Courted by the Vampire (21 page)

I doubt…
oh… my…

Wave after wave of white-hot
need washed over her. She dug her fingers into the plush cushions. Sweat beaded on her forehead. The more she tried to regain control, the worse off she became. Swifter, harder and faster the swells came, until she was a throbbing mass of unfulfilled longing. She glanced at her companions, but they paid her no attention.

Golden laughter bounced through her brain. An almost imperceptible
crook of Edwin’s forefinger caught her attention. And that was her last coherent image. Two great throbs of passion rocked her body. Her core convulsed in frantic contractions then she explode into tiny prisms of light. Her eyes drifted closed as her head lolled back against the sofa cushions, spent, and exhausted. She floated on warm, cottony ebbs of the most intense orgasm she’d ever experienced.

What did you do?
Pink sparks shot across her consciousness when she attempted to sort out her confusion.
Edwin?
She opened her eyes and caught his smile.

He stood with graceful movements. “We appreciate your hospitality,
Corinne. I thank you for the information you’ve provided. Perhaps one day soon we can get together again.” He glanced in Hannah’s direction. When he cocked his black eyebrow again, golden sparks sprayed through her mind. “I must get Hannah home. She appears to be quite tired by this outing. I cannot imagine why she’s near swooning.”

Stumbling to her feet, Hannah shook her head and hoped for the return of
clarity.

The ghost patted her arm. “Stop by soon, dear. I’ll be waiting. Not many
people drop by anymore. I never thought death would be so lonely.” Corinne fluttered her white napkin as they stepped through the picture frame and returned to the watchtower.

*****

Edwin’s smug mood lasted a full three seconds.

As soon as the portrait became solid behind them, Hannah flew into a
rage. “What did you do to me?”

Even in the face of her obvious anger, he grinned. Her eyes spewed green
fire, her cheeks were flushed a dusky rose. She was unequivocally beautiful at that moment, even more so than usual. His heart lurched to know she was his.

“A payback for the acorns.” He leaned nonchalantly against the wall, his
arms crossed over his chest. No matter how he felt about her, he could not forget her part in the theatrics. “I did not realize what a superb actress you are, Hannah. Lies and falsehoods seem to roll off your tongue like nectar.” He hoped his expression was blank as he set his lips set into a hard line. “Perhaps everything you have told me to this point has also been part of your dishonesty, a deception?”

“What are you talking about?”
She blinked. “We were playing a joke on that poor old lady! It wasn’t until the end where you got all weird and possessive. And let me tell you something, mister, I’m not a piece of merchandise to be owned.”

“I never indicated you were.” The muscles in his face ached from the
effort of giving a fierce front. “It was my intention to warn you—”

She stalked
away then she turned to face him at the far wall of the ranger station and held up a hand. “Damn. I know what happened.” A slow smile curled her lips. “You’re jealous.”

“Of course not.” His scowl deepened. “I have no reason to be jealous, let
alone indulge in such a petty emotion.” A muscle in his cheek twitched as he clenched his jaw. “I am in control at all times.”

“You’re jealous because I pretended to be in love with Duncan. May I
remind you I’ve never met the man, and who, may I also remind you, I couldn’t possibly love?” Her lips parted with a grin. “You are
so
jealous.”

Edwin
frowned. “I refuse to discuss the issue further.” His shoulder slipped from the wall as he straightened his spine. “It is of no consequence.”

She advanced then paused before him. He swallowed—hard.
“I think you realized the thought of me being with another man had the power to send you into a black cloud of depression, or maybe even rage. So why don’t you just admit it out loud?”

“I will admit nothing.” He stuck a finger beneath the collar of his shirt in
the effort to loosen the suddenly tight clothing though the neck wasn’t buttoned. Her green gaze pierced through to his soul. “I might have experienced a moment of weakness when you wove your story.”

“Really.” A red
eyebrow lifted at her doubt.

He frowned
, but he could not hold out against the tide of his emotions. “I freely admit it. I was insanely jealous. The thought of you in another man’s arms caused overwhelming anger and fear within me.” He cleared his throat when she continued to stare. “I have never experienced such strong feelings regarding a female before.” As soon as the words left his mouth, he knew they were true. He would patiently search each level of hell for her if need be. He could not lose her. “I am sorry for my behavior. Please forgive me. It would seem I miscalculated my affection for you.”

“Is that all you meant to say? Are you sure there’s nothing else you found
out about yourself just now?”
I need to hear the words. I need you to tell me the truth.

Heaving an exhausted sigh, Edwin tugged her into his arms. He nestled
her close so he could rest his chin on her head. “This evening brought the realization that not only can I not live without you, I… I think I may love you.”

She pulled back, her gaze sweeping his. “Are you being completely honest
with me? You know how I feel about you since you read my thoughts.”

