Downbeat (Biting Love) (40 page)

“That’s for the ‘boy’ comment.”

“Which only proves it’s true.” She muttered it.

He laughed. Reversing to sit again, he triggered the rewind and the trapeze smoothly rose.

With her helping, it took three minutes to pack the gear. They escaped with five minutes to spare.

Enkidu would have his children’s hospital, and his vampire coup. And Dragan, for the first time in 1600 years, had his heart.

Arm in arm, he strolled with his wife into the warm Paris night.

“Where are we going now?” Rocky said.

“Where would you like to go?”

“Oh, I don’t know. Somewhere mad.” She laughed. “I’m still pumped with adrenaline.”

“A tavern?” He twirled her into an embrace and kissed her, long and sweet, to let her know his preferences right now didn’t run to crowds.

“Well, no. Not after that amount of tongue.”

“I know just the place.” He hooked her arm and strolled her along a few more scenic sidewalks, then stopped and gestured at five stories of tall narrow windows and cream stone. “Ta-da.”

“That looks old.” She cocked her head doubtfully at the building. “Like an 1800s townhouse. You know, the kind subdivided nowadays into mansion flats? One bathroom per floor, cranky plumbing. Although the Eifel Tower makes a rather dramatic backdrop.”

“That’s its appearance,” he agreed. He took her hand and led her to the gold and glass door. The lock clicked as they approached, courtesy of a very modern proximity lock. He opened the door for her.

“It was unlocked? It’s a public building?”

He only smiled.

The tiled entryway had been restored to its late 1800s glory; he’d enjoyed the Belle Epoque, the optimism and flourishing arts when they’d all stood on the cusp of modern times. Dark walls held post-Impressionist paintings and old photographs. Graceful Art Nouveau furnishings with countless carved details stood on lacquered wood floors accented with hand woven rugs.

“Is this a historical site?” she said.

“Here, yes.” Upstairs was completely modernized, with polished mosaics in colored woods for floors, off-white walls with ceiling moldings and crystal chandeliers. He’d had it completely remodeled the moment Rocky agreed to marry him.

But the ground floor was indeed like a museum. He led her into a large room with gold-veined mirrors on every wall and waited for her reaction.

“It’s gorgeous.” Her eyes were big and blue as she spun to take in the whole thing. “It looks like a ballroom.”

“It was a ballroom. Balls, musical soirees and the odd ballet.” He held out his hands. “Would you care to dance?”

“How romantic.” She came into his arms with a sigh. “It’s nice this place wasn’t broken up into flats. How long has it been a museum?”

He kissed the top of her head. “You like museums?”

“I love museums.” She snuggled into him. “Thanks. This is perfect.”

“It will be,” he murmured, and sang the introductory strains, after the solos, of Strauss’s “Tales from the Vienna Woods”. When he got to the main theme, he launched them into the first broad swirl of a waltz.

She squealed. “Dragan! I don’t know how to waltz.”

His answer was to twirl her around the room, singing loudly. She was feather light in his arms and moved with him as if she’d been born to it.

When he swung her in a particularly tight loop, she laughed. “This is fun! I thought it’d be like the
one-two-huh?
of boys tripping in gym class. This is better than a carnival ride.”

He continued to sing through his joy. She joined in, the flute part, naturally. He loved her a little more right then. So he had to, he really did.

He twirled her to a stop and kissed her. Her lips were soft and inviting and her tongue slid like velvet into his mouth. Other women’s tastes had paled in time; hers became richer more intoxicating with each kiss.

She began tugging him toward the door.

“What are you thinking,
drahý
?”

“Same thing you’re thinking. Let’s find a hotel room and—” she stood on tiptoe, pulled his head down to her and whispered in his ear, “—get naked.”

“Still so demure?” He kissed her temple down to her jaw. “Why leave? We can get naked right here.”

“Ooh.” She started to tremble under his lips. “But someone could walk in on us.”

“I know.” He licked her delicate earlobe. “Isn’t that naughty?”

