Dark Awakenings (Danse Macabre Book 2)

by Christina Quinn

  My response? I pouted and sighed as my body practically sang for him. He kissed down my throat and held my wrists captive. I hadn’t realized how frustrated I was until that moment. As he held his own body out of my grasp my fingers clawed at the air. Having spent the last three days sleeping between two of the most perfect specimens of masculinity living and dead; my body had been essentially edged for half a week. Aleksi seemed perpetually in the room when I took my showers so I never felt comfortable enough to take care of myself. It hadn’t been a problem until now, until I reached what was effectively the point of no return. Want was effectively replaced with need. I didn’t want him, I needed him. My body was desperate for him, and with that simple act of holding my wrists he silenced Miss Manners completely.

  His lips trailed over my exposed collar bone and he lifted my wrists over my head as they dipped lower to kiss across the mounds of my exposed cleavage. He nipped and nosed against my soft flesh making me writhe and claw at the air, as my heart beat so high and fast that my whole body felt like one big throbbing pulse.

  “Niki, please.” I begged as he thrust his tongue between my breasts and trailed that wet muscle up my line of cleavage. I shivered violently, and then he released me completely and sat up straight grinning at me.

  “Autumn, please… stand and undress.” His eyes darted over me from head to toe and he licked his lips. “Please.” He snickered playfully as his hand rested over the massive erection barely contained by his jeans. My mind wandered to a dark place as I stood and reached behind me to unbutton my skirt. He liked pain, so he was probably enjoying the restriction his pants were offering… would I be able to offer enough in return? The thought made my fingers stall on the small black zipper of my skirt. His brows furrowed… shit he noticed. “What’s wrong?” His head canted to the side.

  “I… nothing, just a passing thought.” I passed my fingers through my hair.

  “Ah, care to elaborate?” He slowly stood and walked behind me.

  “I just… I worry if I can be enough since you…” I trailed off and wet my lips. He stood behind me and took the tiny tab for the zipper from me and unzipped my skirt. The fabric slipped over my hips to pool at my feet.

  “Autumn, trust me. You’re all I need.” He purred as he grabbed my shirt and pulled the blouse over my head. He tossed it to the side carelessly and wrapped his arms around me. I melted back against him as his hands trailed over my body. One hand stopped at my waist while the other slipped into the black lace of my panties. He didn’t tease me, he trailed his fingers down between my slickened lower lips and slipped a probing finger inside of me. I arched back against him, as he pressed his palm against me. “The thought of possessing you, is just as pleasurable as being possessed by you.” He purred into my ear as he slipped a second finger inside of me. My hips rose eagerly to meet his fingers. But just as I felt that hot pressure building, he quickly withdrew his fingers and stepped away from me. He slipped those once probing digits into his mouth as he unbutton his jeans and struggled out of them, and the underwear he wore underneath. Then, with a playful snicker, he tackled me to the couch. Yes, tackled me. I couldn’t help but to giggle even as he kissed me and grabbed that lace of my panties in his hand and ripped them off in one hard yank. I pulled his shirt off and then stared in awe at his tattooed torso. “There’s that look.” He purred as he reached into his jeans and produced a small foil packet.

  “Someone was presumptuous.” I purred biting my bottom lip.

  “I like to think of myself as optimistic.” He snickered with a smug little grin before he opened the condom wrapper. I sat up a little and unsnapped my bra and tossed it over the couch. His breath caught when he glanced at my mostly nude body as he knelt between my open stocking clad thighs. I even still wore my heels, my confidence was high. I probably looked like a pin up with the heat in my eyes as I stared up at him with my best please-fuck-me-now gaze. He was happy to oblige me, as once he slipped the condom on he wasted no time in sliding over my body and easing himself into me. I moaned for the both of us as he slowly and painstakingly skewered me onto him. I felt like I was being stretched in half, but the fullness was just delicious. As our hips met, I arched off of the couch and he slipped an arm under me. Even though he kept a slow and deliberate pace, neither of us lasted very long. But part of that was his fault, he was very good with his angles. With his arm under my back I kept my hips at the perfect angle that with every thrust I got the most delicious pressure applied to that needy sensitive nub. I clawed at his body, my nails leaving gashes in their wake as that scalding pleasure burst and exploded through my body.

