A Gift of the Darkest Magic (9 page)

Matt held her arm.

“Where are you going?” His voice drifted through the darkness, he sounded sleepy.

“I…I’m not sure, but I have to go. I won’t be gone long, I think.” The words tumbled out

awkwardly. She didn’t know how to explain what she felt.

“This is about me, right? I know the doctors didn’t do this. You’ve been distant since I’ve

come home. We haven’t even made love, even when I know you wanted to.”

“You’ve been sick. I don’t want to push you,” she explained lamely.

“No. This is far more, and you and I both know it. Something happened and it made you

pull away from me. I miss you, babe. Come to bed.”

Come to me!
The voice in her head roared, sounding injured and childish. She jumped.

Matt looked offended. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath, forcing the angry vampire

telepathy to cease.

Clarissa crawled back into bed when Matt lifted the cotton blanket. Her side was still

warm, but she snuggled up to Matt. “I’ve missed you too,” she whispered.

“What happened to you?” He sounded genuinely clueless.

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“If someone told you that you could save my life, but you had to betray me, would you?”

Clarissa angled her head so she could look up into his handsome face. It was filling out again, and he had a healthy tan now. He was so handsome, her heart broke. He might not be surreally

angelic, but he was her beloved and nothing in the world was more beautiful in her eyes. She

pondered his good looks quietly as a host of emotions played out across his features. She knew he was trying to understand, and she could see he understood her question was more of an

explanation. The hurt and anger in his eyes made the fact crystal clear.

“Is that what cured me? Betrayal?”

“Yes.” She said it firmly, giving the word brutal honesty.

“How did you betray me?”

“Do you really want to know the answer? I just want you to know I was selfish, I didn’t

want to live without you.” She wiped her damp eyes with her pajama sleeve.

“I really want to know.” His voice belied the words. Clarissa heard uncertainty.

“You were saved by vampire blood.”

“What?” He gave her an annoyed and incredulous glare.

“Vampire blood. Long story short, it’s not just the blood, but also a magical exchange of

‘gifts’. I thought he’d want my blood, but he didn’t. He wanted me to have sex with him. I had a choice, lose you or not. I chose not. I’d do it again to keep you with me. It meant nothing.”

Matt looked at her as if she was vile. Clarissa bit her lip and held back the sob threatening to interrupt the important dialog she was having with her husband. This was definitely the wrong time to lose it.

“You expect me to believe that you gave me magical vampire blood and fucked a

stranger to save my life?” His voice rose, he wasn’t shouting, but the volume was no longer a whisper.

“I fucked a vampire and you drank his blood. Yeah, his blood saved your life.” She knew

he wouldn’t be happy, but the whole life-saving part should’ve earned her some forgiveness or at least gratitude.

Matt flinched. She never said fuck. He glared for a moment.

“I didn’t go looking to sleep with anyone, especially not undead guys, but I did go

looking for a cure. You were dying, Matt. Without that magic, you’d probably be dead right

now. I will
not
regret you being alive.”

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She forced herself to look him in the eyes. What she’d done was wrong. She couldn’t

justify enjoying Braden’s body or the new sensations he gave her, but she wouldn’t be sorry her husband had made a miraculous recovery. It hurt, but she refused to let him know just how hard it was to confess her sins aloud. She’d tried to lie to herself, but she should’ve known she’d never be able to lie to him.

Sucking in a deep breath, she forced herself not to cry. “I love you, Matt.”

He was the one to lose the battle of wills and look away first. He ran his hand through the

stubble growing back on his head. “Yeah. I know. I just…how could you do it?”

“Save you or sleep with him? Because I didn’t get to pick just saving you.”

“How do you know it was the blood? Maybe it was that new med the doctors talked

about trying, the experimental one.” She could see denial in his eyes as he said the words, he didn’t believe it was the drug any more than she did.

“They never tried the drug. The only thing they were giving you was morphine to make

you comfortable, we both know it.” She tried not to sound angry, but knew she was failing

miserably.

