Shattered Days (The Firsts Book 7)

by C. L. Quinn

  “Let me get you out of here,” he barked, words almost impossible a second later when he felt her tongue on the tip of his engorged penis.

  Grabbing Tamesine, he lifted her in his arms, and shot upright.

  “I want you, now, but not here.”

  Tamesine didn’t care. “Now, yes, and here is fine.”

  “No. I won’t make love to you in an alleyway where someone probably pissed earlier tonight.”

  Marc lifted her into his arms, and pulled open the back door to the bar.

  “There’s a basement, a room where Joe keeps his best stock. It’s private, and clean. Are you okay with this?”

  Her arms tight around Marc’s neck, Tamesine couldn’t keep her eyes off of his throat, the warm skin, the surging blood. This could get dangerous.

  As he carried her down a set of stairs, she shook her head. No, she’d better not. If she let him inside of her, she didn’t think she could keep from doing a blood draw.

  “Marc, I think we’d better stop,” she said, so quietly, she wasn’t sure she could hear herself, let alone that he could.

  But he must have.

  When he reached the lower floor, lit only by some LED’s set around the room, he paused, but didn’t let her down.

  He stood there, immobile, holding Tamesine, while her fingers caressed under his hairline.

  Marc’s extreme arousal couldn’t understand what she’d said. His cock was weeping, desperate to get inside of her and ride to ecstasy. But he couldn’t move.

  She’d said no. Okay, put her down, back off. This isn’t going to happen tonight.

  Lowering her feet to the floor, Marc began to back away so he could control his intense need.

  That’s when Tamesine took his hand and led him deeper into the underground room, to a corner, where she lifted up a heavy blanket used to cushion bottles of wine when they were shipped. She laid it on the floor and turned to Marc.

  “Do you trust me?”

  He didn’t know what to think about this. Had she changed her mind? That was all he could think about right now. Please, please, let her have changed her mind.

  “I’d tell you anything you wanted to hear right now if you let me make love to you. But, the truth is, yes, I do. I trust you, even though I actually know almost nothing about you.”

  “Okay. Then, don’t question what I’m going to do, all right?”

  Marc nodded.

  “Take off those damn pants, quickly.”

  He sure the fuck didn’t need anyone to say that again. They were gone in seconds, the boots kicked halfway across the room in his haste.

  He turned back to her, naked, feet apart, his erect cock huge, waiting for her, while she just looked at him.

  “Damn,” she swore softly, and pushed him onto the blanket. He fell hard, and didn’t notice it at all because she stood over him as she dropped her skirt, then her top, then a lacy bra. She wore no panties.

  Even though the light was poor, Marc could see that her body was every bit as stunning as he knew it would be. He almost came as she lowered that body to his, her clitoris pressed against his erection, her body fitted against his like it was made to be there.

  His hands curled around her thighs.

  “I can’t believe you are here, with me, and it’s real,” he finally said as his fingers slid over her thighs and cupped her buttocks.

  “It’s real. I didn’t want this, I wanted to listen to the universe that we needed to discover each other’s pain, spiritually, not physically, but it seems that this was going to have to happen. I’ve wanted you almost from that first night. Maybe I’ve been wrong, maybe we have to connect on every level to help each other heal.”

  With a low growling laugh, Marc moved his cock against her. “Then let’s get to the healing, little waitress.”

  Tamesine leaned forward, and kissed him, deeply this time, with a passion that, in spite of her lost memories, she thought she likely had never felt before. When the kiss ended moments later, she lifted her body and grazed back and forth across the head of his cock until he groaned, and then she plunged down, taking all of his length suddenly.

  His groan turned into a cross between a growl and a sigh, and his arms came around her to pull her close, while he pushed deeper, ground himself inside of her, and, too soon, he was ready to come. It had just been too long and she was such a perfect fit for him.

