by Michele Hauf
But she grabbed him and pulled him back in. “Someone is out there.”
Surprised, he scanned the river shore. “I don’t see anyone.”
“There’re two men beside the small clump of trees.”
Trevor squinted out into the night, searching the shoreline. He saw nothing. No, wait—he did see a dark shape beside the trees. The shape moved.
“How many people know about this tunnel?”
“Five including myself.”
“Could be just kids making out.”
Guinevere smiled grimly. “Kids carrying rifles?”
“You can see that?”
She nodded. He guessed he shouldn’t be that surprised. Vampires had far superior eyesight and hearing.
“What’s the plan then?”
“We jump and try not to get shot.”
Guinevere kicked off her shoes. Trevor watched, enthralled by her movements in the moonlight. After she was done, he continued to stare at her long shapely legs, and the point of their juncture. Everything she did was fluid and graceful, like watching a cat slink across the room. She was mesmerizing.
Guinevere slapped him hard across the face.
Trevor shook his head, shocked from the force of the blow. His eyes narrowed as he glared at her. “What was that for?”
“You’re not focused. You’re going to get hurt if you can’t think straight.”
He rubbed his stinging cheek. She was right. He had to get his head together. Thinking about touching her skin again was not going to get them safely out of here.
“I’ll go first. The men will likely start shooting, then you dive into the water and swim to the far shore.” Her eyes narrowed at him. “You can swim, I hope?”
“Yeah, I can swim.”
“Okay. We will meet back on shore.” She leaned forward and pressed her lips to his cheek. A tiny spark sizzled over his skin where she touched him. “Good luck.”
Without another word, she turned and jumped out of the tunnel. The sound of gunfire wasn’t far behind her.
Trevor leaned out and watched her hit the water, hopefully unscathed. Taking a deep breath, he flung himself out of the drain, diving into the river.
The moment he hit the water, Trevor lost all the air in his lungs. The bitter icy grip of the water squeezed the warmth from him. Almost instantly his body started to shut down.
He opened his eyes but saw nothing. It was black as the night. He was disoriented and in shock. He had no idea which way Guinevere had swum. He could do nothing but go up, and hope like hell that a bullet didn’t slam into his frozen head. He wouldn’t heal like the vampiress. The bullet whether it was lead or silver would kill him.
He swam to the surface and broke water. No bullets. So far so good. He was not far from the shore. Trevor had to get out of the water. It was too cold. He would get hypothermia before long, then he’d just be a floating target.
There was no noticeable movement on shore. He swam and crawled out onto the grass. He lay on his back to catch his breath. Already he was shivering. Before long he wouldn’t be able to move. He rolled over onto his side and gained his hands and knees.
That was when he heard the distinctive sound of a round going into a chamber.
“Don’t move.”
“I’m a medical technician. I’m not a vampire. I was responding to a call at the Sinsational club and got trapped. I’m just trying to get back to the hospital.”
“Shut up!” The man brought his gun down on Trevor’s back. He collapsed on the grass, a stinging pain vibrating up and down his spine.
“Hey, Chuck! I found …”
Trevor felt drops of something hit the side of his cheek. It ran down into his mouth. Blood. His stomach rolled over and bile rose to his throat as he looked up at his assailant.
Rivulets of blood were quickly running from the man’s open mouth. His eyes rolled back into his head and he fell sideways. Behind him, Guinevere stood wet and wild-eyed, her hand covered in blood and gore.
She bent down and grabbed Trevor’s arm. She yanked him roughly to his feet. “Can you run? We need to escape. I can sense Soren is near, searching the water for me.”
He nodded, not able to find his voice. “I could carry you.”
“No,” he stuttered. “I can manage.” Trevor didn’t have an ego, but he did possess some male pride. And being carried by a woman, a vampiress yet, to safety wasn’t his idea of dignified.
She grabbed his hand and they ran from the river and into the trees.
