She raised up far enough to bring her lips to cover his. “Yes,” she murmured, her eyes half-closed and dreamy.
“I want this,” she said between the small kisses she gave him, her hand slipping down between them to make sure he knew exactly what she was talking about.
“I want you.” She smoothed her hand up and down the length of his erection. He’d been aroused before, but now she definitely had his full attention.
He caught her jaw with the tips of his fingers, angling her face to deepen their kiss. His tongue swirled in and out of the sweetness of her mouth, testing the sharpness of her fangs, imagining the feel of them against his throat, piercing his skin.
Just the thought was enough to send him to his knees. It was time to take this to his bed, right where he’d been imagining Megan. With no warning, he swept her up in his arms and carried her into his room, kicking the door closed, shutting out the rest of the world. For these precious few hours, this would be about them, two lovers with no past, no future, no regrets.
He knelt on the edge of the mattress and gently laid Megan down, right where she belonged. Her eyes were huge as she stared up at him, watching and waiting for him to make the next move. Where to start?
He needed to go slow, to savor the experience. Stretching out beside her, he propped his head up on his right hand and considered the possibilities. Finally, he laid his palm at the hem of her shirt, moving his hand upward, tugging up the soft fabric along in its wake to uncover inch after luscious inch of her skin. He paused long enough to trace the pattern of her ribs before moving on to feather his fingertips across the sensitive peaks of her breasts.
“Perfect,” he whispered as he leaned down to kiss and nibble his way around the full curves and then teasing her nipples.
Megan arched up off the bed as she tangled her fingers in his hair, pressing him closer, asking for more. He broke away long enough to help her peel the shirt off over her head. When he tossed it on the floor, she raised up and pushed him over onto his back.
“My turn.”
She straddled his hips, settling the full weight of her body against his erection. He was pretty sure his brain was going to explode from the incredible sensation. He loved having her pretty breasts right there for him to knead and kiss as she rocked back and forth, the friction setting them both aflame. He couldn’t remember a more perfect moment in all his life, and it was only going to get better when they finally shed the last layers of clothing between them.
Megan then moved farther down his legs and leaned over to kiss his cock, the warmth of her breath feeling incredible as she nuzzled him from top to bottom. He groaned when she reached through the fly to stroke him. Megan definitely had a talent for doing exactly what would drive him crazy.
“Keep that up and this party will be over way too soon.”
Grasping her wrist, he pulled her hand up his mouth to place a warm, wet kiss on her palm. At the same time, he slid his other hand inside the waistband of her shorts to tangle in her damp curls. He kissed her throat, loving the syncopated beat of her pulse just below her skin.
“Oh, yes,” she moaned as he eased one, then two fingers deep inside her slick heat. “Seamus, please!”
It was too soon in their relationship for him to feed from her vein unless she offered, but he could taste her in other ways. He withdrew his hand and journeyed down the length of her body to remove first her shorts and then his own flannels. Her eyes widened with appreciation as she reached out to cup him with one hand and explore his length with the other.
The woman definitely knew what she liked and what she wanted. But he was running too close to the edge to take her yet, not if he wanted to please his lady as much as himself.
He moved back out of the reach of her busy hands. “Open up for me, Megan.”
She froze, unsure what he meant. To show her, he wrapped his hand around her ankle and tugged it toward him. “I need you to make room for me.”
Cautiously, she slowly spread her legs apart, watching him as if she would bolt if he moved wrong or too fast. He knelt between her feet and then stretched out, as she watched his slow approach with her eyes wide and her breath coming in shallow pants as she waited in anticipation.
He drew in her scent, making it part of him, knowing he’d never walk away from this encounter unchanged. Then he kissed her, tasting the sweet flavor that was hers alone. Her head kicked back on the pillow as her legs opened wider in surrender. He lifted her knees up onto his shoulders, feasting deeply and long until she keened out her release. He gave her but a short reprieve before relentlessly driving her up and over the edge again and again.
