by Brenda Trim
“Stop.” I put my hand up and swallow through my dry throat. “You can’t say shit like that.”
“Why?” I feel his breath against my cheek. He’s hovering an inch away from me, waiting for a signal to take the first step down the path he laid out.
I squeeze my eyes tight and ball my hands into fists. “Because we aren’t having sex again. I told you that.”
“For now,” he concedes, and the heat I feel suffocating me eases a fraction. For the first time since he arrived, I’m able to take a breath that’s not full of his intoxicating scent, then blow it out through pursed lips. I turn around and open my eyes again.
I pick up my horchata and take a sip of the cold liquid. It calms me down further, but keep my back to Corbyn while I lift the to go container of food. I take a bite before I swivel to face him again.
I barely taste the tomato and onion before I swallow, and change the subject. “You said you would help me. How exactly are you going to do that?”
“I can follow scents your human nose can’t pick up. You told me she wasn’t killed at that park. Wouldn’t you like to find the crime scene?” He watches me eat one of the carne asada tacos on my plate.
His gaze is a live thing on me while I chew every mouthful. “Do you eat at all?” I blurt. I love food, and can’t imagine not experiencing it ever again.
He leans over and closes his mouth around part of the taco in my hand. His lips stop just shy of touching my skin. “I can, but it’s not necessary. Food doesn’t nourish me like blood does. I can also drink liquids other than blood. I enjoy a good whiskey every now and then. Why? I love the taste of your… taco.” Corbyn’s voice is husky, and reaches deep inside my feminine parts.
He’s so close, I can feel his arousal poking me in the belly. The way he says taco makes me picture his tongue licking over my folds before he sucks on my clit. The little bundle of nerves throbs in response.
His nostrils flare. When his lips are on my fingers, I think I’ve pushed him to his limit, but he only closes his mouth over the rest of the taco in my hand. He makes eating sensual. The horchata is in my shaking hand, and I’m breathing so fast I’m dizzy.
Would it be so bad to give in and let him fuck me on the hood of his nice car? Yes! I shake my head and set my drink down then shove the container into his hand. I glance at my car door and consider hauling ass home. “Try the beans and rice. They’re delicious. And tell me how I can use your super sniffer in this case.”
Corbyn takes a bite as he takes a step back. My legs wobble, and my heart seems to be trying to beat the record for the Indy 500. This vampire surprises me at every turn. I expect him to take what he wants or even use his ability to manipulate me to make me give in to him, but he never does. He pushes my comfort zone.
And, I’m fighting myself with every breath I take. There are many reasons for it, and not all are noble. I have no clue about how to handle more. Previous experience tells me things will turn sour, and I’ll end up hurt. How do I put that behind me and make a different choice?
“The food here is always delicious.” Corbyn’s voice brings me out of my fog.
I lean against the driver’s door. “I can’t believe you go to a place like this. I figured you for a Fleming’s or Core kinda vampire.” I wave my cup then take a sip and savor the sweet and creamy liquid.
He waves the fork in my direction. “You have a lot of preconceived notions about me, it seems. While I prefer nice things, on the occasions I decide to eat actual food, I want authentic flavors rather than fancy surroundings.” Lifting the fork, he licks the utensil clean.
“That makes sense. I’ve gotta say I’m impressed you have standards for food, given that you steal blood from unknowing victims on a daily basis.” My tone is sharper than I intended.
Corbyn sets the food down and brushes his hands together. “I’m going to ignore that and get back to how I can help you. Your victim was most likely killed in the desert. I can help try and locate the area. And I think you should know that when we saw Malik earlier, I noticed he was wearing the same shoes as the other night when he was with your victim. I saw no dirt on them, and didn’t catch any hint of her blood on them.”
I push myself off my car and look at him sideways. This is the closest I’ve gotten to exonerating Malik. I doubt he would be able to keep all traces of the crime from his shoes and clothing. No one kills that cleanly, regardless of how hard they try.
