Belonging (10 page)

Damian

He’d been completely gutted. His Analise was in so much pain. What in the hell had happened to her in only twenty-odd years to create such a fierce distrust of people? He hoped he would find out soon enough from the research T was currently conducting, because he doubted very much he’d get it from Analise.

The sad thing was he could relate to her on so many levels. He’d known almost unendurable pain in his life as well. Time helps heal but it doesn’t erase. He was in a far better place now, but even after all this time, that pain was always there. Always a dull ache. Surprisingly, Analise had made that dull ache disappear.

She was the salve to his soul and he knew he was to hers. Even if she wouldn’t admit it. The lyrics of Coldplay’s “Fix You” ran through his head. They would fix each other. This was why they were fated. They were the healing ointment each other so desperately needed. Together, they would be repaired.

Whole.

Complete.

She was going to completely freak when he sprung the Moira thing on her. She would run away faster than Usain Bolt. So how would he get past her guard?
Could
he get past her guard? He had to. He had no choice. She was already becoming deeply important to him and not only on a sexual level. Make no mistake; he wanted her body with a ferocity that bordered on insanity. His balls ached. His cock would wear the imprint of his zipper before morning. How he was going to lie here with her sweet body wrapped around him for the next several hours and not take her was beyond his comprehension. But he would do it. For her.

He hadn’t intended for anything to happen when he checked on her, but sexual tension crackled and sparked in the air. They both felt it. He should have just left her sleeping, but she was fitful. And her skin beckoned to him like a siren’s song. He simply couldn’t resist touching her.

And when she opened her mouth, feisty words spilled out. It got him rock hard every time she did that. She pushed every one of his buttons when she verbally sparred with him. Before he knew it, she was rocking her pussy on his cock and coming apart in his arms. It was the most erotic sight he’d ever watched. She was simply stunning. And she was his. He’d wanted to throw her on the bed, fuck her hard once before making love to her all night slowly, sweetly. He’d wanted to hear her moan his name as he made her come so many times she lost count.

Then her tears tore him up. She’d needed to be comforted, not fucked.

Utter despair poured from her when she’d said she didn’t want to be another notch to him. How she could think that was incomprehensible, but of course, she didn’t know what he did—they were meant to be together. What he’d wanted to say, but didn’t dare, was not only did he
not
want another woman, but there would never be another woman for him. She’d erased any memory of other women before her. She was it. She would always be
it
for him. But she was
not
ready to hear those words just yet.

Trust was the key to Analise’s heart, so he had to approach this carefully. Break her trust once, lose her forever, Moira or not. Guilt beat at his conscience for checking into her background. Unfortunately though, not enough to call it off. He just had to make sure she never found out.

He needed to formulate a plan to keep her with him. Get her to Boston. He had to return day after tomorrow to take care of a few business dealings, one of them being to check on Grina, his new club. There was no way in hell he was leaving her here. He would simply have to turn up his megawatt charm full blast. She fought him—
fought herself
—but wasn’t immune to their passion as he’d found out twice this evening.

He aimed to find out what really brought her to town, because it sure as hell wasn’t to serve Spotted Cow and fried cheese curds. She had a voice like an angel; singing on the stage of even Dev’s posh club was beneath her. And how did she come to know of Dev anyway? All questions he would try to get answered tomorrow. She also hadn’t denied knowing he was vampire. Tomorrow he would get her to admit it.

He was too on edge to sleep, so instead he simply enjoyed the feeling of holding his Moira close to him. Hearing her heart beat against his chest, in time with his. Listening to her soft, slow breaths. Breathing in her unique scent. Lavender and slight musk from her earlier orgasm.

He was falling for her hard and fast. And there was no place he would rather be than right here with her tucked next to him.

C
hapter
16

Analise

She woke with strong arms wrapped around her, sun streaming around the edges of the closed blinds. Laying completely still, she blinked away the remaining morning fog. Memories of the night before came flooding back.
Damian
.

Fainting.

Concussion.

Kissing.

Limousine.

Orgasm.