“What was it like, being with him?” Matt looked conflicted. Hurt and anger were still

visible in his expression, but she also noticed curiosity.

“Do you really want to know? I don’t want to hurt you any more than I already have. I

don’t want to remember. Isn’t it enough that you’re better, that we’re a family?” Clarissa

whimpered with frustration, just wanting all the pain to end.

“Tell me,” he ordered.

She’d never seen him look so strange before, as if anger was arousing him. It made her

uncomfortable.

“It was different. He bit me. He tied me up and spanked me.” She blushed, unable to look

at him. Turning away from him, Clarissa closed her eyes. “I liked it,” she whispered.

“What part, the biting?” Matt’s voice sounded rough as he asked the question. He cleared

his throat softly.

“No, it was rough and I liked being dominated by him, he was so…in charge.” She

suddenly felt something hard against her side. Matt was hard. It made her blush deepen, she

could feel the heat creeping down her neck and chest.

“I could be ‘in charge’ too, Clair.” Matt spoke softly, but she could clearly hear the

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question in his voice.

Come to me!

She ignored the vampire’s shriek as her mind echoed with his desperation. Braden needed

her, but her husband needed her too. She honestly cared for the creature, but she loved her

husband. Clarissa reached under the covers and stroked Matt’s hard length through his

underwear.

“It’s been a long time.” He sighed, closing his eyes.

“Yes, too long. I miss you, Matt.”

“I miss you too, Clair. Take off your pajamas,” he ordered.

Matt never ordered. She immediately obeyed. When she returned to slide naked under the

covers, Matt didn’t give her a moment to get comfortable. He rolled over, pinning her hands

above her head, and held them as he kissed her with a raw, rough passion so intense it left her breathless. His tongue dipped between her lips. Her husband was tender and sweet with her in

bed, but this Matt was demanding. She kissed him back with equal frenzy. Matt pulled away and he seemed to be searching for something in her face.

“I love you,” she uttered, not sure how to help him find his answers.

Letting go of her hands, he made a low growling noise of frustration in his throat before

kissing her neck. He trailed kisses down her collarbone until his lips hovered just above the bite scar near her breast. He ran the tip of his tongue over her flesh. She’d managed to keep it hidden from him until now. He kissed, sucking her skin. Clarissa shuddered and moaned. He moved

lower, taking her nipple between his lips and nipping her. She flinched, startled at the sharp and unexpected pain. Sensation swirled inside of her, making little waves of desire spark and burn. A trickling wetness gathered between her legs.

He sucked on her nipple…hard, causing her back to arch. Then he switched breasts and

repeated the sucking, but didn’t bite this time. He kneaded the damp nipple he’d just left with his fingers, pulling and twisting while his mouth loved its mate.

“Maaattt.” She groaned his name.

He stopped sucking, much to her disappointment, and he ran his fingertips lightly down

her stomach and over her pelvis and hips. He was now between her legs, spreading them. She

opened to him happily, and he rubbed her inner thighs while looking down at her damp pussy

with desire darkened eyes. She loved Matt’s bedroom eyes.

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He turned her to her side. The loud crack of his hand on her ass echoed off the bedroom

walls. Matt smacked her a second time and she wiggled her butt, giving him a better angle. He struck a third time and she moaned. On the fourth, he spanked her harder, as if he truly meant to punish her, and she cried out, pushing herself onto all fours so he had access to all of her ass. He ran his fingers over her wet pussy. He stroked her and she closed her eyes. When he smacked her newly exposed cheek while rubbing she gasped.

“Yes. Yes, Matt!”

He continued for a while and she was on the verge of orgasm. Then his hand tangled in

her hair. Her husband pulled her head back a bit, and leaned forward to kiss her mouth. It was a bit awkward, but the roughness sent a tingle down her spine and heightened her already soaring arousal. Matt kissed her with a thoughtless sloppiness she’d never experienced with him before.

