Things That Go Hump In The Night (39 page)

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Rule Number One: NEVER get involved with a vampire. I don’t care how magnetic or fascinating they are – they’re DEAD. Bottom line – all they want is your blood.

~ Kat Riley’s Rules For Hunting

Michael Blakely, third son of the Earl of Huntington, sat in the oversized wing chair and watched her sleep.

Kat Riley. Her name was spoken with fear and respect by every non-human he had met since he arrived in San Remo.

He saved a hunter.

To be fair, she pulled him out of the fire first. Literally. If the Council had caught him up, he would most likely be staked out on some hill about now. Because he still had human blood running through his veins, it would take him days to die in the full sun. But every moment of those days would be agony.

When he had seen the red tip of the blood bolt in her shoulder, he could not leave her to the fate the Council decided. By sucking the vampire blood from her body, along with some of her own, he kept her from becoming their latest toy. As a result, he also bound her to him. A temporary blood bond, but he had no choice. It was that or condemn her to a fate worse than his.

She was not going to be happy about his decision.

He swallowed, shoving down the need to taste her again, and tested his injured hand. His fingers were still frozen, but the slow, ugly burn had finally subsided. Her rash act of yanking the blade out prevented the poison of the silver from going any further than his hand. No blood stained the fresh bandage; as long as he didn’t try to use his hand over the next few days, it might actually heal enough for him to regain most of his strength.

Her low groan told him the effects of the shot he gave her were wearing off. He stood, wanting to be out of reach when she learned what he had done.

She bolted upright, her face so pale he expected her to faint again.

Instead, she took several shaky breaths, staring at the wall, until color began to seep into her cheeks. Then she looked for him. Those dark, amber spiked eyes found him, narrowing as she opened her mouth.

“What the hell did you do to me?”

“I saved your life, hunter. It was owed, and now you can consider us even.”

“As soon as you tell me what you sucked out of my shoulder, and how screwed I am.” She crawled until she sat at the edge of the bed, his button down shirt outlining the curve of her breasts, her long, lean legs tangled in his sheets. He swallowed, ignored the heat that shot straight to his groin. It was part of the blood bond, and he refused to act on it. He could not act on it. Instead he studied her, and waited for her to figure it out on her own. He knew the moment she did. “Son of a bitch—it was a blood bolt, wasn’t it? And you—we—shit.”

“Short and to the point. I do like that about you.”

“Shut up.” She smiled when she said it, so he decided he was not in too much trouble. Until she looked down at herself. “Who the hell undressed me?” Fire sparked the amber in her eyes when she raised her head. “Vlad—”

“You were wet, and bloody.”

“Even my underwear?”

He did enjoy her sharp tongue. “First, I refused to leave you in such a state, after you had been injured. Second, I refused to have your blood smeared all over my sheets.”

Her eyes widened. “We’re not—you brought us to your house? Where the Council can walk right in and kill us without—”

“I am a half-blood, Kat. They need more than their arrogance to cross my threshold.”

She let out a sigh, and did not look surprised at his confession, or that he knew her name. “That explains it.”

“What?”

“My—” She punched the bed and blurted it out. “Why I’m hot for you.”

“An unfortunate side effect of the blood bond.”

“Unfortunate.” After a long moment, she started to laugh. “Has anyone ever told you that you’re a master of understatement?”

“Once or twice.”

“I think I’m starting to like you, Vlad.”

“That goes both ways, hunter. Unfortunately.”

“What the hell is that supposed to—” A harsh gasp cut her off, and all the color drained from her face.

Michael pushed to his feet and wrapped one arm around her waist. “I’ve got you. Let’s move slowly, that’s it.” He eased her back to the bed, and pulled up the sheet, covering her long, shapely legs, the lean but curvy body. God protect him, she would drive him mad before the blood bond faded. “Sleep now.”

She looked up at him, those amber spiked eyes intense. “We have to finish—”

“We will sort this once you’re rested, and can argue with me more effectively.”

“Smartass.”

“Guilty.”

He removed his hands before they began roaming. The way she studied him, with those jeweled bedroom eyes, left him throbbing in a way he had not experienced since he was fully human. He had to admit the truth to himself, even if he never spoke it; she affected him, beyond the blood bond. Her surprisingly feminine curves, the thick, dark blonde hair spread over the pristine pillow case, her dry wit.

Damn her, everything about her attracted him, a deep, raw attraction he had difficulty controlling. The blood bond simply made it worse. He wanted to taste her again, so badly he shook with the need.

“Michael?”

He fought the urge to run at the sound of his name in that low, husky voice. Instead he stepped away, physically and verbally.

“What is it, hunter?”

The way she flinched hurt more than he expected.

“Thank you—for sucking the tainted blood out of me.”

“I would say it was my pleasure, but—”

“Yeah, got it. No need to keep beating on that dead horse.”

His laughter surprised both of them. “Get some sleep. I will keep the undead at the door.”

“Thanks—for everything.”

Michael cursed silently, gave in to his need and moved to the bed. “This is my pleasure,” he whispered, and leaned in until his breath heated her lips.

This close, he saw the green in her wide eyes, the freckles scattered across her nose. He was already hard, and throbbing with it. When she closed the space between their lips he lost what little control he had.

***

Kat had to be out of her mind.

He was a damned vampire—or close enough, in her book. Just thinking what she was thinking broke Rule Number One. The rule she never screwed with.

But the blood bond roared through her, louder and more demanding than any rules. The second he was close enough to taste, she had to taste.

