Bless The Beauty (4 page)

Would I return? I wasn’t sure. Even if I did, I needed time alone with Chase to explain. Until I could, I doubted I’d be of any help here.

As Mike and Nick exited the room, Kellen took my chin between his fingers and brought my gaze back to his. “I’ve missed you.”

I tore away from his grip, outright angry at the way he went about this. “I haven’t missed you.”

He gave me a grin I had seen a thousand times over, the one that said he knew better.

“Now you are resorting to lies.” He took my hand again and this time I let him, despite my annoyance with him. His touch felt good in the midst of all this confusion.

“I must do something about this unruly behaviour you have learned.” His gaze was as penetrating as it was calculating and I felt it heat my body. No matter how angry I was or how annoyed I felt—that look levelled me and he knew it. “Let’s go sort this out, shall we?”

Outside police headquarters, Kellen stood on Main Street and held the passenger side door of his black Mercedes sedan open, grinning. “In you go.”

I forced my annoyance to remain at bay. I may be pissed, but it didn’t hamper the appreciation I felt for his display of manners. Kellen was born at a time when women were adored and treasured. Such niceties just didn’t exist anymore in the world today and I had missed being handled in such a way. Not that Chase wasn’t loving and thoughtful, just modern men didn’t do things like that. And I’d missed it.

“Thank you.” I slid into the leather seat, then he closed the door behind me, trotted over to the driver’s side and quickly got in. Once settled, he started the engine, put the car in gear and with a squeal of his tires, drove off.

I sat in silence—torn. The feelings surrounding Chase were sending a horrible gut wrenching pain to pool in the pit of my stomach. I loved him, but I had hurt him and nothing about that felt good. I couldn’t imagine what he was thinking now, and in truth, I didn’t want to.

We drove a while in silence as I watched out the window. The dark night surrounded us and the streets were not like Washington. Quite empty.

Finally, sick of the silence, I turned my attention to Kellen. “Nothing like making an entrance.” I gave him a little glare. “Was that really necessary?” I could only imagine what my team thought. I kept my husband a secret then he suddenly appears and plants a big wet one on me.

Kellen laughed, quite pleased with himself. “You know how I like to make a scene.”

I did know that of him. The man lived to shock people and I’d witnessed it happen on hundreds of occasions. I leaned my head back against the headrest and released an exasperated breath. “So my time is up, is it?”

Kellen’s gave me a sideways glance that showed his unhappiness. “You make that sound so horrible.”

Instantly, I regretted my word choice and for reacting like a cold, hard bitch. He deserved better.

I closed my eyes for a moment and breathed deeply trying to regain myself. “I’m sorry,” I finally said, opening my eyes to look at him. “It’s just complicated.”

Kellen studied me a moment then said, “Explain your relationship with the mortal.”

“I love him,” I responded without hesitation.

Kellen slammed on the brakes, which caused a horn to blast behind us. “You are in love with a mortal?” His eyes were wide with bewilderment.

I nodded, almost laughing at the disgust on his face, but couldn’t find it within me to let it out.

“Have been for years now.”

Kellen stared for many seconds before he clucked, shook his head and began to drive again.

I watched Kellen as he was clearly deep in thought. I knew him almost as well as I knew myself.

And that furrow of his brows meant he was trying to sort things out in his mind. Still, I couldn’t decipher what he was thinking.

Is he mad? Will he leave me too?

We travelled in silence for a while. Kellen’s gaze focused on the road then he blessedly broke the quiet that threatened to kill me. “You’re not willing to give him up?”

I suspected my expression came across as pleading almost to the point of begging. “I don’t want to.” And I didn’t.

Not one fibre of my being wanted that, but I doubted I had a choice here. Chase would want nothing to do with me now. I couldn’t blame him either. If the roles were reversed I would feel the same. It wasn’t that I’d set out to lie to him, but he just didn’t understand my world.

Kellen let out a deep breath then took a quick turn to head into an old abandoned car garage.

He pulled in behind the old rickety building, turned off the car and shifted in his seat to face me. “It has been thirty years since I have laid my eyes on you. Never once did I expect to be united with you and hear that you are in love with some mortal.”

