Crimson Dichotomy (Dichotomy Saga) (3 page)

Bloodletting ogres, vicious pleasure? Was this really a world to which she wanted to belong?

“I see doubt in your eyes,” Taerok noted. “I thought your decision was made.”

“I’ll admit I’m apprehensive, but I think that was your intention. I haven’t changed my mind.”

“I require more than your word. Demonstrate your willingness to obey.”

“What do you want me to do?”

“Stand here.” He motioned to the floor in front of him and Raze.

They were going to tag team her, or worse, fuck her at the same time. She had no doubt that’s what he intended. And this would be the first of many. Her pulse finally found a comfortable rhythm, slightly faster than normal, but steady. Excitement blossomed within her trepidation. Taerok had never hurt her and Raze was certainly attractive. She could do this. As Raze had said, it was a small price to pay for immortality. She scooted off the bed and slipped past Taerok, positioning herself in front of the two men.

“Undress. I’m well acquainted with your charms, but Raze has never seen you.”

She kicked off her shoes and worked the buttons on the front of her blouse. “May I ask a question?”

“Of course.”

“You two obviously enjoy both sexes. Are there some vampires who prefer one or the other?”

“I can’t speak for all vampires,” Taerok said, “but I enjoy fucking—period.”

“Can vampires have children?”

“The vast majority of vampires reproduce through transformation, so gender is irrelevant,” Raze offered the answer this time. “Only organic vampires can procreate and only with other organic vampires. So all the gender-related categories humans adore have little meaning in our world.”

She tried to accept the information as casually as it was offered, but her mind was spinning. They were going to fuck her, drain her blood until her heart stopped, and then feed her their blood. Would she drink from both of them or just Taerok? Did it matter?

Desperate for a distraction from her fear, she folded her blouse and placed it on the floor. Her bra followed and then her pants. She pulled off her socks, wishing they would say something.

Taerok watched her in silent assessment, his expression inscrutable. Raze had begun a lazy orbit that was even more disconcerting. She finally pulled off her panties and straightened her arms at her sides. Her body wasn’t bad. She had nice, full breasts, but her waist was a bit thick and, despite hours on a treadmill, she couldn’t slim down her thighs.

“Sit on the end of the bed. She can prepare you while I prepare her.”

When Raze walked back into her peripheral vision he was naked too. Holy mother of God! The man was sculpted like a champion bodybuilder. Had his body looked this good before he was awakened?

Taerok stepped up beside her and smiled. “Rather impressive, isn’t he? That’s one of the glorious things about awakening humans. The transformation identifies the optimum potential of a person’s DNA and locks their body in that shape forever.”

“It only works with humans?”

“I don’t know. I’ve never awakened a Dichotomy.”

“You look damned good just the way you are,” Raze said with a charming smile. “Come here and let me see if you feel as good as you look.”

Taerok led her forward as Raze spread his legs, proudly displaying his sex. Heavy and hairless, his balls rested lightly against the edge of the bed. His cock was already thick and long, and she suspected it was only semi-hard. Taerok had been the most impressive man she’d ever touched, but he couldn’t compare with Raze.

“Touch him, suck him if you like, but bend from the waist.”

After a brief kiss, Raze guided her downward. He obviously wanted her mouth on his cock. She enjoyed the velvet-soft feeling of his scrotum before closing her hand around his shaft. His fingers fisted in the back of her hair when she did no more than stroke him. Understanding the silent warning, she sucked the massive tip into her mouth.

He arched off the bed, driving his cock deeper into her wet heat. She swirled her tongue, barely able to move around his hardening girth. Damn, the man was big.

Taerok’s hands stroked her bottom and teased her inner thighs. Would he fuck her from behind while she sucked off Raze? She’d never been with two men before. The possibilities both thrilled and intimidated her.

Before she could determine his intentions, his fingers slid into the crack between her bottom cheeks. His touch felt slick and unusually cool. Lubricant. He’d said he was going to prepare her, she just hadn’t realized what he meant.

