At Blade's Edge (19 page)

“Well, keep hope alive I guess. Alice,” Rowan said, “it’s good to see you. Do you live here too? Or? I can’t believe I don’t know that.”

“I live just on the other side of the square,” Alice told her. “Five minutes from door to door.”

“Sorry. I bet he bugs the hell out of you that way.”

Amusement danced in Alice’s eyes a moment.

“If you’re done sowing discontent amongst my employees?” Clive asked.

“Employees? There’s just one here now. Stop exaggerating.”

His nostrils flared a little. “I assumed you’d be off in
your own lane
by now.”

“Okay. That was pretty good. I admit. I’m off at long last. Don’t miss me too much. See you later, Alice.” Rowan cruised through the kitchen and then up to her room, pleased to find a tray with snacks and juice waiting.

David had left a note on her desk, his neat hand ordering her to sleep at least six hours and to remember she was injured.

Exasperated, she drank some of the juice. She’d had plenty of broken bones. It wasn’t like not being in constant pain would let her forget it. So many mother hens in her life all of a sudden.

Still. It got her ripe, beautiful pears out of season. She speared some up. All because Clive knew she loved them. That wasn’t so bad.

Rowan got her emotions in order. It had been over a decade since she’d regularly given blood to a Vampire. She’d gotten lazy when it came to keeping her feelings to herself.

Most humans who lived among Vampires had to learn to shield themselves to some extent. It was that or drown in the emotions and machinations of the Vampire world all around them.

Rowan’s shields were diamond hard, though she’d have to discipline herself to use them again until it became habit renewed.

Seating herself so her arm was propped carefully and her pen and pad ready should she need them, Rowan called the Keep.

Nadir answered with her usual terse greeting. “Speak.”

“It’s Rowan. I’ve got a lot of stuff to tell you about.”

“At the conclusion of our call, you will hold for Dina. She has reception details for you to approve.”

Ugh.

“Fine. Let’s start with the bomb and work our way back.”

Nadir was quiet for long moments until she heaved a sigh.

Chapter Nineteen

“Did you have enough time to talk about me in whispers to your work wife?”

Clive paused in the doorway, trying to parse out whatever she’d just said. Her tone was amused instead of murderous, so that much was a relief.

“I have no desire for more wives. The one I have is more than enough to manage.”

“Too bad for you she thinks men who say stuff like that are dumb who’d never be getting into her panties.”

He locked the door at his back. “Oh. I think I’ll be there. Sooner rather than later.”

She looked him up and down slowly. “You think so?”

“You’re down to half speed because of the broken bones. But really, you’re easy when it comes to me,” he said lazily.

“I’d shrug but my good shrugging shoulder is banged up. I
am
totally easy when it comes to you. Even when you cry about it.”

“I only cry when you deny me.” He inched closer and she eyed him carefully.

“You’re so full of shit for a man who dresses so well.”

“You wound me.”

“I will if you want me to.” She snickered. “Maybe even when you don’t. Depends on how much you annoy me.”

“Some people say all the thrill goes out of a relationship after marriage. You still frighten me as much today as you did a month ago.”

“True love.”

He paused. “Yes. Yes, I believe it is. Now, stop being so prickly because I’m here to service you.”

“What if I’m busy now?”

He unzipped his trousers and she was unable to hide how that perked her right up. And that was before he grabbed his cock at the base and pumped into his fist a few times.

All the spit in her mouth dried up and she had to clear her throat before speaking. “Yeah. Not busy at all. Totally free for any and all plans you might have for me.”

“Are you sure?” he teased. “I’ll have to be very careful with you.”

“Careful, yes. Gentle, no.”

He tried for stern until she licked her bottom lip.

“I’m in charge. This one time. This one moment. You will let me because we both got scared today,” Clive told her.

“Be fair now. Remember I’m not going to be as agile.”

He scoffed as he let go of his cock to undo his cuffs and then slide free from the shirt.

So beautiful. Rowan was sure she’d never tire of looking at him. Beneath all the tailored clothing he was all hard muscle and taut skin. Like most Vampires, he bore very few scars so there was little to mar the perfection of his form.

“When you look at me that way, I forget the game was for me to be in charge.”

“You start getting naked and I forget everything.”

“It’s nice to know something will keep you quiet.”

Rowan laughed, wishing she could dramatically whip off her shirt. He got all slow and stunned when he saw her tits. But the sling prevented it. Damn.

