Sarah McCarty (39 page)
“If you can’t be vampire, then I’ll meet you halfway.”
“I don’t understand.”
“It occurred to me that if the application of your research were moderated, a vampire could cheat immortality. Gradually. Over time.”
She grabbed the doorjamb with both hands. “Hold on.”
“What?”
“You’re talking about killing yourself.”
With a flex of muscle, he popped her grip free. “I’m talking about aging gracefully with the anticipated result at the end. The same as you.”
“Killing yourself,” she repeated. “Dear God, do you think I’d ask that of you?”
“No.” He let her slide down his body. “That’s why I took the decision out of your hands.”
“Good God.” She rubbed her hand over her forehead. “You do know how to kill the mood.”
“I thought I was setting it.”
“I’m beginning to wish I’d never started that research.”
“But you did, and we can use it.”
She took another step back. “No, we can’t.”
“Jane?”
She sat on the couch. The ramifications of the formula running through her head. And no matter what scenario she ran, the answer was always the same. Disaster.
Slade stood over her. “What is it?”
“You have to understand, when I made that formula, I had no idea vampires or werewolves existed. I certainly didn’t know there was some supernatural war going on. I mean seriously, who knew anything like that existed outside of the movies?”
He knelt in front of her. “Jane.”
She shook her head. “Don’t say anything yet. Just hold me.”
He pulled her into his arms. “All right.”
She rested her head against his shoulder and breathed his scent, taking her strength from his. “One thing is for sure, Vamp Man. You sure know how to shake up a woman’s world.”
His big hand cupped her cheek. She loved when he did that. The touch of his hand curving around her face, the touch of his energy curving around her heart, it just completed some invisible circle she’d never known lacked closure. It gave her courage.
“I want you to make love to me, Slade.”
“After you tell me what’s wrong.”
“No. Before.”
“Why?”
She took his hat off his head and tossed it on the coffee table. “I’ll tell you after.”
“What makes you think I can perform under such duress?”
She tugged her shirt over her head and unhooked her bra. “I plan on providing incentive.”
He shrugged out of his shirt. “That’s some incentive.”
She dropped her bra to the floor. “I’ve always thought rewards should be worth the sacrifice.”
He came over her, using his weight to press her back into the couch cushions. She went down without a protest. Wiggling into a better position, she drew her leg up so his cock rested against her pussy. Even through two layers of clothing, the impact was stunning. She closed her eyes as every fiber in her being whispered, “Yes.”
“Make that hell yes.”
She opened her eyes to find Slade smiling down at her, his expression one of love and passion. “Hell yes.”
He chuckled. And reached down. Harsh rips preceded the removal of her jeans. Tiny nips preceded his path down her body. A growl of satisfaction punctuated his arrival at his destination. He was going to kiss her there. She couldn’t breathe, couldn’t move, couldn’t do anything but wait for that first touch of his tongue. And he made her wait, keeping her suspended on the high wire of anticipation, caressing her with his breath, his mind, smiling as the tension in her coiled tighter. Anticipation turned to tingles. Tingles turned to lust. Lust to demand. She grabbed his hair.
“Slade.”
“Just savoring the moment.”
“I’d rather you savor me.”
“Duly noted.”
It wasn’t the first time a man had loved her with his mouth. She’d had her wild years and her misguided years, and for the last few years, her cautious years, but this was the first time a man had truly made love to her. With every touch of his lips, every luxurious pass of his tongue, Slade told her he loved her. Sweetly. Passionately. Tenderly. Drawing out every sensation until she wanted to scream with the pleasure. She started crying instead.
“Jane?”
She shook her head, wiping at her tears.
Slade kissed his way up her torso, wiping the tears from her cheek. “What’s wrong?”
It just made her cry harder that he hadn’t probed her mind for the answer.
Turning them so she lay across his chest, he cupped her head in his hands, wiping her tears with his thumbs while his beautiful eyes studied every nuance of her expression.
“You love me.”
“I thought that was understood.”
She shook her head. “Why didn’t you say something?”
“Because you would have run.”
She sniffed. “You make me sound so messed up.”
“You’ve been hurt.”
“So were you when you were younger.”
“I’ve never been betrayed. It makes a difference.”
“Damn it. Why do you have to be so honorable?”
“Excuse me?”
Wrapping her arms around his neck, she buried her face in his throat. His scent immediately surrounded her. Hot, male, with that light addictive undertone that was uniquely his. “I was going to trick you into converting me.”
“Why?”
He didn’t sound surprised. “If you tell me you knew all along, I’m going to stop feeling guilty.”
His fingers threaded through her hair. “I knew all along.”
“Damn it. You won’t even let me feel guilt.”
He pulled her head back, studying her face before shaking his head and kissing her softly. “We agreed however this goes, it goes our way. No guilt. No manipulation.”
“Then you need to convert me.”
“You don’t want that.”
“Well, I don’t want you poisoning yourself.”
“Then we’ll work out something else.”
The blood tests were her safety net. By not telling him, she could buy time just in case things with Slade didn’t work out. All she had to do was keep her mouth shut. For once, hedging her bet wasn’t appealing. “Something else might already be in the works.”
His smile grew broader, took on a certain knowing air. There could be only one reason. Pushing up, she glared at him. “Oh my God, you checked my tests.”
“I already told you, everything about you is my concern.”
