by Elisa Adams
“Your senses are too heightened to enjoy seasoned food. If you still feel the need to eat actual food, keep it simple and it won’t taste so bad,” he said. “Of course, you no longer need food to survive, as long as you feed on a regular basis.”
She frowned, her expression doubtful. But then she smiled and ignored his comment. “Do you want some?”
He shook his head. “I prefer to keep my diet liquid.”
She winked. “I wasn’t talking about the chicken.”
She set the plate on the counter and beckoned him to her. Forgetting that he was just about to sneak out to feed, he walked toward her and pulled her closer. “Yeah, I could go for a little bit of you right now.”
Placing his hands on her hips, he drew her tightly against him before he kissed her. Amara moaned and melted against him. She was so damned responsive—he loved it. It thrilled him that he would have this, have her, for the rest of his life. And that was a very long time.
This was where he belonged. Kidnapping her had been a dumb idea, more than dumb, but Ellie was wrong about one thing. Something good had come of it—he’d found the woman he wanted to spend forever with.
He just hoped Amara felt the same.
Would she get sick of him in a hundred years? Sooner? Would she leave when she learned to take care of herself and didn’t need him anymore? He hoped not. He didn’t want to live without her. He’d already lost two women, and they hadn’t meant to him what Amara did. If she left, he wouldn’t want to live anymore.
Whoa. Wait a second, when did he become such a fatalist?
Amara pulled away and glared at him. “Where are you?”
“I’m right here.” He tried to kiss her again, but she stopped him with a hand over his mouth.
“No, you’re not. Your body is here, but your mind is somewhere else. If you aren’t going to focus on me, then maybe we should just forget this whole thing.”
He shook his head. “I am focusing on you, but you’re distracting me.”
“How so?”
“Every time I try to think about being with you now, I get worried about you leaving in the future.”
She hit him playfully on the shoulder. “I’m not going anywhere, you big idiot.”
“You’re not?” He shook his head. “I thought you didn’t want this life.”
She rolled her eyes. “I don’t exactly have a choice, do I? Besides, I’d already decided I wanted to stay with you before I found out you turned me into a blood-drinking freak.”
“You’ve mentioned that. I still don’t understand why.”
“Well, duh. I love you. I swear men can be such morons sometimes.”
“You love me?”
“Yeah. Funny, huh? I hardly know you. I don’t get along with your family. You don’t like my cooking, but I can’t seem to get enough of you. Strange how life works sometimes.”
“Yeah, strange.”
She loved him. He knew he was smiling like an idiot, but he couldn’t help it. He’d gone so many years without love, and he was going to let himself enjoy this now.
“Okay, I suppose you’re not going to say anything?”
He winked at her and pressed his body against her. “What do you want me to say?” He leaned in and nipped her neck. She moaned, but she tried to push him away.
“You’re the one who was getting all mushy with the ‘future without me’ stuff. Now you’re just going to ignore me?”
“Does it feel like I’m ignoring you?” He thrust his pelvis against hers, making sure she felt how hard he was. “Believe me, sweetheart, I’m not planning on ignoring you. In fact, I plan on doing just the opposite.”
He cupped her breasts, barely covered in the thin robe she wore, and brushed his thumbs over her nipples. They instantly pebbled. He hoped she’d continue to walk around the house practically naked, even after they’d been together for a few thousand years.
His cock strained against the confines of his jeans. He thrust against her again, enjoying the sweet agony of being so close, but not quite touching. He knew she wasn’t done berating him yet, but when her tantrum was over, he planned to take her back to bed. First for a lot of sex, then for a little sleep.
Amara cleared her throat. “So you’re going to pretend I didn’t just tell you I love you?”
He laughed. Why was it that he couldn’t resist teasing her? He licked her jaw. “Love? Is that what this discussion is about?”
He parted her robe and ran his hands along her hot skin. His whole body quivered and he nearly lost it right there when she unzipped his pants and slipped her fingers inside. She ran her hand along his cock and he shivered, almost forgetting what he needed to say.
