by Ruby Raine
“If I hurt you, my life would be over. There is only death for me should something ever happen to you.” When it happens, he added silently. There was no life after Lisbeth. No ability to live without her on this earth. And she was adamant she didn’t want to give up her short human life as she wished to remain a witch.
Lisbeth squirmed. Considering him with as much seriousness as possible with the hormones making her crazy to fool around and test his limits.
Which would win out? Hormones, or not wanting to push the man she was falling so desperately in love with, too far. He was only a few months’ human blood free. Perhaps she was asking too much of him, too fast.
He took her chin and brought it in, kissing her, gently. He stopped quickly though, a confident grin on his lips.
“There is other magic I can do. Something I’m sure no man has ever done to you before. It might test me, but I think it’s one my need for blood can withstand.”
“So a compromise?”
He smiled in wicked promise. “A most pleasurable compromise.” His tone held a thrilling vow.
“Will you let me touch you?” she changed the subject, hoping for a compromise of her own.
He shuddered at the thought of her soft, warm, blood-filled hands stroking him.
“Grayson, you always pleasure, you never let me return the favor. And I’m dying to touch you.” Everywhere, with my tongue, her gaze taunted.
“Lisbeth...” he growled. Just thoughts of these carnal acts pushed his control to its limits. “With me in charge of the pleasuring, I can keep control. I must keep control. I do not trust for your safety enough to have your hands wandering all over me.” Just the idea of it had his cold blood pumping hard, creating something almost heat-like inside his forever frozen veins.
“Let’s take a swim,” suggested Lisbeth. Her tone indicated she wasn’t giving in, just delaying. “After, you can show me this new magic meant to drive me mad.”
He let her up, a dip in the freezing cold of the Atlantic Ocean the perfect cool off. A manageable compromise, so he thought. However, Lisbeth had other intentions when it came to testing his limits. She started toward the water’s edge, untying a sash from her empire dress.
He should have seen it coming when she was straddling his lap and his hands found bare skin underneath. As the dress slid off her shoulders, slinking down her body, there was only skin. Bare. Vulnerable. Pulsing with life. She hadn’t worn her usual undergarments. She meant to swim in that luscious suit of skin, warmth, and life.
The moment the dress hit the sand Grayson’s control snapped. A cold hard body slammed up behind Lizzy. Seeing her in the flesh was too much. He had to touch her. Now. The woman was too much fire and melted his icy fortitude. One of these days she was going to push her luck and tempt him too far.
Lisbeth gasped as cold hands gripped her, pulling her out of the water and onto the sandy beach. In a flash she was on her back, her vampire on his knees with glossy eyes, heavy breaths, and fangs ready to eat. There she was, all spread out in front of him. Searing heat between her thighs. Breasts heaving raggedly.
So many places to kiss, lick, suck on, and drive her mad.
So few he dared do for fear of losing himself completely.
A moment of panic flitted visibly across her eyes. She’d done it, pushed too far.
“You look like you’re going to eat me.” She attempted a light tone, but her voice shook some.
His eyes lifted to hers with a deadly simper. “Only now do you understand me. The monster. And I do intend to eat you.”
She caught her breath, holding out her hand to stop him. “Grayson Moone, you will cease right this very oh...” she let out a gasp. Her hands fell to the sand to steady herself. Oh, wait, already on the ground. Nowhere else to fall.
Grayson’s version of eating was not at all what she expected.
He did not sink his fangs into her skin and draw blood. In a swift movement his head landed between her thighs, his tongue doing the most extraordinary thing against the most delicate part of her.
She had to see him. See what magic this was. Surely it had to be some kind of magic. He lifted his head meeting her stunned gaze, eyes half-lidded with a drunken smile on his face.
“I have wanted to taste you from the first moment I smelled you in the woods.”
“I thought you meant my blood.”
“Mmm, that too, but this...” he leaned down and kissed her center.
Her breath caught.
