Vampires' Consort: Magical Menages, Book 2 (4 page)

The look she cast him made him feel more like a jailer than a host.

“The best path down to the beach is this way.” He touched her arm lightly to lead her and his fingers buzzed from the warmth of her skin. His cock began to harden and he realized he wanted her quite badly. Although he barely knew this woman, her forceful personality and outspoken manner attracted him. Stud service aside, he’d be happy to have sex with her. It had been far too long since he’d been with a woman.

He pushed open one of the french doors that led onto the veranda. Moist air enveloped them as they stepped into the sunshine. He glanced at Akila. Her yellow tank top molded her breasts and revealed long, slender arms. Her cropped pants were stark white against smooth, tan calves. A pair of sandals with decorative straps bound her feet. Tightly curled black hair hugged her skull and he had an impulse to stroke his hand over her head and feel the texture of her hair.

“What?” she demanded, making him realize he’d been staring for too long.

“Nothing. I only wondered what you think of everything Kaspan told you.”

“I think I’d like to wake up and find it’s all a dream, but since that’s not going to happen, I think I want to catch the next plane out of here.”

Jacob nodded. He couldn’t expect a different answer, but disappointment pierced him. He led the way to the stairs that descended the low bluff to the beach.

Her sandals slapped each stair as she walked behind him. “Tell me more about you. How did you hook up with this guy?”

“It was a long time ago.”

“Yeah, I figured that. I want details. How long ago? How did it happen?”

“It doesn’t matter.” Why should he tell her anything? She was leaving anyway. Besides, he’d never shared the story with another living person. It was something private between him and Valarian.

“That’s his bite mark on your neck, isn’t it?”

He wanted to pull his shirt collar up to hide it, but kept his hands by his sides.

“Do you hate him for doing that to you? How long do you have to serve him?”

I love him and hate him and will serve him to the end of my days.
Jacob didn’t answer her question.

“Why did you come here?” he countered.

“Curiosity, I suppose. My mother used to say it would be the death of me. She said that about a lot of my bad habits. But when something grabs my attention, I have to know all about it, what it is, how it works, or, in this case, what does a rich eccentric guy want with me?”

“Well, now you know.” His shoes crunched across sand toward the water’s edge.

“Questions lead to more questions.” She caught up with him and walked beside him. “What’s this bloodline stuff all about, and what does this prophecy actually say?”

“If you ask, I’m sure Mr. Kaspan will share the words of the prophecy with you.”

“What do
you
think? Do you believe in all this? Would you really go through with being his surrogate just because he told you to?”

Yes, but also because I want to. I want to fuck you whether I get you pregnant or not.
“It’s not my place to question the master.”

“That’s how dictators get so much power. No one ever questions them. Sounds like Mr. Kaspan’s a little Hitler.”

Rage flared through him. He spun toward her, lifting a hand to strike her, then dropped it back to his side. “Never compare Valarian to that man.”

Her eyes opened wide and he saw fear in them. Nearly as much as when she’d beheld Valarian’s fangs. “Damn, I’m sorry. I was just joking.”

“You’re a young, stupid girl.” He stalked away down the beach, desperate to put some space between them while he calmed his pounding heart.

Chapter Four

Clearly she’d hit a sore spot, either by her slur of Kaspan or by awakening some aspect of Jacob’s past—maybe both. The rigid line of his back and the breadth of his shoulders held her at bay like a cross did a vampire—or was that another myth busted?

Akila decided to let Jacob walk off whatever demons raged in him. She kicked off her sandals and went to the edge of the water. She could smell the brine in the astonishing blue-green water as it lapped warmly around her toes. The Atlantic down here was an entirely different ocean from the gray water of Long Island Sound near her parents’ home. It would be great to strip bare and simply float in it for a while. This place was too gorgeous not to take advantage of it for the brief time she was here.

Why not stay through the weekend? She could learn more about Kaspan and when she returned home, write an exposé about him as she’d planned. Of course, she’d have to edit out the vampire stuff…and the bloodline stuff…and the crazy baby-making plan. That didn’t leave much juicy gossip to spill. Without those elements, there was only a wealthy businessman hanging out at his tropical retreat.

