by Rhea, Lani
Kris hoped he would take her to Darin so they could leave. With each authoritative step he took, her eyes were drawn to the firm lines of his buttocks. Each globe bulged beneath the seat of his trousers. She could argue, deny and protest ’til the end of time that she hated him, but she had to give credit where credit was due. Damn, she was getting wet just from watching his ass.
“Kristina, if you don’t want to be flat on your back, I suggest you stop staring at my ass.”
She glanced up. Over his shoulder, his tawny eyes were heavy with desire and a promise of retribution. Without control or conscious thought, her gaze dipped. Faster than she could look away, Ryant moved and snatched her hand in a firm grip.
“I warned you.”
13
The bedroom door slammed after he thrust her inside. Kris stood in the middle of the room she’d slept in with hands perched on her hips. Ready to— What? She couldn’t say. Her breathing turned raspy while her heart thumped erratically. Surely, Ryant couldn’t hold her to this. Dampness filled her palms. It had been pure instinct to look at his luscious ass when he’d thrown down his gauntlet.
He turned to face her. Clove and musk, mixed with the manly scent of leather, swirled through the room. He raised a brow. “I did warn you, my dear.”
A strange flip-flop consumed her belly. He snapped his fingers. Candles sprang to life along the walls, casting a soft, yellow glow. Her mouth went dry. Heat filled her chest and rose to her cheeks. “What are you doing, Ryant?” If only he had an idea of how her soul soared with eagerness.
“I do.” He looked deeply into her eyes then placed his fingertips on the side of her face. His beautiful, tawny eyes melted her resistance.
No point in denying it. She wanted him. She had always wanted him. If only this once, she could have him and walk away whole.
“Shh.” He smoothed a thumb over her temple, stroking lightly, sending erotic vibrations over her skin.
Supposedly, he no longer affected her. What a blatant lie. His passionate stare affected her just as much as it had before. His face lowered, his mouth capturing her lips. Cool at first, his lips warmed with her body temperature. She invited the passion, the pure unbridled zeal. It had always been like this between them. The willingness to hold onto past resentments slipped under a tide of eagerness. Without hesitation, she pulled him closer.
Their bodies clung together. Tracing every line and plane of his body with her hands, she relished every indentation. She couldn’t get enough of his biceps and arms. They were ropy and more muscular than she remembered.
She savored his dueling tongue. His back muscles flexed as he fondled her, pulling her closer. Hungry lips left hers, and he tilted her head back with a soft tug.
She opened her mouth around his lips and sighed. His masculine scent filled her senses as his teeth grazed down the side of her neck toward her jugular. She pushed on his arms to get him away from her vein.
A throaty laugh near her ear gave her a pleasant thrill. Her thighs trembled. Excitement soaked her panties with arousal.
His tongue lashed at the hollow part of her sensitive shoulder. She moaned, enjoying the sensation. Nipping up her neck, he placed delicate kisses over her heated skin. Recognizing the shake thrumming through his body, she knew he wanted to puncture her flesh.
He continued to devour her with his mouth even as his fingers sloped down the sides of her ribcage and back up caressing her breasts through the shirt, kneading, squeezing them in a playful way. She groaned, loving how he measured the weight of her in his palms.
She tightened her grip around his neck, stabbing her fingers through his hair, grabbing a handful to hold on to for dear life. Then he lowered his head, nipping greedily at her nipples.
An aroused whimper escaped her lips. He bit harder. Gods, she wanted him to take her now. Her mind was doused with lust and desire.
“Let me taste you,” he begged from between her cleavage.
“You can’t have a drop.” She clenched her fingers on his back, scraping with her nails at the thin material keeping their flesh apart.
“That’s not what I meant.” His voice was husky with need.
Her eyebrows rose. “Oh.” She swallowed.
“For now, just a delicate, sweet taste of you, that’s all I need. You’re so beautiful.”
