“I would but then again, I always go too far.” She glanced at his wardrobe of jeans, a silk shirt, and boots. “Are you hunting like that?”
He shook his head. “Not hungry tonight.” It was a lie. He was always hungry, but with age came restraint. He could go several days without eating if he chose. Not that he ever did that much. Only when necessity arose.
“The rest of us are going, and it’s a shame you won’t go with us.”
“It’s important I stay here and watch over Christine. Zakara’s minions are about ready to strike at any given moment.”
Her dark eyes narrowed into a worried V. “How can you be sure? I’ve felt nothing.”
“She’s cloaked them, I’ll bet.” Zakara may have hidden them from him, but that didn’t stop a deep stirring within himself when one of her minions was near. He sensed something foul in the air tonight, and he needed to be here for Christine in case trouble brewed. “They’re here, but I can’t discern which ones are hers from the others.”
Alexandra snapped her fingers and instantly, a deep red dress and shoes replaced the leather hunting clothes. “In that case, I’ll not hunt tonight either, and neither will the others once I let them know what’s happening.”
“This isn’t your fight. It’s mine.”
Alexandra walked over and placed a soft, feathery kiss on his cheek. “Did you forget that when she fights one of us, she fights all of us? Give me a few minutes to alert the others, and we’ll be back in a flash to help you.
With those words, Alexandra disappeared in a cloud of black mist and was gone.
He smiled. He couldn’t have asked for better friends than those of the coven.
* * * *
The music blaring from the hidden speakers changed to a slow, steady beat while she was gone. People crowded the dance floor swaying to an old song from the seventies. She’d heard the tune but couldn’t quite recall the title.
“‘It’s More than a Woman’ by the Bee Gees,” a man with a deep voice offered next to her.
She turned to see a handsome man standing there, his dark hair swept low into his eyes. For a minute, she thought him to be David, but it wasn’t.
His extraordinarily light brown eyes seemed to pierce her soul, and instantly, a sense of warmth cascaded over her and she relaxed. “Thanks,” she said in a slow tone. “I couldn’t remember the name.”
“Would you like to dance?”
“Sure,” she said before she even thought it about his offer. She took his hand and noticed the same iciness as Drake’s, but for some reason, it didn’t seem to matter at all.
The man with the strange eyes guided her to the dimly lit dance floor, allowing her to see more of him. Tight black jeans clung to the lower half of his body, hugging each curve of muscle. A leather vest covered his well sculpted chest and bared his delightfully muscled arms.
He took her into his arms and touched her back. Normally, she’d be the first one to run away, but this man’s caress didn’t frighten her at all.
“My name is Sly,” he purred into her ear. “What’s yours?”
“Christine,” she said before she could conjure up a fake name. Suddenly, the investigation and things didn’t seem to matter anymore.
“Well, Christine, how about you and I getting out of here so we can get to know each other better?”
“I—don’t think so,” she managed to choke out. Whatever hold he had on her was breaking.
“What if I told you I have information about your friend’s death?”
She stopped and pushed back away from Sly, the roaring in her head growing louder. “What do you know?”
His beautiful expression dropped. “I can’t tell you here because there’re too many ears and there’ll be a price on my head if I tell you,”
“Please, tell me what happened to David,” she begged, clutching his leather vest with strong fingers.
Sly looked around. “Come with me. I’ll find a quiet place for us to talk.”
Suspicion niggled at her and warned her not to go with him. She completely ignored the cop’s instincts that had saved her ass on more than a few occasions. “Tell me here.”
“Look, Christine, I just told you I can’t. If you don’t want to know what really happened, fine. Without me, you’ll never find the truth,”
Just as she opened her mouth to ask a few more questions, Sly stomped away from her and wove his way through the thick throng of people clinging to each other on the dance floor.
Damn! She had to follow him now and take the chance something may happen. If she didn’t and he had information about David’s death, she’d kick herself for not going and finding out.
