BloodBound (8 page)

He dipped his head and nipped her shoulder. The pain spiked her arousal. She raised herself and bit the full curve of his lower lip. He growled and took her harder. It was…savage.
Oh, God…
She felt heat pool in the tiny hollows of her body as a strong quiver went through her. Then
snap.
The tight coils unfurled in waves of pleasure so intense she thought she’d slipped off the edge of the world.

Unconsciously, she cried out Dex’s name as his mouth came down on hers. Her heart was still pounding as he plunged into her a few more times and when he made to pull out, she stopped him with her leg and her hands on his back.

“No…inside,” she urged breathlessly. She was on birth control.

His body tensed as he came, a hard groan of pleasure carrying her name. It brushed her ear as his mouth nuzzled her throat, teeth bearing down just enough to leave a mark. Their labored breathing was the only sound in the room for a long moment.

Dex slowly pulled out of her body and rolled over to the side, tucking her into him. Stephanie insinuated her leg between both of his and nuzzled contentedly against his neck, which smelled of that tantalizing pine and spice. His hand cupped one of her buttocks with a certain possessiveness she didn’t mind.

He kissed her forehead. “I wasn’t too rough, was I?”

The deep sensuality of his voice moved over her like a velvety caress. “Mmm…no, it was amazing,” she murmured and opened her eyes. “You’re my first vampire.”

A low chuckle rumbled in his chest. “I know…and I very much like the fact.” He squeezed her buttock.

Her gaze fell to his bicep and she frowned. “I did
this
?” Her fingers brushed over the three deep welts on his skin.

“Hmn…you’re a wild little thing.”

“Sorry.”

He grinned. “I wouldn’t want you any other way.”

Stephanie felt a stab of guilt knowing that she’d used him to assuage the distress caused by her encounter with Kyle. Yet, it was hardly the reason and she knew it. She’d come here because she couldn’t fight this inexplicable desire for him, which had robbed her of precious sleep at night. Even his original blackmail didn’t bother her anymore. He’d given her the choice to refuse and he’d cleared her of any possible incrimination in the Polasky case. Not to mention she was happy he’d transferred her brothers out of that department.

She brushed her hand over his chest.
This
couldn’t evolve to anything more, of course, and Dex was aware of her situation. It was…unfortunate. She swallowed the lump in her throat and cuddled closer to him.

Stephanie woke an hour later in the same position. It had been a long time since she’d had a peaceful nap. She stretched her legs and looked up at Dex. He’d been watching her sleep, apparently. His fingers were drawing lazy circles over her tattoo. To her surprise, her body stirred with need again.

His mouth edged into a smile. “You must be hungry.”

She returned the smile. “I suppose I could have a bite.”

He chuckled, a dark, sensual fire smoldering in the depths of his eyes. “Good.”

“Should we order out?”

Her breath hitched as his hand moved up and closed over her breast. “There are other ways to consume energy.”

A chuckle rose in her throat and she was about to reply when he lifted her into a sitting position next to him and brought his wrist to her mouth. Her heart skipped a beat and she questioned him with her eyes.

“Go ahead. Plenty of nutrients in blood.”

A fervent quiver went through her. She looked at his wrist for a long moment, the primal urge to bear down and drink his blood surging like a fierce tide inside her. She’d never bitten anyone…not for blood.

She shook her head and met his gaze. “I can’t.”

“You want to taste me.”

Desperately.
She nodded slowly. “My teeth aren’t sharp enough. I’d hurt you.”

“They’re sharper than those of most humans and in time I could teach you how to drink properly.” Dex raised his wrist to his mouth and then offered his wounded flesh to her.

Her heart constricted. Vampires were usually selective about who they offered their blood to.

“Drink, sweetness,” he urged and brought his arm closer.

Despite the last shred of reason in her mind, Stephanie closed her fingers around his hand and pressed her mouth to his warm blood. Sensations exploded all along her nerves, right down to her toes. The intensity was so unexpected she pulled away, breathless.
Dear God…this was nothing like drinking from a glass.
It was primitive
,
thrilling.

Dex’s gaze fell to her mouth and he uttered something incoherent.

