the void it left was replaced with the face of a beautiful woman. Angela felt herself smile. The beautiful woman spoke. The choice is yours. The woman’s face blurred, dissolved, and transformed into Jonah’s face. He was once again at the piano. Again, she heard the music, but this time, it came from within her. It was as though she and Jonah were one.
She awakened to a touch on her shoulder. When she opened her eyes, Jonah was sitting beside her on the bench. Her heart nearly burst with joy. She cradled his face in her hands. “You’re here. You’re safe.” Tears welled up in her eyes.
Jonah gave her a crooked smile. “I told you not to worry.”
Tension eased out of her body and she laughed. “I don’t always listen to what I’m told.”
He took her hands in his and looked deep into her eyes. “Sometimes it pays to listen.”
She clasped his hands tight. “I have something to tell you.”
“Can it keep until tomorrow? You look like you need sleep.”
She shook her head. “It can’t wait. It’s important.”
He pursed his lips. “Then what is it?”
“The goddess Lilith came to me tonight.”
Jonah didn’t say anything, just looked at her, his eyes boring into hers as though trying to read her soul.
“I know it was her. And I know she came to me before. She told me again I had a choice.” She paused to see if he had anything at all to say, but he remained quiet. She repeated the words. “I’ve made my choice, Jonah.”
“Are you sure it was the goddess?”
“I’m sure. Very sure.”
“And?”
“I’ve chosen you.”
ANGELA’S WORDS caused Jonah’s heart to soar, yet break into a million pieces at the same time. She could be the love he’d waited for all of his life. But it might well cause her doom. He turned away from her.
Please do not turn away from me again.
I cannot inflict this kind of pain upon you.
It is my choice. But if you do not want me . . .
He spun around. Do not say such a thing. I have wanted you from the first moment I saw you.
He couldn’t keep looking at her, or he would weaken. He turned away again, but she grasped his shoulder. He tried to shrug her hand away but she held firm.
Look at me, Jonah. Look into my eyes and tell me you do not want me in your life.
He did not dare. He would give his life for her, but he could not, would not ask the same of her.
You are not asking, Jonah. I am offering.
Why? Why do you think you love me?
“Why does any one person love another? Sometimes we know, sometimes we don’t—sometimes we just follow what our heart tells us. And my heart tells me that besides being a gifted musician, you are the kind of person who would lay down his life for another.”
“How can you possibly know that?”
She pressed her palm to her chest. “I know.” She lowered her eyes. “I also know that when I’m near you, I feel an attraction, a bond, more powerful than any I’ve ever felt before. And I know you would always be there for me when I needed you.”
He wanted to close the channel between them, but his feelings for her weakened him. She tugged him more firmly toward her, and this time he could not resist. He turned to face her, his eyes locking with hers. The depth of emotion he saw in her eyes shook him to his soul. He had never truly believed he would be so lucky. And so damned.
He took her in his arms and carried her to her room. After the door closed behind them, he gave her one last warning. There will be no turning back once our bodies have joined and our souls have touched. If there is any doubt at all, you must tell me now.
There is no doubt.
While he gently put her down on her bed, his blood swirled through his veins like a tornadic wind. When he covered her body with his, The Need raced through him with the speed of a storm. He couldn’t wait to enter her and take her for his own. But first, he had to be certain she was ready for his first taste of her blood. He had to know that she was giving herself to him voluntarily and with no reservations. He looked down into her eyes.
Are you prepared for me to taste your blood?
Did he sense her hesitation?
I am prepared, but I am still a little afraid.
I promise I will not harm you. There will perhaps be a tiny sting, but the feeling you will experience will be beyond anything you’ve ever imagined. His heart stilled while he waited for her reply.
I am ready, Jonah.
Angela turned her head so that her neck was below his lips. He would have smiled if he had not been so overcome with passion. And The Need. That awful demon that was tearing him apart for want of sustenance. For want of Angela’s body. The vampire he had managed to keep at bay until all doubt of her acceptance had been removed was now starting to emerge.
The ache in his gums came first, readying to release his incisors. The fangs slowly descended and his nails grew into talons. As the fangs reached their length, The Need inside him ached to be fed. His body felt as though it was going up in flames.
He laved her neck with his tongue but only briefly, stopping himself before he lost control and punctured her vein. He had to master his lust before he pierced her, so he did not harm her. Gently, he cupped her chin in his hand and slowly turned her to face him. She needed to see him as the vampire he was before he proceeded. He held his breath while he waited for her reaction.
There is one more stage you must witness before you say your final word.
He lifted his hands with their elongated talons and placed them on either side of her head and bared his fangs. She had never seen them at their full length. As her eyes widened, he knew his own transformed into fire-red globes. The full extent of The Need had now been revealed to her.
This is who I really am.
He waited for what seemed like an eternity for her response. Finally, her lips quivering, her body trembling beneath his, she spoke.I choose you.
