Darkness In The Flames (16 page)

He sighed. “And?” He prompted his son, recalling him from whatever lustful fantasy he might be enjoying.

“Oh. Er…yes.” Adrian blinked. “It was as if some sort of odd heat danced across my nerve endings. I scarcely had time to examine it, because Thérèse went for Kat, and I was worried…”

“You held her away.” Katherine took up the narrative, turning to Sidney with an arrested expression on her face. “He held her back, Sir Sidney. She wasn’t expecting it. It was as if—as if—that drop of my blood had given him powers of some sort…” Her voice tailed off.

Adrian raised an eyebrow. “Powers? Over Thérèse? I doubt it.”

“Don’t be too quick to arrive at that conclusion, Adrian.” Sidney pursed his lips as his mind churned furiously over the possibilities. “The introduction of Katherine’s blood into the situation seems to have made quite a difference. And, of course, it’s the blood link between you and Thérèse that has held you under her control for so long. No, we definitely shouldn’t dismiss the possibility that Katherine could make a difference.”

The woman herself swallowed. “It seems most unreal. But there is one thing that keeps coming back and haunting me.” She closed her eyes and shuddered. “Beyond that final horror, of course.”

Now Adrian went to her side. “What’s that, love? Tell us.” His arm slipped around her and she leaned into him almost absently.

“This Thérèse.
She knows where we are
.”

Sidney blinked. “What?”

“I said…I said…” Katherine bit her lip in frustration. “I let our whereabouts slip out.” She looked up at Adrian. “Don’t you recall? I said I wanted to wake up. To return to St. Chesswell.”

Adrian closed his eyes. “
Fuck
.”

Sidney rose. “Ordinarily, I’d tell you what I thought of such language in front of a lady in no uncertain terms.” He moved to stand in front of the couple. “However, in this instance, I’m inclined to echo the sentiment.
Fuck
indeed.” He tugged on his lower lip. “Katherine, I would like to ask for a little of your blood, if you’d be so kind. It would be a great help and might answer some questions I have.”

“If it will help Adrian—and me now, I suppose—then of course.” Katherine nodded her agreement and got a hug from Adrian in return.

“Good.” Sidney turned to his desk. “I have much to do, and time is now a factor. We shall have to work under the assumption that this Thérèse creature might come here when you fail to obey her summons and her power over you lessens, Adrian.”

“And then what?” Adrian moved away from Katherine and paced the room. “I have placed you all in danger if that is truly the case. Perhaps I should leave. Go to her. Settle this for once and for all.”

“No.” Katherine’s voice was firm. “What good will that serve? You will slide back into the Hell where she lives, Adrian. It’s what she wants. Company in her vicious and violent misery. Is that what
you
want? I don’t think so.” She walked to his side and gripped his arm. “Like it or not, I’m at your side now. I arrived here by accident, but I shall stay on purpose. I know all there is to know. I choose to be here, to be with you. You are not alone in this fight, and if we can emerge victorious because we work together, then that’s what we’ll do.”

“Kat…” Adrian’s voice was husky, and Sidney gulped down a lump that had crept into his throat as he watched them. They had to resolve this now, to make decisions now that would affect what lay ahead.

Katherine straightened her shoulders. “I’m a redhead, Adrian. St. Chesswell is riddled with legends about women with my hair color. It’s time to put a new one on the books. The one of how this redhead helped the prodigal son find a cure for his illness and walk in the sunshine again.”

“You’d risk so much?” Adrian lifted a hand to her face, delicately touching her cheek as she stared into his eyes.

“Yes.”

“Why?”

Her clear blue gaze remained fixed on Adrian’s face as she answered. “You know why.” She held out her arm to Sidney and pushed up her sleeve as he prepared to take her blood.

*~*~*~*

A slight sting, a pinprick of sensation, and Sir Sidney had the vial of liquid he needed. Katherine barely felt it. What she did feel was her heart thundering in her breast at the look on Adrian’s face.

She was in love with him. Totally, madly, completely in love with this man who might not be a man, yet was nothing like the demon he thought he might be. She knew it, knew her face was telling Adrian how she felt, and could see the emotion rise inside him as she bared her soul.

