by Sharon Page
“You wanted a cold shower?” he asked, shuddering.
“No. It’s just one of the downsides to living in an apartment in an old house. Part of the character.”
“Tell me about it,” he muttered.
She wriggled away from him. “Let me warm it up.”
She ducked under the spray, twisting the knob sharply, and he gave her wiggling bottom a grope. He groaned in pleasure as the needles from the showerhead went from icy to hot. In seconds the shower filled with steam. Brushing his wet hair from his eyes, Michael drank in the alluring sight of Erin drenched.
Water sprayed as she threw her slick hair back in a dark auburn cascade and licked the stream running past her lips. When she stuck out her tongue and let the spray bounce on it, his cock quivered and jolted against his belly. The rivulets racing over her breasts were too tempting. Michael soaped his hands and closed them over her wet breasts. He sighed in pleasure as her hard nipples poked his palms. Her throaty groan sent shivers of need through him as he rubbed frothy suds over her full curves.
Weakening need.
He leaned more heavily against her, resting his chin on her shoulder while circling his hands over her pointy nipples. Tiredness dragged at him. The hot water spilling over his back soothed him until he yearned to give in to slumber.
He slid his soap-covered hands down from her sudsy breasts, followed the flare of her hips to the curves of her legs. As he slid his hands around to Erin’s soft inner thighs, desire gave him renewed strength.
“Make sure I’m extraclean,” she directed as he lathered up once more.
He worked diligently until her hand was clenched in a fist pressed against the tile.
Clinging to Michael’s back, Erin moaned as he washed her legs. He massaged her feet with his strong, soapy hands, and Erin thought she was in heaven. He slipped a wet finger between her pubic curls, and she almost sank to the bottom of the tub. He wriggled her clit until she came, cried out, and smacked her palm against the wall.
As the last spasm died away, she turned shakily to squirt soap into her palms. “My turn.”
Michael sucked in a sharp breath as her mouth, glistening with moisture, closed around his nipple while her hands soaped his chest and his prick. Her fingers circled over the head of his cock, and he leaned against the tiled wall.
Her nightlight cast a soft glow in the darkened bathroom. Rendered in warm light and shadow, Michael was beautiful, especially with his face contorted in sexual agony.
Erin held his shaft with a coy smile. She pumped him using his favorite stroke—just the way he’d described it to her by e-mail.
As she sank to her knees in front of him, he groaned. “You’re incredibly gorgeous.”
“Especially with you in my mouth,” she teased before sticking out her tongue to lick the head.
Hot water ran in steamy rivulets from his ink-black hair and raced down his back, dripping off his ass, his balls, running into her mouth along his cock. A few long, slow strokes had him bracing himself against the wall. Erin took him as deep as she could, about halfway down his shaft. His cock was so thick her teeth raked him. He moaned in pleasure at each scrape as she sucked him in and slid him out.
She released him and turned his hips. He understood, presenting his squeaky-clean naked ass with a flourish. He moaned as she planted a kiss on one firm cheek. His moan changed into a howl as she playfully gave him a big open-mouthed bite.
It felt so naughty to part his cheeks and find his well-soaped, tight little hole. Gathering her courage, Erin slid her warm tongue just inside the rim of his ass, where she knew it was so very, very sensitive. She captured his cock between her warm palms as she slid her tongue in and out and copied the rhythm with her hands along his shaft.
“It’s never been this good….” His words died into a groan.
Inspired, she made circles with her tongue. Wet, stroking circles. Michael’s butt muscles instantly tightened, turning rock-hard. His legs stiffened. His cock grew huge in her hand.
But he apparently wanted to finish inside her. Panting hard, he swiveled and lifted her, holding tight around her waist as he lowered her onto his ramrod-straight prick.
She moaned as she became wonderfully full. “This is awfully dangerous in a bathtub.”
Michael clutched her ass as he thrust into her. “Danger makes it more fun.”
“You’re immortal. I’m not.”
