Drawing Deep (21 page)

When he curled his tongue over her aching clit she spasmed, jerking her hips as the jagged edges of hunger took over. So close, she was so close to falling off that cliff that when Santos moved back, her body followed blindly, seeking a release from the exquisite torture he’d inflicted.

His rose, stripping her of her shirt and bra before capturing her mouth in a demanding kiss. “I need to be inside you.” A hoarse demand. His clothes vanished in seconds. “Feel you hot and wet around me.” His cock sprung free and after hastily donning a condom, he skimmed through her juices, coating his heavy length with her arousal.

“Yes,” she lifted one leg to snake around his thigh, then hopped up when he lifted her and wrapped both legs around him. She was pinned between him and the door, open and desperate for that first thrust. “Now, Santos.” She wiggled helplessly against him.

He cupped her face, focusing her languid eyes into his own. “Look at me. See me.”

An unmistakable order from a dominate male that would not be denied. Though his own body was shaking, he didn’t slip past the grasping ring of nerves until she had obeyed. With a thrust of his hips, he penetrated deep, rocking against and in her until he was buried to the hilt. He let out a low growl and banded one arm around her waist, the other gripped the back of her head. He captured her mouth and rocked his groin against her own, driving his cock over delicate tissue that clamped around him like a vise. Every plunge stretched her, burning her with pleasure. Each retreat had her inner muscles contracting, trying to hold him inside.

The hard door at her back was replaced by something soft, and she realized Santos had laid them on the carpet. Then he flipped her onto her stomach, grasping her hips to raise her on her hands and knees. Wedging his legs between hers, he thrust back in, making her gasp in erotic delight at the feel of his penetration. He shifted over her, covering her, his larger body surrounding her, his hands on hers, entwining their fingers.

“You know what I am.” His words were thick in her ears, his teeth scrapping over the tender flesh of her neck. When she didn’t respond, he nipped her, sending a liquid rush of excitement to soak his cock. “Say it.”

His hips flexed hard against hers, thrusting deep. She pushed back against him, taking him as hard as he was taking her, and glorying in it. “Jaguar.”

“Yes.” A soft hiss. “And you’re mine, Ria.”

His possessive words should have doused her desire, having sworn to never allow another man consider her naught but his property. Instead, she felt herself respond in another melting flow of heightened awareness. Her fangs elongated with a gnawing need to sink past his skin and claim his blood as her own. Taken aback at the burst of pleasure and proprietary desire, she shook her head in denial. “No.”

“Yes, and you know it. You’ll only crave me like I only crave you.” A dark vow that blasted through her defenses. “You’re my mate. Mine.” His hands went to grip her hips in an unbreakable hold as he began a hard and fast rhythm. Flesh slapped against flesh as he plunged deep into her wet and clenching heat over and over, her body swaying in helpless ecstasy as she shuddered, feeling her orgasm build.

“Just as I’m yours.” Before those words fully penetrated the sexual fog, he was covering her again, his mouth open at her neck. When she felt the sharp points of his fangs press into her flesh, she threw her head back, screaming as pain and pleasure collided in a massive wave of uncontrollable rapture and she broke, coming in hard, racking pulses that stripped her bare.

Santos snarled and thrust once more before his whole body arched back and his own orgasm took him over the edge. Body shaking in the aftermath, Ria would have dropped face first onto the carpet if Santos hadn’t shifted them to their sides, spoon fashion. His breath was hot and unsteady on her temple as he kissed her head, the deep rumbling of contentment in his chest now a familiar sensation.

“I won’t tether you, kitten, but I wont let you go.” His hands brushed the hair from her face, his fingers tracing over the mark he’d made with his teeth. It tingled under his touch.

It was a branding, a visual sign of his claim of ownership and she wasn’t at all sure how she felt about it, not to mention his feral decree that she belonged to him. Feminine instinct demanded she rebel at the possessive command. At the same time, a warm glow encompassed her heart from his declaration that he belonged to her as well.

Everything was so tangled up inside that she just didn’t know what to do, or think for that matter. So she remained silent, listening as his heartbeat slowed and savor the feel of him cuddled up behind her.

Purring.

“I’ve waited my whole life for you, and just as I trust you with my deepest secret, hell, my entire family’s secret, you can trust me, us, with anything.” Another pass of his hand through her hair, gentling her, breaking her down until all she wanted was to have him take care of her. “Nothing will change how I feel about you.”

