by T. J. Quinn
He looked at her with simmering desire. “Trust me, that is not a mistake I am likely to make again, Miss. Dakota.”
She glanced down at his hand which was leisurely tracing a small heart on her skin, just above the knee, as they spoke. She tilted her head slightly and he wondered he was coming on a bit strong.
She removed his hand, murmuring quietly. “You have really good nonverbal communication. I hate to be a bore but you know you have to feed to get better.”
She moved closer to him and presented her neck. Alek reluctantly bit her and drank until she became weak and he gathered her in his arms and she slept on his chest. She woke, he fed, and she slept again. This happened over and over for almost four days. Over that four days, his eyes slowly recovered their luster and shown a bright red after he fed. He was careful to avoid taking too much at one time and ensured she drank, ate, and took the medication the doctor prescribed for her. They were like a perfectly synchronized feeding unit.
Each time she woke, they talked and he came to realize that she was much more than a beautiful hunter and a compassionate temporary feeding partner. She was warm, caring, funny, and playful. He enjoyed her company more than any woman he had ever met.
He loved that she seemed to enjoy spending time with him and his girls. They loved to watch movies and play chess and she taught them a game called Mahjong. He realized she was pretty competitive and fit right in with his overachieving family. She baked human food several more times and he realized he loved the smell but was not quite brave enough to attempt to eat any of it.
He went to his physician for a checkup and the recommendation was more feeding but every five hours instead of every two hours. He offered to try to find another feeding partner but Dakota assured him she was fine to stay for another week or so, if he still wanted her. He jumped at the chance to spend more time with her. He genuinely was not interested in getting used to an entirely different partner. He would if he had to, but honestly didn’t feel quite up for a change.
Alek dearly wanted to be strong again and out of a feeding situation with her. He felt that as long as she was obligated to feed him, she would not allow herself to get close to him and he had to admit that she did seem inclined to get close to him. More than anything in the world right now, he wanted to develop a relationship with her.
She caught him walking by, pulled him down on her, and he drank for the third time in the day. He had been dialing back both the quantity as well as the frequency of his feeding with her. He pulled back after a couple of mouthfuls and was slightly embarrassed that she was watching him wipe her blood from his lips. It felt intimate and wrong somehow, to feed from another person. His rational mind knew better but he couldn’t help the way he felt. No amount of positive self-talk could ever seem to impact his emotions in this one area of being a vampire.
She smiled brightly. “I’m glad you decided to be more reasonable about feeding.”
He smiled and awkwardly responded, “Thank you again for nursing me, Miss. Dakota. I know you must have better things to do with your time than hang around my place, feeding a sick vampire.”
“Spending time with you is a genuine pleasure. Besides, it’s not like I had to shop, bring home groceries, cook food, serve you, and wash up the dishes. Trust me, feeding my kind is a real pain. Feeding you is as easy as having a nice cuddle with a cute guy.”
He smiled at how she downplayed her generosity. His heart sang because she admitted that she thought he was cute and she liked cuddling with him. That she actually enjoyed spending time with him was something he would have never expected in a million Earth years because he really was quite boring.
The pretty hunter seemed to love the interaction of feeding almost as much as he did. There was a tipping point where all his inhibitions seemed to come tumbling down and his instincts kicked in during a feeding.
Alek hated feeling the primal urge to feed, always afraid he would cross the line with her. Dakota seemed to love provoking him that way. She did it by tempting him into drinking her blood and flirting outrageously until they were sexually. She tilted his face to look into his eyes. Alek hated the way his eyes changed color, marking forever as the primal beast he was. He’d always thought of blood lust as more a curse than a gift.
During the blood lust, their fangs dropped down fully, their thirst increased dramatically, and their sexual needs were virtually insatiable. Most vampire males were pretty laid back and kind of aloof, except when their blood lust took them. Then their passions took flight and they were a sight to see.
Chapter 14
Forging a Bond
~ Dakota ~
By the end of her second week, he was looking exceptionally healthy again. He had been to the doctor several times and the recommendation remained the same. Feed at regular intervals. He had slowly moved from every couple of hours to every five hours per day, then to every eight hours. Today was his last day because he was finally at feeding every twelve hours, which was the norm for most vampires.
Dakota had to admit she had done well by him. He looked more gorgeous than ever he did and was healthy as someone half his age. He swam in his pool every day and she felt he was as healthy as he was ever going to get.
They decided to celebrate by going down to his private beach. Dakota had to admit it was the main advantage of actually owning beachfront property. She was a little anxious about him being in the water because the currents were a little rough. The girls were very excited and even Jared was in a good mood.
Dakota walked down hand in hand with Alek because he insisted that her walking with her arm around his waist made him feel emasculated. Dakota had laughed and agreed because he seemed steady on his feet, though his balance seemed to be the last thing to come back.
Dakota spread their blanket and set up the sun umbrella while the youngsters made a mad dash for the ocean. She eased down onto the blanket beside Alek. “From the amount of noise and horseplay, you would think our younglings have never been to the ocean.”
