by Dakota Rebel
“And?”
“How is it that you seem to know so much about us? About vampires?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
He gave me a look that clearly said he didn’t believe me. “You seem awfully desperate to keep your sister away from us. As if you think we would hurt her. We would never hurt Reagan. In fact, I’m quite fond of your little sister.”
“You stay the fuck away from her.” My voice was steady, but very low, very angry. My hand twitched, and I had to force myself still again. “She’s way too young for you, and she doesn’t understand what you are.”
“But you do, don’t you, Mitch? You know all about Jarrod and me, what we are capable of. Maybe even what he’s done?”
The implication was obvious, but I didn’t understand how he could know what I knew. I wanted to ask him, but there was no way to do that without admitting the truth to him. I wouldn’t give him the satisfaction.
“Reagan is eighteen now, and you are not her father. You have no control over her. She may see whomever she wishes. And she wants me. I can smell it on her every time she is around us. You know it, too.”
“You’re right. I’m not her father. And you had better hope you never meet her father. You wouldn’t like it very much.”
He raised an eyebrow. “Like father like son, then? I know this won’t shock you, Mitch, but I don’t like you. In fact, I pretty much hate you. I want you gone, out of our lives, forever.”
His porcelain face faded around the edges, hatred showing in his eyes, and his lips pressed tightly together. He was angry. Good. So was I.
“What do you care? Jarrod is free to do as he wishes. What business is it of yours who he decides to date?” Date? Is that what we were doing? I wasn’t even sure yet.
“I care. I care so much that I’ll make a deal with you. If you leave Jarrod alone, I’ll stay away from your sister. I’ll pick up and leave the state. I’ll never come back. But you’re not to see him ever again.”
“And if I disagree?”
“Then I’ll take your sister.”
My hand twitched again, and he grabbed my wrist in a motion so fast I didn’t see it.
“Do not doubt the truth of my words, Mitch. If anything happens to Jarrod and you are involved, good, bad, or indifferent, if you do not vanish from our lives, I will make your life a living hell. Stay the fuck away from us.” He dropped a piece of paper on the table in front of me. “Call Jarrod, and tell him you two are over. You’re done. Do it tonight.”
He released my wrist, and I stood. I looked at him for a moment, but his face had gone blank again. It didn’t matter. I didn’t need to read him to know he was serious. I snatched the paper off the table before I walked out, straight through the club and out to my car. I climbed behind the wheel, locking the door and allowing my body to shake. The adrenaline crashed quickly from the short burst that had flooded me when he’d grabbed me.
I needed to find Jarrod. I hoped Reagan would be safe for the night. I was pretty sure she was who Skip planned to meet that night, but I believed he would wait to see what I would do before he did anything stupid.
I put the car into gear and tore home. I still had the piece of paper in my hand when I rounded the stairs and saw Jarrod sitting outside my door. He had his back against my door with his legs stretched out in front of him. His eyes were closed, but he didn’t look as if he were sleeping. I noticed the cord running up the front of his shirt and realized he must be listening to an MP3 player.
I kicked his foot. Smiling, he looked up at me then he pulled out his ear buds as he stood. I smiled back, opened the door and let us both into the loft. I let him close the door behind us while I walked into the kitchen.
“Do you want a beer?” I called to him.
“Yeah, thanks.”
I grabbed two, opening them and handing him one when he appeared in the doorway to the kitchen. He kissed me, just a quick peck on the lips. I wanted more but let the feeling go for the moment. I needed to talk to him, and if he really kissed me, I would be lost to him for yet another night. Not an entirely terrible idea, but it wasn’t going to help any of us out of the situation Skip had just laid out for me.
We sat next to each other on the couch, drinking in silence. I turned to look at him, smiling again. He wore ripped-up blue jeans and a green shirt that made his eyes almost glow. His hair was tousled as if he hadn’t bothered combing it before leaving the house. I started to reach out to brush a strand from his eyes but dropped my hand.
