A Bloody London Sunset (Sunset Vampire Series, Book 2) (4 page)

As she continued to kiss his neck, she intermittently nipped his skin with her teeth in a teasing fashion, appreciating the sharp intake of breath that it evoked from him. She pressed her tongue against his neck as her lips sealed against his skin, waiting for the effect of her saliva to take full effect.

He felt her silky tongue press against his neck, followed by the progressively soothing, numbing sensation that spread around the area where her tongue and mouth concentrated. He reveled in the sensation, decrying its absence, and momentarily wondered if she intended to drink from him while standing, which would be a first. Caleb recalled the fleeting, distant feeling that assailed him as she fed, and his muscles tightened as he wondered if he’d be able to stand ably enough.

As if reading his thoughts, though more accurately sensing his body language, Katrina drew him towards the nearby couch as her mouth remained sealed over his neck.

Relaxing his body in her grip, he allowed her to lay him down onto the couch cushions. He stared into the fabric of her sweater as she knelt beside his prone form. The numbing sensation increased until he scarcely felt her tongue against his skin.

She parted her lips long enough to whisper, “Freeze.”

It was the signal, and he remained perfectly still. He felt a slight pinprick against his neck as her fangs pierced his skin. Her mouth sealed against his neck, and he heard the telltale, subdued slurping sounds as she drew his blood. He closed his eyes and let his mind and body drift across a sea of soothing darkness, accented only by the sounds of his breathing and the faint noises she generated from her consumption. A warm feeling of serenity and compassion flowed through him as she took communion of his blood. Her left hand lay flat against his bare chest, pressing his pendant between her hand and his skin. The fingertips of her right hand gently massaged his scalp as she ran her fingers through his hair. He grinned, reveling in the waves of ecstasy and pleasure as they washed over him.

Finally
, he thought.

Time held little meaning to him as he lay with his lover’s body draped across him. The darkened room merely added to the lofty sensation of peacefully hovering in nothingness.

After a time, she ceased drinking and pressed her tongue against his skin to heal the punctures in his neck. The renewed numbness signaled the end of his soothing journey, and he almost regretted its passing. However, he knew that if it never ended, it was only a matter of time before his body’s functioning ceased from blood loss. He wasn’t ready to depart the world so long as Katrina was still part of it. Then, as if on cue, she kissed his neck affectionately and moved to kiss his lips in similar fashion.

“My love, who so willingly submits himself to me,” she whispered with ardor.

Images from the past December replayed in her mind. Caleb had slit his own throat to enable his blood to save her as she lay dying on the dining room floor. The truly selfless nature of sacrificing his life for hers touched her in a beautiful and profound manner, which shook her to the very core of her being. No human had voluntarily surrendered such a thing to her. And quite frankly, she had doubted such a selfless human even existed until then. His near-fatal sacrifice eliminated any doubts of his devotion and commitment to her.

And if not for Paige, I’d not have him today
, she mused. Paige Turner, her best friend and former pupil, had used her vampire blood to save Caleb’s life.
Yet another debt I can never fully repay
.

Her head rested against Caleb’s chest, and she kissed him. Her taste buds savored the lingering flavor of his sweet blood as she listened to his strong heartbeat, as well as the rush of blood flowing through his veins. It was the music of his body and a beautiful symphony to her ears.

“I’m a lucky woman,” she whispered, caressing his chest with her fingernails. He was the only being who had such a hold on her heart and soul. For all of her strength, determination, aggression, and power, she was like a fragile rose before his needs and desires. It was a vulnerable feeling and one that as an alpha vampire she wasn’t accustomed to. And yet she embraced it deeply within herself and held onto it as if it were the very source of her life force. However, she knew such feelings needed to be tempered properly and revealed to him only in appropriate apportionment.

After all, it’s in an alpha vampire’s nature
, she mused as she once more kissed his chest.
My nature
, she added.

“Did I taste different given last month’s blood transfusion?” he asked.

