Night's Promise

by Sandy Lynn

  Without knowing what she was doing, she managed to cage the animal roaring inside him to go finish his job, to make sure that bastard could never try to hurt another woman.

  Without trying, Melissa was somehow able to soothe the savage beast within him.

  Chapter Eight

  Watching the monitors in front of him, Duncan wished he were anywhere else. He’d been in a relationship with Melissa for two weeks and he’d kept a hard-on almost the entire time. He wished Bram would come relieve him for a little while so he could go take yet another cold shower, maybe try to jerk off again. But he knew that wasn’t likely to happen. Not since that woman, Dani, had begun to come to the club every night.

  Glancing over the monitors, he found the one he was looking for, the one that showed Bram and Dani talking. He wondered if both really were that clueless to the attraction between them. Searching the monitors, he smiled when he saw Melissa sitting at a table, alone. Shaking his head, he stood up. Leaving the control room he tapped one of the other bouncers to go upstairs for a while. The man looked at him skeptically.

  “I’m not going to have to clean the room am I?”

  “No,” he growled. The bouncer nodded and slipped silently through the door. Thankfully it didn’t appear as though his exit had been noticed by many patrons.

  The post covered, Duncan moved through the crowd, glaring at any woman who tried to brush against him until he reached his destination.

  “Hey, beautiful,” he said, placing a kiss against Melissa’s neck. He knew he took her by surprise when her elbow connected with his nose.

  “I’m so sorry. You have to stop doing that,” she scolded him as she pressed a piece of ice from her water to his nose.

  He couldn’t help laughing at the situation. Her reactions were always so varied. “I think I’m beginning to like it,” Duncan teased, earning him a shove on the arm. “You wanna get out of here for a while?” Wrapping his arms around her, he awaited her answer.

  “And where did you want to go?”

  “Someplace quiet, without an audience. Or at least one without a guy who will happily try to rip the head off my body.”

  “Okay.”

  Moments later, they were on the street. “How have you been sleeping?”

  “Some days better than others.” She shrugged. “I still wake up from nightmares now and then, but at least it’s not every day anymore.”

  “I’m glad. So, what’s helping the nightmares?”

  “You know good and well what’s helping.” Melissa bumped into him.

  “Yeah, but it’s nice to have my ego stroked now and then.” He clasped her hand in his and brought it to his lips.

  “Duncan?” She moaned his name. He loved her reaction to him. It was always so honest, so real and free.

  “Yes, Angel?” He nibbled on her knuckle.

  “Are you a sorcerer?”

  “I’ve drank a few in my time,” he teased. “No, Angel, I’m not.”

  “You make me feel… No other guy has ever…” She shook her head. “If you’re not a sorcerer, then how can you be so magical? One kiss from you and I feel like everything melts away. I don’t have a past, no one else exists, nothing else matters.”

  He looked at her. She was different from that first time he’d held her through the night. She was less guarded around him.

  “I feel the same way,” he told her honestly.

  “Then why won’t you—? Why haven’t we—?”

  “Oh, Angel, I just want you to be sure.”

  “I’m sure. I’m completely sure. If I take one more cold shower, I’m going to move to Alaska, or maybe Antarctica.”

  He chuckled.

  “I’m not joking, Duncan.”

  He couldn’t banish the smile from his lips. Holding her hand, he felt her begin to pull him in a direction. He didn’t stop the chuckle when she hailed a taxi and gave the driver her address before climbing inside.

  Sitting beside her, he pulled her close.

  “I’m not joking, Duncan,” she told him again. “I want—”

  He placed a finger against her lips. “I know, Mel, I know.”

  *

  A dark figure was on the street a half a block away from her house when the taxi finally dropped them off. But since it wasn’t very late, she decided to ignore it. Besides, she hoped to be doing something more special with her night than worry about some stranger lurking in the shadows. Especially since he was probably just taking a walk.

