by Claudy Conn
“Hell yeah!”
I smiled and I took him deep into my mouth. I wanted him so much. Lust took over as I sucked as much of his cock into my mouth as I could, stroked the length simultaneously and felt my body burn as I rubbed myself against him and used his knee to go off yet again.
“Oh baby, no…not so fast, I want to taste every inch of you. Go slow woman, just try and go slow,” he growled and sounded so damn sexy.
He pulled me up with that while my body was still in shuddering mode from my climax. He took my tits into his large hands and said, “Climb on and ride me Smoke, ride me—take what you need.”
That suited me just fine.
* * * * *
“That…”I said, “Was incredible. I am amazed we didn’t break the bed.”
“Its frame is made of steel. Had it made a couple of weeks ago when I first saw you again and realized you were a vamp.”
I sat up on my elbow. “What…wait…what? You planned to have me in bed?”
“Of course,” he answered at once, no hesitation. “How could I not? I have wanted you from the first moment I saw you…baby, more than wanted you…knew you and I were…what would be the words, ah yea, meant to be an item.”
I stared at him, “An item?” I wondered if that was a form of commitment. Didn’t quite make the mark for me. I decided not to prolong this conversation. We weren’t there yet, may never get there. He was not a long-term commitment type of guy.
He held me tightly against him and said, “How many boyfriends have you had in bed, Smoke?”
I laughed. “Wow, personal much.”
He grinned and sighed, “You’re right. I…don’t even know why I asked.”
“Was I too…inexperienced for you?” It suddenly hit me that I may not have satisfied him enough. Maybe he was into more kink than I had known how to give.
He laughed, “Oh baby, you didn’t just ask that! Holy shit, you were, are incredible. I couldn’t get enough of you and even now…I want to get back inside and make you go off over and over again.”
I smiled and snuggled. “I was only with one guy…for one night just before I became a senior at Tulane. I wasn’t sexually driven in those days and then afterwards…I, oh, I don’t know. Then there was the whole vampire thing and…”
“And as vampire you would have been sexually ravenous…no?” he was frowning down at me.
“No, I guess I retained who I am, and…before you, I wanted a commitment, a forever,” I said and then realized I might be scaring him off and I didn’t want to do that. No. I wanted more of what he had just given me. Supreme pleasure. “Not expecting that from you, of course.”
He laughed, “What is wrong with forever with me?”
“Well, for one thing, you are the Dark Lord of New Orleans and have had more women than I can count on my fingers and toes, so I’m sure you are not into forever.”
“What I am into, is you,” he said softly. “Let’s not think of tomorrow, Smoke…right now, you’re mine and I have no intentions of letting you go.”
I eyed him, “Possessive much for someone not into forever.”
He laughed, “Fishing?”
He kissed me then, long and hard and whispered, “Get some rest baby. We have a big day tomorrow.”
“Hmm. Big day, why?”
“I’ll tell you in the morning,” he said and brushed his lips against mine.
Sleep sounded like a good idea and the next thing I knew, I was out just like that proverbial light.
I don’t know what woke me. I glanced at the clock and saw that it was late and his side of the bed was empty.
I sat up and saw a dim light coming from an ante-room. A hidden pocket door was partially open. I got up, and ridiculously shy of my nakedness I stole a white T-shirt from his drawer and slipped it on before I made my way toward the light. I slid the door open further and he turned and gave me such a welcoming smile I almost jumped his bones right there.
“Smoke,” he whispered. “Damn, I do hope I didn’t wake you?”
“I am a light sleeper,” I said and went into his outstretched arm. He pulled me close with that one arm while his other hand pointed to a huge old manuscript open wide on the long desk in front of him. I looked around then and realized we were in a large windowless room filled with manuscripts and books. “What is this?”
