by Mina Carter
She moved to the sink, splashing water on her face before looking into the mirror. God, she looked awful! No makeup, her hair scraped back.
“Ick,” she muttered under her breath, closing her eyes and concentrating a moment. She was half Pixie, on her mother’s side, so low level glamour was all she could achieve. Luckily, that was all she needed to tone down the more exotic elements of her appearance, making her almond-shaped eyes slant a little less, dulling the colour a bit and altering the shape of her cheeks so she appeared just like the average-looking humans she lived amongst. It was easier for female Pixies, without the peacock-like colouring of their male counterparts.
But with a man like Feral in the next room, a vampire who knew all about the world she couldn’t discuss, Tessa gave into vanity and relaxed the glamour a little. She smiled and pulled the tie from her hair, releasing the gold-flecked waves. Without the glamour, thin strands of pure gold wove through the dark mass. Her one claim to beauty.
Her lips quirked as she shook her head at her own silliness. She’d never be a supermodel, that was for sure; she was more curvy than the usual stick insect, not to mention at least a foot too short for the job. Besides, what woman looked glamorous when looking after a baby? Already, she had baby drool on one shoulder of the t-shirt she’d thrown on with a pair of jeans earlier, and spilled formula decorated her thigh.
Ah well, she was used to babysitting, she thought, washing her hands. And it was no hardship. The baby was a cute little thing, more developed than she’d have expected, making Feral and her laugh earlier as they chatted on the sofa.
It wouldn’t be for long though. She’d left voicemail messages for just about everyone she could think of. Someone, somewhere, had to know if there was a baby missing. In fact, she was surprised no one was knocking down the door already. He really was a cute little thing.
Then there was the weird note. She couldn’t make out more than a few words about the Morrigan, and the baby being the Winter King, but she didn’t believe that. Did she?
She shook her head as she headed out of the bathroom. No, it was too old a legend to pay much credence to. No doubt the work of fanatics. The Fae seemed to collect them like other species collected knickknacks.
“So how’s he doing?” She walked back into the main room. The scene which met her, the half-naked man sprawled across the sofa, almost dwarfing it, and the baby crawling around the floor, made her pause for a second. A strange feeling buzzed in her head, her vision swimming in and out as the edges blackened. Deja-vu, I’ve seen this before…or I will.
“Hey there…you ok?” Feral’s voice brought her back to the present and she blinked, clearing her vision.
“Yeah, I’m fine. Just felt a bit…odd there for a moment. Is he ok?” She smiled in reassurance and walked around the sofa to check on the baby.
“Yeah, he’s a happy little bunny down here…chewin’ on my phone. You know, we should decide on a name for him. We can’t keep calling him ‘the baby’…was there anything about his name on that note?” Feral leaned forward and rested his forearms on his knees, looking down at the object under discussion.
Tessa glanced at the note on the counter and shook her head. “Not that I can work out. I flunked ancient Fae, I’m afraid,” her lips quirked a little, “I never was what you would call academic.”
She settled on the sofa next to him. “Without knowing what his parents, whoever they are, called him, it’s difficult. Calling him something else might confuse him, but he seems bright to me. And if just for a little while… What do you reckon we should call him?”
*
They settled on “Spud” for some reason. But, like so much of this evening, the reason “why” had bypassed Feral completely. He’d never met a woman who could shift his attention like she could. It was a new sensation for the large Kyn Warrior.
She was beautiful. When she’d come back from the bathroom with her glamour stripped away, her true features, only hinted at before, had been revealed. Exotic, feline-cast features which had taken his breath away. He’d thought he could see through Pixies’ glamour, a talent granted by his own paranormal blood. But now, he realised the truth—he could see the glamour itself, and the potential of what lay beyond, but nothing more. A realisation which was a little levelling, to say the least.
Left alone in the kitchen whilst Tessa put the newly named Spud down for the evening, Feral smoothed a large hand over his head, rubbing at the thick stubble. Like most Kyn, he had a full head of hair. Baldness wasn’t something his species, as a whole, suffered from, but he preferred to shave it short. There was nothing an opponent could grab, a preference he’d developed after a Rogue vamp had ripped a chunk of his hair out by its roots. Damn that had hurt! Now, the frequent use of a razor kept the length in check, but the five o’clock shadow could be a bitch.