Christine managed to keep her eyes on Sly’s departing form through the crowd. He sure as hell wasn’t going to lose her.
She managed to catch up with him near the back of the room, where couples writhed on the couches in sexual bliss. She reached out and touched his shoulder. “Okay, you’ve got it. I’ll follow you, but be warned—don’t try anything funny, or you’ll find yourself in something you’d rather not be in.”
Sly smiled. An expanse of extremely white teeth glistened. “I’m not going to do anything to you except give you the information you’re looking for.”
“Good. Let’s go.”
Sly pushed open an exit door leading to the alleyway. Dank air greeted her, ripe with piss and stale body odor. Forgotten papers blew in the wind next to the Dumpster, the edges fluttering in the night breeze. A bum’s dream, she thought idly as they trekked farther down the alley. She opened her purse and curled her fingers around the handle of her Magnum. No one would best her at all.
Sly halted just past the edge of the giant Dumpster, his back to her. “This will be a good place.”
Christine stopped in her tracks with anxiety banging her veins, her finger curled around the trigger of her gun. “Now that we’re alone, tell me what you know.”
“Come closer,” Sly asked in a low tone
She took a step or two ahead, her purse tight at her side. “Stop playing games with me and tell me what you know, or else I’ll go back inside.”
“You won’t,” he said with a confident air. “You hunger to know what happened to your precious partner, and you won’t leave here until you know what I do.”
She trembled. How in the hell did he know what she was thinking. “Then tell me.”
Sly turned around slowly. Her jaw dropped the moment she saw his eyes deepened in color, almost black with fiery red rimming the edges of his iris. “Come to me, my dear so I can taste of your sweet blood.”
Inexplicably, her legs worked on their own, taking her toward this man who claimed her wanted to taste her blood. A knot of fear formed in her throat, preventing her ability to scream for help. She tried to clutch the gun inside her purse, but Sly waved his hand and the bag few far out of her reach.
Sly’s cold hands circled her neck and bent her head to the right, exposing her jugular vein to him. “My Queen gave me a command to destroy you, and I shall, but very slowly to her pleasure.” He looked to his right. “As you have said, my Queen?”
A woman emerged from the shadows, her eyes glowing even more than Sly’s. Gauzy white fabric encased her while a crown of precious jewels twinkled on her head of magnificent black hair like stars thrown into the dark night sky.
“Yes, I want her dead, but oh so very slowly. I want her to beg for your mercy for death before you’re through.”
Sly nodded. “As you wish, my Queen.”
Christine smelled Sly’s stinking breath as he closed in to her neck. Fear grabbed her, sending her heart beat into a new rhythm. The moisture dried in her mouth, and her throat tightened in anticipation of his bite. She shivered. Drake, she called silently, come save me!
Chapter Seven
The moment the thought died in her head, Sly flew backward and landed against the wall of the alley. He slid down the wall into a crumpled heap.
“I knew you’d try something th
is low, Zakara,” Drake said from behind Christine.
Instant relief flooded her, mingled with a spot of anger. Why did she always rely on Drake and not take care of herself? She was a cop for God’s sake!
“I told you I’d get her, and I still will, though it may take a bit of time.” Zakara floated toward Christine and caressed Christine’s cheek with a sharp fingernail. “All I have is time, human, and you will be one of my minions, no matter how long it takes.”
Drake threw Zakara’s hand away from Christine, the fury radiating from him in hot, scorching waves. “She’ll never belong to you.”
“She will, and once she does, you’ll come back to my bed where you belong.”
“Never, you bitch. Take your plaything and go. If I ever see you or one of them around her or this club, I swear I won’t be responsible for my actions.”
Zakara hissed low and evilly. “Is that a threat?”
“No, it’s a promise. Now get the fuck out of here.”
Zakara waved a hand in front of Christine’s face. “You will be mine eventually, but I will release you for now. I will haunt your every step and dog your every move. You’ll never know a moment’s peace.”
