Bleed For Me (3 page)

“Get off me,” she ordered.

“No.”

“Don’t make me hurt you.” She really, really didn’t
want to hurt him. She’d enjoyed being with him. He’d made her feel
alive,
almost normal,
if only for a short time.

But the sun was about to rise, and if he didn’t move,
she wasn’t going to have a choice. She’d kick his ass.

“Hurt me?
Hurt me
?” He actually laughed at
her.

She gritted her teeth. “Fine. Have it your way.” Her
nails lengthened and turned into razor-sharp claws. She barred her
teeth at him and knew that he’d see her canines lengthening as they
stretched into perfect fangs.

“
Hera’s guard…”
He stared down at her in
amazement. But the jerk still didn’t have the good sense to move
off her.

Terese gathered her strength and lunged upward with a
fierce yell.

Apollo slammed her back against the ground. He didn’t
even appear to strain as he pinned her.

What the hell?
A dark suspicion grew in her
mind. “Apollo…
what
are you?”

A smile spread across his face. His dimples flashed,
and some of his rage seemed to fade. “Ah, love…now, you know I
asked first.”

He’d asked—

Terese screamed as agony ripped through her.

The sun had risen. The golden glow wasn’t a faint hue
anymore. The beams of light were around her,
on
her.
Burning her.

She could smell her charred flesh. Could feel the
lick of flame on her fingers, her arms, her face.

Oh, God, it hurt—

“By the Fates!” Apollo scooped her up into his arms.
“Hold on, love.”

But she couldn’t hold on. Couldn’t fight. The pain
was too intense.

She knew that she was dying.

His hands tightened around her. She felt a curious
rush of wind against her flesh, and then the world went dark.

* * *

“Don’t move.”

Terese cracked her eyes open, and it took all of her
strength just for that small movement. She was on a soft, cushy
surface, probably some kind of bed, and in a blessedly dark,
windowless room. A man was with her. She could just make out the
blurry outline of his body.

Apollo.

She’d been with him, out in the light. The sunlight.
The fire
—

A terror-filled cry trembled on her lips.

“Shh…” His arms caught her shoulders and she realized
that she’d jerked upright. “Take it easy. You’re safe now.”

Safe.
It’d been so long since she felt safe.
Since she hadn’t known that every moment, she was being hunted.

“Relax, Terese. Nothing’s going to happen to you.”
His voice was so soothing, and she didn’t have the power to fight
then. Her body sagged back against the mattress.

“I’m going to heal you, okay? Just lie still and let
me take care of you.”

“Y-you…don’t…have to.” A heavy lethargy filled her.
She didn’t know how much longer she’d be able to stay awake. When
the sun rose, her strength fled. Since her change, she hadn’t been
able to resist the powerful lure of the day sleep.

His fingers touched her arm in the lightest of
caresses. “Love, you’re burned badly. I can help you. I can take
the pain away.”

The pain was already fading. “Heal…myself.” She’d
learned about that little talent the night she’d finally managed to
escape from Eric. She’d jumped from a second story window and wound
up with a broken leg and a shattered wrist. But after her day
sleep, she’d awoken completely healed.

Her lashes were drooping, and no matter how hard she
struggled, she couldn’t keep them open. There wasn’t much time
left. Soon the need for sleep would overwhelm her.

She didn’t know where she was or how she’d gotten
there. Terese only knew that Apollo had saved her. He’d taken her
out of the deadly sunlight and carried her back to the safety of
darkness.

“Apollo.” She swallowed, trying to force herself to
stay focused just for a minute longer.

His fingers wrapped around hers. “Save your
strength.”

“Th-thank you…for s-saving me.” No one had ever
helped her before.

His grasp tightened.

And she sank into the drugging depths of the day
sleep.

* * *

Terese slept during the day.

She burned in sunlight.

She had superhuman strength.

And she’d left a real unusual hickey on his neck.

Apollo leaned back in his chair and studied the woman
who slept so peacefully in his bed.
Terese Lafitte
. He’d
bet a load of ambrosia the woman was a vampire.

A vampire
.

