Blazing Bedtime Stories, Volume IV

by Kimberly Raye

  He was a vampire now.

  A goddamn vampire.

  He started for the creek that ran at the far edge of the property. There’d been several rains in the past few weeks, so the water was over a foot deep. Rayne peeled off his clothes and waded out into the moving water. He sat down and let the cold liquid roll over his shoulders. It was the closest thing to a cold shower that he could think of without going inside the house, but it did little to cool the inferno that raged inside him. Nothing could quiet the hunger or the memories or the truth that he would have to feed again.

  That he wanted to feed again.

  Despite last night’s sex.

  Because of it.

  While a little one-on-one was usually enough to sate him and send him looking for the next woman, it had been different with Lucy. The more he’d touched her, the more he’d wanted to touch her. The more he’d kissed her, the more he’d wanted to kiss her. The more he’d drank in her sweet orgasm, the more he’d wanted to drink from her.

  Her body.

  Her blood.

  He hadn’t, of course. He hadn’t been that out-of-control.

  Thanks to the blindfold.

  With her eyes covered and her thoughts hidden, he’d been able to pretend that he was still the same man he’d once been and forget the monster he’d become.

  The blindfold. That was what had made their encounter so different.

  That and the fact that she wasn’t just any woman. She was the only woman he’d ever loved. The woman he still loved.

  And she loved him.

  The thought stirred a tiny thrill. A crazy reaction because he knew it didn’t make a damned bit of difference. The Realtor had already dropped off the paperwork. All he had to do was sign the papers and the sale would be complete.

  He would sign.

  First thing tomorrow.

  Then he would walk away and leave Skull Creek for good.

  But his leaving wouldn’t hurt her this time because she hadn’t known it was him. She thought she’d slept with some other guy.

  And that was what she would think when he showed up for Round Two. Because Rayne intended to keep up the ruse.

  Even if it did bother the hell out of him.

  It was a small price to pay for one more memory to keep him company during all the dark, lonely nights that lay ahead.

  10

  SHE’D MADE IT.

  Lucy gave herself a pat on the back as she shelved the last beer mug and called it a night. It was half past midnight and the bar had closed up shop thirty minutes ago. She’d not only managed to make a decent amount in tips thanks to Terence Green and his poker buddies, she’d also stayed a safe distance from the phone.

  Luckily Rayne hadn’t come into the bar during the six hours and thirty minutes she’d been battling her hormones. Otherwise, she had a sneaking suspicion she would have been a goner. But he’d steered clear of the Horseshoe and so she’d managed to stay on track.

  She ignored a strange spiral of disappointment, grabbed her purse and told Zeke goodnight.

  She was halfway through the parking lot when her skin prickled and awareness skittered up her spine.

  She turned and drank in the empty stretch of gravel. The only light came from a single bulb that burned near the rear Exit. A Dumpster sat nearby, along with a stack of Corona boxes. She drew a deep breath and turned back around. Her car sat in the last row, next to Zeke’s jacked-up 4x4 Chevy. Otherwise, the lot was empty. No extra cars. No visible stalkers.

  She picked up her steps and hit the unlock button on her key fob. Climbing inside, she keyed the ignition and pulled out of the parking lot. But even inside her car, she couldn’t escape the heat that skittered up and down her arms and the expectancy that sat in the pit of her stomach.

  As if someone watched her.

  Wanted her.

  If only.

  Turning on the radio, she found a lively country station and tried to distract herself from her traitorous body. It worked, too. By the time she pulled into her driveway, her breathing came a little easier and her heart had slowed to a steady beat.

  But then she climbed out from the car and the feelings rushed back full-force. The frenzied nerves. The sizzle of electricity in the air. The knowledge deep in her gut that someone was nearby.

  Her feet made quick work of the walkway and she mounted the steps, her key in hand. Wood creaked and she reached for the doorknob—

  “Boo!”

  Panic bolted through her. She whirled and the emotion faded in a rush of relief.

