HOT-BLOODED BREATH OF DARKNESS

by Candice Stauffer

  “I promise.” He took her in his arms, holding her close.

  “I’m so sorry, Tobias.”

  “You haven’t done anything wrong.”

  “Damn it, Tobias. I know I hurt you.” She leaned back to look up at him. “Stop being a stubborn ass and accept my apology.”

  “You’re forgiven.” He smiled. “Get some rest.”

  “I don’t want to spend another second of my life without you. I don’t want to spend another night alone. I don’t want you to leave.”

  “Are you going to tell me what you want?” His lips parting in a roguishly sexy grin, his blue eyes smoldering with desire.

  Insatiable hunger clawed at her. “I want you to stay here with me tonight.”

  “Are you planning to take advantage of me?” His voice deepened becoming a sexy weapon of pure seduction.

  “To be entirely honest, I’m considering it.”

  “Are you anticipating something spectacular?”

  She shrugged, attempting to appear relaxed despite drowning in a turbulent sea of lust. “I do remember thinking that you’re a pretty good kisser.”

  “A pretty good kisser? That’s it?”

  “Actually, now that you ask, I remember thinking that you were pretty good at doing other things.”

  “Such as?”

  “Touchy, feely things. All things considered, I do believe kissing you was quite a spectacular experience.”

  “Are you hungry, Jessie?”

  “No.” It was far worse than that. She was starving. He’d reduced her to a desperate, needy woman. But not for food. She was aching for his touch, his kiss. His bare skin against hers. Oh, damn.

  “I’ve been starving for you for a very long time.” His deep, seductive voice was a powerful weapon of dark seduction, an erotic growl, that moved over her flesh like a scintillating flame, touching her, heating her everywhere at once.

  She let her breath out slowly, her heart pounding, every muscle in her body tensing. “Oh, damn.”

  He moved closer, way too close, forcing her to tip her head back to look up at him. Her breath caught in her throat at the sight of something scary burning in his eyes. Not something. It was anger. Edginess. Hostility.

  She couldn’t be with him. Not really. They were not compatible. He was immortal. She was mortal. They had no future. She lifted her hands, pressing her palms against his chest, attempting to shove him away from her. Of course, being enormously strong, he didn’t budge one damn inch. “I changed my mind. I want you to leave, Tobias.” She dropped her hands to her sides, clenching her fists. “Go.”

  He shook his head slowly, his gaze moving over her face. “Jessie,” he breathed her name, his arms wrapping around her, pulling her closer, holding her against his much larger, hard, muscular body.

  He was too sexy, too damned masculine in all the most wonderful ways, setting her sanity ablaze. “Please,” she pled, her mind and body battling against each other. Her mind was losing the skirmish. “I can’t.” A shiver, following the movement of his hand, went up her spine as the heat of his body surged into hers and his warm spicy scent filled her lungs. “I can’t do this, Tobias.” She tried to wiggle out of his arms, but only managed to make matters worse by moving her body against his. “Stop it. It’s not happening. We are not happening. Not now. Not ever.”

  All at once, he released her, and the atmosphere darkened. His gaze, seething with rage, trapped hers. Unable to move, unable to look away from him, she took a few deep breaths attempting to steady herself.

  “Stop scaring yourself.”

  “I want you to leave.” She would’ve preferred to run as far away from him as possible to avoid ever being in his presence again, but she knew he could and would find her no matter the distance. Hiding wasn’t an option.

  “I am not angry. And,” he shrugged, “if I was, I would never hurt you.”

  She lifted her chin. “I know.”

  “What’s wrong?” he asked.

  “Nothing. Everything. You’re a demon.”

  “We’ve discussed this before. I am guilty as charged.”

  “I’m human.”

  “You’re a woman.” He closed the distance between them so quickly that his movement was a blur. “My woman.” Cupping her face in his palms, he forced her to look at him. “I am your man.”

  The walls and floor vibrated and the windows rattled to contradict him. He was mad. She knew he was mad as hell. At her. She didn’t need the physical manifestations to know it. She was too aware of the boiling current of danger in the air to believe otherwise.

