by Aubrey Ross
She led him across one section of the casino and down a short hallway. The private elevator waiting at the end was only accessible with a keypad.
“How many people know the code?” he asked, using any excuse to keep her talking. He wanted her to feel comfortable with him, relaxed and safe. Safe? Why was her safety suddenly a concern?
Never one to question his instincts, he scanned their surroundings in progressively widening circles while still attempting to appear attentive. He sensed nothing out of the ordinary, beyond his attraction to her.
“The observation deck in tower one is open to the public,” she told him. “This one is reserved for high rollers; those staying in the penthouses and VIPs.”
“What are vee i pees?”
They stepped into the elevator; and the door slid closed before she answered his question. “Very important persons.”
Awareness swirled around them as the lift sped them upward. “I see.” She remained near the control panel, not huddled exactly, but obviously keeping as much distance between them as possible. He allowed it for the moment, pleased by the sensual pulse throbbing between them.
“Your confusion seems to be a good place to start.” Her voice sounded oddly hushed, almost smoky. “How much do you know about the modern world? I don’t want to waste hours, or even days, explaining things you already know. Has your clan had any interaction with the outside world?”
“Zoltan clan is not unaware of the outside world. We have simply chosen seclusion as a means of keeping our bloodlines pure.”
The door opened; she motioned him out into a large, uncluttered room. Couches and chair groupings were scattered about the room, but the main attraction was obviously the view. Floor to ceiling windows displayed the famous Las Vegas Strip. Momentarily forgetting the subject at hand, Victor crossed the room and gazed out over the mesmerizing vista. Animated billboards and colorful lights stretched out into the distance. Towering hotels and risqué attractions promised something for everyone. Decadence and excitement vibrated through the darkness, humming with life and energy.
“It’s rather impressive, isn’t it?” Tess didn’t sound as if she believed her own words.
“I definitely see the appeal.” He wanted to pull her in front of him and explore her naked body as he enjoyed the amazing view. Would the hypnotizing glitz add to the discovery; or would it distract from the glory of her soft flesh? “Which location is your favorite?”
“It’s hard to say. Each one is so different, yet similar.” She sighed. “It all starts to blur after awhile.”
Turning to face her, he captured her gaze. “Are we still talking about the hotels?”
She licked her lips and lowered her lashes. “It’s been a long day.” Her pink tongue wet her lower lip then she prompted, “Back to Zoltan clan. If seclusion was keeping your bloodline pure, why change the stratagem now?”
He leaned his shoulder against the window frame, blocking out the distracting skyline. “As a gene pool shrinks the advantages of purity diminish.”
“So this is less about learning social mores and more about scouting out a potential… spouse? Is that the proper term for a vampire?”
He wasn’t interested in a spouse. A spouse was one half of a marriage and a marriage could be terminated. He wanted a mate, a permanent mate, a mate with whom he could spend the rest of his life and… He was jumping far ahead.
He stepped away from the window, carefully choosing his words. “Organic vampires are required to produce organic progeny. If they happen to find love with their partner, then they are fortunate. If not -- so long as both parties are agreed -- they are allowed to seek companionship once the children reach the age of ten. My second son turned ten last summer.”
“And your son’s mother is agreeable with your finding companionship?” Her tone was carefully controlled. He couldn’t tell what she thought about what he was trying to accomplish. He’d been under the impression human ideas about these things were less regimented than vampire traditions. Many humans flitted from lover to lover with little thought and less commitment.
“An opportunity arose for her to marry an ancient three months after Phillip was born,” he explained. “She petitioned the council for special dispensation and was allowed to dissolve our union. I haven’t spoken with her since.”
“You retained custody of your sons?”
“Of course.” She worked for Vasco clan. Did she know nothing of vampire ways?
“She sounds really selfish.”