With that, Zakara, along with Sly, dissolved into a puff of black smoke and became one with the night.
Christine, curving into his body for protection, fell against Drake. Immediately, she wound her arms around his waist. “Thank God, you’re here,” she murmured against his chest. “I thought Sly was going to kill me.”
“He might have,” Drake murmured low and stroked her wild curls. “But don’t worry about that right now.” He bent and swept her up into his arms.
“Where are we going?”
“Some place safe where I can take care of you and chase all your nightmares away.”
Christine buried her face in the crook of his neck and inhaled his fragrant cologne, allowing the warmth and safety of his body to fill her. Even her racing heart slowed dramatically. “What were those people, and why did they want to kill me?”
“All will be made known to you soon,” Drake reassured her as they stepped inside the club. “Your investigation is over for the night.”
Tears threatened. “Okay.” She sniffed. “I just want to be with you right now.”
“Just what I wanted to hear. Nicholas and the others are here, so they’ll watch the club while we take off for the rest of the night.”
She remained silent as he took her to his Jaguar and loaded her in. Drake closed her door and moved to his side. He opened the door and slid behind the wheel. The engine roared to life when he turned the key. She listened to the quiet hum while they traveled to an unknown destination, the lights of the city a pleasant blur as they zoomed by.
What seemed like hours had only been minutes when they pulled up to Drake’s elegant mansion in the Waverly Crest section of town. She sat there for a moment, summoning the strength to get out of the car. Before she could commit to going in, Drake opened her door, slipped his arms under her, and lifted her easily from the car. One of his employees popped out of the house and took the keys from Drake to park the car.
Christine snuggled deep into the safety of Drake’s arms and didn’t care if it was right or wrong anymore. She needed to be with him and taste the passion of his body at least once. Maybe, after taking him to bed, he might not be so inclined anymore because she was lousy, but at least she’d have one hell of a sweet memory to visit when her nights were cold and lonely.
Drake went through the house at breakneck speed, finally arriving at his bedroom. He set her down on her feet and closed the door behind him. “You’ll be safe and no one will dare bother you here.”
A shaft of moonlight drifted in the window and fell into his face in a pale shard, highlighting his rich Nordic beauty. Her breasts tingled and her nipples puckered for him while her pussy convulsed in anticipation. Oh, she wanted him so badly right now. She walked toward him and closed the gap between them. Her heart thundered beneath her chest, making her breathing a bit hitched. “Thank you so much,” she said in a whisper, threading her hands behind her neck. “I don’t know why, but I always feel so safe when I’m with you.”
“You are,” he said as his hands skimmed down her body in a slow, calculated fashion. “Very safe and protected.”
Christine guided him in for a soft kiss. “I don’t know what’s going to happen after tonight, but I want to create a beautiful memory.”
His dark blond eyebrow rose. “Are you sure?”
“Yes, though I’ll warn you I’m no good in bed. You’ll be sorely disappointed.”
He chuckled low. “I doubt that somehow,” he murmured and swept her back into his arms. Drake carried her to the already turned down bed and laid her down. “If you want me to stop, then just ask me to and I will.”
“I don’t think I’ll ever want you to stop.”
Drake’s fingertips swept down the length of her dress and stopped at her hem. “You have no idea what you do to me, woman,”
“I think I do,” she answered in a throaty purr she didn’t recognize. She swung herself into a kneeling position on the bed and put her arms around his neck. “I think I’ve wanted this for far longer than I can imagine, maybe from the moment we danced together.”
He skimmed the sides of her dress and unzipped the neat black little number slowly. The tingle of her breasts deepened as the edge of the dress slipped down and exposed her nipples to his taste.
Hungrily, Drake gripped her breasts and brought them together in order to tease the peaks in tandem. Her breath hitched while her sex flooded with juice. She threw her head back and drowned in the sensations Drake’s hands evoked on her body.
He rimmed each areola with infinite expertise while kneading her mounds in the most exquisite pressure. She bucked forward and demanded a deeper loving from him.
