"We"re going to make you feel so good," Dmitri purred as he lowered the strap he"d been fingering to slide down her shoulder.
Marc sank behind her, repositioning his hands to smooth down her legs. But the skirt of the gown was in the way. A tug and a loud rip made her gasp as he tore the skirt off, leaving her clad only in the skimpy top and the tiny g-string.
His palms shaped the globes of her a.s.s, dipping between to search out the thin strip of elastic that was the back of her panties.
She felt another tug and then two more at either hip and the g-string was no more.
Marc"s fangs sc.r.a.ped along the fleshy part of her a.s.s while Dmitri "s hands made short work of what was left of her top. She looked into Dmitri"s eyes as he snapped the spaghetti straps as if they were straw, and he stilled.
"You are beautiful, ma pet.i.te, but I suspect you want the Frenchman, n"est-ce pas?" He leaned in with a heart stopping smile and placed a gentle, chaste kiss on her lips. Dmitri stepped away as Marc rose behind her, licking his way up her spine. She shivered as he stepped away, taking her by the hand and leading her a few steps to the edge of the pillared bed.
He spun her out as if they were waltzing, then drew her back in to him so that they were face to face, chest to chest. Both men wore dark pants and dark silk shirts. As she faced Marc, she wanted the shirt gone. She didn"t want anything between her skin and his.
She tugged at the silk of his shirt, and a second later it was gone. It had disappeared like magic. She looked up to meet Marc"s laughing eyes.
"It is a dream, after all, mon amour. Whatever you wish, you shall have."
The reminder that this was only a dream made her bold. She rose up on tiptoe.
"I want you, Marc." She reached up and kissed him this time, mating her lips to his as her b.r.e.a.s.t.s rubbed against his muscular chest. It was heaven. Better than she"d ever expected. But it wasn"t enough.
And try as she might to control Marc, even in her dream, he seemed to dominate. His tongue dueled with hers in the most delicious way as his hands roamed her bare body. His pants had disappeared as easily as his shirt and she felt the evidence of his arousal against her skin. He was bigger than she"d imagined and very, very hard.
She liked that.
Marc drew away from the kiss with seeming reluctance, only to look down at her with fire in his eyes. He molded her bare b.r.e.a.s.t.s with his hands, coaxing the hard tips to even tighter arousal as he whispered love words in his native language. She wasn"t sure exactly what he said, but it sounded divine.
A warm presence at her back startled her until she remembered Dmitri had been in her dream too. His hands ghosted down her waist, one in front, one behind as Marc"s head dipped to nuzzle her b.r.e.a.s.t.s. Dmitri"s fingers invaded her in front and in back, one sliding along her folds and dipping slightly within, the other riding the crack of her a.s.s, tickling and teasing.
"She is wet for us, Marc." Dmitri"s voice rumbled over her senses.
His faint accent was s.e.xy and coupled with Marc"s mouth warming her nipples, the forbidden naughtiness of having two men touch her at once turned her on as she"d never been before. She"d heard things. She"d even read a few novels where the female lead was treated to this kind of kink, but she"d never dared pursue such a thing for herself. She never would. But this was a dream and everyone knew all bets were off in dreams. You could do anything in a dream. It was the mind"s way of working things out and experiencing things it never would in real life.
This dream was her way of working out the fact that she found Marc practically irresistible in real life. She could never have him for real, so the dream was her compensation. She"d thought Dmitri was pretty hot, too, though she hadn"t had the same instant attraction to him. But he was close friends with Marc, and she had read those books... That had to be why he was in her dream too.
All thoughts of justification fled when Dmitri"s fingers pushed deep inside her-both front and back. She"d never felt anything like that before. She squealed as he took her by surprise, and Marc"s head rose from her b.r.e.a.s.t.s to favor her with a knowing grin.
"Like that? You can have that with us tonight. We"ll give you everything you want, ma pet.i.te. I"ll fill your p.u.s.s.y while my old friend takes your a.s.s. Would you like that?" His gaze dared her. "I know we would enjoy it."
Slowly, she nodded. She wanted to give him everything. And she wanted more of this glorious feeling.