Although, if Malik is innocent, that leaves me back at square one. My investigation is already on thin ice. That might be what sinks it entirely. I haven’t failed to close a case yet, and I don’t want to start now.
“That doesn’t mean he is innocent. He was last seen plunging massive fangs into her neck. It’s possible you can’t smell anything because he cleaned them. Get me the shoes and I’ll run a trace on them.”
Corbyn smiles and closes the lid on the food before walking over and placing the container back inside the bag. “There is a remote possibility of finding something useful. Few vampires bother cleaning shoes nightly. We expect to smell traces of blood on one another and would think nothing of it. And whoever this killer is, they have no idea they are being hunted by any of their own, so they wouldn’t bother trying. Besides, I didn’t smell bleach or any other cleanser which might have been used to eradicate any trace. You’re the one who told me there’s always evidence left behind.”
I nod my head in agreement. “You’re right. Okay, so, we need to check the desert. Question is, where do we start? There’s no shortage of areas around that fit the bill.” I glance around us as I finish the last of my drink. “If I had a suspect, I would suggest we start near their house. It would be the most logical place to start without more information.”
Corbyn glances around and shrugs. “We can try around here since we’re already in this area, but going by your logic—and assumption—that a vampire killed this woman along with the others, I think it’s more likely that we will find something in the Catalina foothills. Most of us live in that general area.”
My heart starts racing as the thrill of the chase takes over. Any time I find a significant lead, it fuels me to continue grueling investigations. “We can start at the Ventana Canyon trailhead. That’ll give us an easy starting location to track our progress. With this much area to cover, we want to make sure we approach it like a grid.”
He smiles at me and runs a finger over my cheek. “I approach everything with precision. This will be no different. Come here,” he encourages with a wave of his hand.
“I’ll drive over there,” I say. I need to keep the distance between us.
He lifts an eyebrow and considers me. “I can get us there much faster than we can drive.” He tugs me close and closes his arms around my waist. “Wrap your arms around my neck.” I follow his instructions. A shriek leaves me when we launch into the air.
“You can fly?” I shout at him. “No, I’ll drive. Please put me down.” I’m not above begging. My heart plummets, and I can’t even snarl at him when he laughs.
He tightens his hold. “We’ll be there in no time. Just close your eyes and lean on me.”
There is no way I can move a muscle. My stomach churns, and bile plays kickball in the back of my throat as the world passes below us. When my mouth starts to water, and I feel my dinner doing pushups in my esophagus, I look up at Corbyn instead. His handsome face beckons my kisses, and distracts me from my certainty I’m about to plunge to my death. I try to formulate a plan as he rushes us through the air with me in his arms.
All I can think about is the fact that he’d better not let me go. He can freakin fly! I don’t know how I’m attracted to him at all. We are so different from one another. He’s a six-hundred-something-year-old vampire and I’m human. He has powers I cannot fathom. We’re from entirely different worlds, and nothing punctuates that fact more than my currently flying in his arms above the desert. How is this my life now?
He lands and I immediately drop to my knees. My
head is swimming, and I have to spit the sour taste from my mouth. Several deep breaths later, I’m ready to find a killer. Okay, that’s pushing it. But I’m no longer in imminent danger of throwing up and passing out.
A hand on my back rubs circles. Corbyn is hovering close and trying to soothe me. “Give me a minute.” I take several more deep breaths.
My heart starts slowing and the sweat stops dripping down my back. Standing up, I brush off my pants and glare down at my heels. I treated myself to them last Christmas and love the beige pumps.
I scowl as I lift one foot. “Dammit. I can’t go traipsing around the desert. These red soles are meant for city streets and dance floors. Not this obstacle course of boulders, sagebrush and cacti.”
Corbyn laughs and caresses my cheek. His eyes turn liquid silver seconds before he lunges toward me and scoops me up. My scream dies in my mouth as I find myself once again cradled in his embrace.
