“Does human blood taste anything like animal blood?”
He stopped cutting and looked up at her, swallowing hard. “Ten times better. The only thing better is the blood of your mate.”
She’d heard that, too. Heard how vampires mated with each other in a bond that lasted till death. Since only the sun or starvation could kill a vampire, that could be a very long time.
Maybe most people craved that kind of relationship longevity, but the thought of committing the rest of her life to one person was a big turn-off to Piper. The only thing she’d ever stuck with for more than a minute was art, but even with that, she’d jumped from one medium to another, wanting to explore them all.
They ate silently for a few minutes, but Piper could tell that Davede was thinking hard about something. Finally, he put down his fork and knife and reached for her hand again. She felt it quiver under his touch.
“I’d do it. Change you, I mean. But only so we could be together, as mates.”
Piper stiffened and slowly pulled her hand away. There was nothing she wanted more than to be turned, but did she want it bad enough to tie herself down to him for the rest of eternity?
“You’re a great guy, but I’m not ready for that, Davede.”
“I can wait.” He put his hand over hers again and stared into her eyes, the dark chocolate swirling, tempting her.
Chapter 19
Anxiety crawled over Taven’s skin and burrowed through his brain like cockroaches as he yanked clothes off hangers and tossed them in a pile on the floor. It wasn’t because he was attached to the old crap that had been taking up space in his closet for too many years.
It wasn’t even the thought of sharing the closet that had him anxious, although that was going to be a challenge, too. Women had a ton of stuff, and he was sure the closet was going to be quickly overrun by girly crap.
It was the thought of letting someone else get all up in his business that made his skin feel two sizes too tight.
He wasn’t just going to share his closet, or his bathroom, or even his bed. If he let Ivy move in with him, he was opening up his heart and letting her take up residence inside it. Once she did that, they’d be so tangled up, he’d never be able to separate himself from her again without tearing his heart apart in the process.
But the truth was, he’d already done it. It started the minute he brought her home, and when he’d turned her, he’d bound them together irrevocably. If he tried to cut her out of his life now, he’d be damaged in the process. He knew he could never do it. He was in it for the long haul, whether he wanted to be or not. Like those monkeys who stick their hand in a cage to get a banana, but then they can’t pull it out without letting go.
So what difference did it make if they lived together? It would tighten her grip on him, but hopefully that would only make it harder for her to ever leave him. So, he was making space for her in his suite and praying like hell that it wasn’t too late already.
When he’d cleared out half the closet, several drawers, and half the cabinets in the bathroom, he dumped the junk into a bunch of garbage bags and set them out in the hallway. He’d tell Imelda they could go to the Salvation Army, or maybe he’d drop them off himself on the way to Ivy’s.
He took a shower then put on jeans and a decent shirt. Not a dress shirt like last time, but something nicer than his usual black tee. He skipped the cologne, hoping the scent of his blood would be more enticing.
How had she been feeding? His blood curdled like sour milk just thinking about her sucking on some other guy. He didn’t think she was doing that, but she’d admitted to letting some guy suck on her for money. He still couldn’t believe she’d had to resort to that.
To be honest, he never gave much thought to money. It was something he didn’t have to worry about. His family always had plenty. He worked and brought home a paycheck, but he’d never had to worry about paying bills. He bought what he want, which wasn’t that much, and the rest went in the bank.
He probably should’ve realized that money was a lot tighter for Ivy, working at a diner, but it never even crossed his mind that she might be that desperate. She never asked him for anything. Which was good, he supposed. She wasn’t a gold digger. But hell, she’d rather prostitute herself than ask for help?
He would’ve given her money in a heartbeat if he’d known. He’d do it now, but it was too late for that. He was no expert on women, but even he knew a gauntlet had been thrown down.
She didn’t want his money. No, she wanted something a lot more valuable. And he was going to give it to her because the alternative hurt too much to consider.