“I refuse to waste so much as a thought on that woman.” This was where everything got tricky. He couldn’t wrestle Tess to the floor and fuck her into submission. Even if every molecule of his nature demanded he do exactly that. He didn’t want a blood thrall. He wanted a willing companion, someone who would offer her body, her mind, and her blood, willingly -- no eagerly. “The mother of my sons is out of my life, and I will not allow her to return. Even so, my children would benefit from the tenderness of a female, and I am more than ready for a permanent companion.”
She stared out at the skyline for a long moment, her expression thoughtful. Then she slipped her hands into her pockets and met his gaze. “I understand your motives, but why come to me? I know very few vampires and those I do know are --”
“You misunderstand me, Tess. I’m not looking for a vampire.” He took a step toward her. “I intend to court you.”
Chapter Two
Shocked into silence, Tess stared into Victor’s sky blue eyes. He wanted to court her? First Seth and now Victor. Was there something in the water making men irrational?
Vampires didn’t court humans. They stalked; they seduced; they claimed. Yet the intensity in his gaze and the ruthlessness in his expression revealed his sincerity.
They remained a step apart, tension crackling in the air around them. She needed to pacify him fast and get the hell out of here! She might not be the helpless human he presumed, but she was no match for an organic vampire.
“I’m flattered by your interest,” she made each word calm and even, “but I don’t share my blood.”
He smiled. The unexpected change made him look even more dangerous. He wouldn’t just let her walk away. She could see it in his eyes. His dark hair was short, the strands not quite military standard, yet unusually severe. Many vampires were almost pretty. Victor’s features were rugged and bold, perfectly balanced, creating an aura of savage appeal.
“If I wanted a blood thrall, I wouldn’t have bothered with words.”
She pictured them sprawled on the carpet in a tangle of arms and legs. His fangs would penetrate her flesh while his erection rubbed against her mound. She’d heard bloodlust could induce an orgasm more intense than conventional sex. It had been so long since a man touched her, forever since she’d felt… What the hell was wrong with her? She’d never been a fang groupie, and she wasn’t about to start now!
Shaking away the unwanted temptation, she forced herself to think. “I agreed to tutor you in social conventions. If that’s not why you’re here, our conversation is over.”
He moved closer, close enough to touch her, yet he only caressed her with his electric blue gaze. “So tutor me, Tess; explain the mysteries of this modern world. How do modern humans find their mates?”
Mates, not boyfriends, or lovers. He made it sound so animalistic, so sexual. “That’s a complicated question. The majority of modern humans don’t spend their entire life with one person.” She refused to retreat, but his scent was intoxicating, dark and sensual like everything about him.
The corners of his mouth quirked, drawing her attention to his lips. “They have multiple mates or they move indiscriminately from one partner to the next?”
What would it feel like to have those lips cover hers, to slide and tease before they settled in for a deeper claiming? Were they warm or cool? His hand had been warm and strong, easily capable of -- What was the question again? She gave herself a firm mental shake. “It depends on the human, but mul
tiple partners are still pretty rare.”
She wanted to ask him if he’d cast her in sexual thrall. Never before had she been so easily turned on by a man she’d just met. But to confront him with her suspicion, she’d have to admit she was crawling out of her skin. Her breasts felt heavy and unusually sensitive, and her pussy clenched with unmistakable demand.
He was quiet for a long moment, staring out at the Strip. Had the lights captured his attention again or was he lost in thought?
He turned his head and their gazes locked. Heat cascaded from her head to her toes in a weakening rush. Her knees sagged, and he caught her upper arms. “Are you all right?”
“You know damn well I’m not. Lift the thrall!”
“I cast no thrall.” He touched her cheek then swept her into his arms and carried her to one of the couches. “Are you ill?”
“This can’t be happening.” She blew out an unsteady breath. “It makes no sense. Even if he triggered animus inaction, why am I reacting to you?”
“Who is he, and what does that term mean?” He stroked the hair back from her face, his touch surprisingly gentle.
