Unchained (Men in Chains Book 3) (15 page)

“You mean like fondness or sexual interest?”

“Exactly. Damn, that was like a lightning strike through my chest.”

“I had a moment of remembering what it had been like with the professor early on, how naive I’d been, that I’d fallen hard for him, all starry-eyed and, yes, inexperienced. But I’ll be more careful.”

“Thank you. I’d appreciate it. And this isn’t your fault.”

She laughed. “I know. It’s the proximity and how much we can sense from each other.” Her gaze fell to his lips. His fangs still hadn’t retracted, which, of course, made her curious. “May I touch them?”

“What?”

“Your fangs.”

“Shit, they didn’t retract, did they?”

“No. So what does that mean?”

“That I’m aroused.”

Only then, as she let the chains speak to her, did she figure out all that was going on with him in this moment. More than that, he wanted something from her right now.

“Marius, you want to be back at my throat, don’t you?”

His eyes darkened. “Yes, that’s part of what I need.”

Her own desire, so quickly ignited when she was this close to him, rose once more. She planted a hand on his chest. “I knew this would be part of the equation if I put on the chain—and if you feed from me right now, I want to do the other thing as well.” Her cheeks warmed up. She’d never been so boldly in her life.

CHAPTER 7

Marius had no rational thought right now, just a powerful instinct full of need and desire. He knew the chains only enhanced what was already there, but sensing Shayna’s emotions, full of desire for her ex, had shifted his gears.

She was bonded to him now and he needed her focused on him and not on other men. He curled his hips against her. He wanted sex as much as he wanted to drink from her vein. He licked a line up her throat.

“Marius, I feel drugged with need.”

He knew exactly what she meant, but all he could do was make a kind of chuffing sound that came from deep in his throat. “I’m going to tap in. I need you, Shayna. I need what only you can give.”

“Yes. Do it.” Her body was in motion and her fingers clutched at his biceps, forcing them to flex and release then tighten once more.

He switched to telepathy.
I’m going to move you up against the wall.
He levitated as he spoke, lifting her with him.

Good idea. I’m glad I didn’t put on my jeans.

Once he had her against the wall, he pushed his PJ bottoms down and she lifted the hem of her nightgown. He drew back just enough to look into her passion-drenched eyes, her lips parted.

He lifted her leg, holding it against his hip, then angling his body. Still holding her gaze, he pressed the tip of his cock between her legs.

She moaned and made small gasping sounds. “Marius. I need you so much. This is crazy.”

“I know.” He didn’t even know how he got the words out.

Then he started to push.

Shayna cried out. “You have no idea how good that feels.”

“Yes, I do.” He kissed her, rimming her lips with his tongue. “The chains tell me so much. I can almost feel the pleasure you’re experiencing.”

He loved that she was so ready for him.

He glided into her, thrusting slowly with both his cock and his tongue, matching the movements. Her hands once more grasped at his body, plucking at muscles here and there.

I want you to feel pleasure with me, Shayna.

I am. I will. You’re so damn built, Marius. You make me feel like I won the lottery.

At that, he drew back, smiling. “You’re so beautiful and your eyes have darkened.”

She nodded, lips parted.

Because of their bond and who he was, he already thought of her as
his woman,
another effect of the chains. But that meant that
his woman
should have more pleasure than she’d ever known before.

He cupped the back of her neck, holding her steady as he thrust inside her, curling his hips each time. “How does that feel?”

Her lips moved as though she tried to find words, but couldn’t bring anything intelligible forward. He smiled. “Good answer.”

He kissed her again and moved faster this time.
I want you to come at least once before I tap in. Blood has an exquisite taste when it’s full of passion.

That’s … I don’t know … wonderful … feels so good … so built.

Her disjointed thoughts pleased the hell out of him. Her body pulled on him low. He knew it wouldn’t take much so he drew back once more. “I’m going to do this fast for you, like last night.”