THOUGH ANGELA meant every word she spoke, she was having a hard time controlling her fear. Even though she knew that this was Jonah, the man she had come to love, she could not keep from turning her face away. The blue and gray eyes that had always captivated her were now fiery red orbs that made her think of too many late night horror movies.
“I repulse you, don’t I?”
She turned toward him. “You could never repulse me, Jonah. It’s just . . .” She swallowed. “This is the first time I’ve ever—”
“Been in bed with a vampire?”
She nodded.
“Have you changed your mind about me?”
“No, not at all, I just need to . . .” She lifted her hands, cupped his face between them, and forced herself to look deep into his eyes. Surprisingly, the wild, hot look no longer frightened her. Instead, a sensual heat spread through her body. She was aroused.
The lower half of Jonah’s body pressed against hers, the hard length of him burrowing between her thighs. She sucked in her breath as a wave of heat overwhelmed her. She urged his head downward, her neck arched, her mouth open, ready for his kiss. He pulled back, his hands finding her breasts.
“Not yet, my sweet. First things, first.”
His hands fumbled with her shirt, drawing it up over her head. Already, she was feeling euphoric. As he stripped her of her bra, every nerve in her body vibrated. Blood pounded in her ears and her breath came out in short, raspy puffs. She had never been more turned on in her life.
“You are so beautiful.�
�� Jonah’s fingers gently pinched her nipples, the tips of his long nails skimming her delicate flesh, sending shivers of delicious heat through her body. When his mouth closed over her nipple, she felt the beginning waves of an orgasm rippling deep in her sex. She moaned aloud.
I had hoped to make love to you long and sweet this first time, my love. But already, I can feel your heat, so I must hurry.
Before she could answer, his hands were at her waist and, in a few short breaths, she was naked beneath him.
Look at me.
She watched as he stripped himself of his clothes. His fully aroused cock was magnificent to see.
Touch me.
She wrapped her hand around the hard, hot, pulsing length of him and gasped as she felt him slide a finger inside her, his long nail as smooth as silk, adding to her intense pleasure. Just when her release was on the verge of exploding, he moved away from her and removed her hand from his pulsing flesh.
The next second, his mouth was at her neck. She was still throbbing, still on the edge of climaxing.
Jonah sat back on his haunches and looked down at her. Are you ready to become mine, completely, body and soul?
His eyes were like red-hot coals and as he spoke, his long, spiked fangs glistened in the moonlight filtering in through the window. But now she felt no fear. She knew without words what he wanted, so she turned her face to the side, exposing the length of her neck.
I am ready.
I WILL BE AS GENTLE as I can, my love. You will feel a slight sting and I will drink from you only enough for our souls to touch.
It was time for his ultimate test. So far, he had been able to restrain himself, making her pleasure his priority before the mating ritual. It had been extremely difficult to watch her come so close to orgasm and not enter her, bringing them both to the bliss of completion.
He stretched the length of his body over hers and put one hand under her back and the other under her neck to keep her still. Blood thrummed through his veins, causing his cock to stretch and stiffen between her thighs. He bit down on his lip as he steeled himself against the overpowering urge to thrust inside her with no restraint. When he tasted his own blood on his tongue, he knew it was time to consummate the ritual and mix the blood of the living with that of the undead.
Breathing hard, he bared his fully descended incisors, placed his mouth over the large vein on her neck, and drew it up between his lips. While his head pounded and his body shouted for release, he pierced her with the tip of his fang. She let out a deep, sensual moan, reached between their legs, and found his shaft. When she closed her fingers around his throbbing cock, he thrust inside her, driving his fangs deeper into her flesh than he planned.
Jonah!
Her cry ripped through him like a sharp blade, pitting the strength of The Need against his concern for her.
Please, Jonah. Please.
When he realized she had not cried out in pain, but in ecstasy, he could do nothing but yield to the insistence of her thrusting hips against his cock. The harder he drove into her, the more she demanded, grasping his buttocks and pulling him deeper with every thrust, while his mouth remained at her neck, her blood pooling on his tongue.
Jonah!
He clasped her closer to him. I feel your joy, my love. Give yourself up to the rapture. Give yourself up to me.
He lifted his mouth from her neck and placed it over hers, savoring the mix of blood and . . . tears. His heart skipped a beat and his breathing halted. What had he done?
ANGELA GAVE herself up to the uncontrollable tremors that coursed through her body. The sensation deep inside her was indescribable.
Look at me, Angela. Look at me, please.
She heard panic in Jonah’s voice and did as he asked, in spite of her body’s desire to ignore everything but the sensations that held her teetering on the brink of madness.
Jonah’s bright, fiery eyes searched hers. Speak to me, my love. Speak to me.
What . . . do you . . . want . . . me to say? Her orgasm was one thrust away.
I am at the end of my control. I need to know if I have harmed you.
