Dead of Night: Book One in the Thorne Hill Series

by Goodwin, Emily

  I’m ready for him, but he pulls away.

  “Patience, Callie. I don’t have intentions on being done with you yet.”

  “I don’t know how much longer I can take it,” I confess. “I need to feel you inside me.”

  “You will,” he promises. My breath leaves in a shaky huff and my ears still ring. We kiss again, and I drag my nails up and down his back while slowly circling my hips, getting off on the wet tip of his cock rubbing over me.

  “I want all of you,” he growls and sits up, looking into my eyes. I know what he means. He wants my blood, and he wants it now.

  “I want you to have it,” I breathe and bring my hand up, moving my hair away from my neck.

  “Are you sure?” In a flash, he’s right there, lips brushing the flesh just below my ear as he talks.

  “Yes.” I put my hand on the back of his head and press his face against my neck. “I want you to have me. All of me.”

  He thrusts himself forward, rubbing his cock against me as his fangs graze against my flesh. A guttural growl comes from deep within, and he pushes his body down harder against mine. My pussy quivers, soaking wet for him.

  Lucas slips one hand up along the back of my head, balling my hair in his fist, and yanks my head to the side. He puts his mouth to my neck, running his tongue along my flesh. He’s getting a read on where my best vein is. He doesn’t have to look to know where they run. He can feel the pulse and knows exactly where to sink his fangs in.

  My eyes flutter shut and heat rushes through me. I’m so fucking turned on right now. So wound up.

  For him, and him alone.

  Slowly, he aligns his fangs with a vein in my neck and presses down.

  But he doesn’t break the skin. Doesn’t drink from me. He moves away and my heart stops, thinking he’s going to tell me my blood is bad or that he changed his mind and doesn’t want me to be his anymore.

  Then he moves down, parting my legs, and puts his mouth over my core. His tongue lashes out and, oh my fucking god, I’ve never felt anything better in my life. I moan, widening my legs. Lucas sucks my clit and then flicks his tongue against it, again and again.

  I’m already so wound up from before. It’s not going to take long for me to come again, and he knows it. He lifts my leg as if he’s going to toss it over his shoulder, but he turns his head, opening his mouth wide.

  And then he bites me, fangs sinking deep into my flesh. Pain radiates from the bite, spreading through me. It subsides fast, replaced by a strange sensation of him sucking my blood out of me. He groans with pleasure, sucking and licking my inner thigh, mere inches above my pussy.

  He moves his head back, holding my leg up so blood drips down my thigh. I feel it slowly rolling down, and my heart hammers even faster. I know what he’s waiting for, and the second the blood drips to my core, he dives back down, licking and sucking at me with fury.

  I gasp, rocking my hips up and pushing myself to him. He eats me out, tongue like magic as it lashes my clit. He takes his mouth off me, turning his head and drinking more of my blood through the bite in my thigh.

  He alternates licking my most sensitive parts and drinking my blood, sometimes letting it bleed down so he can lick it off me. Able to sense just how close I am yet again, Lucas slips a finger inside of me, going right to my sweet spot, and puts his mouth over my clit again. He flicks his tongue against it as he sucks, pushing me over the edge. He keeps his fingers inside me as I come, feeling my pussy spasm around them, but turns his head, sucking hard once more at the bite on my thigh.

  The world spins around me, and if my life depended on it, I couldn’t get up and move. My toes are tingling, and I can’t feel the tips of my fingers. Lucas slides his hand from me and licks up the blood running down my thigh. He holds his tongue against the two puncture wounds, waiting for my heart to stop racing so the wounds will clot.

  But I’m so high right now, I don’t know when I’ll come down.

  My body is humming. I’m still reeling with pleasure. I gulp in air, blinking rapidly to try and focus my vision. Because I know what’s going to happen next.

  Lucas is going to fuck me.

  He moves over the top of me, large body pinning me against the mattress. I bring my head up, kissing his neck. I graze my teeth against him, and he groans. I bend one leg up so the tip of his dick rubs against my clit.