His rough whiskers scratched at her face, and she relished in the sensation of his cock poking her lower back. He was very hard. For her. Matt still wanted her, even when he knew the truth of

what a terrible person she was. It made her love him even more.

He let go of her hair and positioned himself directly behind her. Reaching around her hip,

he searched for her clit; finding it, he rubbed her with a hard, swirling motion. Clarissa cried out.

His cock slid in from behind and he kept rubbing her even as his cock slowly inched inside her needy pussy. Clarissa squeezed her eyes closed tightly, panting. He rubbed her even harder.

When he pulled back then slammed into her again she shattered, screaming, “Yes! I love you,

Matt!
Yes
!”

He grabbed her hips and began to pull her and push her as he pumped inside of her with a

rough force, making her orgasm a long lasting pleasure. The pleasure faded and she could feel her pussy contracting around him as he came, collapsing with her and pulling them both back,

still physically connected. They lay spooning for a moment, until finally their ragged breathing returned to normal.

Matt rolled her over, wrapping his arms around her.

Come to me now, Clarissa!
The vampire’s voice inside her head wailed the demand. She pushed his call out of her mind again.

“He’s in your head, isn’t he?”

She turned to Matt, her eyes wide from his question. “How do you know?”

He smiled sadly. “I can feel something in my head, as if he’s calling to me to let you go. I

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won’t let you go, but I understand you need to go to him. I love you, Clarissa, you’re mine, but I feel his pain. He’s hurting.”

“I know,” she whispered. “I won’t have sex with him again.”

“I know,” Matt reassured her quietly. “Go to him, Clair. I trust you.”

“How can you trust me after I had sex with a vampire?”

“Because you did it for me. As much as I hate the son-of-a-bitch, I know you didn’t do it

because you love him. I will give you what you want, you need for the rest of our lives, Clair. If you want it rough, I’m happy and able to make that happen. The three of us have a connection

now, something supernatural, and I know you want to help him. So do I, he saved me, us. I

just…hate him for touching you, but I can’t ignore his agony.”

Come to me.
This time it was a whimper and she got out of bed.

“I can’t either, but are you sure you’re okay with me going to the man I cheated with?”

“I have to be. I feel as if this means something important. I love you, babe.”

She was already pulling on clothing. Her hair was a mess, but she didn’t take the time to

fix the bed head. “I love you too, Matt.” Hurrying to the bedroom door, she glanced back at

where her husband lay in the bed. He looked absolutely stricken with grief and it made her heart ache. “Trust me.”

“I trust you. It’s him I can’t trust. Go.”

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Chapter 11

Clarissa left the bedroom, practically running to her car. She’d ignored Braden’s cry too

long. He’d felt weakened the last time he’d called to her. There was only an hour before dawn.

She drove too fast, but she was in luck, no police patrolled the quiet suburban streets.

She parked in front of the deserted vampire club and hurried to the side entrance. The

door was unlocked. Surprised, Clarissa stepped inside and walked to the hidden doorway of

Braden’s private domain. She stumbled down into the darkness.

“I’m here, Braden,” she called out, unconcerned with her own safety as she felt his

sorrow growing. “Where are you?”

She opened the door to his lair. This one was also unlocked. She stepped inside, her eyes

were adjusting to the pitch-black dark and she could make out shapes now.

“You came.” His quiet statement startled her and she jumped. “I won’t hurt you,” Braden

assured her.

“I know. You
called
at a bad time. What’s the matter?”

A few of the candles flickered on, and to her relief she could see. Braden sat naked on a

chair with his head resting on his hands, his hair hung forward. His body was slouched in the most sad, dejected way she’d ever seen. When he looked up at her, his eyes looked rimmed with red and bloody streaks were visible on his cheeks. He’d been crying blood.

“What happened?” Clarissa asked the question fearfully, his strange manner upset her.

“I was hoping to spend my last night with you. I’m dying in the morning.”

“What?”