The Thorndykes 1: Dispossessed

by Lynne Connolly

  “We might not want to.” They’d remain connected at a deeper level than telepathy normally allowed. Not as permanent as bonding, which lasted for life, but it would mean they could never lie to each other, would always feel what the other was feeling. If she stayed in Taken. Vampires this old, this powerful didn’t come her way often.

  He caught her chin in his hand, more firm than his earlier touch, forced her to meet his gaze straight on. Alarm filtered through to her. “I travel alone.”

  “Any reason for that, a woman in your past, maybe?”

  “I’m old, mignonne. Old enough to know relationships don’t stick with me. I enjoy my solitude. There have been women, of course there have, but none that stuck around too long. I prefer to retain my independence.”

  A shadow passed over his eyes; something made his lids drop a fraction before he lifted his chin to meet her stare. Something else, something he was keeping to himself. That would change if they linked. Or it might not. They might not be able to lie, but they would still have the power to conceal, to lie by omission.

  Intriguing. He probably thought her too inexperienced to spot any inconsistencies, but she’d had to learn.

  Cautiously she rolled her shoulders, flexing the muscles of her back. No resistance, only a slight itch. Time to take this a stage further. He wanted to care for her, felt guilty about her being hurt while in his charge, so she’d use that to get what she wanted.

  Lifting one leg, she raised up on her other knee and straddled him, resting her ass on his upper thighs. His cock stood between them, the now lukewarm water covering his balls and the lower part of his shaft, the silvery ring gleaming, making her mouth water. “Here?”

  “The temperature’s getting cold.” He stretched one long arm to touch a button, and hot water poured in from the central faucet.

  “We’ll warm it up on our own.” With a sultry smile, she leaned forward and kissed him.

  He opened up immediately, curled his hand around her neck to hold her in place as he thrust his tongue into her mouth, aggressive, needy. “Too right we will,” he murmured into the depths of her mind.

  She pulled away, finishing the kiss before he was ready. He stared at her, dark eyes pure want, his lips wet from their harsh embrace. “You want to see my fangs? Then fuck me, big boy.”

  A slow, devastating grin deepened the creases at each corner of his mouth. “My pleasure.” He switched off the hot water. They were plenty hot.

  She’d ride him. He took his cock and guided it to where she hovered above him, waiting. His breathing grew ragged.

  First sex could be awkward. It could also be wildly exciting. Lucille got the feeling this would be both. For a start, that ring. How would it feel?

  While he held his shaft steady, she pushed down. She appreciated being in control of this. The smooth metal, warm from the water and his body heat, touched her. Different, that was all. It didn’t hurt, no rough edges, and then it was in her.

  Wow. It added bulk, and the small bead on the ring that must be where it fastened rubbed against her sweet spot. Underneath, he stretched her opening.

  “Oh, yes.” She half closed her eyes. “That feels good.”

  She nudged her pussy, exposing her wet slit to him, making it easier for him to touch her. Then he thrust.

  Lucille had discovered the pleasure of a man filling her when she was eighteen, but nobody did it as completely as Jay Trevino. No protection needed here, since vampires were immune to disease. She used it with her mortal lovers for their peace of mind. But not now. She sank down until he was fully inside her. Then took a deep breath. “Fuck.”

  “You said it.”

  And that accent, melting her ears with rich-as-chocolate goodness. Mellow and rich, amusement lacing through it like whipped cream. “Now for the fangs.”

  His irises flashed red, and he opened his mouth. Long, wickedly sharp white fangs erupted from the tooth buds where they resided. A shot of extra excitement like turning a single espresso into a double lanced through her.

  With a gulp, she did the same, her reveal not as dramatic. As a teenager she’d enjoyed teasing the boys with the sight. She’d always explained it away, or simply removed the memory, or distorted it to a taunting reference rather than the real thing. When her father caught her, he gave her hell, so she’d stopped doing it. These days when she fed, she did it quietly and discreetly, taking what she needed before fuzzing the mind and moving on. Keep hidden; keep down.

