by Nina Bangs
His soft laughter fanned her skin, setting off more seismic activity down below.
“Just remember that, woman.”
“Mmm.” She slid her hands down his back and over his butt, property that she was considering laying claim to for at least a long-term lease. Lia squeezed his cheeks, feeling them flex beneath her fingers. Then again, everyone said buying was a good investment. And she’d have lots of pride of ownership if she moved in here.
While she’d been thinking about mortgage payments, he’d moved on. He licked a path over her stomach, and she clenched around the slow, hot glide of his tongue across her flesh and the cool fan of air against her damp skin.
Lia knew where he was headed and totally agreed with his travel plans, but she had a few out-of-the-way places she wanted to explore first.
She tugged at his hair to get his attention. “Hey, move over. I want to drive for a while.”
He raised one brow. “You’ll wander down every side street. I like the direct route.”
Lia glared. “Too bad. I’m taking control.”
She wrapped her arms around him, rolled him over, and climbed on top of him. Preternatural strength was amazing. She was queen of the whole freaking universe.
“Not so fast.” He was on top again.
Before she knew it, Lia was wrestling with him. But somewhere between the neck scissors and the octopus hold, playfulness gave way to heat and intensity.
He’d propped himself up against the headboard while she knelt between his legs. His hair was tousled and his skin was damp from his exertion. His eyes gleamed with laughter. Right now, he didn’t look like a guy with the soul of an ancient predator or humanity’s last chance for survival. He looked young, gorgeous, and as sexy as a man could look.
She didn’t say anything as she nudged his legs farther apart. Lia met his gaze and watched his eyes lose their laughter as they darkened with something hot and hungry. She knew her own eyes must look the same.
Dawn was near. Urgency whispered in her ear. Now, now, now. She had to cram all the touching, the tasting, the everything into such a short time.
Almost feverishly, she skimmed her fingers up the inside of his thigh, felt his muscles flex, and leaned forward to slide her tongue along the same path her fingers had taken. When she reached the top of his thigh, right where she could hear his life force pulsing just below his skin, the blood hunger struck. She resisted. And the denial of her need was a sexual thing in itself. Lia dared dance in temptation’s path as she twirled the tip of her tongue over his skin at the exact spot where his blood flowed strongest.
He smoothed his fingers over her hair with hands that shook. “If you keep that up, the dawn won’t be the only thing coming.”
She didn’t acknowledge his complaint. Instead, she ran her tongue around each of his sacs and continued up the long, hard length of his cock.
He shuddered, and the shudder became her own.
She closed her lips over the head and then swirled her tongue around and around and around. She closed her eyes to savor the tactile sensations—smooth, warm, male.
He groaned, and she deepened the sensations, taking more and more of him, and then retreating. Imitating the rhythm of sex, she felt the slide of his hard flesh in and out, in and out.
The rhythm took her, drove her. She wanted more, had to have more.
He gripped her hair and tugged her away from him. “It’s time.”
“You’ve been strangely compliant.” Her words felt thick in her throat, her twin hungers surging, her mind twisting into heated coils of need—for his body, his blood.
“Not compliant. Waiting.” He made a move to pull her under him.
“No.” She pushed him back. “This is my time, my ride.” Leaning down, she whispered in his ear. “The hunt calls, raptor. Come hunt with me.” To soften her demand, she moved so that her breasts just skimmed his chest.
He sucked in his breath even as the pleasure-pain of her sensitized nipples rocked her. Mmm, it felt so good that she did it again.
Utah’s patience came to a sudden end. With a muttered curse, he introduced her to the wild ride. Clasping her bottom in his big hands, he lifted her onto his cock.
“Wait, wait.” When he returned control to her, she lowered herself until she could just feel his cock nudging between her legs. Moisture made her slick and ready. The heavy feeling softened, opened her.
“Not waiting much longer.” He muttered his threat through clenched teeth.