“Seamus! Enough, take me now!”
She’d never had such an unselfish lover, one so determined to pleasure her before seeking his own release. Now, as good as it was, she wanted more. She wanted to bear his weight, to feel the solid strength of him deep in the very heart of her, to know the power of his body.
This time he heeded her demand and rose up to settle the tip of his cock against her, and then with one powerful thrust, buried himself fully inside her. He paused, holding himself still with obvious effort, to give her body time to accept him. His consideration for her was stunning in its generosity. She scraped her nails gently across his shoulders and then down his arms.
“Seamus, I’m so ready for this.” She lifted her hips up to meet his. Then she arched her head up and to the side, “And this.”
Her twin offers snapped his control. He began thrusting, his hips working hard to seat himself deeply within her with each stroke. The tension built with each pounding beat, spiraling tighter and tighter until it shattered. As spasms of brilliant-colored pleasure ripped through her, the pulse of Seamus’s own release shuddered deep inside her.
Then in a lightning-fast move, his fangs pierced the side of her throat, and a second wave of ecstasy flooded through them both in a warm gush of blood.
Chapter 9
Banan walked into his room and fought against the urge to slam the door. He’d already drawn Joss’s unwanted attention when he’d stormed into the house and stalked right by her without saying a word. She’d had a lot to say, though, ending with ordering him to remain in his room. He was so damned enraged right now, he couldn’t be sure that he wouldn’t attack her.
Worse yet, he wasn’t sure he’d actually win against the chancellor. She’d enjoyed a fearsome reputation in her work as an arbiter. More than one vampire had learned the hard way not to cross her.
Safe in his room, he stopped in front of the mirror and forced his image to appear. Still badly rattled, it took him several attempts to bring it into clear focus. Leaning in for a closer look, he stared at the purplish bruise spreading out across his lower jaw and up toward his eye. His hand gingerly pressed against his stomach, testing the extent of the bruising there, as well.
He knew one thing for sure: Seamus Fitzhugh needed to die—painfully and begging for mercy.
How dare that clanless low-life vampire lay a hand, much less a fist, on a Delaney? Anywhere else but here on this backwater estate, Banan would’ve summoned the chancellors to drag the medic away in chains. Even that wouldn’t be enough to assuage Banan’s wounded pride.
No, he wanted Seamus staked out where the morning sun would find him. He played the scene out in his head, savoring the imagined screams and the scent of smoke as the scum slowly caught fire, smoldering at first and then burning brightly until his lungs exploded and the dying vampire could scream no more.
Oh, yeah, that would be so sweet, however unlikely. Gone were the days when the vampires could execute their enemies without due process. He doubted the North American Coalition would think that a few well-placed punches would warrant a death penalty. However, money in the right hands could still purchase justice. He added that to the list of things he needed to take care of once he got back to civilization.
To that end, he pulled out his duffel and began packing so that he could start for the gate as soon as the s
un set. Once that was done, he popped open a few more bags of Rafferty’s blood supply, concentrating on using up the rarer, and therefore more expensive, vintages. The extra pack or two would go a long way to healing his injuries while he slept.
As he turned out the lights and stretched out between the cool sheets, he thought back through the day’s events. He was almost certain he’d heard a baby cry at the infirmary. Better yet, the noise had come from the direction of the medic’s private quarters, not from one of the examination rooms.
It also occurred to him that Seamus’s attack had been over-the-top savage if all Banan had done was startle him. Normally, a vampire didn’t succumb to such blind rage unless he was defending something that really mattered to him. As a recent addition to the estate, it didn’t make sense that the vampire would be so territorial about that hideous clinic.
Which meant what?
The answer was obvious. If Seamus wasn’t defending something, he was defending someone. It wasn’t too much of a leap to guess that that someone had to be Megan and the baby. Why else would Seamus not mention he had a mate and a child? That wasn’t exactly something he could have kept secret from Rafferty and Joss, either, so they were in on it. The obnoxious security officer had to be, too, so add him to his enemy list.
