When she cried out and shuddered with pleasure, he was almost unprepared for the flood of feeling that washed over his senses. Her delicious psi energies empowered him with a rush of sensation. He felt pride that he could bring her to climax with such small attentions. She would reach o.r.g.a.s.m many, many times this night, he vowed.
"Feel good, mon coeur?" he asked, his breath fanning out over her most sensitive skin as she came down from the first little peak.
She nodded, humming her agreement as he enjoyed the sight of her flushed cheeks and elevated pulse. She was surprisingly innocent for a modern woman, and he found it completely enchanting. There were many things he could teach her about pleasure. It would be a joy to show her, but first things first.
First, he needed to know what it felt like to be inside her. He"d wanted to feel her warmth around him since almost the first moment he"d seen her, and he doubted he could put it off much longer without losing what little was left of his sanity. The dream had only made him more needy, not less. He needed to know the reality of what she felt like around him. Just as he needed to know if she could be the One for whom he"d been waiting all of his long, lonely life.
Frankly, he doubted it. He couldn"t be that lucky. She was perfect for him in almost every way, but he "d grown used to walking his path alone, he didn"t quite believe that he"d ever find the woman who could walk that path with him.
Still, making love to her would at least settle the question, and he needed some relief before he exploded in his pants. With a grunt, he pulled away to divest himself of his clothing. He undressed with little finesse, throwing his clothes to the floor behind him.
In moments, he lay beside her again, naked, hard and wanting. But not for long.
She was soft and dewy after her climax, but he had much more to show her. He moved his hands downward, toward her waist. Pausing to play with her nipples, he squeezed hard enough to bring her full attention back to him.
"You"re a beautiful woman, cherie." He lowered his face to kiss his way to her lips. "The most beautiful I have seen in my many years." His voice whispered across her skin. She laughed softly, a mere puff of air as his skilled hands continued their way down through her neatly trimmed curls, zeroing in on the little nubbin standing at attention for him before finding their way inside her tight channel. She gasped as he tunneled into her, his fingers slippery in the slickness of her arousal. He smiled against her neck.
"I"m no beauty," she insisted in denial of his words.
He would prove her wrong if he had to spend all night doing it. Frankly, he looked forward to it. Kelly squirmed as he began to slide his fingers rhythmically inside her. He lifted his head to meet her eyes.
"I beg to differ, ma pet.i.te. To me, you are the most beautiful woman in the universe. Especially when you come for me." He drove her up that cliff again, using his hands and all his skills to enflame her senses. His fangs grew longer and sharper as the need to feast on her blood rose in him. His c.o.c.k rose too and it needed relief as much, if not more, than he needed to taste her essence.
"I must have you, cherie. I must have you now."
With a swift movement, he was over her, his fingers slowly slipping from her core. She made a sound of protest that turned to a purr as he brought his fingers to his mouth, licking at the fluid of her desire. He closed his eyes savoring her unique and almost drugging taste. He held out his hand to her. He"d leave it to her how far she would go. Would she be a vixen, willing to tease but go only so far? Would she be bold, sucking his fingers like a professional? Or would she be shy, hesitant or even unwilling to get down and dirty with him?
He almost relished the idea that she would be reluctantly led into his sometimes nasty predilections in making love. There was no doubt he liked to push the envelope s.e.xually. He had indulged in almost every perversion at least once. His tastes would probably be considered kinky, though not too extreme, except for the blood sucking, of course. Still, he"d never hurt or violated anyone. His partners had all been willing and willingly given him anything he"d wanted.
He would show Kelly the joys of following where he led, and she would love every minute of it. This he vowed.
But he wouldn"t push too far, too fast. He"d break her in slowly, teaching her a little at a time until she was as eager for his c.o.c.k in any orifice, or in any way, as he was to give it to her. This small first test was just the beginning.
With satisfaction, he felt her hot, little tongue peep out to lick at his fingers, coated in her come. She seemed shy but willing, a combination that fired his already overheated blood.
"I can"t wait, mon coeur. I must join with you."
"I want you inside me, Marc. I need you inside me."
She was breathless as he fulfilled her wish, entering slowly but steadily. She was tighter than a woman of her years could be expected to be in this day and age. He wondered idly for a moment at the stupidity of mortal males that they couldn "t see the diamond shining so brightly in his arms. At the same time, he was glad she "d had few lovers. It made what they shared together more special than it already was. Though he couldn"t remember a time in the past few hundred years-in his entire lifespan as a matter of fact-when he had ever needed one specific woman more than he needed this one, pale little human who whimpered so nicely under him at the moment.
His d.i.c.k slid, hot and heavy, into her wet core. He loved the feel of her. He loved the smell of her, and he loved the taste of her excitement. He knew he would love the taste of her blood even more. That could wait while he got her used to his c.o.c.k, sliding in, then pulling back slightly, spreading her lubrication and easing his way further inside her.