He stopped at the florist on the way to her place because flowers were never a bad idea. They might not help, but they certainly wouldn’t hurt. No woman could resist a big bouquet of roses.
Her sketchy apartment complex looked worse than ever, with a bunch of trash and beer bottles littering the parking lot like there’d been a party there last night. Was that a used needle? A condom? Even if she refused to move in with him, he had to get her out of there.
When he saw her Honda, he sighed and parked next to it. He grabbed the flowers then leapt up the rickety, wooden stairs and knocked on her door, tensing in anticipation. Would she greet him like she had last time, with a big smile, or like the time before, with a surprised scowl? The look he got was somewhere in between.
“Hey.” He peeked over the flowers at her. She looked gorgeous as ever in a plain, black tee shirt and jeans with no makeup, but her normally-sparkly, obsidian eyes were dark wells he couldn’t see into, with hollow purple shadows underneath.
She swallowed hard and flicked her eyes back and forth between the deep red blooms and his eyes which were currently staring into hers, hoping he could express everything he was feeling in a single look so he wouldn’t have to say it all.
“What are you doing here?”
Wasn’t it obvious? He tried another tactic, pulling a key out of his pocket and holding it out to her on his palm. She eyed it suspiciously.
“What’s that?”
He thought about saying something cheesy like, “a key to my heart,” but his remaining scrap of masculinity wouldn’t let him.
“It’s a key to my house. I want you to move in with me.”
“Why?” She crossed her arms over her chest and leaned against the doorframe, her lips pursed and her eyebrows raised. Damn, she wasn’t gonna make this easy, was she?
He glanced at her breasts — soft, round globes pressed together and bulging out of her vee neck. The idea of someone else touching them, sucking on them, made his head hurt from the pressure of his swelling brain. It was going to burst any second.
“Because I don’t want you selling your body just so you can pay rent!” He knew the minute the words left his mouth he’d just said the absolute wrong thing. Sure, that might have been the biggest motivating factor, but it definitely wasn’t the way to convince her he wanted her.
Her eyebrows pinched together, and her eyes started firing lasers. She grabbed the door like she was about to slam it in his face. He shot out a hand to brace it open.
“Because I don’t want you living in a rat hole like this. You deserve something so much nicer,” he quickly amended.
“Then why don’t you just put me up in one of those nice apartments on Lexington?” she seethed.
He’d thought about it, for sure. But he knew this wasn’t about how nice her apartment was or whether or not she had enough money for rent. Nope, this was the ultimate challenge of their relationship, and she was going to make him say it. He shifted from one foot to the other, swallowing over and over.
“Because I love you and I want to be with you. Will you forgive me?” The words came out mumbled and barely audible, but he knew she heard them because her face softened like melting chocolate, and he couldn’t resist tasting her.
She sighed. “I love you, too, Taven.”
“Will you take these damn flowers so I can touch you?” He shoved
them towards her.
She grabbed them and swung around, setting them on the coffee table. By the time she turned around, he was right behind her. He grabbed her waist and dove into her mouth, savoring the sweet taste of her. Her mouth melted under his like sugar, and her body started to dissolve in his arms.
When he’d devoured her mouth, his lips seared a trail down her neck, stopping to suck at his favorite spot. Her olive skin was salty with a sharp tang, and her rich blood thudded under it, seducing him. It felt like it’d been forever since he’d drunk from her.
She shuddered as he scraped his fangs across her vein, and she moaned and gave a sharp cry. “Take me, Taven.”
That was all the impetus he needed. He plunged his fangs into her soft skin and let the blood rush in. He let it fill his mouth — hot, wet, thick, the most incredible feeling in the world — before swallowing it down. It kept coming, like it was desperate for him, as well. He drank and drank till it filled his belly.
Ivy lay limp in his arms, her body quivering. Her eyes were closed, her head lolled back, as she let him take her. But he didn’t just want this to be about him claiming her. He was here to give himself over to her, too, more than he’d ever done before.
