Run the Gantlet (5 page)

Arrow laughed and fingered the head of his penis. “What do you need?”

“You know.” Lord, she blushing. He made her feel suddenly shy. This whole soul-mates thing was complicated. One moment she knew everything and the next, she didn’t have a clue.

“Tel me. Say, ‘I need you, Arrow’.”

Eloise snorted. In a pig’s ear she would.
Arrogant sod
. “But I don’t. I’m not the one who is desperate here.”
Sort of.

“Aren’t you?”

She gulped as she watched Arrow pul on his cock harder. “No, and don’t do that.”

“Why?” Arrow continued on, slowing somewhat.

“It’s a waste.”

“So?”

Perverse man. “Stop it.”

“Make me.”

There was every reason not to do as Arrow bade, yet she needed to feel him inside her once more and sitting on the other side of the tub was not going to get her there. Eloise moved over to him and pul ed at his hands. They remained firm.

“Tel me what you need, shorty.”

“I want—”

“No, want is different from need.
Want
is primal desire,” Arrow told her, his eyes locked on hers. “
Need
is because only one person can ever fulfil what you want.” He pushed her hands away and rested his own along the edge of the tub behind him.

“Talk about splitting hairs.” Eloise knew she was pouting but, damn it, she was entitled to. The man got her al hot and bothered then he backed away. “You are such a bastard.”

Arrow laughed at her words. “You are not the first person to tel me that. Now tel me something else.”

There were two ways this was going to go. One. No sex and she would be very pissed off because after that first time, she real y wanted to do it again. Or two. She admitted that she needed him. Eloise did. She had just never said it to anyone. It came down to sex verses pride. She blew out a breath. Pride wasn’t going to get the man inside her. “Fine, have it your way. I need you, fang face.”

He smiled. “That’s close enough. Come here and hop onboard, shorty.”

The length of his shaft was daunting, and while it had been inside her once before, he had done the work getting it there. She licked her lips as she surveyed the object in question.

“It’s doable, trust me.”

“I know.” Eloise climbed onto his lap once more and took hold of his penis. She raised herself on her knees and aimed the head of his cock at her vagina.

As Eloise slowly sank down over its heated length, she smiled. This was what she needed. Arrow fil ed the empty space inside her so nicely.

“You are so beautiful.” His hands went to her hips.

“And you are arrogant.” Eloise started to rock back and forth on top of him, amazed at the natural rhythm that caught at her. “Are you always so sure of yourself, fang face?”

“Aren’t you?”

“I used to be until you came along.”

“Need is a good thing, shorty.” Arrow cocked his head to the side. “Uh-oh.”

Eloise heard the same sound. “I thought you said we would be alone?”

“I was wrong.” He started moving her faster on his thighs.

She was close to coming but not in front of an audience. “Spin us out of here.” His pelvic bone was hitting her clit and she was on the point of exploding.

“Here’s the thing with the male anatomy. When my cock is engaged, al blood flow and thoughts are on that. I can’t spin us anywhere.”

Eloise moved faster, matching the pace dictated by his hands and bouncing on top of him. “If we get caught you’re in big trouble.”

“What wil you do to me?”

“Just shut up and fuck me.” Eloise moaned as the orgasm hit. It was fantastic and worth screaming her lungs out for but for the situation they were in.

Instead she dropped her mouth against Arrow’s shoulder to muffle the sound.

“I love having sex with you,” he chuckled as he thrust up hard inside her and came.

The door opened. A male voice said, “What the—”

Eloise lifted up and off his shaft. She threw herself against Arrow’s body and held on tightly. “Spin us the hel out of here.”

Arrow’s arms caught her up. “Yes ma’am.”

“Sorry about that.” Arrow and Eloise landed in a wet, naked heap on her living room floor.

Eloise accepted his hand to stand up. “You don’t look sorry.” In fact he looked nothing but pleased.

Arrow held up his hands in mock surrender. “Okay I’m not but it was fun. Now show me the bedroom.”

Eloise had not expected to be spun to her own home but she noticed that Arrow was anything but a planner. He did what he wanted when he wanted. That she was caught up in this madness was unlike her. Normal y Eloise only did what she wanted to do. But then none of this was normal. That he even knew where she lived was a surprise. But Arrow had just said that he could “feel” where she needed to be.

