Hunted, The Complete Edition: A Full-length Steamy Vampire Romance (New England Nightwalkers) (13 page)

Christ, no. Fuck--

He'd lost it. Gone around the bend and back again, and hadn't an ounce of strength to fight it. He was about to let it happen. Let his body take what it so clearly needed and sink his teeth into her supple flesh...just a taste when a voice reverberated in his head.

“Exquisite, but not yet.”

Gabriel unstuck the tongue from the roof of his mouth as Ezekiel’s mind touched his own.

“Not here, and not until you get the rest of the information we need.”

Gabriel used the last of his self-discipline to control his thoughts and form a mental response that would appease Ezekiel.

"Yes. All right. It took some time for her to yield completely without forcing her, but I’ve got her now. Shouldn’t be much longer."

"I hate to say,”
Ezekiel responded, “
but you should go before she takes this any further. She's too tasty of a morsel not to share and the others are getting restless. I'm concerned that she might not survive the entertainment. We need to know what she knows first.”

The Master’s desire was a palpable thing now, and it made Gabriel’s blood go cold as he continued.

“Her enthusiasm and innocence please me. Do whatever needs to be done to complete your mission tonight and then bring her to me tomorrow.”

Ezekiel’s voice faded from his mind, leaving Gabriel still wrapped in Zara’s arms, a war going on inside him. As chilling as the exchange had been, Ezekiel had unwittingly saved him from doing something unforgivable. He had to keep it together. Just a little while longer. Not much had changed. He’d known tomorrow was the day, but now it had become a line in the sand. Whether Fenton was ready or not, they had to go.

Before he could stop her, Zara's now-nimble fingers were at the clasp of her demi-cup bra and all thought fled. The image he’d had in his head of her with just his jewels on was about to become a reality.

In front of forty hungry, horny nightwalkers whose senses of smell and sight were every bit as good as his.

They could scent the sweetness of her blood, even through that creamy, velvet skin. They could see the curve of her breasts bouncing and jiggling as she tried to unclasp the scrap of silk. And they appreciated the unintended charm of her innocence like a pack of hounds on the trail of a fat, juicy pheasant. She was so alive, she drew his kind like honey did bees.

Ezekiel was right. Unless he wanted to have an angry hornet’s nest to deal with, he needed to get her the fuck out of there, pronto.

Right as he stepped onto the stage her bra finally gave way and her breasts spilled forward, high and proud. He blocked her from view and the nightwalkers booed and hissed.

“Stop being such a selfish prick, Gabriel!”

“Come on, man, are you serious right now?”

For the most part, the shouts were good-natured, but a couple in particular were starting to escalate and he could scent the bloodlust thick in the air.

“We’ve got to go.”

“I-I thought you would like it…” she trailed off, crossing her arms over her chest, her eyes going glassy with tears. “I just wanted to--”

He let out a snarl and dove his hand into her hair, using it to drag her head back. Then, he crushed his mouth to hers, plunging his tongue deep, tasting her in a way that only made the gnawing hunger in the pit of his stomach increase a thousand-fold before drawing away.

“I loved it. You were gorgeous, and I want to see it all over again once we leave here. But I need to be inside you right now, and there’s no way all these people are going to have the privilege of watching you come. That’s mine. For me alone now, understand.”

The sadness faded and she gave him a shaky smile. “I understand, Sir.”

He bent low and scooped her into his arms, saying a silent prayer for strength as he shouldered his way past the still-irritated crowd.

“Maybe when you’re done, Gabriel-”

“Finish that sentence and I’ll snap your fucking neck like a twig, Samual,” he snarled, pushing through to the elevators. He stepped in and turned to see the persistent bastard moving toward them.

“Try me,” he growled, making sure the other nightwalker could see the steely truth in his eyes.

Samual froze in place and then finally shrugged. “Fine. Dick.”

The elevator doors swooshed to a close and Gabriel felt the tension in his body dial down to a seven from a hard eleven. None of them would risk following him from the club over what they viewed as a bag of flesh, no matter how tantalizing.

“I’m sorry,” she murmured miserably, thankfully still clueless as to how perilous the situation had been. “I thought, because of the restaurant, that you liked doing things in public and I wanted you to know that I accept you as you are. I didn’t realize that would happen. I was dancing for you. Only for you.”