Jonah’s rhythm hadn’t faltered, and he was breathing as hard as she was. Her legs tightened around his back. I am unharmed. Take me. Make me yours.
Jonah plunged deep inside her and she rode the last wave of her orgasm as Jonah’s climax peaked. The sound of their release reverberated around the room and Jonah collapsed on top of her. Tears leaked from the corners of her eyes.
“You’re crying!” A look of alarm crossed Jonah’s face. “I confess I got carried away by the pleasure you gave me and took more blood than I intended.”
Jonah angled her neck so he could examine it thoroughly. A look of relief spread across his face. “Thankfully, you do not look injured.” He laved the sensitive area with his tongue, drew back and searched her eyes. “Are you in any pain?”
She shook her head. “No, but I could lie if it meant you’d continue working your tongue that way.”
Jonah rolled to his back and took her with him, sitting her astride his now flaccid cock. “Never make a sensual suggestion to a vampire unless you’re ready for the consequences.”
She laughed and moved her bottom over his already hardening shaft. “I’m as ready as I’ll ever be.”
MUCH LATER THAT evening, Jonah was still in Angela’s bed, her head resting on his shoulder. Unable to see his watch, he checked the one on her wrist. “I still have a couple of hours left.”
She trailed her finger down the center of his chest. And he knew that if he hadn’t just climaxed, he would have begun to harden again. Three times in an hour was extraordinary, even for him.
“Jonah, can I ask you something?”
“Of course. What is it?”
She scooted away from him, propping herself up on her forearm and looking into his eyes. “I know there have been other women in your life. Lots of them, I’m sure.”
He held his breath and waited.
“When you . . . when you made love with them, did you drink their blood, too?”
The question was unexpected, but he couldn’t lie to her. “Yes.”
“Does that mean you bonded with them the same way you did with me?”
He grasped her chin between his fingers and steadied her face so that she couldn’t look away. “First of all, I never made love to any of those women. I had sex with them. And the blood was a necessary component of The Need, just as the sex was.” He looked deep into her eyes. “I never bonded with any of those women. In order for bonding to happen, there has to be a spiritual as well as a physical joining. You are the only woman with whom that has happened. You were the first. And the last.”
His answer brought a smile to her lips.
“Now, it’s my turn to ask a question.”
Her brows lifted in surprise. “It is?”
“Yes.”
“So, what is it you want to know?”
He placed his hands on her shoulder and rolled her to her back. Supporting himself on an elbow, he looked down at her. “I expected you to be repulsed the first time I turned into a full vampire. Why weren’t you?”
She answered without hesitation. “If you remember, the first time you showed your . . . your fangs when we sat at the piano, I didn’t handle it too well.”
He remembered very well.
“Well, I guess that sort of prepared me for the rest of the changes when you . . . turn. For the way your face transforms, the way your eyes glow like fire. And those fingernails. . . . It’s frightening, but . . .”“But what?”
“But I trust you. Deep down, I know that regardless of what you look like on the outside, what’s inside of you would never harm me.” She winked at him. “Although I must admit I prefer the handsome face of the man I met when I arrived a w
eek ago.”
“Is that all it’s been? Just a week? It seems impossible we’ve only known each other such a short time. I can’t remember what it was like before you came into my life.”
Jonah rolled to his back, sliding an arm under her shoulder. They were silent for a time, each in their own thoughts, until suddenly she sat up. “Since we’re playing twenty questions, I have one more for you.”
“And that is?”
“Where did you go tonight?”
HE SHOULD HAVE been prepared for the question. He knew it had bothered her that he’d left so abruptly. As much as he wanted to shield her from worry, he saw no reason to hide the truth from her now.
“I received a call from a friend, Dr. Gerald Lytell. He’s a volcanologist.”
“That’s someone who studies volcanoes, isn’t it?”
“Yes.” He heard the fear in her voice. It didn’t surprise him. After all her friends had been through with the hurricane and the earthquake, he knew she was terrified that there might be another disaster, Especially since he’d already told her that the volcano was heating up.
“This friend of yours, the volcanologist. What’s his connection to Mount St. Helens?”
“He’s a member of the US Geological Survey team monitoring the volcano at the Johnston Ridge Observatory.”
Angela’s forehead wrinkled in thought. “So he has firsthand knowledge of what’s going on.”
There was no need for him to reply.
“If something does happen, you’ll have to go and help, like Julian and Jerome did, won’t you? Because that’s when the evil vampires show themselves?”
“Yes.”
“Does your friend have any idea when this might happen?”
He sat up on the bed opposite her and placed his hands on her shoulders. “Look at me.” He waited until she raised her eyes to his. “It is not definite that something will happen soon. There’s no need for you to worry.”
She sighed. “Still, there must be a pretty good possibility if your friend called you late at night.”
He suppressed a chuckle. “When else would you expect him to call me? In the middle of the day, when I’m asleep?”
The Vampire Jonah Page 10