"You know you'll like it."
"How'd you get in here anyway?"
"Through the window, Grace. I believe you just watched me do it.” The delicious smile that curved his lips made him look good enough to eat.
Her gaze swept down the length of his long body. Every bit of skin was perfect and pale. Those abs were so cut up he looked like an Adonis sculpture with broad shoulders and a narrow waist. The legs weren't disappointing either, or what lay hidden behind the tight fitting boxers he wore.
"Don't be a smart ass. I mean I didn't invite you in.” She really wasn't in the mood for this right now. The chase had taken just about every bit of reserve she had.
"All I need is one invitation,” he said as he took another step forward.
She bit her bottom lip.
"Come here."
"No.” Grace watched him suspiciously. Every step he took was deliberate and overacted. She willed her limbs to move. As he got closer, she stood up and bolted for the bedroom door. She could still lock herself up in the bathroom. All options weren't lost yet.
Dixon caught her wrist with a slight of his hand. So quick, she hadn't even noticed him move. He yanked her toward him.
She screamed.
He pulled her close to his chest, the fronts of their bodies pressed tight against each other. The intimacy made her dizzy with a desire she didn't want to feel right now.
"Let me go,” Grace said through clenched teeth.
"You know I won't do that.” Dixon's face was so close she could see the lust burning deep inside his eyes. She noticed the tiny age lines that had already appeared on his face when he was turned into a vampire so long ago. He was such a beautiful creature. Her heart fluttered for complete surrender.
His alluring powers of manipulation were no longer there, and yet he still had this effect on her.
Grace attempted to calm her heart with a few shallow breaths to tone down the excitement.
When Dixon kissed her, his lips felt surprisingly soft. There wasn't a degree of demand as his mouth moved over hers. He wrapped one hand around her back and the other caressed her face. His touch sent a multitude of tiny shivers along her body, the kind that warmed her inside and out. The chill that crippled her outside vanished.
Everything but this moment between them faded into the night. The rain beat against the glass and it soothed her. This is where her home was, comfortable and in the arms of a loving man ... except Dixon wasn't an average kind of man.
His hands kept her steady, but without the force he'd used around her wrist to keep her inside the bedroom.
Grace parted her lips to invite his tongue in as it peeked inside her mouth. When it found hers, she had to catch her breath. Pure ecstasy flowed from the end of his tongue to hers. Slow strokes deepened from the sweetest, most delicate kiss she'd ever shared with anyone into a passionate one.
She couldn't stop her hands from running up and down his back. The feel of his soft skin with all that hard muscle beneath made her want him more than she'd ever wanted anyone before. It felt like the first time she'd ever truly exchanged intimacy with anyone. This man loved to chase her. Grace was his token prize at the end, but he was the one driving her crazy with lust now. And a lot more.
Dixon gently pushed her body away from his. The fingers of his left hand unbuttoned her shirt ever so slowly. The way his fingers worked the buttons away from the fabric excited her. Her mind was heavy with only one thing—desire. The burning need to fulfill the craving she had for him flowed deep down inside.
She kissed him deeper when his hand parted the material of her shirt. Her bra was exposed and she shivered. His icy fingers slid along her body as she curved her back to meet the full extent of his hand. Goose flesh sprouted along her skin, but it wasn't from the cold of his touch, it was because the desire was choking her.
He ran a palm softly down her abdomen. A stirring deep inside snapped at the touch.
"Get off me,” she said a little weaker than she'd intended.
He ran his hand upward, and stopped in between her breasts.
She moaned. “I said get off me.” Even to her it didn't sound convincing.
"It doesn't sound like you want me to get off at all.” His breath was warm near her ear. “It sounds to me like you're enjoying this more than you'd like to admit."
Grace opened her eyes to stare right into his. “No, I don't want a ... vampire to touch me."
