by June Stevens
“Oh. Why?”
“My intention had been to bring you out so you could see the sunrise; it’s beautiful as it shines across the river. But I didn’t anticipate you getting off work early. We still have a few hours until then.”
“Is it safe to stay here?”
“Yes. We are well out of the way of any other boats that might be navigating the river.”
I looked towards the dark shoreline only a few yards away, then back towards the city where the glow of the night lights was barely visible beyond the trees and the wall. He must have seen the doubt on my face because he added, “I also have some pretty strong shield and alarm spells. They’ll alert us if anyone gets within two feet of the boat, as well as give the intruders a pretty nasty shock.”
I knew the types of spells he was talking about. We had the same thing at the pub. The shield on the front door was only active during closing hours, but the back door and all the windows, as well as a perimeter around the rooftop where my sister grew her gardens, had permanent shield spells powered by crystals that were charged regularly. They were tuned to the energy of those of us living in the building. We could pass through safely at any time, but if someone else tried to come through, they’d get shocked and thrown back several yards. A second attempt would knock them unconscious.
Everything I knew about Jarrett told me that his shields were even more powerful than ours. I had no doubt we would be completely safe here, even without the nominal protection being inside the city walls gave.
“So, we still have at least two hours before dawn,” I said.
He grinned and leaned back against the wall. “Yep, two very long hours.”
I stood and walked over to him, sliding my hand seductively up his chest. “I guess we’ll have to find a way to pass the time,” I purred in my most coquettish voice.
He didn’t need any further invitation.
Jarrett grabbed me and pulled me against him, his mouth coming down on mine. All pretense was gone. The kiss started out hot and heated up with every passing second. I slid my arms around his neck, tangling my fingers in his hair. Sliding his hands under my bottom, he lifted me up.
“Wrap your legs around my waist and hold on,” he growled into my neck.
“My pleasure,” I replied, doing as he’d ordered.
He moved towards the door we hadn’t gone through earlier and deftly navigated the steep stairs with me pressed against his chest. Within seconds I was deposited on a wide bed that seemed to be built into the wall. I let go as he leaned back, left me on the bed, and peeled off his shirt. My mouth went dry.
“I don’t want to be crass, but I need to get out of these clothes. I’m not sure how much playing I can do the first time, I want you pretty badly.”
Hot balls of fire ricocheted through me. Whether it was that he said “first time” or the pure need in his voice, I was definitely in sync with his feelings. As he stripped, I made short work of my own clothes, thanking my lucky stars the corset I’d chosen to wear tonight had hook and eye closures in the front so I didn’t have to endure the time-consuming chore of unlacing it.
After tossing my clothes aside, I paused to watch Jarrett as he pulled off his boots and pants and then walked towards me. Damn the man was glorious. Tall, broad shouldered, and every inch of him packed tight with muscle. Every single inch. I shivered, knowing I was as ready for him as he was for me.
I reached down to start the process of removing my boots when he said, his voice thick, “Leave them on.”
I grinned up at him and leaned back, feeling sexier than I ever had in my life. I spread my legs in invitation and before I could blink, he was there, kneeling between my thighs, holding himself above me with one arm on either side of me. I slid my arms around his back, loving the feel of his smooth skin and hard muscles. I pulled him down so that his chest pressed against my breasts.
“I don’t need a lot of play either, I just need you,” I told him.
He leaned back and looked down at me, his gaze smoldering. “Well, a little play,” he said, a sexy smirk curving his lips, and then his mouth was on mine, drinking me in, before sliding down to my ear and throat.
“Don’t…” I started.
“Don’t bite. I know.” He pulled his mouth away from my neck and looked up at me, his eyes burning with desire. “Don’t worry, I don’t think either of us needs to be drugged to make this feel good.”
He punctuated his last statement by moving his mouth to my breast and grazing it with his teeth. Alternating from breast to breast, he sucked and licked until I thought I’d turn into ashes. “Enough, Jarrett. Now, please.”
