Oh, yeah, right. That’d be me.
“Are you…in control?” Holly asked quietly.
He was still on the floor. He should be on his feet, helping her. She was wounded. She needed care and attention.
But he didn’t move because he wasn’t sure of himself. He gave her the truth, simply saying, “No.” Rumbling. Deep.
Her eyes widened.
He’d told her to run before. Why hadn’t she listened to him? Saul hadn’t been the only threat to her.
“I’m okay,” she told him. Still in that whole let’s-tame-the-beast voice. Only she didn’t seem to get that the beast wasn’t in the mood to be tamed.
Then she lifted her robe, revealing the curve of her thigh, the dip of her stomach. “See…all healed.”
There were no wounds on her, nothing to blemish that smooth skin. How the hell was that even possible?
But…screw the hows…her legs were long and perfect. He could see the curve of her breast. She was trying to pull the robe back but—
Want to see.
In an instant, he was on his feet. His hands were on her, reaching for that robe.
“Duncan?”
“I told you…run…” She could still get away. He was as much of a monster as Saul and—
Holly shook her head. Her eyes seemed to see into him. “I don’t want to run from you.”
His breath was coming too hard. His heart racing too fast. His cock aching too much. He stood before her, naked because his clothes had shredded with the shift, and there was no hiding his arousal.
She wasn’t pulling away. Wasn’t pushing against him.
She was reaching up. Standing on her tip toes. Kissing him.
The woman had just sealed her fate.
You should have run. Now there won’t be any escape.
She tried to make the kiss soft and gentle. Not happening. He was on fire for her. Needed her more than air. So his hold was too rough, his hands almost shaking as he lifted her up against him and plundered her mouth. His tongue thrust past her lips. He tasted.
Yes. She tasted as sweet as she smelled. His mouth pressed harder against hers, and he stumbled forward with her.
They fell onto the bed.
His hands pushed between them. He didn’t take his mouth from hers. Couldn’t. He kept kissing her. And he ripped her robe. It tore beneath his claws.
Claws.
He still had claws. Hell, no, he couldn’t hurt her. He yanked his mouth from hers. Tried to pull away from her.
“You can’t leave me now,” she said and pulled him back.
Duncan shook his head. His control was razor thin, and she didn’t understand how dangerous he was. “I’ll…hurt…”
It was all he could manage. He kissed her again. Drove his tongue past her lips.
No. Pull away. Get away.
Her hands curled around his shoulders. She arched against him. Her breasts were tight peaks. They rubbed over his chest, and his cock jerked in eagerness.
But he couldn’t touch her. He had claws. He’d slice open her skin. Can’t.
Her hands were sliding over his back. Soft, a silken touch. Helplessly, Duncan stretched into her touch.
Her legs were parted, with his much more powerful thighs between hers. They’d fallen this way when they tumbled onto the bed.
She was…aroused. He could smell the rich, heady scent.
He kissed a path down her neck. Licked her flesh. His hands were flat on the bed, on either side of her. He wouldn’t touch her with his hands.
Only his mouth.
She shivered beneath him. “You won’t hurt me.”
How was she so confident? He wasn’t. He just knew that it was too late to pull back now. The beast wouldn’t let him.
The man wasn’t strong enough to leave her.
His mouth lingered on the curve of her shoulder. He had the strongest urge to bite her there. To…mark her.
His teeth nipped her.
She moaned.
The thunder of his heartbeat drummed ever faster in his ear.
The nightmare that had become his life, the agency, Saul—none of that mattered then.
Only Holly.
Her nipples were a light pink. He put his mouth on one tight peak. Kissed. Sucked. Licked.
“Duncan!”
He loved the way she said his name. His fingers fisted on the bed covers. She was positioned so perfectly beneath him. All it would take was one deep thrust. He could already feel the wet heat of her arousal on the head of his cock.
One hard thrust.
He licked her nipple once more and then started to kiss his way down the curve of her stomach.