“Then you already know that somehow, someway, I’m already on my way to being vampire and that conversion isn’t going to kill me.”
“Yes.”
Another thought hit her. “But you offered to grow old with me anyway.”
“Just because I accidentally started you down a road you didn’t want to go, doesn’t mean you should be forced to continue.”
“You really meant that?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“I’ve lived over a hundred years without you. I don’t have any interest in going backward.”
The Johnsons might as well be wolf the way they love.
She hadn’t understood what Creed meant at the time, but she did now. Slade loved her. Not for the moment. Not for convenience. Not for what she could bring him. He loved her the way she loved him. For who she was. With all his heart.
“You’re going to make me cry again.”
“I’ll overlook the weakness if you tell me what I’m waiting to hear.”
“For heaven’s sake I risked my life to keep you alive. You’ve been in and out of my head more than the thought of chocolate. You have to know ...”
He just kept staring at her. This close she couldn’t miss the flicker in his energy. He wasn’t as sure about her as he appeared. Reaching between them, she unzipped his pants and eased his cock free. Thick and hard, it filled her hand, pulsing with power and life.
“Jane?”
“I’m sorry. I always joke when I’m nervous.” Leaning down, she aligned her mouth to his, edge to edge. Breath to breath. Raising her hips, she aligned her pussy to his cock, pressing lightly, maintaining the connection, holding him on the same edge of anticipation upon which he held her.
This time his “Jane” was more guttural. More urgent.
“I love you, Slade Johnson. More than my life, more than my next breath, and while I may not have waited as long as you have, I’m not willing to go backward, either.” She slowly took him into her body, shivering at the pleasure. Groaning as his cock flexed within her. “I want you in my life, every day,” she gasped. “In every way, no matter what comes.”
“Hell yes.” With a push of his hips, he took over, filling her so completely she had to pause to absorb the impact.
“Oh my God.”
“Be sure, Jane,” he gritted out. “Because I won’t settle for less than all of you. Ever.”
“Neither will I.”
Unbelievably, he laughed.
“Good.”
She didn’t know who took whom. It didn’t matter. All that mattered was that they were here, together. Her inner muscles rippled and stretched around his cock. Her nails dug into his chest. His hands tightened on her hips. Lifting her up until only the tip of his cock teased her pussy, he kept her there for a heady second before bringing her back down in a slow delicious thrust. Sweet, it was so sweet.
“Oooh.”
“You like that?”
She nodded.
“So do I. Let’s try it again.”
They did. Again and again until sweet wasn’t enough. She ground down on him. He pushed up into her. She couldn’t get enough, give enough. She needed more. So much more. Pressure built in her head. Fire flared beneath her skin, energy whipped around them in a frantic storm.
“Slade!”
“Shit. Hold on.”
She did, digging her nails into his chest until the scent of blood joined the scent of passion. Holding on as he fucked her harder, deeper, sending her spiraling higher. Looking down, she watched his cock piston in and out of her pussy, lowering the barriers in her mind, projecting to him the utter perfection of both the sight and sensation. Perfect. It was so perfect.
He growled in his throat as the tension in her coiled into a hot ball. Her pussy flared and pulsed. His thumb slid between her labia, sliding through her thick juices until it found her swollen clit.
She screamed and clawed at his chest as his thumb circled and pressed.
“Oh yes. I like you wild.”
And he did. She could feel his pleasure, his lust, but under it all she felt his love. That incredible love. She needed to be closer. So much closer.
Pleasure blended with desire. Love with lust. And under it all the fire burned and spread, pushing her toward ... something.
“Slade, I need...”
She didn’t know what she needed, but Slade did. She knew he did.
“Please.”
“Right here, baby.”
“I need—”
His thumb rubbed harder. “Just let go.”
She shook her head. Her hair flew about her face, blocking her vision. She couldn’t.
“It’s not enough. I need.”
Her nails raked down his torso.
Blood.
Blood.
Gathering the energy around them, she thrust the image into his mind, his mouth at her neck. His cock in her pussy.
“Jane. Stop.”
She wouldn’t stop. Couldn’t. She needed this. Needed him. She gathered more energy, projected harder, cried out as Slade hooked his hand behind her neck and pulled her down. His breath hit her skin in a hot promise.
Yes!
Hell yes
!
She felt the graze of his teeth as he thrust up hard. Her head tipped back, inviting his bite, his possession. There was a sharp pain, and then nothing but white hot ecstasy as her body convulsed around his, taking all he had to give, milking him of every last drop of pleasure as he bound them irrevocably. Forever.
!
She felt the graze of his teeth as he thrust up hard. Her head tipped back, inviting his bite, his possession. There was a sharp pain, and then nothing but white hot ecstasy as her body convulsed around his, taking all he had to give, milking him of every last drop of pleasure as he bound them irrevocably. Forever.
“I ought to paddle your ass,” Slade drawled fifteen minutes later, stroking his fingers up and down her arm as they lay together on the couch.
Jane cracked an eyelid and tried to work up to concern. “Could you wait until I recover my strength?”
Slade chuckled. “Want a running start?”
She shook her head and wiggled her butt, smiling slightly when he gave it a pat. “I just want to have enough energy to enjoy it.”
He chuckled again and brushed his lips over her hair “That was a dangerous move.”
“It wasn’t planned.”
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