He could smell her arousal. Sweet and pure with a hint of spice. The animal inside him, the one that had allowed him to survive for so long, stretched wide awake with a growl of its own. He was vampire, part demon—a lethal combination. His mate was beneath him and she was offering herself. He would be insane to refuse her.
“Quade.” Her voice had that timid quality of somebody trying to be gentle. “I’m not the forever kind. Yes, I believe you now that I’m not human because that feels right and finally makes sense. I’m a loner. Staying with someone else for any period of time doesn’t work for me.”
If she liked her life, why did she sound so sad? “Are you trying to protect me? From your inevitable death?” The idea kind of pissed him off. Nothing was predetermined, and he would make it his business to save her.
“Maybe.” She shrugged, and her breasts bounced nicely. “I’m the only human, I mean being, that you’ve seen in a zillion years, and somehow, I helped you to leave hell. I think you’re reading a lot into our being together because of that.”
Fear. There it was. Deep in those golden eyes. “Ah.” She was lying to herself as much as to him. Her life had sucked so far, so of course, she pushed people away. Did she not know her value? Nobody had ever shown her that she was valuable, now had they?
How should he prove her value? Did he take what she offered and show her afterward? Build a bond, a stronger one, through their physical connection? Or did he prove himself by refusing, waiting until she wanted more—wanted what she deserved, which was everything? If nothing else, he could give her honesty. “I do not know what to do,” he admitted.
Her smile was a siren’s call. “That’s easy, then. Do me.”
* * * *
Haven caressed the dip in Quade’s lower back, stopping just before his butt. His arousal was obvious, and she moved against him, wanting more. Wanting to forget reality and just get lost in all that muscle and heat. “Let’s get swept away, Quade,” she whispered.
His eyes softened and filled with acceptance. Finally. He was on board. “Ah, sweetling. It is fine to use sex to escape or to regain control.” His large hand was gentle as he swept her hair back. “But control is mine. You should learn that now.” Then he kissed her, his body pressing her into the mattress, his hands sweeping down her rib cage to draw up her shirt.
Cool air brushed her before she ducked and let him remove it. The tank top and built-in bra she wore soon followed, baring her to him.
His smile was sweet and ravenous. “You’re beautiful.” Lowering his head, he kissed each nipple reverently.
Shivers took her, zapping right to her clit. She dug both hands into his thick hair. “Fast and wild,” she said, wanting him inside her.
He smiled against her breast and sucked a nipple into his mouth, toying with the other one. “No,” he murmured around her nipple.
“Yes.” She lightly tugged on his hair.
His teeth enclosed her nipple.
She froze.
He released her without biting and looked up, his gaze impenetrable. “Don’t forget, I have fangs. You don’t give the orders here.” Then he lowered his head and went back to playing, torturing her with kisses, licks, and soft nips.
This showed a new side of him, one her mind didn’t like. Her body moved of its own accord, rubbing against him and feeling every touch as a low pull straight past her abdomen. He kept playing, moving between her breasts and down her abdomen, nipping along each rib as he went.
It was as if he wanted to touch, to brand, every millimeter of her, not missing one spot on the way down. Levering himself up on his knees, straddling her, he looked like one of those old marauders from years gone by. Powerful and primitive. Her breath caught, and her blood quickened.
Keeping her gaze, his eyes a turbulent aqua, he drew off her jeans and underwear with one smooth motion. She gasped and then smiled. “You seem to remember your way around a woman.”
“Let’s test that theory.” He inhaled deeply and a low growl rumbled up from his chest.
This was too much. She wanted fast and crazy and forgetful. Not intense and thoughtful. “Quade—”
He flattened his hand across her entire abdomen and then dipped down, kissing her square on the clit.
She arched against him, sparks flying through her lower body. His wide shoulders nudged her thighs farther apart, exposing her to him. He turned his head to the side. Slowly, intently, he sank his fangs into her inner thigh just as he slipped one finger inside her.
Sensations, pain and pleasure, crashed together inside her. She shut her eyes, arching against him, her fingernails digging into the bedspread on either side of her hips. He drank deeply and then those fangs retracted, almost in slow motion. As if he wanted her to know he’d made his mark.
The finger inside her found a spot she’d only read about, and she bit her lip to keep from begging for more. This was too much, and she wasn’t getting lost. He was keeping her in the moment and with him. She moved restlessly, reaching for his hair again, and tangling her fingers in the thick mass.
He chuckled against her, his generous mouth around her clit, providing some pressure. Not enough. Not nearly enough, and he knew it.
She almost pulled his hair again and then remembered the fangs. The ones so close to her most sensitive parts.
“Haven.” His voice shot vibrations through her sex that nearly sent her over.
“What?” She opened her eyes, exasperation in her voice.
He lifted his head and caught her gaze. “You feel lost yet?”
The bastard. “No,” she snapped.
“Good.” He slid another finger into her, and she was wet enough that it didn’t hurt. “You taste better than any dream I’ve ever had.”
She couldn’t handle sweet right now. He was totally controlling her reactions, even her mind, and fighting his sweet side was beyond her. “I’m getting a little bored.” She was such a complete liar.