She only had to move an inch to join her mouth to his. The result was electrifying.

His weight pinned her to the bed, and he was hot—his breath, his lips, his tongue. He pulled her into a long, deep kiss that left her dizzy with need. Her fingers dug into his shoulders, the solid muscle surprising her again. She wanted to know more, how he ended up here, how he became a half-blood—

His mouth found her breast and her mind blanked.

“Oh, God—” She arched up, the friction of the cotton between his mouth and her nipple devastating. “Michael—”

He let go long enough to lift the shirt, exposing her. “I like the way my name sounds when you say it.” One hand closed over her breast, and she gasped when his thumb found her nipple. “Tell me to stop, Kat. This is the blood bond—”

“Not—all of it.”

He swallowed, then looked at her. Passion darkened the green depths—a heady passion she’d never seen directed at her before. “This is a forbidden path neither of us should take, and I will not take it, unless you tell me yes. I have to hear the word, or I stop. Now.”

Michael sat, and she felt cold. Not only from the loss of his body heat, but his presence, his scent. Him. Damn it, she was screwed.

“Yes,” she whispered. She jerked the shirt up, and Michael took over, popping the buttons off as he yanked the shirt open. Slowly, he slid it down her arms, revealing her inch by inch, before he threw it over his shoulder. She could hardly breathe by the time he finished. “Damn you—the answer is yes.”

“You know what I am.”

“Since the second we met, Vlad.”

A smile tugged at his lips, fading before it formed. “I need to hear you say it, so I know that you understand.”

“Michael.” The pain in his eyes tore at her.

“Please.”

“You’re a half-blood. A man who was not fully turned, living in a shadow world. Not human, not vampire, forbidden to love either. Is that good enough?”

He took in a shaky breath, his voice raw when he spoke. “You’re the first to really know. I’ve been hiding myself for so long. I need you, Kat,” he whispered. “I need you.”

Those three words wrapped around her heart.

He stood, and she watched him as he stripped, more shocked with every piece of clothing he removed. Heavy, defined muscle rippled under his skin, making her mouth water. She glanced down at his erection, and her mouth went dry.

He was hard, and bigger than she expected. Quite a bit bigger.

“Michael—” She wanted him—God, she wanted him, but it had been a while. “I—”

“We can go slowly, Kat, as long as I know at the end of it that I will be inside you.” His low, quiet voice turned her on, heat and need shooting through her.

“I’m good with that.” She watched him open the drawer to his nightstand and pull out a condom. “Michael.” She cleared her throat, surprised at the grief edging her voice. “You won’t need that.”

Both eyebrows shot up. “I will not risk—”

“You don’t understand. I can’t get pregnant.” She touched the scar, just below her left hipbone. “One of my first hunts, I was stabbed by a demon. There was damage, and the surgeons had to take out my—important bits.”

“I am sorry, Kat.”

Swallowing, she stared at her hands. “It was years ago, and I’m not the mommy type, so it worked out for the best.”

His fingers cupped her chin, tilted her head up until she met his eyes. “I will wear it, for protection, if that eases your mind.”

“What if I said no?”

“I would be eternally grateful. It has been too long since I was with a woman, skin on skin.”

Her entire body throbbed at the thought. Her last lover didn’t believe her. Calling her a liar their first night together pretty much summed up that disaster of a relationship—

“Kat?”

“I’m good without.”

His smile tugged at her heart. “Thank you. What do you think of foreplay?”

Sweet God in heaven. “Normally, I’m all for it.” She cleared her throat. “But I believe I’m more than ready for the main event.”

He shocked her by reaching down and slipping one finger inside her. “I agree with that assessment.”

Laughter burst out of her—and choked to a gasp when his finger stroked her.

“God—stop teasing me, Vlad.”

He kissed her, his tongue sliding into her mouth as he eased his finger out of her. The combination left her throbbing. Finally, he let her go, his breathing as rough as hers.

“Lie down for me, Kat.”

She lowered herself to the cool sheets, already aching and wet. Her heart pounded harder as he climbed on the bed and straddled her. He lowered himself until the hot, thick tip of his erection pressed into her. It felt incredible, without any kind of barrier. He felt incredible.

“Kat.” He groaned her name, slid in another inch. With a low cry she arched up, needing to feel more. “Jesu—you are so tight.”

“Don’t you dare stop.”

“I am past the point of stopping.” He proved it by pushing himself in deeper. “God protect me, you feel so good.”

She opened herself to him, moaning as he sank into her. He moved slowly, letting her adjust to his size. The pace drove her to the edge of crazy.

“Michael—please—”

“I don’t want to hurt you.”

“You’re killing me right now.”

He flashed a smile that left her breathless—damn his vampire charm—and moved even slower.

She gripped his really impressive ass and arched up. “In, Vlad. All the way.”

“Your command, hunter.”

“Retired hunter.” The reminder poked at her already aching heart, but she pushed it aside as he finally filled her, leaving both of them breathless. “God,” she whispered. “I love the way you feel inside me. Are you going to start moving anytime soon?”

He let out a choked laugh and braced himself on his good arm. “Are you always this demanding?”

“When I want something.”

He closed his eyes. “I hope that something is me, and not simply a body part.”

Kat framed his face, careful to choose her words. She understood what he wanted to hear. What he needed to hear, after God knew how many years of isolation.

Why did she care? This connection to him, it was only the blood bond—and who was she kidding? She’d been attracted to him since she met those clear green eyes.

“I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t you. Blood bond or not, I do know how to control myself, even around a vampire.”