She’d been ass fucked before. Even Taerok hadn’t been her first. When he’d held her down and crammed his full length into her tight, back passage, he’d seemed disappointed that he hadn’t hurt her. Still, the pleasure that followed had been unbelievable.

His fingers pushed boldly past her sphincter then twisted, smearing the lube in all directions. “You like this, don’t you?”

Raze wouldn’t release her long enough so she could reply. He matched the steady bobbing of her head with a rocking motion. “She’s good at this, too.”

“She’ll have to give you a complete demonstration another time. I have something else in mind for tonight.” Taerok pulled her up and Raze’s cock slipped from her mouth, wet and massively erect. She eyed the appealing length one last time before Taerok turned her around. “No matter how prepared you think you are, your instinct for survival will take over and you will fight me.”

“You’re more than strong enough to hold me down.” She’d put the concept to the test often enough to know. There was nothing as exciting as struggling against an unbreakable hold as he thrust hard and deep between her thighs. Maybe she was better suited to this life than she realized. Desire dropped hot and heavy into the pit of her stomach. Her core melted and heated, preparing for his entry. “I’m not afraid.”

“You will be.” Amber light ignited within his gaze, burning away the darkness until only heat remained.

She stared into the brightness and fear snaked through her lust. Firm hands grasped her hips, pulling her backward as Taerok’s hand clasped around her throat. Instinctively she grabbed his arm, but that only freed Raze to position her more rapidly.

The blunt head of his cock found her anus and her eyes flew open wide. He was too big to even consider… He brought her down onto his erection with unrelenting pressure. Her body spread around his thick shaft, wider and wider, stretching. She tried to struggle, but Taerok simply tightened his grip on her throat.

Lights danced before her eyes and she sagged against Raze’s chest, accepting the ruthless invasion with a shuddering sigh. He shifted her calves to the outside of his legs, forcing his cock ever deeper.

A whimper escaped as Taerok eased his hold, allowing air to flow freely. Raze held her firmly with one arm wrapped around her waist, but his other hand stroked her breasts.

Invaded, impaled, overwhelmed, she felt helpless and… She
was
helpless. That’s what she needed to understand. They could just as easily snuff out her life as follow through with their promises.

“Who am I?” Taerok demanded. The intensity of his eyes had decreased enough that she could see the transformation of his features. His eyebrows slashed at sharp angles, accenting the pronounced ridges in his forehead. His cheekbones were always high, but now they jutted to cadaverous peaks.

“Master.” She forced the word past her dry lips as her soul shuddered.

“Offer me your life.”

“It is yours.” He licked her lips then kissed her, his tongue boldly claiming.

“Offer me your body.”

“Take me. Please.” He thrust his fingers into her pussy and she cried out. Raze stretched her so tightly there was hardly any room in her core. She closed her eyes, preparing for more discomfort, but he left his fingers inside her and gently circled her clit.

“Relax. Accept what you are becoming. Offer me your cream.”

His touch was skilled and a welcome relief from the pressure. She concentrated on the sensual glide of his thumb, needing the small show of tenderness more than she wanted to admit.

“Give Raze your wrist. We will drain you together.”

Everything within her balked at his words. This was it! They meant to consume her blood until her heart stopped beating. What if they didn’t bring her back? What if…

Raze took her arm and pulled her wrist to his mouth. Taerok knelt between her legs and paused to lick her pussy before he pressed his lips against the inside of her thigh. Time stood still. She was paralyzed with fear and compulsion. Her head dropped back against Raze’s shoulder and both men bit down.

She screamed and went wild between them. Raze angled his arm across her chest, without releasing her wrist. Taerok draped her leg over his shoulder and firmly grasped her hips. Raze’s cock anchored her in place as they fed. Heat flowed through her, comforting at first, then scalding, consuming. Strength drained out of her with each powerful suck.

Stop! Please, I don’t… I’m…
The terrified words never made it past her mind. She melted into Raze’s embrace, knowing with absolute certainty that her life was about to end.

