Hellbourne (2 page)
Luc’s words ran through his head. “What are you rebounding from?”
“My ex dumped me for a girl.”
“That’s tough.” Nikkolai rubbed a hand over Luc’s shoulder. A motion meant to be soothing. Hell, he touched people every day without meaning anything by it, but as soon as he made contact with Luc, he felt that same jolt run down his spine and directly to his balls.
The fae continued to eat his salad as if he didn’t feel anything.
Shit, maybe he didn’t.
“Were you with him very long?”
Luc’s odd green eyes sparkled with tears giving them an eerie shine. “Yeah. I love him, you know, but I want him to be happy. With me around, he’s just going to think ‘what if’.” Those sad, sad eyes entranced Nikkolai. “I can’t do that to his m-wife.”
How anyone could give up a man this stunning, he didn’t know, but sometimes relationships didn’t make sense. Even Nikkolai had had his share of bad relationships. Hell, so far they’d all been bad. Maybe this sad-eyed fae could change his luck. After all, one man’s stupid decision was another man’s opportunity.
“Have much fae blood?” The question blurted out before he could stop himself. Fae blood was highly desired by vampire kind. The fae rarely appeared above ground and their blood tasted like concentrated magic. If he could coax this one to his side, he could cement his position as the most powerful vampire in the state.
Luc gave a laugh. “Why don’t I just wear a T-shirt? I haven’t been pegged as a fae so much in years.” He took another bite, distracting Nikkolai who watched the food go into that pretty, pretty mouth.
He had plans for that mouth. So many plans. He shifted in his seat, trying to find a more comfortable position in his suddenly tight pants.
“I’m half fae,” Luc said after he swallowed his food. “What are you?”
“Vampire.” No reason to hide his true nature, the man would know what he was as soon as he sank his teeth into that sexy neck.
He got a smile and a shrug as the beautiful creature ate his food.
“Where’s your mound?” Nikko asked, nerves starting to set in. The fae didn’t live well outside of their mounds. They aged quickly and died even faster. The thought of this stunning man wasting away in front of him sent alarm bells clanging through his body.
Luc shrugged. “I don’t have one.”
“What the fuck, you don’t have one. Did they throw you out?” Panic tore through him. An emotion he wasn’t certain he’d ever felt before. Was his last lover a powerful fae who dumped him and tossed him out of the mound?
As if reading his mind, the pretty fae laughed. “I’m not going to die on you. I don’t need a mound. I’ve never had a mound. Don’t worry.” The gorgeous man’s voice settled something deep inside Nikko, melting away the panic and concern.
“Huh. So ex-lover isn’t fae?”
Luc snorted. Even disdain was beautiful on this guy. “Not hardly.”
With quick delicate motions, the huge salad was polished off. “So are you interested in being my rebound guy?”
Nikko leaned over, slid one large hand through the smaller man’s hair and covered Luc’s mouth with his own. Lightning sizzled between them until Nikko’s entire body felt tuned to the slim man pressed against him. With reluctance, he forced his hands and lips to release the fae. “Honey, I’m interested in being your anything.”
If his voice was rougher than before he hoped the slim beauty didn’t notice. The vampire was pretty damned sure it would take little effort for Luc to wrap him around one of his slim, elegant fingers.
Nikko had to take care of a few things before he was free to explore the gorgeous creature before him and maybe get a bite to eat so he didn’t scare his little fae. “Meet me upstairs in ten minutes.”
Those brilliant eyes gazed at him for a long moment. “All right.”
Chapter Two
The size of the man might intimidate most people. Nothing intimidated Luc. When the devil raised you, no one else was evil enough to fear.
He used his most wheedling tone and tried for an innocent look. “But Nikko-baby said if I wasn’t there in ten minutes he was going to be very angry with me.” Sometimes it was fun to make crap up. Luc added a little fear in his voice just for kicks.
“Master Nikkolai said that?” the guard’s voice trembled.
Wow, you could really see the whites of the guy’s eyes.
“Yep. But I could tell him that you just didn’t want to break protocol.” Luc let that statement hang in the air for a moment. “I mean surely he’ll understand. He’s good that way.” Now he was just messing with the guy to watch him sweat.
He took another sip of his beer waiting to see what the vamp guard would do.
The vampire stepped to one side. “He’s in the lounge, second door on your left.”
“Thank you.” Luc placed a soft kiss on the man’s cheek in way of apology, pleased when the guard’s heart skipped a beat.
It was nice to know that he still had it, and if Luc’s path up the stairs was a little wobbly as he drank his beer, well, there wasn’t any audience.
How many beers did that make, three, four, hmm, maybe six…whatever.
He stopped at the top of the stairs, the door the man had indicated pulsed lightly with power.
Taking a last sip of his beer, Luc opened the door and walked through to another world. A large room, with a plush black carpet—probably hid blood stains quite well—and red and black décor spread before him. It was almost as big as the dance floor below, but instead of crowds of goth dancers and hard wooden seats, this room was littered with comfy upholstered chairs, couches and people draped across them. Women, men, some vampires, some food, all dressed in fancy almost-there wear.
“Anyone have another beer?” Luc asked, waving his glass in the air.
For a moment the room fell into absolute silence, all eyes on him. He suppressed a giggle, but it was a challenge.
A low velvety purr came from the far corner. “Sheila, get the beautiful man a beer.”
Bingo.
Luc turned in the direction of the voice.
Mmmm.
He gave a cursory look at the two scantily clad women draped on either side of Nikkolai, as if they were matching accessories, and felt a flash of fire burn in his belly.
“Go,” he snapped.
The women jumped up and ran for the door.
Oops, maybe he put a little too much nudge into that command.
Nikkolai laughed. “Baby, you’re a fierce little fae.”