Drake obliged, alternately nibbling her nipples between his teeth and laving them with his tongue. Her skin pebbled with each stroke, her body on fire. He dropped a hand to an aching breast and then drifted it down her side to her hip. He massaged the area for a moment and then hooked his finger in the thin strap of her thong. With a quick flick, he tore the panties from her body and freed her sex to his exploration.
He cupped her longing sex in his hand and rubbed back and forth, parting the damp lips with each stroke. She moaned loudly. Bright bursts of emotion curled in her belly, threatening to erupt at any time.
Her clit inflamed, and he caught the nub easily in his thumb and forefinger. Drake massaged the bit of flesh with the rough pad of his thumb, making it tougher for her to hold on. Her orgasm hovered too near to be pushed back.
Easily, he slid a finger into her, and her sex clamped onto him instantly. With a throaty chuckle, his slid another one inside, widening her narrow, drenched channel. Her juice coated his fingers, and he slowly pumped in and out of her like a piston.
Christine’s hips rocked forward, begging for a deep penetration. Drake obliged by thrusting deeper and touching the mouth of her womb. Her hold on him deepened as if she wanted to milk his empty fingers of come.
Without warning, Drake withdrew from her. Pushing her head back up, Christine stared at him, her breath hitching. “Did I do something wrong?”
“Not at all,” Drake answered as he quickly divested himself of his clothes. “Coming in my pants wasn’t something I had in mind.”
Christine drew back a moment, closing her legs to his invasion. “Um, I hate to ask this, but do you have some sort of protection? I’m not on the Pill or anything.”
She sensed he was annoyed with her request but kept a smiling face. “Of course.” He opened a drawer next to the bed and extracted a condom. “Are you sure? I’m not diseased or sleep around.”
“You don’t want to get me pregnant, do you?”
His brow lifted. “Is that an invitation? Because I can if you want me to.”
Christine shook her head. “No babies or disease.”
“Pity bec
ause I’ll bet you’d be just as hot pregnant as you are now, maybe hotter,” he said with a salacious grin and slipped the condom on.
Christine kicked off her shoes and slipped beneath the covers, opening the side for him. Drake slid in and took possession of her mouth with breathless abandon. He kissed her as though his life depended on it, hungry and demanding.
His hands roamed over her for a moment while she touched his. Hard planed muscle resided under her curious fingertips, from his shoulders to his back. She never was into the muscled type, but Drake certainly turned her head.
She threaded a bit lower to his ribs only to discover several long scars crudely stitched on his skin. She broke the kiss. “What in the hell happened?”
“Long story. I’ll tell you about it sometime.”
Before she could ask more questions, Drake captured her mouth and silenced her with a deep, drugging kiss. His thick cock nudged at her dripping pussy, begging for entry. She hesitated in opening her legs. It had been so long since the last time she’d had sex, it was probably going to hurt like hell, and Drake wasn’t in the slightest way small.
“Open up,” he murmured against her mouth. “Let me in.”
With those words, she wrapped her legs around his waist and he entered her slowly. She stiffened as pain seared up her legs, but it only lasted for a moment. Her sex widened quickly enough for him and drenched him in her juice.
Drake thrust easily at first as though he didn’t want to hurt her. “It’s okay,” she whispered. “I don’t hurt anymore.”
“Good. The last thing I’ll ever do is hurt you.”
His thrusts increased, and she lifted her hips, pumping his latex-covered cock with everything she had.
Drake grunted his pleasure and continued his piston-like action inside of her.
Then he pulled back a bit and rotated his hips so the head of his cock skimmed the inside of her pussy. What was he doing?
The slow burn of orgasm in her belly burned to a full roaring flame and exploded throughout her limbs. She cried out as she came, her fingers digging into Drake’s sides. He seemed not to notice as he thrust a few more times and came himself.
Ranson, Tracy L. - Prince of Darkness [Bloodborn 3] (Siren Publishing Classic) Page 11
