by Carly Fall
He cleared his throat, barely able to think through the haze of lust that had clouded his head and ripped through his body.
“And how do you think it affected me?”
His voice sounded strained, despite his best effort to seem normal.
She ran her finger down his neck, and his pulse quickened while goose bumps traveled over his skin on a shudder once again.
A small smile crept across her face. “I’m going to take a shower. I would love it if you joined me.”
Standing, she slipped off her black top, and that bruise that had been forming last night looked as though it was in its last stages. She unfastened her black bra and let it fall to the floor. Then, she slid her gold shorts down her legs, bending over to slip them over her feet.
Without a glance back, she walked out the door and to the bathroom. He stared after her, watching her bare hips sway.
Apparently, taking his blood had done wonders for her. It was as if she’d gone from near death to a sexual goddess in minutes.
He swallowed past the lump in his throat, not knowing what to do. He wanted her, and it wasn’t just because of the feeding. He liked her, and had found her attractive since the second he’d lain eyes on her. Wasn’t it just a few days ago that he’d thought it would be easy to fall for her, but the vampire issue held him back? He had definitely blown past that.
Leaning forward, he placed his elbows on his knees and his head in his hands. She’d invited him into the shower. He liked her. What stopped him?
Nothing but his own self.
Standing, he slipped the sweatpants down his legs and stepped out of them. Gripping his aching erection, he followed.
17
Sami stood with her back to him, the spray hitting her face, her palms planted on the tile in front of her. Her wet, shining hair hung down her back like a curtain of black silk.
He stepped into the spray behind her, wrapped his arms around her belly, and brought her backside flush to his front. Moving her hair to the left, he slowly kissed the column of her neck, eliciting a sweet sigh from her as she placed her hands over his and leaned her head back against his shoulder.
The world around him disappeared. Gone were the worries of vampires taking humans, his allegiance to Operation Underworld, his half-truths to Sami … it all just vanished. The only thing that mattered was the woman in his arms and the purest form of pleasure she brought him.
Moving his hands down over the flare of her hips, he squeezed her upper thighs, his fingertips brushing over her bare sex. As he palmed her breast with his left hand, he slid his fingers between her folds, finding her silky and wet. Did feeding turn her on as much as being the donor did him? The way she panted in his arms, he had to assume that the answer lay somewhere between maybe and yes.
Turning toward him, she laced her fingers behind his neck and brought her mouth to his. He teased her lips with his tongue, and after a moment, she opened for him.
Her mouth held just a hint of a copper, and he realized he tasted his own blood. He should be disgusted by it, but instead, he found himself even more aroused, his desire to have her increasing, which he never thought would be possible.
He released her lips, then brought his mouth to her breast, circling the brown tip and biting down gently. She gasped and threaded her hand through his hair, her head falling back as a moan of pleasure escaped her. He wanted to taste every blessed inch of her, but he also knew he could no longer hold back—he needed to have her.
Standing, he lifted her up, and she circled her legs around his waist as she gripped his hair. He slid his shaft into her silky heat, his whole body trembling with the need for release. For a brief second, he thought about protection, but the thoughts dissipated into the haze that had overtaken his logical mind.
Pressing her against the tiles, he claimed her with his body and his mouth at the same time. Their tongues dueled, and he ran his tongue over her fangs as he moved inside of her, finding them smooth and sharp, not to mention erotic as hell.
How long had it been since he’d had sex? Over a year. How in the hell had he gone that long? How had he not missed this?
Because, he hadn’t known Sami. She was the one making this joining of bodies so intense for him.
“Bite me,” he whispered against her mouth, unable to stop the words from falling from his lips.
Without hesitation, she pulled him close and he felt her breath on his neck just below his ear. A second later, his hissed and groaned at the brutal pain traveled through his chest, but then moaned with exquisite pleasure as the erotic sensations cascaded through him.
It felt as if his blood flamed within his veins as he pumped his hips. While she drank, he saw stars behind his lids, each pull of her mouth sending a tremor of sheer ecstasy through his body that only built up the intensity and his need to orgasm.
Her mouth worked over his vein as her little mewls met his ears, and he hoped she enjoyed this as much as he did.
After a few wonderfully torturous moments, she disengaged her fangs from him as she came on a low scream, her contractions milking him over and over as her fingernails dug into his shoulders. His orgasm came with such force, he thought his spine may have broken in half. Frankly, he wouldn’t have cared if it had.
They didn’t move for a few moments, their heavy breathing and the spray hitting the tile the only noise. Finally, he gently set her down, and she gazed up at him with a smile.
A rivulet of blood trickled down his chest, and Sami licked it up to his neck. Once again, she took her finger and placed it in her mouth, then ran it along the area where she’d drunk from him.
Kissing the tip of her nose, he pulled her into a tight embrace. He tried to remember a time when sex had been so intense, so passionate, and so exhausting, and he couldn’t.
She’s ruined me forever.