The last of his fear faded, leaving behind only the throbbing ache in his groin and the hunger. He couldn’t drink her, but god damn it, he could have her. And it would have to be enough for now.

Her bare, warm breasts were pressed against his chest and suddenly, all the emotions that had him in knots a few minutes before turned into molten hot need. He needed to take her…mark her…make her his.

“An elevator is kind of like public.” He slammed his knuckles against the red Stop button and the elevator slowed to a halt.

Tonight, he would rock her world the way she’d rocked his these past couple weeks. He’d make her come so hard she’d forget her own name and only remember his.

Then, tomorrow, after he met with Fenton once more, he would tell her the truth. And finally find out whether she would ever be able to forgive him.

G
abriel was like a man possessed
, and she loved every second of it.

He grabbed her hair in his strong hand and yanked her head back with enough force that her teeth clattered together, but she didn't care. She'd been so afraid to go in front of all those people and dance for him, but when she'd seen the expression on his face, the stark hunger and desire, it had all been worth it. And, soon, all her inhibitions faded away leaving behind only Gabriel. If he would look at her that was for the rest of her life, she could die a happy woman.

Now, with his muscular thigh wedged between her legs and his tongue slipping and sliding against hers, she only wished she could think of another way to surprise him.

She pulled away and she moved to tug him back toward her, but he would have none of it, using his hand to gently cup her throat and keep her pressed against the wall of the elevator as he dropped lower to capture one hard nipple between his teeth. She let out a groan as the move sent a shock of lust straight from her breast to her belly.

"Ah, you feel so good."

He sucked hard, batting at the tight bud with the tip of his tongue as she drove her fingers into his hair to hold him closer. The sensations coursing through her were nothing like she'd ever felt before. So raw, so wild, she didn't want to wait.

"Gabriel, I want you inside me now, please." She waited for a moment and then realized with dread that she'd broken the rules. "Sir. I mean, please, can we--"

She gasped as he moved so quickly, she almost wondered if she'd imagined it. One moment, she was facing him, with his face at her breast. The next, she'd been flipped around to face the metal wall of the elevator and his hand was pressed against the middle of her back, urging her to bend at the waist.

"I should punish you," he muttered, fumbling behind her. The sound of his descending zipper echoed through the small space like a gunshot and she nearly expired from the anticipation. "And tomorrow, maybe I will. But right now, all I can think of is getting inside you."

A clank sounded as his belt and pants hit the floor. She held her breath as he trailed a finger down her spine and dipped it lower to hook around the flimsy fabric of her underwear. An instant later, with a snap, it was gone.

She could almost feel the heat of his gaze on her but she had no desire to cover herself. If being with him these past couple weeks had taught her anything it was that modesty was overrated. Gabriel could make her wild with ecstasy, and every attempt at hiding any part of herself from him only took away from that. A moment later, though, even those meandering thoughts faded away as he cupped both of her ass cheeks in his hands and squeezed.

"I want to eat your pussy and fuck you at the same time,” he ground out. “I want to lick you from head to toe while I'm spanking you. My only regret is that I'm but one man."

The words sounded so pained, she was about to reassure him that one Gabriel was more than enough, but he was pressing the broad head of his thick cock against her entrance and she couldn't seem to form words.

He pressed into her, but only a few inches before retracting with a groan. Gripping her hips in both hands, he used them to jerk her back hard against him and fully onto his cock. The fullness was so sublime, it bordered on pleasure/pain, and bit her lip hard to keep from crying out.

"No, I want to hear you this time, love. No one can hear us in here," he muttered through gritted teeth. He drew back again, the drag of his cock as he pulled out enough to send the blood rushing to her ears. Then, he plunged into her again, pulling her back against him hard enough that her ass slapped against his lean hips. Already, she could feel the orgasm building inside her, ready to erupt.

"Ah, Gabriel!"

His hard, singular thrusts stopped and he began using her hips the work her over his hot, swollen length. She braced herself against the wall to help him, backing her ass into him even as he pulled. Soon, they found a rhythm that had her biting down so hard, her teeth ached. Each time she impaled herself on him, she let out a low groan.

"That's it, love. Ride me hard," he murmured, his fingers tightening almost punishingly against the flesh of her hips.

