Dominion (Book 1 of The Dominion Series) (25 page)

"You have guards," I say. "Why not use them?"

"Where we'll go, I can't always take guards with me. But I can take my pet."

"I'd be your pet?"

"That's how you'd be seen."

I inhale and consider.

"Do all vampires have pets?"

"All of those with power do. Some have a harem."

"Not you," I can't stop myself from saying it out loud.

He laughs. "No, not me, Eve. I am a priest. Harems really aren't our thing."

"You keep saying you're a priest, but you're not really. Otherwise you just broke your vows."

"I'm a priest here," he says, and points to his heart. "No matter what."

"So do you have sex and just feel guilty?"

"Yes." He cracks a lopsided grin. "Intensely. I do penance."

"Hair shirt?" I say, smiling. "Flogger?"

"Sore knees from praying."

I reach out and stroke his cheek.

"Poor Michel." And I mean it. I can't understand this devotion to the Church, but it's just part of him. "So you wanted to wait until you'd established that bond with me before having sex."

"Exactly. Then you had to put that perfume in the water. I could smell it on the street, and it smells of you. I
had
to come in…"

"And you really think you wouldn't have fucked me if I'd been dressed and sitting on the sofa reading a book? You looked," I say and hesitate. "Desperate. Like you're worried something is going to happen to me."

"I needed to see you, talk to you, see you smile and it would make me feel better."

"Do you?" I smile, flashing my dimples at him. "Feel better?"

"Much
much
better," he says and kisses my shoulder and even that makes me feel warm inside, makes my body respond. He touches my face.

"Eve," he says. "Not that I think we can put the genie back in the bottle, but I have to be sure. Will you commit to become my submissive? That you'll turn your will over to me the way I need you to?"

"I can try," I say, frowning, not sure if I can when he puts it that way.

"Like Yoda said, there is no
try
. There is only do or do not."

I shake my head. "I can't believe a vampire watched Star Wars and can quote Yoda."

"Eternity's very long. Cable television helps." He grins that grin I love so much and I can't help but smile back, my heart swelling, and I reach out to touch his face.

Then he's serious again, the grin gone, his blue eyes intense once more.

"Eve, with us, it's all in or all out. I'll be your mind and you'll be my heart. There
is
no other option. Not if you enter our world. Humans are never equals with vampires. You're always our servants."

I watch him for a moment, staring at his beautiful face, remembering his touch, thinking of his history, and I know what my decision is.

"All in, then."

He leans over me and kisses me softly, tenderly. I run my hands up his back under his sweater and over his shoulder. My body's ready again and I want it long and slow.

"Oh,
Eve
…"

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

"A loving heart is the beginning of all knowledge."

Thomas Carlyle

Michel rolls on top of me, his body between my thighs and I wrap my legs around his waist. He kisses me with complete focus, his mouth on mine, his tongue on mine, and just kissing him builds my desire. I feel his lust as well as my own and it's more than I've ever felt before. I run my hands along his back under his sweater, and his skin is so smooth, his muscles so firm beneath my touch.

He rises up and kneels between my legs and I love the look of pure lust on his beautiful face. He removes his sweater, and then his pants and socks, his erection thick and beautiful now that I see it. He takes his belt and makes me sit up, fastening my hands together with it.

"Is that necessary?" I say, moving my wrists, a bit breathless, my body already aching with desire, wondering what he'll make me do.

"It is for you," he says and kisses my shoulder. "Listen to your body, Eve. Turn off you mind."

I try, but my mind is just a busybody and is always judging everything to see if it fits with what I think is right, despite what my body says. He pulls me to the edge, standing in front of me, completely naked, his erection jutting out.

"Suck me."

I glance up at him and his eyes are half closed, and it makes me even more aroused to see his arousal. I reach up with my hands but he shakes his head.

"Just your mouth."

I let my hands drop and nuzzle him, my face against his groin, kissing all around him. I lick along his length, from base to the tip, tonguing the slit to taste him and he tastes of seawater. I take him in my mouth and he inhales and closes his eyes, his breathing fast. I can feel his arousal, feel my mouth move over him and it feels so good, I can't believe it. It feels like I do when he licks me, when his mouth is on me, so sweet, so good it's almost painful.