“My collection of arcane manuscripts from many, many realms. This one is a copy of a memoir written by a friend of my family. He was a scholar in the Deatach Realm and worked with the House of Naraclyn, your father’s family, to record their history.” He shook his head, “I knew his name sounded familiar. My family studied the Immortals of Deatach. Smoke, your heritage is remarkable and the powers of Naraclyn are comparable to those of the Tuatha Dé Dannan—or better known as the Fae, also called The Children of the Light.”
“The Mystic…it called me, Princess of the Light…are my…people somehow connected to the Fae?”
“I would guess, distant cousins,” he said and smiled. “Baby…today we start your training!”
“Wait, wait…this is all happening too fast. I am a vampire. Doesn’t that interfere with what my father’s DNA…?”
“No, and I believe the Deatach Immortal in you will help you reduce the effects of the vampirism in your blood, though I don’t think it will cure you of it.”
“No cure? Are you sure?”
“Only relatively sure,” He struck his free hand to his forehead, “Vampire! What is wrong with me? Do you need…a packet?”
“You mean a blood packet?” I eyed him looking for disgust in his eyes. There wasn’t any. I shook my head. “No…I probably will soon though, but…and I did notice something when I woke up.”
“What?”
“My fangs aren’t quite as prominent. Still sharp…but…different somehow.”
We stared at each other and then he pulled me onto his lap and kissed me long and hard before he let me go and sighed. “Go on, Smoke, shower and put on something comfortable. We will go up to the second floor where I have everything you need.”
“Which is?”
“You’ll see,” he stood me up and gave my rump a pat as he turned me away. “I transferred all your clothes from your home to my closet. I put the white wicker armoire beside my black one in our bedroom. All your other needs are set up for you in our bathroom suite.”
“Pretty bossy…assuming I will just stay here,” I told him but couldn’t keep the smile off my face or stop the pleasure I felt with some of my independence apparently seized by my Holy Grail.
“Smoke, you must know how I feel. You must realize what is happening between us is something I have never experienced. It is too soon to talk about more than just that, but, I have never lived with a woman before. In all my hundreds of years…you are the first I have allowed into my private sanctuary.”
“And yet you have a guest room?”
“I have it as a convenience…to give shelter to a paranormal friend now and then who needs my help,” he grinned. “One in particular is Shags. My favorite shifter. You met him at my club.”
“So, once upon a time, you helped him and now he is your trusted…what, side-kick?” I bantered.
“My trusted friend. Briefly, Shags was thrown out of his pack because he had alpha tendencies and the alpha of his pack felt threatened by him. There was an alpha female who couldn’t make up her mind and if she chose Shags, his position as alpha would have been solidified. It should have been settled with a challenge, but instead, Shags was overtaken, beaten nearly to death and left in the swamp for the gators. I happened to be visiting a…friend and saw him crawling out of shallow water. I took him up, brought him to my club, and helped his own shifter healing powers by speeding up the process. One of my abilities is ‘healing’. I then paid the murderous alpha a visit and told him Shags was now in my employ and if one bushy hair was pulled from his head, I would be back. Shags offered his unending service. I declined and told him he was a free man who needed to
find his own pack.”
“But, he stayed,” I said softly.
“He did, and has become a dear and trusted friend, but free to come and go as he pleases. I don’t take in slaves or indentured servants.” Wilder’s voice softened.
“My, my, Dark lord, you do surprise me at every turn. Not so dark, after all,” I whispered into his ear.
He put a finger to his lips and said, “Shhh. No one need know that.” He shrugged, “We all have dark and light inside of us, ever ready to combat with each other. One has to know when and how to use those…influences.” He kissed me then, sweetly, completely, and I knew in that moment what was happening to me. I was falling in love!
~ Six ~
I STEPPED OUT OF MY Holy Grail’s shower with the wonderful multi-heads of great water pressure, and reached for a towel.
“Hey Wilder?” I called suggestively. “Want to dry my back?”
No one answered so I wrapped myself in the towel and padded into the bedroom. The bed was neatly made and in its center was a note.
