She dug her heels in to pull out of his grasp, but instead of holding her arm tighter, he let her go, shocking the hell out of her. The tiny worry lines on his forehead were back and his eyes were apologetic. Had she read his tone wrong?
“I…sleep better with you there,” he admitted. “I want you with me.”
She glanced down the hallway at her door, then back at him, aware of the fact that she had a choice to make. If she left and went to her room, they’d both wake up later and things would be relatively the same. Was that what she wanted? Because sex had a way of changing the status quo, adding expectations to a relationship where none existed before.
In his haste, he had thrown on a pair of boxer briefs that accentuated the size of his powerful thighs, as well as other muscle groups. A large one that seemed to grow in size as she watched. She quickly averted her gaze and tried not to be influenced by how devastatingly attractive he was.
She’d never been one to believe that things happened for a reason. In fact, she hated that philosophy. It pissed her off. Was it supposed to give you comfort to know that a terrible awful thing happened because of some higher purpose? That something else was more important than a little girl needing her mother?
Oh, sorry. Your husband was hit and killed by a bus. Guess it was just meant to be.
Your mother was taken away by the shadows who happen to be killer vampires. She suffered and died because God needed her more than you did.
Well, that was bullshit. Always had been and always would be.
And yet as she stood before Jackson with a choice to make, she found herself thinking along these lines. If he hadn’t gotten up and she hadn’t left, they’d probably be making love right now. Neither of them would have intended for that to happen, but it would’ve. But now that each of them had been given a choice with time to ponder both sides, she wondered about the significance of her decision. Could this be one of those watershed moments? Say no and your life goes one way. Say yes and it goes another. Had the fates decided that this was a big enough event in her life that she should make a conscious decision? As she stared at him, she had a feeling it was.
She didn’t know much about this man except for his actions. He was bold, unapologetic and yet he was kind. Plus, he’d saved her life. Twice.
Not to mention that her hormones were screaming at her to say yes.
In the end, the choice that would affect her life so profoundly wasn’t a difficult one to make after all.
THAT BUSINESS ABOUT TAKING things slowly, while good in theory, flew out the window when Arianna put her hand in his. He almost forgot about the pain in his arm when he ushered her back to his bed.
In moments, her cotton leggings and T-shirt were a heap on the floor along with his boxer briefs. He pushed her onto the bed until she was lying back on the pillows, her dark red hair fanned out around her.
“Have I told you how much I love zebra print?” he asked as he stripped off her black-and-white panties then spread her knees.
Her short pink nails dug into his forearms, urging him to hurry. “I’ll try to remember that.”
He’d planned to slip a finger inside, play with her for a moment to ensure she was ready, then put on a condom. Even though vampires couldn’t get a human pregnant or transmit anything, he wasn’t used to having his sexual partners know his true nature, so he always wore one. But when he saw the glistening pink of her sex with a thin strip of dark red curls above it, his plans changed.
Without warning, he dropped his head, tracing his lips along the delicate softness of her inner thigh. She let out a little gasp, closing her legs slightly before relaxing them open for him again.
“Ah, yes, there you go.” He felt her fingers slide encouragingly against his scalp.
And then his mouth was on her, tasting her, exploring her folds, silky and hot with desire. Her musky fragrance shot straight to his groin. If he wasn’t careful, he could easily find himself spilling his seed right here on the sheets. On his hands and knees like this, his balls dangled heavy and loose between his legs, his shaft hard and pointing in the direction it wanted to go. Right into her.
Soon. But first things first.
His tongue easily found that little ball of flesh at her center. She hissed, grabbing fistfuls of his hair. He’d been considering cutting it shorter but was glad now that he hadn’t. Keeping his mouth on her, he slipped a finger into her warmth and began moving it in and out. God, she was just as silky inside as he had hoped she’d be. Maybe even more so. As well endowed as he was, he knew how important that readiness would be for her comfort. She bucked her hips, bettering the angle for him. He answered her unspoken demand by adding another finger.
“Oh, my God.”
Her thighs trembled as her internal muscles tightened around his fingers. It took all his willpower not to climb on top of her and push his painfully stiff erection inside her, instead. She’d be a damn tight fit, but with all this silky heat, he had no doubt that he’d slip right in. However, there’d be time for that in a moment. Right now, he was focused on her pleasure, not his.
“Jackson,” she said breathlessly.
She was so close. He could feel it.
Come on, honey. You’re right there.
He concentrated on moving his fingers in and out, rubbing his tongue on her in the same fluid, erotic rhythm.
“Jackson,” she repeated, this time tapping his shoulder.
Bewildered, he lifted his head. Did she not like this? He could’ve sworn that she was right on the edge.
“Come up and swing your leg over me.”
He liked that she wasn’t afraid to say what she needed from him, but he didn’t know exactly what she wanted him to do.
“Keep going, though,” she added. “I don’t want you to stop.”