  Not with this man. She’d never found the mere act of dropping her fangs a turn-on before, but then she hadn’t done it with another vampire. Families didn’t ordinarily share blood unless they had to, so she’d never fed from Drew or he from her. The act was too intimate, too close to passion for most relations to enjoy. Hers included.

  Leaning forward, she allowed Jay’s cock to slide out of her a little. She brought her fangs to the side of his neck where the pulse throbbed enticingly, and drove her body down on to him. He gasped and stiffened, his cock hardening still more, a shot of his pleasure arcing into her brain.

  She pierced deep. Blood gushed into her mouth, then where it should go—up the hollow center of the fangs to the organ every vampire possessed, the extra one that processed the nourishment they needed, the sanguinius. She gulped the excess blood and swallowed again, the feeding process triggering the reflex action.

  Then he grazed her throat, enticing, teasing. “Do it.” She wanted to feel him in her, fangs and cock, taking her to new places as she instinctively knew he would.

  “Fuck.” Not the most eloquent she’d heard from him, but that in itself told her he was moving out of control. Exactly where she needed him. While she could take him on, he was stronger, more powerful, and could probably defeat her without much effort. That he chose not to, instead letting her lead, drove her wild.

  She slammed her body onto his, an action designed to send her to the heights, and fast. Blood pumped into her, filling her with life and vigor as he held his body rigid for her pleasure. He returned her downward drives with upward thrusts, sliding past her G-spot, that maddening loop barely grazing it.

  Then she learned something about vampire sex, something she knew intellectually but had never experienced before. He stilled in her mind and then grasped her hips and moved her. It didn’t dislodge her from his neck, but it changed his angle of entry so he hit the G-spot, ring and cock, every thrust on target. He’d intuited her response, knew what she needed from what he’d read in her.

  Now her breath turned shallow, gusting over his cheek as she fought to stay sane. With a cry she tried to pull out her fangs so she could concentrate on the wonderful sensations he was giving her. He gripped the back of her neck as he had when he’d first kissed her, and urged her to stay where she was.

  “Come while you’re feeding,” he growled, his voice gravel. “Don’t let go.”

  He bit down, holding her steady while he tasted her, his fangs the kind of agony she’d never experienced before. Her pain changed into sheer ecstasy even as she registered her reaction.

  The hurt sliced into her growing orgasm, the blossoming of her nerve endings a vulnerable target. Instead of halting the process, the snap of pain enhanced it, the comparison a delicious edge. She didn’t realize she’d screamed until the sound echoed around the marble-tiled room, filling it as he filled her with absolute pleasure. Her pussy pulsed, the sharp, intense contractions forcing him higher until he released into her body.

  They collapsed against each other. She gently withdrew her fangs and retracted them so she could lick his wounds and aid the healing of the small punctures. They’d be gone in half an hour. He did the same for her, lapping her neck, smoothing his tongue over the sore spots until nothing but delight suffused her.

  After rinsing her, not allowing her to help herself, he pulled the plug and lifted her to her feet while the soapy water drained away. He grabbed two fluffy blue towels from a rack to one side of the bath and wrapped her warmly. “No more thinking tonig
ht. I’m going to take you to bed, and you’ll sleep until you’re better.” He gave her a caress of a kiss. “That’s the second time tonight you’ve made me do something despite my better judgment. I’ll to have to watch you, won’t I?”

  Chapter Four

  Jay woke just before dawn. He knew it before he opened his eyes, because he could feel his powers draining away. Unlike most vampires, he enjoyed the change, enjoyed having two states. He’d tried hard to reduce the vulnerabilities he had during the day—worked out, learned to shoot and to use other weapons, and honed his senses.

  He reached out with his mind, grazed that of the woman next to him before he allowed himself the luxury of opening his eyes. They’d drifted apart in slumber, although that didn’t say much, because her warmth close by caressed him, though he wasn’t touching her. He found her healthy, her wounds healed. He gave a small smile.

  She’d given and opened to him as few Talents ever did, devastating him. She was young and sheltered; she hadn’t met many Talents before, and her freshness fascinated him.