I shrugged away his contempt. “Well…I never expected you to come here as a part of the FBI.”

Kellen snorted, leaned forward and took my face in his hands. His eyes and even the set of his mouth were soft and loving. “I will not waste more time with this. Does this life make you happy?”

I didn’t even hesitate. “It does. I’m very happy.”

“So you want to continue on here?”

I nodded as much as I could with his grip tight around my cheeks. “I love my job, the people, the life I have here.” I sighed softly. “I don’t want to leave, Kellen.”

Kellen lowered his hands, glanced away for a moment, focused on the steering wheel. After a few minutes, he drew in a slow breath before his gaze met mine again. I saw a depth of sadness I’d never seen in him before. “Do you want me to leave you?”

I was torn, desperately. I knew if Kellen stayed, Chase would be gone and I didn’t want that.

Having Kellen gone didn’t sound good to me either. I missed his smell, the certainty he possessed and the love he had for me…no one loved me like Kellen, not even Chase. I knew if I asked him to go, he would because that was just Kellen. He’d put his wants aside time and time again to see me happy. I couldn’t ignore any of that. Not now. Not ever.

Having him back, reminded me of all these things and that I had missed him terribly.

For thirty years, a part of me was missing and now it had returned. I sank deeper into his gaze and slowly shook my head. “No, I don’t want you to go.”

A sweet smile swept across his face as he began to lean in. “That is all I need to hear.” Then, he laid his lips against mine.

I let him explore my mouth. The familiarity of it was something I had missed too.

Kellen knew how to kiss me. He understood what it took to build me up until I couldn’t think of anything except being consumed by his body.

After a swirl with his tongue, he slowly backed away and opened his eyes just an inch away from my face. “You may keep a consort,” he said gently.

I laughed quietly at the word. I doubted Chase would appreciate being declared a consort. I’d known many vampires who did keep one or two around. Some were humans they had grown comfortable with, some lovers they just considered meals.

As much as I doubted Chase would agree to this, it surprised me even more that Kellen would offer such a thing. “That wouldn’t bother you?”

Kellen arched an equivocal brow as arrogance flashed through his eyes. “Am I threatened by a mortal, is that what you ask?”

“Knowing that I love him?” I wasn’t sure what his take would be on this. He was never partial to me having mortal lovers. He had them himself. Centuries of being alive called to stir up the sheets on occasion and I knew he wouldn’t object to my being with Chase. It was the feelings I gained for him that caused me to question if Kellen would be willing to accept.

He ran his fingers gingerly up my arm and it tickled all across my skin. His fangs had released from his gums and showed his mind was not on this conversation and instead on my body being so close to his. “Your heart has the ability to love many, I know that of you. If it pleases you to share time with this mortal then why would I object to that?”

With those few words, I understood why this wouldn’t bother him. Chase was a mortal. It wasn’t eternal. If it was, I doubted Kellen would be so tolerant. But before I could respond, he grabbed me by the arms and yanked me over the gear shift and onto his lap as he began to lavish my mouth with his talented kisses.

Nothing in me would refuse him. Hearing those words pour from his mouth filled my heart immensely and to be reunited with him burned in my body. I squirmed against him, rubbed against his hard erection, which caused Kellen to growl in response. He reached forward and pulled on my jacket.

His vampire strength was no match against the cotton suit. Quickly, the coat was shredded around me.

As he placed his mouth on my neck, I angled my head back and moaned at the familiarity of it.

He knew every spot on me that increased my pleasure. He didn’t miss a single spot now. He licked his way along my neck while his fangs trailed in its wake and sent an edge of pure desire through me.

I knew what he wanted, what he craved. I angled my head slightly to the side to allow him the right and he immediately nudged it further with his forehead. His breath grew raspy, and with a final lick, he sank his fangs deep into my neck.

My breath rushed out at the initial intrusion, then changed entirely. I felt like I was reborn. I began to grind against him harder, swirled my hips so that his cock could connect with my body. He groaned deeply as he greedily drank from my neck and soon I was spiralling in glorious sensual gratification. It’d been so long since anyone fed from me—too long.

