Candyman

by Nicole Austin

  An Ellora’s Cave Romantica Publication

  www.ellorascave.com

  Candyman

  ISBN 9781419920301

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

  Candyman Copyright © 2009 Nicole Austin

  Edited by Shannon Combs.

  Cover art by Syneca.

  Electronic book Publication January 2009

  The terms Romantica® and Quickies® are registered trademarks of Ellora’s Cave Publishing.

  With the exception of quotes used in reviews, this book may not be reproduced or used in whole or in part by any means existing without written permission from the publisher, Ellora’s Cave Publishing, Inc.® 1056 Home Avenue, Akron OH 44310-3502.

  Warning: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. No part of this book may be scanned, uploaded or distributed via the Internet or any other means, electronic or print, without the publisher’s permission. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000. (http://www.fbi.gov/ipr/). Please purchase only authorized electronic or print editions and do not participate in or encourage the electronic piracy of copyrighted material. Your support of the author’s rights is appreciated.

  This book is a work of fiction and any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or places, events or locales is purely coincidental. The characters are productions of the authors’ imagination and used fictitiously.

  Candyman

  Nicole Austin

  Dedication

  To Mom, for teaching me love can transcend anything, including time.

  Trademarks Acknowledgement

  The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of the following wordmarks mentioned in this work of fiction:

  USO: United Service Organizations, Inc.

  Chapter One

  Nervous energy kept Michael Claret on edge. He and Edie had been seeing each other exclusively for several months and the time was right. His fangs threatened to burst from his gums at the thought of sharing in a mating bond with her. Tonight was the night. Finally, he would reveal his true nature, confess his love and bind them together with blood. He wanted her tied to him before the squadron got called back to duty and had to leave New York. He sensed that time drawing near.

  With his brethren at his side, they owned the night. His brothers fed from the excess power radiating through him, drunk on the intoxicating vibrations, razor-sharp fangs pressing past their lips, preparing for action.

  “Don’t get into any trouble tonight,” he growled as they arrived at the club. “Mess this up for me and there will be hell to pay.” They were a well-disciplined group, but Michael still worried. The potent flow of juice arcing between them had built to a dangerous level. Since they were not in battle, the energy would require a different form of release. “Find someone to fuck, but use caution.” They would all suffer if one of them lost control and turned an unwilling human, but leaving the others to their own devices was a calculated risk necessary to his plans.

  Power shot through him as they neared the club and Michael’s anticipation peaked, heightening his awareness. The air around him crackled and heated, carrying the scent of testosterone and bloodlust radiating from all of them, combining in a potent mix. He drew the aroma into his lungs, tasted it on his lips. Hunger pangs raced through him, causing the sharp incisors to descend into his mouth.

  He would remain inside the club only long enough to locate his love and whisk her away to a private spot in a nearby park—their special place. Nervous anticipation filled him. Their conversation would change his life, one way or another. Tonight he would bind with her, thrust his cock into the sweet paradise between her gorgeous legs and sink his fangs into the steady pulse beating in the elegant column of her throat. Finally together in all ways forever.

  Michael sensed Edie the moment he stepped through the door. Her seductive voice reached across the distance from the stage, accompanied by the unique rhythm of her heartbeat, which was easy for him to distinguish from any other. Her very soul was imprinted on his own. As always, her beauty took his breath away.

  His men spread out, fierce predators making quick work of choosing and stalking their prey, thrilling in the hunt. Michael itched to go after Edie but knew the waiting would make it that much sweeter when she came to him.

  He didn’t have to wait long. Her gaze zeroed in on him immediately. As soon as the last note of the song passed her lips, she made her move. The audience parted for her, opening a path between them. Edie walked straight into his arms, greeting him with a brief brush of lips in a fleeting kiss before urging him toward the exit. It would seem his lover shared the same urgent desire to get away by themselves. Perfect.

  Holding hands, the two of them slipped away in the dark night to their special spot in the park a few blocks away. They didn’t waste a moment once enclosed in the relative seclusion of a small clearing in a dense thicket of small trees and foliage. Talk would have to wait until after first satisfying the demands and needs of their bodies. Michael laid Edie out on the soft, sweet-smelling grass and proceeded to indulge his passion for his intoxicating lover.

  Pushing her skirt over her long legs in slow increments, he devoured each luscious inch as it was revealed, pausing to taste and fondle the areas he knew were most sensitive. Her responsive nature heightened his arousal and his balls tightened, drawing close to his aching cock. He longed to thrust into the tight clench of her hot core, but held back. She would come as he ravished her delicate folds and drank of her pleasure. Then, and only then, would he seek his own release.

  He settled on the ground at the juncture of her thighs for a long, lazy stay. With tender care, he spread her swollen pink layers and licked from anus to clit. Edie’s moans and writhing body went to his head, pulling at the tight restraints holding his darker needs in check.

  Sharp incisors pierced his gums and a warm wash of coppery blood teased his taste buds. He wanted to sink his fangs into the artery pulsing mere inches from his mouth.

