The Vampyre Legal Chronicles - Marcus (22 page)

Ezekiel's dark
brows rose.

"Perhaps not.
We do not have time to waste. Portal events are becoming more
frequent. When a portal opens in our reality, magic leaks into this
world. Therefore my powers increase as do my vampyre's abilities.
You must understand that nature demands a balance in all things.
And the portals are impacting the earth’s polarity. Earthquakes
follow, as do volcanic eruptions. Birds fall from the sky. Mammals,
thousands of fish, are washed upon the shores. Drought, floods,
famine and pestilence now stalk humanity."

Anais shivered
and Marcus held her as if he’d never let her go, while she sat
upright and leaned against his chest. His strong heart was a heavy
beat against hers. And for the first time she was thankful, even
glad, she was vampyre and not human, because even with a short
glimpse into Ezekiel's clever mind, she knew now what the future
might hold. That knowledge terrified her enough to threaten to
devour her sanity. But she refused to give in to it. She refused to
live in fear.

If anything the
past days and hours had shown her she needed to grab what happiness
she had, when she could, and live in the now.

Marcus stood
and pulled her to her feet.

When she swayed
he lifted her in his strong arms and held her as if she was the
most precious thing in his universe.

Marcus's voice
was firm, resolute, as he spoke to Ezekiel,

"I will call
you."

He nodded to
Saira who opened the door to let him carry Anais into the
Cathedral.

"Saira," Ezekiel's
voice was soft as Saira moved to follow Marcus and Anais.

With her hand
on the door handle, she turned her head and looked over her
shoulder.

He waited until
she looked directly into his eyes.

"Eleanor has
betrayed us."

Ezekiel read
nothing but a cold-blooded loathing in her eyes.

What the hell,
he had nothing to lose, so he spoke from the heart,

"I miss
you."

Saira didn’t
say a word.

She didn't
blink.

She simply
stared right through him before she turned and left without once
looking back.

"And that’s it?
Everything is all right with my world? Once we get back to the
United States, how are we going to explain what’s happened to me?"
Anais asked Marcus.

They were
cuddling in his big bed after talking long into the night.

"Easy, we just
say love does funny things to a person."

"I don’t know
how you can joke at a time like this."

He nibbled her
bottom lip as if she hadn’t spoken.

"I'd never joke
about our wedding. We’ll get you a designer dress. This is China.
They’ll run one up in an hour. Maybe a sparkling ruby tiara. Rubies
would suit you. We can get a priest if you like. Tons of flowers.
After that, we’ll settle in New York or anywhere else you fancy,
each pursuing our careers in Gillespie, Pattullo and Hindmarch. In
a few years, maybe sooner if you want, we’ll have a baby. See? All
sorted."

He nuzzled his
mouth against the pulse fluttering in delicate skin of her
neck.

Anais closed
her eyes against the prickling sensation behind her lids.

How many times
had she fantasized about that precise scenario?

Of course she
hadn’t seen vampyrism in her future.

"This is
crazy," she began.

"Anais, look at
me." He took her chin and forced her to stare into his eyes. "I
love you, darlin’. As a lawyer you’re supposed to be able to read
people. For months we’ve worked closely together. You know when I’m
serious."

"Marcus, I
swear if you’re playing me, I’ll make it my mission in life to make
yours a living hell."

"I never play
games. I love you."

She supposed if
he said it often enough, she might begin to believe it.

"Why do we need
to marry?"

Anais was well
aware she hadn’t said she didn’t love him and it seriously annoyed
her how complacent and certain of her he looked.

"It’s too
simple to live together and you are mine."

Anais was
stunned she could actually laugh at a time like this.

"Simple? You
think living with you is
simple
?"

"Uh huh."

He shifted
until his hips were cradled between hers and a spectacular erection
pressed into her belly. His mouth took hers and this time it wasn’t
soft, wasn’t kind. Everything he wanted from her, needed from her,
transmitted itself through that one point of contact.

Incredibly, it
felt as if her bones were melting as she surrendered.

Her arms wound
around his neck.

"I never
thought I'd see the day when I'd admit to believing in magic.
Magic
. For the first time I am actually thankful to be
vampyre. I never thought I would live to see the day I'd ever say
that."

His eyes went
dark now.

"You are not
invincible," he said.

"Not yet,"
responded Anais. "If my world is about to change, so must I go
along with it."

Marcus bent his
head and kissed her nose.

"This is not
the first time magic has sought to rule this world. Magic was
defeated before, it will be defeated again."

"Ezekiel wishes
to help us," she said.

"Ezekiel may
draw us into a trap."

She shook her
head.

"No. His
thoughts are pure."

"Do you really
believe he'd permit you to see all?"

"I saw enough
before he shut me out, Marcus. Ezekiel did not have a choice." Now
she burrowed into him and held him tight before lifting her head to
study his face. "Tell me, what happened to earth the last time
magic ruled?"

He sighed, as
if not wanting to say anything that might break the moment. And
then he pressed his cheek to her hair and inhaled deeply.

"The dark
ages."

A time where
art and the creation and science seemed to die for hundreds of
years.

She wouldn't
think of such an event happening again, so her mind went back to a
point he'd made earlier.
'It's too simple to live together and
you are mine.'

Perhaps it was
just that simple?

"I do love you,
Marcus. But I hate you as well."

His forehead
met hers.

"I know it. I’m
sorry I hurt you, Anais. I’m sorry I didn’t talk to you before I
acted. I'm sorry I didn't prepare you better for what the future
held. Marry me?"

She could hear
the sincerity in his voice and see it in his eyes.

He was
absolutely serious.

And yet before
she gave him an answer, there was so much for her to sort out.

So much for her
to learn.

So much for her
to understand.