She whimpered as he seated himself fully within her, but he could tell she wasn"t in distress of any kind. Unless one counted dying of pleasure as distress. She was eager for him. He could feel the emotions rushing from her in waves that battered at him, filling him with urgency and the need to possess this one small woman beyond anything he"d ever experienced.
He began to move within her, stretching her tight sheath. Her body responded to him, inviting and encouraging as he moved more strongly within her.
"Faster!" she panted, nearing the edge sooner than he"d expected. To tell the truth, he was glad. Being inside her was more exciting than anything he"d experienced, and he wasn"t sure how much longer he could hold out himself. This was going to be fast, but oh, so good.
He moved faster and she grasped his shoulders, wrapping her shapely legs around his waist. He loved the feel of her soft skin, urging him on.
"G.o.d! Please, Marc!" She was begging, the sound music to his ears.
Only one thing would make this moment more perfect. She was feeding his psychic need, but he needed her blood too.
Marc leaned down, letting his sharp teeth graze the spot on her neck he wanted. He could feel the pulse of her lifeblood just under her delicate skin. He wanted it. He wanted her. He wanted to taste her essence and make her come.
Moving faster within her, he pierced her skin with his sharp fangs, letting her feel only a tiny sting. Just enough to let her know what was happening. He didn"t want her memory of this historic moment clouded by pain. He wanted this amazing woman to remember every moment, to remember him always with a smile on her lips as she thought about the incredible climax they were about to share.
The first drops of her blood hit his tongue and exploded through his senses, making him desperate for more. He pounded into her, tunneling deep, his mouth drawing the essence of her into his own body. He would fill her with his seed, she would fill him with her blood, and together they would find bliss unlike any either of them had ever experienced.
Her o.r.g.a.s.m started almost the moment he"d pierced her flesh. She contracted around him, the climax building stronger and more powerful until she cried out, bringing him along with her. Her blood flowed into his mouth as he erupted into her welcoming body, each finding a home within their destined mate.
He realized that startling truth, beyond a shadow of a doubt, as they climaxed together for the first time. He felt everything she was feeling within his own mind, almost as if he were living it, looking through her eyes, feeling with her emotions. He knew it was the same for her. He could tell by the dazed look of the eyes that met his when he finally sealed the wounds on her neck and lifted his head.
She felt what he felt. They were sharing their minds and emotions fully. They were one. She was his One.
Chapter Ten.
"You"re my mate," Marc said reverently, stroking the mussed hair back from her cheek. "I can hardly believe it. You are my one and only. Mon amour."
"I can feel what you"re feeling. Know what you"re thinking." He could see she was completely stunned. "And don"t you dare laugh at me."
He chuckled, holding her tight, still tightly lodged within her body and her mind. He didn"t want to leave. Ever.
"I"m not laughing at you, mon coeur, I"m simply giddy. I have searched for you for over six hundred years, and now you are mine. I honestly didn"t think this day would ever come to pa.s.s." He leaned in and kissed her soundly, lifting to look into her eyes for a moment, then moving in for a deeper kiss as he grew hard within her once more. "Je t"aime, mon amour. I love you, Kelly."
"How can you love me?" She seemed utterly confused. Charmingly so, he thought. "You barely know me."
"How can I not?" He stroked her beloved face. "I am in your mind, ma pet.i.te, in your very soul. I love you. Of that, there is no doubt. Look into my mind, my memories, my soul, and see if you can deny that you love me too. It is fate. You are my destined mate, and there is nothing else I can do but love you. Even if the fates had not decreed it, I would still love the beautiful little h.e.l.lion you are under that conservative facade. You are perfect for me, Kelly. You need only look within my heart to see it."
She tried to do as he asked, but her senses were in a jumble. Between his thoughts and emotions mirroring back on her inexperienced mind, and his c.o.c.k, hard and rocking within her, she was more than a little overwhelmed. She focused on the physical. At least that she understood. c.o.c.k in p.u.s.s.y, o.r.g.a.s.m soon to follow.
At least with Marc"s huge c.o.c.k in her greedy p.u.s.s.y. The man had more s.e.xual skill in his little toe than all of her past lovers combined. Not that there"d been many. She"d bet he"d had hundreds, maybe thousands of women over his centuries of feeding off female blood and l.u.s.t.
"They are as nothing when compared with you, mon amour." He sucked on her skin as he rode her, deep and slow.
"Get out of my head." She tried to sound tough, but it came out sounding charmingly grumpy. At least that"s what he thought.
d.a.m.n, now she was doing it too. She"d lifted that thought right from his mind.