  “Callie,” he whispers, and I can only groan in response. In one swift, fast movement, he flips us over so I’m lying on top of him with my head resting on his chest.

  He traces his fingers up and down my spine, relaxing me and giving me a few minutes to recover. Because I need them before I can finally open my eyes.

  He has a little bit of my blood on his face. I wipe it away, and he takes my finger in his mouth, licking the blood off. He kisses me and I taste myself on his lips. He takes a hold of my waist again and flips us back over. He reaches down, grabbing my thigh, and spreads my legs apart, aligning his cock with my entrance.

  He steals once lingering look into my eyes before burying his head in my neck as he pushes his cock inside of me. I cry out as he enters me, bucking my hips and holding tightly onto him. Slowly, he pushes the full length in before pulling back until just the tip remains.

  And then he thrusts forward again. And again. And again.

  Each thrust is fluid, moving almost in a circular motion as he pushes in. My mouth falls open, eyes fluttering shut. He speeds up, fucking me hard for another moment before he sits back, grabbing my legs and hooking one over his shoulder. He’s on his knees now, with one hand on my leg and another going down to my clit.

  Another orgasm is winding inside of me, and he moves his fingers over my clit faster than any human can. His touch is light, and it feels like he’s holding a vibrator to me. Holy. Shit. I slit my eyes open, watching him touch me as he drives his cock in and out of me.

  I can’t help it. As much as I want to keep going, to keep having him touch me and rub me, it’s just too much. The pleasure is wound up so tight it releases all at once. I twist the blankets in my hand, pussy spasming hard around his cock. He lets out a groan and keeps rubbing me, holding his dick still inside of me and enjoying the tightening and release from my inner walls.

  “Luc…Lucas…” I pant, trying to push his hand away. It’s too much. The pleasure can quickly become painful and there’s only so much my body can handle. But he doesn’t stop, easily ignoring my feeble attempt to push him away. He slows his movements and starts to slowly move his finger in a circle over my clit.

  And then he starts to fuck me hard again, gripping my leg that’s up on his shoulder. Continuing to work my clit, he doesn’t let up until I come again, this time hardest of all. More wetness spills from me, drenching us both. Lucas sets my leg back down and moves back on top of me, thrusting in harder and faster than ever.

  He nuzzles his head against my neck as he comes, groaning as he pushes in balls deep. My heart is racing, and I can’t catch my breath. Lucas heavily exhales, and I remember him saying that the act of breathing was a habit he never got rid of. He’s not out of breath the same way that I am, but his body is responding to what he’s feeling.

  Slowly, he pulls out and lays down next to me, bringing me onto his chest. I shiver, body going crazy, not knowing how to process everything it just went through. Lucas reaches down and grabs a blanket that was folded up at the foot of the bed. He covers us both us, running his fingers up and down my arm. My eyes flutter shut, and I feel like I might pass out.

  “Breathe,” he reminds me. “And move slowly. You might feel a little weak when you get up.”

  At first, I think he’s referring to feeling weak because coming that many times in that short time frame is enough to make anyone light-headed. And then I remember he drank my blood.

  “Okay,” I reply, voice all breathy. “I don’t plan on getting up just yet.”

  “Good,” he says and tightens his hold on me. I wiggle closer, snuggling up against him. He kisses my forehe
ad and I can’t keep my eyes open any longer.

  Chapter 19

  I wake with a start, sitting up and gasping for air. My heart lurches in my chest and my eyes struggle to focus. But everything is dark.

  Completely dark.

  I can’t see a thing.

  “Callie.”

  Lucas’s voice rings out, echoing next to me. He sits up and snakes his arms around me, pulling me back to the mattress. Back to him.

  “What’s that noise?” I rasp.

  “Automatic blinds,” he explains. “They go down at four AM every morning. They’re light-tight and made out of metal. It’s a little loud.”

  Even though it’s dark, even though I can’t see a thing in front of me, I squeeze my eyes shut and exhale.

  “Oh. Makes sense.”

  His hands run over my body. We’re both still naked, having fallen asleep after making love…and after Lucas drank my blood.

  Or at least, I fell asleep.

