by Ravyn Wilde
He pinched her nipples between his fingertips—intent on driving her desire to the boiling point. He reveled in her little keening cries as she squirmed against him. Her restricted motion still managed to drive him crazy. God, he needed her to come.
Sliding his hand down the clenching muscles over her ribs, he moved his fingers under the short, flirty skirt and found the juncture of her thighs, and pressed against her swollen nub. Hissing, she jerked against his seeking hand. He rubbed his fingers over her center in explicit temptation.
She moaned. “Don’t stop!”
He murmured into her neck, “I won’t stop.” He kept her poised on the brink of release until she was wild. When small shudders racked her body, signaling her impending release, he asked her if she wanted to move this outside. Not playing fair, he stilled the tormenting pleasure of his fingers while waiting for her answer.
Breaths coming in panting sobs, she agreed, “Yes, oh God, yes!”
She gasped when he moved his hands away from her flesh. She dropped her hand from the steering wheel and fumbled with the door handle, trying to get it open. They were both maddened by their inability to move. Finally the door swung open quickly and she shrieked as she started to fall out of the car, blindly grabbing for something to stop her.
Zane chuckled, his muscular arm pulling her back to him. His quick reflexes kept her from falling on her face. “Thanks,” she murmured.
“My pleasure.” Standing, he set her beside the car. The cool mountain air made her shiver. He’d just have to warm her. Kissing the tip of her nose, he lifted Nicky in his arms, pushed the door closed with his hip and then carried her to the front of the car. Letting her feet drop to the ground, he gently turned her. Guided her to rest her stomach on the hood. It was still warm and would keep her from freezing.
Darkness surrounded them. Only a faint hint of moonlight made it through the trees. Yet he could see her very clearly. Her dark braid cut the paleness of her back in two. Gently he moved the long braid to one side before he smoothed her short skirt up her hips, baring her to his gaze. He spread her legs and stepped between them.
“God, yes! Just…” Her voice trailed off.
Zane took his shaft in his hand and ran the tip between her legs, over her slit until she arched her ass upward. His first forward motion was tentative. He slid into her, moved his hands to her hips to brace her for his next thrust. This one wasn’t as gentle.
He pulled back, slammed forward. Set a steady pace that allowed their bodies to climb toward release. Nicky braced her hands on the hood of the car and rocked back to meet his every thrust. Close. He was so close.
Blanketing her body, he settled his mouth on her neck. Moved one hand from her hip to slide around to find her clit. He could feel her body tensing. Her whimpering cries of erotic pleasure filled the night. Zane stopped resisting the need to taste her.
With one hand guiding her hips and the other buried between her thighs, he held her to him and allowed his fangs to sink, to penetrate the vein in her neck. As he had the first time he’d taken her blood, he used a small push of his mind to guarantee she wouldn’t remember. But he would. The spicy nectar filled his mouth, searing his taste buds. Blasting through his body, her essence forced him to moan in satisfaction.
Pulling deep for a few glorious gulps, he threw his head back and shouted a claim to the star-studded sky. “Mine!” The urge to stake his claim on this woman surprised him. He couldn’t understand why he felt so possessive.
Her physical reaction derailed his train of thought. He felt the orgasm claim her body and she shuddered uncontrollably in his arms.
Not giving Nicky time to draw a breath, he drew back, turned her over and bent to claim her lips. Enjoying the taste of her, he sipped at the honeyed richness of her mouth. Still hard, he moved her up on the hood and slipped back inside her without breaking the kiss.
Nicky tugged on his ponytail, holding his head away and interrupting the intoxicatingly sweet torture of his possessive kiss. “Someone might drive by and see—”
He captured her mouth again. They wouldn’t see. He’d driven far enough off the road that the trees hid them from view. They might notice headlights of a passing car, but no one would see them.
