“No. It’s because I wanted to protect others. And I quickly saw that no matter where you were and what country you were in, money was the best way to do that. Money can buy nearly anything. Friendship, love, laws. Did you know, the only reason the US made same-sex marriage legal back in the eighteen hundreds was because of all the money I poured into the government? Not to mention the serious campaigns I ran to convince the people that it didn’t go against their faith.”
“I didn’t know that.” Her eyes widened. “What else have you—”
He couldn’t help it. He kissed her. Her lips were smooth, soft and delicious. He pulled back slightly. Grinned. And kissed her again.
Chapter Five
His kisses were just as deep and passionate as she remembered. Heat flared through Angelina’s body. Rainer’s strong, muscled arms wrapped around her, pulling her even tighter to him. Angelina kissed him back fiercely. Her fingers tightened in his hair and it was like no time had passed since they were last together.
Her skin was on fire, a deep ache already throbbing in her core. He smelled so good. Was it cologne or his natural scent? Angelina didn’t know. Nor, really, did she care. She just knew he smelled like pure man, like the kind of guy who would protect her against the world. The king of guy who stepped in when other guys were bothering a woman and made them leave her alone. The kind of man who would take her on dates and tell her how beautiful she was.
He started to urge her to lie down on the couch. Her fingers tightened in his shirt and she abruptly remembered—it had just been two nights ago that he had had that leggy blonde here. When he had invited her to join them in a threesome. Angelina snarled, angry at herself for remembering.
Reluctantly, she put both hands on his chest and pushed him back. Rainer arched a brow at her as she shook her head.
“We can’t do this.”
Disappointment crossed Rainer’s face as he sat back up. His jacket was disheveled and the first few buttons on his shirt had come undone. Had she done that? She bit her lip as a flash of warm pressed against her fingertips. She could almost still feel the smooth, tight skin under her fingertips. Lust rose so powerfully in her that she nearly threw aside all caution but managed to keep control of herself.
“Why?” Rainer asked.
“Because… because I don’t want to be a notch on your bedpost.” Angelina looked around for her wrap. Her chest was heaving, her breasts feeling swollen and huge. They seemed to swell even more when she imagined his mouth on them. “I… I have to go. I have to—”
“Hey.” Rainer caught her wrist and pulled her back down, speaking gently. “Is this about the other night?”
Her cheeks flamed, but she nodded.
“I thought it might be.” Rainer sighed as his shoulders slumped. “Look… I was drunk. I know that’s not really an excuse, but I was. I wasn’t thinking clearly. And if it helps… I didn’t sleep with her.”
Angelina’s heart rose, even as she firmly told herself that that wasn’t the point. Then what is the point? “Everybody knows how you are with women.”
“That doesn’t mean that I just sleep with women in order to ‘rack them up’. I told you, I’ve seen a lot. I don’t understand why humans refuse their natural inclinations. Sex is natural. Sex is good. But...” He moved back. “I understand when no means no. I’ll get a cab—”
“No.” This time it was Angelina’s turn to catch his wrist. All her life, things seemed to go wrong for her. But tonight? Right now? It seemed so right. So, she pressed her lips to his once more. She didn’t care. Didn’t care about whether it was right or wrong or what tomorrow would bring.
Right now, she just wanted him.
Rainer responded with a passion that took Angelina’s breath away. His tongue flicked over her lips. She parted them, the heat flaring through her body once more. His hands roved her body, leaving fireworks and sparks in their wake. The touch of his fingertips was so soft yet elicited such a response in her that she shivered. Everything inside of her seemed to quiver with anticipation.
The vampire’s fangs scraped lightly at her collarbone as he moved down her neck. “Are you sure? You’re not going to change your mind again?”
Her heart pattered all over the place and Angelina couldn’t think. No, she didn’t want to think. She didn’t want to have all those thoughts and doubts take over. There was no tomorrow. There was nothing except for her and Rainer, here and now and the fire seething under her skin. The need burning deep inside of her. The drive to claim him, to have him, to own him if only for this moment.
