EMBRACE THE DARK (The Blood Rose Novella Series)

by Caris Roane

  His head dipped and his smile emerged again. He kissed her hard, pushing his tongue into her mouth. After a long moment, he drew back. “Words cannot express all that I feel. I am overwhelmed one moment to the next. I will ask only this: What can I do for you? Tell me what can I do.”

  “Well,” she drawled. “My blood is a bit lumpish. How about you start by taking care of that?”

  He groaned. His lower hardness shifted and began pushing against what was ready for him. He kissed her again. I can’t believe that what I need is here, with me.

  It’s my pleasure, she returned. Giving you what you need has been one of the greatest joys of my life.

  Abigail, you please me in endless ways. Thank you for coming back to Merhaine. You have made my life complete.

  He shifted slightly, drifting his lips over her cheek to glide down her neck. He begin licking the skin above her vein. He was thrusting steadily now, pushing in, pulling back. Her heart beat fast now, readying for him.

  Take all you need, she pathed.

  He struck. The jab stunned her as he opened the vein, then pulled out. But the moment he began to suck, and draw her blood into his mouth, her body fell into the most delicious lethargy. Pleasure began building and his vibration came stronger now. He groaned and was breathing hard.

  So good. Oh, Abigail, I’ve been starved for so long. You are a banquet.

  Tears slipped from her eyes. She surrounded him with her arms, caressing the muscles of his shoulders, arms and back. His rhythm, as he stroked and sucked, filled her with deepening pleasure. She savored those sensual waves of energy, which he released at every point of his body, his fingers, his chest, and his cock deep within. Yes, the vibrations were aaaaahhhh.

  She moaned softly. Gerrod, I love that you’re taking my blood.

  Like fire in my body.

  He finished drinking but sustained his rhythm. He looked down at her. “I know I have blood on my mouth.”

  “I know, now kiss me.”

  He crashed down on her, kissing her hard. She cried out against his mouth, overcome with the swell of emotion that kept riding her chest. So much pleasure.

  Will you take my blood now?

  When he drew back, she asked, “How?”

  He smiled and his hips grew still. In a smooth turn, as though he was simply moving her through water, he rolled and brought her on top of him, still connected low.

  Her head was dizzy from the unexpected movement, but she smiled. “You always surprise me.”

  “Good.” His hips flexed and because the position had changed, she felt him inside her in an entirely new way. “Oh, Gerrod.”

  He didn’t say anything but exposed his neck.

  A shiver passed through her that heightened all the waves of energy still playing over her. The part of her that was newly vampire looked at the contour of the exposed skin, the angle of the jaw, the shape of the ear, the placement of the clavicle. It was as though she could measure every millimeter from one point to the next.

  She didn’t try to analyze her next move, but rather went with her instincts. As she lowered to lick a long line up his throat, she realized some new part of her was actually hungry. And there it was, her first understanding of blood hunger.

  She licked his throat several times, pulling back each time to watch his neck shift and the vein rise. A swell of desire propelled her forward, her fangs emerged, and she sunk them. She felt Gerrod’s hips jerk and his vibration seemed to get stronger. Oh, God, all these sensations. The fangs retreated and blood flowed. She formed a seal around the skin and suckled.

  But as she did, her hips began a serious pistoning motion as though driven by her blood-need. The taste was not what she expected, but rather flavored like his scent, like fresh rain, which seemed so impossible and yet was like everything she knew Gerrod to be.

  When his blood reached her stomach, the fireworks began, little sparks dancing everywhere, even in her veins. She moaned. His hands were on her hips now and he took over the thrusting, his muscled thighs pumping her hard, the rippling waves of energy taking her to the edge.

  She was so close.

  I’m close.

  Just let go.

  Two more sucks and the orgasm gripped her, rolling along all her sensitive flesh and flying up through her body, up and up until she released his neck, arched away from him, and the final sensation crested. She screamed and writhed, savoring the ecstasy, the deep fulfillment, the intensity of his energy moving in powerful waves, over her and through her. And the whole time, he thrust up into her, helping all that pleasure to go on and on.

  At last, she stilled above him, arms stretched out, eyes closed. He took both her hands in his. “Look at me.”

  She couldn’t quite focus but she eased back toward him and planted her hands on either side of him. She met his piercing blue eyes and fell into them. He flexed his hips. He was still very hard within her.

  “Abigail, release your frequency for me.”

  “This will complete our bond, won’t it?” She knew she held within her similar waves of energy. She just wasn’t sure she could survive another blissful experience.

  But his smile appeared and his eyelids fell to half-mast. “According to Vojalie it will and it is most necessary. I want all my brethren mastyr vampires to be warned away from you. After what I experienced with Ethan that night at the bakery, I am convinced only a bond will serve.”