He gave a sensual, husky laugh. “Demanding little thing, aren’t you?”
“Yes,” I gasped, digging my fingers into his back and pushing my hips up to him.
He groaned with pleasure and wordlessly slid into me. We moved together, our hands and mouths touching, tasting, and exploring as we plummeted towards release. It could have been hours, it could have been mere minutes. I wasn’t sure. Time had evaporated. All I knew was the feel of Jarrett against me and in me. Then heat engulfed me, my body tensed, and wave after wave of intense pleasure washed over me. Without realizing what I was doing, my nails dug deeper into his back and my teeth sank into his shoulder. A few moments later, Jarrett’s muscles clenched under my fingers. He groaned, thrusting harder into me with his own release.
We lay side-by-side in the bed for a long time, neither of us talking, just trying to catch our breaths. After a while, Jarrett broke the silence with a chuckle.
“So, no biting, huh?”
I grimaced. “Sorry about that.”
He laughed softly and ran a finger up my arm, sending tingles of excitement through me. “There’s nothing for you to be sorry for. I liked it.” He shot me a sexy grin.
I shrugged, laughing. “Well, there is that. It’s still a little hypocritical of me.”
Leaning on one elbow, he looked down at me, his face serious. “No, Anya, it’s not. You biting me and me biting you are two very different things. I don’t drink human blood, norm or vampire, under most circumstances. But I can’t deny that doing so during sex heightens the pleasure for both parties.”
I nodded. “Because vampire saliva is a drug to humans and human blood is a drug to vampires. And vampire blood is more intoxicating than norm blood. I know that. The bars are full of suckers just aching to get bit.”
He smiled at me. “Exactly. But I am one of the rare vampires who finds exchanging blood to be an extremely intimate act. I might nip at your skin with my teeth, but I will never extend my fangs and bite you. Not unless you ask me to. And then, only if I want to do so.” His grin turned lecherous. “But you can feel free to sink your tiny little teeth into me anytime you want. I like it.”
“Humph!” I swung my leg out to kick him and the heel of my boot got tangled in the sheets. “Oh, crap, I forgot I had these on. I should take them off before I rip your sheets or poke a hole in your mattress.”
I started to sit up, but he gave me a gentle push back onto the mattress.
“Let me,” he said.
He moved so that he was kneeling at my feet and reached for the boot on my right leg. He slowly unlaced the boot then slid it off, his hands sliding over every inch of my leg on the way down. He moved to the second boot, giving it the same treatment.
Then, starting at my ankle, he began kissing and licking his way up my leg. It was so hot and sensual, my entire body buzzed. When his lips and tongue were mere inches from the apex of my thighs, I braced myself for the sensations I was sure would come next. Instead, he retraced his way back down my leg. I moaned my frustration as he started up the other leg in the same manner. This time as his mouth moved across my inner thigh I wasn’t disappointed. I shook with pleasure as his tongue flitted over my most sensitive spot, and then I groaned as he slid one finger inside me.
I wrapped one hand in the long, silky strands of his hair, while the other clutched at the sheets
beneath me. I writhed under him, letting the sensations rock me as he licked and stroked me into delirium. Unable to stop myself, I screamed out his name as my orgasm shook me.
Within seconds, he was over me, pushing his hard length into my body. I welcomed him, arching up to meet him. He immediately began to move, hard and fast. My nails dug into his back as I met him thrust for thrust. To my surprise, it only took a few minutes before I was there again, in that storm of pleasure that took my breath away as my body tightened and clenched around him and the world broke into a million tiny pieces.
Several hard strokes later he growled his own release into my neck.
“We missed the sunrise,” Anya said, stretching like a satisfied cat.
“Yes, I guess we did.” Jarrett leaned up on both elbows to watch her as she walked around the cabin picking up her discarded clothing, apparently unbothered by her nudity.