But her hands locked around his shoulders. “I need—”
His head snapped up. His eyes locked on hers. Whatever she needed, he’d give her.
“I need you,” she whispered, wetting her lips. “I can’t wait…please, Duncan!”
The roaring in his ears told him that he couldn’t wait either.
The covers were tearing beneath his claws.
Her legs lifted. Curled around his hips, and her body arched toward him.
He drove into her, as deep as he could go. She gasped. He fucking growled. Then there was no holding back. There was only taking. Only pleasure. She was so tight around his cock. Squeezing. Hot. Perfect. He pulled back, thrust hard, again, over and over. The pleasure built, his spine tightened, his cock swelled even more.
He bent to kiss her. Tasting her even as he took her. And it was incredible. She was incredible.
Her sex squeezed even tighter around him. Holly pulled her head away from him, her breath heaving. Then she was kissing his neck. He felt the light rasp of her tongue on his skin.
She shuddered beneath him. Her body seemed to stiffen, and he knew her climax was close. So was his. He knew—
Her teeth sank into his neck. The bite shot a bolt of pure pleasure rocketing through him. He came, exploding within her on a release that was more powerful than anything he’d ever experienced.
His hips pistoned against her. He drove hard, plunging deep within her, as the pleasure hallowed him out.
And she was with him. He felt the ripples of her release. The contractions of her sex, and those small movements just increased his pleasure.
He could barely breathe, and he didn’t care.
The sex was that good.
Then she was licking his neck. Her fingers were falling away from his shoulders. The thunder of his heartbeat finally slowed down, and Duncan forced his head to lift.
Her cheeks were flushed. Her eyes wide, but not sated—scared.
Duncan frowned. What the hell?
“I’m so sorry,” Holly whispered and a tear leaked down her cheek.
He bent and licked that tear away. “Can’t be sorry…” His words rasped out, “for sex that good.”
Her lips parted. His gaze dropped to her mouth, and he saw that her lips were red.
Wet.
Not from his kiss because that redness…
Her tongue swiped out, and she licked a drop of moisture away.
That redness was blood.
Unease snaked through him. “Holly?”
He could see the edge of her canines, peeking out beneath her top lip. Her canines were longer, sharper than before.
She’d bit my neck. The pleasure had exploded then, and he hadn’t cared about anything else.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered again as she shoved him back.
The woman was far stronger than she should have been.
With the distance between them, he immediately missed the warmth of her body. Wanted back in her body. The pleasure they’d shared had just been the start. He wanted more. Much more.
She had fangs.
He stood on the side of the bed. The covers he’d ripped were in his hands, dangling from his fingers.
She healed too quickly. The slashes on Holly’s side and her arm were gone, and now that he wasn’t thinking so much with his cock
, he realized that her wrist wasn’t broken. Not even bruised.
She grabbed for some of the covers—the ones he hadn’t ripped—and wrapped them around her body. Her eyes looked even darker than before.
She’d had blood on her lips. Blood she’d licked away.
He probably shouldn’t have found that move sexy. He had. He found everything about her sexy, even the fact that—
“You’re a vampire,” he said.
She flinched, but, after a brief moment, Holly nodded.
His heart beat—which had just slowed—slammed right into his chest. What. The. Fuck.
“I guess you’re not the only monster in the room,” she whispered.
He was on her in less than a second’s time. He leapt back to the bed. Caged her with his body. “You’re not a monster.”
She was beautiful. Sexy.
And a vampire? Since when?
Did Pate know? Hell, he had to know.
“Yes.” Her smile was sad. “I am.” Her little fangs were still peeking out. Her gaze dropped to his throat.
His fingers rose. Touched the skin. It felt slightly tender, but that little pain was a small price to pay for the avalanche of pleasure she’d given him. As soon as she’d bit him, he’d come. And kept coming…until her mouth left him.
“I-I need to get dressed.”
Duncan shook his head. The haze of lust and rage had cleared enough for him to think. Mostly. “You’re not going anywhere.” He finally had Holly just where he wanted her. Naked. In bed.