“What are you doing now?” I’m ready to refuse his offer to fly me anywhere else. My stomach can’t handle it at the moment.
“I’m carrying you, so your shoes don’t get ruined. I can’t have you destroying your therapy.”
I gasp and slap at his chest. “Put me down. I have a better idea.”
He drops my legs from one arm while keeping his other around my upper back. My legs slide down the length of him. I ignore the burn in my groin and twist out of his embrace, then walk behind him. Wrapping my hands over his shoulders, I jump and wind my legs around his hips then follow with my arms around his neck. This puts my front up against his hard back. His masculine groan is accompanied by both of his hands reaching back to grab my ass.
Corbyn lets out a belly laugh. I’ve never heard him express his joy like that. I lift my body and tilt so far forward, I feel like I might fall over his shoulder just to get a glimpse of his magnificent smile. Of course, it transforms him completely. “You never cease to surprise me, little star,” he says. “You ready?”
I nod and scan the surrounding dirt, rocks and shrubs. Nothing jumps out at me as he moves gracefully over the rough terrain. Having him so close weakens my will to keep my distance from him.
Matters only get worse with every step he takes. The movement causes my feminine folds to hit his hard muscles. Each step sends pleasure shooting through me. It seems like we’ve been walking for an eternity, yet not long enough. My attention bounces from the cacti to my pleasure like a ping pong ball.
It isn’t until he stops for the third time that I realize I’ve kicked my heels into his sides and groaned each time. He simply chuckles, sniffs the air, then changes course. He’s following something I can neither see nor smell. All I can do for the moment is pray we discover something that will crack the case.
Within minutes, I’m panting and ready to explode. Clenching my thighs, I put as much space as possible between his back and my sensitive nub.
Right when I’m ready to tell him I can’t take anymore and ask him to arrange a ride back for me, he stops and puts me down. “I smell her. I’m certain the spot where she was killed is close. The scent is strong.”
I gasp and try to catch what he is sensing. I don’t get shit. The moon is nearly full, and casts light across the sand, but my eyes aren’t sharp enough. He grabs my waist and walks to the west of where we stopped. I stumble next to him for several minutes while he passes cacti and sagebrush.
Within minutes, he stops and points to a dark stain on the sand a few feet in front of us. “There,” he says.
I bend over and get a closer look. I have no doubt this is blood. Based on the splatters across the area, the attack was violent. Recalling the victim’s injuries, I know she didn’t fight back. The sick fuck did this to exert his power over her.
“Do you have any idea where we are? I need to call in a CSI unit to gather evidence tomorrow.”
“I don’t know where precisely we are, but how are you going to explain finding this site?” Corbyn approaches a nearby barrel cactus. “I think this is part of her clothing.”
“Her clothes were intact, and her arms weren’t cut up and bruised,” I tell him as I approach the spot. There is a piece of purple cotton clinging to the base of the plant. “This is from one of the other victims.” My pulse races as my chest heats and twists. This is more evidence than we gathered at all of the other crime scenes, combined. I wouldn’t have found this without Corbyn.
I want to thank him properly for his assistance.
“Then we’ve discovered the location where your victims were murdered. There are four—no, five—different scents in this area. I have no idea if I will find what you need here…” His words trail off and I look up at him.
“What is it?”
He shakes his head and runs a hand through his short hair. “There’s something familiar in the air. But I can’t identify what it is. Let me pin our location so you can find it with your team tomorrow. You’ll need to explain how you found it though.”
I tap a finger against my chin while I think through a plausible scenario. “I’ll tell them I came across the blood when we were out on a hike together.”
“Good thing your friends don’t know me. This is the last place I can think of for a romantic date. Although, it is beautiful,” he admits.
We’re in an area with several barrel cacti and sagebrush. “You should get out of the lab more. There’s a lot to explore out here.”
He lifts a foot and pulls a sticker out of the leg of his pants. “Investigating with you is unlike anything I’ve ever done.”