  Robin stood behind her, a smile on her face.

  “Jesus, you scared the crap out of me.” Lucy forced a deep breath. She glanced at the empty driveway. “Where’d you come from?”

  Robin indicated the swing that sat off to one side of the porch. “I’m waiting for my date. He’s picking me up in a few minutes and I needed something to wear.”

  Lucy’s gaze dropped to the familiar red and pink halter top that her sister wore. “Thanks for asking.”

  “Hey, you should be the one thanking me. That monster of yours would have shredded one of your couch cushions if I hadn’t walked in and given him one of those doggy things to chew on.”

  Lucy glanced in the living-room window. Sure enough, Cupid sat in the center of the floor, gnawing on a rawhide strip. “But I left him in the laundry room.”

  “Maybe you forgot to close the door.” Robin shrugged. “Or maybe he really does have special powers.”

  If only.

  The only supernatural ability Cupid seemed to possess was the uncanny knack for destroying things.

  At that moment, headlights rounded the corner.

  “That’s him,” Robin quipped. “Gotta go.” She started down the steps.

  “Have fun,” Lucy called after her.

  Robin turned. “I’d say the same, but you won’t do it. You’re a great big chicken.”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “The Happy Trails Motel?” She signaled for her date to wait and arched an eyebrow at Lucy. “You chickened out.”

  “I did not.”

  Robin gave her a “yeah, right” look. “I ran into Andre last night at the new bar that just opened up over in Travis County. He told me he’d gotten stood up by a friend of mine. Since I don’t make it a habit of recommending him to just anyone, I knew he was talking about you.”

  “Wait a second.” Lucy eyed her sister. “You saw him? Last night?”

  “Live and in color.”

  “What time?”

  “About ten. He said he’d been waiting at the motel, but then you didn’t show so he headed over to the bar to drown his disappointment. Poor guy.”

  “But that’s impossible.” At 10:00 p.m. she’d been engaged in the hottest sexual encounter of her life with Andre himself.

  At least she’d thought it was him.

  Shock gripped her as the reality of what her sister was telling her sank in.

  She’d slept with the wrong man.

  Or, in this case, the right man.

  Memories rushed at her and her nostrils flared. She smelled the intoxicating scent of leather and raw male and a hint of danger. She heard the deep timbre of his voice. Felt the strong touch of his hand.

  Oh, no.

  “Are you okay?” Robin’s concerned voice pushed past the panic thundering in Lucy’s ears. She was next to her in an instant. “You don’t look so good. Is something wrong?”

  But it wasn’t just something. It was everything. She’d done the unthinkable. She’d slept with Rayne Montana.

  Rayne.

  “Listen,” Robin went on, her expression softening, “I know you’re taking this celibacy thing seriously and I just want you to know that I think it’s kind of cool.”

  “You do not.”

  “Okay, so I think it’s kind of cool in a crazy, totally weird way, but that’s only because it’s not my personal choice. If it works for you, that’s all that matters.”

 
But it wasn’t working at all. She’d not only fallen off the wagon, she’d done it with the one person she’d vowed not to sleep with.

  It wasn’t your fault. You didn’t know.

  The thing was, she had known. Deep inside, she’d recognized him, but she’d ignored the tell-tale signs and grasped at the fantasy because she hadn’t wanted to stop. It had been so long and she’d missed him so much. She’d wanted to have sex with him.

  She still did.

  THE TRUTH HAUNTED HER as Robin and her date pulled out of the driveway a short while later and disappeared around the corner.

  Lucy turned to open her front door. Her fingers clasped the knob. The door clicked open and a deep, seductive voice slid into her ears.

  “I’ve been thinking about you.” A hard male body stepped up behind her and every nerve went on instant alert. “About last night.” Strong, muscular arms came around her and she saw the familiar red necktie dangling from his fingertips. “About this.”

  Her nipples tightened and anticipation coiled between her legs.

  She wanted to have sex with him, all right.

  Want.