  That’s when things went so wild, he wasn’t sure at first what was happening. As she moved up and down on him, Tamesine leaned forward and buried her face against his throat. He felt a sharp prick and then an overwhelming heat, intense, powerful, that went through his entire body, his cock reacting most of all as it spasmed, almost like an orgasm, but not quite, the pleasure building into something he did not recognize. All he knew was that it was incredible, and that whatever she was doing, he didn’t want her to stop. Ever.

  He held her tight against his throat, but it wasn’t to keep her there. He knew she wasn’t moving away from him. Minutes later they both hit explosive orgasms so forceful that Marc was afraid she would be shoved off of him, and he didn’t want that. As he pumped into Tamesine, he held her against him, and when she cried out as she came, he thought it was the most beautiful thing he’d ever heard. Whatever happened, from today and for every day beyond, he knew he needed to protect this woman.

  Although, at this very moment, all he could think of was how good she felt in his arms, and gratitude for the first orgasm he’d had inside of a woman in nearly a decade.

  He rolled her over, his hand wrapped around her face. Was she really this beautiful, or was he dreaming?

  That smile he’d come to love widened. “Not now, no dreaming, this is completely real. We’ve done it now, we’ve superseded the spiritual link.” Tamesine’s hands slid around his waist again. “And it was worth it. Oh, God was it worth it.”

  “I have to kiss you now,” Marc told her as he lowered his head and explored her thoroughly with his tongue.

  Tamesine wondered how good that would feel much lower on her body and she heated there, satiated, and yet still in need. She wasn’t finished with this man, not even close. The universe put them together and she was more than ready and willing to see where it intended to lead them.

  He hadn’t said anything about the blood draw. And she hadn’t decided what to do when he did. It would likely be necessary to compel his memory to forget it, and she wished she didn’t have to, because it had been glorious. The merge they felt in their dream state was now true in the real world. She’d connected to him, heart, mind, and body, while the orgasm and blood became one. The experience was too far away from normal for a human, so he would have to be confused and he would have to ask her what had happened.

  A loud click and squeak interrupted the lovers lying in the back of the basement room, followed by a voice.

  “Is anyone down here?”

  Marc lifted away from Tamesine. “Joe. Shit. Stay here, I’ll get rid of him.”

  He stood, his naked body above Tamesine, and she just watched the leonine way he moved as he picked up his crumpled jeans. What a beautiful human. He actually touched her soul, and that had never happened before.

  As he walked away from her, she imagined the day that he would do that for the last time. Even though this fledgling relationship was born of magic, she knew it would end when she went back to her vampire world.

  One thing she knew, when that day came, she would miss him. But her life had been about nothing more than disappointments and pain, so why would this be any different?

  Marc climbed halfway up the stairs. Joe was just coming down them.

  “Hey,” he said.

  Joe scanned his bartender, leaning casually against the railing, dressed in jeans, and nothing else.

  “Hey,” he responded.

  “Um, I’ve got a lady with me,” Marc finally said.

  Joe nodded, his eyes moving into the darkened interior, but he couldn’t see anything much beyond the first racks
of bottles. “Okay.” He turned and went back up the stairs, and closed the door with a gentle click.

  Marc took a deep breath. What a bizarre evening. What a bizarre life!

  He padded back down the stairs, and around the corner of the racks to see Tamesine dressed and folding the blanket. She turned to him.

  “So.”

  Her simple word seemed to say it all. Well, not all, but he didn’t want to bring it up, not the weird thing she did, not the sticky mess on his neck, the blood on his fingers where he’d reached into his moist hair after their orgasm. He didn’t really care at this moment.

  When she came forward a second later and wrapped her arms around him in a hug, her blonde curls covering his arm, he didn’t care at all. He held her close, could feel her heart beating. Could he? Or was he feeling something deeper in her, something he shouldn’t. Yes, he was definitely in a strange zone, because he could actually feel her emotions.

  “You’re sad,” he said abruptly.