He’d met tons of nymphs, he’d chatted with gargoyles,
and even been briefly smitten with a mermaid, but he’d never met a
vampire before.

Terese had said that she could heal herself. He
hadn’t waited around to see if she’d spoken the truth or not. The
sight of her red, angry wounds had pained him, and he’d had to heal
her with a little of his magic. Her injuries had been his fault.
He’d held her down and let the sun burn her delicate flesh.

He wouldn’t make the same mistake again. He’d
never
hurt her again.

She was perfect now. Her pale skin completely
unblemished.

The sun was setting. Terese had slept all day. During
those hours, her chest had barely appeared to move with her
breaths. He’d checked four times to make sure her heart still
beat.

If he was right, if she really were a vampire, she’d
be waking soon.

And when she woke, Terese would be his.

She slept long past sunset. Apollo watched her, he
waited, and he
wanted.

He’d never wanted another the way he longed for her.
What had the vampiress done to him?

He didn’t really care—he just wanted
more.

Her eyes opened slowly. She blinked and said,
“
Apollo?”
in a husky whisper that stroked right over his
groin.

He climbed onto the bed beside her. “I’ve been
watching you for the last…” Damn, how long had it been? He’d left
her just to check in with Zeus, then raced right back to her side.
“Oh, I’d say at least ten hours.”

Her gaze drifted over him. Her eyes widened when she
saw the heavy erection pressing against his fly.

“And I’ve been wanting to fuck you that whole
time.”

Her lips parted. “After what you saw…you still
want—”

“I want
you.”
Needed her. But a god never
looked desperate, and there were other things he wanted… “But
before I take you, I’m going to taste you.” Because once hadn’t
been enough for him. He just might be growing addicted to her.

Dangerous.

She sat up quickly and the sheet dropped, revealing
her tight little nipples. Ah, a perfect place to start that
tasting.

But she tensed when he reached for her.

Apollo froze. “You don’t want me.” Had she just been
feeding last night? Rage began to hum inside his body even as he
prepared to withdraw.

But Terese shook her head and her hand reached for
his. “I-I didn’t think you’d want me anymore.” Her confession was
stark and the laugh that followed it was bitter as she said,
“Apollo, I’m a monster.”

Now that rage did boil through. “The fuck you
are.”

He caged her with his body. “You’re the sexiest woman
I’ve ever seen.” And over the centuries, he’d certainly seen his
share. “The fact that you have fangs doesn’t make you a monster. It
just makes you…different.”

He bent and pressed a kiss to her throat. A growl
built in his throat.
Like that. Like her.
“I happen to
believe different is very, very good.” He licked his way to her
breast. Sucked the tight nipple.

Her hands rose and wrapped around his shoulders. “I
thought you’d hate me.” Her confession. “I drank your blood. I-I
took without asking.”

He glanced up at her. “Drink from me anytime you
want.” Because he’d liked the feel of her teeth on his body. The
pleasure from her bite had been electric.

And it had pulsed right from his throat to his
cock.

The cock that was currently swollen and eager to sink
into her tight flesh.

But, first, that taste…

He pushed the sheet away and stared down at her body.
Creamy. Beautiful.

No blisters. No scars. Only smooth skin. His fingers
slid over her stomach. Eased into the dark curls that guarded her
sex. “Open for me,” he whispered.

Eyes on him, she did. Her legs parted and it was a
sweet sight.

He licked his lips, already tasting her. But on this,
he wanted her to be clear. “There’s no going back now.” She wasn’t
like any other, and he wouldn’t lose her.

Not yet. Not until he’d learned all of her
secrets…

“I can never go back.” Her whisper. He got the
feeling they weren’t talking about the same thing, but he’d deal
with that, later.

He’d ached for her all day. He’d take her now.

Apollo positioned his body between her legs. He
stroked her sex. Opening her. Readying her. Then he bent and put
his mouth on her flesh. He licked the center of her need. Once,
twice, then he thrust his tongue deep inside her tight core.

“
Apollo
!” Her hands clamped onto his
shoulders even as her hips arched against him.

He took his time. Licking. Kissing. Learning every
inch of her…and wanting more.
Addictive.