"Legend says it"s natural for mates to share their thoughts, their blood and their bodies. Now that I"ve found you, I need never feed from another again. Your blood and our pa.s.sion will sustain me for the rest of my days."
Marc rolled, letting her sit astride him. It was like the dream, but different.
"Did you like our dream, mon ange?" His voice purred, temptation itself, and in that moment she realized the dream had been much more.
"It was real?" She didn"t quite understand what she was reading from his mind.
"No, my love, it was only a dream, but we shared it. We three."
"Three? Then...Dmitri was really there?" She was shocked nearly speechless.
"He has special skill in dreamwalking. He brought us both to your dream and the rest, as they say, is history. It was beautiful, wasn"t it?" She gasped as he lifted beneath her, his c.o.c.k reminding her of the sensations they"d shared in the dream. "Do you want Dmitri, my love? Do you miss him behind you?"
"No!" she shouted as he pulsed within her once more, but she knew he could read her thoughts. She didn"t want Dmitri. She wanted only Marc, though the experience-now that she knew they had actually shared that scandalous dream with her, impossible as that seemed-would be one she"d remember all her life.
"You make me happy, mon amour." He lifted up to tease her breast with his tongue. His fangs followed, trailing over her tender skin. "Now ride me, my angel, and take us both to the stars."
She felt his desire, mirroring her own as he licked at her skin, making small love bites that didn"t penetrate but sent her senses reeling all the same. When he finally bit down, she was moving on him rapidly, her own climax so near, she could taste it. He was close too, and feeling his emotions mixed with her own was both distracting and electrifying. She wanted to savor the sensation, but it was too intense.
She couldn"t concentrate on anything as Marc"s c.o.c.k exploded, sending them both to the stars as he"d wanted. She"d never been pushed so high by an o.r.g.a.s.m, never had it feel so perfect, so special, so...right.
He held her as she trembled, tears wetting her eyes and drifting down into her hair. Soothing her with his soft lips, he nuzzled her face, licking the tears away and holding her close. Cherishing her.
"Don"t cry, little one. I"m here. I"ll always be here for you now. For as long as we live." His whispered words rea.s.sured her, and at the same time struck terror into her mind.
"But how long will that be, Marc? Will you want me to become like you? Will I have to become a vampire?" Her mind was in chaos. She didn"t know what to think.
"Sweetheart, I would not force your decision. If you don"t want to make the transition, I"ll end my days when yours end." His eyes pled with her as her tears increased. "But that won"t be for many, many years. We can worry about it when the time comes.
For now, let"s just be glad we"ve found each other. I won"t ask you to take my blood. It must be your decision."
"But you want it." She could feel that from his mind.
He shook his head slowly. "I can"t deny the truth of that. I"d like nothing more than to spend eternity in your arms, sharing the night with you, seeing the world change and evolve around us, but I want your happiness first and foremost. If that thought terrifies you-and I know at this moment it does-then I"ll abide by whatever decision you make. I love you. I want to share whatever time is left to us in this realm with you."
He kissed her so sweetly, she cried even harder. He shushed her gently, rocking her in his arms as he lay back against the cool burgundy sheets. He held her long into the night as her mind whirled. She was simply overcome. Too much, too soon. She didn "t know what to think, or feel, or do. She only knew that being in his arms felt more right than anything she"d ever felt before. He was her rock, her comfort, her port in the storm of her emotions, and she loved him for it. Come to think of it, she loved him. Period.
"I"m glad you realize it." His soft voice drifted out of the darkness as he kissed her temple with gentle lips. She jumped. He was reading her mind again. "I love you too, mon coeur, my heart."
She turned into his arms, the storm of emotion flooding her once more. Her voice was a desperate whisper against his hard- muscled chest when she could finally manage the few words she knew in her heart and soul that he needed so desperately to hear.
"I love you, Marc."
Early the next evening, just after sunset, Atticus and Lissa drank a toast to Marc and Kelly. It was impossible to hide their relationship now. Marc was proud to have Kelly at his side and if she was still a little uncomfortable, it was to be expected. He "d pulled back mentally, giving her s.p.a.ce to grow used to their connection.
He liked her shyness in front of their friends as much as he liked her boldness when they made love. They"d spent the rest of the night and the following day together. Marc had slept in the burgundy room, protected from the sun by the heavy shades and Kelly"s love. She had left him for a while, but even in his sleep he sensed her in the house, eating, answering email and generally puttering around, doing her job.
She returned to him just before he woke fully for the evening and he greeted her with a kiss he would have liked to take farther, but Atticus and Lissa were waiting. Atticus had left word he wanted to see Marc before Atticus and Lissa left for a business outing just after sunset.
When Marc and Kelly came downstairs together, there had been no hiding their new status from Atticus and Lissa. Lissa had run forward to claim Kelly in a laughing hug of congratulations. Atticus had clapped Marc on the back with similar enthusiasm, giving hearty congratulations to them both.