"It's too late for that, isn't it, Gracie dear? You've already been marked. Someone very powerful has marked you as his.” Dixon made the dramatic motion of sniffing around her neck.
Her skin prickled beneath his breath, and she inwardly shuddered at the arousal he stirred.
"Please ... just get out!"
"I can't do that.” His hands moved dangerously close to her nipples.
"I don't want you to hurt me.” Her breath quickened. Fear and excitement did a crazy dance of its own and she had no control over it.
"Oh, I won't hurt you, my sweet Grace.” His breath was on her face now, his eyes hypnotic. She knew better than to stare into them too long, because she'd studied the numbing effects closely enough. The pupils seemed to fill the blue irises, leaving only a rim of eye color. It was how vampires managed the mind control thing. Add the soft tone and the caress he so eloquently delivered upon her skin, and he literally had her in the palm of his hand. There was no amount of will power that would yank an average human from this, but she'd lost a little of her humanity already ... especially if her scientific suspicions were correct.
"I said to get off me!” She pressed her hands to his chest and sent him back several steps. Grace knew he was strong, and there was no way her action could have such an effect on him.
Dixon's lips cut into a smirk as he stood in all his vampiric beauty. The boxers hung low and clingy on his hips, distracting her. “Well, that was impressive. Looks like you've been working out."
The inclination to defend herself felt stronger than ever before. “That's really funny, Dixon. I know most of it was just you taking a step back.” Grace held her ground, even if her knees felt like buckling beneath her.
"I wasn't joking."
"Neither was I."
He took a step forward, but when she lifted her fists, he held his hands up in surrender. “Whoa, whoa, calm down. I don't want to hurt you, and you know that."
"You're a bloodsucker. I know what you want."
"No, I want much more than just blood from you.” He moved so quickly that she found his arms wrapped around her within seconds. “I always do."
Grace took a step back and slipped out of his grip. She stumbled onto the bed when the mattress hit the back of her legs. He seized the weak moment to leap on top of her.
He pinned her down with his legs positioned on either side of her hips. His erection pressed hard against her covered skin. The temptation to reach for it was almost unbearable. She wanted Dixon as much as he wanted her. Grace could never resist him, and it had nothing to do with his powers of persuasion. There was a deep tie between them that would allow this game to continue for years to come.
She gasped when he used a long, clawed finger to rip the lace in the middle of her bra. Her breasts tumbled out as the fabric split to the sides.
Dixon buried his face in them after a moment's pause. His mouth licked a heated trail up and down her cleavage. The air cooled her skin, having an instant effect between her legs. He closed his mouth over her left nipple as his fingers found the other to tease with a squeeze. He shifted to lick the underside of each breast before he returned to taunt her perky nipples.
She wanted to fight him off, but she'd fallen too deep into the power play of the situation. The urge to push him away deteriorated as her craving need for him intensified. Her body instinctively reacted to Dixon, betraying every thought and good intention.
Grace arched her back as his mouth took more of her breast into it. His other hand made its way down her skirt and pulled it up by the hem. The fabric didn't compl
ain and neither did her legs when he returned downward to spread them. His claws were gone. Now only fingertips left heated skin down her inner thigh, and she no longer cared about the skirt being up around her hips.
The sound her underwear made when he tore it excited her further. She was wet and ready for him, wanting him more now than ever before. The fear that had wormed its way into her system during the chase now subsided. Grace didn't need to fear him.
There was only one layer keeping them apart now. Her hands traced down the hard curve of his spine. She dipped her fingertips into the top of his boxers and he moaned into her ear. He lifted his groin to help her as she pulled the fitted, elastic material down his hips until his erection made an appearance.
It peeked out, begging her to touch it. The impulse was too strong to ignore. Grace rubbed her index finger along the head of his cock and watched as he closed his eyes. His arms pressed against the mattress on either side of her to give her the room she needed to touch him.
