Fangs But No Fangs (24 page)

Arousal shot through him at the delicious friction.

"I love your body, period," he murmured, his hand gliding down to explore the soft roundness of her bottom. He felt her smile against his chest.

"What did you mean when you said you haven't done this in a long time?" she asked.

He lifted his head slightly to look at her, although from his angle he could only see the top of her head and her dark auburn hair cascading across his chest. He considered what to tell her. He could hardly tell her the truth. He couldn't even recall the last female mortal he'd been with. Probably some lightskirt he picked up in White Chapel. The exchange of a few silver pieces, a quick tumble in his carriage, then she was back to the street for another man with too much money and too much drink to take his turn. Perhaps that was why it had been so easy for Lilah to convince him that mortal sex was so vile. He hadn't had many truly beautiful moments. But that had been his choices, not the act itself.

He stroked his hand back up Jolee's spine. If he'd found Jolee first would he have even been tempted by Lilah? He didn't think so. Even with her vampire powers, Lilah couldn't compare to this slender mortal curled around him.

God, why couldn't he have found Jolee first? Rhys flashed into his mind. His face anguished, unbearable pain darkening his eyes. And rage. Rage at Christian for what he'd done. Done to Jane. His mortal. His love.

Jolee lifted her head to look at him, concern in her dark eyes. "Are you all right?"

He didn't deserve her concern. She wouldn't give it if she knew the truth. Then she touched her slender fingers to his cheek and smiled, and damn him, he couldn't end this need for her. Even though he didn't deserve one moment of this kind of heaven. He pulled her up so he could taste the lushness and warmth of that smile.

When they parted, Jolee regarded him with solemn eyes. "I haven't been with a man in over two years. I want you to know that I don't just go to bed with men on a whim. You… you are special."

He smiled, running his fingers along her cheekbone. "I haven't been with a woman longer than that." Much longer.

"Really?" Her eyes widened. "But when did you leave Lilah?"

"About six months ago."

She frowned. "You didn't… with Lilah?"

He shook his head. "She didn't like to have conventional sex."

Her frown deepened, the puzzled look in her eyes almost comical. "What did she like?" Then she blushed. "I shouldn't have asked that."

Her words were his out; he could just not talk about it. But he needed to. He wanted her to understand that the gentle warmth, her uninhibited response, her affection, it was all so special to him, too.

"She preferred violence, as I said. The only gentleness she showed was to manipulate. She was very good at manipulation and control. She enjoyed finding her own release through that violence. My gratification was only to be derived from satisfying her."

"Was it?"

"Not often."

"You poor thing," she murmured, pressing a lingering kiss to his jaw. "But it seems to me I'm not doing much better. I haven't hurt you, but I haven't satisfied you either."

His cock throbbed at her softly accented words. "Yes, you have. More than you know."

"Well, I want to give you more," she said. Her hand, which lay in the middle of his chest, glided down his torso, fingering the line of hair beneath his navel to the thatch of curls surrounding his sex. Her fingertips grazed the coarse hair. His cock pulsed eagerly at the teasing touch.

She rose up to press a kiss to his chest.

"Is it my turn to play with you?" she asked, flicking her small pink tongue against his nipple.

"Do you want to play?"

She nodded, her dark eyes no longer drowsy, but sparkling, eager, and a little naughty. She traced her finger up the sensitive underside of his cock, and he groaned.

"You're so hot," she murmured as she ran her finger up the length again. Sitting up, she gazed at him, her lips parted just slightly, her breathing uneven as if touching him was as arousing for her as for him.

"And you are so big," she said, her voice breathy. Her fingers curled as far around his girth as she could. She squeezed gently, then worked her tightened fingers up the shaft, then back down him.

He closed his eyes. God, she felt good. He couldn't even imagine what if would feel like to be buried deep inside her body.

"How could she not want to touch you?"

It took him a few moments to figure out who «she» was.

Two hundred years of obsession, and with the touch of Jolee's fingers, it was all gone.

