by B. J. McCall
He stripped off his vest, bracelets, belt, sword and boots. “I’m not leaving.”
Kela closed her eyes and heard the rustle as he removed his pants. As long as Ansara was here, she could let down her guard and rest.
He climbed in beside her and spooned his big body against hers. His heat warming her, Kela sighed and slept.
Chapter Three
Ansara awoke with the rounded softness of a woman’s butt cradled against his groin. He trailed fingertips along the curve of her hip and slid his palm along a slender length of thigh.
Kela, vampire hunter.
He cupped her breast through the soft fabric of her underwear. Beneath his palm, her nipple peaked. Bless the stars, she felt wonderful. Desire throbbing deep in his loins, his cock stretched. Ansara wanted this fragile Earth woman with the heart of a warrior burning fiercely in her chest.
Last night she’d been willing, but so terrified and fatigued she would have clung to anyone.
Now that the sun had risen, Ansara wanted her to cling to him, to give herself to him without the looming fear of vampires guiding her actions. But sunrise also brought responsibilities. He hadn’t been sent to Earth to indulge in personal pleasure, but to destroy a demon. Resisting the temptation of Kela’s soft curves, Ansara rolled out of bed.
He showered and laid claim to a new toothbrush he’d found in the vanity drawer. After raking his fingers through his damp hair, Ansara wrapped a towel around his waist and walked out of the bathroom. Kela was in the kitchen, making coffee. After several visits to Earth, he’d acquired a taste for the brew.
She wore white underwear, devoid of lace or sheerness. She looked good.
“Good morning or should I say good afternoon,” she said, walking up to him. “Thanks for staying the night. I really needed the sleep.”
“My pleasure.”
“That’s exactly what I was thinking,” she said, releasing his towel with a flick of her wrist.
Then she kissed him, her lips soft, yet demanding.
Ansara wrapped his arms around her, pulling her flush against him. He cupped her ass and half-carried her to the bed.
She fell back on the mattress, taking him with her and pulling him on top of her.
He released the front clasp of her undergarment and sighed as his hand closed around her soft flesh. The firm point of her nipple beckoned his mouth.
He kissed a path down her neck to her breast. He suckled, drawing eagerly, each lush tug making his heart pound, his blood race and his cock hard as stone.
She moaned and ground her belly against his erection. Sweet heaven.
She was hot, her moves inspiring him to explore. He caressed her thigh, ran his hand along her hip and his fingers beneath her underpants. He pushed his fingertips through the curly thatch of hair to the fleshy slit between her legs. She was soft and damp.
Bless the stars, he wanted her. She was feisty and too damn brave for her own good. Ansara was definitely in the mood for feisty.
Maybe they both needed a bit of indulgence.
He released her breast. His cock throbbed painfully as he waited for her to open her eyes. He drew a deep breath to cool his fire, but her scent fanned the flames.
Finally, she looked at him. “Change your mind?”
Her scent alone was enough to drive him crazy. What was it about this Earth woman? “I must know you want this.”
She groaned. “You have a doubt?”
“Guardians must have verbal consent.”
“Kinda kills the spontaneity.”
Body humming, he grinned. “But not the desire. Tell me your desires, Kela. Let me fulfill every need.”
“Vampires, demons, warrior angels and a man who asks for directions. Life is full of surprises.” She grinned and threaded her fingers through his hair. “I want you to fuck me with your tongue, your fingers and especially with that big, hard cock between your legs in a variety of positions and in any order of your choosing. Clear enough?”
“Crystal clear,” he said, pulling off her underpants. Then he buried his face between her thighs and his tongue deep inside her pussy.
She was hot, wet and lush and bucking beneath him.
He captured her clit and sucked it until she trembled and her pussy creamed.
“That was so damn good.”
Ansara climbed between her legs, nudging her moist flesh with his cock. “It so happens that I’m very good at following directions.”
Then he thrust, sliding into her tight, wet folds. Sweet heaven. If he breathed, he’d come.