  She pulled back, her eyes moist, and nodded. “Some. But not because we made love. It was perfect, and although I didn’t plan this, I think we were meant to after all. I couldn’t stop myself.”

  After another kiss, Marc told her, “Please don’t ever stop yourself if you want to get on top of me. The invitation is infinite.”

  “I have to go. Shit, what is Frank going to say?”

  “Tell him you had an emergency.”

  “I’m certainly not going to tell him I had sex with you.”

  “Best emergency ever.”

  “I need to get back to work.”

  Tamesine paused and as she caught his eyes, she could see the questions there.

  “We’ll talk,” she said quietly.

  Marc’s eyes, now serious, didn’t break the gaze. “We’ll talk,” he agreed, but then took her face in his hands and kissed her, long and passionately. He shocked Tamesine when he left her lips and traveled down her cheek, and as he tilted her head up, he buried his mouth against her throat, licked, and lightly bit.

  “We’ll talk,” he repeated and led her up the stairs.

  EIGHT

  After work, Tamesine sat on her sofa, silent, a mug of hot chocolate infused with a generous amount of Kahlua perched on her knee, both legs drawn up under the oversized shirt she wore. Her mind was overactive, and nothing she did would shut it off. Mostly, her thoughts were of Marc, the spectacular sex they’d had, and that she’d taken his blood and he hadn’t asked her anything about it yet. He’d just accepted the odd action without shock or questions as if it were normal during sex. For her, it was. For him, it was so far out of the realm of reality, she was still surprised that he hadn’t thrown her off of him at the time. Yet she had somehow known that he never would.

  Still, after they were finished, she’d expected him to ask her what the hell had happened, why she had done what she did. The question would come. Tonight, if she read her new lover right, and she did, because she’d been inside him.

  She smiled, dropping her head with a shake. Oh, yeah, had she ever. Was it just that it had been so long, that this lovemaking had entered her heart for the first time in her life?

  Her mind reeled, searching, bewildered, and although she had no answers at this point, one thing was clear…no, this connection was nothing as simple as that. This connection was so unexpected, even she, with all her powers, all her first blood magics, was unprepared for it. And in the deepest part of her, even that part that terrified her, she knew she was where she needed to be. That he was, as she’d suspected after that first meeting in their dreams, that they were on the same path and that they must travel together to the end of this journey for either, for both, to be well again.

  Her spirit amulet hummed and sent electricity through her body in an arc of recognition that she finally, finally, really understood. Destiny had stepped in. For the first time, she really, truly believed she would be well again, and her life would be hers to live again.

  A single hard knock on her door brought her gaze up to the wooden slab, and she smiled. He was here. Sliding her legs down off the sofa, she set the coffee cup on a little end table and slowly walked over to open the unlocked door.

  Marc leaned against the jamb.

  “Hi,” he said.

  “Come in,” Tamesine responded, and stepped back.

  He surged forward, lifting her into his arms. Her legs went around his waist as he kicked the door closed and turned her to press her against the wall.

  “Funny, that’s exactly what I intend to do.” His hands, curled under her buttocks, found no barrier, she wore no underwear, her already erect nipples apparent through the thin white shirt. “I plan to come. In.”

  “Then you might want to get to that. I’ve been ready since the basement.”

  He carried her to the mattress and lowered her, but came down with her.

  “Fuck. I have to let you go to get these pants off and I don’t want to stop touching you.”

  “I have a way around that.” Tamesine stood, so that Marc’s hands could slide up to her waist, and then her breasts under the shirt, while her own hands slid his jeans off in seconds. He had no idea what had happened to his tee shirt and boots, but they were on the floor with the jeans, along with her shirt. He didn’t care, just the fact that they were both now naked was all that mattered.

  She was on the mattress beneath him, smooth, hot skin under his fingertips, as he started where he’d wanted to earlier tonight but couldn’t take the time.

  “We nearly attacked each other in the bar. Now, I’ll be taking my time.”