  It didn’t have to go beyond that if she didn’t let it. She was a grown woman, for heaven’s sake. Experienced. Realistic.

  Love did not equal sex. She knew that better than anyone.

  Just as she knew Rayne would be leaving as soon as he finished his business in Skull Creek. That was why he’d hidden his identity behind the blindfold. To keep things impersonal.

  No ties. No complications.

  He’d said so himself.

  Regret niggled at her, but she forced it aside. Unlike years ago, she no longer had a young girl’s illusions about the future.

  She knew full well that they didn’t have one.

  They only had this moment.

  And suddenly that seemed like enough.

  “I’ve been thinking about you, too,” she murmured. And then she caught his hands and guided the blindfold to her eyes.

  11

  HIS GUT CLENCHED and his body throbbed. He slid his arms around her waist, shoved his hands beneath her tank top and felt her bare skin. She was soft and warm and his body trembled. He picked her up, his lips eating at hers, but he couldn’t cross the threshold.

  “Can I come inside?”

  “Yes,” she breathed the invitation and anticipation coiled tighter.

  “Say the words.”

  “Please,” she murmured against his lips. “Come. Inside.”

  He carried her into the house and kicked the door shut. He bypassed a growling white fluff ball and headed down the hallway until he found what he was looking for.

  The room looked like her, with its pale bedspread and soft colors. He didn’t bother turning on the light. He didn’t need to. Instead, he settled her on the bed and pulled back to reach for the button on his jeans. His fingers worked at the speed of light and in the blink of an eye, he shoved the denim down his legs.

  He didn’t lean into her and thrust his cock deliciously deep, however. Not yet. He wanted to look at her, to feast on the picture she made and stroke her soft skin and brand these next few moments into his head before the hunger gripped him and he could no longer think.

  He closed his hands over her shoulders and guided her down onto the mattress. His fingers skittered over the soft material of her tank, molding the cotton to her ripe nipples and voluptuous breasts.

  His fingers went to the button on her blue jean shorts. Lust whipped through him, gaining momentum with every pull and tug. His pulse quickened and an ache gripped him from the inside out. He stiffened, fighting the need that twisted his gut.

  He smoothed the denim down her long, luscious legs. His fingertips brushed her bare skin, grazing and stirring and feeling.

  His gaze traveled from her calves, up her lush thighs to the wispy lace covering the bare skin between her legs.

  She was as smooth as a peach and his mouth went suddenly dry. Desire roared through him, fierce and demanding. Blood jolted through his veins. His hands seemed to move of their own accord then, traveling the length of her body, exploring every curve, every dip, lingering at the lace covering her sweet sex.

  He traced the pattern with his fingertip before following the single strip of satin that ran between her legs and barely covered her slit. She gasped and her legs opened, causing a spiral of jealousy to shoot through him.

  Because it wasn’t him she opened for.

  It was another man.

  The truth gripped him for a long moment and sent a burst of desperation through him. Suddenly it wasn’t about making his own memories, it was about making a place for himself in hers. About pleasuring her so that no matter how many encounters she had in the future, she would never forget this one night.

  She would never forget him.

  He dipped his finger beneath the satin and pushed into her steamy heat. Her full lips parted and her cheeks flushed. She arched her hips, rising up to meet him and draw him even more.

  He sank a fraction deeper and leaned over her. His mouth closed over her nipple and he drew her in, suckling her hard for a long moment as he plunged his fingers deep. He eased the pressure with his mouth and hand to let her catch her breath and then he plunged back inside and sucked her in once again. Longer this time. Over and over. Until he felt the force of her release. Liquid warmth gushed from her sweltering center and drenched his fingers.

  Electricity skimmed up his arm and spread through his body, igniting every nerve ending and chasing away the cold for several blissful seconds. Life pulsed through him and he vibrated with the energy of her climax.

  IT WAS THE BEST ORGASM of Lucy’s life.

  The force of it lit up the darkness behind the blindfold, turning the black a vibrant collage of colors that made her almost dizzy. Heat licked at her and chased her breath away. Her body clenched and unclenched.

