After Sundown: Redemption (29 page)

“Get dressed. I’m taking you home.” His voice was brusque and unfeeling.

The temperature in the air grew colder. Christian’s gaze remained fixed on her. The nakedness she had reveled in only moments before now left her feeling vulnerable. As if reading her thoughts, his eyes ran insolently down her body. His face became tight and angry, as if what he saw was not to his liking.

“Get dressed, now.”

Alyssa leaned up on her elbows, but didn’t get up.

“What’s going on, Christian?”

Her eyes narrowed with suspicion. What kind of game was he playing? They had made the most incredible love, then he woke her up tenderly and now he had suddenly become Mr. Arrogant Jerk.

“Can you just do what I ask without an argument for once, Alyssa?”

His voice sounded resigned, as if he was tired of talking to her.

Anger bubbled to life in Alyssa. She sat up and grabbed her clothes. Walking arrogantly towards Christian, she glared at him. If he wanted to act like an ass, she would treat him like one. She paused right before walking by him.

“If this is some sort of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel the Vampire after-they-make-love-for-the-first-time kind of thing, I’m not liking it at all. Get over yourself, Christian.”

He continued to look straight ahead. The only acknowledgement that he had heard what she said, was a tightening of his jaw. Alyssa wanted him to feel something. Needed to get something from him other than coldness. She couldn’t take that. Not after everything they had shared.

Standing up on her tiptoes, she leaned towards him. Placing her mouth by his ears, she whispered the one thing she hoped would get his attention.

“It wasn’t that good.”

Alyssa wasn’t disappointed.

Before she could blink an eye, Christian lifted her up by the shoulders and backed her against the wall directly behind her. He pressed his body against hers to keep her pinned there. His eyes flared to life. Anger and something else shined bright.

“Not that good? Are you sure about that, Alyssa? Are you
sure
?”

Grasping her thighs, he spread them wide so that they wrapped around his hips. Even through his pants, she could feel his hard manhood pressing against her core. He flexed his hips once, then again, brushing against her womanhood. Alyssa bit her bottom lip to keep the whimper of pleasure buried in her throat from breaking free.

“How about if we put your words to the test?”

Christian devoured her mouth without warning. She tried to push him away, but he easily held her hands against the wall on either side of her head. She grew dizzy from the onslaught of his lips. His kisses started out hard and demanding, but soon became soft and seductive. He sucked on her bottom lip until she couldn’t help but part them for him. He delved in and out of her mouth, teasing her with his tongue. Alyssa moaned and tentatively met his touch. He pulled back slightly, so that she was forced to probe deeper. When he continued to tease her, she began boldly exploring his mouth.

Christian eventually broke their kiss and rained kisses down her neck to her breasts. Without hesitation he wrapped his mouth around one nipple and drew on it. The hard tug of his mouth left her squirming with desire. She arched against his mouth so that he could take more of her. Christian switched to her other breast with a low growl and she stiffened in pleasure. His mouth was working magic on her body, while he continued to flex his hips against her. When he finally lifted his mouth from her breasts she was panting with desire.

Alyssa didn’t notice that he had let go of her hands until she heard him unzip his pants. He pressed his hardness against her opening and she almost screamed from pleasure. He grasped her bottom and pulled her closer to him. The feel of his hands holding her in place was driving her wild. She squirmed against Christian, but he didn’t budge.

“Now, what were you saying?” Christian said through tightly clenched teeth.

Alyssa couldn’t respond. All she knew was desire. She wanted him inside her, now.

Christian slid one hand around to the front of her and cupped her womanhood. He pressed his thumb near her most sensitive spot and began making circles around it. She felt her wetness coat his finger until it felt slippery against her. Closer and closer he circled until he almost touched her center. Then he hesitated.

“Christian!” she hissed.

Alyssa’s hips tilted involuntarily towards his touch.

“Is this what you want?” he asked arrogantly.

Before she could answer, Christian flicked his thumb against her nub.

Alyssa couldn’t stop the small sob of pleasure that erupted from her mouth.

“When it comes to pleasure, you are just a baby compared to me,
palomita
. Never forget that.”

Then he plucked at her center, playing her over and over again, until her orgasm overcame her. She screamed his name and her hips convulsed helplessly over and over again. Before her last convulsion shook her, Christian growled low in his throat then sunk his hardness deep inside of her. Holding her behind with both hands, he pulled her towards him and plunged into her over and over again. Yelling her name, his release came swift and strong.

Christian leaned his forehead against the wall beside her head as his heaving breaths eventually slowed. Alyssa would have slid to the floor if he hadn’t been holding her up. She waited for her own breathing to become normal before lifting her head off of his shoulder. As she did so, he pulled himself straight and carried her towards his bathroom. The feel of him moving inside her as they walked sent tingles of pleasure through her. He walked to the sink and set her down on it. Looking deeply into her eyes, he leaned down and kissed her thoroughly. Then he pulled away and walked out of the bathroom without a word.

Alyssa sat in stunned silence until she heard Christian return. He handed her the bundle of clothes she had been holding.

“Please get dressed.”

Alyssa felt like she was in a daze as she met Christian’s arrogant smile. His way too masculine smile woke her up. It was the kind of satisfied smile that said he knew he had pleasured her well. Alyssa sat up straighter and lifted her chin proudly. Well, at least he had said please this time.