Zane continued to feast on Nicky’s willing mouth. Concentrating on the savage fire he was rebuilding within her, he shifted to lavish attention on her neck, breathing her sweet, spicy scent. Hands moving along her body, he played over nipples that beaded against his palm and then skimmed over her silky skin, lightly tracing her soft curves.
Nicky’s mewling cries filled the night as he coaxed her to the edge of madness. She raised her arms, wrapping them around his head to entwine her fingers in his hair. Because his hair was still bound, it caused a sharp pain in his skull. He mentally released the band and the ends of his long hair trailed over her skin.
Eyes wide open, Nicky still couldn’t see a damn thing in the nearly pitch-black night. The cool air warred with Zane’s hot touch and the warm metal under her ass. She shivered at the new stimulation of his hair teasing her flesh.
Feverishly hot and madly frustrated, her body bucked against him. “Faster. Please Zane!” she cried. He laughed softly, working her sex with his shaft, increasing ever so slowly the friction and pace of movement. She turned feral, wildly thrusting against him. Demanding fulfillment.
He didn’t change his rhythm. She trailed her hands under the t-shirt he still wore, through the soft hair on his chest to find his nipple. Pinching it between her fingers, she urged him on.
Zane built the tension higher, growling at her encouragement. He closed his eyes, overcome with the sensations flowing between them. Suddenly he clasped her hips tightly and surged into her tight pussy. The deep penetration shocked a low cry from her throat. “Did I hurt you?” he asked urgently.
“No! No, please, Zane. Please move!” Nicky’s voice was urgent.
“Glad to!” he muttered. His grip tightened and he lifted her with lingering slowness, savoring the clinging caress of her engorged flesh. He surged upward and at the same time dragged her toward him. This time he didn’t ask if she was okay. Each thrust and retreat produced a sob of delight from her lips.
Abandoning thought to concentrate on the driving hunger to take her faster, harder, Zane howled when sharp satisfaction jolted through their bodies, creating long, drawn-out orgasms that spiraled between them.
When their combined cries of completion died away, he used his hand to brush hair matted with sweat from her eyes.
“We can check a couple things off that list I was telling you about,” Nicky panted.
Zane’s laugh echoed in the night.
Chapter Five
Within fifteen minutes after going inside her home, Zane found two electronic bugs. The men hadn’t been very subtle or inventive, leaving one in her kitchen and one on the headboard of her bed.
“That is just sick,” Nicole fumed. “I wonder if those things work the same when you blow an air horn in their vicinity as it does when you blow it into a phone. I’d like to pop their damn eardrums for invading my privacy.”
Smiling at her violent and revenge-driven reaction, Zane found her attitude sexy. Go figure. “Isn’t that an urban myth or whatever they call it?”
“Probably, but if it doesn’t pop their eardrums, it still won’t be pleasant. Don’t destroy those things. Stick them somewhere they can’t hear anything and I’ll go out and buy one of those horns tomorrow.”
“Nicole, you’re not going anywhere tomorrow. I think before either one of us leaves the compound we need to understand where the risk is coming from.”
Sighing, she nodded her acceptance. “Yeah, these guys are whacked, Zane. Now what do we do?”
Zane wasn’t surprised at her easy acceptance. “Now I need to somehow find my traitor. I don’t want to deal with Mike or John Jackson without knowing their conspirator’s name. If I do, I’ll loose the chance to figure out who’s giving them information.”
“So let’s make a list.” Nicky reached out, grabbing the closest tablet.
Zane had noticed the multicolored notepads scattered in every room of the house. In the living room where they were sitting now, there was one on every flat surface. “Nicky, I assume you have so many tablets lying around because you want to capture every idea before you forget it, but why is the paper all different colors?”
Laughing, she stood and gathered up a couple tablets to show him. “It’s my pre-filing system. Since each tablet deals with a different book, it’s easy to find my notes when I want to work on a specific project. I cross out things on the page that I’ve already incorporated or dismissed and slide upcoming scenes into brightly colored manila folders.” She shrugged. “More than three-quarters of my day is spent in front of the computer or looking at a blank tablet. The paper is my way of adding color to my life.”
