Her thoughts were broken when Luca shifted and sat beside her. She felt his jeans brush her bare leg, and struggled to act nonchalant.
“What are you doing?” she asked.
“What does it look like I’m doing? I’m sitting next to you,” he smiled at her.
She shot him a look of annoyance. Moving closer to the window, she tried not to let her bare leg touch him again.
“So little witch, I think you and I need to have a bit of a talk,” he said.
“Don’t call me that,” she insisted.
“You are testy, aren’t you?” He took a deep breath. She wasn’t going to make this easy. “I’m sorry for what happened at Eden.”
“For what?” she feigned ignorance.
“Let’s not play games,” he countered.
“Games? Games? I don’t know what you are even talking about, Luca.” Samantha’s normally soft voice was growing louder and louder.
“Yes, games. I know you’re mad at me, and I know why. I just want to talk about it, so we can…”
“So we can what, Luca? What? I mean, this morning at the cabin we kissed; that was all. You don’t owe me any explanations. Besides, Kat told me everything,” she interrupted.
“Did she now?” he chuckled.
Women.
“I told you when I went to Eden I needed to feed. I prefer to have live donors. You see, when vampires feed…” He stopped himself from explaining any further as she looked straight at him and held up her hand to him.
“Just stop. I don’t want to know,” she stated.
“Okay, well here’s the bottom line. Kat and I are friends who’ve known each other a very long time. I’m not going to lie to you, Samantha. In the past, we’ve been lovers, but we have never been a couple. And today, I just…I just needed to feed. And as much as I would love to taste your sweet blood, and believe me, I would, Kat was there.”
“And you were going to make love to her?” Samantha asked.
“Yes,” Luca answered quietly and truthfully. “But Samantha, I didn’t.” He reached over to run his fingers along the side of her face, and she brushed his hand away.
“But you wanted her?” Samantha challenged.
“No, Samantha, that’s the thing. I wanted you,” he whispered. He moved back to sit across from her as the car pulled into the driveway. Samantha’s eyes widened in disbelief, and he wasn’t sure what else he should say in the few minutes they’d have in the car. He decided to wait until they got settled before continuing the conversation.
Samantha didn’t know how to respond. She was confused. Why would he take Kat instead of her if he did indeed want her like he said? She tried to think of how she would have reacted if Luca had asked her to let him feed from her. Would she have said yes or have gone running in the other direction? As much as she liked him, she couldn’t honestly say that she would have said yes. She felt so raw from her abduction that she just wasn’t sure she could trust someone to bite her, to risk putting herself in danger, to risk pain.
As they pulled into the Issacson compound, she gaped at the huge southern Victorian mansion. She didn’t remember leaving there, but could still remember the luxurious prison cell accommodations located in the lower level of the home. She couldn’t help but wonder what the rest of the place looked like.
The car circled around the front of the mansion and took a small, almost hidden road that was lined with breathtaking, majestic live oak trees. The private road went on for about one hundred feet until they reached a secondary Greek revival styled mansion, which was equally impressive, with its white columned entrance greeting its guests.
As the limo stopped, Luca got out of the car and offered his hand to Samantha. She stepped out of the car, and silently followed him to his home. At the front door, he flipped open a security panel, typed in a code and placed his face and palm into the box. Within seconds, the lock clicked open.
Samantha was impressed. “Biometric facial recognition, iris security and palm identification?”
Luca smiled. She was sexy and smart. “Yeah, well, you can’t be too careful. Unlike Kade, I don’t have any security personnel working in my home. What you can’t see is the instantaneous DNA detection in the palm identifier. Look.” He pointed to a black panel with a neon green outline of a hand on it. “It’s hard to see, but there’s a microscopic needle that extends into the thumb of the user. Facial recognition is great, and while this software is essentially hack-proof, there’s still a small percentage of failure.”
“Yeah, I read hackers have been trying to demonstrate failure. Even though it’s a small percentage, I could see how if you were to invest in such a system you’d want redundancy,” she commented.
As they walked into the foyer, Samantha was amazed to see Luca’s finely decorated home, adorned with antiques and paintings. “Wow, Luca, your home is beautiful. It looks like a museum in here,” she gasped.
