by Brenda Trim
He had no memory of previous encounters, but he didn’t need them. His life started the moment their bodies connected. Nothing before Alex mattered. And, he couldn’t imagine anything better than pounding into her welcoming body.
The way she came to life in his arms was far greater than any blessing. She opened up to him, sharing her insecurities about her breasts and lack of sensation. Enough had been taken from Alex and he wanted to give her the world. When his bite kindled Alex’s arousal, he felt a million feet tall. He was privileged to give this exquisite female a gift no one else could.
His desire for her was insatiable. After hours of exploring each other’s bodies, he knew hers better than she did. He loved how she shivered when he ran a finger over the mysterious mark on her neck.
“Stop being a baby, and try my ice cream,” Alex demanded and practically shoved it into his mouth.
He chuckled. “There are other things I prefer to lick,” he whispered in her ear and ran his tongue across the skin below her mark. A slight shift of his tongue and she would be shuddering a release right there on the sidewalk.
“Why do you think I suggested we go out? I can hardly walk, Ice-Man. There’s only so much of your ice my intimates can take,” Alex muttered as she leaned into his side.
“I recall you screaming with pleasure from my frozen tongue,” he husked and sent a burst of cold to his tongue then snaked it along her ear.
“Mmmm. That was definitely in my top five” she replied and stepped away from his side. Her dilated pupils told him she was aroused.
Alex’s tongue swiped across her sweet treat. The way it caressed the cream brought images of her sucking him down her throat.
“What are the other four?” he asked as he adjusted his erection.
Light danced in her blue eyes, challenging him. If Alex continued this game of foreplay, she would win, hands down. She had power over his body, and he was close to exploding in his pants.
“A girl’s got to have some secrets,” she countered and started walking again.
He watched her hips sway in front of him, and the quaint street with its restaurants and shops faded away. Her miniskirt bordered on obscene. His initial reaction was to grab the drab green pants she wore to work so other males couldn’t admire her toned legs and shapely bottom. Her shirt wasn’t tight like many females he’d seen, but it accentuated her pert breasts and made his mouth water.
He caught up to her and wrapped his arm around her waist. “Do fries come with that shake?” he asked and slapped her ass.
Pink stained her cheeks, and she looked away shyly. This female had no idea how attractive she was or the effect she had on him. She was holding back again, and he hoped they were past that after she shared the details of her divorce and cancer.
His heart clenched, and he immediately wondered if she was thinking of her ex. He wanted to believe she was over the male, but when she held back, it caused concern. Alex was all he had in the world, and he didn’t want to lose her.
Surely she wouldn’t go back to that asshole. The male left his wife at a time when she needed his strength and support the most. And, his reason was shallow and unacceptable. What kind of a male left his mate because she had to give up her breasts to save her life?
She was so worried about her scars, but he could hardly tell when he looked at her. All he saw was an irresistible female he wanted to ravage.
“Oooo, look at that dress,” Alex blurted a second later and interrupted his thoughts. He followed her gaze and looked in the nearby window.
“If you buy that dress, you need those Jimmy Choo’s to go with it,” he stated as he looked at the black stilettos paired with the red outfit.
“How do you know the designer of those shoes?” she asked with an arched eyebrow and cocked her hip. It was cute as hell to see her jealous.
He noticed her ice cream was melting and leaned down, running his tongue over the chocolate treat before he shrugged. “I doona know. Maybe cross-dressing is my thing,” he teased with a wink.
“Well damn. I wish I had known. We could’ve had dinner in Capitol Hill. Maybe run into someone that knows you,” she countered with a laugh.
“‘Cmon, I want to see you in that slinky number,” he coaxed as he grabbed her dessert and tossed it in the trashcan before he opened the shop door.
“It’s the perfect dress for a night out dancing,” she admitted as she followed him inside.
