The man’s voice was low and throaty. Seri almost hadn’t heard. Feed? What the hell does that mean? Slightly tilting on her heels so she could observe in a more comfortable position, what she saw about pitched her forward onto her face.
Mordecai pulled the woman into his lap. With one sweep of his hand, he moved the wayward curls from her shoulder. He leaned forward and ran his tongue along the exposed portion of her neck. Seri felt herself dampen down below as the scene began to unfold.
“Ohh,” the whore let out a gasp. Her vibrant green eyes widened.
Seri watched, mesmerized, while Mordecai opened his mouth, exposing sharp, glistening white fangs. He sank them into the woman’s neck, and she squeezed her eyes shut. A blissful smile covered her face while her voluptuous breasts bobbed with the deep sigh that escaped her lips.
“I hope that didn’t hurt you too much?” Mordecai nuzzled the woman’s neck when he’d finished. He leaned over and kissed her neck where his fangs had pierced the skin. A trickle of her lifeblood ran down her collarbone, which he erased with a swipe of his hand.
“Oh no, Mordecai baby, you’re always so gentle,” the woman replied. She ran a finger down his cheek in tenderness. “Will you be back soon?” her voice was hopeful.
“Sorry, Celia, I’m finished hiding under the cover of darkness. I’m retiring my guns to give a go at ranching. Bought myself some land up north. I’ll be headed that way come morning.”
The whore’s lips formed a pout.
Seri contemplated all she’d just witnessed. The man has fangs. She shivered at the realization. If folks called her a witch, than he was the devil.
Chapter Two
Mordecai Black sat at the scarred bar inside the saloon and waved to the bartender. “I’ll take another,” he called out. The man soon placed a shot of whiskey before him. He took the glass in his hand, threw back his head, and swallowed the spirits in one lengthy gulp. The whiskey burned like gunpowder all the way to the pit of his belly. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and set the glass back on the counter.
Mordecai swung around on the stool to watch the crowd. It was a quiet night in the saloon. Only one game of poker progressed at the middle table. Most of the whores were already upstairs with their customers and the few remaining sat around the card table. Feeling sated—he’d fed, had his fill of whiskey, and his carnal desires were taken care of—he decided to retire to his room.
In the morning, he’d saddle his horse and head north to the plot of land he’d bought a couple years past. It was a nice stretch of untamed beauty that bordered the great, endless waters of the ocean. It was one of his favorite places, and since he’d decided to hang up his guns, there’d be no more bounty hunting in his future. He’d spent the last decade on the hunt for rogue vamps, and it was time for him to start a new life in peace.
He stood, ready to retire to his rented room. With a nod to the bartender, he swaggered out of the saloon and into the cool night air. The hotel was one block down the street, a quick jaunt from this watering hole. The street was quiet, except for the clank of his spurs on the boardwalk, and a couple of drunk, rough-talking cowboys who stumbled about in the road. He ignored their jeers. Trouble wasn’t on his agenda for the night.
***
Seri stood ramrod straight against the building, after pausing in the shadows while Mordecai passed by. He was dressed in a long dark duster, black cowboy hat, and dark pointed cowboy boots. Where’s his weapon? She’d never seen a man without some sort of weapon walk about in any town, especially at night.
She followed a short distance behind, curious to see where he’d go. He disappeared from her sight when he entered the Dearborne Hotel. Lingering in the darkness outside the building so he wouldn’t realize he was being followed, she stepped through the threshold of the hotel’s front door. His footsteps could be heard as he walked up the staircase to the second floor. Her heart flip-flopped in her chest. I can do this. What do I have to lose?
She made it to the top of the staircase when the second-to-last door on the right at the end of the hall closed. It’s his. Her stomach fluttered with excitement. She tiptoed down the hallway and pressed her back against the wall next to his door. I’ll give him a few moments before I go in.
After a moment’s hesitation, she grabbed the doorknob and started to turn. Seri yelped as the door was yanked out of her grasp. A cold hand grabbed the collar of her shirt at the back of her neck and lifted her off the ground.
“Who are you?” the man asked, his breath hot against her cheek.