She squatted in the sand and dug with half of a clamshell, watching the water fill the pit she made. Her mind careened all over the place, trying to fix on one aspect of his crazy tale and have it make sense. As shocked as she was about vampires existing, what really got her was the idea of Ra, a god, for God’s sake, as her ancestor. It was preposterous but utterly fascinating. Maybe she needed to learn more about this prophecy thing.

“I’m sorry.”

An unexpected voice beside her made her screech, drop the shell and leap to her feet. She slapped a hand to her chest. “Are you trying to give me a heart attack?”

“I apologize.” Jacob’s eyes reflected the sunlight, making them bluer than the ocean. “I lost my temper, something I rarely do.”

She believed that, having gotten the impression he was usually firmly in control of his emotions. “That’s okay. I press buttons. It’s what I do. I shouldn’t have said that about Hitler. I’m sure Kaspan is a great guy. He supports about half the charities on the planet.”

Her head was tipped back in order to look up into his face. The angle, coupled with their bodies’ proximity, made it feel like she was waiting for him to lean down and kiss her. Their gazes locked while the surf rhythmically washed the shore and seagulls screeched overhead. There was no denying the attraction between them. She’d felt it that night at the supermarket and again from the moment she saw him at the airport. A subtle thread stitched them together every time they were near each other.

Akila reached out a tentative hand and rested it against his chest. His heart beat as steadily as the incoming waves.
Thud, thud, thud
, filling up her senses and drawing her closer still. Her toes dug into the sand as she rose up.

His eyes widened and he seemed suddenly younger and uncertain, a man who perhaps wasn’t used to women coming on to him—surprising, since he was so attractive. She liked his hesitation. It gave her the courage to slide a hand around the back of his neck and pull his head down to hers. She heard his small gasp before she fastened her lips over his and softly plucked at his mouth.

Jacob’s hands encircled her waist, holding her steady as she leaned into him. For a moment, he acquiesced to her kiss, then his mouth opened and he kissed her back.

Their tongues met, slicking around each other, and electricity shot through Akila. The taste of him left her hungry for more. Her body thrummed with the low voltage that passed between his body and hers. She’d never experienced anything quite like the rising need inside her, a sudden flare like a spike in a heart monitor.

Jacob’s hands moved below her waist, cupping her ass and pulling her tighter against him. She felt his hardness nudging her crotch, escalating the heat there. He groaned quietly into her mouth and their kiss deepened from sensual exploration to passionate hunger.

She gripped his shoulder with one hand and drove the other through his hair to cup the back of his head. Her tender breasts smashed flat against his solid chest and her entire body throbbed. It was too intense, too soon, too crazy.

Akila broke it off, pushing her hand against his chest to propel herself back from him. She stood in the moist, cool sand, panting. His lust-glazed eyes seemed as shocked as she felt. He wiped a hand over his lips, as though wiping away—or capturing—her kiss.

“I’m sorry,” Akila said. “I don’t know why I did that.”

He shook his head. “No. It’s…”

God, she was humiliated. She could sink into the sand right now and let the tide wash her away. But even in the midst of embarrassment, her body still clamored for more. More of those kisses, more of the way he’d held her, the solidity of his body in her arms, more of his scent, his taste. His cock. She wanted to see his erection, not just feel it pressed against her. Another shudder of lust passed through her.

Akila crossed her arms over her chest and began to walk down the beach. “Maybe you should show me the rest of the property. Or the house.” Or maybe she should go to her room and hide, get entirely away from this man to whom she seemed to have an uncontrollable attraction.

“Yes.” He strode alongside her, but several yards away, and blurted random facts about the island as they walked from the beach to the interior. The vegetation grew thick around the narrow path through the trees.

“Before Mr. Kaspan purchased the island, it was uninhabited except by wildlife. He’s kept as much untouched as possible, a preserve for local species of reptiles and birds.”

“Reptiles?” Akila scanned for alligators that might pop out of the underbrush.