He thrust deep; his heel skidded. Erin’s heart stopped. Just when she thought they were going to fall into the tub, Michael regained his balance.
“Okay,” he admitted. “Too risky.” He took an unsteady step to the side.
Erin squealed. She clung to his neck as he stepped out.
Wow. He stayed buried in her the whole time.
Crossing her fluffy bath mat, he staggered to the counter. He seemed a lot weaker. Was that because it was daylight, and he should be sleeping? Was the drawn curtain enough to protect him? As he settled her bottom beside her sink, Erin twisted in his arms to study the mirror.
“You have a reflection.”
Michael looked fascinated by the provocative picture they made. “Yes, Varkyres do, because we exist.”
“'Varkyres'? What’s that?”
“It is what I am. A subspecies of the vampire.”
“But what makes you diff—”
She broke off as he spread her legs wide and began thrusting hard and fast. She had to clutch his shoulders to hang on.
Michael fucked her wildly, sending water spraying from their hair to coat the mirrors and walls as they bucked and rocked.
His cock hammered so deep she felt an agonizing jolt of pleasure and pain with each thrust. The pain evaporated quickly, and all she knew was the joy of his cock pumping into her tight, bubbling pussy.
Erin slid her hands into his hair and devoured his mouth. She welcomed him in, held him tight. Her ass bounced on the counter as she moved with him. Her glass and toothbrush toppled into the sink. Her hairbrush hit the tile floor with a crash.
Her nails dug into his scalp as she screamed into his mouth, her brain and body exploding. He bucked into her, coming, too.
She clung to him, and he held her tight, their bodies pulsing and throbbing together, both gasping for air, shuddering through the throes of their orgasms.
Her spine seemed to dissolve. Erin sank back blissfully against her steam-covered mirror and smiled at Michael’s tightly closed eyes, his slack mouth. “You look exhausted, too.”
His eyes flicked open. “I just need to sleep.”
“I thought so. But you should dry off first. Could you get me the blow-dryer out of the bottom drawer?”
Michael handed Erin the dryer and her hairbrush, anticipating the decadence of having her dry his hair. He draped a towel around her for warmth, then he dropped to one knee to let her reach his head.
Hearing her quickly drawn breath, he realized he’d adopted the classic marriage-proposal position.
In two nights, would Erin declare her love for him? Would it save his life?
“Move a little closer,” she instructed.
He shivered with pleasure as the brush slid through his hair, lightly stroking his scalp. He loved her touch.
She lifted the dryer, pausing with her finger on the switch. “Why exactly were you Internet dating, Michael? Aren’t vampires supposed to be drawn to their mates instinctively? According to books, anyway. Am I not the only woman in the world for you?”
He gazed up at her teasing smile. “Yes, you are, love, but I wanted you to begin to care for me before you had to learn what I am. I was afraid you would never see beyond the fangs.”
“But why me?”
“Trolling for compliments?” he teased.
A pretty pink blush touched her lightly freckled cheeks. “I just wonder how you could be so sure before we’d even met.”
He leaned forward and kissed her knees. “Because you are tough and courageous but vulnerable, too. Because you care for people, such as your clients, a
nd feel for them, but you are strong enough to be honest. You are as sensual as I am. You like to laugh. There are so many reasons … but what matters is that I was obviously right.”
“No doubts?”
“You are drying my hair after making wild love to me. I don’t have a doubt in the world.”
He closed his eyes and let the warmth of the hair dryer and the stroking of her fingers through his hair lull him into a sense of contentment.
He hadn’t told her the entire truth about why he had been cyberdating, but he did not want her to know what he really was. What a Varkyre really was. She could never love a beast.
It was why he’d waited so long to try to meet her.
Actual face-to-face dating had not been an option for him. Not at the beginning. Not when he had risked biting into Erin’s throat instead of kissing her good night. Physical desire triggered wild, uncontrollable hunger and he could restrain his feeding urge only with a woman he loved. Now that made first dates a real bitch.
