by Elisa Adams
The second thing he noticed was the stake lying across his chest.
He cursed under his breath and shot into an upright position, knocking the piece of wood onto the floor with a clatter. “What the hell is this all about? I thought we moved past this crap.”
“We have.” She gave him a succinct, smug nod. “I just wanted to remind you that I could. In case you forgot that you aren’t the one with the power here.”
Her words were big, but he understood the meaning behind them. She was still on guard, a little afraid of him, but she considered this a truce of sorts. He kicked out at the stake, sending it sliding across the floor. It thumped against the wall on the other side of the room. She didn’t make a move to pick it back up again, and he took that as a good sign.
She’d changed into a white T-shirt and a pair of worn jeans. Her hair hung in damp tendrils around her shoulders. She’d taken a shower while he was asleep. How long had he been out?
“Things went well with Ellie?”
She nodded again, her eyes huge, almost sad in a way. “They did.”
Tense silence stretched between them for too long before she spoke again, her voice low and soft. “I’m going to visit Ellie, maybe stay a while and get to know my nephew.”
She was leaving. Not going back with him, as he’d originally suggested—or just about demanded. She was going to visit Ellie, and she was going to stay.
“Good for you.” Something in the vicinity of his heart clenched, but he did his best to ignore it. “When are you leaving?”
“The sooner I get this over with, the better.” She gave him a small shrug, her expression letting him know she wasn’t as sure about any of it as she tried to pretend. He gave her credit, though, this much stress and she hadn’t had a breakdown yet. That could only be a good thing. For her. But not for him. She was leaving. And he hadn’t had nearly enough time with her.
“Good for you. I’m sure Ellie will be glad to see you.”
“I guess. I’m worried about Kel, though. He was there for me when I really needed him. I don’t know if it’s right to leave him now that he needs me.”
“Call him.”
“I did. A little while ago, right after I got out of the shower and finished packing. You were asleep for a long time.” She laughed. “He says he’s fine, nothing to worry about, but he wants to be left alone for a while, and he’ll call me when he’s ready to talk.”
Wil nodded. Not much had changed there. “What more can you do for him other than give him the space he wants?”
“Me, nothing. My plans are made.” She gave him a look that was a combination of hope and pain. It made his heart squeeze and a lump of something unfamiliar lodge in his throat. “But you don’t have anything lined up right now, do you?”
He ran a hand through his hair, trying to ignore the ache in his chest. Why hadn’t he seen that one coming? He should have. She knew what he did for a living, and she needed someone to watch out for her friend. Of course he’d be the natural choice. Unless she’d wanted him to go with her.
But apparently the feelings he’d started to develop for her were one-sided. “Are you trying to hire me?”
“Would you take the job if I offered it to you?”
That was a loaded question. How was he supposed to answer it? He wanted to tell her to take her fucking job and…
No, he wouldn’t do that. Not to Becca. She’d been hurt enough in life. She deserved so much better.
“What would Kel think of you hiring someone to watch over him?”
She laughed. “He’d probably feel the same way I felt when I found out Ellie had hired you to look after me.”
Except Kel was a hell of a lot stronger, and angrier, than Becca. And a vampire, though Wil doubted he’d come to realize his full potential yet. He’d be harder to contain if things went wrong.
“You put me through hell. Tried to kill me, even. And why would I want to go through that shit again?”
“For me?” Her gaze turned pleading. She sucked her lower lip between her teeth, a nervous gesture she’d never done in his presence before. She really was worried about her friend. She might have good reason, too, if he refused to see her.
What could he do? She’d asked for his help. He couldn’t turn her down. His plans had been to go with her to Ellie’s, maybe stay for a while and get to know Becca better. But whether or not she wanted him there, she needed him more for something else. He couldn’t say no to her, not when they’d finally started to see eye to eye. Not when he’d started to care after so much time promising himself he wouldn’t.
“Okay. I’ll do it.”
