Burn: A shifter and vampire rock star romance (Underground Encounters Book 4)

by Lisa Carlisle

  I inhaled the wild scents of the forests—the natural earthy setting and the imprint of recent animals that had passed. “What about your family? Where are they?”

  “Some live nearby.” He motioned to the area around us as he walked up to the cottage. “The funny thing about many shifters is that while we’re transient and move around, we also crave the security of home. So even if we travel or live abroad for years, we always have a place we consider home.”

  “I guess you stick together.”

  “It depends. Not all shifters mate with other shifters. Some fall in love with humans.”

  “And they can have children together?”

  “Yes, our species can mate to create offspring. Some carry the gene and become shifters, some don’t. It’s kind of like eye color or hair color. But unlike genetics, shapeshifting isn’t passed on as a dominant or recessive gene. It’s fairly dominant, but not a given that the offspring will become shifters.”

  “I’m surprised you’re telling me about your kind. Isn’t it like giving away information to the enemy?”

  “It’s nothing your kind doesn’t already know. And after you told me about you, why not? Besides, I thought we decided we were now friends? Both our kinds have coexisted for centuries. We might not necessarily like or understand each other, but we’re not at war either.”

  Devon opened the door and welcomed me into the cottage. Although it was what you’d call charming, with a worn sofa and old armchairs covered with throws, I had to focus on more pressing concerns. What could we do to block out the sun?

  The drapes were heavy, but would they be enough?

  As if reading my mind, Devon said, “I have trash bags, tarps, whatever we need to block the sunlight. That should do it, right?”

  “Yes.” I felt the drapes. They were insulated so they should work fine. Even if some sun came through, as long as it didn’t directly shine on me, I’d be okay.

  “Can we hang up some tarps where I’d sleep, just in case?”

  Our gazes caught, and sudden heat flashed between us. The small space of the cottage seemed more intimate. We would be close, so close, for the coming future.

  “I only have one bedroom,” he said. “Will you share it with me?”

  A trembling inside my body captured my voice. I swallowed. “Yes.”

  Devon’s lips parted. He scanned me with a heated gaze, but then he tore his gaze away.

  He cleared his throat. “Uh, um, uh—I have to make a call.”

  He disappeared into the bedroom and closed the door behind him. I glanced around the cottage. It had a fireplace and some books and magazines. Compared with the sparse furnishings of his London flat, I could see why he considered the cottage his home. It had a homey, lived-in feeling. A small kitchen with a dining area was on the opposite end of the room. And off to the left was Devon’s bedroom.

  When he returned a few minutes later, I asked, “Everything all right?”

  “Yes. Just a little business I had to take care of.”

  When he didn’t elaborate, I sat on the overstuffed sofa. “Now what do we do?”

  The dark glimmer in his eye was purely devilish. “I can think of something.”

  “Really, Devon. Is that all you think of?”

  He looked up at the ceiling as if considering the question. “Let’s see. We’ve spent the past several days traveling, trying to track down stolen money and fighting vampires. To the death, I might add. I hung up the tarps in the bedroom to keep all sunlight out. We haven’t stopped moving for days. Now we’re in a cozy cottage, and we don’t have to do anything—unless we want to.”

  His voice had turned velvet smooth, sending heat pooling into my belly. But still, we were on the run. If Gayle and Jon came after us, we didn’t have any place to hide in this cottage.

  “Shouldn’t we prepare or something? Build up some defenses in case they come?”

  “Like booby traps?”

  “Yeah. Something like that.”

  Devon nodded with self-assurance. “I have it taken care of.”

  “How?”

  “I spoke to my family on the landline in my bedroom. I can’t always get a signal on my mobile phone here. They’re spreading the word to other shifters in the forest. If Gayle or Jon enters these woods, they’ll be taken care of before their walking corpses contaminate these grounds.”

  I considered what he’d said. We’d gone through so much over the past few days. Being here with him was a respite from it all.