She leaned over him, her hair falling forward, tickling his skin. Pressing openmouthed kisses to his chest and stomach, she continued to stroke his cock, tapered little fingers milking his hardened flesh. Sheer willpower kept him from throwing her down on the bed and sinking deep inside her. Her mouth moved to the jut of his hipbone, then over to the line of hair leading to his groin. She kissed downward, her wide, impossibly full lips getting closer to his erection.

He groaned again.

She lifted her head. "Does that feel good?"

He nodded, meeting her gaze. "Yes."

He continued to watch her in awe as she lowered her head, her pink tongue darting out to lick the head of his cock. His hips rose in reaction to the fleeting touch.

"And that? Do you like that?"

"God, yes."

She smiled, then moved to lick him again. This time she twirled her tongue around the top like she was eating ice cream. She moaned as if it was just as tasty.

He couldn't keep his hands still any longer. He stroked her back, her shoulders, coming around the front of her to cup one of her breasts. She looked up at him from where she was still lapping him, then she opened her mouth and slowly took the swollen erection between her lips.

Christian growled. Nothing had ever been so arousing, so totally erotic as Jolee's gorgeous lush lips wrapped around him, sucking, licking. Her mouth moved up and down him, hot and wet. Her hands stroked the rest of the length that she could not take into her mouth. Each synchronized stroke propelling him close to a soul-shattering release.

He closed his eyes and gritted his teeth, not wanting the intense pleasure to stop, but not wanting to orgasm this way. He had to be inside her. That was where he wanted his first orgasm with her. Joined. One.

He groaned again, trying to control his desire. She moaned in response, the noise vibrating in her mouth and over his cock. That one additional sensation was almost too much. He caught her under the arms, careful of her sore shoulder. With ease, he set her over him so her legs straddled his hips. His cock nestled between her damp folds, wanting entrance. But he couldn't enter her until she invited him inside her. A male vampire could not enter a female mortal without invitation. The translation of old folklore had really messed up that one.

"Jolee, invite me in," he rasped, his breathing uneven. He rubbed his cock along her sex. She gasped and nodded.

"Say it, baby," he urged, noting the desperation in his voice.

"Christian, please come inside me."

He growled greedily and positioned himself to enter her when she cried, "Wait!"

He stared at her. God, please don't let her have second thoughts now. He didn't think he could bear being this close to making love to her and lose the chance.

"Do you have a condom?"

He frowned, confused. "No. Should I?"

She nodded, then groaned with her own frustration. "I don't either. And I'm not on anything."

On anything? She was on him. And he wanted her all the way on him.

"Christian, I can't have sex without protection. I know we are both safe. But I can't risk pregnancy." She groaned again. "This is awful."

He started to tell her that he couldn't conceive a child anyway. Nor could he distribute or contract any type of disease. But that wouldn't make any sense to her. And she'd probably think the "no pregnancy" thing was just a line. Plus, after hearing about her family, and particularly her sister, he didn't think she'd take any chances. She was too responsible to be reckless, at least about this.

"That's okay," he managed to say, his voice even sounding calm. Inside his desire ripped through him, urging him to enter her. She'd invited him. He could.

"God, this is such a stupid thing to have forgotten," she said, looking as pained as he was.

"Don't worry. We can still satisfy each other." He began moving his hips, sliding his cock along her wet labia. She gasped, her hips automatically moving with his. He pushed her knees farther apart, so she was forced more directly along his hard length.

She leaned forward, her hands linking with his, moving them up over his head, pinning him there as she glided over him with exquisite pressure. The tips of her breasts grazed his chest, his cock sandwiched in her hot, wet mound.

Her movements gradually became more frantic on top of him as they glided toward release. Then she rose up, pressing down tightly on him, crying out. His cock pulsed in response, ready to explode at the wanton sight of her above him. Dark red hair clung to her neck and cheeks, her breasts still puckered and rosy, and her legs spread over him, dark auburn curls hugged over golden brown curls. And the absolute pleasure he could see on her face. Beautiful.

