The Chosen Sin (14 page)

Daria was sure her face had flushed. She knew her nipples were hard at the thought of his lovely lips wrapping around them, pulling them into his hot mouth to be teased by his tongue. His words were quickly turning her bones to warm honey.

“I want to worship your body, Daria. Kiss your inner arms where I remember you're just the slightest bit ticklish, lick your inner thigh, the backs of your knees, and kiss my very favorite spot . . . the pretty little dip at the base of your spine where your back meets your gorgeous, rounded ass.” He dipped his hand down to cup the curve of her rear.

He pressed her up against him. The rigid length of his cock pressed into her stomach and her flush faded into a flat-out fever.

“Then, when you're good and ready, completely primed and creamy in that perfect cunt of yours, I want to slide my cock deep inside you and take you fast and hard. I want to drive into your pussy over and over until you come, until you're screaming from the pleasure. That's the first time.”

She licked dry lips. “The, uh, first time?”

“
Mmmm
, just to sate my appetite for you. The next time I'll want to take you slow.” He gave a sexy little groan that made her knees go weak. “I like it slow, Daria, so slow and easy and deep. I want to savor every part of this pretty little body that I'm dying to have stripped and beneath me. And you know what?”

“What?” She hated that her voice sounded so damned breathless.

“For me, it isn't about obligation. It has nothing at all to do with business or the line of duty. I want you just because I want you, because you and I go well together and we always have. Now, what do you want?”

She
wanted
to protest his hands on her,
wanted
to yell and push him back. Wanted to run away screaming. The problem was, she couldn't move. Because what she wanted even more than all of that was Alejandro.

“You,” she whispered.

He said nothing in response. He only laid a lingering kiss to her temple. It would be the most innocent thing he did for a while.

Daria swallowed hard as his hands ran slowly up her waist and over her stomach to cup her breasts. His thumbs stroked over her nipples through the cotton of her T-shirt and bra.

She closed her eyes, groped for control, and found none. “Alejandro,” she whispered raggedly. Need slicked her sex, made a tight little ball of heat there she wanted assuaged.

“Let me touch you, Daria.”

She'd told him yesterday she wanted to try this without actually having sex, and she'd meant it. Carlos had said she had a strong will. She did. Especially since she knew that sleeping with Alejandro would be every bit as much pleasure as it would be business. That made things treacherous for her.

Alejandro was a man more dangerous than most. The last thing she needed was another heartbreak. It was far better to keep things on this mission as professional as possible, no matter how tempted she might be to take advantage of the situation.

No matter how much she wanted him.

One of his hands dropped to the front of her jeans and undid the top button. “Daria?” he purred into her ear.

“Uh-huh.”

“Let me help you out of these jeans.”

Daria froze, fighting her need to touch and be touched, and not by just anyone. She wanted to touch Alejandro and be touched
by him
. Her fingers curled around his shoulders and she held on, caught between knowing she should push him away and wanting nothing more than to pull him closer.

He growled at her inaction and leaned in, capturing her lower lip and dragging it through his teeth. Her breath hissed out, and her sex grew warm and wet. All her careful reasoning for wanting to push him away went
poof
.

He spoke softly against her lips, “Daria, if you won't offer what I know you want to give”—he moved his hand between her thighs—“then I will convince you to let me take.”

11

HIS smooth, rolling accent alone was almost enough to put her over the edge.

Alejandro pressed up and rotated, pushing the seam of her jeans against the side of her clit. Pleasure rippled through her, making her moan. “I don't think it will be too hard,” he purred in a confident voice.

“Alejandro,” she gasped against his lips.

“This is not fair.”

He chuckled. “Just tell me to stop, if you want me to stop.” He pressed and rotated, circling against her clit.

Her mouth went dry and she thought she'd swallow her tongue. Ripples of pleasure made her knees feel weak and swamped her thought process. His free arm kept her steady as he rubbed her clit methodically,
diabolically
. . . bringing her just to the edge of a climax and then holding her there. She creamed against her panties and wished fervently for less clothing between her cunt and his hand.