With a growl, he took her mouth again. When his tongue slipped inside, she welcomed it, twirling around it with her own. He melded her to his body, holding her firmly as if he never wanted to let her go. He glided his hand down, dipping inside her pants as he cupped her core, massaging her swollen clit as he prepped her for him. A heavy and tingling sensation consumed her body. She sighed, wanting him to continue.
He moved her to the bed and laid her on it. Never taking his gaze from hers, he tugged off her jeans, pulled off the running shoes then tossed them by the door. Only her black lacy panties and fitted tee kept her from nudity. The cool air made goose bumps rise on her flesh.
She watched him strip. His thick, vein-engorged dick sprang from its confines. Her mouth watered. As he crawled onto the bed, he smoothly and insistently spread her legs wide. Leaning down, he placed delicate kisses on her mound. She arched, longing for him to lick her, to suck her. Hot breath danced along her skin through the thin material of her panties. The hairs on his head tickled her stomach and only added fuel to her desire.
With a quick twist of his wrists, he freed her from the tiny scrap of lace and tossed the material to the floor. When he settled back, his gaze roamed over her body. Gentle gliding of his fingertips up her hips made her close her lids in anticipation. With the tip of her tongue, she moistened her dry lips, ready to beg for more. She couldn’t hold back much longer.
He situated himself between her thighs and slid his hands underneath her body, cupping her ass. Tugging her pussy to his face, he buried his mouth between her folds. She gasped, opening wider as the tip of his tongue lapped over her sensitive spot, nipping her tender, aching nether lips. Then his tongue traced the outer rim of her sex as he squeezed a handful of her ass, keeping her in place.
Fully in the moment, she savored his ministrations, bowing off the bed, her chest jutting toward the ceiling. Her hands fisted the sheet as her neck bent backward in ecstasy. She swiveled her hips, riding his face, covering him with her juices.
As he lifted his face, he smiled at her. “You taste as sweet as the first time you gave your purity to me.” He dipped his tongue inside, wiggling then licking and nipping her nubbin.
She thrust, matching his movements. The first wave threatened to explode. His tongue sank further inside her sex. Full awareness of his fangs excited her. Gods help her; she wanted him to bite her.
When that thought hit her, she froze. No, not now. Kris snatched a handful of his hair, yanked him from the final lap of ecstasy that would send her over the edge, past the point of a bad decision.
“No, Ryant, we can’t,” she whispered.
“What? You’re almost there. You always tense like a spring before you come. If you would clear your mind you wouldn’t be thinking, only feeling.”
She wriggled underneath him, her feelings jumbled and irrational. “I need to leave. I can’t do this. I thought I could and just not care about the past, but it’s there and it’s not going to go away.”
He pushed her to the bed with his body. His heavy, thick erection lay on her thigh, twitching to be inside her.
“You don’t need to leave. Stay here with me.” He smoothed a strand of hair away from her face. “I can protect you.”
The scent of her musky arousal gleamed over the bottom part of his face. “No, you cannot. I have to go. I need to get out of here. Now,” she bubbled wildly, on the brink of panic.
He had to let her go. If she stayed, she could envision herself as some mindless love slave, catering to his every whim. Her pride demanded she not succumb. She slipped out from under him, aware he let her as she hurried to her discarded pants. In an instant, he stood behind her, and
she stiffened. His breath blew hot near her. Desire trembled through her.
“You cannot deny I am the only man who has ever made you feel like this.”
Before she could react, he held her firmly around the waist, solid against his chest as he slipped his hand low, capturing her mound. He plunged two fingers deep inside her and pumped fast. Her sensitive body quaked, thrusting her forward. Her palms braced flat on the door as she screamed out her passion.
He held her tight and the waves washed over. She stilled and leaned into his shoulder, huddling into his embrace. For an instant she only breathed, waited and wanted.
“Don’t thank me. You needed it.”
“I need Darin,” she announced, surprised her voice didn’t tremble. She straightened and pulled away from the intoxication of his cool skin.
Awkward silence enveloped them. When Ryant moved away from her, she bent to continue dressing, focusing on making her limbs work the way she needed them to.
