Summers, Jordan (23 page)

“I’m asking more from you than just your love, probably
more than I should ever ask of anyone.” He exhaled, audibly. “I’m asking you to
look into the eyes of a beast and not falter. Can you do that Lily? Could you
love a monster?” His voice was tight as he continued. “That is what I am, you
know. An abomination that deserves not your pity, nor your love, but I ask for
it anyhow. To be given freely.” His hands shook at his sides. “I can offer you
nothing, no children, no family, only myself. It’s important you understand.”

A myriad of emotions passed over her features. He
considered reading her mind, but decided against it. He would give Lily
something he’d never given anyone but Hurley—total trust. Her eyes continued to
study him, searching for any sign that would indicate he wasn’t the man she’d
fallen in love with. Richard gave her nothing to find.

The anguish in his voice tore fragments from her heart.
Lily still couldn’t comprehend that the man standing before her was not a man
at all, but a real, live vampire. She’d heard legends, old wives tales meant to
keep her from playing in the woods as a child, but nothing described remotely
resembled Richard. Handsome as the day she’d met him, there was a touch of
vulnerability to him and now, thanks to her, pain. Was it possible, that
despite his strange malady he was just like everyone else? Could he truly feel
emotions?

Lily’s heart clenched at the thought of hurting
Richard. “I’m not going to turn you in, but I haven’t as of yet changed my mind
about us. I’d like some answers.”

“By all means… “ He motioned her to the chaise, then
sat beside her, his long legs brushing against her skirt.

Lily’s breath shuddered from his nearness, but it wasn’t
due to fear. Her awareness of him heightened to a fevered pitch now that she
knew his secret. An element of danger existed between them that despite her
initial reaction excited her. She felt her nipples stab against her chemise,
rasping with every inhalation. Her body pulsed and ached.

She gazed at Richard from beneath her lashes, searching
for a sign, something that would indicate what she should do. There was
nothing. He appeared, acted, and spoke like Richard Sebastian Stuart, the sixth
Earl of Lyon. His face remained flawless perfection, pale yet sensuous. His eyes
intense. That gaze alone set Lily’s belly to fluttering at the passion it
promised.

They’d shared much over the past couple weeks, more
than she’d ever shared with any man. Lily stilled as she realized she’d
willingly handed over her virtue to Richard without a second thought, and would
do so again even knowing his secret. She reached out and touched his face. His
skin felt cool beneath her fingertips, yet soft.

“How old are you, Richard?” Lily asked, touching the
contours.

He smiled, keeping his fangs concealed. “Seven hundred
years old, give or take.”

Lily’s eyes widened. “You don’t look that old.” Her
gaze lingered on his lips, remembering all the kisses they’d shared.

“I assure you I feel it.” He laughed bitterly.

She tilted her head. “Why me? Why now?”

Richard sighed. “I’ve waited for centuries to find
someone like you, my darling. A woman strong enough to stand up to me, sensible
enough to keep good conversation, and unique enough to want to be my wife, my
bloodmate.” He ran his hand through his hair. “You have no idea what a daunting
task it has turned out to be. I can’t exactly tell everyone my secret and hope
that once the screaming stops, someone will step forward and volunteer.”

“Not hardly.” She wrung her hands. “Is that why you
struck that bargain with my father?”

“Not exactly.” He tugged at his sleeve. “I only drew up
an agreement with your father to ensure a chance to offer for you. I knew
nothing was certain. That’s why I kept the agreement with Rose even after I met
you. I had to be sure. “

“Go on.”

“I didn’t sleep with Rose after I met you. I couldn’t
bring myself to do so. I wanted no one in my bed, but you.”

Lily watched as he spoke, searching for any signs of
deception. There were none. He spoke the truth, although it would have been the
last thing she’d have anticipated he’d say. Her mind raged against her heart.
Part of Lily longed to reassure him. Tell him that yes she’d stand by his side,
even with this surprising news. But she wasn’t sure she could. There was still
the little fact that he was a vampire, a dangerous creature known for its
ravenous appetites. He’d be alive and well long after they planted her into the
ground. His immortality assured.

