When his hands touched her bare flesh, she almost groaned in relief. Her skin was on fire, but his touch was like diving into the ocean on a hot August day.
Dante should end this before things went too far, but he couldn’t get enough of her. He would stop soon, but he’d never felt skin so silky or a body so warm and inviting.
He ran his hands up her rib cage and around to the delicate swell of her breasts. When she lowered her hand to cup his erection through his jeans, he nearly came. With a low growl, he pulled her closer and nipped her bottom lip before gripping the button of her jeans. This was a bad idea, but though his pulse thundered in his head, he was pretty sure all his blood now filled his dick, so reasonable thought wasn’t an option.
He unbuttoned her jeans and, pulling them open, slid his hand inside. When his fingers skimmed her lacy underwear and slipped between her legs to touch upon her wetness, his fangs sprang free.
He’d never lost control in such a way before, but it took everything he had not to sink them into her plump bottom lip while her hips found the rhythm of his hand. She was this wet for him, and her body was begging for release, a release he could give her.
He couldn’t take her here.
He couldn’t stop.
He wouldn’t stop unless she told him no, but those words weren’t coming from her as she unbuttoned his jeans. Dante was close to tearing her clothes off and sinking himself inside her as he delved a finger into her. Her delicious gasp reverberated in his ears as her hips swayed toward him and she followed the rhythm of his hand.
Cassidy enclosed her hand around his shaft and gave it a long stroke that caused him to shudder against her. He was thick in her hand, but his skin was like silk as it stretched over his flesh. She could barely think as a coiling, almost painful tension spread out from where he was doing amazing things with his finger and hand.
She was so close she couldn’t breathe, and her heart thundered in anticipation. Then he moved in such a way that his finger rubbed her clit with each thrust. His mouth muffled her cry of ecstasy as her body came apart.
When her legs almost gave out, he encircled his arm around her waist and held her up. She continued stroking him until his hand gripped her wrist and he stilled her movement. She didn’t understand why he’d made her stop until laughter floated down the hall. Someone squealed, and something banged loudly.
Reality returned with a jolt that left her almost as shaken as the amazing orgasm he gave her. She’d never experienced anything like it before. She’d made out with other guys, but she’d never gotten this far with any of them, and he was far more exciting than her hand.
However, as much as she desired him, letting this continue here was a bad idea. Anyone could walk in on them, including her brother. She tore her mouth from his and labored to catch her breath as she settled her hands on his chest.
“We can’t do this here,” she whispered.
Dante rested his forehead against hers as the alluring scent of her arousal beat against him. She was right, but the vampire part of him protested her words. And then he thought about someone walking in and seeing her partially naked. The demon calmed a little, but it still hovered beneath the surface, ready to break free and take her.
“I didn’t mean for things to get so carried away,” he said.
His deep, husky timber sent shivers down her spine, and she gave herself a mental kick in the ass. Get your shit together.
“We should go,” she said.
“Can we leave out the back door?” he asked as he forced his cock back into his jeans. It was not happy about being denied, but he would have her.
“No, it’s alarmed.”
He’d hoped not to have to see her brothers again, but they didn’t have a choice. Taking a deep breath, he rested his arm against the locker as he willed his erection away. Having Cassidy in front of him and her chest brushing against his didn’t help. He pushed himself off the lockers and took a couple of steps away.
“Will you come back to my place with me?” he asked when he felt a little more stable.
Cassidy was still debating jumping him here and now, but that would be a spur-of-the-moment thing; if she went back to his place, it would be a calculated move. Given her intense reaction to him, it could also be an irrevocable step toward completing the mate bond, and she didn’t think the possibility they could be mates had crossed his mind.
“I think there’s something we have to discuss first,” she said.
“Then let’s discuss it.”
“Not here.”
“At my place then?” he inquired.
“Yes.”
Chapter Twenty-Seven
“Do you remember when we talked about mates?” Cassidy said as she walked with him toward his apartment.
Unsure what to do with her hands, she shoved them in her pockets as she stared at the cracks in the sidewalk. Her stomach churned with anxiety over this conversation, but she smiled when she spotted a dandelion growing through one of the cracks and carefully stepped around it.
Dante gave her a sidelong glance as she walked beside him with her head bowed. For the first time since meeting her, there was an awkwardness between them he didn’t understand. He also sensed something more to her question.
“Yes,” he said.
Cassidy glanced around the street, but they were in a mostly residential area now, and they still had some time before the bars called last call, so the street was almost empty. No one could overhear them here.
“My parents are mated, most of my siblings have found their mates, and my adopted uncles are mated. When a vampire finds their mate, it’s often an instantaneous attraction, and it’s impossible to deny. I’ve also been told it can be extremely overwhelming, especially since vampires are often on edge until they complete the bond.”
He studied her as she avoided stepping on another weed. Her words struck a chord in him as they described how he felt since meeting her. Could she be his mate? He blew the possibility off before, but was she meant to be his forever?