After a long, hard pull on my blood, he licked my throat to close the penetration marks and I shuddered above him. He drew away, met my gaze and retracted his fangs as a dribble of blood rested on his bottom lip. I leaned forward and with a slow long lick, I lapped it up. His eyes flared to burn red-hot.

“I cannot wait any longer,” he growled. “I need to see you.”

He grabbed onto my shirt, moments away from tearing it to shreds when I latched onto his hands and stopped him. “I need this shirt.” I meant to sound firm but it came out as a soft purr.

“Then off with it.”

I kept my gaze focused on his while I unbuttoned my shirt slowly, punishing him. I enjoyed it—took pleasure in watching the burn that lay in his eyes. He might have had lovers since me, but no one could do what I did for him. And by his throbbing cock resting against me, I was assuming correctly.

By the time I was in my bra, he had already thrown me back over to my seat. His pants were off and he’d made quick work of mine.

The movement took me by surprise. I was so used to being around mortals that I hadn’t used that talent in well over twenty-eight years. The thrill of being with a vampire again consumed me.

Luckily, his need matched mine. Once my pants were gone, he raised my ass onto the console of the car, knelt between my thighs and plunged himself deep inside my slick opening. I arched at the spectacular feel of it. Kellen was a forceful lover. There was nothing gentle about him and the vampire aggression was something I had missed. The speed, the roughness, it was what made me a vampire. I craved this, even if I didn’t know it.

He pulled out of my body and then thrust back with enough force that I couldn’t withhold the scream that rose from my throat.

“More,” Kellen’s voice came out husky. “Let me hear more of you.” He thrust back in hard, again and again.

I didn’t disappoint him. With only a few hard thrusts, I propelled into orgasm. Before I could even recover, Kellen roared, “Again.” He came at me with even more force and quickened thrusts.

I screamed from the strength of each pound against me. My entire body was on the brink of something fantastic and when Kellen grabbed me in his arms to straddle him, took my hips and rocked me against him, I was completely lost.

The control over myself was gone. The strength that he possessed made me his puppet. He moved my body forcefully to get each other off and I teetered on the edge. I leaned my head down onto his shoulder as he continued to lift me above him then slam me back down. His moans became deeper and I could feel his cock growing harder and wider.

It was an instant demand of me and I was not opposed to it. As he sent me slamming back down against him, my restraint broke and I could only grasp his shoulders in an attempt to hold off a moment longer.

I let my fangs release from my gums then sank them into his warm neck. My mouth immediately filled with warm powerful vampire blood as he roughly thrust against me.

He groaned as I succumbed and allowed my orgasm to engulf me. My pussy clenched around him, urged him to come. His body grew with tension as I continued to draw blood from his body. Then, he worked harder. If I could have bruised, I would have. He grasped me around the waist hard and made an enemy of my body.

A second later, we both fell apart in a roar of completion.

When the sensations subsided, we were silent, unable to move. But when the warm taste of his blood dripped on my tongue, sense returned. I slowly licked the wounds on his neck to close them, then kissed the spot where I had my feast.

Kellen wrapped his arms around me, hugged me tight and I found myself sinking against him. I loved this man. How selfish I had been for leaving him. Now I questioned how I ever felt unhappy with him. He had been so patient with me, only wanted me to be happy. I had been wrong and would make up for that.

He pulled my head away from his chest then moved his hand along my cheek as he held my gaze steady. “I have missed you every moment you have been gone.”

I leaned into his hand, my eyes blinking slowly as wetness began to rim them. “Me too.”

His eyes filled with happiness as a sweet smile spread across his face. “Now that sounds better.”

I had to force myself to remain locked in his gaze. Shame began to cripple me. Tears of blood welled up in my eyes—yes we really cried, even if it is blood. “I’m sorry…”

He placed a finger on my lips, hushed my words. “No apologies. You needed the time to discover more of yourself.”

“But…” I started as a bloody tear escaped.

He shook his head, wiped the tear away with the tip of his finger. “I do not hold it against you.”