by Jill Myles
Oh yes. This was nice. His mouth moved under mine, tasting my lips, his tongue touching my own.
Then he pulled away from me, prying my hands off him. “No, Jackie.”
“What?” I tried to wrap my hands in his hair.
He shook his head. “I don’t want this.”
I fell back a little, staring up at him in confusion. “Your eyes are red and you kissed me back. How can you say that you don’t want this?”
“I want you willing, Jackie. I don’t want it to just be the product of the Itch. I want you to be with me because you”—he touched my breastbone and gave me a soft smile—“want to be with me. Not because you feel compelled to sate an urge with the closest man around.”
The man was impossible. Frustrated, I clenched my fists. “I don’t know what I feel anymore, okay? None of this is my choosing. Do you think I really want to be stuck in a hotel room in Egypt, hoping that I can steal some halo back from an archaeological site before the Queen of Vampires kills a fallen angel? Because you know, it’s really not high on my list of things to do before I die.”
I jerked away from him and gave him a bitter smile. “Oh, that’s right. I can’t die, can I? I’m stuck like this forever. So pardon me for trying to make a go of things. I sucked at relationships in my normal life. I’m not surprised that they’re not any easier now.”
I collapsed on the edge of the bed, burying my head in my hands. “Oh lord, what is wrong with me?” Tears welled up as I huddled on the edge of the bed, feeling miserable, alone, and stupid.
A strong hand smoothed my hair back, and I felt the mattress give as Zane sat next to me. Heat traveled over my skin at the touch.
“Jackie,” he said, and his fingers tilted my face up to meet his. “I’m sorry.”
“For what?”
Fingers stroked gently down my cheek. “For forgetting that you are human, or were not too long ago. This is a lot for you to take in, isn’t it?”
I managed a watery smile. “You have no idea.”
He leaned in and brushed his lips against mine. A thrill shot through me at the touch, then I froze as I felt his fangs brush against the soft skin of my lips. “So … uh … can you … ?”
Zane gave me a wicked grin full of long, sharp teeth. “We do it better than anybody else, my dear. Shall I show you?”
My muscles would never unknot at this point. “Please.”
His coat slid off his shoulders, and the next thing I knew, dark wings were enfolding me, brushing against my body. “Mind if I undress you?”
“No,” I breathed, unable to move. His hands slid over my shoulders, caressing my skin as if it were fragile. He peeled my T-shirt off and tossed it on the floor, his eyes resting on the swell of my breasts encased in the satin and lace bra.
“So beautiful,” Zane murmured, his hand skimming along my flesh and leaving a trail of fire behind.
“It comes with the job,” I said, my hands sliding to his T-shirt and seeking the hot skin underneath. “I was nothing special before.”
“You have always been special.” Before I could wonder at his words, his mouth preyed upon mine and all coherent thought escaped me.
When his mouth pulled away, I gave a little whimper of distress. Two seconds later I was flat on my back on the bed, and the distress was replaced by the thrill that shot through my body as I looked up to see my lover looming over me, his wings spread as he wrestled out of his T-shirt and tossed it onto the ground. It fluttered to the floor in one long band of fabric, specially cut to accommodate his wings.
Zane’s chest was pale but exquisitely muscled, and my hands reached up to touch that marvelous flesh once more. Within moments his pants were gone as well, and Zane stood before me, as naked as when he fell from Heaven. No chest hair marred the smooth perfection of his flesh, no tan lines disturbed the cool marble of his skin. The sight of his erection surprised me for some reason, large and thick and ready, and I felt my own body’s response at the sight of it.
Then his skin was pressing against my own as he covered me on the bed, his mouth touching my neck, my throat, my breasts, his teeth nipping at my flesh between kisses. “Your body is delicious, Jackie.”
I felt the scrape of his fangs against my nipple, still covered by the thin fabric of my bra, then gasped as his mouth closed over the tight peak, sucking and licking through the fabric. A moan escaped me and I clutched at him, my eyes closed as the sensation washed over me. My frantic hand reached for his cock, only to be stopped midway.