  “You’re mad.”

  “No. Not all strong emotions are roused by anger.” His hands still cradling her face, he brushed his thumb across her lips. An incredibly hot tidal wave of enormous power washed over her, enveloped her. “Tell me what’s bothering you.”

  “I need you to be honest with me. I can’t be with you when I know you believe I am less than you. I need to know why you have such a low opinion of humans.”

  “I don’t have a low opinion of humans in general. Some are bad. Some are good. Just like any immortal.”

  “You’re trying to avoid telling me something. It’s big. I know in my heart you’re hiding something from me. Trust me if you want me to trust you.”

  “About thirty years ago, a three-year-old child was camping with her family nearby. She wandered off and got lost. I found her. Not far from here. I brought her to her mother. I will never forget the mother’s tears of joy when I placed the child in her arms. They returned for the next ten years. The child grew up and the parents aged. They set up camp on my property. The girl loved my horses. She spent a great deal of time with them. She loved to explore and wander around. It was two weeks of joy. Of happiness. On the eleventh year, they never showed up. A few months later, I discovered that they were killed in a car accident on the way here.”

  “You were close with them?”

  “Close enough that I forgot I would lose them one day. I looked forward to their visits. I planned my summers around them. Her parents never knew I wasn’t human. The girl knew. She tried to convince them that I was a dragon.” He smiled. “A good dragon.”

  “How did she know?”

  “At three she saw it in me. After she turned eight she never brought it up to her parents again. But she continued to do everything she could to get me to admit it to her. I let her see me once. When she was nine years old, she stumbled across directions to build a trap to force me to expose myself.”

  “She didn’t stumble across it.” Jessie laughed. “You gave her the directions.”

  “I might’ve accidently left them out in the barn.”

  “You loved her.”

  “Yes. For two weeks every summer she blew in here like a tornado and turned my life upside down. It was fun.”

  He stared into her eyes for a few seconds and then, letting his gaze fall to her lips, he bent his head slowly and kissed her. “Tell me what’s really bothering you.” The incredibly hot plea in his voice, knowing his hunger was as profound as hers, set her ablaze. He met her gaze again. “Tell me why you are afraid of our bond.”

  Keeping her eyes on his, she shook her head. “Everything.” She moved her hands up his broad, heavily muscled chest to his shoulders. His eyes darkened, a low groan escaping his throat. Her desire for him escalated, sudden and ravenous. He was incredibly sexy. A wonderfully dangerous hot-blooded lover. She saw him. She felt him. His true dark, volatile nature. But that wasn’t what frightened her. “Wanting you, needing you, scares the hell out of me.”

  “Why?”

  “I’ve never wanted or needed anyone. I’ve always been alone.”

  ~ SIXTEEN ~

  TOBIAS ACHED TO TOUCH her, to hold her. “You’ve never really been alone. You’ve always been a part of me. I’ve always been a part of you.”

  “You’re immortal. You’re amazing. You don’t just have power. You are power. I swear you’re invincible. I’m just me. I’m an avera
ge human.”

  “You are perfect for me in every way imaginable.” He forced himself to remain perfectly still, his heart thundering in his chest. “You belong to me. Only me. And I belong to you. Only you.”

  “We’re so different, Tobias. I am not saying I don’t want you.” Her lips parted in a full, tantalizing smile, a smile that went straight to his heart. “That would be the biggest lie I’ve ever told. I am crazy about you. I’ve never wanted, needed anything more than you. I don’t think I could ever get enough of you. As a matter of fact, I’ve given it some serious thought. I’m one hundred and ten percent sure I’m going to end up addicted to you for life. And I’m going to like it. Too much. I just don’t see how we could belong to each other.” She let her breath out slowly, watching him. “It can’t work. Sooner or later, any relationship we form now will crash and burn.”

  “You’re wrong.” Frustrated, he raked his hand through his hair. He didn’t know how to combat her doubts.