  Melissa unlocked the front door, her hands shaking slightly. She hoped Duncan wasn’t watching her too closely. She was excited and scared, terrified and anxious. What if she couldn’t please him? What if he changed his mind and wanted to be with someone else as soon as they had—

  She shook her head to dislodge the thoughts. No. She was ready. More ready than she’d ever been before.

  Opening the door she entered the house, knowing Duncan would follow her. She headed for the kitchen to get some water for her suddenly dry mouth.

  “Nervous?” he asked in that way of his. The one that said it was all right to be feeling whatever she was feeling, the one that told her he accepted her as she was, with no pressure for anything.

  She shrugged, but he would not be put off. “Melissa…”

  “A little,” she admitted. “But that doesn’t mean I don’t want to do it.”

  “It’s a big step.”

  Melissa smiled and handed him the bottle, watching him drink from it. “I’m ready,” she told him when he finished drinking. Taking his hand in hers she headed for the basement room. Over the last few weeks she’d grown to think of it as their room.

  Inside the room, she stared at the bed, suddenly more nervous than she’d ever been before. What did they do now? Should she just start taking all of her clothes off? Should she wait for him to make a move? Sit on the bed and try to look seductive? Stand in the middle of the room and look like an idiot?

  “Relax,” Duncan told her, placing a kiss on her neck. “There’s no rush.” He gently pulled her to the bed. Sitting down, he tugged her down onto his lap. Her arms circled his neck automatically.

  “I just feel so stup—”

  “Shhh.” His finger lay against her lips. “I don’t ever want to hear you say that about yourself. Mel, I’m…well, I’m old and I’ve never met a woman that was braver or smarter than you are.”

  “I’m not brave.” She shook her head vigorously, denying his praise. “I’m just a scared, stup—silly girl. I mean, there’s nothing to be scared of right? Everyone does it. Aren’t I a little old to be acting like some kind of cowering virgin? It’s not like I don’t know what happens. I watch TV. I’ve watched cable. You can’t get more descriptive than some of those shows without actually being considered porn. I’ve read books…” she admitted, her face warming.

  “See, that’s just it. Those are actors, or fictional characters. It’s one thing to see it happen on TV or read about it. And yes, there is a lot to be afraid of, it’s a big step. What if you get pregnant? What if the guy’s a dog and he just walks away when you’re done, then never wants to talk to you again? What if he’s a vampire and wants to drink from you? What if he’s got something, a disease? What if you think you’re ready but you’re not?”

  Melissa looked at him, her eyes practically bulging out of her face. He’d touched on a few of the things she was terrified of. Letting her brother take a quick nip was one thing, but did she really want Duncan to have an all access pass into her brain? “Are you trying to comfort me? Cause you know, not helping.”

  He chuckled, and pulled her close. “The point is that it’s natural to be scared.”

  “Are you…?”

  “Scared? No.” He shook his head.

  “No. Are you just gonna walk away and never gonna want to see me again?”

  He forced her to look into his eyes. “No. I won’t say I’m not that kind of man, cause I am. I’ve done it in the past.” He shrugged. “But Mel, those women all
knew, before anything happened, that I wouldn’t be staying.”

  She nodded, understanding what he meant. “Are you gonna want to drink from me?”

  “I won’t if you say no.”

  “What if I don’t like it? What if I’m no good?” The questions flew out of her mouth. Burying her head against Duncan’s shoulder, she was too embarrassed to look him in the eye.

  “Well, if you don’t like it, then I did something wrong.” He chuckled. His hands slid up and down her back, slightly massaging and helping her to relax. “As for no good, well, Angel, I doubt that.”

  “How can you be so sure?”

  “Angel, I haven’t been this worked up in at least a hundred years, and we haven’t even gotten to the really good stuff.”

  “But, it could just be because you’re horny. Maybe it doesn’t have anything to do with me. Maybe it’s just—”

  He pressed a kiss to her lips, effectively silencing her. All questions and fears were forgotten as Melissa clung to him, kissing him back as she lost herself in the sensations that blazed through her body. Lifting her arms with his own when the kiss ended, they traveled back down her body to pull her shirt off.

