Lacey and Lethal (5 page)

“It doesn’t hurt?”

“No. I’m told it’s pleasurable.” His cock stirred, thinking about Lacey in his arms while taking her blood. “It’s been a while since anyone has fed off me. I don’t remember it being painful.”

“Let me guess. A woman turned you?”

“Yes.”

“Big shocker.”

He forced a smile. “I believe that’s a compliment, Lacey.”

“Where is she? Will she try to find you?”

“No.” He pushed back the memories that always angered him.

She studied him closely and he figured anything she thought up would be worse than the truth. “She turned my friend and me the same night. She wanted two strapping men to protect her and we did for a long time, despite not liking her. We’d have to take her down for being rogue if she were alive today. She enjoyed the kill far too much.”

“She’s dead?”

“Yes. We didn’t approve of her feeding habits so she hunted without us. She chose the wrong males to feed from and they killed her.”

“Did you murder them for dusting her?”

“There’s no censure for men wanting to survive. They were justified in their actions.”

An uneasy look crossed her face. “I need to run some errands. Will you behave?”

“I will.”

She fled the room and Lethal frowned. She’d given him a strange look before she’d left. He could hear her bumping around in the small apartment before a door creaked, light footfalls followed, and another door closed in the distance. She’d really left.

A cell phone rang from the floor and he smiled because she’d forgotten it. He glanced above his head, saw how he could break the bed loose without it showing, and easily freed the chain securing his wrists. He kept a keen ear out for her return.

A check of her cell phone revealed she’d missed a total of four messages from someone named Jeff. He seemed to badly want to get in contact with Lacey. Anger surged. He just bet the human wanted Lacey, with her pretty eyes and tempting body. Too bad he wouldn’t get her. He grinned when he realized she was in the habit of erasing all her outgoing calls.

He quickly placed a call to the club, still on alert for any sound, and smiled when one of the wolves answered with a cautious “hello”, probably due to the unfamiliar number.

“It’s Lethal. I’m fine but clear out the club. It’s been compromised. We’ll move to the forest location.”

“We have teams searching for you,” Mark growled. “We’re tracking your scent all over the city. The female’s too. It was smart of you to send her with the note to give us her scent.”

Rage burned. “Did she write that I owe her an honor debt?”

Mark paused. “We believed you’d been tortured to get you to say that. The club has been cleared of vamps and we have teams waiting here for an assault if anyone breaches it. We’d planned to torture your location from them.”

“Keep the club clear but call off the hunt on the woman, damn it. There will be hell to pay if anyone so much as bruises her.”

“Yes, sir.” Mark cleared his throat. “I’m sorry.”

Frustration rose. “Call off your pack and tell everyone she’s under my protection. I pay you guys the big bucks and I expect you to do your jobs. Call Chase next time before you fuck up. Your alpha would never make this mistake.”

“He’s hunting that rogue mentioned in the note left at the club. He took off right after it was discovered.”

“Did he order you to track the woman?”

“No.”

Some of his temper soothed. “Do as I ordered. Call off the hunt on her. Grab a pen and make a list of some items I want in my bedroom by tonight.”

“Yes, sir. Tell me what you want.”

Lacey worried that she’d been gone too long. Had Lethal managed to break free? She really hoped not. She’d had to visit the library. She thought two scary men had followed her out onto the street but one of them had gotten a phone call and they’d disappeared. She’d avoided going straight home to make certain she wasn’t being tailed.

She reached under the lip of the island and pulled the hidden gun from the holster. It was loaded, the safety off, as she tiptoed into the bedroom. Bare feet peeked out from under a sheet as she peered around the corner into her bedroom. She relaxed.

“Sorry that took so long.” She rested the gun on top of the shelf in the hallway and stepped into the bedroom.

He shrugged. “I’m just lying around.”

“Cute.”

He smiled, devastating her with how handsome he looked when he did it. “This is the most rest I’ve gotten in years. I should be thanking you. My only complaint is, I have an itch on my lower stomach that is driving me crazy.”

“Sorry.” She kicked off her shoes, climbed onto the bed, and tried not to gawk at his tantalizing chest. “Where is it?”

“Lower right side above the sheet.”

Her fingernails raked his skin and he shifted his big body to put them right where he wanted them. It was an intimate thing in Lacey’s mind but touching Lethal wasn’t a chore. She met his gaze and stopped scratching.

“I did some research while I was gone. There have been some missing-person reports and murders in the news but not near your club. They are in the vicinity of where Beth was taken and killed.”

“You told my friends where she was kidnapped, right?” His amusement faded.

“I did.”

“It sounds as if there’s a predator vampire who is marking his territory. That will help them track him if he’s sticking to the same hunting grounds.” He paused. “Are you all right?”

“Yes. I just really wanted to kill that bastard myself.”

“I understand vengeance but it’s best if my people handle this rogue. No offense meant but he’d be faster than you.”