“No, Jackie.” Zane pressed a kiss to the soaked tip of my bra. “Let me love you. Just relax.” He pulled my hands over my head in a submissive pose, stretching me across the bed and making my breasts rise against his cheek. “Can you keep your hands there for me, or shall I get a rope?”
“I’ll behave,” I promised, my breath escaping in sharp little pants as I obligingly clasped my hands together.
He chuckled against my flesh, his mouth skimming against my bra again. “Somehow I doubt that.”
His teeth ripped into my bra, shredding the flimsy material just beneath the little pink bow between my breasts. The fabric fell open, exposing more of my breast, and within a moment both of them lay open to the air, nipples puckered, as Zane looked down hungrily. “You have the most amazing breasts.” His mouth fastened on the tip of one once more, tongue swirling against the sensitive nipple.
I squirmed underneath him, unable to remain silent or passive. The feelings coursing through me were too strong, too violent. My fingers tangled in his hair and I hauled his face to mine for a passionate kiss, my clothed hips bucking against his hardness, suggesting to him that I didn’t want slow or sweet. I wanted hot and fast and now.
Zane pulled away, looming over me and shaking his head. “Didn’t I say ‘no hands’? Could it be that you want to be tied up, after all?” The cascade of black wings shuddered as he moved, and I watched in fascination as he went to my suitcase and began rummaging through it.
I crawled over to the edge of the bed, resisting the urge to shimmy out of my shorts and get totally naked. “We’re not done, are we? Tell me we’re not done.” My hands slid down my body encouragingly.
He looked over at me on the bed, and his wings gave a tense shudder again. “No, not done,” he said, his voice hoarse. “Lie back on the bed, Jackie.” He wrapped a silk scarf around his forearm, his eyes glued to me.
“I will if you’ll kiss me again,” I said, sitting up and cupping my breasts suggestively.
I was flat on my back again within seconds, of course. Zane’s chest pressed against mine, his flat abdomen scraping against my hard nipples. It felt so good to have his weight on top of mine.
His fingers linked in mine, guiding my hand up to the railing of the bed and pinning it there. “Do you trust me, Jackie?”
I looked into his blazing red eyes, searching for an indication that he was going to screw me over, but the only thing I could see was him wanting to screw me, just as badly as I wanted him. And I did trust him. Zane the arrogant jerk at the club was a very different man than the Zane I’d gotten to know.
“I trust you,” I said, raising my head and biting at his lower lip.
His eyes darkened and he caught my mouth in a kiss, sucking on my tongue. I winced when his sharp incisors scraped against my tongue and I tasted blood, but that only increased the excitement and I pressed my mouth harder against his, our teeth clashing. He tied my first hand to the bedpost, and I obediently laid my other against the railing so he could tie it as well.
I tested my bonds, shivering with anticipation and hesitation, rolled in with fiery desire. My body was so hot it felt as if the sheets were going to melt. I closed my eyes and leaned my head against the headboard, relishing the feelings that were coursing over me.
I felt Zane’s mouth against the button of my shorts, and he ripped the fabric with his sharp teeth. Then his mouth was on my belly button, licking and sucking the tender skin.
My hips rose to him, pushin
g against him suggestively. Zane chuckled against my damp skin and grazed his fangs down my flesh, sending desire pulsing through my body. Large, strong hands slid my shorts down my legs and I lifted each one to help, my efforts rewarded with a scorching kiss pressed to my inner thigh.
Nothing covered my skin now but a tiny pair of panties and the cool sweep of his wings.
His teeth nipped at my hipbones, the sharp scrape reminding me of his true nature. “Any regrets yet, Jackie?” Zane’s husky voice had a note of clinical detachment to it, as if he were holding back. “Say the word and we’ll quit now—because if we go any further, I’m not going to be able to stop.”
He paused to press soft, fluttery kisses across my flat belly. “If you tell me no, I’ll walk away right now. But if you don’t, I’m going to sink my teeth”—he nipped lower, his mouth grazing the underwear covering the curls at the juncture of my thighs—“into your sweet flesh, and then I’m going to spread your legs and sink my cock between them.”
