Prima

by Annie Nicholas

  Sugar opened her lips wider and swirled her tongue around the crown of his shaft, picking up the drop of blood. She moaned and drew him inside her wet, hot mouth with a slow, tight swallow, sliding him deeper and deeper.

  He felt the careful brush of her hands over his hips. She caressed his ass before pulling him forward until his knees pressed against the edge of the lounger.

  “Oh, fuck, yes.”

  She fondled his dick with her tongue as she rode it up and down, digging her nails into his flesh so he couldn’t move. Mingling his pain with pleasure. Little noises of ecstasy escaped her talented mouth as she turned his legs into Jell-O.

  Panting, he thrust into her mouth, trying to get farther each time. His balls rose so high, he thought they might vanish back inside his body. His cock slid back and forth between her lips as one of her hands strayed inside her panties.

  She pulled the lace back so he could peek at her blonde curls while she touched herself.

  “Oh yeah, babe.” He couldn’t breathe. Like a linebacker had tackled him from behind, he arched his back and came in heated jets. He tried to withdraw from her mouth to avoid hurting her, but she dug her nails into his ass. Swallowing, she responded to his climax with impassioned moans.

  The pressure in his balls eased, and he sank onto the lounge chair. “That was amazing.” He lay on his back, a victim to her desire.

  She straddled his hips and unsnapped her bra, setting the lush bounty inside free. Her pink nipples, hard and taut, skimmed over his skin as she crawled forward, baring her fangs.

  Stunned by her ferocious glare, he froze. Nothing was sexier than a woman with a purpose, especially when they were as small and exquisite as his Sugar.

  She scratched her nails across the expanse of his chest and lowered to circle his areola with the tip of her tongue.

  He groaned at the mixed sensations and ran his hands over her firm thighs. Tucking his thumbs under the hem of her panties, he lowered them until she crawled free. He grazed the wet, tender lips of her pussy with his fingertips, naked and all his.

  Hesitating over his chest, she arched her hips in invitation.

  Not one to miss an opportunity, he probed deeper and found her slick with desire. Velvet flesh caressed his fingers as he pushed them past her entrance.

  She moaned, tossing her head back. Her needlelike, fledgling fangs glinted in the dim light as she ground against his hand, then she struck.

  The sudden sting caused him to shout in surprise as she bit into his chest. His cock surged back to life. He’d explored many avenues of release with Sugar in their time together, before she’d been hurt, but this was new.

  She withdrew her fangs and licked at the drops of blood dangling from them. “Daedalus?” Panic laced her voice. “Should I like doing that?” She thrust harder on his fingers, clenching with increasing passion.

  “Fuck, yes.” He dragged her closer. “Do it again.” His words held an edge of unexpected pleading. It had been so long since he’d taken a vampire female for a lover, he’d forgotten how their bites affected the beast inside him.

  Without pause, she pierced his flesh again, just below his collarbone.

  He arched his back, lifting both of them off the couch. Before he could draw another breath, she struck again on the other side. She elicited sounds of wicked submission from him. He couldn’t recall being trapped so eagerly.

  Her lips suckled his flesh for a moment before moving higher onto his neck. She caressed his smooth scalp. “You taste like magic.” Then she bit again, this time harder, with a little snarl.

  He wasn’t sure what flipped his switch, the fierce bite or the sounds she made, but he gripped her in his arms, pumping into her as she gnawed deeper into his flesh.

  ***

  The taste of Daedalus coursed through every cell in her body. It kept calling to her. Have more, have more. He held her so tight, she couldn’t move as he thrust inside of her over and over again. All she could do was cry out while her orgasm burst inside her body, flooding her senses until she lay limp in his arms.

  He bent her over the back of the lounger and gripped her hips.

  She lifted her head and flashed to the first time they’d been together. He’d taken her in a similar manner. Rising onto her elbows, she tossed him a glance over her shoulder. The motion made her breasts swing free.

