“Are you going to unchain me?”
“Are you going to run away again?”
“I’ll make you a deal. You promise to treat me with respect and not
as property, and never again chain me to the bed, and I will stay put.”
Ethan smiled. These modern Earth women reminded him of the women from his long, lost home, but he had also discovered something else about his little wildfire, of which he would play to his advantage.
“Never, ma belle petite chanson?” He lifted her suddenly, tossing her back onto their double bed, hard enough to make her gasp, gentle enough not to hurt her. He gripped her delicate ankles, holding her firm. “If I enjoy having you chained and bound for my pleasure?” He watched her response to his words, the way her breath quickened along with the beating of her heart. His mouth watered at the sound of the blood thrumming through her body, the wafting smell of her arousal. He released her for a moment to fish out the key from a spot under the bed and swiftly unlocked the metal cuff. It fell away. He was quick to recover his position of dominance. He gripped her wrists, tugged them above her head, and secured them tightly with one hand. Her body arched in this position, making her breasts jut out temptingly. He let his hand skim over the hardened, pink nipple. It abraded against his palm.
“Ethan…no…I…”
“Shh, belle,” he cut her off. “Understand you shall always have my respect; never are you my property but a treasure to be cared for, protected, cherished and pleasured. I will give you everything you desire, and you will stay by my side.” Her lovely hazel eyes were darkened with desire. He watched as her tongue left a moist trail along her bottom lip.
“What if I desire my freedom?”
Ethan held her gaze. She was as stubborn as he was. He had no desire to stamp out her fiery strength, a strength he admired. She wasn’t some weak, passive woman. She challenged him on so many levels. Her vulnerability made him want to protect her. Everything about her made his body and mind burn for her. Yet it seemed she would always come back to the track of her freedom, so he changed tact.
“What did you have in this life that set you free? You were a slave to your life, Aria, trapped, confined, pushed to desperate means to survive. I offer you freedom from all that. Surrender to me, and you can do and have whatever you wish. With me, your life is now open to more
possibilities…” He pinched the nipple between his thumb and forefinger.
Her lungs expanded on a gasp before letting it out in a slow moan.
“…more pleasure than you could have ever imagined.” Dipping his head, he laved his tongue over the reddened bud, her back arching a little more. He sucked it into his mouth, pressing it into the roof of his mouth before letting it slide out. His hand snaked down, caressing the soft flesh of her quivering belly, skimming over her hip to her outer thigh. Her legs parted beneath him in open invitation.
Chapter Nine
Aria trembled in unfurled desire; never had a man made her as hot as Ethan did. The feel of his large, calloused fingers skimming over her sensitive, heated flesh made her tremble. When he pinned her, using his dominant strength as a sensual weapon, Aria wanted the whole damn firing squad, and he knew it.
Her mind went over his words. She had been trapped, but would life with Ethan be any better? He’d bitten her twice thus far. The flashing sting of his teeth, mixed with the euphoric pleasure of him drinking from her, was something she wanted to experience again. Ethan was quickly becoming her addiction of choice. If he was true to his word, it would be a win-win situation. He had been gentle, he had taken care of her and given her rapturous pleasures, and when he used his wondrous strength and became all dominant, she wanted to push his buttons to see where it would take them.
Yet, right now, she had to keep a level head and address a few issues that bothered her. “I won’t run, but I don’t want children, yet.”
“And if it is already too late, ma petite?” His roaming hand slid back up to caress her rounded stomach.
“Let’s cross that bridge if we come to it, but that doesn’t mean we have to take a direct path to get to it.”
He gave a husky chuckle. “I confess I would know if you were with child; I feel every beat of your heart and would know if there was a second heartbeat within your body.”
“Now you tell me!” she gasped, struggling slightly in his firm grasp, enjoying the weight of his body on top of hers.
“I want a lot more time to play with you, ma petite l’un. Until it is safe, I shall have to do my best to find pleasure in other parts of your delectable body.” The smile fell from his face, replaced by intense desire.
He released the grip on her wrists to slide one thickly muscled arm under her shoulders and the other around her waist, easily lifting her up as he sat back on his knees, her legs now straddling his waist. In this position, she was almost eye to eye with him. He retook her wrists, pulling them behind her back, holding them tightly in one hand as the other slid up to grip the base of her neck, her lower body arching into his. She was completely at his mercy; it made her wetter, his steely erection pressing up along her slit. The top ridges of his cock abraded along her clit, making her gasp and moan with pleasure.
“Archalonians are a highly sexual race; the male cock is designed to give maximum pleasure to our females, who demand no less than complete satisfaction. They choose their mates on the basis of who can give them the best sexual gratification.” Using his hand on the base of her neck and the grip on her wrists, he moved their bodies to glide his length a little faster along her sensitive bud. “If our males knew how easy it was to pleasure a human female, how soft and submissive they could be, I think all the males would allow themselves the transformation into a vampire to pursue one.”
Aria’s mind raced with questions. “So,” she managed on a gasp, “all the Count Dracula stories…? They are…?”