His firm grip slid across her thighs pinning her wide open to him and that magical tongue lapped at her. Her head fell back into the sand, her hips bucking underneath him. This was so... up close and personal. And she liked it.
“This is... so... incredible...”
He released his mouth, savoring the taste of her.
“Please,” she begged. “Don’t stop.”
Her words pulled a snarl out of his throat and drove him deeper. Lips tasting, nipping, sucking, and taunting her body into an arch and a cry; but there was no escape, even when her need for more turned frantically into, “Oh my God, too much. Too much!”
He refused any gentleness, sucking in the taste of her. Wildflowers soaked in whiskey. Untamed stubbornness stroked with love and adoration. He soaked up every gasp, cry, and buck she hit him with until her body seized, tightened, and released such exquisite ecstasy his lust acted of its own accord, fangs pinching into the delicate flesh on her thigh.
With a cry of agony, he was on his feet and distant in a flash.
Lisbeth lay naked in the hot summer sand, out of breath, dazed, and humbled by such passion she never knew possible. It was followed by emptiness, and a chill, even considering the icy skin of her lover now gone from her. She lifted her head and balanced on her arms, looking for him.
“Grayson?”
She saw him in the shadow near the water, ashamedly turned from her.
“Grayson,” she called out again.
“I need a moment.” The strain in his voice confirmed what she was thinking. He was angry with himself. He’d come too close to biting her, or losing himself to a feeding frenzy.
“Come closer. I want to see you.” A soft order, not up for debate.
“No. Not like this.”
“I’ve seen it before.” She rose and slipped back into her dress.
The smell of her rippled the breeze as she dressed, rousing the monster lurking inside.
So delectable.
So breakable.
So delicious.
Soft hands stroked the side of his face, luring him into calmness.
“I thought I could manage it. I thought I was ready to touch you so intimately.”
“You did. And you stopped when you had to. Now look at me, Grayson Moone. Come out of the shadow.” He obeyed, turning to gaze upon her. He should leave the Isle before he did lose control. Before he accidentally hurt her. Or worse, killed her because the bloodlust took over.
This was doomed to fail.
Vampires were unable to safely love humans.
No matter what his dead heart wanted to believe.
Lisbeth didn’t flinch at the sight of him. Eyes raging hungry and black. Fangs protruding against his lips... instead she got to her tiptoes and kissed him, so lovingly it made him ache from head to toe. She backed up and sat down in the sand, patting the empty space next to her.
He joined her, painful breaths weighting his steps.
They lay back, staring up into the night sky. Watching the stars and moon.
None were, or ever would be, as beautiful as the woman lying next to him.
Leave the Isle? He could pretend that was a viable option all he wanted, and every part of him was fully aware he would fail at such an attempt.
“So, you want me to meet your father? And friends? And other witches?” He rolled his head against the sand to see her response. No flinch, or doubt. Just a smile. Excitement in her heart.
“It’s time, Grayson.”
“
Whatever you want of me, My Lisbeth. I’m yours.”
“And I’m glad. Even more so now. Magic fingers. Magic tongue.” She dreamed with wild abandon at what other magic he was saving up for her.
He rolled to her side, leaning up on his arm. “Ah, I see. That’s all am I to you, isn’t it? A vessel of pleasure meant for one woman.”
“Mmm, I like that.”
“Good, because I fully plan on tasting you again once I calm down.”
“Practice makes perfect?”
He let out a growl before spreading his body over hers. “The best kind of practice. I even get to undress you this time. And I will do so with my teeth.”
She let out an eager rush of breath between doting kisses. “I’d ask where you learned such a delightful skill, but I probably don’t want to know.” She’d wondered how many women he’d had before her. It must have been many as practiced and talented as he was, and adding in the long life...
“Don’t ever question that any of them ever meant anything to me,” he stated emphatically. “It’s you, and only you for the rest of my life.” Your life. Mine ends with yours.
If she would not become like him, he’d die when her human life was over.