“Why?” It was a bedroom with a bed, thus fairly obvious what Arrow’s plan was but stil she felt the need to have some vague control of her life at that moment.

Arrow nudged her hip with his. “You know why.”

“I’m not having sex with you again.” And how real was this sex, anyway? Arrow spun her off to a romantic destination and made love to her. Would it be any different if the smoke-and-mirrors il usion wasn’t there? What did she actual y mean to him? Eloise stiffened at her thoughts. What was wrong with her?

She went from not wanting to have him anywhere in her life to wondering what place she had in his. Other than sex, of course. And
why am I naked and
not uncomfortable
? She grabbed her old robe from where she had flung it on the sofa when she had left home earlier. Thank God for being messy. She put it on, tightening the belt and wondering what next with the vampire.

“What?” He stopped and looked at her.

“Nothing.” It was crazy to think this was anything more than sex. Yes, the curse part had been fulfil ed, but it mentioned nothing about love or commitment.

As for soul mates and the idea of eternity, Eloise believed that to be greeting card philosophy sold to the masses. Sex was not always love, and she sure as hel did not want to spend eternity with a man she did not understand. Eloise blew out a sigh. She felt rattled. So much had happened in such a short time. “And put some clothes on.”

“Does my being naked bother you, shorty?” Arrow was amused.

She had never felt so short in her life. “Yes.” How could a woman think straight with al that going on?

“Good. So tel me what’s on your mind? I can see the gears shifting in your head.”

“What do you want from me?”

Arrow smiled. “That’s a loaded question, Ms. Gaunt. For the moment I need to protect you. I need to see the whole house, your bedroom included.” He gave her a gentle shove to get her moving. “Do you remember the rest of the curse? You know the bit about becoming one but disturbing the ghost of Caitriona?”

Eloise had been so caught up in the sex-and-eternity thing that she had not thought about the rest of it. She had forgotten about the tests. How pissed off had that lady been a thousand years ago? Surely her ancestress was not going to hurt her? But then how could she know for sure? “Oh fuck.”

“As soon as I check out the house,” Arrow promised.

Eloise moved around, pointing out rooms to him. “I never understood why Caitriona had the whole curse thing going and then added the loophole about her having to be happy that the cursed couple would stay together to appease her restless spirit.” It was a big thing to ask.

“Al women like a loophole,” Arrow responded. He heard her snort at his words. “Oh come on, you’re al the same. You’l do this or make sure you have an out if things get tough.”

“Gee, you have quite the silver tongue. I am stunned no woman has snapped you up before, fang face.”

Arrow took her hand in his. “Because it was always you.” The sudden silence that fel between them was deafening. They were essential y two strangers thrown together because fate and a cranky woman had decreed it to be so. “So the Caitriona curse is we are forced together and then she tries to pul us apart to test our bond. It’s sort of like we run the gauntlet.” He raised his eyebrows in mirth. “Get it? You’re a Gaunt. A Gaunt-let if you like.”

Eloise rol ed her eyes. “You’re hysterical. Not. Anyway a
gauntlet
is a glove. A
gantlet
is a test of endurance and, al things considered, I would rather deal with a glove.” She didn’t want to take part in some endurance test. She had more than enough chal enges in her life.

They had stopped in her sunroom near the front door.

“I know.”

She sighed. ”So this is al about seeing how strong our bond is.”
And why am I thinking bond? I scarcely know the man, er, vampire.
When did this stop being a one-off to get him out of her system?

“Yes, we have seven tests to thwart her or we die because of our lack of faith in the other.”

The firm, warm pressure of his hand was making other parts of her body warm and contemplating other “firm” things. “Why are these bloody legends always seven? Seven deadly sins, the seventh sign, the seventh daughter—what’s with that? Why can’t it be one sin, sign and daughter?”

“We wil be okay, shorty.”

When she looked in his clear blue eyes, Eloise wanted to believe him. “Caitriona had to be premenstrual when she came up with that.” Only a hormonal woman could come out with such an annoying, pissy clause.

