Tempest of Vengeance

by Tara Fox Hall

“I didn’t want to say anything, but Theo has come here once already with that other woman, for lunch one day.”

  Stricken at her words, I got control of myself with effort. It’s a free country. He can bring her here, so long as he never shows up here with her on a Friday night, anyway. Or a Sunday morning, either. Tristan and I might want to come here for brunch again sometime.

  “He didn’t say anything to me about who she was,” Lori continued. “But I saw he wasn’t wearing his wedding band, and that his woman had a diamond on. The waitress told me later that they were celebrating getting engaged, and I figured you two had split up, and that it had to do with another woman.”

  I couldn’t bring myself to say anything, so I just nodded.

  “I’m glad you have someone,” Lori said pleasantly. “Have a good time tonight.”

  I nodded, and followed her back to our table, letting out a weary breath when I reached my seat. Lori poured the wine, and we all had a taste.

  “Very good,” Devlin said, smiling charmingly at Lori. “I already ate, but they are ready to order, I believe.”

  “What can I get you two?”

  “I’ll have the buffet,” Lash said, handing her his menu. “Your brunch was excellent.”

  “I’ll have the chicken Madeira,” I said, handing her my menu. “And an order of stuffed mushrooms, crab. Will Dave be here later singing?”

  Lori nodded, smiled, and left.

  “What did you tell her?” Lash whispered urgently. “She’s being friendly now. And who is Dave?”

  Devlin leaned in close, curious, his wineglass in his hand.

  “I told her Theo and I broke up, and I’m with you. He’s already been here with Jenny, so it was easy. Dave is a singer who comes here on Fridays. I love to listen to him sing.”

  “He’s not as good as I am,” Devlin stated, half irritated, and half jealous.

  “No human is as good as you are,” I said, giving him a smile. “But you’ll like him, Dev.”

  Lash finally got some words out. “You told her you’re with me? Really?”

  “Yes, really,” I said, and then I grabbed his head and kissed him quickly.

  Lash held perfectly still, until I drew back from him. “Breathe already!” Devlin said, and Lash let out his breathe in a whoosh.

  “Go get some food,” I said, smiling at him. “Make sure you eat some salad. You’ll like the fish, I hope.”

  “Bring her a crab cake,” Devlin said. “She likes them.”

  I looked over at Devlin, surprised he knew that.

  “Danial gave me a complete list of your favorite foods, back in the Spring,” Devlin said with pride. “I memorized it.”

  Lash rolled his eyes, and went to get some food. He was back in a little while with a ton of meat and fish, a crab cake for me, and a single piece of lettuce. I laughed, thinking at least it was a start. I had gotten a salad for myself from the salad bar, and Lash and I dug in. The food tasted wonderful, as always.

  Dave arrived shortly, and set up his equipment. Devlin looked over and did a double take. “That’s an Ovation,” he said, his eyes wide. He got up, and went over to talk to Dave.

  Lash rolled his eyes a little. “Devlin always had a thing for music.”

  Devlin spent the next half hour talking to the musician as he set up, casting glances our way every so often to make sure we weren’t having too much fun without him.

  Lash went back to the buffet four times by the time Lori brought out my dinner and our appetizer. “Sorry about bringing the mushrooms so late,” she said apologetically, setting everything down. “We’re busy tonight.”

  “Not a problem,” I replied, giving her a smile. She smiled back, and left.

  “Why are you being so nice?” Lash asked, eating a forkful of fish. “You’re usually way more exacting.”

  “Because she’s a friend of mine, and it’s not a big deal,” I said with a shrug. “Here, try one.”

  “I don’t eat fungus,” Lash said with the look of someone who expected to eat a piece of mushroom and find out it was poisoned.

  “Try one,” I said cajolingly. “You’ll like the crab meat, if nothing else.”

  Lash watched me savor two before he tried one. He ate the filling, and then the mushroom. Then he ate the rest, one after the other. “You were right, those were good!” he said, grinning.

  I rolled my eyes, and Lash looked immediately uneasy. “Shit!” he hissed. “I’m sorry. I probably wasn’t supposed to eat them all myself.”

  I put his hand on mine, and felt him tense. “Why are you so nervous? Are you regretting coming here with me?”

