“Julian,” she said, delighted, looking up at him, aware of a dozen eyes watching her as she took the offered rose. “What are you doing here?”
It was unusual. Remembering the rumors of the vampire hunter she looked at him. “Nothing’s happened, has it?”
As perfectly dressed as always he sat on the edge of her desk and shook his head. “Nothing. All our people are being careful, traveling only in groups. Other than that one incident…” an attempted kidnapping that might have been a domestic, “there’s been nothing.”
Rafi let out a sigh of relief.
With a slight frown at the memory, he said, quietly, “I was called down. A small problem of a newly made vampire. Apparently he ‘persuaded’ a girl he was attracted to into allowing him to feed on her. Even though by her own admission the girl was interested, it’s little better than rape to use his abilities that way.”
Abilities that had once been necessary for survival, the ability to exert one’s mind to influence another had enabled more than one vampire to escape certain death. It required will and determination, or, in this case, a victim who’d wanted to be persuaded and a vampire willing to do so.
Over the centuries it had been used and misused but there was little need for such talents in these times. Even so, there were always repercussions.
His mouth tightened.
“Now, knowing what he did and what he’s capable of, she’s not. The judge will plead it down to a misdemeanor in much the same way as those who use date rape drugs, but even so, we didn’t need this now. Not with vampire hunters around. It will just inflame those who were looking for an excuse anyway.”
Anger moved in him. “The one who made him should have taught him better. I’ll be talking to her as well.”
Julian tightened his jaw and shook his head.
He’d needed something to clear away the memory, to calm him down. Since he was downtown and in police headquarters… It had only taken a question or two to determine that Rafi was in the building and then to find a nearby florist. Symbol of pure love, the single white rose was perfect, especially as he watched Rafi breathe in the scent of it, her own stiff shoulders and creased brow relaxing. She faced difficulties every day that he could imagine only too well, remembering centuries when law and order had been nonexistent, but some days were worse than others. This seemed one of them.
“I remembered you said you’d be working on old files unless something came up so I thought I’d stop by and see if I could persuade you to run away with me. Nico and I have a surprise for you when we get home. Leave your motorcycle here if you’d like, I’ll drop you off in the morning.”
Rafi grinned. She glanced at the clock automatically but knew she didn’t need to – Julian had timed it perfectly.
“Sasha?” she asked.
He looked at the stack of files. “Go. I’m packing it in for the day, too.”
She grabbed her jacket with a smile. “I’m ready.”
It had been a tough day. Some of those files brought back memories of the cases they covered. It was walking through a mental sewer in file after file.
Signing out, she waved to all the watching eyes, grinning. Most of them grinned back, and one dared to give her a thumbs up. Smiling, she shook her head and nodded to Sasha’s knowing grin.
Nico’s bike wasn’t in the garage when they reached the house.
“He’s working late. Get changed, relax. I’ll meet you on the terrace,” Julian said, giving her a kiss.
The terrace had swiftly become one of their favorite places in the house, for many reasons, not least of which was the view. Raised high enough to see over the walls that enclosed the estate, a low marble balustrade edged the broad slate floor. It and towering yews to each side framed the scenery and the city beyond and below. At night the city and the stars rivaled one another for brightness. Hidden to one side by the yews was the garage with Julian and Nico’s wide selection of cars. On the other and down a level was the enormous in ground pool with its granite skirt and marble columns. It glittered in the sunlight.
She changed into a bikini, the warm air wonderful on her skin. Basking like a cat in the late afternoon sun, Rafi stretched out on one of the wide thickly-cushioned cedar chaises, letting the warmth bake into her, soothing away the tension.
On the table beside her chaise stood a decanter of fresh lemonade and a dish of fresh fruit that Nelly, one of the maids, had set there before she left for the day. She’d been delighted that Julian had given them the evening off early.
It still amazed her, service like that, even after several weeks. She supposed she might truly get used to it…someday.
Julian came out to join her, brushing a hand over her hair as he came to sit beside her. Gestures of affection like that came naturally to both he and Nico. One or the other of them were always touching her, tugging gently at her hair or kissing her as they passed. When they weren’t fucking her, which was often. Once Julian had caught her eyeing him, just admiring the sheer beauty of him and a rush of pure lust had flashed in his eyes. It had set off a matching burst of heat inside her. One moment he’d been across the room, the next stripping her dress off before lifting her up in the air to fuck her against the wall, his cock driving deep inside her.
It was at moments like that, when he revealed his power and speed, that she was reminded he was an ancient and powerful vampire, overwhelmingly fast and strong and she loved every moment of it.
She’d become very attached to them, Julian for his warm strength, Nico for the quiet reserve that hid behind his apparent boldness. She’d been with them for several weeks now and liked the arrangement very much.
Looking at Julian, still in his suit from work, his tie a little loose, she went warm and soft inside. Just looking at either him or Nico did that to her every time and time hadn’t seemed to mute her intense attraction to either of them one bit. Familiarity was certainly not breeding contempt. Quite the opposite, it just seemed to intensify.