“What’s up?” he asked.
“What do you mean?”
“I mean I’ve been sitting here waiting for you to ravage me, but you won’t even touch me. What’s going on?”
I wanted to ravage him more than I cared to admit. And while I had wanted to talk to him about what had happened with Skip, as I sat next to him now, it was the last thing I wanted to discuss. I wasn’t even sure how to bring it up. I was equally unsure if he would believe me or if he’d just storm out. He knew I didn’t like Skip. It was entirely possible he would think I’d made it up, and I was sure Skip would be only too happy to agree with that assumption.
“Look, Jarrod, I don’t think we can do this.” My voice was unsteady. I wasn’t going to cry or anything, but saying it aloud had been harder than I’d thought it would be.
“Do what?” His eyes went wide, a smile playing at the corners of his sexy little mouth. “Drink beer together? Talk to each other?” He put his hand on my thigh, squeezing gently. “Or were you thinking of other things we can’t do?”
“Any of it.” I blew out a sigh, moving his hand back to his own leg. “I can’t see you anymore. This is a really bad idea.”
He laughed. It wasn’t the reaction I’d expected.
“Mitch, we’ve only had sex a couple of times. We barely know each other. How can you know this is a bad idea? Personally, I think it’s a great idea. We have a connection I haven’t felt in a long time. You can’t tell me you don’t feel it.”
I felt it. I’d felt it since I’d met him at the club. But I wouldn’t sacrifice my sister for him. I’d known him for such a short time. I didn’t really believe I loved him, not yet, but I knew I could. Reagan had been right. I couldn’t hide from it for long.
It wasn’t worth losing her. Nothing was as bad as the thought of her being hurt. I knew Skip hadn’t been kidding. He would do as he’d said if I didn’t end this…thing with Jarrod. No matter how much it hurt, I had to let Jarrod go. If I had to force him out the door, so be it.
“Mitch?”
His voice startled me. I jumped, spilling beer on myself.
He laughed. I tried to get up to get a towel to dry myself off, but Jarrod had a better idea. He put a hand to my chest, pushing me back against the couch. He set his beer on the table next to him then dropped to the floor in front of me, ripping open my shirt with one strong pull.
I tried to push him away, but we both knew it was a half-hearted effort. He brushed my hands aside as he lowered his mouth to my chest. His tongue darted out, lapping the beer from my skin. He sucked and licked his way across my chest while he massaged my thighs with his hands. I leaned my head back, sighing at his touch.
“Are you sure this is a bad idea?” he asked. His hands moved closer to the erection growing in my jeans.
“I’m not sure of much of anything anymore,” I whispered. “Except that I want you. More than I really care to admit.”
He smiled, and it lit up his whole face. He looked so young and sexy, it was impossible to think of him as a killer. I wasn’t sure how anyone could believe it of him. And yet, the situation I found myself in proved otherwise.
I moved down, taking his face in my hands, and kissed him. Just as it had done the night before, the kiss led us to the floor, with me on top of him, exploring his mouth with my tongue. He tasted like other people’s blood, but I was past caring about that now. He was a vampire, he fed and I could only hope it had been from willing victims.
I would worry about everything else some other time.
“I can’t stay here,” he said softly. “Sorry, but I figured I’d better say it now before we get carried away. I have to go home tonight. That only gives us a few more hours together.”
“That’s barely enough time,” I said, running a finger down his cheek.
“That’s why I warned you.” He kissed me again. “I promised Skip I’d be back tonight.”
I rolled off him with a sigh.
“I don’t want you to get the wrong idea.” He turned on his side to look at me. “There’s nothing going on between Skip and me. I’m sure you know we aren’t really brothers, and that he isn’t even a true vampire, but we’re close. We’re like family. There are no sexual feelings left between us.”
“I wouldn’t be so sure about that,” I said. I sat up, leaning my back against the couch and watched him sit up, too. “I think Skip feels a little differently about your situation than you do.”
