Venom & Vampires: A Limited Edition Paranormal Romance and Urban Fantasy Collection

by Casey Lane

Cautiously, Sloan approached the fire. The temperature didn’t rise as he moved and once he was close enough, he threw all caution to the wind. “I’m trusting you, Sunny,” he said and stuck his hand in the fire.

  The flame was pleasantly warm and tickled a little. It was an amazing sensation and Sloan had to force himself to step back.

  Sunny, on the other hand, looked completely panicked. “What the fuck did you do that for?”

  Anna glared at him but patted Sunny on the shoulder. “We had to test it some time, dear.”

  Sunny sent him an angry look and Sloan retreated to the pond again, creating a whirlpool in the center just for something to do.

  “The real advantage handlers have over other witches is that they can combine their magics to create something completely different,” Anna lectured as Sunny began bouncing her fireball up and down. “Watch.”

  Anna summoned another tornado and made it collide into Sunny’s fire. Instantly, the tornado became a fire funnel.

  Sunny gasped and smiled. “That’s so awesome.”

  Sloan stood by and watched. He could add his magic to Anna’s to create a water funnel but it would only extinguish Sunny’s flames if he joined in and the point of the whole exercise was to teach Sunny how to control her magic.

  The fiery tornado rotated quickly, picking up speed and racing across the field. Anna frowned and twitched. “Pull back on your fire,” she said to Sunny.

  Nothing happened though and Sloan turned to see Sunny’s face screwed up with concentration. Her normally milky skin was flushed and sweat trickled down her face. “I can’t,” she said in a strained voice.

  “Concentrate,” Anna instructed. “I’m going to dissipate the tornado.”

  The tornado disappeared but the tower of flames remained, dropping to the ground and roaring out of control. The flames spread out at a remarkable pace, speeding toward the castle on one end and the woods on the other.

  Sloan pulled his gaze away from the fire and glanced at Sunny again. She was kneeling on the ground, panting with her hands outstretched. Still, the flames spread.

  Understanding hit him at once. She had totally lost control of the fire.

  The flames were bearing down on them and the heat was indescribable. No one would be able to survive if they were caught up in the fire.

  Acting quickly, Sloan lifted the water from the pond and drained the surrounding soil of all its moisture and dumped the liquid on to the fire. The fire sizzled and died just short of the three of them.

  Sloan stared at the empty pond and wilted grass around it. It would take some time before the ground would recover from him leeching it of all its moisture, never mind the damage it had received from Sunny’s flames.

  He’d never been so scared in his life. Not even during the last war when he’d witnessed his wife’s death. His heart hammered so hard, he could barely hear Raven shouting from the castle or Leith’s voice as he rushed over.

  Turning, he came face to face with a dazed Sunny. Unable to deal with his panic, he took it out on the fire handler.

  Chapter Eleven

  Sunny gaped at the flaming funnel hopping along the ground. What had gone wrong? One second, she had been amazed at the fire tornado and the next, the magic had taken over. Sunny had tried everything she could think of to reclaim control of the flames. She had regulated her breathing, emptied her mind, and had stayed perfectly calm.

  Until she realized the flames were racing for Anna and Sloan, and there was absolutely nothing she could do about it. Then the panic had descended and the fire had responded by gaining strength.

  The scent of smoke still hung heavy in the air even though Sloan had put out the fire, and Sunny coughed, trying to clear her lungs. She stared at the ruined field, and started to pant. What would have happened if Sloan hadn’t been there? The fire would have consumed everything in its path. Including the people she’d come to care so much about. A wave of dizziness hit her, and she locked her knees to stay upright.

  “Sunny?” Someone was calling her name and she tried hard to focus on the voice, but everything seemed fuzzy.

  A hand landed on her shoulder and she was turned gently. A face appeared directly in her line of vision and she blinked, still trying to bring herself back to the situation at hand. She only vaguely realized Leith was talking to her but the buzzing in her ears prevented her from actually understanding those words.