Briefly, she’d considered quitting the job but knew she’d get bored if she did. Besides, despite days like this one had been, she liked it, she was good at it and it needed doing. She did wonder what the some of the people at the station would make of this arrangement if they knew the truth of it, but she was careful to keep work and play separate. Very separate. Only Sasha knew the reality. He was the only one she trusted that completely. As Julian had noted.
She smiled up him as he bent down to brush a kiss over her lips.
He settled down on the chaise beside her, visibly relaxing.
With a smile she sat up and untied his tie.
He smiled in return.
“You look comfortable,” he said.
Letting the ends of his tie dangle, she unbuttoned his shirt, pushing back the crisp white material to reveal his magnificent chest and, finally, his abs, as she pulled the ends from his slacks.
She said, “I am, the view is incredible.”
It wasn’t the scenery she was talking about, either.
Rafi was fascinated with his body. He was beautiful to look at, especially this way, with his shirt open and just that little bit of him exposed. It was like looking at a present half opened. She ran her hands over his smooth skin, over the crisp hairs of his chest and the strong, firm muscles beneath it. She loved the sense of power that radiated from him in more ways than one, not just the physical but the personal. There was such a sense of strength to him.
His smile broadened as she pushed his jacket off and tossed it over the back of the chaise.
“I’m glad you do, I’m enjoying it as well.”
She looked up at him, a quick flick of a glance from beneath her lashes, seeing the pleasure evident in his eyes.
Julian wasn’t looking at the scenery any more than she was. His gaze wandered her body, her breasts cradled in the bikini top, the curves of her, the bottom concealing the curls between her thighs.
It was becoming an addiction, he thought, a craving for her touch. One he
didn’t mind a bit. He loved it, it fired his blood as nothing had in ages but she also warmed his heart in a way no other ever had.
As many women as he’d loved over the centuries, and there had been many, none had ever enraptured him like this one, both tough and tender, strong yet vulnerable.
Looking down at her from the windows of their bedroom, he’d seen her stretch like a contented cat and his heart had moved even as hunger did. This time not merely to feed, but to claim, to own.
He knew Nico felt the same. The knowledge that he shared her with his cousin, his lifelong friend and companion, sent a burst of warmth through him. It was also something of a relief to know Nico would be home soon and Julian wanted desperately to play with her. To delight her.
In the meantime, though, a taste would hold him. He craved that as well.
He lifted her hand to brush his lips over her knuckles, looking at her in question.
Rafi shivered a little in anticipation.
His dark eyes gleamed a little hungrily but not just for her blood. A soft surge of emotion washed through her at what she saw in his eyes. A little thrill went through her as it always did now at the thought of them touching her, but the idea of them feeding from her sent a rush of heat through her. It made her damp just to think about it.
They always asked. They never just took and they didn’t always make love to her just to feed. One or both of them would just for the pleasure of it. With a steady source of blood from her, they had little need to worry about feeding, sometimes going for days on just these little snacks.
Sex, though, was another thing entirely. Now that they could have it as often as they wanted, they did.
Nico had told her it was the first time in centuries they could make love just for pleasure of it, without having to worry about feeding, which was one explanation for why they wanted to do it so often.
Not that she was complaining. She thought she was in heaven, to tell the truth.
Julian turned her wrist to brush his lips over it, inhaling her scent as he would inhale the aroma of a fine wine.
She smiled and shivered a little, goose bumps running over her. He always did that before he fed. Nico liked to taste her skin first, a little flick of his tongue over her wrist or throat. For some reason she found it incredibly erotic.
Julian’s fangs extended, touched the delicate skin on the inside of her wrist. His dark eyes watched her. Those sharp white teeth pricked it, drawing the moment out. She now had small whitish scars on her wrists and throat from where they fed.
He bit.
With a brief flash of pain, Julian’s teeth sank into her wrist, his warm mouth closed over it and he drew in a mouthful. A burst of pleasure coursed through her, raced straight to her pussy. Her vision blurred in a surge of bliss. There were times when she thought she could come just from this, from his or Nico’s warm mouths drawing on her, each pull sending a jolt through her.
She loved to watch them feed on her, to watch their faces as they sucked on her, enjoying the pleasure they took in it, in her. It had grown very clear too, that it was her they enjoyed. Neither had gone hunting for other sources since she’d come to live with them.
Another soft pull sent a shot of intense heat to her core.
With a sigh of pleasure, Julian drank her in, the scent and taste of her intoxicating, just a quick snack to satisfy the craving he had for her sometimes. The rich taste of her shifted with her needs, her moods, more intense when they pleasured her, sweet like a dessert wine when she was relaxed as she was now or rich and thick as cognac when she was aroused. He loved the myriad tastes of her, the scent of her, the touch of her.
Watching her eyes, he saw them soften with pleasure as he drew on her and that was the most remarkable part, that she so enjoyed them feeding on her. More than once he’d caught himself watching her as Nico fed. He’d watched her tremble, her eyelids fluttering, the moment so intimate, her pleasure so intense it had him hard and fisting his cock.
“Ah, Rafita my love, sometimes I can’t get enough of you. Any part of you.”