  “I guess you have everything under control.”

  “It’s what I do, Layla. My primary concern is keeping you safe.”

  Although he’d tried to explain it in the car, his reasoning still confused me. “Nobody’s paying you now. You could’ve left me, and we would have gone our own ways.”

  “I know.”

  “Why are you helping me?”

  “I want to.” His expression revealed nothing.

  Since he wouldn’t be receiving money, the only other option I could come up with was sex. “Because you want to sleep with me again?”

  “Of course, I want to sleep with you again. But that’s not why I’m doing this. There’s something about you that makes me want to take care of you.”

  That rubbed me the wrong way. I threw my hands up in frustration. “Why does every guy want to take care of me? Do I seem that damn vulnerable that I can’t take care of myself? Stefano, Joey and now you.”

  Devon broke his confident stance by running his hands over his shaved head. “That’s not what I meant. I know you’re more than capable of taking care of yourself. You’ve started a life over twice now, completely on your own. I admire that. Deeply. You destroyed a powerful vampire.”

  I’d clenched my fists and forced myself to relax them. “Thank you.”

  “What I’m trying to say is that the thought of any harm coming to you drives me mad. I want to destroy anything—or anyone—who even thinks of it.” He reached me in two strides, closing the space between us. Tilting my chin up so I faced him, he said, “It’s not because you’re helpless or weak. It’s because—you—I—I care about you, Layla. And it scares the shit out of me.”

  I searched his eyes. “Why?”

  His face turned tormented. “I promised I’d never let myself care so much about someone to get hurt like that again. After Muriel was killed, I developed a blind hatred for all vampires. And I’d been doing well these past fifteen years—staying detached from anyone besides my family and becoming unsurpassed in my job. But now—with you—I feel so much. Too much.”

  He caressed my face with such a gentle touch, I froze. His revelation was unexpected and more intimate than anything I’d experienced.

  “And you are a vampire. Do you see? It destroys me. The more I get to know you, the more I realize I don’t know shit. Because you’re not like them. And I can’t keep myself from caring for you.”

  My mouth dropped open. I’d feared he was a cold bounty hunter with some ulterior motive, but that crashed away with his words. An ache for him grew inside. All I wanted to do was comfort him and show how much I appreciated his sacrifice to help me.

  The only way I knew how was by showing him.

  We’d had sex, but that had been different. It was a physical release, a hate fuck fueled by manipulation. But the desire that fueled me now was stirred by something more, something deeper. Like he’d said—something terrifying.

  I ran my fingers over his supple lips. “Devon, sit down.”

  When he did, I removed my shirt. His gaze raked over my body, turning his eyes dark with desire.

  “I think it’s time I show you my appreciation.”

  Devon

  Layla kept her gaze on me as she removed her jeans. When she stood before me in only a bra and panties, I sucked in a breath. After I’d revealed my feelings for her, ones I hadn’t even formed into words until they fell out of my mouth, I was ready to steel myself back up with reinforcements. Maybe say something stupid that wo
uld push her away and keep me detached. But, the way she undressed while staring straight into me distracted me. All coherent thoughts vanished.

  She crawled across the bearskin rug with a smoldering look in her eye. I swallowed, unable to find words. My shaft hardened. All I knew was I wanted her.

  When she reached me, she kneeled. Then she leaned forward, rising in between my legs until she reached my eye level. The sensuality that burned in her eyes fueled me with heat.

  She ran her hands over my chest, and I instinctively pumped it out.

  “Perhaps we should start here.” When she moved her fingers down and caressed my thighs, she said, “And then here.”

  She leaned up, inching closer to my face. My body turned into a steel rod as I waited, desperate to feel her lips on mine.

  When she finally brushed them against me, it was feather light. Had it even happened?

  Fuck, I’d ensure that it did. I captured her mouth and held her head with my hands, searing her with a kiss so intense, it would claim her.

