And To Hold: Vampire Assassin League #20 (5 page)

Oh my
. Her loins were receiving pulses that contained sparks. Or something just as hot and electrifying. Consuming. Addictive.

“I need leverage, babe. Okay? I’ve never done it this way. I need—oh...
hell
. Hang on.”

He accompanied the last part with a kick, shoving them toward the headboard. She hung on, latching her legs about him as a riot of sensation erupted. She struggled to absorb it as he grabbed bedposts, and pushed his shoulders into the mattress. That got followed by a solid lift of his hips that nearly unseated her. The resultant drop to the mattress slammed her back onto him.

Ruxanna’s cry carried shock, and wonder, and complete amazement. And then he did it again. Over and over. Using his arms for a downward push, his hips for a shove, pumping with massive strokes that made the mattress bounce. Again. More. Each time starting a torrent within her, turning it into a maelstrom, and then setting it free with an explosion of ecstasy.

She lost count of the times as he moved, pounding into the mattress and using the resultant jolt. More. Harder. Faster. The impression of sight, sound, and essence about them amplified. The air thickened. Grew moist. Heavy. Hot. The throbbing noise grew louder. While the swirl of gauzy rose-shaded panels whipped about, tossing air into the area. Cooling just enough.

Zachariah started grunting. The sound deep. Guttural. Adding to the concert of sound about them as he increased in tempo. Ruxanna was panting with him. Straining. Her hands sliding more than once. Her legs would’ve too, if they weren’t locked into position.

“Oh, Roxie! Oh, wow. Oh....
baby
!”

He yelled the last part, his mouth wide, veins and sinews straining against his skin, while his body hovered in midair, pulsating. Taut. Strong. Everything shook along with him. The bed frame. Her.

Zachariah’s cry ended with a laugh, just before he dropped, taking her with him. Ruxanna was spellbound. Rapt. Awed. She ran her hands over his trembling form. Arms. Shoulders. Chest. Belly. The man was more than perfect. This act had been described to her. She’d witnessed it more than once. She’d never experienced it. Rarely envisioned receiving it.

Oh my.

Mating was a gift beyond scope. A treasure without price. And she’d received it?

Well.

She was never letting it go.

The movement happening all about them was caused by fans. Four of them. In the ceiling. So that was the method behind the wafting mist and spider web curtains.

Zach located and counted them while he waited for his heartbeat to return to an acceptable level, his senses to go back to the normal range, and every muscle to come back from sloth stage. He didn’t think he could move. And he sure as hell didn’t want to.

If he didn’t know better, he’d swear he’d just experienced heaven. Absolute. Complete. Heaven. He’d never had such an experience. Ever. He hadn’t known that kind of ecstasy was possible. Nor this level of satiation. He was almost afraid he’d dreamt it.

Nope
. This was no dream. It was close, though.

Ruxanna had collapsed onto him. She was still there, her weight making the area all about his heart warm in an oddly blissful way. Maybe that came from how she’d snuggled onto him, her nose tucked at his shoulder. She felt good. Really good. He liked it. A lot. If he wasn’t tied, he’d have had his arms about her, assisting his conscious self with filing this amazing sensation into a memory bank. For use later. When reality intruded.

Zach watched the ceiling fans absently while he absorbed the afterglow. His body was still sending vibrations through him occasionally. His legs and arms twinged more than once with it. As if even his muscles needed to reminisce. Wow. Making love with Ruxanna had been perfect. She was perfect. Just about everything was perfect. Except...maybe the ties that still bound him to the bed frame.

He tipped his chin slightly and slanted a glance down at her. He was close on her age. He’d stake his stock portfolio on it. She was twenty-five. Maybe twenty-six. Not a line marred her skin. Nor a pore. Not even a blemish. She had her eyes closed at the moment, hiding the moss-green shade, but not much hid her beauty. Wow. She was beautiful. Much too perfect for the business path she’d chosen. She probably weighed a little over one-twenty. Every single pound was in a perfect place. She was almost more than perfect. Perfect size. Perfect body. Perfect sexual appetite, and more-than-perfect in the delivery department. She’d transported him to paradise. She had her lips slightly parted. They looked swollen. Reddened.

Was that dried blood on her lip?

Come on, Zach. Get a grip.

He’d been in the throes of some sensual fever, but...had there been biting and blood-sucking going on? Or any other vampiric-tainted stuff?
No
. It hadn’t happened. It wasn’t likely. And it wasn’t possible. Rule One. She was simply a siren of lust. And he’d been her willing victim. That’s what this was. She dealt in lust and fantasy. She’d delivered him a huge dose of it. Lust. Sex. Fantasy. Every exhalation of hers sent a reminder with breath that feathered along his skin.

Odd.