He couldn’t imagine being with another woman and having the same powerful pleasure.
Unless she happens to be vampire.
Being with Sami, he’d crossed over into a territory that he’d promised himself he would never go into, both personally and professionally. Yet, now that he was here, he couldn’t imagine leaving. But was it because of Sami as a person, or because she gave him the most intense orgasm he’d ever had?
As his head cleared, he wondered if things would be weird between them now, and he hoped not. They really did have an important mission to finish, and stupid stuff like hot sex shouldn’t stand in the way.
As reality set in and Sami disengaged herself from his embrace and stepped from the shower, he sighed.
She wouldn’t look at him while she wrapped a towel around her torso, and he wondered where her head was at. Did she regret what had just happened? He hoped not.
He closed his eyes and let the spray hit his face. Reality sucked. All he wanted was her back in his arms, but apparently, she had other plans.
18
Connor bustled around the kitchen whipping up some omelets. Every now and then, he’d glance over at Sami, who stood staring out the window, her back to him. Things between them had been quiet and a bit strained since the shower. He didn’t have a problem with her, but more with himself.
He’d sworn he’d never allow a vampire to drink from him, and now he’d gone and not only offered it up—twice—but enjoyed the hell out of it. All the questions he’d had before swirled in his head. Was it like that for everyone? Did Sami get as much pleasure out of it as he did? It seemed like she had, but he didn’t really know how to ask, and did he want to really know the answer? A negative could do some serious damage to his ego, especially since it had been so damn amazing for him.
Then, he remembered one question that he did feel comfortable asking.
“What’s a blood donor?”
She turned around and smiled, and he honestly thought she looked healthier and more vibrant at that moment than she ever had since he’d met her. Was it his blood, or the sex? Maybe both?
“Most vampires have a human who do
nates their blood.”
“And you have one?”
“Yes,” she said as she moved over to her chair at the bar and sat down. “Her name’s Sarah.”
“How does all that work?”
“Well, Sarah agreed to be my blood donor. In return, my mother is putting her through community college.”
He furrowed his brow. “So, it’s a paid position?”
“It can be. Everyone comes to their own arrangement.”
He plated the omelets, then served hers.
“Thank you, Connor. It looks wonderful.”
After a moment, he cleared his throat. They were adults, so he should be able to ask the questions he had without embarrassment. “So, when I gave you my blood, you said you knew exactly how it had affected me. Is it like that for most humans?”
She lifted her eyebrows at him and smiled, obviously amused by his question. “Yes, unless they are in the trance state. Then, it is still quite enjoyable, but nothing like when a human is fully awake.”
He nodded, feeling his cheeks burn a bit. He felt like a thirteen-year-old boy asking his mother about sex. How stupid was that?
“Sharing your blood is a very intimate experience, Connor. You are literally giving me what keeps you alive in order to help me survive. Intimacy often turns into intense sex.”
He took a deep breath, and steeled himself for the answer. “Is it the same for you?”
“Of course,” she said, setting down her fork. “Why? Did you think I didn’t enjoy it?”
He shrugged. “It seemed like you did.”
“Very much.”
Grinning, he took a long drink of water. Ego still in a good place, and maybe just a little inflated.
They ate in silence. How did a blood donor give blood? Was it through the wrist or the neck, or did vampires stockpile it? He’d come this far, so he may as well ask.
“We do have blood on hand for emergency situations, like this morning. But most of us prefer it fresh from the vein.”
He set down his plate and crossed his arms across his chest. “So, when Sarah gives you blood, do you two … “
How did he say it?
A playful grin teased her mouth, almost as if she enjoyed watching him squirm. “Do we have sex? Is that what you want to know?”
He nodded, thinking his cheeks must be crimson.
“Yes. But remember, I need blood but once a year. Sarah has been my blood donor for five years. Before that, my mother fed me with the extras we have stockpiled.”
Visions of Sami rolling around with another woman in the throes of passion played through his mind, and damn if his body didn’t heat up.
It surprised him when a bit of jealousy sprung its ugly head, and he realized he wanted her for himself. He didn’t want to share.
“Do your parents use Sarah, as well?” he asked, thinking that would be weird as hell if Sarah also screwed her mother and father.
She shook her head and furrowed her brow, disgust crossing his face. “God, no. What do you think we are? A bunch of orgy-loving perverts? That’s gross, Connor. It’s almost like incest or something.”
He chuckled at her assessment. That had been exactly what he was thinking. “I didn’t know—cut me some slack, woman!”
She laughed, but then the smile faded and sadness washed over her face. “My mom is part vampire, and my dad was human. He was her donor, but he died about a year ago. She hasn’t had any blood since.”
“Why not?”
Sami stared at her hands for a moment, then looked up at him with tears in her eyes. “I believe she wants to die, to go be with my dad. They were very much in love.”