Jarrett, on the other hand, was very bothered. He could feel himself hardening again as he took in her creamy skin and tantalizing curves. He had to force himself to stay in control. They’d already made love several times over the past few hours, and though he was ready and willing for more, he wasn’t sure Anya would be. It had been so long since he’d been with a non-vampire, and Anya’s sexual appetite was so voracious. He’d almost missed the signs of how tired she was until she started yawning a few minutes ago, shortly after their latest tumble around the bunk.
“So, are you headed off to parts unknown this afternoon?”
She had her back to him as she found the last bits of her clothing and began to dress. He couldn’t see her expression. Nor could he gauge her mood from her voice. He was silent a long moment, watching her pull on her skirt and trying to decide how to respond. When she sat on the bench to pull her boots onto those sinfully long and sexy legs, he quickly made up his mind about how he wanted to spend the next two weeks.
“Actually,” he said, keeping his tone as neutral as possible. “I’m on leave for the next two weeks and will probably be hanging around Nash City. So, I’ll be around if you want to try to catch that sunrise, or whatever.”
She looked at him hard for one long moment, dropping her boot on the floor. She strode over to the end of the bunk.
“Jarrett Campbell,” she said, slowly crawling up the bed, her legs on either side of his. “Are you asking me if I want to spend the next two weeks screwing your brains out every chance I get?”
“I…” but he couldn’t finish the sentence. She had pulled the sheet away from his erection and was lightly running her fingers up and down. It was everything he could do to keep his eyes from rolling back in his head.
“Because if you are…” She moved up, straddling his hips, and he suddenly realized she hadn’t put her underwear on yet.
“The answer is…” She positioned him at her opening.
“Yes.” The word was drawn out on a breathless gasp as she pushed down.
Forty-five minutes later, Jarrett pulled The Minnow alongside the pier he’d been moored at earlier. He’d barely finished securing the lines when Anya gave him a quick kiss and climbed ashore.
“It will be busy tonight so it will be almost dawn before I can leave work. I’ll see you,” she said with a wink. Then, tossing her long red locks over her shoulder, she turned and disappeared into the crowd of sailors, fisherman, and other dock workers.
He watched her go, wondering just what he’d gotten himself into. The woman was likely to drive him mad before two weeks was up. At least he didn’t have to worry about staying busy. He looked around at The Minnow. He’d neglected her over the past several months while he’d been obsessed with his quest for Cora. There was plenty of scrubbing, scraping, painting, and repairing to do around the boat. He pushed Anya and her amazing body out of his mind and went to get supplies and get started.
***
Three days later, Jarrett knew Anya wasn’t lying beside him the moment he reached consciousness. It vaguely registered in his brain how, in the past three days, he was already used to waking up with her warm body against his. He opened his eyes to the dim light of early dusk peering through the cabin’s narrow windows. Next to him, the bed was bare as he’d suspected, but it only took a second to find Anya. She was standing at the end of the bunk, fully dressed with hat and bag in hand, tiptoeing towards the door.
“Where are you going?”
Anya gasped and turned around, a guilty look on her face. “I wasn’t sneaking out.”
She was so adorable while trying to be sneaky. He leaned up on one elbow. “Of course you weren’t. So, where are you going? I know you aren’t going to work, you’re off tonight.”
She let out a sigh. “Pete’s Fight House.”
He climbed out of bed and began to dress. “You thought I’d disapprove?”
Her eyes narrowed. “It doesn’t really matter what you think.”
He laughed, loving the tinge of pink that filled her cheeks and the fire that flashed in her eyes. “True, it doesn’t. Can I go with you?”
The pink deepened and her eyes narrowed. “I don’t need you to protect me.”
“Wow. You know, it’s times like this that I really see the family resemblance between you and Fiona. That fierce independence would be attractive if you weren’t so quick to jump to conclusions and be defensive. I merely thought it would be fun to watch you fight. Fiona has told me you are a better fighter than she is, but I haven’t had the chance to see it myself.” He thought it best not to point out that just a couple of days ago she had, indeed, needed protection.
