“Thank you.” She forced the words out. They sounded too sultry for the situation and her.
“You’re welcome.” He walked away and took temptation with him.
She shook off her lusty thoughts, ate the candy, then opened her notes. Ten minutes later, she closed her laptop after rereading the same sentence over and over. Frustration beat at her. She stood and glared at the candy bar wrapper as if it had caused her concentration problems.
“Do you want another one?” Rune stepped behind her and settled his hands on her hips.
She automatically leaned into him and barely stopped her sigh from escaping. “No thank you.”
He brushed his chin over her head. The simple motion quickened her pulse. “Has Roland responded to your email?”
“I just sent it an hour or so ago.” He made a noncommittal sound and skimmed his parted mouth over her temple. His warm breath heated her skin. She tipped her head to give him better access. “He’s a busy man.”
“As I am. There is much I need to do.” His lips brushed the rim of her ear with each word. She shivered. He used his hold on her hips to draw her closer into the shelter of his body. “I find myself unwilling to leave you, however.”
Which was true. He hadn’t left her side since they’d run into each other. “I’ve noticed. You take your guarding very seriously.”
“You’re not a job, Cat.” He caught her earlobe and nibbled on it. “Not anymore, at least.”
Unable to stop herself, she dragged her fingernails over his knuckles. He groaned and pushed his cock more firmly against her back. Liking the response, she reached for the edge of his thigh and repeated the teasing stroke. He pulled her closer. The thick erection pressed between them left little room to mistake how he viewed her, a woman he wanted to fuck.
She wiggled against him. He rewarded her with a groan and the bite of his fingertips over her hips. “I can tell.”
“Is it that obvious?” Lust added a low growl to his words.
He massaged the flesh he’d just grabbed. It hadn’t hurt her. It had sent a thrill through her. She’d always enjoyed walking away from a lover with a few marks of his possession to remember their shared passion.
She settled her head against his chest. “Yes, it makes me wonder why.”
“Why? That’s simple. I want to keep you.” He nibbled on her earlobe. Her lashes fluttered. “And you want to stay with me.”
Yes, she did. She wanted to get lost in him. It wasn’t as if she could concentrate anyway. A sexual interlude would be a perfect way to relax. The idea took hold. Images of them naked, sweaty and tangled in passion flashed across her mind. Her body responded to the fantasy. Arousal flowed, dampening her panties.
The ache between her thighs grew. She arched against him. He countered the slight move, thrusting against her. Perfect. A small grin on her face, she widened her stance and brought their twined hands to her lower belly. A heartbeat passed, then another. His breath quickened, but he didn’t take her unspoken offering. She clenched her jaw.
Was he trying to be honorable or didn’t he want to tumble with her onto the bed? One way to find out.
“I do want to stay, but there’s no need. I can go back to the inn. We can meet in the morning for breakfast.”
“No.” The harsh word popped her eyelids open. He sucked in a breath and released it in a slow wash of warm air that sensitized her skin. “I mean, it makes more sense if we stay together. We haven’t even had a chance to discuss your research.”
Research? Here she was, ready to climb onto his cock and he had to douse her lust with talk of work? She went over the conversations they had. He’d hinted at wanting to fuck her but had never actually spoken the words.
She bit back her disappointment and forced a nod. “Yes, I suppose we should, but I need to get some sleep and let my unconscious mind go over everything again before we do.”
She felt his smile against her neck. “Do you often take work to bed with you?”
“Always.” She cringed at how that sounded. Cold. Emotionless. Boring. No denying the truth, though. “What happened yesterday might trigger something I hadn’t considered before. You’d be surprised at how often I’ve woken with a breakthrough.”
He tensed. “You mean the male’s death?”
“And other things.” Mutating viruses, an ancient culture, why the CDC lied and how the local legends were tied into UP-33’s emergence. She refused to allow thoughts of vampires to take hold, but the older woman’s mention of global warming chilled her. It matched one of her theories.
