Crave the Night (37 page)

She connected with the side of his head and
his vision went dark. As he staggered, Dak blinked hard, trying to
shake off the dizziness. He succeeded in time to see Mary Beth
knock Nicole's knives from her grip and move in for the kill. Damn
it, he should have known this would happen.

With a curse, Dak dove into the fray. By the
time he turned the vampire's attention onto him, Nicole was
bleeding. White-hot fury threatened to swamp him and he fought it
as fiercely as he fought Mary Beth.

He disengaged and broke away to assess the
situation. The good news was that his berserker assault had gotten
him and Nicole out of the corner. On the bad news side, he'd taken
more hits from the vampire and some were gashes. His body had
already begun to heal them, but he couldn't afford to fight much
longer.

This time when Dak reached mentally for
Nicole, he anchored his mind to hers. She'd retrieved her weapons
and she wasn't badly hurt. That helped him clear his head
further.

Mary Beth looked dazed. Now was the best
time to use the bit of magic he had and get the hell out of
here.

Calling on every last scrap of energy he
possessed, Dak powered up and let loose with a lightning bolt.
Without waiting to see the results, he grabbed Nicole's hand and
ran.

He was breathing hard within a couple of
blocks. Damn, he couldn't remember the last time he'd been this
weakened. He needed to go to ground and recover. Looking to the
east, he saw the sky had started to lighten—only a touch. It wasn't
dawn yet, but it was close enough that Mary Beth would have to
think twice about pursuing them.

Dak, are we just going
to run or do we have somewhere to go?

He could have answered her mentally, their
mind link remained in place, but he spoke aloud. Maybe to assure
himself that he could maintain that small amount of distance with
her. "I thought we'd go to my place."

"I'm not entering the demon world."

Obstinate. Unfortunately, that got him hot.
Although anything she did would have that effect on him—she was his
mate and adrenaline needed an outlet. "That's not where I
live."

Surprise and confusion from Nicole, but her
voice revealed none of that when she asked, "Where is your home
then?"

Looking over his shoulder, he said, "Los
Angeles. I live in LA."

Nicole could barely see straight by the time
they reached Dak's home. If she'd ever been this aroused before,
she had no memory of it. He hadn't kissed her yet, had done nothing
but hold her hand, and she was so freaking ready for him that it
would be embarrassing if she didn't know he was every bit as
primed.

She shifted from foot to foot, impatiently
waiting for him to unlock the door. As soon as he got it open, she
shot inside. And stopped short.

The converted warehouse had an open floor
plan, gleaming hardwood floors, marble counters in the kitchen,
floor to ceiling windows that showed an incredible view of the
city, and a curving staircase up to a loft. Nicole wasn't sure what
she'd expected, but something this expensive wasn't it.

He closed the door and her thoughts
derailed. She turned to face him and saw Dak's eyes burning red.
For a moment, he studied her, then one side of his mouth quirked up
as he headed toward her. His stride seemed predatory and that made
her hotter.

Dak shrugged out of his jacket and tossed it
to the floor. She could see the slashes in his T-shirt where the
vampire's claws had torn him, but the flesh underneath had already
healed.

By the time he stopped in front of her, she
was breathing fast and her heart was pounding. There was no doubt
in her mind that her own eyes glowed as brightly as his did. Nicole
lowered her gaze, but instead of helping her regain control, she
zeroed in on his erection.

Reminding herself that he was supposed to be
an enemy didn't cool her off. Dak felt like her best friend, like
someone she could trust. He'd saved her more than once and
protected her at his own expense. She couldn't hate him.

"Look at me," he ordered, voice harsh.

She raised her eyes and nearly moaned at the
absolute inferno she saw in his gaze.

"The first time, it's gonna be hard and
fast. I don't have much control. Are you as ready for me as I'm
sensing?"

Nicole gulped and tried to speak, but
she couldn't manage to form words. Instead, she sent him her
response.
Oh, yeah. Oh, hell,
yeah.

