Shadow's Claim (27 page)

“That’s not good for your tournament.”

“You saw me fight. Did you see any ill effects?”

“You’re arrogant.”

“I’m Dacian. You can’t have one without the other.”

She wondered what he’d done today instead of sleeping. Had he found another to relieve him of that erection? Judging by Caspion’s past example, she assumed males had sex every night without fail. “And how did you occupy yourself during the daylight hours?” Had her tone been arch? She raised her glass.

“I spent the day with my Bride.”

She nearly choked on her wine. “You wouldn’t dare come to my room while I slept!”

He merely raised his brows.

“Does my barrier spell do nothing?” Great, to live without protection, high in the sky where the Vrekeners ruled!

“It’s imperfect. But for others it would be sufficient.”

“And what exactly did you do with me today?” She could only imagine. Had he seen how her dreams had affected her?

“I lay beside you and shared your suffering. You’re desirous,
dragă,
” he rasped, his accented words making her melt. “Come with me, and I’ll pleasure you till you scream.”

When her mind started to blank again, she gave her head a sharp shake. “Caspion is about to fight in the next heat. I’d never abandon him with no support.”

A bitter laugh. “Won’t his throng of female admirers
support
him?”

“He’s escorting
me
home afterward. We have a date.”

“A date?” Daciano bit out. “You have no bond with him. Though I can scarcely comprehend it, he doesn’t want you in the way I do.”

Again, was it so obvious? “Why would you say that?” Could everyone see it?

“He was in a brothel two nights ago. In Dacia, he had a new maid every night.”

“Caspion and I are starting anew. We discussed it today. He considers us betrothed from now on. Therefore I
will
be waiting here for him.”

“And I will be damned before he enjoys a passion I stoked.”

“I’m not leaving this table, vampire.”
No matter how seductive you are.
“If you try to trace me back to your tent, I’ll introduce you to the weapons I
didn’t
show you.” A dagger strapped to her ankle, for one.

“Then you leave me no choice.”

“What does that mean—” She jerked upright when she felt the vampire’s callused palm at her knee. She tried to pry it away, but he was far too strong. She had to settle for clamping her legs together.

“It seems I’ll have to pleasure you here.”

“Stop this!” she hissed when he began making lazy circles high on her thigh.

“You have the softest skin, sorceress. Are all the females of your kind so soft as this?”

“Go find out. Your . . . Bride gives you a pass. Just leave me alone.”

She didn’t want his touch; apparently her body disagreed. Her nipples hardened even more, her breaths shallowing. She squirmed in her seat, dismayed to find her panties were growing moist. Her clamped legs seemed to weaken, the muscles lax.

How could he affect her so quickly? Yes, she’d had dreams of him, and yes, he’d taken her to the very verge two nights in a row—but they were surrounded by people! “I-I draw the line, vampire.” The indignant tone she’d attempted fell flat.

He gave her that indulgent look. “You’ll learn that there is no line between a vampire and his Bride.” As his hand trailed higher, he murmured, “I can feel you tremble. It won’t take much to bring you over the edge. I’ll ease this ache and have you relaxed and sated in my arms.”

He wanted to make her come—right here? “You’re mad.” Then she bit her lip.
To be fair, I
do
ache.

No!
“Someone will see.”

“My hand isn’t the only one busy under a table, I promise you.” All around them, couples were furtively touching. “No one is paying attention to us.”

“Y-you care nothing about my reputation!” she cried. “This isn’t fair.”

“As I said before, the prize is too dear for me to fight fair. Doesn’t it feel good,
dulcea mea
?”

My sweet.
In a hazy part of her brain, she wondered if he called her that as an endearment or if he was referring to her taste again. “You know it feels good, but someone will notice.”

“So my touching you isn’t the issue. It’s just that you don’t want others to see.”

“You’re twisting my—I never said that.” She was already panting, her breasts swelling. The peaks jutted lewdly beneath her top. She clutched the tablecloth in her fists.

He worked his hand between her legs, but didn’t force them open. “Spread your thighs and let me give you pleasure,” he rasped. “Come, Bett, I won’t stop until you’re writhing from it.”

“Daciano, please, you can’t do this here.”

“Shh, shh.” His soothing murmurs only heightened her arousal. “I left you unsatisfied, and I vow to you that I never will again.”

She squeezed her eyes shut. This male wanted to give her hot, wet, bliss—and gods help her, she craved it.

“Open your eyes,
dragă
. Now no one can see us.”

Mist had filled the grandstand. She couldn’t see anyone but him. They might as well be alone, cocooned in the sensual heat surrounding them. It dotted her skin, glittering like dew in the morning.

“You are part of it, Bettina.” Again he sounded proud.

Something
was affecting her. One second she felt like she was floating, the next like she was tethered hard to the male beside her.

He dragged her across his legs, settling her sideways over his lap. With his arms wrapped around her, she felt almost a sense of relief, as if she’d yearned to be even closer to him.

Yes, tethered even more tightly to this vampire. . . .

“Open for me.” Her legs eased a touch wider; he growled low with approval.

Then his hand glided higher, rucking her skirt to the side. She held her breath as his fingers began delving into her panties. Strange—she thought he was holding his breath too.

When his fingers slipped to her sex, he groaned at her ear,
“Wet, so fucking wet.”

Struggling not to whimper, she bit her lip again.

“Woman, you madden me”—he ripped her panties free with one forceful yank—“at every turn.”

“Vampire! Don’t . . .” She trailed off—because he’d begun to stroke her.

With infinite tenderness, he rubbed his thumb up and down her clitoris, the rest of his fingers teasing her opening.