She gasped and nodded.
Please, please, please.

He wanted to watch her come. As only a vampire could do, he moved lightning-fast. Her body arched, her chest swelled, then she cried out. He almost lost it because the sight of her caught in ecstasy, her face growing flushed, had his balls tightening, ready to release. What was it about this woman that got him going?

Having learned a thing or two in four hundred years, he forced himself to calm down. As her body began to relax, he slowed the pace, but kept driving into her steadily. She was breathing hard. “That was amazing.”

His gaze fell to her swollen lips, which he plundered all over again, always moving into her, thrusting deep.

The orgasm had caused her arms to grow limp as she slung them over his shoulders. He loved giving her pleasure, having her satisfied. But he’d soon have her ready for more.

His own need rose as he left her lips and kissed a line down her neck.

“God, yes,” she whispered.

He licked several swipes over her vein, forcing it to the surface. When he felt the pulse beating beneath his tongue, he gave her a quick warning.
Ready?

Please, yes, now.

His fangs emerged fully and he struck in a swift bite then clamped his lips around the wound and began to drink. When the first savory drop hit his mouth, he groaned. He thought he’d imagined it before, but now he was sure that he’d never tasted anything like Shayna’s blood—and he’d sampled tens of thousands over the years, human and vampire.

She moaned and writhed against him and he kept driving into her as well, the motions so linked that he had no problem sustaining both at the same time.

He slid an arm around her waist, pinning her tightly to him.

The more he drank, the more his muscles responded, filling with added power.

Her fingers now gripped his shoulders.
You feel so good, Marius. Bigger. Is that possible?

Yes. Your blood is this miracle, building me up. My God, who are you, Shayna? It’s never been like this.

This is a dream.
Her voice in his head forced his hips to pump faster. She cried out.
So good. You’ll make me come again.

That’s the plan, but I’m close, too. And I want to come while I’m feeding.

I want that, too.
She cried out repeatedly, then,
Faster.

The word forced his hips into hyperspeed again.

The time had come.

His body erupted, an exquisite streak of pleasure flowing through his cock and repeating in pulses that had him writhing against her and groaning. With his lips still sealed to her throat, he kept sucking, holding her undulating body in place while her cries of ecstasy filled the cavern.

He continued to pump, and pleasure flowed until finally her cries drifted away and his cock had released the last drop. He was breathing hard, Shayna as well.

She lay draped over him, making small sounds of contentment like a laugh and a groan combined. He stayed with her in this position, his lips still holding her throat, no longer sucking, just enjoying the connection.

He kept her pressed against the wall for a long time, releasing her throat in stages, wishing he didn’t have to. When the small wounds were sealed and had begun to heal, he let go completely.

She then settled her head against his neck and he petted her hair, stroking the length down her back. She had beautiful silky hair, very straight with a fine texture.

“Marius?”

His chest ached at the lovely sound of her voice. “Yes?”

“I’m glad I stayed.”

“Me, too.” More than he wanted to admit.

He still felt pumped all through his body and somewhere deep in the core of his being, a new kind of power rumbled, increasing little by little. He didn’t know exactly what it was, but he loved the feel of it.

What mystified him, however, was why Shayna’s blood had brought these two things: that he became physically stronger as never before when he drank from her, and that being with her like this allowed him to experience a new level of power.

She sighed deeply. “But you know I’ll have to leave one day, when my job here is done.”

His chest ached a little more. “I know, which makes me all the more grateful that you’re here now.”

She ran her fingers over his back. “I don’t ever want to leave.”

He knew exactly what she meant. “Maybe I’ll just keep you pressed up against this wall for the next decade. How does that sound?”

She drew back to meet his gaze, laughing. “Perfect.” She slid her fingers through his hair. “Do you know, I keep getting this weird feeling that any minute I’m going to wake up in my Seattle apartment and realize this was all a dream.”

He searched her eyes, trying to picture himself in her shoes, trying to understand how weird and frightening so much of this must seem. “And I wish for your sake that was true.”