CHAPTER THREE
THEY MANAGED to stumble downtown, hiding in the alleys and cautious with every movement they made. Guinevere had expected Trevor to go his own way but he’d promised to get her someplace safe first. His instincts were to heal. She liked that about him. She didn’t normally have that type of man in her life. Most were born dominators, killers to be blunt. It was just ingrained in a vampire’s genetics to hunt and seek blood. Lycans too for that matter.
Witches on the other hand were all about seeking solace. She needed that in her life. She’d gone too long in a state of paranoia and defense. Constantly watching her back. It was getting tedious and bothersome.
As they ducked down another back alley, she noticed a sign for a cheap ratty hotel called Blue Moon. It was probably run by lycans but she couldn’t be choosy right now. She just needed to get indoors to rest and regroup. She also needed to feed. Besides, it would be dawn soon. Although she could face the sun—most vampires could nowadays—she preferred to be under roof when the sun broke the dark sky. Being hungry and hot wasn’t a good combination.
“Do you have any money?” she asked him.
He nodded. “I always keep about fifty Euros in my kit for emergencies.”
“A room should cost about that. I’ll pay you back.”
He looked at her with a frown. “Don’t worry about it. Let’s just get you inside and safe.”
The lycan manning the front desk barely batted an eye at her and Trevor as they came in and paid for a room. She supposed he’d seen much worse than a witch in an EMT uniform and a vampiress in nothing but a bra and panties. It brought a whole new meaning to sexual role playing.
The room was what she expected for forty Euros. It was at least clean. She didn’t smell any horribly offending odors when they entered, just the usual bleach and faint body sweat.
Trevor helped her to the bed although he was the one shivering from the cold. His clothes were soaked.
“You should get dry or you’ll get sick,” she suggested as she lay down on her back on the bed. She needed rest. Her body was barely hanging on.
He nodded. “Let’s get you settled, then I will figure something out.” He went over to her to inspect her bandages. “You should let me call someone. My friends in law enforcement can help you. Protect you.”
She shook her head. “Vampire politics and law enforcement do not mix well. Besides, I don’t trust easily. My enemies could have moles inside the department.”
“You’re trusting me.” He met her gaze and held it as he unwrapped her bandage to inspect her wound.
He had amazing hazel eyes with flecks of green. Warm and inviting. She knew the second she met him that she could trust him. That was why she’d beckoned him into her private room to help her with her injuries. He had a protector aura about him. Which was probably why he’d chosen his particular profession.
“You have a trustworthy look about you.”
He smiled, as he pressed his fingers to her skin around her bullet wound. The heat of his fingertips sent a wave of pleasure through her. She suspected it was more than just his healing powers that she was reacting to.
Trevor was an attractive man, with unkempt light brown hair and crinkles at his eyes when he smiled. It made a woman want to run her hands through his hair and kiss those laugh lines.
“The wound looks good. It’s healing well.” He reached for new bandages in his kit, which he’d kept through the ordeal in the river by strapping it onto his
back.
She sat up so he could tape her up again. As he wrapped the gauze around her torso, Guinevere inhaled his scent. It was a mixture of wet male and nature. It was a clean smell like spring rain. It was a good smell. One that made her feel comfortable and secure.
He must’ve sensed that she was testing him because after affixing the tape securely he pulled back and distanced himself across the room. “It should be all healed in a couple of days. You might have a scar though.”
“It’s of no consequence. I have others.” She stretched out her arms, fully aware that the movement enhanced her bustline. “I wanted to thank you for saving my life. And for getting me here to safety. You didn’t have to.”
He avoided looking at her, but she could tell he was intrigued by her. Interested maybe. “Anyone would have done the same thing.”
She shook her head. “I suspect that you are just not anyone.”
He fussed with his medical kit. “Is there anything else I can do for you before I go?”
She wondered what he would do if she told him straight out what she wanted from him. Would he run if he knew how much she desired him right now?