“I do know.” He brushed
a thumb over her cheek. “I have been through more than my fair share of emotions this week.” He paused, unsure of himself. As she looked at him with hope in her eyes, the last of his reserve crumbled. “I was not searching for love when I found you.”

“What were you searching for?” Her words were little more than a
whisper as she undid the buttons of his silk shirt.

He shrugged, determined not to let her see how her simple touch affected
him. “I was looking for the woman who could complete the prophecy and defeat Andre. I did not know I would find a woman who could drive me to distraction with just one look.” The deep fuchsia of her joy flooded into his mind, but he fought against the urge to join in her euphoria. “I found the one woman who could bring me to my knees with desire so strong I knew I never lived before, the one woman with whom I could easily share my life.” His pulse quickened as she touched his chest. “It is quite perplexing.”

“I’m sorry to have bewitched you so soundly, but you’re difficult to
resist.” She pushed the shirt from his shoulders and leaned in to smell his scent. “God, you’re intoxicating.”

He
pressed his lips to her temple. “I tend to have that effect on women.”

“What do we do now? You told me you shun relationships, yet we’ve
shared the most fantastic sex. You told me you could never love a woman because you didn’t want her to mourn if you should die, but you just admitted those simple words to me. You’re a walking contradiction.”

He sucked in a surprised breath when she touched one of his nipples with
the tip of her tongue. He tightened his fingers on her as affection gripped him with a strangle hold. Life without her was unimaginable. “For now,
spatzi
, I am going to make love to you. When the sun comes up, I will wake you with slow passionate kisses and repeat the act all over again. Then we will decide what comes next. For now there is only you, and there is only me.”

“But—”

He silenced her with a kiss, felt her shiver as he stripped off her clothes as well as his. Edwin lifted her onto the bed, and then settled himself over her lush curves. “Do you need me to tell you how much I adore you, or are you sufficiently stimulated?”

Her laughter exploded into his mind on a bright wave of orange. “Explain
something first. How did you give me an orgasm without touching me?”

As he thrust into her, Hannah’s warmth closed around him as if
welcoming him home. As long as he lived, he would never forget the awe he felt when he joined with her. He pressed his lips to her forehead before answering.

“When our minds linked, I was able to touch the deepest recesses of your
brain. I could access thoughts and secrets you thought forgotten but our physical joining augments our mental abilities because you are an Enhancer. I only had to think about bringing you to the brink of insanity before I found you reacted to my thoughts.” He kissed her mouth, savored the petal softness of her lips. When she lifted her hips to meet his next thrust, he buried himself deep within her. “Do you know how arousing it is for me to watch as you succumb to your desires, to see you climax?”

The pupils of her eyes swallowed the irises. “I have a good idea.”

He felt her pleasure long before she showed any outward sign of it. When she drifted on the red waves of release, he smiled.

“
Ich liebe dich
.” Peace settled over him as he lay beside her, his arms around her. He meant every word. Perhaps in the morning, common sense would return, but for now, in this moment, he did not wish anything different.

Hannah kissed his palm. “I love you too.”

Chapter Seventeen

Later that evening, they came upon a fast flowing creek and followed the
current until it ended in a waterfall. A natural rock ledge rose ten feet above the ground behind the curtain of water, so they made camp there.

While Edwin went to “secure the area,” Hannah decided to make use of
nature’s goodness to get in a shower. The water was teeth-chattering cold, but she didn’t care. Using some of the precious soaps and shampoos she gleaned from Horace’s spa, she lingered in the water, and wished for a razor as well.
I’m the poster child for the granola lifestyle.

I do not understand your reasoning. You are not like a cereal or grain.

She shook her head. He would never fully develop a sense of humor as long as he clung to his Old World way of looking at things. Finally, with nothing left to soap or lather, she joined him on the ledge, naked and dripping. As a shiver rocked her body, she stifled a sneeze.

“You will encourage pneumonia or some other disease of the lungs if you
persist on wandering about unclothed.” He wrapped the soft white blanket around her with a tired sigh. “As much as I would like to take advantage of your state of undress, I am too exhausted to do much about it.”

Humming a few bars of popular music, Hannah rummaged in her bag for
a comb then worked gel into her short locks. “Suit yourself.”

His soft chuckle blended with the chirp of crickets. Leaning his back
against the limestone wall, he stared into the curtain of water. “Your choice of music is highly entertaining. You will have to introduce me to your collection.”

“I’m a bit of an eclectic.” Her lips pulled down with a frown. “Are you
feeling all right? You look worn out.” She sank down beside him. New lines of exhaustion popped along his eyes and mouth.

“The usual strains of tracking, coupled with our recent sexual encounters,
have drained my energy.” His grin faded, and he closed his eyes. “I will no doubt be my usual arrogant, annoying self in no time.”