“My understanding is that she was once thwarted in love by a vampire. He spurned her for another. Before she died, Caitriona declared in one thousand years another Gaunt would fal for one and renew her soul if they could pass her seven chal enges. I believe test number one was in the bathtub when you admitted you needed me.”

“Wel , you needed me too.”

“Yes, and being strong enough to admit to need is a chal enge.”

Not only did she have the eternity thing going on but she also had to run a gantlet. Until now Eloise had conveniently forgotten that whole testing part because she had been determined not to meet up with a vampire. She looked Arrow up and down. “Why Arrow?”

“Why Eloise?”

Valid point. A name was just a name, but she had to wonder how straight and true an arrow he was. “So how old are you?” Madam Cherylene had told her he was an ancient one. Of course “ancient” to Madam Cherylene would probably be a two-week-old television guide.

“Seven hundred years.”

Eloise staggered against him. “Wow. So you would never have known Caitriona.” It was hard to fathom beings so old.

Arrow wrapped an arm around her waist to steady her. “No. She was three hundred years before my time.”

Seven hundred years. That was a long time. She was thirty-two and sometimes that seemed as if it dragged. “Have you always been alone?” Did they have that in common? Did Arrow know what it felt like to need someone?
Damn, it is hard to concentrate with hard male flesh pressing into me.

“Why? You worried about me, shorty?”

“No.” What was it like to live that long and see people he liked or even loved die?

“There have been many women but not the one.” He saw Eloise’s mouth drop open in surprise. “And yes, you are and I don’t mind it as much as I thought I would. You have a certain innocent yet feisty appeal I like.” He hooked his leg around hers, catching her off balance and lowering her to the carpet.

Her robe was removed before she could think. “Fang face, I—” His fingers on her lips stil ed her words.

“I want you anytime, anywhere and this is more than just fantasy.”

“Are you a mind reader?” How did he understand her when she was couldn’t understand herself at times?

“No,” he murmured as he moved between her legs. “I’m just getting to understand you and how you think.” Arrow’s teeth grazed her breasts.

As sharp as his fangs looked, he was gentle with them on her skin. “It’s not even been twenty-four hours.” Her hands moved up to his shoulders. Eloise wanted him. It was as simple as that. He only had to look at her and she was wet with need.

“So?” Arrow’s tongue lapped at her flesh.

Eloise squirmed at the sensation. “Wel , you know.”

Even though he had only just met Eloise, Arrow felt as if he had known her forever. She was scared of the situation they were in. There were a lot of unknowns and, even as an immortal being, Arrow wasn’t exactly certain what was going on. But unlike Eloise, for him that did not matter. He did not fear the unknown. After seven hundred years, it was too much a part of him to worry about. He lifted his head and looked down at her.

“Do I frighten you?” That was something Arrow did not want. Having Eloise with him, in his arms, made him feel more powerful than he had in centuries.

He had an inkling what that meant, but he wasn’t about to admit it to himself for only mortals fel in love.

“No.”

Arrow sighed in relief.

“You’re scary but not frightening,” she added.

Ah, the complicated mind of Eloise Gaunt
. “Is there a difference?” He wanted to know. In fact, Arrow needed to know everything she believed in, what she loved and what she hated. Eloise fascinated Arrow. He felt he would never tire of her and not many women had held his interest past the bedroom.

“You’re, wel , more daunting than outright terrifying.”

Arrow threw back his head and laughed out loud. This was what he needed. Someone to laugh with. Over the centuries he has been amused but not real y happy. He stopped and thought about that.
Damn, I am happy and it’s because of her.
That Eloise could admit her fears to him made him want to make her happy in any way he could.

“You have to stop fighting this.” Their meeting was inevitable. What they shared right now was amazing. Arrow was more than happy to let tomorrow take care of itself. He had Eloise to look after.

“It’s just—”

“Too good to be true?” Arrow felt the same way. To meet someone and bond so quickly was either a gift of new life or a cruel joke if they could not be together.
But I know we will be.

Eloise sighed. “Yes. I mean no. I don’t know.”

The look she gave him was so confused and yet trusting that Arrow wanted to do whatever he could to help her relax. Although her body melded so beautiful y to his, Arrow could feel the tension within.