  Get a grip. Despite being the same species, she was as different to him as she could be. She deserved better.

  That didn’t mean he couldn’t teach her some tricks before he moved on, and learn from her in return. He just couldn’t get too close. He never did.

  Enough. He lay back, relaxed, and decided to do a little meditation.

  Opening his body, preparing to unwind, he became aware of a disturbance in the atmosphere. A sharp note of distress, faint at first, and then stronger.

  He brought himself back, sat up. To his horror, the woman next to him was in tears. Still with her eyes closed, but tears trickled from the corners, seeping down to lose themselves in her hair. He felt her suffering, but only from the outside. She’d slammed her barriers closed, which relieved him somewhat. A basic defensive move in sleep, and even though they’d fucked, she didn’t know him. Was she regretting her decision?

  God, he hoped not.

  “You’re awake,” he murmured. He didn’t reach out although he longed to. If he were the cause, he’d make matters worse.

  Shit.

  LUCILLE DIDN’T WANT to open her eyes and face possible derision or lack of understanding or embarrassment. She’d seen all three in her time. Why the fuck had she stayed the night? She should have gone home a couple of hours ago. Better to be brave. His voice purred over her senses as she made her choice.

  When she opened her eyes, a few tears trapped under her lids escaped to join the others. One slipped into her ear, uncomfortably passing around the outside. On her own she’d have wiped it away, but now she didn’t want to appear more stupid than she felt already. She swallowed and forced a smile. “Sorry. It happens sometimes. It’s dawn, isn’t it?”

  No ridicule, no awkwardness shaded his velvety brown irises. Only puzzlement. Understanding and sympathy replaced the expression at his words. “It goes away,” he said.

  She frowned. “You sense it too?”

  He shook his head and reached for her. It seemed natural to go into his arms, to lie snuggled against his chest while her tears dried. “I enjoy it. Every vampire feels the transition, but some like me savor it. I’ve always enjoyed it. The change reminds me of what I was before.”

  A muscle in his arm twitched as if he was about to push her away, but instead he stiffened, waiting for her to react. “You’re converted?”

  “Yes, I am. Does it bother you?”

  “No, should it?”

  “You’re a vampire-born. Some don’t think we should mix.”

  She snorted with derision. “Why? That’s as bad as the people who want to destroy all vampires because we’re eeeevil.” She drew out the last word and grinned.

  Something here he refused to discuss. She couldn’t blame him. She wouldn’t have told him about her weakness except he discovered it for himself.

  She sighed and burrowed closer. “Vampire is vampire, and you’re one of the sexiest I’ve ever met.”

  He growled when she kissed him and then went a bit lower, taking her time exploring his navel. “Something tells me you haven’t met too many vampires.”

  “Or men, come to that.” She bit her lip, but she might as well carry on now. “Small-town life. I go to Houston to feed and sometimes hook up with somebody, but even then there’s a danger I might meet someone I know. I don’t do it often. I’ve had to put Drew through college.”

  He pulled in a breath as if he wanted to say something, then groaned softly when she nipped the tender flesh just below his hip. “Do you know what you’re doing?”

  “I’m not that innocent.”

  His rich, musky scent drew her, his cock fascinating her all over again. That ring, she’d wanted to explore it more last night, but he hadn’t let her. “Does it hurt?”

  “No.” He gasped and made a tiny sound at the back of his throat when she touched it.

  Tentative at first, afraid she’d hurt him, she followed the metal warmed by his body around his cocktip and dared to move it a little. One hole at the base of the crown at the part nearest to the balls and another at the top.

  “Is it true, the story about Prince Albert? How long have you had it?”

  “On and off, quite a while. If I take it out, I heal, so I’ve had it redone once or twice. Oh, fuck!” This when she stroked the head of his erection, swirling her finger under the flange. “No, don’t stop.”

  “Then keep talking.” She traced her tongue along the shiny, delicate skin. He winced, but she paused. She watched as a drop of clear liquid emerged from the hole at the top and slowly trickled down over the ring, decreasing as it left a track behind it.