She wrapped her hand tighter around him. He shuffled out of his boxers in a skillful maneuver that had them near his ankles within seconds. Her thumb replaced her index finger as she rubbed fast circles around the top.
"Oh Grace..."
He leaned over to kiss her lips, careful not to squash the hand that rubbed him.
"Dixon,” was all she managed in a breathless whisper. Yearning once again filled her to capacity. She was ready for this and knew that what she wanted from him was the same thing he wanted from her. Every fiber of her being was ready to give into him, and it had nothing to do with his vampiric wiles.
His eyes opened just above hers, as he appeared to search for some sort of confirmation inside her mind.
She willingly opened her thoughts.
Grace spread her legs the rest of the way, her hand slipping from his erection. He shifted his body in between her legs. She wriggled beneath him to rub her groin against his. The pleasure was instant.
He leaned over to suck on her earlobe.
Grace bit down on his bottom lip.
"Do you give into me?” he asked, his fingers teasing the pubic hair just near the opening of her pussy.
She wanted to say yes, but something held her back. She knew Dixon had already read the answer inside her mind, but he wanted to hear it.
"Grace.” He kissed her lips softly as his fingers twirled the hair with his fingertips. “Tell me you surrender to me."
"If I say that, I know where it'll lead."
"Do you want me inside you?"
"Yes,” she answered without hesitation. That was one thing she could openly admit.
"Then tell me you'll surrender entirely to me."
Her breath caught when a fingertip collided with her clitoris. Dixon teased her for a bit before his finger pushed further inside and just as quickly pulled out.
She was so wet and overcome by the situation that there didn't seem any point in holding back any further.
"I surrender,” she whispered, knowing exactly what she'd given him consent to do.
Dixon offered her a smile and slid along her body. His tongue left a warm trail of saliva along her skin.
She turned her face to look to the side. The rain beat against the window with constant taps, the drops sliding along the glass. It was the soundtrack to her life of constant turmoil. His lips were all over her skin. He dipped between her thighs for just one lick of her pussy. She stretched her arms up above her head.
He shifted his mouth to the inside of her left thigh and paused.
Grace raised her head just a little in order to watch him between her legs. An instant later his face changed, but she still recognized him and wasn't in the least bit affected.
His fangs were long and ready to tear into her flesh. He was thirsty tonight. It would probably take a lot out of her, but he would make up for it with the sex. She could count on that.
Dixon always followed his pleasure with hers.
She took a shallow breath that made her chest contract. The game of cat and mouse was almost over, and they were both victorious. In her mind, the way he made her feel both inside and out was enough to put a permanent smile on her face.
He licked her skin, slow and deliberate.
Sharp fangs tore into the flesh of her thigh and she cried out. Pain ignited along her system, but she bit down on her bottom lip to keep it at bay. His teeth sank deep into the fleshy part of her thigh when he dipped a finger into the folds of her pussy. He pushed it in as far as he could before slipping out again to set a sequence of satisfying motions.
She grabbed the sheets on either side of her and balled them up in her hands as she licked her lips. The sound of his feeding didn't distract her away from the way his touch made her feel. A frenzied ball of desire unraveled in the pit of her gut and she relished in every sensation.
He sucked at her blood until she felt the room spin. “Dixon,” she murmured.
He suddenly stopped. It was the way she told him her body couldn't take anymore blood loss without passing out.
He licked the skin of her thigh to close off the wound.
Dixon's eyes darkened just a fraction as the fangs retracted, and he licked the few droplets of blood from his mouth.
"That was delicious.” He licked his lips some more, eyes focused on hers as his finger continued to venture inside her. He watched her every move until she writhed. She squealed as her climax took her breath away. A sly grin curved his lips. “But it's not over yet."
Dixon climbed on top of her and plunged his cock deep inside. So deep he touched the back wall, and she cried out. He pressed his chest against hers, holding her gaze pinned with his.