“You are something special, Grayson Moone. And look, your eyes are lighter already.”
“I am still hungry,” he warned coarsely.
“Good, because I’m not nearly satisfied.”
“That is not something I can allow to continue. Spread your legs for me, Lisbeth. You think round one was too much...” He snarled and pulled her dress down over her shoulders, as promised, with his teeth. Lips trailing their way downward. Her whiskey got him drunk in seconds.
They remained on the beach until sunrise forced them to take cover. Although Grayson imagined burning to ash with his head blissfully stuck between her thighs might be the way to go. A more perfect end might never be found. Her voice, the last he’d ever hear.
He’d done his job well.
Lisbeth was jelly. Unable to balance on her own legs. Or put together a coherent thought. The vampire carried her all the way home and slipped her into bed. Then, for the first time, slid under the covers with her to sleep away the morning. She clung to him in such a way he’d never let go, unless she told him to. He was lost to this human. And when she awakened, he’d do anything and everything she ever asked of him.
CHARLIE BURST THROUGH the ER room doors with a single-minded purpose.
Find Lizzy.
Heal her.
Now.
The woman behind the nurse’s station recognized him but caught her breath at the mere size of him, which almost appeared doubled with the determined menace in his gait.
She pointed down the hall to the left. He followed the noises of controlled chaos. Dr. Walter, the same man who’d treated Melinda, was shouting ten orders all at once while he and three others rolled a woman on a stretcher into an operating room.
Lizzy.
Charlie’s vision went blotchy for a moment.
Lucas came screaming in behind them, someone trying to stop him. Mack. He had a trickle of blood running down the side of his face, but obviously was alive and relatively unharmed. At least physically. Mack was trying to make him get looked at by a doctor. He was refusing, only concerned about Lizzy.
Charlie stormed down the hall to them, unable to speak.
Lucas caught his iron gaze, raking his hand through his hair. He broke the gaze, no comforting words to offer Charlie. He heard Mack hollering at him to stay put but Charlie ignored her, bounding into the operating room.
“Get out!” he growled at everyone readying to operate. The doctor and assistants all froze and stared. “Get out. Now.” The doctor wanted to debate the point but the steeled fortitude that was Charlie Howard warned otherwise. He ordered the nurses to leave. They opened their mouths to argue but he made to leave, ordering them to follow.
He paused while passing Charlie.
“You’ve got one minute. She doesn’t have more.”
The room emptied and Charlie wasted no time. One minute was not long, probably not long enough. And oh, all that was hell on earth, what if this didn’t work at all?
His hands ran across her body, unsure where to start. So much blood. Barely a breath coming out of her. Weak pulse. So still. So pale. He caressed her face, seeing the cause of much of the blood. A severe gash on the side of her head. He let his hands hover just over the wound, pleading, begging, praying for any measure of success.
“Please, Lizzy. Stay with me.”
Nothing happened.
No warm glow.
No power vibrating up inside him.
Was he not concentrating hard enough?
Was he not doing it right?
The minute flew by like a flashing second.
Dr. Walter rushed back in. “Did it work?”
“No,” Charlie grunted out.
“Now you get out. Staff!” His assistants flew back in, shoving Charlie toward the door.
Was he standing? Sitting? Falling? Breathing?
The doctor shouted a bunch of orders, his hands and voice unwavering. One of the nurses came over and gently positioned Charlie to leave. Somehow, his legs brought him back out to the waiting area. Melinda was just jogging around the corner. Lucas was in a chair, his head hanging forward, hidden by his hands.
Mack saw Charlie come out and held her breath, waiting.
“It didn’t work,” he breathed out. “Doctor’s... trying...”
Stupid gift. If he wasn’t able to use it to save those he loved, what was the point? And if it didn’t work did this mean it was her time to die? Why now? She’d just gotten her human life back a couple months ago.
Was this like his father, where she’d been living on borrowed time, and time was just now catching up? And she was out of it?
