The Vampire's Kiss (6 page)

“I want to go home.” Yet Memphis allowed herself to be led away by the peroxide blonde.

“That’s impossible,” Polly told her as they walked up the staircase to the next floor that housed the bedrooms.

“But—”

“No buts. We all have to do what the house commands.”

The tightness in Polly’s voice made Memphis looked into the other woman’s eyes. “You, too?”

“Yes, but this isn’t about me. I must admit I’m enjoying this between you and Richard. He needs to be taken down a peg or two.

He needs you, Memphis.”

“Really? I think you’re wrong. He’s with someone called Josephine at the moment.” Memphis felt a stab of jealousy.
How can I
be jealous when I barely know the man? I have no claims on him. We
had sex twice
.

Polly waved her hand in dismissal. “They’re just playing. It means nothing. They both have a wild, dark side that only the other can fulfill.”

“You all take sex so casually here.”

“No, we have a different understanding of it than others,” Polly explained to her. “And you’re the one for Richard. Josephine doesn’t want him as a partner for life. He’s like a big sex toy for her. Alaric is the one she loves.”

This was all so confusing. Vampires, sex toys and magical houses.

Whatever next? “Richard said he was falling in love with me.”

“Excellent.”

“It’s too soon to say stuff like that.”

“Rubbish.”

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47

Memphis was silent for a moment. “Well, I’m not going to kiss him.”

Polly smiled. “You will when you’re ready.”

The woman had an answer for everything. “Who are you?”

“Just a simple housekeeper.”

Memphis shook her head. “I don’t think so. I believe there’s a lot of stuff going on inside of you and that blonde hair is just a mask to cover it all. ” Memphis knew peroxide when she saw it.

The blonde woman stopped and looked at her. “You’re smart.”

“As are you.”

“I do what I must to survive,” Polly shrugged her shoulders.

“So this witch that only you saw—”

“Was a means to an end and as soon as these boys are settled I can leave.”

Why couldn’t she leave now? “Are you trapped?”

“I’m biding my time.”

Memphis looked at her surroundings. The house that held them, literally, was ornate, grand, and imposing. It was unlike her own suburban, humble abode. “What is it about this house?” She stopped and touched one of the stone walls. Surprising warmth, unusual for stone, suffused her hand.

“That’s a very long story,” Polly responded quietly, not hesitating in her step.

A wild thought occurred to Memphis. “This house is alive.”

That stopped Polly. She turned and looked at Memphis. “Yes.”

“Who? How?”

“One day I’ll tell you but not today.”

“Why not?” The need to know burned within Memphis. She wanted to understand Richard and the house was a part of him.

“Because the truth does not always set you free.”

48

Amarinda Jones

Dressed in oversized jeans and a long t-shirt, Memphis sat on the bed in the bedroom she had occupied with Richard and thought about everything that had happened to her. He said he loved her. The thought of that made her hot all over. No one had ever loved Memphis.

“Yeah, but then there’s this Josephine chick.” How could you profess love then go fuck another woman? And ‘
darker sides and
passions that needed to be answered?’

“Well, damn it, he can do all that with me or no one.” Memphis stopped and thought about what she had just said and the truth smacked her in the face. “I want Richard in my life
.
But how can that be? I barely know this man.” She ran her hands over her face. “This is so confusing.”

As if on cue, Richard appeared out of nowhere. “Hello.”

Memphis sprang off the bed. “You can’t just pop in and out like that. What if I needed privacy?”

“Did you?”

“That’s not the point.” She put her hands on her hips and fronted him. Memphis was gripped by two distinct emotions—pleasure at seeing him and jealousy at knowing where he had been. “Anyway, what do you want?

He smiled softly at her. “You.”

“Really? After another woman you come to me? I don’t think so.”

Memphis wanted to slap him for letting another have what was hers.

Mine? Well yeah.

“Jealous?”

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49

“No, you can screw whomever you want.”
Not.