  But it wasn’t enough.

  “Please.” The desperate plea slid past Lucy’s lips before she could stop herself.

  A growl sizzled across her nerve endings as he urged her legs even farther apart, pushed her into the mattress and settled his erection flush against her sex.

  He kissed her then, licking her lips and sucking at her tongue before he caught her bottom and tilted her just so. With one powerful thrust he slid inside her.

  The colors swimming behind her eyes burst into a brilliant white light as if lightning had just zapped her. The air stalled in her lungs and her heart seemed to stop as she forgot everything except the man filling her up.

  Her body arched into him and she grasped at his shoulders. He thrust again, pushing deeper this time—every time—and creating the most delicious friction until she couldn’t take it anymore. Ecstasy crashed over her, picking her up and rocking her back and forth for a long, breathless moment.

  Through the ringing in her own ears, she heard his deep groan and suddenly she couldn’t help herself. She wanted to see him.

  She needed to.

  He bucked inside her, his body going rigid. He thrust deep one last time and she shoved the blindfold from her eyes.

  He was poised above her, his arms braced on either side. His muscles bulged. His skin glistened with perspiration. His jaw clenched. A growl vibrated in her ears. His mouth fell open and his fangs gleamed in the dim light and—

  She blinked, but he didn’t disappear. They didn’t disappear.

  “Rayne?” His name trembled from her lips and he went ramrod stiff.

  His eyes snapped open. His gaze shimmered a hot, vibrant purple and as she stared deep, her panic subsided. She forgot that no way in heaven, hell or the in between could this really be happening. She couldn’t be seeing purple eyes because Rayne had aqua-blue eyes. Aqua. And he certainly didn’t have fangs.

  Instead, she forgot all the questions and simply felt the rightness of the moment. Because she was meant for him and he was meant for her and…

  Forever.

  FOREVER?

  The word bl
ared in Rayne’s head and zapped him back to reality. To the all-important fact that he was staring down at Lucy, reading her every thought, and she was staring back up at him, lost in the magic of his gaze. And he was this close to dipping his head and sinking his teeth into her sweet neck.

  Holy shit.

  He tore himself away from her and stumbled backward, releasing her from his spell. His back came up hard against the opposite wall and sheetrock cracked. His gut twisted. His body shook.

  One drink, the hunger whispered. Just one and it won’t hurt so much.

  But one wouldn’t be enough. He’d want another. And another. Until he’d feasted on every drop and there was nothing left.

  His stomach clenched and his muscles contorted. His mouth watered and his fangs ached. His gaze riveted on her lush body and an invisible hand tightened around him and squeezed.

  Until the pain grew unbearable. Suddenly, everything faded into a red haze and just like that, the battle was over.

  He’d resisted long enough.

  He needed blood. And he needed it now.

  RAYNE’S EYES BLAZED a bright, furious red and shock snatched up Lucy and refused to let go. His teeth pulled back and his fangs glittered and fear spiraled through her.

  Along with a ripple of anticipation.

  “I’m sorry.” The deep, anguished voice echoed in her ears, but his mouth didn’t move.

  Because he wasn’t actually talking. He was inside her head. A vampire.

  No!

  She clamped her eyes shut. The bed shifted as he leaned down. This was it. The end.

  Or the beginning.

  The thought struck and then faded in the groan of mattress springs and the slam of a door.

  Her eyes popped open to find the room empty. Footsteps echoed down the hallway and the front door slammed.

  Thankfully.

  She could still see the tortured look on his face, the blazing red eyes, the fangs.

  Real, honest-to-goodness fangs.

  She wouldn’t have believed it if she hadn’t seen it with her own eyes. Even now, she wasn’t one-hundred-percent certain and her mind raced for a more plausible explanation. The room was too dark and she hadn’t seen clearly. Or maybe the blindfold had caused some sort of optic reaction that had her seeing lights and shadows and him.