She inwardly groaned. Her reaction to Damian bordered on embarrassing. No…embarrassment was just a speck now in her rear view mirror. It was impulsive, irrational, uncontrolled. She couldn’t rationalize her insane attraction to him and it was really screwing with her head.

Why, oh why didn’t she tell him to leave when he’d pulled her into his hard, sexy body last night? It would make this morning’s fortress rebuilding process that much easier if she didn’t have to breathe in his delicious scent with every single pull of oxygen. He smelled of spice, danger and sex. He smelled all male. She should breathe through her mouth. No…bad idea. Then she would just taste him instead.
Ugh
.

She lay there quietly, mentally rebuilding the stronghold around her heart brick by brick. She envisioned laying the bricks, then the mortar. Bricks, mortar. Bricks, mortar.

“I can hear the wheels spinning, kitten. What’s going on in that head of yours so early?”

Sigh
. The brick building was not nearly far enough along yet and his husky voice just knocked down a few rows.

“Must you be so annoying first thing in the morning?”

He simply laughed. The sound rolled over her, as soothing as gentle ocean waves crashing on the beach.
Build faster, Analise. Bricks, mortar. Bricks, mortar.

“How did you know I was awake, anyway?” Subject change. She didn’t feel like fighting before she at least had a chance to brush her teeth.

“Well, don’t you know us vampires have a very keen sense of perception?”

She stilled. Her heart beat out of its chest. That was the second time he’d referenced being a vampire. She’d ignored it the first time and he let her. Maybe if she did the same thing this time, he’d let it go again.

“I can feel your pulse increase, Analise. I hear the blood rushing through your veins, your arteries, keeping your organs alive. I’ve had to lie here for hours listening to it pumping through your body. Your intoxicating scent calls my name. It cries to me on a primal level.”

Holy fuck
. She scrambled to get up, but ended up flat on her back, over two hundred pounds of very sexy, very aroused, very angry vampire pinning her to the mattress, hands held immobile above her head. She couldn’t speak. She should be petrified, but instead her core liquefied. She’d lost complete control of her body now, in addition to her mouth. Could things get much worse?

“I can smell your arousal, kitten. It’s driving me out of my goddamn mind.” He took a deep breath, closing his eyes for a moment. When he opened them, he pinned her with a hard glare, eyes alight with desire. And anger. “Why did you come to Dragonfly?”

She swallowed, hard.
Yes
. Yes, things could get worse. She opened her mouth to speak when he spoke over her.

“And don’t even think of lying to me Analise. I can smell subterfuge a mile away and you, my kitten, are full of it. The truth.” He ran his nose along the side of her neck, nipping along the way. Her breath hitched. Her eyes closed. Pleasure ricocheted throughout her body.

“I’m waiting,” he groaned while continuing his assault, this time moving to the other side of her neck. Was she arching to give him better access?
Oh my God Analise! Have you no shame?

“I-I can’t think when you’re doing that?”

He chuckled. “Was that a question or a statement, kitten?”

“Stop.” She couldn’t take any more of his seduction. She’d be naked in less than sixty seconds if she didn’t get him to stop. He pulled back, a smug look on his face. He was so stunning it almost hurt to look at him.

“Get off me.”

“Answer the question.” He turned deadly serious. She still wasn’t frightened, even though she could sense his darkness. Turned out she believed him when he said he’d protect her. Maybe not the heart part, but she knew he wouldn’t physically harm her.

“I want to know why you were at Dragonfly and why you were looking for Devon,” he demanded. She was not getting out of it this time.

What the hell, why not? She didn’t trust him; well…maybe she did a little. Right now, he was her only shot at finding Beth.

“My friend is missing and I heard that the owner of Dragonfly may have the resources to help find her.”

He regarded her for a moment. “And how did you hear about the owner of Dragonfly?”

Now this she was
not
revealing. He would start digging too deep and she wasn’t prepared to answer questions about her past. Not now. Not ever. Least of all to someone she found so attractive. If he ever found out the things that she had done…well, she just wasn’t going there.

“I plead the fifth.”