He pulled his mouth away, breathing hard, and she slowly opened her eyes. They swirled with life, emotion, desire, need.
“Drink from me, Ivy. I want to take care of you. I’m sorry I’ve done a piss-poor job of it.”
She nodded. “Take me in the bedroom and make love to me.”
She didn’t have to ask him twice. He scooped her up and carried her to her bedroom. Had she slept with anyone else there? The bed was so small, he doubted it. He wanted to take her back to his place, their place, but he couldn’t wait. He ripped off the ratty, blue blanket and laid her out on her bed. Her black hair, tan skin, and dark clothes were a striking contrast to the white sheets.
He quickly yanked his shirt over his head and dropped his jeans then kicked his boots off. Ivy sat up and pulled her tee shirt over her head.
She wore a simple, black satin bra he couldn’t resist stroking. Her nipples pebbled under his fingers. He teased them for a few moments then slid her straps over her shoulders. She reached back and unclasped the bra, letting it fall to her lap, revealing her perfect breasts.
She laid back down and unbuttoned her jeans then slid the zipper slowly down, but she made no move to remove her pants, just let her arms fall to her sides. He bent over and slipped his fingers in the waistband and peeled the tight denim and satin panties off her legs.
Once she was bare, he stood over her for a long moment, memorizing the image of her. She was so beautiful, her hair and body splayed out like a presentation just for him. He couldn’t stand the thought of anyone else seeing her like this.
“Promise me you won’t ever let anyone else touch you, Ivy. I’ll take care of you, but I need you to be mine.”
She nodded, staring at him like maybe she felt the same way about him.
“It works both ways, Ivy. I don’t want anyone else but you. I haven’t touched anyone else since you.”
She smiled at that, and he climbed onto the bed, nudging her legs open. He could smell her arousal blooming out from between them. He caressed her, spreading her wetness and making her moan. When she was ready, he rolled on a condom then buried himself inside her. Her body was just as incredible as her blood.
With each stroke, his body claimed hers, and his mind echoed it. He wanted to pound into her until he spilled his seed, marking her, but he didn’t want to finish until he let her claim him. Before he lost control, he flipped them over, putting her on top.
“I’m yours, Ivy. Take me.”
She grinned at that and started to ride him. Her hands dug into his chest, and her gorgeous hair and breasts swayed back and forth, hypnotizing him. But before long, she leaned down and pressed her body against his, chest to chest. Then she put her lips on his neck and kissed him before sinking her fangs into him.
He cried out at the feeling, the pleasure pain of it, the pull of her lips, suctioning off his blood. He lost control, pulsing into her as she drew from him. She shuddered around him, milking him, draining him dry.
Chapter 20
Caroline had kept her secret hidden from Roric for a week, and she ought to have been happy about it, but when her doorbell rang that night, she kind of wished it was him, coming to check on her.
The idea of having a dozen new vampires over to her apartment for a support group sounded great, in theory, but now that it was time for them to show up, all of Roric’s warnings suddenly loomed large in her head. What if one of them was so angry he took it out on her or one of the others? What if there was a fight? What if someone was too thirsty and attacked someone? Her whole body quivered as she approached the door, and her hands were so sweaty they slipped on the metal doorknob.
She would feel a lot better if Roric was there with her. She wished they could’ve done this together, but he was so totally against the idea, she didn’t even suggest it. Besides, he’d been so busy with work, she’d barely seen him. He’d spent more time with Raven than he had with her.
She hadn’t met the new agent in person yet, but she didn’t like the fact that Roric spent all day with another woman — especially a strong, intelligent, beautiful one who didn’t have the same hangups about being a vampire that Caroline did. Roric didn’t seem worried that Raven was surrounded by rogue vampires all day. He obviously thought she was a lot more competent than Caroline was.
Whenever he talked about Raven, it was always complimentary, like she could do no wrong. He didn’t feel the need to boss her around because he valued her ideas and opinions. Plus, they had history. They’d known each other all their lives. Caroline could imagine them swapping fun memories and hanging out like pals all day in the office.