He lifted my legs wide into the air, laying me out before him, open and exposed. My ribbon of underwear was a pitiful barrier against the blazing heat of his body. “So tell me now, Jackie, what you want.” His teeth scraped against the triangle of silk.
His words started a fire deep inside my belly and I clenched my thighs, tightening them around his face, letting him know he was exactly where I wanted him.
He groaned against my hot flesh, then he gently spred my legs again. “I won’t make you do anything you don’t want to do, Jackie. Ever.”
“I want to do this,” I finally admitted, squirming in his hands.
His hands gripped my damp panties, pulling them taut against my skin, outlining my most sensitive parts. His tongue stroked my nub through the material, hard—
And I came off the bed with the force of my orgasm.
Before my body even unclenched in relief, Zane ripped my panties off, the head of his cock thrust into my tingling flesh, and the world shattered again.
Bliss swam through me and I wrapped my legs around his waist, careful of the wings that shuddered above us like a dark canopy. Zane ground his hips against mine and I felt pleasure rise again, the tension building as he slowly began to piston me.
My eyes slid open to watch him over me, my hands clenched in helpless fists in the bonds that were so very exciting and not at all frightening. As he stroked into me Zane leaned forward, his lips almost touching one of my breasts as they bounced from the force of his pumping. I arched my back, teasing my nipple against his lips.
His hands slid along my back, arching me up higher against his mouth, and I felt like a cat being stroked. Zane’s mouth closed around my nipple and sucked hard, sending a bolt of startled pleasure through my body. My soft cry turned into a surprised gasp when I felt his fangs break through the skin, and a sear of pain mingled with the pleasure as he began to suck.
It was the most erotic thing I’d ever felt, having him suck at my breast as he drove into me relentlessly, and my third orgasm rolled hard over my body. Zane’s body clenched hard over mine, and I felt the hot spill of his seed deep inside me as he reached his own climax with a groan.
My mind spinning with delirious pleasure, I looked at Zane, his mouth still fastened to my breast. When my eyes met his and I watched him suck, his tongue rasping against my sensitive nipple, it didn’t disgust or revolt me. A sleepy smile slid over my face.
He lifted his face and grinned at me. “What’s that look for?”
I yawned, flexing my hands in the bonds. “Just that I didn’t expect this. Sleeping with a vampire and all.” I blinked a few times, feeling exhausted. My body must have been tired from the constant stress of repressing the Itch. I was glad I wouldn’t have to worry about that anymore.
“I wonder,” I mused, replete.
“Wonder what?” Zane slid up the bed to press a kiss on my mouth.
Momentarily distracted, it took a moment for my thoughts to reschedule themselves. “I wonder why I was chosen. Out of all the girls in New City—heck, in the world—someone picked me to turn to the dark side. Or whatever you call it.”
Zane chuckled and propped up on one elbow, regarding me. “Why do you say that?”
I tried to shrug, but the scarves binding my wrists prevented it. “I looked like a dork. I was dumpy, I had these huge, thick glasses, and I worked in a museum. Nothing that I’d think would attract a vampire.”
His hand slid down my naked torso, stroking my skin, a warm reminder of what we’d just shared. “Maybe … maybe he liked girls with glasses. Maybe he liked your innocence.” He brushed a sweaty red lock off my forehead. “Maybe he saw the potential inside of you and thought you deserved more than wasting away in a bland mortal life.”
How very romanticized. “Or maybe I just looked like an easy, desperate lay.”
“And maybe you looked really cute with a bean burrito hanging out of your mouth.”
My brow wrinkled. “What are you talking about?”
Zane just smiled, waiting, and it took a minute before it clicked. “That was you at the mall?” I said, incredulous. How long had he been following me? “You must be really hard up for a date.”
He laughed. “You’re amazing, you know that?”
“Yeah, that’s what I hear,” I agreed, yawning again. I couldn’t seem to keep my eyes open.
“I hope you can look past my nature to see the real me someday, Jackie.” His finger traced my jawline softly.
