“Better than,” she answered, and just as predicted, tears were streaming down her cheeks.
“I'm glad I got to share it with you,” he murmured. “Love seeing you happy.”
Smiling, she closed her eyes to bask in the warm light shining on her skin while leaning back against him. Stephan tightened his hold around her, and glanced out at the scenery, inquiring, “After I get that cure back to Ardilon, would you wanna stay here?”
“I … don't know,” she trailed uncertainly. “Maybe for a while? But I wouldn't want to leave my home for good. I don't think you would either.”
Smiling, he admitted, “I don't care where I am, as long as you're there with me.”
Maddox sighed contentedly in response, then snickered and turned in his arms to bury her face against his chest.
“What's so funny?”
“Mathias was right, it's getting too bright for my eyes out here. Would you help me inside?”
Grinning, Stephan did just that, and Maddox didn't look up again until the balcony doors were shut and the room was sufficiently dimmed.
“Better?” he asked.
Nodding, she ran her fingers up and down his back, asking in concern, “But what about you? Are you feeling well?”
“I'm tired, and a little achy,” he admitted, knowing why she'd asked—time was running out, and the process of turning him would take at least two days to accomplish.
As Stephan understood it, the blood exchange had to be done in sessions where the human was gradually fed more and more vampire blood to allow their body to acclimate. Otherwise, it was too much of a shock to their system, killing them with no chance of a resurrection.
So he qualified, “I'm okay though, well enough to start the blood exchange if you want.”
“Alright,” she agreed, though her tone was sad, as if wishing for more time.
So he offered a smile and tried to lighten the mood by pointing out, “You know, I'm just glad vampires aren't like in the movies where your hair never grows and you can't shave, because my beard's starting to fill out again.”
Thankfully, that seemed to do the trick, and Maddox laughed, urging him toward the bed. “You know what else?”
“Hmm?”
He settled on the mattress as she pointed out, “Your eyes will regenerate, too.”
“Oh damn,” Stephan drew out, genuinely surprised. “I forgot all about that.”
Nodding, she snatched his eye patch with a grin, tossing it away before leaning in to kiss the scar tissue there. “What color were they?”
“Green.”
“I can't wait to see them, but I'll miss the way they are now, too.”
“You will?”
“Of course I will. I love you exactly as you are, Stephan, and … ”
Trailing as she tugged her boots off one at a time, Maddox stood straight and removed her shirt followed by unclasping her bra, adding promisingly, “I'm going to make sure these last moments for you as a human are more than you could ask for.”
Tossing the garment away, Stephan's gaze locked on her soft, round breasts as she climbed over him, his heart speeding up, causing his cock to harden in anticipation.
Settling over his lap, Maddox guided his hand to open her jeans before she started working on his belt buckle. He performed the task of disrobing her with enthusiasm, slipping her pants down along with her panties as she leaned forward to pull her legs free.
Once she was completely nude, Maddox pressed her lips to his, then confessed seductively, “I want everything this time, Stephan. All of you, inside me, in my mouth, I just can't decide which is first.”
He thought he'd come just from the way she purred those words, drawing his hands up to cup her breasts before he realized they were shaking with excitement—as well as doubt over his ability to perform well for her.
“Maddox, I … ”
He stopped when she reached up a finger and drew it over his lips, shushing him with a sweet kiss. The gesture was followed by a rip of fabric, and Stephan glanced down to see that she'd torn his shirt off.
“How much did that cost?” she asked impishly—but he was far too dumbfounded to reply. Fuck, what do I do?
Instinctively, he found his hands kneading her breasts, pinching her nipples until they tightened. When her head fell back with a low, sexy moan of his name, he thought he'd lost it for good.
“Your heart's already pounding,” she rasped, pressing her forehead to his. “I bet your cock's throbbing, too.”
At that, she grasped the hard shaft, and he wanted to tell her she had no idea how right she was. But the words stuck when she drew the cap back and forth between her thighs, over her clit and down toward her hot, slick entrance.