  Her arm was suddenly gripped in a harsh grasp and spun her around. Sloan got right in her face and started shouting. “You little idiot. You could have destroyed the castle. You need to get it together before you kill someone.”

  That snapped her out of her stupor. She blinked and stared at Sloan. “Seriously?”

  “Yes, seriously. Grow up, little girl, and control your magic.”

  Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Leith make a move toward them, but Raven held him back. Good. She could handle this. If he wanted a fight, she’d give him one. “I’ve only been training for three weeks. I wasn’t prepared for how my magic would react to Anna’s.”

  Sloan didn’t look impressed. “She told you your magics feed off each other. What did you expect?”

  That was it. A red haze covered her vision and her hands shook. Small flames were shooting out of the tips of her fingers, but she didn’t even try to put them out. “Shut up, Sloan. I’m doing my best. And it’s not like you’ve been bending over backwards to help me. If you’re so damn concerned, get off your high horse and help me.”

  Something hot sparked in Sloan’s eyes, and she had half a second to take a deep breath before he slammed his mouth down on hers.

  They had been dancing around each other for weeks. Small touches here, hot looks there. It had been driving her crazy, and each time, her arousal spiraled higher and higher. All the lust that had been building up in her, despite her best efforts to deny it, came roaring to the surface.

  Rage and passion fueled the kiss and she bit at his lip, demanding entrance. He growled and opened his mouth but didn’t let her take control. Instead, he pushed his tongue inside and explored her mouth roughly. She shivered when his hands cupped her hips, his fingers tightening in a bruising hold as they fought for control of the kiss.

  Need rushed through her, pooling between her legs and making her clit plump up in excitement. She gripped a handful of his hair in both fists and pulled him closer so their teeth ground together.

  They spun higher and higher, their breath mingling until they were literally breathing each other in with each inhale.

  Her mind was totally consumed with one thing only. More.

  Desperate for some kind of relief, Sunny pushed herself up to her toes and released her hold on Sloan’s hair to wrap her arms around his neck. Once her grip was firm, she hooked one leg around his thigh and started grinding her pelvis against his muscular thigh. One of Sloan’s hands slid from her hip to her ass and he kneaded it firmly while guiding her movements with the other.

  A whimper worked its way up her throat as she rubbed herself quickly against his leg. This was it. She would have a spectacular orgasm right here, fully clothed and in front of three other people. But she was too far gone to care. She tore her mouth away from and buried her face in Sloan’s neck.

  A long groan split the air. “Fuuuuck. We can’t do this here.” Sloan picked her up, supporting her with both hands under her butt while she wound her legs around his waist.

  She vaguely realized they were moving but it wasn’t until Sloan pressed her into a mattress that she realized he’d carried her past Leith, Raven and Anna, into the castle and straight to her room. “Sloan?” she groaned.

  “If you want to stop, tell me now.” She shivered as he snaked his hand up her shirt. He skated his fingers long the bottom edge of her bra and started to press damp, open-mouthed kisses along the line of her jaw.

  She should stop him. She should push him off and run as fast as she could. There was one problem with what she should do.

  She didn’t
want to.

  Throwing caution to the wind, she looped her arms around his neck and pulled him down. “Don’t stop.”

  “Oh, thank God,” he whispered.

  The way he kissed took her breath away. He teased her mouth open with his tongue, licking his way inside and pulling back to nip sharply at her lower lip. “Let’s get this off,” he whispered against her lips as he tugged at her shirt. It went flying across the room, landing in a puddle on her dresser.

  Her bra was next. When she was nude from the waist up, he kissed his way down her neck. His lips grazed the responsive patch of skin right where her shoulder met her neck. She couldn’t help the moan, and Sloan obviously figured out he’d hit pay dirt. He sucked on the spot, nibbled it, licked it, until Sunny was nothing more than a writhing mess.

  God, she was going crazy. She needed more, but Sloan seemed content to stay at the slow pace, slowly driving her mad. She whimpered when he pinched one of her nipples, rolling it between his fingers and pulling on it gently.