She trembled harder. “That’s hot…in fantasy. But in reality? It’s public. Seduction doesn’t work here.”

“On the contrary, seduction works extremely well here.” He slid his hands under her top, gliding up the silky skin of her ribcage, enjoying her delighted shivers of response. “Baroness Dudevant may have seduced Jules Sandeau in this very room.”

“You mean George Sand?” She gasped when he cupped her breasts. “Maybe if we were hidden by a crush of people we could get a little naughty.” Her cheeks turned pink and he knew she was aroused imagining it. “But right in the middle of a bare room, the outside door unlocked?” He pinched her nipple and she shrieked. “Dragan! What if someone shows up?”

“They won’t.” He lifted her top and bra and licked one round breast. The nipple puckered prettily. “Since I own the place. It’s a home, not a museum.”

“Why you…” She stepped back. Her voice was dark with emotion.

Self-preservation would suggest he look at her expression to see if it was anger or arousal. But she’d left her top crumpled above her beautiful breasts and they claimed his complete, hungry focus.

So he didn’t see it coming when she punched him in the jaw. That got his attention.
 
He blinked up at her. She was standing with her hands over her open mouth. He said, “Why did you do that? You said this was romantic.”

“It was. It is. It’s also mortifying. I’m so sorry for the punch…but, Dragan, you let me believe we were in public. You knew I’d be embarrassed.” She winced, and started shaking her hand like it hurt. “Damn, you have bones of steel.”

“Beloved Rocky, I’m so sorry. I deserved that punch and more. My only defense is I also thought you’d find the danger of voyeurism erotic.”

“I did, sort of.”

He smiled slightly. Dared to tease, “Then you should know better than to go hard to hard.”

“I should, shouldn’t I?” She smiled ruefully at him. “I should have gone hard to soft. Hard.
Soft
.” A luscious full-body shudder went from head to toe. “Like hard
in
soft. Guess it was more erotic than I knew.”

“Shall we get naked then?”

“You mean more naked?” She glanced down at her breasts. Touched one puckered nipple and grimaced in pleasure. “I think I’m a bit beyond that. I don’t suppose there are any beds in this romantic place of yours?”

“As the matter of fact, yes. Let me show you.” He scooped her into his arms and carried her upstairs, where the next phase of seduction awaited. Although he got a little sidetracked when she pulled off her top completely and threw it away, then twined her arms around his neck, pressing her naked breasts against him, and began doing some interesting things to his ear with her hot mouth.

He was breathing raggedly and staggering by the time he managed to reach the bedroom and kick open the door. The perfume of a thousand rose petals filled the air.

She lifted her head. Her face glowed like the sun. “Oh, Dragan. It’s gorgeous.”

The bed was dressed in red silk and rose petals. Champagne chilled in a bucket nearby. He lay her reverently on the coverlet, kissed her, then took up the bottle. “Let’s celebrate.” He popped the cork, champagne gushing forth in exuberance.

She laughed. “What are we celebrating? The job?”

“Us.” He poured two glasses and handed her one. “The miracle that is you and I together.” He clinked his glass to hers, twined arms with her and sipped.

Watching him with big eyes over the rim, she sipped at the same time.

Even in this, they were matched. “You amaze me,
drahý.
Without rehearsal we move as one, in perfect ensemble.”

“We’ve had some practice. And frankly, while this is lovely, I’m ready for a more up-tempo tune.” She drank off her glass, set it on the nightstand, grabbed him by his shirt—and fell back onto the bed, using her weight to pull him down on top of her. He could have resisted, but why? He wanted to see what she had in mind. He still had his glass though, and it splashed champagne onto his chest.

“I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to do that.” Her cheeks were bright.

“Didn’t you?” Voice darkening with a sensual purr, he stood. “Because I’m all wet now. I’ll have to take off my clothes.”

Her eyes began to twinkle. “Aw.”