She swallowed at the temptation. He’d already guessed at some of it, so spilling about her otherness wouldn’t alter their relationship. But she wouldn’t go any further, because she really did want to belong. To this family, to this place, and to this man. “I’m half vampire.”

Her chest ached and it was only then she realized she’d been holding her breath, waiting for a rejection that never came. In fact, he didn’t say a word. “You’re not saying anything.”

“Figured it out, especially after you came back from the airport.” A tight squeeze. “Wanted you to know it didn’t matter.”

Her mouth turned down in confusion. “Wanted me to know it didn’t matter?”

“You really think I couldn’t hear you sneaking up to the kitchen, scent you from a mile away?”

She choked on her spit. “You knew I was eavesdropping?”

“Of course.”

And here she thought she’d gotten away with it. How disgusting.

One finger trailed along the bare skin of her arm. “Only half?”

She blew out a breath before replying. “My mother was a vampire. My father was...not.”

He’d caught the slight hesitation. “And what was your father?”

This was the tricky part. “He was a quarter mage.”

Teeth grazed her shoulder. “So you are a witch.” Soft humor filled his tone.

It calmed her. She was lying butt naked on the floor of a dim room in a house she had yet to travel more than ten feet in, but between the mind-numbing orgasm, the velvet steel of Santos’s arms around her and his easy acceptance, she felt herself relax into a sleepy stupor. “I don’t have any special abilities.”

A sharp nip on her ear. “Never say that. You have a stellar brain, unwavering determination, killer body, beautiful face, and a heart of gold. You’re also my mate. Everything about you is special.”

Didn’t that just make her want to melt into a pile of gooing goodness? Well he was in for a shock. “My mother is dead. I never knew her. My father and great-grandfather raised me and my sister. Neither are nice men, Santos. They considered us as nothing more than property. My childhood was not nice. I’m not nice. And you know nothing about my heart.”

He placed his hand on her chest between her breasts, right over her heart. “I know more than you realize.”

No, he really couldn’t. “I doubt that.”

“Oh? How about the fact you were more concerned about my welfare than your own when you thought the tunnel was a lava vent.”

She shrugged that off. “I couldn’t have you passing out on me. You’re too heavy to carry.”

A soft chuckle followed by an equally soft kiss on her shoulder. “All right. How about when you wanted to race to Panama when you heard Lance was hurt. And then how you fussed over him when he returned?”

“I did no more fussing, as you call it, then your own mother did.” The protest was a mild one, his unwavering insistence settling into the barren areas of her heart. She had to make a choice, and she found she no longer wanted to be ruled by the haunts of her past.

He nuzzled her ear. “As my mother has the biggest heart of anyone I’ve ever come across, I rest my case.”

A hard hug. “Don’t move. I’ll be right back.”

She watched him walk toward a hallway and disappear, and suddenly felt more vulnerable than she’d ever had in her life. Not because she was still butt-ass naked and laying on a lushly thick carpet she could easily pass out on, but because of his words. His persistent conviction fractured the ice around her heart. It melted and reformed into tears that invaded her eyes, causing her to blink in surprise.

She heard a toilet flush and sat up, reaching for her clothes.

“I know I told you not to move.” Santos said, hands on his naked hips.

“I should go.” Ria didn’t look at him.

“What the hell for?” Santos retorted. “You’re my mate, not some fuck and run.”

Her mouth dropped open. “Excuse me?”

His lips parted, snapped back shut. His chest heaved on a deep breath. “I’d like to talk with you more. Learn more about you.”

She stared at him through narrowed eyes. “Like what?”

Strong shoulders lifted in a shrug. “Like how much blood you need.”

Nothing like getting to the crux of the matter. Couldn’t he have wanted to know her favorite color or food instead? “Don’t you think that an odd topic of conversation while we’re naked?”

A wicked smile paired with dark eyes that caressed her body from head to toe. “No topic is odd when we’re naked.”

Her thighs clenched at the lazy, seductive tone. She absolutely hated her body’s reaction to him. Hated it. And yet, she didn’t. Because if she hated it so much, she would have been out the door a long time ago.

Defeated by her own physical wants.

“It depends on what I’m doing or if I’m under a lot of stress. About a pint a week. Too much and I’ll go into bloodlust. Like being drunk, only worse.”

“You’ll only take my blood from now on.” A warning that made her spine stiffen.

Shoving her arms into her shirt, she rose to her feet, not so defeated anymore. “Demands do not make me compliant, Santos. They only piss me off.”

He let out a sound of frustration. “I have a powerful thirst for you, kitten, and sometimes my need gets ahead of my mouth.”

