Alpha Vampire Romance: Vampire’s Mate (Paranormal Shapeshifter Alpha Demon Vampire Romance) (Coming of Age Werewolf BBW Shifter Women’s Fiction Short Stories) (78 page)

“That was . . . ” He started, but he didn’t have words for it.

“Incredible. The best sex you’ve ever had. Hot as hell.”

He smiled and leaned in to kiss her once more. She nipped at his lower lip with her teeth and he pulled back.

“Don’t start again.” He waved a finger at her. “Don’t get me wrong. I’d love to do that again, but I’d like to have a little more room next time.”

“I have an apartment.” A grin split her lips.

“That sounds great. How soon can we be there?”

“Five minutes. Three if I ignore the stop signs.”

“Ignore ‘em.” He said and placed a hand on her thigh.

They laughed together as she backed out of the alley and drove to her apartment. They pulled up outside and she put the car in park. Gabriel jumped out before Samantha, ran to her side of the car and opened her door for her. When she smiled up at him, his heart skipped a couple of beats and he felt a dull throb in his groin. He scooped her up into his arms and kicked the door of her car shut with his foot. As he carried her up the stairs to her apartment on the second floor, she gave him directions in between kissing him on the neck.

By the time she got the door unlocked and opened he was ready for a second go. She pointed to the bedroom, but he could see a couch and decided that it was plenty good enough. He sat her down and she stripped off her clothing as he did the same. He started to bend down, but she held out her hands and pushed him back. He opened his mouth to ask her what she was doing, but she let him know. She slid to her knees in front of him and took him in her hands. She rubbed up and down his length. As he grew hard under her touch, she took his member into her mouth. The feel of her lips and tongue as it worked in circles drove him crazy. He sucked air through his clenched teeth and let out a moan of pure ecstasy. When he felt that he was near climax he reached down and took her by the arms. He wrapped his muscular arms around her, placed her up against the wall, and lifted her onto his shoulders. He grew even more aroused at her surprised cry at how easily he lifted her onto his shoulders. She moaned loudly and barely suppressed a cry of pleasure as he used his tongue on her. He felt her shudder as an orgasm rocked her body. She bucked against him wildly, but he held her easily and used his tongue as another orgasm made her quake.

Gabriel lowered her from his shoulders and let her slide down the wall. She let out a small moan as slid into her and then they were one together. He did most of the work at first, but she soon found the rhythm and began to move with him. His muscles bulged as he held her against the wall and thrust into her. He sped up his rhythm as he neared climax. They came together as he lifted her from the wall and finished as he held her up in the center of the room. As the orgasm took her, she dug her nails into his back and screamed with pleasure. He tilted his head back and moaned loudly.

He moved over to the couch and gently sat her down. They both panted like they had just run a marathon. Gabriel slumped onto the couch beside her and let out a contented sigh. She ran a playful hand through his long hair.

“You are something else. I’ve never had sex like that before.”

“Neither have I.” He admitted and smiled. “But I wouldn’t mind doing it again.”

“Right now?” She asked with a hungry look in her eyes.

“God no.” He shook his head. “I’m so thirsty that I could drink a gallon of water.”

“How about a beer?” She stood up and started for the small kitchen in the back of the apartment.

“Make it two.” He called after her and she let out a laugh. I think I’m in love with this girl, he thought. He knew that once dragons found their mate they fell helplessly and hopelessly in love. That’s what happened tonight, he told himself. You’ve fell for her and you don’t even know if she likes you. Sure she had sex with you, but maybe she was just looking for a one night stand.

Samantha came back with three beers and sat two of them down on the coffee table in front of him. He grabbed up the first one and twisted the lid off. The liquid felt divine as it passed his lips and made its way down his throat. He drank the first beer in one long swallow and sat it back on the table. He did the same with the second beer, but he only drank about half before he stopped.

“I sure wouldn’t want to pay for your drinking.” She laughed and took a drink from her own beer.

“What can I say? I was thirsty.” He grinned sheepishly. “Listen, there is something I need to ask you. Something important.”

“Oh. What is that?”