No bright white light. No crowd of loved ones waiting to embrace her.

Taerok slowly withdrew his fangs from her leg. Raze still fed, meticulously tracking the decreasing rhythm of her heart. He must stop a moment before she died, yet make sure she did die. She understood all this with surreal clarity.

Cold darkness closed in around her. Sensation faded, leaving one fleeting moment of bittersweet regret. And then nothing at all.

Far too anxious to remain still, Mara paced the sitting area adjacent to her bedroom the following afternoon. The sunny alcove had long since become a private office. Her father preferred she work from home as often as possible. She shook her head at the understatement. If her father had his way, she’d never leave the estate. Granted she was his only child, but he acted as if he were the last Dichotomy on Earth.

She dismissed the ever-present annoyance with a sigh and focused on the coming benefit. Her mother had established the Serenity Foundation, building the organization from an obscure children’s charity into a philanthropic giant. Control of the foundation had fallen to Mara with her mother’s death three years before.

She scrolled down the checklist in her tablet computer, verifying that preparations for the Harvest Gala were on schedule. Her mother had taught her well. Mara never left anything to chance and had contingencies in place for every conceivable complication.

Except a rogue vampire…

A violent chill skittered down her spine. She set the tablet aside and crossed to the French doors leading to the second-floor balcony. A mild breeze caressed her cheek and rippled through her unbound hair. The main house was set at an angle to the Pacific Coast Highway, offering ocean views from two sides. Her bedroom, however, faced the immaculately landscaped backyard. Though she couldn’t see the endless waves, she could smell their fresh tang and feel their humid effect on the wind.

She leaned her forearms against the sculpted railing and tried to relax. Smoldering eyes and sharp fangs had disturbed her dreams, leaving her restless and fatigued. Even after a leisurely breakfast, she’d felt a little off. She couldn’t explain the anxiety, but something wasn’t right.

Her gaze searched the shadowy trees that hugged the perimeter fence. Was Steffen out there, watching the house, scanning for signs of danger? And should she be comforted or upset by the possibility?

Just the thought of the handsome Sentinel set her in motion again. She stalked to the end of the balcony before returning to her bedroom. His image lingered in her memory and he’d insinuated himself into her dreams. Underlying the danger there had been an erotic edge, teasing and stimulating in ways she didn’t want to remember.

She’d never responded to a lover so easily, real or imagined. Had the sensations been accurate representations of— It didn’t matter! She had no intention of having sex with a man she hardly knew. Besides, he hadn’t been flaunting his sexual prowess; he’d been demonstrating her helplessness.

You need to decide if the Serenity Foundation is worth your life.

Another chill raced down her spine and she stopped in the middle of the room. It didn’t take Dichotomy abilities to know when she was being watched. “Show yourself.”

She was nearly certain she knew who was spying on her, but she always erred on the side of caution. Hurrying into her bedroom, she opened the small drawer in her nightstand and reached for the gun her father insisted she keep nearby.

“Bullets won’t stop a vampire.” Steffen’s deep voice sounded an instant before he solidified. “The pain will just piss him off.”

Leaving the gun in the nightstand, she closed the drawer and turned around. “I didn’t have a wooden stake handy. Why the hell are you spying on me?”

“You made your resentment obvious yesterday. I’d hoped a little subtlety would make you more comfortable.”

“Does my father know you’re here?” She waved away his answer. “Of course he does. Was invisibility his idea?” Despite the amusement shimmering in Steffen’s gaze, he let her draw her own conclusions. “Sunset is still a couple of hours away. Shouldn’t I be safe until then?”

“Vampires are allergic to ultraviolet light, but contrary to horror films, they don’t burst into flames. The real challenge is their solar trance. They don’t fall asleep like we do. They’re overtaken by a state of unconsciousness far more like a coma than sleep. Most emerge from this trance around sunset. Still, it can vary by an hour or two. You must stop taking your safety for granted.”

