“Just long enough to do the job, I guess.”
“Did you say something, Cassie?” Branan shuffled just outside the door. He was waiting for her. No doubt, he had a million rules to explain. Like she had a million questions.
“No. I’ll just be a minute.” She quickly brushed her teeth and stepped into the shower to wash the knots from her hair. Thankfully, her own shampoo sat waiting for her, and she inhaled its sweet floral scent.
Had the smell always been so strong? Had her vision always been so sharp? All her senses seemed heightened. Even the warm water cascading down her body felt softer, like it was caressing her skin.
Finishing her shower, she dried off and eyed the chaste cotton nightgown on the floor. With the way her entire body hummed with electricity, chaste was the last way she wanted to present herself to Branan. Leaving the nightgown where it lay, she wrapped the towel around her chest and opened the door.
Branan sat on the edge of the bed, staring at his hands in his lap. Her heart ached at the sight of her strong vampire, looking so vulnerable. He raised his head, and his eyes widened, his gaze traveling up and down her body.
She smiled and stepped toward him. “Hey.”
He licked his lips but didn’t move from the bed. “Cassie, I’m so sorry.”
“For what?” She stood in front of him and rested a hand on his shoulder.
“For everything.” He squeezed his eyes shut and rubbed his forehead. “If I’d only been there for you that night. If I hadn’t stood you up…”
“It’s okay.” She took his hand and held it in both of hers. “You thought you were doing the right thing.”
He gazed up at her, confusion clouding his eyes.
“I heard everything you said. When my mom was here. I know why you did it, and I understand.”
He pulled her into a tight embrace, pressing the side of his face against her chest. “Can you ever forgive me?”
“There’s nothing to forgive.” She brushed her fingers through his hair and pressed her lips to his head. She was in his arms again, where she belonged. It took a near-death experience to get her here, but she was alive now. She couldn’t complain.
“Your clothes are here.” He rose and tugged her toward the closet.
Cassie stepped inside and ran her hand across the fabric. “This is everything I own.”
“Yes.”
“I guess I’ll need it all if I’m going to be here for two years.” She moved from the closet to stand in front of him.
“About that, my love.” He rested a hand on her hip. “The two-year law is for humans who’ve been turned. You’ve spent your entire life in the magical community. A few weeks of learning how to feed and use your new powers will suffice. You don’t have to stay here for two years.”
Her heart sank, and she dropped her gaze to the floor. “Oh, I see.”
“Unless you want to stay.” He hooked a finger under her chin to lift her eyes to his. “But you need to know everything about me before you decide. About my past.”
His reputation was based on a rumor. Her own mother looked into his soul and found the same kindness she’d seen in his eyes. What more did she need to know? “You didn’t kill your wife. That’s what matters.”
“It’s not so simple. Let me tell you what happened, and then you can decide if I’m still worthy of your affections.” He led her to the bed and sat beside her. “I lived in Scotland when I was human and married to the witch. We were happy for a time, but I always knew she’d only married me for my title. I foolishly thought I loved her enough for the both of us, but I was wrong.”
Cassie took his hand, but he stared straight ahead.
“A lord from a neighboring kingdom caught her eye, and he used her to overthrow my rule and steal my lands. I don’t know how long she had been sleeping with him, but one night, we went for a walk in the gardens, and she stabbed me with a silver dagger.” He looked at her now with an intensity in his gaze, as if willing her to understand.
“She left me there on the ground, expecting me to bleed out by morning. And I did bleed. But the scent of my blood attracted a vampire who, god knows why, took pity on me. He offered me the chance at revenge. To take back everything that was rightfully mine. I accepted.”
“But you said you didn’t kill your wife.”
“I didn’t. But I had every intention to. After my transformation, I returned to my estate. I was going to kill the traitors, take back my lands, and make her pay for her betrayal.” He dropped his gaze to their entwined hands. “I found her in our bedroom. Her throat had been slit. The traitor who took my lands also took my wife’s life.”
“Oh, Branan. It wasn’t your fault.” She laid her head on his shoulder. “You couldn’t have stopped him.” The guilt he must have felt all these years seemed unimaginable.
“Don’t you see, Cassie?” He shot to his feet and stood in front of her. “Had she not been dead when I arrived, I was going to kill her myself. Instead, I killed every traitor occupying my home. I took the blame for her death as well, because her blood would have been on my hands if I were given the chance.”