  A dark hunger burned in his eyes as he rubbed his erection between her ass cheeks. He gathered wetness from her pussy on the tip of his finger and circled her anus.

  She gasped, curling and unfurling her fingers. It had been ages since he'd touched her in this place. Tingling spread around the area as she imagined him filling her, stretching those secret muscles to aching ecstasy.

  He pressed a finger inside to loosen the tightness. “You remember our safe word.”

  A nervous laugh bubbled out of her. “Y-yes.”

  He pushed deeper, adding another finger. “Say it.”

  “Touch—” She moaned and tried to catch her breath. “Touchdown.”

  “Good girl.” He spread her thighs and loomed over her. “I’m going to fuck you hard.”

  The head of his cock teased the entrance to her wet pussy. She raised her hips to give him better access. Being at his mercy gave her a thrill. To have this much male power thrusting inside of her, knowing he could render her into tiny pieces but trusting him not to. Even though she was now a vampire, he could still end her existence, yet his losing control never crossed her mind.

  With a smooth motion, he impaled her and pushed deeper inside her pussy.

  She gripped the edge of the couch, filled to capacity. Words seemed too difficult to form, and submissive noises rolled out of her throat.

  He plunged his fingers in time with his cock, shoving deeper and harder, spreading them to stretch the muscles of her anus.

  “Oh God.” She threw her head back at the assault, but she wouldn’t utter the safe word. This erotic pleasure was what she craved. She loved the sounds he made as he took her, like she sent him to a place of bliss. More. She tried to say it, but a hungry noise came out instead. It seemed like enough.

  He pulled out of her pussy and yanked her hips to set the tip of his cock against her back hole. His hands trembled as he eased it past her tight orifice. He went so quiet and tense, she feared for a moment he’d lost interest.

  All she could hear was him panting. His fingers dug into her hips, flexing then releasing. She rolled her ass and managed to slide him in farther.

  His snarl caught her off-guard. He shoved inside her until his balls rested against her ass.

  She cried out at the sudden stretch, the pain so sweet she couldn’t move.

  He threaded his fingers in her hair and yanked her head back, exposing her throat. His breath singed her skin below her ear. His chest bellowed against her back. A low growl reminded her that the Nosferatu were more feral than any of the other vampire clans. He licked a slow line over her flesh as if testing her taste, then thrust again sharp and hard, eliciting another of her cries.

  Then he struck. Fang to flesh. Burning. Thrusting.

  Her body pulsed with delirious bliss. A shudder welled up. She clung to the chair, searching for an anchor before Daedalus swept her away for good.

  Then again, from his impassioned moans, she might be his tidal wave. He released his bite, and those moans turned into her name over and over. A hot wash in her core followed as his cries filled the room. It sent her off the edge in a slick slide to her release.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Daedalus held the door as Sugar sat in the passenger seat of his car, her cane still in hand. She obviously didn't need to use it. On those fuck-me-now heels, she moved with a graceful sway of her hips that drew every male's gaze. That would take some getting used to again. He'd forgotten how unaware she was of her own beauty and how males responded to her. The vampirism broadcasted her sensuality even more.

  Closing the door, he raced to the driver's side. They had a few hours before
dawn, and he had plans for those in the bedroom. It seemed like a good time to show Sugar her new vampire stamina. He never would have taken her like he just had when she'd been human. Not with that amount of feral passion. It would have broken her. They had much to explore as lovers now.

  She waved to the valets as they left. He recognized the looks on their faces. They'd be anxious for her return.

  He glanced at her from the corner of his eye.

  Unaware of her effect on the restaurant staff, she watched the passing scenery through the window with drooping eyelids. She made a small, satisfied moan.

  His chest swelled at the noise. He set his hand upon the back of her neck and massaged her loose muscles. “The night isn’t over yet.”

  “Can a hot bath be part of our plans?” She rolled her head to meet his gaze. Only a deaf, blind, and dumb male could have missed the ardor in her question.