Her breathing hitched. Those appetites extended into
the boudoir. Lily’s thoughts tumbled, focusing on the moisture between her
legs, as she remembered their bodies wrapped in sheets, joined as one. She
swallowed, trying to diminish the pictures that formed in her mind at rapid
speed. Bare skin greeting bare skin, heated, writhing, encircling each other,
rising to the highest heights of ecstasy. Would Richard be even more
enthusiastic now that she knew his secret? Lily tried to vanquish the idea, but
it lingered like a shadow, stretching and morphing, clouding her mind.

She smoothed her skirts. “Have you ever asked anyone
else to marry you?” For some reason the answer was truly important to Lily.

Richard laughed again and then slowly shook his head
back and forth. “I’ve never met anyone who could hold my interest.”

Lily smiled, despite her mixed feelings. She recalled
the times they’d spent in Richard’s carriage. Her cheeks heated. His firm mouth
had been latched onto her ripe nipples, suckling and laving, drawing out every
last ounce of her arousal. His fingers had slid effortlessly into her tight
sheath, while his thumb played with her hidden bud. When that wash of emotions
surged through her, he could have done anything, anything at all to her and she
wouldn’t have protested nor cared. But he hadn’t, he’d backed off refusing to
take her virtue in such a manner. Then there’d been the dreams…

Richard stared at her. The expressions on her face were
heated. He wondered if she knew how much she gave away by looking at him. He
didn’t have to read her mind to know she recalled their more intimate moments
together. The slight flush of her cheeks and the subtle dilation of her pupils
lent proof, along with her sudden deepening of breath. Signs Richard knew all
too well to ignore. He inhaled, fighting the urge to take her in his arms.

“Why did you come to my room every night, leading me to
believe I dreamt your visits?”

His breath froze. His gaze searched hers before
answering. “I couldn’t stay away… “ Guilt threatened to impale him. “I’m sorry
for taking your virtue, believe me when I say I considered it the greatest gift
I’ve ever been given. But how did you know?”

She stared at him for what felt like an interminable
amount of time. “Last night I didn’t take the sleep draught.”

Lily’s tongue darted out. The unconscious movement
snapped the threadbare tethers holding him back. Richard crushed her to him
without thinking. She gasped and he plunged inside, tasting and taunting,
hoping to turn her flagging embers into an inferno.

His mind went askew the second his lips touched hers.
All the nights, all the carriage rides had all boiled down to this one moment
in time. Was she woman enough to accept his plea? He deepened the kiss swiping
at her tongue like a master swordsman. She groaned, relaxing into his firm
hold. He knew she wanted to leave, but he had to try to convince her body to
stay. Her flesh longed for what only he could give it. Traitorously her body
responded to his determined touch.

Her back arched into his chest, her nipples scraping
his coat through her gown. Lily reached up and grasped his lapels. Could he let
her walk away, after everything they’d been through? In his mind, he’d already
resigned himself to a life of loneliness, knowing full well no other woman
would be able to capture his heart like the one he ravished right now.

With a moan of surrender, she kissed him back,
tentatively at first. She ran her tongue along his bottom lip, avoiding the
razor sharp fangs in his mouth. It was as if for a moment, she’d forgotten all
about them. Richard’s mind shrouded in a haze of desire, his want had replaced
good sense long ago. He allowed her to plunder and mold, claim and brand. Lily
ran her fingers over his steely muscles, tracing every ridge, every plane.

Her feminine entreaty was as clear to Richard as if she
had shouted from the rooftops. He swung her up into his arms and stood all in
one motion, before carrying her to the door. Easily juggling her weight, he
opened the door and walked through, Lily held firmly to his chest. He strode
down the hall toward the staircase not even faltering when Hurley appeared.

“Keep our dinner warm, my friend. We’ll be busy for a
while,” Richard tossed back as he took the stairs two at a time.

Lily ducked her head, her face flushing a glowing pink.

Richard reached the top and turned left heading for his
apartments. He’d never brought a woman into his inner sanctum and found the
proposition a little intimidating. He threw open the door, halting before
entering. He stared down into Lily’s glowing face.

“Will you be my wife, Lady Lily Devlin, knowing all my
secrets?” he asked, then waited.