Panting, Stephan grasped her hips as the throbbing intensified. A line of moisture beaded the crown, smearing over her clit when she circled it with a throaty moan.
“It's so hot,” she rasped, and Stephan groaned loudly when she took him just inside, then lowered her hips.
Mindlessly, he watched, inch after pulsing inch sinking inside her body—and it was nothing but tight, slick heat gloving his shaft.
“Maddox!”
He clutched her tight as she took him even deeper, until he was fully wedged between her legs, moaning, “Oh fuck, I can feel it throbbing inside me, Stephan.”
As if she couldn't resist, her hips drew up, then down, and he gritted his teeth in pleasure too good to describe. His heart raced frantically as she slowly rocked over him again, moving a little faster, and then harder, until she was fully riding him.
As she clutched his shoulders and moaned his name, Stephan wondered if this was just some extremely erotic dream because it was far too good to be real. The silken glide over his cock was better than he'd expected, and already, his seed was rising, threatening to erupt.
Fighting to hold on, he bucked upwards, grasping her hips in a tight hold. “Fuck, wait! I'm … I can't … Ah! Maddox!”
The first spurt of his orgasm had him crushing her body to his, grinding his hips up between her thighs with a loud groan of searing pleasure—and embarrassment. He wasn't even sure he'd lasted a minute, and what kind of lover did that make him?
But he could barely think about it just then, and it wasn't until after the second eruption deep inside her that he realized Maddox was cradling him tightly, whispering, “That's it, I want you come as many times as I can make you.”
Moaning with the last of his seed spilling prematurely, Stephan gripped her more tightly, both in awe and regret. He just needed a moment to collect himself, and then he swore he'd do things right.
Maddox adored Stephan's reactions.
The smitten way he looked at her melted her heart, and his loss of control as she rode him was incredibly gratifying. She never wanted it to end, and would cherish the memory of giving him this kind of pleasure for the first time for eternity.
Yet he seemed embarrassed by his lack of stamina, groaning after he'd spilled himself inside her, “I'm sorry, sweetheart.”
Breathless, she asked, “For what?”
“I couldn't hold on.”
Smiling, she kissed him and asked, “You're not done, are you?”
With a deep, shuddered breath, he shook his head. “Not by a long shot.”
She grinned, recalling what he'd said their first night together at her mansion, and mentioned, “You just need a little practice.”
Stephan smirked over the suggestion, and already, she could feel him hardening again as if the thought excited him.
That's when he rolled her over, and Maddox held on tight as he propped his muscular body above her, causing her heart to skip when he promised, “Try a lot of practice, nice and slow.”
“Oh, feel free to for as long as you need,” she drew out playfully—and not a little breathless.
Groaning, Stephan leaned in for a passionate kiss that traveled from her mouth and down to her breasts. Simultaneously, his hand sneaked between their joined bodies where he foun
d her clit and started rolling the swollen bud beneath the pad of his thumb.
Maddox moaned, grasping him in a tight hold as he carefully thrust his hips forward as if testing the waters. With the second thrust, he lifted his head and rasped, “You're so tight. Are you sure I'm not … ?”
She wasn't completely certain what he was asking, but rasped the answer, “Don't stop!” regardless, lifting her legs around his hips to allow him to surge deeper.
They both groaned over the sensation it caused, and her enjoyment spurred Stephan on. Until then, his pace was measured, each movement slow as if he feared disappointing her. But he soon angled his hips up and, after a brief pause, thrust with a lot more strength.
Maddox gasped, then moaned loudly when he did it again. “Yes! Just like that.”
Doing exactly as requested, he drove between her legs with a masculine grunt of effort, and if one of his worries was disappointing her, he had absolutely nothing to fear. She simply wasn't sure what was more erotic—the way he felt inside her, or his satisfied expression over pleasing her. Both. Definitely both.