  I pulled her body closer to mine. She rose and straddled my lap. The brush of her pussy against my erection made me throb with need. A low growl vibrated from my chest.

  “Do you like this?” She kissed me again.

  “Fuck, yes.”

  She moved her lips to my jawline and then over my neck. I moaned as her mouth left a trail of wet heat pulsing on my skin.

  When she tugged the hem of my shirt up, I helped remove it. As her gaze traveled over my chest, she bit her lip. She reached out and trailed her fingers over my chest, following her touch with light kisses. They left me dizzy with a desperate need to bury myself into her. Her lips traveled over my abs, leaving me panting with anticipation as she paused at the top of my pants.

  She paused and smiled like a vixen. “Should I stop?”

  “Good God, woman. No!”

  “Then tell me what you like.” She unbuttoned my jeans.

  “I love the touch of your fingers on my skin. So hot it almost burns.”

  She unzipped them. “What else?” she murmured in a husky voice.

  “The feel of your lips on mine. And all over my body. Driving me wild.”

  She yanked at my jeans, and I lifted my hips to help her ease them down and off me. When she followed with my boxers, my cock sprang free of the constraints.

  Her lips parted as she stared at my erection. She ran her fingers over it and then stared at me as she stroked it with her light touch. “You’re so hard.”

  A bead of pre-cum flowed at the tip. She licked it and then circled the head.

  “Fuck, I want you, Layla.”

  When she took me in her hot, little mouth, I almost came right then. After taking a deep breath, I refocused. Everything about her drew me in. Her touch. Her scent. It took all my control not to fire off.

  She took her time, torturing me as she pulled away, then running her tongue down and back up my shaft. I ran my fingers through her silky hair.

  I reached down to feel her breasts. As I thumbed over the soft satin over her nipple, it hardened beneath my touch. I reached behind to unhook her bra.

  “Take this off.”

  She leaned back and slid the straps over her arm, dropping the bra on the floor. As soon as her breasts were revealed, I cupped them.

  She covered me with her mouth again, taking in as much as she could. I leaned my head back, succumbing to her magic. Her soft moans indicated she enjoyed this as much as I did.

  When she brought me closer to the brink, I pulled her head back. “You’ll make me come. And I want to do so much more with you before that happens.”

  I pulled her to her feet and slid her panties over her hips. She stood before me naked with dark desire in her eyes. Every part of me struggled for control for what to do next. I wanted to taste her, touch her, fuck her…

  “My turn to explore.” I carried her to the sofa and covered her breast with my mouth.

  “Devon,” she said, running her fingers over my head. “I can’t wait. Fuck me now.”

  Like I could resist that request since I was already aching to the do the same. When I touched her heat, she was already so wet. I slid my body over her and stroked the head of my cock against her folds.

  “Now,” she pleaded.

  I eased the tip in slowly. She grabbed at my biceps and wrapped both her legs around me, coaxing me in. Her hot little pussy squeezed tightly around me as I slid in.

  “Yes,” she murmured. “Fuck me hard.”

  Although my body appeared like it would crush her, her fierce hold reminded me that she wasn’t delicate or breakable. I pumped into her, and she clawed at me for more. Animalistic cravings took over with a primal drive to take and fuck her. Mark her as mine.

  After we rolled onto the soft rug, she ended up on all fours. I grabbed onto one of her shoulders with one hand while I used the other to guide into her from behind. Once fully wedged in, I drove into her. She clawed at the bearskin rug, panting and gasping as I unleashed my need.

  I fisted a bunch of her hair and pulled her head back. “Do you like it rough like this, my hot little vamp?”

  “Yesss.” She arched her back and jutted her breasts out.

  After releasing her hair, I grabbed one of her breasts as I fucked her. The satin weight rested perfectly in my palm.

  I lowered my hand to stroke between her legs. When I touched her clit, she gasped, but then rode against my fingers, encouraging me to continue. Her pants turned into moans. The friction and pace increased, and the intensity escalated. I sensed her moving close, aching to reach her peak.