“I’ll be right out.”

“I’ll be waiting with baited breath,
palomita
.” Christian’s knowing smile made her want to throw something at him. But the door shut before she could find anything suitable.

Once Alyssa finished cleaning up and getting dressed, she quietly opened the bathroom door. She stopped short at the sight that greeted her. Now dressed, Christian stood looking out the large window that took up almost one wall of his bedroom. Her eyes ran over him. This man took her breath away. She had never understood what that term meant until now. Just looking at him made her feel like someone had punched her in the stomach, knocking the breath from her body.

His long hair was neatly tied back. She hadn’t had a chance to free it during their lovemaking. Her fingers itched to do so now. She remembered the silky texture of it under her touch. His broad shoulders strained against the tight black T-shirt he wore. Even in stillness, she could see his muscles bunched beneath the material. Her gaze ran down past his slim hips to his behind. Christian had one of the finest butts she had ever seen. The faded jeans he wore clung to every hard curve of it in just the right way. She would love to walk up behind him and run her hands all over his magnificent body. Considering the fact that he had brought her to her peak three times made no difference. She couldn’t get enough of him.

Alyssa remained silent as he continued to stare out into the night. He had to be very deep in thought not to notice her standing there. The man had senses like she had never seen. What was he thinking about?

There was something about the way he stood looking out the window that pulled at her heart. He was a man who proudly faced the world no matter what it gave him. And he faced it all alone. If what he had told her was true, he’d been living this kind of life for over two hundred years. How could he bear it? Wasn’t he lonely?

An ache pounded at her chest. She wanted to reach out to him. Need filled her. Need to help him. Need to touch him. Need to make all the hurt, all the loneliness he ever felt go away. She wanted to fill his nights with happiness and contentment instead.

She slowly walked towards him. She had to touch him. Reassure him that she was here. Make his loneliness go away, for just a little while. As she drew closer she saw him stiffen. He had finally become aware of her. She stretched her hand out towards him. But before she could touch him, he swung around and took a step back. Their gazes met. Christian’s eyes looked haunted. He shook his head slowly back and forth.

“No, Alyssa. It’s time for you to go home. Time for you to get back to your real life. And time for me to get back to mine.”

Alyssa slowly dropped her arm back to her side. She had to fight the urge to go to him. Something about the way he spoke reinforced her need to help him. He was standing proudly in front of her, yet she sensed his need, his hurt and his loneliness.

“Christian, I—”

He pressed his fingers to her lips. His eyes filled with pain and something else. Was it longing? Before she could figure it out, he shuttered his expression. His stare turned hard and cold.

“It’s over. I can’t do this. Let’s go.”

He dropped his hand, turned away from her and walked from the room.

* * * * *

Christian drove her home. Neither of them spoke. Alyssa sat stiffly in her seat and stared straight ahead. The frown on her face told him she was deep in thought and that she was perplexed by his actions. He wasn’t sure he understood them himself.

After they had made love the first time that night, Christian had made a decision. But Alyssa had sidetracked him from that and they made love again. The second time had been wild and intense. It had confirmed his weakness. And strengthened his resolve. This woman was a danger to him. She made him long for things he shouldn’t. She made him want to forget about his guilt, forget about his anger and forget about his promise to make up for the horror and death he had reaped on so many. Apples and sunshine. She made him want to live again. And he could never do that. He had chosen his path and he had to stay with it. For Elena, for all the humans he had viciously killed and for himself.

When they reached her condo she unlocked the door, then turned slowly towards him.

“Do you need to come in?”

Alyssa’s voice was cold and distant. She would not reach for him again. He’d made it clear back at his house that he didn’t want that. Didn’t want her. Alyssa had her pride, as she should. She held that around her now as she faced him.

“Yes.” He said nothing else. Didn’t need to. They understood each other completely.

She walked in first and he followed close behind.

She sat down on her couch and waited the several minutes it took him to check all of the rooms and windows in her condo.

When he was finished, he came and sat down on the chair facing Alyssa.

“I’ve called a, uh, friend to watch over you the rest of the evening. I have to find out what Bazhena’s up to, but I can’t do that if I stay here with you. You can trust the guy who’s coming over. He may seem kind of rough, but he won’t hurt you. And he’s very good at his job.”

Alyssa frowned at his words. She wasn’t happy with his decision. But she clamped her mouth tightly together and nodded her head.

She stood up abruptly, walked towards the door and opened it halfway.

“Well, that’s everything then. I guess you better go,” she said, facing him coldly with her chin held high.

Christian stood up at her words.

“I can’t leave until my friend gets here. I’m not leaving you alone, Alyssa.”

She wanted to scream!

She was so angry she could barely keep it in.

Christian infuriated her. First they have one of the most passionate, moving lovemaking experiences she’d ever had and then he just dropped her like a hot potato. As if she meant absolutely nothing to him. He didn’t seem like the love ‘em and leave ‘em type of guy, but maybe she had been wrong about him.

He hadn’t ever actually said he cared about her. His actions had made her believe he did, but who knows? The guy was a vampire. Maybe his wiring was different. Maybe immortals didn’t feel the same way mortals did. Whatever it was, it left her feeling very confused.