She looked up at his face, the strain of emotion
marring her delicate features. Her fingertips traced the outline of his lips. “I
will.”

With that Richard stepped across the threshold. A fire
had been built in the hearth. Candles were lit giving the room a soft and
pleasing glow. Richard smiled to himself. Obviously Hurley had been busy with
more than kitchen duties. Fresh green satin linens had been laid upon his
mahogany bed. An oversized bath, with a sponge included sat in the corner
steaming with hot water. His eyes narrowed at the scene, but Richard said
nothing, grateful beyond words that his old friend had taken such care.

He set Lily down, making sure she’d found her feet
before letting go. Deftly he slipped the buttons on her gown from their
eyelets, until the dress slid to the floor. He released her laces and removed
her petticoat, before pulling her chemise from her body.

Richard then dropped to his knees, rolling down her
stockings in the process and helped her out of her slippers. Within in moments
Lily stood before him naked. “You are exquisite.” He kissed her abdomen and led
her to the tub, helping her step inside.

Lily sunk down into the warm water, letting it lap at
her heated flesh like a thousand tiny waves. She watched as Richard removed his
coat, then his cravat and shirt, baring his chest for her perusal, her gaze
drinking in his masculine beauty, like the sponge soaked up water. His eyes
caught hers as he slipped the buttons on his breeches one by one, taking care to
tease. Lily licked her lips in anticipation and hunkered deeper in the tub. He
removed his Hessians, then peeled his breeches down his muscled thighs until he
could step out of them. Naked and erect, he stood like a pagan god in the
center of the room.

He was all hers. The thought sent slivers of excitement
racing up Lily’s arms.

She sucked in a breath as he stepped forward, closing
the distance between them. He stepped into the tub and sat. When Lily tried to
scoot away, he scooped her up and spun her around until her back pressed to his
chest. She squealed. He picked up the sponge floating on the surface of the
water and brushed it down Lily’s arm. Memories of what she’d done in her tub
earlier slammed into her. Richard’s erect cock rested against the crack of her
bottom. Her heart thudded when she felt it throb at the small of her back.

Lily shivered as Richard rubbed the sponge over her
shoulders, along her neck and around to her nipples. The pink tips pebbled into
hard kernels. He rasped the sponge over her breasts again and she moaned. The
ache between her thighs had turned into a molten inferno. Lily could hardly
think as his hand slid below the surface nearing her entrance. He didn’t touch
her and Lily’s frustration ratcheted up a notch. The tension stringing her
senses grew taut.

“Do you know how much I love touching you?” his deep
voice murmured near her ear, his tongue swiping at the soft shell.

“No,” she whispered breathlessly.

“And your taste drives me insane.”

Lily froze. “Have you ever taken my blood, Richard?”

He didn’t answer. Her breathing increased.

“Richard, please, I need to know the truth.”

Lily heard him swallow. “Only once, but it’s not what
you think. I’ve never fed from you, only nicked you once while we were in your
conservatory.”

Her eyes widened as she recalled the moment he alluded
to. It had only stung for a moment and then was gone. “Is that what it feels
like when you bite?”

“Since I’ve only been bitten once, I can only go by my
own experience and what I’ve been told by others.” He paused. “When a vampire
bites you in the throes of passion, you’ll feel a momentary flash of white hot
pain followed immediately by a wave of desire. There is something in my saliva
that is not only healing but intoxicating.” He shrugged. “I can heighten
pleasure at will.”

“Did you do that with me?”

“No. I wanted you of your own free will.”

He ran his fingers along her arm. Lily trembled.
Despite her fear of pain, the promise of overwhelming desire was alluring. She
wrestled with her uncertainty as she considered all he’d told her. His hands
slid lower, tangling in the nest of curls at her apex. Lily’s head dropped back
against his shoulder. Richard grabbed her around the waist and lifted her,
until her entrance was above his shaft. She gasped, then wiggled, trying to
lower herself.

Richard let her slowly slide down, impaling her on his
cock. Lily’s breathing stalled as he filled her, stretching her pussy until she’d
taken every inch. Then he leaned forward slightly.