“That’s a great setup. A family business. Or businesses, actually.” When he chuckled, it was a pleasant, rumbly sound. “I’m an architect for a larger firm, which isn’t always that great. I imagine the family business is rewarding, even if it’s hard working with your sisters sometimes.”
“True, it is. What firm is that?”
“Bentley and Marks. We’re based in Kenner actually. Do mostly commercial work for Metairie and Kenner.”
Wow. A well put-together guy who answered my questions and everything. This date was going amazingly well. And still, I didn’t feel that spark of attraction, that undeniable chemistry that I’d hoped for.
“Hey, Iz.” Belinda sidled up to us. “What can I get you two?”
Christopher turned to me. “What do you have good on draft?”
“The Witch’s Brew is really good.”
He turned to Belinda. “I’ll take that then.”
“A glass of Chardonnay for me,” I said.
“Any particular brand?”
“JJ knows what I like.”
While she marched off, I caught Devraj sitting at the bar next to Charlie. He was turned sideways on the stool, one hand wrapped around a tumbler of what looked like JJ’s Blood Orange Old Fashioned. He was listening to Charlie, but as if he knew my eyes were on him, he looked directly at me. I held for just a second, then turned away, a little shocked to catch such a somber expression on his face. Last time, he’d found my whole dating thing amusing.
“You alright?” asked Christopher, reaching across the table and touching my hand.
I drew back on instinct.
“I’m sorry,” he apologized. “You just looked upset.”
“No, it’s okay. It’s nothing.”
Nothing but the realization that seeing Devraj sad made me suddenly very sad. Was Mr. I-Could-Charm-the-Panties-Off-Anyone more interested in me than I’d thought? Maybe something with the case had him looking that way. Maybe it had nothing to do with me.
“You sure?” asked Christopher.
“Absolutely. So tell me about blood-drinking,” I charged ahead. “What’s that like?”
“Wow. So we’re just going there right away.”
“Yep.” I wanted more answers about this side of the vampire, and Christopher could give them to me. “We are.”
He laughed, dimples popping, which was endearing as he fiddled nervously with the napkin in his lap. Note to self: a blushing vampire was adorable.
“Can I be totally honest?” he asked, chin down as he peered up beneath long eyelashes.
“I prefer that.”
He shifted anxiously and set his clasped hands on the table. “It’s a lot like sex actually.”
“For the vampire or for the blood host?”
“For both.”
“You’ve been both?” I asked curiously.
I’d never thought of a vampire being bitten as well, but of course anyone could serve as a blood host. Humans were just more open to the idea.
“It’s very intimate,” he said. “And pleasurable. For both parties.”
Belinda strode up and set down our drinks. “Here we are. Enjoy!” She smiled and sauntered off just as Nico settled behind the mic, hooked his guitar strap over his shoulder, and started to play. I recognized the soft tune of a familiar song. Then he began to sing KALEO’s “I Can’t Go On Without You.”
Christopher drank a little of his beer. “I have to say I’m a little surprised you’re interested. I mean, are you interested?”
His demeanor remained friendly, but his blue eyes rolled with silver, his vampire very much liking the idea.
The fact is, I was interested. But not with him, I didn’t think. I needed to be sure.
“Let’s dance.” I took an unladylike gulp of my wine for courage then set it down and stood from the booth.
“Okay.”
He seemed caught off guard but stood and took my hand quickly enough. He led me the few paces to our small dancefloor.
We slid into each other’s arms easily, his hands on my waist, mine laced around his neck. He wasn’t quite as tall as Devraj, bringing our faces closer together. He was a seriously good-looking guy. Hot, even. And nice. Friendly. Normal, not a nut job. And yet, still, I swayed in his arms, wondering why he couldn’t make me feel the way Devraj did.
My gaze skated over his shoulder to the man forefront in my thoughts. He stood beside Charlie now, back to the bar, both elbows resting behind him. He was not happy. But all I could do was eat up his perfect physique in dark jeans and black fitted T-shirt. Good heavens, that man was fine. And sweet and gentle. My pulse tripped faster, and not because of the man I was dancing with. This was so unfair to Christopher.
