After all, it didn’t take much imagination to see him in one of his lavish resorts, surrounded by females who knew exactly how to please a male. How could he possibly be satisfied with a mongrel who’d never traveled away from her isolated home in the swamps?
His fingers slid downward, curling around the belt of her robe. At the same time, he pulled back his lips to reveal his fangs, fully extended and glistening with lethal sharpness in the moonlight.
She should be terrified. Instead, a biting need raced through her.
“It does,” he assured her, unraveling her belt before grasping the edges of her robe and yanking it apart. “Just like there won’t be any other males.”
The cool air brushed her skin as he peeled off her robe, allowing it to slide down her body and pool at her feet. She trembled, her mouth oddly dry as his hands lightly skimmed over her shoulders and down the line of her collarbone.
She struggled to think through the sensual pleasure that was threatening to cloud her mind. As much as she wanted to drown in desire, there was still a part of her that remained wary.
Her existence seemed filled with layers of illusion. What if this was just another one?
And even if it was real, was she really prepared to turn her life upside down? She’d been so isolated, she wasn’t even sure what the world was like beyond her barriers.
“What about my hotel?”
His brooding gaze slid over her bare breasts, lingering on her nipples, tightly furled, as if begging for his lips.
“I have to travel to keep track of my resorts, but we can stay here whenever you want.”
She blinked. His tone was casual. As if he didn’t find anything odd in the thought of secluding himself in the middle of the Everglades.
“It’s nothing like the places you’re used to living,” she felt compelled to warn him. As if he couldn’t see the lack of bright lights and chattering crowds.
He chuckled, his hands smoothing down the curve of her waist. “Lilah, I spent the first years of my life in a cave wearing rags and drinking the blood of goats when I couldn’t find a human. This place is paradise in comparison.”
Her eyes narrowed. She wasn’t sure she liked having her hotel compared to damp caves and smelly goats. “Are you poking fun at my home?”
His fingertips explored upward, brushing the sides of her breasts.
Oh…
Sparks of bliss danced over her skin.
“Not at all,” he assured her. “I find it peaceful. I wouldn’t mind running off your guests so we could use this as our private retreat.”
Her heart melted. Yes. Could there be anything more romantic than spending her nights completely and utterly alone with this male? No guests, no staff, no interruptions.
As Chiron had said…paradise.
Her fantasy was briefly shattered when she recalled that running off her guests wasn’t without consequences. “What about Inga?”
Chiron didn’t hide his grimace. No surprise. Inga was like a fine wine. An acquired taste.
“I think she would love my new hotel in Hong Kong.”
Lilah’s lips twitched. Was he going to be the one to tell the ogress she was moving to Hong Kong? If so, he had more courage than she did.
“That’s not very nice,” she chided.
His eyes smoldered with a wicked humor. “Then I doubt you want to hear my other suggestions,” he warned.
Her breath tangled in her lungs. He was always gorgeous. Drop-dead gorgeous. Yes, a terrible pun, and yet completely true. But when he smiled…
She was lost.
Her hand lifted so she could lightly press her fingers against his cheek. His skin was as cool and smooth as silk. She had a sudden urge to lick him from head to toe and all the yummy places in between.
“So, are we going to do this?” she asked in husky tones.
He gazed down at her, his expression suddenly somber. “One step at a time,” he said gently. Had he been able to sense her wariness? Probably. He seemed to know her better than she knew herself sometimes. “First this,” he murmured, lowering his head to press their lips together. She quivered. The taste of him hit her tongue like the finest aphrodisiac. A primitive enticement sizzled through her body. “And this.” He scraped the tip of his fang along the line of her jaw. Then he cupped her breast. “What about this?”
She wrapped her arms around his neck, not bothering to try to sort through her tangled emotions. Relief. Disappointment that the mating wasn’t going to happen in that moment. And a breathless anticipation.
Right now, all that mattered was that she was naked in Chiron’s arms.