“What things?”
The man was persistent. She had to give him that.
“Glaciers and icebergs are melting at an alarming rate because of global warming. Theories abound as to what triggered the rise in the earth’s temperatures. I’m not going to discuss them, but what concerns me is what might’ve been released.”
Rune settled his hands on her thighs—hands that trembled. “From the ice?”
She covered his fingers. The potential danger of what had been unearthed scared her too. “Yes. I’ve already told you about the virus’s ruggedness. It’s possible UP-33 came from inside the ice or maybe even from the cache of ancient objects that were found. I know it sounds like something out of a fantasy book.”
She turned in his embrace and settled her palms against his chest. Closed-off eyes watched her. “It’s not. There have been studies where researchers found and replicated a thirty-thousand-year-old giant virus. It was found in the Scandinavian permafrost. You see? It’s not a stretch to think UP-33 is an ancient virus too.”
“This is what you do, isn’t it? Research viruses?”
“Yes. It’s fascinating work, but I’ve never seen anything like UP-33. Already it’s killing people, but if it starts spreading by airborne methods or some other means, we might very well face a worldwide catastrophe.”
He skimmed his fingers up her spine. “I don’t think we need to worry about that happening.”
“It’s not something I cannot worry about. What I witnessed was different from what has been documented. From everything I’ve learned, that man should’ve suffered convulsions for hours before his heart burst. I can only assume he’d been infected with a mutant strain.”
Because glowing eyes and Rune’s touch weren’t logical. She had to stick to facts. If she mentioned what she’d seen to anyone, they’d call her crazy or say she was falsifying data. She had enough obstacles in her path, including the refusal of help from the locals.
“I hope I can learn something from the samples I collected.” If they actually make it back to Maine. With the resistance the townsfolk had shown to her, she wouldn’t be surprised if the vials of blood disappeared along with all the outside reports she’d based hers studies on.
She peered around Rune’s chest at her laptop. “I need to get back to work. I won’t rest until I discover how people are getting infected or at least until I figure out how to stop them from dying.”
He stroked his hand across her shoulders and back. “That’s a noble cause, but not one that will occur tonight. Let it go for the moment.”
She pushed against his chest. His firm grip never wavered. She sighed. “I have to think at the very least and try to come up with some theories as to why his death didn’t match the ones before.”
“How was the male’s death different?”
The question begged an answer but his tone suggested he already knew. Maybe he’d read her report on the current crisis. Actually, if Roland asked him to help her, he should’ve. She made a mental note to send another email to him. She’d left out questions about Rune from her original one. With him standing over her shoulder, she hadn’t wanted to mention it.
“His seizures weren’t as severe as what had been recorded nor did they last as long. I suspect it has to do with the virus mutating. I want to write my thoughts down and think. I can’t do that here.” While my body aches for your touch.
“Sure you can.”
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He released her and walked out the kitchen door. A couple of minutes later, he returned with a piece of plywood. He stacked the milk crates and dropped the sheet of wood over it. He disappeared again and came back with a wooden stool.
The clunk of the chair’s legs hitting the floor reverberated in the room. “There you go. Write. Think.” He motioned to the couch. “I’ll sit there. I won’t bug you.”
He proceeded to grab a men’s fitness magazine and plopped on the worn plaid sofa. Stretched out on the cushions, he looked impossibly large. The muscle packed onto his body filled out his thin t-shirt and jeans molded to his thick thighs.
She let her gaze roam over him, visually worshiping his perfect physique. Her attention zeroed in on his groin. The thick length of his erection pushed to the side spoke of his desire for her.
He wanted her. Why not take her offer?
Because unlike you, he’s focusing on the important stuff. If she could get her mind off sex, she could too.
She sighed and turned her back on the delicious specimen of a man. Work called.