He looked over at her, his eyes darkening. Did he sense what she needed?
“I need to feed, Trevor.” Her hands were shaking. She pressed them against the bed, hoping he did not see how much she craved him.
“I saw a vending machine in the lobby, I can get you a couple of bottles of blood. What do you prefer?”
“That will not be enough. I need fresh warm blood or I will not heal properly.”
She saw him swallow. Would he make his escape now knowing what she asked of him?
“Do you have a regular donor you could call? I could go down to the street and see if I could find you a willing one.”
She shook her head. “There is no one. No one I can trust.”
His hands paused on his medical bag. She could see his indecision in them. “I’m not sure—”
Guinevere rose from the bed and crossed the room. She stopped a foot in front of him, not wanting to scare him away. She needed him to breach the small distance between them. She needed him to agree to what she asked. She’d never taken anyone against their will before, and she wasn’t about to start now.
Even when she’d first risen as a vampire, some eight hundred years ago, she’d been careful who she took blood from. She’d never forcibly bitten someone. It had always been consensual. At first she’d had to seduce her donors but now in these enlightened times, she’d only have to ask. Most people understood the pleasure of a vampire’s bite. And most of them craved it just as much as she, like a drug.
“Have you shared blood with a vampire before?”
He shook his head.
“I won’t hurt you.”
“I know.”
Narrowing her eyes, she studied him. “Do you not find me attractive?” “I do, yes.” “But?”
He sighed. “I don’t want to take advantage of you. You’re hurt and—”
“You are afraid of taking advantage of me?” She laughed.
Her laughter made him frown. “I don’t take my healing oaths lightly, Guinevere, and neither should you.”
She sobered and really looked at him. She’d never met a stronger man before. A more valiant man. It was a trait she didn’t often see in people, especially those who surrounded her, those who ran in her political circles.
This just made her want him that much more.
“I did not mean to offend you. That wasn’t my intention.”
He nodded that he accepted her apology. “Look, I’m sure I can find you someone to feed from.” He turned toward the door. “It won’t take long.”
She grabbed his arm. “I don’t want someone else, I want you.”
“It’s the situation talking. We were in a dangerous, life-threatening situation together. We’ve bonded because of it.”
She knew he was trying to work out the particulars in his mind, trying to find reasons why they shouldn’t succumb to the desire she could feel simmering in the air. It was a human thing.
“Does it matter, Trevor? I want you, and I know you want me. I can see it in the way you look at me and the way your heart speeds up when you touch me.”
He didn’t say anything right away and Guinevere took that as a sign that he was considering her words carefully. There was no denying his desire for her. She could see it in his eyes and read it in the way he responded to her.
She didn’t normally, but she closed the distance between them and wrapped a hand around his neck to bring his mouth to hers. He didn’t resist her. Then finally, they were kissing, and it was hard and hot and wet and everything she was hoping it would be.
He wrapped his arms around her, and bending her back, he deepened the kiss. He was urgent, all tongue and teeth. He nipped and tugged at her lips and seemingly drank her in. It was as if he too was starving, and the only thing to sate him was her.
CHAPTER FOUR
THE VERY LAST THING Trevor expected to be doing when he woke up this morning was kissing a gorgeous eight-hundred-year-old vampiress. Pulling bullets out of her maybe, but definitely not making out with her.
He’d had vampire girlfriends in the past, there was just something about vampires he was drawn to, but none were as powerful or as seductive as Guinevere. She stood out above them all. He pressed his hands along her back as he moved his mouth over hers and down over her chin to her neck, teasing her, tasting her. She tasted exotic, an unusual mixture of lemon and spices. Not what he expected considering her Celtic coloring and the lilt in her voice. It was the taste of a woman who was steeped in ancient history and who had traveled many years across the world and back. She seemed to carry the flavor of several cultures on her skin like a perfume.