He’d been afraid he would not be able to control himself with Erin. He’d never had the chance to love anyone before; he had no family, no friends. With other women, women who might have cared for him, he’d fallen into the trap of the curse and fed from them before he could love them, before they could love him.
Erin had been safe from him while he fell for her over a computer screen.
She shut off the dryer and gave his hair a loving ruffle. “There. Do you need to sleep now?”
He smiled into her sparkling green eyes. Reached up to cup her full breasts. “I can wait a little longer. It’s my turn to dry you.”
Erin opened her eyes with a start. She smelled Michael’s essence on her and realized it hadn’t been a dream. She had spent the day making love with a vampire, and drained by monumental orgasms, she’d fallen asleep.
A feline smile curved her lips as she remembered how Michael had made her come. When they made love, she felt so connected with him she became a totally sensual being. Reaching orgasm became as instinctive as her heartbeat.
With a soft, contented sigh, Erin stretched and rolled over. Instead of touching Michael’s warm back, her hand hit the crumpled sheets. Rubbing her eyes, Erin sat upright.
She was alone in bed.
Where was he?
For a few seconds she thought he might be in the bathroom—maybe even vampires had to do that—until she saw that his clothes and boots were gone.
Turning to check the time on her bedside clock, she saw it was eight o’clock. Past sundown and it would be safe for Michael to go outside.
Her blood turned to ice. Michael must have gone out to feed. To find prey.
Footsteps. Footsteps in her kitchen.
Kicking free of her sheets, Erin stumbled out of bed. Naked, she sprinted down the hallway and skidded into her kitchen.
Seated at her counter, holding a pen, Michael looked up in surprise. A large sheet of notepaper was on the surface in front of him.
His handwriting sprawled across the page, but she couldn’t read it upside down.
Meeting her gaze, he shrugged and turned the page.
I’ll be back soon, my love.
“No, Michael, please … you can’t go out and drink someone’s blood.”
5
Erin’s heart pounded in her throat as Michael stood up from her kitchen stool. He paced toward her like a magnificent predator. She couldn’t tear her gaze away as his powerful body moved through the silver-blue streams of moonlight slanting through the room.
The buckles on his jacket and boots glinted. His eyes glittered at her, mirrors that told her nothing.
He was so badass sexy he took her breath away.
“Please, Michael—” Could she truly ask a vampire not to feed?
“It’s what I have to do to survive.”
Erin gaped at his cool tone. “But you can’t just go out into the night and claim an innocent victim.”
“I try to choose those who are not so innocent, love.”
She wrapped her arms across her bare breasts, feeling vulnerable in her nudity while he was fully dressed in his biker leathers. “I want to change you back. Can we try now?”
A slow smile curved his sensual mouth. “Erin, love, I’m willing to risk burning rather than have you hate me for being a Varkyre.”
She clapped a hand to her mouth. “I don’t want you to burn,” she mumbled through her fingers. “It has to be true, real, and unconditional love, right?” Dropping her hand to her side, Erin almost dissolved into tears. Even if she believed love could change him … “Oh, Michael, I’m just not sure. I have no idea what love should feel like. I’ve only ever loved my parents, and believe me, what I am feeling for you is a totally different thing. I don’t want to condemn you to death, but—”
He reached out for her hand. She started at the surprising coolness of his skin.
“If it’s what you want, angel, then I won’t feed,” he promised.
“But won’t you be starving?” Was she crazy to keep a starving vampire at home? She couldn’t force him to fight his need for blood forever.
“I can survive a night or two.”
Okay, now she had a time limit. “A night or two? To discover if we are in love? I can’t do that.” Hell, her parents had divorced after twenty-five years together. She’d need a lifetime.
She struggled to find a solution. It was noble he was denying his instincts for her, but was she asking too much?
As though he knew she was searching her soul to understand how she felt about him, he grasped her chin and drew her into a hungry, hot kiss. His big, solid thigh pressed between her legs, and she parted them, letting him slide her up along his leg. She loved when he did that. Her breath hitched into his mouth as his hardness rubbed her clit.