“Various kinds of lizards and frogs, except frogs are amphibians.” Jacob was suddenly babbling, and she realized he was covering his own embarrassment at what had happened between them, trying to pretend his cock hadn’t been pushing insistently into her crotch.

Clearly having sex with Jacob wouldn’t be a burden for either of them if she were really to follow through on Kaspan’s plan. As if she would. To be impregnated with a child? Crazy! And how in the world would it be Valarian’s anyway?

“Tell me more about this thrall thing.” She interrupted Jacob. “What does it mean that you share his blood? Why doesn’t that turn you into a…what he is?”

Jacob stopped walking and stared at the scarlet blooms that dotted a bush beside the path. “To become a vampire, one must be drained nearly to death and then ingest a large amount of blood from a donor. After a long, coma-like sleep, a period of hibernation during which the body alters and the blood changes, the person has become a vampire. But a thrall…is something different.”

He stopped talking and Akila waited. Even she was able to hold her tongue once in a while. Right now, she could tell it was difficult for Jacob to speak about what had happened to him. She gave him time to formulate the words.

“I met Mr. Kaspan in Germany toward the end of the war.” He glanced at Akila. “The second World War. I was in a camp, in bad shape. He freed me, fed me and then made me an offer. He needed someone to serve him since his previous thrall had been killed. Valarian showed me his fangs and explained what becoming his servant would mean.”

Akila could barely breathe as she listened to his voice, as quiet as if he was in a confessional. The birds calling in the trees were louder than Jacob.

“I had no illusions. I agreed to it. I welcomed the chance to repay him for his kindness.” He paused. “Besides, I had no one left to go home to.”

“How does it work?” she asked softly.

“A vow and an exchange of blood, although not enough to turn the chosen one into a vampire. I suppose you would call it a covenant. I will serve him until I die.”

“But what do you get from this arrangement?”

“Long life, health, strength, protection and a bond you could not begin to understand. I owed Valarian my life. I was happy to give it back to him. In return, he helped me accomplish something I was determined to do.”

Jacob began walking again, signaling he was through discussing the topic.

Akila trailed after him. “May I ask one more thing?”

“Could I stop you?” he said dryly.

“What’s Kaspan’s story? How long has he been alive? When was he turned and how?”

“That is his story to tell. You must ask him,” was the unsatisfactory reply.

She would indeed. There was a goldmine of a story here that spanned years and continents, life-changing experiences and deep emotions. She was determined to extract the gold if she had to chip away the rock piece by piece.

“Would you care for another slice of beef?” Valarian paused with the carving knife held over the roast, which rested in a pool of delectable juices. The meat was still bloody enough that its scent teased at his fangs, nearly seducing them into descending.

He looked back and forth between Akila and Jacob, reading their silences and their guarded glances at one another. They were definitely bonding and, from the pregnant feeling in the air—pun intended—something had happened between them during their walk earlier that afternoon. He was glad to see progress toward the goal, but surprisingly annoyed they were getting along without him in the mix. He was attracted to Akila too, and if it were any other situation, he’d have her in bed by now without ever using his vampire mojo. His personal sex appeal was usually enough to drop panties. There’d be no sport in it if he used paranormal powers of persuasion.

But this was not a normal situation. Akila wasn’t there for sexual games but to produce an heir. God, how he hated that word, as if he was some arrogant nobleman determined to pass on the legacy of his bloodline. It wasn’t like this situation was his choice, but a destiny all three of them must fulfill.

“I’ve had enough, thank you. It was delicious,” Akila responded to his offer of more prime rib. “Is that your own marinade?”

“Yes, it is.” He was ridiculously pleased she’d noticed. He didn’t get many chances to cook for others, and Jacob was an unappreciative diner, oblivious to what he ate most of the time.

An abrupt laugh burst from his guest. Akila clapped a hand to her mouth. “I’m sorry. It’s a little surreal, discussing cooking with a vampire.”

“I understand. Would you rather we chatted about how different types of blood taste?” He gave a pointed stare at her long, lovely neck.

She lifted a hand toward her throat, but caught herself and dropped it back into her lap. “No. But I would like you to explain about bloodlines and why it’s important to mix yours with mine.”