Excitement thrummed through his veins as he took in her beautiful countenance. If he could join with anyone throughout eternity, it would be Cassidy with her stubborn ways, fantastic voice, and loving heart. She was as beautiful inside as she was outside, and that was so rare to find in this world.
“Interesting,” he murmured.
“The closer a vampire gets with their mate, the tougher it is to resist completing the bond.”
“I see.”
Cassidy glanced at him from under her lashes. “Do you?”
Dante frowned at her. Then, like he was hit upside the head by a two-by-four, he understood why she was talking about this. I’m not the only one questioning if I’ve encountered my mate.
“Do you think I’m your mate?” he asked and held his breath while he waited for her response.
“I’m not sure. It’s too early to tell… I think,” she muttered more to herself than to him. “But I feel more attracted to you than anyone I’ve ever known before.”
That admission left her feeling vulnerable and exposed, and she hated every second of it. In her pockets, her fingers dug into her palms as she focused on the headlights coming toward them.
On the street corner, a group of kids was hanging out on the steps of one of the apartment buildings. When they laughed at something one of them said, their laughter caused a smile to tug at the corners of her mouth. They were so happy and so oblivious to the real horrors lurking in this world; she hoped they stayed that way.
Dante continued to study her as she smiled. Since first seeing her, he’d done nothing but think about her. The other night, he had no intention of returning to the bar, but after seeing her on the street, he couldn’t resist.
She’d filled his thoughts and fantasies for two weeks; even now, he’d give anything to taste and feel the warmth of her skin again. Did that mean she was his mate?
“What happens if vampires don’t complete the mate bond?” he asked.
Cassidy didn’t speak as they passed the kids on the stairs. Lost in their conversation, their laughter, and the magic of the spring night, the kids didn’t acknowledge their passing.
“If one of the people involved in the bond is human, the vampire is compelled to change them. If the bond isn’t completed, or if a mate dies, the vampire goes insane, becomes a Savage, or kills themselves,” she said when they were out of earshot.
“Shit,” Dante said.
Cassidy smiled grimly as they arrived at his apartment building and stopped at the bottom of the steps. “It’s a powerful bond. And sex, or an exchange of blood without completing the bond, only increases a vampire’s compulsion to claim their mate. A vampire, especially a pureblood like me, can start to lose control pretty fast afterward if they don’t complete the bond.”
Dante willed her to look at him, and finally, she lifted her eyes to his. The trepidation and vulnerability in her gaze made it impossible for him to resist her. Without thinking, he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her against his chest.
He kissed the top of her head and turned his cheek to rest it against her hair. His mind spun as he tried to process the possibility she could be his for eternity.
“We don’t really know each other,” Cassidy said.
He leaned back to look down at her. “Then what would you like to know about me? Ask away; I’m an open book.”
Cassidy rolled her eyes at his teasing tone.
“I’m not kidding,” he said. “Ask me anything.”
“Where were you born?”
“Right here in Boston; it’s my home and my heart. I love the Red Sox, never miss a Pats game, live and breathe the Bruins, and scream and cheer for the Celtics. I never miss a Marathon Monday and was there the day of the bombing, though I was a mile away from it. I watched every hour of the hunt for the perpetrators on TV. This city is part of my soul.”
“It’s easy to fall in love with,” she said. “I have since I moved here.”
“And where were you born?” he asked as he released her and settled onto one of the steps. He rested his back against the metal railing, lifted his knee, and draped an arm over it.
Cassidy gulped when he looked up at her. The dim glow of the nearby streetlights illuminated the lighter brown strands in his dark hair. It also made him look younger and somehow more vulnerable, or maybe that was because he was looking at her with such hope. Her heart swelled, and it took everything she had not to throw herself into his arms and hug him.
She glanced around, but the street remained deserted except for a passing vehicle. She settled onto the stair across from him and leaned against the wrought iron railing. A spring breeze teased her hair as she told him about being born in Oregon before moving to Maine with her family and later coming to Boston to live with Kyle and Aida before Julian arrived.
They talked about their childhoods, and she was amazed to discover how similar they were… given their extremely different circumstances. She didn’t go to public school until high school, and she had nine siblings, but there were a lot of similarities.
She told him about the vast amount of love her parents shared and how that love had spread throughout her siblings and their families. When she told him about the loss of Doug and how his death left her broken and unable to sing afterward, she saw the understanding in his eyes, and he stretched his hand out to her. She took it and squeezed before releasing him.
He told her about how his father came over from Spain when he was a child and how his voice retained the faintest hint of an accent. He told her about how fluent he was in Spanish, and she melted a little when he switched between Spanish and English with ease. That voice saying those words was almost as panty-melting as his touch.
He’d never known his father’s parents as they passed away in a car accident before he was born. However, his mother’s mom was very involved in his life until she passed away in her sleep when he was sixteen. His mother never knew her father; he took off when he learned his grandma was pregnant.