  Lash took a deep breath and let it out. “It is because I want to be here, that I wanted to be with you like this so much, and I’m worried about fucking it up,” he whispered. “I’ve had women friends and acquaintances over the years, Sar, like Robin and Gina. I’ve been with a lot of women. But I’ve never been intimate with a woman I called my friend, and wanted more than to just be her friend and have sex with her. There were a very few women through the years who were both lover and friend, but even they were more ‘friends with benefits’ than girlfriends. But I never felt like I was missing out. I thought that was all there was, before you came along. It’s complicated to explain, and I’m doing a bad job of it. Fuck!”

  “I think you’re doing fine. Go on.”

  “I’m not like Dev,” Lash continued in a blunt yet hesitant tone. “When I told you in the spring that I wasn’t good at the after part of sex, I meant the before part too, or any part that’s not about physical love. I don’t know any poetry, or pretty compliments to tell you. I’m not used to caring so much about every word I say.”

  “So don’t,” I offered, patting his hand. “Just be yourself with me. That’s who I want to be here with anyway.”

  Lash gave me an uneasy look.

  “Tell me something funny,” I said, smiling widely. “I love your sense of humor.”

  “Well, I do have one joke I could tell.”

  I leaned closer, and Lash whispered a few phrases in my ear. I blushed soundly, and he laughed. “You are vile,” I teased.

  Lash laughed harder. “I’m funny-vile!” he corrected, smirking.

  The rest of the evening passed quickly. Devlin seemed content to play the single friend to our loving couple. Lash relaxed after a while, and was his normal funny self. I only got a little annoyed when he began to talk longingly about a sixteen-year-old girl behind us that Dev had been eying appreciatively for the last half hour.

  “I can almost see her breast, Dev, she doesn’t have a bra on.”

  Devlin leaned over to get Lash’s view, looking very interested and hopeful.

  “I’m getting you a shirt that says ‘Old Letch’ on it,” I threatened. “Stop staring!”

  “You’re right, she doesn’t have a bra on,” Devlin said lustily. “Very nice.”

  “You probably want to have sex with her,” I said, rolling my eyes.

  Devlin looked at me, and began to protest his faithfulness. “I said I wouldn’t, Sar.”

  “Yes, I’d like to have sex with her,” Lash said bluntly. “I’m admitting it right here. She’s young, and hot, and it’s natural, that as a male were, I’d like to have her. But—”

  “But nothing,” I interrupted. “I’d shut up, if I were you.”

  “I’m just saying—”

  “You ever want to get laid again, Mate, you’ll shut up right about now.”

  Lash shut up, and Devlin laughed. I cast a scathing glance his way, and he promptly shut up too.

  After dinner, Lash and I had dessert, apple pie for him, and cheesecake for me.

  “So now you’re my mate, you kind of have to make me pie, right?”

  “I don’t have to do anything, Tristan,” I said loftily. “But I’ll make you some pie, if you’re nice.”

  “I’m always nice.”

  “You two have got it bad,” Devlin said, grinning. Lash gave him an uneasy look, and went
quiet. I also went quiet, unwilling to bring attention to what Devlin was alluding to.

  Soon after, Devlin paid the bill, and we got up. We’d walked almost to the door, when I realized we’d forgotten to tip Dave. He’d been on a break, and it had slipped my mind. I began rooting in my purse for some bills.

  “What is it?” Devlin said, giving me a strange look. “I already paid for the meal, and left a tip.”

  “We need to tip Dave,” I said, not looking up from my search. “I forgot.”

  “I can go back,” Lash offered, digging in his pocket for his wallet. “I should have paid for something tonight, anyway.”

  “No, I’ll go” Devlin said, reopening the inside door. “I feel embarrassed for not remembering to tip him, after talking to him for a good portion of the night. I did what he does, in my early years as vampire, and it’s sometimes a hard time making a go of it. And I didn’t need to pay for food.”

  I thought about mentioning that Dave got paid separately from tips. But I knew he’d appreciate a big tip, so I stayed silent and let Devlin go back in.

  “Do you want to wait inside, or go outside?” Lash asked.

  “Outside,” I said. “I don't want to block the hallway.”