  “I’m human. I can’t offer you anything meaningful and lasting. You’re like a…like a damn god, Tobias. You’ve been around since forever and you’ll likely be around after forever ends.”

  Taking a deep breath and releasing it with a sigh, he shook his head. “I’m not a god.” He paused. “Far from it.”

  “You have so much power and strength. I swear you’re indestructible. You don’t even age. In twenty years or so I’ll look like your wrinkly old grandma. And…and you have really hot wings.”

  “Twenty years is a very short time. Our bond is timeless. It’s eternal.”

  “That’s funny, Tobias. For me, twenty years happens to be a good chunk of my lifespan.” She rubbed her palms up and down her arms, turning her head slightly to avoid his gaze. “Do you plan to continue a relationship with my gravestone after I’m gone?”

  “There are things you don’t understand, things I can’t explain to you right now. For now,” he closed the distance between them, “I want you to focus on one day at a time with me.”

  She tipped her head back to look up at him. “What do you plan to focus on?”

  “You’re everything to me. You’re the substance of my most cherished dream. You’re a miracle to me and you always will be. I plan to spend my time coming up with brilliant ways to make you believe it.”

  Rather than give her a chance to argue, he cupped her face between his palms and bent his head to capture her mouth with his. Wanting more. Craving more. Needing more. He caressed her trembling lips with his tongue. She opened her mouth. At first, her tongue met his guardedly. Then, pouring herself into the kiss, her tongue danced with his. She kissed him tenderly, but passionately enough to further kindle the fire of lust burning in him.

  Reaching up she tangled his hair in her fingers and held him to her as he fed from the sweetness of her mouth. A fire smoldered in his veins. His cock already thick and hard ached to be buried deep inside her body. He felt her mind reach out to his, touch his. Her presence growing stronger deep inside his mind as her soul merge with his. He embraced the gift of her presence. It was the most incredible, intimate experience ever. He celebrated her desire to connect with him, to hold his mind, body, and soul to her.

  His kiss, a long, slow, passionate kiss swept her away. His lips and his hot velvety tongue tasted of desire, of so many wickedly wonderful things to come. He was stopping time, making her crazy with lust. He wasn’t rushing her. He was a wild, powerful predator with an insatiable hunger. An alpha male. But he wasn’t attempting to prove his masculinity by dominating her, by commanding her to surrender to his will.

  Merged deeply and completely with him, she knew his intent. While remaining in control was near impossible, he was building a fire methodically, little by little adding fuel to increase the intensity of the flames smoldering all around them. She would never forget the way his mouth made love to hers. She could taste desire on his lips and feel it on his tongue as it dipped and swirled in her mouth.

  Hot surges of lust raced through her body, through his body. They were burning together, flames of their desire for each other joining and cleansing her mind of doubts and fears that caused her to question the validity of their bond. Her body didn’t simply react to his kiss. Her mind, body, and soul were entirely focused on his kiss, on the depth of the intimacy and physical sensations it created. She’d never felt so entirely wanted and needed by anyone. She belonged with him. He belonged with her. They belonged to each other. And she knew, beyond any doubt, that he viewed her life as a miracle.

  “My miracle,” he whispered against her lips, his sexy southern drawl deepening. “You will always be my miracle.”

  He kissed her again, his tongue stroking her mouth to ecstasy. Returning his kiss, she moved her hands over his strong, powerfully muscled chest, savoring the feel of his muscles bunching beneath her palms. When she reached beneath his shirt, needing to feel his bare skin, a deep groan of satisfaction rumbled in his chest.

  She felt his heart thundering against her palms. “I love to touch you.” She loved to torment the hell out of herself as she explored his body.

  He tore his mouth away from hers and met her gaze. “I love to feel your hands on my skin,” he confessed, the sensual heat in his eyes echoed in his voice.

  “Your skin is so hot, Tobias.” His muscles tense beneath her fingertips as she ran them from his chest to his belly. She lifted his shirt and started to pull it up his body. “I need to feel every inch of your body against mine.” She leaned forward, her lips and tongue exploring, savoring the taste of his skin.

