Vamps And The City (21 page)

Holy seduction. He watched her robe slide to the floor in a heap next to his discarded towel. As he lifted his gaze to her face, his attention snagged on her tank top. It was stretched across her breasts, the thin white cotton almost transparent. Her nipples were plump and pink. All it would take was a touch of his fingers and they would pucker. No, correction. All it took was a look. They pebbled before his eyes, the tips hardening into pink nubs. His groin responded in similar fashion—growing hard, but hardly a nub.

She stepped toward him. “You said you were in love with me. Is that true?”

He closed his eyes briefly. His groin was swelling, his heart aching. “Darcy, you should have someone of your own kind. Someone who can love you and live with you forever. I can’t give you what you need.”

“But I want you.”

“Dammit.” He marched toward the door. “You know I work for the CIA. If I go around killing vampires, it’s going to cause a strain on our relationship, don’t you think?”

“You could quit.”

And be sucked into the vampire world, living only at night, constantly surrounded by creatures who considered him a snack. “You’re asking me to give up everything.”

“Then forget it.” She leaned against the door to keep him from opening it. “Forget the happily ever after. It’s a crock. It hardly ever happens, even in the mortal world.”

“Don’t say that, Darcy. You deserve to be loved.”

Her eyes glimmered with moisture. “We don’t always get what we deserve, do we? I learned that the hard way. So now, I’ll just take whatever I can get. Even if it’s just one night.”

His body screamed yes, but still he fought it. Because, damn it all, one night would never be enough.

She locked the door. “One night.”

He leaned his back against the wall. He would give in, he knew it. How could he resist when he wanted her so much? But if she thought they could simply shake hands afterward and go their merry way—then she didn’t know how deeply he felt.

Her eyes wavered with a hint of insecurity. “Are you repulsed by me?”

“God, no.” Not when he was considering giving up everything for her. Holy irony. How many times in the past had he been the one satisfied with a one-night stand? Was this some sort of divine payback? The thought that she could settle for one damned night was slowly twisting his guts. It trivialized their feelings, their connection to each other. It pissed him off.

“Are you afraid of me?” She lifted her chin. “I’ve never bitten anyone, and I never will. I’d rather die.”

“You don’t bite?” he ground out the words.

“No, I don’t.”

“What a shame. I do.”

She stepped back, her eyes wide. “You… want to bite me?”

“Sure.” He crossed his arms, acting nonchalant in spite of his growing anger. “I like to bite.”

She gave him a wary look. “You mean hard?”

“Not enough to hurt. It’s more like a series of nibbles, a scraping of teeth over the more sensitive parts of your body. Then, there’s the swirling of the tongue. And let’s not forget the joys of suction.”

Her mouth fell open. Then, she recovered and licked her lips. “Where exactly would you want to bite me?”

He looked her over slowly. “The base of your neck where it meets your shoulder. And the soft place a few inches below your belly button.”

“Here?” She slipped her hand under the elastic waistband of her pale blue shorts.

“Yes.” His voice sounded hoarse, so he cleared his throat. He motioned to her sequined flip-flops. “And your toes.”

“Oh.” She kicked off her slides and wiggled her toes into the thick carpet. “Anywhere else?”

“Your calves. Inner thighs. The back of your thighs where they curve into your delicious little bottom.”

She turned sideways and lifted the hem of her shorts to reveal the curve of her derriere. “Here?” She stroked the skin. Her eyelids lowered slightly. “Anywhere else?”

His erection strained against the flimsy silk of his boxer shorts. “Hip, below the waist where it widens.”

She shimmied her shorts down her hips a few inches, then skimmed her hands over the bare skin. “Anywhere else?”

“Underside of your breasts, where it’s full and heavy.”

“Ah.” She rolled up her tank top ’til the plump curves were revealed. She stopped just before she reached the nipples. She cupped her hands beneath her breasts and lifted. When she looked at him, her eyes darkened and began to shimmer.

Holy crap. He tensed. “Your eyes are glowing red.”

“It means I’m hot. And I’m ready.”

“It’s an automatic thing?” Damn. If she had no control over her vampish behavior, what else would she do? Would her fangs spring out? What if she was actually stronger than him?

She strolled toward him. “Tell me where else you want to bite me.”

He wasn’t going to let her overpower him. He had other strengths at his disposal. He gathered his mental power and zeroed in on her brain. She halted with a gasp. Her eyes closed as a pink blush colored her face then crept down her neck.

Take off your shirt.

Her eyes opened. She smiled slightly. “As you wish.” She pulled the tank top over her head and dropped it on the floor.

He was admiring her breasts when an icy wisp of psychic power drifted toward him and hovered around his head. He automatically swatted it away, and the cloud dissipated.