She had the grace to look slightly chastised before her attitude snapped back into place and she rolled her eyes. “Don’t get your panties in a bunch. You can come with.”
With a single stride, he crossed the room, grabbed her by the waist, and picked her up. Her legs automatically went around him, her boots knocking against the back of his thighs. Her arms wrapped around his neck as his hands slid under her bottom. Pushing her against the nearest wall, he kissed her hard and hungrily.
When they were both breathless, he pulled his mouth away, kissing across her cheek to her ear where he traced the lobe with his tongue. “Good morning,” he whispered, nipping her ear with his teeth.
She let out a little moan. “Oh, yes. Good morning. You know, going to Pete’s could wait until tomorrow.”
He slid his hands back up to her waist and pulled her away from him. He set her back on her feet and took a step back. “No, we’ll go. I’m in the mood to see you kick some ass.”
She swayed a bit and leaned back against the wall and glared at him. “And suddenly I’m in the mood to do just that,” she said through gritted teeth.
She looked so volatile and sexy, it was everything he could do not to scoop her back into his arms and take her back to bed. Maybe he shouldn’t have teased her. She’d deserved it trying to sneak out on him, but it had tortured him as much as her.
He picked up her hat and bag from where she’d dropped them. “Come on, Killer, let’s go see what kind of trouble you can get us into.”
She stared daggers at him for another moment before her mouth curved into a slow, sexy smile. “You are going to pay for that later.”
“I’m looking forward to it.”
***
Pete’s Fight House was illuminated by a mixture of crystal and oil lanterns casting a dim, blue glow over a massive crowd that had gathered to watch the evening’s fights. Jarrett stood ringside, watching as Anya moved gracefully around the ring, throwing punches and kicks and dodging blows. He’d known, from nights of exploring her luscious body, how muscular and athletic she was, but watching her toss her opponent around and bounce up when she was knocked down told him she had a strength he hadn’t imagined.
She was magnificent, moving with a practiced grace he’d seen in few fighters. The fact that she wasn’t paranorm made it all the more phenomenal. Vampires and shifters were stronger with faster reflexes, and some mages could use magical energy to increase their agility.
But Anya had none of that. Her abilities came from training and practice.
He wondered what made her work so hard on her body. And, even more, why did she fight? He fought as a part of his job, though he couldn’t deny he enjoyed it. But that was partially due to the vampire side of him. Vampires were adrenaline junkies, and fighting was one of the best activities to get his kicks. But Anya had no such compulsion. He wondered what pain or trauma from her past drove her to fight for sport.
Barely four minutes after the match began, Anya had her opponent’s shoulders pinned to the floor as the referee counted down. The crowd of spectators roared with approval as Anya was announced the winner. Jarrett couldn’t help smirking at the name “Spitfire” as the ref called it out. He knew Anya must hate it, but it fit her so perfectly. She did everything with a fiery passion that matched her hair color.
His own temperature started to rise with thoughts of having her and all that blazing passion in his bed later. But, his ardor cooled drastically a few seconds later when a man entered the ring and challenged her before she could exit.
“Come on, Spitfire,” the man said. “Your other opponents tonight barely had enough skill to warm you up. I’ll be a little tougher to put down.”
Jarrett groaned. The man was well over six feet tall, probably no more than an inch shorter than Jarrett. He was also at least fifty pounds heavier and nearly solid muscle. Unlike many of the big men Anya and Jarrett had watched fight tonight, he carried himself with the grace of a trained fighter. He wouldn’t be as easy to put down as the previous two were. Surely Anya wouldn’t be daft enough to go into a third match against someone who hadn’t fought at all tonight and clearly had the physical advantage.
“Let’s do it,” Anya said.
Jarrett groaned. Of course she was that daft.
“Are you sure you want to do this?” Jarrett asked when she’d joined him to rest a minute and wait for bets on the fight to be placed.