“Jesus, Analise. This isn’t a court of law. You can’t plead the fifth.”

“I think I can and I think I did. Next question.” Bastard.

His head fell back on his shoulders and he took a deep breath. “You are the most infuriating woman I’ve ever met.”

“Pot, meet kettle.”

He laughed. A full belly laugh that echoed through her body, on account of the fact he was still sitting on top of her. Her confined arms were starting to tingle.

“Fine, I’ll let it go. For now.” He leaned down until their noses were almost touching, not even trying to hide his now glowing eyes. “So you know Devon is vampire?”

She nodded slightly, never breaking eye contact. The fact that she wanted him to stop talking and kiss her senseless wasn’t lost on her when a minute ago she wanted to throttle him. Her emotions were as jumbled as a Sudoku puzzle around him.

“And you know that I’m vampire as well?” Desire emanated from him, his eyes glowing more brightly than ever before. They were spectacular, mesmerizing. Golden light bathed her face.

She nodded. His gaze shifted to her lips and she licked them unconsciously.

“And you’re not afraid of me?” For the first time since she’d met Damian DiStephano she sensed his cocksure bravado falter, though he tried to hide it. The answer to his question was more important than he would let on.

She softened her voice and let her body relax, answering honestly. “No.”

The word had no sooner left her lips than his mouth crashed to hers. She didn’t hold back one ounce of desire for him. She couldn’t fight this insane attraction to him anymore. He’d woken up something inside her and she craved the warmth it provided. He made her feel alive.

His kisses were bruising, punishing. She relished it. She craved his dominance. It was refreshing to turn herself completely over to someone. Gentle fingers stroked up and down her arm, her torso. A complete dichotomy to the way he pillaged her mouth. Her legs had eased open and once again, his denim-covered cock rocked against her most sensitive parts. His free hand cupped her breast, his thumb rubbing circles around her areola, not quite touching her hardened nub. She ached for his mouth on her.

As if sensing her need, he pulled her pajama top up and took the rigid peak into his hot mouth. It was pure rhapsody. He sucked and nibbled. A long moan escaped her. His hips never stopped their assault and she could feel her wetness seeping through her thin terry shorts. Her head was spinning; sensation overwhelmed her. He was everywhere, but not close enough.

His hand snaked down between their writhing bodies, over the outside of her soaked bottoms. The long, deep groan that left his throat lit her up inside. She was so drenched now she should be embarrassed, but she wasn’t. Instead, she felt empowered because he loved it. He slipped a finger underneath her tiny bottoms and dragged it through her saturated slit.

“Christ, Analise,” he whispered before roughly taking her mouth again. His kiss was ripe with lust, longing, and an unspoken promise.

Her sex ached with emptiness and she moved her hips in an attempt to coax him into working her sex faster, moving his fingers inside her. But he took his time exploring, starting at the top of her lightly curled mound, down one side of her outer lips and back up the other, like he was mentally mapping every dip, every curve, every nuance. Her arousal now coated the entire hot space between her thighs.

“Damian, please,” she unashamedly begged.

Careful to avoid her clit, he finally pushed one, then quickly two fingers inside her craving body and she could have wept with unadulterated joy. She’d never experienced pleasure like this at the hands of any man.

He broke the kiss, murmuring, “Your pussy feels like silk, kitten. Hot. Smooth. Mine.”

Oh. My. Sweet. Lord.

His wicked tongue forged a wet path back toward her engorged breast while his talented fingers never stopped their sensual assault to take her over the edge. He cleverly curled his fingertips inside her just right, as his thumb finally circled her sweet spot. She rode his hand now with complete abandon, never needing to reach a climax more in her life, while at the same time trying to stave it off as long as possible to draw out this unimaginable pleasure.

“Come. Now, kitten.”

His hot mouth closed tightly over her hard nipple, taking the nub between his sharp teeth. When he bit down, pain and pleasure collided, setting off an unexpected orgasm. Ecstasy coursed through every single cell as she bucked and thrashed beneath him. She heard herself moan his name as waves of bliss overtook her, scattering all thought into the stratosphere.