Even though he’d never had parents, let alone parents who deeply loved each other, he’d often fantasized about it while growing up. He’d imagined living in a small house where his mom would be there when he came home from school, and shortly after that, his father would come home from work. Mom would be cooking something delicious, and Dad would hug her and kiss her, then tell her he loved her. Then his father would look over at him and say, come here, son. The three of them would hug right there in the middle of the kitchen, and he would be able to feel the love from his parents wash over him. He realized he probably got the image from watching old seventies sitcom reruns at the orphanage.
Yet, he’d thought about that so many times, so he could empathize with Sami’s sadness at the situation. He went to the other side of the bar and took her hands, pulling her to her feet. Wrapping his arms around her, he held her close. They stood together for a long while, and he felt himself being pulled into her world, and caring about her more than he should. He wanted to fix things for her and make her happy, which wasn’t good.
He had to remember that he was in Los Angeles on assignment, and once the case had been solved, he and Sami would part ways. If she hadn’t been hurt, he probably would have been able to keep their relationship professional. As soon as she’d needed him and had begun drinking from him, he hadn’t had a prayer. Just the memories caused lust to course through his body and make him want to march her right back into his bed again.
“You know, we didn’t use any protection,” she said against his chest.
Yeah, and then there was that.
She tilted her head and looked up at him. “I won’t get pregnant, but I just hope you didn’t give me any diseases.”
“You don’t have to worry about that,” he said with a grin, then kissed the tip of her nose.
“Okay, good. You don’t, either.”
She stepped away from him. “I better get home. I need to check in with my mom.”
“Are you going to report what happened last night to your supervisors?” he asked.
Her gaze flitted to the floor, and she nodded. “Of course.”
She turned away from him and went back to the window, her back to him.
And just like that, everything shifted. They weren’t lovers who had shared incredibly intimate and tense sex, but two people working together to solve a crime. With the attack on Sami last night, the case now affected them both on an extremely personal level.
As he walked down the hall to put on some jeans, he couldn’t help but feel once again that Sami hid something from him, and hadn’t given him the full truth.
19
Tonight, Connor and Sami had decided to drive around together in her car with him at the wheel. When she’d arrived at his apartment, she’d simply handed him the keys and said she didn’t want to drive. She almost seemed depressed at that point, and when he’d asked what had been going on, she’d simply replied, nothing. In his experience, that was never a good answer to receive, especially from a woman. Instead of pressing it, he’d let it go.
Sami hadn’t bothered with one of her intricate disguises. He’d also left the tinted glasses at his apartment, and had gone into the barber shop earlier to get a high and tight, feeling much better without the highlights.
He never would have bothered with all of that if Sami hadn’t insisted. It almost seemed as if this whole assignment had been a game to her, until last night. After being attacked, that’s when it felt like shit finally got real for her. He’d thought the disguises a bit silly, but he’d been playing in her world, and had trusted her to lead him in the right direction. Instead, she’d taken a wrong turn somewhere and ended up hurt. Thankfully, he’d found her and had been able to help her.
As he glanced over at her profile, he noted the cut on her head was now completely gone. She looked vibrant and full of life, not like she’d had the snot beaten out of her less than twenty-four hours ago. Too bad the humans couldn’t harness some of that DNA. Everyone from Joe Blow on the street who broke his leg while skateboarding all the way to the military guy who got caught in an IED would benefit.
He glanced down at the dashboard and noted they needed fuel.
“We better stop and get some gas.”
She nodded absently as she stared out the passenger window, and he pulled into the station. After killing
the engine, he got out of the car, paid for the gas, and slipped the nozzle into the tank. As he watched the numbers tick, he couldn’t stop dwelling on how quiet Sami had been since picking him up. That uncomfortable feeling of distrust washed through him again, and he didn’t like it. He should be able to rely on her, but for some reason, he felt he couldn’t, and he didn’t understand it. He tried to think of what she’d said and done beyond their initial meeting to make his radar sing, and he couldn’t pinpoint anything.
Tonight, she seemed very low-key and not her usual talkative self, and she’d been that way when he’d taken her back to the parking lot to retrieve his bike earlier in the day.
Maybe she just felt weird about what had happened this morning. Although they’d been attracted to each other, he didn’t think either of them had planned on becoming intimate. In fact, they probably never would have if she hadn’t needed the blood.
He bent down and glanced into the car. She stared off into space while twisting her finger around a lock of her hair. With a sigh, he wished she’d open up a bit and tell him what was wrong. He wanted to fix it, especially if he was responsible for it.
Not looking forward to another night of club-hopping, he wished vampires liked hanging out at movie theatres or libraries. He didn’t think his senses could take much more of the pulsing beats and sweaty bodies that always seemed to go along with nightclubs.
When the tank was full, he placed the nozzle back into the holder. Then he slid into the driver’s seat and started the car.
“Ready?” he asked with a grin, hoping to receive one in return.
Sami nodded without meeting his gaze.
“Where to first?”
She shrugged. “Let’s just drive around the usual haunts for right now.”