She stood and grasped his hands. He tried to pull away, but she held tight. “They invaded your land. You fought back. It was war, Branan. You did what you had to do.”
“Cassie…”
“And I don’t believe you would have killed your wife.”
He stared at the floor. “I wanted to.”
“You were angry, but you loved her. You wouldn’t have killed her. You don’t have it in you.”
His eyes shimmered, and he finally met her gaze. “I guess I will never know. And now, with everything I’ve done to you…why would you choose to stay with such a monster?”
“You are not a monster. You saved my life.”
“And doomed you to the darkness.”
“I don’t feel doomed.”
“Do you want to stay?”
“What do you want, Branan?”
A sad smile curved his lips, and he cupped her cheek in his hand. “The choice is yours. I want whatever makes you happiest. It’s my fault you’re in this situation.”
She sighed and leaned into his touch. She needed this man like she’d needed no other, but she couldn’t make the decision to stay with him unless he wanted her to. “Stop being so noble and tell me what you want.”
“It doesn’t matter what I want.”
“It matters to me.”
He trailed his fingers over her neck, his soft touch leaving a trail of electricity as he glided his hand down her arm to lace his fingers through hers. “I want you to stay.”
“The full two years?”
He shook his head, sliding his other hand behind her neck. “Forever.”
“Forever works for me.”
He leaned in, hovering his lips a scant centimeter from hers, his sweet breath warming her skin. “I love you, Cassie.”
His whisper against her lips sent warm shivers running down her spine, and she slid her arms around his waist. “I love you, too.”
He took her mouth, parting her lips to brush his tongue with hers. Every nerve in her body tingled with energy as he pulled her into a firm embrace, pressing his body to hers. He kissed her slowly, deeply, and when he pulled away, she leaned into him, aching for more.
He pressed his forehead to hers and slid his fingers into her damp hair. “I will never hurt you.”
“I will never betray you.”
“I know.” He let out a breath, a devilish grin lighting on his lips. “This is the first night of your new life. Is there anything special you’d like to do?”
She smiled and slid her hands beneath his shirt, tracing her fingers along his firm, muscular stomach. There was only one thing she wanted to do at this moment. “I’ve never made love to a vampire before.”
He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply, letting his breath out in a shudder. When he opened his eyes, his deep blue gaze held her as if he was looking straight into her soul. “Nei
ther have I.”
“Wait. You…?”
“I haven’t been with a woman since my transformation.”
“Really?”
“You could say I was jaded. I’ve spent my existence focusing on being a vampire and trying very hard to forget the part of me that is a man.”
She tugged his shirt over his head and ran her hands over his smooth chest. His skin was soft, the sinew beneath firm and tight. “You are very much a man to me.”
“And you are a magnificent woman.” He pulled the towel from around her chest, letting it drop to the floor. His pupils dilated as he ran his gaze over her body, an appreciative smile curving his lips.
Heat flushed her cheeks, and she instinctively wrapped her arms around herself. “I don’t know about magnificent.”
“You’re gorgeous. Look.” He closed the closet door, and taking her shoulders, he gently spun her around. A full-length mirror hung from the door, her reflection filling most of it. “Absolutely stunning, my love.”
Branan stood behind her, resting his hands on her shoulders, his lips so close to her ear, his shallow breaths tickled her skin. His piercing gaze held hers, and she leaned into his chest. He slid his hands down her arms, raising goose bumps on her otherwise flawless skin.
“I guess my complexion has improved since the transformation.”
“You were no less beautiful before, but that is one of the perks of being a vampire.” He glided his fingers across her stomach and up her abdomen to cup a breast in each hand, the sensation of his touch making every cell in her body buzz. “Another perk is that all of your senses are heightened. Including your sense of touch.”
He took a nipple between his thumb and forefinger, applying a gentle pressure that sent an electric jolt straight to her core, tightening her womb.
“Oh!” She’d never felt anything like it. Every nerve in her body fired on overdrive. He chuckled, and his breath against her skin had her melting into his embrace.
“My touch gives you more pleasure than you’re accustomed to.”
“No kidding.”
“Can you imagine what your kiss did to me that night on the roof?” He slid a hand down between her legs, caressing her sensitive middle, sending sensations of pleasure spiraling through her body. “You said it was the first time you’d ever kissed a vampire. It was also my first time as a vampire to be kissed.”