  Bite her! Sink your teeth into her lush flesh, drink deep, and she will come as she’s never come before. You do not need to seek permission to give her pleasure. She belongs to you, owns your soul.

  Distracted by his base instincts, his lips kissed a path over her soft mound, past the crease of her thigh, and licked a lusty trail over her pounding pulse. Saliva pooled in his mouth, fangs throbbing worse than any toothache. Just a small sip, he reasoned. A mere mouthful. He could quench himself with a tantalizing sample of what he would soon possess and enjoy for eternity.

  Michael waged the most difficult battle he’d ever faced, fighting against himself to push the bloodlust aside. Yes, she would enjoy the results of a blood exchange, but Edie did not know this side of him yet. They had all the time and in the world and he would not rush or take her blood without her consent, no matter how bad he hungered for even a small taste of her essence. Soon! I will have all of her soon. Once they talked, and she agreed to a complete mating, he would fully join with her.

  Spreading her legs wide to accommodate the breadth of his shoulders, he traced his tongue over her delicate pink pussy. He relished her sweet and salty flavor, delving his tongue into every delicious fold. Edie writhed, moaned and begged for release but he made her wait. Made them both wait for satisfaction until the demands of his body refused to be shelved.

  They made love, slow and tender, conveying intimate emotions through touch. Her pussy held his cock in a hot, intimate clasp, stretching and hugging his flesh as if made for him alone. Being with Edie felt right. They belonged together, forever.

  Later, after they recovered, he sat Edie down on a nearby bench and search
ed for the words to explain without scaring her. “Time grows short, beloved. Soon the squadron will be called back to the fighting. Before that happens, I have to know you will be awaiting my return. Bound to me.”

  Edie gasped. Her trembling fingers shot to her mouth. Michael knew she thought he was proposing marriage. In a way he was, just not the type of mortal joining she imagined. Their union would be much more personal and enduring.

  “Edie, my men and I are…different.” As part of war, he’d lived with fear and faced horrible atrocities, but now he knew the true meaning of being afraid. He trembled with terror because nothing had ever been as important as gaining Edie’s acceptance. If she rejected him…all of him—

  He pushed the defeatist idea away. Edie’s heart was pure and it belonged to him. She would not cast his love aside. Taking a deep breath and banishing his fears, Michael plunged ahead. “We are immortal, vampire. Like myself, most of my brethren were born vampire, but a few were changed through the exchange of blood. A binding of lives and souls, as I wish to bind you to me. Forever, Edie. We can be together for all time.”

  After explaining how the binding worked, he gave her a chance to think over everything he’d said. Michael prayed she would understand and accept what he offered. He’d be lost without her.

  “Y-you drain people’s blood to stay alive? Like in the movies?” Her expression became tight, eyes wide with shock, and her pulse pounded as her heart rate spiked. He wasn’t certain if the reaction was fear, disgust, excitement or a mixture of all three.

  “No. We feed on blood and emotions, crave both forms of substance, but require very little of either.” Sensing her next question, Michael attempted to ease her apprehension. “You would not have to acquire blood from anyone other than me. Kindred mates can provide for each other. There’s no need to take blood from strangers. I can give you everything you need.

  “There is also great physical pleasure that comes with the sharing of blood. Once we are bound, we will be connected by strong ties and be able to communicate through that link. You will never grow ill, die or be alone. You’ll always have me.”

  ”I don’t know what to say. This is all very surreal. I feel as if I’m asleep and can’t decide if I’m dreaming or having a nightmare.”

  As responses went, Edie’s was neither positive nor negative. He had known it would require a leap of faith and that she’d need time to absorb all the information, still the new distance he felt stretching between them created a painful ache within his chest and more than a little anxiety.

  The loud wail of sirens ripped through the night, steadily drawing nearer. Michael pushed aside his emotional turmoil and extended his senses outward. The source of trouble was not difficult to pinpoint—the club, with his brethren at the center. He had to get there. Fast.

  For a moment he considered leaving Edie in the relative safety of their private place, but he wanted her by his side where he could protect her. The world had changed and was no longer a very friendly place. A woman alone at night in the park would not be safe. Plus he would worry less if she remained within sight.

  They ran through the park, bursting out into total pandemonium. Police vehicles lined the streets, both civilian and military. To avoid the confusing scene at the front of the club where a massive fight had broken out, Michael drew Edie to a side door but he didn’t want to drag her into the middle of this mess.

  “Wait here for me, Edie. Don’t leave or come inside. Once I make sure my men are all right, I’ll take you home.”

  She nodded in acknowledgement and he slipped through the door. He should have sent her home instead of being selfish, but he wasn’t ready for the night to be over. And they hadn’t finished their conversation. His entire future remained up in the air. He also knew Edie. Smart, resourceful and most of all, stubborn to the core. She wouldn’t leave without first seeing for herself that he made it out of the club unharmed. It was one of the many qualities he loved about her.