  Melissa pulled away from him, standing up. Keeping her eyes locked on his she unhooked her bra and dropped it to the floor. Taking a deep breath, Melissa prepared herself for what came next. Her hands went to her jeans and she unbuttoned them then slowly lowered the zipper. Before she could pull them down her hips, Duncan stopped her by pulling her back to his lap. This time she was straddling him. Tilting her head slightly she pressed close to him, kissing him hungrily.

  She felt his hands gliding up and down her back, leaving delicious tingles everywhere he touched. Kissing her way down to his neck, she slid her tongue over his flesh, up to his ear. Sucking the lobe into her mouth, she bit down lightly on it, enjoying the way his fingers dug into her skin slightly.

  His mouth lowered to her shoulder and his elongated fangs grazed against her, erotically. Her eyes closed, allowing her to concentrate on his blissful touch. Beneath her, Duncan shifted, leaning her back against the bed. His hand moved over her stomach, cupping the weight of her breast as he kissed her.

  Duncan slid down her body and her eyes closed as he took her nipple into her mouth, teasing her with his fangs. His silky hair brushed against her as he continued to move down her stomach. When he stopped, Melissa opened her eyes to look down at him. His hands were poised on her jeans, a question in his eyes as he watched her. Nodding, she lifted her hips off the bed. He slowly pulled them down, kissing and nibbling a path over her leg as he removed the obstacle.

  Melissa closed her eyes again, conjuring his image beneath her lids as her heartbeat began to increase. He won’t hurt me, she told herself over and over again, willing herself to calm down.

  “Angel?”

  “I’m fine,” she reassured him, praying that she was telling him the truth. He’s not Travis. He doesn’t want to hurt me. I want this. But try as she might, she was afraid. It was the first time she’d ever been underneath a man without her jeans protecting her.

  As though he could read her mind, Duncan returned to her. Lying beside her, with his jean clad leg resting on only one of hers, he kissed her gently. When she tried to deepen the kiss he pulled back slightly. Teasing her with small, light kisses, he massaged her breast. Tangling her hands in his hair, she jerked him to her, sucking his lower lip into her mouth. But he would not be rushed. He kissed her leisurely, making her forget everything but him.

  She felt his hand moving down her body. It felt so nice; his touch was whisper soft and enticing. He caressed her through her underwear, drawing a moan from her.

  “Just tell me if you want me to stop,” he whispered into her ear before suckling on her earlobe. His nimble fingers traced the cleft of her pussy lips, each pass causing the ache inside of her body to grow.

  “Duncan,” she moaned. Her voice sounded full of need, even to her. When he looked up at her, she lifted her hips once again.

  He stared into her eyes for a moment, but didn’t question her. Nibbling on the opposite leg, he pulled her underwear off, letting them join her jeans—wherever they were.

  She watched him as he knelt between her legs, looking down at her body. She wanted to ask what was wrong, if he was disappointed in what he saw, but was terrified of breaking whatever spell he had woven around her.

  “You’re so beautiful, Angel.”

  Melissa smiled shyly. When he lowered himself to feast on her breasts, she closed her eyes, arching into him. It felt so nice to finally feel him pressed against her, with no clothes dampening the sensations. Her fingers began to toy with his hair, her nails grazing against his flesh and over his scalp as the need deep within her built.

  She chuckled slightly when his hair tickled her side as his tongue traced a path down her stomach.

  Her hips arched against his chest, but still he continued to tease her. He continued to slowly move down her body. She bit down on her lower lip when he placed her leg over his shoulder.

  She could feel his breath, warm against her flesh. Arching her hips slightly, she felt a tender kiss placed on her pussy. Her eyes flew open and she struggled to sit up.

  Without moving from his spot between her legs, Duncan asked, “Would you like me to stop?”

  She shook her head. As his tongue parted her lips, grazing against her clit, her eyes closed and she fell back against the bed. Oh dear gods, she moaned inside her head. His mouth moved against her, his tongue dipping into her pussy. Her hands twisted in the comforter, balling handfuls of the material in her fist as she panted from his attention.