I unfolded it to read:
“Smoke, sweetheart:
I know I said we would train this morning, but something has come up. We’ll put it off till later today.
Don’t go out. I have some business I have to attend to and should be back in an hour or so.
I put a call button into your phone. Only you and Shags can reach me on it and use it if you must.”
I was both disappointed and delighted all in one moment. The way he had written both my name and sweetheart shivered through me and poked my heart with the delight thing. The disappointment had the opposite effect.
This was bad. I was beginning to depend on him for my happiness. That was something I had taught myself never to do…never depend on someone else for my daily smile. Not healthy, and yet, his absence had most definitely insinuated negatively on the pleasure I had been feeling.
I twirled my finger and oh, but I was really liking this magic thing I had going on. Boom! And my running clothes were on. Another twirl and my long hair was up in a ponytail.
I looked in the mirror. Yeah, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, just from being sexually taken over the top all night long.
He had said ‘don’t go out’.
He must have had a good reason, my clear-thinking self, suggested.
Well, he should have told me why then, shouldn’t he have?
It was a beautiful day outside. He couldn’t mean that he didn’t want me to go for my exercise? Nah. He couldn’t mean that. Besides, I don’t do orders very well.
Thus, with a wicked grin at myself in the mirror, I ignored my ‘reasonable self’ and disobeyed my Holy Grail.
I jog faster than most humans, but, not so fast as to draw attention to myself. Wilder’s home was in the heart of the Garden District, so it took me a few minutes to get to the far end of the French Quarter district where his club quietly took up an entire corner.
I am contrary. Order me not to do something and damn, if you don’t give me a good reason to chew over, the next thing I know, I’m doing it.
I was tickled at the thought of storming him in office and flaunting my disobedience. I was looking forward to the wild confrontation that would ensue.
The club was closed during the day, so no one responded when I first knocked. I knocked again and still no response. I was about to use my newfound power when the door opened wide to display a tall, lean and good-looking shifter wolf.
Shags said, “Miss Smoke,” and waved me in.
“Hi there,” I smiled and strode inside, stopped, and looked around. “Is he in his office?”
“No, he just left but…”
Before he could finish the sentence, we were interrupted as a flash of movement displayed a hand clutching at the wide ornate oak door that Shags was in the midst of closing.
A female growled, “Not so fast, Shags, my love. If she gets in…so do I.”
A flash of black leather and short red hair and I recognized the sexy witch as she was stopped in her tracks by Shags. He stood in her way. “Out, Sonya. You know better.”
He sounded polite, but firm. I studied her.
Sonya was the redheaded witch I saw kissing Wilder that fateful night I first stepped into his club. She didn’t look happy.
“Out of my way, dog,” Sonya snapped and her amber eyes were lit with a gold storm. She was quite beautiful in a raw way.
I stood my ground as she returned my scan with one of her own.
“I don’t know how you are out and about in the daylight, Dark witch, but, you don’t belong here.”
“I am out and about because my place is just two doors down and I know how to stay to the shadows. Now, stand down, dog-breath.”
He put his hand on her to lead her out the door and she shoved him hard and into the wall and had her hand and claws into his neck. Her witch powers were dark and deadly. I worried for a moment that she would hurt the shifter.
Shags was my Holy Grail’s friend. That meant he was mine as well. I don’t allow my friends to be mistreated. My hand shot out and I felt the surge of magic rush through my arm, pick her up and plant her on her ass some feet away. It was all done with a thought, and I have to say, I impressed myself.
Shags grinned and inclined his head, “Thanks, but, I could have handled her.”
I laughed, “Ok, I’ll remember that next time.”
“Oh yeah, Miss Smoke, I can see why the boss likes you.”