Her smile made it all worth it, even though he knew there was a chance he’d never see her again.
In reality, leaving with Becca now wouldn’t even have been doable. He still needed to go see Rex and take care of their little problem. That might take some time, since he had yet to decide whether to let the man live or not. He was an evil man, but Wil could no longer justify killing him as he’d first planned. Becca had changed something inside him, made him see there were other ways to take care of the problem. Whatever he did, he’d have to see that Rex never started any kind of a…collection again. Those women needed someone to get them out of Rex’s claws. No one else around here had the know-how or the drive to do it. Whether or not he got his money—it just didn’t matter to him anymore. Maybe it was time to change professions, since the one he’d been doing for the past few years had somehow lost its luster.
It hurt to think he and Becca wouldn’t see each other again, at least not for a long while. Would she even want to see him once she’d gotten back with her family? Once time had gone by, she might decide she wanted to put all of her past, including him, behind her. He wouldn’t blame her if she did. He’d done the same thing himself a few years ago after his ex-girlfriend Michelle had been killed and he’d walked out on his home and the job he’d held for a decade. He’d left everything that wasn’t important—furniture, most of his clothes—and hadn’t looked back.
Now he’d been living the solitary life again and loving it. Having no ties, nothing to hold him down when he wanted to be free to come and go as he pleased. No family, no relationships. His close friends, the few he had, knew how to get in touch with him if necessary. Ellie had contacted him via their mutual friend Royce and if Becca wanted to see him she’d be able to find him the same way.
He glanced over at her. The pained expression was back on her face, intensified even more. “Are you okay?”
She nodded.
“Want to talk about it?”
She shook her head, but then apparently changed her mind. “You’re not anything like Tony, or any of the others.”
He narrowed his eyes. How many others had their been? Ten? Twenty? More? If they weren’t dead, he’d have hunted them down and killed them all personally. She could have gotten hurt, messing with something so much more powerful than she was.
“Why didn’t you tell me upfront about Kel and how you used to contract through him?” And why hadn’t she mentioned that she’d only been killing the bad ones? She’d led him to believe the killing she did was indiscriminate.
“I didn’t think it mattered. Rex said you were threatening to kill him. I thought you’d had some connection to the other vampires who had been bothering him, so I was stupid enough to take him at his word. Sue me.”
He couldn’t help but laugh. Even now, after everything that had happened, she refused to let go of the attitude. He suspected it was part of her now. Her past had shaped her, made her into a strong, independent woman who resented any implications that she couldn’t take care of herself. He admired that about her. To a point. But it wouldn’t kill her to relax a little, at least as far as he was concerned. She had to know by now he’d never hurt her. He’d had the chance to do so on more than one occasion, but he hadn’t. He wouldn’t.
“Besides,” she continued, “for a while there you gave me no indication that you were any differe
nt from the rest. You didn’t tell me Ellie hired you, and you certainly didn’t act any different.”
She meant sexually, he knew. “What can I say in my defense? You turned me on. Still do. I’m not going to apologize for that.”
“I don’t expect you to.” Her sigh echoed through the stillness of the room. “I’m going to miss you, Wil.”
There it was. Neither of them had wanted to say it, but finally Becca had. Though she didn’t speak the words he wanted to hear, she said she’d missed him. He’d miss her, too. More than he cared to analyze. So he said nothing. He pulled her close and kissed her instead.
* * * * *
Becca melted into Wil’s arms and accepted his kiss. From the first touch of their lips that first night, she’d known he could mean something to her. She’d just never expected to feel so much, so soon, for a man she had nothing in common with. He was a vampire. She hated vampires as a general rule, had made a career out of getting rid of the ones who should never have been let loose on society. But here she was, falling fast and not knowing how to pull herself back.
That was part of the reason she’d asked him to watch out for Kel. She was worried about her friend, but she’d also needed some space. Lots of it. If she wasn’t around Wil, she’d forget about him. Eventually.