She rocked her hips, urging him to action.
He thrust, hard and fast, liberating the sexual energy he’d restrained since their first kiss. She gripped him, squeezed him so tight Ansara nearly climaxed.
She nipped his biceps. “God yes.”
Moving his hips, Ansara pushed deep into her lush wetness, each stroke punctuated by Kela’s sighs of pleasure.
He wanted to give her the fuck of her life and slowed his strokes. When he climaxed, he wanted her with him.
She felt so good, so amazing. Her breasts were soft, her skin silky, her muscles sleek and strong, her movements natural and passionate and her pussy so fucking hot and tight, Ansara’s senses were on sensual overload.
She clenched, grabbing at his length.
She fucked with the same intensity, the same energy with which she fought, but in bed she wasn’t a stumbling neophyte. She knew what she wanted. In this partnership, she was his equal.
Enjoying the sensual give and take, he nipped her shoulder and thrust hard.
She pulled his hair and rolled her hips.
The pressure built behind his balls to the point where it was impossible to hold back. He thrust again and exploded.
She clenched down hard, pulling and tugging on his cock.
Then her cry of pleasure joined his groan of satisfaction.
After a few minutes of catching their breaths, Kela looked at him and smiled. “You take directions very well.”
* * * * *
Steaming mugs of coffee in hand, Kela joined Ansara on the bed. The hunky guardian looked great naked. She handed him a mug. “Careful, it’s hot.”
After battling blood-sucking vampires, sharing naked time with a demon-hunting warrior felt almost normal. She needed the downtime as much as she’d needed the sex.
“Roland is a vampire. Tell me how the demons got to him.”
Kela closed her eyes, seeing Roland before his transformation. She tensed. Had their happiness just been an illusion?
Ansara rubbed her shoulder and she instantly relaxed.
“He was a promising artist. A few months ago he met a gallery owner, Andre Karr.” She explained how flattered Roland had been by Karr’s patronage. “He moved out of the house we shared to live in Karr’s building. I wish the two had never met. I never liked Karr. He gave me the creeps.”
“Roland had a different reaction?”
“The opposite reaction. He was drawn to Karr and his paintings began to sell. Roland started calling himself only by his last name, his artist name, Chabeau. The last time we were together I realized he had changed in personality and in looks. His skin was cold and bone white. I thought he had bought into the persona of the cool, urban artist. I had no idea he was a vampire. I didn’t think they existed.”
Kela shuddered at the memory of the last evening she spent with Roland. “I had sex with a vampire. And to think Roland wanted me to give him my cross.”
“Roland asked for the cross?”
Kela sipped her coffee, then continued.
“Karr admired my cross. Roland wanted me to give the cross to Karr for his birthday. Like I’d ever part with it.”
“Had Roland shown any interest in the cross before meeting Karr?”
“None. He thought of it as jewelry, but he knew what it meant to me.”
“When did you find out Roland was a vampire?”
“A few weeks ago, I saw him with a woman in the parking l
ot of the Devil’s Warehouse. I watched them have sex, very aggressive sex right there in the club’s parking lot, going at it against a luxury sedan. I was so angry I got out of my car, ready to tell him off. Then I saw the woman go limp in his arms. Roland picked her up and dumped her onto the front seat of the vehicle.
“I yelled at him. When he looked at me, I was shocked. He had blood running down his chin. His eyes were red and he hissed at me. That was the first time I saw his fangs. I was so stunned I just stood there as he got into his vehicle and drove away.”
She finished her coffee and set aside the cup.
“The following day a woman’s body was found dumped in a local park. I called the police. I told a detective that Roland was a vampire and he was responsible for the woman’s death. He thought I was just a crazy angry bitch who had been dumped by her fiancé. Roland’s been killing ever since.”
“Do you love him?”
She shook her head. “The man I loved is gone. I know what Roland is and I have to stop him.”
“We have to stop him.”
“I hope you have a plan because I think Roland wants me dead.”