Marc had waited his whole life to find Kelly and was proud to have their friends bear witness to their love. If he "d been wearing a suit, he would have bust a b.u.t.ton his chest swelled with so much pride.
After drinking a toast to the newly mated pair, Atticus and Lissa took their leave and headed for the local business owner "s dinner meeting. They didn"t partic.i.p.ate often, but as the owners of one of the largest and most successful wineries in Northern California, it was prudent to put in an appearance at mortal events from time to time.
"If Leonard comes for you before we return, send word." Atticus was deadly serious, admonishing his long-time friend before he left. He looked significantly in Kelly"s direction, but Marc knew his mate could do little to alter the flow of events that would unfold. He wanted her kept as far as possible out of any possible confrontation. Marc grudgingly agreed to call Atticus if needed, though he much preferred to handle Leonard quietly without a great deal of fanfare.
"Ian is near." Marc knew that"s all he had to say to rea.s.sure Atticus that Kelly would be looked after if Marc had to deal with Gibson this night. Ian was the most gifted at stealth among them. Even Marc couldn "t always pinpoint where his most talented enforcer was when he was trying to blend into the background.
Almost before the tail lights of his host"s car were out of sight, another luxury vehicle appeared at the gate. Marc sighed as he pushed the b.u.t.ton to let Leonard Gibson in and within moments, his gaudy foreign-make limousine was winding its way up the long and twisting drive.
He"d hear what Leonard had to say, then send him on his way, if possible. If not, he"d finish him once and for all.
The car was an affectation, and a silly one at that. Vampires could easily transport themselves by shapeshifting into something that could run or even fly. Even the less gifted usually mastered the ability to shift by the end of their first century. Leonard had at least three centuries under his belt, but he still felt the need for showy, human trappings. It was just one of the man "s many weaknesses.
Marc knew Leonard would never make a good Master. He was too wrapped up in himself and had too little regard for the welfare of those around him. It was the Master"s job to keep the peace and the balance between the vampires in his region and the humans they lived alongside. Marc was part enforcer, part judge and jury, and part lawmaker. His judgment alone stood between humanity and those like him, who held such vast power. It was important the Master have the good of both groups firmly in mind at all times. As Marc well knew, Leonard was too self-absorbed to think of anyone but himself.
Marc kissed his new mate soundly, sending her off to finish the paperwork she took care of for Atticus. He told her he had some things to take care of by himself and that he "d meet her shortly, but in reality he left the big house and went to meet the challenge out of her sight. He was glad that he"d kept his mind separate from hers in order to spare her confusion. He and Leonard would fight-if they mustbeyond the first outbuilding where some of the wine vats were located.
After the connection he"d made with Kelly the previous night, it went against the grain to shield his thoughts from his mate, but it had to be done. Above all, he had to protect her from the harsh reality of his existence. At least, whenever he possibly could.
Chapter Eleven.
"I don"t want to fight you, Leonard." Marc sighed as the other man sneered.
"I don"t want to fight you either, Marc. I want to kill you."
Shaking his head as he removed his jacket and folded it neatly, Marc knew there was no way to avoid this. He knew Ian was out there somewhere, watching over Kelly should the unthinkable happen and some twist of fate let this sniveling wimp win. In all likelihood though, Marc would see Leonard Gibson dead before the hour was through. It couldn"t be too soon as far as Marc was concerned.
Leonard"s people stayed with the limo, and Ian remained out of sight. Marc didn"t know where his friend was, but he trusted Ian to be where he needed him most.
The challenge went as Marc expected it would. Leonard did all the posturing and proclaiming of any of the challengers he "d faced in the past, but like them, he went down quickly. Marc fought a clean fight, as he always did, but he should have known Leonard was enough of a snake to fight dirty.
There were few things in this world that could kill a vampire. A stake to the heart, full sun, the rare catastrophic injury that led to complete blood loss...and silver. Silver was agonizingly painful and took its time killing. It was a substance his kind steered clear of at all costs, but Marc should have foreseen that if Leonard didn"t win their challenge, he"d have some way to get even.
He saw it in Leonard"s eyes first, but by then it was too late to avoid the deathblow-a mere scratch in reality, but executed with devious zeal. Leonard clutched a silver claw whose hollowed out tips were loaded with pulverized silver dust. He raked it across Marc"s chest and it burned everywhere it touched. Leonard fell dead with Marc"s next blow, but he"d already killed Marc.
d.a.m.nably slow and excruciatingly painful.
As Leonard"s body turned to dust with the extinguishing of his life force, Marc fell to his knees, clutching his chest. He was only dimly aware of Leonard"s people climbing back into the limo and driving away.