With her words, Zane thought he understood a little about that life. She loved what she did and was pleased she did it well, but she was lonely. The insight unnerved him because he wanted to show her how much nicer it could be with the two of them. He could imagine himself feeding her when she forgot to eat…or rubbing her back when she’d been sitting for too long. Buying her flowers, taking her for walks. What he didn’t understand is how he thought he could apply for the position of caretaker.
Had he lost his mind?
Pushing aside his troubled thoughts, he listened to what she was saying.
“So how do we do this? My first take would be to list the names of people who live and work within the compound down the left side of the paper. JJ said something about his contact having limited access, but what does that mean?” Turning, she looked at him questioningly. “Do you have any ideas? Do you know the names of everyone who might work here?”
Zane laughed. “There aren’t that many, Nicole, so yes…I know their names. I think for now we put everyone on it and narrow it down. Somehow.”
“Good. Then I’ll divide the paper into sections and we’ll come up with some categories. I think the first one ought to be whether they live here or not. Then add in if they work for you full time, or if they’re contractors of some sort. I know I saw a construction truck the other day in front of the new horse arena. What do you think?”
Zane shook his head. She still hadn’t asked him if he was a vampire or not, even after everything they’d heard in the closet earlier. She’d just assumed and gone on with her life. Betting she had no idea how wonderful a gift she’d given him, he hurried to assure her of brilliance. “Great idea. I think the next category should be money. Computers are a little hobby of mine so it won’t take more than an hour to check bank accounts. I’ll look for unusual deposits or see if anyone’s bought something big and shiny in the last couple months.”
“That’s assuming this is about money, but it’s a good place to start.”
Zane realized she was thinking about this as if she were writing a story. Looking for twists and subplots. Inwardly he smiled as he realized conversations with her would always be geared toward revenge, greed and lust. He wondered if she’d agree to let him keep her for a few years at least. Leaving her mortal, of course. He’d ensure that, financially, she’d want for nothing while under his care.
He’d make sure to highlight the advantages of having a vampire deeply in lust with an erotic romance author. Frowning, he realized he didn’t want her writing about them. And he wasn’t happy with his choice of words, either. Lust wasn’t the only thing he felt for her.
Working with Nicole on her lists, Zane answered questions while using her laptop to access the Internet. Intent on flushing out information on all those who lived or worked within the compound, he hated the need to look at everyone surrounding him as a potential enemy. Refusing to think about it, he allowed himself to be distracted by watching Nicole. The dark, lush sweep of eyelashes framing her bright blue eyes drove him insane.
Answering her questions, he wondered what else she had on the other list she’d reminded him of a few hours ago. The one filled with all her erotic fantasies. He couldn’t wait to see what else she’d dreamed up for the two of them.
He loved the way she moved, a sultry combination of energy and grace. Every time she bent over and unconsciously showed a bountiful flash of cleavage, it snagged his attention. When she got up to make coffee, his gaze locked on the gentle sway of her ass. Looking at her, he couldn’t help thinking…mine.
His woman. A woman of quick laughter and unfailing acceptance that his cock reminded him he hadn’t spent enough time exploring. Concentrating on traitors and a fanatic who wanted to expose his world was becoming more difficult by the second.
Taking a sip of coffee, Nicole hid her smile with the mug. Zane couldn’t keep his eyes off her. Whenever she brushed the hair out of her eyes or leaned over the coffee table to write something on one of the lists of suspects, his eyes filled with fire and passion. The air in her little house crackled with growing arousal. His and hers. If she didn’t do something soon, he was going to burst into flames. Knowing he’d decided he wasn’t going to fuck her brains out until he’d identified the traitor, she had to take the bull by the, um…horn.
The man needed his world rocked every few hours so he could turn his undivided attention to the task at hand. Time to try out the next thing on her list of possibilities.