Her heart dropped to her feet, along with her hat as she hung in midair before him. He gave her a rough shake and her hair, which had been pinned against her scalp, fell about her shoulders.
“I’ll ask again. Who are you and what are you doing slinking around in the shadows following me?”
Seri was paralyzed with panic. Her lips wouldn’t move, her gaze was glued onto his face. His eyes were the strangest crystal-clear blue she’d ever seen, and she wondered if she’d catch her reflection if she stared long enough.
“I mean no harm,” she managed to say moments later. She wanted to struggle, escape his hold, but she’d come here for a reason. I need to convince him to help me.
He let her go, and she dropped to her feet.
She straightened and continued to watch him. Let him try to send me away. She steeled herself taking a brave step inside his room. He’d removed his shirt and his pants were unbuckled around his hips. Seri swallowed hard as heat crawled up her neck. His skin was peculiar, almost translucent, while his muscles were well-defined under taut skin. Not one hair graced his torso. She wondered what it would feel like to run her hands over his smooth, pale chest, to feel his strength beneath her fingertips.
“You still haven’t answered my question,” he reminded her.
I’m here to seduce you, so you won’t turn me away. But that’s not what she’d say aloud, so she smiled instead. “I need your help.” She dared a step forward.
His eyes became clouded with suspicion.
“I’m done bounty hunting. You’ll have to find someone else.” His eyes narrowed on her.
“I, um...” The urge to touch him overtook all good reason. Unable to contain herself any longer, she reached over and laid her hand on his bicep. His skin was cool. His muscles rippled under her fingertips. Her pulse raced at the image of his glistening teeth before he sank them into the whore’s neck flashed in her mind. Instead of being frightened as she knew she should be, her heart rate increased along with her arousal. Never had a stranger held such a draw for her.
“I’m in a tad bit of trouble,” she finished a little breathless. The man’s clear blue eyes now held a dangerous glint as he continued to stare at her.
He reached over and cupped her breast, running his thumb over her nipple through the fabric of the men’s shirt she wore. He’s testing me. Her nipples responded to the contact, and she bit her lip to hold in a moan. She’d never been so aroused by the sight of a man, and this one had her pussy sopping with need.
“Is that so?” The Devil, as she’d named him in her head, now smiled. His lips were wide, sensuous. He leaned toward her face. He’s going to kiss me, she thought with excitement, but instead he ran his tongue slowly and leisurely along the side of her neck. She closed her eyes and gave him better access with a slight tilt of her head. Shivers of delight cascaded through her system. Will he bite me?
“You look like trouble, sweetheart,” he whispered in her ear.
Surprised, she opened her eyes to look at him. His smile remained, and he continued to stroke her breasts. Seri wanted to rip her shirt off, feel the rough skin of his hands over her body. She was not sure how to proceed, her mind numb from the sensations his touch evoked, and he thankfully took over.
His lips crushed against hers in a hot, demanding kiss. She melted against him, unable to move away. Not wanting to. His hands snaked up her back, beneath her shirt. How strange that his hands feel so cool against my skin. Wit
h deft experience, he removed her shirt and camisole in a flash, and flicked open the top button of the men’s trousers she wore. Seri gasped. It sounded more a strangled half-moan to her ears. Is this really happening? She’d come here to seduce the man into helping her and found she was the one seduced. Her body craved his touch.
Within moments, she was stripped bare, naked before him. Excitement built in the pit of her stomach as she wondered what he’d do next. Already she noticed the dampness between her thighs had increased. Her body was ready for him. She wanted to yell out, take me now, but remained quiet, letting him decide the next move.
He led her by the hand to his bed. It was a mattress on a simple wood frame. The quilt appeared clean, and the bed was untouched.
“Lay down and spread your legs,” he demanded.