She lowered herself onto him, feeling the stretching, the filling, the incredible sense of another’s body inside hers, his body inside hers.
Suddenly, her bloodlust’s howling demon grabbed her, shook her, and growled its demand. She barely held it at bay as she pressed herself down on Utah, taking more and more of him, grinding herself against him. And if she screamed at the almost unbearable friction, the sense of her muscles clenching around him, it was preferable to the alternative—burying her fangs in his throat.
But her bloodlust wasn’t the only one doing some shaking. Utah had grabbed her arms and was shouting at her.
“Look at me. Freaking look at me.” He punctuated each word by shaking her.
She was trying, damn it, she was trying. Lia forced herself to meet his gaze, to drag her senses from between her legs and her unblinking stare away from his throat. Were her eyes black? God, she hoped they weren’t red. Not that it mattered. Right now, her thoughts were jumbled, bouncing around in her head with each shake.
“I want you to feed, Lia.”
She blinked. Had she heard him invite her to drink? Was it all a figment of her fevered imaginings? She must’ve looked blank because he said it again.
“This is everything. No yesterday, no tomorrow, just now. Drink.”
“I can’t, I . . .” I might not be able to stop. I might kill you.
He ran a shaking hand over her shoulder, between her breasts and down her stomach. She sucked in a breath she no longer had. He touched her right above where they were joined, rubbing his finger back and forth across the nub that was already way too excited. She jerked and moaned low in her throat at the same time she tried to pull his hand away.
Words were flying away from her as fast as she thought of them, but she had to make him understand. “Afraid. Losing control.”
“Look. At. Me.”
She did.
His beast’s eyes stared back at her. Filled with a primitive hunger that had never known limits and a violent need to satisfy that hunger, his gaze seared her—a heated knife’s edge ready to slice away all that remained of her resistance.
Lia surrendered . . . and released her vampire. Baring her fangs, she rose off him until only his head remained inside her, and then she slammed back down, driving him deep, deep inside her.
No thoughts interrupted her drive to completion. She was working on primitive time. Rise and fall, the slide of his cock inside her ruling every sensation, dragging every gasp and wail from her.
At some point, she realized he was helping, driving up into her. She increased her speed, his penetration, until she felt the wave building and building. No, no. Too soon. Let the dawn catch her. She was going up in flames anyway.
The wave crested. The world stilled. She hung there at the top of it all, able to feel the universe in that one moment.
Then she lowered her head and drove her fangs into his throat. She drank.
She was sliding down, down the back of the wave as it rolled toward the shore, powered by spasms that killed her with each clenching. Blood, rich and sweet, filled her.
As the frenzy eased, and the spasms weakened, something else filled her. Love. Yes, she could think the word. And because she loved, she was able to push back the bloodlust and stop drinking. It was as simple as that. Who would’ve thought?
She slid her tongue across his neck, healing the wound, then just lay with her head on his chest listening to the slowing of his heartbeat. And wondered what the hell she was going to do
with her discovery.
When his whisper came, she wasn’t prepared for it.
“I love you, vampire. Make sure you understand what I’m saying. I love you, all of you, and that includes your crazy dental setup.”
She believed him. Tears slid down her cheek, because she loved him so much it hurt, and because she’d have to wait to say the word back to him. He wouldn’t appreciate her reason for withholding the word, but he hadn’t lived his life with Katherine.
Lia wrapped her arms around him and hugged. She’d never be close enough to him. “You’re more special than anyone I’ve ever known.”
“But not that special?”
His voice didn’t accuse, but she felt the sadness in it.
“Wait for me. Just a little while.”
“Why?”
She rolled off him and lay on her side facing him. “I have to work through some things first.”
“You either love or you don’t love.”
He was trying hard to sound reasonable, but she’d bet his beast was laying waste to the civilized part of him, demanding that he knock her over the head and carry her off to his cave. She almost wished he would. It would lift the decision from her slumping shoulders.
