Eric The Guardian - Book 2 of the Raven Series

by Rhiannon Neeley

Lydia sat down. "Yes. Wasn't that great?" She took a sip of coffee. "They sounded so lonely though. Kind of made me want to find them and pet them." Lydia wished he would make a move again. Her fingers were almost twitching with the urge to touch him.

  Eric's eyes locked on hers for a moment. Lydia felt heat rush to her face. There was a fire in his eyes, a look of need Lydia wanted to fulfill. She swore he could read her mind.

  "You need to watch out for the wolves," he said, his voice low. "They're very dangerous."

  Lydia swallowed. "A lot of things are dangerous," she said, "but that's what makes some things so intriguing."

  Eric leaned forward, placing his elbows on his knees, and stared into the fire. "But some things are much more dangerous than they appear."

  Lydia took a sip of coffee and waited. She couldn't quite figure out if he was talking about the wolves or if he was actually referring to himself.

  * * * *

  Eric stared at the flames, trying to figure out some way to get across to this woman that the wolves were not normal wolves. That she needed to keep her distance. He was having trouble thinking, period. What he wanted to do was to snatch her up into his arms, haul her into her tent, then have his way with her. All night long.

  Eric glanced at her. He knew she wanted him to make a move. But now was not the time. Although his body was desperately trying to persuade him that it was.

  Eric got up and started to pace. He shoved his hands deep into the pockets of his jeans, trying to hide the evidence of his desire. "You know," he said, "not too long ago there was a pack of wolves on the border that supposedly attacked some hunters."

  "No. Really? Do you think this pack is the same one?" she asked.

  Eric turned to her. "Don't get me wrong," he said, "But you should leave. Go back to where you came from. Forget about being here, in the wild. Too many things can happen to a woman alone in the woods." There. He had said it. She should leave. He waited for her response, holding his breath.

  Lydia looked down into her coffee cup for a moment. When she looked back up at him, Eric felt a sizzling crackle of pure lust. Her eyes flashed with flames from the fire, her skin seemed to glow with a heat that would consume him if he dared touch her. Her mouth, that mouth that had tasted so delicious when he had kissed her just a little while ago, was pursed as if ready to be ravished again. She took a deep breath, her nostrils flaring.

  She was ready to fight.

  "How dare you tell me I should leave," she said, standing up. She crossed the distance that separated them and came face to face with him.

  Eric wanted to fold her into his arms. There was such a spark to this woman. He had to have her. And not for just one night.

  Just how he was going to accomplish that, he didn't know because right now, she looked as if she were ready to kill him.

  And it just made him want her that much more.

  Chapter Three

  Barack lay panting just inside the tree line, saliva dripping silently from his tongue onto the pine needles. It was early, not quite full dark, but he had followed Eric to see just how close to the female intruder he would get.

  To Barack's surprise, Eric had gotten very close indeed. He had seen them in the woods, kissing passionately. Barack thought the two were actually about to consummate their relationship but Eric had backed off.

  Strange.

  Stranger still was the fact that at this moment, the two looked as if they were arguing. Barack wished he could hear what they were saying but they were too far away. He raised his head and scented the air. The females were not near. The only thing he could sense was a raccoon off to his left. Rising slowly, Barack began to slink through the edge of the woods, trying to get closer.

  He wanted to hear what the two were saying.

  He also wanted to be closer to scent them. What odors their bodies were giving off would tell Barack far more than what they were saying to each other. Their scents would tell Barack just how attracted they were to each other.

  Moving through the darkness, Barack felt at home in this place. He had been in the upper regions for so long, he had almost forgotten how pleasant the Maine woods could be this time of year. It had been too bad that the females had come upon that hunter near the border. Instead of just taking what they needed from him--his blood--they had toyed with him. It had been very messy indeed and Barack had not had time to chastise them and have them clean up their mess before the hunter had been found. The hunt for wolves began immediately, putting the Clutch in danger. That had pushed him into the decision to move south. He really didn't feel like being the hunted.