If she could
turn back the clock, would she do anything different? In truth, in
spite of everything Marcus had done to her, to them both, the
answer was no. However,
no
didn't mean he was off the hook.
She might love him, but, she resented him, too. He was too bossy,
too male, too much. However, she didn't want to return to her
solitary life. A life where she'd never been held in the arms of
her vampyre lover. She'd just had to lose her humanity to do
it.

Now she was a
vampyre and an empath, a supernatural being. And, according to
Saira, an oddity. Her brain was filled with too much information.
Maybe she needed to take one day at a time? And by the way Marcus
was looking at her, as if he wanted to spank her because she hadn't
answered his very important question.

She sighed.
"I'll think about it."

The kiss he
gave her was almost erotic in its sweetness.

When he lifted
his head his eyes were too dark and too intense. But she recognised
the deep love in his heart for her.

 "I’ll
make life tough for us at times. I’m not the easiest man to live
with. But I adore you, my wee darlin’. Do you believe me?"

Her smile
blossomed.

And so did the
love she had for him, only for him, in her heart.

"I do."

Marcus closed his eyes
and thanked God for bringing this woman into his life.

His hands
tunnelled in her soft, silky hair as he tipped her head back and
plundered her vulnerable mouth.

The sting in
his shaft made him groan into her mouth, "I need your hands on
me."

Her big eyes
stared into his and he read hunger and arousal.

"Where?"

He laughed as
he undid the button on her jeans, slid down the zip.

"Anywhere you
like, darlin’. Where would you like to start?"

The pink tip of
her tongue ran across her top lip as she undid the button on his
jeans, slid down the zip and eyed his throbbing erection.

"I want to
taste you," she all but purred the words as she tilted her pelvis
and rubbed herself against him in a way that had him hiss out a
breath.

Her effect on
him was becoming embarrassing.

In seconds they
were naked.

But rather than
touching him, Anais appeared to need to simply kiss him to
death.

What a way to
go.

Tentative
fingers slid into his hair, massaged his scalp and the effect
was... amazing.

Her tongue
danced with his and when she took his bottom lip between her teeth
and sucked it into his mouth, he almost exploded right there and
then.

"You’re trying
to destroy me."

"Straddle my
mouth."

Shock held him
still.

He stared down
into those naughty eyes the color of dark chocolate and read sheer
wickedness.

Since he lived
to please her, he did as she asked and placed his knees either side
of her shoulders, which brought his balls, his aching erection
right above her mouth.

But the little
vixen simply nuzzled the soft skin of his upper thigh with her
nose, her lips, as her hands and fingers went on a voyage of
discovery over his ass.

His hands
slapped against the headboard as he tried manfully not to
tremble.

Marcus
Gillespie didn’t do trembling, but he was trembling now.

"Please..." he
begged, for what he had no idea.

At last her
hands found him.

His dick was so
hard it could drill a hole in solid steel.

One small hand
cupped and took the weight of his balls, while the other ran
feather light fingertips up the length of his thick shaft.

A fingertip
spread the fluid of precum over the mushroom head of his erection
and he nearly wept from the pleasure of it.

Breathing hard,
he looked down between his legs and his eyes met hers.

The pink tip of
her tongue poked out between soft lips before she gently licked
over the tip and all the while her eyes never left his. Her breath
whispered as she blew gently and he almost exploded when the hand
cradling his balls gave a light squeeze.

"Where did you
learn that?" he gasped.

Since she was
licking him as if he was her favourite ice cream she didn’t reply
at once.

 His shaft
came out of her mouth with a little pop.

She stared up
at him with big dark eyes.

"In my dreams.
We do a lot of things in my dreams."

Her fangs shot
through her gums.

Marcus
carefully withdrew his aching manhood from the danger zone.

"Darlin’. You
need to feed."

"Aww, poor
Marcus, scared?"

"You need to
learn to control your vampyre because she’ll trigger mine."

Her eyes went
flame red and that soft voice purred, "Wanna come out and play, big
boy?"

His vampyre sat
up like a dog being offered a double chocolate chip cookie.

Ooooh boy.

Big boy was a
good description as his torso expanded, his thighs went rock hard
with solid muscle and his shaft felt too heavy between his
legs.

A deep rumbling laugh
exploded from Marcus’s chest and his eyes went the color of
claret.

His fangs gave
Anais a moment’s pause but he hadn’t hurt her the first time his
Vampyre took control, apart from spanking her which had, in a weird
way, been incredible.

He leaned over
her, placing his elbows either side of her as he nuzzled her
neck.

Wantonly she
arched her back under him, spread her legs and gave a little mewl
deep in her throat as he rubbed his shaft up and down her swollen,
slick heat.

"Take me. Now,"
she said. It was an order not a request.

Marcus raised
his head and stared deep into her eyes.

His hips thrust
once.

Her breath
hitched in her throat as his shaft impaled her. He over-stretched,
over-filled her in a way that made her wonder how she’d ever lived
without him.

His huge body
might be trembling, but he held the position absolutely still.

"Bite me," she
commanded.

He studied her
for an endless moment before slowly lowering his head.

His tongue
lapped over her carotid artery as she waited breathlessly for
pain.

The realisation
that his saliva had a numbing effect helped her relax.

He swivelled
his hips and the sensation was so wonderful her womb clutched.

With a growl he
pulled her tight against him and sank his fangs into her
artery.

Panic hitched
her breath but then Anais was soaring as he tipped his pelvis back
and forth, back and forth.

Oh God, it felt
amazing.

The way her
orgasm gathered took her breath as he sealed the wound with his
tongue.

Then he gently
pressed her head to the hot skin of his chest, encouraging her to
bite just above the frantic beat of his heart.

"Feed," his
deep growl rumbled in his chest, just under her mouth.

Her fangs sank
into his skin like a hot knife through butter.