Undying Destiny (20 page)

Edging over into the bed, he rubbed her back. “Soon. I know it hurts, but you’re almost there. After this feeding, I’m going to need to leave for a little while. I have to feed again.”

A growl rumbled from her throat. Her eyes flew open, startled from the sound. Her heart raced, but the speed of the beats didn’t come from pain alone. The very idea of him at another woman’s throat sent a violent streak of jealousy coursing through her.

A tingling sensation zinged her upper gums, then quickly turned into an ache. Her skin itched, creating a frantic need to move.

Lunging into a sitting position, she flung the covers from her.

“Something’s happening.” Panic shot like lightning down her spine. “What’s going on?” She clawed at her skin.

“Tell me. What are you feeling?”

“I itch all over, and my gums ache.”

A tearing sensation exploded in her gums. She screamed and dropped her head into her hands.

That’s when she felt them.

Placing her tongue to the front of her mouth, she found two sharp points sitting beneath her upper lip. She reached with trembling fingers to explore. The tip of a right fang poked her finger. “Shit!” A bright red drop bubbled to the surface.

She lifted her head. Her focus zoomed to the vein at Kenric’s neck. Each beat lifted the skin there.
Fascinating
. Every rush of the beautiful, dark fluid moving through his body played like an erotic melody to her ears.

She
wanted
him.

Wanted to sink her fangs and drink until his hot blood filled every inch of her. And then she wanted to do it again. And again.

“Oh. Dear. God.” Every inch of her pulsed with need.

He reached for her. “You’re okay. Breathe. Just breathe. Your transformation is complete. That’s all.”

She scrambled from his touch. “You don’t understand. I want you. More than anything I’ve ever wanted in my life,” she growled. “I want…to sink my teeth in you.”

“I know, sweetheart. And you can have me.”

“Oh, no… No.” Emily shook her head. “I can’t. I don’t know if I can control this…this need.” She hugged her chest and rocked, wanting to curl as far away and as close to the man who wanted to give himself to her.

“Yes, you can.” His tone oozed confidence. And complete trust in her.

“You sound so sure.” She scoffed. “How do you know, when I don’t know myself?”

In the sexiest move she’d ever beheld, his gaze boring into hers, he reached behind his neck, grabbed a fistful of his sweater, and jerked it over his head. His muscles shifted and flexed across the expanse of his chest. She licked her lips and tried to find enough saliva to swallow. The impulsive need to climb up his rippled abs had her gripping the sheets.

“What are you doing? You’re insane. Get away from me!” He’d lost his mind. She might kill him.

His hands gripped her upper arms and dragged her against him.

“Please, Kenric,” she groaned against the fine hairs of his chest brushing her cheeks. “It’s too much.” She shook her head and whimpered. “Don’t you understand? I don’t know if I can stop.” The unique scent of cinnamon mixed with pine drove her mad. “It can’t be you. I don’t want to hurt you again.” Her abdominal muscles cramped. She wouldn’t be able to hold out much longer. “You have to get out!” She wrenched at his hold.

“Don’t you understand?” His voice was hoarse against her hair. “It will always be me.”

Large hands clasped the sides of her face. She lifted her lashes as he tilted her head. A warm trail of tears rolled down her face.

“I won’t let you go too far,” he said. “But I don’t believe I’ll have to do anything. You’re much stronger than you realize.”

She couldn’t find her voice. Even after her confession… He still trusted her. Wanted her.

He rotated and leaned against the headboard, bringing her down on top of him. “Come here,” he said, sliding her closer to the pulse at his throat. With one hand at her nape and the other placed possessively at her right hip, he breathed into her ear, “I’m dying to feel your bite. Take from me.”

The beating of his heart called her. Irresistible. She licked once at his skin and choked on a moan. He shivered beneath her.
Please, God, don’t let me hurt him.

She opened her mouth and struck.

His blood filled her mouth, but the man who held her filled her heart to overflowing. She snaked her arms around his neck and her palms into his hair. The thick, silky locks slid through her fingers while her lips and tongue pulled his delicious essence into her. Nothing in her life had ever felt so right.

