BloodlustandMetal

by Lisa Carlisle

  While still two feet away from her, I assessed how I would do this. If I got within a couple of feet, she could kick me. When I bent down to adjust the ropes, she could bite me.

  “What are you doing?”

  “Trying to figure out how to do this without you attacking me.”

  “Why would I attack you? You’re trying to help me. And give me blood.”

  “I’ve seen how you look at me, plotting my death.”

  “That was before. Now I’ll be cooperative, I swear.”

  “I’m not stupid, Layla. Now just hold on a minute. I have to climb on top of you.”

  Reaching forward, I grabbed one leg. I sensed her leg twitch, as if she had an urge to kick at me but held back. Then I held the other leg down and climbed on top of her to straddle her, putting pressure on her legs so she couldn’t kick me. I reached over to grab the pouch of blood on the dresser, watching her face for movement, especially signs of nasty fangs coming at me.

  I loosened the rope on one wrist as quickly as I could to give her more leverage. Then I repeated the action on the other hand.

  “You should be able to sit up now.”

  “You’re on top of me.”

  I lifted my ass off her for a moment so she could scoot her hips up. As she moved up the bed, her pelvic area touched mine for a moment that shot a bolt of desire through me. If she felt anything, she didn’t let it show. In a sitting position, she said, “Okay. I’m ready.”

  I sat down on top of her legs again as lightly as possible as I might have weighed twice as much as she did. She was so little that I didn’t want to crush her. Then I remembered she was much stronger than she appeared.

  Now that we were at eye level and so close to each other, my eyes scanned her face down to her soft, full lips. How long I stared, I didn’t know, but it was long enough for me to realize I needed to get my act together.

  Taking a moment to regroup, I reached over to get the pouch and used the distraction to try to force my growing erection down. “Open your mouth.”

  When she complied, I was overwhelmed by the sensation of straddling her, our bodies touching, looking at her on my bed as if we were about to make love. Having her arms tied and her mouth open only added to the erotic nature of the moment. When I placed the straw in her mouth and she sucked eagerly at the blood, her cheeks caving in, it almost did me in.

  How did the simple act of providing her nourishment turn me into a man with such little self-control?

  When I first knew I’d have to help feed her the blood, I thought I’d be disgusted by the act. But here I was turned-on by it. My desire for her combated with another emotion as well. No matter how strong she might be physically, she appeared so delicate and vulnerable that I wanted to take care of her, protect her.

  Yet I was the one bringing her to Stefano.

  Her eyes had been fixated on mine as she drank, but then she closed them as if seduced by the blood. Rather than being disgusted by watching a vampire drink blood, I was so turned-on by the exhilaration on her face as she savored the warm fluid.

  What did it feel like for her?

  For someone who declared he hated vampires, I was completely fascinated by the one in my bed.

  When the pouch was empty, she sucked a few times to try to capture the last drops of blood.

  “It’s done,” I said and pulled the pouch away from her lips to throw it into the wastebasket next to my bed.

  A single drop of blood lay on her lips and I fought an urge to reach out and lick it. Kissing her at that moment, tasting the blood pass between our lips.

  You’re a sick bastard, Devon. Get a hold of yourself.

  Then she licked that last drop of blood from her lips. My cock, which had been on the verge of breaking through my jeans, grew even harder, aching to get closer to her, begging to get into her.

  “Thank you,” she said.

  Without knowing why I did it, I leaned forward and kissed those soft, reddened lips. I tasted the saltiness from the blood and instead of turning me off, it made me hungrier for her. As her lips parted, my tongue grew bolder, exploring her delicious mouth still tasting of the warm coppery fluid.

  My senses were overwhelmed with the need for her, from the taste of her mouth to the floral scent of her. And the soft touch of her lips on mine drove me to a point near insanity.

  She moaned softly and relaxed into the kiss. While I kissed down over her neck, my hands traveled down the side of her body and over to one breast. Her nipple was already hard, inviting me to touch her more. I traveled to the other breast and felt that taut nipple.