“I know of no stories, yet if there are, I am sure they are just that,”
he said in a deep, husky tone. “The imagination of the human mind mixed with a little truth can be quite creative and deadly.”
“Wh-What about those human vampires?” Aria struggled to keep her line of thought with overwhelming pleasure coursing through her body.
He arched her back slightly, and Aria whimpered as he lowered his head, attending to her left breast with slow, lazy strokes of his tongue, sucking it into his mouth to let it catch between his teeth. The
pleasure/pain mix was heady. He slid his cock down along and between the wedges of their bodies.
“Ahh. ma petite, you and your questions.” He breathed against her breast before snatching the right one between his teeth and tugging harder this time.
All questions flew from her mind; she was overloaded with raw sensation as he continued the sliding of his long, thick cock directly over her clit in a slow, tortuous rhythm, driving her insane with need.
Releasing her breast, he mouthed and licked his way up to her throat, licking over the spot he seemed to favor when he bit her. If he didn’t have direct control over the movement of her head, she would have lent it to the side to allow him better access, almost craving the bite and explosive orgasm that came along with it.
His chest rumbled with a short, dark laugh. “I can feel you beginning to crave my bite, ma cheri, oui?”
Aria couldn’t lie to him; she mimicked his oui, monsieur. His tongue passed on, moving up and away from the spot.
Aria mewled in protest. “Ethan, I… I…”
“Oui, ma petite. Tell me what you want.”
“I want…”
He turned her head slightly, his tongue tracing the shell of her ear before plunging inside. He thrust his tongue in and out, keeping time with the glide of his cock over her now soaking vagina and clit.
The incredulous tandem sensation made her pant and writhe, trying in desperation to shove her hips forward, to grind her pussy against his cock to make him go faster. She keened and growled in her lust-drenched fervor. “I
want you to make me come. Oh, Ethan, please!”
She wailed like a petulant child.
Aria had absolutely no control. She surrendered to it as he used her body like a toy, gripping her tighter against his chest, the rhythm of his cock quickening along with his own breath, telling her he was finding as much pleasure in this as she was.
“Open your eyes,” he commanded.
Aria obeyed. Her gaze was held by his intense green one.
“Come for me.”
She inhaled sharply, the scream curling to the forefront as her body shattered at his command. He crushed his mouth over hers, plunging his tongue in deep and capturing her scream. He pushed on, abrading against her sensitive clit, rolling her orgasm on into a second wave. She shook, trembled, and in her throes, she involuntarily bit down hard on Ethan’s lower lip, tasting a metallic, burning tang on her tongue; the flavor was like tasting a flame that did not burn.
Ethan’s chest rumbled with a deep sound. His body shook as he gave a long, guttural groan, signaling that he was coming. Aria was completely limp in his hold, and he loosened his grip, holding her tenderly in his embrace as they tumbled backward onto the bed, falling to their sides. Their breathing ragged, still he gently stroked her skin, pressing his lips to her closed eyes, face, hair and shoulders. He whispered in a language she had never heard before as they came down from the euphoric bliss.
“I’m willing to place a bet you were highly popular with your Archalon women.”
He gave a soft chuckle. “Not as popular as I wish to be with you.”
He placed a tender kiss on her lips.
Aria couldn’t help but smile, basking in the afterglow. Gazing at Ethan, she realized she was in very great danger of losing her heart.
Chapter Ten
Jacob stooped over the body of the records keeper of the harbor docks, flicking through the computerized files. Ethan was not stupid and neither was he. Taking an airplane was risky for a vampire, unless it was chartered, which left ships as the safest mode of transport.
He had barely escaped by the skin of his teeth after his last encounter with Ethan. If he hadn’t fled, there would have been no doubt Ethan would have killed him in the ancient vampire’s possessive fury over Aria. It had taught Jacob several lessons. First: Ethan was a hell of a lot stronger than he had first assumed. Second: he was adapting to the modern world quickly. Third: he had to plan a lot more carefully if he was to recapture him. The elders knew if Ethan reached France, then everything could dramatically change—and not in their favor. The human vampire alliance hung by a thin thread as it was. Jacob was irritated that they hid behind their thick walls, demanding their fledglings to do their bidding for them, attempting to keep an old, mystic air around those who held power.
Jacob had been placed in charge of Ethan’s keep because he was a man who got things done by any means. That delectable, little morsel he’d found on the street corner had changed everything. Hunting in a different part of the city to find Ethan’s weekly meal, to known prostitute areas, he had found a few worn, haggard women to choose from; yet the moment he had set his sights on Aria, trying to balance in heels she was obviously not used to wearing, the aroma of innocence had been too tempting for
him. The flash of her nervous, hazel eyes, her wavy, honey, brown hair that had felt like silk on his fingertips, even the soft, flowery scent of her skin had tantalized him. He had been an idiot to feed her to Ethan. Now the elders held him responsible.
The knowledge that blue blood women were able to have children had Jacob thinking and formulating a new plan, a plan that had a future without being at the beck and call of the damnable elders, and the delectable, little dove was pivotal to this. After all, everyone should have plans for a future. Jacob wanted a future and a little family of his own, one that was created through pleasure and not blood. Children of a turned vampire were independent from the curse of living because their maker lived. He was keen to create a new legacy of his own, and the thought of sinking himself into Aria, fucking her until she screamed, had him hard.
