Eagle of Ice, Scorpion of Fire

by Tortuga, B. A.

  “Yes!” Her pussy fluttered around his fingers, belly tight as her breath huffed out of her.

  He wanted in her, but he wanted to watch her, be able to control his own reactions, so he kept his cock in his pants and worked her with his fingers and his mouth. There was a heady sense of power to it, but also an absolute unselfish need to see her writhe. Lovely. She flushed, arched for him, lips parted and red, so hungry. His lips closed over her clit while his fingers pushed inside her, pushing her higher and higher. He needed to feel her come for him. For him.

  “Jared.” She thrashed, his name echoing through the room as she came, fingers tangling in his hair.

  He shook, but he managed to hold on until she lay still before him, her hands still on his head. Only then did he move, opening his slacks and pulling out his cock. Those hands pulled him up, eyes near glowing in the dim light. She didn’t speak, but she spread for him, drew him up between her legs.

  Oh, fuck yes. He stretched out, braced himself, and slid home in no time at all. She was so wet he felt no resistance at all. Just her slick heat and his cock and Jared cried out, the sound little more than a hungry growl.

  She pulled him down to her, lips on his throat, teeth teasing, threatening, promising him.

  “Yes. Katharine. Now.” He almost said please, but bit the word back. He still had the presence of mind not to beg. Not now.

  Her body clenched around him, distracting him as her teeth slid in. The pleasure was orgasmic, overwhelming. Jared came so hard that his vision grayed out, filling her so deeply that he forgot where he started and where she ended. The most beautiful thing he’d ever seen was her face when he came back to himself, slack with pleasure, a fond expression in her eyes.

  She tilted his head, lapping at his lips, nipping him gently. “I was busy having a temper tantrum, you know. You derailed me.”

  “Yes, well, I think I put all that passion to better use, hmm?” He stroked her belly, her thighs, loving the texture of her skin.

  “I don’t know. Rages are such entertaining things.” She stretched, beautiful and disheveled.

  “Mmmhmm, and so is loving.” He grinned, bending to nuzzle her throat. “And now we can enjoy the rest of the evening.”

  “Can we? Are you sure?” Her throat worked, blood pumping just beneath the surface.

  “I am. I promise.” Oh, God. No man could resist that. Jared bent and put his lips to her pulse point, letting his fangs drag over.

  “If you’re...oh...if you’re hungry, I can find you a sweet girl...” Like she wasn’t aching for it.

  “I want you,” he said on her skin, letting his fangs slide in like she was the most fragile being on earth. Her moan was the sweetest thing he’d ever heard, her body shaking underneath him delicious. Jared dared to go deeper, pulling the blood to the surface so he could taste, licking at the wounds. Metallic and rich, Katharine’s life was more than he’d expected, the drops on his tongue tingling and filling him with her energy.

  Wide eyed, he pulled back and sat up to kiss her, letting her taste. “Lovely, Katharine. Sweet, lovely Katharine.”

  “Nothing sweet about me, Jared. There never has been.”

  “You don’t know what I do.” Licking and sucking, he made tiny marks all the way down to her collarbone.

  “Don’t get cocky, pet.” Her nipples were hard and dark, throbbing in time with her pulse.

  “You know that was always my weakness.” His body was coming to life again, his cock twitching as he scented her, tasted her, his mouth closing around first one nipple, then the other. She laughed for him, fingers working his shirt open and off, even as she arched up toward his mouth.

  Greedy, he moved against her, licking and sucking, his hands shaping her. He loved the scent of her, loved how she was giving it up for him.

  Her fingers traced along the tattoo that started at the base of his neck, curling sensuously along his spine. “Who do you belong to, now?”

  “Hmm?” Glancing up, he met her eyes, utterly confused.

  “You wear someone’s mark. Who is she?” Was that jealousy?

  He hoped so. “It’s not a sign of ownership. It was a sign of my education. Completed bit by bit. My clan mark.” Oh, it had hurt, and Keiko had not allowed his turning until it was done. His fingers stroked over the eagle burned into her inner thigh. She should understand all to well about that.