She smiled and nuzzled against his neck once more.

“How about I take us back to the bedroom right now?”

She lifted back slightly, her hands on his shoulders. “You mean like this? Still connected?” Her lips curved.

He dropped a hand to her bottom and held her firmly. “Why not?”

She giggled. “Then take me straight to the shower.”

“You got it.”

*   *   *

As the water from so many showerheads beat on her body, Shayna thought she’d one day have to have a setup like this. She felt like she was being massaged as she slowly turned in a circle, lifting her arms now and then.

She washed her hair and only as she was rinsing off did she wonder how the cave even had hot running water.

She glanced up at the ceiling carvings and tried to picture the routing of pipes.

She had so many questions.

Marius waited for her near the sink. She hadn’t felt the chain tug at her neck, but he was sticking close.

Once she was done, Marius took her place and she set about blow-drying her hair, brushing her teeth, just like a normal woman except that she was deep underground in New Zealand of all places.

With her hair dry, she opened up the makeup Rumy had brought for her, which included, of all things, several sets of false eyelashes, something she’d never wear. She laughed. She liked Rumy a lot, but the most she ever put on was a little lip gloss and mascara. Occasionally she’d add eye shadow for a night out.

When Marius emerged, he wrapped a towel around his waist, which of course left the breadth of his massive chest exposed. Just looking at him, her heart rate increased.

He caught her gaze in the mirror, brows raised.

Busted. Warmth climbed her cheeks. He seemed to understand, because he smiled.

“Sorry,” she said, laughing at herself. “But you’re so incredibly gorgeous. I can’t help looking and appreciating.”

He turned toward her, his lids lowering. “Don’t say stuff like that to me unless you want me to haul you back to bed.”

She was so tempted and remained staring at him for a long moment.

Aware, however, that she had a job to do, she took a long shuddering breath. “I think we should focus on the extinction weapon. I mean, if I have this tracking ability, then a little practice might help.”

“You’re right.”

She gestured toward the doorway. “I should probably get dressed.”

“Uh-huh.” His gaze drifted over her shoulders and the line of cleavage that the towel had created.

She made the hard decision to look away from him, desire swirling through her abdomen once more as though she hadn’t just made love with the man. She hurried past him, sure that if she kept staring into his eyes, she’d probably grab him.

She was still stunned by how quickly she’d entered into a sexual relationship with him. A new host of questions arrived within her mind. Did vampires have the power to seduce women? Had he employed those powers on her? Were vampires more likely to engage in a sexual relationship quickly or was he just like a human male and if the opportunity presented itself, he dove in?

Yes, so many questions, best not asked, at least not at this time and in this context. She should at least get dressed.

He followed her into the bedroom.

She turned her attention instead toward working this weird, latent ability of hers. How would a tracking ability work in the first place?

Just as she reached the bed, she decided to experiment. She stood very still, closed her eyes, and turned inward. She held the thought in her mind that she needed to find the extinction weapon.

And just like that, a vision hurtled toward her in a fast-flowing stream.

Marius, a vision?
She reached for him and felt his arm surround her.

The relief she felt at his touch allowed her to keep going. The same annoying wavy lines, however, that had been there from the first prevented a good portion of the images from becoming distinct, just like before.

She even squinted trying to see better, but all she could detect was what seemed to be that same massive space, with rows of stone seats. People moved about, bent over as though doing menial chores like cleanup of some kind—or at least that’s what it looked like. The waves made it impossible to see clearly.

When she heard Daniel’s voice, she panned around and he came into view, though the dark, disruptive lines gave her only partial glimpses. But she could hear him really well. That’s when she understood she was seeing this in real time, not in the future.

Two other men stood near Daniel, each as big as Marius.

“Quill, what do you have for me?” Daniel had a deep voice and he was speaking with one of Marius’s brothers, one of two that had aligned with Daniel.