by Mac Flynn
I walked over to him and folded my arms over my chest. "Why didn't you tell Blake about this?"
A sly smile curled his lips. "Blake and I have an understanding that we tell each other information on a need-to-know basis, and-"
"-he didn't need to know," I finished. I rolled y eyes. "Men."
David leaned forward and wrapped his arms around me. I yelped as he pulled me onto his lap so that my legs straddled him and we faced each other. His devilishly handsome eyes swept over me as his hands rested on my hips. I inhaled his musky scent and tried not to shudder as a lustful heat spread through me.
His voice was low and husky. "And speaking of my sex, it's been quite a while since I proved to you how much of a man I can be. That is, if you're done fearing for my life."
I looped my arms around his neck and leaned my breasts against his hard chest. "I was kind of hoping we could enjoy the suite one last time. The bed isn't so bad when my eyes are closed."
He leaned forward and pecked a teasing kiss on my lips. "I was thinking we could do without the bed this time."
I ground my thighs against his and felt his swollen need. He shut his eyes and clenched his teeth. A sly smile slid onto my lips. "Funny. I was thinking the same thing."
My lover opened his eyes and revealed the golden orbs of his feral self. He captured my lips in a searing kiss that left us both hot and breathless. My body sank into the sensual heat of lust. I craved his touch and lusted for his attentions. Every fiber in me bent to his will as he unbuttoned my jeans and drew off my shirt. His gentle, powerful hands explored my smooth, trembling body as his mouth left a trail of hot kisses down my throat.
Our hips rocked together in a slow, tense rhythm. I leaned my head back and panted. My body longed for him to take me swiftly and forcefully, to make me his like no other man could do. I grasped his arms and groaned as the lustful beast inside me strained to be released. He stirred within me a hunger that was far from natural, but one that I desired like nothing else.
He tore off his shirt and my bra. Our sweat-soaked, naked upper bodies rubbed against one another, stirring up a terrible fire of desire and pleasure that slipped through us. His lips enclosed over my pert nubs. I grasped his head and groaned as his warm mouth suckled me. His hands unbuttoned his jeans and positioned me over his strong, muscular hips. I gasped as I felt his stiff, trembling manhood brush against the coarse hairs between my legs.
He eased himself into me, and my wet, hot walls welcomed him. He pulled his face back and clenched his teeth, but a hiss escaped his lips. I moaned. His hips thrust up, hot and deep into me. I grasped his shoulders and shuddered. My body trembled with lust and desire. I pushed my hips against his to heighten these wonderful sensations I so craved.
I whimpered, and he grunted. His hands grabbed my hips and he thrust harder and deeper into me. I gasped and closed my eyes. My body was soaked our joined hunger. We strained against each other, begging our bodies to find blissful completion.
I leaned my head back and reveled in the feel of him as he took me so completely. I was his, body and soul. No one else could possess me so completely as he did with his hands, lips and manhood.
The tension built higher. I gasped for breath. The friction became unbearable. I needed him to make me his, to force me to the heavenly heights of completion.
I whetted my lips and moaned. "More. Oh god, please faster. Faster." He grunted and penetrated me with a speed I couldn't match. A smooth smile slipped onto my lips as I felt the waves of pleasure roll over me. "Yes! Yes yes yes! Oh god, yes! Take me! David! David!"
My chants finished me. My body exploded in a flash of brilliant light and pleasure. I screamed my success and soaked my body in more lust as he continued to thrust hard and fast into me. My body jerked and shuddered even as he came inside of me.
I fell against him, and our sweat-soaked bodies panted against one another. David wrapped his arms around me and chuckled.
"You bring the animal out of me more than the full moon," he teased.
I snuggled my face into the crook of his neck and closed my eyes. "What can I say? It's just a gift."
He petted my hair. I felt myself drifting off to sleep in the safety of his strong arms.