She complied, the faded white-and-blue quilt soft under her back. Seri closed her eyes and let the comfort of the blanket relax her strung-out nerves. Absentmindedly, she trailed her hand down her stomach until she reached her wet center. With her fingertips, she began to stroke her throbbing clit, slow at first, then faster as her arousal increased and her inhibitions all but disappeared with the pleasure she found there. Her fingers came away slick with her body’s juices. She flushed clear to her hairline when she realized what she’d just done in front of him. She opened her eyes to see the Devil’s handsome face hovering above her. Hunger and need flashed in those strange eyes. A low, primal growl escaped his lips. He reached for her fingers and popped them into his mouth and proceeded to taste her.
“You’re sweet as honey,” he commented. He licked his lips like a satisfied cat and worked his way to her breasts, his breath hot against her skin. He twirled his tongue and nipped at one breast while his fingers fluttered across her abdomen to the curly mound of soft hairs between her legs. He slipped one finger inside her pussy and began to stroke her nub as she’d done for herself earlier. Her mind went numb as she bucked and writhed beneath him.
“Oh—don’t stop,” she begged. Never had anything felt so wonderful.
He sought her mouth once more, his tongue teasing her own. It was almost more than she could bear. He inserted a second finger inside her and increased the tempo. She was now soaked with her own body’s juices as sparks of desire shot through her system. The world could end, and she wouldn’t have a care. He stopped, leaving her on pins and needles, teetering precariously on the verge of madness.
“No...” she cried out in disappointment.
“It gets better, Sweetheart.”
Slowly, he trailed kisses down her neck. She gasped when his tongue flicked the tip of each nipple. Seri cupped his head in her hands as he continued farther down, until his head was between her legs. His dark hair was soft against her thighs.
He blew lightly against her mound. A whimper escaped her lips. His tongue darted inside her, hot and wet. Never had any man done this before. She ran her fingers through his hair, clutching his head. It feels so wonderful. He began to suck on her nub, intermittent with his tongue darting in and out of her. Unable to withstand the sensations any longer, her vision blurred as she let out a throaty scream, her body quaking as she came.
The Devil pulled back and lay next to her on the bed. Seri gazed over at him, lightheaded and still out of breath.
“Thank you,” was all she could think to say.
There was a sudden knock at the door. “Expecting someone?” the Devil asked, eyebrows raised in question, but otherwise undisturbed.
“That’s probably my brother-in-law,” she replied. Momentary panic overcame her, and her heart began to race with this turn of events. How’d he find me here? She realized with clarity her future now hung in the balance. Would Mordecai send her away?
“I knew you’d be trouble,” the Devil stated matter-of-factly. Before she could reply, the door flew open.
Chapter Three
“Seri, you little whore!” the red-bearded, scrawny excuse of a man screamed as he busted through the door, rifle in the crook of his arm. Mordecai stood and crossed his arms over his chest. Things are about to get interesting. He stood back to see how the story would unfold.
“This woman’s a witch. She’s put a curse on you too, I see,” the man jeered. He gave Mordecai a wary glance through squinted eyes.
“I’m no witch, Bart. Your brother died of unknown causes,” the little enchantress retorted, folding her arms over her breasts to cover them as she stood from the bed. She bent slightly forward to hide the rest of her nakedness.
Mordecai looked them both over. Seri wasn’t a witch. A seductress? Maybe. He’d been around for centuries and had met plenty of witches. She was unlike any other human female he’d ever met. That, he’d admit. She’d taken him by surprise when she’d appeared in his room, sneakier than a phantom in the night. He was astonished by his own actions. She’d enamored him from the first moment he’d laid eyes on her.
Her cinnamon-colored curls that floated down her back, and her eyes, the color of the finest whiskey, had caught him off guard. He’d been shocked at first glance to see such a luscious woman dressed in a man’s attire, complete with a worn cowboy hat and dust-covered boots. When the hat dropped away, and her wispy curls were exposed, he’d been mesmerized. Never had he seen a woman dressed so. His curiosity had been piqued.
When he’d told her to lie on the bed, and she’d obeyed no questions asked, then touched herself in a familiar way... Ooh, the sight sent anticipation flowing throw his veins. His body had responded in the most lustful of ways. He’d have pursued things further had they not been so rudely interrupted by this so-called brother-in-law.