  As we walked out under the door canopy, I noticed it was sleeting. Oiy. At least I’m not driving.

  “Come here,” I said, pulling Lash close. “I need a little.”

  Lash gave me a gentle kiss, and then drew back. But I’d had a large glass of wine, and I wanted to feel him wanting me. “Kiss me like you mean it!” I said with a ribald smile.

  “What do you mean, ‘kiss you like I mean it’? I always mean it!” Lash hissed, and then he was kissing me over and over. The more he did, the more I giggled, and he chuckled, until we were laughing hard, too hard to really kiss at all, but neither of us cared.

  Devlin came out, and gave us an annoyed look, once he saw we had been having fun without him. “Are you both ready to go home?” he said jealously.

  Lash let me go, and walked ahead of us to the car, watching around us in case of attack. Devlin slipped his arm around me, and we strolled a few paces behind him. Lash got in when he reached the car, and I moved to do the same, but Devlin blocked me.

  “Kiss me,” he said jealously, his eyes hot. “And I want to feel that you mean it, Sar.”

  “Get in the car,” Lash hissed from inside. “We don’t have time for this. Sar’s getting cold.”

  There’s a better way to handle this than yelling. “Not out here,” I said seductively. “Get in the car.”

  Devlin bared his fangs, and I put my finger to one of them, touching the razor sharp point carefully. “Get inside, if you know what’s good for you.”

  Devlin studied me for a second, then got into the car, scooting over so I could slide in next to him. “Lash, don’t start the car,” I said. “I’m going to try to take us and the SUV to right outside Hayden’s gates.”

  “Okay,” he said.

  With a concentrated effort, I teleported the three of us, and the vehicle to outside Hayden’s gate. Lash buzzed us through, and began to drive us up to the house.

  “Lash will you stop the car, and stand guard for us?” I asked throatily.

  “Sure,” Lash replied, surprised. “Let me park in a place that I can see in all directions, though we should be safe enough here on the grounds.” He pulled over into a turn off to an access road, and shut off the Hummer. “We’re good,” he said.

  I grabbed the front of Devlin’s shirt, and pulled him to me, kissing him hard. In a second, his arms were wrapped around me, and he was pulling me onto his lap. I could feel him ready for me, and I rubbed him with my hips. Devlin growled a little, and began to slide my denim skirt up.

  “No,” I said. “Hold still.”

  I undid his pants, and freed his cock, stroking him with my hand. Devlin’s eyes closed, his lips parting. I eased myself down on my knees, thinking to myself it was good Hummers had a big back seat. Devlin was breathing fast now, his golden eyes almost glowing. I kissed his prick and nibbled gently with my teeth, as I had that day months ago, when he’d first told me that he was so sensitive. He moaned, and his body jerked beneath my lips. I took the tip of him in my mouth, and he tried immediately to slide himself into me. I pulled back, and looked up at him. “You had better not move again, or I’ll stop for good,” I said, grinning.

  “I could tie him down for you, so he can’t,” Lash hissed mirthfully.

  “He’ll behave,” I said seductively. “Please hold my hair, Lash?”

  I felt him gather it, and hold it gently out of the way.

  “Say you’re going to behave, Dev,” I said seductively, running my tongue over him. “Say it!”

  “I’ll behave,” Devlin moaned, twitching under my hands. “I’ll behave!”

  I began kissing him, over and over, stroking him with my hands and lips until his muscles were contracting anyway, despite his efforts to keep still.

  “Please,” Devlin groaned, reaching his arms out for me. “Please, Sar, I’m so close—”

  I could tell he was—could taste it on his skin. “Then come for me,” I purred. Taking a deep breath to fill my lungs with air, I took all of his cock into me. I immediately fought the urge to throw up. I shook slightly, fighting myself. Devlin grabbed my head, holding me still as he thrust up into me, once, twice, and then he was screaming, spasming in my throat as he orgasmed. “Ah!”

  Devlin thrust into me, letting out cry after cry. I let him, until my air ran out. Then I gently pushed against him, and he released me, slipping out of me. He’s still hard; he’s not done.

