Pursued (39 page)

Merrick moved his tongue slowly and deliberately, showing her exactly how he was going to taste her, Elise was sure. She couldn’t help responding, giving herself completely to the kiss, opening her mouth for him as she knew she would soon be opening her pussy. She could feel herself getting wetter and more slippery by the minute as she rubbed against his broad chest but Merrick obviously didn’t mind. He growled low in his throat and Elise thought she could almost
feel
his impatient, unquenchable lust for her. But that was crazy, wasn’t it? After all, she didn’t feel Merrick’s emotions through the bond the way he felt hers—or at least she never had before.

At last Merrick broke the kiss and looked her in the eyes. “See?” he murmured, his voice thick with desire. “Fucking delicious. Can’t wait to taste it straight from the source. Come here, baby…let me eat your pussy.”

Part of Elise wanted to hold back, but the
hunger
and
lust
inside wouldn’t let her. Carefully, she crawled up his big, muscular body until she was straddling his face, her thighs open around his head. “Like this?” she asked, looking down uncertainly.

“Yeah…exactly like that.” His eyes were hot and half-lidded with lust as he looked up at her, his lips parted as though in anticipation. “Just lower yourself down,” he instructed. “Lower yourself down and let me taste that sweet little cunt.”

His hot, dirty words excited her almost as much as the vulnerable sexual position she found herself in. Gripping the headboard of the bed, which seemed to be made of some rough wood, she let herself come down just as he had asked, positioning her pussy just above his mouth.

Merrick licked up, his hot tongue swiping across her heated slit from bottom to top, tickling her clit and making her gasp and jump. He did it again and Elise grasped the headboard harder, trying not to cry out. God, his mouth was so hot and his tongue was so talented. It felt amazing, but she still needed
more
somehow.

Apparently Merrick felt the same way. Abruptly, he put his hands on her hips and tilted her pelvis out of the way so he could see her.

“Baby,” he said softly. “Look at me.”

“Yes?” Elise looked down uncertainly.

“You have to give me more,” Merrick told her. “For this to work, I need to drink from you—need to lap your sweet cunt honey straight from the source.”

“But…I thought that was what you were doing,” Elise protested, her cheeks hot with embarrassment at the awkward position she was in.

“I’m trying,” Merrick growled. “But you’re not coming low enough. In order to do this right I need complete and total access to your pussy. That means you have to trust me enough to come all the way down. That’s the only way I can suck your clit and tonguefuck your little cunt.”

“Tongue….?”

“Tonguefuck,” Merrick said impatiently. “Need to get my tongue all the way inside you for this to work. So I can drink your honey straight from the source.”

“Oh,” Elise whispered faintly. “And you don’t think you’ll feel…smothered?”

He laughed. “No, of course I won’t. And even if I did, I can’t think of a better way to go.”

He likes this,
Elise thought, still feeling a little surprised at the idea.
He really does want to do it.

“Elise, I
need
to do it,” he murmured and she wasn’t sure if he was answering her emotion or if he’d somehow heard her thought through their bond. Was the connection between them growing stronger? “Not just to heal myself,” he continued. “But because of the Kindred thing I told you about. I’ve been waiting for this moment from the first time I met you—please, baby, don’t make me wait anymore.”

“All right.” Elise nodded, biting her lip. “I…I’ll come down further.”

“Come down all the way,” Merrick instructed. “I want to taste your pussy until you come all over my face.”

A shiver of pure lust went through her and at that moment, Elise wasn’t sure if the emotions were his, hers, or a combination of the two. She only knew she wanted this as much as Merrick wanted to give it to her. Wanted the feel of his hot mouth on her open pussy. With a little moan of pure desire, she settled herself firmly on his mouth, determined to give them both what they needed so desperately.

Merrick didn’t disappoint her. He opened his mouth at once, lapping and sucking the tender bud of her clit, lashing it with the tip of his tongue until Elise cried out with pleasure. Then, just as she thought she couldn’t take it anymore, he suddenly stopped.

“What…?” She looked down at him uncertainly. Their eyes met and she saw the
lust
in his—the hungry need to taste her until she lost control and came for him. But she more than saw it—this time she was sure she
felt
it as well. A deep, fiercely intense emotion that came from the very bottom of his Kindred soul, a thirst that only she could slake.