She stepped into her pants. “Then maybe you should apply some duct tape over it. I’ve found a good roll of duct tape solves many a problem.”

“Ria.” His soft rasp drew her gaze. He stood, in all his naked glory, hands digging into his flesh, eyes closed as if in agony, and she had the strangest feeling she could seriously hurt this man, do irrevocable damage to him by simply walking out the door.

It would be a rejection on the deepest of levels. A soul crushing pain that would never end, a shredded pride that never healed. She knew that kind of scarring, and would never wish its kin on anyone, much less this powerful male standing before her, obviously struggling with pride, anger and the possessiveness that ruled all alpha shifters.

“Stay.” There was something in that single word she’d never heard before, and in his eyes she saw a bleak shadow pass through. “Please.”

It was a stab to the heart. Fingers tightening on her shoes, she had a moment of acute clarity. This decision would alter her life forever. If she left, she might very well break them both, but if she stayed, if she took that leap of trust, she just might find her way home.

Home.

The idea was no longer a fantasy, but a very real possibility. And it would all begin with her.

A long pause. A swipe of her tongue over dry lips. Her chest constricted, then loosened. “All right.”

The next morning everyone gathered in the dining room. After a chaotic discussion, it was decided that Rome, Gwen and Lance – due to his sprained wrist and now itching arm as his burn healed – would remain at the tunnel entrance while Santos, James, Ria and Porter would venture inside.

Loaded down with ropes, hooks, gloves, flashlights, medical kit, towels, water, gas masks, two shotguns, wielded by James and Porter, and anything else the rangers insisted they needed, along with a cooler of snacks and enough water to douse a small forest fire, the group of seven drove out to the reserve gate and hiked the rest of the way in.

After James checked everyone’s pack one last time – obsessive-compulsive much? – and the group chugged down more water, though Ria stayed with her chai tea thank you Annie, the foursome finally set off.

The tunnel was solid rock all the way around and as the group traversed farther in, stones of varying size started to appear on the ground, scattered as if tossed carelessly about. Picking one up, Ria examined the green, blue and white colors that reflected back from her flashlight.

“Now I know where the stones for the steps came from.” She flipped the smooth rock over in her hands as they walked. “Wonder why they didn’t use the same for the walls.”

“Not enough of them?” Porter suggested at her back.

“Watch your heads.” Santos ordered from the front line.

An outcropping jutted from the ceiling, not low enough for anyone to duck, but it made Ria understand James’s demand of the ugly helmet she wore on her head. Not that Santos or Porter wore one. Both had sneered at the yellow, lighted hats and turned away in disgust. At least Santos carried a flashlight, not that he needed it, not with those cat eyes of his. The walkie-talkie on his belt sputtered to life. “What?”

“Just checking in.” Rome’s voice came through, sprinkled with static.

“We’re fine Suzy. Don’t get your panties in a knot.”

“Don’t give a shit about you. Just making sure Ria and James are good.”

“What part of ‘fine’ do you not understand?” Santos handed the walkie-talkie to James who followed directly behind him and in front of Ria. “Deal with him.”

“It’s quite embarrassing,” Porter muttered dryly, “how Santos dotes on us.”

Ria clamped her lips tight to keep from smiling.

Limestone was prevalent, and as they walked, the size of the tunnel expanded and contracted, but never short enough that anyone had to stoop.

“There’s plenty of air.” James commented after several minutes. “That’s a good thing.”

Ria heard Porter inhale. “It doesn’t smell stale so there must be another opening somewhere.”

“Do you see anything, Santos?” Ria called out.

“Rock.”

She rolled her eyes. The man was taking his point position a little too seriously. “Thanks. That’s helpful.”

James and Porter chuckled and they continued on in silence, dodging the occasional rock pile.

“Is it my imagination or are we going up?” Ria mused out loud.

“We’re definitely going up. We’ve also turned southeast.” James responded, checking his compass.

“How far do you think we’ve gone?” She asked.

“About a mile.” Santos answered. “And it looks like we’ve reached a stopping point.”

As he spoke, the tunnel poured out into a large cavity.

“Oh, wow,” Ria breathed as the group entered the cavern. Beams of light swung in every direction, revealing rough rock walls in alternating shades of black, brown and white. Stalactites protruded from the ceiling, their sisters rising from the ground in slender points. It wasn’t a huge cave, maybe a thousand square feet with the ceiling rising four feet overhead, but it was magnificent, and very empty of anything resembling a pirate’s treasure.