  His tongue slid up between her lips again. Melissa’s whimper turned quickly into a moan as a finger slowly filled her. He circled her clit, his mouth occasionally sucking it into his mouth as his finger moved in and out of her body.

  “Gods,” she cried out, her hips arching off the bed, wanting to feel more of him inside of her. There was a brief twinge of pain followed by a feeling of being filled more completely. Duncan increased the pace of his fingers as he sucked her clit into his mouth again. She wanted to cry out, to scream for him to keep going, but her throat felt too dry. The only sound she seemed able to make was a needy whimper as she silently begged him to keep going.

  Her muscles began to tense in a familiar fashion. Her head moved back and forth on the bed as the sensations became so much more powerful than they were with her clothes on. Her back arched, then her hips, in an attempt to get closer to him. When she felt his mouth pull away from her, she quickly released the material bunched in her hands and grabbed handfuls of his hair, pressing him closer to her body. His chuckle vibrated through her, but she didn’t care, she was so close.

  His fingers matched the frantic pace her hips set. As an orgasm unlike any she had felt before ripped through her body she was distantly aware of his fingers withdrawing from her. Her thighs clenched together, pressing tightly against his head. His tongue moved over her as he growled next to her flesh.

  Her muscles trembling, Melissa slowly released his head, too tired and relaxed to move anymore than she had to.

  Duncan nibbled on her shoulder before pressing a kiss to her lips. She could smell herself, taste herself on him, but it didn’t matter. The only thoughts she seemed able to form inside her head were “wow” and “My gods.”

  He gathered Melissa in his arms and after a second of pressing her against his chest, he lowered her to the crisp, cool sheets. She wanted to protest, she wanted to feel his arms around her again. She wanted him to hold her. After what felt like an eternity, he was laying behind her.

  “Are you okay?” he asked.

  “Mm-hmm.”

  “Tired?”

  “Yes,” she told him, her voice slightly hoarse.

  He placed a tender kiss on her neck and she felt him lay back.

  “Duncan, what do you get out of that? I mean, it felt wonderful—gods did it feel wonderful—but what does it do for you?
”

  “It brings me pleasure. Feeling you trembling like that, knowing that I’ve satisfied you makes me feel satisfied as well. It’s something I enjoy. It’s something I hope you won’t mind me doing again sometime soon.”

  A smile curved her lips and seeped into her voice. “Anytime. Well, as long as you give me a chance to recover first.”

  His body shook with laughter.

  “That wasn’t sex, Duncan,” she pointed out.

  “I know.”

  “Don’t you want to have sex with me?”

  He was silent a moment. “Angel, I don’t want to hurt you. You’re so tight.” She felt him move behind her. He pressed a kiss to her shoulder. “It’s probably going to hurt the first time. You were so tight around my fingers, Angel. There are things I can do, to help. I just want to make sure that when the time comes, you don’t have to be in anymore pain than absolutely necessary.”

  Melissa nodded her understanding. She could remember hearing plenty of girls in the locker room talking about how it hurt the first time they’d let their boyfriends fuck them. Even in her books, it almost always said there was a brief amount of pain the first time.

  Her lids growing heavy, she tried to fight off a yawn. “Duncan?” she asked sleepily.

  “Yes?”

  “Why do you keep saying you’re no good at this shit?”

  “What do you mean?”

  Turning so she faced him, she looked into his eyes. “From that first time we kissed you told me you suck at the comforting shit. But you don’t. I don’t think I’ve ever been more comfortable, felt safer with any man—other than my brother.”

  “Then you would definitely be the only woman I’ve ever met that finds me comforting,” he teased.

  “Duncan…”

  “You should get some rest, Angel.”

  She wanted to protest, but didn’t. But she would say what she felt first, before sleep claimed her. Closing her eyes, Melissa let the words escape seconds before she fell asleep.