“I think Vakkar has taken over Karr’s body and he’s using Roland to get your cross.”
She touched the ornate cross dangling between her breasts. “What’s so important about my cross?”
Ansara set his coffee aside. He leaned down and kissed her left breast, then he kissed the cross. The stone glowed blood red.
“You made the ruby glow with your magic?”
“It’s a Thasian cross and that’s not a ruby. The blood of a fallen warrior is dropped into the Sacred Fire. A crystal is formed and placed in the center of a cross, powerful magic. Roland’s not strong enough to kill you, but Vakkar is another matter. If he gets possession of the cross, his demon power and his status increase. Even I’ll have a difficult time destroying him.”
“So Karr, I mean Vakkar understands the power of the cross?”
“Vakkar is very familiar with Thasian relics. Have you ever wondered why you haven’t been bitten? Why you haven’t ended up like Roland’s victims? Have you questioned why you’re a vampire hunter?”
“Roland has to be stopped. It’s the right thing.”
“Kela, you’re not a trained soldier and you fight vampires with wooden sticks.”
“Stakes. Sharp stakes. You think the cross is protecting me?”
“What did your father tell you when he gave you the cross?”
Promise me, Kela. You’ll always wear the cross. You’ll never take it off.
I swear, Daddy.
The cross will keep you safe. Wear it and I’ll always be with you, protecting you against evil.
I will, Daddy. I promise.
“He told me it would keep me safe, but he didn’t warn me about vampires.”
“What about demons?”
“Evil. He said it would protect me against evil. He told me good and evil coexist and I must always stand for good.”
Tears welled in Kela’s eyes. She bit her lip to hold them at bay. Now wasn’t the time to cry.
Ansara drew her into his arms. “Are you okay?”
Her guardian was big and warm and he made her feel safe. “Do you think he knew about the cross’s magic?”
“Your father understood the cross had the power to protect you against evil demons and vampires.”
“All of this is surreal and horrible. I wish I had my father’s old books, but his library and his research burned in the fire. Everything was destroyed.”
He rubbed her back, his touch gentle and soothing. “I’m your guardian and I won’t let anything happen to you.”
Resting her head against Ansara’s chest, Kela closed her eyes and listened to the steady beating of his heart. She wanted to remain in her guardian’s arms forever.
She ran her hand over his ridged abdomen. His skin was smooth and his muscles hard. Not a hint of softness anywhere.
His heart rate increased and he shifted slightly beneath her.
Kela opened her eyes and looked up at him.
Ansara leaned down and brushed his lips against hers.
“Let’s make love,” she whispered.
“It’s okay. I enjoy holding you in my arms.”
Kela glanced at his erection, then crawled onto his lap. She needed to feel alive and push the bad memories away. “Make love to me, guardian.”
“Giving directions again?”
“Suck me and fuck me. Make me forget about vampires. Make me scream.”
He cupped her breasts in his big hands and sucked her left nipple into his mouth. Fire raced straight to her pussy.
Kela grasped his cock and stroked him. He was thick and long, hot silk over iron. Straddling his hips, she sank down on his cock. Wet and warm, flesh slid against flesh.
He grasped her hips, urging her to ride him.
She raised her hips, sliding up his length, then sinking down to the thick root. Up and down, she moved her hips, taking what she needed.
He suckled, deep and strong, tugging on her nipple with an intensity that inspired her hips to move. She rode him faster, loving his heat, his hard muscles and the perspiration dewing his skin. Ansara was alive, healthy and all male.
He reached between her legs and thumbed her clit, drawing tiny circles that curled her toes and sent shivers down her spine.
Her climax came in a hot rush, her muscles tightening down on him, gripping and squeezing.
He bucked his hips, driving into her. “Sweet heaven!”
His muscles tensed and his fingers dug into her hips. Then the tension eased and she melted against him, warm and satisfied.
After a couple of deep breaths, she asked, “Is that how a guardian swears?”
Laughter rumbled in his chest. “It is when an Earth woman is pulling his cock out by the root.”
