Run the Gantlet (3 page)

“Do it then.” His body settled against hers. “Prove how much you don’t want me.”

Oh perfect.
His body molded against hers as if it had found a home. Eloise gulped.
“I’m not fal ing for that.” His cock pressed against her stomach and she knew every inch of her would smel like him. “You’re just horny and not thinking. Whereas I am and I’m not going through eternity joined to you, fang face.” Her own words did not convince her. What was the chance the vampire would back off? Or that she would not make the biggest mistake of her life?

What had Uncle McManus said? There was naught she could do about it?

“Come on. One kiss.” His hands encircled her waist. “Prove to me that this curse is just that.”

Eloise had heard the theory that if you faced your fears you destroyed them. She was al for bucking the system. But should she? Her eyes went to his mouth once more. “One kiss, no tongue.”
Crap. Why did I say that?

He chuckled. “Spoilsport. Wel ?”

“What?” Eloise had been kissed before. It had never been a big deal. She knew this was. Her heart hammered and her knees were wobbly. With any luck she would faint and wake up later to find out it was a dream. Dreams were safe. This vampire was not.

“Kiss me, you know you want to,” Arrow teased.

Eloise gripped the expensive silk of his shirt as she searched for her last measure of control. “Why do
I
have to kiss you?” It would have been nice if he had been so caught up in his wild passion for her that he could not wait to kiss her. But no. She was on the spot and he was waiting for her to make a move. It was not exactly the stuff of great romance.

“Because you want me bad.”

She snorted at his words. “Does this approach work with other woman because I must tel you it’s not attractive?”
Oh but it was.

“I’l meet you halfway.” He moved his head in closer to hers.

His breath was warm on her face and she wanted nothing more than to dissolve against him. Kiss the vampire. Prove the curse wrong and move on.

That’s al this was. Eloise moved forward so her lips were almost on his.

“You are real y very short,” he murmured as his lips hovered teasingly over hers.

“And you are freakishly tal .” She licked her lips to entice him. It was a game of who would give in first.

“Kiss me.” He breathed words out.

Oh boy
. Eloise knew she was doomed. “No, you kiss me.” And he did and she knew it was the biggest mistake of her life. Suddenly everything she had ever thought mismatched about her aligned. Her whole body shook as his mouth took possession of hers in a kiss so hungry that she gasped and welcomed his tongue into her mouth. As the kiss deepened, she gave in completely. Eloise found it impossible not to kiss him back. To have done anything else would have been madness. It was so primal and fierce and meant to be.

“Damn,” he muttered as his mouth left hers. They looked at each other in wonder.

Eloise grabbed at the lapels of his jacket to stop herself from slithering down his body in a slumberous heap. That was as bad as it was good. “We shouldn’t have done that.”

“No,” he agreed in a halfhearted manner.

She closed her eyes and felt his hot breath on her face. “We should never do that again.” Yet Eloise could not stop herself rubbing her body against his. It just felt so right.

“No, never again, after this.” And then he kissed her again, not giving her a chance to stop him. “You taste so sweet,” he murmured between kisses.

Eloise felt as if she were drowning in sensation. She pushed back from him. “But so does candy and it’s a lot less complicated,” she whispered against his mouth, unable to stop her tongue touching his lower lip for another taste.

He growled in satisfaction as his hands slid down to her ass. “I like complicated.”

“What about Caitriona?”

“I don’t want her.”

His hands felt so good on her butt that she could not control her need to rub her groin against his. “You’re just hot and needy for any woman.” And never before had Eloise wanted a man like this.

“No, only you.”

Eloise doubted that. This vampire was pure sex. “I don’t want forever with you.” When she looked in his eyes, she wasn’t sure what she wanted. There were so many conflicting emotions running rampant inside her body. Her skin tingled where he touched her and she could feel the wet heat between her legs.

“The plan is we have one-off, unforgettable sex and walk away from each other. You can feel how great we would be together.” His mouth was once more on hers. As he ended the kiss, he slowly released her bottom lip from his mouth, his fangs lightly teasing the flesh. “Let’s give into need and not complicate it any further.”