“Zane, I need a break and I think you do too.” Walking over, she took his hand, pulling him off the couch. “I want to ask you about something. Come with me.” Watching his face, she saw lust turn to hard acceptance. He thought she was going to ask him about tonight. After what she’d seen him do, engaging the lock on the inside of the door while they stood outside, he had to be something more than human. But she wouldn’t ask, even though the questions were racing around in her head. She had so many she didn’t think she could stop once she’d started. Until he chose to explain, she’d resist the temptation.
But she had no plans to resist the ultimate temptation.
He looked confused when she stopped by the door to the little room at the end of the hall. Listed as a bonus room on the real-estate information, it defied her imagination. Well. Not really.
She opened the door. Like all the rooms on the first floor of the house, this one had twelve-foot ceilings. “Why is there a metal bar running from wall to wall? There’s no way to reach it to hang clothes on and whoever installed it made damn sure it wasn’t going to come down. Do you know what it’s for?”
If Nicky hadn’t seen it, she wouldn’t have believed the expression on his face. He was blushing. Now she really wanted to know what the bar had been used for—besides fuel for her stories.
“I forgot it was here,” Zane murmured. Looking at her, he sighed as if debating whether or not to tell her the truth. “Do you remember why I wanted to sell this house?”
“Yes. You said an old friend had lived here and when he passed away, you couldn’t deal with the memories.” Cocking her head to the side, she studied him. “Is it hard? Being here now?”
Smiling, he reached out to touch her cheek. “With your things in place and the way you’ve painted the walls, I don’t see Thomas. All I see is you.” Turning to face the room, he motioned toward the bar. “This is something Thomas had installed about a year before he…died.” Shaking his head, he sighed. “As difficult as it is to admit out loud, he would wrap his knees around the bar and hang in this room for hours. Saying it relaxed him, he called the room his cave.”
Nicky clamped down her initial response—that the entire house had seemed like a dark cave. She realized Zane was waiting for her reaction. Her brows furrowed in concentration as she tried to make sense of what…
Oh.
“He hung upside down on the bar? You mean like a bat?” Was this a vampire thing? Her eyes widened at the thought of Zane…
“Thomas was a little eccentric. And that’s the biggest understatement of my life. He was a great person, loveable. Unfortunately, the man truly believed he could trans
form into a bat. And if he walked a certain way—with his hands at his side and his eyes looking up—he thought he was invisible. I shouldn’t have encouraged Thomas by pretending I didn’t see him sliding through a room.”
“Sooo…” Nicole gnawed at her bottom lip to keep from laughing.
“I don’t have one in my home, Nicky. I don’t turn into a bat, or sleep or rest or do anything else upside down. Thomas didn’t turn into a bat either. I can’t tell you how often he had headaches from spending so much time with his head pointed at the floor.”
This time she couldn’t hold it in. And when she laughed, all the tension eased from his shoulders.
“Well, I’ve got something different in mind for the bar. How about a little competition? How long do you think you can hang by your hands?”
“What?” he asked her incredulously. “What are you talking about?”
“Well. We’ve been sitting for hours and before that we were crammed in the closet, then the car…I thought we could stretch our muscles a little.” Nicky struggled to keep the color from her face at the thought of what they’d done in and on the car. At least the blush would disguise her growing anticipation.
“You want to have a competition to see who can hang on the bar the longest?” Zane turned to frown at her.
“Yes. You go first. I’ll just go get the stepladder—” She stopped in amazement to watch Zane strip off his shirt and shoes—then leap straight up with no more effort than she might use hopping into bed.
“You realize I can hang here for hours,” he stated confidently.
“Yes. Well. We’ll see about that. We have one rule. You let go—I stop,” she warned.
“You stop…what?” The last word was strangled as Nicky moved in front of him and placed her hands on his abdomen. Hanging as he was, his groin was even with her face.