  The pain made the pace of his thrusts speed and grow erratic as I continued to twist and contort under him as my fingers dug into his back. I was practically climbing his body when he finally came. I felt the tension in his arms as his thrusts grew harder and harder. The force of his hips meeting mine shook my body and made my eyes roll back into my head. There was just something amazingly erotic and pleasurable about the animalistic way he pummeled into me as he rode me through his own pleasure.

  When he finished he lay on top of me, his face nestled between my breasts as we panted attempting to catch our breath as our bodies glistened with sweat. Needless to say I wasn’t cold anymore. My eyes trailed around the room and fell on the shredded lace of my panties. The sight of the mangled delicate fabric brought my mind to Aleksi. He was not going to like this one bit. He’s going to kill one, if not both of you. My fingers were sticky, the revelation made me raise my hand from Nikolai’s back. My nails and fingertips were covered in blood, I stared in horror at the drying dark red fluid sticking to my fingertips. I had never clawed Aleksi like that. He never really gave you the chance to.

  “Mm, I love the way you smell.” Nikolai purred as he placed a soft kiss between my breasts. “And I love, the taste of your skin.” He slowly raised a little and started kissing down my body. Even as exhausted as I was, my body still reacted with that pulsing need. My bloody fingers curled through his hair as he caressed the lips of my sex with his thumbs before parting them. The sensation of being so open and exposed to him made me shiver. I squealed in delight as he sucked and nibbled at my throbbing clit. Then the door opened.

  I felt Aleksi’s rage before I saw him, and nothing cuts through arousal like knowing you could possibly the object of that molten fury. I nudged Nikolai with my knee.

  “Niki.” I hissed between a small moan. No matter how scared of Aleksi I might have been, Nikolai knew what he was doing. He didn’t stop, his tongue started to dance the alphabet over my insatiable little button and my legs started trembling. It was an awkward situation.

  Aleksi stalked around the couch, and my eyes followed him. That ring of crimson that spread in those electric blue waters, like a shark attack in the Caribbean. I held on to the couch for dear life as I felt like my body was going to tear itself to pieces. Still my eyes watched Aleksi prowl the room like an unhappy cat. As my orgasm ripped through me, I yanked on handfuls of Nikolai’s golden brown locks as my body bowed off of the couch like a contortionist. My eyes, however, were fixed on Aleksi and not Nikolai and his destroyed back.

  The anger faded from Aleksi’s eyes as he watched me, and that vermilion taint faded from his eyes. The rage was replaced by something that looked dangerously like regret.

  “Mm, delicious.” Nikolai purred to my inner thigh as he slowly climbed off of me. He jumped when he saw Aleksi but made no effort to cover himself.

  They exchanged looks and then Nikolai tilted his chin up and smirked smugly. Aleksi snapped, grabbed Nikolai by the neck and slammed him hard against the wall. I tried to roll off of the couch to dart to them, but the second I stood I was thrown by how sore I was. I settled for leaning against the arm of the couch.

  “Aleksi!” I shrieked.

  “You don’t get it do you? You’re my fucking property, you fucking by-blow piece of shit!” Aleksi growled at Nikolai sending all of color from his face. “You have to ask to to
uch my servant let alone fuck her. I should snap your fucking neck for laying a hand on her, let alone your dick.” His voice hardly sounded human at all, and I stared in horror as Nikolai’s face started to turn blue. His fingers dug at Aleksi’s hand but there was no prying his vampiric grip away.

  “Aleksi, please!” His eyes fell on me for a moment and he shook his head and dropped Nikolai. He collapsed onto the floor coughing and holding his throat.

  “Next time, Autumn. Next time he touches you without asking me permission, you get to choose if I kill him or castrate him.” He kicked Nikolai. “Consider this your fucking warning.” Aleksi stormed off into the master bedroom and slammed the door behind him. The door rattled in the frame as I rushed to Nikolai’s side and helped him stand. We walked back to the bathroom in silence.

  We didn’t exchange a single word until we were under the water together, Nikolai wrapped his arms around me and held me close. You need to end this now. I kissed his chest and nuzzled against him as my head continued to swim with that intoxicating lightheadedness just from being near him. Inches from the dragon in the center of his chest it became clear it was there to cover up another tattoo. In the center of the dragon I could just barely make out a few raised lines. I traced it, it was a circle was a cross through it. Why cover up such a simple tattoo? It’s the same as that burly guy’s.