She replied, “Oh, I think they have been living too much in the adult world the last few months and pendulum is swinging a bit more in the other direction that we would normally see. Not to worry, they will be back to their unpredictable, brooding teenage selves in no time.” Her voice was light, playful, and filled with humor.
He glanced up to look her in the face. “I’m pleased to see the worry lifted from your face. I was beginning to think that maybe hunting and feeding me was going to leave worry lines etched onto your pretty little face.”
She reached out and caressed the side of his face. “You, my friend, are well worth worrying about. When I first set eyes on you, I thought you were dead, then you opened those beautiful eyes and I knew you weren’t. Glad I was mistaken about that, by the way.”
“I was talking to Selene the other day and she told me some rather interesting things. She told me you have a top secret weapons room where you ‘gear up’ for hunting.”
Dakota made an imperious slashing gesture through the air with one hand. “Trust me, every hunter has such a room. Mine might be hidden behind a wall in my study, but it has some very redundant high tech security. I like the added security because of the amount of weapons and other munitions I own. Hazard of the trade, I’m afraid.”
“She also said your son gifted her with a set an extremely expensive self-molding body armor. She said it made her feel safer when I was missing but she is thinking maybe she does not need to continue to wear it all the time.”
Dakota’s expression turned serious. “I know that you don’t want to raise your daughter to be paranoid but the world is a dangerous place. I gifted Arianna with a set armor and I have set aside a set for you as well. I agree that she probably doesn’t need to wear it all the times but it is made from second skin technology and collapses down to practically nothing. You can fit it in your pocket or purse. I would suggest that you encourage her to carry it on her person at all times because one never knows when one will fi
nd themselves in a situation where such protection is needed. The primary reason most people don’t carry it is because it is cost prohibitive. Now having said all that, you will have to make a decision about what you think is best for you and your daughters.” He nodded and looked down. She could tell his little wheels were turning.
Dakota tilted her head slightly and asked, “What else did little Selene have to say?”
Alek sighed and replied, “She is concerned about you and your son because of the emotional effect of what you do. She thinks you have a preoccupation with finding every single missing person alive.”
Dakota’s voice turned dark and brooding. “I pride myself on responding as soon as I am asked, throwing everything I have into each case and not stopping until I find the person. I dedicate my heart and soul to my job and that’s not going to change.”
He was quiet for a moment. “Selene told me she advised Jared to think of the people he hunts as already dead because without a good hunter to look for them, they are dead. Then when you hunt, if you find them alive, it is like a miracle or a gift from the gods and if you don’t find them alive, then it doesn’t hurt so much.”
Dakota sat upright, staring at him intently. “Another example of how little Selene is the smartest of us. If that works for Jared, I will be ever so grateful but for me, it falls in the old dog new tricks category.”
He reached out to touch her face. “I understand that adding pictures to your private drawer is difficult for you, Dakota, and I just thought that maybe a slight adjustment in how you think of hunting might make it easier for you.”
She immediately leaned over and kissed him on the lips. His arms came down around her like a vice, putting her flush with his body. Alek deepened the kiss as her hands came up and sifted through his hair. He leaned back, pulling her down on top of him, and they lay side by side with Dakota draped across his chest as they kissed.
Dakota and Alek watched their teens’ carefree play for a couple of hours and then everyone headed back.
Dakota grabbed her shower first and fell into the bed. She was busy rubbing baby oil onto her legs, feet, and elbows. She watched with admiration as Alek came into the room, wearing only shorts covering a rather massive erection. She pointed to his dresser frantically. “Shirt…put on a shirt. You cannot come over here wearing practically nothing. We both know how that worked out the last time.”
He shook his head and replied, “You aren’t telling me anything that makes me want to behave myself.”
She sighed and held out her arms. “Fine, bad boy, come and feed one last time before I go.”
“That is an invitation I cannot find it in my heart to refuse.” He came to her and they lay together on the bed, curled in a warm embrace. He pulled her hair aside, he gently sucked the vein to the surface and bit.
Dakota sighed in contentment. Being in his arms always felt so right. She was growing to love the feeling of his fangs in her neck and his hands lightly caressing her skin as he fed. It was a sensual experience, to say the least. She could feel his hard on pressing against her as he fed.
That was becoming a rather common occurrence and one that neither of them discussed. Dakota thought to herself that he was too damn sexy. It was reaching the point that she didn’t trust herself around him.
He slid his hands down and gently slipped her shorts and panties from her hips. She began to push against his chest, trying to keep the smile off her face. He held her to him with one strong arm and whispered, “Do you trust me?”
She responded with a laugh, “I did until now.”
His voice became very low and sensual. “Do you think I cannot sense your arousal when you are in my arms?”
She replied as she continued to struggle gently against him, “I am aware that being a full blood vampire, you probably have very good instincts for things like that. Honestly, I just didn’t think you could possibly care.”
“You are a beautiful woman, Dakota. Do not make the mistake of thinking that thirst is the only desire I feel when you are in my arms.”