"Slowly," he says, his voice shaky, and he's so aroused, his orgasm so close. I slow my motions on him, tonguing the head, running my lips all along his length, the skin so soft, so tender, so responsive.

"
Stop
," he whispers, taking my face in his hands and tilting my head up. "I'm just so close." The thought he's so ready just makes my muscles all clench and my cheeks heat and I don't want to stop, for I want to watch him come while I suck him.

But I do what he says. Then he turns me around so that I'm face down on the bed, my ass in the air, my arms supporting my weight, my hands confined. I am so aroused, I can hardly breathe. He cinches the belt just tight enough so that the leather bites into my skin, not hard enough to bruise, but hard enough to remind me my hands are restrained, and the fact seems to release me in some way.

Then he spreads my thighs with a knee and leans over me, kissing my shoulders once more, my throat and my neck, lingering over my vein, his desire to bite me so strong, but he fights it, loving the sense of denial he feels. I feel as if my head will explode because he could just bite me now and there is nothing I could do. Being helpless like this just makes everything feel more intense. I'm a little scared, breathless, my heart pounding.

He reaches beneath me and squeezes my breasts, pinching my nipples gently until they're hard points and I'm gasping as little jolts of pleasure go right to my clit. His erection presses against my sex, sliding between my legs, and I press back, hungry for the sensation.

"No," he says, and holds my hips still. "Don't move unless I tell you to. And if you feel like you're going to come, you have to tell me. You're not allowed to come until I give you permission. I'm the one who decides when you're ready. Do you understand?"

"Can't you just tell when I'm ready?"

"I want you to tell me. Do you understand?"

"Yes," I say but I really don't understand. It seems arbitrary. The purpose of sex is to feel pleasure and to have orgasms.

"Just obey, Eve," he says into my ear, his lips brushing my lobe, biting it gently. "You'll understand why soon enough."

I nod, and keep still, barely breathing, waiting for him to do what he will to me.

His mouth moves down my back and over my hips, and he spreads my cheeks and I feel terribly self-conscious, but he licks my sex, and the touch of shame I feel at having my cheeks spread so wide, my ass so exposed, just seems to add to my arousal so that I'm throbbing, my body so ready.

"I want you inside me," I say, and groan.

"Don't tell me what you want, Eve," he says, his voice a bit shaky. "I know what you need. Do you understand?"

I moan, so ready, feeling as if I'm so swollen that I'd come immediately if he were to enter me now. He inserts fingers into me, and I inhale sharply and have to fight not to push against them, my body clenching.

"I'm going to come," I say and he stops all motion, withdrawing his fingers.

"Just breathe, Eve. Don't move."

I try, breathing deeply, and my impending orgasm recedes just a bit, but my legs shake from the position I'm in. He waits for a moment and stands behind me, then starts rubbing his erection against me from behind and the friction is light, tantalizing. I want to just force myself against him so that he'll enter me, but I stay still. It's torture, such sweet torture, being unable to move, to control things, and it seems to make me even more aroused if possible.

"I'm going to fuck you now, Eve," he says and pushes the head of his erection against the opening to my body, not entering me completely, just touching. I ache so much, I can't help myself and press against him.

"No," he says, and holds my hips in place. "Keep still. If I want you to move, I'll tell you."

Oh,
God
, I can barely stand it any longer. I'm breathing fast, waiting for him to start, to enter me.

"I want to turn over so I can watch you," I say.

"No, I want you to just focus on how your body feels, Eve."

He slides his erection against me, slowly.

"Oh, you're so nice and wet," he says as he rubs me with the head. He leans over me, his mouth beside my ear. "Your clit is so hard, Eve. So ripe, so ready. I can't wait to shove my cock inside you, all the way in, and fuck you hard. Do you want me to fuck you hard?"

"Yes," I say, almost coming just from his words alone.

"Yes, what?" he says.

"Yes, please," I say.

