by Cali Mann
Leaning over me, he replaced his fingers with his lips and he sucked on my clit. I bucked, the intensity of the sensation shocking my system. My hands reached for him, grasping his hair and gripping it. “Fuck!”
I could feel his smile as his teeth grazed me. My heart stopped. He wouldn’t bite me there, would he? Did I want him to?
Sliding his fingers inside me, he sucked again and I moaned. He seemed to know just what to do to bring me pleasure. Each stroke of his fingers hit the perfect spot and he used his mouth to stimulate my sensitive nub. In seconds, I’d forgotten why I should be worried. In minutes, I forgot my own name. There was only his lips and his hands and the dance of sensation that whirled faster and faster until I exploded, my whole body shaking and my voice screaming out over and over again.
I’d barely caught my breath when he stripped me and himself and slid between my still trembling legs to push against my entrance.
“Bash,” I said, my voice hoarse and rough.
“Yes, Greer?” he asked, stilling.
I looked up at his face, which looked oddly uncertain. I blinked. Was he expecting rejection? After giving me the best orgasm of my life? No man who’d done that should ever feel like that. It was so wrong. I took a shaky breath and said, “Fuck me now.”
“My pleasure,” he said, a grin crossing his face.
In one long stroke, he was inside me, filling me.
Though I hadn’t heard the crinkle of the wrapper, I felt the condom wrapped around his cock. I honestly hadn’t thought. I guess I’d assumed vampires were sterile. But I said, “I could have magicked.”
“Shush,” he whispered, sliding in and out of me.
I didn’t know why he didn’t want any magic, but if it was that important to him. It didn’t matter. I reached out for him, curling my fingers around his upper arms.
When he pulled out and thrust inside again, I gasped, digging my nails into his skin.
“I’m sorry—”
“No apologies,” he whispered. “I like you wild.” Then he kissed me, diving deep and melding our bodies together.
He nicked my lip and my breath caught. His tongue darted over the blood and he groaned, hardening even more inside me.
Before I could stop the words, I asked, “Do you want to bite me?”
He stilled again. Which I was starting to realize was Bash’s form of disbelief.
“I don’t mi—”
Bash shook his head. “No, it’s not something you don’t mind. You have to want it.”
“Oh,” I said, a shiver of disappointment running through me. That wasn’t right. I shouldn’t want a vampire to bite me. But I did.
“Too much talking,” Bash said, trailing his teeth across my chest. He nipped at my breasts but he didn’t break the skin.
I arched, wanting more.
He sucked in my nipples as he had my clit, and I trembled, my eyes locked on his. His hand slid between our bodies and stroked my sex as if I’d forgotten what he’d done there. Pleasure radiated from so many parts of me that I couldn’t decide what I wanted him to do next. My breath caught in my throat and I felt as if I were lifting off the bed. My eyes rolled back in my head as a second orgasm hit me.
Bash pulled out, flipping me over on my belly and lifting my hips. Before I could do more than gasp, he slammed inside me. His hand grasped my hips, holding them steady while he pummeled me, driving me to even greater heights. I tried to move with him, but he slapped my thigh, and I stopped. His house, his rules, echoed in my mind and I gave myself up to it. Pressure built inside me, greater and greater, until it exploded, shuddering through my body. We came together, like fireworks bursting.
Bash
I’d slept with a lot of women, to be honest, but there was something special about Greer. She made me laugh in a way that I hadn’t in years. Hell, she even made Seb laugh. I climbed out of bed and looked over at her sleeping form.
I hadn’t been sure she’d come home with me last night, but she had. We’d had an amazing time. She was so sensitive, so responsive. I almost hadn’t missed the biting.
That was only one of the lies I told myself as I headed to the bathroom. Even though these back rooms of the apartment were dark, I knew it was daytime outside. I could feel the tug on my consciousness that meant Seb wanted to wake up. I ignored it. I needed more time.
I met my dark eyes in the bathroom mirror. I hadn’t wanted to lie to Greer either, but I didn’t think she would understand. Seb and I weren’t brothers. We were the same person.