She grasped his lapels and pulled him back down over her, her lip curled back as she snarled out her answer. “You are mine.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
He dove into her neck again, making her whole body shudder. Bolts of pleasure raced through her, pooling in her core as everything seemed to tighten. Her eyes rolled into the back of her head as she rocked her hips. His legs were around hers and, were they not, she wouldn’t have been able to embrace him with her thighs without ripping the dress. She wanted him between her legs so badly that she kicked her way free to wrap one of her ankles around his.
“Patience,” he crooned.
Rainer’s eyes glittered with pleasure and lust as he lifted her from the couch. She held herself up by his neck as he ran his hands over her curves, then found the zipper at the side of her dress. He eased it open, then tugged it down to around her waist. Angelina’s breath caught in her throat as he ran one of his hands over her breast. He bent over her, licking at where her nipple poked through the lace. He continued to tug her dress down, over her hips, bunched at her knees, while he kissed her breasts.
Angelina held him, some unspoken order keeping her still even though she wanted to tear his clothing off. But she was not the one to undress him. After he had removed her clothing—toying briefly with her clit when he pulled her panties off, he stood.
What was going through his mind right now? Angelina held her breath as he slowly undressed, tossing first the jacket, then the tie, then the shirt to one side. His body had been sculpted by the gods, that much was clear. She had never seen a more perfect man. Had he grown even more muscled since that week three years ago?
He smiled down at her, his fangs flashing. “Get on your knees for me, Angel.”
His voice was low, husky; an order and a plea all at once. Angelina did not even think about disobeying it. She slid off the couch and onto her knees, groaning as she reached for him. He grunted at her touch. A bolt of thrill went through her as he hardened in her hand. Remembering the way he’d grunted and groaned three years ago, Angelina took him into her mouth, looking up as best she could.
“That’s it,” he moaned, cradling her head with both his hands.
Wanting, needing, to see him in pleasure, she set to work, using her mouth and hands. Rainer’s breath quickly turned to pants. His hips rocked gently, although every once in a while, he suddenly went still. It was like he didn’t want to thrust into her mouth for fear of choking her, yet he couldn’t stop himself. If Angelina’s lips weren’t as stretched as they were, she would have grinned.
“Touch yourself,” Rainer grunted. “Play with that clit of yours. I want you nice and ready when I come for you.”
Once more, she obeyed. Was this her claiming him, or him claiming her? She didn’t know and she didn’t care. All she knew was that it was what she wanted, and she would have it.
She slid one of her hands between her thighs as she continued her ministrations. He hardened quickly under her touch, and when she rubbed her clit, the pleasure pooled tight and hot inside of her. Shivers ran down her leg and she eased off herself, wanting to concentrate on her vampire.
Rainer tightened his grip on her hair, then suddenly released her. Angelina yelped in surprise when he grasped her by the shoulders and pulled her to her feet. She stumbled, but he caught her quickly enough. A fierce kiss took her breath away and then he was turning her. He lifted her over the couch, putting h
er on the other side and jumped over to join her. He kissed her again, his mouth moving to her neck.
His fangs scraped against her skin and she blurted out, “Drink from me.”
Rainer grunted as he ground his hard, ready length against her. “Not tonight.”
“Please.”
“No. Not tonight. But I will take you. Bend over and spread your legs.”
Moaning in anticipation, she did. She laid down on the back of the couch, pushing her legs apart until she was only on her toes. Her heart thudded continually as Rainer’s hand moved along her. This was what she wanted. Ached for. She wanted him so bad—
And she had him. He was inside, thrusting deep and hard. Her whole body, the couch, moved with the force of his thrusts. The pleasure was blinding. She clutched the couch beneath her, screwing her eyes shut as her body jerked this way and that. Her legs trembled. Rainer clutched her about the waist, holding her there, keeping her from falling off the couch.