Her breathing seemed to match his. Exactly. And worse. Each inhalation carried a hint of her particular perfume. Musky yet pleasantly floral. That scent was damn near addictive. He couldn’t place it, but he didn’t try, either. Time enough for that later. After he had Leroy. And left.

Zach returned to watching the fan blades rotate from well above the gossamer fabric of the bed canopy. The motion ruffled fabric, sent candle flames flickering, and stirred the haze of mist that still lingered just about mattress level. He was going to guess she had a dry ice machine somewhere in here, too. She probably had a sound system programmed to send throbbing beats through the area. Nice to know he wasn’t losing his mind. The room hadn’t come alive.

Very smart.

And extremely interesting.

She certainly knew how to create atmosphere. This must be her special room. For special customers. She was an expert at presentation, and a master at follow-through. With this kind of business plan, she was certain to have a large black book, heavy with clients. Repeat business was the best kind. Hell. His only experience with whorehouses was following Leroy, and he was ready to sign on – as long as a repeat session with Ruxanna was included with the price tag.

No.

Wait.

Something wasn’t right. She’d been a virgin. Or he was a greenhorn. Or maybe there was some potion he didn’t know about that made it easy to fake a hymen. Was that possible? It had to be. Because she couldn’t be a virgin. She was the Madame of a bordello hired to give him sexual gratification. And he was a very satisfied customer. End of transaction. But he didn’t know what to say now.

‘Uh...thanks?’

No, Zach. Too trite.

‘That was really something.’

No way. Too stupid.

‘You want to untie me so we can settle up?’

No. Too cold and unaffected. Wait. Did he want to show that she’d affected him?

‘Hey. Ruxanna. That was awesome.’

Nope. That sounded juvenile.

‘You are definitely worth whatever you charge, lady. I just hope I brought enough funds with me.’

Definitely no. Too crass.

What was he supposed to say? Everything sounded wrong
.
And then she stirred atop him.

“Zachariah?”

His heart swelled or something. The area warmed markedly and rapidly. What the hell? The effect of her voice against his chest was physical and real. He cleared his throat.

“Uh. Yeah?”

Good. His voice worked. It wasn’t giving anything away, either.

“What are you thinking?”

Oh boy. Loaded question.

Zach ran through his options for answering her again. Came up just as empty. He licked his lips next...and that’s when he tasted blood. Real. Metallic and vaguely salty. Stomach-churning. Blood. It wasn’t anything else. He’d tasted it enough times. Usually when someone got in a good hit on him. He swallowed again as his subconscious screamed at him.

Vampire! Vampire! Vampire!

Stop it, Zach. Balls tight. Brain in gear. Focus. Evaluate data. Vampires do not exist. They are not real. Rule One.

Everything went crystal clear in that moment. This was all part of the package. Castle Kraven specialized in personal attention. Somebody must have read his online history from years before. He’d been into otherworld beings. And something like bondage. He’d played video games that featured both before his dad passed on and left Zach with a choice. Drop out and take over the private eye business, stay in college and try and find somebody else to work for, or join the military.

He hadn’t gamed for years. No time, if he wanted to succeed at his chosen career. But maybe he should have used a fake ID when booking this weekend. That way nobody would have his algorithms loaded and calculated. Nor would they have interfaced it with some data and come up with this little scenario.

It explained the horse-drawn carriage. The hold-up. The vampire killing scene in the coach. The ruined castle above them. This room. The myriad of candles. The gauzy panels. The rose-colored fog. The epitome of womanhood who had him well in hand – Ruxanna, here.

It was all to set up one hell of an orgasmic session. No wonder she’d said she was fulfilling his fantasy. It was actually a bit of a let-down. Because if vampires did exist...well. Ruxanna would definitely qualify.

And then some.

“You know, Zachariah. If a man takes too long to answer...a girl might start to wonder why.”

She shifted atop him, lifting her head, and then her upper body, as she loomed right into viewing range. She had a lot of hair. It surrounded and framed her. He hadn’t noticed the volume of it. Maybe because it had been artfully arranged atop her head earlier, and his mind had been occupied. Looked like most of her coiffure had given up the fight sometime during their romp. And damn everything. She had the most perfect bosom. He tried not to notice, turning his full attention to her face. It wasn’t possible. She was a raving beauty. Wielded a sexual torch with her presence. And he was right in the firing line. His cock started reacting as if it hadn’t just been completely mollified.

“They...would?”

He managed to answer. It was in a rough tone, but it was words. And they were intelligible as such.

“Oh. Zachariah. Thank you. That was...wonderful. I had no idea such pleasure existed. You?”

She slid a perfectly manicured finger along his chin, grazed it across his bottom lip. Everywhere she touched, it started tingling. In anticipation. Or something.

“I’d heard that about mating. I didn’t believe it.”