“You’re very strong,” she whispered.

“You’re not.”

She shrugged. “I’ve never tried it before. I don’t believe in invading people’s privacy.”

“Then you don’t like me getting in your head.”

“I don’t like vampires doing it. They’re so terribly cold. But you, you’re so wonderfully hot.” She blushed. “I don’t have anything to hide from you, and it feels so good to be warm inside. I’ve been cold for so long.”

Cold because she was literally dead half the time. What was he getting into? Every morning he would wake next to a dead woman. But he couldn’t ignore the pain and longing in her eyes. Her pain had become his own. Her world would become his own.

She stood before him, naked except for a pair of shorts. Her eyes had turned sky blue again, filled with a mixture of desire and fear. She was afraid he would reject her.

“You were telling me where you’d like to bite me,” she reminded him quietly.

“Yeah, there’s one more place. But I wouldn’t bite you there. I’d make love.” He leaned forward and breathed in the scent of her shampoo. Gently, he moved her hair back. There, on her neck, were two little scars from a vampire’s fangs. Poor Darcy. No wonder she always wore her hair down. He caressed the scars with his fingertips.

She shuddered. “Where would you love me?”

He whispered in her ear, “Your clit.” He lifted her in his arms, strode toward the bed, and dropped her on the comforter.

“Austin?”

“Yes.” He was taking her, and damn the consequences.

Darcy’s heart was thundering in her ears as she reached for him. Yes! If all else failed, she would at least have this one glorious night. Austin fell onto the bed and pulled her into his arms. Yes, her mind repeated the same word since she was too excited to think of anything else. She scattered kisses over his face and raked her hands into his hair. It was thick, damp, and oh, so soft, a wonderful contrast to the darker whiskers lining his jaw.

He was planting kisses all over her face, too, and she didn’t mind that he seemed rushed. Even frantic. So what if this quickly careened out of control and exploded? She loved the aura of desperation, and it would be one hell of an explosion.

Their mouths found each other, instantly opening and melding together. He invaded her with his tongue at the same time that he entered her mind.

I’m here, Darcy. You’ll never feel cold again.

She opened for him, both mentally and physically, reveling in the heat from his mind and body. A wave of awe swept through her as she realized just how open she was. He was in her mind and would soon enter her body. He would know every inch of her, inside and out. And the wonder of it was she wasn’t afraid. She trusted him. She’d never trusted anyone so much before.

He pulled back and looked at her. “Darcy.” He brushed back her hair. “You honor me.”

He’d heard her thoughts. She felt as if her heart would burst with an overabundance of love. She wanted to show him how much. She had to. With a lightning-quick move, she shoved him onto his back and pinned his arms down.

“Whoa!” His shocked expression turned wary. “You’re, uh, really strong.”

Stronger than she’d realized. Cool. She examined Austin’s muscular arms and chest. Why, she was as strong as a macho super spy. He clenched a fist and strained against her grip on his wrist. He couldn’t budge her. Very cool.

Frowning, he studied her. “I guess this turns you on. Your eyes are red again.”

She smiled. “Don’t worry. I’ll be gentle.” She released his wrists, letting her fingers glide up his arms, over his biceps and shoulders, and onto his chest. She splayed her hands into his curly chest hair, then followed the trail of dark brown hair to his navel. What a gorgeous man. She could eat him alive.

He propped himself up on his elbows, watching her with a worried look. “I’d rather you didn’t.”

Oh, the rascal had heard her. “I meant it metaphorically. Relax.” She shoved him back down. “I said I’d be gentle.” She grabbed the waistband of his sexy red underwear and pulled.

Rip. She winced as the flimsy silk tore in two. “Oops.”

He lifted his head to look at his ripped shorts.

“Sorry.” She gave him an apologetic smile. “I’m a little overly eager.” She glanced down at him. “I’m not the only one.”

With a groan, he let his head drop back on the bed. “If you don’t know your own strength, you should st—” He gasped when she curled her hand around him.

“I should what?” She gently stroked the shaft.

He gritted his teeth. “Continue.”

She drew little circles around the tip. “I thought you could be persuaded.”

“Yeah, I’m easy.” His eyes flickered shut. His chest heaved with rapid breaths.

He was such a beautiful man. And so large. She traced a vein on his shaft, then snuggled close to him so she could retrace it with her tongue. A moan rumbled deep in his throat. She trailed kisses up to the tip, then took him into her mouth.

Do you like this, she asked him in her thoughts.

God, yes. You’re so good. You’re— “Wait!” He struggled to sit up.

She released him with a smack of her lips. “Hmm. Tastes like chicken.”

“It’s not funny. You’ve never made love as a vampire, right? Do you even know what to expect?”