  “Then I’d better find my frequency right now.”

  She drew in a small breath and began searching deep within. At the same time, she rocked her hips, pushing against his thrusts, gripping him down low in a way that had his neck arching.

  “Sweet Goddess,” he whispered.

  As her own pleasure began to build all over again, as his blood streaked through her veins, setting her on fire once more, she hunted through her emerging frequencies. So many pathways to learn and to explore, but this one was a gift she could give to Gerrod. The continuous stroking of his own energy against her body was as though fingers touched and fondled her everywhere. She wanted that for him in return.

  She found the pathway and smiled down at him. She began to release her energy. When she did, the pleasure she felt doubled, that was the only way she could explain it. She was close all over again.

  Gerrod looked up at her, his brow creased, but only because he was damn close. He groaned.

  “Yes,” she whispered. She leaned down and kissed him. He was so hard inside her.

  “Your vibration, dear Goddess.”

  “Yes.”

  His hips began moving faster, until all she did was hold herself steady and look at him. The pulsing of his energy grew stronger, which ignited her own.

  Then suddenly, the two vibrations touched and began to pass through each other. She felt drawn toward his body at the same time, and stretched out on top of him, needing to be close. She was panting and his breaths matched her own. His eyes had a wild look now.

  “Gerrod.”

  He reached up toward her . “Abigail.” She leaned down, putting her mouth on his. He thrust his tongue inside. The sensation kept rolling as Gerrod drove into her. She was trembling now as he wrapped his powerful arms around her.

  I’m ready, she pathed.

  Good. Do you feel that?

  Like the rumbling of a train. Oh…God.

  The explosion of ecstasy was abrupt and profound, as though the orgasm took hold of her entire body and his, as though she could feel his and he could feel hers.

  The kiss broke, and he shouted into the ceiling, words of a different language as he came. But his voice sounded a million miles away. Her head felt full of a rushing wind, and pleasure kept flowing up her body and back, waves and more waves.

  “Oh, my God,” she cried.

  Gerrod continued to thrust, so long as the shared frequencies flowed. Finally, each frequency retreated and pulled apart, leaving a beautiful lethargy behind. She relaxed against him, tucking her head beneath his chin. Her eyes closed.
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  She breathed in and out, savoring the rise and fall of his chest, the strength of his arms, that she was still connected with him, still one with him.

  After a moment, she rose up to look at him. Somehow, it seemed very important. He opened his eyes and smiled, his wonderful half-smile.

  “Hey,” she whispered. She touched his lips with her fingers. “That was amazing.”

  “I didn’t know it could be like that.” He pushed her damp hair behind her ears. “You’re beautiful Abigail.”

  She smiled. “I love you.”

  “And I love you.” His deep warm voice rolled over her.

  Without warning, the bond tightened. She gasped. “Do you feel that?”

  His eyes widened. He put a hand first to his chest then to hers. “It’s as though an invisible cord stretches between us.”

  “Exactly and when you said you loved me, it tightened.”

  “Yes, that is exactly what it felt like.”

  “So we’re officially bonded, mastyr vampire and blood rose.”

  At that, he released a deep breath and smiled. “I just can’t believe it, though.” He stroked the side of her neck. “And you truly feel better and not at all weak?”

  “Better, absolutely. When you have need of blood, my body gets busy producing what you need.”

  His arms tightened around her. “Then I start producing what you need.”

  Since she could feel him low and that he was aroused once more, her whole body arched with desire. “It seems like a really fair exchange.” She smiled then laughed.

  “I love your laugh. Have I told you that?”

  “No. In fact, there was a time not too long ago when you complained of my laughter.”

  He grew somber, his expression more serious. “I wanted you so much, I couldn’t do anything but stay close to you and be irritable. Now here you are and all is changed.”

  “Everything has changed. I spoke with Megan. She encouraged me to come back. I think she knew I was in love with you all that time.”

  “She is a good woman.”

  “The best.”

  He leaned up and kissed her, then in that fast, fluid-like movement of his, but completely without warning, he flipped her over on the bed so that now he was on top. Before she could complain about the suddenness of the move, however, he was thrusting inside her once more.

  *** *** ***

  Abigail stared up at Vojalie’s ceiling. “I find it enchanting. Is it fae magic that makes it move?” She glanced back at Vojalie. Davido had once again taken Gerrod back into his pride-and-joy vegetable garden so that the women could talk.

  The lovely fae woman sat on the sofa, looking up as well. “No. It always reflects the inhabitants of the room. You’re seeing your own sense of wonder.”

  Abigail smiled. “I have felt this way from the moment I first entered Merhaine over a year ago, full of wonder, enchantment maybe.”

  “Merhaine agrees with you as does being vampire. You took his blood?”