  He fought his way through the crowd, not surprised to find his men at the center of the brawl. He didn’t waste time chastising himself for having left them alone—that would be stupid. They were a group of centuries-old vampires who could handle themselves.

  Tables and bodies flew across the room, a fist landed on the corner of his jaw, snapping his head back. One of the combatants lifted a chair, cocked it over his shoulder like a baseball bat and swung. The intended target—one of Michael’s brethren. But it was the woman he saw moving along the wall behind them that made his blood run cold.

  The impatient, impulsive and often infuriating woman he loved—Edie.

  With lightning-fast reflexes, the vampire ducked out of harm’s way. Swept in by the momentum, the sailor followed the motion through.

  Michael watched the scene as if it unfolded in slow motion. The chair flew over David’s head, sailing in an arc that ended when Edie’s skull shattered and she fell. Her head struck the wall then snapped forward.

  “NO!” he screamed in impotent rage.

  In a fraction of a second, he knelt at her side. The unnatural angle of her neck struck him with an agonizing wave of pain. Her life’s blood spilled in a dark halo around her head and matted her beautiful hair. With gentle care, Michael lifted Edie and cradled her in his arms.

  Even if the damage to her brain and spine were survivable, she had lost too much blood. He felt each insult, suffered through the shock of pain and sensed her life teetering on the edge of oblivion.

  And yet, she did not have to die. He could save Edie.

  Drawing her close against his chest, he held her broken body, warm blood soaking into his uniform. “It’s going to be all right, my love. I can make you better.”

  “H-how?” The words were choked out around the blood filling her throat and flowing from the corner of her mouth in a steady stream.

  He fought hard not to let his terror show and remain calm. “I can turn you. Take your blood and give you mine. Bind us together. Forever.”

  Her beautiful green eyes became glassy and distant. With each passing moment, she slipped further away. Determination filled him. He would not lose her. Watching her die was unthinkable. Michael leaned toward her neck, his fangs fully extended and lips parted. The beat of her pulse was weak, almost undetectable to even his sensitive hearing.

  “Close your eyes, Edie. It will only hurt for a moment,” he breathed against her ear.

  She gasped with her last breath, the single word clear as it drove a fiery stake into his heart.

  “No.”

  He argued and pleaded as tears streamed down his cheeks unheeded. None of it mattered. She’d refused the life he offered and was too far gone to respond anymore.

  With her last wheeze and the final beat of her heart, he fought an internal war. His heart and soul demanded he not lose her—commanded he do everything in his power to keep her alive. She would be upset if he turned her but would get over it. Even if she hated him for going against her wishes, at least she would still live to do so. Eventually, she would forgive him.

  No. Regardless of what else he might be, Michael was honorable and would respect her wishes.

  Great, racking sobs broke through him as he felt Edie slip away.

  * * * * *

  “Hey there, handsome. Wanna have a drink or…something?”

  Michael’s thoughts returned to the present. The abrupt recoil whipped along his spine, jarring him. The bitter taste of stale memories lingered in his mouth.

  He glanced at the woman who had approached, let his gaze slide over the sultry blonde’s spandex-clad curves. Her batting eyelashes, heavy with mascara, and suggestive grin made her intentions clear.

  “No thank you. I’m waiting for someone.” The irony of the statement wasn’t lost on him. For the time being, he would remain alone. While she was undeniably beautiful, he had no interest in bedding her. There was only one woman he wanted. One whose return he’d anticipated for decades. He saw no point in settling for a quick release that
would not satisfy his true hunger.

  Staring into the glass of dark amber liquor, Michael let his mind wandered back to the night his life had shattered, leaving him a hollow, desolate shadow of his former self. He’d been so full of ego, overconfident and cocky. The immortal warrior, part of an undefeatable squadron of his kind, heavily armed air raiders. Finding his mate had been the icing on the cake. Then in one horrible night he’d lost everything.

  Events after Edie died were a blur. He remembered being dragged from the club by his brethren, followed by long empty days, one blending into another, until the mage sought him out. The sorcerer’s prediction gave him a reason to carry on—the will to live.

  “Your love will come back to you, reborn in another.”

  He’d grabbed on to the words, gained strength from the prediction and waited. There were times over the years he had wondered if the mage’s prediction had been misguided. Then she’d been reborn, his love reincarnated in a new body over three long decades ago. White-hot light had shot through Michael at the moment of birth, her soul entering the babe’s body while her mother struggled through the difficult labor. The brilliant flash had illuminated the night and his soul had rejoiced.

  Knowing she walked the earth for more than thirty years had been a double-edged sword—agony and bliss. In all he’d waited more than sixty years for her return. The need to claim his love created a miserable ache, soothed only by being with her in the dream world. As she matured into a woman, he’d shared their mutual desires through increasingly erotic visions while she slept.

  They had spent hundreds of hours making love. He knew her body and how to bring her to soaring heights. She’d learned his body as well. The hunger and craving for each other became a living, breathing entity requiring satisfaction.