His smile flashed a surprising dimple in his left cheek. “I’ll choose which challenges I’ll rise to, little one. That one isn’t close to tempting me.” He lowered his head again and licked her, taking his time. “This, however, is very tempting.” Humming softly, he continued playing, his fingers driving her mad and his tongue teasing her clit.
She gyrated, her body sweating, need driving her higher and higher. Her thighs began to tremble, but she still couldn’t quite reach the pinnacle that was so near. “Quade,” she moaned, not caring any longer who was in control and who wasn’t.
Coils of energy bunched inside her, sparking in every direction.
“All right.” He paused and looked up at her until she focused on him. “You are worth waiting for, Haven Daly. Someday, when you’re ready, your heart will be mine.”
His words barely computed, but her heart warmed anyway.
He twisted those fingers inside her, sending electricity along every nerve. “For now, your pleasure is.” He lowered his head and licked her, finally nipping at her clit with enough pressure that she exploded.
She cried out, her eyes shutting. Sparks of color, wild and free, shot behind her closed lids. She rode the orgasm, her body tense, until she finally dropped and went limp.
He placed one final kiss on her sex and moved up her body, nibbling on her neck. “You are stunning, my little Fae-demon.”
She couldn’t move. Her entire body was limp and satiated. Maybe forever. Yet guilt took her. “What about you?”
“I’m fine,” he said, licking her neck. “Might go for a run, though.”
Her laptop dinged.
He stiffened. “What is that?”
She pointed somewhere in the direction of the computer, and he reached for it on the bed table, opening it by her head. She had just enough energy to turn and look. “That’s the email we contacted.” Right now, it was difficult to concentrate.
&n
bsp; He clicked on it, propping himself on one elbow.
A picture of her mother in front of Pierce, the bastard feline shifter, came up on screen. The shifter had claws to her throat.
“Well, shit,” Quade muttered.
Chapter Sixteen
Quade increased the pace out of the small town after Haven had used a machine called an ATM to get more currency. They’d stolen a smaller car this time. Christmas decorations and pretty lights twinkled all around, making the area near the machine almost cheerful. She’d had him park around the corner so his image would not be captured on the camera in the money machine. Letting her out of sight, even for those few moments, had increased the anxiety he’d felt ever since seeing that video of her mother earlier.
Haven moved with silent efficiency, her face pale, her brow furrowed. She’d also placed a green contact in her black eye, making her look different.
He wasn’t fond of the green contact.
She swallowed and looked out at the clear night. It had finally stopped snowing. For now.
He did not know how to reach her or what kind of words would give comfort. “I will rip out the shifter’s throat as soon as we get there,” he offered.
She turned and just looked at him.
Were those the wrong words? “You do not have to watch,” he added.
Her face scrunched up, making her look cute and a little lost. “I figured it would always come down to another fight with the pastor, but a part of me thought I might be able to run longer.”
The sadness in her voice pissed him off even more. “Tell me again what exactly the shifter said.”
She sighed. “Just that he was hired by the pastor, my sucky father, and will exchange me for my mother. It’s pretty simple—at least that part of it. What I don’t know is why I’m rushing to rescue her.”
For the first time, he could see the lonely little girl she must have been. “She was the only mother you ever knew. She was kind to you at some point, right?” When Haven nodded, he continued. “Then it makes sense you want to help her, especially since the immortal world has now impacted hers. You are from the immortal world.”
She turned back to looking out the window. “Why do you think I ended up with humans?”
His heart hurt for her. “I do not know, but we will find out.” In fact, as soon as he found his family and got her to safety, he was going to seek answers. He was certain that if anybody in his world knew about her, they would never have left her with humans, especially not people who thought she was a human as well. How confusing it must have been for her.
The human family had guessed wrong about her. He did not know what went into an exorcism, but he would find out. Already he knew he’d be out for blood afterward. That was fine with him. “I wish I could give you answers right now, but trust me. You will have them,” he added.
She breathed in and out several times, deep breaths, apparently in an effort to calm herself. “We still haven’t slept in a bed.”
He chuckled, surprised by the amusement he felt. “For me, it has been lifetimes, so I do not know what I’m missing.” However, he wasn’t taking very good care of his mate, and that had to change. She required sleep, in a bed. “Why don’t you sleep now? We have a long journey, if I understand your map.” The day before, they’d purchased a map in one of the little towns decorated for the holidays.
She bit her lip. “I don’t think I could sleep right now. We should come up with a plan of what to do when I get home.” Her shoulders hunched. “I mean, when we get there. It was never home.”
The fury he’d kept banked broke out. He cleared his throat. “We will park this vehicle a safe distance away, and I will go in and get the woman you thought was your mother.” He added the clarification on purpose. “I will bring her to you.” After killing that shifter who wanted his mate.
Haven rolled her neck. “I assume Pierce will be expecting shock and awe.”
Shock and awe? What a wonderful expression. He’d keep that one with him for sure. “Then that is what the shifter will receive.”
“Okay. It could be a trap, so I’ll lay out a false trail for us on the Internet, using ATM’s, that will look like we’re headed north,” she murmured. “Also, I’ll do a few google searches about Canada and border crossings and rent a motel way away from us.”