He’d told her he was a guardian working for the warrior angels, but surely he wasn’t from heaven. “Where are you from? A galaxy far, far away?”
“That’s as good a description as any.”
Disappointed, Kela raised her head and looked at him. She wanted heaven to exist, because she had seen hell in Roland’s eyes. “I’m serious. Where are you from?”
“I wasn’t joking. Thasia is the mystical galaxy of the warrior angels. It’s not only far away it exists in a parallel universe where good reigns.”
“Thasia is heaven?”
“Thasia is where the warrior angels reside and where I was trained. Think of it as warrior headquarters. My archangel sent me here here to prevent Vakkar from building a vampire army on Earth.”
“He can’t rule the Earth with a handful of blood-sucking women with big tits.”
Ansara cupped her face. “The handful will grow into dozens, then hundreds, then thousands and if he has the Thasian cross his status will advance and his power will increase.”
“If he wanted the cross, why didn’t he just come after me and take it?”
“The cross is powerful magic. He wanted to corrupt you and make you his supplicant. If you had gifted it to him, Vakkar would have been able to wear the cross and use its power for evil. He’d be capable of becoming an archdemon. If he takes it from you, the cross is nothing more than a trophy.”
A thought slammed through her brain. “That’s why he bought the painting.”
“What painting?”
“Roland painted a picture of me with my cross. Karr bought it. That’s when he became interested in Roland’s work.”
“Tell me about the painting.”
“Roland and I were at the beach. He was always sketching. When we got home, he asked me to pose for him. In the final painting, I was sitting on the sand, wearing nothing but my cross. Karr hadn’t shown much interest in Roland’s work before, but he bought the painting of me on the spot. It wasn’t about Roland. It was my cross.”
“Vakkar would recognize a Thasian cross and he’d do anything to get it.”
“If he wants the cros
s we can use it to lure him into a trap.”
“Even if he can’t access its power, possessing a Thasian cross is a major trophy. Vakkar knows I’m here and he’s desperate enough to kill you to get his hands on the cross.” Ansara caressed her cheek. “I’m not letting anything happen to you.”
“Can’t you use your magic mist to protect me?”
“The mist is a guardian defensive weapon. It works if I’m within it. How can I fight Vakkar with a protective barrier surrounding us? The only way to destroy him is to put my sword through his heart.”
“How will you get to him? If I were Vakkar I’d stay away from you. The only way to draw him out and to confront him on your terms is to use the cross as bait.”
“It’s too dangerous. If I’m fighting Vakkar, I can’t protect you.”
“If you hadn’t saved me last night, the cross would be in his hands. Is the fate of the Earth really at stake?”
“Yes.”
“Then we fight him on our terms and at the time of our choosing.”
Ansara cupped her head and drew her face close to his. “You have such courage. I find it sexy.”
He kissed her, lush and deep, a languorous meeting of lips and tongue that made her heart race.
When they came up for air, Kela looked him in the eye. “I’m not courageous, but you make me feel sexy. I could spend the rest of the day in bed.”
“I can’t imagine a more pleasant way to spend the day, but the angels wouldn’t approve. We need to get to work.”
“Then let’s go kick some demon ass.”
He kissed her on the tip of her nose. “Okay, but first I need to eat. I’m famished.”
“Do you like pizza?”
Chapter Four
Ansara liked pizza, consuming most of the large pie Kela had ordered. The patrons of the eating establishment were looking at him and he preferred keeping a low profile.
He pushed his empty plate away and looked at Kela. “I need new clothes. Everyone is staring.”
“It’s the crosses. They’re trying to decide if you’re a biker, a wrestler or a threat. If you hadn’t concealed the sword they’d be calling the police.”
He’d shrunk his sheathed sword. To the unaware, it looked like an ornament on his belt. This wasn’t Ansara’s first visit to Earth and no matter the time or place the local authorities paid attention to armed strangers. “I need clothing. Will you help me?”