He laughed, shaking his head hard enough that his hair flew into his face. “No way. Skip and I just had this conversation. He found someone. He’s happy, and he wants the same for me.”
I stared at him. There was so much I wanted to ask—things we needed to talk about—but if we did it now he would go, and I would never see him again. The thought hurt so much that against my better judgment I kept my mouth shut. If there was time, I would bring it all up again before he left, otherwise it would just have to wait one more day. I wanted him more than I’d wanted anything, and I convinced myself Reagan was safe. I could afford a little selfishness. Just this one time.
I launched myself at him, full-out tackling him against the floor. Our mouths collided almost violently, his fangs sinking into my lower lip. He sucked it into his mouth, and I let him. When he let go, I plunged my tongue between his lips, licking his fangs clean of my blood, the coppery taste bitter yet sweet. I wondered what his blood would taste like but shoved the thought out of my head. I had enough problems at the moment. I didn’t need to add thoughts of becoming a vampire to the list.
Jarrod snaked his hands between our bodies, tugging at the button on my jeans. He finally wrenched it open and slid his hands inside to grip my cock in his warm palm. He gave a light squeeze that made me moan in pleasure. I lifted my hips slightly, giving his hand room to move, and it did. He pumped up and down my shaft, using his thumb to spread pre-cum around the head.
“I want you,” I said, my voice breathy against his lips.
He just nodded, pulling away his hand to undo his jeans. We stood, ripping off our clothes and flinging them aside. We came back together, kissing and touching, both moaning our frustrations against each other. He pulled away, took my hand and led me to my bedroom.
We fell onto bed together, groping whatever of each other’s flesh we could touch. I opened my eyes long enough to see pure need reflected in Jarrod’s. That gaze was so honest, so raw, that something inside me clicked. With that one look, I fell completely in love with him. It was as if he had flicked a switch and I went from in lust to head over heels in an instant. My body hummed so strongly with it that I wondered if he felt it, too.
He smiled, his eyes softening with the action. His touch became gentler on my body. He kissed me again, but it was so slow and so sweet I could have cried. I’d never felt anything like what had just happened to me. It was both terrifying and incredible at the same time.
I wanted to kiss him for the rest of my life—no. Longer. I wanted those soft, full lips pressed to mine for eternity. I wanted to go to bed with him every day and wake up next to him every night. I wanted him forever, even though I knew we couldn’t see each other anymore. Even knowing this was our last time together, I let myself feel that need, let it wash over me and let everything else around us fall away. For that moment, there was only him and me, and nothing else mattered.
I moved down his body, kissing a trail over his collarbone, across his chest and over his hips. I slid further to lick his knee, his calf then his ankle. I bit gently against the bone, the action making him writhe on the bed above me. I smiled, biting slightly harder. His back came up off the bed until he was sitting up, staring at me, his eyes like green fire.
“Get up here and fuck me.” It was an order, and I was only too happy to follow it.
I got a condom out of the drawer and brought the bottle of lube with me to bed. I rolled him onto his stomach. He started to protest, but I swatted his ass playfully. He shuddered at the quick spank, so I did it again, a little harder. His fingers dug into the sheets as his hands clenched into fists, and a small sound that was between a moan and a growl escaped his lips.
I tore open the condom package with my teeth, rolled it over my shaft and picked up the bottle of lube. I coated my hand with it, sliding it around the condom a few times then placed my slick fingers between his ass cheeks.
Unlike the night before, I didn’t go slow. I rammed a finger inside of him hard and fast while I brought my other hand down to spank him again. He gasped but didn’t ask me to stop. I added a second finger to his tight ass, again shoving them inside of him. I fucked him with my fingers for a few minutes, turning them occasionally, bending them to press against his prostate. I could have felt his muscles convulse around my hand all night.
“Mitch, fuck, Mitch,” he whimpered, his face turned to look at me as best he could.
I leaned over and kissed his cheek softly. “Do you want me inside of you now?”