  Threading her fingers through Sloan’s hair, Sunny arched her neck and tried to pull him up for a kiss. He chuckled and settled himself more firmly between her legs. “Patience,” he murmured before attacking her neck again.

  What was he, a vampire? And he wanted her to show some patience?

  Screw that. She hadn’t been with anyone other than her battery operated boyfriend in more than a year. Her patience had run out as soon as he’d kissed her out in the field. She wrapped her legs around his waist and ground her pussy against his hard stomach. The seam of her jeans rubbed directly against her clit, and the sensation threw her over the edge.

  Every muscle in her body seized and her whole world narrowed until it focused on the small, throbbing ridge of flesh between her legs.

  It wasn’t enough. Her sex was still contracting when she pushed on Sloan’s shoulders and rolled him over. She yanked off her pants and underwear before attacking his shirt. “Too many clothes,” she said.

  “Yes, ma’am,” he answered. He sat up enough to help her yank off his shirt and shuck his pants before he sprawled out on his back wearing nothing but a smile.

  She pounced on him. It was her turn to make him desperate.

  Sloan laid back, his arms raised over his head, and smiled at Sunny. He knew he probably looked a little bit smug, but come on. He’d made her come while she’d still had her fucking pants on. It had to be some kind of record. Even Dara hadn’t been that responsive. The feeling was fan-fucking-tastic.

  The only thing that could make this night better would be if he got some release too. And, if her fierce expression was anything to go by, he was in for the ride of his life. He couldn’t wait.

  Sunny, however, apparently didn’t share his urgency. She straddled his thighs and took her sweet time staring at him. Instead of making him feel uncomfortable, the appreciation he saw in her expression made him want to preen. Soon enough, though, he squirmed with need. His cock stood tall and proud and he wanted nothing more than to bury himself in her sweet heat. “Sunny,” he grunted.

  The laugh that escaped her lips sent shivers of anticipation down his spine. “Don’t worry,” she whispered. “You’ll get what you want. After I get what I want.”

  He shifted impatiently. “You already came. What else do you want? Because if it’s another orgasm, trust me, I’d love to give you another one. Or three.”

  Sunny lightly placed her fingers at his collarbone and trailed them ever so softly down his chest, stopping at his nipples. She circled them in ever smaller circles. “Baby, I want you crazy for me. Now, hush and let me work.”

  “Trust me, I’m so hot for you right now, I’m about to combust.”

  She laughed again, low and rich. “Sloan, if you can still hold a conversation with me, you’re nowhere near desperate enough.”

  He wasn’t sure how much more desperate she wanted him, but as long as she was touching him, he was willing to endure anything. Besides, this could be fun. He stretched his arms out over his head, exposing his entire body for her.

  “Well, that’s a beautiful sight,” she remarked. “Do you think you can stay like this the whole time?”

  She seemed to seriously underestimate his stamina and will power. “Of course. Do your worst,” he said with a smirk.

  Raising an eyebrow, Sunny pursed her lips and looked at him consideringly. “That sounds like a challenge.”

  Man, he didn’t remember ever having this much fun in bed. “If that’s how you want to take it…” He let the sentence trail off, knowing she would understand he really was challenging her to test his self-control.

  If he could classify a smile as being evil in a good way, that’s how he would describe the expression that crossed her face. He closed his eyes and waited for her first move.

  Instead of saying anything further, she leaned forward and feathered her lips against his neck a couple of times. “Mmm,” she crooned. “You smell divine. I bet you taste delicious.”

  He thought she would run her tongue along his skin, maybe kiss his ear a little. He jumped when she tweaked his nipple suddenly, pulling on it and rolling it between her fingers in almost the exact same way he had done to her earlier. An electric zap of sensation ran straight from his nipple to his cock and he felt a single bead of moisture run down his shaft.

  Fuck. Maybe his self-control wasn’t all that good after all.