She smiled. “I took you down, didn’t I?”

“From a distance with a dart gun. You get a lot of credit for that.”

She hesitated, thinking about that sword tearing through the top of the van. They’d almost been killed for grabbing Lethal. “I said I’d let you go if I believed you weren’t killing humans.” She liked to keep her word but her heart speeded up a little as fear kicked in. “Are you going to kill me if I do that?”

“No.” Sincerity shone in his eyes. “You haven’t harmed me.”

He might have some issues with her using him as a boy toy. His ego was probably as large as his impressive frame.

“Here’s the plan. You’re going to stay one more night with me and twenty minutes before dawn I’m going to unhook one side of your handcuffs before I leave you the key and run like hell. I still have your shirt, wallet, and jacket. Your boots were left in the warehouse.” She paused. “I bought a faded pair of jeans and flip-flops from a secondhand store that I think will fit you. You won’t chase me because you’ll just have enough time to find somewhere safe to be when the sun comes up after you get dressed. Being arrested for indecent exposure would suck for you. I doubt you’d get bailed out before that annoying sun rose.”

A dark eyebrow lifted. “Good plan.”

“I thought so. I won’t be coming back here for a long time so don’t bother looking. I’m smarter than that. It would be a waste of your time to try to track me through the false name I used for this place.”

“That’s nice of you to share with me but I don’t plan to go looking for you.”

Ouch. So much for letting me know the sex meant nothing to him
. “Good,” she replied, surprised that she felt a little let down.

“Will you and your friends come after me and mine again if we stay at the club?”

“I don’t control them, Lethal. I won’t ever try to hurt anyone there but I can only speak for myself. It’s best if you ditch it and find another location. I think the team believes you’re dead but they’ll want to take out the rest of your nest.”

“Damn. I love my club.” He hesitated. “It’s not a nest. I hate that term. I don’t go around turning humans into vampires. They are annoying as hell.”

She arched her brow, curious what that meant.

“Newly turned vamps are very dependent upon their makers. They tend to follow them around like puppies. They fight amongst themselves to be the favorite one.”

“You’re a master though, right?”

“I’m powerful.”

“Who are the vampires you hang out with at the club if they aren’t ones you made? You said the woman who turned you is dead.”

“My friend—the one who was changed at the same time it happened to me—and I own the club together. We cater to other vampires for a high price.”

“You’re selling humans?” Her gut twisted.

“No. We just give vampires a safe place to hang out and feed. It’s equally safe for the humans who enter my club. There’s no killing allowed and they must be willing.”

“You said women don’t realize what you do to them so how can they agree?” She had him there and knew it.

His eyes narrowed. “It stands to reason that if they are willing to have sex with someone, they don’t mind sharing body fluids. They just don’t expect it to be their blood.”

“Good point.”

“I’ll miss the club.”

“I’m sorry.” Lacey glanced around the room. “I know what you mean about hating to lose access to a place you like. This was my hidden retreat when I wanted to disappear. I’m going to have to avoid my team in case they weren’t fooled by the ashes I left behind. I didn’t have a second safe house set up.”

“You’re safe here, Lacey.”

The soft tone of his voice drew her gaze back to his.

“I won’t ever hurt you and I can speak for my friends. None will come after you. Give them my birth name if you ever run into someone of my nature who wishes to do you harm. They’ll never touch you.”

“Morgan McKay?”

He nodded. “Though I don’t go by it anymore, everyone knows who I am. You tell them we’re friends.”

“Why would you offer me the protection of your given name?”

He glanced down her body. “Let’s just say I’m fond of you.”

Her nipples grew taut at the husky tone of his voice and the way his gaze lowered, taking in every inch of her. If that wasn’t enough of a clue to where his mind wandered, the way the sheet began to lift over his lap was. She licked her lips and watched as his cock swelled under the thin material.

“We should have a proper goodbye,” he rasped. “Will you at least unfasten my ankles this time? I won’t hurt you and I’m happy to be of service to you if you’re thinking of riding me again.”

She was torn. Part of her wanted him so much she ached in places, but it was a bad idea. She’d already grown a little too attached to him and knew that having sex with him a second time would only make it worse. One sweep of her gaze down his sexy body stretched out over her bed was motivation enough though.
What the hell.

Lacey scooted away and dug into her jeans for the handcuff key to release his ankles. “This is crazy but you’re worth a little risk.”

He grinned. “I’m grateful to hear it.”

She hoped she was right about him not being dangerous. She glanced at the scratch-free bedposts, which told her he’d meekly lain there without fighting. An evil bastard would have fought hard to break away and kill her. Lethal had given his word and he’d kept it.

Some of her fear eased and she realized how much she wanted him. Who knew how many years it would be, if ever, before she got the chance to have sex again? Other men sure wouldn’t be as handsome or as well built as Lethal. He wasn’t someone a woman would forget.