She nuzzled her cheek against his shaft, then kissed him. “I expect to have a good time. I’m being gentle.”

“But you can’t control your eyes. Or your strength. What if you can’t control your fangs and they pop out?”

She paused with her mouth on his cock.

“Holy body piercing.” He pushed her away from him and pinned her on her back.

She bit her lip to keep from laughing.

He glowered at her. “It’s not funny.”

“But I wouldn’t have bitten you.” Typical male, so worried about the preservation of the family jewels.

“I heard that.” He raked his gaze over her while he kept a tight grip on her wrists.

She figured she was strong enough to throw him off. If she wanted to.

He arched a brow at her. “But you don’t want to.”

She smiled slowly. “Oh, dear. I’m totally at your mercy. Whatever will you do?”

He smiled back. “I’ll be doing all the nibbling from now on.”

She sighed. “I suppose I can live with that.” Especially if he nibbled in all those places he’d mentioned before.

Not a problem. He nuzzled her neck and nipped at the spot where her neck curved into her shoulder.

She wiggled since the spot was ticklish. He nibbled a path to her breasts. He released her wrists to cup one of her breasts with his hand. He flicked his thumb over the nipple. When it hardened, he took it into his mouth.

She arched her back as her mind exploded with pleasure. When the sensation mellowed, she realized he’d retreated mentally to the fringes of her mind. She gripped his head tighter. “Don’t leave me.”

I’m still with you. He lifted his head from her breast. “Your reactions are too exciting. If I don’t back off a bit, I’ll explode.”

“Oh, Austin.” She kissed his brow. “I love you so much.”

“I love you, too.” He kissed the underside of her breasts, then the curve of her hip. He pulled down the waistband of her shorts to nibble on her belly.

She wiggled against him. This was all well and good, but she was anxious to get on with it.

“Good.” He yanked off her shorts.

She gasped. Hmm, telepathy could certainly come in handy.

He knelt at her feet and looked her over. “You’re so beautiful, Darcy.”

He lifted a foot and nipped at her toes. She bent her knee to let the leg fall open. His gaze zeroed in on her most private flesh. Excitement surged through her, causing her groin to tingle and ache. He worked his way up her leg, nibbling at her calf. She bent her other leg to spread her legs wider apart. He paused, his eyes riveted on her.

Hot moisture seeped from her, and she groaned with need.

He glanced at her with the hint of a smile. “You sexy strumpet.”

Take me, please.

I’m getting there. Be patient. He kissed the inside of her thigh.

Now!

Bossy, aren’t you? He released her leg and settled between her legs. When he touched her, she bucked. Whoa. This isn’t the rodeo, darlin’.

“Sorry.” She pressed a hand against her chest, gasping for air. “I’m just so excited. I’ve wanted you for so long.”

Shh. Relax and enjoy. He gave her a long, slow lick.

She screamed.

He glanced toward the door, wincing. “There’s a CIA operative next door. Let’s try to keep it down.”

“Right.” She gripped the comforter in her fists and planted her feet firmly on the bed. “Okay. I’m ready. Do your worst. I mean your best.”

His mouth twitched. “Sure.”

Darcy gasped at the feel of his mouth on her again. She clutched at the comforter and closed her eyes. Good God. He was so sweet, so loving, so thorough, so damned slow! He quickened the pace, and she realized through the sensual fog that he’d heard her. Oh, sorry. But she was so impatient. She lifted her hips, wanting more pressure. He instantly responded by grabbing her hips. Good God, this telepathy stuff was good!

A little to the right. No, the other right. Faster. Fast— She spun out of control, unable to give directions any longer. But he didn’t seem to need any. She was climbing, soaring, reeling, teetering on the edge, and he kept pushing ’til—

She screamed. Her body convulsed. Her legs clamped together.

“Aah.” He wrenched his body out from between her legs. “Holy moley, you’re strong.”

With a moan, she rolled onto her side. Her body continued to rack with the sweetest spasms.

He collapsed beside her and pulled her into his arms. “Are you all right, sweetheart?”

“Yes,” she gasped.

They both stiffened when a loud banging shook the door.

“Hey, Austin!” Garrett shouted. “What’s going on? Do you need backup?”

He yelled, “I invited a girlfriend over. Go away.”

There was a pause. “You sure you don’t need backup?”

Darcy rolled her eyes when she heard snickering on the other side of the door.

“Get lost, you creep,” Austin shouted. When all was quiet, he rolled her onto her back. “Now, where were we?”

She laced her hands around his neck. “I had just experienced the biggest, most colossal orgasm of my life.”

“Ah. Well, it’s a tall order, but we’ll see if we can top it.” He lowered his head to her breasts.