Destiny, fate, whatever unseen forces existed, had brought them together at this time at this place. Nothing, no evil or madness from Hell, would pry them apart.

The knowledge settled in Katherine’s soul like the foundations of a new building, firm, solid and unmovable. She guessed her life would be built on these foundations from now on, and that Adrian would be a part of it.

How, she did not yet know, nor was she certain they had a future together, but she was ready to face what lay ahead as long as he was by her side.

His gaze heated as Sidney touched her arm with a cloth and declared himself done. “You both need rest.”

Adrian glanced at his father. “I will not let her leave my side from now on, Father. It’s vital. I need to know she is protected at all times.”

His face was firm, his suggestion outrageous, but his father nodded in agreement. “Quite right. We do not know if an attack will be forthcoming, or when. It’s best to be prepared for any eventuality, I think.”

Katherine cleared her throat. “Er…there may be some talk…”

“Damnation, you’re right…” Adrian turned to her apologetically. “Look, I…”

She stopped his words with a finger on his lips. “I don’t care. Not one whit. Nor does anybody else in this world, Adrian. I am free to follow my heart, and it has come willingly to your side. Naught else matters. I just wanted to point out that your household must needs be told
something
to explain our…closeness…”

Adrian’s eyebrows rose arrogantly. “Really?”

Katherine sighed and looked at Sir Sidney. Who smiled and nodded. “I’ll think of something, my dear. Don’t worry.  My staff is loyal to a fault, and we keep ourselves to ourselves down here. Adrian’s nocturnal habits have put a crimp in a lot of the social interactions, and our naturally unwelcoming natures have done the rest.” He grinned.

“I doubt that.” Katherine smiled back then yawned.

“We need to sleep, Father. Katherine is tired.” Adrian stepped to her side.

“I know. Go now, and rest. I have a lot to think over, and some experiments to run. I’ll know where to find you.” He patted Adrian’s shoulder. “Rest well, my son.”

Katherine dropped him a small curtsy. “Thank you, Sir Sidney.”

He nodded back. “It may be a case of
us
thanking
you
before all this is over and done with.” Carefully bearing the glass vial, Sir Sidney ambled from the room.

“Come to bed, my sweet.”

The words were whispered low and sent a chill of delight down Katherine’s spine. “Now there’s an invitation I am hard pressed to refuse.”

Her hand was seized and held against something very rigid beneath Adrian’s dressing gown. “And I have something
else
that’s hard. Just for you.”

“Mmm. So you do, sir. So you do.” She turned to face him. “I would explore this strange hardness. Should we retire so that I may begin my investigations?”

“I thought you’d never ask.”

Everything blurred as Katherine was swept into Adrian’s arms once again and hurried through the house to his suite. The thought flashed through her mind that she could get very accustomed to this mode of transportation.

Used to his nocturnal lifestyle, the servants had already been in and remade the bed, tidying the rooms for their master’s daytime repose. It was darkly welcoming and Katherine tumbled onto the smoothed covers with a laugh, rolling until Adrian was beneath her.

They’d pulled on robes in their hurry to find Sir Sidney earlier this eventful night, so the amount of actual undressing was reduced significantly. Something Katherine was very grateful for, since she wanted to get her hands on Adrian’s body as soon as maybe.

And she wanted to hold his cock immediately thereafter. Her hands tugged at his belt, undoing the knot in the cord with ease and spreading the rich fabric wide. His chest was bared as she slid down his legs, revealing his muscled torso and—oh my—everything else as well.

“
Adrian
.” The word escaped her without volition as she stared at this rigid muscle, rippling with strength and moving a little as she gazed at it. Thrusting from a nest of dark curly hair, Adrian’s cock was magnificent, and she licked her lips absently as she studied it.

“Um…Kat?”

She jumped. Her concentration had almost distracted her from the fact that this muscled rigidity came with a man attached to it.

“Are you done looking yet?”

Naughtily, Katherine ignored him. For the first time in her life she had a fully aroused male at her disposal, and she wanted to play. She wanted
him
. She wanted to do all the things she’d heard whispered behind fans and over teacups, but had never completely understood—until now.