  Sunny didn’t stop with playing with her fingers. She scooted down a little and took his other nipple in her mouth, teasing the nub with the tip of her tongue. Her teeth closed over it, almost roughly, and he couldn’t help the shout that bubbled up from his chest. The pleasure was so intense, so sharp, he wondered if there was a nerve that connected his nipples directly to his dick.

  How had he lived for seventy-five years and not known his nipples were a hot spot?

  She spent a long time at his chest, kissing, nipping and tweaking his nipples. His balls had pulled up tight and he groaned, wondering if he could actually come from just that alone.

  It didn’t help when she settled herself on one of his thighs and draped her abdomen over him. He could have written it off as her attempts to get more comfortable, but her soft stomach rubbed against his dick and her wet pussy ground against his leg. Unable to stop, he tilted his hips a little so his cock pressed more firmly against her stomach.

  He shuddered and thrust up again. His skin erupted into goose bumps and a bead of sweat dripped down his temple to land in his ear. The tickle in his ear merely added to the sensations rocketing through him. He kept up the motion of his hips, powerless to stop the steady stream of moans coming from his mouth. He was completely unable to control his body and the only important thing right now was reaching the orgasm poised at the tip of his dick.

  Balls churning, he lurched up, only to nearly sob when the suction around his nipple and the sweet pressure of her belly on his shaft disappeared. “Sunny,” he whispered, nearly frantic for something.

  “Shh,” she said. “I told you not to move.”

  He hadn’t even realized he’d moved his arms until she pointed out the fact that he was gripping her shoulder. He forced himself to let go of her and reached up again. There was nothing solid for him to hang on to so he grabbed a pillow and balled it up in his fists, looking at her for approval.

  She smiled and nodded. “You deserve a reward,” she praised.

  Oh, God, please let it be … yes.

  She sat up completely, held him with one hand and lowered herself onto him. He had to grit his teeth to stop himself from exploding as soon as the head of his dick breached her sex.

  She was drenched and pulsing around him as she dropped down, taking him right to the root in a single push. “You feel so good,” she moaned as she started riding him.

  He couldn’t answer her. He’d lost the ability to form coherent sentences as soon as she’d taken him in to her wet, silky pussy. He’d also lost control of his hands and they locked on her hips as if they had a mind of their
own, helping her to find a rhythm they both liked.

  She rode him with abandon and his eyes were rolled so far back in his head, he swore he could see the back of his skull. It was hard to pull his eyes forward again, but he didn’t want to miss out on a single second of Sunny’s expression. He just about swallowed his tongue when he finally focused on the woman riding him. Her head was flung back and she had cupped each breast. She massaged them, kneaded them, stopping every once in a while to play with her nipples.

  His urgency went from about sixty to one hundred in half a second and he rocked her even faster, his orgasm just out of reach. His muscles tightened in preparation for the climax of his life.

  Until she jerked away and lifted her pussy off his already twitching cock.

  What the fuck was she doing? He whimpered, fucking whimpered. “Why?”

  “No condom,” she said roughly. “Do you have one?”

  Shit, shit, shit. He shook his head. He hadn’t had sex in a quarter of a century. Why would he have condoms lying around his room? “Don’t you have some?” he asked hopefully.

  She shook her head and bit her lip.

  His entire body was sensitized with an agonizing need to come. He felt like crying. The cool air bathing his dick didn’t do a single thing to quell his desire and he was pretty sure his nervous system had been fried somewhere along the way. Was it actually possible to die from blue balls? Because he was about to expire from lust.

  Sunny pressed a warm, wet kiss against his chest again. “Don’t worry,” she whispered. “I have an idea.”

  What could she possibly have in mind that could beat sex?

  Before he could ask, she clambered off him completely and knelt between his legs. She cupped her breasts and bent at the waist until her belly rested on his thighs and his cock nestled in the valley between her breasts.

  He groaned and thrust up. She wasn’t large but she was soft and silky and felt like heaven. “God, I love your tits,” he moaned.

  Her answering laugh was low, seductive, and when she looked up at him and licked her lips, he lost it. “Sunny,” he croaked. “I … I’m…”