“Thanks. I don’t use the upper levels, though. It’s pretty much for show. If I entertain, I use this first floor area for guests. But I don’t live up here. Come on, follow me.” Luca walked down a short hallway, punched another security code into the wall, and a door with an antiqued face opened. “This is it. Ladies first.” He held out his hand to usher her down.
Motion detector lights illuminated the circular oak staircase which deposited them into a great room, which appeared more as Samantha had expected Luca’s style to be; an ultra-modern bachelor’s dream: sleek with minimal décor. A single chrome wall ran the length of the area; it was decorated with black and white still-life photos. The other three whitewashed brick walls complemented the cherry hardwood floors. A large overstuffed black leather sectional sofa directly faced a ninety-inch flat screen TV. Across from the living area, a half-moon, black granite bar swept around a small kitchen area. Royal-blue, spiral-shaped lights hung down from the ceiling from fine silver chains; the delicate illumination danced and reflected across the chrome walls.
His home screamed masculinity, refinement, and wealth. Yet as he tossed his phone on the bar, and pulled open the refrigerator, he seemed casual, relaxed and very much at home.
“So, this is where I spend most of my time. You can stay upstairs in the guest room, but I’d prefer it if you stay down here with me. I don’t sleep much, so you can stay in the master bedroom, and I’ll take the couch.” He pulled out two bottles of water and set them on the counter.
Samantha ran her hand across the bar and sat down on one of the black and chrome stools. “Are you sure, Luca? It’s bad enough that I agreed to stay with you. I feel badly putting you out of your bed.” Luca. Bed. As she said the two words in a sentence she realized she’d much rather be saying a different sentence with those two words.
Luca, take me to bed.
She blushed, grabbed the water, opened it and drank it slowly, while looking up at Luca.
He could sense what she was thinking, and he needed to take this opportunity to set things straight with her. She was in his home now; his domain. He had control, and she was his. He walked around the bar, put his hands on her shoulders and began to rub her neck. Inhaling her feminine scent, he instantly hardened.
“What I said in the car, I meant. It’s important we’re clear.” He continued massaging her as she released a tiny moan of pleasure.
“Today at the lake, I did not forget what had happened between us. How could I forget? But you must understand. For over two hundred years, there has been no one for me. Lovers, yes. But human lovers have been far and few between. I don’t do relationships. And now, there is you.” He shook his head, but she couldn’t see because she held her head downward as he caressed her muscles. “Today at Eden when I saw you in the hallway, I felt guilty. I know that isn’t what a woman wants to hear, but I could not ask you to let me feed from you. And I know Kat, and well…she was there. And if I’m being honest, I was trying to forget you.”
Samantha slowly raised her head but just stared forward, afraid to look at him. “Why forget me?”
Luca stilled his hands and his breath hitched. He slowly swiveled her stool around so she was facing him. She instinctively reached out and placed her hands on his hips, but kept her head down.
“Because, my dear Samantha,” he cupped her face, tilting her head upward to meet his gaze. “I want you more than I’ve ever wanted any woman in my life, and it scares the living hell out of me.”
Luca took Samantha’s hands, gently lifting her onto her feet. Reaching around the nape of her neck, he ran his fingers into her hair and pulled her towards him. Luca kissed her slowly, hungrily, wanting to savor her intoxicating essence. She was everything he remembered from the lake and more. So soft and pliant; he couldn’t wait to sink himself deep within her.
A thousand butterflies danced in Samantha’s tummy in anticipation of making love to Luca. She opened her lips as his mouth engulfed hers. He wanted to be with
her
. No, there would be no other women, just her. She’d decided in that moment to give herself to him, body, soul and blood.
Their tongues intertwined with one another as the kiss deepened, and Samantha rose on her toes, pressing herself tightly against his muscular torso. She could feel the hardness of his arousal against her belly and the growing ache between her legs.
Swiftly, Luca picked Samantha up, one arm behind her back and one under her knees. For a brief second, they stopped their kiss to gaze into each other’s eyes. Samantha saw the fire burn within his eyes as they quickly flashed from green to red. This was who she wanted: her vampire. She reached up, cupped his cheek and let her pointer finger slide down into his mouth. He roared in erotic lust as his fangs elongated, and she stroked one of them.