Eloise closed her eyes, breathing heavily as his lips continued to tease hers with light, nipping kisses. At that moment, togetherness felt as if it would be a very good thing. “Um yeah, but what about—”

“I promise I’l walk away and never see you again.”

She could see in his eyes he meant it. The problem was, Eloise wasn’t sure how she was supposed to walk away as if nothing had ever happened. This wasn’t some peck-on-the-cheek, I’l -see-you-later type of thing. This was hotter than that. This was why women got al sil y over men. This was lust and she wanted more.

“Here? It’s not exactly romantic.” Even as the words came out of her mouth, Eloise knew that she had never had a chance in hel of fighting this attraction.

It is written, lass.

“No, you’re right. Not for our first time.”

Oh crap
. First time? What happened to the walking away thing? “Um—”

His arms wrapped around her waist. “Hold on to me.”

“Why?” Eloise barely had time to grab his shoulders as they started moving so fast she could barely catch her breath. It was as if she were on a high-speed train. Colors and images flitted by so quickly and the sound of intense white noise was deafening. When they stopped, she fel on her butt in the sand. Sand? Her fingers ran through the golden grains. Eloise looked up and saw the spreading fronds of a palm tree.

“Ah, where are we?” Though the palm trees, gentle breeze and the clear blue water was a dead giveaway.

“Deserted island in the Pacific.” He kicked off his shoes and started removing his clothes.

Eloise shuffled back on her ass away from him. hel ’s bel s. His shoulders were massive, and his chest? She had the wild urge to run her tongue over his skin. “Er—”

“What?” He threw the shirt to the ground as his hands went to the buckle of his belt.

“This is a real y bad idea because we both know— Wow!” Her eyes opened in amazement at the size of his cock. Sure, she had seen them before but not one like that. Good grief! How would that even work inside her? “Oh my…” Eloise could not stop staring at the hard, twitching flesh.

He kicked his pants away. “You like?”

“I am agog.” That this man wanted her was amazing. Wasn’t like supposed to attract like? She was hardly in his league. He was the stuff cover models were made of.

“Women usual y are.”

“You are so arrogant.”
And I have to stop looking at his cock
. But it was like not mentioning the proverbial elephant in the room. It was just there.

“I know.” He took no offense at that. He merely smiled and dropped to his knees before her and started pul ing at her boots.

He had quick hands. But then he had probably undressed hundreds of women. “I hate sand between my toes.” That sounded so dumb to Eloise but for the life of her she could not think of anything else to stay. “Stop” was beyond her and “fuck me now” was hovering on her lips. She had gone from good girl to bad in seconds.

He tossed her boots over his shoulder. “I promise I’l keep your feet up.” He lifted her legs to his shoulders, making her fal backward on the sand. His hands slid up her legs, pushing up the black skirt. “Oh man,” he murmured when he saw that her net stockings were thigh-highs. “Very nice.” His hands caressed her inner thighs until he reached her panties. “Even nicer.” Arrow cupped her pussy through the fabric.

Eloise’s head fel back at the gentle, insistent pressure between her legs. Although she was a little embarrassed that she was so exposed and wet with need, the vampire did not seem to mind one bit. His eyes were focused total y on her. It made Eloise feel strangely powerful.

“You like?” He smiled at her.

“Yes.” Any other answer would have been a lie.

He tugged at the fabric between her legs and ripped her panties off.

When his fingers found her clit, Eloise moaned out loud. If those three fingers could make her feel so needy, she wondered what the rest of him could do to her.

“Take your blouse off, shorty. I don’t want to rip it.” He saw her hesitation. “Forget Caitriona. This is just a one-off. Let’s prove the whole curse wrong.” He dropped his mouth to her clit and sucked hard.

Eloise screamed. Birds screeched in fright.
So this is how Tarzan got the animals’ attention
.
Lucky Jane
. She started ripping off her blouse. She wanted him. She needed him. Naked seemed the best option at the moment. The position Eloise was in was awkward. She did not want him to stop sucking but it made it hard to remove her bra. “Fang face… What’s your real name?” She had been so caught up in him that something as simple as a name had seemed unimportant.