She didn’t want to dwell on that line of thought at such an enjoyable moment and instead offered in a satisfied voice, “Oh, no. You tasted as sweet as always, my love.”

He made a contented sound and whispered, “I’m glad.”

After a few minutes, she felt his hand creep underneath her sweater. His fingertips softly massaged her bra-covered breast, and she giggled. She rose up slightly and slipped her sweater off. Her pale skin shimmered in an unearthly manner in the dimly lit room as his eyes played across her body.

“My loving vampire,” he whispered possessively as he reached out to pull her hand to his lips. He kissed her open palm reverently.

Katrina smiled at the endearing reference and at the tone in which he made it. “Always, my love,” she replied.

His hand traced her shoulders then slipped back to her breasts.

She gazed down at him, sensing his new yearning. As she slipped from her bra, her breasts gently suspended before him. “Do you want me here?” she asked.

His eyes were intense as he gazed into her eyes. “Yes,” he whispered.

“As you wish,” she agreed, moving in an almost feline fashion while removing her boots and the remainder of her clothing. Her attentions returned to him as she deftly slid his briefs down the length of his muscular legs. She gazed appreciatively at his nude, masculine form with approval while pulling him from the couch and onto the floor with her. Then time stood still.

* * * *

Tuesday passed quickly for Caleb despite the fact that Tuesdays and Thursdays were his extended days that semester, having both daytime and evening classes, as well as office hours during the late afternoon. Nevertheless, he was grateful when Wednesday arrived. He had special evening plans in store for Katrina. It was time for phase two of his and Alton’s plan to spring into action.

Caleb had stowed a pair of faded blue jeans, a sweatshirt, and hiking boots in his car’s trunk that morning before Katrina noticed what he was doing. That afternoon, while still at the college, he changed clothes and prepared for a new challenge that he intended to call Find Caleb. He was filled with anticipation as he cleaned off his desk and snapped the lid of his briefcase shut. Thankful for his thick sweatshirt, he hurried out to his car as evening approached. It was cloudy, windy, and somewhat cold that day, but fortunately wasn’t raining.

He returned to the estate just as darkness fell, but instead of entering the garage, he parked his car in the driveway. After reconsidering the weather, he left his leather jacket in the car, but slipped on a pair of leather gloves.

Just in case Katrina viewed the house’s surveillance system, he walked back down the driveway and out the main gate before heading into a large wooded area adjacent to the estate. The undeveloped area was native forest slated for future development among the large acreage of the addition. He smirked while reflecting upon how perfect the grounds were for his new game.

The night was dark with no moon, and he was pleased he’d brought a flashlight. However, he quickly realized that once he called Katrina, the light would immediately alert her keen vision to his location. He sighed, conceding there were so many considerations that had eluded him as he prepared for the event.

Well, I suppose with practice comes proficiency
.

The forest was eerily quiet, save for the sounds of tree branches clacking against one another and the rustling of dry leaves. After negotiating to the middle of the forest, he selected a couple of possible routes of egress in the event…no, rather, for when Katrina located his position. He wondered how much time he should give her to find him and frowned as he tried to gauge how far and fast she could move.

“Easy. Just time a lightning strike,” he muttered.

He made a mental calculation and removed a glove so he could retrieve his cell phone. He auto-dialed Katrina; the phone rang merely twice before she picked up.

“Caleb?” she asked guardedly. “Where are you? I noticed your car is already in the driveway.”

He hadn’t meant to concern her and quickly replied, “Sorry, Kat. I was preparing a special event for you and didn’t want to spoil the surprise.”

There was a silent pause at the other end before she asked warily, “What kind of surprise, my love?”

He knew that she wasn’t keen on surprises; a key aspect of alpha vampires was that they liked to be in control. He rolled his eyes heavenward at the gross understatement of that particular thought and hoped she would be pleased in the end once she understood what he had planned.

“How would you like to play a game with me tonight?” he asked playfully.

Another pause.

“Game? What kind of game?”