His cock wasn’t affected by his hunger. It straightened as soon as she walked her fingertips down the fly of his leather pants.
He slanted his mouth over hers and slid his tongue in and out, mimicking the sensuous rhythm of sex.
But suddenly, beneath her fingers, his body arched, stiffened, and he broke the kiss, letting out a strangled cry. The spasm eased just as quickly, and his mouth moved to hers again.
“Wait,” she cried. “Are you in pain? Does it hurt you not to feed?”
“When I crave blood, it’s excruciatingly painful.”
“Oh, god. I’m asking too much of you, aren’t I?”
His gleaming gaze moved over her face, his expression tender. “You can ask anything of me, remember?”
“I can’t ask you to do the impossible, Michael.”
“Your caresses ease the pain. That is the power of a soul mate.”
“Really?” She placed her hands on his chest, underneath his open jacket. She found his nipples beneath his shirt and gently squeezed. “This helps?”
He groaned. “Oh, yes.”
“Sex distracts you from pain and saves your soul? I thought vampires combined their feeding and sex. Of course, my reference material on this subject is books, but—”
“Only your caresses protect me from the pain.” His voice, smooth as velvet, sent a shiver of desire through her. “Only sex with you would have that power. You don’t believe me, Erin, do you?”
Michael pressed his mouth to her neck.
Erin whimpered as he sucked along her throat, aroused, yet frightened. Wasn’t that just a little too much temptation to dangle before a hungry vampire?
“Well, I think sex is better than food. What do you think?” she tried to joke as his licking and nibbling grew more enthusiastic.
“Sex with you is better than anything, love,” he agreed. “And I understand that you aren’t ready to believe in me. All I ask is that you trust me.”
She shivered as his teeth toyed with her earlobe. God help her, she wanted to trust him. It scared her—the yearning to believe in him. She was fighting to stay objective. To protect herself.
“You must be hungry, Erin. You should eat.” He rested his
hands on her upper arms, holding her as his tongue licked her inner ear.
His mouth promised heaven.
“I did,” she managed. “Nuked leftover lasagna. Ate it while you slept. Now what about you?” She gave him an exaggerated sultry look. “Do we have sex?”
Michael laughed. He slid his hands down Erin’s slender, naked arms and took hold of her hands. He loved her so. She was willing to accept him. To help him.
When he’d first seen the horror in her eyes, his heart had almost stopped. The sensation had been like bleeding to death. His body had grown icy cold just as it had that morning when his blood had seeped out onto the cold dueling field where he’d lost his mortal life. With every passing second, he’d known what was happening wasn’t good.
To have her offer to free him had been a gift he’d not expected.
He led Erin into her living room. Then frowned. He’d forgotten her apartment had the smallest living room he’d ever seen. A sofa, a love seat, and a coffee table filled it completely. “The floor isn’t going to work.”
She pulled him toward the petite lipstick-red sofa.
As he stretched out on it, her eyes widened. “Wow. You completely cover that thing. Do you think it might collapse?”
His head bumped awkwardly against the arm. One booted foot hung over the other end; the other rested on the floor. “Come sit on top of me.”
It was the most erotic sight, watching her scramble naked on top of his legs. Her curves glowed in the moonlight, pale and silvery. Her bare ivory legs straddling his black leather was one of the more seductive things he’d ever seen.
Damn, he almost wished he’d put on his bike gloves, just to see the contrast of black fingers cupping her round, pale breasts.
Erin pressed her hands against his chest and sensuously ground her naked pussy against his clothed thigh. Her auburn waves danced around her shoulders as she rocked on him.
His breath caught.
“I want to know everything about you, Michael,” she whispered, her voice as soft and light as the moonbeams spilling in from her kitchen. “How you became a vampire. How you’ve lived. What your mortal life was like. I want to understand you. I want to love you.”