Maddox also recalled wondering how it would feel to take him at full force back at her mansion, and now, she knew it was a snug fit indeed. Her quim was stretched so tightly around him that she could easily feel every hard inch of his shaft repeatedly hitting deep, the pleasure building with each reentry.
“Yes!” she cried, her head falling back as her muscles clenched him, Stephan's groans of enjoyment feeding her own.
But nothing had ever brought her to climax faster than when he claimed her mouth in a hard kiss—and cut his tongue on one of her fangs. She had no idea if he meant to do it, but the sudden taste of his heated blood had her clutching him tightly, raking her nails down his back until his lips broke free.
“Stephan!”
“Like that?” he groaned deviously.
Realizing he'd done it on purpose, she cried out, desperate for more than he'd given—but her orgasm overwhelmed her without warning.
Writhing beneath him as waves of pleasure rolled through her body, her muscles contracted around his plunging shaft until Stephan shouted with his own release and drove deep with a last, hard push.
Clutching each other tightly, they panted as the pleasureful bliss slowly subsided, their hearts thundering in near perfect harmony. Maddox listened to the beats, nuzzling her face to Stephan's neck, her fangs sharp and eyes glowing red. A teasing hint of his blood remained on her tongue, so rich and sweet, and the only thing she wanted more than a proper taste was for him to take hers first.
Pushing him over with little effort, she straddled his hips and sought his mouth for a passionate kiss, then chided breathlessly, “I've wanted to taste your blood for so long, and you teased me.”
He actually looked roguishly pleased by her reaction. “Guess you did like it.”
“I loved it,” she moaned, ready to kiss him again.
But he turned his head with a sudden cough before she had the chance, then yawned loudly in a clear reminder that they didn't have much time. Damn that disease.
So she asked against his ear instead, “Are you ready for my blood now?”
Sweeping his hands up and down her back, he nodded and slowly sat up. “Yeah, I am.”
Holding his gaze, she took a breath, then lifted her wrist to her lips and sank her fangs into her flesh. Once her blood welled, she pulled it away and parted her lips to speak, but the words stuck in her throat when Stephan grasped her bleeding wrist without question and brought it to his mouth.
Maddox stopped breathing as he followed a red line with his tongue to the puncture wounds, then closed his lips over them, locking his gaze on hers just as he started to suck.
“Oh!” She grasped him tighter in pure pleasure, instinctively rocking her hips over his. With each draw of blood he took, she could feel a connection forming that was just as satisfying as their lovemaking.
“Gods! I love you, Stephan,” she whimpered, kissing him wherever she could reach while he swallowed several gulps before she tugged her wrist away—and she had to actually pry it from his grasp.
Like most mortals, the more he took, the more greedy he'd become, and the moment his lips were free, he groaned lowly. “I can … feel you inside me.”
She smiled, “Are you alright?”
“Yeah, it's just … it's like you're a part of me.”
“I am now,” she whispered, able to feel the same connection, even without taking his blood in return. Still, she splayed her fingers against his cheek and held his gaze with a serious expression, adding, “But I don't have to take blood from your neck. Every time I see those scars, I—”
She stopped when he pressed his finger to her lips and shook his head. “You can take my blood however the hell you want it, Maddox. It's yours.”
Maddox exhaled a shaky breath, then slowly nodded, shivering when he turned his hand to stroke his thumb across one of her fangs.
“Did I ever tell you I think these are sexy as hell?”
Finally, she smiled, shaking her head. “No.”
“Well, they are. You are.”
“So are you,” she whispered, kissing him with the taste of her blood still on his lips—and it was nothing short of an aphrodisiac. “You just don't know how much.”
Stephan groaned, wrapping his arms around her as she turned her head to press kisses along his jaw. Finally, her lips reached his neck where she took her time kissing each scar he possessed.