Our mother was a human and our father a vampire, which made us a dhampir. A relatively rare species, to be sure. And Mom had been so pissed when Dad abandoned her that she’d turned that anger into hate for all vampire kind. She believed vampires were evil through and through. So, she’d called on a witch friend to curse the darkness out of her son. Only it hadn’t entirely worked.
Running a hand through my dark hair, I stared at my reflection. Case in point—me.
Knowing Mom hated me and Seb didn’t believe I existed, I’d done the only thing I could: I hid. It hadn’t been too hard. I got our body at night. Seb drove it during the day. I just needed to keep him from finding out about any nightly activities. It’d gotten easier since we’d come to college. Mom wasn’t around to notice when something was out of place. Seb was more tired than usual because of my nightly activity, so he was less observant.
Now I needed to hold on this morning. If Seb arrived before Greer left, he’d freak out. But I liked her. I didn’t want to rush her out and spoil this thing we’d started.
Greer wrapped her arms around me from behind. “How are you?” she asked sleepily. Her green hair was mussed and sleep still curled in the edges of her eyes. She wore a button-down shirt she must have taken from the closet. I wondered if she’d notice how similar the clothes were to Seb’s or just assume all guys dressed alike.
I smiled, turning and pulling her into my arms. “Good. Want some coffee?”
She nodded.
After kissing her forehead, I said, “Take a shower and get dressed. I’ll fix something up for you.”
“Okay,” she said.
Following her back into the bedroom, I picked up her clothes and stacked them for her on the counter, then I made the bed so Seb wouldn’t be too confused when he saw it. Luckily I got the super-senses part of the deal so he wouldn’t smell the sex. I heard the shower turn on so I headed to the kitchen to make coffee and to search the cabinets for some kind of breakfast for Greer.
A cell phone buzzed and I glared at it on the edge of the counter. I grimaced. I didn’t need spidey senses to know who it would be. I needed to tell Fiona to get lost. Seb never would. He’d just keep avoiding it. I picked it up, staring at the screen. It was her alright. I clicked the button.
“Go away.”
She laughed, high and tinkling. I used to find that attractive. “How did I get so lucky as to get Bash so late in the morning?”
I grunted. Not telling her about the delicious Greer in my shower. “Fiona,” I muttered. “What do you want?”
“Well,” she said, drawing out her words as if she knew I didn’t want to talk to her. “Did you get my present?”
“The rat was you?” I asked, my eyes darting to the doorway. The shower had turned off.
“Oh, you can see when Seb’s in charge?” Fiona asked, her voice sly. “I never suspected.”
“I don’t want your presents,” I said.
“Aaron is very interested in you,” she said.
That was the other thing that Seb didn’t know. His ex-girlfriend had gone and gotten herself turned by the local vampire leader. I’d been doing everything I could since I’d arrived to stay out of his sight, and Fiona had to go and tell him about me. I sighed. “I’m not interested in him or you.”
“We’ll just have to seduce you with better presents,” she said.
“No more gifts,” I growled. It wasn’t like I didn’t know what Fiona was doing. She was trying to pull
us to the dark side, but I wouldn’t let her.
Mother had told us: full vampires were evil, violent, and angry. They drained and killed humans for sport. Seb and I didn’t need to go anywhere near that. Seb had a nice normal life, and he should get to keep it.
Besides, I was happy with my occasional bar crawls and midnight yoga. I didn’t need anything else. My second lie of the morning. It was going to be that kind of day.
“If you joined us, you’d have a family, Bash,” Fiona murmured. “One that accepted you for you.”
I swallowed hard, but I wouldn’t give her the satisfaction of knowing she’d gotten to me. That was the main difference between Seb and me. Mother had loved him. I wasn’t evil, but I’d been tempted over the years. It would be so much easier to let all the human-acting stuff go. But I couldn’t do that to Seb—to myself.
