Crimson Bayou (Things that go Bump in the Bayou Book 1)

by Alizabeth Lynn

  Carissa tried to move her arms up to pull his head back down to hers, but he evaded. “What are you doing?” he repeated.

  She pouted, stuck her lower lip out and batted her eyes at him. “What you want.” Carissa struggled to get out of his grip. She was getting stronger, but was still no match for him. “I need the distraction, Aden. Give me the distraction.”

  She attempted to kiss him again, but Aden moved back, using his grip on her wrists to keep her at a safe distance. “This isn’t what you want, Carissa,” he said softly, the words acid in the back of his throat. “If it was, we’d both be naked right now. You’re playing with fire, and you aren’t prepared.”

  Carissa aimed a sexy smile at him, her eyes roaming his body before coming back to meet his eyes once more. “Well, if you’d just let go of my wrists, I could prove you wrong.”

  Aden forced himself to smile. His body screamed for release—begged for Carissa’s touch, but he knew sex wouldn’t make things easier. Something was wrong with the way Carissa was throwing herself at him, and he refused to take advantage of her. He leaned in and pressed a chaste kiss to her cheek.

  “Go home, Carissa,” he told her, cursing his morals to Hell. “Call Eleanor to stay with you, and we’ll talk again when you’re feeling more like yourself.”

  Shock sparked in her brilliant eyes, her jaw dropping at his refusal. He wanted so badly to kiss the look away, to strip her out of her clothes and see what other changes had happened to her body overnight—but he resisted. With one last heated look, he released her wrists, scooped his shirt off the floor, and fled the house into the night. A dunk in the cold swamp could at least help one of them.

  Vision dimmed, Carissa returned to her home in a daze, unable to fathom what happened between her and Aden, or rather, what hadn’t happened. She stormed to the shower, cursing with every step, her outrage grew until she was sure steam rose from her scalp when the water hit. Did he really just turn me down? I know damn good and well he wanted me. Aden was hard as a rock when she put her arms around him—the bulge in his pants being an obvious clue. She scoffed, unable to wrap her mind around his conflicting behavior. His body had been more than ready, but he kept telling her no. What the hell was his issue? What kind of man turned down a perfectly willing woman?

  It was possible he didn’t really want her…

  No. Carissa knew what she felt—Aden was just being an ass. He probably thought being a vampire was far superior to being a werewolf, and the fact that she’d be furry on a regular basis before long turned him off. Even though his body responded so strongly, his mind wasn’t on the same page. She switched off the water with an angry flick of her wrist. Well, she’d show him how wrong he was, as soon as she finished being pissed at him.

  The sorcerer stood outside his estate, watching as the moonlight glinted off the still waters of his pond. His assistant stood by his side, hands clasped, silently waiting for him to speak.

  “You have news, T?”

  “Yes, sir. I have Aden’s last name.”

  “And it is?”

  “McTarver, sir.”

  The sorcerer’s head shot up. “Are you certain?”

  “Yes, sir. Is this significant?”

  “Jeffrey McTarver is the Queen City Pack Master. He governs the most powerful pack in the state of Maine. Are you sure Aden is a vampire?”

  “He keeps a supply of human blood in his house, and I’ve seen him drink it. Maybe he’s not related to the pack master.”

  “No, he is. We knew he was from up north, Jasmine told us as much. The little bitch didn’t say he was born to be a werewolf, though!”

  T placed a hand on his arm, eyes bright with consideration. “If he was already a supernatural creature before he was turned, doesn’t that mean he couldn’t have died?”

  The sorcerer tapped a finger against his chin. “You’re right. And he’s seeing the Crimson Bayou Pack Master’s daughter?”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “T, this could work to my advantage far better than the elder daughter. Can you imagine the power a child of Aden’s would have? Find a way for them to mate, before the ceremony.”

  T bowed. “Yes, sir.”

