In the Beginning... (34 page)

His feet carried him down the hall that ran
beneath the hotel and toward the Healers’ Hall.

He needed his female. Needed the reassurance
that she was whole, and alive, and…safe.

He didn’t knock when he approached her
office, didn’t even think to. She looked up when the vibration of
his footsteps reached her.

Woman, have you eaten lunch yet?

You know, just because I
can’t hear you knock doesn’t mean I don’t appreciate the
appearance
of
courtesy.
Her words were cross, but her
tone mild. She looked up at him, green eyes studying him for a
moment.
Something is bothering you. What’s
happened now?

Nothing has happened. Except that blasted
demon has taken my sister out of this realm.

I always knew Rathan would
be an out-of-this-world kind of date. Don’t tell me you didn’t
know? They told
me
yesterday. Kindara wants me to take over her research here,
while she sends me information from there.

No. I didn’t know. If I had, I wouldn’t have
given my permission!

She’s four hundred years old, I hardly think
she needs permission from her brother to do anything. Besides,
Rathan’s not going to let anything happen to her.

Cormac banged his hand against the desk. The
gesture startled her and she jumped from the vibrations that shook
the piece.

The expression she shot at
him had him feeling about three feet tall.
I don’t have to like it.

She still eyed him like he
was a garden slug.
No. You don’t. But you
have to accept it…just like…

Cormac sat on the corner of
her desk, only inches away from her.
Like
what?

Like I have to accept that
my sister thinks she’s in love with Barlaam. I guess she’s
staying
with him in his
suite, now.
Sleeping
with him. Everything. So quick. She’s ok with all of this
already.

Lucky bastard. His Rajni proves less
stubborn than mine own.

He easily heard her gasp within his head. He
laughed, releasing some of the tension filling him.

Just more discerning. Besides, Barlaam is a
nice man. A good person.

You want nice and good? I
can be nice and good. I can
make it
nice and good for you.

I’m sure you think you can. Sex is just an
act, you know. Physical reactions to physical stimulations.
Biology. Nothing special.

Not when done correctly. We would do it
correctly. I’d make sure of it. But come. First we shall eat.

He held out his hand to her, waiting to see
what she would do. She placed her smaller hand in his, and he
released his breath slowly. She touched him more easily now. Seemed
almost unaware of the contact her skin made with his. He had slept
holding her the night through the previous evening, her blonde head
tucked under his chin. She’d been unaware of that, as well.

But Cormac was
always
aware of her
touches. Always would be. He acted before he thought it through,
standing and yanking his female into his arms. His lips covered
hers, and he heard her squeak in his head. She pushed against him
for a moment, then stopped. Her hands clung to the material of
his
vestis.
Her
mouth softened beneath his.

She kissed him back. Thank
the goddess.
This
was what he needed. He lifted her and spun them both, putting
her ass on the desk he’d given her. It was hundreds of years old
and sturdy enough to hold them both.
See,
female? I can make it good for both of us. If you would only allow
me. We are meant to do just this.

He felt her resistance
wavering, but somehow she pulled it around to cloak herself. Her
hands pushed instead of clung.
Get off me,
you lunatic. I am not going to sleep with you because some weird
physiology or some hypothetical, mythological being decrees
it.

How about because I decree it? Would you
sleep with me then?

No. Now get off me.

Cormac stepped back, then
offered her a hand up. Her hair was disheveled from his fingers,
and he did his best to right it. She grew impatient and pushed his
hand away.
I’ve got it. What was it you
wanted?

To take my female to lunch before I have to
join the Dahr in yet another meeting about Dardano’s security. So
come. I know you must be hungry by now. I can offer you a vein or
we can go to one of the restaurants here in the building.

I want
real
food. I can’t just…
Her face was red, and her eyes confused when she
looked at him. At his neck.

Can’t just walk up to me and feed from me
like you did last eve in the shower? In our suite? Why not? We are
alone here. And it is perfectly natural between mates. I will
provide all your blood needs for the rest of our lives. What is so
strange about that?

It’s just not…
she shrugged her confusion.
Unreal, still.

I know. It’s not what you
are used to, baby. But you will get there.
Cormac felt a rush of tenderness so great when he saw the
gesture. A tenderness he hadn’t felt for her before. Was this
overwhelming warmth of emotion a normal part of being Rajnis? He
had felt a gamut of emotions for her since the moment he’d first
touched her—anger, sadness, lust, fear, protectiveness,
possessiveness. But had he felt this tenderness for her
before?

This time when he touched
her it was only to hug her to his chest. He kissed her
forehead.
Feed from me if you wish, my
love. Or not, if that is what you wish. We can have our version of
pizza. It has a beautiful type of nutty cheese that was perfected
in the sixth century. You will like it, I promise. Come.

She was still in his arms
for a very long moment. Then Cormac’s knees almost went out from
under him. Her mouth pressed against his neck and he felt her
tongue brush against his pulse. Once. Twice. Then again.
You do taste nice.

Her words were soft in his mind, while her
fangs were sharp on his neck. He locked his knees and braced his
arms beside her on the desktop. Her legs slipped around his waist
as she pulled him closer.

Go ahead. Take what you need from me.

It’s weird. But not as gross
as I thought it would be.
She wasn’t
focused on what she was saying. He had no difficulty reading her
inattention. Her teeth sank deep.
How did
you know this was what I needed? I didn’t even know.