“I...well, I don’t really know how to say this, but when a dragon falls for a woman he falls hard. There is only one woman compatible with each set of dragons. Since my brother is gone, it would only be me, but I have to ask . . . ”

“Hold it right there.” She held up her hand and Gabriel felt his heart sink, but she smiled. “I know what you are about to ask me. My grandmother told me all about dragon mothers and their mates. She also told me that they are the most loyal and fiercest lovers in the world.”

“That is true. Once we chose a mate we will never have another.”

“Good.” She took another drink of her beer. “Yes.”

“Yes?” He looked at her questioningly.

“Yes I will be a dragon mother and a mate to you.”

“Seriously?”

“Seriously.”

“Samantha. You’ve made me a happy man.”

“A happy dragon.” She said with a smile.

“How about round three?” He asked as he drained the last of his beer.

“Right now?”

“Right now.”

She nodded and stood to her feet. He took the hand she offered and she led him down a small hallway. “This time we’ll use the bed and I’ll do the work. How does that sound?”

“Sounds like something I could get used to.” He smiled.

“Well don’t.”

They shared a laugh as she opened the door and flung him on the bed. They made fiery love and as he lay with her in his arms he stared up at the ceiling. For the first time in a long time Gabriel cared whether or not he would wake up in the morning.

THE END

Bonus Story 20 of 25

Smoke Screen

Melanie Ironstone was nothing if not focused. When she got an idea in her head she went full steam ahead, and could get so engrossed she would not know what was going on around her. That is what happened when she realized there was a discrepancy with the financial disclosures she had been going over for her employer. She was the firm’s accountant, and the suits upstairs had decided an in-house audit would be necessary, so she was doing it.

It had begun fairly routine, but about halfway through the day she had found problems with the receipt records. Nothing big at first, regular discrepancies that could be found going over any books. But then she had found that the income and overhead weren’t matching up the way they should. So she dug deeper, and found that the problems could only be deliberate. Mel then began copying the information to a thumb drive that she could present to the boss in one neat package, explaining what she had found.

She was so engrossed that she did not notice the smell of smoke. She actually rubbed her eyes under her thick reading glasses, wondering why her eyes were stinging. It did not get her attention fully though as she was almost done. She finished the last of her file transfer and removed the thumb drive, putting it in the breast pocket of her flannel shirt. It was then that she noticed the smoke. Then she heard the sirens. The building was on fire!

Panicking, Mel jumped up and removed her reading glasses. Smoke was coming through the door that she had left cracked open. When she went to it she could see reflection of flames in the hallway. The heat was becoming intense. She knew there was no way she could get out via the hallway, so she turned back to the little window near the desk. It was a tiny little utility room she had been assigned so her options were not great. She threw open the window, inhaled the cool winter air with a gasp and began coughing. She could see the fire trucks five floors below and began waving. She tried to shout but the smoke caused her to start coughing. A few more deep breaths of clear air and she was able to scream for help.

“Up here! Help, please, up here!” she shouted waving frantically. More and more smoke was billowing into the little room, and out of the window. A man on a megaphone called out to her. She started to cry, feeling that it was the first step to being rescued.

“Stay where you are, we are coming to get you. Do not leave the window until help comes!” Mel waved acknowledgement of the message received. She waited for a few minutes but nothing happened. Men went into the building with hoses. More trucks pulled up and more hoses were hooked up. Water was being sprayed on the building but the smoke behind her kept getting thicker and it was harder and harder to find clear air and she was coughing again. Her eyes were watering from the acrid fumes when she saw a ladder being raised and extending toward her. She cried out again with fear, waving frantically, as if they could not see her. The ladder got closer and closer. In her mind it seemed to move so slowly and the heat was getting worse.