  Damn these clothes. I wanted to touch her skin.

  I returned to kiss those soft, gentle lips, wanting another taste of her. She pulled away and I thought she would put the brakes on this crazy idea.

  She didn’t. She then kissed my jawline and her lips traveled to my ear. The heat of her mouth and caress of her tongue around my ear shot another bolt of excitement through me.

  “Untie me,” she whispered. “So I can touch you.”

  “I’m sorry, but I can’t do that.”

  A piercing sensation rammed into my neck and I realized she’d plunged her fangs into me. I pulled away, the excitement that coursed through my body replaced by adrenaline.

  “You fucking bit me!” I put my hand onto my neck and felt the warm liquidy substance. Pulling my hand away, I saw my fingers covered with blood.

  “You fucking kidnapped me!”

  As I backed away from her, I no longer saw her as the seductive woman I desired just moments ago. With my blood dripping off her fangs and her eyes glowing red, I saw her for what she was.

  A goddamn bloodthirsty vampire.

  My fingernails changed to claws and my teeth sharpened before I controlled my physical reaction.

  Layla

  Devon began changing from man to beast in front of my eyes. Claws extended from his fingers and tawny fur was sprouting over his hands.

  “I can’t believe you bit me,” Devon said as he touched his fingers to the wounds in his neck and looked at the blood. “What is wrong with you? I took care of you and helped you drink some goddamn disgusting blood.”

  As he spoke, I saw his teeth had elongated into sharp points.

  “What’s wrong with me?” I shouted. “What’s wrong with you? Are you shifting on me?”

  “I can shift anytime I like. And when someone, no something, attacks me, it tends to happen instinctually.”

  He left the room and came back a minute later with a facecloth pressed to his neck.

  “Do you think a couple of minutes of courtesy makes up for the facts that you, one, kidnapped me; two, tied me up; three, drugged me; four, took me overseas to another goddamn country; and five, will take me to someone who will murder me without blinking an eye?”

  The grim look on his face answered for him. But I noticed his claws retracted back into his hands and became human fingernails once again. The fur disappeared back into his skin and I imagine the long teeth retracted as well.

  “Besides,” I added, “I was still hungry. And you smelled like a delicious meal.”

  His mouth dropped open, reflecting his horror at being thought of as food. Good, I wanted to hurt him after all he’d done to me.

  “It didn’t seem as if you thought of me as a meal a little while ago when my tongue was down your throat.”

  “I let you in close to disarm you.” I rolled my eyes and added, “Obviously.” Although I tried to remain aloof, I found it hard to keep my emotions even. “I would never sleep with you, Devon. Not after what you’ve done to me! And I like my men to be men. Not animals!”

  His eyes widened, but he quickly covered it with a smirk.

  “Good. Because I would never sleep with you. I like my women alive, not dead. Especially in bed.”

  My breathing escalated. “Your body didn’t seem to be giving that message not too long ago when you were all over me like a—a—goddamn animal!”

  “What
can I say?” he said coolly. “I’m a male and I was distracted by a woman in my bed.” Then he clenched his fists. “It took me a moment to remember she’s not a woman at all, but a walking, bloodsucking corpse. It took your nasty little fangs biting into my neck to remind me of that fact!”

  I reached out to grab something to throw at him, but was stopped by the ropes on my wrists. I kicked out at him instead, but it was futile since he stood well out of range. “I fucking hate you!”

  “I’m not exactly your biggest fan right now either, vamp.”

  “Oh, just piss off and get the hell away from me!”

  “Gladly. I’ll be back when it’s time to take you to Stefano and get you out of my life forever.”

  He stormed out of his bedroom in three strides, but stopped to look back at me. “The thing about shifters is we’re also animals in bed.” He flashed a grin and then closed the door behind him.