“Yes, love.” She ran the pads of her fingers over the head of his cock. He nearly jumped out of his skin. He grabbed her wrist, but she shook him off. “If you want this to go any further, you’d better start talking right now, buddy.”
“Yeah, I suppose I love you.”
She snorted. “Suppose?”
She tortured him with her fingers for barely five seconds until he gave in. “Okay, fine. I love you. I’ve loved you since you slammed me in the face with the teakettle. I will always love you. Just don’t ever forget that, okay?”
“Why would I forget?” The confused look on her face was sweet.
“You might get sick of me after a while. Do you think you can wake up next to me every day and not eventually want to go out and find someone new?” He kept his tone light, but he was genuinely worried about that. It had happened once, and the marriage hadn’t been hundreds of years old when it did.
“I could say the same thing about you. You’ve traveled the world, and seen so much. You’ve lived so long. How could you ever be content with me?” She bit her lip. “Am I going to be enough to keep you happy?”
“There aren’t any guarantees in life, but the one thing I can promise you is that I’ll love you for the rest of my life.” He shrugged. “Whether that’s a few years or a thousand, who’s to say? But I’ll give you everything I have for as long as I’m around.”
Marco heard the doorknob turn and decided it was time to take this upstairs. He started to lead Amara out of the kitchen, but she stopped him. “What about Royce? He went to get—“
“I think he’ll understand.” Without waiting for her to protest further, he lifted her into his arms and carried her up the stairs to her bedroom.
Or was it their bedroom? There was still so much they needed to discuss. “Have you given any thought to where you want to live?”
“What’s wrong with right here?” She unbuttoned his shirt and pushed it off his shoulders. He let it drop to the floor. Her robe came off next, followed by the rest of his clothes.
“It’s kind of noisy. I’m not really into living in the city.”
“It’s not like we’re in the center of downtown. This is a nice place to live.”
“Too many neighbors. I like my privacy.” He bent to run his tongue over one of her hardened nipples. She shivered.
“Where would you rather live?”
He paused. “I was thinking my place would be better.”
“Way out there in the middle of the woods?”
“Yeah. It’s quiet.” Quiet was a good thing. “There are no nosy neighbors and annoying ex-fiancés.”
He plunged his fingers deep inside her cunt, hoping to convince her one way or the other that his place would be a much better choice. She rocked her hips and whimpered.
When she spoke her voice was no more than a whisper. “As much as I’m enjoying this discussion, could we save it for another time? I’d rather concentrate on getting you into bed, and deal with where we’re going to live later.”
“But you are going to live with me, right?”
“Yes.” Her answer was more of a hiss as he flicked her clit with his thumb. “Now shut up and make love to me, will you?”
He wouldn’t turn down that kind of demand. Ever. He lowered her to the bed and covered her bod
y with his. He looked deep into her eyes. She was so beautiful, and he didn’t know what he’d done to deserve her. But he wasn’t going to question it, and he wasn’t going to walk away from her. She was his, damn it, and he wasn’t ever going to let her go.
He stroked her hair as he kissed her deeply, trying to show her just how much he loved her. He’d never be able to express fully, in words, the depths of his feelings for her. He just didn’t have it in him to be that poetic. He’d have to show her in other ways how much she meant to him.
Maybe he’d even get to like those stupid movies, if that’s what it took. He had to admit, she looked hot in black vinyl.
Amara bit his ear. “You’re far away again.”
“Sorry.”
“I can’t let you do that. I need you right here with me.”
He nodded and kissed her again. Her lips parted and he drove his tongue into her mouth. She reciprocated, sucking on his tongue. It was incredible. She was incredible.
Without warning, Amara flipped him over onto his back. She straddled him and impaled herself on his throbbing cock. She started to move, but he held her still with his hands on her hips, intent on savoring the feeling of being this connected with her. When he was with her, it felt like they were one.