He slipped a finger inside her, and her knees nearly buckled. She moaned, dropping her head back onto his shoulder, closing her eyes as he pleasured her. His touch was gentle, yet firm, and he moved with precision, as if he knew exactly what she was feeling.
“Open your eyes, my love. Engage all your senses.”
Her lids fluttered open, and she lifted her head, catching his gaze in the mirror. He smiled and nuzzled into her neck, his fangs lightly grazing her skin. She allowed her gaze to travel down her reflection to watch his hand gently stroking her folds. The firmness of his body pressed into her back, the electric sensations of his touch, his masculine scent, the sound of his breathing in her ear…it was all too much to take. Her orgasm ripped through her body, mindless ecstasy gripping her as the tension exploded inside her.
She twisted in his embrace, pressing her bare chest to his, hands fumbling with the button on his jeans. “I need you, Branan. Make love to me.”
* * *
Branan stepped out of his jeans and scooped Cassie into his arms, catching her mouth in a passionate kiss as he laid her on the bed. Never in his five hundred years did he imagine making love to a woman as magnificent as Cassie.
He rained kisses across her shoulders and down her chest, taking a nipple into his mouth as she writhed in pleasure beneath his touch. She roamed her hands across his back, her soft caress setting his skin ablaze. To think he’d almost denied himself her love…and then he’d almost lost her forever. He squeezed his eyes shut, burying his face between her breasts and inhaling her feminine, floral scent. He would never hurt her again.
“Please, Branan. I need you inside me.” Her voice was raspy, full of need, and he lifted his gaze to meet her deep, dark eyes.
“And you will have me, my love. I promise. But first, I need to savor you.” Before she could protest, he trailed his tongue down her abdomen, reveling in the sweetness of her skin. When he reached her naval, he circled it, and she let out a soft moan.
Settling between her legs, he lapped at her folds, bathing her sensitive nub in the warmth of his tongue. The taste of her nearly sent him over the edge. He massaged her thighs, running his hands over her creamy flesh, memorizing every curve of her body as he pleasured her.
She fisted the sheets in her hands, arching her back as she cried out in climax. Her sounds, her scent, her taste. Everything about this woman thrilled him, and he couldn’t hold back anymore.
He climbed on top of her, and she gripped his length in her hand. Her touch made him shudder, and he held her deep gaze as she guided him to her center. With one long thrust, he slipped inside her, her warm wetness squeezing him tight.
“Oh, Branan.” She wrapped her legs around his waist, gripping his shoulders as he slowly slid in and out.
Delicious friction penetrated every nerve. She moved beneath him, matching his rhythm, beat for beat, softly moaning with each swift thrust. He gave in to the passion, becoming one with the woman he loved. Their souls joined as their bodies moved together, his heart only beating for her.
She tightened around him as she came, tossing her head back and calling out his name. With one final thrust, he lost control. Every muscle in his body tightened as wave after wave of excruciating ecstasy crashed into him.
As his breathing slowed, he rose onto his elbows and gazed into her eyes. Unwilling to break their intimate union just yet, he stroked her hair and pressed kisses over her face and down her neck.
“I love you, Cassie. I love you in a way I didn’t know I was capable, and I will always love you.”
She smiled and stroked his back. “And I love you.”
“I can’t bear to imagine a life without you. And to think I almost lost you.”
“But you didn’t. I’m here. I always will be.”
The tightness in his chest loosened at her sincerity. “I never would have thought, after all my years of bitterness, my heart would belong to a witch.”
“Technically, I’m not a witch anymore.” She grazed her fangs across his neck and nipped at his earlobe. “I’m a vampire now. Your vampire.”
“And I am yours, Cassie. Forever.”
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Carrie Pulkinen has always been fascinated with the paranormal. Of course, when you grow up next door to a cemetery, the dead (and the undead) are hard to ignore. Pair that with her passion for writing, and you’ve got the perfect recipe for an exciting storyteller.
Carrie spent the first part of her professional life as a high school journalism and yearbook teacher. She loves red wine and chocolate, and in her free time, she likes to read, take pictures, and spend time with her family.
Carrie invites you to connect with her online:
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Table of Contents
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Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
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About the Author
Bewitching the Vampire Page 5