He leaned in and dragged her earlobe between his teeth. “Say you want me, Daria. I want to hear the words from your lips. Tell me you want me to take these clothes off you, spread you across the bed, and fuck you until you can't see straight. Say the words and I'll let you come.”

Anger fought to rise from the depths of her drugged, sexual high but died a whimpering death when he kissed the sensitive place beneath her earlobe and scraped his fangs against her throat.

She made fists with her hands and gasped, “I want you Alejandro. You know I do.” The idea of letting Alejandro have free rein over her body came to her again.
Just for one night
. Let him do whatever he wished to her.

She felt him smile against her skin in triumph a moment before he sank his fangs into her flesh, at the same time pressing just a little harder against her clit.

Daria gasped as her climax washed over her, the sweet, slight pain of his teeth's penetration playing counterpoint to the sexual ecstasy coursing through her body.

He drew out her blood while her orgasm went on and on. By the time the waves of pleasure had released her, her knees had completely given out, forcing him to hold her up. The aftermath of her climax swamped her muscles and her mind.

“Damn it, Alejandro,” she slurred as though inebriated. “Who gave you the right?”

He released her throat and laughed softly. Setting her firmly on her feet, he looked at her. “You were mine the moment we set foot in this place. I'm fully within my rights.” He paused, studying her. “Are you going to tell me you didn't enjoy it?”

She raked her gaze up his body, noting the way his cock jutted against his jeans. He was fully aroused, and a part of her had to stop herself from reaching out and stroking him, leading him to the bed and assuaging his need. She had trouble remembering exactly why that would be such a bad idea.

Instead, she pushed past him. “That's not the point.”

“So you did enjoy it, then?” His sensual mouth curved in a playful smile. “Because from my end, it looked like you did.”

“Alejandro, I don't remember you being this damn arrogant.”

He caught her wrist and yanked her against him. His lips came down on hers in a possessive kiss that made her toes curl. Her breath caught at the sensual glide of his lips against hers and the swipe of his tongue into her mouth. He ended the kiss and she pushed away from him.

“I'm the same Alejandro you've always known. The same man who wanted you then and who wants you now.”

She made a frustrated noise and headed for the door. “Enjoy your hard-on. I'm going back to work.”

Right before she closed the door behind her, she heard him call, “Baby, everything about you is work.”

She slammed the door extra hard.

Daria crashed out of the building and into the disconcerting Earthlike sunshine. Above her the sky shone a deep blue and white, puffy clouds scudded past. No one was around. Probably everyone was still in Sante Hall, at the party. She stopped for a moment on the path and closed her eyes, immersing herself in the moment in order to ground herself.

Her body still hummed and tingled from Alejandro's touch. As much as she hated to admit it, the man made her feel good. Being in his arms felt right.

Her ears filled with the twitter of the birds in the trees and a light breeze lifted the hair at the nape of her neck, drying the sweat on her skin. The fresh scent of grass teased her nose and Daria had to remind herself that she wasn't back on Earth. She was here on Darpong in the Logos Territory, at the Shining Way . . . and Christopher Sante was somewhere in the vicinity.

As she centered herself in the moment, the disturbing pleasure of feeding from the blood donor reentered her mind like a fever she couldn't shake. He had smelled so good and the thought of his life force, coursing strong and certain through the veins just under his skin, had called to her like the sweetest song. She'd known all she'd had to do was penetrate that thin, vulnerable layer of flesh to drink the goodness within.

Daria shuddered. So this is what it was to be a Chosen. Tears pricked her eyes.

Far away, the muffled sound of voices and music met her ears. Her eyes popped open and she headed toward it.
Work.
She could do work. It was Alejandro she had problems with.