  Leaning forward slightly, he sped toward the mansion. “Anything you want.”

  Her husky laugh caressed his ears with promises of more than just washing. “I remember your offer to Nick. How often will I have to feed?”

  He sighed and kissed his plans good-bye. The twist of their conversation might darken the mood. Discussing vampire life used to turn into an argument with Sugar. He hoped they were past this hurdle. “Every day for the first few months while your body continues to change. We’ll have to watch your hunger closely as we wean you.”

  “How long can you go?”

  “Before I lose control? A month.”

  Her head jerked from its relaxed pose against the headrest. “You feed more often than that.”

  He withdrew from massaging and set his hand back on the steering wheel. “Should I wait until I’m in crisis? It’s not a good idea. Do humans wait until they’re starved to eat their next meal? When I hunger, I feed.” It was best to adjust her expectations now. Her future depended on how she viewed taking sustenance. “How did you like feeding from Nick?”

  She twisted away and faced the window once more. “It was fine.”

  “I could retract my offer if you didn’t like him. No contracts were signed.” He gripped the wheel, taking a turn too sharply. “I just thought learning to feed from someone like him would be safe for you.”

  “I don’t like the idea of keeping a pet.”

  “Wow, that’s very vampire of you to call him that.” Nothing he did pleased her. He could buy the space shuttle and capture the moon, yet she’d still blame him for the loss of moonlight.

  “What is he then?”

  “An employee. He’s not cheap, Sugar. Being a donor is considered a profession among our kind. The government makes laws against feeding from humans against their will, but what keeps a scorned human from calling foul? If you haven’t noticed, humans tend to think us monsters guilty until proven innocent.” He cleared the strain from his voice. “Donors are paid for, contracted, and safe for my people.”

  “Our people.” She still didn’t look at him.

  He sighed again. The way she spoke those words didn’t encourage his confidence in her staying with him and his nest. She wore his ring on her finger, but what did she truly feel in her heart? That he’d betrayed her deepest wishes, or that he’d saved her from an untimely death? Once she gained control over her hunger, would she return to Chicago and the Vasi?

  Silence filled the vehicle until he thought it would burst from the pressure.

  “Do sunlamps burn us?” She whispered the question.

  Tossing her a quick glance, he shook his head. “Why?”

  “I was thinking about my garden in Chicago.” She traced the outline of her face on the window.

  “I had the one at the mansion built in case you wanted to live with me one day. All the flowers bloom at night. You can do whatever you want with it.” He gritted his teeth and focused on the road. “I’m trying.”

  With slow purpose, she twisted in her seat and set her hand on his leg. “I know. I thought I could make a sunroom or something.”

  It wasn’t the flowers she missed, but the sunlight. “You can convert the grand hall into an indoor garden if you’d like.”

  She squeezed his thigh. “That could work.” Her voice rose at the idea.

  “You can start planning it tomorrow.” Keeping her busy would help with the transition.

  “What about your nest? You really should concentrate on finding them.”

  He did his best to smile at her, but he feared some of his sorrow bled through. “Don’t worry about them. The call to come home went out. I’m waiting.”

  “I thought the sooner this was over, the sooner we could return home.”

  All his years of experience couldn’t stop his flinch. She had more power over him than anyone in all his centuries. Could he leave his post? Would the council let him?

  “Are you on your way home?” Pallas’s thought daggered through his mind.

  He jerked in his seat as if goosed from behind. Bastard. He’d almost pissed his pants. “You know better than to barge into a person’s head. And, yes, we’re close. Why?”

  “Good.” Even through their mental link he could sense Pallas chuckling. “Vampires are gathering outside. Clementine tells me not to kill them, but she refuses to go out and greet them by herself.”

  “Listen to her.” About time his people showed up. He was beginning to wonder if they had abandoned him.

  Maybe the council had sent Pallas to ensure someone of their clan kept control in the area, but the real question was whether he’d been ordered to kill Daedalus if he decided to return to Chicago. They equaled each other’s skill, so he didn’t know who would win in such an altercation.