Her lashes lifted. Her gaze locked on his. Narrowed. “You don’t want to push me now.”
Actually, that was exactly what he wanted to do.
Except he heard the squeal of brakes outside. The cavalry? Finally coming to the rescue?
Car doors slammed.
Footsteps thudded as people raced toward her house—and into her house.
“Holly!” Pate’s voice. Desperate. Afraid.
Horror widened Holly’s eyes. “No, he’ll find us…like this…”
So?
Her gaze flew around the room.
The agents—and it was more than one, probably three, judging by those thudding footsteps—were rushing up the stairs. There wasn’t time to dress. Wasn’t time to do anything but jump out of the bed and spin toward that door. Only he’d pretty much splintered that wooden door to hell and back when he’d burst inside before.
“Stay out!” Duncan yelled.
But Pate was already there. Staring at him with wide eyes, then looking over Duncan’s shoulder. “Holly?”
The shock in his voice had Duncan’s shoulders tensing. He put his body in front of Holly. “I said…stay out.” The wolf’s growl rumbled in those words.
But Pate must have been having one real slow night. Because he just stood in the doorway. Shane was behind him, craning his fool neck to see inside.
“Holly, what have you done?” Pate asked her, voice wooden.
Duncan didn’t move. Holly did. He heard the faint rustle of her movement and then her hand was on his shoulder. Her fingers trembled.
Pate pushed into the room, shoving the broken door out of his way.
Holly’s nails dug into Duncan’s flesh.
“Take another step,” Duncan said, “and you’ll regret it.”
Pate stiffened. He held up his hand, indicating that Shane should move back. “Go downstairs. Wait with the others.”
Shane hurriedly stepped back and got out of there. Good. Shane wasn’t a complete dipshit.
“You’re the one who’s going to regret this,” Pate said. The guy had a gun out. One that was aimed at Duncan’s chest. Were those bullets made out of silver? Or wood? Those were the two prime choices for agents in their unit. “You should have never touched her.”
“Pate!” Fear tinged Holly’s voice.
“Did you drink from him?” His voice was hushed.
So Pate did know.
But that whisper said he didn’t want Shane and the other agent to find out Holly’s secret.
“She did,” Duncan answered, cocking his head. And I loved it. Who would have thought? The bite of a vampire…
It could be one major turn-on.
“Why aren’t you shocked?” Pate demanded. That gun was still pointing right at Duncan. “From the look of things, you just screwed a vampire.”
And it was the way he said it that pissed off Duncan. The anger, that tightly leashed fury.
“Watch it,” Duncan warned him. His beast had been calmed by Holly’s touch, but the wolf was ready to come out again.
“You just turned into an alpha! Sonofabitch! Don’t you know what this means? You had sex with her—” Pate’s eyes widened as he broke off. “She bit you.” Muttered. He took another step toward them. “Did you bite her, too?” Intensity sharpened his words.
That gun was too close to comfort, and he was real tired of being on the receiving end of Pate’s rage.
Duncan lunged toward him and snatched the gun right out of Pate’s hand. He was getting rather used to his werewolf speed. “Don’t point that damn thing at me or her again.”
Holly laughed behind him. The sound was cold. Bitter. Not at all like her.
But how much do you know her? You didn’t even know she was a vampire. The insidious whisper slid through his mind.
“Pointing the gun at me isn’t the problem.” She’d wrapped the sheet around her body, sarong style. Her hair had dried. Her cheeks were still flushed, and her skin seemed to shine. She was, without a doubt, the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen. “A few hours ago, he shot me in the heart with one of his wooden bullets.”
And Duncan remembered the thunder he’d heard as he’d given chase after Saul. He’d been rushing through the woods, so intent on his prey that he hadn’t even paused at that sound. He hadn’t thought—Holly—
A snarl broke from his lips.
Pate’s eyes widened. “Easy. It only killed her for a few minutes.”