A wave of awareness tingled through her, drawing her attention to the neatly made bed. What would it feel like to stretch out on the wide mattress with Steffen arched over her, pressing against her, thrusting into her?

He was lecturing her on safety and she was fantasizing about having sex with him. This was ridiculous!

She forced away the tantalizing possibilities and eased past his tall form. He’d spoken of vampires in the abstract again. “Then you’re not a vampire?”

“Why are you fixated on my ancestry?” He followed her into the sitting room.

“Why won’t you answer the question?”

“My father was a genetically engineered human. My mother is a sylph.” A sexy smile bowed his lips, revealing a hint of even white teeth. “Now you know all my secrets.”

“I think I could spend a lifetime questioning you and never know all your secrets.”

“I suspect you’re right.”

His easy manner made her bold. “Who engineered your father’s genetics and what was accomplished by the manipulation?”

“Now you’re being rude.” He crossed his arms over his chest and narrowed his gaze, but a hint of his smile remained.

He was too damned charming for her peace of mind. If she let her guard down, he’d control every aspect of her life. His unreasonable list of expectations was proof enough of that.

He’s just trying to protect you
. Now her inner voice was turning on her. This was a very bad sign. She took a deep breath and focused on her current complaint. “I’ve still got a long way to go before my behavior is as rude as yours. How long have you been spying on me? When did you return to the estate?”

“I never left.”

His casual revelation made her gasp. She’d been so turned on after his mind trick in her father’s office she’d locked herself in her private suite. Several hours of tedious work had done nothing to ease the ache between her thighs, so she’d summoned Geoffrey, her private trainer. Under his watchful eye, she’d embarked on a two-hour workout that left her drenched in sweat and trembling with fatigue.

“Care to tell me what has you so wound up?” Geoffrey had asked as she emerged from the shower. “You haven’t pushed yourself like that in months.” He frequently ended their sessions with a full body massage and she desperately needed to relax.

“There was another threat against Father and he decided to hire additional security.” He helped her onto the massage table then discretely turned his head. She tossed her damp towel aside and arranged herself on her stomach beneath the crisp white sheeting.

Geoffrey knew there was something unusual about the Ruiz family, but he was paid well not to ask too many questions. “With the gala coming up, it’s probably a wise precaution.” He lowered the light drape to her waist and went to work on her back.

“I’ve always had a bodyguard. That’s not the problem. This guy is an overbearing ass.”

His strong hands paused on her shoulders. “Are you talking about that gorgeous blond who was here this afternoon?”

She looked back at him and glared. “His physical appearance is not the issue. He wants to keep me under lock and key until they catch this lunatic.”

The massage resumed, but she detected amusement in Geoffrey’s voice. “If the danger is real, you’d probably better do what he says.”

She turned over, holding the drape against her naked breasts. To his credit his gaze remained on her face. “Did Father recruit you too?”

His blue eyes met her gaze without hesitation. “This is the first I’ve heard about the threat, but I’ve never been one to take needless chances.” She and Geoffrey had been lovers for a few months shortly after he’d accepted the live-in position at the Ruiz estate. He was good-natured and handsome in the carefree, surfer-boy fashion so common in Southern California. “Are you sure the threat is what’s upsetting you?”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

He chuckled and eased her back on the table. “I saw him, Mara. And I know you well enough to—”

“Yes, he’s gorgeous. Yes, I’m attracted to him. But that doesn’t change the situation. He is half a step away from canceling the gala and I can’t let that happen.”

“Then work with him, not against him. Your father will do anything to keep you safe, even if it pisses you off.”

“Tell me about it.”

He folded back the drape and lifted her leg, deftly working the tense muscles in her calf. As his hands moved higher, she shifted restlessly, unwanted images flickering through her mind.

Geoffrey chuckled, drawing her anxious gaze back to his handsome face. “Sweetheart, you are still so wound up. I don’t think all the massaging in the world will relax you.” He hesitated a moment then lowered her heel to the table.