  Grumbling under his breath, Aden pulled on his shirt as he walked, then shoved his hands into the pockets of his jeans. Low-hanging branches bit into the skin of his arms and face, the cuts healing almost instantly, as he walked the familiar path through the woods to the edge of the swamp. This wasn’t the same area where he’d walked with Carissa, but he kept his ears and eyes open for animal noises while he brooded. Really, what the hell had she been thinking, throwing herself at him like that? God, were the situation different, he’d have taken her in a heartbeat—the consequences be damned.

  With a heavy sigh, Aden kicked a rock into the murky water. What the hell is my problem? A willing woman throws herself into my arms, and the only thing I could think to tell her was no? Am I really that daft? “Shit,” he muttered. He’d always been too noble. That was something Jasmine—his last relationship before he’d been changed—used to say to him. He wouldn’t take advantage of her when she was drunk, or stoned, so that made him less of a man. Fuck that. Having morals wasn’t a bad thing, and surely Carissa would understand. She was a smart woman, and once she realized her emotions got the better of her, they could sit down and talk about what transpired as mature adults.

  Yeah, right.

  Aden would never be able to get that vision of Carissa out of his mind—her skin glowing in the last rays of the dying sun as she walked to him with all the purpose of seduction in every step. Greater men than he would have fallen at her feet, grateful for the opportunity to have her beneath him, but not Aden. No, his morals were too important. He glared up at the moon. She’d seemed so damn shocked at his resistance, and hurt when he walked away.

  Wait. Aden’s eyes went wide as he recalled the exact look on Carissa’s face as he turned to leave. She’d been near tears, her lashes sweeping down to hide the sadness he’d caused. Her hands had reached for him, arms trembling, her lips quivering as she opened her mouth to say something he never heard. What if I was wrong? What if she had been in control? If he was what she truly wanted in that moment, his leaving was a grievous error—one there would be no coming back from if he stayed away. He turned on his heel, his decision to go back as swift as his decision to leave. He’d warned her she was playing with fire. If he was right, maybe it was time to get burned.

  He made it back to her house in record time. Aden pushed open her door without knocking. The time for niceties had passed. He thought to corner her in the kitchen for an answer, but when he heard water running in her bathroom, he changed his mind and slipped quietly into her bedroom, leaning against the wall by the door to wait for her. He didn’t have to stand there long. He heard muffled cursing as the water shut off, and he had to stop himself from flinching. Damn it. He still had time to leave. The bathroom door slammed open, and the moment passed.

  Carissa walked into the room, her wet hair plastered to the top of her head, her damp nightgown clinging to every curve she had. Aden promptly forgot about wanting to leave as his body responded to her presence. He cleared his throat. Carissa jumped and spun around, swearing when she saw him.

  “Oh,” she sneered, “It’s you.” She crossed her arms over her chest and narrowed her eyes. “Come back to make me feel worse—or are you wanting to ease your guilty conscience?”

  Aden flinched, her words more painful than a slap. “No,” he told her softly. “That’s not why I came back.” He took a step forward, letting his interest show in his eyes, the room taking on a blueish tint as they glowed in the darkness.

  Carissa took a step backward, her hand flying to cover her heart, the wild beat of it loud enough for him to hear. “Wh-why did you come back, then?” she stammered.

  He took another step forward, and she another backward. “To know,” he replied, one arm outstretched, his fingertips inches from her skin.

  Cari
ssa stepped back again, nearly to the bed. Her lips trembled, her breath coming in quick little gasps. “To know what?” she whispered.

  Aden’s fingers glided over her cheek, his touch feather-soft. He watched her close her eyes, all traces of anger gone from her expression. “To know if I’m really what you want.”

  She opened her eyes, their depths laced with a hint of fear, but darkened by desire. She nodded, and that was all the invitation he needed. He moved toward her, eating up the space between them, pushing her backward with the fire of his body. There would be no turning back.

  Chapter Thirty

  Carissa stumbled backward as Aden advanced, his glowing eyes causing her heart to pound. Her tongue darted out, moistening her lips as his gaze followed her every move. He took another step forward, and she once again retreated-though this time she had nowhere to go. Her knees hit the mattress and with a gasp she fell backward. Aden closed the rest of the space between them in an instant, leaning down over her, his muscles straining against his shirt as he placed his hands on either side of her hips. She opened her mouth to say—well, she didn’t know what she would say.