He lifted his head. “Arrow, but I like the way you cal me fang face. It’s so sexy.” His hands moved up her body until he reached her bra. Arrow’s mouth descended on one lace-covered nipple.

Oh my.
Eloise squirmed under his seeking mouth. She needed no encumbrances. “I’m Eloise Gaunt and please get this damn bra off me.” The careful good girl who had been about the best intentions was gone.

“Beautiful Eloise.” Arrow leaned over her body and sliced each bra strap with his fangs.

His disposing of her bra was so hot and possessive Eloise could not care less that the bra had cost sixty dol ars. The only thing that mattered was the man who lay between her legs, fondling her breasts. Arrow’s cock was hard and throbbing against her stomach, awaiting her command. Only one thought consumed Eloise. “We need a condom.” She was no longer scared of the unknown. It had raced in and overwhelmed her and she wanted more. That was unusual, given the circumstances. In the past, even if she had been remotely interested in a man she had always stopped before it got too far. It was almost as if she had a big rubber band wrapped around her, letting her go so far then snapping her back into place and stopping her from going further. It was crazy of course. Eloise knew she was the mistress of her own destiny and body. Yet the thought that there could be something more than just a quick fuck to scratch an itch resonated in her mind. While she did not believe in fairy tales, the idea of true love and “the one” kept stopping her from acting. It was old fashioned and sil y and thousands of other women may not have waited but Eloise also wondered “what if?”

Arrow licked each nipple. “No, we don’t. I am immortal. I cannot reproduce.

“How do you know that?” Was this some convenient mal e excuse to avoid a thin film of rubber?

“Like any vampire born of from the union of a mortal and a vampire, it is genetical y impossible. And before you ask, I am also immune to mortal diseases.

You are safe with me.”

She looked in his eyes and knew he spoke the truth.

“Do you want me?” His voice was gentle yet possessive with need.

“Yes.” Eloise craved the touch of another as she had never before. She had never felt so alive. It was because of him.

Arrowed stroked her nipples. “Do you need me?”

Eloise stil ed her hands. “Do
you
need me?”

“Yes.” The word was ground out. The man was on edge and raw honesty was the only answer.

There were so many reasons why they should not be doing this. “This is a big mistake.”

“Yes.”

They both knew it. Neither was kidding the other. What they did now could affect their lives forever.

Eloise made her decision. This was always meant to happen and denying it was insane. “Do it.”

Arrow took her face in his hands. “Are you sure?”

She lifted her legs to lock around his waist. “I need you.” Until that moment Eloise had never needed anyone. If she did not have Arrow now, she knew it would be an even worse mistake and she would regret it forever.

He positioned himself so the head of his cock was at the wet core of her body. “This may hurt.”

“You won’t hurt me.” How she knew that Eloise wasn’t sure. She just did. “Do it Band-Aid fast.”

Arrow hesitated. “What?” He looked at her in amusement.

“You know the quicker the less pain.”

Arrow shook his head, his eyes tender on hers. “You are unlike any other woman I have known.”

“I know.” Eloise was smug in her response.

“Who’s arrogant now?”

“You want me.” It was as simple as that. Need beat out everything else at that moment.

“Yes I do.” And then Arrow thrust inside her body.

The force of his penetration made Eloise suck in her breath. It was so hot and hard and amazingly right. She had never believed in the whole soul-mate thing until now. She was meant for Arrow. If there was pain it was fleeting and overcome by the feeling of him driving up right into the heart of her body.

“Okay?” He stil ed for a moment as if waiting for permission to move.

“Oh yes.” Eloise had never felt more okay in her life. As Arrow began pushing and pul ing his cock back and forward inside her body in a slow, rocking motion, she closed her eyes and held on tight. “Bloody hel .” In her wildest dreams she never imagined sex could be like this. Had they ever been strangers?
I have been waiting for you forever.

Arrow stopped for a moment. “Is ‘bloody hel ’ good or bad?”

“Good, very good.” She ran her hands down to the taut flesh of his ass. “Don’t stop.” Eloise needed to feel every hot inch of him inside her. “Oh,” she murmured as she opened her eyes and focused on him as she gave in to the new sensations ricocheting through her body. A chain reaction had started that she did not want to end.