Mordecai noticed Bart now glared at him, his beady green eyes boring into him, full of distrust. “This woman murdered my brother. She used her murderous black arts to kill him, so no one would be the wiser. She’s coming with me. My men and I will hang her from the first solid oak we see.” The man wore a satisfied smirk on his face.
“Sorry mister, but she’s my prisoner,” Mordecai drawled, standing to his full height. “She’s got a bounty on her head, which I aim to collect come hell or high water. I’m afraid you showed up a little too late, good friend.”
Bart began to sputter, an angry crease in his brow.
“I didn’t realize there was already a price on her head—damn.” He shook his head. “You poke all your prisoners, Mr. Bounty Man? Not that I probably wouldn’t,” he said as an afterthought while scratching his beard. Bart turned to Seri, his eyes burning with lust while he ogled her naked form next to the bed.
Bart licked his lips. “You damn lucky son of a bitch.” He nodded in Mordecai’s direction. “I always thought my brother was a bastard for having such a looker for a wife. But as I said, she’s a witch. Don’t be surprised when your cock falls off from some curse she sets on ya.” To make his point clear, he reached down and fondled his dick through his soiled pants. “Won’t happen to me.” He smiled, matter-of-factly.
Bart made his way to the door. Clutching the handle, he gave them one last look over his shoulder. “I’ll see you in hell, Seri, you just wait.” With those final words, he left as quickly as he’d appeared.
Why do I feel so protective of her? I barely know her. The question lay heavy on his mind. Mordecai saw Seri let out a breath, her face full of relief.
“Well, that was entertaining,” Mordecai stated, still shocked by his actions. What am I getting myself into? With a heavy sigh, he walked to the door and set the lock. “Mind telling me what this is all about?”
Chapter Four
Seri wondered where to begin. She’d taken a chill with all the commotion, and goose bumps covered her flesh, her nipples erect with the cold.
“Here, let me.” Mordecai, gentleman that he was, reached for a folded quilt at the end of the bed then wrapped it around her shoulders. The warmth made her feel relaxed, back in control of her emotions. He just saved me from hell. If he’d of sent her away with Bart her life would have been over.
“Why don’t
we start with introductions? I’m quite curious as to who you are, Miss Seri.”
He gave her a lopsided grin. Should she tell him she’d named him the Devil? Tell him what she knew? No, all in good time, she decided.
“My name is Serena St. James, but I go by Seri,” she started, “and I did not kill my husband as that man stated. I found Joseph in the field, stone-cold dead. There were no marks on his body—he was just dead. I don’t know how to explain it.” She finished, uncertain if he’d believe such a story after Bart had called her a witch.
“I’m sorry for this,” Mordecai replied.
“Well, to tell you the truth....” she paused, unsure what to call him. Devil was on the tip of her tongue again, and if she called him by his real name, he’d know she’d spied on him earlier in the evening.
“I’m sorry, my name is Mordecai Black.” His smile stole her breath away, and her heartbeat gained in tempo once more.
“Well, Mordecai—to tell you the truth, I never loved Joseph. He was a mean, slothful man, much like his brother Bart. My parents pawned me off to him. They had too many mouths to feed with five other children in the home. I was worth a lousy cow in trade to them.
“The best day of my life was when I found Joseph dead in the field. I no longer have to smell his rancid breath with his kisses, or feel his cruel hands over my body. He won’t be poking his dick in any more of my holes,” she said with disdain.
“Well then, it seems justice has been served to this cruel and most heartless bastard,” Mordecai stated with finality.
“That it has...that it has...” she agreed.
There was a moment of silence in the room. “So—you plan to haul me back to Bakersfield and hand me to the sheriff? Bakersfield is a very superstitious town. When Bart flapped his jaws about me being a witch, everyone turned their backs on me. I was forced to run for my life. I’ve made it this far, dressed as a man. I played poker in every town’s saloon to earn enough coin for some grub and a dry place to sleep each night. I planned on heading north. The land is still wild and untamed I’ve heard in the Oregon territory. An easy place to hide from the world.” Seri glanced his way warily. His gaze roamed her body, his face unreadable.
Crimson, Volume 1 Page 19