Nothing
could possibly feel this good. She needed more.
How to get more?

“I love how sensual you are, Bride. Even now you’re rocking to my fingers, as if I’d petted you like this a thousand times.”

Am I?
She gazed down, shamelessly watching him fondle her bared sex. With his thumb making slick circles, he crooked his forefinger, breaching her only with his knuckle. And it was—

Rapture.

“Ah, gods,” she whispered. Sure enough, she was slowly undulating to his touch, wanting it deeper, the pressure greater.

“You’ll do that when you’re beneath me,” he promised her. “Look how hard your little nipples strain against your top.” She felt a ghosting sweep of fingertips across them, making her shiver. “Did you like when I sucked them?”

His words and his sinful voice worked together, stoking her desire like a forge. “Vampire, you really want me to . . . to . . .
here
?”

“Yes. Tell me you’ll let me do anything to you.”

Her brows drew together. “You know I can’t say that, can’t allow that.”

“One day you will.”

Why were those words so important to him?

“For now, you’ll come for me.” The wicked things he was doing to her . . . pressure right at her core, then a tickling sensation, then more pressure.

When her head lolled, he cradled the back of it with his free hand. Holding her so gently, he brought his forehead to hers, pinning her gaze with his own—as if he wouldn’t
let
her look away.

The intensity of his eyes, the need in them . . . she found herself tunneling her fingers into his thick hair, clutching him close.

“Open for your male, Bett,” he said, his voice hoarse. Below, his fingers continued their play.

She surrendered completely, mindlessly spreading her thighs for the vampire.

The pleasure was so great she feared its end. Eyes pleading, she whispered, “You won’t stop?”

“Never,
dragă
.”

“But what if I cry out?”

“I can make your release softer, less intense. Would you like that?”

In a miserable tone, she said,
“Nooo.”

He gave a strained chuckle. “I didn’t think so.”

She was panting—half panicked, half
out of her mind
with lust. “Daciano, it’s so strong. . . . Oh, gods, I
am
going to scream. I-I won’t be able to stop.”

“Press your mouth against my neck.”

She laid her hands on his chest, leaning her face closer. . . . Against her lips, she perceived the smoothness of his skin. His vampire scent was just as drugging as it’d been last night, making her moan.

When she buried her face in the crook where his neck met his shoulder and inhaled deeply, a sound rumbled from deep in his chest. She felt it beneath her clutching palms.

With each of his strokes, she moaned against his neck harder and harder. She parted her lips, licking his delicious skin.

The
taste
of him sent her right to the edge, hovering. . . .

T
rehan was in an agony of bliss. He was about to bring his Bride to come for the first time in their lives. His cock felt like it’d explode. And she’d just started
licking his skin
.

His head fell back as his fingers stroked her. The heel of his palm rested on her tiny thatch of hair, her folds plump and slick in his hold.
My gods, her tongue is
flicking
against me.

Teeth clenched, he gazed upward, fantasies tangling in his mind. He imagined her hot little tongue, pictured her tracing it over the very tip of one aching fang. Or tucking it against his sac as she masturbated him with her soft hand. Or dragging it along the length of his shaft as her eyes gazed up and held his.

“Vampire,” she whispered with a wet swirl that had his hips bucking, grinding against her lush bottom. “Need . . . to . . .
scream
. . . .”

“I’ll take care of you, Bett. Just let it come.” Right before her cry burst from her, he splayed the fingers of his free hand over one side of her face, cupping her head closer, pressing her mouth harder against him to muffle the sound.

Her body stiffened. Her lithe muscles tightened so beautifully. Her fingernails bit into his chest. Then . . .

Release.

She bucked to his fingers, screaming against his neck.

When he felt the entrance to her sheath clamp around his knuckle, his cock surged in his pants, desperate to claim that virgin flesh.

As she writhed, his fangs went sharp as blades.
What would it hurt to graze them over the pale curve of her shoulder, the swell of her sweet breast . . . ?

At the idea of piercing one little mound, he nearly lost his seed, but he refused to repeat his shame from their first night together.

When she could come no more, she pushed at his hand. After a few last fleeting strokes, he finally relented, removing it from her drenched sex.

The impulse to lick his fingers again was undeniable.

Her taste!
“Mieroase rai,”
he groaned against his fingertips. Honeyed heaven.

Inhale. Exhale. Control.
This was for her.
Only for her.
Control.

As they both sat catching their breath, she leaned her head against him—allowing him to hold her. He didn’t ponder his fortune, just rested his cheek against her forehead. He was surprised by how satisfied he felt—when his shaft throbbed just beneath her.

Yes, satisfied. And proud.
I’ve waited lifetimes to do that.
With each of her shivery aftershocks, his shoulders went back farther.

“No one saw?”

He pressed a tender kiss to her hair. “No one, love. They’ll believe a fog bank rolled in. In a moment, I’ll make it fade.”

“But I . . . there were sounds—”

“That carry differently. Anyone nearby was too busy taking advantage of the cover of mist, I assure you.”

“Okay.” To his astonishment, she nestled closer to him. Just as he’d promised, she was relaxed and sated in his arms.

In moments, she’d be angry, the spell broken. For now, he squeezed her body close, savoring every second.

He found himself musing,
Why not this place? Why not me?
She could be his queen, and they could share this realm. He hadn’t given the crown of the Deathly Ones much consideration, but now he had to wonder.

Perhaps I could still be the sword of a kingdom,
another
kingdom.
All this could be theirs.
Not such a bad fate at all.
No more constantly watching his back, no more looming battles.