  Her eyes flashed, fingers tracing the scorpion surrounded by chrysanthemum petals and foaming waves and falling leaves. “And what did you learn, pet?”

  “I learned some control, I hope. Learned that even the most beautiful flower can hide something deadly...” Of course, he’d learned that from Katharine.

  She growled a bit, nail tracing the design. “Did she find you or did you find her?”

  “We were introduced by a mutual acquaintance.” There was no way in hell he was going to tell Katharine that it was the oldest vampire he knew who had done it, because that also happened to be Katharine’s maker.

  Katharine adored Silvestri, trusted the silver-haired devil implicitly. She would never understand why Silvestri would help him, would find him someone to teach him all her secrets. And if she did understand, she’d never forgive.

  “I would have taken care of you for your entire life, pet.”

  “But I didn’t want to be a pet for however long I amused you.” He just... He’d needed to make his own way, needed to be her equal.

  “You made your opinion of that position crystal clear.” She shrugged, the action not hiding the flare of pain in her eyes. “There will be others.”

  “I imagine there will,” he murmured, the mood changing completely. “Would you have been content to be merely Silvestri’s companion? A play toy?”

  “You were more than a toy.”

  His fangs bit into the soft flesh of his bottom lip. “Was I? You certainly had no problem pushing me away for weeks at a time.” He sounded like a whiny child, and he hated himself for it, but it had bothered him then and it bothered him now.

  “What was a week? A month? I sat for decades at my sire’s feet waiting to be noticed.” She slid away from him without a sound, hidden behind her hair. “I never claimed to be anything I’m not, pet. I need to shower.”

  “You weren’t giving me decades, love.” Oh no. She wasn’t leaving it at that. “Remember? You refused to give me what I needed to wait that long.”

  “I don’t turn humans.” The words were almost snarled. He knew now what he hadn’t then; knew that she’d suffered during the turning, that she’d fought Silvestri longer than any other human had.

  “Oh, Katharine.” He reached for her, following when she backed away. Crowding her up against her bathroom door, he bent and kissed her throat. “I’m sorry, love. I spoke out of turn.”

  “Don’t apologize, Jared. Never apologize. You mean it. Stand by it.” He could feel her pulse speed against his lips.

  “Then I should say I didn’t mean to hurt you, but yes, I mean it.” There. He sucked, wanting even more of a mark, right there. His.

  A sharp, pained laugh barked out. “I don’t. You’re an addiction, pet.”

  “As long as I’m your addiction of choice.” There, mood recaptured. Jared rubbed against her hip, loving the slip-slide of it, the friction she gave him.

  “There’s a reason I never took one of us as a lover.” Yes, and how long had she denied herself this passion, this pleasure?

  “Well, now’s your chance, hmmm? You know me well.” Licking, sucking, Jared set out to drive her mad.

  She arched, the silk shell rising up so that the softer skin of her belly rubbed against him, made him gasp. Jared lifted her, let his cock drag down over her skin. His hands tightened on her, and on anyone else it would bruise. On her the marks faded too fast. She curled over him, teeth bared, nails dragging over his skin hard enough to sting.

  “Yes. There.” The words came out rough and deep, so needy that he would have laughed at himself if he wasn’t so lost in her. />
  “Yes. I should make you bathe me. I smell like that bitch from the office.” Her teeth snapped near his ear.

  “No, you smell like me.” Growling, he lifted her until her legs could wrap around him. “But I think that shower is a fine idea.”

  She had always loved the water.

  “So strong.” She’d enjoyed that about him before, his strength, his power. Now he had more to give. He chose to show it rarely, but it was there. Muscling through to her immense shower, Jared let her down only long enough to strip off the remnants of their clothes.

  She turned to start the water, the stinging spray hot immediately, nozzles hitting from three sides. Katharine lifted her face to the water, eyes closed, still as a statue.

  So beautiful. Like stone one minute, like fire the next. He reached out to touch her, his fingers tracing from the bruise at her throat to the curve of one breast.

  “Why a scorpion, Jared?”