“Just take over, Bash,” Fiona continued, “Box your brother up and live your life. He doesn’t deserve—”
A noise came from the bedroom. The squeak as Greer came out of the bathroom. She was humming some little tune under her breath.
I don’t know how Fiona heard her through the phone, or maybe she just registered the change in my breathing. Her voice was sickly sweet, she said, “Oops, you brought someone home, didn’t you?”
I snarled. “None of your business.” Fiona and her master were not getting anywhere near Greer. She was mine.
“Best be cleaning up your door then,” she said. “Wouldn’t want the poor thing to see that—”
I clicked the hang-up button and rushed to the door. Before I even opened it, I smelled the blood. A raccoon had been torn apart on my step. So recently that blood still poured from its insides, dripping across the cement. My mouth dropped open, my fangs falling. Part of me wanted to grab it and suck the juice out. Even though it was an animal. It was here and it was fresh and I hadn’t eaten since before our date last night.
My eyes roved the porch, looking for anywhere else to focus. There was no way I was going to be able to hide this from Greer.
As if my thoughts had conjured her, she appeared at my shoulder.
“What’s that awful smell?” she asked, rubbing a towel against her hair and peering around my shoulder.
I snapped my mouth shut. I couldn’t move. I knew I should grab her and take her to the other side of the room, do something to save her from this horrible display, but I was frozen. And the worst thing was that my mouth was watering.
A small voice inside me said maybe it was better this way. Greer would know how horrible vampires really were and she’d leave, and I’d never see her again. It’s not like we could have a real relationship when I spent half my time as Seb.
“Is that—” Greer gasped, her skin paling. “A raccoon?”
I opened my mouth and closed it again. What could I say? I have a jerk for an ex who likes decorating my front step? That a big bad vampire was trying to recruit me?
Greer spun and ran into the bedroom.
I heard her vomiting. Stepping out onto the porch, I picked up the body and tossed it over the wall. I’d have to go and bury it later, but at least it wouldn’t be here when she came out. My thoughts were so scattered, I couldn’t even think how to explain this to her. With a sigh, I went to the kitchen and filled a basin to rinse the porch. At least Greer wouldn’t have to walk through it when she left.
Damn you, Fiona.
Greer
Who would do that to an animal? I wiped the back of my hand across my mouth. Had Bash snuck out after I’d gone to sleep? What would make him destroy a raccoon-like that? I washed my face in the sink and yanked on my clothes. I’d rather he drink animal blood, but not like that. It was so violent and vicious.
Had someone else done it? Did he have enemies that cruel?
I loved animals—wild or domestic. Especially my black cat, Mina, who’d stayed at home when I’d come to college. I’d wanted to bring her, but Papa said taking care of a cat and starting a new semester would be too much work. Besides, the dorms didn’t allow animals. But now I wanted her near me, just to make sure she was safe.
Only not here at Bash’s place.
What if someone had done that to Mina? My stomach swirled again and I leaned over the toilet. Nothing came up.
“Greer?” Bash asked behind me. “Are you okay?”
“No,” I choked out. I kept trying to tell myself it was only a raccoon, but I couldn’t get the gory image out of my mind. “I am not okay. That’s awful. Who would do such a thing?”
He nodded, his eyes watching me in the mirror. “I’m sorry . . . you had to see that.”
I caught his gaze. “Did you do it?” I had to know. Papa had said vampires were evil, that they were creatures of dark magic. How had I let myself be suckered in by one? How had I let him do all those things to me last night? If I’d let him bite me, would I be like that raccoon now? I knew I was being spiteful. Bash had been nothing but kind to me, but someone had thought he’d appreciate a raccoon on his porch.
“No,” he said firmly.
“Who did?”
He looked away. The guilt on his face was enough for me. He knew but he wouldn’t tell me? I squeezed my hands into fists. I was just his hookup for the night, why should he tell me his problems? He’d probably forgotten me already. Either that or he’d done something to provoke this attack because there was no other reason for someone to look that guilty.