  He stared into her eyes as his hands came up, taking her face in his warm palms. Flashing her a lightning quick grin, Aden lowered his mouth slowly to hers, capturing her lips. Every other time he’d kissed her had been gentle. But not this time. This time he didn’t hold back, nipping her lower lip, caressing her tongue with his. Carissa moaned, lifting her arms to encircle his neck as she returned the kiss, twining her tongue with his.

  Without warning, Aden lifted his head, breaking their connection. Eyes glowing brightly, he clamped his hands on her hips and jerked her more fully onto the bed, keeping his knees on either side of her, caging her in. His eyes never left hers as he used his incredible speed to rip off her nightgown, making her cry out in ardor as his eyes hungrily trailed over her exposed breasts.

  Panting, Carissa once more tried to speak, but he growled low in his throat and she closed her jaw with an audible snap. Heart racing, she locked her eyes on his. He had warned her that she was playing with fire, and now she knew why. Moisture pooled between her thighs as he caressed her breasts with his palms, making her nipples go taunt as darts of desire shot through her, causing her to moan.

  All thought of speech left her in the wake of his attention, her mind well beyond the production of coherent words. Her skin tingled, burned with the lines of fire he set with each touch. With another low growl, Aden lowered his head and flicked his tongue across her left nipple. Carissa shouted out in shock and delight, her thighs flexing beneath him as she gripped his hair and held his mouth to her flesh.

  Carissa panted in pleasure as she arched upward, attempting to rub against the growing bulge trapped in his jeans. Hissing out a breath, Aden pulled back, shifting his weight to keep her pinned down.

  “No,” he whispered, his voice tight with desire. “I’m not done with you yet.”

  Carissa’s eyes widened as her lips fell open, her grip on him loosening. Aden didn’t hesitate, taking advantage of her shock to kiss her, plundering the sweetness of her mouth. She melted against him, her heart hammering against her ribs at breakneck speed. If this was what happened when she played with fire, then please, God, don’t let him stop. Whimpering against his mouth, she grasped his biceps and dug her nails into the taut skin. His mouth moved to her neck, nuzzling just below her ear, coaxing her head to drop back. With a breathy moan, she offered him full access to the column of her throat.

  With a rumbling groan, Aden reached down, his bicep bunching as he ripped her underwear from her body. He didn’t leave her time to form a gasp before one knee nudged her legs apart, and he thrust his hand toward the wet heat of her core. His fingers moved over the sensitive nub of her womanhood and she jumped, desire shooting through her, her scream of pleasure muffled against his shoulder. He chuckled deeply against her neck, the sound vibrating through her, and she nipped lightly at his shoulder.

  Her mind muddled as his fingers moved within her. She felt his fangs against the skin of her neck, and she moaned, the sound long and languid. As if her pleasure egged him on, the motion of Aden’s fingers increased, plunging faster and faster into her core, building up the pressure growing in her body. She felt his arm tense, the muscles bulging from his biceps to his neck. Panting, Aden pulled his mouth from her, locking his eyes on her own.

  Carissa’s body vibrated as his hand slowed, making her whimper in regret as he denied her release. She knew what he wanted-if she dared. She pressed a hot kiss to his neck, reaching between them and deftly unzipping his jeans, pushing the denim down his toned thighs. Aden said nothing, simply pulled away from her to kick his jeans off. Then he was against her once more, on his knees between her thighs, the hard length of him pressing against her center.

  He kissed her gently, rubbing his lips against hers. Slowly, teasingly. Leaving her mouth, he trailed fire hot kisses along her jaw, agonizingly working his way back to her throat. Carissa wrapped her legs around his waist, locking her ankles behind his back. With a moan, she pressed a hand to the back of his head and turned her face into his neck.

  She grazed her teeth over his shoulder, and delight ripped through her as he shuddered. She felt his fangs against her neck again, but he didn’t move, his body quivering as he fought the urge to bite. A languid smile came to Carissa’s lips as she lifted her hips, pressing against his length as she increased the pressure at the back of his head.