  When I increased the pressure on her sensitive nub, she cried out. Her body quaked as she shattered beneath me. Her walls pulsed on my throbbing cock.

  I grabbed her hips and let her feminine scent wash over me. Thunderous bolts rocked through me, and I exploded deep inside her.

  My release seemed to go on longer than ever. When she’d milked every bit from me, I rolled onto the rug beside her.

  “Shit, Layla.” I wrapped an arm around her waist. “That was un-fucking-real.”

  “So good,” she agreed.

  For several minutes, I lay there as my heart pounded.

  After I caught my breath, I said, “Come on, let’s continue in the bedroom.”

  “Continue?” She raised an eyebrow. “You’re not done for the night?”

  I cocked a brow. “I’m not the average human, sweetheart.”

  She grinned. “I noticed. You’re a fucking animal.”

  Chapter 12

  Devon

  I don’t know where I thought vampires slept before now. Coffins? I hadn’t really thought about it. But having Layla in my bed felt natural, as if she belonged here. She was in a deep sleep, out cold while the sun shone outside. So pale. But she was always pale. And so completely still. Peaceful.

  She wasn’t breathing.

  Panic jolted me upright.

  She doesn’t need to breathe, remember?

  Many things about her fascinated me, dispelling all my notions about vampires. They weren’t as repulsive as I assumed. Well, the others were, but not Layla. How could that be?

  It’s the person, not the species.

  Perhaps.

  I walked into the living room area and peeked out a window. The sun was setting, a kaleidoscope of yellows, oranges and pink dancing near the horizon. Was it natural for her to sleep until the sun completely disappeared? I made coffee and then drank it outside, watching the sun set. It saddened me that this was a moment we could never share. Her days were nights. And since I’d been on this job working for a vampire, nights had become my days as well.

  After the last wisps of pink faded away to welcome the darkness, I finished the last few sips of coffee. The stars came out, waking up with a twinkle, like they were winking at me. The moon turned on its glow with gradual intensity.

  When would Layla awaken?

  An hour later, Layla came out of the cottage. She was dressed in a cinnamon-brow
n sweater, olive-green leggings, and chocolate-brown furry boots she picked up from the department store. Her hair was brown and still wet, shining under the moonlight. She must have just dyed it to a more natural color. That was smart to vary her looks from what Gayle and Jon had last seen.

  “Nice outfit,” I said.

  “Thanks. Better for camouflage.”

  “What do you need camouflage for?”

  “To hunt. You coming?” She raised her eyebrows in a challenging invitation.

  “Hell yeah, you sexy bitch. Let me get undressed.”

  “Undressed,” she asked, furrowing her brow. “Don’t you mean dressed?” Then the reasoning dawned on her—I’d transform. “Oh yes. Of course. Can I watch?” she asked with an excited glint in her eyes.

  My cock twitched. “If you look at me like that, we’ll never leave the cottage.”

  She pouted. “I’ll wait out here.”

  While I removed my clothes, I debated which animal I should shift into. I grabbed a knife, just in case, and returned to Layla outside.

  Her eyes raked my naked body in a way that made me swell with pride. Then she noticed the knife.

  “What’s that for?”

  “Protection. Just in case.”

  She narrowed her eyes. “I thought you had it covered. That we had a bunch of shifters covering our back.”

  “Always have a backup plan,” I said and handed her the silver knife in the sheath.

  “Why are you giving it to me? I can’t use it—it’s silver. It will render me almost powerless. You have to carry it.”

  “I can’t carry it after I’ve shifted onto four legs. Besides, I put a rubber grip on the handle for you. That should diminish the effect if you need to use it.”

  She looked unconvinced, but let me fasten the strap around her thigh.

  “You look deliciously attractive out here,” she said. “Naked under the moonlight.”

  I winked at her. “Maybe you should take off your clothes, too.”