He gently ran one hand down between her legs, gently began to pleasure her, and whispered, “Trust me when I say having you in my arms affects me more than you can know. I think you like being in my arms as well because you are very wet for me. That is very sexy, Dakota. The last time I touched your beautiful body, your sweet spot was easy to find. I now know exactly where and how you like to be touched.”
Somehow the more pleasure he gave her, the less dedicated her effort was to pull his hand away. He pressed a sensual kiss onto her lips and whispered, “Let me ease both our desires. I understand that intercourse is not an option but I would give all that I own to share pleasure with you for a brief moment before you slip from my arms forever.”
Dakota had long since lost the urge to fight off his advances and as she thought about his words for a moment, she realized she wanted him perhaps more than any male she had ever met. God, why did vampires always have to be so thoroughly sexy?
This one was totally off the charts sexy. His voice was soft, sensual, and bespoke his need for her. She tried to slip away but she could not will her body to move. Instead, she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him gently on the lips. He took that as implied consent.
He slid her tank top over her head and gently mapped her body gently with his fingertips. Dakota could feel her heartbeat quicken and her breath hitched as he gently caressed her breasts. She nuzzled her face into his neck and kissed him as she ran her hands gently over his back. Raking her nails up and down his skin, cause him to flex is back muscles. She suspected she was turning on every mating instinct in his entire body. A soft growl was escaped from the back of his throat.
His lips found their way to her neck then he began kissing his way down to her chest. Her breasts were gorgeous and he simply could not resist running his lips and tongue over each one, making her gasp. The taste of her skin was delicious…salty no doubt from the salts she was so fond of using in her bath. It made him want to sample every square inch of her precious body.
Dakota found the arousal mounting in her body like never before. She grasped the band of his shorts and gently pulled them from his body. He was not only extremely hard but also extremely beautiful. She couldn’t believe they were naked in each other’s arms again.
~ Alek ~
Her breath caught slightly and he noticed she had stopped breathing for a slight moment. He smiled apparently appreciative that seeing him naked had exactly the same effect on her that seeing her naked had on him. For once in his miserable life, things were exactly fair.
She seemed disinclined to open her legs to him, which he took as a bit of challenge. He decided to take things slowly and no matter what, he would refrain from having full on sex with her before she left his home. He wanted to leave her wanting and therefore, have a reason to return to him. He decided this moment was all about making the beautiful female want him as desperately as he wanted her.
As they had already determined actual intercourse was off the table, he gently pressed his manhood between her legs. She seemed surprised and pleased as he gently moved back and forth until his manhood was pressing against her moist, sensitive flesh. He slowly began to rub himself against her, provoking wave after wave of pleasure.
She kept her legs closed tightly around him and was shocked at the small sounds of pleasure that escaped from her lips. Being in his arms, not quite having sex was more pleasurable than full on sex with any male she had ever known.
She kissed his neck and whispered, “You definitely know your business when it comes to pleasing women. I’m glad I decided to trust you.”
He smiled, gently kissed her neck, and slightly increased his speed and pressure, tipping her into an easy climax. She suspected that kicking up the pleasure was his way of saying thank you for the nice compliment.
He was in his element. Pleasuring a female was something he was good at. It was the one skill he did not need to practice regularly to re
main proficient. She could tell he had not come but was beginning to pull himself away from her.
Sensing that he was too considerate to continue to press her to meet his own needs so she ran her hands up and down his back and whispered, “Don’t stop…please…I love the feeling of your body moving against mine.”
Her words touched his soul and he gently continued to move on her until he was breathless and nearing his fall. Alek forced himself to wait for her and they climaxed together so hard, it forged a bond. It felt like an electro whip wrapping around them and drawing them closer and closer. He collapsed breathless on top of her for a brief moment, before moving himself to the side and curling around her.
The beautiful hunter curled into his warm embrace, running one hand over his chest. “That was kind of amazing. Most mem would find it extremely difficult to be so polite in such a passionate situation.”
He folded his arms around her, kissed her on the forehead. “Trust me, I’m just like most males. It was difficult for me to refrain from just taking you instead of disciplining myself to make love to you like a religiously preoccupied teenager.”
She giggled at the level of frustration in his voice. “God, you are so funny. Thank you for the double orgasms, by the way. I definitely got the better end of that deal.”
He smiled that she liked his lovemaking and his sense of humor. For some reason, he didn’t feel quite so awkward around her. They seemed to fit together, like two pieces of a yet to be worked jigsaw puzzle.
“I’m glad you approve. According to my count, I am responsible for your last three orgasms and trust me, knowing that is thanks enough for me.”
She ran her fingers over his collar bone, kissed him gently on the chest, and whispered breathlessly, “You are responsible for many more than three. I think of you all the time when I touch myself.”
He had to admit, he was shocked and extremely pleased that she made such an intimate disclosure to him. It was a good thing she was lying on his chest and could not see the stupid smile on his face.