Fifteen minutes later, they exited the shop, loaded down with bags. He would never allow Alex to leave the house in the dress, or heels, without him by her side. When she stepped out of the dressing room, his mouth dropped. The dress molded to her body and the shoes paid homage to her shapely calves. In fact, he couldn’t resist joining her in the changing room for a quickie.
“Will you wear nothing but those shoes for me when we get home?” he asked as he placed a light kiss to her mark.
She briefly shuddered in his arms then lifted one corner of her mouth. “If you promise to use your fangs again,” she agreed.
That was no hardship for him, and his response was immediate. “Doc, I’ll bite you anywhere you want,” he purred.
“Bhric?” a female voice called out.
His skin prickled at hearing the name and the voice. They were both familiar to him. He clenched and unclenched his fists as he turned his head and looked at a female standing ten feet away from him and Alex. She was holding a baby in her arms, and some innate instinct told him she was a vampire.
Her presence caused his protectiveness to take control, and he pushed Alex behind his back. Hackles immediately raised, despite that she was a beautiful female with designer clothes. She narrowed green eyes at him, and he realized she was speaking to him.
“Are you talking to me?” he asked as Alex pushed her way around him and nudged his side.
“Of course I’m talking to you. Where the hell have you been?” the vampire asked.
“I’m sorry. Who are you?” he asked and said a silent prayer that she wasn’t his mate.
She wasn’t one of the images that flashed through his mind over the past week, and his gut told him she meant nothing to him.
“Who am I? I’m to be your mate,” she announced as a calculating gleam entered her gaze. “And, this is our daughter, Kaylee. You missed her birth. And, your family is beside themselves with grief.”
“Is Bhric his name?” Alex questioned as she joined the conversation.
“Yes, that’s his name. What kind of game are you playing, Bhric?” the female demanded.
“He’s not playing anything,” Alex interjected. “He was stabbed and suffered trauma to his brain. He hasn’t regained his memory.”
“Bhric,” he murmured, testing the name. It linked with every fiber of his being. That was his name. “What aboot my family?”
“They buried a corpse thinking it was you. And, they are trying to deny your daughter,” the vampire snarled.
“What? I have no daughter, and you are no’ my mate,” he declared. Bits and pieces were falling into place, but there were still numerous holes. One thing he knew for certain. He didn’t love this female.
“You and your family are all the same. You cannot deny Kaylee’s existence or her birthright. She will be accepted into the royal Tarakesh family. I will make sure of it,” she spouted.
When the name Tarakesh slipped past her lips, more memories came flooding back. He stumbled under the onslaught as images rushed through his now aching cranium. Details fell into place, and names came back to him. What stood out most was that he had a family and a home. Zander. Kyran. And, the female he continued to see was his twin, Breslin. He wasn’t homeless. Zeum was where he lived. And, he possessed great wealth and could provide for Alex rather than being a burden to her. He knew everything about his life.
And this female was nothing but bad news.
“Still up to the same shite, Pasha,” Bhric observed as he grabbed Alex’s hand.
Alex quickly pulled away and s
hifted her bag, placing a barrier between them. The action didn’t go unnoticed by Pasha.
Bhric looked down at Alex and his gaze snagged on the mark softly glowing behind her ear. The vampire’s gasp told him she’d seen it too.
“I’ll deal with you later, Pasha. I need to talk to my mate,” he declared as he ushered Alex away from the irate female.
Bhric’s memories from his past had returned, but none of that mattered now that he was face to face with his future.
Chapter 12
Alex stomped down the street in silence, contemplating the conflict in her raging mind. Her ideal fantasy was that her vampire was unattached, and once his memories returned, he would still want her beyond reason. She knew their fairytale would eventually come to an end, but hoped it would last longer than a week.
She reminded herself that was nothing but a delusion. The truth was her Ice-Man had been injured, she’d saved his life, and he was recovering in her home. He was grateful that she snuck him out of the hospital and protected him. That was the only reason he’d been into her at all.