11
My awakening was a furious knock on the front door to our suite. I creaked open my eyes and saw I lay in the bed. David jumped from the bed, robed himself in a robe from the closet, and swept out of the room. I wrapped a sheet around me and hurried to the partially open doorway in time to watch David open the front door.
Blake stood in the doorway. A deep frown covered his lips. "She's escaped."
David raised an eyebrow. "Asena?"
Blake nodded. "Yes. I wasn't aware she had cast a controlling spell on Al, and he helped her escape from her holding cell in the basement."
My eyes widened. "You kept her down there?"
Blake looked past David at me. "Yes, but in one of the newer cells that has no haunting."
"Where did she go?" David asked him.
Blake closed his eyes and shook his head. "I don't know. As is still missing, and with his assistance she can enter any part of the castle."
Footsteps echoed down the hall, and Famul appeared by Blake's side. He bowed to the vampire before he started into some sort of game of charades with his hands. I would have joined in the fun if the situation hadn't been so deadly, and I had been wearing more clothes.
Blake watched the zombie's pantomime for a moment before he pursed his lips and nodded. "I see. Return him to the castle." Famul bowed and hurried off.
David raised an eyebrow. "Mind translating that clown show?"
Blake's eyes flickered to David. "It seems your old acquaintance has fled the island via one of the emergency boats. Al was found nearby in a stupor, and I have ordered Famul to return him to the castle."
David frowned. "Aren't you going to try to follow her?"
Blake shook his head. "No. The boat has been gone too long, and we're not even sure which direction it headed. There are many beaches along the cliffs where someone may hide a small craft as what she stole. We would never find her if she chose not to be found."
I shoved open the door and marched over to him in all my sheet-covered rage. "So you're just going to let an attempted-murderer go free?"
The vampire narrowed his cool eyes at me. "I am not without an alternative. I will have Madam Bentley cast a spell over the island that will prevent her ever touching the shores. If she causes you any more problems, it will not be through me."
I snorted. "That makes me feel-" David placed a heavy hand on my shoulder.
He smiled at Blake. "Thanks. I doubt you'll get anything out of Al or your nephew, so we'll take our leave of the island as soon as you can get your boat ready."
Blake stiffly bowed his head. "As you wish."
He cast one flickering glance at me and strode down the hall. David shut the door.
I shrugged off his hand and glared at him. "What was that for? That stupid vampire just let that crazy woman get away!"
He turned to me with a frown on his lips. "That 'crazy vampire' was about to make a withdraw from your blood bank."
I crossed my arms over my chest. "It's not him I'm worried about, it's your ex-girlfriend. She's the only one who's actually tried to kill us. Both of us."
He leaned down and pecked a kiss on my lips. A brush of that familiar, pleasant haze slipped over me before I shook myself and glared at his smiling face. He chuckled. "I don't think she'll be trying anything for a while."
I arched an eyebrow. "Why?"
He stepped past me towards the bedroom. "It took her father and her this long to try to attack me. I suspect they don't have a Plan B for their revenge against me."
I followed after him and leaned against the frame to watch him dress himself. It was a disappointing sight. "Why are they so mad at you? I mean, all you did was not pay them, right?"
He stooped to pick up a pillow, but paused at my question. A sigh e
scaped his lips before he straightened. "That isn't entirely the truth."
My face drooped and I narrowed my eyes at him. "Then what is?"
He turned to me with a goofy grin. "When they told me what they did to me I kind of scratched up Asena's father."
"How bad?"
"He was still bedridden when I left them a week later."
"That sounds like more than a scratching."
"Well, they weren't sure he was going to be able to walk, either."
My eyes widened and I pushed off the door frame. "Okay, that's a little more than a scratching."
He turned away and glanced down at the pillow in his hands. His eyes were lidded and his face downcast. "I wasn't in complete control of myself at the time. The new werewolf inside of me didn't help." I walked over to him and set a hand on his arm. He turned to me and managed a small smile. "But here I am moaning about the past when you're the one who's in the worst trouble. Asena is a formidable foe, and you're not even a werewolf."