He didn't grab her like she expected. Dak
reached out and trailed the tips of his fingers lightly across her
cheekbone. "Everything's going to be different afterward—for both
of us. There's no going back, so be sure."

I'm sure. I want you,
Dak, more than I want my next breath.

"Yeah, me, too." He cupped her cheek with
his hand and leaned in. Despite his claim of having no control, the
kiss was tender, a mere brush of his lips over hers.

His gentleness crumbled the last wall she'd
held between them, and she clutched at his waist, trying to anchor
herself as the whole world turned upside down. As that barrier
fell, she could feel the restraint Dak was using to take it slow.
She leaned back, looked in his eyes, and with a soft growl, Nicole
tore open the snap of his jeans.

She started to lower the tab of the zipper,
but that was as far as she got. Dak moved her hands aside. Her
complaint was cut short when she realized he was trying to get her
jacket off. She twisted, helping him push it away.

Their hands became tangled up as they both
reached out at the same time. She won and stripped him out of his
shirt. Nicole's mouth went dry. He was incredible.

Broad shoulders, narrow waist, so many
perfectly defined muscles all begging for her touch. She barely
grazed his chest when Dak took her wrists, moved her arms to her
sides, and anchored them there. A muscle spasmed in his jaw and
that's when she remembered. "You don't want this." Her voice was
thick, hardly intelligible.

"I want you, don't doubt that."

Considering the hard-on he had going, she
didn't question his wanting her, but there was more than sex at
stake. "You said you'd be pissed if we ended up mated."

His lips quirked. "And I will be, but not
with you. Should I stop?"

"No!" Nicole was sure of that. "If you leave
me hanging—"

Dak released her and reached for the hem of
her tank top. Before it hit the floor, he had her bra unhooked.
That followed her shirt. For an endless moment, he did nothing
except stare, then with a guttural groan, he tugged her against
him. Just the feel of his chest hair against her nipples was enough
to make her eyes close and her head fall back.

It aroused her further to feel him shudder
against her. She wasn't the only one who loved this. He did,
too.

Her hands went back to his zipper, trying to
get the damn thing down so she could curl her hand around him.
Nicole needed to feel his heat. Had to feel it.

He nudged her aside, lowered it himself. The
instant it was down, she had her fingers at the waistband, pushing
his jeans and briefs to his thighs. She was barely aware of him
stripping them off. She was mesmerized—his erection was as gorgeous
as the rest of him. Nicole licked her lips and started to sink to
her knees. She wanted him in her mouth.

Dak pulled her upright and she moaned a
protest.

If you give me head,
I'll come in about two seconds.

"Later?" she asked.

His eyes sparked a brighter red, but that
was his only answer. Dak's mouth covered hers, plundered wildly and
Nicole wrapped her arms around his neck, holding on tight as the
universe spun madly.

Cool air touched her thighs. She hadn't
realized he'd gotten her jeans down until then. Nicole stepped on
the backs of her shoes to get them off and wiggled until she could
kick free of the pants. Her panties went next and she gasped as his
fingers slid between her folds. She was so damn wet already and he
just made her wetter.

I warned you—hard and
fast.

He didn't break their kiss and Nicole
decided she could get used to this mind-talk stuff if it had
benefits like this. But there was the slightest hesitation in how
Dak stroked her, as if he was waiting for her to give him an
okay.

Nicole moved back, wrapped her hand around
his hard-on, and caressed him. He dampened her palm and she smiled.
She wasn't the only one at fever pitch. The urge to bite him came
on suddenly, and before she could stop herself, she leaned forward
and sank her teeth into his skin where his shoulder and neck
met.

Dak jerked in her hand.

Nicole started to apologize until
realization dawned. The biting meant something. It meant that she'd
claimed Dak as hers. Only hers, forever hers, and she wanted
him—all of him—now.

With seemingly no effort, he lifted
her.
Wrap your legs around me.

It took a second for the request to
register, then Nicole did as he wanted. She could feel his hard
shaft between them and she tried to rock, but he held her too
firmly.