  She turned toward Vojalie and crossed the room to sit opposite her on the left facing sofa just as she had done a couple of weeks ago. “I did.”

  “And?”

  Abigail marveled that she wasn’t embarrassed. “It was as though I had come home, as though I had been looking for Gerrod my entire life, always carrying a profound longing in my heart. Taking his blood was like planting my feet in his room, staking my claim. I told him I would never leave. I belong here.”

  “Yes, you do.” She pressed her stomach then drew in a breath. “Sometimes the baby likes to stretch out. At this stage, never a good thing.” But she smiled and there was a tenderness in her eyes. “Do you want to have children?”

  The question surprised Abigail, since she had never really stopped her life long enough to think about being a mother, but what was the answer?

  She pondered the idea of being in a forever kind of relationship with Gerrod, like Megan and Joe. She loved her niece and nephew. But now she understood why she had never considered having a family of her own. She had been waiting for this day, when the right man would come to her.

  She smiled. “I didn’t think so. But with Gerrod, everything feels possible.”

  “That is such a beautiful answer. Did you hear that, Gerrod?”

  Abigail should have known he was behind her and now that Vojalie had spoken his name, she could feel him. The bond they shared tightened and spread pleasure through her chest and deep into her heart.

  As she turned and saw him, she put a hand to her breast and her eyes filled with tears. Gerrod was so beautiful and he was smiling, just off to the side of his mouth. His eyes were glowing as well. So much affection, so much love.

  She moved without thinking and rose to cross to him. He opened his arms and she landed within, her head pressed to his chest. There was no more hesitation from him as had happened several times before she had returned to Merhaine. His arms engulfed her and held her tight.

  She closed her eyes and two fat tears trickled down her cheeks. She squeezed as hard as she could.

  I love you, Abigail.

  No response seemed adequate. To say she simply ‘loved’ him seemed so much less than she felt. Finally, she spoke aloud. “You fill my heart with such joy. You have no idea.”

  She felt Vojalie nearby. “When you are ready, we will have the evening meal on the patio. For now, stay in this room as long as you like, but don’t forget to look up.”

  Vojalie and her husband headed toward the hall.

  “We could offer them the guest room for an hour or two,” Davido said.

  “Oh, don’t be so crass,” Vojalie whispered.

  “How about instead I take you to our room for an hour or two?”

  “Have you noticed how pregnant I am?”

  “When did that ever stop us?”

  “Will you please stop pinching me.” Giggles followed then faded as the couple disappeared down the hall.

  Abigail shifted slightly in Gerrod’s arms so that she could look up at him. His lips found hers in a slow tender kiss.

  When he pulled back, he said, “You would have children with me?”

  “I think so. A dozen if you like. But not all at once.”

  He shook his head. “I never thought to have this. My life was so complicated and now it seems so simple.”

  “Me, too. I thought I knew what my life was, then you kissed me in the forest.”

  “And you told me to lighten up.”

  “I just wanted to see your smile.”

  He thumbed her cheek and kissed her once more. “I love you.”

  “And I love you so much it hurts.”

  His smile again.

  Movement above caught her eye. She remembered Vojalie’s words so she glanced up at the ceiling. She drew in a sharp breath. “Gerrod, look.”

  The ceiling was alive and glowing, moving in iridescent shades of blue and light green with occasional lightning streaks of red flashing through. “So beautiful. Vojalie said the ceiling reflects the inhabitants of the room. This must be you and me, what we are together, right this moment.”

  He turned her in his arms so that she was supported with her back against his chest. “At the very least, that’s what this feels like. Only I think what I feel is a thousand times brighter than this reflection.”

  “At least a thousand times.” She squeezed his arms.

  She remained with him for some time, looking up, feeling the affection of his embrace. He rocked her slowly, side-to-side, a dance of love. She had entered his world to open a bakery, of all things, and instead had fallen in love with a vampire who ruled an entire realm.

  There would be difficulties ahead, but she wouldn’t think about that now, only that Gerrod held her engulfed in his massive arms and she belonged to him. Now and forever.

  ###

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  Caris Roane is the award-winning author of five published novels for St. Martin’s Press and almost fifty published novels and novellas
writing sweet Regency Romance as Valerie King.

  The second installment of the Blood Rose Novella Series is: EMBRACE THE MAGIC and is currently scheduled as a summer 2012 release.

  For more information about all things Caris Roane, please visit her website at:

  www.CarisRoane.com

  To be the first to learn about all upcoming Caris Roane releases, be sure to sign up for her newsletter!

  And finally, if you enjoy sweet Regency Romance or sensual Regency Historicals, you can learn more about Valerie King at:

  www.ValerieKing-Romance.com

  Table of Contents

  DEAR READER

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR