Carl (Guardians In Love Book 4)

by Brianna West

  Not that being attracted to them was important, but it certainly played a role in my decision on whether or not to keep company with them. I didn’t have time to focus on our missions when I had to resist the urge to lust after some guy I’d only just met.

  “Carl?” Conall called after me, tearing me from my internal deduction. “I have a few things I’d like to speak with you about, so how about you join me on this mission first, and then you can decide afterwards who to pair up with next time.”

  “But—” Aidan started to argue, but Laura took him by the arm and smiled up the length of him.

  “Oh, let him. Carl seems perfectly capable of handling the old man, and this would give him time to see why, even if he’s a total cock-up most of the time, Conall’s an incredible team leader.”

  Conall looked genuinely flattered. “I knew you loved me, my little darling.”

  “Shut it, Old Man. Don’t think I’ve forgotten you stole my special stash of premium liquor from the pantry last week,” Laura hissed, her eyes igniting with a wrath that practically reverberated from her tiny, fashionably dressed body.

  Conall’s smile faltered. “Yes, ma’am.”

  “Come now, Aidan. Let the old man have his go at him.”

  I almost felt like the new toy being fought over. Which was probably not very far from the truth. Still, I kept to myself and waited to hear how the conversation played out before I intervened with any opinions.

  Aidan sighed as Laura held onto his arm before he finally relented with a nod. “But if he drives him off, I’m going to be bloody pissed.”

  Conall seemed pleased with himself as he eased in next to me, slipping on the leather jacket he wore the first day I’d met him. “Right then, we’ll just be off. Carl and I have a lot of bonding to do, and I don’t want to waste it with you two eejits chiming in with your little quips and slights every chance you get.”

  Laura’s knowing smile appeared just before Conall managed to drag me out the door. I didn’t have enough time to bark at the man-handling because, with a strength I hadn’t expected, the Irishman managed to get me into the small car he drove us here with. His speed was easily on par with Lucas’, who was also part vampire. Though, that was to be expected.

  Breathing out a short breath, Conall perked up and started down the long drive. “That was close. Who would’ve thought Aidan would take such a liking to you! I’m a little worried about the competition.”

  “What competition? If the mission is a success, why would it matter who I partner with to do it? What’s there to fight over?”

  Conall hummed, clicking on the radio and dancing to the beat. “For your affections, of course. It’s been a while since Aidan has come out so strong from the start.”

  I had no idea what he meant, and with my focus dwindling due to the close proximity, I didn’t have it in me to pursue the conversation further. Instead, I settled into my seat and desperately tried to ignore the gradual race in my pulse as Conall’s unique scent filled the small cabin of the car. It was so heavy that I was forced to roll down the window just to dilute it.

  Another person’s smell hadn’t hit me this hard in decades, and I was having trouble concentrating with it surrounding me. Unfortunately, I realized belatedly that it would’ve been better to take Aidan up on his offer. But there was no use worrying over it now. I decided that I’d review for our mission and took out the tablet from the bag Conall had brought. I feigned ignorance when Conall stared my direction, his intention to converse clear in the movement, but I needed to find focus.

  This would be a long couple of days.

  Chapter Four

  “Oh, this one looks promising,” Conall chimed happily, attempting to wander inside the fifth bar we’d come across.

  Irritation had sunk in after the first, so I was too far gone to be professional at this point as I took the wayward Irishman by the collar and yanked him the other direction.

  “I have a feeling that you and my brother would get along famously.”

  Bernie and Conall were the same kind of beast, wandering where their interest took them, and without the least bit of sense or consideration to the other person they came with. I’d turned babysitter too many times to count with Bernie, and now I’d been forced to do the same with a man that was supposed to be my superior.

  Conall laughed happily as I dragged him down the street, the Irishman greeting a few of the women we passed with an exuberance that would rival Bernie’s. In the hour since we’d arrived, I’d intervened on two fights that nearly broke out with his inappropriate attention to the women around us. Two of their boyfriends didn’t take too kindly to his pursuit. As they shouldn’t. It was my every day battle with my brother, and I nearly referred to Conall on several instances by Bernie’s name.