  “Everything all right?” Sugar straightened in her seat, searching the road. “What spooked you?”

  “Pallas.” He tapped his head. “I hate it when he does that.”

  “Will I be able to speak with my mind?” She relaxed in her seat again.

  “I don’t know. Vampirism is different for each person. We’ll explore your gifts together as you grow into your power.” He turned onto his property and drove through the still-smashed gates. He added them to his mental to-do list for tomorrow.

  In front of his home gathered a group of ten individuals.

  His pride took a nosedive. Only ten?

  Sugar leaned forward, undoing her seat belt, her eyes glued to the small group. “What’s going on?”

  He took her hand. “They are the remaining loyalists in Pal Robi Inc., the ones who didn’t run when the company was taken over.” He exited the car and motioned for her to follow. Even though he’d trust these people close to his home, he wouldn't turn his back on them and leave Sugar vulnerable. He’d made that mistake once, and she’d paid the price dearly.

  The click of her heels hurried toward him before he felt her presence close to his side. Her fingers slid into the crook of his arm in a possessive manner that took him off-guard enough to glance at her. She glared at his people as if daring them to separate her from him.

  One of the women came forward. “Master.” She knelt, offering him a sword. He recalled her first name was Mary.

  The others fell to their knees behind her.

  To see them gathered like this warmed his old heart. Ten was better than none. When he’d left for Chicago a few years ago, he’d left a staff of over fifty to care for their home and financial security. Then those traitors took over, and Daedalus had dispersed his staff to take them out of the line of fire. Unbeknown to him these ten had stayed behind and infiltrated his betrayer’s confidence. Without their quiet help over the last year, he would not have known who to strike.

  Those traitorous idiots had scared off the good ones and corrupted the weak. His personal bank accounts would sustain his nest for now, while his company got back on its feet. He pasted on a smile while his heart shattered. He wouldn’t be able to follow Sugar back to Chicago. His people needed him more, and she’d have to choose her own path.

  He took the sword. “I can�
��t express how pleased I am to see you’ve come to my call.” Others of his nest were still too far away to have arrived yet. He assumed as the nights passed they would show up on his doorsteps in scattered groups. He hoped.

  “We come for you to judge us.” Mary bowed her head first then the others followed.

  He rested the flat of her sword over Mary’s neck and glanced at Sugar.

  Her hands were clasped in a white-knuckled grip, her stare following his movements, but she didn’t utter a word.

  Rifling through each person’s memories, Daedalus judged them as truly loyal to him. He lifted the sword from Mary’s neck. “Welcome home.”

  The group rose, a few with smiles and others with grimmer expressions.

  He took his fiancée’s hand. “This is Sugar.” His throat constricted, and he couldn’t speak for the emotion choking his words.

  As if sensing his distress, she pressed even closer. “I’ll be your future Prima.” Confidence imbued her presence as she stepped forward. “Daedalus just turned me into a vampire, so you’ll have to give me time to adjust to this new life. I’m not a fighter or businesswoman, but my door is always open to hear your troubles.”

  Pressing his hand to his stomach, he took a deep breath. She would stay. He gave the crowd a slow smile and embraced Sugar in a hug. “We all need time to adjust.” He gestured to the opening front door. “Come in. Clementine is here as well and will make room assignments. Tomorrow, we’ll start to rebuild our lives together.

  ***

  Butterflies rolled in Sugar’s full stomach while she watched the group head toward the mansion and receive a warm welcome from Clementine. Would they accept her as Prima? What the hell did a Prima do?

  Daedalus waited next to her in silence.

  She turned to face him. “I have so much to learn. I don’t know where to start.”

  He gave her a gentle smile. “Isn’t that fantastic?” Caressing her cheek, he moved closer. “And you have so much time to do it.”

  “I do, don’t I?” She laughed as the butterflies settled and anxiety’s grip on her chest loosened.