“I don’t have a death wish, Shain.” Or did she? She was with him, after all.
“Nevertheless, I’m glad you dared. If you hadn’t, we would’ve never met.”
Kimber dropped her gaze to the table, to the shiny cutlery. “And we wouldn’t be risking our lives. I don’t know about you, but I’d be banished at the very least. They already think I’m weird. If they knew how attracted I was to a vampire, that I desired one even a tiny bit, they’d see it as the final offense to my brothers. A weakness. A disease that the others could catch. Only strong, normal shiyas survive in a pack.” Why was her hand trembling as she lifted the wine bottle to refill her glass?
“What do you mean, they think you’re weird?”
“The fact I never found a true mate, and that I’m okay with it. And because I won’t take a husband to meet the status quo.”
“So, if you don’t find your true mate, and he doesn’t find you, then you’re obligated to choose one?”
She sighed. “Yes.”
“And if you do choose, then your true mate shows up, what happens then?”
“Nothing. The scent of the current mate would make it impossible for the destined one to ever discover me. We could be standing next to each other and never know. Once a shiya is claimed, she’s claimed for life by one, and one only, until death. Though, there is the occasional triad union.” At his puzzled look, she told him, “Two shiefs, one shiya.”
Shain raised a brow at that. “I didn’t know that. About the destined versus chosen one part. How unfair to Mr. Destiny.”
She shrugged. “That’s the way it works.”
“I can’t believe I didn’t know that.”
Time to push the subject onto him. “Anyway, how would your kind react?” she asked, forgetting what vampires called their “packs.”
“My coven?” He considered it for a moment. “They’d react the same way, which is why tonight must be the end of this.”
Why did that sting? That he emphasized they wouldn’t be seeing each other after tonight? The disappointment gripped her throat, but she swallowed it. Hard. Of course he thought that, and she should, too. Especially after reminding them both how her pack would treat her if anyone found out.
Henry swept to the table with their food on his shoulder.
The smell of steak made her stomach and her wolf growl in equal need. She moaned in pleasure as she swallowed the first bite.
Shain smiled at her, slicing his fish. “Good?”
“Only the best I’ve ever had.”
“Not the first time a woman has told me that.”
Ignoring his quip, she carved another piece, adding some of the bleu cheese crumbles. She moaned again. It was that delicious. She didn’t realize Shain had stopped eating until she looked up and saw his eyes glowing. The fork stopped halfway to her mouth.
“By the gods, I hope you finish soon,” he said hoarsely.
“Why?” she breathed.
He traced his tongue behind his teeth. “Because I want you. And I don’t know how much longer I can wait.”
Usually, when Shain said something along those lines, a women’s eyes would convey excitement, anticipation, flattery.
Kimber’s showed the opposite.
Was he coming on too strong? Well, he couldn’t help it. He couldn’t help anything when he was around her.
Immediately, he reined his desire in.
At least let the woman finish her meal. After all, she was enjoying the hell out of it. The sounds she made… good gods, from her first moan, his cock hardened, and every moan that followed made it throb. How good was it going to feel when he sank inside her? He could only imagine. But soon it would be a reality. Very soon.
Did she have any idea how sheer her blouse was when she lifted an arm to grab her wine glass? That the light behind her showed the curve of one breast, and the shadow of a peaked nipple?
She wasn’t wearing a bra, and it was killing him softly to know it.
“I’m sorry,” he said, meaning it. He hadn’t intended to intimidate her. “My mouth speaks before my head approves.”
She chewed her steak. “It’s okay. I like your comments. How you say them.” After swallowing, she shrugged. “It’s been a while since a man was that direct with me.”
“Really?” Now that was hard to fathom. “Aren’t shifters—especially alphas—unapologetically blunt?”
“They are. And to be honest, it’s a turnoff. Yet, for some reason, coming from you…” She slowly raised her pretty eyes up to his. “It’s not.”
His ego swelled, but he chose not to gloat. If only one shief knew he was about to seduce a shiya as stunning as Kimber, he was sure his life would be on the line.
“I’m out of practice with subtlety. Direct is my only way. When you want something, you say it. You tell the gods, out loud, and if they agree, you’ll get what you want.”
“Ah, yes. The vampire gods.” She sat back. “You really believe everything you want, that you get, is because they agree you should get it? Like little genies in the sky? They give you coffee, designer shoes, the car you drive?”
“Don’t be silly. Money gets those things. And no, they’re definitely not genies. Gods. And it’s not that I believe everything I get is because of them. They say no all the time.”
“They talk to you?” She exaggerated a look of concern.
He smiled. “No. But I talk to them. Like any being who worships a higher entity. They answer when they want. Sometimes in mysterious ways.”
“Have they ever not responded? As in, you ask them for something, beg for it even, and you don’t get a yes or a no?”
“Everything is a no until it’s a yes.”
“The word for that is pessimism. How many gods are there?” she asked.
“Nine. Each represents the nine inherent gifts a vampire possesses.” At her interested look, he listed them off. “Oesis, god of darkness, who gave us life. Lendaya, goddess of influence. She’s no good to me when it comes to other immortals, except for maybe a fairy. They can be adorably gullible and fun to influence.”