Then, with a low, possessive growl, he gripped her hips and plunged his tongue deep into her channel.

Elise gasped and bucked against him, both surprised and overwhelmed with pleasure. His tongue was hot and firm and surprisingly long, filling her much more than she’d expected. At the same time, one of his hands slipped over to where they were joined and she felt the broad pad of his thumb rubbing gently but firmly against her swollen clit.

She cried out and bucked again, one hand slipping from the headboard down to grip his broad shoulder. Merrick responded by redoubling his assault. She felt his tongue thrusting deep inside her to harvest her honey as his thumb slipped over her clit, urging her to make more. Urging her to come, to let herself go as she rode his mouth and gave in to him completely.

“Oh God,” she heard herself gasp. “Oh God, Merrick…so good…too much…”

He growled in response and she felt the vibrations of his deep voice echo through the center of her being. It only heightened the pleasure she felt, added another layer to the increasingly intense sensations he was giving her until Elise wondered if she could stand much more.

When she’d first taken this strangely vulnerable and exposed position, sitting astride his face, she hadn’t been at all sure she would be able to lose control enough to come. But now she felt her pleasure cresting and knew her orgasm was coming, bearing down on her like a tidal wave.

Remembering what had happened the last time she’d given in and let herself go made her a little hesitant. But the pleasure of Merrick’s hot mouth on her open, vulnerable pussy, the feeling of his tongue thrusting deep in her channel, was too strong to deny. Also, she thought she could almost feel him urging her to let go—willing her to give in completely and let her pleasure peak. Elise wasn’t sure if the feeling was real or completely imaginary but she decided to let go—to go with the urging and risk everything one more time.

As though he’d felt her make the decision, she sensed a rush of triumph from Merrick and then he suddenly withdrew his tongue. Elise started to moan in protest and then she felt him suck the heated button of her clit between his lips and begin tracing it with the tip of his tongue. At the same time, two long, strong fingers thrust deep in her pussy and began to pump, giving her a deep, thorough fucking that made her arch her back and throw back her head with pleasure.

“Yes!” she moaned. “Oh God, Merrick, yes…
yes!”

It was too much and exactly enough. As he lashed her clit with his tongue and thrust deep in her pussy, Elise felt herself coming, felt her inner muscles contracting, spasming around his invading fingers as a thousand sparks of fire jumped through her body, igniting every nerve ending until she thought she might explode with the intense sensation. She rocked against him, pressing shamelessly against his mouth, giving herself completely both to Merrick and the pleasure he was giving her. Losing all control.

Through it all she felt his emotions as well, the deep, solid satisfaction he got from pushing her to the edge and beyond. His own intense pleasure and excitement as he watched her come, felt her spasm around his fingers and tongue. It was good, it was right, it was
perfect…
somehow completely perfect at that instant in time. And the best thing about it was that it triggered no flashbacks, raised no dark specters from the vault, as she had half-feared it would.

The instant spun out into infinity like a golden thread of honey stretched thin between them…and then Elise collapsed, panting, on the leafy blue pillow beside Merrick.

“Oh my God, that was
amazing,
” she gasped, turning her head to look at him. Her heart was still beating so hard she felt like she’d just run a marathon but her body felt boneless and limp—completely worn out.

“You’re telling me,” Merrick growled. His mouth was shiny with her juices and he licked his lips deliberately and raised an eyebrow at her. “
Fucking
amazing. Your pussy tastes delicious, baby.”

“Thank you.” Elise felt her cheeks heating at the intimate compliment. “I’m, uh, glad you liked it. But did it work?”

“Hmm…” Merrick flexed his arms and back experimentally. Then he sat up in bed and rolled his shoulders before turning to face Elise, a smile on his face. “Good as new.”

“Oh good! I’m so glad.” Elise wanted to go to him at once and hug him but now she felt shy again. The venom in his system had been neutralized and her
hunger
was completely satiated—at least for now—so she really didn’t have an excuse to cuddle with the big Kindred.

Merrick seemed to sense her anxiety. “C’mere,” he said, motioning for her. “Just because we’re both good for now doesn’t mean we have to act like strangers again.”

