by Mary Abshire
Slowly, the pulse ebbed, and he moved his tender kisses to the inside of my leg. Catching me by surprise, he grazed the tips of his pointed teeth along my thigh toward my sex. A rush of raw eroticism coursed through me, starting between my legs and ending at the hard tips of my nipples. The unholy need within me rose again, craving satisfaction.
"Fuck me, Drake. I want you inside me."
His kisses transformed into nibbles that were soft, tingling, and insanely erotic. My heart raced full steam ahead, my body so hot I was on the edge of sweating.
Drake paused and stood up in front of me. He stripped off his pants and my eyes grew with excitement. God had blessed him.
I couldn't tear my eyes from him. My mouth salivated. A bead of sweat trickled down my forehead. I had to have him.
Leaning forward, I took his exquisitely swollen shaft into my mouth. A gasp escaped him as his head tilted back. With delicate care, I stroked him between my moist lips, savoring him like a cool Popsicle in my overheated mouth. As his head straightened, sharp canines dripped from beneath his upper lip and eyes hungry with lust gazed upon me. Holding my attention, he brushed the hair away from my eyes and kissed my forehead.
"I want you, Jessie. All of you." His deep hunger seemed to match my own.
I was lost in a whirlwind of desire. His urgency matched that of my own, and the foreplay brusquely ended. A moment later, I was flat on my back, lips glued to his, and legs secured around his waist.
He teased me, grinding his rigid cock along the threshold of my sex. I moaned and whimpered as we kissed, wanting more of him. Raking my nails down his back and thrusting my hips, I begged him to enter me. As if he knew the agony I was in—and how could he not know—he tantalized me more by pinching my hard nipples.
"Do you trust me, Jessie?" He brushed his lips along the edge of my cheekbone while I panted beneath him.
"I trust you." Pleasure aside, yes, I did.
The tips of fangs delicately glided below my chin. Without fear, I tilted my head back. I knew he wouldn't bite me, not without my permission. As if testing, he grazed his sharp teeth over the beating pulse in my neck and rolled his tongue over it. Still, I neither flinched nor feared him. The thrill of his seduction burned deep inside me. Feverish, my body started perspiring.
I grazed my nails along his spine as his hand slid down my abdomen. With his teeth still hovering over my neck, he slid several fingers inside me. I pressed my lips together, trying to hold in the moan as his fingers massaged my insides and fondled my delicate core. He inserted another finger and delved deeper, stretching and stroking. The moan escaped me, and I breathed faster. The sweet caress brought me to the edge of another climax. My body ached and burned with need. When he withdrew his fingers, emptiness dampened my mood, forcing me to dig my nails into his back with enough strength to draw blood.
"I need you, now!" I demanded, soft but forceful.
With his lips over my throat, he slowly submerged his long, hard cock into me, filling me whole. He felt oh-so-good inside me. His lips traveled to mine, and a zealous kiss began with our tongues colliding in a blissful frolic. I gripped his taut buttocks as his hips worked rhythmically. Instinctively, my body matched his movements, milking him for every bit of pleasure. Each filling stroke sent a ripple of euphoria through me.
"You are so hot." He nibbled on my earlobe.
Winded, I said, "Don't stop."
And he didn't. In fact, he added fervor with each thrust. The feel of his coolness sliding within my hot folds had me aching for deeper satisfaction. I locked my legs around him and clawed at his ass. More, more, my greedy body begged. Overcome with heat, more perspiration bubbled to the surface of my flesh, but low temperature of his body kept me from sweating buckets. I was riding the edge of an eruption, drawing closer, and closer… At the beautiful moment of release, my body zinged with energy, and I screamed loud enough to wake the neighbors. Drake nuzzled near my throat and released a moan that captured the beauty of his excitement. Between my legs, a pulse throbbed with the vigor of a jackhammer.
Intense energy electrified me, buzzed within me, stirring in the pit of my belly and branching out to every nerve. The beast within me wanted more.
I met his gaze. "We aren't finished."