His cock throbbed again, release right there. But he tensed himself, determined to control it. He couldn't settle for less than being inside her. He'd waited a long time for her— and he wouldn't accept less than all of her.

Christian eased Jolee off his chest where she'd sprawled after her last orgasm. She had fallen asleep almost immediately, but he'd held her for a while. Even though her body against his was silken torture, he hadn't moved. He liked feeling her heart beat against his silent chest, and her even breaths on his skin. But he had to get up and draw her curtains and make sure the sunlight wouldn't sneak around the edges in a couple hours. He might have lost his ability to bite, but he didn't believe he was that changed. He was still a vampire.

He pulled the flimsy rolled blinds over the windows. They would not keep out enough light, but fortunately she had curtains, too. The combination would be safe. Not to mention the back of her trailer was shaded by trees.

To be absolutely safe, he should go back to his trailer, but he wanted to stay with her. In her tiny bedroom, amongst her strawberry and cartoon character bedding. He grinned at the whimsical comforter as he covered her; somehow it suited her. Then he walked out into her trailer, feeling the need to look around, see personal things about her. What she liked.

He entered her bathroom first, looking in her medicine cabinet, finding her toothbrush and a nearly empty tube of toothpaste, whitening with baking soda. He picked up a bottle of nail polish, the color she had on her toes. The bottle looked ancient, the lacquer gumming up the top. He put it back. He also found some cosmetics, a hairbrush and deodorant, which he opened and sniffed. A flowery scent that he recognized, although it was usually lost under her natural spicy scent.

Her shower only contained a bar of soap and a nearly empty bottle of shampoo. No bottles of lotions and scented soaps. No perfume. No other toiletries. Not that she needed them, but he did know enough about women to know they liked to occasionally pamper themselves. Mortal women and vampiresses weren't different on that count.

He moved on to the kitchen to look in her cupboards. Aside from a box of something called "Tastee O's," several boxes of macaroni and cheese, a few cans of soup, and some teabags, her shelves were as empty as his. He turned to the refrigerator to discover she had just as little in there. No wonder she was so thin. She made him feel like a glutton—and he lived on a liquid diet. He fully intended to buy her some things, which he knew would be a fight because Jolee was determined to make her own way in life. But she was going to have to accept his help. He wanted to take care of her.

And she needed some furniture, he decided. Making a mental list of what she needed, he headed back to her room. She still lay in the same position in which he'd left her. He watched her for a moment, fascinated by the peacefulness of her features and the curl of her hair on the pillow. Then he glanced around, taking in the room. He noticed nothing personal. Just an old radio on the dresser and a lamp and alarm clock on the box that served as her nightstand.

Materially, he'd once had everything that he could have possibly wanted. A life of luxury— and it had never been as perfect as this barren little room. All he needed was Jolee, but he wanted to give her everything.

Jolee woke, her limbs still feeling boneless and languid. She rolled over, feeling for Christian in the dim light. He was sprawled on his back in much the same pose she'd seen him in when she'd peeked in his bedroom. One arm rested above his head, the other on his bare chest. One corner of the Strawberry Shortcake comforter covered his hips, the little cartoon girl grinning widely.

Jolee smiled at the sight. Slowly she stroked her hand down his muscled belly and under the cover. His penis was soft against his thigh, but still large even in its unaroused state. Everything about this man was extraordinary.

She continued to touch him, and although he remained soundly asleep, his penis began to enlarge under her exploring fingertips. She shivered, a ripple of desire shimmying down her spine. She couldn't wait to feel him inside her. She'd thought she'd die last night when she realized they had no contraceptives. But because Christian was truly remarkable, he just accepted her misgivings and satisfied them without penetrating her. And it had been wonderful.

She hoped it had been for him, too. Although she intended to make up for it tonight. Maybe even now. She lifted the cover to admire his full, heavy erection. The shaft extended up to his belly button and the width couldn't be circled by her long fingers. She'd never seem a man so… enormous. And absolutely beautiful.