“I guess not.” Elise went to him and snuggled under his muscular arm with a little sigh of pure contentment. “This is so nice.”

“It’s more than nice…it’s
right.”
Still holding her against him, Merrick lay back on the bed. “Love the feel of you against me, baby. Are you over the fear now?”

“I
think
so,” Elise said cautiously. And indeed, the terror which had been triggered, on that awful night when she’d seen his dark silhouette in her bedroom doorway, seemed to have at last been vanquished. The last traces of it had blown away with the mind-numbing orgasm Merrick had given her. Suddenly she realized that while she had experienced the ultimate pleasure, Merrick hadn’t. “Um…” She sat up a little and looked at him. “Do you want me to, uh, return the favor?”

“Not necessary.” He gave a low, growling chuckle. “I shot off in my pants like a kid when I felt you finally letting go.”

“Oh!” She remembered the strange way she’d seemed to feel his pleasure as well as her own—not to mention all his other emotions. “Merrick,” she said carefully. “I, uh, would it be weird if I told you that while we were…while you were…”

“While I was tasting your sweet, wet pussy?” he said, grinning at her.

Elise felt her cheeks get hot again. “Um, yes. Anyway, while you were doing that, I could feel you through the bond—feel your emotions—the same way you can feel mine.”

“Really?” He pushed up on one elbow and looked down at her, frowning with concern. “You felt what I was feeling?”

“I
thought
I did,” Elise said cautiously. “I felt you wanting me to…to let go. To trust you and give in to the pleasure you were giving me. And when I finally did, I felt your pleasure as well. I mean, I didn’t know that you, uh, finished, but I definitely felt
something
. What does that mean?”

He shook his head. “I don’t know. Maybe that the bond is growing, which in our case, isn’t good.”

“Oh dear.” Elise felt a sudden rush of despair. She’d been feeling so good, so light and happy and free for once…and now she came crashing down to reality like a bird soaring in the sky that’s been pierced by a hunter’s arrow.

“Hey, baby, don’t cry.” Merrick pulled her closer and pressed her face to his chest. “It’s going to be all right. We’ll get it worked out in the end.”

“But
how
are we going to work it out, Merrick?” she demanded, pulling away and wiping the tears from her eyes angrily. “By breaking the bond,” she continued, answering her own question. “And
then
what?”

“Then whatever you want,” he said, looking at her steadily. “Tell me something, do you really want to go back home and get joined to that idiot, James?”

“I don’t know.” Elise looked down at her hands. “I don’t think so…but what else can I do?”

“Stay with me,” Merrick said. “We can go wherever you want. I don’t care as long as we’re together.”

“Even without the bond?”

“Even without the bond.” He stroked a strand of hair out of her eyes. “You know it’s not all about that. Even when we dissolve it, I know I’ll still feel for you, baby. Still want you.”

Elise bit her lip. “I feel the same way,” she admitted. “I have for awhile, but I’ve been too afraid to tell you. But Merrick…I don’t think I can.”

“Why not?” He frowned at her. “Look, if it’s because you don’t want to leave your career, I’m okay with that. I’ll come down to Earth with you. Now that the Scourge threat is lifted, the Council has approved cohabitation of Kindred and their brides on Earth.”

“It’s not that.” Elise looked down at her hands. “What we just did was wonderful, but I don’t know…don’t know if I could ever go farther. If I could ever do more.” She sighed. “I think I was able to go so far because letting you, um, taste me, wasn’t…didn’t trigger anything from my past. But doing anything else…well, I just don’t know.” She looked up at Merrick. “Do you understand? It wouldn’t be fair to you to ask you to deal with all my crap. You don’t need the baggage I bring.”

Merrick sighed and she felt his frustration, surging through their bond. “Yes, I do! If it’s yours, if it comes with you, I want it. Don’t you understand, baby? I want
all of you.
The good
and
the bad.”

“That’s very kind of you to say, but I don’t know how you’d feel if you knew…” Elise broke off, shaking her head.

“If I knew what?” Merrick sat up abruptly and faced her. “Maybe if you’d tell me, if you’d just
talk
about it, there wouldn’t be so Goddess-damned much ‘baggage’ to deal with.”