“What the hell happened?” Melinda asked, assuming Charlie’s voice and mind were stuck in stalled-out mode. She was all too familiar with that ailment.
Mack glanced back at Lucas, who looked like he was dying a slow, painful death from the inside out. Melinda went to him and sat down, taking one of his hands just as he had when she’d been sure she was about to die just days ago (when she’d believed William was about to get a death sentence). He squeezed back like her grip gave him the strength he needed to make words come out of his throat.
“What happened?” she asked gently. Mack listened closely, having not heard the entire story yet either, the more important thing being get Lizzy help before it was too late.
“We were just minutes away from your house, driving home. We took a back road avoiding downtown. I... I forgot to tell Lizzy to put her seatbelt on. She’s still not in the habit and she was so tired. She closed her eyes, head against the window. I um, there was this man, came out of nowhere. Riding across the road on a bike. He clutched at his heart and swayed like he was going to fall and I swerved to miss him, lost control and the truck skidded. Went sideways, right into a tree. Lizzy’s side. She hit, so hard.” His voice gave out. He glanced over at Melinda, more on the tip of his tongue but he held back. Mack sensed it too. But let it slide for a moment while everyone caught their breath. And waited.
Melinda texted Michael to keep him updated.
And they waited some more.
They swore it was an eternity before Dr. Walter emerged. In reality it was a couple of hours. He dragged a seat over and plunked down, looking at them all.
“She’s alive.”
No one breathed any more relaxed, there was clearly a but, coming.
“She’s in a coma. She lost a lot of blood. We were able to close the wound and relieve the pressure on her brain. There was a lot of swelling, and fluid, which can cause brain damage. I cannot be certain right this minute, but my professional opinion is that the coma is allowing her to heal. We’ll need more time to run some tests. But her vitals are stable, with a little assistance from a breathing machine.” He held up his hand when they all threw him simultane
ous stares of, she needs help breathing?
“This is not abnormal. Please don’t panic over this. Giving her the assistance allows her body to work more easily, which gives her more chances to heal. The nurses are getting her cleaned up and comfortable. We’ll move her into a private room soon. You can see her then. Okay?”
They nodded uneasily.
“Thanks, Doc.” Mack extended her hand. They shook.
“Thank you,” Charlie spoke up too.
The doc leaned in. “What were you hoping to do earlier? You’ve never tried magic before when one of you has been injured.”
“New thing I learned,” explained Charlie without going into depth. “Guess it still needs some work.”
“Whatever it was, don’t be too hard on yourself. This is a traumatic injury. It would take some sort of miracle.”
One not in the cards today, thought Charlie grimly.
The doctor left them, with a compassionate pat on the arm to Charlie.
“Okay, first order of business,” started Mack. She looked at Lucas. “I saw the doctor look you over but are you in need of additional care?”
“No. I am fine.” There was a note of personal animosity on his tongue.
Melinda grabbed his hand again. “Let’s get you cleaned up. There’s a bathroom just over there.” Lucas let her drag him over.
“Sit, Charlie.” Mack wasn’t asking. He obeyed. “I assume you’ll stay here?”
“Yes. I want to be there when they move her, in case she wakes.”
“You tried to heal her?”
He nodded. “Didn’t work this time.” Not like it had when he’d healed the sheriff when Courtney accidentally staked her while they were attempting to stop Grayson.
“That vampire still locked in your basement nice and tight?”
“Yeah. Michael and Courtney are there, just in case. But yeah.”
“Alrighty then.” She popped up. “I’m goin’ to deal with the incident report, make sure things get sorted. Looks like a terrible accident, but I have to dot the I’s and all that.”
“Thanks, Mack.” He waved a weak goodbye.
The sheriff stopped by the open bathroom door, hearing Lucas wince a little as Melinda wiped the dried blood off the side of his face. It was just a scratch. The sheriff cleared her throat, eyeing the young man.