Nico’s voice, normally so deep, crooned the lilting melody of KALEO’s desperation in his high-pitched key when he sang the chorus. Nico’s eyes were closed as he sang with heavy emotion, drawing the attention of everyone in the restaurant. The incessant chatting had lowered, and I couldn’t do anything but stare at Devraj, wishing I was dancing with him.
“Isadora.” My gaze snapped to Christopher. Damn, now his eyes were all sad. “You’re a lovely woman, but I’m pretty sure your heart isn’t into this.” He lifted a hand and gestured between the two of us. “Am I right?”
“No, Christopher. I mean, maybe. I don’t know.”
“I think I do.” He looked over at the bar at Devraj who unashamedly watched us, his expression stoic, steady. Not threatening, but still, a touch too intense before he turned to something Charlie said beside him. “I think that vampire at the bar staring daggers through the back of my skull might be the reason.”
“I’m so sorry,” I stammered. “I didn’t mean to waste your time.”
“You didn’t.” He smiled, and I wished I could be attracted to this uncomplicated, great guy. But I knew I couldn’t. “Let’s finish our drinks, then I’ll be on my way.”
I nodded, and we ambled back to the booth and did just that. Christopher talked about trivial things, the last St. Patrick’s Day parade in the French Quarter where he watched a friend drink from a woman while she downed a green beer, both of them getting wildly drunk on booze and boozy blood. I smiled and laughed where appropriate, but all I could do was hope he’d leave soon. Devraj was still there, and I couldn’t focus on much while he was.
Before long though, Christopher pulled out a twenty and set it on the table and stood. “It was such a pleasure meeting you, Isadora. I hope he deserves you.”
“Not sure he wants me the way you’re thinking.” In the permanent way, my poor heart whimpered. But I was starting to realize I wanted him for as long as I could have him. And no amount of dating other people was going to make me want someone else.
Christopher came to my side, cupped my cheek, leaned over, and pressed a slow kiss to my lips. It was nice. Really nice. But it wasn’t Devraj.
He pulled back, still holding my cheek. “Maybe that’ll get him moving.” He caressed my cheekbone with his thumb. “If it doesn’t work out, please give me a call.” Then he flashed one of those dimpled smiles and left.
Three seconds later, Devraj was standing beside me, examining my features with somber intensity. “Can we talk?”
I gestured toward the spot where Christopher sat a minute before. He stared at it, clenching his jaw.
“Somewhere else?”
“Sure.”
When I stood, he laced his fingers with mine and led me out the door and up Magazine where people meandered to and from bars.
“How’d your date go?” he asked, a roughness in his voice I wasn’t used to.
“Fine.”
“Just fine?”
Sighing, I pulled my hand from his and faced him. “I liked him. He’s a nice guy. Has a steady job here in New Orleans. He’s attractive.” When he winced, I continued, “So yeah, it was fine.”
A laughing couple brushed past us. He took my hand and tugged me around the corner of the Cauldron into the alley. “Then why did it
last barely an hour?”
“What are you getting at?”
He shoved his hands in his jean’s pockets. “I just want to know if you’re really interested in him before I offer a proposition to you.”
I leaned back against the brick wall behind me. “What kind of proposition?”
He eased closer. “So you’re not going out with him again?”
No reason to pretend I was, I shook my head. His dark eyes flared with silver before he pressed closer, placing his hands on either side of my head, caging me in.
“I think you’re looking for excitement,” he said. “But you’re not going to find it with those men on Zapp.”
I didn’t contradict his statement. No one lit me on fire like Devraj. “Excitement, yes. But I was hoping to find more than that.”
He stared, silver eyes blazing, his thoughts seeming to whirl as he catalogued my features.
“I could give you more.” Whether Devraj was capable of anything more, I couldn’t pretend I wasn’t already willing to take whatever he had to offer.
“While you’re here, you mean?” His brown eyes glinted with silver, but I went on before he could respond, placing a hand on his chest. “Look, I want to be totally honest. After our first night, I didn’t want to do it again or let it go any farther with you, because I was afraid.”