Now she could comprehend the meaning of the phrase “
he made my mouth water
”, since hers was doing just that. And Adrian was very ready—the fact that he wanted her made him all the more attractive.

She felt secure in her desires, unfettered by inhibitions, free to explore a side of her personality that was new and unexpected. This rush of heat to her womanhood, the accelerated heartbeat, the urge to devour Adrian with every fiber of her being—all surprising, all wonderful, and all to be examined more intently at another time. Right this minute there was only one thing she wanted to examine.

And it was bobbing as she neared it and reached for it with a gentle hand.

“Amazing.” Katherine let her fingers wrap around Adrian’s cock in a way that seemed natural. It fit perfectly, and when she slid her hand along its length, Adrian sighed in a most satisfactory way.

There was something empowering in having a man respond so enthusiastically to a mere caress.

She followed her thought logically to the next step. What would he do if she did
this
? She lowered her head and licked the swollen tip, running her tongue around the ridge of flesh that flared so neatly.

A choked grunt emerged from the man beneath her, something that was very close to a groan.

“Am I hurting you?” Katherine pulled away only to find her wrists gripped by two hands that clamped down tightly.

“No. Not at all. Do
not
stop.” There was just a tiny bit of pleading beneath the tone of command and Katherine did her best to hide a grin.

Obviously she failed. “Yes, I like it, woman. More.
Please.
Dammit. Now I’m begging.” Adrian clenched his teeth.

“Since you asked so nicely, Mr. Chesswell…” Katherine parted her lips wide and took his cock into her mouth, this time surrounding it with her lips and letting them slide around his velvet skin in a slow and delicate motion.

Quickly, she found her rhythm, her saliva moistening Adrian’s length and facilitating the ease with which she suckled him. She loved the tightening of his muscles around her, the tiny flickers of pleasure that rippled over him, and the involuntary clenching of his fingers against her skin or her hair or whatever he happened to be touching at the time.

And one particular spot seemed to elicit that reaction—a place beneath the enlarged and purpling head, a tiny area she found and returned to, time and time again. And every lick, every brush of her lips, every breath made Adrian squirm even more.

This was a whole new experience for Katherine. Up to now, she’d never imagined pleasuring a man this way, never imagined that she’d even
want
to, let alone have the opportunity thrusting towards her. But this was
Adrian
.

It wasn’t sucking some man’s cock. It was
loving Adrian
. It was showing him how much he meant to her, it was arousing him and enjoying the feeling of delightful power such actions produced, and smiling around his length as he moaned out his responses. It was giving pleasure to somebody special in an intimately special way, and Katherine shocked herself by how much she enjoyed it.

The whole activity felt natural, an extension of the simmering emotions that already existed between the two of them. A part of their involvement, their desire for each other and the passion that could only grow hotter as their lives and fates became further entangled.

“
Kat…
” A strangled sound emerged from Adrian’s throat as his lips peeled back from his gums. Tiny pinpoints of light shone in the shadows.

She released his cock and spoke the words that flowed from her heart. “Do you need to feed? If you want to…I’m here, Adrian.”

It was a moment that seemed to freeze time. In her own way, Katherine was offering Adrian everything she had—everything she was.

She was offering him her life. And her blood. And she knew no hesitation in that offer, since both were irrevocably his.

“My Kat.” Adrian’s voice trembled as he stroked her head. “My Kat.”

Katherine gazed at him and saw his eyes fill with what could well have been tears, before he blinked them away. “No, I will not feed this night. But I do need to come.”

He was so straightforward with her, another thing Katherine was growing to appreciate. There was little artifice, no prevarication, much humor and an honesty that sometimes surprised her.

As it did now. He was telling her of his body’s arousal in words that matched the state of his erection.

He was going to come. Statement of fact.

What was she going to do about it? Katherine thought briefly about the possibilities, then smiled. “Then come you shall. And I shall help. Much as you did for me earlier this evening.” She huffed out a breath. “Or perhaps it was eons ago. So much has happened since.”