  “In what way did you intend to convince me by nearly getting us into two brawls and desperately searching out every damn bar in town? I’m regretting not chomping at the bit to take Aidan’s offer,” I growled, frustration bringing out my southern twang.

  Conall’s laughter only infuriated me more as he threw an arm around my shoulders and pulled me hard into his side. “I promise to be on my best behavior, mum. One little drink, yeah? Let’s go in here. Look how lively it is!”

  Against my will, Conall finally managed to drag me into a bar. His strength was even too much for me to contend with, and when he put effort into it, there was nothing I could do that wasn’t outright murder to get out of his clutches.

  Jubilant music and voices mingled and mixed as Conall pushed me inside the bar and right into the crowd. The heavy smell of arousal and potent liquor filled my nose, and I slowed my steps a bit to tame my senses. Conall’s expression danced with delight as he continued to hold me into his side, leading us further into the overpopulated room. He greeted a few as he went, the merriment in his actions dousing my rage. I didn’t have any fight left in me, especially in a room that smelt of everything lust and play. Instead, I’d do my best to sift through the smells and voices, using what I could to aid in our mission.

  Conall’s hold tightened, forcing me to look over. His face was so close that my immediate reaction was to quickly recoil as our lips nearly met. Grinning, Conall took hold of my chin and brought my ear to his lips, the scruff of his beard tormenting the flesh of my clean-shaven jaw.

  “I have a little favor to ask.” The husk of his voice knotted my stomach as I fought the urge to shudder. Forcing myself to focus, I nodded my head once. “Give me a little of your blood. I need a tiny boost to use my ability.”

  My spine straightened absently as his request finally sunk in. “What, why? Here?!” I couldn’t help the panic in my voice as he edged closer, the sight of us probably the reason for the women shrieking havoc nearby.

  Conall’s lips teased over the shell of my ear, eliciting a sweet sensation to pool into my hips. Oh Lord, have mercy. I could not get hard right now. Taking hold of my lower lip, I nibbled anxiously as Conall continued to paint his body into mine.

  “There’s a room in the back. I’ve got mates here. It’ll be grand if we just pop in for a minute.” Conall finally pulled away, his green eyes bright with mischief. “Just a taste. Not the full course. Help a mate out?”

  My body had already responded treacherously to his request, but that would be nothing if he were to actually drink from me.

  A vampire’s bite was one of the most pleasurably intoxicating things in the natural world. Additionally, it gave the vampire an ability to track those they’d taken blood from, for a time. And also, dependent on the strength of the connection made, they’d feel a degree of their donor’s emotions. Worst of it was the withdrawal and desire to be bitten again that a donor would face, especially if they were to retain close proximity with the vampire. It would have a drug-like effect, causing the person and vampire to seek each other out when the need for blood resurfaced.

  But to put my own selfish desire not to deal with the imminent arousal and aftereffects of being bitten
over the good of a mission was something I couldn’t willingly do. So, with great regret, I nodded and let Conall lead me to the room he spoke of. I’d fallen into his trap and there wouldn’t be any getting out of it, so I could only resign myself to the consequences of partnering with the clever team leader.

  Dammit.

  Signaling to the bartender, Conall took a hallway at the back and opened the farthest door in the corridor. My heart had already lost its rhythm, and there was no hope for my nerves. I was a complete wreak by the time Conall escorted me inside the narrow stock closet.

  The two of us barely fit inside of it, our combined size making it comically close quarters. My body was pressed tightly into a corner, while Conall’s front molded into mine with his back to the door. To my continued distress, I couldn’t control the intense quaking in my body as Conall propped himself on the wall and hovered over me.

  “Just a little,” I stated firmly but quietly. “And this will be the only time, am I understood?”