A few minutes…
“You’re not freaking out because you just screwed a vampire.” Pate still seemed confused by that point.
His back teeth locked. “I’m a werewolf. Who the fuck am I to judge?”
But Pate’s eyes had gone back to Holly. “There’s no going back now.” His voice was almost sad.
Her chin lifted. “You never understood. There was never going to be any going back. No matter what you hoped.” Then she headed into what looked like a bathroom. The doorframe was broken, and he could just see some tile inside.
Pate’s gaze followed her.
“Eyes over here, asshole,” Duncan growled.
Pate’s green stare cut to him. “Could you get some damn clothes on? Or my eyes will be going blind.”
“I shifted,” Duncan gritted. “She was in trouble—”
“Oh, yeah, I see that.”
“There wasn’t time to take my clothes off. I had to rush to her.”
“I’m sure you did.”
“And it’s not like there are backup men’s clothes here.”
Pate’s lips twisted. “Sure there are.” He spun on his heel and headed out the broken door. His hand waved toward the right as he pointed down the hallway. “Second door on the right. Check the top drawer of the chest.”
What?
“When you’re both dressed, drag your asses downstairs,” Pate said, the words an order from unit’s director.
Duncan stalked down the hallway. Went in the second door on the right. He yanked open the drawer and pulled out a pair of jeans. They fit perfect, as did the faded t-shirt. They had to belong to a guy near his size. Who the hell was he? And they—
They smelled like Pate.
There’s no going back now.
Duncan slammed the chest closed. The wood shattered. Pate’s reaction had been too personal. He’d known Holly’s secrets. His clothes were in her spare bedroom.
Mine. The wolf started to claw inside of him.
Carefully, slowly, Duncan sucked i
n a deep breath. He could still taste Holly, only now…now her scent was blending with Pate’s.
He stalked from the room and saw Holly. She had already dressed. She had on jeans that hugged her ass too well and a loose top. Her hand was on the bannister, and she was near the foot of the stairs.
Pate was reaching for her. Curving his hand around her shoulder.
There was no sign of the other agents. Just Pate. Just Holly. Pate pulled her close against him. Held her.
Duncan’s eyes narrowed. Pate was whispering to her, and when he focused hard enough, Duncan could just make out the guy’s words.
I’m sorry. We’ll make it work. Everything will be fine again, I promise.
Holly shook her head. Tried to pull away from him.
But Pate just tightened his hold around her. His lips brushed over her forehead. I won’t lose you.
Oh, hell, yes, he would. Duncan bounded down the stairs. “Get your hands off her.” A lethal order.
This wasn’t about getting an order from his unit’s director. Wasn’t about the supernatural nightmare that was his life.
This was about some prick having his hands all over the woman that Duncan wanted.
And Pate needed to back the hell up before Duncan wrecked the guy’s face.
“I was worried this would happen,” Pate said with a sigh. He didn’t let Holly go. Big mistake. “Don’t you see, Holly, he’s linking with you? Bonding?”
“My fist is going to bond with your face,” Duncan promised.
Holly pushed Pate away. Then she whirled to face Duncan. She blocked his path, stopping him before he could carry through on that sweet promise he’d made to Pate.
“Don’t,” she said, shaking her head.
He reached out his hand. Ran his fingers over the spot that Pate had kissed on her forehead. He needed to get some things clear, fast. Wolves… werewolves didn’t react like humans.
Pate had that bit right. Duncan was linking with her. He wanted her again. Wanted her naked and screaming beneath him. She hadn’t screamed with pleasure before, would she next time?
“My bite…it’s…ah, making you react this way,” Holly said, her words rushed.
The bite?
“It…creates a connection. Between vampire and prey. There’s pleasure in the bite.”
Yeah, he’d gotten that part.
“The pleasure is addictive. It’s how vampires lure their prey to them, again and again.” Her lips tightened. “The vampires who aren’t interested in torturing their prey, that is.”
Love's First Bite: Bad Boys and Alpha Vampires Boxed Set (6 book bundle) Page 8