“It’s called Find Caleb,” he replied with a smirk. “It’s simple. All you have to do is find me, and catch me, before the timer on my watch goes off.”

Another pause.

“You’d better not be doing something dangerous, or I’m going to be upset.”

He winced at her admonishment and sensed her protective nature kicking into high gear. Upsetting her was the last thing he wanted, because vampires weren’t particularly pleasant to be around when they were angry.

“No, really. I thought this out already, and it’s perfectly safe,” he reassured her. “This is just playtime for adults, that’s all.”

Silence.

“Perhaps,” she hedged in a milder tone. “Tell me more, I suppose.”

“Okay. I’m somewhere outside, not far from the estate. You just need to come looking for me. But you have to tag me before the time limit expires.”

“Hm,” she replied. “Sounds intriguing. What do I win if I beat the time limit?”

He was perplexed, not having anticipated the need for prizes. But then inspiration struck, and he smiled. “Tonight, the prize is a foot massage,” he declared proudly.

“Both feet?” she teased.

He adopted a bland expression and replied flatly, “Yes, both feet.”

“Ankles too?” she pressed as she resumed typing on her computer keyboard.

She sure enjoys spending time on her computer
. He sighed and agreed, “Okay, ankles too.”

He shook his head over the bargaining required just to get a vampire to chase him around the woods.
Just wait until I tell Alton about this.

“Okay,” she agreed. “When does this start, and how much time do I get?”

“Let’s say a ten minute time limit, which starts as soon as I hang up the phone,” he ventured.

He heard her chuckle.

“I’ll be seeing you very soon, my love.”

The line went dead, and he realized with a smirk that she had been the one to hang up the phone to initiate the game.
That whole alpha control thing
, he mused. He also found her overt sense of confidence somewhat unnerving and wondered just what kind of game Alton had signed him up for.

Caleb put his phone away and slipped his glove back on. He waited, listening to the sound of the wind rustling through the trees around him. The dry branches clicked against one another in a cacophony, and he strained to listen for the sound of crunching leaves that might indicate she was nearby.

* * * *

Katrina hung up the phone, clicked the mouse to close her browser, and replaced her slippers with running shoes. She considered her jeans and long-sleeved knit shirt in the mirror, ultimately deciding they were perfectly fine for her endeavor.

She grabbed her house key and hurried to the front door. After setting the alarm, she pulled the door closed behind her and took a moment to take in the cold, crisp night air.
It’s a beautiful night
.

She walked to Caleb’s car and paused beside it while smelling the night air, categorizing its scents. Cocking her head to one side, she listened for telltale noises. She walked to the side gate serving as her property’s access to the adjacent neighborhood park and paused while smelling near the gate handle, but failed to detect Caleb’s scent.

Frowning, she considered other avenues of egress. The only other reasonable place was the driveway gate, and she raced over to it. Instead of using the gate code, she effortlessly leapt over the wrought iron structure. After landing on the other side with catlike reflexes, she sniffed the air for his scent. However, given the blowing wind and the intelligence of her mate, she anticipated he would be somewhere downwind of her. She listened again for any sounds that might give him away and darted around the area in the fast-moving pace of which only vampires were capable. However, she was careful to be wary of approaching cars or other humans that might be nearby.

She spent almost six minutes moving in a circular pattern hoping for a quick hit on his location before appreciating how challenging her mate’s impromptu game was proving to be. Then she paused in the woods, not far from the neighborhood park, and caught a whiff of Caleb’s scent. Listening to the rhythm of nature’s sounds, she separated them out individually.

Her hearing filtered out the wind, the tree branches hitting against each other, the rustling of leaves, and the flap of an owl’s wings as it flew overhead. Abruptly, she picked out the unusual sound of other movement nearby. Something or someone was rustling leaves while moving among the trees less than fifty yards from her. She heard the sound of a man’s voice quietly chuckling and knew immediately it was Caleb. She glanced at her watch to note how much time she had left and stealthily moved towards her target.

* * * *