“Understand me, raptor. My mother used love to manipulate. She said she loved my father, but all she wanted was a live-in lackey. She never even tried to love me because I could never live up to her standards. The only thing she ever loved was power, with a little left over for her favorite vampires, the ones who were vicious enough to live up to her expectations.”
Utah was wise enough not to interrupt her.
“I tried so hard to make her love me. When you and I first met, I was still trying. Even in death, she didn’t lose her power over me.” She reached across to cup his face and felt his jaw clench. This was as hard for him as it was for her. “You helped me break that cycle of need. But now I have to be sure I’m giving my love for the right reason.”
He nodded. “You’re right. I’ll wait.”
And that quickly, he accepted her explanation. She hated herself for keeping the real reason from him. Soon she would face Christine. Her gut told her she wouldn’t survive the meeting. She wouldn’t chain him to a dead love as her mother had chained her. Lia just wouldn’t.
Sleep tugged at her. Dawn was here. She glanced over to make sure the drapes were tightly closed. “I know you must want to get to your room.”
“Do you want me to go?”
“No.” She was being selfish, holding him close when she had no right. But she wouldn’t lie about this.
“Then I’ll stay.”
The last thing she felt as the day sleep claimed her were his arms tightening around her.
Chapter Sixteen
The pounding on the door woke Utah. For just a moment, he wondered where the hell he was. Then he remembered. Lia. She was snuggled up against his back.
He’d gotten up during the day and then returned to her bed an hour before sunset so she wouldn’t wake alone. Okay, so he was hoping they’d have a chance to make love again. He was a self-serving bastard.
Must’ve dropped off to sleep, though, because a quick glance at the clock showed it was time for her to rise.
He cursed as he climbed from her bed. Whoever it was had lousy timing. Pulling on his jeans and shirt, he walked to the door and pulled it open.
Shen stood with his fist raised ready to start a new round of pounding. He didn’t look happy. “Good. You’re here. Fin wants all of the Eleven in the media room as soon as possible. Bring Lia with you.”
He didn’t even give Utah a chance to curse him out before striding away.
Well, crap. Utah raked his fingers through his hair as he returned to the bed. Lia was awake but still looking a little groggy.
“A meeting? What’s that about?” She sat up and stretched.
Utah followed the motion with intense interest and explosive hunger. God, she was beautiful. He was glad she didn’t feel the need to shield her breasts from his gaze.
“Don’t know. Must be important, though.” He forced himself to concentrate on the night’s business, otherwise he’d start thinking about her refusal to say she loved him.
Too late. He was already thinking about it. Hey, stupid, maybe she won’t say she loves you because she, well, doesn’t love you. You’re not the most lovable guy in the world. Accept it. Too bad he was lousy at giving up on what he wanted. But maybe he needed to start thinking in terms of what she wanted. He’d always thought he was a patient hunter, but not with Lia.
She leaned down, scooped her nightgown from the floor, and pulled it on. As she climbed out of bed, the nightgown rode up her long legs and smooth thighs. Utah swallowed hard. If he stayed in the room much longer, he was going to do something stupid like ignore Fin’s orders in favor of making love with her. But as tempting as that thought was, he knew Fin wouldn’t have called all of the Eleven together if there wasn’t an emergency.
Utah had to get out of here before temptation reeled him in. “I have something I have to do. I’ll meet you in the media room.” She looked disappointed. Good.
He stopped in his room to freshen up and change into clean clothes before going to the media room, where most of the Eleven were already lounging around on couches and chairs. Tor waved him over to a couch he shared with Lio.
Utah grinned as he joined them. “How do you get the blood out of all those expensive clothes, Lio?” He’d never seen Lio dressed in old jeans and a T-shirt. The Liopleurodon was always camera-ready. If Fin ever had to make a statement to the press on short notice, Lio would be his choice to do it. That said, Utah couldn’t fault the guy for his love of clothes, because when Lio hit the water, there wasn’t another creature on earth that could challenge him.