“Of me?” His hand spread over mine, pressing hard. His heart drummed erratically beneath my palm.
“No, not of you. More of myself really.” I gave a little laugh. “Of letting my feelings grow too strong before you had to leave.”
He licked his lips, drawing my gaze to his luscious mouth. “Isadora, I feel…” He cleared his throat and started again. “I enjoy being with you. Shit, that sounds so small compared to what I’m trying to say.” The raw vulnerability in his expression had me gulping hard. He was being serious. So intensely serious. “I don’t want to waste any more time. I would never disrespect you or hurt you—”
“I know that,” I assured him. “And I’ve thought about it. I can handle this, the intimacy. I’m a big girl.” My smile was shaky, much like my nerves. But I couldn’t deny what I wanted anymore.
His heated brown eyes intensified as he caressed my face, zoning in on my mouth.
“So what I think you’re saying is, let’s not waste any more time.” He hovered closer, his hard chest pressing into mine. “Is that the wonderful news you’re telling me right now?”
“If I said yes, what would we do first?” I asked, my voice a breathy whisper.
His mouth brushed mine as he murmured against my lips, “I’ll lick you and fuck you till you come so hard you pass out wherever I take you.”
My knees buckled. He gripped my waist.
His lips brushed, coaxed, eased my mouth wider. “Tell me yes, Isadora.” He nipped again, sucking on my bottom lip before he scraped a fang along it. “Tell me you want that.”
I moaned when he pressed his mouth heavier to mine, sweeping in with his tongue. The tease of his piercing as it trailed along my tongue made me see stars.
Pulling back, he pressed his forehead to mine. “Tell me you want me.” There was earnest desperation in his plea.
“For how long?” I needed some sort of parameters. I couldn’t just go headlong into this without having some sort of boundaries. Or end date. If I could control that, then maybe I could keep my emotions in check. Maybe.
“For as long as we’ve got.” He skimmed his lips up my jaw to my neck, sipping at my skin, making me dizzy. “Say yes.”
I clutched at his T-shirt, wondering if I could really do this and keep my heart intact. I mean, sex was sex. I’d been able to compartmentalize it in the past. But none of my past lovers had managed to invade my heart. They also weren’t the kind of lover that Devraj was. Could I become his temporary lover and be fine with it when he left?
Knowing this was the biggest mistake ever, but completely unable to resist him, I murmured “yes” against his shoulder where I’d let my head fall.
He gripped my head with both hands, lifted and cradled gently, then he slanted his mouth over mine for a deep, penetrating kiss. I groaned at the intensity, especially when he pressed his hard body fully to mine. Chest to breasts, hard cock to my pelvis, thick muscular thighs to mine, his mouth devouring me with deep strokes of his pierced tongue.
Jesus, I was a pool of burning need.
By the time he pulled away, I was clinging to him to keep upright. He’d pressed one thigh between my legs to steady me, inching up the hem of my dress.
“Let’s start tonight,” he said, fiery eyes boring into mine.
“Okay,” I agreed, suddenly shy.
Then I was tossed over his shoulder caveman style, and we disappeared from Magazine Street, reappearing on his doorstep seconds later. Only I knew vampires couldn’t disappear. He’d just traced with me so fast I barely blinked before we’d moved several blocks. The sudden dizziness when he righted me had me falling back against the wall next to his back door.
“Sorry,” he said, fitting his key into the lock.
“In a hurry?” I asked on a laugh.
“You have no idea.”
He wasn’t laughing.
Chapter 24
~DEVRAJ~
* * *
Slow down, slow down, slow down.
I had to repeat the mantra, but it wasn’t working. I wanted inside her right fucking now. It felt like an eternity since I’d touched her. Tasted her.
As soon as we were through the door, I slammed it shut and pressed her into the wall in the foyer, swallowing her little moan when I delved in for a deep kiss, skimming my hands over her body. Her breasts, waist, hips. I slid my mouth down the slender column of her throat, loving the taste of her, the rapid fluttering of her pulse against my tongue. I slid one hand up her thigh and under her skirt, then dipped between her legs and into her panties.