  “I’m sorry.” I whispered to his chest.

  “Don’t be.” He breathed in answer before pressing his lips to my forehead. “I understand Aleksi a little better now.” He laughed and shook his head. “Honestly, if the situation was reversed I wouldn’t have given the warning. If I were him I would have popped my head off like dandelion. But were I him and had you first, I wouldn’t be in this situation because I wouldn’t have let you go in the first place.” He gave me a little squeeze and turned to grab the soap, treating me to the sight of his mauled back. I gasped, it looked like he had fought off a bear and lost. “I’ve had worse, hush.” He chuckled out as he turned around with a soapy cloth. “Now, please… come here and let me bathe you.” I blinked at him. Bathe me? Wasn’t the submissive supposed to bathe the dominant? I was so confused and he snickered at my confusion. “I want to bathe you because you’re mine and I adore you. Just like I will brush that long lovely black hair of yours at night before bed. I’ll take care of you—take all of those other silly worries from you. I’ll order for you when we’re out and pick your clothes out in the morning. The only thing you have to worry about is pleasing me.”

  I blushed at him and nodded slowly as I turned to him, allowing him to work the cloth over my body into a rich lather. I liked the idea of having someone care that much for me. But there was a small part of me that had reservations over such an arrangement. I wouldn’t call it that small. First off you barely know him! Second off, that’s creepy! He’s known you for four days! Four days! Miss Manners had a conniption in my head as Nikolai massaged my body with the sweet smelling soap. It’s like you’re veal! Dressed up and massaged before the slaughter!

  After we finished the shower he held me close and gave me a soft kiss before he toweled me dry. It was so incredibly odd, but very empowering I felt like I was an all-powerful empress being waited on by a sexy servant. I was so confused, even as we walked nude down the hall together. Nikolai was pressing his luck by going to the Master suite with me nude. I kept glancing back at him even as he opened the door and stopped dead in his tracks.

  The room looked so normal. The bed was made, the shades were drawn and Aleksi was lounging on a black leather chair he pulled from the living room. But on that smoothed and tucked in bedspread rested various things that were out of the sphere of normal. There was a pair of restraints and a riding crop, a flogger, a cane the width of my thumb, nipple clamps with weights, a collar with a little black plastic box on it, a remote and the least threatening thing of all, a blindfold.

  “Brave little shit.” Aleksi hissed, his eyes darting over Nikolai with a glare as he stood and walked over to the bed. He stalked over to Nikolai, grabbed his wrists and roughly fastened the restraints. Nikolai fought at first, but when it’s vampire versus human, the vampire always wins. “We’re going to play a game the three of us. Won’t this be fun?” He dragged Nikolai to one of the bed posts and hopped onto the bed, and then clipping the restraints into clear hooks at the top, which left Nikolai standing on his toes and ultimately exposed. “I had a little talk with Galina today if you can’t tell.”

  The rage was back in Aleksi’s eyes as he snatched the collar off of the bed and stalked over to me. Nikolai started struggling.

  “No, Aleksi, please… not that. If you love her you won’t do that! Aleksi! I’m sorry, okay I’m sorry. But… don’t… not on her.” Nikolai pleaded as he continued to struggle like he could possibly get out of the cuffs on his wrists.

  “It appears that your new master begs like a bitch.” Aleksi said as he wrapped the collar around my throat. I let him. I never needed to be punished before so I didn’t think I needed to fear it, whatever it was. Shock collar. I paled and felt my eyes go wide as I stared up at Aleksi who triple checked the collar, making certain he could fit two fingers comfortably between my throat and the collar. He checked a little switch on that black box and I heard it come to life with a little squeal. I actually started trembling, my body shook almost violently as I stood in front of Aleksi with the collar on. His arms wrapped around me and he kissed my cheek. “Shhh, if you listen—like you’re so very good at doing—you have nothing to fear from the collar.” He purred as he smoothed my wet hair and then kissed my forehead—it didn’t stop my shaking. He released me and walked to the drawer that held our things and pulled out my bright red satin robe. Returning to me he draped it over my shoulders before he went back to his chair and folded his hands in his lap. “Slap him.” The words were short and clipped like all of Aleksi’s orders but there was a certain malice behind it that made me more than a little worried for Nikolai. I tied the sash to my robe as I blinked at him. I couldn’t have heard him correctly. “Slap him, Autumn. This is the only time I’m going to give you an order twice, if I have to tell you again.” He held up the little remote.