* * * * *
Stretched on the couch with one foot bent on the cushion and the other flat on the floor, Rune dragged his tongue over his distended fangs. Blood filled his mouth. It held the hint of the human males from the village who’d fed him their blood and knowledge of the current era, Jaron’s powerful essence and the musky taste of the reindeer he’d dined on several nights ago. The combination did little to stem his hunger.
His gut clenched. He pressed a hand to it and resisted the urge to curl into a ball. He’d extended too much energy since Cat had taken over his life. First with the eldjötnar’s victim, then with the mass control of the tavern patrons. He hadn’t liked the idea of other males being present while she slept. True, she been fully clothed but the look on her face had been one only he wanted to see.
“Are you hungry?” Cat’s voice drifted to him, caressing him as if it were her hands on his body.
He peered at her through cracked lids. She turned slightly on the stool to meet his gaze. Her shoulder-length black hair swayed with the move. The thick, uneven locks reminded him of an animal pelt, one he wanted to lay his cheek against and sleep. Tearing his attention from the raven strands proved more difficult than he wanted to admit. The woman he’d unintentionally marked could’ve been a goddess with the power to bend him to her will. He wasn’t sure how he felt about that little fact.
Her blue-green eyes narrowed. “I can make us something to eat if you don’t mind me taking over the kitchen.”
“I’m not hungry.”
One brow rose along with the corner of her mouth. “Really? So I should attribute the loud growling of your stomach to something else.”
The sparkle in her eyes brought the blue out. He’d never seen a color like hers. It reminded him of the lights that danced over the sky at night.
She stood, the grin still on her face, and sashayed toward him. The seductive sway of her hips captivated him as easily as her eyes had. Each step brought her curvy body closer. She stopped inches from his face.
The scent of her desire flooded his senses. Saliva pooled. His fangs throbbed. He could almost taste the combination of her blood and arousal on his tongue. The gift only a mate could give had never appealed to him, even when he had been days away from taking one. Malin hadn’t enjoyed having his mouth on her clit. After one uncomfortable encounter, he’d never attempted it again.
“It’s far worse than I expected.” A chuckle accompanied her words.
He swept his gaze the length of her body. The swell of her breasts distracted him from reaching her eyes. He’d been right in his first assessment. Her breasts weren’t large, but they’d fill his palm, bounce when he fucked her and give him a mouthful to suckle on.
She used a single finger to tip up his chin. He regretfully tore his focus from the sight of her erect nipples pushing against the thin layer of her top to her face. The sensual swipe of her tongue along her lip tore a groan from deep in his chest. The guttural sound didn’t bother her, not if the satisfied smile she flashed him was any indication.
“You’ve let yourself get too hungry.”
He feared she was right. He couldn’t even force his fangs to recede.
She dropped to her knees next to the sofa. “Now you’re weak. Easily distracted.”
Unable to speak because of his pointed canines, he stared into her eyes.
She caught her lower lip. Her grin spread. “You poor man. I think you need someone to feed you.”
Did the woman know how much her teasing tempted him? He caught the back of her head and dragged her close. Mouth next to her ear, he breathed in her exotic scent. Still as strong as it had been when he’d first approached her, her unique fragrance drugged him and left him lightheaded. He inhaled another lungful and moaned. The instincts he’d been fighting flared, stronger than ever.
“I’d rather feed from you.” He closed his eyes and silently berated himself for his choice of words. Gods, he hoped she wouldn’t fear him in light of them. He couldn’t have her running from him. If he kept making comments normal human males wouldn’t utter, however, she’d freak and leave him.
“Would you?”
The stark lust in her tone brought his gaze to hers. Her quickened breaths and slightly parted mouth betrayed her desire. He repeated his words and realized the other way they might be taken. Anticipation sped his pulse. Malin might not have like his tongue in her core, but his other lovers had. They’d always begged for it.
Rune nodded. Sheer will alone pushed his fangs back. “Yes. I want to part your lower lips with my tongue, lick your sex and drink of your desire.” She released a shaky breath. “Is that how you plan to feed me?”