But it wouldn’t come easily. She had to put a stop to her silly infatuation before it turned into something neither of them was prepared for. She couldn’t fall in love with him. No way in hell would she let herself do something so stupid. So self-destructive. She’d jumped into a relationship once, with Tony, and he’d turned out to be the wrong man for her. For anyone. Tony had been in cohoots with a demon bent on destruction. He’d taken lives, and then tried to atone for it by telling her he hadn’t known his own mind. As if she’d take him back after he’d cost Ellie her life.
But she’d learned her lesson too late. The damage had already been done. She had to make sure nothing like that happened again.
Before she could even think about getting involved with anyone, she needed to straighten herself out. And before she could do that, she needed to take care of the mess her family life was in. One baby step at a time. It would be a long while before she was ready for anything more. And when she was, a vampire wouldn’t be the man she chose, no matter how much her heart told her Wil was right. She needed someone safe, comfortable, and as human as they came.
But until then, she could indulge a little. It would very likely be her last chance to spend time with Wil, and she intended to take full advantage. She wound her arms around his neck and settled herself into his lap.
The kiss heated like a brush fire out of control, sweeping her away in its intensity. His lips brushed hers, his tongue delving into her mouth to tangle with her own. Their lips crushed together, teeth caught in between, and she felt the bite of his fangs on her skin. She smiled against his mouth and ground her pelvis against his. Part of her wanted it slow and easy tonight since she’d most likely never get the chance with him again, but a larger part of her wanted it like it had been the first time. That was what she wanted to remember him by. Hot, sexy, fast and thrilling in a way she’d never before experienced and would probably never experience again. One last time to experience everything Wil could show her. Anything akin to tenderness could be dangerous to her psyche.
But he pulled away. “Don’t rush this, Becca.”
She shook her head. Who was he to tell her what to do? For once he needed to see things her way. She reached for him, but his hands were there to stop her. “No. I’m serious. We’re going to take this slow tonight. Do I need to tie you up?”
She shook her head. She wanted her hands to be free, like they’d been that first time. She wanted to touch him everywhere. She wanted to tear him apart.
But he wasn’t having any of it. He pushed her off his lap, stood, and took her hand. Despite what she craved, he walked slowly with her into the bedroom.
Wil led her over to the bed and sat her down on the edge of the mattress. He dropped to his knees in front of her and took her hands. When his gaze locked with hers, his was filled with trepidation, sincerity, and heat. “Don’t ruin this, Becca. I don’t need to say it, and neither do you. We both know what this is. You’ve made your decision, and I have to live with it. But I’ll be damned if you’re going to take this away from me, too.”
She opened her mouth to protest, but closed it when she realized the truth. Any protesting words would have been lies. This was goodbye. She’d leave, he’d disappear again, and that would be it. Like he’d said, she didn’t like it, but she’d have to live with it.
But what he was asking of her now would break her heart.
“I don’t want to wait,” she told him in hopes of getting on with it. The sooner she lost herself in the oblivion of her orgasm, the better.
“Too bad. It’s not your choice.” His hand came around the back of her neck and he drew her head down. Their lips met again, this time softer. Gentler. His tongue teased the seam of her lips, tickling, never quite demanding entry.
She parted her lips and his tongue stroked into her mouth. All too soon Wil broke the kiss to trail kisses down her throat.
She tilted her head back, half hoping he’d sink those fangs deep into her skin, but he didn’t. He just kept planting hot, open-mouthed kisses along her flesh until he reached the neckline of her shirt. His hands cupped her breasts through the fabric, his thumbs kneading her nipples. They beaded under his touch and she moaned.
She moved her legs apart, tried to coax him in between her spread thighs, but he pushed her back on the bed instead. She scooted up to lay her head on the pillow and then he was beside her, his lips on hers again, pulling her body onto its side, flush with his. His erection pressed into her belly, but he made no move to thrust it against her. Instead he threaded his hand through her hair and angled her head back a little to deepen the kiss.