  “It’s four already?”

  Lucas chuckles. “The sun will be up soon enough. Do you need anything?”

  “Um,” I start, running my hand over the mounds of muscle on his chest. “Something to drink.”

  “What would you like?”

  “Water. Just water. And maybe a toothbrush, if you have a spare. You do brush your teeth, right?” I ask without thinking.

  “I do. And I shower too in case you’re wondering.”

  I feel my face flush, and for a split second, I’m thankful for the dark. But then I remember he can see in the night just as well as in the day.

  “Then a washcloth too, to take off my makeup.”

  “Of course, my lady,” he coos, kissing the nape of my neck. I push myself against him, craving his touch again though I had it not long ago. When I move, I still feel his big cock between my legs. I’m a little sore, and I reach down, sweeping my fingers over the puncture wounds in my thigh. They’ve scabbed over by now, but the flesh around them is tender.

  His lips leave my skin, and he gets up. I slowly follow behind, aware as soon as I stand that I never cleaned myself up after sex. I went into vampire sex blind, knowing only that he couldn’t get me pregnant. But other than that, I was clueless.

  But his hard cock dripped with precum, and he came inside of me, just like a human would. We learned about vampires at the Academy, but the sex-ed part was left out…probably on purpose. If I knew then what I know now, I probably would have sought out a vampire or two to use as my own personal sex toys.

  Because sleeping with Lucas transcended what I thought was possible. Though it was more than just the physical aspect, but my mind isn’t ready to deal with that right now. Falling in love is dangerous territory.

  I hold out my hands, feeling my way through the dark. I stumble for a few steps before conjuring a ball of light to show me the way. I’m in Lucas’s bedroom, and the room is just as big and impressive as the rest of the house. There is a wall of windows next to the bed, now covered with metal blinds that block out any trace of the approaching dawn.

  His bed is large, with soft white sheets. I turn, looking for splatters of blood, and am surprised to see none. Though, really, Lucas isn’t the kind of vampire to waste a drop of precious blood.

  The master bedroom, like the rest of the house, is modern, a bit stark for my liking, and professionally decorated. The attached bathroom is no exception, with double vanities, a large walk-in shower, and an even larger tub, free standing in the middle of the room. I walk past it to the little room that houses the toilet, and though it’s clean, I know it’s a room never used.

  “Here you go,” Lucas says, appearing behind me. He sets a new toothbrush on the counter, along with a glass of water and a white washcloth.

  “Thanks. Do you, uh, have any toilet paper?” I make a face and the ball of light above me turns from white to pink. “I have to pee.”

  “I don’t,” he states matter-of-factly.

  “What about a tissue? Or even a napkin?”

  He thinks for a second and then speeds out of the room, returning only a few seconds later with a roll of paper towels.

  “Will this do?”

  “Yes, thank you.” I take the paper towels, go into the bathroom to pee, and then come out, washing my hands, my face, and then brushing my teeth. I down the water and stand in the threshold of the bathroom, looking at him lounging on the bed.

  He’s still naked, long legs sprawled out in front of him. His cock rests against his thigh, and though it’s flaccid now, it’s still an impressive sight.

  “If you want to go, be my guest,” he says. “But if you want to stay, I’d very much like that.”

  “I want to stay,” I tell him honestly.

  “Good.”

  I close my fist, putting out the energy ball, and climb back into bed.

  “Though I should warn you,” he groans, snaking his arms around me and pulling me on top of his body. “Getting back in bed with me means I get to fuck you again.”

  I sit up and straddle him, grabbing his hand. Magic sizzles at my fingertips, and I make a move to jerk my hands away, not wanting to hurt Lucas. Then I remember him telling me not to hold back. I bring his hands over his head, blue waves of magic pulsing down his wrists.

  “Now that is something I know I can handle.”

  * * *

  The next time I wake up, the room is still pitch black. I roll over, feeling Lucas’s arms around me. He’s literal dead weight, fast asleep and not moving. Not breathing.