There was a smug look of pleasure in his eyes. “You are, and I like that a lot.” Richard moved toward her.

Memphis stood her ground. She wasn’t about to be bullied by anyone. Dominance wasn’t a turn-on for her. Equality was. “I don’t want to be one of many.” Memphis realized, as she said the words, that she was talking about a future with Richard.

“What do you want?”

You.
“I don’t know.” Normally she was decisive in her thinking.

At the moment Memphis was anything but.

“Yeah, you do. You’re just scared to say it.” Richard came to stand before her.

“How do you know that?” Memphis poked a finger against his chest.

“I can see it in your eyes, Mem sweetheart. They’re very expressive.” Richard’s hands came to rest on her shoulders.

“Josephine —”

The heat from his hands both alarmed and excited her. “I don’t want to know.”
I do but I don’t.

“I want you to know.”

Okay, maybe it’s best to get this out in the open so we can all
move on to wherever that is.
“That you have a dark, sadomasochistic side she shares with you?”

Richard nodded. “That’s all there is to it. She considers me a sex toy.”

Good. Because I’d have to kill her if it was anything more
.

Memphis froze at her thoughts.
Oh dear, maybe I’m feeling a little too
much here
.

“And you?”
Say you love her and I’ll scream.
Memphis would declare to anyone who asked her that she wasn’t the possessive type.
I
just know what’s mine
.

“Josephine needs to be dominated.”

Oh, I have to meet this chick
. “What about me?”

50

Amarinda Jones

“Do you want to be dominated?”

“No.”
Maybe. I don’t know. Will I get to come?
“I want respect.”

The other obvious response was she wanted to be loved.
But one step
at a time.

Richard pulled her into his arms. “I respect you.”

Memphis soaked up the warmth of his body against hers. “What if I wanted to play with Alaric?” She felt him stiffen in response.

“Do you?”

“No.” His cousin was cute but he was not hers. And that was the whole thing. Memphis wanted exclusivity with a man. Anyone could screw around. Few people were lucky to stay together.

“Do you want to play with me?” He lifted her chin so he could look in her eyes.

“Maybe.” Richard’s chuckle in response made her feel all girly.

“What if I asked you to give up Josephine?” Even as she said the words, Memphis knew she wouldn’t, which was weird because she didn’t believe in sharing her man.
My man?

“I would if you desired it.”

“Frig, I don’t know what I desire anymore. You vampire people with your weird house are confusing the crap out of me.”

Richard smiled into her eyes. “You desire me.”

“You? She pushed her hands against his chest. “You’re just a big sex toy.”

“So, do as you will with me.” Richard waved his hand and his clothes were gone in a flash.

Her eyes went to his cock. “I’ve never actually, well, you know—”

“What? Made the first move?” Richard didn’t look surprised. In fact, he looked pleased.

“No.” How silly and naïve did she sound?

Richard held out his arms to her. “I’m yours, Mem sweetheart.”

And she knew in her heart those were not idle words. “I, um…”

Where do I start?

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51

“Touch me,” he said.

Memphis’s hand reached out to his bare chest before her brain could contemplate all the ramifications of what she was doing. Her fingertips slid over the hair-roughened plane and down to his stomach. Her eyes went back once more to his cock. It was jutting out as if begging for her touch.
And I want to touch
.

Richard took her hands and guided them down to the shaft.

“Please.”

She stroked the length of it. It was hard yet velvety smooth.

Memphis closed her eyes and remembered once more the hot fullness of his dick plunging inside her. She licked her lips in thought.
Oh,
what I would really like to do to him right now.

“What are you thinking?”

Her eyes opened on his. “I’ve never sucked a cock before.”

Memphis knew she was blushing but it was okay. This was Richard.

She didn’t have to be anything but herself with him. “May I?”

“I am yours to play with.”

“Right.”
Now, how to do this?

“You okay?” his smile was soft.

“I’m just thinking.”

“Need a clue?”