"Bon. On the bed, Kelly." His order made her jump as Dmitri"s fingers retreated.
She hesitated, and Marc pushed her gently backward, onto the bed. He followed her down, coming over her the way she"d been imagining for weeks. She"d thought more and more about how it would feel to be covered by his hard body, overwhelmed by his strength and it was even better than she"d imagined.
When she was flat on her back, Marc held her there, letting her feel the way he fit over her, giving her just a bit of his weight as he held her gaze. There was something in his eyes that made her tremble, but it wasn"t in fear.
"You are mine, Kelly. Do you hear? Mine."
She nodded, unable to speak as his head lowered. He kissed her as if it were the first time, beginning with a gentle possession that turned into a sensuous demand. He shifted his legs to one side while his mouth thoroughly ravished hers. His hands went to her b.r.e.a.s.t.s, tugging and toying, and driving her higher. Then more hands began blazing a trail of heat and seduction up her legs, one at a time.
Dmitri. She"d almost forgotten about him. She jumped and Marc broke the drugging kiss, looking down her bare body. He only grinned when Dmitri looked up and winked at her. They were working in tandem.
"Have you done this before?" she squeaked out.
Dmitri paused. "Not in a very long time," he finally admitted.
"We"ve shared women before, ma pet.i.te, but that was long ago. No woman has stirred either of us to this in a very long time." He leaned in to kiss the swell of her breast. "You are special, Kelly."
Their confession had the opposite effect of what she would have predicted. The thought of the deviltry they"d gotten up to in the past with other women made her hotter.
"You like that, don"t you, little one? The fact that you inspire two Masters to a course they have not taken in decades?" Dmitri asked. He was watching her when she looked down to her feet and met his gaze.
She couldn"t deny it. For the first time in her life she felt powerful and feminine. Marc wanted her. And more than that, Dmitri did too. She got the feeling they wanted her specifically, not just any female body. To her knowledge no man had ever wanted her like that. Most of the men she"d dated-and there hadn"t been all that many of them-left her with the impression that they just wanted a girlfriend, and any woman would do.
None had been so focused on her as these two men. Vampires. They were vampires and she had to remember that.
And this was a dream. The idea made her sad, but also gave her freedom. This was her dream, so she supposed she could have anything she wanted. She didn"t want to pa.s.sively accept. If she was going to have this dream menage, she wanted to be an active partic.i.p.ant.
She sat up, Marc moving to the side to allow her room, but he didn"t go far.
"I can really have both of you, can"t I?" She looked from one handsome face to the other.
"That is why we are here, pet.i.te." Dmitri agreed readily.
She felt a smile bloom over her face as her thoughts turned lascivious. There was no other word for the way they made her feel. Two strong, naked male bodies, two powerful men with their attention focused solely on her. It really was a dream come true.
She launched herself into Marc"s arms, nuzzling his ear. She felt him start in surprise, but the shock didn"t last long.
"Make love to me, Marc. I"ve been waiting for so long."
"Your wish is my command." Marc let her push him to his back on the bed as she came over him.
She didn"t want to wait any longer. She wanted him now. And Dmitri.
"You too," she whispered, looking over her shoulder at the dark-eyed Russian.
Fire leapt in his gaze as he watched her climb over Marc, straddling his erection. She turned her attention to Marc, showering his face with kisses as he fondled her b.r.e.a.s.t.s.
"I"ve wanted you for so long, Marc."
She drew back, holding his gaze as she slid down onto him, driving his c.o.c.k right up into her with one long, pleasurable glide of her hips. He felt even better than she"d imagined, but she had to move. She began a slow, s.e.xy rhythm, climbing higher as her breathing increased.
He wasn"t unaffected. Marc"s pupils dilated, and his breath came faster. Sweat broke out on his brow and his teeth... She was startled to see fangs emerge from his mouth. She hadn "t seen him like that since the awful night she and Lissa had been attacked, and he"d come to their rescue. There was no fear this time, however. This time, she knew his fangs were stirred by pa.s.sion, not anger. She knew they were meant for her this time, and she felt no fear.
