Either you come to me, or I'll come and get you. Pick now. As soon as she thought it, the door to the lab burst open and a naked man stumbled out. Slamming her car into reverse, she whipped out of her parking space and backed up to the door. Within a blink, the door was open and he jumped in. Jerking her gear shift to drive, she slammed her foot on the pedal and peeled out before he shut the door.
Ignoring the fact he was one hundred percent gorgeous, and that just having him in the car sent her hormone levels into overdrive, she concentrated on zipping down the road. She needed to leave the lab, and all the memories it contained, behind. Slamming a mental door shut before the events of the past few months could overwhelm her, she maneuvered the car into a parking garage and sped up to the third floor.
"What are you doing?” His voice sounded the same as it had in her head. Deep and velvety, with a hint of warmth—a dangerous combination.
"I have a car stashed here. You don't think I entered the lab under my real name, do you?” Pulling off the name badge, she opened the glove box and pulled out a plastic case. Unzipping it, she tossed the badge inside along with the contacts she peeled from her eyes, and every little scrap in the car.
Climbing out of the car, she reached under the back bumper of the car next to it, and pulled out a magnetic key box. Using the key it contained to open the door, she tossed everything from the Mirage into the new car—her own car.
After wiping down the steering wheel and door handles of the Mirage, she shifted her attention to the vampire lying almost comatose in the backseat.
"We need to get you out of here. Can you change cars without help?"
He nodded, his shaggy hair falling in wild disarray around his face. Her fingers itched with the urge to sweep it back. Damning the fragile connection her blood had forged between them, she moved to the trunk of her car and opened it, pulling out a duffle bag. Tossing it into the back seat, she waited while he collapsed into her car, then closed the door.
"We're almost home free,” she reassured him, uncertain if he was even still awake.
They will not just let us walk away, came the answer, whispering across her mind.
* * * *
Kali checked her rearview mirror for what seemed like the hundredth time since leaving the lab, and breathed a sigh of relief that no one was there. It was almost daylight, and she was running on pure adrenaline. If she didn't pull over soon, she would end up falling asleep at the wheel, probably killing them both.
He'd stayed awake long enough to pull on the jeans and shirt she'd brought for him, then he nodded off. Soft snores drifted from the backseat for the past several hours. It was probably the first real sleep the vampire had enjoyed in a long while.
Spotting a hotel sign ahead, she pulled into the parking lot. Checking her purse for the ID she wanted, she turned off the car engine and headed inside. Within minutes, the sleepy-eyed clerk had taken her cash and assigned her a room. As luck would have it, it was on the corner, complete with easy access and outside of the view of the front desk. Knowing that didn't mean there were no cameras, so she was careful pulling into the space and moving her things inside. Returning to the car, she opened the back door and nudged the vampire awake.
His eyes flew open at the same moment he grabbed her neck, almost snapping it before the light of comprehension filled his gaze. As he let go, she collapsed against the seat, gasping softly for breath. Locking gazes with him, she tried to tamp down the fear that rose within her. She knew nothing about him, save that her Grand Master had believed him worth saving. If he hadn't died, it wouldn't have fallen to her to do the saving.
But he had, and she would carry out his last wish, even if the cost was her life. He'd saved her life once, the debt was owed.
"We need to get you inside. It's almost light, and you're dangerously weak.” The words sounded absurd as she said them. He could still easily kill her, even at partial strength. She knew too much time in the sun would sap what energy remained and he'd collapse. The sun would drain his cells dry and he'd turn to ash.
Wrapping her arm under the dark-haired man's shoulder, she pulled him out, half holding him up as they struggled out of the car.
"Damn you're heavy,” she grunted, dragging him into the room and to the bed, where he let go of her and flopped down, face first. Quickly moving to the door to close and lock it, she returned to his side.
"You're going to need blood,” she stated. Biting her lip, she waited on him to respond. If need be, she could trick someone into returning to the room with her, and he could drink from them. She could offer herself, but he had to ask first.