He trailed his tongue along her throat and up to her ear, lightly sucking on her lobe. She moaned against him, her hands making small work of his uniform shirt. She had it off him in seconds and tossed it, still damp, onto the floor.
She ran her hands over his chest and he found he couldn’t contain his groan of pleasure at the way she touched him. Soft yet possessive. As if she’d not touched a man in a long time.
“We don’t have to have sex, if you don’t want to,” she murmured against his mouth. “I could just take blood.”
“No, I definitely want to.”
She laughed and the sound was so sexy it made him hard.
Still peppering kisses to her lips, to her neck, cheek and mouth, he backed her up to the bed. Once the mattress hit the back of her knees, she went down, pulling him with her.
She lay on her back, and Trevor covered her with his body. He hovered over her, his arms braced against the mattress. He didn’t want to injure her further. She still needed to heal. Although by the way she yanked him down, he didn’t think she was feeling any discomfort or pain.
He kissed her mouth, then moved down to her shoulder,
lavishing attention to her collarbone then over to her other shoulder. She gave him a sly look when he ventured lower, trailing his tongue over the swell of her perfect pale breasts.
“It unhooks in the front,” she breathed.
Trevor flicked the clasp open and looked his fill of her. She was flawless in every way. Pale round breasts with rose-tipped nipples beckoned him to feel and to taste. He did both.
He sucked one pebbled nub into his mouth and rolled it around on his tongue, pulling and suckling at will. Guinevere bowed her back and wrapped a hand in his hair to urge him on. He didn’t disappoint, and bestowed the same attention to her other nipple, applying both tongue and teeth until she was a whimpering writhing pool on the bed.
He moved down her torso, mindful of her bandages, and pressed his lips to her belly, circling her navel with the tip of his tongue. Then he ventured lower still.
Hooking his fingers into the thin band of her panties, he pulled them down the long length of her legs. He tossed the garment to the side and settled himself between her legs. He trail
ed one finger around her belly then over the light sprinkling of red hair on her mound. Then sliding his hand down, he slipped into her hot silk center and prepared to worship her completely.
Guinevere’s breath hitched in her throat, as his fingers brushed over her sensitive flesh again and again. Like a gentle breeze, his hands swept over her, careful not to touch too much too soon. He was teasing her, and it was driving her insane.
The throb at her center intensified, hovering close to the line between pleasure and pain. She needed to feed. The hunger clawed at her, but this pleasure was too much to forgo. She wanted him in any way he was willing to give her.
Her wishes did not go long unfulfilled. Lying down on his stomach between her spread legs, Trevor parted her with his thumbs. She could feel his hot breath on her intimate flesh as he nuzzled his face into her. Lightly at first, he trailed his tongue up and down, swirling the tip as he reached her opening.
Heaving, Guinevere thrashed about on the mattress. The torment of his tongue sent her spiraling under waves of pleasure. Each time he neared the throbbing nerves, she thought she’d die from the agony of near release. She moaned urgently to him.
As if bowing to her wishes, Trevor nudged her flesh with the tip of his tongue. She jerked up in response to the hot lash of pleasure that whipped over her. With one hand, he pressed on her belly, keeping her still while he continued his delicious assault on her flesh. He lapped at her slick core, concentrating on her most sensitive spot, suckling on it between strokes of his tongue.
With ease, he slid two fingers into her. She could feel him pressing against her delicate flesh, as if searching for just the right spot. She prayed he’d find it soon and end her agony.
The heat between her thighs was building, nearing unbearable. Guinevere was close to climaxing. The muscles in her belly and thighs tightened, preparing her for the overwhelming rush of ecstasy. A few more flicks of Trevor’s talented tongue, and she’d dive over the edge.
As he continued to thrust his fingers in and out, pushing as deep as he could go, he suckled on her. She could feel his teeth scrape against her sensitive flesh as he sucked on her and she cried out from the delight of it.