She licked her lips and squeezed new blood out of the twin cuts. When she made contact with his blood again, her own surged through her veins like warm silk. The dark spot inside her absorbed his essence with hungry urgency. He tasted sweeter than she expected with a note of something indefinable.
Yum!
would be an understatement.

Satisfied, she lifted her head and noted the fierce glow in Dex’s eyes. A mix of pleasure and pain flitted across his face as he wiped her lip with his finger. “Stephanie…”

His fingers wrapped around her wrist, bringing it to his mouth. He kissed the delicate inside and raised his eyes to hers. “I won’t hurt you,” he promised.

She nodded, surprised to feel no fear. She craved this more than anything else at the moment. He wet the area just below the veins with his tongue. She drew in a sharp breath as his fangs scraped her skin delicately. It was little more than a paper cut. He applied pressure to the wound until enough blood oozed out. His nostrils flared as he dipped his head.

A broken cry escaped her.
Her back arched and she gripped his shoulder as he fed on her.
Ecstasy.
The air crackled with a heady, lustful energy. In her passion-hazed state, she reached out and wrapped her hand around his hard cock, her fingertips barely closing around its girth. She glided her hand up and down the shaft, exploring its silky smoothness and the pulse on the underside. She stroked him a few more times and a drop of arousal beaded at the round tip. Moving closer, she straddled him, taking him deep inside her. He moaned and sucked harder as she moved her throbbing flesh over his. Tears pricked her eyes. If she could die this way, she would.

* * * *

The twin assault of pleasure was unbearable—drinking Stephanie’s blood while her pussy worked his cock. Careful not to overindulge, Dex coated Stephanie’s wound with saliva, which would help clot and heal it faster. Hers was the tastiest blood he’d ever had. The scent alone drove him mad. This woman was special and he was falling for her hard. He’d exchanged blood with other women, but the experience hadn’t been half as intense or erotic. He watched her ride him as he lay back, enjoying the passion in her dark brown eyes, the erotic sounds that parted her lips, and the sway of her full breasts. He’d been pleasantly surprised when she’d made him come inside her. It intensified their union.

Someone had upset her earlier today and he suspected it was one of the reasons she’d come by. The fact was, she needed this as much as he did, even if she didn’t admit it aloud. Stephanie Dubois was one proud, hard-headed woman. He hid a smile. She’d go home and try to convince herself that this was only physical attraction.

As the pressure in his cock increased, he urged her onto her knees and glided into her sleek heat from behind. He grasped her hips and gave one pert buttock a firm smack. Dex wasn’t prepared to let her slip out of his life. Their paths hadn’t crossed out of coincidence. Her sweet flesh contracted around his with the onslaught of climax and he drove into her until he surrendered to his release.

They’d ordered pizza, relaxed in the living room, and made love several more times before ten that night. He escorted her to her car though she insisted he didn’t have to. He’d asked her to stay the night, but she’d declined because she was going to work tomorrow. Dex wasn’t going to press her about that.

The cool air rustled her tousled hair. He brushed a stray lock behind her ear and held her gaze for a silent moment. “Tell your family about your nature, Stephanie.”

Her brows came together. “What?”

“You’ll never accept yourself so long as you hide your nature from your family.”

She expelled a quick breath. “Dex, we shared something amazing and I’ll never forget it. But my family is my business, okay?”

It was a reaction he expected. “It’s my business because I care about you.”

She averted her gaze. “I have to go.”

He slid his hand inside her open jacket to her waist, and brushed his mouth against hers in a gentle, but deep kiss. He felt the hitch of breath in her throat.

“Good night, Stephanie.”

Uncertainty shadowed her brown eyes as she looked at him. After a moment, she said, “Good night.” She unlocked the car and got in.

Dex put his hand on the open door. “One more thing. If you think this was no-strings sex, you’re way off, sweetheart.” He winked and headed back to the building.

Chapter Eight

How presumptuous…and…audacious!
To trick her into coming here, and using Ray as an excuse, of all things.

“Ray wants to see you.” He’d told her.