Leaning back against the counter, the large Kyn wondered what the hell he was still doing at the apartment. It was the sort of cozy scene he would’ve gladly cut off an arm or a leg to avoid, beating a hasty retreat if he chanced across it, down at the compound. Which was getting harder and harder.
The compound, once housing mostly male warriors, each with a higher testosterone count than a squad of marines, had recently been overrun with cooing couples. It was as if the recent marriage of their King, Marak, had opened the floodgates. Now all the warriors were pairing off, his patrol partner Vix, amongst them.
They may as well rename the place the “Happy Kyn Night Nursery” and have done with it. It was the main reason he and several of the other guys, all diehard commitment phobes, had beat a hasty retreat and moved out to bachelor pads.
Feral rubbed his head again. He didn’t have an answer, although he suspected the reason for him still being there had a lot more to do with Tessa than he wanted to think about. His hand moved down, rubbing absently at the sticky patch across his naked shoulder. He grimaced and pushed away from the counter. Heading for the bathroom, he could do with a wash whilst Tessa was busy with the baby.
*
Tessa had just finished with the baby. He’d gone down like a dream, nestled in one of the twin’s cots. She shook her head in disbelief. Whoever dropped him off hadn’t even left a toy or comfort blanket with him. No wonder he’d latched onto the blue fluffy elephant, one of the twin’s abandoned toys, she’d waved in front of him. She wandered back through the main bedroom, and opened her overnight bag. She’d had a shower earlier, but thanks to Spud throwing up on her, she felt sticky.
She padded through to the main bathroom, her feet silent on the thick carpet. Although the small apartment only had one bathroom, the architects had created the illusion of luxury and an en-suite, by giving the bathroom two doors; one in the apartment’s main corridor and one from the master bedroom.
She draped her towel over the rail and stripped off. Her dirty clothes hit the deck, kicked into the corner as she snapped on the water. Reaching up, she twisted her hair on top of her head, clipping it into place as she stepped into the shower. She’d bathed earlier, so the needle pressure of the showerhead lacked the same “oh” relief factor. She just needed a quick wash to get rid of the funky baby-sick odour.
Her hands lathered up the shower gel, the haunting fragrance of rose and vetiver surrounding her as she smoothed the lather over her skin. She drew in a deep breath, the scent of the oils and the needle spray of the shower prickling over her sensitised skin.
Her hands slowed, sliding over her skin to cup her breasts, feeling their feminine weight. She slicked her thumbs over her nipples, already pebbling under the sensual onslaught. One hand slid down her ribcage, heading south, over her smooth stomach.
She shouldn’t, not with company in the apartment, but she’d been sexually frustrated even before tall, dark and fangy out there had treated her to such an erotic and explosive kiss. Not that it could go anywhere. She was half Pixie, yes, but she was still mortal, whereas Feral was a vampire, immortal Lord of the Night, and all that. Any relationship between
them was a non-starter. Even if he was ok with her wanting the left side of the bed and lights off during sex, she was going to age and he wasn’t.
Oh god, here I am…thinking about sex again.
Aided by the soap over her skin, her fingers sank between her thighs, parting the folds of her sex in search of the sensitive nub of her clit. She drew in a ragged breath over her teeth, as her fingers found their goal; a thrill of arousal shot through her as her sex-starved body responded like a flower opening in the sunlight. How long has it been since I’ve had sex? Nearly a year?
Tessa bit her lip to contain her moans, eyes closed as her finger slid against her clit, working her body toward the shattering climax which hovered just out of reach…
*
The sound of running water warned Feral—a moment before he was to push the bathroom door open, embarrassing them both. Well, Tessa anyway. He was fairly sure a woman like her wouldn’t be too impressed at being caught in the shower by a guy she’d just met. As for him, he’d just enjoy the view until he got things thrown at him.