Especially since she could now feed he and Nico with no difficulty. Both of them truly enjoyed her company. Julian was delighted to be able to introduce her to his world, to the pleasures of the opera and the symphony while Nico had found in her a formidable gaming opponent.
She cupped his face in her hand, looked into his eyes and said, “Sometimes I can’t get enough of you, either.”
The look in her eyes warmed him, as always.
Julian saw Nico’s dark head beyond the balustrade, coming toward them from the garage. Nico smiled when he spotted them and turned to come join them on the veranda.
Turning his face, Julian pressed a kiss into her palm. “Nico is having the same problem I am. We don’t always want to take turns.”
Julian smiled at Nico in return. “Nico, I was just discussing with Rafi about your complaint the other day.”
“I’m guessing you have a suggestion?” Rafi asked.
Nico bent to kiss her warmly before he stripped his shirt over his head in relief at being able to take it off after a long day at work.
Her breath caught, just to look at the beauty of him, of Nico’s lovely long, lean body. His muscles were firm and flat, his abs rippled.
The idea of finding a way to be shared by both of them definitely had its merits.
They’d played with toys, the three of them having a grand time in an adult shop, finding dildos and vibrators to play with, including one that provided dual stimulation and another that introduced her to the pleasures of vibrating bullets. Nico loved toys.
They’d trimmed the tight curls between her legs close but not too close. The electric razor had come disturbingly close to parts of her she hadn’t wanted nicked and yet the sensation had been strangely exciting. It had taken a level of trust she’d given to very few.
The two of them had played with her for hours, experimenting, driving her insane with pleasure, one or the other of them sliding a dildo inside her or running a vibrator over her while they nibbled on her breasts or fed from her. Julian had found a spot at the base of her spine that was exceptionally sensitive. He’d kissed that spot while sliding a vibrating bullet inside her as Nico had nibbled on her breasts and applied another vibrator to her clit.
She had come so fast and so hard that neither of them had had time to feed so they’d had to do it again. Not that they’d complained.
As a result her stomach and legs were much more toned. She was a lot more limber, too.
It was the sheer variety of anal plugs, though, that had clearly sparked ideas in all three of them. It was amazing. Today, as she did many days, she’d inserted one. Having one or the other of them fuck her while the other teased her with a vibrator in place of the plug was one of many pleasures they’d shared.
Julian looked at Nico and Nico grinned.
“Maybe,” Nico said in answer to Rafi’s question. He looked at his cousin. “Are any of the staff up at the house?”
Julian shook his head and Nico’s eyes lit up as Julian answered, “No, I sent them home for the day. I told Rafi we had a surprise for her.”
Nico perked up visibly and grinned. “I’ll go get what we need.”
Julian turned to her and stood. His hands dropped to his belt. He released it before stripping off his slacks. “I’ll get things started out here.”
If Nico was beautiful, naked Julian was simply magnificent, powerful, his skin lightly tanned and his muscles sharply defined, tight and taut everywhere. His dark hair gleamed in the sunlight, and his long, thick cock was rampant, hardening even more as she watched. He was simply incredible.
Lust and heat poured through her, her nipples instantly hard. Her pussy creamed at the sight of him. She sighed with pleasure and anticipation.
Julian turned at the sound and smiled. The look in her eyes was all he needed.
He reached out to hook the front of her bathing suit top with the fingers of one hand to pull her toward
him, her lovely eyes brilliant as she looked back at him. Kissing her, he reached around behind her and unhooked the bikini top, let it fall away as he filled his hands with the full ripe globes of her breasts.
He liked looking at them in the sun, so lush, so round.
Truthfully, he just liked looking at Rafi naked.
She was beautiful with the sunlight pouring over her, her skin like the finest alabaster, the pale delicate skin of her breasts glowing like pearls in the light, her wavy chestnut hair tumbling behind her as the sun picked out the red and gold highlights in it.
His cock was hard at the thought of what they were going to do to her and he stroked it as she watched, hardening even more as she eyed him and licked her lips hungrily.
Leaning forward, he kissed her, her lips curving in a smile as she kissed him back while his thumbs brushed across her taut nipples. He loved the feel of those little peaks stiffening at his touch almost as much as he liked the feel of them hardening against his tongue.
Julian trailed his mouth down the slender column of her throat, pausing a moment to feel her pulse throb against his lips. She quivered when he continued the journey of his mouth over her smooth skin and leaned back until she was propped on her hands behind her to give him access. Now there was nothing to get in his way.
He traced her collarbone with little flicks of his tongue, then her breastbone, until his lips found the deep valley between her breasts. Sucking, licking. teasing and nibbling, his mouth traveled from one full, lush globe to the other, until her nipples were peaked, rigid and distended. She moaned as he teased her, as he suckled her. He caught the bottom of her swimsuit with his thumbs, drew it down her lovely legs just as Nico returned, revealing all of her to them.
Sunlight sparkled on the now damp curls between her thighs, making them glisten gold and red. She was radiant, her skin lightly flushed, her labia blushed to a deep rose.
Blood Bound Page 10