But first, he had to deal with one possessive, ancient vampire. It was clear that Aria was Ethan’s weakness, a vulnerability he wouldn’t hesitate to exploit. Perhaps there was a way to get everything he and the elders wanted.
Unfortunately, he couldn’t kill Ethan, as it was from the ancients that they had all descended. Jacob and the elders were in agreement that they had no wish to end their existence just yet.
Glancing over the recently departed ships and their destinations, he saw that two were heading in the same general direction—Europe. Yet only one would get him to his destination quicker than the other.
Jacob stood up and fished out his phone; time to put a new plan into motion. The phone was picked up on the second ring. “Frank, I know where they are headed. I need the use of one of our jets. We are taking a little trip to Europe.”
*
Where better to get to know someone than on a long, leisurely cruise? Only the Hav Sang was a working Cargo ship that also took paying passengers.
The sting in Aria’s arm made her wince; her gaze automatically
flew up to Ethan’s mouth, wondering why she wanted to feel that sting rather than that of the two hypodermic needles in her arm.
He stood with his arms folded, making his biceps bulge under his black T-shirt. His normally loose hair was tied back from his face, which made his prominent cheekbones stand out more; his clear, emerald green eyes were watching her with an unreadable expression. Damn, the man was too sexy for his own good, even when brooding.
The medical officer, Dr. Juan, didn’t see anything unusual in the request for a pregnancy prevention shot; he had simply suggested she also have a yellow fever shot as well. Ethan had nodded his approval. In fact, none of the crew of the Hav Sang seemed to notice anything unusual when they were around. They didn’t notice that they slumbered all day or their lack of passports or papers.
“Remember, it will take a few days to work; you’re welcome to a few of these until then.” Juan handed Ethan a box of condoms, extra large.
Juan winked at her, and Aria felt her cheeks flush.
“Stand back from her, Doctor,” Ethan said in a low tone.
The man blinked, a glazed look falling over his face as he stepped back.
Aria jumped off the examination table. “What the hell did you do?”
She glared at Ethan.
“Simple mind control.” He held out his hand to her. “I can manipulate the human mind, bend it to my will when I wish.”
Without thinking, she placed her hand into his, and he tugged her into his warm embrace. “Did you do that to me?”
Ethan shook his head. “Some advantages to being a blue blood: no vampire can use mind control on you.”
“Oh, yippee,” she said dryly, “I’m just a snack bar and breeder.”
He chuckled, slipping his arm around her waist.
“Uh, what about him?” she asked, hooking her thumb at the doctor.
Ethan glanced back at the medical officer, fixing him with a pointed stare.
The man suddenly blinked, and the dazed look fell away. “Oh,
you’re welcome,” Dr. Juan said as if in reply to unspoken words. “If you need anything else, just let me know.” He smiled as if nothing unusual had just happened.
“You’re just full of surprises,” she muttered. “How many of the crew have you hypnotized?”
He guided her out of the medical rooms and through the ship’s corridors. “I prefer to call it ‘mind suggestion,’ simply placing select portions of information into their brains, making them think or see what I want them to see or blind to things I have no desire for them to see. No one is harmed, and it ensures our safety during our passage.”
Aria shook her head in thought. “There’s still a hell of a lot I don’t know about you yet. What happens if you get exposed to the sun? Why were you locked up for so long, and why are those other vamps after you?”
“So many questions, ma petite.”
“Shit, yes. If I have to be stuck with you, I think it’s important I know these things.”
Ethan was giving her that sexy half grin again.
“Ethan, be serious. I know you want to protect me, but what if Jacob has non-vampire thugs come after us during the day? You’re pretty much useless in that stupor of yours.” Her reasoning seemed to knock the smile off his face.
Ethan gave a deep sigh as he pushed her in front, keeping a hand on her hip as they climbed a set of stairs. “I admire your independence, ma petite, and the fact you care enough to worry about what could happen, but you have to start trusting me to take care of matters, even in my daytime sleep. If you must know, sunlight cannot directly harm me. I am harder to kill than you would imagine. Even if they were able to recapture me, that I will not allow.” He spoke with firm surety. “They would not dare to harm me; if I die, then they all die, too.”
“Oh.” He had guided her back through the corridors.
“Once we learned that we could convert humans through infecting them with our blood—and it is not something done with great ease, I assure you—we took companions, friends. We thought if they were like
us, they would no longer fear us.” There was another sigh from Ethan, and they stopped walking; Aria realized they were standing outside their cabin. “Unfortunately, what we did not consider was the humans’ greed for power. As the creators and masters of the human vampires, we took our role and responsibility seriously. We taught our young fledglings not to kill but to help humanity, but many rebelled against the idea. Being a vampire turns you into a superior predator; your lust for blood can sometimes overrule your senses. I took leadership over our kind. Anyone who did not comply was dealt with.”
Ethan moved around her to open the door and tossed in the condom box and closed the door behind him.
Destined Hearts Page 7