It was time to face reality and get back to her mundane life of working nights and going to a lonely, empty home. Alex was elated Bhric’s memories had returned. And, even happier to know his name, but she was terrified of losing him.
Alex wanted a few more hours of the bliss she’d found in his arms. At least one more night of multiple orgasms and sensations that she thought were dead due to a scalpel. Logic told her to be grateful for the time and memories she was given, but she selfishly wanted more.
More wasn’t going to happen. Why did his girlfriend have to be drop-dead gorgeous? Alex couldn’t compete with her curvaceous body, perfect skin and long, silky hair. The woman belonged on the cover of a magazine. Alex’s scrubs and ponytail were as far from runway-material as possible. Not that she was surprised. Bhric was sculpted to perfection, and belonged with a woman like Pasha.
“Och, would you slow doon?” Bhric barked.
Alex didn’t bother turning her head to respond because she feared he’d see the hurt in her eyes. “Why are you following me? Shouldn’t you be with your girlfriend and daughter?”
“Fuck,” he snarled, and she felt his palm land on her shoulder. He spun her around so that she faced him, but Alex diverted her gaze from his. “That bitch is no’ my anything, and as for the bairn, I doona know. I will tell you I doona feel anything towards her. Surely, if I were her da, there would be some connection.”
“You’re reaching there, Bhric. It doesn’t work that way. Well, not with humans, anyway. And, you never answered my question. Why are you following me?” she asked again, her voice cracking as tears threatened to spill.
Bhric cupped her cheeks and forced her to look at him. His eyes were filled with too many emotions to decipher. The high color on his cheek, and the smile that wouldn’t be contained had her more confused than ever. If she wasn’t mistaken, there was a sheen to his eyes, as well.
“I’m following you because you’re my everything, and I’m never letting you go.”
Her eyes slid closed, and a tear escaped. Surely, she was hearing what she wanted. He hadn’t declared undying love for her, but it was close, and it sent her heart racing out of control. She was his everything? Or, was she reading too much into his words?
“Don’t make promises you can’t keep. I’ve heard those words before, and he left. You have feelings for me right now because I saved your life. It’s flattering, but they will pass. You need to go home and be with your family. In time, you’ll forget all about me,” she instructed.
The growl that rumbled from his throat was frightening. “Mate, get in the fucking car. We have to talk,” he ordered.
She’d caught glimpses of this side to him, and should’ve been scared, but she found it flattering that he was so possessive. It meant he still wanted her.
“Mate? Pasha used that term, too. What are you talking about?” she inquired as she began walking toward her car.
Two steps in and a firm hand gripped her arm. Bhric led her to the passenger door and opened it. Even angry, he was a gentleman to the core. Based on her ex, and the few guys she’d dated, she concluded chivalry was dead, but Bhric was proving her wrong.
“In my world, we doona have marriage,” he placed a finger over the spot behind her left ear. Alex couldn’t see the mark Bhric insisted glowed there. All she knew was when he touched her there, her body soared to the heavens. “I know why this spot brings you such pleasure when I touch it. ‘Tis my mark. It matches the brand on my stomach and signifies that you belong to me. You are my Fated Mate, a chroí.”
Her heart galloped in her chest, and her knees went weak. She collapsed into the passenger seat, and Bhric shut the door and walked to the driver side, climbing behind the wheel.
“I don’t even know where to begin with all the questions racing around in my head. I told you before. I’m not a believer of fate. I’ve seen too much bad happen to good people,” she reiterated.
“I know that all too well. I learned that lesson seven hundred years ago when my parents were brutally killed and left me orphaned at the age of three,” he shared with her.
Alex’s heart broke for the young boy, but more importantly, her eyes widened at hearing his age.
“You’re seven hundred?”
“Aye, seven hundred twenty, to be exact. But, back to my point…I was angry for a long time and it wasna until I met you that I realized Gods and Goddesses canna control everything. No’ with some having free will. But, the Goddess Morrigan has done what she can to make our life good. I didna fully appreciate the blessing of Fated Mates until now. Until you.”