“Please,” she begged but was it a plea for him to give her release or to drink from her? She didn’t know.
Rainer had no more words for her. He snarled like an animal above her, thrusting continually. Even after she clamped around him and exploded, he kept moving. Even after she felt him explode into her with hot spurts, he kept at it. She cried out. He kept going. Angelina braced herself, not wanting him to stop. Never wanting him to stop.
But needing him to. It was starting to hurt. She wasn’t quite wet enough anymore.
“Rainer,” she gasped.
He fell over her, kissing her neck.
“Rainer. I need you to stop.”
He growled.
“Stop.”
And then he was gone. Angelina tumbled off the couch, falling to the floor behind it. Pain shot up through her shoulder, but she didn’t care. She laid there, panting, shivering—without Rainer right there, it was suddenly very cold. When she finally got her breath back, she pulled herself up.
Rainer was at the other end of the room. Panting. Pacing. Still hard. How was that possible? He had finished into her. Even three years ago, he’d had to take a break between bouts of their lovemaking.
The vampire let out a long, slow breath and turned back to her. There was a tension in his arms, his jaw clenched and a hardness to his eyes that made her shiver. He did not come toward her.
“Angelina.” His voice was stiff, formal. “It seems I’ve made a mistake.”
A mistake? Her stomach dropped.
“It’s been a while since I’ve had blood fresh from the vein and that has… made it rather difficult. I’m sorry. I should never have…”
Angelina picked her wrap off the floor and put it around her shoulders, suddenly feeling vulnerable. “Never should have what?”
“Gotten so close to you in my current state. It was foolish. I… I am in need of feeding.”
“Drink from me, then.”
Rainer turned away and pressed his hands to the glass window. Standing there naked, clear for the world to see. Was there anybody watching? Angelina started to feel a tingle of disgust at the back of her mind. She tried to shove it away, but it only grew stronger.
What the hell had she just done?
“I can’t drink from you,” he growled out. “Drinking from the vein forms a bond. And I can’t have that with a human.”
He practically snarled out the word. Angelina’s heart froze. He couldn’t… with a human. With a human. For everything he said about wanting to improve the relationship between humans and vampires… She closed her eyes, collecting her emotions. She was not going to break down in front of him. Then, quietly, she dressed. Rainer did not turn around. She shut the door quietly behind herself and headed for the elevator.
Well, there you have it, she thought grimly. I’m just a fool who thought she could take a vampire.
***
Rainer hadn’t had such a good time with a woman in, oh, three years. He lay on his couch, still smelling Angelina there. She’d been so receptive. They fit together like they were made for one another and he still craved her body. Rarely did he find a woman that he could say was more than just okay.
And he had hurt her.
He hadn’t spent the night in the office. He’d gone home, slept fitfully as he was want to do, then got up early and came back. Now, it was approaching eight o’clock. Angelina’s usual start time.
He wouldn’t blame her if she didn’t come back. Not after what had happened between the two of them.
Shame welled in him when he thought back to the previous night. He hadn’t known if she even finished, so absorbed in the physical sensations of his own body. She’d been so vulnerable in front of him, legs splayed out, face hidden from him. And he hadn’t wanted to see her face. He just wanted to keep thrusting into her, until he couldn’t move any longer. It was like she wasn’t even a person.
Had… had she told him to stop more than once?
The lights in the receptionist’s area came on. Rainer sprang to his feet. Through the windows to either side of his office door, he saw Angelina. She wore her usual suit, her hair in its usual bun. The red dress from the previous night had made all her many curves even more appealing. This suit… well, after seeing how that dress had fit her, he saw just how poor this suit was.
He let out a sigh of relief. Good. She was here. That meant that they had a chance to talk about what had happened and, hopefully, answer the question that had plagued him all night. Self-disgust swirled in him and for a moment, he couldn’t move. How could he face her? But he swallowed hard, determined he was not going to shy back from the truth and walked out.