“I couldn’t agree more. Without the rules and expectations of my job to get in the way, it’s easier to follow the clues. And I have a feeling your senses might be better at leading us than our forensic team. Anyway, let’s get out of here. I have some calls to make.”
“Are you going to let me fly you back?”
His request jolts me but I decide to indulge him. This will be the last time I live so dangerously. Besides, I have no desire to stick around and wait for an Uber to pick me up at the trailhead. “Sure, but can I ride on your back this time? I’ve always wanted to ride a bronco in the rodeo.”
His chuckle answers me before he crouches in front of me. “You can ride me anytime you want. All you have to do is ask.” His words hold so much sensual promise, it takes my breath away. The constant arousal is becoming so familiar at this point, I don’t need to gather my wits before I’m clinging to his back like a mollusk on the side of a ship.
His scent surrounds me and goes straight to my head. Before I know it, my hands are traveling over his shoulders and chest. My fingers toy with his nipples, forcing a groan from his mouth.
A scream leaves me seconds later when we start falling to the ground. Terror consumes all but one thought in my head: perhaps I can impale myself on his erection when I land. I can’t shake off the thoughts, or banish the need burning through me like the wildfires that coursed through the Catalina foothills not that long ago.
11
Corbyn
I have been holding my desire in check by the skin of my fangs. I’ve nearly fallen on Ava like a bear on a salmon over a dozen times throughout the night. Her arousal is an intoxicating cloud around us, making it almost impossible for me to think of anything else.
Now all I can think of is that this woman is mine. And it’s about damn time I show her what that means.
When her hands run over my shirt and she pinches my nipples, I lose every remaining ounce of patience I still had. My growl echoes around us as my ability to fly vanishes. Her scream is loud in my ear and we drop several feet before I get my shit together.
Damn! This woman needs to be taught a lesson.
“Never tease a vampire mid-flight,” I warn her. “You’re at my mercy, and I’m going to show you what happens when you play with fire.”
We land in a tangle of limbs, with me taking the brunt of the fall. Thank fuck I saved her from serious injuries. She might deny she’s in the mood right now, but I have a lesson to teach
her and it won’t wait.
“Ugh,” Ava complains as she rolls off me and clutches the side of her head.
Without hesitation, I surge to my feet then grab her around the waist. Ava doesn’t have a chance to voice any objection before I have her bent over in front of me with her stretchy pants down around her thighs.
Her arousal surrounds me and drowns out the scents of the desert. I lift my hand and watch her slit quiver and drip with her need. When my palm connects with her ass and pussy, Ava jolts forward, and a ragged moan leaves her mouth.
I repeat the spank several more times, each stroke shifting slightly so I am sure to hit her clit in the process. She’s moaning, writhing and grabbing her breasts through her clothes.
I move my entire arm on the next blow, so I smack one plump ass cheek. My fangs shoot out when her heart races faster and her flesh turns pink. Unable to stop myself, I sweep her hair aside and kiss the base of her neck.
Her heat burns my flesh upon contact and makes me want everything from her. It takes every ounce of willpower I have to keep from sinking my teeth into her vein and gulping down her blood.
A shuddering breath gusts out of her. “Corbyn.”
I lick the shell of her ear and keep my body draped over hers. “What do you need, little star?”
“I need…” Her words trail away, and I don’t need to enter her mind to know what she’s thinking.
She’s projecting her inner debate loud and clear. It’s not surprising that she is still struggling with what I am. The depth to which she’s hidden her turmoil from me is shocking. I knew she had concerns, but wasn’t aware that they extended to her, as well.
As a powerful vampire, I rely on my superior senses. I question my abilities when I realize I hadn’t picked up one hint of the self-doubt taking over Ava’s mind. She’s unlike anyone else. Her brave façade in Lucius’s office flashes through my mind, reminding me that she is a master at donning a mask. And, she blames herself for losing that woman the other night.