Darcy’s breath caught as all the sensations came rushing back. It wasn’t long before her legs were spread and his fingers were drenched with more moisture.

“Do I need a condom?” he whispered.

“No.” She shook her head, her eyes closed. He was teasing her with such sweet little circles. “No diseases.”

His hand paused. “And children?”

Her eyes opened. Her heart stuttered at the concerned look on his face. “I can’t have any.”

A flicker of pain crossed his face. “I thought not. I’m sorry.”

She swallowed and mentally forbade the tears that threatened to come. Austin would be such a good father. It was just one more reason why she shouldn’t allow him to stay with her.

“No. I love you.” He moved between her legs and positioned himself against her. “No matter what.”

She cried out when he plunged inside her. She wrapped her arms and legs around him and held tight.

I love you. He repeated the words in her head as he thrust into her body. They clung to each other mentally as their sensations melted together and drove them higher and higher.

His body jerked, then pumped into her. His groan reverberated in her ears and inside her head. Her own body responded with a sensual shattering. She didn’t know if it was bigger than the first one, but it was definitely sweeter, for they experienced it together.

He collapsed beside her and pulled her into his arms. “Are you all right, sweetheart?”

She shivered as her body heat quickly dwindled. “I’m getting cold again.”

“Here. Get under the covers.” He scooted off the bed and folded back the comforter. She slipped underneath as he turned off the lights. Moonlight filtered through the window, glinting off his hair with a silvery tint.

He settled beside her with a smile. “I’ll heat you up again as soon as I recover from round one.”

“Is this a boxing match?” She snuggled close to him.

He winced. “Don’t expect nine rounds.”

Smiling, she fondled the curls on his chest. “You’re no longer in my head.”

The corner of his mouth quirked. “I’m conserving my energy.”

“Have you always had telepathic powers?”

He closed his eyes. His breathing slowed, and she wondered if he’d fallen asleep. He looked so harmless and handsome.

He opened his eyes and stared at the ceiling. “It runs in my family, but skips every other generation. My grandfather was telepathic. My mother’s father.”

“The one you’re named after?”

He nodded slightly. “Papa Olaf. When I was very young, I would hear people say something, but their lips weren’t moving. And when I answered them, they looked at me like I’d grown two heads. I was afraid something was wrong with me.”

“That must have been very confusing.”

“Yeah. Papa Olaf understood, though, and he told me what was happening. At first, I was scared, but he made it fun, like we were in a special, secret club just for us.” Austin smiled. “We would spend hours fishing on his favorite lake in Minnesota, having long conversations without either of us saying a word.”

Darcy suppressed a twinge of sorrow. She still missed having long talks with her sisters. “You were lucky to have him.”

“Yes. He warned me to be careful with the gift, but as I grew older, I became bolder and… conceited, I guess. I considered myself the grand protector of my three younger sisters. When their friends came over, I would read their minds and chase them off if I didn’t like what I heard.”

Darcy snorted. “I bet your sisters loved that.”

He grinned. “I wondered at the time why they weren’t properly appreciative. Now, I realize I was acting like a know-it-all bully.” His smile faded. “My powers took a big leap forward when I was about fifteen, and I started bragging about what I could do. It upset my father. He’d always been envious of the close relationship I had with my grandfather. He became convinced that Papa Olaf was an evil influence in my life. He even thought my grandfather was training me in the occult.”

“Oh, no.” Darcy propped her head up on her hand. “What did your father do?”

“He forbade me to ever see my grandfather again. I reacted angrily, claiming he could never stop us from talking to each other because we could enter each other’s minds at will. That freaked him out enough that he packed up the family and moved us to Wisconsin. He told me my powers were evil, and I should never use them again.”

“Oh, I’m so sorry.” Darcy stroked Austin’s brow. “It must have been terrible for you.”

He shrugged. “That’s when I realized I wasn’t nearly as powerful as I’d thought. I couldn’t reach my grandfather over a long distance. I was in a new high school, and I didn’t want to be seen as a freak. My sisters were mad at me because the move had separated them from their friends. I… I gave in. I wanted everyone to be happy with me, so I tried to be normal. I tried to make my father proud. I was on the football and swim teams. The perfect student all through high school and college.”

Darcy sighed. She knew too well what it was like to feel trapped in a world where you couldn’t be yourself. “What happened to your grandfather?”

“I was in college when he called and asked me to come see him.” Austin closed his eyes briefly. His lips thinned as a pained expression pinched his face. “I hardly recognized him, his health had deteriorated so badly. I hadn’t realized how much he needed me. He begged me to stop denying who I really was, to embrace my gifts and use them for the power of good. He told me to never be ashamed, that there was a reason God had made me the way I was, and that it was up to me to discover that reason.”