A vampire who did not drink from the vein was very easily overtaken by their appetites. Some of them even blacked out entirely, uncertain of what they did until they awoke to find themselves in a crush of bodies. Some living. Some dead.
Angelina jumped when he stepped from the office, and he flinched.
“Are you alright?” he asked, his throat feeling sticky.
“I… am.”
Her hesitancy made him flinch again. “Angelina… did I… did I hurt you?”
Something about her softened and she shook her head. “No. Well, a little, but it’s not bad. I… I really enjoyed last night. I was thinking about what you said. When I got home, I looked it up. Um…” Here she twisted her hands. There was a pale bruise on her little finger. “I, uh, understand what you meant. I thought you were saying that you regretted it because I’m human. But it’s because you were afraid of hurting me, isn’t it?”
Silently, Rainer nodded.
“Well, you didn’t.”
That wasn’t enough. Not really. Rainer stepped forward, his heart beating shallowly and more rapidly than he was quite used to right now. “How many times did you tell me to stop?”
“Twice. But the first time was quiet.” She reached for him, laying a gentle hand on his arm. “And I didn’t really want you to. I thought you needed to know that.”
Relief washed over him. Rainer sank onto the office chair, resting his elbows on the desk. “Oh, thank God. Look, I’m sorry. I am so, so very sorry. I should never have even put you in that situation. It could have gone… so wrong. Especially if I had drunk from you.”
“It’s a good thing that you have good self-control, then.” She smiled at him, as though everything was alright now. It faded quick enough, though, and she ran her fingers along the edge of the desk. “But you’re still right. It was a mistake. It was wrong.”
The words cut him deeper than he thought possible. “Wrong?”
“Wrong,” Angelina repeated firmly. “You’re my boss. I have a son to think about. I didn’t say no to you before because of false protests. I meant it. I didn’t want to get involved in this sort of way. Not with anybody. Last night… it was amazing. But it should not have happened. I wanted you last night, but I didn’t…”
She didn’t really want him. It was the night and the champagne and the closeness they felt as he shared his story. Rainer
understood it all, even if she didn’t say it. And his stomach clenched. Anger bubbled through his veins. Not anger at her—anger at himself. He should have read the signs. He should have stopped to think. She’d stopped him before they even got started. Yes, she had been the one to initiate things again, but he should have known from that doubt alone.
“And so, I need you to fire me.”
Rainer nodded, having expected that. “I could always give you an at-home position. You’ve been doing great work and none of it is anything—”
“I think you know why I can’t accept that.”
He did. Because if they kept this connection, the chances were they were just going to fall back to each other. Emotion and hormones would get the best of both of them and then what? Just more regrets. He nodded toward her. “I’ll draw up a termination of employment contract. I’ll be very generous to you. Plus, if you need a reference, I’ll be more than happy to provide it.”
Angelina nodded, not looking at him.
“I’ll let you pack your things, then.”
Another nod. Rainer stood and quickly walked back to the office. He went to his desk and sat behind it, as though he was working. Honestly, though, he wished he could go back. Angelina sparked something inside of him. Something he hadn’t felt for a long, long time. And he could have had a shot with her… only now, he’d blown it. She was right. Last night was wrong.
He hated that it was, but there was no changing that. She was right to leave.
His phone rang. Rainer glared at it for a moment before answering. “Hello?”
“You’ve done it!” A gleeful voice came over the line. It took a moment for him to recognize his king-campaign PR manager. “You’ve really done it! That was a masterstroke. Bringing a human to the gala? Masterful! You’ve really done it.”
“So you’ve said.” Rainer resisted the urge to roll his eyes. “And what, pray tell, have I done, exactly?”
“Won over the Elders. They were really impressed. That’s all anybody’s talking about, that you have a human girlfriend!”
In Bed with the Vampire: A Paranormal Romance (Shifter Dating Service Book 3) Page 6