Black smoke kept billowing past her where she hung halfway out the window, trying to avoid the smoke, to no avail. She kept wiping her stinging eyes and then to her surprise she saw the end of the ladder and a fireman in the basket at the end. He was in full gear with ventilator and oxygen tank. Due to the angle of the ladder she had to stretch out for him to get close to her. She overreached and felt herself slipping forward and screamed. She heard the man shout something and lunge for her, grabbing her arms before she fell. She swung forward, hitting the side of the basket. Everything got hazy as she felt herself being hauled up. Mel could only see the man’s eyes through his faceplate; determined, compassionate eyes. She heard herself sobbing as she made it into the basket. The man was shouting something to the ground, she thought dizzily, it couldn’t be to her because she could not make out what he was saying. Time seemed to speed up and before she knew it she was on the ground, then on a stretcher that was soon in the back of an ambulance. When the sirens started and the medics put an oxygen mask on her, she relaxed into unconsciousness.

*****

The Accused

Mel lay in her hospital bed frustrated and angry. When she had woken she had been interviewed by a police officer about what happened, and then again by a good-looking fire investigator. It seemed her place of work had been deliberately set on fire. For a time, she was the main suspect! She, Melanie Ironstone! She had never even had a parking ticket and they thought she was an arsonist! What the hell, she wondered, taking a sip of her juice through the cheap little straws the hospital used.  She thought about it more and out of anger she got up and went looking for her clothes. She was feeling fine other than a little dizziness. The doctors had given her lungs the all-clear, and she was ready to go home. Let them accuse her there, she told herself.

She went into the bathroom and the clothes she had been wearing were folded on a shelf, clean and laundered. She changed out of the embarrassing hospital gowns into her jeans, tank top and warm flannel shirt.

The nurse arrived. “Hello, Miss Ironstone? Are you in there?” she said. Mel’s nurse was a pretty little woman with the voice of a wood chipper, she thought.

“Yeah, I am in here. What do you need?” Mel said, not bothering to be too polite.

“You have visitors ma’am,” the nurse growled at her.

“Out in a minute,” she told her and finished dressing.

She had been allowed a shower earlier in the day so she was clean at least. She put her long red hair into a pony tail and tucked her shirts into her pants, trying to look as presentable as she could.

Mel walked out of the bathroom and saw the good-looking fire investigator and another man. The second man was bigger, very strong-looking with black hair and a goatee. The investigator was a few inches shorter than the big guy’s six two. He had red hair and was clean shaven.

“Hello Mr. Morgan, are you here to interrogate me further?” she asked sarcastically. It really annoyed her that she was a suspect. The big guy’s lips twitched as if he were suppressing a smile. There was something familiar about him but she could not put her finger on it. He was watching her interaction with the investigator.

“Actually I am here to tell you that you have been cleared, for now. You are free to go but if we need more information we would be grateful for anything you can give us. It was definitely arson, but it is a peculiar case. That being said I also wanted to introduce you to Lieutenant Max Cronkite of District Fourteen’s fire house. You met briefly the other night,” he said.

Mel looked closer at the man, frowning slightly. She thought she should remember a man like that, and then she saw it. His eyes, his eyes! She smiled big for him.

“You were on the ladder. I remember! Thank you very much for saving me. You risked yourself to haul my butt to safety. Thank you Mr. Cronkite,” she said, feeling like she was blabbering. She had dreamed of the horrific night several times and he was her savior every time. He came forward and took her hand. His eyes were beautiful, she thought as she gazed into them.

“You are very welcome Miss Ironstone. It is my pleasure; I hope I am not intruding. I like to meet survivors of fires. It is a reminder of the importance of the job we do,” he said.

Mel nodded somberly. She knew that the building’s janitor and his son had died in the fire. They had been in the basement and that was one of the places that the fire had been the fiercest. Mel understood why meeting survivors would be such a good reminder for the fire fighters. When every call could result in human lives being lost, it would be a good re-enforcement of how vital the job was to see the successes.

“Well I hope you know the work you do is very much appreciated,” she told him and could not stop herself from hugging him with a sudden lump in her throat. When she backed away she looked at the investigator.

“Thank you for letting him visit. It’s good to meet somewhere other than a fire truck basket,” she told him and he smiled.

“It is my pleasure as well. I have known Max for years and he is one of the best officers we have. Now, there are some inconsistencies with the fire we were both hoping you could help us with. We do not believe you had anything to do with it, but we are searching for other information. If you are ready to leave, can we buy you lunch and have you taken home,” he said.