She didn’t want to waste one more second.
“It’s not bad,” she teased.
He released a low growl before he was scooping her off her feet and heading across the room to the nearby bed. “Ah, a challenge.”
A flare of triumph raced through her at the hunger that tightened his features as he gently lowered her onto the mattress. She wasn’t alone in this staggering awareness. Bending down, he claimed her mouth in a kiss of fierce possession.
“Are you up for it?” she demanded, nipping at his lips.
He released a sharp bark of laughter. “Oh, I’m not only up for you, I’m already hard and aching,” he said against her lips.
She made a sound low in her throat, her hands grasping the lapels of his shirt. With one yank, she sent the buttons flying.
“You have on too many clothes,” she complained.
He glanced down at his ruined shirt with a rueful smile. “I should have packed more.”
Her laugh tangled in her throat as her gaze skimmed down his naked torso. In the silvery moonlight, his skin had the sheen of ivory and his tousled hair was as glossy as ebony. He appeared a creature of mystical power. A beautiful monster that had strayed into the swamp and captured her heart.
“I like you better without them,” she murmured.
He growled his approval at her words, his eyes burning with a savage hunger as he kicked off his shoes and stripped off his slacks. Then, with liquid speed, he joined Lilah on the bed, wrapping an arm around her trembling body.
“Good, because you’re going to be seeing me without them.” He pressed a line of kisses down her throat. “A lot.”
“I love the feel of your skin,” she whispered, her fingers stroking over his chest.
He pressed his lips to her brow before trailing down the line of her nose. Lilah shivered, well aware the scent of her arousal was filling the air.
“There’s plenty more to touch,” he assured her, his lips trailing over her cheek, pausing to nuzzle the corner of her mouth. “Feel free to explore.”
She chuckled. “So generous.”
“You’d better believe it.” Chiron buried his face in the curve of her neck, his fingers not quite steady as they skimmed up and down the arch of her spine. It was a light caress, but it was unbearably erotic. “And I intend to return the favor.”
Before she could respond, his hands slid over her shoulders and cupped her breasts in his palms. A moan was wrenched from her throat.
“Yes,” she hissed between clenched teeth.
“So lush and yet so fragile.” His voice was filled with awe, as if he were touching a female for the first time.
“Chiron.” His name was torn from her lips as he gently rolled the tip of her nipple between his fingers.
“Hmm?” he prompted, kissing a path down her throat.
She stirred restlessly, feeling the sharp points of his fangs scrape her neck. There was no fear. Just need. A dark, aching need.
He made a soft, tortured sound. As if he’d sensed her hunger and was fighting his own urge to sink his fangs deep into her flesh.
With grim determination, he lifted his mouth back to her lips, teasing at them until they parted in welcome. He dipped his tongue into the moist heat while his hand brushed down her naked thigh.
Melting in pleasure, she wrapped her arms tightly around his neck. Now wasn
’t the time to dwell on their potential mating. Now was the time for heat and passion and searing bliss.
“You were right,” she breathed. “Fate must have brought you to me.”
Chiron continued to stroke his fingers in a lazy pattern along her thigh, nipping at her lower lip.
“Our meeting was etched in the stars,” he agreed. “‘All days are nights to see till I see thee, and nights bright days when dreams do show thee me.’”
Her fingers clutched at his hair, her body arching with an unspoken plea.
“It’s not fair to use poetry,” she chided.
With a soft laugh, he pressed his cock against her lower stomach. It was thick and hard as a rock.
“I’m beginning to think you must possess the blood of a siren,” he rasped.
Lilah’s lips curved into a pleased smile. She liked the thought of being a siren. At least when it came to this vampire.
“Perhaps I do,” she murmured.
Chiron captured the tip of her nipple between his lips, his finger dipping through the moist cleft between her legs. “So beautiful.”
Lilah gasped in pleasure and released a soft laugh as he circled the hard tip of her nipple with his tongue.