  Conall’s green eyes were already illuminated as he peered down at me. “Does my drinking from you make you nervous?”

  I sensed the taunting in his voice, but I couldn’t help being baited by it. “No, it doesn’t.”

  “Then why would you make this our first and last time? Have you ever been bitten by a vampire?”

  His question stabbed at a wound I’d only just forgotten in response to playing babysitter to my superior and attempting to collect information in an effort to ensure our mission’s success.

  Lucas was part vampire and, in my fantasies, I’d imagined he might drink from me one day. But it had never come to pass. Lucas strictly drank from blood bags before he met Izzy. Although, it was a relief to know I wouldn’t form superficial bonds with someone I was in love with.

  It wasn’t uncommon for a blood-drinker to seek a donor, but not often did the Guardians who required blood ask it of their companions. Because of the side effects, it wasn’t a good idea to form those sorts of relationships with one’s companions.

  But this was for the sake of our mission. If his abilities were assisted by the power he gained with blood, then it was my duty to do what I could to help. Even if it was rude to ask it of me.

  Steeling myself, I raised my eyes to his and put all of my practiced calm into the stare. “No. I don’t make a habit of being someone else’s meal.”

  Conall laughed quietly, leaning in and pressing his nose to where my pulse throbbed. “No, I guess you’re not really the type to let someone overpower you. But then again, maybe you’ve never had anyone do it right.”

  I wasn’t offered the chance to respond as his tongue bathed the place where my pulse thrummed before the skin was pierced through by his fangs. The sensation of it instantly flooded me. I hadn’t been prepared for the intensity of pleasure I’d feel, and my knees buckled beneath me without any of my usual strength to stop it.

  Conall’s arm wrapped around my lower back and saved me from my impending collapse, but my body was already responding so strongly that I didn’t care that I was being forced to rely solely on his strength to keep me upright. Heat swelled in my belly, the familiar sensation hardening my lower half almost instantaneously.

  Conall’s low groan echoed in my ears as he pressed me harder into the wall and drank greedily from me. Heavy panting resounded loudly within the room, making me realize belatedly that the one who was panting was me and not him. I’d taken hold of his arms, trying to find some sort of anchor to keep a steady hold on reality. But with each passing second, my thoughts were scattering and my resolve crumbling.

  “Oh Lord,” I breathed as another powerful wave of pleasure took the last of my strength and made my hips buck, seeking relief from the aching pressure.

  Conall’s chest heaved roughly as he drew away, but his hips remained firmly pressed into mine. An equally hard mass was pressed against my own, and it was enough to make my vision sway. Shuddering, I desperately fought down the urge to seek friction to lessen my discomfort. Green eyes that bled into red met mine as I battled the sensations currently hindering my ability to quickly escape the dangerous situation I now found myself in.

  “I knew it,” Conall said, breathlessly laughing. “You taste amazing. Just as good as you smell. I haven’t fought this hard to stop in a very long time.”

  His words barely registered as the subtle waves of pleasure rippled through my body. I knocked my head back into the wall, chasing my fading sanity with every deep inhale. Fingers dug into my sides as Conall rested his forehead against my shoulder and breathed me in deeply. The prickle of his beard tickled along my neck as his nose trailed over my pulsating jugular.

  “Carl,” he whispered hotly, “If I were to drink again, promise not to shoot me.”

  My vision tunneled as I swallowed around the temptation to agree to whatever he asked of me. “Not a chance. You’ve had your taste, now get off.” I pushed against his chest and continued to heave deep, uncomfortable breaths.

  Conall stared at me, his lips reddened by my blood. “Well, what are we supposed to do about these?” His eyes comically fell to where he and I were uncomfortably tight in our pants, making embarrassment flood into my cheeks for the first time. “Can’t really walk around at full-mast.”