"Yes.” That was it, a simple agreement. Frustrated, she wanted to thump him for being so dense.
"Well? How do you want to do this? Do I get someone for you, or do you want me?"
He rolled onto his back, his eyes suddenly filled with heat. Kali swallowed as the double entendre of her words registered. “I mean, do you want my blood?” she backpedaled to clarify. Licking her lips, she waited for his answer.
"Your blood will strengthen our bond. We have already formed a mental connection. If I take some of your blood, I will be unable to control the need to claim you for my own, my body will demand it. You have already given your body for me, more times than I care to know of. I cannot ask it of you again. The choice, as they say, is in your hands."
Kali nodded and stalked off to the bathroom. I need to think, she conveyed in her mind, then closed a mental door. Almost immediately, she felt him pull back.
She smelled of Doctor Nelson's cologne and scent. Stripping off the offending clothes, she pulled the bag out of the trash can and tossed them into it. Once she turned the water on as hot as she could stand it, she stepped under the spray, needles of heat pounding against her skin. Her motions were jerky as she tried to block out the ramifications of her decision. She scrubbed at her skin until it was raw.
If she brought him someone, she'd feel guilty for the rest of her life. Innocence would be lost, and the karma would come back on her, she knew it. But the alternative, giving her body to a man—a vampire—she barely knew, seemed unimaginable. As the washcloth brushed over her pussy, she almost dropped to her knees from the sting of pain it evoked. Gasping, she grabbed the metal bar that ran the length of the tub and held on, white knuckled, until the pain ebbed. The sadistic bastard Nelson had hurt her before, but never this badly.
What is wrong?
Kali's head jerked up as his words flowed through her mind.
Answer me, or I will come in there.
The heat of the water surged. Someone must have flushed a toilet or something.
I will pretend that I believe you—for now. Warmth swept over her, as he sent his concern for her through his thoughts before retreating once more, allowing her privacy.
Kali jerked her head in a nod before she remembered he couldn't see her. After she turned off the taps, she climbed out of the shower and toweled off. She wasn't certain when she'd made the decision, but she knew what she needed to do. Dropping the towel, she turned out the light and stepped out of the bathroom.
As she stepped around the corner, she registered that the overhead light was out, leaving only the dim glow of the nightstand lamp bathing the room. He had turned down the bed and was waiting, sitting on the edge.
"So you are going out to get someone—” His voice trailed off in a swift inhalation as she stepped further into the room.
Self-conscious, she ducked her chin against her chest, waiting for his reaction. It wasn't long in coming. Kali never heard him move, but suddenly he was standing before her, his fingertips gently lifting her chin. His ink-black eyes gazed down into hers, and Kali felt a curious stirring in the pit of her stomach. It was softer than the wave of lust that hit her in the car, but more poignant somehow.
"Are you sure?"
Tears filled her eyes at his soft tone. Blinking them away, she nodded and pulled her chin free. Moving around him, she grabbed the covers and pulled them to the foot of the bed bef
ore climbing in. Lying down, she tried not to look like a sacrificial virgin, but must have failed. He started to protest, but she swiftly cut him off.
"I made my choice. I can live with whatever happens between us, but I can't with taking the choice away from someone else."
"Someone else wouldn't compel me to lust at the first taste of their blood. I would be able to feed once from them. From you, I don't have that option. We are linked."
Kali nodded. Her gaze still locked on his, she lifted her hands to her hair and pulled it back, baring her neck. Arching against the pillows, she elongated the slender column as far as she could and waited while he seemed to struggle with himself.
As he moved to the bed, the wild thought that she didn't even know his name rushed over her. “If we're going to have sex, shouldn't I at least know your name?"
Warm lips brushed against her neck, sending tingles of awareness rushing over her. It felt right being here with him. So perfect.