Curls of warning snaked through her stomach at his words. “Edwin, how
long has it been since you last uh, partook of your allotment of blood?” She caught her bottom lip between her teeth. “I mean, when…?”

He shrugged, the movement sluggish. “I fed shortly before I met you. I
will survive.”

Anxiety tightened her chest. She pressed two fingers to his neck,
discouraged at his slow, faint pulse. “No wonder you’re weak. You’ve got to feed. It can’t be helped.”

“I have been aware of the need for a couple of days, but I have been
distracted with other interests.” His grin didn’t reach his eyes. “I will rest a bit now then go down later to hunt whatever there is to be found.”

It will be too late if you wait.
What would happen if he went into a coma and she couldn’t revive him? She swallowed the lump of fear in her throat.

Repulsion held her in its ugly grip, but she shook off the emotion. “Edwin…”

“No, I cannot allow it.”

Damn.
“Why not? It’s the only way.”

“You find the idea of my feeding objectionable.” He levered his head
against the wall. “I will not allow you to sacrifice yourself.”

“Of course I find it objectionable! People just don’t walk up to other
people and say ‘hey baby, let me suck your blood.’” She licked her lips. “I’ve seen some strange things this last week. Your feeding from me will be icing on the cake.”

His
face contorted with a frown. “We do not have cake. You must be delusional.”

“Oh my goodness, jump into this century!”
Hannah mentally counted to ten. “You need to do this.” She poked him in the chest with a forefinger. “I refuse your refusal based on principle.” Leaning in, she narrowed her eyes. “Do you have fangs or not? Does being bitten by a vamp feel like a flu shot?”

A veil of shadow passed over his face. “My fangs do not show themselves
unless I am under heavy duress. It has been this way since…”

Her
mind skittered back to the image she had seen when she’d explored his mind. “Since you killed that woman.”

“Yes.” His sigh was the sound of the martyrs. “I am beginning to think
you will be the death of me.”

She stroked his stubble-covered cheek. “Not if I can conceivably help it.”
She smiled into his eyes, fear, and curiosity, warring for dominance within her. “I might pester you, drive you crazy, and in general frustrate you, but I would never harm you. Now, give me your knife.”

“No, Hannah.”

“Damn it, give me the knife, you sexy, stubborn, arrogant vamp!”

Edwin’s laugh had a bit of the humor she had come to expect, but he
surrendered the knife from its hiding place under his pant leg. “It is a wonder I have existed in the world so long without you to boss me around.”

“Yeah, well, unfortunately you’re stuck with me for a long time to come.”

As she unsheathed the knife, the wickedly sharp blade winked in the faint light of the moon. Her heart fluttered. Giving herself an intentional wound would hurt.
I’m not a big fan of pain.

“You are an extraordinary woman. This will not be fun for you. The cut
will have to be fairly deep to provide enough blood and allow it to flow freely.” He leaned close and dropped a feather-light kiss on her lips. “An artery would be best.”

Guilt coated
her stomach like grease.
I should have let you do this earlier, but I was afraid.

It is enough you want to do it now.

Hunger and anticipation flared in his blue eyes when she pricked the tip of her finger to test the sharpness of the blade. As a scarlet drop formed on her finger pad, she shuddered. “My only request is don’t drink too much. I’d rather not be a drained shell, even for you.” She choked on her fear. What if she died from this foolish venture? She ignored the fear, and swallowed hard.

You will not die.
Edwin grasped her hand, licked at the drop of blood. “I will take only as much as I need.”

With another hard swallow, Hannah uncovered her left leg from the
blanket. She glanced at him. Nervous energy slid over her skin as encouragement and gratitude shone softly on his face. “Are you sure?”

He nodded and let go of her hand. “I will never hurt you.”

Taking a deep breath, she steeled herself for the pain she knew was imminent, and then plunged the knife into her inner thigh to the hilt. A cry of pain tore from her throat. Red waves of agony flooded her mind as she wrenched the knife from the wound. Basic high school knowledge of medical science told her she’d hit the fibular artery. Crimson liquid glittered in the pale light, warm as it flowed over her skin.

“Bon appétit,” she said between gritted teeth. “Drink up, Edwin.” Sharp
throbs of pain ebbed from the wound, slicing through her consciousness in angry carnelian swirls. The knife clattered on the stone floor as it fell from her fingers. “Quickly.” With a gasp, she leaned back against the cool limestone as the thick, sticky substance flowed from the wound. A faint metallic scent wafted up from the blood, and her stomach heaved.

Edwin knelt between her legs. “My poor brave girl.” Leaning down, he
licked at the well of blood on her thigh. As he hungrily began to suckle the wound, he gave a grunt of satisfaction as the first of the life-giving fluid hit his throat.

This one little act made him so delighted, Hannah marveled over it.