“I’ll send someone to guide you to the human.” Ice dripped from his voice. “I’ll let you leave with him on one condition—”
She waited, hoping it was not something she would have to defy him over, hoping he could—this once—be reasonable.
“If you won’t stay here under my protection from the Soulscapes, then I will assign some of my soldiers to follow you. They will guard you from a distance I feel is appropriate. You are not to intimidate them, growl at them or send them back without my say so. This is the only way I will agree to let the hum—Darin, go. Do you understand, Kris? I must have your word on it.”
Yes. She could agree to his terms. He was actually being halfway reasonable. If she could get out of the hellhole and away from her controlling desires for him, she could focus. She would go on about her business.
“Yes. You have my word to let your goons follow me around, as long as I don’t have to have them in my car, my house or my office. Space is required.”
“You may leave anytime you wish. Someone will be in the hall to meet you. I took the liberty of programming my number into your cell. Call if you need me—for anything.”
His hand brushed past her waist as he slid something into the hip pocket of her jeans. His words sounded hopeful on the anything part. Hell would freeze first before she’d call. She could handle herself against the bad guys. It was Ryant she needed help with. Her body and mind betrayed her every time he was in the same room. Maybe she could learn how to fog her mind so he couldn’t read her thoughts.
The devil laughed.
She bit her lip then slid on her shirt and shoes. The torn panties she left behind as a souvenir. Then again, maybe she should take them as a reminder of how close she came to going over the cliff of falling in love again.
As she looked back at his dark silhouette, he stood by the bed with his hands pressed to his temples. His straining cock pointed up—he wanted her as much as she wanted him. He turned his head and met her gaze. An expression of pure male frustration creased his features.
14
As Kris slipped out into the hall, she pressed her back to the door to catch her breath. The air around her was less cloying. It was absent of Ryant’s scent except for what lingered on her skin and clothes.
The effect of the release he’d given her thrummed each time she moved. She held tight by squeezing her legs and closed her eyes against the aftershocks of the orgasm. Hoping to soothe her racing heart, she put a hand on her chest. She’d be home soon, free of this place and his intrusions. She refused to wonder if that’s what she wanted; it was what needed to be.
“I’m the one who’s supposed to take you to the human slave,” announced a female in a bored tone.
Kris opened her eyes. It took her a couple of blinks to focus. The woman before her resembled someone she knew, but from where? She couldn’t figure out the connection as her mind was still full of images of Ryant.
Many different heritages ran through the vamp lounging before her. Her full lips were bowed in a way that spoke of some African-American blood. High, graceful cheekbones sloped liked a Cherokee Indian. Her patrician nose was very Anglo Saxon. Long ringlet curls of the blackest night hung to her tiny waist. Maybe some French Creole blood as well. With sky blue eyes, she looked over Kris as if she’d done something offensive.
“Yes, and you are?” Kris straightened and pulled away from the door.
A fiery red leather suit covered the woman’s curvy frame. Black leather boots were zipped to the knees. The contrast of the suit’s vibrant color made the woman’s ebony hair appear bold and lush. As she moved, the thick mane fell forward over her shoulder.
“I’m V. Follow me.”
Cute, almost like a nursery rhyme character. V turned and strode down the stone hall with her hips swaying like a swing in the summer breeze. The heels of her boots clicked rhythmically. Three steps behind the vampire, Kris kept her gaze alert and scanning. She didn’t know anything of the caliber of the vamp leading her from the relative safety of Ryant’s room. Now she wished she’d asked more about her guards and escorts instead of running like a rabbit when the chance to leave had presented itself.
An alcove under a bright, actual light made her smile. Finally, something that resembled normalcy. Inside her, tension she hadn’t previously been aware of eased. The simplest things could be so reassuring at times. In this case, the glowing light of an electric bulb.
V stopped and turned to cast a loathing glance at her. “You know, I’m actually very upset with you,” she said. “You made Ryant question my loyalty, my intentions. You tempted Shade, and he’s being punished over you and now, you’re taking my plaything away.”