“You pretend innocence, but I think that was your plan all along.” A brief clench and release of his will blew his body into mist. He dropped his clothes but nothing else, so when he snapped back naked, the champagne trickled down the skin of his chest.

Her stare widened. Her blush traveled down her neck and flushed her breasts, which heaved prettily. Her nipples stood erect, tightly furled. She really had the most perfect breasts. He knelt with one knee on the bed and reached for them with both hands.

She grabbed his wrists and yanked him down onto her. Her mouth was already open and she branded him with her hot tongue. His nipples cranked up with a zing and his cock engorged with a rush of blood. “
Drahý
.” The word was panted. “You are wild in the bedroom.”

“With you I am. With you, I can be anything, everything I want to be.” She wrapped a leg around his hip and twisted. He found himself on his back, her seated on his hips, the damp press of her pants steaming him. She grabbed the champagne bottle and tilted it over his chest. He stopped breathing in anticipation of the thin trickle…she jerked the bottle. Champagne jumped out, splashing and fizzing joyfully onto his bare skin. He hissed his pleasure.

She set the bottle down, planted palms next to his chest and leaned into him, tongue first. Oh, she was so very clever with that strong, trained tongue. Touching it to him, dancing over his nipples, his skin, little pink flicks of tongue he could watch and anticipate and feel licking trails of fire along him.

She worked her way down his torso, peeking up when she reached the top of an arrow of rougher hair. She grinned and reached out with her tongue to continue her journey.

He grabbed her arms and flipped her. She landed on her back with a soft surprised
whuff
. He catapulted down her body, flipped open and unzipped her pants, and with one yank stripped her of them and her panties before she could even blink. Her pussy was already damp, her clitoris beginning to rise from her curls. He seized the champagne bottle and poured a stream directly onto her clit. She shrieked. “Fizzy?” he asked pleasantly. “
Cold
,” she said. “Let me warm you then,” he said, and pushed her thighs apart and French kissed her sweet pussy.

She moaned. He thrust his tongue into her and began to fuck her with it. He had immaculate rhythm and soon had her moaning and arching and plucking her nipples with her fingers. He still had the bottle and raised it to pour champagne on her breasts.

She grabbed that wrist and twisted him onto his back. Again he could have overpowered her but was enjoying this back and forth too much. Even in this they were evenly matched. Especially in this. She continued the twist to spin over him, straddling his head and taking his wrist down to his groin.
Mmm
. This could get interesting.

She tipped his hand and poured fizzy liquid directly onto his engorged erection. He shouted. She dropped her head to grin at him in triumph, her face upside down and framed by her breasts. His erection jacked up another size at the sight. Setting the bottle on the bed, she steadied it with one hand then used the other to grab his cock and stuff it in her mouth.

Air left his lungs. He arched hard, thrusting himself deeper into her wet cavern. But two could play at that game. He pressed the small of his back into the mattress, grabbed her hips in both hands, curled up and ate her pretty pussy.

She sucked him down in surprise. He heard her draw him into her throat…and then she upped the ante by swallowing. He gasped. She swallowed again. He nearly came. She did something with the back of her tongue and throat against his near-bursting glans and he ruptured.

He pulled from her, ejaculating in the air, and spun her beneath him. The champagne erupted from the bottle like a geyser, covering them both. He didn’t care. He dragged her knees up beside her shoulders and impaled her exposed sex with his still-spasming cock.

She gasped, her eyes flying wide. He thrust, his erection going diamond-hard in her exquisite heat. Her eyes rolled back with a moan. He drove repeatedly into her, his cock engorging to fill her, to stretch her. She gasped a sensual, almost pained
nnnggh
. Her legs folded over his waist and her arms embraced his neck, bringing them closer. Their skin, sticky with drink and heat, began to make little
thuck
sounds as he rode her. Her legs tightened, pulling him into her dark, wet depths. She was almost ready. He slowed his thrusts and ground harder, deeper into her. She was swollen and soft, her clit a hard little nose rising to meet him. Her breath rasped against his neck and in his ears her heart hammered a duet with his.