She freed his legs and began to strip. When she stood naked, she gripped the sheet and pulled it off him completely. The raw masculinity of his sculpted, powerful body turned her on more than other men had ever done when they’d kissed her. Seeing Lethal made her ache for him before they even touched.

“You can climb up here and settle that beautiful femininity over my mouth.” He licked his lips, his fangs extended. “I won’t draw blood. Hurting you is the last thing I want.”

“Really tempting, I won’t lie but, again, not happening. You might not mean to but those fangs look pretty sharp.”

“Just hold very still while I use my tongue.”

Passion flared at the idea but she shook her head. “I would wiggle around if you’re any good at it and if you aren’t, that would disappoint me.”

“You could release my arms and I could be on top.” He stared at her pussy. “I’ll pin your hips under my mouth and hold you still to enjoy the tongue-lashing I want to give you. I’m very good.”

Wetness dampened her thighs. “You’re dangerous, Lethal.”

“Not to you.”

“Tell it to my body. You keep talking that way and I might just come before we even get started. Damn, you talk a good game. Plus you’re hot, but you know that.”

He spread his legs, his cock jutting upward, and his muscular arms tensed as he positioned his body higher on the bed. “I won’t bite. Climb on, Lacey. Lean over me until your nipples rub against my chest and my lower belly will rub you instead of your finger.”

Lacey was on the bed before she could rethink it, the promise of another amazing bout of sex with Lethal just too much to resist. She hesitated a moment, a little taken aback at her eagerness, before dropping to her hands and knees, her face hovering above his cock.

“You’re perfect everywhere.” She studied him in great detail. “I never thought I’d admire a guy’s dick but not only are you big, you’re just pleasing to the eye.”

He softly groaned. “You’re breathing on me and it’s torture.”

“I remember how you said you could go hours. Was that true?”

“I wouldn’t lie to you.”

“Fast recovery?”

“I’ll stay hard.”

“Too bad you’re a vampire. I think I could fall in lust with a man like you, Lethal. I almost wish the circumstances were different.” She smiled and opened her lips.

She lifted a hand from the bed and gripped the shaft as her tongue circled the outer rim of the crown of his cock. His body tensed and he whispered her name in a sexy way. It incited her to wrap her lips around him and take more of the thick length deeper inside. She moved slowly, testing his girth and swirling her tongue everywhere she could.

“Fuck,” he groaned. “You’ve got the hottest mouth. It’s pure heaven.”

She moaned around him, knowing he’d feel the vibrations, and his cock twitched in response. She took him deeper, to the back of her throat, not an easy feat with his size, and moved faster up and down.

“Swing around and spread those thighs around my face,” he demanded, panting. “Give me what I want, Lacey. I’m dying to taste you. You smell so damn good.”

She shook her head, letting him know she wasn’t about to become his blood donor, while at the same time trying to bring him closer to the edge. Her fingers stroked his shaft in rhythm with her moving mouth. His groans and the way his hips slowly rocked told her he was close. She kept sucking and licking him until Lethal inhaled loudly and the taste of him filled her mouth as he came.

Lethal was different in even that. The flavor of his spent passion was something she could easily enjoy. She milked him until he stopped coming, his moans subsided, and she slowly released him from her mouth. She lifted her head and met his glowing eyes. It took her breath away to see the satisfied look she’d put on his face.

He cleared his throat and lifted his head. “I take it you wouldn’t consider dating a vampire?”

She smiled. “No. I can’t see that working out long-term but having sex is another matter. That was a little body worshipping. You’ve got one that deserves it.”

Her gaze dropped to his well-defined abs and she released his cock to splay her hand on his hip, knowing he could take her weight as she put a leg over his and inched up his body. Her lips and tongue found hot skin as she kissed her way over his lower stomach, up to those ridged muscles, and only hesitated at his ribs because his stiff cock dug into her belly as she stretched across his body. She looked down.

“Damn, you’re perfect.”

“Not quite. I can be an ass.”

She chuckled. “That’s just a man trait.” She began kissing his body again, intent on straddling his lap to ride his cock, when a noise startled her. The
popping
sound was close, loud, and her head jerked up in time to see Lethal pull his wrists apart when he snapped the chains.

Terror engulfed her as her gaze flew to his, locking on his beautiful eyes.
Oh god!
Her life was over. If he could get free that easily, he’d been playing with her since he’d woken that first time, restrained to her bed. He would rip out her throat. She imagined the agony and envisioned herself screaming as she died.

Lethal softly cursed. “I won’t hurt you but I can’t take any more. You’re torturing me. Don’t look at me that way. Think. I could have gotten free at any time.”

Lacey was beyond rational thought. She tried to lunge away from him, the gun in the hallway her only chance of survival if she could get to it. The vampire had superhuman speed and strength though. She cried out when strong hands grabbed her. She hit the bed hard and then one turned-on vampire had her at his mercy when he pinned her under his big body. Their gazes held.