When Stephan realized what she was doing, he crushed her body to his and rasped sincerely, “I love you so damned much it hurts, Maddox.”
“Then we have a lot in common,” she purred, lifting her head to give the right side of his neck the same treatment.
Once Stephan was a vampire, not only would his eyes regenerate, but any other mark on his body would disappear, including his scars, and she wanted to kiss them while she had the chance.
Still, after parting her lips against his neck, she hesitated, uncertain what she was waiting for, but simply couldn't get herself to ease her fangs into his flesh.
Her stalling wasn't lost on Stephan either, his hands stroking over her back soothingly as he murmured, “Do it, baby.”
“I don't want to hurt you.”
“You never have. Not once.”
Tears filled her eyes, and she kissed his neck again, promising, “And I never will.”
At that, she pressed her fangs against his throat, more tears falling when Stephan didn't tense, proving he trusted her completely. So she broke the flesh, puncturing his neck until his blood began seeping into her mouth.
The moment it hit her tongue, she groaned loudly, the sound mingling with his sharp moan. Sutrelle might've been paradise for her kind, but it paled in comparison to taking her lover's blood while he held her body tight to his.
And she drew deep.
Stephan was astonished.
He'd never thought a vampire bite could feel so damned good, but the moment Maddox's fangs pierced his neck, he was clasping the back of her head to hold her tight to him as pleasure coursed through his body, making him hard again.
Without his abilities as a votary, her bite would've left him helplessly paralyzed if she hadn't given her blood to him first. But instead, he writhed, enjoying the feel of her naked flesh rubbing against his and the way she groaned in pleasure.
This first blood exchange made him a daywalker, and even now, he could feel the connection, knowing that if Maddox wanted, she could both sense his thoughts, and take control of his mind and body. Yet he trusted her explicitly, and found solace in the tie being forged between them.
So when she lifted her head with a loud groan of satisfaction, he was actually disappointed their first exchange was over.
But lethargy caused by both his illness and now blood loss was already beginning to set in, and he leaned up to kiss her chin, then her lips.
Smiling, she inquired, “How do you feel?”
“Woozy,” he replied, cove
ring his mouth with another cough.
“That's natural. Still, I want to keep an eye on you.”
Nodding, he let his head rest against the pillows while she snuggled against him, and he couldn't hold her close enough. If her aim was to make his last moments as a human memorable, she'd certainly succeeded.
Still, he had to wonder what the very near future held for them both, asking, “Maddox?”
“Hmm?”
“What was it like when you first woke as a vampire?”
She chuckled softly. “I was famished. But aside from hunger and adapting to the new senses, it's not difficult to handle. The impulses can overwhelm, but I'll be with you.”
Stephan listened closely, though he found himself too groggy to make a response. He also realized the room was starting to feel strangely cold, shivering with a wave of dizziness overwhelming him.
“Did the fire go out?”
“No, why?”
“I don't know, it just feels like it dropped about twenty degrees.”
He felt Maddox's hand land on his forehead, and she sat up, announcing, “You're burning up. Stephan, is it normal for your illness to cause a sudden fever?”
Stephan would've answered, but by the time she'd finished her question, he'd passed out.
37
♦ ♦ ♦
“ … Stephan?”
When he didn't answer, Maddox lifted her hand from his forehead in concern, only to learn that he'd unexpectedly fallen asleep.
It wasn't the first time Stephan had passed out mid-conversation. The same thing happened at the Bastion compound when they'd first met, and he'd slept for several hours before getting up and carrying on like nothing was wrong.
But he hadn't been sweating with a fever then, nor was his breathing so raspy, and the situation had all of her senses screaming the same thing—this wasn't normal.
“Stephan!” she called, her worry building, particularly when the attempt to shake him awake only earned her an alarming amount of blood suddenly pouring from his nostrils.
As if that wasn't enough, his heartbeat was slowing as well, setting Maddox into a panic.
Fallen Hearts Page 30