The truth was, Raven was a lot better match for Roric than Caroline was, and it probably wouldn’t be long before he figured that out himself, if he hadn’t already.
Caroline hadn’t mentioned the support group, or Houston, or anything that might start an argument between them, and it had worked. They weren’t arguing, but they weren’t talking much, either. They’d have dinner, hang out a little, drink from each other, and carefully avoid any controversial topics, which didn’t leave much else. Caroline was keeping things from him, but she suspected he was keeping things from her, too, and she couldn’t help but worry about what they might be.
She’d lied about what she was doing tonight, claiming she wanted to have a girls’ night with Piper, and he hadn’t questioned it, so unless some crazy confluence of events led him to discover the truth in the next few minutes, she was on her own.
She sucked in a deep breath, plastered on a smile, and yanked the door open. She’d worried that no one would show up, but one by one, the new vampires arrived, a mix of mostly young to middle age people. They all seemed friendly enough, although several of them were jittery and on edge. She didn’t blame them; she felt the same way.
She’d called Houston and told him about the meeting, encouraged him to come. He’d said yes, but she wasn’t sure if he’d show up. She’d texted him every day, checking on him, but she hadn’t seen him since last week when she’d denied him her vein. He claimed he was drinking blood bags and visiting the clinic, but she had no way to know if that was true.
She let her guests mingle for a few minutes, waiting for any stragglers to show up. When she was just about to start the meeting, the doorbell rang one last time. She hurried to open it, and relief coursed through her body at the sight of Houston.
He was the impetus behind this group, after all, and having one familiar face helped calm her nerves a lot. Plus, she’d been worried about him all week. She was glad he wasn’t still angry at her.
“Hey Caroline. I missed you. You look great.” He eyed her outfit, her nicest pair of dark jeans and a silky, pink blouse. She’d curled her long, blonde hair into soft waves, put on a full face of makeup, and sprayed on s
ome perfume, trying to make herself feel confident.
“Houston, I’m so glad you came.” She impulsively reached out to hug him.
He jerked but then wrapped his arms around her, burying his nose in her hair and sucking in a deep breath. She tensed, her body clenching away from his embrace. What if he couldn’t control himself? But he let go of her before it got awkward and sidled past her into the living room, checking out the other attendees.
He looked good — well-fed, smiling, his all-American persona back in place. He wore jeans and another Astros tee shirt, this one gray, but the dull color didn’t detract from his golden glow. He took off his ball cap and set it on the end table, shaking out his sun-kissed hair.
By quarter after, Roric hadn’t magically appeared, so she decided to get started. “Hi everyone, would you take a seat, please?”
She’d arranged seats in a circle in her living room — her couch, her dad’s grungy, old recliner that she couldn’t bear to part with, the chairs from her dining table, a footstool, an old milk crate with a pillow on it. She had human snacks and drinks on the coffee table along with a bowlful of blood bags.
The others settled into the furniture, and Caroline perched on the milk crate, feeling small, unprepared, and unqualified, all of a sudden. She had a plan, but now it seemed foolish. Would people really be willing to open up to total strangers?
Houston sat next to her on the footstool, his knees spread wide, his hands on his strong thighs, managing to look cool, calm, and casual.
“My name is Caroline Weston. I’d like us to get to know each other, so I’m going to tell you my story, and then you can take turns telling us yours, if you’d like.”
She wished she could tell them the real story of how she was turned. It would be nice to let someone else help her carry the weight of it, but even here it wasn’t safe for her to reveal the truth. She needed to protect Roric and the Agency.
“I work at the West End Taproom, and one night a vampire came into the bar to seduce a woman. I warned her about him and convinced her to leave, but the vampire wasn’t very happy about that. When I left, he followed me and attacked me.”
Obsessed with the Vampire: A Paranormal Romance (Vampire Enforcement Agency Book 2) Page 14