  When he and the females had arrived in the area, Eric had already been here, almost as if he had been waiting for them to show up. Barack pondered on the fact that Eric had been a lone vampire. Most stayed sheltered within a Clutch of vampires these days. It was much easier to protect oneself when there were more eyes to watch for the vampire hunters. But Eric had given him the excuse that the Unkindness had killed off his Clutch, he being the only one to escape. Barack had heard of the Unkindness. They were a band of humans determined to destroy the vampire race, but no one knew exactly who they were.

  And they were good at what they did.

  The fact that Eric had escaped them surprised Barack even more. He had only ever heard of one other time a vampire had escaped an attack by the Ravens. That vampire had gone to ground and no one had heard from him since.

  Barack had let Eric join his small clutch only because it was much easier to keep an eye on him this way. If he was underfoot, he was within reach of Barack's wrath if he needed to be brought in line for some reason.

  And right now, Barack was questioning Eric's loyalty.

  He could hear them now. The female was clearly upset. Her voice held the timbre of anger. Barack lay down in the shadows. He felt a rift of excitement move through his wolf's body.

  Her voice spoke of anger ... but her scent howled with arousal.

  * * * *

  Lydia couldn't believe Eric had the nerve to tell her she should leave. "Do you think I'm some little girl who can't handle it out here in the big bad woods?" She parked her hands on her hips and glared up at him.

  "It's not the 'big bad woods.' It's the Big Bad Wolves that you should be running from." He glared right back at her.

  Lydia sucked in a breath. Her breasts were two inches from his chest and she could feel the heat of his body. It warmed her to the core, sending tiny ripples of excitement down low. Yes, she was angry with him, but damn, it made her want to rip his clothes off and show him just how much of a big grown-up girl she was. "You have no idea how angry I am at this moment," she said through clenched teeth. Her body was quivering with desire, the anger adding a flickering flame in her blood.

  Eric's eyes darkened even more. He took a deep breath. "And you have no idea," he said, his voice thick with passion, "just how much I want you right at this moment."

  A bolt of electricity raced through Lydia, making every nerve-ending tingle. Remembering the dream of the mirror, she threw caution to the wind. "Then why don't you do something about it?" she said, heat moving through her. "Take me."

  Lydia saw his nostrils flare, then he swept her up into his arms. She locked her arms around his neck and stared into his eyes as he carried her toward the tent. Her mind was reeling. What was she doing? She had just met this guy. She was alone, out here in the middle of nowhere and she had just invited a man to screw her. Was she nuts? Lydia bit her lip.

  A small smile played over Eric's mouth. "Stop worrying. I'm not going to murder you."

  "I wasn't..."

  "Yes. You were." He ducked and entered the tent. Swinging her around, he placed her on her feet.

  Lydia kept her arms around his neck, her body pressed against his as she reached up and turned on the light. This was new to her, this feeling of total hunger for a man. This man. His hands rested on her waist, burning holes through her T-shirt to her skin.

  "Still want to do this?" he ask
ed.

  "What's stopping you?" she dared.

  With a chuckle, Eric grabbed the hem of her T-shirt and in one quick movement, whipped it over her head and off. Lydia flung her ponytail back over her shoulder and with trembling fingers, began unbuttoning his flannel shirt. She couldn't get her fingers to work. Her breath was quickening. She wanted him and wanted him now. "Damn it," she said, grabbing the two sides of his shirt. With a jerk, she ripped his shirt open, popping every button on it.

  "Hmm," Eric said, shrugging out of the ruined shirt. "Somebody's in a hurry."

  Lydia snaked her arms around his neck and pulled his head down. She hesitated, their lips almost touching. She could feel his breath fanning across her face. She pressed against him. His skin felt hot against her own. She wished she had the rest of her clothes off so she could experience all of him on her bare skin. Eric's hands slid around to her back, leaving trails of fire where his fingers touched. She felt him unhook her bra, the elastic easing around her ribcage.

  As they gazed into each other's eyes, lips so close that they were breathing each other's breath, Eric slid his hands around to cup her breasts underneath the loose bra. Lydia gasped, gooseflesh raising on her skin at his touch. A tiny sigh escaped her lips.