  “Why do you wear an eagle, love? My first mentor thought it suited me, suited the Clan. The good and the bad. Not just the astrological aspect, but the prickly, stinging side. It was the one who made me, though, that chose the pattern.”

  “Are you going to sting me, pet?” The words were altogether too flippant for his taste.

  “I will if you push me, love.” His tone matched hers; one of the talents he had picked up along the way was the patience to play along.

  “I wonder if that would entertain me.” Her eyes opened, met his, icy cold and blazing with warmth all at once. Fascinating.

  “I imagine it would...” She would rather see him sting himself, he’d bet. “Try me sometime.”

  “Sometime. I’m tired of games tonight.” That was, perhaps, the most honest thing she’d ever said to him, even when she’d told him what she was, who she was.

  “Then no more tonight.” He kissed her, the water running down over them from all directions, her rain bath pure decadence, the water tinkling against the black marble tiles.

  Katharine met him halfway, the kiss slow and lazy, deep and easy all at once. Her hair was a heavy sheet against his arm, her skin slick and smooth and cool compared to the water. That was it. That was what they needed. The endless sparring went away and all they did was feel, touching each other, exploring. It felt so good.

  Her hands mapped him, sliding down his belly to cup his balls for a moment, hold them gently before moving on to stroke his hip, his thigh. Rising on his toes, Jared moaned, feeling that touch all the way up his spine. His hand shaped her lush ass, his fingers traced the valley between her cheeks, and he rubbed against her, his cock hard as stone.

  She drank the moan from his lips, nipples tight where they scraped against his chest. One of her legs curled around his hip, exposing herself for his touch and allowing him to support her, trusting his strength. Reaching from behind, Jared let himself touch her, feeling the wetness that had nothing to do with the shower. From the front he moved his cock against her, groaning when the sensitive head touched her folds.

  “Again?” Katharine laughed for him, the sound joyous instead of mocking. “You’ll have to feed, after.”

  “Yes. I’m sure we can arrange that.” He laughed with her, blinking water off his lashes. Spreading her, and making sure his own stance was steady, Jared pushed at her, opening her, sliding right in.

  “Jared.” She crawled up his body, legs wrapping around his waist, squeezing him. Furnace-hot inside, her muscles squeezed his cock, stroking him as they moved. Grunting, he began moving, his hips spanking the air, taking her so deep, so hard. He kept his eyes open to watch her face, stunned by her abandon, amazed that he had caused it.

  His mark was on her throat—not faded, not gone—and the sight of it made the ball of heat in his belly blaze hotter. Those marks were his. Jared licked at them, reminding Katharine they were there. Yeah. Him. Inside her. All around her. The touch made her gasp, made her shiver and grip him tighter. Yes. Yes, just like that.

  They both needed to feed before he took more from her, but it didn’t stop him from scraping his fangs across that tiny spot, licking it and kissing it. He thrust harder, faster, feeling his orgasm rising in his balls. Her cry echoed off the stone, just dimmed by the water, and she jerked, coming for him. It wasn’t two more seconds before he shot, his whole body shaking as his hips sawed back and forth. Fuck, she made him crazy.

  She settled against him, lips against his, drinking down his groans.

  The water never ran cold, no single water heater for his lovely one, but finally Jared stirred enough to turn off the water and pull Katharine out of the shower, chuckling as she clung to him bonelessly.

  “What’s funny?” She was nearly dozing on her feet and he’d bet the farm that she hadn’t been so satisfied in years.

  “You’re like water yourself.” Dry now, they moved into her bedroom, Jared laying her down gently before slipping in next to her.

  She wrapped around him, languid and soft, the peace on her face fascinating.

  Jared decided to leave it at that, knowing anything he might say could tip her back into rage. He needed to feed, but it could wait. For now he’d stay. And sleep.

  For the first time since he’d met her, in her bed.

  Chapter Five

  “If you don’t get me that paperwork, Vivian, I am going to have you in the mailroom collating flyers.”

  She slammed the phone down, growling. Goddamn it.