She felt other fangs nibbling along her shoulder, then up to her neck as Dmitri pushed against her back, asking her without words to lean forward. Marc"s hands went to her a.s.s, kneading, fondling, stretching.
Dmitri settled behind her and she felt warm oil of some kind that had appeared out of the nothingness of her dream. It drizzled between her cheeks as Dmitri"s fingers helped it find its way within her. A few moments later, his c.o.c.k followed. It was slippery with the same warm oil, but still it was a challenge to accept.
Her body eased under his knowing ministrations, and he claimed her a.s.s as fully as Marc filled her p.u.s.s.y. Having both of them inside her at once was enthralling. It was utterly fulfilling and incredibly arousing. It was the naughtiest thing she"d ever done, by far, and it stirred her senses.
Of course, looking down and seeing Marc beneath her was arousing in itself. His smile when he felt Dmitri slide fully home within her was only fuel to the fire that already raged within her body. She moaned as the men began to move in concert as if they"d done this many times before.
And they had. She was sure of it. They"d told her so. But they"d also said no woman had made them want this in decades.
Oddly, that made her feel special and almost...cherished.
The look in Marc"s eyes only added to that feeling. He was careful with her. He regulated the thrusts of both Masters, coordinating her pleasure as her pa.s.sion rose higher and higher. She"d never felt this way before with any man, never had such a scintillating dream. Ever.
She cried out as a climax hit her. Blindsided her in fact, and still the men thrust within her, lifting her higher. As a new, even higher peak approached, she felt Dmitri pressing against her back, pushing her down. Marc"s head came up and nestled in her neck as Dmitri nuzzled the other side.
As an even bigger climax approached, she felt both men "s fangs against her throat, one on each side. They struck simultaneously, launching her into the greatest pleasure she"d ever known.
The bites didn"t hurt. They stung for a flash and then carnal heat suffused her being, rocking her world and making her scream.
She felt them come inside her, exploding with warmth and groans of masculine satisfaction that rumbled against the tender skin of her throat as they continued to feed.
She felt like a G.o.ddess, a giver of life. She wanted to make them feel good and sated. She wanted them to feel the love in her heart. Or rather-she wanted Marc to feel the love she held for him alone, the willingness to follow anywhere he led, even into a menage with his good friend, Dmitri.
She liked Dmitri, but she loved Marc. It was both the most fulfilling and the most frightening realization she"d ever had.
"I love you, Marc," she whispered as oblivion claimed her. It was only a dream, so she could say what was in her heart without fear of consequences. For this one moment out of time, in the privacy of her mind, she could speak freely, knowing she could never say it in the real world.
She felt his arms tighten around her as she drifted away, satisfied as she"d never been, her body and soul humming with the glow of ultimate satisfaction.
Chapter Seven.
Marc heard her words and they shocked him out of the dreamstate. He woke abruptly in his room below ground, filled with the weakness that struck him during the daylight hours, but he remembered everything about the shared dream.
Kelly had said she loved him.
He hadn"t dared hope she was harboring feelings for him, but now that he"d heard the heartbreaking words from her lips- even if just in a dream-he grew afraid for the first time in many long years. He didn"t want the love of a mortal woman. He really didn"t want to become involved with a creature that would grow old and die, and leave him alone again. He "d done it in the past, and each time he"d lost another piece of his heart. He"d steered clear of emotional commitments for decades and though Kelly called to him as no other had in a long time, he would steer clear of her as well. If he could.
Marc was honest enough with himself to know the attraction between them might be too hard to fight, but he "d do his best.
He"d fulfilled a fantasy. He"d trespa.s.sed in her dream and taken her like a savage with Dmitri"s help. That should hold him for a while. From this moment on, he would avoid being alone with her as much as possible. It would be better for both of them.
Marc was resolved, but somewhere in the back of his mind he wondered how long he could hold out. Kelly called to him in a way no woman ever had. He"d do his d.a.m.ndest to stay away, but he feared he was too weak to accomplish that goal for long.
Still, he had to try. For her sake, and his own.
Dmitri went back to his territory that night, and Marc did his best to avoid Kelly. He enlisted Ian"s aid in keeping tabs on the woman, preferring to man the electronic monitors that spied on her when she didn"t know it.