“What?” He still didn’t understand, and then his eyes went wide. Did she really mean—
If he’d thought she was hot before, good God, he was ready to get down on his knees and worship her after what she said next.
“Hurry.” Her voice was raspy, breathless and sexy as hell. “I’m close, but I want you in my mouth when I come.”
ARIANNA HAD NEVER BEEN BROUGHT to climax with just a man’s mouth and fingers before. It hadn’t ever felt complete enough. Until now. Holy crap.
With him lying over the top of her like this, his hair tickling her inner thighs, she gripped the base of his shaft and sucked on its broad head as wave after wave of toe-curling pleasure washed over her. If she could form words, she’d be saying, “Oh, my God. I’m having another one. And another.” As it was, all she could do was moan.
Trying to take in as much of him as she could, she kept expecting him to climax, as well. But he didn’t.
Was she not doing it right? Didn’t all guys love oral sex? Especially like this?
He swung his leg over her as if he was dismounting, and then, before she knew what was happening, he was between her thighs again, but this time, the rounded tip of his penis was at her core.
“Did you not like what I was doing to you?” she asked.
Maybe she’d been too aggressive and forward with him. He probably preferred his women demure and wanted them to follow his lead, rather than the other way around. Normally, she wasn’t quite this bold. What the hell had come over her?
“Are you kidding?” He lifted his head and the green of his eyes seemed to glow with a light from within. “You’re exquisite. Your mouth on me. The taste of you on my tongue. Call me old-fashioned, but I must take you this way first.”
First?
She didn’t have time to contemplate what he meant because he instantly grabbed her hips and thrust. All the way to the hilt. Had she cried out again? She was pretty sure she had. Rational thought flew out of her head as this man consumed her.
>
He stretched her, filled her so completely that she imagined she could feel him in her throat again. But this time, from the other side.
His buttocks flexed under her fingertips and the sinewy tendons in his neck bulged as he pistoned into her. Strands of blue-and-green hair had loosened from the half ponytail he wore and hung into his eyes, but he didn’t seem to notice or care. He was rough. He was wild. And if he hadn’t already brought her to climax several times before, she was certain that this would be borderline painful, rather than incredibly pleasurable.
She matched his frenzied rhythm and was soon on the brink again. His mouth came down heavily over hers, his tongue thrusting, invading, claiming her like this, as well. The taste of her on him served as a reminder of what they’d just done.
An electric energy tingled along her skin, igniting nerve endings she didn’t know she had. Deep inside, he pulsed, his shaft thickened. In response, her inner walls clamped even tighter around him.
“Oh, dear God, woman,” he groaned, arching his back.
He said a few other things, too, but she was so caught up in wave after wave of mind-blowing climax that it could’ve been some foreign language for all she knew. This man trapped between her legs and contained within her body was truly magnificent.
Breathing hard, he collapsed on top of her, his forearms bearing the majority of his weight despite his injury.
“You were… This was… Wow.” She struggled to find the words to adequately describe what she’d just experienced.
It was obvious that he was a very practiced and skilled lover, familiar with how to coax the most from a woman’s body. She didn’t want to think about him between the legs of other women, doing things that he’d just done to her. This had been special to her, and in her own little fantasy world, she’d like to think it was special to him.
Her fingers grazed over the muscles in his back and shoulders. He was so broad that she could hardly reach the channel of his spine.
“That pleases me.” His lips were hot against her neck.
She tensed. Was this the part where he was going to bite her? She was so completely and utterly enthralled by him that she hadn’t thought about it ahead of time, but the man was a vampire. At least she could’ve mentally prepared herself. Would it hurt? Would he—
“Shh, little minx. I will not hurt you.”
“You…you won’t?”
He stroked a finger along her throat. Her pulse quickened in response as if encouraging him to drink from her.
“As much as I want this from you, I will not take anything that you don’t freely give to me.” He hesitated and it felt as if he was going to say something more. She held her breath, but he stayed silent.
He wouldn’t bite her unless she told him he could. Slowly, she relaxed.
“There we go,” he murmured. “That’s it.”
She half expected his erection would soften and slip out and that he would soon be snoring. But she was dead wrong. In fact, he was just as hard now as when they first began. She barely had a chance to catch her breath when he rolled them over as one entity and she was astride him.
“I like this view,” he said huskily, staring at her breasts.
In this dominant position, with her hands positioned on either side of his broad shoulders, she had all the control now. Or at least, theoretically. He was under her, his dark eyes glossy and expectant.
Callused hands slid over her hips and waist to cup her breasts. Practiced fingers gently twisted her nipples until they peaked and tingled with need. By the time he lifted his head to pull one into his mouth, damn if she didn’t feel another climax rushing at her as he suckled.
An hour later, when they finally collapsed on a heap of sheets, she wondered if he had the same wallpaper in his room as she did. She could’ve sworn they’d tried out each one of the sexual positions showcased on her bedroom wall.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
ARIANNA WATCHED AS LILY palmed the small knife, then she tried to duplicate the grip with the one she was holding.
