Authors: Maya DeLeina
“Oh my god, you knew I was there? You saw me? You’re the guy who lives in the castle?” Anya released her hands from Steffan’s hold and placed them over her mouth in sheer embarrassment.
“Yes, I live there. Eilian, my brother, he saw you in my driveway. I was in the house. I never saw you, but I
felt
you, Anya. I felt your presence as you walked up the driveway.”
Steffan leaned in and cupped her chin delicately with his hand. “After you left, brief images of you rolled in my mind. I saw your hair, your eyes, and your skin. I even heard your voice and could smell your perfume. And…” Steffan paused, unsure if he would frighten Anya with his next statement. He released her chin and spoke. “…that tattoo on your shoulder. If I’m not mistaken, I believe it’s the Om symbol.”
Anya’s face turned pale.
You’re scaring her
, he thought as he fought to refine his revelation to her.
“And since that time, you’ve been with me every day. I dream of you at night and think of you during the day. All of this and I never met you before. I never experienced anything like this. I found out that you teach here and work at Mystic’s Mirth, and from then on, I’ve been working up the courage and the strength to come and meet you. That’s why I’m here.”
Steffan searched for a reaction from Anya.
Please don’t get scared. Please don’t run. Please trust me
.
Anya shifted her body toward Steffan and kneeled between his legs. She reached for the buttons on his shirt. One by one, she slowly undid them as she remained fixated on his eyes.
“No!” Steffan caught her hand and stopped her movement.” I want to. Believe me. I want nothing more than to be with you, but I didn’t come here for that. I came here to understand this connection I have to you.”
“No, you don’t understand. I
need
to see something right now. I need to see what’s on your left bicep and right shoulder.”
“My tattoos? How did
you
know?”
Anya gasped as she ripped at the buttons and tore Steffan’s shirt open, working the material down his arm.
There it was.
Steffan’s dark and delicious tattoos were on clear display.
Anya traced the design with her fingertips as tears welled in her eyes. She retreated back to her floor pillow and pulled her knees up tight into her chest. “I dream of you too! Every time I close my eyes, since that day I moved into Ambrose Heights, I dreamt of you! On this very afternoon, before I came here! What the hell is going on?”
Steffan leaned into Anya. He parted her knees and slid his body onto her floor pillow, placing her legs on either side of his. She bent her knees over the top of his thighs. He cupped her knees with his palms.
“It’s me that you dream about, you’re sure?” Steffan questioned, elation spreading like wildfire through his veins. His smile was unreserved in the pureness of his emotional reaction. Steffan knew a human would have vivid dreams of their mate after they met, but never recalled a case of dreams before the fated human and vampire met.
“Yes. I saw you.
All of you
. Well, except your face. But, I saw your tattoos. I heard your voice. I knew your accent. And I too, held your scent. The dreams are very sensual.” Anya reached for his hands and slid her hands into his. “And, now you’re here. How is this possible? I don’t know you. You don’t know me.”
Anya’s hands were smooth and inviting. Her fingers slowly traced his palm with a feather-like touch. Feeling her, even as gentle and reserved it was, overwhelmed him. It was like he was on a roller coaster that had just plunged from its highest peak.
“Anya, I was drawn to you. You were the only thing that consumed me this past month. I dreamt of touching you.” Steffan paused and leaned in closer to her. His breath was a little deeper, a little hotter. “I dreamt of making love to you.”
Steffan suddenly moved, slipping his thighs under Anya. He lifted her slowly. Anya responded to his movement and straddled his hips, wrapping her legs behind him. “And now, I find out you were drawn to me as well. You were dreaming of me in the same way. I don’t know what’s going on, but I don’t want to ignore it. I will not ignore this.”
“Neither will I,” said Anya.
Steffan looked into Anya’s deep-brown, almond-shaped eyes. Her tears still fell, but he could see the need and desire settling in her gaze. At once, he satisfied the burning hunger and placed his lips against hers.
The kiss was gentle. They took their time. It was smooth, hot, wet—the first luscious exploration between lovers. She parted her lips as he slipped his tongue gently into her mouth. She responded with the same motion. Their tongues glided over each other, an assessment of each other’s touch, taste, and response. Rhythmically, they broke for air and continued their descent of discovery in each other.
The kiss grew intensely passionate. Anya whimpered in delight as Steffan released deep, masculine moans in her mouth. Deeper they fell into each other, losing all sense of reality.
The intensity of the kiss had Steffan’s body tingling with overwhelming sensations. His embrace grew more needful. He pulled her even closer into his body. One hand cupped the back of her head as the other held on to her, cupping her buttocks. Anya’s whimpers turned into a sexy moan as Steffan purposely pushed his crotch harder against her. She rocked her hips slowly against his swollen cock.
Anya ground herself into Steffan. He cupped her ass with both hands. His needful fingers dug into her flesh, urging her to rock harder and faster on top of him. He kissed her deeper than ever before. His heartbeat pounded like a drum. Then suddenly, he broke their hypnotic movements.
“Anya,” Steffan said with a ragged breath. “Anya, we need to stop.”
If there was ever a moment that he longed to be void of any sexual pull on a human female, it was now. If there was ever a time he needed to suppress his urge to take complete possession of a human female, it was, irrefutably, at this moment.