Chapter Twenty-Two

Kenric slipped back into the house through his private entrance. Leaving Emily, though he’d craved more, had been difficult. He’d ached to have her beneath him, his cock buried deep inside. But she’d fallen into a deep sleep after her feeding, and he’d neglected his own nourishment for too long. He’d also had to check in with his Enclave. Two nights had come and gone, but as he’d expected, Guerin had everything under control, and he was glad to hear Emily had survived her transformation and all was well.

Nearing the bed, his heart swelled. A pink tinge colored her cheeks. Her reddish brown locks lay spread across her pillow in a sea of curls that he hungered to sink his fingers into. Taking care of her, feeding her—nothing had ever felt so right.

Before their earlier talk, he’d questioned his sanity. As leader of the Enclave, he couldn’t fathom how the woman whom every cell in his body said was his soul mate could so easily stab him in the back. Though she’d confessed, her fleeting thought to betray him had hurt like hell. But the hopelessness that had driven her actions had shattered his defenses. How could he not forgive her? She owned too much of his heart, and the thought of not having her in his life… His fist clenched. He’d rather walk into the dawn.

At least between them everything was resolved, and they could move forward, because he still had a psychotic vampire bitch on the loose who wanted the beautiful woman in his bed dead. Unfortunately, that was only one part of her agenda. He was sure she wanted more.

When he found that sadistic whore, he would rip her apart bit by bit. Anticipation juiced his veins. Oh, there were many, many ways he wanted to dole out his vengeance. Ripping her apart was just the beginning.

With his clothes shed, he eased under the covers. Emily’s body matched his perfectly. He wrapped his arms around her. She’d brought an almost forgotten emotion back into his life: happiness. A feeling that had been absent for what had seemed like an eternity. And he never wanted to let her go.

She stirred. He loosened his hold, allowing her to roll over. The sleepy smile she gave him had his pulse racing and his mind and body wanting to grab her and never look back. Never reflect again on the mistakes he’d made in the past and his failure to save the lives of the two women who had loved him.

He could not let Emily down again. There would be no more second chances. He had to keep her safe, until he’d personally handled the extermination of Marguerite.

“Hello, there.” Her voice had that husky, just-woke-up sound. It fueled an already kindled fire.

The curls that graced her pillow tumbled in chaotic ringlets around her face. Too enticing. Kenric worked his fingers into a handful of her soft locks and smiled.

“I see you’re most definitely up.” With a mischievous grin on her face, she brushed her thigh against his erection.

“Why don’t you come a little closer and see for yourself.”

Her lips glided over his in a seductive, playful dance of desire. She parted for a breath, and he dived in to capture a taste.

A moan escaped her throat. He didn’t need any more encouragement. Almost seventy-two hours without her touch had proved to be too many. He dropped to her shoulder, then lower, to the gorgeous, dark nipples poking through the material of her nightshirt. He pulled at the neckline until he exposed one sweet nub. Perfection. Under the attention of his tongue, the tip pebbled, and she gasped, arching under his palm.

He wanted to imprint her taste and texture into every molecule of his senses.
She was alive
. Here, breathing and responding with every touch he showered over her.

What an excellent idea.

With one last kiss to the glistening bud, he rolled away.

The frustrated cry of a disappointed woman came from behind him.

He rotated and offered her his hand. “Come with me,” he said with a grin.

Her eyes narrowed with a speculative look, but she took hold of his palm anyway. “What are you up to?”

Drawing her against his chest, he spun and backed her into the bathroom. At the shower door, he jerked on the handle and opened it.

Understanding lit her face. If she only knew all the wicked things he’d love to do with her. With one deft move, he grasped the hem of her nightshirt and lifted it up and away from her delectable body. No more secrets between them. No more clothes. The passion in her eyes mesmerized him. He swooped her into his arms. Where she belonged.

A startled rush of air tickled his ear before she wrapped her arms around his neck and tucked her head under his chin.

Gently, he lowered her feet onto the tiled shower floor and closed the door shut behind them.

“Wait right here,” he said.

“No.” She grabbed his arm. “Please.”