“That way, regardless of whether you’re attacked from the front or the back, you’ll be able to slash and incapacitate your attacker. And when it comes to mean, hungry vampires, that move can come in handy.”
Lily took aim at the target and threw the knife. The blade landed dead center with a thunk.
“Oh, God, I could never do that.”
“Sure you can. All it takes is a little practice.”
“Yeah, like years and years.” Besides, the thought of knives really freaked her out.
“Not necessarily. I was consistently throwing blades like this after only several months. I was hoping to get accepted into Tracker Academy and knife skills are on the test. Every morning, I did twenty throws and every evening, I did twenty more. Every day, without fail. Consistency is the key. You can’t train your muscles without practice.” Lily slapped a hand on her own butt for emphasis then laughed.
With her honey-blond hair and perfect figure, it’d be easy not to like Lily if she hadn’t been so welcoming to Arianna and Krystal. Even her red-tipped nails were perfect.
“Would you happen to have any nail polish around here that I can borrow?” Arianna asked, remembering the sad state of her own pedicure.
“Nail polish? Hell, I’ve got a minisalon upstairs.”
“I really appreciate you teaching self-defense techniques to Krystal and me. I’ve taken classes before, but nothing like this.”
“Promise me that when she’s old enough you’ll have her attend classes on fighting with knives. I’ll make sure to give you a silver-tipped knife that’s fitted to a small woman’s hand before you leave.”
Arianna’s chest tightened. Sure, she knew that day would come, but for now, she wanted to pretend it wouldn’t. She could deal with the todays of the world because Jackson was here; it was the tomorrows she didn’t want to think about.
“But how will I know that I need to carry it in order to protect us? Normal people just don’t carry around knives like these. I know you’ve got the ability to implant a thought suggestion. Is that what Jackson will do?”
Lily sighed. “In theory, yes.”
Arianna held the blade by the tip, aiming at the target when she hesitated. “What do you mean ‘in theory’?”
“Hasn’t Jackson told you?”
“Told me what?”
“He believes you to be immune from thought suggestions.”
“Why? It worked on me once, it just didn’t stick.”
“Exactly. Why else do you think your memories came back after you saw those photos you’d taken the night before?”
“You mean, that wouldn’t happen to anyone?”
“Nope. Memory manips have been done on humans for years. That’s why we’ve been able to keep our existence a secret for so long. It’s very rare to run across someone who’s actually immune. And Jackson tells me you can see us shadow-move?”
She nodded.
“I can’t tell you the number of times Alfonso and I hooked up for a quickie in the shadows. If we’d waited to get a room, we wouldn’t have had half the fun. Can you imagine if a human saw that right out in public?” She laughed. “But then, on second thought, I like the idea of having an audience. Kind of kinky, eh?”
Images of what she and Jackson had done last night popped into her mind. Normally, she was a missionary position–type gal. The traditional route was usually, but not always, sufficient. But unlike Jackson, she hadn’t had a lot of partners. She’d had a few steady boyfriends over the years, and the sex was decent, although, looking back, it had also been very vanilla. “Um, yeah.”
While the girls watched movies, Lily continued to drill Arianna on the finer points of knife fighting.
By
the time they were finished, Arianna was dripping with sweat. She took a long soak in the tub before she found herself in Lily’s bathroom looking at a large assortment of nail colors. She had more to choose from than most nail salons. Arianna picked out a sparkly blue-green called Azure Like It that reminded her of the streaks in Jackson’s hair.
“So, you’ve known Jackson for a long time, right?”
“Yep. Going on several decades now.” Lily leaned in toward the mirror to apply some lip color. “RazzleDazzle Me,” she explained, holding up the tube. “Alfonso loves red. I’m going to use nail polish in the same shade.” Then, without skipping a beat, she said, “How much has Jackson told you about vampires’ sexual habits?”
Arianna almost dropped the nail-polish bottle. Was Lily always this bold? Looking at her skimpy workout top, which was essentially just a red bra, and her formfitting bicycle shorts, Arianna had a feeling she wasn’t shy about sex. “I know that vampires tend to be more active than humans because it’s a more socially acceptable way to work off aggression than killing.”
Lily laughed. “True. I think it’s also because our fertility rates are much lower than a human’s. We can try for years to conceive and never have any luck. Our increased sexual desires are nature’s way of upping the odds. The more sex you have, the greater the chances.”
It reminded Arianna of a former coworker who’d been trying for years to get pregnant. Her doctor shot her full of hormones, then sent her home with strict instructions to have a lot of sex.
Lily continued, “Which is why you’ll rarely find older couples complaining about lack of intimacy. Having sex several times a day isn’t uncommon among our kind even when you’ve been together a long time.”
Several times a day? Wouldn’t you be sore? How would you get anything else done with all that sheet time?
Lily handed her a bottle of base coat and those little thingies that went between her toes, then propped her own foot on the counter and began painting her nails a gorgeous shimmery red.
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