“Samantha, are you sure?” he asked in a breathy, rugged tone. He was close to losing control, finally giving into his desire for his witch.
“Take me, Luca. Now,” she softly demanded.
Luca carried her down the long hallway and kicked open the door to his bedroom. Candles along the shelving flickered into life at Luca’s command. Samantha caught her breath at the sight of Luca’s dominating presence. He was primal; pure unadulterated male. She grew wet awaiting his touch, the feel of him deep inside her sex.
He placed her feet on the floor and stood close to her, barely touching her, then brushed his face against the side of hers, smelling her hair. Luca’s cock twitched at her feminine scent. He was turned on seeing her in an overwhelming state of arousal, her cheeks flushed, her breath quickened. She was ravishing. Never breaking eye contact with Samantha, he glided his palms down her shoulders, the sides of her arms, her hips, to the edge of her dress. He grabbed the hem of her sundress and deftly pulled it upward until she stood before him all but naked; she wore only a pair of black lace panties.
Samantha went to cover her breasts, but he grabbed her wrists and placed them back to her sides. “No. Leave your hands to your sides,” Luca ordered. “Let me look at you. So very, very beautiful, you are. I was a fool to ever believe I could stop thinking of you.”
Even though Samantha had gone skinny-dipping earlier, she felt oddly exposed standing perfectly nude in front of Luca while he was still dressed. Yet his request drove her mad with need, and she complied. Samantha moaned softly as Luca dropped to his knees and grabbed her ass, pulling her smooth taut stomach to his face.
Luca thought he’d died and gone to heaven. The smell of her silky soft skin against his face drove him wild. He wanted to taste every last inch of her. He could tell she was ready for him. Kissing her belly, his tongue celebrated the feel of her body against it as he made love to it. He’d tried so hard not to want what he shouldn’t have. But now that he’d resigned himself to his feelings, he would take what she so freely offered.
“Stay very still, darlin’,” he whispered. He ran his hands up her calves to her thighs and hooked his finger around the top of the lace. He teased her by running his pointer finger back and forth along the rim of her panties, barely brushing the top of her curls.
“Ah, Luca,” she sighed. She went to wiggle away but Luca held her hips firm in his hands.
“Hmmm…you’re so delightful, Samantha. I can smell your desire, you know. I can hardly wait to be deep inside you, but first…I must taste you. ” Luca removed his hands from the sides of her panties and placed them behind her knees. Slowly he kissed the top of her belly, along the line of lace. Sliding his hands up the back of her thighs, his fingers slipped underneath the flimsy fabric until each hand was full with a curve of her ass. His thumbs hooked around her hips, jerking her towards him as his tongue teased an inch under the elastic in the front.
“Please, Luca,” she pleaded. “You’re driving me crazy. I need you, please touch me.”
Grabbing the sides of her panties, he slowly eased them down and off her legs until she stood completely naked to him.
“I want you so much. I need to know you want this as much as I do. I won’t be able to stop once I taste you.” With his forehead pressed to her stomach, Luca waited for her approval. He wanted to make love with her, to taste her blood, to possess her.
“Yes, Luca, take all of me.” Samantha’s heart pounded against her chest as her adrenaline spiked. She felt a rush of excitement. She knew there was no going back, and she didn’t want to. Her human life was over as she knew it, and Luca was her future. She’d known it from the minute he’d held her at the cabin. She waited in silence for Luca to respond.
He responded by softly kissing along the crease of her legs, as he gently sat her on the bed. Then he spread her legs open until he was comfortably caged between her knees. He quickly lost control as he teased her outer lips open with his tongue.
Samantha moaned loudly at his sweet invasion. Her hands fisted into his long raven hair as he kissed her sex mercilessly.
Luca flicked over her clit with the tip of his tongue, and heard Samantha release a small scream. She tasted delicious, so sweet and wet for him. Running his fingers into her soft red curls, he parted her so he could kiss her deeply. His tongue darted into her core as he brushed the pad of his thumb over her sensitive nub.