He encouraged her with soft words, quickening his pace until the wave slammed into her, wrecking her. Her body felt as if it were made of light as the tremors shook her. She dimly heard him call her name, and couldn’t stop the words that came tumbling from her mouth as the orgasm crashed over her.

"I love you, Gabriel. I love you!" she cried, her voice a keening wail.

* * *

S
he loved him
.

This perfect, gorgeous, funny, sexy woman loved him.

He wanted to relish the sound of it. Demand she say it again so he could hear it roll off her tongue. But until he could be honest…until he could tell her the truth about what he was, he wouldn't say it back, no matter how much he felt it. Because when he finally came clean and admitted all the lies he'd told, he didn't want her to think that had been one of them.

When he told her he loved her, it would be when she trusted his words, and he'd earned that trust.

He swallowed back his response and instead focused on her body. The heat of her body. The scent of her hair heavy in the air. The softness of her skin. The clasp and release of her pussy that was a siren song for him to follow.

She gasped his name and his balls pulled tight as liquid snaked up the length of his cock. And as she slammed back against him, taking his cock inside her to the hilt, he felt himself falling off the cliff after her, hot liquid jetting from his cock into her. He rode her hard to the end as his body jerked and bucked against hers.

"Fuck, ahh, Zara," he grunted as the power of it rocketed through him.

She shuddered, the aftershocks of her own climax an internal caress. After a moment, she collapsed back against him, spent, and he braced his thighs, holding her upright.

His heart thundered in his chest as he subconsciously mimicked her harsh breathing.

He would never tire of her. Not in a lifetime. Not in two. He could only hope that he had the chance to prove that to her someday.

He stepped back gently and helped her right what little clothing she wore before righting his own. Then, he stripped off his dress shirt before helping her into it.

She smiled up at him, lips trembling as he buttoned it for her and then kissed the tip of her nose.

“Best Christmas present ever,” he said.

And it had been. Sure, she’d almost caused a bloodthirsty feeding frenzy, but the fact that she cared enough to do something like that for him? Something so out of character because she thought he would like it? That made him happier than anything had in decades. And it made him all the more determined to fix things.

His cell phone buzzed in his pocket and he tugged it out to peer at the screen.

U
rgent
. Have news. Come ASAP.

I
t was from Fenton and
, considering he’d seen the man early that day, the message made the back of Gabriel’s neck tingle. Over the past week, they’d tried five different antidotes on five separate occasions. While they seemed to be getting closer, to the point that Gabriel had been able to stand in direct, full sunlight, the changes in his cells had been fleeting. The last round of injections had been the most excruciating yet, and, according to Dr. Fenton’s blood tests, had kept his vampire cells at bay for a whole hour. That had been three times as long as any of the other antidotes had lasted…but a hundred thousand times less effective than what he needed.

He wanted a cure. Nothing less would do if he wanted to become the man Zara needed and deserved.

“Let’s go back to my place. I’ll make you Belgian waffles for breakfast,” he said, hoping it wasn’t a lie. If Fenton came through, it could happen. They could wake up together, have their Christmas morning, and then, he could take her on an impromptu trip. Pretend it was a surprise he’d planned for awhile. And, when they were alone and far from the Protectorate, he could tell her the truth.

She nodded and smiled. “Sounds like the perfect Christmas meal.”

He shoved the phone back in his pocket and led her toward his car. By the time they got back to his house half an hour later, he already had an excuse planned to get out and see Fenton.

“Irena just texted that she needs me back at the club,” he said, as he opened the front door and waved her in. “Apparently, two of the bouncers drank so much they got sick and she’s got no one to handle security. We close in two hours, so I won’t be much longer than that.”

Luckily for him, the wine she’d drunk at Steph’s combined with their activities in the elevator seemed to have tired Zara out, and she seemed content enough to climb into his bed and nap until his return.

He quickly got her tucked in with a glass of water and the television remote and then headed briskly toward the door, black heart full of hope.

Surely, Fenton wouldn’t have been so adamant and so vague if it wasn’t what he thought it was.

Surely this was it.

His cure. The reset button on his life.

And, with any luck, when he returned to his home tonight and climbed into bed with his woman, it would be as a human male.

He swept out the door with one last prayer to a god he didn’t believe in.

Make me whole again.