“I guess I’ll go swim laps.” She sighed.

“That’s not what I meant. I think a good, hard orgasm is the only thing that’s going to settle you down.”

“Geoffrey!” Mortification heated her skin from her chest to her hairline.

“Obviously I wouldn’t make this suggestion to any other client, but our relationship isn’t ordinary.”

“I’m not going to fuck you just so I’ll—”

“That’s not what I was suggesting either. Lynn would kill me if I fucked you, but I’m pretty sure she’d forgive me if I gave you a more…thorough massage than usual.”

“I can take care of it myself. You and Lynn seem really happy. I don’t want to screw things up for you.”

“Lynn trusts me, and we both know it feels a lot better when someone else triggers an orgasm.”

He made it sound so sensible, almost clinical. He rubbed her naked body all the time. This wouldn’t be
that much
different.

“Lie back and raise your arms above your head.” His expression was calm, his gaze compassionate. “Grab the top of the table and close your eyes.”

Her fingers clutched the padding as he lifted the sheet, exposing her lower body. He’d seen her pussy before. He’d gone down on her and fucked her, for God’s sake. Still, this felt undeniably naughty.

“Think about him,” Geoffrey whispered. “Relax and imagine him touching you.”

He warmed her favorite body oil. She could smell the familiar scent and hear the subtle sound as he lightly rubbed his hands together. Then he stroked up and down her thighs, sliding easily on her oil-slicked flesh. Warm and sure, his fingers touched her skin and applied pressure to her muscles. She knew it was Geoffrey, but her mind was all too willing to play the game.

She imagined Steffen standing beside the table, his dark gaze fixated on her sex. Her knees were lifted and her thighs parted. He’d be able to see her flushed folds and the evidence of her smoldering passion.

Gentle fingers traced her crease and she shivered. Geoffrey was right. It felt so much better when someone else got her off. She’d been wet and aching for hours. This should take about three seconds.

He pushed two fingers into her core, working her with a slow, smooth motion. His thumb brushed over her clit and she gasped. Her inner muscles pulsed with tension and heat suffused her abdomen.

Despite the building pleasure, the image blurred and changed. Geoffrey had his hand between her thighs and Steffen stood back from the table, brawny arms folded over his chest. A sardonic smile curved his lips and amusement sparkled in his gaze.

If you want me to touch you, hellion, all you have to do is ask.

The sound of his deep voice shattered her ravaged composure. She came fast and hard, her core tightly squeezing Geoffrey’s fingers.

She’d found the incident confusing at the time, but indignation boiled within her now. “You’ve been at the estate all this time or you’ve been…” She couldn’t complete the thought. Had he watched Geoffrey finger-fuck her? Or worse, had it been his presence and not her imagination that finally triggered her orgasm?

“I can’t protect you unless I’m with you.” His tone was completely unapologetic.

“You can protect me just as well from the corridor as you can from my bedroom! This nonsense stops right now. You will not enter my suite without permission and you will not follow me into any of the bathrooms. You will respect my privacy as often as possible. Do you understand?”

“You’ve made yourself quite clear.”

Salvaging as much of her dignity as she could, she nodded. “Good. Then go downstairs or lurk in the hallway, if you must. I’ve got work to do.”

* * *

Hunger erupted within Val’s pain-clouded mind. Her abdomen cramped and her fangs ached so badly she could barely—
fangs
? She ran her tongue over one sharp protrusion and images inundated her mind.

She’d sprawled against Raze’s wide chest, impaled on his cock as he worked with Taerok to end her mortal life. Blood, metallic and sweet—she could still remember the taste and the heat as it flowed across her tongue and coated the inside of her cheeks. Taerok had fed her first, offering only enough of life’s essence to restart her heart.

Raze hadn’t been more generous, but her savage demand had startled and excited him. He’d bent her over the bed and fucked her ass roughly while she gorged from his wrist. Their mutual pleasure changed the taste of his blood, leaving them both breathless and sated.