She tried to remain stiff in his embrace, but his warmth beckoned, his touch inflaming her lust with each subtle brush of his fingers. “Please.” She caught his wrist. “I can’t think when you touch me.”
“Then don’t think.” He moved his hand to the arm of the couch, but circled her waist when she tried to scoot off his lap. “Tell me what you meant before.”
“I’m sort of engaged to Seth Hillderoth.”
Leaving her back resting against the arm of the couch, he moved away. Her legs still arched over his lap, but he was clearly displeased by the revelation. “Why does that name sound familiar? Who is Seth Hillderoth?”
Her desire settled into smoldering heat. He was near enough to soothe the intense longing, yet far enough away to allow her to think. “He’s a Protinese Elf.”
Victor’s gaze narrowed and he rested one hand possessively on her knee. “He’s a member of the royal family, if I’m not mistaken. Do you consider yourself human or Protinese?”
“I try to avoid labels. My mother was highborn Protinese. My father’s makeup was more complicated, but he considered himself human.”
“If you intend to honor your engagement with Prince Seth, I should take my leave.”
There was her out. All she had to do was speak the words, and Victor would walk. She’d just met the man for God’s sake! Why was her heart pounding?
Her lips parted. Then trembled and the words lodged in her throat. “I need you to kiss me, just kiss me. Will you do that for me?”
“I have no objection to kissing you, but why the stipulation?”
“I’ll explain after we kiss.”
His hand curved around the back of her neck, drawing her forward slightly. He leaned down as she rose, and their mouths met in the middle. His lips were warm and parted. They brushed over hers and then began to pull away. Before her pang of disappointment could register, he crushed her to his chest and delivered the devouring kiss she’d been expecting.
His tongue traced her lips, warning of his intent a moment before he thrust into her mouth. Yes! This is what she needed, what she craved. She wanted his aggression, his boldness, his… darkness.
In the back of her mind a warning bell tolled. This wasn’t her. Something was triggering these feelings. She didn’t crave darkness. She had to know a man well and share an emotional bond before she could open up sexually.
She dragged his shirt out of his pants, desperate for bare skin. Though tall and lean, his body felt steely beneath her fingers. She wanted him naked! Wanted to impale herself on his cock as he thrust his fangs into her breast. The tingling start of an orgasm gathered between her thighs.
Shocked and confused, she dragged her mouth away from his and scrambled off the couch. She pressed her hand over her pounding heart, humiliated by the distinct peaks of her nipples so obvious beneath her silk blouse.
“Did you learn what you needed to know?” There was no mockery in his tone, just curiosity and passion.
“No,” she cried as she spun back around. She’d hoped to feel nothing unusual when they kissed, nothing elemental. “If you were Seth, I’d understand. Protinese couples produce hormones during their first mating cycle. In full-blooded couples it ensures a deep, long-lasting bond. With a human, or half human, it also triggers physiological changes that increase reproductive compatibility.”
“You think Seth set this process in motion when he was here the other night?”
Suspicion sliced through her lust-addled brain. “How do you know about that?”
He pushed to his feet and stalked toward her, his gaze focused squarely on her mouth. “What happens in Vegas might stay in Vegas, but what happens in Vegas gets around fast. Your betrothed made quite a scene the other night.”
She stared back at him in silence, questions bombarding her mind. “No one was here but Lillian. How did you --”
“Did you call security, or did they arrive in response to what they’d seen on the monitors? You’re never really alone in a casino, Tess. Isn’t that one of the reasons your brother was willing to let you take on this project?”
He reached for her hand, but she twisted away. If she let him touch her again, they’d end up in bed. She couldn’t fight this craving, no matter how irrational it was. “Why do you know so much about me?” Focusing on her annoyance gave her a small measure of control. “Did you have me investigated?”
“Nothing so impersonal.” He grinned. “I investigated you myself.”
“Then why pretend you knew nothing about me?”