When she reached Sante Hall and opened the door, the driving sound of digitized music mixed with an ancient tribal beat nearly overpowered her. They'd dimmed the lights, and the scent of human blood, sex, and the tang of tobacco fought for prominence in the room. Daria fought her way through the crush of people, seeking the back of the room where the music was less loud.

As she made her way through, skillfully avoiding being served anything to drink, she caught a glimpse of Brandon sandwiched between two slim, female bodies, his head buried in the throat of one and his hand down the pants of the other. As she glanced around, seeing more such erotic entanglements, her stomach tightened.

To her right a pair of three entwined in a dark corner. A woman between a man and another woman, all questing lips and exploring hands. The succubare in the middle was currently orgasming around some object the male was fucking her with while the woman tongue-kissed her.

All righty, then. That's how it was. That's how it always was here in Vamplandia.

She would have to be extra alert. She didn't want to do any heavy petting with anyone but Alejandro, and obviously she had issues about that, too.

Brandon apparently didn't have a problem with acting like a local. Of course, if push came to shove and her cover risked being blown, she'd have to join in, too. She just hoped push never came to shove. She'd do all she could to avoid that.

Carlos approached her and she pasted a welcoming look on her face for the oily vampire. She even managed to hold it when he moved to the side and she saw that he led the man she'd fed from earlier. The human stumbled along after him on a chain, looking dazed and confused.

“Valerie,” he greeted her. “I saw you leave with your lover. I am glad you have returned.” He made a show of glancing around. “But where is Emanuel? Did he not accompany you?”

“I'm sure he'll be along soon. He needed a moment to recompose himself after the excitement of the day.”
Damn it.
Had her expression tightened just a bit? Had there been a note of sarcasm in her voice?

Carlos smiled knowingly. “Ah, Valerie, are you jealous he chose a woman to feed from? You must not be. The Chosen don't like to feed on the same sex if they can help it. Well, unless they
enjoy
the same sex. It was clear to all that the only one he wants is you.”

She wanted to tell the bastard she didn't need her ego stroked, and she certainly wasn't jealous of Alejandro's choice of food. She also wanted to tell him that, by the way, his proximity creeped her out and could he please move away? Instead she unlocked her jaw and said, “I appreciate your reassurance.”

He yanked the chain of the blood donor, who staggered forward a couple of steps. Blood marked the skin of the thirty-something man. His face was pale, his eyes heavily hooded, and his mouth slack. He looked drunk, drugged out of his mind with veil pleasure.

Daria made a tight fist at her side, fighting the obscene allure she had to biting the man again—fighting her newly born Chosen-ness. “Have you been allowing everyone to snack on him?” she asked in a mild voice, tinged with curiosity.

Carlos shrugged one shoulder loosely. “He enjoys it. We enjoy it. It's a win-win situation. He's a walking party favor.”

She smiled tightly. “Is he a slave?”

Carlos's lips compressed. “No. He is a slave to nothing more than his addiction. Once he sobers, if he wants to leave the dome and return to New Chicago, we will allow that. He is paid to be here to
play
the role of a slave.” He paused. “If you wish to see his employment contract, you may. We don't deal in blood slaves here, Valerie. We never have and never will. I find the practice abhorrent and would not allow it.”

Daria's gaze scanned the donor. He would die if he lost much more blood. Daria had to hold herself back from taking his chain from Carlos's grasp and dragging him out of there. She couldn't do that. To act in such a way would blow her cover, it would endanger their lives, and, worse, Sante would get away. Again.

Carlos yanked on the man's chain again, not knowing he was also yanking hers. “Would you like another taste for your evening sustenance?”

The human's addiction-glazed gaze snapped to her face and a look of longing transformed his slack expression. The man was so out of it he didn't even know he was a breath away from death. Two more good pulls on this man's veins might very well mean his end.

She shook her head, searching for a response that would be plausible. “He looks dead on his feet. This man is playing fang roulette.” God, she hoped those words got through to the human. “I don't want to be the Chosen who kills him and takes away a valuable Shining Way employee.”