“What’s wrong? Are you feeling weak?”

“No. I feel fine. I…” She lifted her chin. “After what I did, I need to know if we’re still okay.”

Fear.

It swirled in her beautiful hazel eyes. A sight he never wanted to see there again. One he planned to erase tonight, and if he had his way, for eternity.

He slipped his arms around her and pulled her close. Her nipples brushed against his skin, and for a second, he forgot how to breathe. “You want to know how I feel about last night. About your confession?”

Her nod brushed her hair against his chest.

He arched his pelvis and traced the curve of her spine with his fingertips. The head of his erection bumped her abdomen, and a soft gasp escaped her lips. “I understand what drove you to do what you did.” He smoothed his palm across her hair and curled his lips in a half smile. “I don’t want you to ever feel afraid or helpless again. I’ll always be there for you. And that’s not ever going to change.”

The tension in her body eased under his hands. “So we’re okay?”

“Yes.” He nodded. Kenric pulled her in, enjoying the warmth of her body and the feel of her heart beating next to his flesh. “We’re more than okay.”

“You have no idea how much it means to me to hear you say those words. I can’t imagine, after everything we’ve been through together, having to live the rest of my days without you.”

Kenric flinched. The idea of something coming between them or someone taking her away seared through him like the hot edge of a blade, leaving him raw and exposed. He drew her closer, tighter. “Never going to happen,” he growled.

A few moments later, Kenric stepped away and quirked an eyebrow. “Now, let’s get back to my plan.” With a quick adjustment to the dials, he found the right temperature and set the showerheads at the proper angle. He grinned as he picked up a large sponge before turning back to Emily.

Twirling the irregular-shaped ball of yellow around on his fingers, he cleared his throat, choosing his words carefully.

“As a nurse, aren’t you supposed to be licensed in the use of one of these?” He glanced her way and back to the item rotating in his hand. “There seem to be a few spots I just can’t quite reach. Think you can help a guy out?”

Her throat worked, and he could sense her attempt to hold back a laugh.

“Yes, I’m
fully
licensed.” She plucked the sponge from his hand with a playful smile. “In fact, I believe I excelled in that area. But you, my darling, appear to be completely healthy.” Her devilish gaze dropped between his legs to where his cock stood at full mast.

“You’ve got one thing right.” His voice deepened. With an arm, he pulled her in close, making sure she felt every rock-hard inch of him. “Very healthy.”

She nuzzled against him. God, he loved the way she felt against his skin. Soft. Warm. And so…right.

“Like you said, though,” she said, glancing up with a grin before slinking her body down his chest and dropping to her knees. His heart rate leaped into a gallop, and his cock bobbed, the tip brushing her upturned cheek. Her twinkling eyes never left his. “I’m the nurse here, so let me be the judge of that.”

Her warm fingers gripped the base of his shaft as her mouth closed over the head. Blood left his brain in a dizzying rush. At the first pull of her sweet lips, his fangs exploded into his mouth. He gripped the shower walls at his sides with a hiss.

Slowly, she engulfed the near length of him. Then she pushed his control to the breaking point when she dropped her head back and took even more. The head of his cock bumped the smooth, slick surface at the back of her throat.
Bloody hell!
Never before…

His hands dropped to her head, and he buried his fingers in the damp curls of her auburn hair.

“Emily…,” he rasped. He would never get enough of her.

She cupped one hand to his sac and the other around the base of his shaft. His head fell back with a moan. Her hot tongue bathed the underside of his cock while working its way up the rigid length. His head fell forward on the special attention she paid to the sensitive rim. The hands he’d entwined in her hair trembled with restraint. Her lips, hands, and tongue drove him insane. The way she watched him as if in ecstasy—the hottest fucking thing he’d ever witnessed.

The tip of her tongue lapped at the leaking bead of precum before drawing it in for a long suck.

“Shit! God, sweetheart, you’re killing me.”

She paused long enough to give him a lazy, sexy smile.

“You like?” She applied a gentle squeeze to his shaft and balls. He cursed and fisted the back of her head.

“What do you think?” he growled.