“Your shields are very good,” he said, sliding his pants and boxers off.

“What?”

His energy seemed to roll and caress over her skin as he hummed. So much in that sound.

So. Good. It rendered her muscles a trembling mass. Little spasms of pleasure.

Rowan slammed her shields into place once more, sucking in lungsful of air.

* * *

Clive reined it in a little, but he didn’t want her holding back. He knelt to pull her pants free, kissing up her calf to her left knee.

“You don’t have anything to fear from me. The bond is intense.” Everything he’d ever been told about it left Clive with some pretty high expectations of what it could be like between them if she ever truly gave him her blood.

And the strength of it still left him reeling. Nothing he’d ever felt could be a pale shadow of this thing between him and this warrior queen who lived in his life. No. Who shared his life.

On a totally new level.

“It’s supposed to be intense when it’s with that right person. Don’t start with that face of yours either. You can roll your eyes at the sentimentality of that statement, but it’s true nonetheless. It’s new for me too. We can do this together. Otherwise, if it’s just me, or just you trying it won’t work.”

“New for you how?” Her expression made him ache.

He went to his knees to pull her panties free.

“You just put those on me!”

“I put them on you hours ago knowing that after everyone left, I’d come to you, my wife, to take them off.”

Her breath stuttered a little.

“Contrary to what you might think, no one has ever been what you are to me. I’ve told you this before.” He nipped the unbruised part of her thigh.

“I’m relieved that whatever spell thing Genevieve did to get rid of the pain didn’t get rid of the pleasurable kind,” Rowan murmured. “I know you and I are... I’m not jealous of whoever you were with before me. But I know you’ve shared blood with lovers before. I guess I’m a little jealous that anyone got to feel like this with you.” Rowan’s blush charmed Clive, as it always seemed to whenever she allowed herself to be vulnerable around him.

He tugged down the top of the tank she wore, freeing her breasts. “I knew I’d be doing this too.”

Clive licked and bit her nipples until she let him in a little more. Her ability to keep herself locked down in the presence of Vampires had always impressed him. But now that she’d let him in, now that he’d fallen in love with her, darkness and all, he found it rather annoying when she used it with him.

“I’ve shared blood with lovers, yes. It’s quite common.” He shrugged. “I can’t deny the appeal of sharing pleasure that way. But until you, until today... This is all just as new and big and nearly overwhelming to me as it is you.”

Clive skimmed his lips over her jawline, inhaling her at the pulse point just beneath her ear.

“And I
am
jealous of whoever you were with before.” Clive let her feel it, coaxed her a little with kisses as he did.

“I know. You’re spoiled.” She ran her hand over his hair, digging her fingers in and yanking him up to her mouth. “I’m yours. No one who came before, and you know those numbers are paltry compared to yours, matters now.”

He took her mouth on that snarl, breathing in all her aggression. Branding her.

Her teeth caught his bottom lip, hard and fast, sending his pulse rocketing. She licked over the sting, wrapping her calves around his waist to haul him closer.

And then she opened up fully, let him in. The intensity of her emotions, the desire and pleasure drove him to tremble. Wisps of doubt, of fear wove through all that. Clive took note, but didn’t poke at them.

He wanted to. By god he wanted to shake them and kick them bodily from her heart. But that wouldn’t work. Not with this creature who burned so bright. He’d have to slowly siphon them away, replacing that space with all manner of pleasant memories.

He’d prove her wrong day by day.

She let herself fall into it. It would have been cowardly not to. After he’d revealed himself to her over and over it would have been a betrayal of what they had to not do the same.

“In me. Now,” she ordered, tightening her calves to keep him from escaping.

“I repeat. I’m in charge and I have plans. I’ll get there. I promise you. On my timeline.”

The thing about this bond between them was she knew how easily she could get him to shift those plans. Felt the swell of desire when she told him to fuck her right then.

Given the gleam in his eyes, she knew he had the same opportunity to know her triggers and buttons on a deeper level as well.

His fingers dug into her hips, keeping her from arching to rub herself all over him. Dipping his head, but keeping her gaze, he kissed down her side. Ever so gently over the healing bruises. Stopping at his thumb where it pressed into her flesh.

Rowan held her breath as he licked over her bare skin, down the crease where her leg met her body. And then she forgot she’d wanted him to fuck her immediately.

The moment she thought it, he smiled up at her, the rogue.

“I knew when you wanted me to make you scream even before I took your blood, darling,” he murmured against her before going back to those long slow licks.