  That little bitch Aleene had stolen her client list, gone to a few and tried to sully her reputation. Katharine had been working overtime to correct the problems and had been warring with Silvestri in addition. If the rush of business wasn’t so satisfying, she’d simply walk away. Go to Vienna. Amsterdam. Barcelona. Anywhere with beautiful bodies for her to sample. She needed to feed. Tonight, before she tore some random employee’s head off and used it as a bowling ball.

  Now, that was an amusing thought.

  Depending on what she used for the pins, at any rate.

  Katharine plopped down in her chair, fingers rubbing her temples.

  Strong hands closed over her shoulders, rubbing, relaxing the muscles deep down. “Is your head going to explode, love?”

  “Did I let you in my office, Jared?” She groaned, muscles easing.

  “No, but your secretary was so busy jumping when you growled that she didn’t even see me.” His breath fanned her skin a moment before his lips caressed her cheekbone.

  She caught herself smiling at the touch. Bastard. Beautiful, seductive bastard. “Did you need something?”

  “I did. I braved the late afternoon to see your lovely face.” Moving to sit on her desk, he bent to take her mouth in a sweet, long kiss. Her cheeks heated, the sudden flush of pleasure aggravating her and arousing her all at once. “Mmm. So can I steal you away for a decadent meal? I was thinking Greek.” One long finger traced the collar of her suit.

  Her growl left her before she could stop it. She was starving. “Tease.”

  “I always mean it with you.” His eyes crinkled up and she couldn’t help thinking she was glad he had aged some before someone turned him. He’d always been handsome, but now he was stunning.

  “I love Greek.” Italian. Hawaiian. Asian. Texan. So long as they were washed.

  “Then come with me. I have a little something I think you’ll like.” Oh, he was offering that kind of Greek.

  She stood, smoothed down her black sweater, the little matching miniskirt brushing her thighs. “Will I need my coat?”

  The wind was frigid, snow promising on the air.

  “You will. I have no intention of either of us getting a chill.” Wicked, wicked man.

  “No?” She grabbed the long, dark wool coat, draped it over her arm. “What are your intentions, then?”

  “We have a driver, but then it’s a bit of a walk.” He drew her out of her office, ignoring the whispers around them. Katharine lifted her chin, meeting one set of eyes after another, daring anyone to comment.

  They made thei
r way down to the main entrance, and the long black car pulled right up, Jared ushering her in without the watery sunlight hitting her at all. The interior was comfortable, warm, cradling her as she cuddled in her coat and Katharine wondered at this. Was she getting soft, enjoying Jared’s concern, his care?

  “Stop it. I can see you thinking bad things.” He winked at her, patting her thigh, fingers stroking her mark.

  “Pardon me?” He couldn’t be serious. She wasn’t that transparent.

  “Darling, I just know you. Or at least I used to. You go very quiet and it’s always bad.”

  “Mmmhmm. Sometimes it’s just scary.” Oh, that deserved some kind of punishment.

  She hummed softly, leaned forward as if to kiss him and then bit his earlobe, sharp enough to sting. “Scary?”

  “Oh, yes. You have a devious mind, love. Very much so. The things you think of...” Jared shifted in his seat, the sudden scent of him fascinating.

  “You used to love the things I thought of.” She tugged that little bit of skin, sucking just a bit.

  “I still would, I imagine. That doesn’t mean I don’t fear them, what they would do to me. My control around you is iffy at best.” Ah, yes. He had come back determined to tame her, hadn’t he?

  She chuckled, shaking her head. “You don’t need to have control around me. I have enough for both of us.”

  Which wasn’t exactly true anymore, was it? She could feel him, buzzing under her skin.

  “Of course you do.” The car to slowed, the driver pulling over to the curb. “Put on your glasses, love.”

  She slid her dark glasses on, pulled the heavy hood up to shadow her face. Something familiar tugged at her mind when they stepped out on the sidewalk, but she was sun dazzled, and it wasn’t until they moved into the cool darkness of a plush interior that she knew where Jared had taken her. The club was exclusive, one she had never gone to, but Silvestri had told her about it. An old one, a Greek by all accounts, had started it as a place where one might go and feed and be safe among one’s own kind. That Jared had an in should not surprise her.