  Damn him for getting the last word. And damn him for getting into my head. An unwelcome vision of him naked and moving on top of me like an untamed beast came into my head.

  I fumed, banging my fists on his bed and holding in my scream. I wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of knowing he got to me like that. This might be my last night on Earth and I didn’t want to waste it thinking about Devon.

  No, I couldn’t just sit here and have a tantrum. I had to focus on a way to get out of this situation. I tried to wiggle my way out of the rope, although I knew it was futile to try to untie those knots.

  What else could I do? I looked around the room for a weapon, something I could reach out with my hands or feet to grab.

  Bugger. Nothing. Devon must have anticipated I would do this because the room was pretty barren of items, especially something that could be used as a weapon.

  I hated that man!

  No, animal. He wasn’t even human, but an animal!

  Funny, when he kissed me, he seemed all man. Shut up, psyche. Don’t think about that now. Don’t think how his lips felt on yours, his sensuous tongue exploring your mouth in such an agonizingly delicious way. Don’t think how your body responded to the touch of his hands as they ran over your body. As they cupped your breasts, making your nipples ache for him to devote more attention to them with his tongue, his mouth. Don’t think about his erection pressing against you as he straddled you, feeding you blood, the erotic blend of blood and sex that almost had you begging him for more. Don’t think about how his moan sent shivers of excitement through your body as you kissed his jawline, his ears, his neck. And definitely don’t think about how his blood tasted when you bit him. A delicious meal and sensuous pleasure that left you almost weeping for more.

  No, not had, but present tense, has.

  I want more of him. To taste him, to touch him, to kiss him again. And everything that his muscular body can give.

  My mind and body sent so many mixed messages while he kissed me that it was almost impossible to think clearly. My body yearned for more of him, while my mind thought of survival. I could bite him right now. Rip his neck out and run away.

  No, that wouldn’t work because I was still tied to a bed with no apparent way to get out of this situation. If I killed him, the one person who could untie me would wind up a stinky rotting corpse on the floor while I waited and hungered for blood as the days went by.

  And Stefano would probably be the one to come after me next. His first stop would likely be to look for the bounty hunter he hired to catch me.

  If I killed Devon, my body would never forgive me for ending the pleasure that it had been denied for so long. The way he had touched me had set every fiber of my being on fire. I didn’t want it to end. Where would it have gone if I hadn’t bitten him?

  I settled back down on his bed and let the cotton of the pillowcase cool my cheek, which was blazing from both my anger and passion. The sheets smelled like Devon. That masculine scent where I could catch the faint trace of an animal, although not strong enough so I could detect what type he was.

  When he slept here, did he wear pajamas? Or did he sleep in the nude? That muscular body sliding over these sheets.

  We could have been sliding on these sheets together right now. I closed my eyes, picturing our kiss had it gone differently if he hadn’t tied me up and instead we’d met in a very different scenario. Then our kiss would have been the start of a very promising night rather than the first and last one before we said goodbye.

  I’d never been with a shifter before. Rewind—I’d never met a shifter before. The thought of a man who could change into an animal sent another thrill of excitement through me. Remembering how he said he’d be an animal in bed didn’t help quell the fantasy.

  What kind of animal did he turn into anyway? I pictured a wolf. That was the most likely, wasn’t it—werewolves. But I’d heard of other types of shifters. Bears, mountain lions, tigers. What if he was completely out there and could transform into some kind of sea serpent?

  Then my fantasy returned to Devon as a pure, hot-blooded human male. One with passion in his eyes and a softness to his touch the way I’d experienced with him tonight. Had our kiss progressed, Devon would have taken his time undressing me, kissing my skin as he tortured me with his slow seduction. I would have to be patient to savor the moment while inside I screamed more, more, more.

  My patience would be awarded when he finally entered me. We would move as one as we relished how our bodies fit. His smooth cock inside me, filling me almost to the point of pain. But my body would adjust to his girth, wrapping around him and rising with him as I brought him to the point of ecstasy. We would climb together—so close—to that peak we both sought…

  No, I won’t fantasize about him! He’s my captor, not my lover.