I grinned and shrugged. "I think I handled her well enough. Anyway, let's get out of this creepy place before I get tempted to raid the fridge and find myself in a bottomless moat full of alligators."
"Crocodiles," he corrected me.
I rolled my eyes, spun him around, and pushed him towards the bathroom. "Let's just get cleaned up and go."
We were ready in a few minutes, and with bags in hand we tromped down the stairs to the lobby. Blake waited for us at the front door. A small smile graced his lips as he glanced from one of us to the other.
"Can I not convince you to stay for a short time and enjoy the wonders of my castle and island?" he asked us.
I looped my arm through one of David's and shook my head. "Not for all the wealth in the world."
"Any news on Asena?" David asked him.
Blake shook his head. "Nothing. She has disappeared, and my employee doesn't recall in which direction she traveled." His eyes flickered from David to me and back to my mate. "Under the circumstances, you are of course free to visit the island whenever you wish. It will give you some piece of mind."
David smiled. "Thanks for the offer, but there's no place like home."
Blake closed his eyes and bowed his head to us. "Very well. Until we meet again."
"Later," David returned.
We strode out the doors and out of that adventure, but more awaited us in the great mystery of future days.
* * *
<<<<>>>>
Phantom Pain
Alpha Mated, Book 4
1
Today would be the day. I would do it. I would go out into the world a free woman and chain myself to the shackles of office work.
Today was Tuesday. And it would be gloriously boring and free from paranormal stuff.
"But why?" David persisted as he followed me down the stairs like a lost puppy.
He was robed in his-well, robe and some fuzzy bunny slippers I don't ever recall seeing before. A predator dressed in the stuffed imitation of their kill had a certain hilarious irony to it, but this morning I wasn't laughing. No, this morning I was dressed to kill a day's worth of office work.
We reached the front doors. I spun around to face him with a frown. "I told you I've missed a day of work already, so I'm going today." I set my hand on the knob. A jolt of something cold flowed over me. I shuddered.
David frowned. "Is something wrong?"
I shook my head and smiled at him. "No. I just-" I pursed my lips and furrowed my brow. "I don't know. It felt like somebody splashed cold water on my soul."
David frowned and set his hands on my shoulders. "I'd much rather you stay here with me."
I snorted and removed his hands. "And grow fat and have twelve children?"
He grinned and leaned down to peck a kiss on my lips. "Is that so bad?"
I pushed him away and smiled softly at him. "Babies later, work now. I'll see you after five."
I hurried on my way to work in my ancient machine that was once called a car. Now it was more like several thousand pieces of metal that were kept together with rust and might take me from Point A to Point B.
I didn't remember the tracking device issue until I stopped at the same intersection where Latro had kidnapped me. I swept my eyes over the area, but didn't spot anything out of the ordinary. Puer had probably put it in the gas tank or some other place I couldn't get to. Sneaky butler.
This day I made it safely to work and plopped myself down in my chair. I leaned back and breathed a sigh. The cold jolt from that morning still lingered with me, but I took solace in the normalcy of the office building. There were no vampire vexations, no witch worries, no paranormal problems here. Just me and my paperwork.
And Ruth.
Her head popped over our dividing wall and she had a big grin on her face. "Hey!"
I started and nearly fell out of my chair. The only thing that kept me in my seat was the desk which my knees hit on their way to the stratosphere.
"Damn it!" I hissed as I clutched at my throbbing knobs of sinew and bone.
Ruth winced and half hid herself behind the wall. "Sorry."
I sighed and shook my head. "It's fine. The pain will wear off sometime next year."
She slunk further down. "I really am sorry."
My eyes flickered to her and I arched an eyebrow. Ruth never apologized twice, at least not in a row. "Something up?"
Her head disappeared out of sight and her muffled voice floated through the wall. "It's fine. I'm just a little tired."