Kris, who had halted, took a step. “What have you done to him?”
“Nothing yet as I’ve been warned not to amuse myself with him. He was going to be a new toy for me. Then you show up and get to take him away. Like everything else.” V curled her top lip on a hiss.
Kris hiked a brow. “If that was some sort of veiled reference, V, it was lost on me. I don’t know what you mean, and I don’t give a shit either. I want to get Darin and get the hell out of here. Now open the door or move. I’m tired of these games.”
V opened the door and stepped inside the holding room. Sulking, she leaned beside a cerulean blue cinderblock wall, her arms crossed under her breasts. First, her gaze swung to Darin then she returned her glare to Kris. The vamp’s expression screamed pure jealousy.
Positioned next to a square table with his hands cuffed behind his back, Darin slumped in a steel chair. Contrary to the outside light, a dim industrial light buzzed overhead. He looked like a terrorist suspect in some third world, shit-pot country after three days of grueling interrogation. Ratty tan slacks covered his lower half while his torso and feet were bare. The blood in his hair had crusted. The frigid condition of the room showed itself in the blue of his lips. With a bleary, but cautious gaze, he eyed them.
Kris rushed to his side and dropped to her knees beside him. “Are you hurt?”
He shook his head. The honey colored locks, dark from the blood and environment, swayed.
“Do you have the key to unlock him?”
V sauntered over, tossing her hips like a boat on raging waves. No way was she as sexy as she thought she was. “Here,” she said, extending the key via her open palm.
Kris snatched it and turned to Darin, unlocking the cuffs.
Free, he grabbed his wrists and wrung them. There were red marks from where the metal cut deep. She shook her head. Happy to know she would haul him out of there alive, she stood, ready to leave.
“Too bad you’re leaving, I’d love another dance.” V bent and slid her manicured fingernails down his forearm.
Darin snatched his arm back. “Don’t touch me.”
V’s lips curled. “What, you didn’t enjoy the love bite?”
“I think you need to back off,” Kris warned then glanced at Darin. “Come on, we’re getting out of here.”
He gazed at her with grateful eye
s and nodded. Bless whatever powers that he managed to get to his feet without assistance. It spoke volumes of the man’s reserve of strength and determination.
Together, they followed V at a safe length. After walking a few feet down the hall and making a short turn, Kris was thrilled to see an exit sign glowing bright red in the dark corridor. She grabbed Darin by the arm and led him out as if he were still a hostage. She hoped he didn’t take it the wrong way—she’d made the move to protect him from V who she sensed wanted him.
As Kris exited, she brushed past the vamp, making sure to keep Darin the farthest away. V scowled at them as they went by. Kris kept her face emotionless until they got outside into the darkness. Of course it would be nighttime.
A neon sign with a blood-red number fifteen encircled by a sun-yellow, capital C beamed on them like a spotlight. They stood center stage and sure enough, they’d been kept at Club Fifteen. She looked at V. The female vamp stood at the door with her legs in a wide stance, hands on her hips, a pout plumping her lips. Kris could almost hear her teeth grinding with frustration. Certainty that there were, despite Ryant’s assurances and command, a series of non-stop kidnapping attempts for Darin rolled off V like the high seas. Kris would have to do something. Now that she’d freed him, she’d not allow V to clutch her nails in him again. The only option she had wasn’t the best but she had no choice.
It wasn’t over, but for now, sayonara and good riddance.
Kris scoped the parking lot and didn’t see her car. Damn it. To the right, an ignition started and halogen lights turned bright. It must be their cue to head to the limo. Darin walked in front of her, toward the black stretch. For the first time he stumbled.
Gods, he had to be on his last reserves. She quickened her steps and placed her hand on his lower back for support. After he slid inside, she followed and they both settled into the plush leather seats. He echoed her sigh.
As the limo traversed the roads, the ride to her house seemed to take forever. At least, the soft gray leather under her cushioned the jarring from each bump in the road. Ryant’s reluctant recruit dozed lightly in the climate-controlled comfort of the backseat.