  I would have crossed my arms and pouted had I not been tied up. Tied up by that jerk.

  I was glad that my one chance for survival overpowered my raging libido and bit his stupid neck.

  “Asshole!” I called out.

  “Bloodsucking leech,” he shouted back.

  There was a reason vampires and shapeshifters didn’t mix, after all, even if I wasn’t exactly sure why. What was so special about them anyway? Humans who transformed into animals? What good was that? Who wanted to be an animal anyway? At least as a human you’re on top of the food chain in the animal world.

  And if you’re a shifter who tasted like Devon did, you’d be very tasty food for a vampire like me.

  Don’t think about your lust for blood and don’t think with your libido. Think analytically. Strategically. Use whatever weapons or devices you have. How can get you get out of this?

  Hmm, what could I do? I thought about some excuses I could use to get out of his bed. I only came up with one. It wasn’t great, but if he was naive enough, it just might give me enough of an opportunity where I could attack him and get the fuck out of his flat.

  And if that didn’t work, well, he was just a man, after all. And most men had a weakness—women. And since I’d seen the way he looked at me and felt his desire when he kissed me, I knew he was attracted to me despite the verbal sparring. May as well use his desire to my advantage. Maybe he’d be more sympathetic toward me.

  Even better, with his defenses down, my attempt at mind control would be more effective. It didn’t work earlier and he said it didn’t work on shifters, but in all cases? Had any vampires ever tried it on a shifter when his mind was occupied by other, more sensual matters?

  Not bad, Layla. Thinking with your libido might actually come in handy for this situation.

  Seducing Devon wouldn’t be too much of a sacrifice, would it? The fantasy had been swimming around in my brain, competing with my pure and utter hatred of him.

  Could you really hate someone yet be so attracted to them at the same time? I was starting to think this was actually possible. He was beautiful to look at. His body just begged me to reach out and touch. And I could imagine the way he would feel inside me, filling me to capacity and fucking me to the point of ecstasy.

/>   And if this ended up being my last night on Earth, I couldn’t imagine anyone else I’d want to spend it with right now than the man in the next room. It didn’t make any sense to me on any level.

  Who else did I have in my life anyway since I’d become the undead? A master vampire who wanted to punish me, most likely torture information out of me and then kill me. And then the other vampires who lived at Stefano’s. Whose side would they take—his or mine? True, his bodyguards might have warned me, but I was nothing. No power, no money, none of the assets I had in my human life. I couldn’t give them anything that Stefano could provide. It was a clear choice for them.

  Essentially I had no one, except the guys in my band who only knew one side of me. They didn’t even know my real name or my dark secret. If they knew who I really was, well, they might turn on me in disgust. Even Joey.

  Joey. Poor Joey. He was suspicious enough as it was of this guy, now he must be losing his mind freaking out, wondering where I was. If I’d only listened to him I wouldn’t be in this situation right now. But I didn’t. And here I was in a shitload of trouble.

  All kinds of emotions swarmed through my mind as I thought about Joey. His concern for me. His protectiveness. The way we flirted up on stage—sometimes the fantasy almost felt real, as if we were star-crossed lovers. But my freakish need for privacy would then push Joey away. And now I couldn’t get much farther away from him than on the other side of the Atlantic.

  Funny, the only person who I felt any sort of connection to right now was Devon. I didn’t know what it was or why. It didn’t make any sense, but then nothing did lately. In fact, nothing had really made sense since I became a vampire, struggling to come to grips with what I was.

  What I did know was that seducing Devon wouldn’t be a sacrifice at all. In fact, I was looking forward to it.

  Chapter Five

  Devon

  I nursed a Jack Daniels in my leather recliner while waiting for night to fall. At the same time, I dreaded it. Stefano was expecting us and that would be the end of my time with Layla.