If that made her happy, then he was fine with her precautions. That was simple.
“I’m going too,” she said.
All right. Not so simple. “You have not trained to fight.” He increased the vehicle’s speed over the icy roads and drove past two long trucks with pictures of fruit on the sides. “Your survival skills are admirable, but fighting is something else.” When it came to enemies, human or otherwise, he was the fighter, not her. “This subject I will not relent on.” It was only fair to be honest with her; he knew she’d appreciate that.
She snorted. “Right. Relent. Bite me.”
“I already have,” he retorted easily, turning toward her. Could she possibly be that stubborn? One quick look at her chin, and he had his answer. Definitely stubborn. “In a fight, you would be in the way.”
Her shoulders went up. “Excuse me?”
He frowned, trying to remain logical and not lose his temper. “Yes. You do not know how to fight. This will be a fight. So you stay out of the way.” How was that a difficult concept?
“According to you, I’m a Fae-demon. Shouldn’t that heritage give me skills?” There was a hint of sarcasm in her words that poked at him.
“Sure, if you had spent your life training, which you have not. It appears your skills lean more toward the psychic and teleportation.” He looked over at her, seeking words that wouldn’t start a fight. “You will not accompany me to rescue that woman.”
Her eyes flared. Nope. Not the right words. “Listen, Ace. Whatever little bug told you that you were in charge just got squashed. This is my situation, and you’re invited along if you behave.”
Behave? Huh. “I said no.”
Her smile was a little mean. “It’s a new world, buddy. Women have equal rights, and we choose our own paths.”
“In my time, females always had equal rights, and they always chose their own paths,” he returned. It was nice humans had finally caught up. “However, females also were not stupid. If they were not fighters, they did not venture into fights.” How fucking easy was it to understand that simple fact? “Mates have a responsibility to stay safe. Without them, a soldier like me loses everything.”
“We have not mated,” she snapped.
“Apparently, that was my mistake,” he snapped back.
“Whatever.” She hunched into herself and turned away, fuming silently. Then calming. Finally, after accomplishing all of her plans on the computer and about an hour into the night, she fell asleep.
He reached into the back seat and grabbed the jacket she’d purchased for him, draping it over her. He’d tried to make his way tentatively in this new world, and perhaps that had been his mistake.
His approach would change. Now.
* * * *
Haven awoke outside of Los Angeles, still on the Interstate. She lifted her head and yawned. “I slept for hours.”
“Yes.” Quade’s grip on the wheel showed his knuckles to be white. A horn honked behind them, and he jumped.
Shoot. “Dude. You’ve never driven in traffic.” She reached over and patted his arm, which was tight with tension. “Pull over in that fast-food place parking lot, and let’s switch. It’s okay.”
He turned toward her, his eyes bloodshot and that muscle ticking visibly down his neck. “I need food. Before I find Pierce.”
Of course. She looked around. They were in a small suburban town outside the city. “Pull over at that coffee shop. They’ll have WiFi, and I can get on and figure out where we are and how to get food.” There had to be an organic pl
ace with decent food he’d eat. When he’d stopped, she reached for the laptop and quickly typed. “We should get a phone, maybe.” But those were expensive and easy to trace. Did burner phones connect to the Internet? She’d have to do a quick search.
He turned off the engine and stretched his back. “Should we steal another vehicle here?”
This one they’d stolen several states back, so she shook her head. “No. We should be safe for a little while.” She connected and then did a quick search. “There’s an organic takeout restaurant two blocks over. Let’s go there, and then we’re about thirty minutes away from my parents’ house. I’ll drive.”
He stepped out of the car and stretched, his T-shirt riding up to reveal those ripped abs. She scrambled over the console and moved the seat up. When he took her seat and shut the door, he shook his head. “Amazing. How many vehicles there are on the streets. How many people are alive today.”
His tone held something she couldn’t identify. Frustration? “We’ll find your family, Quade. Even though there are more people, there are ways to communicate across the world that we didn’t have before.”
“I should be able to jump through time and space to where home was,” he muttered. “I keep trying, but that ability is gone.” He sighed. “I’m lighter here and stronger, though.”
“Could be the difference in gravity?” She started the car and pulled out of the lot. “Every planet or place is different. I can try to explain gravity later.” It only took her a couple of minutes to reach the organic restaurant, which was next to a bank. “Stay here for a few minutes, and I’ll get food and more money from my account. We should stock up on cash since we’ve now left yet another trail, which will hopefully confuse anybody looking for us, and have to get out of here as soon as we get Allison.” Nothing in Haven could call the woman “Mom,” even though she wanted to save her.
Quade tapped his long fingers on the dash. “There are so many stores. Is there one that sells weapons?”
Her chest heated. Why hadn’t she thought of that? “Yes. We don’t have time to do background checks for a gun, but we could buy knives. We just passed an outdoor sporting store.” She had a credit card she only kept for emergencies and never used; since they were leaving a trail right now, this would be the time to use it. Then she’d pay it off and discard it immediately. “I’ll be right back.”
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