It infuriated him to know Megan had gone straight from his bed to that of a no-name lowlife like that medic. Not that he had any interest in bedding the bitch again. Had the two crossed paths before they’d come to Rafferty’s estate? Maybe Seamus was the one who’d helped her escape. He’d known all along she wasn’t smart enough to elude his efforts to find her this long all on her own.
Interesting, though, that Seamus was the only one who’d dared to openly attack him. Why? Joss was Megan’s cousin and a warrior in her own right, not to mention Rafferty being one of the most powerful vampires around. They must suspect that he was hunting for his daughter, but not that he’d actually tried to kill Megan to simplify his life.
Seamus, on the other hand, had somehow figured it out, making him the only immediate danger to Banan’s plans. The only question was what to do about him. The ache in Banan’s jaw made it difficult to concentrate, especially with the sun rising in the east and with it the pressing need to sleep.
He’d leave as ordered, but he’d be back. And then there would be hell to pay.
She was cold. Why? Where had all the warmth gone? Megan rooted across the bed, unconsciously looking for that living wall of heat, which had sheltered her so sweetly as she slept. Slowly, she awoke feeling confused and alone.
Where was she? And Phoebe! Bolting upright, the sheets pooled around her waist, making her aware that she was naked. She never slept in the nude. Fear and confusion washed through her mind until she heard the muffled murmur of a familiar voice coming through the door.
Seamus Fitzhugh. Her hand immediately went to her throat, testing for soreness there and finding it. The memories of the time the two of them had spent in this bed, starting in the middle of the night and at least twice more after that. A tentative touch, a gentle kiss and then the passion would ignite again.
What had she been thinking? Her conscience forced her to give the honest answer to that question: she’d been thinking how right it had felt to welcome Seamus into her arms and into her body. Making love with him had been…perfect.
And what a terrifying thought that was! Before she could decide how to react, the bedroom door quietly swung open revealing her lover with her daughter cuddled in his arms.
“I was just going to wake you. Phoebe’s finally decided I’m not the one she needs right now.”
As he approached the bed, Megan tugged the sheet back up to cover herself, although it was a bit late for that, especially considering Seamus’s excellent night vision. She gave up and held out her arms for Phoebe. The sweet baby smell immediately soothed her.
“I’ll scrounge us some breakfast. Take your time, though.”
He started to lean toward her, but then backed away when she flinched. Guilt washed over her. He’d been nothing but considerate, and here she was treating him so badly. Although he was already on the wrong side of the door, she knew he could hear her, anyway.
“Seamus, I’m sorry. I’m not used to…well, any of this. I’ve never slept through the day with anyone, not even Banan. I’m not sure how to act.”
His voice was muffled by the door, but she suspected he was smiling. “Me, either, if that’s any comfort.”
Amazingly, it was. For the moment, she concentrated on nursing her daughter, losing herself in the familiar routine. She whispered to Phoebe, telling her the sorts of things that mothers had been saying to their younglings forever. That Phoebe was pretty, that she was loved, that everything was going to be all right.
She could only hope that last part was true.
Seamus listened to Megan talking to Phoebe. He didn’t mean to eavesdrop, but vampire hearing made that difficult. He loved the sweet tone in her voice and knew firsthand how it felt to be held close and warm in Megan’s arms. He’d hated leaving his bed when Phoebe woke up and demanded attention. However, because of him, Megan hadn’t gotten much rest during the day and he figured she deserved to sleep as long as possible.
He grinned as he set the table. Megan wasn’t the only Perez female who was a heartbreaker. Little Phoebe definitely had her mother’s expressive eyes and pretty smile. And both females brought out every protective instinct he had. Sure, he’d promised her that she could go back to her cottage as soon as Conlan escorted Banan Delaney to the turbo. That didn’t mean he wanted her to go.