But Ray was well. In fact, when she’d talked to Victor a few days ago, he’d told her that Ray was making a remarkable recovery.

Stephanie had rushed over only to find out that Ray hadn’t wanted to see her.

“You’re horrible,” she muttered for the tenth time and gasped as he tweaked her nipples under the jets of water in his shower.

“I wish I’d done it sooner. But you’re one obstinate woman.”

“It’s just sex,” she retorted. She’d avoided Dex for almost a week after their first sexual encounter—depriving herself of the best sex she’d ever had. She had to nip it in the bud, otherwise she’d never be able to forget about him. If he were human it would be a different story.
If he were human, you wouldn’t want him so much,
interjected the sprite in her head.

His fingers caressed the aching flesh between her thighs and her nails curled into the sculpted muscles of his shoulders. “I forbid you to say that, Stephanie.” His teeth gave her earlobe a sharp tug that sent myriad goose bumps over her skin.

Then he lifted her leg and slid into her with ease. A moan escaped her and she clung to him as he took her with delicious strokes. There was a certain naughtiness about doing it in the shower that she liked, though she wasn’t going to tell him that. The combination of the warm water and the silky thrusts of his hard flesh made meaningless words tumble from her mouth.

He gave her a quick, possessive kiss. “I want all of you, Stephanie. Not just your body.”

Something shifted deep inside her as her mouth parted under the pressure of his. She thought she understood his meaning, but she couldn’t respond now, could barely think straight. His tongue jabbed against hers as his cock thrust harder, branding the very core of her. With a stab of alarm she realized that this man would leave a mark on her soul for the rest of her life. It was foolish to think she could forget about him.

Ripples of exquisite pleasure tore through her as she came apart.

Stephanie woke in Dex’s arms the next day. She hadn’t intended to stay. It got late and she’d fallen asleep. But waking up in his bed, cuddled against his solid warmth, felt completely natural. And real good. She followed the rhythm of his heart at her back.

“I love how you smell.”

His deep, morning voice roused her senses. “Don’t you ever sleep?” she responded with a smile.

“Not much when you’re next to me.” His hand pressed her closer.

“Mmm…all the more reason for you to keep away from me.”

He chuckled. “Nice try. Spend the day with me.”

“I can’t.”

There was a stretch of silence. “Are you going to see your family?”

She groaned. “Dex, don’t start that again, please.”

“Look at me, sweetheart.” His order was gentle but firm.

Stephanie turned around and met his gaze. The intensity of his eyes made her breath catch.

“I’m in love with you.”

He paused for a beat and she felt herself frowning, but her heart went into an erratic flutter.

“I can see a solid future for us, if you’re open to it. But I have no intention of living in secrecy because you’re afraid of telling your own flesh and blood that you’re dhampir.”

He’s in love with me.
She wasn’t sure how to process this. Instead, she replied, “That sounds like an ultimatum.”

His breathing stilled and he looked at her for a long moment. “It is.”

She’d heard that odd gravelly tone in his voice before…
right
…once when she’d accused him of wanting to see her tattoo to make sure Victor’s visions had been correct. She yanked out of his embrace and got out of bed.

“You’re good at giving those,” she added, hating the bitterness in her voice. The annoyingly rational part of her brain was aware that she was making a defensive attack against the “in love with you” statement.

“Damn it, Stephanie—you’re evading the issue.”

She began looking for her clothes, which were mostly on the floor. He was quiet as she put on her panties and bra, yet she felt the wave of his displeasure.

Finally, she looked at him. “Why do you care if my family knows?”

The tension in his face was evident. “Mostly because it’s been eating you up for a long time.”

She swallowed the lump in her throat. “I won’t deny it’s hard to live with this secret, but I’ve learned to deal with it.”

“You don’t have to.”

A frustrated sound pushed through her lips. “What do you want me to do? Say
Hey everyone—just wanted to let you know I’m part vampire
?”

He swung his legs over the side of the bed. “Something like that.”

“You don’t understand. It would tear them apart…my brothers…”

“But your mother loves you, right?”

Her eyebrow quirked. “Of course…so what?”

“Then give her more credit.” There was no mistaking the thread of anger in his voice.