  He’s dead to the world right now, and if I didn’t know better, I’d think he was actually dead too. Vampires don’t require much sleep, but I know when they do fall asleep like this, they tend to sleep deeply.

  Waking them up from this dead sleep can be dangerous.

  But I’m so thirsty and my stomach grumbles with hunger. Slowly, I peel myself out his embrace, conjuring the smallest amount of magic only so I can see where I’m going. Shuffling into the bathroom again, I close the door, use the toilet, and then move into Lucas’s closet.

  It’s full of designer shoes and clothes, and freakishly-well organized. I grab a white button-up shirt, roll the sleeves, and pull it on before I venture out of the room and into the hall. The entire house is sealed shut for the day, and I silently close the master bedroom’s double doors before turning on a hall light.

  Lucas brought me here at vamp-speed, and this house is big enough to get lost in. I spend a second or two staring down the hall, trying to figure out which way to go. Finally, I find myself in the kitchen.

  A box of donuts, coffee grounds, and a brand-new coffee maker are on the island counter, along with a note from Lucas.

  Callie-

  I’m not sure what you eat for breakfast, but I know you like sweets and I remember you saying you prefer your coffee black. I hope this is satisfactory. It’s been a while since I’ve consumed anything other than blood. There are keys to my car on the counter as well, in case you need or want to leave. Use the code 666 to disarm the house. I want to see you—and fuck you—again at sunset tonight.

  —L

  I smile as I read it, wondering when the hell did he run out and grab this stuff for me? I fell asleep fast after we had sex again, and he must have gone out right after. I plug in the coffee pot, smile still on my face as I rummage through his cabinets for a coffee mug.

  Surprisingly, I find one. His kitchen is full of dishes, pots, and pans. It’s just the basics, and I bet it came with the place. Having a staged house is the norm around here when something this expensive goes on the market. I’m sure Lucas paid extra to keep everything as it was, even though he had no intention of ever using it.

  I find my purse and my phone as the coffee heats up. It’s a little after nine AM. I don’t have to work today, and I have nothing on my agenda. Eating a donut, drinking my coffee, and then getting back into bed with Lucas sounds heavenly right now.

  After pouring myself coffee, I walk through the kitchen and into a formal dining
room. If the house wasn’t sealed off for the day, I bet these floor-to-ceiling windows would give one hell of a view of the courtyard…which reminds me of the rooftop patio. My clothes are still up there. I think.

  I didn’t bring them in, and I doubt Lucas did either. Not entirely sure how to get back onto the patio, I sip my coffee and walk through the house, turning on lights as I go. I go into a living room next and pause to look around, finding more personal items decorating this room.

  There’s a framed black-and-white photo of him with Eliza. She’s smiling at the camera and Lucas just looks slightly amused. I can’t tell where they are, but judging by their clothes, this photo looks like it was taken either at a Great Gatsby-themed party or this photo is really that old.

  There’s a library off the living room, and I spend a minute looking at the types of books Lucas likes to read. One is sitting out on his desk with the page he was on dog-eared. If sucking the blood out of the living doesn’t make him a monster, this certainly does.

  Most of his books aren’t even in English, and I don’t recognize any covers. Leaving the library, I go down another hall, up a spiral staircase that takes me into a loft-style game room. I can get to the patio from there. Retracing my steps, I go back downstairs into the kitchen, finish my coffee and have another donut.

  Then I disarm the alarm system and go back into the patio to get my clothes. I hurry out the door, closing it as fast as I can. Lucas is a floor below me, so it’s not like the sunlight can get to him, though.

  It’s a nice day out today, and I’m sure his neighbors are out enjoying it. I don’t really care if anyone sees me, and I take my time gathering my clothes and admiring the view. We’re really close to the neighbors, and a slight flush colors my cheeks when I realize they had to have heard us. Grabbing my clothes and the wine we left out here last night, I turn to go back inside.

  But then a shadow crosses the door, and the energy shifts ever so slightly.

  “Binx!” I exclaim, not expecting to see him here. I open the door and we both dash in. “Did you miss me that much?” Smiling, I walk down the hall. This is the first time I’ve been away from my familiars at night in years.