“No, Steffan, I want you so badly. I ache for you.” Anya swiveled her hips in a circular motion and leaned back as she perched her hands behind her on Steffan’s thighs.
His fingers dug back into her flesh, claiming each side of her hips. Round and round, Anya moved in a circular dance over his crotch. Steffan looked up at her and motioned her to her knees. With her knees firmly planted on each side of his hips, he guided her in an up-and-down movement. Anya reached behind and laced her fingers around each heel of her stilettos and arched her back. She threw her head back and hair cascaded down to the floor. His fingers dug even further, commanding her hips to dive deeper into his lap.
“Please, Steffan. Please. I want this.”
“Anya!” Steffan struggled for breath. “Anya!”
Steffan was wrapped in absolute rapture.
His gaze centered on Anya. He tore the shirt from his body. He cupped her ass and rose from the floor pillows with a sense of urgency.
Anya looked at Steffan as if captivated by his power. She wrapped her legs around his waist. He maneuvered his hand between their bodies in search of his release. He struggled to unzip his pants, undo his belt, and unbutton the trousers with one free hand, but his attempt proved to be successful and the trousers went sailing down his legs. He sat back onto the floor pillows, urging Anya to grind deeper against him.
All that separated their flesh was her moistened panties and his thin cotton briefs. Steffan felt his entire shaft gliding underneath her heat.
“Steffan, I want you. I want you to take me.” She took Steffan’s hand and cupped her breast. “It’s been too long,” she whispered.
“I waited all my life for you, Anya. You don’t know how much I want to claim you right here, right now.”
“Steffan, do to me as you’ve done in your dreams.”
Steffan shook with anticipation and longing to claim his mate. His ancient, black blood pulsed through his veins, rousing his most primal and raw instinct. Flesh tore from his gumline as his razor-sharp incisors ascended. Steffan ran his tongue along his teeth, slicing the fleshy tissue.
The metallic tang of his blood broke the ecstasy of the moment. Steffan’s eyes opened. He mustered everything in his power and conscience to stop. Out of fear, and not trusting his own self-control, he needed to stop. The desire to claim Anya at this very moment was intolerable.
Rhys had been right.
No amount of studying human-vampire mates in the bloodline reports could’ve prepared him for this.
“Anya, I want to. God, believe me, I want to. But I didn’t intend for this for on our first meeting. I don’t know how much longer I can hold on. You’re killing me. We need to stop, Anya!”
“No! Oh my god, Steffan, it’s too much. I can’t…I–I’m so close. I’m gonna…” Anya started to shake on top of him as she grabbed his face and stared intently into his eyes. “Steffan, I’m gonna come! Look at what you’re doing to me!”
“Oh god! Come for me! Let me see you. Let me hear you!” Steffan blurted out with a jagged breath. He was stunned that he’d brought her to the height of pleasure without a single touch of his hand, exploration of his fingers, swipe of his tongue, or a stroke of his cock.
She remained transfixed on his stare. Steffan watched her as she rhythmically stroked herself against his hardness.
Her eyes suddenly widened.
She gasped for breath, as if someone was choking the life out of her. She shuddered on top of him. “Steffan,” she cried out.
Seeing Anya in complete ecstasy, hearing his name escape her lips amidst her pleasure, robbed Steffan of all his defenses. He lost the raging battle with willpower and self-control.
“Anya, don’t stop, please keep grinding on me,” he whimpered in sharp, frayed breaths. Steffan fisted strands of her long hair with both hands as he forcefully ground into her. “Look at me, Anya. Do not take your eyes off of mine.”
Steffan’s face strained. Anya’s eyes looked back at him with a devouring stare. Waves of pleasure crested in him.
“Anya, I’m coming!” Steffan let out a long moan as he exploded in his briefs beneath her.
Anya remained on his lap, her legs wrapped tight around him as his eruption slowed and came to a stop. Slowly, she backed from Steffan’s.
Still regaining control of his breath, Steffan flashed a big grin as he saw Anya’s face. “I can’t believe this!” Steffan said joyfully as he removed her pinky from the clenches of her teeth.
“Bad habit.” Anya said with a slight look of embarrassment.
“Funny, it’s mine, too. It’s pretty disgusting if you think about it.” Steffan laughed as he placed her pinky finger between his teeth and teasingly bit down.
“You do this, too?” Anya said in delight as Steffan released his clench on her finger and started kissing her from her hand and up her arm.
“My husband hates when I do that.”
Steffan’s heart sank as he stopped and looked into her eyes. “Husband? Anya, you’re married?”
Anya quickly corrected herself. “Oh no, I’m sorry. I am a widow. I meant it in a past tense.”
Steffan shook his head, relieved that Anya had confirmed Eilian’s report on her widow status. “I am sorry, Anya.” He brushed back her hair and caressed her face with the back of his hand. Steffan searched her eyes. She looked as if she wanted to tell him more, but she remained silent.
Anya dismounted and lay sideways on the floor pillows alongside him, changing the subject quickly. “I don’t know what is with me. Steffan, I need you to know that I do not do this. I’m usually very reserved. I don’t know you, you don’t know me. I have no idea why you spark something in me to give in, why I say those things to you. It’s like I am a different person with you.”
It’s because I’m a vampire and you are my fated mate
, Steffan imagined himself blurting out.