He paused, his hand on the smooth wood of the door. He should walk away and wait until she was finished. It was the gentlemanly thing to do. But after their earlier kiss, Feral wasn’t feeling particularly gentlemanly, his body hard and heavy with unfulfilled desire. Then the siren’s call of female musk, the scent of a woman’s arousal…Tessa’s arousal…hit his nostrils, beckoning him.
Feeling guilty, but unable to stop himself, Feral reached out and pushed the door, already slightly ajar, open a little further. What he saw had his eyes widening.
Holy shit! She’s going for it in the shower!
Chapter Three
Feral stood frozen in place, unable to move from his position at the door. His eyes were locked on the scene in the shower, on the vision that stood there. The beautiful gold-flecked hair he’d noticed earlier was piled up, exposing the gentle arch of her neck. But it wasn’t her neck, graceful as it was—which held him spellbound.
It was her hands and her body. Okay, he admitted, her knockout body got first dibs on his attention.
Tessa was a real woman, not a stick insect. A woman with the sort of curves he wanted to run his hands all over. He wouldn’t have to worry about breaking her, if he so much as breathed in her direction, without warning. She had curves to make a man’s mouth water, an hourglass figure with a tiny waist he just ached to slide his hands around.
But then, her killer body had to take a backseat, his attention turning to her hands. One cupped her full breast, tweaking and pulling on the engorged nipple. A soft moan slipped from her throat whilst the other…oh god, the other hand was buried between her thighs, fingers moving at a fast pace. Sliding them against her flesh, her feminine scent hung on the air like expensive perfume.
Like a starving man gazing through a baker’s window, Feral watched hungrily through the crack in the door. Her fingers picked up the pace as her other hand abandoned her breast, bracing against the glass shower door. She lifted her foot, propping it against the tiles as she opened her thighs further, baring more to his intense gaze.
Feral bit his lip, trying to stay as silent as possible as he shifted his position and worked to ease the raging hard-on in his pants. But the increasing moans he heard made it impossible. They weren’t terribly loud; if the door had been closed, he wouldn’t have heard them over the shower. But the door was open, and he could hear her. And the sound of her pleasuring herself was driving him insane!
Dear God, help him!
He froze, eyes widening as the floorboard beneath his foot squeaked loudly. Oh shit, she had to have heard that! He looked up, straight through the crack in the door, to meet her startled eyes. But, as he watched, the sultry look returned, her fingers began moving again. Emboldened, and feeling as though he’d been given permission, Feral pushed the door wider, leaning in the doorway to watch.
*
Tessa couldn’t believe she was actually doing this! She stood in the shower, naked and pleasuring herself, in front of a guy. Not just any guy, but the hottest guy she’d ever met, no matter what species.
Leaning against the tiled wall, she spread her thighs a little more, revelling in the flash of dark heat in his eyes. Oh god, am I really doing this? Or was this some kind of sensual spell cast by the Kyn… Vampires could do things like that, couldn’t they?
Even as she watched him, her fingers sliding and circling her clit again, Tessa knew it wasn’t a spell. Feral didn’t have the sensual aura she’d always associated with vampires from books and films. He just oozed danger, right from the top of his shaved head to the bottoms of his booted feet. The sort of guy someone wouldn’t want to meet in a dark alley. Except Tessa did, he had that bad boy aura she’d always found attractive.
She held his gaze, his never leaving hers. Lifting the hand on her breast, she slid one finger into her mouth, sliding it slowly between her lips. His eyes bulged a little, his nostrils flaring as she suckled on it for a moment, hollowing her cheeks. She slid the finger in and out of her mouth suggestively, the fantasy getting to her as well.
Giving a guy a blowjob was one of her favourite things to do. She loved the feel of a hard cock in her mouth. Her eyes fluttered closed for a second as she imagined stepping out of the shower and strutting over to him…opening his pants and taking the hard erection she could see straining the fabric of his jeans into her hands, into her mouth.
Tessa shivered, the idea pushing her closer to the edge. If only he could hear her thoughts! She didn’t think she’d be alone in the shower for long. Almost as though her thought had triggered him into action, he took a step forward. She shook her head, pulling her finger out of her mouth—her look warning him if he did anything before she said—until she was ready, the game was over.