He began cracking eggs into a bowl as he pondered what he should do about that idea. The obvious answer was nothing. One vampire had already betrayed her trust and come close to killing her. There was little doubt that Banan was still out there, still trying to find her in order to take Phoebe away.
Seamus would do anything he could to prevent that from happening, but his own motives for being on the estate wouldn’t stand up to close scrutiny. He was living a lie, one that was a direct threat to Megan’s cousin and her husband. Granted they were the true villains, their actions directly responsible for the disaster that loomed over their heads. That they also stood the best chance of keeping Megan and Phoebe safe here on their estate was beside the point.
Right? His sister’s image popped into his head. Petra had been much older, but she’d been good to him in her own way. She’d been so beautiful; everyone said so. And now, now she was dead and buried, leaving him alone, broke and clanless. It went against his nature to lie to anyone, especially someone he cared about. After all, Rafferty’s lies to Petra had resulted in her death.
Unless he wanted to be guilty of the same crimes as both Rafferty and Banan, he had to reestablish emotional distance between himself and Megan. One night of passion had only whetted his appetite for more of the same, but his hypocrisy had limits.
The bedroom door creaked slightly, warning him that he was no longer alone. He whipped the eggs and poured them into the skillet.
“Can I help?”
“You can pour the coffee.”
Between the two of them, breakfast was served up and ready in a matter minutes, another reminder of how well they worked together. He so didn’t need that right now.
“Think I’ll be able to go back to my cottage long enough to change clothes and pick up a few things for Phoebe before time to start work?”
He mulled over that idea. “Let me give Conlan a call first and see when he plans on shoving Banan out the gate. Once we’re sure he’s gone, it should be fine.”
“Good. We’ve imposed on your hospitality long enough.” She carried her dishes over to the sink.
Last night had been anything but an imposition. It had been incredible.
While Megan washed the dishes, he dialed Conlan’s number. He smiled at the gruff response from the other end of the line.
“Conlan, it’s Seamus. I was wondering where you are.”
“Glad y
ou called, Rafferty. I’m already back at my place, but I’ll be out of touch for a while. Delaney here needs a ride out to catch the turbo. I figured you’d like me to play nice and give him a lift.”
So Conlan didn’t want his guest to know who was calling. “I don’t suppose you could put him under the turbo rather than on it.”
A bark of laughter carried back across the line. “Good one, boss. Remind me never to get on your bad side. Gotta go now or we’ll be late.”
“Thanks, Conlan. I owe you.”
“Don’t worry about it. I’ll be sure and collect next time I’m there.”
The phone went dead. Seamus hung up. No more excuses for keeping Megan sequestered in his apartment or sharing his bed. He wished he could be happier about that.
“Is he gone?”
He schooled his features to hide his disappointment. “Yeah, Conlan pretended he was talking to Rafferty in case Banan was close enough to hear his end of the conversation. They’re on the way to the turbo station. Conlan will make sure Banan really does leave.”
“Good. I’ll go change back into my own clothes, and then Phoebe and I will get out of your way.”
He caught her arm. “You’re not in my way, Megan.”
Damn, he was going to kiss her again. So much for reestablishing any distance between them. She met him halfway, her lips parting in invitation. His tongue savored the velvet texture of hers. She tasted like dark roast coffee and sexy female, a combination that rivaled the richest vintage of wine. He pressed closer, letting her know without words the powerful effect she had on him.
When they came up for air, he rested his forehead against hers. He wished he had the right words to describe how she made him feel, even if these were the last moments he dare share with her like this. When they wouldn’t come, he kissed her again, starting with a series of quick licks at the pulse point on her neck where she’d let him feed.
Oh, God, if he kept that up, she was going to come right there. She arched her head to the side, offering him free rein. He worked his way up the curve of her neck to her ear. That talented tongue of his traced the shell of her ear, the sound of his ragged breathing making her ache for far more than they could share standing in his living room fully dressed.
Vampire Vendetta Page 12