His lips twisted into a mischievous grin. "No, this was just the beginning."
Chapter Seventeen
A deep growl rose from my stomach, waking me from my rest. I opened my eyes and found myself lying on top of Drake. His hands were exploring the bones in my spine and lower, the crevasse between my butt cheeks. My lips twitched as I recalled his tongue exploring my body hours ago. What a delight that was.
Lifting my head, I checked the clock. "It's late."
I remembered when I last glanced at the time. It had been around 3:38 p.m., and I was riding Drake hard enough that it would have impressed any professional bull rider. After the climax of the show occurred, I collapsed over him and dozed off into la-la-land.
"You were resting. I didn't want to wake you." Drake held back the hair from my face. His lips touched mine and I had the strong desire to stay on him a bit longer. "I enjoy every minute with you, even if you are sleeping."
I could think of a few times he wouldn't enjoy spending time with me, such as during my PMS days, but arguing seemed moot.
I lifted my body slowly off his. Muscles ached, and other body parts were sore—not that I minded. Drake gripped my waist and pulled me back down. With my body lacking strength to resist an eight-centuries-old vampire, I fell on top of him. My boobs squashed into his rock-hard chest and I winced. For a second, I thought this must be what a mammogram felt like.
"Stay. There is no reason to leave." He glided his hands over my ass in a very suggestive manner.
I could think of a few reasons—such as the need for food—but the titillating caress of his hands eliminated those thoughts instantly. Interlacing my fingers through his hair, I loomed over his face.
"Okay, Mr. Eight-Centuries-Old-Vamp, a few more minutes and then the beast needs to eat."
"We shall see," he said with a raise of his brows. He pressed his mouth to mine and slid his tongue between my lips. Excited by his needy kiss, I decided eating could wait.
While I lay on top of him, my mind wandered. I had an eight–hundred–year–old vampire naked underneath me. What the hell was I thinking? Vampires plus demons equaled disaster. Right? I was led to believe such. My mother was probably rolling over in her grave.
The Drake lying underneath me didn't seem bad, or evil, or out for selfish gain. He wasn't a murderous fiend. The Drake I knew was passionate, strong, morally bound, and persuasive. He valued life. Guarded in thoughts and actions, he reminded me a lot of myself. But after a few days, did I really know him?
I broke the kiss. "Is Drake your real name?"
He gazed into my eyes. "No."
I waited for more details that never came. "Are you going to tell me what it is?"
He lifted his lips to kiss me, but I put distance between us. He rested his head back on the pillow. "I will tell you, if you tell me what Lila told you."
I turned my head as a grin spread across my face. He had me right where he wanted me. Damn him, he was smart.
"All right." I returned my attention to him. "You first."
His lips curled. Then he swiftly leaned forward and smacked my lips with a kiss. He moved too fast for me avoid it.
"Adrian. My real name is Adrian. I gave it up when I turned a century old. I decided it was time for a change."
"That's it?" I asked, expecting more.
"That's it."
"You wanted a change." I mocked him, my voice low.
"I didn't think I would survive a century. When I did, I wanted a new name. Very few people know my real name."
I took the hint with care. "It's a nice name. Is Alexander his real name or did he change his too?"
"Alexander is his real name. Vampires rarely change their names."
I lifted my
body inches above his, trying to reposition myself so I could breathe easier without my breasts flat as a deflated balloons.
"Not so fast," Drake snapped, catching my arms.
"I'm not leaving." I shifted my weight, then slid over his body until I landed on my side. My lungs and breasts absorbed instant relief.
He twisted to face me. Elbow braced on the bed, he rested his head against the palm of his hand. "I would like to know about Lila's card reading."
Was I ready for this? Was I ready to tell him the truth? Did I really have a choice in the matter now? I took a deep breath.
"She said I was holding myself back, and I should let my feelings guide me." I kept my answer short, knowing the extended version would prompt too many questions for which I didn't have answers prepared. Plus, I didn't feel comfortable discussing some of the things she had told me…yet. I still felt…confused. And God help me, I didn't want to admit to him that I had an attachment to him.