Lio laughed. “I don’t. I just throw them away and buy new ones. Fin has deep pockets.”
As Utah settled onto the couch, he kept his attention on the door. When Lia entered the room, he waved her over. It was a tight fit, but she was able to squeeze in next to him. Utah admitted to being a jealous jerk, because he’d made sure she was wedged between him and the end of the couch. No one else was getting a chance to touch her. And wasn’t that pathetic. He didn’t have ownership papers for her, and she wasn’t making any I’m-yours-forever noises. But pathetic or not, he was what he was. He’d keep her to himself as long as he could.
“Know what this is about, Tor?” Utah did a quick count. Everyone was here. His gaze snagged on two men who stood near the door. Kione and Jude. He wondered why Fin had asked them to be present.
“No idea.” Tor nodded at Fin, who’d just entered the room. “No one else does either.”
“I wonder why Fin didn’t just put out a mental news flash to you guys. Would’ve been a lot faster.” Lia spoke to everyone on the couch, but her gaze never left Utah.
He forced himself to concentrate on her words as opposed to everything else about her. Utah hoped he sounded cool and detached, not intense and possessive. “Mental messages take energy. If this is something big, he’ll have to conserve his power so he can keep Zero busy while we battle the big bad.”
He wanted this to be huge. Utah needed to work off his frustration by beating the hell out of something. A primitive reaction, but it worked. He glanced at Lia. She glanced away. Yeah, he needed a good fight.
Silence fell as Fin spoke. “I got word a short while ago that the mayor is about to order the evacuation of Portland.”
Talk about a bombshell. Utah took a deep steadying breath as he looked at Lia. She stared back at him from wide, shocked eyes. He guessed she was thinking the same thing he was. Seven.
After a moment of stunned silence, everyone started tossing questions at Fin. “Why? How did you find out? What do we do?”
Fin held up his hand for silence. He got it. “The how is that I know people who know people.” His smile was grim. “I’ve found humans are susceptible to offers of large sums of money. The why is because Portland’s volca
noes don’t seem to be as extinct as everyone thought they were.”
“What the hell?” Spin spoke for all of them.
Fin glanced at his watch and then clicked the TV remote. He tuned in to a local station. “The news should be breaking any minute now.”
They all watched in silence. And when the announcement came, Fin kept the TV on only long enough to verify that, yes, Portland was being evacuated. He turned it off as they were listing evacuation routes.
“We don’t need to know the evacuation routes because we’re not leaving.” He set down the remote before wandering over to the windows. “Here’s a rundown on recent events. The temperature of the ground around the cinder cones has been rising. The cones have begun to swell. Seismologists have recorded a growing number of small tremors.” Fin turned to face them. “And two hours ago steam started rising from them.” He shrugged. “All of which are impossible because the volcanoes are extinct.”
Utah spoke up. “Is this Seven’s going-away party?”
“Yes.” Fin sounded definite. “I’d say she’s doing this all on her own, though. Zero would want her to keep a lower profile.” His smile looked almost admiring. “But she’s never been about low profiles.” His smile faded. “And that will be her downfall.”
Lia nudged Utah. “The steam is probably the smoke Fin saw in his vision.”
Fin turned his attention away from the night sky. “Here’s what’s going to happen. There are several cinder cones within the city limits, but Mount Tabor is the largest. Seven would always choose the biggest. Q will fly out to make sure her people are gathering there.”
“What if someone sees me?” Q stood.
“Not likely. It’s nighttime. Besides, most people will be concentrating on getting out of town. Go.” Fin didn’t watch as Q left.
Utah’s exultation at the thought of battle turned to sudden fear. The time when Lia would have to play her part in sending Seven home had somehow seemed further in the future. Now it was in his face, and he was terrified for her. He had to find a way to protect her.
“What about Zero?” If Lia was nervous, she didn’t show it.