She pressed the tip of her tongue to her upper lip. After a moment, she gave a single nod.
He shifted to his side on the couch and faced her fully. Did he dare risk following through with the visual he’d given her? He was hungry and already his thoughts drifted to keeping Cat forever. One feeding and he’d have to mate her.
At the moment, the prospect didn’t seem much of a hardship. He’d willingly rely on her life to sustain his. Hell, the idea excited him beyond anything he could’ve imagined. His involvement with his last consort had been duty. He’d been ordered to mate her as punishment for rescuing her. Cat, on the other hand, stirred instincts he’d never known he had.
He let his gaze roam over her and tried to make sense of the drives riding him. Cat’s tie to him, those precious few drops of his blood, made her immune to his powers. It turned her into his equal and opened up a world he’d never known existed. One filled with passion. Need. Desire.
“Rune, I want…” Hands balled at her sides, she stared at his trapped cock with a slackened jaw and dilated eyes. She inched closer and licked her lips. His cock twitched. “I want…” She raised her gaze to his. “You.”
Ah, fuck. I can resist anything to get her mouth on me.
“Stand, baby.” She did. He curled his fingers. “Come closer.”
She dropped one knee onto the cushion next to his hip. “Rune?”
He reached for the button of her jeans. “Yeah?”
“I don’t have any condoms with me.”
He knew the meaning of the word, condom, but with lust riding him hard he couldn’t focus on dragging it from the recesses of his brain. He turned his focus on getting Cat naked. The zipper stuck but a hard jerk pulled it down.
She grasped his wrist. “I don’t have any diseases and I’m on birth control.”
The meaning popped to the forefront of his mind. Of course. Condoms were a means to protect partners during sex.
He rubbed his thumb over the black silk of her panties. “We don’t need them. You’re safe with me.”
She worried her lip. For a moment, he’d thought she’d question him. Finally, she nodded. He dragged her jeans down. She shimmied out of them. With a trembling hand, she reached for her panties. The sight of her nerves
bothered him. A peek at her face showed a quivering lip to match her rapid breaths.
He stopped her from undressing with a hand on hers. “Cat, kiss me.”
She flashed another smile. He’d guessed right. Her suggestive teasing was one thing. Acting on it was another.
He urged her onto the couch. The small piece of furniture only offered enough room to allow them to lie chest to chest. He settled a hand on her panty-covered bottom and waited for her to make the next move. A shaky sigh escaped her. She pressed her lips to his. The loose strands of her hair trickled him. Her scent wafted around him. Hunger rose, for her body and blood. The fangs he’d forced back punched out. He pressed his lips together.
Cat tilted her head and licked the seam of his mouth. The wet stroke whipped sensations through him. It didn’t take much to imagine what the feel of her tongue on his dick would be like. Balls drawn up, it throbbed. The effects of a millennium of abstinence threatened to crush him. The thud in his fangs added to the pulse in his cock. He wanted to sink both into her.
What was he thinking? He refused to feed from her without her permission. She had to understand what it meant for both of them.
He pushed against her. She didn’t retreat, however. She threw a leg over his hips, half-crawled on top of him and kissed him. The tight line of his lips didn’t dissuade her. She pushed her tongue between them. He turned his head, breaking the kiss, and rolled her under him. Face buried in the spread of her hair, he dragged in a lungful of her fragrance.
“Rune.”
Not a question. A demand.
She slid her hand between their bodies and covered his jeans-covered dick. One simple move showed exactly what she wanted from him.
He held still. Tried to get himself under control. Prayed he didn’t lose his honor. The stroking didn’t stop. His needs escalated. Her small fingers on his trapped erection tore groans from him. He thrust against her palm and wished his erection was free to slide over her skin. As if she heard him, she wrangled the button open. A tug of the zipper and she freed him. Without a wasted breath, she fisted his length. His eyes rolled back in his head.
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