  “We did it as a dare. A few of us, way back. Some kept it, some didn’t. It was true, it did neaten the appearance, but I didn’t know Prince Albert well enough to find out if he really had one. I wouldn’t put it past the obsessive bastard. If he did, he never told anyone, although Vicky was keen for him. Please, is that enough?” An edge of desperation entered his voice, and she relented. Besides, she didn’t want any more of his juices going to waste.

  She tasted him again, and this time she didn’t intend to stop. Too addictive. She nuzzled the ring, then followed the thick metal with her tongue down to his balls. As she licked the shapes, he moaned and touched her head, pushing his fingers into her hair. She sensed his restraint, marveled at his strength even in this form.

  “That feels so fucking good I could lie here all day.”

  Learning him, his taste in her mouth, his scent surrounding her with need and desire, she responded. Her pussy was soaked, wetting her inner thighs, her clit swelling. She rubbed her legs together to try to get some relief. It eased enough for her to continue with what she was doing. She’d never enjoyed going down on a man before, but this was so different, and his cock so luscious a hunger new to her roared through her, compelling in its demands. If he refused her, she’d have to get herself off in front of him, daring any embarrassment. For a vampire she had little experience of sex, and it was not very adventurous. This man could take her flying.

  He encouraged her with hot whispers and touches to her mind, tantalizing in their elusiveness, never lingering to caress. He held her in place, but with no force, just an encouraging pressure, telling her without words that she was doing it right as far as he was concerned.

  “So good. You should give lessons,” he said, “but only to me.”

  That made her pause. “You want exclusive?”

  “If you do.”

  “How long for?”

  He groaned. “Who the fuck cares? Forever, an hour?” He continued verbally. “I’m always exclusive, but sometimes my partners prefer it otherwise.”

  “A gentleman.”

  “Sometimes.”

  Shit, she loved this—his taste, the way he let her do what she wanted. She explored, loving the way his cock jumped to attention when she touched her tongue to the underside and then ran it down the thick vein at the center. What would it feel like
to bite him there, fangs extended?

  His moan told her. More quickly than she could have imagined, he slid his hands out of her hair and under her arms, and dragged her back up the bed. He slammed her against the bank of pillows, and he was over her, his expression desperate. Lines bracketed his mouth; his eyes gleamed as he pinned her to the mattress. “I want you now. No time for waiting.” He ensured her readiness with his fingers, and his appreciation caressed in her mind as he bathed her with desire and flattery. A strange feeling, but utterly irresistible.

  Then he opened her and pushed inside, his cock ring nudging her entrance. “I didn’t want to hurt you, or cause you a minute’s discomfort. Sometimes the ring can do that if it’s angled wrong.”

  His piercing was set to one side. Was that was for sex, to make it easier or something? “No,” he said as if she’d asked him aloud. “It’s because I have a foreskin. The piercing makes sure it’s not disturbed. Entirely practical, dear lady.” He punctuated the end of his sentence with a swivel of his hips. Then drove inside her pussy, his sure thrust ensuring he was seated to the hilt.

  It was her turn to moan. That hot metal ring she’d been licking a moment ago now lay deep inside her body and forced her arousal to a screaming pitch. She imagined she could turn to wax and melt right onto the sheets. “I love it, that piercing.”

  “I’m quite fond of it myself.” He sounded cool, in control, and she opened her eyes to see him smiling down at her. He was completely embedded. She felt the edge of desperation that she shared.

  She decided to follow his lead but couldn’t manage it.

  He kissed her, a gentle brush of his lips. “It’ll come in time. I wanted to thank you. Last night was one of the most erotic experiences I’ve ever had.”

  “You’re kidding me!”

  “No. You explored me honestly, found out what you wanted to know, and you nearly killed me doing it. You touched me in new ways.” As if he couldn’t take it another minute, he pulled back and thrust in again, his eyes widening, the brown going darker still as his pupils dilated. Outside the sun was doing its work. Although he had the drapes closed, light seeped in. She could see his face clearer than when she’d touched and kissed his cock. “Now it’s my turn.”