  He grabbed his shirt, lifted it over his head, and dropped it on the floor. She raised her arms when he reached for the hem of her tank top. His gaze never leaving hers, he lifted it over her head and let it fall at her feet. Her nipples hardened, and her breasts began to ache as he worked to unfasten her bra.

  Cupping the soft weight of her breast in his hands, he bent his head and flicked and swirled his tongue over her right nipple and then her left. Arching her body and pulling his hair as if to bring him closer, she threw her head back and moaned as he drew her nipple into his mouth. “oh, god, Tobias. I can’t wait. I need…I.” She gasped, obviously alarmed when he removed the rest of their clothing with a thought.

  “Too fast?” he asked, as he pushed her hair back to gently, tenderly kiss his way across her shoulder and up her neck to her ear. “It’s okay. We can slow down.”

  She took a breath and released it with a sigh. “No.” Wrapping her arms around his neck to pull him closer, she got up on her toes and tipped her head back to kiss him. “I don’t want to slow down.”

  Her kiss was passionate, aggressive, unchaining wild, delicious sensations until his need for her defied reason. His heart thundered. His body ached. Her tongue tangled with his, explored his mouth. Impossibly swollen and hard, his shaft throbbed against her belly. Each time she took a breath or moved, his cock jerked, threating to burst. He gripped her thigh and lifted her leg around his hip. Her soft moans of desire, of pleasure vibrated in his mouth as she moved her hot, damp core against him.

  “I need you, Jessie.” His breathing was ragged, and his voice was deep and hoarse with lust.

  “Good.” She bit his chin, and trailed her lips along his jaw to his ear. “I need you now. I can’t wait any longer.”

  He lowered her leg, gripped her hips, and lifted her. “That’s wonderful because I need to be inside you.”

  Kissing him deeply, she wrapped her legs around his waist as he carried her to the bed. He lowered her slowly, covering her much smaller body with his. Shattering his fragile hold on staying in control, she reached between their bodies and slowly, gently ran her fingertips over the length of his engorged shaft. His breath rushed out of his lungs in a harsh groan.

  He bent his head and feathered kisses down her throat to her breasts. “Your mine,” he murmured. “Only mine.” His deep, raspy voice combined with the hot, sensation of his mouth created smoldering sensations that burned deep in the core of her
being. He lifted his head to meet her gaze. “You are forever mine to love, to protect, to cherish, to worship.”

  “Then your mine.”

  Grinning wickedly, he reached down between her legs and pressed his palm against her hot, silken mound. “Forever yours.”

  She lifted her hips and moved her body against his hand. “Only mine.”

  “That’s right, sweetheart.” He gently stroked her clit, bending his head to suckle the hard bud of her nipple. “Only yours.”

  Moaning, she arched her body, rubbing herself against his hand, riding his hand. Feverish and damp, every inch of her flesh, every cell in her body burned for him. More than anything she wanted him to take possession of her body. She needed him to bury his cock inside her.

  Her inner muscles clenched his finger as he slowly nipped and licked his way from her breasts to her navel and continued until he reached her hot entrance. He grabbed her hips and brought her closer, pinning her to his mouth. Her body trembled at the first touch of his hot breath. He licked her once. A quick stroke of his tongue. It nearly shattered her. But it wasn’t enough. Desperate for more, she grabbed his head to hold him in place as she arched her body against his mouth.

  Growling, he stabbed her with his tongue, gripping her hips more firmly. Mind-blowingly wonderful currents of pleasure raced through her entire body and over every inch of her skin. The pleasure was unbearable and marvelous all at the same time. Wanting more, needing more, she bucked against him.

  Suckling her clit, he slid two fingers inside her. She was so hot and slick, eager for him, her inner muscles clenching tightly around his fingers causing his cock to jerk, swell, and harden even more. He loved the idea of having the ability to cause her to become so entirely aroused. He suckled greedily, savoring her, devouring her sweet essence, bringing her far past the point of simply wanting him, to the point of needing him.