She sighed into his mouth and his hand tightened a little in her hair. Their mouths moved together as one, tempting and teasing until she didn’t think she could take it anymore. She needed his touch somewhere. Anywhere would do.
When she thought she’d explode from wanting, he pulled away and sat up, taking her hand and pulling her into a sitting position. Once he had her where he wanted her, he lifted the hem of her shirt. She lifted her arms while he pulled the soft fabric over her head and dropped it to the floor. She fell back to the mattress and reached her hands out to him. Wil climbed between her parted thighs. His hard cock pressed into her through the layers of their clothes, driving her crazy. She knew what he could do with that cock. He thrust it against her softly once, twice. Not enough.
With his lips parted he brushed kisses along the sensitive area where her shoulder met her neck. Trailed them down along the edge of her lace bra. He dipped his tongue into the valley between her breasts, leaving a path of wet heat, before he brought his mouth up and closed it over one distended nipple through the lace. A tremor ran through her pussy, her panties wet at the feel of the lace dampening around the nipple.
He moved to the other nipple, soaking the lace before he reached between her breasts and let loose the front clasp of her bra. Her breasts ached for his touch. He didn’t disappoint. Leaning on his elbows, he cupped her breasts in his hands and pressed them together, plumping them. He brought his mouth to them again, his tongue going from one nipple to the other to lave and swirl over each one. Every moist touch made sent little jolts of pleasure from her breasts to her cunt. She arched into his lips, silently begging for more. He chuckled against her skin.
Her breasts had always been sensitive, and Wil seemed attuned to that. He cupped them in his warm palms almost reverently, closing his mouth over one nipple, his fangs brushing the skin and inciting a riot among her nerves. She whimpered. He bit down hard enough to break the skin and she nearly came off the bed.
“God, Wil. That’s so good.”
He glanced up at her, suckling at the wound he’d made, a knowing smile on
his face. A tremor raced through her cunt muscles, soaking her pussy with her juices. His lips pressed hard against her, his tongue moving slowly back and forth as he lapped. Heat rose in her body, from her core and extending out to her limbs. His fangs burned, but the touch of his lips and tongue made it so much better. After licking the wound one last time, he moved on to her other breast and gave it the same treatment.
By the time his fangs pierced her skin for the second time, she was a second away from coming. All it took was a press of his cock against her pussy and she exploded. Her cunt muscles squeezed and relaxed, wanting him to be inside her, wanting to milk everything out of him and suck him dry. He kept his cock pressed tight against her, still drinking from her slowly as he made sure she felt each aftershock with the maximum intensity. When he finally let up, her body was so limp, her mind so fogged from afterglow, that all she wanted to do was sleep. But then he was there, unzipping her pants, dragging them down her legs and dropping them along with her shoes to the floor at the foot of the bed. He stripped off her socks but left her panties on, much to her dismay. Then he pushed her legs apart and came up between them, his face inches from her pussy and his fingers resting along the skin at the tops of her inner thighs.
He leaned in, his nose against the damp triangle silk covering her pussy, and inhaled. “You smell incredible. So hot. So wet. I need to taste you.”
Before she had a chance to protest, to tell him she needed some time to recover, he kissed her there. His tongue prodded the fabric covering her clit, sending another round of tremors through her. He bit gently through the fabric, sending jolts through her pussy lips. Then he pushed the panties aside and stroked a finger into her cunt. His tongue continued its assault on her clit through the thin silk, his finger stroking in and out of her in a rhythm that had her clutching the sheets. Her whole body rocked, tense and on edge, begging for him to bring her over the edge one more time. But he didn’t. He pulled away.
“These are in the way.” Within seconds he’d stripped her out of her panties and dropped them to the floor. “Ah. Much better. Tell me what you want, Becca.”