"Riordan,” he whispered against her skin, feathering soft kisses along the way. “My name is Riordan."
"I'm Kali,” she whispered back, not trusting her own voice to a louder pitch.
"Sweet Kali, my savior, my angel, my greatest temptation.” Reeling from his words, she didn't register the sting of his fangs as they sank in. Then she did, and the most intense pleasure followed. She felt like she was climaxing, the sensation spreading all over her body. She could hear the race of her heart, the thump-thump pounding in her veins.
Shhhhh. I will take just enough to sustain me.
She didn't doubt the sincerity of her words, not with the sudden strengthening of their bond. Through the link, she could feel how much it was troubling him to take from her, when she had already given so much. She could also feel the demand his body made, urging him to sink his cock into her while he fed, claiming her as his own.
Her own body made the same demand.
Parting her thighs, she slipped a hand between them, ignoring the sting of her pussy lips as she began to manipulate her clit. His fangs slipped free of her neck, and then his lips were against her breast. His teeth brushed against her nipple, teasing the peak into a tight bud before clasping it between them, slowly drawing it out.
He shifted lower, his lips blazing a trail of heat along her stomach. Pausing, he thrust his tongue into her belly button, swirling it around in the indentation, before dropping lower. Kali tried to push him away, to close her legs, but he grabbed her thighs and parted them, baring her swollen lips to his view.
You hurt. Pain laced his words. She could feel his need to heal her, to make up for what was done to her.
"You don't have to—” she tried to protest.
"There is a healing agent in my saliva. It is what closes puncture marks. It will soothe your flesh.” His lips pressed a soft kiss against her skin, then his tongue flicked out, lapping at her abused folds. Kali jerked at the flood of warmth that filled her.
Relax.
Fisting her hands in the sheet beneath her, she tried to push aside thoughts of how intimate what he was doing to her was, and to just feel. As his tongue thrust past her lips, stroking the inside of her pussy, she wanted to arch against him, it felt so good. Of their own volition, her hips rocked forward, but the steel band of his arms wrapped around her legs, holding her still. All she could do was lay there and feel, while he stroked the heat of her need to a fever pitch.
Kali arched into his touch, her body on fire for more. She was like leaves on a forest floor, going up in flames at the slightest spark. She wasn't certain how he did it so quickly, but no sooner had his tongue left her body, than he was naked, his body pressed fully against her. As he settled into the valley of her thighs, she parted them, welcoming him. It felt right, almost as if he were fated to be there.
Clasping his shoulders, she curled her fingernails against his skin, leaving tiny crescent marks. A shudder rippled through him.
Again, he whispered in her mind. Shifting her hands down, she raked her nails against his back, watching as he undulated against her. Without a doubt, it was the most seductive sensation in the world. She was so helpless against his strength, but with the merest of touches, she had him in the palm of her hand.
As she raked her nails down his back again, she was rewarded by a deep growl. His head lifted, and his gaze locked on hers. His eyes had gone molten.
"I do not wish to hurt you,” he rasped, his voice tight with need.
In response, Kali wiggled beneath him until she could wrap her legs around his waist. Tightening them, she coaxed him to rest his cock against her entrance.
Then don't leave me, she answered, trying to convey with her thought it wasn't just her body that would be left bereft.
Riordan's lips slammed down against hers, bruising her mouth with his passion. Parting her own lips, Kali swept her tongue past to mate with his, claiming the role of aggressor for once in their mating. He held still, almost frozen above her.
Reaching between them, she wrapped her fingers around his cock and guided him past her pussy lips. As the first inch slipped in, she tried to relax. Her body was demanding more, but she knew if they rushed, pain would follow. Going slowly, she arched up against him, coaxing his cock in another inch.
Slickness increased as her body welcomed him. Tightening her legs, she rubbed her tongue against his as she sent one word through their mental link. More.