  Oh the power of fear, I practically ran over to Nikolai and backhanded him as hard as I could, a soft grunt escaped that adorable usually grinning mouth of his. It was now set in a frown. My hand left a perfect imprint on his cheek and my hand stung so bad I had to hold it for a few moments.

  “Good girl, now put the clamps on him.” Aleksi seemed disinterested as he spoke his attention was divided between me and the remote. My hands were shaking as I snatched the clamps off of the bed as fast as I could. I hesitated, staring for a moment at Nikolai’s chest. “Five…” Aleksi started counting and I hastily affixed the little clamps to each of Nikolai’s nipples. He hissed and I glanced up at him, his eyes had a certain glassy quality to them. Was it from the pain? Then I glanced down and noticed his growing erection and suddenly looked away. “You should always know your lover’s tells, Autumn.” Aleksi commented as he turned the remote over and over again on his thigh. He practically oozed the very essence of ennui. “Blindfold him.”

  I grabbed the blind fold and attempted to tie it but my hands were shaking too much. I dropped the blindfold three times, Aleksi sighed and my eyes shot to him.

  “I’m not going to shock you for trying. You should know me better than that by now.” He whispered as he continued to play with the remote. It took six tries but I eventually got the blindfold tied. “Now the cane, ten times and make him count.”

  “W-w-where?” I asked wringing my hands.

  “Dealers choice.” Aleksi exclaimed glancing up for a moment before returning his attention to the remote in his hands. I was confused, I knew caning could break skin—I had the internet—so I was worried about his tattoos. “His thighs or bottom.” Aleksi interjected after a few moments. He didn’t even look up from the remote. I guided Nikolai to turn sideways so he was facing the door, his restraints clicked o
n the plastic that held them. I held the cane in my hand and swallowed. I suddenly had the urge to be anywhere but in that room. He’s trouble! You should have never let him touch you! He’s going to ruin Aleksi for you! “Five…Four” My stomach sunk and I raised the cane and brought it down hard across the meat of Nikolai’s rear, the almost reed like bamboo sang in the air and Nikolai screamed. The sound brought tears to my eyes, I sniffled and wiped them away. My hands were shaking so bad I could see the end for the cane twittering in the air. He strained against the restraints panting for a few moments.

  “One.” Nikolai breathed after a while.

  “I bet he doesn’t make it to ten.” Aleksi commented idly. I brought the cane down again, and Nikolai’s body twisted.

  With every swing more tears slid down my cheeks. I watched the deep, vicious, welts and bruises blossom across Nikolai’s plump backside. On the seventh stroke I broke one of the welts open, and Nikolai didn’t quite scream. He moaned and I couldn’t quite comprehend what I witnessed as his body twitched against the post of the bed while his hips thrust in the air and he came. I turned from him, and dropped the cane in a panic. It just felt so wrong. Everything just felt so wrong in that moment. I wiped my eyes and sniffed again. You should have just waited for Aleksi to come around, no threat lasts forever.

  “M-m-may I be excused?” I asked softly.

  “Come here, let’s get that collar off of your neck.” Aleksi purred to me as at my back I heard Nikolai sag as the restraints clicked against the post. Aleksi quickly removed the collar and I darted out of the room. I couldn’t really go anywhere, because it was Russia and I didn’t speak Russian—but I could sure as fuck stare out of the window and pretend to be anywhere else.

  I think it was dawn by the time I had recovered enough to move from in front of the window. Both of them had left me alone. Oddly enough, they were both in the bed in the master bedroom, Nikolai had underwear on with a bandage sticking out of the waistband. Aleksi had dressed his wound and cleaned up the room. Without the little tab of gauze I could have pretended it never happened. How could they have slept in the same bed together after Aleksi had me beat Nikolai with the purpose of horrifying me to punish him?