Mel could see concern in Mr. Morgan’s eyes as much as in Max’s and thought she may have to change her mind about him. Well she thought, wait and see.

“I was about to leave on my own so your timing is excellent. Know any good delis?” she asked, lightheartedly.

In New York everyone has a favorite deli. They laughed and suggested whatever Mel’s favorite was since they would be taking her home too. She chose Darrel’s Deli; it was a block from her apartment and had great soup. After she checked out of the hospital, they took her to Darrel’s in an official fire department vehicle. It was a little pickup truck with the district number on the side, 14. Mel sat in the extra cab seat because she could not feel good about making the big man cram himself into such a little seat. They arrived at the deli, got a booth and ordered fairly quickly.

“I am glad to hear I am off the suspect list. What can I do to help?” she asked them. They exchanged glances.

“You are off of
my
list, definitely. Others still think you are a good suspect. I want to reassure you that we…do not,” he told her. Mel’s eyes narrowed.

“Who thinks I am a good suspect? I have never broken a law in my life for goodness’ sake,” she told them firmly with some irritation. Mr. Morgan looked at her with sympathy.

“Well, we can find no evidence that would work in court or even a motive that makes sense. Your employers have been speaking to a few commissioners in the city and they are listening. Considering there is nothing that makes sense about it we are at a loss as to why they are focused on you. They are going to get nothing back from insurance claims, since it is obviously arson. As I told you before, the fire started in two places at the same time and you were busy working from that room upstairs. The computer internet connection and your phone use prove that. Do you have any idea why you are the focus for your company?”

The waitress came by and delivered their orders. Mel always became hungry when frustrated, so the food was right on time. She thought about it while starting her lunch.

“All I was doing was an internal audit, they happen from time to time. Nothing ever comes…oh shit,” she said, remembering what she had found. Still, she wondered what that would have to do with anything.

“I did find some discrepancies in the books. They actually looked pretty severe. I figured that the boss would want to see them and investigate. I don’t know why that would get me in trouble, especially since I haven’t got a chance to tell the company about it,” she told them before taking another spoonful of soup. The minestrone was excellent as always. It helped her relax. Max looked at the investigator.

“What do you think Dave? It would seem an extreme reaction to some financial squirleyness wouldn’t it?” Max asked.

“Hm, maybe. Depends on how much it was and what kind of trouble it could get them in. Torch the place and blame it on someone else has been done before,” he reflected looking over at Mel. Mel dipped the last of her sandwich into the last of her soup and as usual, once she was relaxed and fed, her mind kicked into gear again. With the release of the initial stress she began noticing everything that should have occurred to her earlier. She felt more than a little stupid.

“Okay this is going to sound stupid guys but if my boss thinks I did it, I should be out of a job, right. I mean I haven’t heard a word from them. No one from work came by the hospital. Isn’t that strange?” she asked. They both nodded.

“Yes, it is. Then again there is no real proof other than you, the janitor and his son were the only people in the building at the time the fire started. So without proof you could have a case against them for firing you without cause,” Dave said.

“So me being there is the only reason they think I did it. I was only there for the internal audit they ordered. I realize it was late but once I get started on something I don’t like to stop before I am done. It is how I usually work,” she told them shrugging. She took some flak for her single-mindedness sometimes, but had got used to it.

“They ordered? How much trouble could they get into with what you found if someone outside the company discovered it?” Dave asked. Mel thought about it. She glanced at Max and he smiled encouragingly. It was a devastatingly handsome smile and she looked away to stay focused.

“I would guess quite a bit if the misallocation of funds I found was actually the company’s doing, instead of one executive they could blame it on,” she told them. They thought about that a moment while finishing their own lunches.

“You were right Melanie; this place has good food. How about this, they were doing something shady and knew that they would be caught soon if they did not make it disappear. So they ordered an internal audit, and torched the evidence. My guess is you were the one they wanted to die in the fire,” Max said softly. Mel was stunned. Dave nodded.

“Even though she did not, the evidence is gone and they can deflect any blame to her as a survivor. Considering the fire though, my guess is blaming you Melanie was a spur of the moment thing. You were lucky Max was able to get to you in time,” he said.