He responded with a passion that made her see stars. It was as if her demand had freed him from whatever held him immobile. One hard thrust, and they were fully joined. Kali gasped into his mouth as the bond doubled in strength. She could hear her heart beating through his ears. If she closed her eyes, she knew she would see herself, laying there beneath him.
Mine, he answered, an almost primitive instinct guiding him. She broke the kiss and burrowed her face into his neck, nodding against his sweat-slick skin.
The bed creaked with the force of his thrusts as he started to move. Kali struggled at first to match his rhythm, but soon fell in sync, her pussy contracting around his cock with each inward drive. Holding tight to his shoulders, she knew she drew blood but didn't care. The metallic scent of her own blood hung heavy in the air.
Closing her eyes, she could almost see the threads that wound between them, merging them until she couldn't tell where she ended and he began. Grand Master had spoken of the bonding between a vampire and his mate, his voice soft in remembrance, but she never understood the true depth of his words until that moment. She felt whole in a way she hadn't before, even with her late husband.
Sparks began to ignite just under her skin, and the orgasmic euphoria of his drinking her blood resumed, building in intensity. Holding tight to his shoulders, she was afraid to let go for fear she would cease to exist. The pressure continued to build, each sensation rushing over her like a tidal wave. With a gasp, she realized his need fed her own, and hers was feeding his, until it was a continuous loop that built almost exponentially.
She wasn't sure how much more she could take, and then it crashed down over her. Screaming out his name, she orgasmed, her pussy tightening around him like a vise. She felt the answering flow of his passion into her, the warmth rushing up to her heart, then into her mind.
Trembling with the intensity of the doubled emotions, she wrapped her arms around his neck and held onto him, even when he would have moved to the side.
I am crushing you.
No.
Kali didn't expect it, but should have. In one smooth move, he rolled them over, so she laid spread out on top of him, her hair cascading around her face. Reaching up to push it aside, her fingers brushed against his. Tangling her fingers with his, she held on, the contact almost more intimate than their bodies still joined. Their hands rested against his heart, and she could feel the steady thump-thump against her knuckles.
Fear caused her heart to clench. He already meant so much to her. How would she bear losing him? “They'll come after you.” She voiced her fear, needing to say it alo
ud.
Her body still sluggish with the aftermath of their passion, she kept her face pressed against his chest. The hand not holding hers lifted to her hair, smoothing out the tangled tresses. Moments of silence passed before Riordan spoke. “Yes, they will. But they only caught me the first time because I allowed it. We thought they would be less organized, and I would be able to break out. I was only planning to stay long enough to gather information, but they had a serum to put me to sleep. We weren't planning on that."
"We?"
Kali had through it was just her and her Grand Master. She didn't know of any others.
"My sire informed the council of elders, but they would not act without evidence for fear of what would happen if the rest of the human population found out about us. It angered him, but he understood why they were hesitant. Missing people and dead bodies eventually leave a trail. So he contacted me, and we went on from there, gathering what proof was needed."
"Mmm, I'd like to meet your sire.” The idea of meeting an older vampire was daunting, but he was Riordan's family, of sorts.
"He would have loved you, I am sure. But he passed on a few months ago. He left behind a daughter, and asked me to take care of her should he die. Once I get the information to the council, I need to track her down and make sure she is safe."
Kali nodded her agreement against his chest, then shifted into a more comfortable position. Whatever the future held, they would face it together.
She felt confident her Grand Master would have approved of Riordan. It was strange, because ever since he adopted her, any man who came near her with even a hint of lust in his eyes was in danger of a beating.
Snuggling close against Riordan's warmth, she pushed worries about the future aside and simply reveled in the moment. It was something she hadn't been able to do in a long while.
She glanced at the clock beside the bed, noting sunrise was only minutes away. In case she woke early, she wanted to get a jump start on finding information for him.
"I'll start looking for your sire's child if I wake up first. We can go straight to the council and then move in to protect her."
Summer Solstice Scorchers Page 12