There was no denying the truth of that statement. He did know her. And he stuck around. Sometimes despite her terrible lapses in good behavior.

More often because of them.

Shivers of delight roved all over her skin. He kissed, teased, licked and sucked until orgasm slammed into her hard enough to force his name from her lips on a wheeze.

And then he was back, pressing into her with one swift thrust as he picked her up.

He took her to the edge of the vanity in her closet where he balanced her ass.

He did that for her, to be sure she wasn’t crushed or hurt.

Through his lens she wasn’t perfect. But she was every bit as magnificent as he claimed she was.

Because no one made her feel that way, because he did it easily and without strings, she took his face in her uninjured palm. “I love you.”

Clive paused, chest heaving as her inner muscles clutched and fluttered all around him. He’d thought it would have been that embrace that would prove the greatest challenge to his control.

But it was the way she looked at him as she’d given him the words he knew didn’t come easily to her. The rush of emotion as she’d said them.

He wanted to wallow in her, but his orgasm already had him in its grasp. Wanted to give her everything he felt for her. Knew, too, that it would be too much when she was still so raw. When this bond between them was still so new.

“Are you telling me that in thanks for finally putting my dick in you, as you so often like to term our lovemaking?” Clive arched his brow at her.

“I’m fucking charming, Scion.” She tightened her inner muscles around his cock until he grunted.

“Certainly talented with your cunt,” he managed to get out as he began to set a slow, deep rhythm.

Her surprised laughter brought more vibrations and muscle contractions through her and into him.

Clive kept a hand at the small of her back to keep her from getting any closer to the mirror at her back. He didn’t want her bumping her shoulder or elbow and making her injuries worse.

Rowan had managed to keep her calves wrapped around him so tight he kept deep. She rocked her hips a little, sending delicious friction between them.

“I love you too, you dangerous creature. My dangerous creature.” He kissed her, aiming for gentle, but Rowan took over, snarling, nipping at his mouth as he could do nothing else but devour her.

He rested his forehead against hers. “Darling, I think your health demands you come again.”

“For science?”

Her shaky laugh betrayed the cocky mask she’d given him. That and the tremble of her inner thighs where they pressed against his hips. She was hot and wet and he never wanted it to end.

But it had to, because he skated on the very edge and he wanted her to climax once more.

Clive slid his fingertip around her nipples before he moved to her clit. The next time he thrust, he ground himself against her. Squeezing just shy of pain.

A low moan tripped from her lips and the fingers she’d had in his hair tightened enough to sting.

Each thrust he did the same, over and over until there was nothing left to do but come.

At the sound of her name, she leaned forward enough to kiss him as she followed him, climax rippling like liquid fire around him. Hot enough to make him sweat.

“Now, it’s time for you to rest.” He picked her up again and took her into her bedchamber.

“But if I sleep now I won’t have any more time with you.”

One handed, Clive pushed the covers back enough to get her tucked under them. Then he arranged the pillows to keep her arm comfortable and settled on the opposite side.

“I’ll be insisting you cease this foolishness now.” He tucked carefully next to her. “Get that mutinous look out of your eyes, Rowan. I’m not teasing.”

“You’re not the boss of me,” she said but yawned at the end and he simply sighed, shaking his head.

“A man can only take so much in one day. I’ve had far too many moments of heartstopping terror at the thought of you being injured.” Or worse. “Rest or I’ll be quite vexed. You have a lot to do when you wake up. I’m not going anywhere. I have Scion business to attend to, as you might imagine. I’ll just be next door going over the materials we’ve gathered so far.”

“I promise to do my very best to get word to you of my whereabouts if I’m not here when you wake up,” she told him.

“I’d appreciate that.” He reached over to pick up his phone and read through his mail, not wanting to leave the room just yet. He wanted to be there until she was deeply at rest. Needed that reassurance she was doing what she needed to for recuperation.

That, and he loved to watch her when she was sleeping. She’d be embarrassed and probably annoyed by that knowledge so he never said anything. Asleep, the mask she wore was gone.

The intensity of her normal expression gone, it gave him the chance to look his fill. To study the swell of her bottom lip and the hollow at the base of her throat.

He craved seeing the dark smudges under her eyes erased. She’d be better after at least four or five hours sleep. He’d hope for longer, at least nine, but he’d happily take five.

So he didn’t move until she’d gone down deep into unconsciousness and even then, he kept his promise, and only got as far as the study just outside his bedchamber.