I kinda liked the Zane I’d seen so far, despite my first impressions. I leaned into his touch sleepily, my thoughts becoming disjointed. “You’re not like the other vampires.”
“No, I’m not.”
All this talk of vampires reminded me of my daunting task. I sighed, sadness overwhelming me for a moment. “I don’t know if I can do it, Zane. I don’t know if I can give her that halo. It’ll be really bad if she gets it, won’t it?”
His thumb rubbed against my lips. “Yeah.” There was a long pause in which neither of us said anything. Then Zane leaned in and kissed my mouth. “I won’t make you do anything you don’t want to do, Jackie. Ever. Remember that.”
My eyes slid shut again, and my last conscious thought was that I should have asked him to untie me.
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
Holy shit, I’m asleep.
At least, I was pretty sure I was asleep. Since I hadn’t gone to sleep in at least a week, the concept was a difficult one.
It wasn’t a normal sleep, but I must have had a few moments of true REM action because the scene in my dream wasn’t the one I’d just left.
Zane stood over the bed in my dream, shrugging on his jacket. He was fully clothed again, much to my disappointment—the man had a sweet body—but his hair was still tousled from sex, his mouth still as thrillingly moist as when I’d last kissed it. His eyes had cooled back to their normal dark shade, and as I watched, he stuffed my gun into his waistband.
That made my dream-self pause. What was he doing with my gun? The blue one?
He stared down at the bed, remorse flicking across his face. “Sorry, Jackie. I imagine you’ll be quite mad when you wake up.” His hand reached down to brush my cheek.
Hell, I was already getting pretty steamed. Nobody had to wait for me to wake up.
Zane left, solicitously hung the “Do Not Disturb” sign on the doorknob, and shut the door behind him. To my surprise, my mind’s-eye followed him as he walked down the hall of the hotel, whistling.
He paused outside of Remy’s door and knocked, still whistling a cheerful little tune. He wiggled his fingers at the peephole, and then the door slid open.
It was Stan, his hair tousled, dressed only in pajama bottoms. He looked at Zane with irritation. “What do you want?”
The stolen derringer pointed at Stan’s forehead, and the human froze. A cocky smile crossed Zane’s face. “You’re coming with me.”
I struggled to wake up from the bizarre dream, not liking the avenue that this was turning down.
But for some reason I couldn’t rouse myself enough to return to consciousness. I was forced to watch helplessly as the scene unrolled before me.
Remy was at Stan’s side, both of their eyes trained on the ridiculously small blue derringer. She cursed fluently, staring up at Zane with hatred. “Where did you get that gun?”
He cocked it, the heartbreakingly mischievous grin on his face tearing my soul into shreds. “I took it. Nice of you to arm your friend, Remy. The good thing about these guns is that they kill humans same as any other weapon, don’t they?”
The mutinous look on her face told Zane everything he needed to know.
“What do you want?” Remy’s voice was weary, her hand slowly reaching up.
“Uh uh, naughty succubus,” Zane corrected, dragging Stan out of the hotel room, gun still trained on his forehead. “No touching. I’m not falling for your dream-tricks today.”
Remy lunged, her hand brushing down his arm, and I tensed, wondering what would happen.
Nothing happened, except Zane sideswiped the worst of her lunge and she fell to the floor. His hand wrapped around Stan’s throat and he lifted him in the air as Stan began to make choking noises. “Not nice, Remy. Now your little friend is going to suffer.”
Remy stared up at him in a mix of hatred and shock. “I don’t understand.”
Zane grinned down at her. “Don’t you?”
“Oh shit,” she said, getting up off the floor. “You fucked her, didn’t you? God, that girl is so stupid sometimes. You took her blood, too, didn’t you? All so you could be immune to Suck powers. I should have guessed that you’d use her like that.”
I should have guessed it, too.
Zane tsked, his hand tightening about Stan’s throat. The human was turning an unbecoming shade of purple at this point. “That’s not nice, Remy. What I do in my personal life is my own business, and I’d prefer if you didn’t say unflattering things about Jackie.”
He was defending me and betraying me at the same time? Part of me was flattered, but the horrified part of me squashed that thought down.