“Likes her?” Sonya had jumped to her feet and came at me. She was taller and stared down and into my eyes as she hissed out with a sneer, “Look at you, Newbie—standing unafraid to face me. I am mistress of the most powerful coven in New Orleans.” She stepped back and shrugged. “You don’t know better, but you should. I know you think you are something special because the Dark Lord fucked you. But, you are nothing to him…just another whore he’ll cast aside when you tire him, and you will tire him...sooner or later everyone does…except me.”
The last words, ‘except me’ hurt, shot into my heart like a sharp knife. The words clouded my thoughts. Wilder had led me to believe that this redhead had been only a passing fancy. Was she still in his life? Was he still with her? That would explain all her anger.
“Then why am I welcome here…and you are not?” I asked because in spite of the jealousy I felt, I was still able to function logically.
She frowned and shoved me, as she hissed out with a fury that made her body shake, “Better watch your back little whore.”
“I already do, but listen up,” I snapped as I don’t take threats easily. “I think it is time for you to leave. You called me a Newbie. You have no idea what I really am, but I am ready to show you if you like and make you leave.”
“Make me?” she yelled and took hold of my blue spandex halter.
I don’t even know what happened. My mind went into protection mode. I felt power surge right through me, humming and ready.
The next thing I knew, and without laying a hand on her, she was flying backwards out of the club and the oak door was slamming shut after her. I heard the locks fall into place and turned to find Shags light brown eyes alive with laughter.
“Extraordinary,” he said. “I’m guessing you are some kind of hybrid…witch and vamp? Is that it?”
“Something like that,” I said and for a moment frowned over the description. I needed to be able to control myself. I couldn’t unleash power like that randomly.
“Yeah, well the boss said to make you comfortable whenever you showed up and to tell you specifically, he knew you would, show up, that is.”
My mouth dropped and Shags chuckled and added, “How about a Mimosa and some eggs? I was about to flip some with link sausages.”
I liked his smile, the sound of his laugh, and I was hungry. “Oh yeah, you do the eggs, I’ll do the Mimosas.”
He laughed and I watched him take the swinging door to the kitchen behind the bar.
His name suited him. He had a mass of carefully
disheveled auburn hair, bushy, yet shapely eyebrows. He was tall, lean and heavily tattooed. I liked his easy manners and the light in his eyes. In fact, I liked him. My instincts told me he was one of the ‘good guys’ and I have learned to trust and go with my instincts.
We divvied up the preparing and the cooking and were eating and joking when my Holy Grail walked in.
I don’t know why, but we both stopped in mid-chuckle and turned toward him as he stood there, his eyes speaking volumes, though he didn’t immediately say a word.
He looked angry. Why? He had told Shags I would disobey him and probably show up, so it wasn’t like he wasn’t expecting me to break his orders. As he stepped towards the counter, his eyes locked, not with mine, but with Shags and he said, one defined dark brow arched, “Enjoying yourself?”
“As a matter of fact,” Shags said on a low note, his brown eyes glinting. “I was.” He picked up our empty plates and went towards the kitchen door where he stopped, turned and grinned before he told Grail, “Possessive, much.”
I waited for the Dark Lord to explode, but instead, he shook his head and gave his friend a half-smile before he said, “You would do well to remember it.”
“Excuse me,” I interjected. “Hello, good-morning.”
“You were not supposed to go out. It isn’t safe,” he said and slid his hand down my back and lightly touched my ass.
Shivers of desire trembled through me. I said, “No, not safe. You don’t have to tell me about it. I hope you don’t have too many Sonyas hanging around ready to warn me off you.”
He frowned, “What happened?”
“Just that. She showed up and told me you and she were an item and that I should basically accept to be…cast aside in the near future.”
“First of all, she and I were never more than a one night stand…for more than three or four nights. I don’t cast aside the women I have been with. I always make it clear…our time will be short, but filled with pleasure. However, I never said that to you. So, you need to know that you, Smokie McGuire, simply don’t fall into a category. Never link yourself with any woman I have ever been with.”