Memphis shook her head. “I am a woman. I can do this.” She dropped to her knees, her hand still on his cock. Memphis kissed the bulbous head of it. It tasted clean and spongy and all male.
Delicious.

“Oh, that you kiss but not my lips?” Richard arched his eyebrows in amusement.

She curled one hand around his shaft and rested the other against his thigh. “This is more fun.” Before he could respond Memphis swallowed the head inside and sucked. The growl of approval that came from Richard gave her a feeling of power she had never felt before. This man was totally under her control.
And I like it
. Memphis sucked on the head of his dick as her hand began moving up and down the shaft in a milking fashion.

52

Amarinda Jones

“Lower.” Richard pushed her hand closer to the head.

Memphis was only to willing to learn. She wanted him to come under her control. The thought of semen in her mouth made her hot.

Memphis increased the friction of her hand and the suction of her mouth. She could feel his thigh muscles tense up.

“You’re going to kill me,” Richard groaned.

Memphis let his cock slide out of her mouth with a pop. It was shiny, pink and needy. “You’re immortal, right? Me sucking cock cannot kill you.” She lifted his cock and licked his balls.

“Memphis!” Richard jumped at her action.

“What?” She looked up at him as innocently as she could. “I thought you liked the whole domination thing.”

“Yeah, but when I’m in charge.”

“Not this time, Ricky.” She licked his balls once more before returning his cock to her mouth. Memphis sucked and licked, her hand pumping his shaft fast in her need to make him come.

“You’d better take your lips off me or I’ll come in your mouth.”

Memphis shook her head and sucked harder. The first jet of semen that touched her tongue was not as she expected. It was musky and bitter. Memphis sucked it down knowing the man whose fingers were now threaded in her hair was totally at her mercy. When the last drop was lapped up, Memphis released his captive cock and looked up at him. “Now who’s the boss?”

“You are, sweetheart.”

* * * *

In the kitchen Polly stirred the large pot on the stove. Although there was no physical presence beside her, she felt the heat of another body behind hers.

“I have to do this. I must push Memphis and Richard along,” she muttered to herself and the presence, as if daring it to disagree with

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53

her. The sooner Polly did that then the sooner she could leave Maverick House and get on with her own life.

“It’s not that simple. You can only go when I say you can.”

“I must leave. I will leave. I need my life back.” She gripped the spoon to keep control

“You need this house. You need me.”

“You do not own me, Aran.”

“You need me,”
he repeated once more.

She feared he was right and that made her more anxious to leave.

In some ways he was right. As annoying as it was to be trapped into doing his bidding, there was a safety at Maverick House that Polly had never felt before.
And I am getting too dependent on that.
“I need no one.” Her voice was defiant as she threw more herbs in the pot. “I need nothing but my freedom.”

“
Our time will come, Polly, my love.”

My love.
She closed her eyes as she felt strong hands stroking on her back. “I want to go home. I want—”

“I know but I cannot let you. Your job is not done.”

“Alaric is settled. I swear Richard will be soon as well.”

“This is no longer about them. They were only ever a small part
of this. I needed them to find love and become mortal. I needed the
Linquist name to live on.

Polly felt a cold shiver run down her spine. “What else do you want?” His soft, deep laugh made her shiver.

“So much more. This is just the beginning.”

54

Amarinda Jones

“These ropes are chafing me and I don’t like my ass up in the air like this.” Memphis wriggled around.

Richard smiled and slapped the ass in question. “You have a great ass.” He had, at Memphis’s request shown her one of the games he had played with Josephine. With Memphis it was different. Richard was not demanding obedience. He was having too much fun for that.

“Really?” Memphis was tied up over the bed. A rope was around and under her shoulders, another around her waist and the last one around his hips. She was two feet above the bed, suspended on a pulley with her ass up and out.

Richard had tied her legs together. He could still thrust his cock into her cunt, but the penetration would be tighter and deeper. “You have a juicy, plump bottom and I’m going to fuck it hard.” His cock was jumping in anticipation.