I wish I could say it was because a Rajni
always knows. But I can’t. I had hoped. Most females need to feed
every week or so, some can go several weeks in between. Depends on
their activity level and metabolism. Since you are still healing,
you need more. And I can give it. And all that you need.

I still get so tired. Don’t tell anyone.

I already know. Kindara said
it was because you are most likely anemic. It is my job—my right—to
fix that. And we start now. Plus…
Plus
what?

That feels so damned good, what you are
doing with your tongue!

Josey felt a thrill curl through her at his
words. She knew he desired her. How could she not? His body was
pressed against hers, and the evidence of what he wanted was hard
to miss.

What would it hurt to give him what he
wanted? Who or what was stopping her? She licked his skin again; he
shivered against her.

She
had this great, strong, superior male trembling because her
lips were on him. How could she hold out against that?

Maybe she should.

She continued to feed from him, closing her
eyes and snuggling into him. Somehow the feel of him just holding
her mattered more than anything else. When was the last time she’d
truly been held by someone who loved her? Something more than what
a father or sister or other relative would offer? Someone who
wanted to hold her for reasons other than a blood connection?

Of course,
they
had a blood
connection between them.
His
blood flowed through her body, making her as much
his as she was her father’s. But in an entirely different
way.

That thought had her pulling away. She wiped
her mouth delicately, catching a stray drop of crimson.

His eyes followed her finger
and she watched as the color turned to hot gold with lust. He
wrapped his fingers around her wrist and raised her hand to his
lips. He licked her finger, then sucked it deep into his mouth. The
curl of his tongue on her skin had
her
shivering this time.

He pulled her hand back, then his head
descended. He covered her lips with his. Josey sank her fingers
into the dark brown curls over his ears and pulled him closer.

Why was she denying herself what was hers by
what the books said was hers by right?

****

He felt her acquiescence and
knew that
now
was
what he had been waiting for. It didn’t matter that they were in a
fifteen by fifteen foot office, that the only furniture was the
desk his grandfather had made plus a few chairs and bookshelves. A
computer. All that mattered was that his woman was finally ready
for him.

His hand slipped under
her
vestis
and
splayed across her back. His fingers reached from shoulder blade to
shoulder blade, reminding him of how delicate she was beneath his
hands. Delicate despite her stubborn spirit.

She wore a bra of silk and
satin, and his fingers played with the straps gently as he
continued to explore his female’s mouth. Her neck.
Can I touch you?

I think you already are.

You know what I mean. Can I touch
you…everywhere?

You’re asking
permission?
Her hands didn’t wait, running
around the muscles of his chest. He’d noticed before that she’d
liked looking at him without his
vestis.
She’d shown an inordinate
amount of interest in the tattoos that covered his chest, seemingly
fascinated by the different marks and colors.

Maybe he would get a design that mingled her
eyes and his House symbol? He would do that.

Not really. Just preparing you for what is
about to happen.

I know what’s about to
happen. I’m not a virgin, you know.
He
stilled for a moment.
Let’s not go there.
Or I’ll be tempted…
To what?

To find every man you’ve been with and kill
him.

You wouldn’t really.
Her tone was only mildly surprised.
Distracted.
It wouldn’t be right. And it’s
not as if I knew you, then.

I will let them live. If you
kiss me again. And if I can take this off.
He tugged at the
vestis
once
. Can I?

She nodded, leaned back slightly. Her eyes
burned into his. Cormac had never seen green so hot, so beautiful,
as the green of her eyes in that moment. He slipped the material
over her head. He flung the garment to the desk behind her.

Her bra was as green as her eyes, and he
touched the silk with hands that could only be described as
reverent. His hands shook. He felt the flesh beneath the silk
pucker as his fingers grazed over the tops. She shivered again and
he felt the movement beneath his palm. He cupped her, squeezed
lightly. Beautiful. She was as beautiful as the first time he’d
seen her, when she’d done her unknowing striptease for him in the
little home she’d shared with her sister.

Goddess, why had it taken them so long to
get to this point?

He lifted her to sit on the edge of the desk;
she was so light in his grasp. Her arms slid around his waist and
she tugged him closer, humming sweet little hums in her throat.
Sounds he doubted she was aware she was making.

Her face looked soft and beautiful. Her lips
were swollen and wet. She was his.

He started to lower his head to taste the
skin of her neck, and lower.

A knock sounded on the door to her office,
and he reared back, cursing roundly.

He knocked into her desk chair, sending it
clattering across the floor.

She jerked away, surprise and shock on her
face.

Someone’s knocking on the
door.
He called out, telling whomever
waited that he’d be there in a moment, and grabbed her
vestis
from the desk where
he’d dropped it.
Hurry. Get
dressed.

Oh god!
She yanked the tunic over her head, then righted it around her
waist.
How’s my hair?

He let out a snort.
Fine. Still braided like you had it. I don’t like
it braided.

And that matters now
because…?
She paused what she was doing
long enough to give him a flabbergasted look. She shook her head at
him.

It doesn’t. It’s just that
your hair should always be down so I can touch it.
So he could wrap his hands in it, bury his face in
the sweet smell of his woman.

Just answer the damned door!

Yes, dear.

He answered the door, surprised to see Aodhan
and Theo both standing outside the door. Their grave faces told him
something was wrong.