“Next time I meet one, I’ll make sure he or she is fairly warned.”
“Very funny.” He cleared his throat. “Rauth, god of blood. Barely worth mentioning.”
She waved her fork. “Silly god of blood.”
“Xesyn, goddess of time, a.k.a., immortality. Nevaldir, the god of…can you guess?”
“Tailoring?” she joked.
Enchanted by her charm, he stared, noticing how the lighting hit her just right, making her glow, her energy soothing him. Swallowing a strange formation in his throat, he shook his head. “Love. He’s the god of love. And creation. The one who blesses us with children.”
Her cheeks pinkened. “Oh.”
Was it him or did she just become more alluring? “Yva, goddess of beauty. Healing. The one who stops us from aging at our prime.”
“Does anyone ever disagree with Yva? What if you thought your prime was twenty-eight, and you don’t stop aging until you’re thirty-five?”
“Then she did so for a reason. The gods know best.”
Kimber smiled as their plates were cleared by a trio of efficient busboys. “I actually know one, I think. Heclene, goddess of seduction.”
“Correct. A power without which we would’ve expired long ago. Now. Two left. Ilous, the god of eloquence, who favors us in negotiation, strategy, the proverbial silver tongue.”
“You have a god for speech? No wonder.”
“And finally: Edes, the god of ascension.”
Some of the light dimmed in her eyes. “Of death.”
“And in a way, new life. In the Ecca.”
Kimber sipped her wine. “Can I ask you a question?” At his nod, she asked, “Are you afraid of ascending? Or is it, the longer you live, the easier it is to let go?”
Frankly, he didn’t know how to answer.
Henry glided over. “Dessert?”
“Whatever the lady wants,” he
said.
Kimber’s smile proved she didn’t hear that often. Shame.
Plus, from what he gathered so far, her pleasures in life were limited. If she moaned and sighed over food, how would she react to multiple orgasms?
She picked the tiramisu, and Shain declined any for himself.
“We aren’t wired to need a lot of real food,” he explained once Henry returned with the dessert. “A human friend of mine says it’s similar to when people get their stomachs stapled. Very full on very little.”
“Well, you’re missing out.” She sliced down a generous bite of tiramisu with her fork. “Except when it comes to blood, right? You can’t get enough of it?”
He gestured for the check, not wanting to delay their departure another minute once she finished. “For whatever reason, the gods deemed it an endless appetite, but most of us have learned to control it, and only take what we need.”
“Most of you?”
“There are those who’ll drain their prey dry,” he said with as much acrimony as he could. “The rats of our community.”
“You don’t have say that. I’m sure you wish you could do the same thing if there were no consequences.”
“To the contrary, I don’t wish that. We made a promise that any vampire caught draining any humans will be captured and punished by the UCC.”
“What kind of punishment?”
“They’re sent to the Depths.” Before she could ask about it, he said, “It’s sort of like purgatory.”
“Oh. Well. Say no more.”
Henry placed the bill on the table. Without glancing at it, Shain put his credit card down.
“So, what have you asked the gods for help with lately?” she asked.
“Why do you want to know?”
“I’m curious. I’m pretty sure this will be the only genuine conversation I’ll ever have with one of your kind. If you’re open to sharing a little more, please do. What are you asking your gods for that you don’t already have?”
Should he tell her about Tanaka? Well, why not? “An alliance. The alliance.”
“And that means?”
“Everything. The highest level.”
“In your coven?”
“In anywhere. It’s why I’m still in the city. Most of my covenant goes north for the summer to escape the heat, but I had to stay behind. The man I want to align interests with wants to meet here.”
She finished the last bite. “I see. Need to wine and dine him?”
If only wining and dining was all it took. Who knew what Tanaka would ask of him? “Something like that.”
A few minutes later, Henry returned.
“It’s been a pleasure serving you both tonight. And can I say, what a beautiful couple you make. Makes an old man smile to see two people in love.” He bowed and walked away.
Kimber blushed and dabbed her mouth with her napkin.
Shain’s smile faded. Ignorant, though well-meaning, human; they had such a hard time distinguishing love from lust. Shain left him a hefty tip for the excellent service. “Shall we go?”
“I—I’m just going to use the restroom first,” Kimber said.
He stood when she did. “Of course. Take your time.”
He watched her go, smirking at the sight of her delectable bottom in those jeans before he sat back down. At first, he’d been surprised to see her dress so casually, like they were going for a picnic, when all she had to do was look up the restaurant to know it wasn’t a T.G.I. Friday’s.
Regardless, she looked lovely in her blouse and jeans with the flower in her hair, her shoulders glowing in the low lighting. So many vampiresses wore black to every outing, casing their bodies in tight dresses with a lot of accessories he found annoying to remove.
Undressing Kimber would be a treat. Or maybe he’d have her undress for him. Either way, he’d relish seeing her naked in the candlelight.
Above all, he was determined to take his time, and give her the kind of pleasure no shifter would be able to match. His mouth tugged. Yes, spoil her so that any man that comes after him—including her future mate—would have to work extra hard to blow her mind. They would never know the reason she demanded so much was because of a vampire.