  Eric raised an eyebrow. He brushed his thumbs across her nipples, urging them to attention.

  Lydia strained against his touch, wanting more. Wanting so much more.

  Her mouth sought his, tasting his lips. She moaned, the kiss sending her almost to the edge. She felt the nectar of her desire dampen her core. Then his tongue plunged inside her mouth as he caught her nipples between his fingers and rolled them, bringing them to hardened points.

  Lydia drew his tongue in deeper, tangled her fingers in his hair. She ground her hips against his hardness. Yes, he wanted her. She could feel his desire pressing against her through his jeans. His hands disappeared from her breasts and moved to cup her bottom, bringing her into him. He moved against her until she almost couldn't take it anymore. Lydia swirled her tongue around inside the hot wetness of his mouth, then felt sharpness again. She pulled back out of the kiss, her breath coming in gasps, and met his eyes.

  Eric's eyes were burning with pure animal lust. Lydia saw beads of sweat on his forehead, his breath was hot on her face. "You have fangs," she whispered.

  "Yes."

  Lydia cocked her head. "Can I touch them?"

  Eric gave a slight nod.

  Lydia drew a fingertip over his bottom lip, then gently urged his mouth open. In awe, she brushed the pad of her thumb over the sharp point of one of his canines. He had four fangs. Two upper ones where his eyeteeth should have been and two shorter ones on the bottom. Like an animal, she thought, glancing up at his eyes. She withdrew her thumb and touched her own lips.

  Lydia narrowed her eyes. "What are you?" she asked, not sure if she wanted to know.

  "Your lover," he said. Then his mouth closed over hers and she was lost in the whirlwind of sensations as he devoured her with his kiss.

  Just the thought of him being not quite human set Lydia's heart thumping. The word "vampire" rolled through her mind like a freight train.

  Eric broke the kiss with a laugh. He swung Lydia around and positioned her directly beside the cot. "Vampire?" he asked, his hands flying over her jeans. The loosened bra fell to the tent floor as he slid her jeans over her hips.

  Lydia was too breathless to protest. Besides, she didn't want to. At this moment, she didn't care if he was the Abominable Snowman. His touch had set off a ferocious hunger in her that only he would be able to quench.

  "Are you a vampire?" she asked, her hands resting on his shoulders as he crouched in front of her while removing her hiking boots, then her jeans.

  He looked up, a sparkle in his dark eyes. Then he smiled widely. His teeth gleamed in the soft light of the tent.

  Lydia sucked in her breath. A shiver raced through her. A trickle of fear, a river of pure lust. He was dangerous and beautiful. A creature to behold. Lydia felt her body react to her attraction to him. Female to male. Her blood settled low, pooling heat to her most feminine places.

  Eric reached up and tucked two fingers in the waistband of her panties and his gaze never leaving hers, he slid them down her thighs, then her calves. With one hand he coaxed her to lift one foot by gently stroking his hand over it. She stepped out of her panties. Eric flung them behind him.

  Lydia tensed, her whole body trembling. Eric ran his hands back up her legs, pausing at the soft spot just behind her knees to tickle. Lydia jerked, her knees buckling at the sensation. She thrust her hips forward to catch her balance.

  In an instant, Eric's hands were on her bottom, cupping a round cheek in each palm. He urged her forward.

  Lydia gasped as she felt his tongue delve into her private cleft. Her knees went weak and she braced her hands on his shoulders to keep from collapsing. "Oh God," she whispered as he hugged her to his hungry mouth, his hands kneading the globes of her bottom, fingers tickling the center there. His tongue stroked her cleft firmly, sending shivery heat through her core. Lydia could feel the wet nectar of her arousal flow freely. It wouldn't be long until his titillating tongue would bring her to climax. Already she felt it building inside, a hot lava ready to erupt. "Eric," she breathed, her fingernails digging into his shoulders. Her thighs began to quiver. "Eric, I'm going to..." His hot tongue flattened against her clitoris, pressing, lapping. Eric growled deep in his throat, sounding as if he wanted to eat her alive. Lydia couldn't take it. She threw her head back and screamed as the orgasm exploded through her body, rocking her to her soul. Her legs gave out and Eric caught her, easing her back onto the cot as she rode out the waves of passion that still rippled through her.