And he talked about Maya. He told her about how they would make blanket forts and curl up inside them with flashlights and books for hours. He told her about how they would hop on the T and ride it to Fenway on game days. Sometimes, they’d get lucky enough to score standing-room-only tickets cheap, but a lot of times, they hung around outside the park, listening to the cheers and stuffing themselves on hot dogs from the vendors.
He told her about how they tortured each other, shared everything, and talked about their dreams. The more he spoke about Maya, the more real she felt again, and once he started, he couldn’t stop. It had been years since he had anyone to acknowledge Maya’s existence with him; it was like a floodgate opened and all his pent-up love flooded out.
And he told her about how broken and angry he felt when she vanished. How unfair and hopeless it all felt, especially since he couldn’t do much to help find her. When the reality that she was probably dead sank in, he couldn’t get out of bed for a week.
His mother, who was barely surviving at the time, came in on the seventh day, sat beside him, and cried. Dante had no idea how to react to her tears, so he simply lay there, staring at the ceiling and listening to his mother’s quiet sobs as his broken heart shattered further.
When she finished crying, she wiped her eyes and stood. “I’ve already lost one child; please don’t make me lose another.”
That was all she said before leaving. Dante lay there for another hour before he pushed himself out of bed and took a shower. Vowing to do whatever it took to bring Maya home, he joined the police academy the next day.
Cassidy blinked away the tears burning her eyes as she felt his suffering and that of his parents in his words. When she held her hand out to him, he took it. She never wanted to let him go.
They talked until the sky lightened on the horizon and their voices grew tired, but there was still so much more she yearned to learn about this man. She could talk to him every night for an eternity and never grow tired of listening to him.
“How did you become a vampire?” she asked as she stifled a yawn.
Dante ran a hand through his hair as he considered that low point in his life. “It’s not exactly something I’m proud of, but after the death of my parents, I started to drink more than I should have. I still had the police force and friends, but I didn’t have a whole lot else, and the booze helped me forget that for a time.
“One night, I was in a bar, getting drunk after my shift again, and a pretty woman approached me. We talked, I learned her name was Clora, and after an hour, she took me back to her place. When she saw my locket, she asked the story behind it. It’s not one I often shared, but I drank enough that night not to care. So I told her about Maya and that my biggest fear was dying without knowing what happened to her.
“My tale intrigued her, or at least that’s what she told me afterward. She offered me a choice; I could walk out of there the next morning with an altered memory of the true events, or she could guarantee me more time, so my fear might never come true.
“I can’t exactly tell you what my thought processes were that night—there was a lot of tequila involved—but I do remember agreeing to do whatever it took for more time, even though I didn’t know what I agreed to. I went through a whole lot of pain, woke up thirstier than I’ve ever been in my life, and I couldn’t escape the pounding hearts in the room with me.”
“Hearts?” Cassidy asked.
“While I was transitioning, Clora went out and brought back two girls for me to feed on. Thankfully, she made sure I didn’t kill them, because I’m not sure I could have controlled myself. When I finished feeding, she took them away. I stayed with her for about a month while she taught me about my new world.”
Cassidy buried the jealousy boiling inside her like rancid acid. “Then what happened?”
“I woke up one day, she was gone, and I was on my own. I’d already quit my job; I didn’t think it was a good idea to try keeping this b
ig of a secret around a bunch of detectives.”
“Probably not.”
“I go out of my way to avoid running into someone from my past life, and so far, I’ve been successful. I’ve gotten better with my mind control, so at least they won’t remember it if I do run into someone.”
“What did you do after Clora left?”
“I didn’t have a whole lot going on, but I knew I had to do something, or I was going to go insane and probably start drinking too much again. So, I decided to bring other missing people home while I worked Maya’s case, and a new life was born.”
He was living a life so different than the one he envisioned when he was younger. Back then, he’d dreamed of being a lawyer, his law office, a beautiful wife, and children. After Maya vanished, he still held dreams of a family, but they lost the shine of those earlier dreams.
The dark cloud of Maya’s disappearance would forever dampen all future joy. Every special event, every holiday, and birthday, someone would always be missing. And then, after becoming a vampire, he gave up all dreams of a family as he was sure he could never have one. But now, with Cassidy, those dreams were coming back, and they were vivid and wondrous; he would fight to the death to keep them and her.
Cassidy yawned as pink and yellow colors stretched across the sky.
“You’re tired,” Dante said. “Would you like to come upstairs? We can get some sleep before going to meet Lindsay Parks, or I can walk you home.”
He held his breath as he waited for her answer. He desired her, yes, but he also wanted to hold her in his arms and fall asleep secure in the knowledge she was with him.
She should go home and let their relationship progress slowly, but she couldn’t leave him, and she would only toss and turn until she saw him again. “Upstairs sounds good,” she said with a smile.
Relentless (Vampire Awakenings Book 11) Page 15