But he would know.
When she emerged, he couldn’t tell if she was impatient as he was to get to the second half of their evening. He stood, a pang of nervousness suddenly hitting him. “Ready?”
She drew in a breath and nodded. “Let’s go.”
He offered his hand. She glanced at it, then took it.
Walking through the restaurant with her hand in his, heads turning, his testosterone rising, Shain felt strangely possessive and proud.
He pushed through the door and turned. He’d parked in the employee lot instead of the customer lot in the back. “The hotel is just outside city limits. Don’t worry, it’s not far.”
“A hotel?”
He walked her around to the passenger side. The car lights flashed at the approach and unlocked, sensing the remote. Just when he was about to open the door, Kimber shoved him against the brick wall.
Stunned, before he could utter a word, she pressed her body against his and kissed him hungrily. His need exploded with the impact of her sweet lips on his. He moaned and dove his fingers deep in her hair, parting her mouth, tasting of sugar, wine, and lust.
As soon as he deepened it, she growled, pinning him to the wall harder, gripping his jacket. By the gods, she was strong. Such passion. She couldn’t even wait for the hotel. He dipped his head, drunk on her, and still a little buzzed from the wine, licking along her neck and shoulder.
His teeth were down. If he nipped her, he could scare her, and that was the last thing he wanted to do. It took immense internal power to force them back. He came up and met her lips again, turning from the wall and pressing her down upon the hood of the car.
She arched underneath him when he tugged her blouse down and hungrily captured a nipple in his mouth, gently squeezing the mound of flesh and nipping on the peak. The sound from her throat made him shake with need.
And when she parted her legs, he pushed his hips to hers, his cock hard as granite.
“Oh,” she groaned, clutching the back of his head.
In a fever, he unbuttoned her jeans and pulled the zipper down, crazed with desire. He craved to feel her most intimate place, sliding his hand in, his fingers seeking, and finding her soaked with arousal…
She cried out, and he shuddered. “Oh, shiya,” he uttered, licking between her breasts while his middle finger stroked through her seam. “I didn’t think you’d be this wet so soon.”
Shain burned to go down on her, ease her jeans off her waist and lick her until she screamed her climax. He wanted to taste her; she would be his dessert.
Kissing his way up her body, he strove to keep a clear head, knowing he would sorely regret taking this any further on the hood of his car. Especially when any second, an employee could come out for a smoke break and ruin the mood.
He captured her panting mouth in his, winding his tongue in slowly, and nibbling her bottom lip. She lifted her head as he drew up, refusing to let him break away, grasping his jaw in her hands.
“We should go,” he whispered. Her sound of complaint made him smile.
He reluctantly climbed off. They were going to be amazing together, he just knew it.
Kimber lifted her top to cover her breasts, zipped her jeans and sat up, her eyes dimly glowing amber. She slid off the hood, staring at the bulge in his pants, and licked her lips.
Shain didn’t know whether to laugh or moan when she advanced on him again, sending him back to the wall. And he loved it.
“Kimber,” he chuckled as she raked her fingers down his chest. “The hotel has an enormous suite with our names written all over it.”
She brushed her lips on his chin. “I know,” she whispered.
Her palm ran down his hard member. He hissed, feeling his teeth descend.
Before he knew it, his
pants were undone and her hand was around his steeled cock, her thumb circling the head. Shain’s eyes rolled back. Okay, she can do that for a minute, then they were leaving.
She gave a moan while she stroked him once. “I just had to touch you, too.”
He cursed, her slow strokes putting him in a trance.
A car pulled up outside the lot and honked.
Kimber kissed him hard and quick, then backed away. “I have to go.”
He opened his eyes, shaking his head to clear it. “Go?”
“Goodbye, Shain.”
Dazed, he watched her rush to the car and get in before he could finish buckling his belt. “Wait!” He went after the car for a few feet, calling her name again, but the Honda didn’t stop, making the green light and disappearing around the corner.
He ran a hand down his face.
There’d be no hotel. No exploring every inch of her delectable body, no hours and hours of slow sex, no room service and champagne in the afterglow. Astonished, he climbed in his car and slammed his door.
Damn.
How did he fail to maintain control of the situation? One minute he was holding her hand and ushering to the car, the next he was against the bricks, losing his mind, and losing his control.
She’d played him?
Obviously, she had no intention of going anywhere with him, let alone to the suite. Had he read her wrong? He thought she wanted him as much as he wanted her. What did he miss?
Then again, he didn’t really tell her about the room, not until they were in the parking lot, practically tearing each other’s clothes off. Maybe she hadn’t been prepared to go with him. After all, she had to sneak out just to meet him for dinner. No doubt spending the night with him at the last minute was asking too much. He’d just assumed…
He glowered, feeling like an idiot.
Well, if that was the case, she could’ve said a hotel was out of the question. At least he could’ve had the chance to change her mind.
Shain groaned, setting his head back on the headrest.
He’d wanted more. So much more.
He pressed the push-to-start button and peeled out of the parking lot, heading home, sending a message to Brooks to cancel the reservation. Why stay at the suite alone, fantasizing about what could have been?
His Dark Embrace Page 10