  Conall’s shirt had come undone around his neck, exposing a good portion of his chest. The heaving pectorals were practically glowing in the dark, and I had a sudden, uncontrollable urge to run my tongue over his chest and see if he tasted as good as he smelled. I couldn’t help the captivated stare I paid him before turning my eyes to the ceiling and shaking my head. Tightly fisting my hands, I breathed through the desperation to touch and be touched.

  “Go deal with it yourself,” I commanded hoarsely.

  Conall clicked his tongue distastefully, the sound very unlike the man I’d come to know. I dropped my eyes back down to him once more, surprised by the distorted expression on his face as he fingered angrily through his ginger hair. The red hadn’t faded from his eyes as he stared at me. And then suddenly he was closer, his arm encircling my waist and bringing our hips together.

  “Then hit me. Beat the shite out of me. Because I won’t stop. I can’t. I want you too much,” the Irishman begged huskily before pressing his mouth into mine and bucking his hips roughly.

  My voice escaped in a surprised gasp before our tongues collided and intertwined. I didn’t have time to comprehend how it all happened before Conall’s hand had already undone the button of my pants and taken hold of me. My head fell back with a deep groan, feeling the sensation of another person’s touch for the first time in my life.

  My dreams had never done it justice.

  Conall’s rough palm stroked both of our hard, straining lengths together as his mouth chased mine, kissing me hotly before he sunk his fangs into my neck once more. With the pairing of bite and hand, there wasn’t anything I could do to stop it. I came just a few seconds later, my entire body quaking violently with the sudden climax and coating his hand. Conall’s low growl rumbled through his chest before he sped up his movement and tensed against me. Our shallow, stilted breaths echoed loudly inside the quiet space before I fisted my hand and landed it with a hard crack on Conall’s cheek.

  His head connected with the wall, the sound shattering the quiet space with its loud reverberation. Conall’s bloody lip healed almost instantly as he looked to where I stood, fury coursing through my body like hot liquid lava. I was ready to explode. But instead, I fixed my pants, using magic to clean the evidence of what had occurred between us, and nearly took the door off its hinges in my haste to escape him. I strode angrily down the corridor with my body treacherously humming post-climax; an unfortunate reminder of what I’d just done.

  “Fucking bastard,” I cursed loudly as I entered the crowded bar. But before I could find the exit, my phone vibrated in my back pocket.

  I put it to my ear. “This is Carl.”

  ‘Hey, we’ve found something. Get the old man and come here, quick.’ Aid
an sounded tense, so my anger dissipated almost immediately with alarm.

  I looked over my shoulder, finding that Conall had already come looking for me. “We need to go.”

  Conall’s eyes narrowed and his lips thinned. “Right.”

  *

  We arrived at the place where Aidan instructed we go, finding that he and Laura were already waiting nearby. The two stood with their eyes to the building, hushed conversation between them. Coming over to us, Laura fixed her hair and tilted her head the building’s direction.

  “They’ve just brought in thirty or so humans. We haven’t got time. They’ll be starting the feeding soon.” Her blue eyes were narrowed with concern, and I could already see that what we were dealing with meant I’d have to discard my previous upset.

  “How many?” Conall asked, his body vibrantly aglow with the power my blood had given him.

  Laura stared at him, eyes wandering from Conall and then over to me. “Oh, for fuck’s sake, you didn’t!” She smacked her forehead, glaring at Conall before shaking her head. “I can’t believe you. You’d better hope he stays after this.”

  Aidan’s expression was also distorted with anger. “Do you see why I didn’t want him to be his partner? He’s already put his bloody hands on him. He couldn’t help himself.”

  I’d never felt so humiliated in all my life when the other two immediately deduced what had occurred between Conall and I. Shame crept into my throat as I fought to maintain my outward calm.

  Conall suddenly cut through. “Enough. How many?” His voice was as sharp as a knife, immediately silencing the two.

  “Ten. Maybe fifteen. They’re guarding each door.”

  Conall hummed thoughtfully, teasing the hair on his chin with absent fingers before nodding. “We haven’t got a choice. We’ll have to use brute force. There’s no time for infiltration.”