"Yes, please what?"

I don't know what he wants, my mind is so overwhelmed.

"Yes please fuck me hard," I say and he kisses my shoulder. He shoves himself in me fully and it feels so good I gasp. He doesn't start to thrust, just stays inside of me, fully, and he's so nice and thick that even just the pressure is enough to make me come.

"I'm going to come," I say, barely able to speak.

"No," he says, remaining perfectly still. "Don't. Just breathe."

But it's no use, I'm too far gone, and I feel myself go over the edge, the sweetness spreading down my legs.

"I can't," I gasp, and then he thrusts hard and fast. It intensifies my orgasm because I feel his pleasure on top of my own and he feels mine. It's too much and I clench around him. The pleasure goes on and on as he thrusts harder, his hands gripping my hips, pulling me to meet him with each thrust. He grunts as he comes, his body shaking as he leans on me.

Then he collapses on top of me and kisses my shoulder, the back of my neck. My emotions overwhelm me, tears stinging at the corners of my eyes. I turn my head to the side, not wanting him to see them.

I know that things will never be the same.

I wake while it's still dark and he's not beside me. I hear him in the bathroom and he's wearing only his boxer briefs, washing his face when I go in to join him.

"Time to go?" I say, admiring his physique, sad that dawn has to part us.

"Time for bed," he says and when he's finished drying his hands, he grabs me and pulls me against him, my hands in one of his behind my back, his grip tight. Why does that send such a thrill through me?

"You must sleep as well. Training starts tonight. I want to show you how to kill vampires up close and personal, so you'll be able to defend yourself. Make sure you're well-rested."

I frown. I wanted to speak with him about Montana, the sense of unease I've felt since we met Soren surfacing.

"Michel, I want to talk about Montana."

"Tomorrow night, Eve. We'll do a full debrief. I don’t have a lot of time right now and you need to get some sleep."

I nod and lean against him, looking up into his eyes. "I think I'm going to have a very good sleep."

"You were already sleeping like a baby." He kisses me, softly.

"I wish you could stay and sleep with me."

"I know," he says. "Can't risk it. My home is designed to protect me from the sun. Besides, Vasily will be getting really bored out in the car."

"You have a guard outside?"

"Have one posted at the front and back door. I have to be safe. But soon, you'll come to my place and sleep with me all day if you want."

"I want," I say. Then he lets my hands go and he puts his watch on and pulls his sweater over his head. I stand naked, watching him dress, and he glances at me and smiles.

"What a lovely way to start the morning," he says and comes to me when he's dressed, lifting my chin with a finger. "A naked Eve, smiling, displaying her dimples. The way my day should always start." He kisses me. "If you're able to submit to me, when you do, you'll move in with me and I want you to be naked at all times when we're alone in our suite."

"When I
move in
with you?"

He nods. "Yes," he says, taking my shoulders in his hands. "You'll live with me and protect me, as I said. We'll be together at all times, even when I sleep."

I frown. "What about my apartment?"

"You can keep it if you want, but you won't need it."

I smile, but I don't know if I like this – moving in with him so soon. "We've only just met," I say, unable to hide the hesitance in my voice. "I have cats."

"Eve," he says and pulls me into his arms. "Remember – all in or all out. I'd say you could bring your cats, except I have several Dobermans who patrol the house. We'll make sure your cats are cared for."

I force a smile. "I said all in. I meant it." Of course, then I think about meeting Julien in Montana when I went outside early in the morning to get a cup of coffee.

When Michel kisses me, then he must sense my thoughts for he pulls away, frowning.

"He was there?"

I clench my fists, a surge of guilt and frustration flowing through me that I'm unable to control his access to my mind.

"Don't be upset with me. I have no control over what Julien does."

Michel shakes his head, clearly upset. Finally, he leans his forehead against mine and exhales. "Of course you don't. I'm not upset with you. I just wish Julien could let this drop, but he's stubborn."

Then he pulls away and stares in my eyes as if searching for my feelings for Julien. Yes, Julien is beautiful – like Michel – but he's
not
Michel.