  Lydia lay on the cot at an angle, her bottom at the edge, her legs open wide. Eric knelt in between them, his hands roaming over her body, stroking her breasts, grazing her stomach. He leaned forward and tasted her navel.

  She jerked, a shock running through her all the way to her spine.

  He laughed. "Are you finished?" he asked, resting on his elbows while leaning his body on her lower region.

  Lydia licked her lips, a glistening sheen of sweat gracing her skin. "Geez, that was ... I can't explain it," she said, running one hand through his silky dark hair.

  He smiled, exposing his fangs. "Then let's do it again," he said, sliding down toward her heated center.

  As he gently opened her nether lips with his hands, Lydia shuddered and gripped the edges of the cot. He nudged her thighs open wider. Then he lowered his head and proceeded to wet her completely with his tongue. His strokes were more lavish, the movements slow and languid this time.

  Sparks flashed behind her eyelids. She moaned, tilting her hips, giving him the best access to her she could.

  Lydia was in sexual heaven. Eric lapped at her pleasure-slickened folds, dipping his tongue inside her every so often to taste. She felt herself rising up on another crest. "Don't stop," she said, her voice shaking. He chuckled, then covered her clitoris with his mouth and suckled it.

  Lydia bucked against him, her body convulsing with the most powerful release she had ever felt. She couldn't speak, couldn't make a sound. Electricity crackled through her. Her mind went completely blank. Her back arched, her hips rocked as Eric kept up his assault. Lydia's center flowed with passionate elixir, her muscles throbbing in her nether regions. Finally spent, she felt her muscles turn to mush. She was at his mercy. He could do anything he wanted to her. And she would let him. There is something about this man, Lydia thought, as a sweetness filled her. Something very special.

  * * * *

  Eric slowed his ministrations to Lydia's womanly center, taking care to get every drop of her tasty juices. Her body radiated heat as she lay on the cot, spent. He breathed in her scent, committing it to memory, then raised his head from between her legs.

  His eyes roamed over her. She lay naked in the dim light, her breasts heaving from her gasping breaths. Her eyes were clo
sed, her lips parted. Her hands lay resting on the edge of the cot. The blush of orgasm flushed her with a rosy glow.

  "Hey," he said, running his hands up over her ribcage. She shuddered under his touch. "Are you alright?"

  Lydia licked her lips but didn't open her eyes. "Oh yeah," she whispered.

  "Did that feel good?"

  She opened her eyes then and raised her head. She looked at him through hooded lids. "Are you kidding me?" she said.

  "Just asking." He smiled. He grasped her legs and swung them up onto the cot, straightening out her position. "Is there room for me?"

  She scooted over a bit, making room for him.

  Eric slid onto the cot beside her, sliding his arm under her neck. She cuddled into him, resting her head on his chest. Eric stroked her shoulder. He'd let her rest for a little while before he began to pleasure her again. His erection still throbbed, enticing him to touch her, taste her now.

  But he wouldn't.

  "You never answered my question," she said softly, one hand splayed on his chest.

  "What question?"

  "Are you a vampire?"

  Eric sighed. He wanted to tell her everything. But not quite yet. True he had fangs, but only to fit in. He had been worried after his last assignment though. A female vampire had taken a liking to his blood and Eric had had to undergo a transfusion to rid himself of the female's poison in his bloodstream. Thankfully that had helped. Because he had begun to crave the taste of blood himself.

  "Why don't you decide whether I am or not," he said, letting her question slide.

  "Are you going to..." She raised up and looked at him, her blue eyes wide.

  "What?" he asked.

  "Bite me."

  "Do you want me to?" Eric licked his lips. "Hmm," he said, "you do look mighty tasty."

  Lydia bit her lip. "Vampires are such dangerous creatures," she said.

  "You like the danger," Eric said, looking into her eyes.