Pain still clouded her mind, but it faded into the background as new sensations fought to be recognized. She raked her fingers through Edwin’s silky hair. The stubble on his cheeks grazed her thighs as he fed. The stroke of his tongue, the softness of his lips on her skin both lulled her into a peaceful state and sparked her arousal. It was a surreal moment. To distract herself from what he was doing, Hannah concentrated on the activity in her mind.

Edwin was happy. The brilliant fuchsia of his joy spilled into her mind.

She smiled, glad this one thing could bring him such pleasure. Sapphire blue replaced the fuchsia with dancing coils. Then the mental landscape changed again. His desire rocketed through her body to rob her of breath.
How can feeding from me be so sexy?
A few black tendrils of doubt and worry interposed themselves over the blue coils. He worried he’d take too much blood and put her life in danger. Pink overpowered the black as she tried to reassure the vamp it would be okay.

She continued to stroke his hair as he moved into a more comfortable
position. He grasped her hips in order to pull the wound closer to his mouth. He was a handful, that fact was undeniable. With Edwin, the world finally made sense. The events of her past had a definite purpose, and it all culminated in him.

Robust orange flooded her mind, overwhelming any emotion that came
before it. Hannah giggled when she identified it as his color of love, the force and power behind that emotion knocked her for a loop. She had no idea he felt so strongly. He had just admitted to having the emotion. She tucked the knowledge away. It was comforting and extremely erotic to know he cared so much.

He continued to suckle at the wound.

Vague annoyance filtered into her being because she never did get a chance to see his fangs in real life, only in that quick image from his mind.

Golden pinwheels danced through her head. Apparently, the vamp found the
thought amusing. Hannah closed her eyes, enjoying the intimacy of the act. Spirals of pleasure curled in her stomach as intense longing throbbed in her core. She marveled at the intricate link between desire and feeding.

The next thing
she knew, Edwin gently shook her shoulder. “Please tell me you are unhurt.” Concern clouded his eyes, now dark from his heightened emotion.

Blinking, she smiled, as he blotted his lips with a handkerchief. “I’m fine.
A bit woozy.” The first rays of the sun peeked over the horizon, refracting through the waterfall to decorate their shelter with tiny rainbows of color. “Feeding takes a long time.”

“There is much I need to teach you.” No sign of blood lingered on his lips
or teeth.

She breathed a sigh of relief. “Maybe later.” She gingerly fingered the
knife wound, surprised to see not only was it no longer bleeding, it had almost healed. Hannah traced the edges of the flesh that had laced together. “How is this possible?” She paused to assess her situation. The pain had gone.

Edwin chuckled and gathered her into his arms. “I do possess a bit of
natural healing because of the vampire genes. I cannot fix fatal wounds, but little ones like this are no problem.” He pressed a kiss to her temple. “I appreciate what you have given me,
spatzi
. I am humbled by your sacrifice.”

“I’d do it again, don’t ever forget that. You’re my life. There was never
any question.” She guided his lips to hers and poured every ounce of desire and love into that kiss. “You need to sleep. You may think you’re energized, but I don’t want you to tire yourself unnecessarily.”

He growled deep in his throat and laid her down, unwrapping the blanket
from her body as he devoured her curves with his hungry gaze. “I intend to sleep. First, I will worship at your temple for a bit.”

She
sighed with pleasure. The vampire was nothing if not romantic.

*****

Edwin came awake with a feeling of unease. The horizon nearly swallowed the sun as the sounds of the waterfall lulled him into a false sense of well-being. He leaned on an elbow. Hannah still slept. Her muscles twitched as if she were in the grip of a nightmare. He could not stop the impending clash with Andre, but he wanted to alleviate her trauma. With one easy push, he tapped into Hannah’s mind.

Black leathery wings blotted out the soft light of the room. Hannah scrambled back from a man until her back connected with the moldy wall. Andre stood before her, folding his wings behind him. A grin of near insanity stretched his lips. Clouds of black anger flooded her mind, fear restricted her throat as he advanced upon her.
Join me, Hannah. The bounty hunter cannot give you the power I can.

Outside her mind, Edwin stiffened when he realized Andre knew he
lurked. Anger filled his chest, but he could not pull away from the scene.

Hannah shook her head.
No.

Andre’s laugh echoed, harsh and unwelcome.
I can make you the most powerful woman in the world. People will worship at your feet. You will never be ridiculed or mocked. Join with me.

She bit down hard on her fist to keep from screaming as pain and darkness filled
her head. She had to get away. She had to escape before Andre destroyed her, before he destroyed everything…

Edwin pulled out of Hannah’s mind as unaccustomed fear pressed into his being. Andre had grown more powerful since the last time he’d invaded. With a frustrated sigh, he rested a palm on her stomach. She stirred at his touch, her eyelids fluttering. He vowed to protect her from the demon lord—even if it meant giving up his own life.