  “I want you inside me again,” Tamesine whispered.

  “Good things come to those who wait,” he answered, and moved to her left breast, his tongue curling around the nipple, and nipping. Tamesine threw her head back onto her fat fluffy pillow and closed her eyes. How long had it been since she actually let someone take the time to make love to her? She didn’t mean sex, there had been plenty of that, but make love? Centuries? Ever?

  Boy, did he take his time. A vampire had an extraordinary appreciation for a talented tongue, and, whether motivated by her, or his experience, he knew what he was doing. Tamesine felt as if she were back in the dream, everything he did was otherworldly, erotic, and perfect. His hands moved over her body, the fingertips explored her skin, while his tongue and teeth nipped and licked her breasts, then moved to her neck, under her ears, which made her squeal, and then back to her throat, where he lingered.

  Marc lifted his mouth and whispered to her. “We still have to talk about that, but not yet.”

  Tamesine looked into his serious eyes and nodded.

  “Make love to me.” With corrupted memory of centuries past, she knew she had never asked that of anyone.

  “I intend to, all night long, and all day long. I can’t see a moment I would ever want to stop.”

  Perfect. Like a dream.

  “I can’t see a moment I would ever want you to.”

  With those promises made, he continued his journey from her throat to her toes, then flipped her over and started on her back. She could feel his fully engorged cock sliding along her skin as he moved, the most erotic thing she’d ever felt. Whatever made the universe put them together, she was grateful.

  Between her legs, she was wet and aching, and while she could easily power him down and slide him inside of her, she let him finish, although it was impossibly hard. He turned her over at one point and kissed her while her fingers held him, moving over the head of his penis so aggressively, he moaned and held her hands down while he pushed into her, hard and fast, the way she liked it.

  They both groaned when he sunk completely down, buried as deeply as he could, the friction like the storm in their dreams, fast and furious, a thundercloud that broke suddenly and brought the deluge. He came inside of Tamesine, wrapped around her body, her legs tight around his.

  Marc was shocked when he felt weightless after the orgasm, inside of Tamesine’s mind like he was in their
dreams. He felt her, far beyond their bodies, spiritually and mentally, locked inside of her, and he knew she felt him too. This was beyond anything he’d ever experienced, and while it was incredible, he felt confused, too. Eventually, he returned to self, and everything was normal, real, his hot skin pressed tightly to Tamesine’s hot skin, his hands intertwined in hers. They lay still after orgasms that spent every ounce of their energy.

  “I cannot move,” he whispered in her ear.

  “You don’t have to.”

  They were silent for minutes, just curled together, her fingers sliding along his torso, dipping along the curves of his muscled chest.

  “I don’t know what that was,” Marc suddenly said.

  “Lovemaking.” Tamesine paused. Then said, “And that is new to me.”

  Marc lifted his head, gray eyes locked on blue.

  “It’s new to me, too.”

  With those admissions, they stayed locked together. Tamesine’s head tucked under his shoulder, they fell asleep.

  Other admissions would come later.

  Marc woke slowly, disoriented. He searched the unfamiliar stomped, cracked ceiling. Memory returned quickly, and his body jerked as he sat up. Tamesine, and sex like he had never experienced. Lovemaking.

  Love? Surely not, he didn’t know her. But lovemaking, yes. What they’d done together was beyond just the act of sex. Nothing like anything he’d done as a young man before he went to war and lost his ability to have sexual interaction with a woman. Nothing like he’d ever thought he might get the chance to experience ever in his life.

  He looked around the room, and when he didn’t see her, he had a moment of concern, considering the trespasser in his apartment yesterday. It seemed logical that there might be trouble brewing, either around her or himself.

  Standing, Marc started toward the only other room in this apartment, which he assumed was the bathroom, with a closed door. A low squeak behind him announced the apartment door as it opened, and she walked through, a paper bag in her arms. He turned to face her.