“I think I’m not finished with my assessment yet.” And damn if she didn’t thoroughly assess every curved inch of him.

Back and forth she worked, battering at his self-control. His hips rocked of their own accord, driving his cock into her mouth. So damn good.

The sight of her surrounding him, swallowing him… He had to stop before it was too late. When he came, he wanted to be pumping deep inside her. He wanted to hear her scream his name.

“Stop, sweetheart.” His voice came out hoarse. “I need you to stop.” It took every ounce of strength he had to extract himself from the haven of her mouth.

“I wasn’t done yet.” She scowled, then curled her lip into a smile.

“But I have to get inside you.
Now
.” He drew her back up his body and into a desperate kiss, silencing the start of a proud giggle over a job well done. He nipped and sucked at her full lower lip, reveling in her little mewls with each tweak of his fang. “You’re destroying me with that wicked mouth of yours,” he muttered against her lips.

Emily loved the way he kissed and gasped for air as he broke away. She needed him. Needed him on a level she hadn’t known existed before he came into her life. It terrified her to crave another so much that every fiber of her being cried out for him. Yet she couldn’t run anymore. To never touch him again, or feel his touch, would be an agony she knew she would never survive.

His large and callused palms guided her to the bench on the other side of the shower. “Kneel here.”

She did as he requested and climbed onto the heated tiles. “Do you know how beautiful you are to me, Wildflower?” he whispered and caressed her bottom. The rough texture of his hands sent shivers over her skin. Her nipples puckered, yearning for his touch. She reached behind her head and dug her fingers into his hair. He encircled her waist, then slid his palms up her belly to cup her achy breasts. “You bring me to my knees. No woman has ever stirred me the way you do.”

The way he touched her, his words, made her feel…cherished.

He rolled her nipples between his thumbs and forefingers, then gave them a slight tug. Her back arched, and her head dropped onto his chest with a moan. The hot ridge of his erection pressed between her cheeks and worked back and forth on the slickened path of her arousal. The erotic sensations at her breasts, coupled with the torture of his hard shaft at her rear, had her begging for more.

“Now. God, Kenric, I want you inside me
now
.”

His hand left her breast and followed the curve of her raised derriere. Large fingers slid between her cheeks and folds before dipping a shallow inch into her pussy. She cried out.

He hissed against her neck. “So wet for me. Do you know what a fucking turn-on that is, sweetheart?”

She loved that he seemed to lose his hold on his control, and how his voice and language turned primal. “Only for you.”

Soft kisses, laced with a growl, trailed down her throat and shoulder. His hand slid up her arm and drew her fingers from his hair. Before her, he gently pressed them against the wall with a command. “Don’t move.”

The thrill of his control, and only
his
control, accelerated her desire, heightening her awareness of every touch.

Of him.

Tears welled in her eyes from her escalating need and unfettered emotions, blurring her vision of the tile before her. The muscles in her thighs trembled.

God, how had she ever denied her attraction—her visceral need for this man?

At last, the broad head of his erection pressed against her opening—where her body throbbed with emptiness. She gasped, riding on the wave of pleasure.

“I’ve got what you need.” He bathed the tip of his cock in her wetness. “Remember that.”

How did he think she could ever forget? Her body would forever crave his. From the first moment he’d touched her, she had belonged to him.

“I’ll always have what you need.” His deep voice stroked her, making her center ache from its void. “Right here.” He surged forward, burying every inch of his hard cock deep inside her.

She cried out, and a spasm worked over her body as he slammed into her pussy, stretched her, and filled her to the brink of rapture. Rapid intakes of air burned a path through her chest. “Kenric… Oh, God.
Yes
.”

“You were made for me,” he groaned.

She wanted to move, but his arms held her tight to his chest.

He rocked into her, slowly at first, then with glorious, hard pumps of his cock. The large, smooth head of his erection bumped her womb with each thrust and stoked fevered nerve endings higher, giving her exactly what she needed. Her nails dug at the tile wall as her orgasm broke.

She screamed, riding the waves that shook her with ecstasy. He gripped her hips, thrusting inside her with delicious friction, extending her mind-altering bliss.