“Oh, God, Apollo…that’s…ah…” Her body stiffened.
“So…good…”

And he was going to make it even better.

With one last swirl of his tongue, he pulled back.
His hands jerked open his jeans. His cock sprang free. Dark red and
fully erect.

He grabbed her knees and lifted them, forcing her
legs over his shoulders and opening her sex completely to him.

He looked up at her, seeing her parted lips, seeing
the briefest hint of her fangs.

He drove into her in one long, hard stroke.

She moaned, a high, desperate sound, and her fangs
lengthened.

Apollo caught her hands and pushed them back against
the mattress. Then he thrust, driving into her again and again.
“You…feel…so…tight.”

She shuddered and turned her head away from him.

Won’t do.
“Terese, look at me.”

Terese shook her head. Her sex squeezed him.

He pushed into her, burying his cock as far as he
could go. He wanted to stare into her eyes when she came.

“No.” A hoarse whisper. Her hips lifted and pushed
hungrily against his.

“
Look at me.”

She shook her head. “I-I can’t…You’ll see—”

What? He only saw a gorgeous, sexy woman. But then he
remembered her words.
I didn’t think you’d want me.
He
freed her right wrist and caught her chin, forcing her to face him.
Her blue eyes glowed eerily bright and her fangs pressed against
her lips.

“You want to bite me, don’t you?” he asked, his voice
soft.

Her head moved in a jerky nod.

“Do it.” He pulled back, thrust deep. His orgasm was
close. He wasn’t going to be able to last long.

Her tongue licked across her blood-red lips.

He turned his head to the side and offered his neck.
He wanted to feel her teeth on him,
in him,
as he came
inside her. “Terese, bite me.”

Her teeth sank into him. The bite was a burning
pleasure that blasted through his entire body.

He came then. His hips bucked against her as he
exploded inside her clinging depths and he held onto her as tight
as he could.

An instant later, Apollo felt Terese climax as her
sex tightened around his cock. Her nails sank into his flesh.

All the while, her mouth moved on him, taking his
blood and maddening him with painful pleasure.

When she finally stopped, he groaned a protest. She
licked his neck with a soft swipe of her tongue.

More.

Apollo fought to slow his racing heart. Who would
have thought a vampire’s bite could feel so fucking good?

***

The sex had been incredible. Fantastic. Freaking
mind-blowing. Even now, Terese’s body still hummed with
pleasure.

But there was a fear nagging at her, and she couldn’t
keep quiet any longer. “You’re not human, are you, Apollo?” Terese
gazed down at the blond hunk in the bed, the guy who’d given her
the best orgasm of her life.

He couldn’t be human
. She’d drank his blood,
his sweet, rich blood, but he hadn’t weakened. Not even for a
moment.

Back at the bar, she’d
thought
he’d
weakened. But then the guy had chased her through Hades and held
her effortlessly even when she fought with her enhanced strength.
No, nothing weak there.

He’d gotten them out of that parking lot, gotten them
to this safe house, and damn if she could remember how he’d done
it.

Some vampires, very old vampires, could teleport.
They could disperse their bodies into the atmosphere and reappear
in another location. Eric had told her about those guys, “elders”
as he’d called them. He’d said she should stay away from them
because they were walking nightmares.

Of course, to her, Eric
was
the
nightmare.

But he thought he was her one true love.

The sick sonofabitch.

Instead of answering her, his fingers skimmed down
her stomach and he asked, “Why did you turn from me?”

I asked first.
But, fine, she’d tell him
this. After she dressed. Terese climbed from the bed. Her gaze
scanned the sparsely furnished room, searching for her dress.

“Terese…”

Push, push, push.
“I didn’t want you to see
my face, okay? I know what I look like when I get the blood
hunger.” Because the whole spiel about vampires not being able to
see their reflections was totally bullshit. Once she’d escaped from
Eric, the first mistake she’d made had been ducking into a women’s
restroom. She’d gotten a nice, horrifying visual of herself in the
fifteen mirrors that stared back at her. “I know my eyes change,
that my teeth get huge.” And that she looked seriously scary. “I-I
didn’t want you to see me like that.” Talk about a mood killer.