He bedeviled himself watching her working alone in the large office while Atticus and Lissa were off playing lover"s games. Ian was a constant presence, annoying but faithful, doing the job Marc had tasked him with to protect Kelly. A silent shadow, Ian "s stealthy presence acted as a check on Marc"s nearly uncontrollable impulses. Everything in him wanted to go to her and take her in the flesh, but he was a civilized being-for the most part.
He could at least be civilized about this. He was a guest in Atticus"s home. He would abide by Atticus"s rules. And he would go to any length to protect Kelly from the gruesome fate Lissa had foreseen, even if that meant cutting himself off from Kelly completely.
He limited the time spent in Kelly"s presence. He noted the strange look in her eyes the few times they came face to face. It was both accusatory and hurt, a combination that cut him to his core. Each time he thought of it, he realized the wisest course of action was the one he was on-whether she understood his sudden withdrawal or not.
After a time, she got used to the new detente. Life rumbled along as usual, with Kelly ably managing the vineyard offices for Atticus and even taking a few messages for Marc when people called the vineyard seeking him.
And so it was no great surprise when she delivered a message to him just after he rose for the evening. Atticus had sought him out for a private moment in his study and Kelly tracked them there, tenacious in her duty to deliver the message.
"A man named Leonard Gibson is trying to reach you. He asked his private secretary to set up a meeting at your earliest convenience."
Atticus looked over at Marc and raised one telling eyebrow. "Looks like he"s decided to face you head on."
"d.a.m.n!"
Kelly was a little surprised by the vehemence of Marc"s tone. It was the first time she"d ever heard him use any sort of vulgar language and it made her realize that this Leonard Gibson had to be something of a thorn in his side. If his tone hadn"t conveyed it, the look on his face would have confirmed her guess. Something was definitely up.
"What are you going to tell him?" Atticus asked.
"I don"t suppose you"re willing to take my offer?" Marc challenged in return.
Atticus held up both hands in denial. "I told you already, I don"t want to be Master. I"m enjoying my new wife too much to enter politics. Even for you, old friend. I"m sorry."
Kelly"s eyebrows rose in surprise at learning that Marc had been ready to hand over his position of power to Atticus. It had to have something to do with the phone message, but she was too polite to come right out and ask. Instead she listened, shamelessly eavesdropping on the men.
She had missed Marc. Ever since he"d kissed her the night before she"d had that scandalous dream, he"d avoided her. She"d missed his handsome face and charming grin. She"d missed the way he teased her and most of all, she missed his kiss-that one fateful night had ruined her for any other man. The memory of those stolen moments haunted her dreams and her waking moments, but Marc had drawn away.
In retrospect, it was probably for the best, but it still hurt. She was glad he"d taken the initiative and backed off. When sanity returned, she knew there was no future in a relationship with a vampire. In fact, she wasn "t altogether certain that he hadn"t just wanted her blood. She wasn"t sure if there really was a difference between s.e.x and blood for a vampire. She wasn"t sure if she hadn"t been reading too much into his attention. Maybe all he"d wanted was a good time, and she"d fallen for him like the sap that she was.
Better not to get any more involved than they already were. She could be professional, and he "d been a gentleman the few times she"d seen him since that interlude on the veranda. It was good they "d both had time to come to their senses. Still, she couldn"t help but admire the way he looked, the way he talked, the way he moved. He was a handsome devil, but he was no good for her and it was time she woke up and smelled the coffee.
She refocused on the ongoing conversation, alarmed by the varying expressions of disgust, resignation and fury on their faces.
Something was seriously wrong if even Atticus was upset. He was usually the most even -tempered of men since his marriage to Lissa, but he was visibly upset.
Marc paced, turmoil following his every step to permeate the room.
"Then it"ll be death," he said, turning to face Atticus.
Kelly gasped, and the two men seemed to finally realize she was in the room and had heard everything.
"Whose death?" The words tumbled from her lips, all thoughts of restraint banished by the air of desperation in the room.
"Nothing to be concerned with, ma belle," Marc a.s.sured her, but she noticed he wasn"t giving any details. For all she knew, they could be talking about his death.