“Fuck, Isadora,” I growled. “So wet already.”
She fisted a hand in my hair. Fucking right. My tigress was back. I fingered her slick cleft and sucked on her pulse till she was breathing good and hard. Dropping to my knees, I lifted the hem of her dress. “Hold this.”
She gripped it with one hand, the other still in my hair, her breath ragged in the quiet space. Holding her gaze, I slid her panties down her legs, slipping off her sandals at the same time.
Skating my hands up till I gripped the tops of her thighs, I urged her to widen her stance. “Open up for me, love.”
The growl in my throat was practically menacing, but my witch didn’t flinch. No. She tightened her grip in my hair and urged me closer.
I couldn’t keep the grin off my face before I leaned in and licked the sweetest pussy in the whole world.
“God, Devraj,” she panted.
Her knees buckled, but I held her hard and licked her harder, flicking my piercing over her swollen nub.
“I can’t…” Her head fell back to the wall, her pelvis rocking forward to meet my eager mouth.
She was climbing fast, thrusting faster.
“I need, I need it, Devraj.”
She was panting, fisting my hair tight, her body thrumming and wanting to get there. But today I was being selfish. The beastly side of me wanted her to come on my cock alone. I needed to feel her come undone while I was buried deep inside her, and nothing else would satisfy.
When I let her thighs go, she wobbled, but I grabbed her hands and put them on my shoulders to steady her as I stood and reached for my wallet in my back pocket. Her face was flushed, splotched with pink, her mouth agape as she panted, her eyes half-lidded.
“Please don’t stop,” she begged, a little sluggish and slow to respond.
“Not planning on it.” I had the condom in hand then unzipped my jeans and freed my cock.
“You were prepared,” she commented with a hint of sarcasm. “Someone was sure he’d get lucky.”
“Hoping, Isadora.”
The condom rolled on, I gripped her by the waist and l
ifted her, pressing my chest to hers, trapping her body between me and the wall. She wrapped her legs around my waist right before I notched my cock at her entrance. Her eyes widened as I gripped her thighs and thrust in with one deep slide.
My lips pressed to hers, still holding her gaze, I whispered, “Always hoping.”
Then I moved in her slick heat, the sound and smell of sex pushing my limits of control. I almost laughed at myself. Control? I’d lost it the minute she’d said yes.
I needed to pump deeper. Harder. So I did and buried my mouth against her neck, inhaling her sweet skin as I licked and nipped every inch I could. The desire to bite her, mark her, spun my head like a top. Growling deep, I scraped my canines down the slope of her shoulder. “I want to bite you.”
She cradled my head closer, but said, “Don’t bite me.”
“I want all of you, Isadora.” I pulled back on my thrusts, moving with intense slowness. I licked the sweet beat of her pulse. “Let me take all of you.”
She shook her head, rolling her pelvis, urging me to speed up. “Not yet.”
Yet? I groaned at the very idea she was considering it.
“Move, damn you,” she demanded, clawing her nails against my nape and scalp.
“With pleasure, love.”
I fucked her fast and deep, sliding one hand between us to rub circles around her slick clit. She squeezed her thighs tighter, panting harder until she came while crying out my name. That was it for me. I drove deep while her sex pulsed around me, dragging my orgasm out of me a few pumps afterward.
I speared her one last time, crushing my mouth to hers as I came hard, kissing the fuck out of her, not near ready for this to end. Unable to hold back my thoughts, I whispered in her ear with a nip on her lobe, “Not ready to let you go yet.”
She laughed, the sound making my heart clench tight in my chest. “Then don’t.”
Two hours later, we’d made it to the living room and no further. Once more, we were on the white rug, which I’d had cleaned since last time, curled up with a blanket and a plate of grapes, cheese, and olives that I’d put together quickly for us. I knew she hadn’t eaten with her date. I would’ve paused to cook something more, but last time when she was left alone with her thoughts too long she’d made a quick escape. I didn’t want her to leave. Ever.
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