I grabbed my things and headed for the door. Bash didn’t try to stop me. I flung open the door and peered out. He’d gotten rid of the corpse and tried to wash the step with a couple of buckets of water but it had only smeared the blood. “Isn’t there another exit?”
He shook his head sadly.
Gingerly I opened the door and stepped out into a world that felt a little bit darker than it had the night before.
My roommate teased me about my walk of shame when I arrived back at the dorm, but I wasn’t giving her any details. I believed I liked Bash, but I guess that just went to show how little I could trust my own instincts. I was an idiot. I knew he was a vampire and not the sexy vegetarian kind. He may not have put the corpse on his step, but he’d known who did and they hadn’t done it out of the kindness of their heart. Was it just a joke to him? Tearing up a poor animal like that? I was disgusted. Liking the sexy bad boy has always been my problem. But I vowed this was the last time.
Late that night, I couldn’t help calling Mina to me for a snuggle, after my roommate had gone to bed. I stroked her black fur and pushed the gruesome images of the porch out of my mind.
I threw myself into my studies for the rest of the weekend. I holed up in the library and ignored all Ella’s pointed invitations. I was here to study. I needed to do that. Bash didn’t call all weekend, not to apologize, not to talk. Good. He knew he’d done wrong and he was walking away. It was better this way.
When Monday came, I was tempted to skip my tutoring session with Seb. But it wasn’t his fault that his brother was an evil vampire, and I still needed to pass History of the Celts.
After grabbing a hot coffee from the stand, I hurried up the steps to the library. My feet slowed as I got to the third floor. What would it be like seeing Seb? His brother was the one I was mad at but they looked so much alike. I pushed open the door to the study room and peered inside.
“Hey,” Seb said, looking up from his book.
His eyes were bright blue and he looked more well-rested than I’d ever seen him. And best of all, he looked nothing like Bash. Well, except for the dark curls on his head and the muscular build and the twin features . . . dammit.
He glanced at his watch. “You’re on time.” The surprise echoed in his voice.
“Well, the early bird catches the worm, doesn’t it,” I said, dropping my backpack on a chair and pulling out my notes. I took a sip of the bitter coffee, but I didn’t complain. I’d been an idiot.
Seb blinked at me. “I guess they do.”
He set his book aside, and I stared at the cover. A
tall tree with many branches—on one an apple and on another a raven. I knew that book. It had been in my mother’s collection back when I’d been allowed to visit her. When I’d described it to Dad, he’d called her and they’d gotten in a big fight. He hadn’t liked her even keeping dark magic items around me.
“What book are you reading?” I asked, trying to keep my voice even. My heart thumped against my chest. Seb had dark magic fuzzies around him. I’d assumed it was because of the curse. What if he was a practitioner? I chewed on my lip. Was he a witch? I hadn’t felt any power from him, other than the leftover magic. Had he somehow hidden it from me?
Seb laughed. “Someone sent it to me. I can’t imagine who would think I’d be interested in a bunch of phony spells and hocus pocus.”
“Yeah, that’s crazy,” I said quietly. My eyes swept over him, looking for any other magic, but there wasn’t any. Not even a glimmer.
“Hey, didn’t you say something about magic fuzzies the other day?” he asked, holding the book out to me. “Do you want it?”
I shuddered and flinched away from the tome. Inside I warred with myself. I didn’t want it anywhere near me, but I also didn’t know if Seb should have it. And he had dark magic all over him. Would the book interfere with the spell? Would that be a good or a bad thing? I shook myself. He’d been cursed to forget his brother, and that was an ugly thing, but the answer wouldn’t lie in there.
“It’s alright if you don’t,” he said. “I might just throw it away.” His hand traced the lines on the cover, almost unconsciously. “My curiosity was piqued though. Who’d think I wanted this?”
“Is it Celtic?” I asked, forcing the corner of my lip up in a half-smile. As angry as I was with Bash, the brothers deserve to know each other. Was there a way for me to help without tapping into the bad stuff? Maybe I could undo the spell.
He shook his head and lay it on the table. “Someone’s been playing games with me though.”