He nodded, a quick, desperate move of his head. I smiled. Using my knees to spread his legs further apart for me, I placed the head of my cock against his asshole. I slid in slow enough not to hurt him, yet I wasn’t exactly gentle.
He cried out at the intrusion, his hands tightening in the sheets once more. I slapped his ass again as my body connected fully against his. I fucked him with abandon, no longer worried about what he thought or how he felt about it, though his hips tilting up to meet my thrusts showed he had no problem with the assault.
I reached down to fondle his balls in my hand while I fucked him. He screamed out my name, and I felt his sac tighten then convulse as he came. His ass muscles clenched tightly around my cock, immediately drawing my orgasm. My nails dug into his flesh as my cum pumped into him.
“I fucking love you,” I screamed as it happened. My body shook with the force of it all, and I collapsed on top of him. Gripping the end of the condom, I pulled my cock out of him. I winced as I slid the condom off, my cock still sensitive to any touch, even my own. I dropped the rubber into the trashcan and rolled onto my back next to him. I flopped onto the pillow, sweaty and panting, with a grin on my face I couldn’t suppress.
He rolled over to look at me, the same silly grin on his mouth. I kissed him, a quick peck on the lips.
“I love you, too, you know,” he said softly.
His hand found mine, and we lay there for a few minutes, fingers intertwined, thinking about the words we had just shared—words that were much more dramatic than our fucking had been.
Chapter Nine
I let Jarrod walk out the door without telling him I couldn’t see him again. I would call Skip’s bluff. He liked Reagan, and I just hoped it was enough to keep him from hurting her. I would have to watch her closely and do my best to push her away from him without her realizing what I was doing. No problem.
In the meantime, I would need to find a way to keep the Army off my ass about the contract on Jarrod. That would probably be the most difficult of all the current challenges. Reagan, I could deal with. My father…well, he would be trouble.
I lay in bed with my arm outstretched to the place where Jarrod should have been. I ran my hand over the pillow, wishing he could be there. It was ridiculous to think that we could love each other after such a short period of time, but I had to wonder what else my feelings toward him could be.
I’d never been in love before, but if I guessed what it felt like, it would pretty much be what I was going through at that moment. A severe sense of loss
at his absence, total confusion over what was happening and extreme joy at the mere sight of his face. It sure sounded like every fairytale love story I’d ever heard.
I must have finally fallen asleep around dawn. I woke up around three p.m., slightly disoriented. I wasn’t used to sleeping so late. I crawled out of bed, threw on a fairly clean pair of jeans and stumbled to the kitchen. I opened the fridge then realized Reagan had been right. There was nothing in there but water and beer. Neither sounded good at all.
I pulled on a T-shirt, grabbed my keys and walked out the door in search of coffee. I ended up at a coffee shop a block from my loft. I stood in line behind Mr. Half-caf-soy-no-whip-four-pump-not-real-sugar-blended-with-two-straws-please and Ms. Decaf-chai-half-pump-light-ice. Eventually, I got to the register and accepted the usual blank stare at my request for a large coffee. The girl behind the counter finally figured out what “coffee” was, and I left, shaking my head and not leaving a tip.
I was almost back to the loft when my cell phone rang, the display flashing Reagan’s number.
“Hello?”
“Mitch,” Jarrod said from the other end.
“Jarrod? What’s going on?”
“I think you need to come get Reagan. She’s all right, just a little spooked. Can you come to my apartment and pick her up?”
I jogged the rest of the way to my building while Jarrod gave me directions. We hung up as I pulled out of the drive. I drove as fast as I felt safe going, watching street signs so I didn’t miss Jarrod’s. When I found the address, I wondered if I’d gotten it wrong.
I was parked in front of what looked like an abandoned warehouse. I got out of the car and looked up at the windows lining the top. They were blacked out. Hoping that meant I was in the right place, I walked around the building until I found a door at the side. I pushed the buzzer and heard the click of the lock turning.