Nicole leaned down for a kiss and this time
she was the plunderer, exploring every part of his mouth. Dak
started walking, but she didn't care where he was going. She'd take
this male anywhere, anytime, any way she could get him.

She gasped against his lips as cold stone
met her bare bottom. Leaning back, she looked around. He'd put her
on the kitchen counter. Nicole tensed her leg muscles, pulling him
in closer.

Dak had moved away slightly and Nicole
reached for him, guiding his head to her entrance. The feel of him
sliding into her made parts of her tighten while other parts went
liquid and melty. She tried to hurry him up, but he ignored her. If
this was his idea of hard and fast, she wasn't sure she'd survive
slow and gentle.

Their eyes met as he filled her.
Clenching her inner muscles around him, she brushed his dark hair
off his forehead.
Nothing in my life has
ever felt as good as this,
she told him.

Let's see if I can make
it better.

The thrust was short, measured, and not
nearly enough. Before she could complain, he began to move. He slid
almost all the way out of her before he stroked back in. Dak
watched her, his gaze intense, and Nicole read his worry; he
wondered if she could take him the way he needed her.

She couldn't find the right
combination of words to make him relinquish the last of his
self-command. Instead, she projected the jumble in her head and
sent,
More!

He moved. Like he'd promised, it was hard
and fast. And oh, so good. Nicole closed her eyes and hung on to
Dak. Every thrust pushed her higher. Her own control disappeared
and she clung tighter as sensations rushed in. Not only hers, but
his, too.

She was sharing his pleasure. Sharing hers
with him.

The groan felt torn from her soul and Nicole
arched harder into Dak's next stroke. She wanted him as deep as she
could get him. She wanted him joined to her for always.

Orgasm roared closer and Nicole craved it.
She didn't have to tell him—Dak knew. He knew and he shifted
slightly, his fingers coming out to tease the nipple of one breast.
She hadn't gotten his mouth there yet. She wanted that. Needed
it.

Her eyes popped open when she felt his
tongue trace around her areola. She looked down, saw his dark head
bent to her breast, and clenched.

And then she started coming. Nicole couldn't
prevent her eyes from closing, couldn't keep her head from falling
back.

So good. So freaking
good.

He lightly bit her nipple and the orgasm
intensified. Dak clutched her hips harder, pulled her into him with
each stroke, and she knew he was getting ready to come, too. She
wanted that. Wanted him to find the pleasure he was giving her.

Dak nipped at her collarbone, her throat.
Her orgasm began to ease up. And then he did it.

He bit her neck where it met her
shoulder.

The same place she'd bitten him when she'd
claimed him. Her orgasm screamed back. Dak started coming, she
could feel it, feel him, and it was even better. Even better.

She reached out psychically for Dak. There
was a pool of energy shimmering there between them. He was already
anchored in it, and Nicole did the same, sending herself deep into
the sea. There was a rumble in her ears, as if there were an
earthquake inside the core of who she was.

Nicole wasn't sure how long it took before
the world came back into focus, but Dak was still inside her, still
partially hard, and she was still vibrating from her orgasms. Her
forehead was on his shoulder and his hands lightly stroked her
back.

She felt...good. Content. Not alone. For the
first time since she lost her family, she had someone with whom she
belonged. Her mate.

That thought evaporated some of her
satisfaction. She was beginning to understand what Dak had meant
when he'd said everything would be different between them
afterward. It was. Before it had been a conscious effort to send
thoughts to him, but not any longer.

Her eyes opened. For a second, the sight of
him partially inside her eliminated her ability to think. Nicole
shook it off. "It's opposite now, isn't it?" she asked and raised
her head from his shoulder. "Instead of working to send information
to you, now I have to work to stop thoughts and emotions from
flowing to you."

"I warned you that this would change
things." Dak didn't reveal what he thought, not mentally, not in
tone of voice, and not in expression. "I also told you that if we
had sex you'd access your powers. You have."

Dak had changed the subject deliberately,
but while Nicole realized it, she didn't care. She was too
interested in what she'd just figured out. That shimmering pool
she'd seen, the one in which she'd anchored herself, was power.