"I would agree with that," said the man with a noble soul. "What else did she say?"
I quickly thought of which parts of my card reading to share with him. "She told me you were a good man, and you would never kill an innocent person."
He stared at me in silence, waiting for more. "Anything else?"
I sighed. "She told me you liked me."
He smiled and brushed his thumb over my lips, tickling me. I twitched my lips, trying to ease the sensation. "She has a way with words."
What an appropriate comment for a card reader.
Another loud rumble stirred in my belly. Embarrassed, I shoved my face into the bed and tried to cover my head with my arms.
Drake chuckled near my ear. "Maybe you should eat," he said, toying with my hair.
"Bath first. Then food." I lifted my head from my hidey-hole.
He grinned widely. "I'll watch."
****
Clean, and with a smile bigger than Canada, I stepped out of the bathroom. A towel encompassed my body. Drake walked out close behind me, naked. I loved admiring his body, and what a solid body it was. He went to his room and I went to mine. After I donned a clean pair of nightclothes, I headed toward the kitchen with my wet hair dripping down the back of my shirt.
The chips that had come with my chicken wrap were still lying on the kitchen counter. Starving, I tore the bag open. Needless to say, all the salty delights were in my belly within a few minutes and I craved more food. What did a hungry demon do? Order room service.
I hung up the phone as Drake strolled into the room. He wore a pair of black pants and the T-shirt I'd bought him with "Bite me" in red letters. He looked delectable in the form-fitting shirt. Following a few kisses, a little teasing, and some groping, my cheeseburger and fries arrived.
We moved to the dining room. I sat at the table and Drake took the seat next to me. He watched me with spellbinding eyes as I stuffed a plump French fry into my mouth and chewed.
"Going to watch me eat all this food?" I dipped one of my oversized fries into a mound of ketchup.
His continuous gaze had me thinking I was part of a special National Geographic study. Watch the hungry demon eat. See how she dips the fries, smothering them in the ketchup, then lifts it with ease and shoves it into her mouth. Look at how she lifts the heavy cheeseburger and bites into it like a wild animal that hasn't eaten in days.
Drake stood up, then kissed the top of my head. He disappeared briefly behind me, but returned to his seat with the newspaper in his hand. He flipped sections and scanned the headlines.
I let out a heavy sigh after I finished chewing a bite of my cheeseburger. I'd almost forgotten about the recent child abduction. No, not forgotten. I'd pushed it aside, too engrossed in satisfying my own desires. Alex abducted a little girl and killed her mother, and what did I do? I spent the day having sex. Add that to the list of reasons why I had a direct path to Hell. At least it was the best sex I had ever had.
I wiped my face and hands on a napkin, then pushed my food aside. My appetite had evaporated. Drake held the paper in front of him while he read. I leaned closer to him and tried to get a better view of the article he was reading. After straining my eyes, I read a couple of lines that said, "boyfriend not suspected of any wrongdoing," and, "neighbors reported."
"What does it say?" I shrank back into my chair.
He kept his face pointed at the paper with his eyes moving fast over the articles. "They believe more than one person may be involved. The next door neighbor was leaving for work and heard the voices of a man and woman as she passed by the victim's door. Police refuse to confirm or deny the allegation. They are keeping details quiet."
"Is that a timeline?" I asked, pointing to a specific area on the paper.
"Yes, the reporter for the paper put it together. The police refused to comment about it."
I sat back in my chair, waiting for him to finish. The photo of the missing child saddened and sickened me. Out of fear I might regurgitate my food, I looked away. "Two people?" I asked.
Drake folded the paper, straightening out the creases. He set it on the table and leaned back against his chair. "The newspaper reporter's timeline suggests the break-in occurred before ten p.m. The neighbor who claimed to hear the voices of a man and woman left for her job twenty minutes before ten."
I crossed my arms. "That's not what the report on the news indicated."