“I don’t understand,” Alex murmured as she tried to make sense of his words.
She assumed mates were similar of husband and wife, but she wasn’t convinced there were any Gods, or Goddesses, looking out for anyone.
“Shite, there is so much that you doona know. Elsie has said that humans brought into the Tehrex Realm need a guide, and now I see why,” Bhric said with a chuckle.
He brushed a hand over her hair and down her arm. The massive vampire was crammed into her compact car, and his body heat filled the entire space.
“Before I was born, the Goddess Morrigan placed a part of your soul in my body to guard and keep safe. And, she placed part of my soul in your body before you were born. There are many aspects to a mating. From the compulsion that draws us to one another, the ceremony and mating stone, the blood exchange, and changes to DNA. Och, I know this is verra overwhelming, and I doona want to scare you. What you need to know right now is that we were made for each other.”
It was a damn good thing Alex was sitting, or she’d have fallen over. “Oh my God. I thought I had questions before. I can’t even fathom what you just told me,” she admitted.
“Alex, love, doona worry aboot all that. There is plenty of time for you to absorb what I have told you. I will answer anything, but the only fact that matters is we belong together. I meant it when I said you are my last first kiss,” he murmured and placed his lips over hers.
She tried to hold back, but the feel of his full lips devouring her mouth was irresistible. He fisted his hand in her hair and deepened the kiss. When his tongue traced over her lower lip, she parted her mouth and he took advantage.
Passion flared, and Bhric pulled her over the console and into his lap. The discomfort of being cramped between his massive chest and the steering wheel was easily ignored as desire ignited. His hand cupped her breast and squeezed. There was no sensation, but she recalled the feel of his fangs in her flesh. She desperately wanted to feel that again.
He broke the kiss too soon, earning her groan of dissatisfaction. He chuckled then swiped his tongue across her mark, causing a small tremor to rock her body.
“As much as I want to finish what we’ve started, I need to go home. My family needs to know I’m alive. My twin, Breslin, is beside herself. I couldna feel her before, but I can now, and she is anxious
, likely chewing the ass of a fire demon.”
Shaking her head, she shut down her unspent desire and shoved aside her sadness. Bhric said they were meant for one another, but those were nothing but flowery words. Once he went home, nothing would be the same between them.
“I imagine she is. Especially, if what Pasha said is true about them burying you. They need to know you’re alive. You can drive us there, and I’ll head home,” she offered as she scooted back to her seat.
“Nay. You’re coming with me, Doc. I want you to meet my family,” he informed her and held out his hand for the car keys. Fishing them from her purse, she smiled at his insistence. She loved his take-charge attitude and found it impossible to say no to the vampire.
“Are you sure? This is major. They’ve been mourning you for a week. You need time alone with them. You can call me later,” she offered, not wanting him to feel obligated to take her.
“We do this together. Trust me. My family will want to meet the female that saved my life. Not to mention, she happens to be my mate,” he replied with a broad grin as he started the engine.
“Is there a possibility you are wrong about me being your mate?” she asked as they drove.
He scoffed. “I’m never wrong. Best you learn that now, Doc. That mark is mine,” he declared and reached over, running his finger over the spot.
Immediately, her body clenched. She gripped the door handle and desire spun into a mini-orgasm before she could blink. Her head went back, and she panted as she caught her breath.
“Definitely mine,” he chuckled.
“Please don’t do that when we get to your house. It’s obscene what you do to me with a mere touch,” she confessed.
“Your pleasure is for me alone,” he automatically countered. “No one will ever see the way your face lights up as you orgasm. I would rip them to shreds,” he growled. His eyes narrowed, and his hands clenched the steering wheel.
“Are you always this possessive?” she asked. She hadn’t seen this side of Bhric, but that didn’t mean this wasn’t part of who he was.