“I’m trying to play by your rules, to respect you as a modern woman. I’ve had no practice at this sort of courtship.” Without warning, he dragged her into his arms, pressing her firmly against his body. “And you’re not making it easy to remember my intentions.”
“I’m sorry. I’m not usually like this. I don’t understand why --”
“Why you want me?” He kissed the corners of her mouth. “Is that really so surprising? Vampires and Elves are instinctual beings. I felt a connection to you the moment I walked into your club.”
“Seth will kill you.” She wiggled restlessly, unsure if she wanted to free herself or wrap her legs around his waist and surrender to the madness.
“Let me worry about Seth.” It sounded more like a growl as he pressed his face against the side of her throat.
Intoxicated by the conflict twisting through Tess, Cadin pushed deeper into the female’s mind. With the first taste of her energy Cadin had known Tess was no mere human. She was far more powerful than she let on, or perhaps her powers were latent. Either way she was intriguing.
Encouraging Tess’s attraction to Victor hadn’t been much of a challenge. Still, the real fun would start when Seth found out a vampire had fucked his betrothed. A vampire she had just met no less!
They were kissing again, their mouths moving with ravenous fervor. Tess arched against him, rubbing -- no, grinding against his thigh, desperate for fulfillment. Just another moment or two and the vampire would snap. He’d loose his true nature and ravish her.
Cadin kept Tess’s lust blazing hot, causing her to arch and moan. Victor pulled her blouse off over her head and unfastened her bra. Tess glanced toward the elevator.
“If someone comes, I’ll shield us,” he promised in a rough whisper. “They’ll never know we’re here.”
Unless they heard their grunts and cries of pleasure, Cadin amended. Maybe she should go to the lobby and make sure they were interrupted. That might be fun.
Victor paused when Tess was naked, his gaze gleaming with lust. “Damn, woman, you should never wear clothes. You look amazing naked.”
She laughed. “That wasn’t exactly what I had in mind for X2.”
Tess was calming down, starting to think. Cadin spiked her libido, sent a jolt of heat to her cunt. Tess groaned, helplessly covering her mound with her hand.
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Victor moved her hand away and touched her gently. “Fuck, you’re hot.”
“Is that supposed to be a compliment?”
“I meant it literally. Is your pussy always this hot?”
She slapped his hand away, and Cadin reinforced the hostility.
“I told you I felt strange,” Tess muttered. “Do you honestly think you’re irresistible?”
His gaze narrowed and he pounced. He lifted her briefly then laid her on her back on the floor, covering her with his body. He allowed her to feel his weight for only a moment before he nudged her legs apart and situated himself on his knees.
He caught her wrists and raised her hands above her head. “Something is affecting you, and we need to know what it is. Lower your shields so I can scan your mind.”
Oh, this would never do. Cadin inundated Tess with anger and fear. “No fucking way! You stay out of my mind.”
“I’m not going to hurt you.” She jerked her hand free and swung at his face. He intercepted the blow and returned her hand to the floor. “Tess, look at me. Someone is screwing with your mind, but it’s not me.”
“Get off me! I don’t want to fuck anymore.”
Tess thrashed beneath Victor, the smell of fear heavy in the air. “Sweetheart, you’re terrified, and you weren’t afraid two seconds ago. Something is definitely wrong.” He scanned the room and the area around her body, but every time he attempted to enter her mind her struggles increased.
This wasn’t some hormone-induced frenzy. Some sort of entity was manipulating Tess. Unsure what else to do, he pressed her down into the carpeting and minimized her writhing. It wasn’t safe to release her until he understood what was attacking her, but he sure as hell wasn’t going to fuck her.
Tess, can you hear me?
I feel so strange. Why do I feel so strange? She sounded intoxicated, muddled.
Let me help you. Lower your shields, so I can take a look around.
Tess cried out, arching so violently she nearly succeeded in freeing herself. He sensed the entity fleeing, then his attention returned to Tess.