"I don't believe half of what the police report. They hide facts or misstate them, hoping they can find the real perpetrator. The truth is out there. We have to pick through the pieces—"
"And put the puzzle together," I interjected. His antipolice speech reminded me of the X-Files. The truth is out there. The theme music played in my head.
He tapped his fingers on the table.
"Okay, Fox," I said. His brows narrowed into a look of pure confusion. I continued without an explanation. "Who do you think the woman was?"
"It had to be a vampire. Alexander would not work with a human."
I stared off into space, biting down on my lip while I recalled the events of that night. After we met with Lila, we went back to the club where I'd met Jeremy and that's where we ran into Veronica.
I directed my attention back to Drake. "Do you think it could be Veronica?"
His face was as emotionless as stone.
"How well do you know her?"
"I know she is friends with the wrong type of people," he answered.
"Is it possible…"
"We were at the club around midnight. She could have been with him before, but that would not explain why she had plans to meet with him later."
Point taken. "It's a valid question that we should ask her."
"We?" Drake asked, voice deep. "I don't want her to know about you."
"If she has any involvement in the murder or abduction, her soul is mine," I said with enough malice to scare any criminal into reforming.
Drake studied me intently. Without blinking, I returned his stare. I refused to back down on this. Her energy felt different, and if I was right about her, then punishment was due.
"We need to be sure," he said.
Hearing the "we" bit put a smile on my face. "Do you know how to find her?"
"No," he answered with a single shake of his head.
"I can get us some help." I stood up. Drake grabbed my hand, stopping me from leaving the table. "We need to find her and get our answers. We need to find Alex. If she can lead us to him, we can prevent the death of this child and the loss of more innocent lives," I said.
His grip eased, but his gaze stayed with me. As I stepped away from him, my hand slipped from his. I turned without another thought, then dashed down the hall.
I picked up Drake's cell phone from the dresser along with Jeremy's crumpled card. The missed call log revealed Jeremy had called the night before when I was recovering from my encounter with Alexander. Drake must have ignored it. I sat on the edge of the bed and hit the button to return his call.
The phone rang once, then agai
n, and a third time. "Love of my life, where are you?"
I debated answering for a moment, biting down on my lip. "Hi, Jeremy."
Movement from the hall caught my eye, and I glanced up. Drake stood, leaning against the wall with his hands hidden in his pockets. Eyes narrow and lips pressed shut, he didn't look pleased.
"Where have you been? I tried calling you. I almost dialed—"
"Sorry." I cut him off before he divulged too much information. I didn't want Drake's super hearing ears to hear everything. "I've been busy. How is the search coming? Seen my cousin yet?"
Drake squinted his eyes and gave me a quizzical look. I shook my head and blinked, trying to signal I'd explain in a moment.
"Actually, I think I might have. Your friend's tall, long blond hair, long nose, ugly as h—"
"Yep, that sounds like him." I jumped in. "Where was he?"
Drake sauntered in front of me and leaned back against the dresser.
"At a club called the Sound Bar. You still owe me—"
"I know." Again, I cut him off. Feeling Drake's eyes bearing down on me, I looked up. "And I need another favor from you." My throat tightened. I knew this would be a huge request in his mind, and he would seek a huge return.
"Well, well, seems my calendar is looking pretty good these days. Lucky for you, my team isn't in the playoffs. I have some free time to spare," he said, too chipper for my liking.
I covered the phone and sighed. His cheerful attitude was confirmation he'd want something mammoth for compensation. Well, I'd just have to worry about that later. "I'm looking for another person in addition to my cousin."
"Part of the family?" he inquired.
"Yes, she is part of the family." Talking in code was getting too easy.
"Oh, a female this time. This is one interesting family you have."
Chagrined by his devious tone, I wanted to spit out some fiery words. Biting my tongue, I pressed forward. "She's tall, thin, and has short black hair. She looks like Betty Boop. Her name is Veronica."
Laughter spilled over the connection. "I think your descriptions are better than mine. Betty Boop?" He chortled.