I frowned and stood. A quick peek around the corner of the shared wall showed my friend seated in her chair with her back turned to the doorway. She slouched. Ruth didn't slouch except when she was disappointed.
I walked over to stand beside her. Her face was a little pale and she clutched her hand on her chest over where her heart lay. I knelt beside her and set my hand on her free hand.
Ruth gave me a ghost of a smile. "Don't look at me like that. I'm not dying. I just haven't really felt that well since Friday."
"When you had your date with whats-his-name?" I asked her.
Her smile widened and she sighed. "Mr. Douglas Gardi, but he says to call him Doug."
I patted her hand. "That's nice, but about you looking like you're death warmed over. Did you catch something at a restaurant? Have you see a doctor?"
She laughed and waved her hand at me. "I'm not that bad, silly, and we didn't go to a restaurant. We went clubbing all night long."
I pursed my lips as I studied her face. There were circles under her eyes and her skin felt clammy. I smiled up at her. "Must be a hell of a guy."
She nodded and gazed off into the distance of her flying-toaster screen saver. "Yeah. I only get to see him at night because he works all day, but he's handsome, strong, and a good kisser."
"You'll have to introduce us some time, but during the day how about I treat you to a nice, hot lunch?" I suggested.
Ruth's eyes widened and sparkled. I cringed. I'd seen that look just before she gave me her work last Friday. "That'd be great! We could get somebody for you and have a double-date!"
I cringed. "I'm not sure that's such a good idea."
She jumped to her feet. "Of course it is! We can get together tomorrow night!"
"That sounds like a great idea." My eyes widened. That voice. I whipped my head around and looked over my shoulder.
David's head popped into the doorway of Ruth's cubicle. The mischievous twinkle in his eyes and the sly grin on his delicious lips made me want to kiss him and kill him.
Ruth's eyes widened and a squeal escaped her trembling lips. "Mr. Dives!"
He chuckled at her exuberance and my scowl, and stepped into Ruth's square. "A double-date would be great."
Ruth blinked at him. "Y-you want to go on a date with one of us?"
He nodded. "I'd be honored to take one of you lovely ladies on a date." His eyes fell on me and his smile widened. "You seem to be the odd-woman out in this match, lovely young woman. Would
you care to accompany this old man on a date?"
I tried to block out images of throttling my mate. It didn't work. Instead I slapped a tense smile on my lips and nodded. "I guess I can go for that."
David smiled and bowed his head. "Then it's a date, Miss-?"
I held out my hand. "Miss Dakota Combes. And you are?"
Ruth rattled my shoulders with her hands and leaned close to my ear. "You know who he is!"
I shrugged. "Actually, no. He looks like a hobo in a suit."
Ruth's face grew paler and her words were more tense. "He's-"
"David Dives, professional hobo," David finished for her. He took my hand and gave it a good shake that left my fingers ringing. "At your service."
I stood and looped my arm through his. "Actually, I was looking to get advice on tramping. If you could step this way we can talk."
Ruth's jaw dropped open and her eyes widened as she watched us stride from the cubicle. I directed David not to my own little square sphere but to the supply closet in one corner of the floor. I tossed him in, shut the door, flicked on the light, and glared at him.
"What are you doing here?" I growled.
He sat atop a couple of boxes of printing paper and shrugged. "Only inspecting my company. A billionaire playboy can do that."
I crossed my arms and arched an eyebrow. "After ignoring your company for so long you're now interested in visiting it more than once a year?"
"I had some encouragement," he admitted.
My face fell and I narrowed my eyes. "You followed me here to stalk me, didn't you?"
He wagged his eyebrows. "Perhaps."
I pulled David from his ream seat, spun him so he faced the door, and gave him a good shove. "Out."
He stumbled to the door and set his hand on the knob before he turned to me with that mischievous grin. "Of the closet or the building?"
I snapped a finger at the door. "Both, and we'll talk about this later."