She intended to tell him that she wasn’t beautiful, at least not in comparison to the females she’d seen on the TV and internet, but the words died on her lips as his finger slid with gentle insistence into her welcoming body. A sensual tempest raged through her as he stroked his finger in a slow, tantalizing tempo.
“More,” she commanded in a hoarse voice.
He nipped at the pulse that raced at the base of her throat, careful not to pierce her skin.
“My demanding lover,” he teased.
“I like to be the boss,” she warned. Her nails lightly scored down his back.
“When we’re in bed you can boss me all you like,” he rasped, his lips claiming hers in a kiss of fierce anticipation.
A flare of triumph raced through her as she willingly met the thrust of his tongue, her back arching as her body sought relief from her mounting tension.
“Then give me more,” she murmured.
“Aye, my lady.”
With one smooth motion, he rolled on top of her. His firm weight settled against her. Lilah gave a groan of sheer relief.
Yes, this was what she’d needed.
Spreading her legs, she gave a small moan as Chiron reached down to stroke her sensitive clit. The male had skills, she acknowledged as she squirmed in bliss.
“Now, Chiron,” she muttered.
Chiron continued to stir her hunger as he situated his cock into the opening of her body. Then, with a loud groan, he entered her with one slow thrust.
Her mind threatened to shut down at the shocking pleasure of having him lodged deep inside her. It wasn’t just a physical connection. Not just body to body, or lust to lust.
It was hearts and souls and promises of eternity.
Nearly overwhelmed by the intensity of her emotions, Lilah tangled her fingers in his hair. Their mouths crashed together, both lost in the sensations that thundered through them.
Slowly, Chiron pulled back his hips and plunged into her slick channel. His fingers stroked down her throat, the scent of their passion drenching the air.
Lilah lifted her legs to wrap them around his waist. She might not possess Chiron’s experience, but she could match him in enthusiasm.
Their soft moans filled the air with sweet music as they moved together in a tempo that was slow and deep and steady.
Perfection.
Lilah broke free of the kiss, sucking in a lungful of air. Clearly she would have to remind Chiron that she wasn’t a vampire when they were making love. Unlike him, she actually had to breathe.
Satisfaction sizzled through her as she realized the ease with which she’d assumed this was only the first of many times she would be spending the night in Chiron’s arms. She might remain wary of being hurt, but she was increasingly certain she was destined to be this male’s mate.
Unaware of her life-altering thoughts, Chiron buried his face in the curve of her neck. He increased the tempo of his thrusts, his hands shifting beneath her hips to angle them upward. Her nails dug into his flesh, her body arching as she neared her climax.
“Chiron,” she groaned. “Come with me.”
“Yes,” he agreed in thick tones. “I’m with you.”
Scattering kisses over the curve of her breast, he lowered his head to suckle at the tip of her nipple, his hips maintaining the ruthless pace as she held on tight.
Lilah cried out, her womb clutching at his cock as the shattering climax slammed through her at the same time Chiron gave a shout of pure rapture.
The world outside the bedroom faded from thought as the tempest of pleasure assaulted her.
For breathless minutes, Lilah floated in a cloud of pure bliss. Then, with a low groan, Chiron wrapped his arms around her quivering body and rolled to the side, pressing her against his chest.
A silence filled the room, broken only by her heavy breathing as they both struggled to recover.
Lilah released a small sigh, not sure whether to laugh or cry.
Chiron was right. Nothing would ever be the same again.
Chapter 13
Ulric took his time as he strolled through the lush gardens.
He’d been wary when he’d followed Chiron’s scent and discovered the towering wall of mist in the middle of the Everglades. He’d quickly determined the magic wasn’t dangerous, but there was the possibility that it might be the prison that held Tarak. Was he possibly about to become another captive? Just like in those stupid human horror flicks, where people kept creeping into the dark despite the fact that their friends were disappearing one by one.