  “Take me,” she whispered. “All of me.”

  As if her words snapped him from his trance, the firestorm erupted.

  A feral growl rumbled from his chest as he plunged into her, his need so great it set the bed rocking. Carissa moaned loudly, wordlessly clinging to him as her fingers tangled in his silky hair. Again and again he thrust into her, sending little zaps of pleasure rocketing through her body. The fire burned brighter and brighter with each thrust, and she screamed his name as her orgasm slammed into her, setting her body to shaking. The shaking grew as wave after wave washed over her, prolonged with each stroke of his hard length. Fangs scraped against her neck as the inferno raged higher. Her thighs tensed, squeezing. As she reached her breaking point, she felt his lips against her pulse point.

  “I love you, Carissa.” He rumbled, sinking his fangs deep into her thrumming vein.

  Carissa screamed, colors swirling before her eyes as pleasure like she’d never known swamped her, enveloping and stealing her senses. Aden thrust deeply one final time, his moan vibrating her neck as he followed her over the edge into the bliss of orgasm.

  Panting, he pulled his face away from her neck, pressing his forehead against hers. Carissa let her legs fall from around him, and laughed weakly, her pulse still pounding in her ears. Cupping his face in her hands, she shifted so she could look into his still bright eyes. She pressed a light kiss to his lips, tasting the copper flavor of her own blood, and smiled.

  “Fire indeed.”

  His white-gloved hands stilled as the door opened and his assistant walked in.

  “They’ve mated, sir,” T said without preamble.

  “And you would know this, how?”

  “I’m not without my own set of skills. You did teach me, after all.”

  “I see. And is it likely their romance will continue?”

  “I do believe it will, but Garrett’s ready to make his move, with his understudy, Ryker, taking the vampire’s place.”

  “Does he know about Aden?”

  “No, sir.”

  “Good. Keep it that way, but give him the green light. I want to see exactly where his loyalties lie.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  The sorcerer turned as his assistant reached the door. “Oh, and T? If no one kills Ryker before the ceremony, see to it that he doesn’t get the chance to exchange vows with the pack master’s daughter. I want the child between her and Aden, not her and the werewolf.”

  T grinned, white teeth gleaming. “I’ll see that Stephen know
s his orders, sir.”

  Chapter Thirty-One

  Alone the next afternoon, Carissa finished her shower by going through the motions—her mind on the night before, and all the times she and Aden had made love before the sun came up. Smiling, Carissa threw on a pair of jeans with a simple fuchsia t-shirt, her body much more limber than it had been in a very long while. She was also ravenous. So much so, that she could imagine her stomach hopping from her body and rummaging in the cabinets for food while she took her time walking to the kitchen.

  Turning her thoughts to those kitchen cabinets—and the soup she thought might be waiting—Carissa walked into the hallway, coming to a shocked halt before she’d taken two steps. All thoughts of food retreated to the back of her mind as she found her sister and brother-in-law standing in her entryway. The sight of them was as unexpected as a lightning strike on a cloudless day.

  Gwen leaned against the front door, and her husband, Rafe, stood with his hands in his pockets at the opening to Carissa’s kitchen. Neither one of them had changed much since the last time she’d seen them. Gwen still wore her flame-red hair in the same short, spiky style, and her five-foot-ten inch frame certainly reflected her daily workouts. Carissa and Gwen’s eyes were the same shade of green, though Gwen’s were wider and more suspicious. Her husband’s pale green eyes were just as suspicious, but held a little more warmth. What was left of his hair was short and a little wavy, and large muscles accentuated his six-foot tall build.

  There was absolutely no reason those two should be anywhere near her house. “What are y’all doing here?” Carissa tried to keep her tone mild, but it came out sounding accusatory.

  Gwen rushed over to her, throwing her arms around her sister in a sidesplitting hug. “Oh, Rissa! We came as soon as we heard! Are you okay? I know it’s scary, but we’re here now and can walk you through everything. You have nothing to worry about, now.”

  Carissa pushed her sister to arm’s length, frowning. “What are you talking about? A soon as you heard what?”