“Here’s your beer.” The sultry blonde, Nikko called Sheila, approached in a skimpy black dress and handed him a glass of dark beer with a come hither smile, while taking the empty one out of his hand.
“Thanks, darlin’.” He smiled back at her, sliding a friendly hand down her arm as he accepted the drink. After all he didn’t hate women, he just didn’t want one in his bed.
A growl came from the corner.
Luc hid his smile as he took a sip.
Someone was a little jealous.
Luc walked over to Nikko and straddled the vampire’s lap by placing one knee on either side of the deliciously broad body. Tilting his beer, he took a nice long drink, taunting the vamp with a clear view of his neck. He swallowed the beer, licking his lips to remove the foam he could feel bubbling against his upper lip.
“Hi, sugar, I’m here just as you requested.”
Lust burned in Nikko’s eyes like twin flames. Two huge hands curved around Luc’s ass, holding him firmly in place. “You listen well, little fae.”
“Master Nikkolai, can I get you something?” Sheila spoke to Nikkolai, but Luc could feel her eyes on the back of his head.
Master?
Why did he always go for the alphas? “Master vampire?”
Nikkolai nodded.
Luc tried to stand up but those strong hands held him fast.
“Going somewhere?” Nikko’s tone implied
yes
wasn’t the proper answer.
He decided to try honesty. “Look, I don’t mind you being a vampire, but a vampire master is a little more than I’m willing to cope with right now. I’ve had enough alpha types to last me a while.”
“Deal,” said Nikkolai before possessing Luc’s lips in a take-no-prisoners kiss.
Heat. Mmmm.
It poured through him like an inferno, burning away some of his liquor-induced haze. Luc couldn’t stop the moan that rolled through his chest even if he’d wanted to. He could feel his will melting beneath the passionate fire of Nikko’s touch.
Reluctantly, he broke away to get oxygen. “Fine, but only for one night.”
Luc could claim drunkenness in the morning. One night could be excused. Two nights was just stupidity. No way was he getting involved with another alpha male who would break his heart. On the plus side, vampires couldn’t have babies, so he wouldn’t be dumped for some werebitch.
“Let’s go to my room,” Nikko growled, breaking into Luc’s beer-slushed thoughts.
He slid off of the vampire and watched that long, long body stand.
Oh, yeah.
Luc allowed the vamp to lead him out of the room to a stairway at the opposite end of the hall where a huge guard stood blocking access.
Wow, what did they feed these guys?
They must be on super blood or something.
Maybe they had a vampire cloning machine in the back that created six-foot-five blood-sucking clones by the dozen.
In addition to being huge, the guard had mahogany hair and melting brown eyes.
Totally his type.
He must have made some noise because his new buddy gave him a glare. “He’s not for you,” Nikko growled.
Luc returned the vamp’s glare with an innocent look. “Of course not, I’m obviously busy.”
At least tonight. Tomorrow, who knew?
The guard gave him a wink as they passed.
Luc let the large, alpha vamp drag him upstairs. After all, he really only wanted a nice quiet space to check out Mr. Sex-on-two-legs. Curiosity was his downfall. His father always told him it was one of his sins. Luc hoped to work on a few of the other sins tonight, starting on lust. Maybe moving through greed, gluttony and ending in sloth.
Yep, it was important for a man to have goals.
That fine ass kept moving up the stairs. Luc followed, mesmerised by the strong muscles flexing before his eyes. A smile flashed over Nikko’s shoulder told him the vampire knew the impact of that ass.
They passed a few other people but Nikko didn’t greet them, acknowledge them or step around them as they scattered.
Wow, the vampire master had worse manners then the wolves.
Oddly, that was a turn on.
Before he knew it, there were no more people, no more music, nothing but the two of them as Nikkolai pulled him into a dark room, slamming the door behind them. It closed with a solid thud. Luc watched the vampire whisper a few words over the lock, sealing them in.
This wouldn’t be a room easily escaped.
Well, for most people.
Luckily, Luc wasn’t most people. He could conjure a portal in his sleep and if there was a mirror it was even easier.
Shoving him against the wall, Nikkolai lifted both of Luc’s wrists above his head, stretching his body until he was pressed between the hard wall and the harder vampire. Heat from Nikkolai poured into him searing away the chill in his soul.
“I always thought vampires were cold,” Luc said, the words escaping his mouth as he soaked in the heat from the body pressed against his own.
Nikko’s forehead crinkled in thought. “Why?”
Luc shrugged or tried to since he couldn’t wiggle that much. “In books and movies vampires are always cool. You feel hot to me.”
The vampire laughed, a bit of fang peaking through his lips. “Honey, we feed on warm blood why in the hell would we be cold?” Nikko shook his head at his nonsense and kissed him. Luc could almost taste the vampire’s smile.
“Mine,” Nikkolai growled when he let Luc up for air.
Oooh, possessive.
Luc’s toes, barely touching the floor, curled with pleasure as he gave himself up to the other man’s will. He loved strong and commanding in his lovers because outside of the bedroom, life was so much damn work.
He leaned into the next kiss and let Nikko overwhelm him. The man’s body was firm and hard against his. Rubbing against Luc’s erection, the vampire gave him just the right amount of friction to send sparks throughout his body and shivers up his spine.
Delicious.
They weren’t going to make it to the bed was Luc’s thought right before he was thrown through the air, a hungry growl rising from Nikko’s throat. He landed on a soft surface with a gentle bounce barely registering the luxurious comfort before two large hands descended and started ripping off his clothing. The sound of threads snapping told him he might not have all his buttons any more, but Luc couldn’t find the will to care.
Once they were both naked, Nikkolai stood at the bottom of the bed and stared, his eyes glowing in the dim light.
“Come here, Nikko.” Luc held out his hand to encourage the other man closer.