He’d never felt a connection like this with a woman before, vampire or not. Maybe it had something to do with her psychic heritage.
Obviously tired of waiting, Amara pushed his hands away and lifted herself until only the head of his cock was inside her. He groaned as she slid back down, all the way to the base. God, she felt so good. He bit her shoulder, savoring the taste of her.
He reached between them and stroked her clit. She sighed and moved faster, taking them both on an amazing ride. She came in minutes, bucking and screaming, and sent him into his own shattering release.
After, he held her tightly, not wanting to let her go.
“Hey.” She stroked his hair, his bare chest, and his stubble-lined jaw. “You feel better now?”
He laughed. “Oh, yeah. I don’t think I can feel any better than this.”
“We’ll see about that.” She laughed with him. “I’ve decided where I want to live.”
Epilogue
“I still think you’re an idiot.”
Marco gave Ellie a dirty look. “That seems to be a common opinion around here.”
He looked at Amara for help, but she just shrugged. “What can I say? I have to agree with Ellie on this one.”
“Kidnapping women is not the way to meet a mate, even if it does end well.”
He rolled his eyes. Why he’d ever encouraged Amara to spend time with Ellie was beyond him. Now instead of having one woman on his case, he had five. Between Amara, Ellie, and Ellie’s gaggle of female relatives, he couldn’t get a break.
“That’s enough ganging up on me, ladies. I bet you both have better things to do with your time.”
Ellie shrugged. “Not really. In case you hadn’t noticed, I don’t have much of a life.”
Maybe he’d have to find a way to fix that. Ellie was spending far too much time at their house instead of at home with her own family. He might even have a good solution. It was definitely something to think about.
He laughed to himself. For a guy who’d sworn never to commit again, he sure had done a complete change. Not only did he have a mate, a wife, no less, since Amara had insisted on a real, private wedding, but they’d just spent a hefty chunk of change buying and renovating an old mansion on the New England coast, in the small town where he’d first met Ellie and her family.
He and Royce had just about mended their tentative relationship, and Amara had left Hollywood and stupid movies behind for good.
“Okay, Mr. Introspective,” Amara got his attention. “I have a proposition for you.”
He raised an eyebrow. “Oh, yeah?”
“I’ve been thinking a lot about L.A. and my old job.”
He nodded, not sure he liked where this was going. “Do you miss it?”
“Well, I don’t really miss the city. But I do miss the job. I really liked horror movies.”
He groaned. “Please don’t tell me you’re thinking of going back.”
“Please. The commute alone would kill me.” She got a wicked gleam in her eyes. “I’m thinking about writing a book instead.”
He sighed. “Not a campy vampire story, I hope.”
“Actually, that’s exactly what I wanted to do.” She laughed. “I think I’d be really good at it. After all, I have a little experience.”
Ellie perked up. “That sounds great. I loved those Midnight movies.”
Marco groaned. “God, Ellie. Whatever you do, don’t encourage her.”
“Don’t start.” Amara playfully swatted his arm. “I don’t know what it is you have against making fun of yourself every once in a while. It wouldn’t hurt to relax a little.”
“I’ll relax when you give up this stupid idea,” he grumbled.
“Get used to it. Besides, writing would give me something to do when I stay home with the children.”
He opened his mouth, but it was nearly a full minute before he could get any sound to come out. “Are you trying to tell me something?”
Amara laughed. “No, I’m not pregnant yet. But the look of sheer terror on your face is priceless.”
He let out a breath and wiped his brow. That was a close one. He was just getting used to the idea of being married. He wasn’t nearly ready to start thinking about children. “Maybe in a few hundred years we could try to have a family.”
She shook her head, her expression devilish. “Are you kidding? I don’t want to wait a couple hundred years. I want a family before I’m forty.”
It was a good thing he loved Amara, because this was going to be a long life.
Also at Ellora's Cave
Just Another Night
Dream Stalker
Ellora’s Cave
www.ellorascave.com