She reached up and ran her fingers along the skin of his back. It felt so right beneath her fingertips that she chased the sensation down until her hands wrapped around his tight butt cheeks. The move caused him to wedge in deeper, further into the recesses of her very soul. Thoughts and emotions stirred inside her, forcing every physical motion to intensify until she realized another orgasm was just a few strokes away.
"Gracie..."
"Yes?"
"Hold onto me, baby."
She shifted her hands until they rested on his hips. Grace held on as her own hips met every thrust he gave, and her body started to sing. Her eyes rolled back into the top of her head as the orgasm tantalized her into a sweet release that spilled through her body like liquid lava.
He moaned above her, and with one final thrust, his body trembled. His back arched, and his groin lowered in order to embed himself even deeper inside her.
Dixon touched her cheek with the back of his hand before he collapsed onto the bed beside her. He kissed her softly. Fingers lost themselves in the tangles of her hair to remove the sweaty strands from her forehead.
"Oh Gracie, that was another amazing performance.” His warm laughter filled the small room. “On both counts."
"Most of it was real,” she whispered, closing her eyes.
"But you act it out so well. The way you allowed the fear to spill inside you back on the street ... oh, God, I felt like taking you right there in that alley.” Dixon climbed upward along the bed, and encouraged her to move with him until their heads lay on the pillows. He tucked their bodies under the blanket.
She pressed her face against his shoulder. She was accustomed to his erratic heartbeats. It didn't beat the same all the time. Usually it stilled as his hunger intensified, but now sated, the steady throb comforted her. His skin glowed, and felt warm to the touch.
Grace didn't want to tell him the fear he sensed every time they played this game of victim and predator was all real. She loved him more than anything in the world, but there was a tiny piece inside her that was still as scared of him as the first time they'd crossed paths, when she'd watched him attack an innocent blonde girl outside a nightclub.
It still amazed her that after she witnessed such an event, her heart had still reacted when he'd looked up and met her gaze. It had been love at first sight fo
r both of them.
She hadn't imagined back then that ten years later she would be married to the same man. A man who'd been a vampire for twice as long as she'd been alive, and would more than likely outlive her. The only thing she hadn't been able to handle at the beginning of their relationship was his running off in the middle of the night to feed. He promised he'd never kill anyone, just feed enough to fulfill the vampiric thirst. But that didn't bother her as much as the thought of him sharing such an intense intimacy with someone else. When she'd followed him and found him taking blood from the same willing female participant over and over again, it had made her blind with jealousy.
He'd bitten her enough times for Grace to know the inherent bond created when a vampire feeds from a willing human.
He was her husband. Vampire or not, she'd married him knowing what she was dealing with. That's when they'd hatched the weekly plan—a game that would fulfill his thirst and keep their passion alive. At the end of it, they both got what they desired the most. So, it was a win-win situation.
"Yeah, I'm a great actress,” she said with a chuckle.
"Did you buy what you ducked out for?” His arm squeezed her in tighter.
She knew exactly what he was referring to. It was the tenth time she'd purchased a kit, and didn't want to admit that she suspected the same result as every other time. Grace feared the test only because of the result.
"Will you take it now?” Dixon kissed the top of her head.
"No, not now. I just want to lie here with you.” Her eyes grew heavy and drowsiness swept through her system. Not even the scrape of her denim skirt still around her hips would keep her awake now. Between the fear, lovemaking, and the amount of blood he'd taken from her, Grace didn't have the strength to keep her eyes open for a second longer, let alone enough to go into the bathroom and take the pregnancy test.
"It's okay, my sweet. Just sleep for now.” Dixon rubbed her forehead with his palm.
It was all it took for sleep to enfold her body.
CHAPTER TWO
"Well?” Dixon called from the shower cubicle as he shampooed his short hair.
"It's not time yet,” she answered with a roll of her eyes. He was even more impatient than she was about this. She stood near the toilet with her heart speeding out of control.
Blood Chase Page 2