He stopped instantly, getting the message and settling back into his former position. Tessa nodded approval, her hand trailing downward. Her thumb traced along her delicate collarbone before one finger slid along the curve of her breast, her eyes on him the entire time. He obviously liked what she was doing, his attention riveted on the path of her fingers, expression eager. She smiled and gave him what she knew he was waiting for, rolling her nipple in her fingers, the wet pads creating a delicious friction.
Her eyes rolled back in her head at the dual assaults of her fingers on her sensitised nipple and circling her clit. The hard ache between her thighs increased. Just a little more, a little further… She closed her eyes, unable to look at him. She’d go up in flames if he kept looking at her with that dark, intense gaze.
Her back against the cool tile, the warm water cascaded over her, stinging her sensitive breasts and making her catch her breath. Her circling finger drove the tension in her petite frame higher, her heart hammering as she got closer to the end.
Through it all, she could feel his dark eyes on her, devouring everything. Every move she made. Watching her make herself come.
She cried out as the tension reached the breaking point. Her body stiffened as her finger swept over her clit one last time, sending her over the edge. Intense pleasure poured through her body, spiralling outward from her core in delicious waves. She bit her lip as her fingers moved again, prolonging the pleasure for a moment. Then they slowed, stopped.
Tessa opened her eyes to find him watching her, dark desire swirling in the satiny depths of his gaze. The game wasn’t over yet. She smiled a siren’s smile as she stepped from the shower, the water sleeting off her naked body like Aphrodite rising from the waves.
*
Feral’s breath caught in his throat at the look in her eyes. Dark and sultry, they held a sensual promise which stilled the heart in his chest, then set it hammering again. She sauntered across the small room, her hips swaying, until she stood in front of him. Steam rose in delicate coils from her warm, wet skin, bringing him the scent of honeysuckle…a scent he would forever identify to be unique to her. He breathed in, drawing it over his tongue, tasting and savouring it. Like a tracker dog, he�
�d be able to find her anywhere now. An ability granted by his race—further enhanced if he took her blood.
A shiver ran through his heavyset body at the thought, his fangs leaping forth in his mouth. His body hard and aching, she smiled at him as she slid gracefully to her knees.
“Oh my god,” he breathed as she reached for the buttons on his jeans, knowing what was coming next. His cock jerked in anticipation, straining against the denim. Her eyes held his as her clever fingers unhooked the buttons, snapping each one free, ever so slowly. She’s going to do it, she really is.
Feral couldn’t believe his luck, leaning back against the door frame and holding his breath…just in case she changed her mind.
The last button snapped open and she reached for him, freeing him from the confines of his jeans. He sucked in a breath as her hands closed around his throbbing cock, already rock hard and ready for action. She leaned forward, her lips opening to take him into her mouth…
Crash!
The sound of wood splintering and glass shattering froze them both in their tracks, paused in the middle of an erotic still life.
“Shit!” Feral hissed. He tucked himself back in his jeans in a flash and hauled Tessa to her feet. “Get the baby and get dressed,” he quickly said, shoving her toward the bedroom door.
He turned to the other, his amorous mood disappearing into cool professionalism now that there was a threat. His fingers fastened the buttons on the front of his jeans at light speed as he extended his senses past the door and into the apartment beyond.
He sensed three of them, heartbeats loud in the sudden stillness of the apartment. Feral’s eyes narrowed with anger and determination. He had no idea who these goons were or what they wanted. Chances were, it wasn’t to borrow a cup of sugar. No, whatever it was, it was dodgy. Regular visitors waited until you opened the door, they didn’t break it down.
On automatic, his hands reached for the small of his back, for the heavy blades usually tucked into the back of his belt. They closed on empty air. He’d left his weapons in his apartment. Great going Feral, rookie mistake, he berated himself. Then he smiled. A nasty little expression which had nothing to do with humour. It would have to be fists, then. Good, he hadn’t had a decent punch-up in a while.