  Devlin pulled me up to straddle him. He pushed my moist underwear aside, and slid himself up inside me to the hilt. I was slippery with excitement from Devlin’s sexual release, my channel accepting his large stiff penis eagerly. I let out a passionate cry and began moving my hips immediately, feeling my climax already beginning to build.

  “You think you’re the only one who can tease?” Devlin growled, laughter and lust mixed in the throaty sound. “Lash, hold her.”

  Lash grabbed my arms from behind, then drew my hands over my head, folding them just in back of my neck.

  “Hold still for him,” Lash whispered, kissing my ear lightly.

  I trembled, but continued to move my hips. Devlin stopped me, forcing my hips to stay still. “I decide when you come,” Devlin purred. “And I say you’re going to wait, Sar.”

  I opened my mouth to protest, but Devlin pushed up my shirt, and pushed down the cloth of my underwire bra, baring my breasts. He leaned in, sucking my nipple, and my objection became a groan of desire. But he held my hips firm beneath him, not letting me move.

  I began to jerk in his grasp, crying out. “Please, please!”

  “No,” Devlin taunted, releasing one breast, and turning his attentions to the other, tearing another gasp from my throat. “But I’ll give you something to tide you over.”

  Devlin grasped my hips firmly in his hands, and gave one long thrust into me, pushing himself all the way in. He held himself motionless, then slowly, five seconds later, he pulled back out, and began again. I let out a long low moan, and tried to fight him, tried to move on him, but Lash held me still, and so did Devlin, making me wait, prolonging the agony. Desperate for release, I tried to bite Devlin, as he suckled me, and he drew back with a laugh. “Tell me you love me,” he whispered. “Tell me you’re mine.”

  “After I come,” I snarled in my frustration. “And only if you rock my world!”

  Lash let out a snicker, and Devlin’s eyes went red. “Lash, move her when it’s time,” he growled. “You know what to do. Until I’m done with her, hold her fast in place.”

  I had a second to wonder what that was about, and then Devlin was thrusting into me, moving me on him, and two seconds later I was closing my eyes and screaming my release. Devlin bit down on my neck, still moving in me, just as Lash yanked my hair backwards. My head jerked back, and Lash grabbed hold of the
back of my neck and pushed my face down into Devlin’s throat, stifling my startled cry.

  I tasted warm maple sugar with a faint coppery flavor, and my orgasm intensified to mind-blowing. I bit down hard, wanting more of Devlin’s blood. Lash released my arms, so I could twine them around Devlin. I sucked hard, drinking him down as he was drinking me, as he loved me. Dev convulsed, pushing his hips hard to mine as he spasmed, his fangs coming free of me as he screamed out over and over as I fed from him. His wound closed a few seconds later, as our orgasm ebbed. By that time, I was panting in his arms, as he kissed my neck wound lightly, healing it.

  “Well?” he said, looking very pleased with himself.

  “I love you, Dev,” I said, snuggling into him. “I’m yours.”

  “And mine,” Lash added softly, caressing my hair.

  “Ours,” Devlin supplied, inclining his head at Lash. “You’re ours, Sar.”

  “Yes,” I said, contentedly. “I am.”

  Lash started the SUV, and drove us the rest of the way up to the house. We parked inside, and got out. But before we got to the door, Lash backed me against the garage wall, and began to undo his pants.

  “Can’t wait to get upstairs?” Devlin said, laughing.

  “No,” Lash said brusquely, giving him a get-lost-look. “Why don’t you go check on our guards for me?”

  “Okay,” Devlin replied with a chuckle. He went through the door to the kitchen, closing it behind him.

  Lash turned back to me. “Is it okay?” he said seriously, even as he trembled beneath my hands. I pulled him into my arms and kissed him hard. Lash wasted no more time. He pulled off my underwear, and pushed down his jeans, baring his engorged penis. I reached down for him, wrapping my hands around the hot shaft. He let out an eager and excited hiss, then kissed me as if he would devour me before breaking off to speak. “That day, in here with you, I wanted so much for you to tell me that you wanted me one last time,” he said, looking into my eyes. “To tell me that it didn’t matter what anyone said, that you wanted me to take you again right here, that you were dying for it, to feel me in you.”

  “I am dying to feel you. I want you in me, Mate. Now take me!” I said coarsely.