Then he’d forced himself to step through the barrier and realized it cloaked a demon hotel.
His wariness had only deepened. Why was Chiron staying here? And why hadn’t he called?
Deciding to check out the grounds before entering the actual building, Ulric had shifted into his wolf form and padded through a tangle of lush ferns. A potent shiver of pleasure had raced through him. There was a primitive magic pulsing through the air that had nothing to do with the barrier. It’d urged his wolf to howl in raw wonderment as he raced beneath the moonlight.
Instead, he’d crouched low as he caught sight of the ogress speaking with a beautiful young female. He’d sniffed the air, baffled by the realization he couldn’t tell what species the woman was. Odd. Then the ogress had taken off in one direction, and the female had headed into the hotel.
About to continue his sweep, Ulric had been halted by the sight of Chiron’s sudden appearance. It looked as if he’d stepped out of thin air, which meant there must be something at the edge of the garden wrapped in illusion.
Ulric had studied his master, easily determining Chiron wasn’t hurt. And he didn’t appear to be an unwilling captive. In fact, he was staring toward the hotel with an expression of aching need.
He’d known in that moment why Chiron hadn’t bothered to check in. A male in the throes of the mating heat could barely remember his own name, let alone anything else. Until Chiron had claimed Lilah, he would be worthless.
Which meant Ulric would have to take care of forcing the gargoyle to locate the key.
Of course, first he had to locate the gargoyle.
Remaining in his human form, Ulric strolled around the gardens until he picked up the gargoyle’s scent. He frowned as he followed it to a hole hidden behind the illusion of a bush.
The gargoyle was down there. But why?
Ulric hesitated. Unlike Chiron, he wasn’t a gambler. Long ago, he’d learned a hard lesson in following your heart, not your head. It wasn’t until he’d spent several cautious minutes making sure there were no other scents in the area that he finally wiggled his way through the opening and dropped into the cavern below.
He remained crouched in a position where he could easily defend himself, his he
ad tilted back as he sniffed the air.
Granite. And salt.
The granite was the gargoyle. The salt? He didn’t have a clue.
Slowly straightening, he glanced around the large space. It was empty except for the long table in the center of the floor. He didn’t bother to investigate it. He didn’t care what weird ceremonies the locals might indulge in. He just wanted to get Levet and find the key.
Moving toward a nearby tunnel, he followed the gargoyle’s scent, baffled when it began to fade. Backtracking, he tried to pinpoint the precise spot where the smell was the strongest. Where was the stupid creature?
“Gargoyle,” he at last snapped. “Come out where I can see you.”
“Hush, you mangy hound,” Levet retorted, his voice muffled.
A growl rumbled in Ulric’s throat. “I’m going to…” His threat trailed away as he leaned forward and pressed his nose against a crack in the smooth stone. “Are you in the wall?”
“Oui.”
“Why?”
“Because I’m attempting to escape.”
Ulric glanced around. There was no one in the caves. Not unless they could hide their scent from a pureblood Were. Highly unlikely. “Escape from what?” he demanded.
There was the sound of Levet heaving a harsh sigh. “Are all dogs so dense, or are you special?”
Ulric felt a jolt of shock. Was the gargoyle insane? Or just suicidal?
“Come out and I’ll show you how special I am,” he snarled. “I’ll start with ripping off those frilly wings and shoving them down your throat.”
Ulric was accustomed to full-size trolls fleeing in fear when he used that tone. The gargoyle, however, heaved another sigh.
“Do not be a hater. You could only wish you had wings as glorious as mine.”
“You—” Ulric bit off his words. It was ridiculous to argue with the three-foot pain in the ass. “Why are you in the wall?”
“I was locked in a dungeon and I am attempting to dig my way out.”
Ulric blinked. There was a dungeon here? That wasn’t what he’d been expecting.
“How did you get locked in the dungeon?”
“That annoying ogress,” Levet explained, his tone edged with frustration.
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