Mating? What? Oh no! No. Hell no. That had been sex. Pure. Unadulterated. Hard as it comes...uh. Sex.

She clicked her tongue as if he spoken aloud. Lifted her finger from him. And that’s when he decided to go with his young and cocky routine again.

“So. Hey. Sweetheart. You aren’t thinking of going another round, are you? I mean. I’m good for it, if you are.”

“In a...bit. We need to talk first.”

“You want to talk? Now?” For emphasis, he shoved his pelvis up, smashing his semi-erection against either a thigh or her belly. He couldn’t tell, and either felt nice. Really nice.

“I don’t know how to say it, so I’ll just tell you. I...am a vampire,” she told him.

Zach snickered. “Right. Okay. If you say so. I think I’m going to go with a dragon, myself.”

“What?”

“I always chose the dragon character before. They had more power.”

“There’s no such thing as a dragon, Zachariah.”

She shook her head at him. But she was smiling. And there wasn’t a fang in sight. That was a good sign.

“You don’t say,” he answered.

“Yes, I do.”

She looked perplexed. That was rather endearing. His heart gave him a bit of trouble again. He ignored it.

“You need to lighten up, Roxie. I mean, you got me. Strapped to your bed. Primed and cocked, and pretty much loaded. And you’re trying to muck it up with fantasy world talk? What can I say here?”

“I am serious, Zachariah.”

“I know. Way too serious. And look. You have a guy tied to your bed. Me.”

He pulled his arms up until they reached the ends of his straps before he dropped them back to the mattress.

“I know.”

“You know? And that’s all you have to say?”

He grinned. She sat up straighter and regarded him with her luminous light-green eyes. His heart was starting to thud, like it was caged or something. And she was putting some fantastic cleavage on display. He blew a sigh so hard it puffed out his cheeks. She matched it.

Weird.

“I am too new to this,” she told him.

“Uh...” He didn’t know what to say. Zach’s heart did a swooping maneuver. His brows rose.
No
. She did not mean that the way it sounded. She couldn’t.

“You don’t understand. I have been regenerated. I have all kinds of emotions and feelings and sensations. I don’t know how to deal with them. I feel so...young.”

“Okay. You have some very strange ideas for bedtime talk, Roxie, but I’ll play. How old are you?”
And please be over legal age.

“I am almost five hundred years old,” she told him.

He laughed. He couldn’t help it. “Well. I wouldn’t put you a day over twenty-six. And that’s pushing it,” he replied.

“You don’t believe me?” she finally said.

“Nope. But I’ll play along. I am a paying customer, remember? This is my fantasy. I sure as hell hope I brought enough funds.”

“There is no price, Zachariah. Don’t you understand? You are
prientenul meu. Iubutul meu. Dragul meu.
”

“Oh. No fair, lady. I can follow along if you’re speaking Spanish...and sometimes I get lucky and can figure out French. But what you’re speaking is way out of range.”

“It’s Romanian.”

“Okay. So. Do I want to know what you just said? That is the next question.”

“It translates to...my mate. My lover. My love.”

She enunciated the words slowly. Each one sent a spark of heat through his chest. Prodding his heart to hit against its cage again. Zach sharpened his gaze on her, studying her while he waited for the sensation to subside. So he could dissect it.
Wasn’t that Rule Four?
Find the trigger?

He lost out to the view. Damn! She was stunning. He licked his lips and started talking, but he sounded unsure even to his ears. “Uh...we just met. This is...fantasy.”

“You are wrong, Zachariah. This is real. We are mates. I told you. I am a vampire. You are my mate. We are now bonded. We’ve shared blood.”

“Uh...”

He really needed to follow his rules. All of them. They were hard to bring to mind, though. Her voice was hypnotic. Her skin magical. Everything about her called to him. There wasn’t any part of him that wanted to be anywhere but exactly where he was. He might as well be a sock stuck to a towel with static electricity from the dryer.

“
Esti viata meao, si totul care conteaza.”

“Uh,” he said again.

“That means you are my world, and everything that matters.”

“Oh. Roxie. Listen. It was great, babe. I’ll grant you that. But...everything that matters? Come on. We just met. I don’t happen to believe that vampires exist. That does make us incompatible right from the get-go.”

“You are quick-witted, Zachariah. Clever. And very handsome.”

“Okay. That’s better bedtime talk.”

“I am so favored. I envisioned you for years. The reality is even better than I dreamt. You are very well...proportioned. Very nicely built. Everywhere.”

“Uh...”

She ran her finger down his arm, lifting shivers in its wake.

“We are mates, Zachariah. You and me. It’s not negotiable. It’s fact. Nothing you can say will change it. We are mates. And it’s forever,
inbitul mea
.”

Zach gulped and tried to resume his act again. Young. Cocky. Just out for a good time. It probably sounded as desperate as it felt.