EcstasyEntwined (4 page)

He looked relieved, as if he finally had something to
answer. “You.”

Her weekly indulgence—her sweet treats—suddenly paled in
comparison to the temptation of the virile male ready to take control. She
recognized the determined glint in his eyes and the way his fingers still
lingered on her back, burning through the layers of clothes in a simple, yet
possessive gesture.

The question was, was she ready to hand over the reins?

Chapter Four

Greg waited for her to assimilate his straightforward
answer, devouring her as if he was a starving man. Without her, he
had
been starving.

He wanted to fuck her until he imprinted himself on her, in
her, and bombard her with so much pleasure she whimpered only his name, even in
sleep.

The intensity of his thoughts startled him, terrified him.
His sudden fascination with her made everything else seem negligible. The
darkness inside him ebbed and flowed, filling every pore. The more he stayed
away from the breath of fresh air she provided, the closer the madness crept.
How had the other vampires borne this cross? Could he even hope to control his
bloodlust around her?

He liked women, admired them and fucked them for pleasure.
Blood, well, that was a necessity, a feeding ritual he’d learned to live with
every week. Until her. Elena prodded his vampire to surface, tempting his
senses and libido and nudging the dark hunger awake. No woman had remotely
grazed the surface of his interest and the virile male part of him couldn’t
wait to explore more.

Her slender body trembled under the coat as if she read his
mind. Damn if the silhouette of her curves didn’t make his cock jump in
anticipation. Her wide eyes drew and held his gaze.

Her delicate jaw turned hard enough to break steel and he
realized the wheels of her mind had stopped spinning. He braced himself for her
refusal, willing himself not to react.

“Yes.” The single word spilled from her mouth before he
could blink.

Yes?
A wide grin split his face in spite of his
resolution to remain calm, controlled.

She pursed her lips. “For now.”

Aw! Fuck!
It took months to get her to open up to him
over the phone. What did she mean?
Give her space and don’t blow up the
progress you’ve made so far.

He hid his disappointment with a roguish grin. “Is that some
new dating terminology I’m not familiar with?”

“No.” She plucked at the nonexistent lint on her coat,
pulling away from his grasp. “I haven’t exactly dated an immortal before.”

The underlying panic in her voice softened his undead heart.
“You’re afraid of me?”

The errant curl escaped her band when she shook her head. He
balled his fingers into fists.

“One of my friends had a vampire lover. It was long ago.
I-I’ve heard of the fantastic things they did.” She wrinkled her nose. “TMI,
anyway.” Giving him an unsure smile, she added, “I feel it’s better we give
ourselves a timeline to see if we fit into each other’s lives. At the end of
it, if either of us is uncomfortable, we call it a day and move on.”

Blood roared in his ears. Denial hovered on his lips.
Everything in him protested against what she suggested. The logical part of him
recognized where she was coming from, but the rest of him—no way could he stay
away from her. Not if he tasted her blood and found her to be his missing
half—the one who would complete him. One week without her had seemed equivalent
to a long, torturous year.

“Fine,” he bit out before he could haul her to his place and
cut loose his decency.

He leaned in close, brushing his lips across hers. Her
breath stuttered. Resisting the urge to grin, he gestured Elena to go first
and, giving him a tight-lipped smile, she did. He followed close, not willing
to let her out of his sight.

He’d take it one moment at a time. For tonight, she belonged
with him.

* * * * *

It was a surprisingly short ride from the coffee shop to her
small bungalow.

Darkness had settled over the city and he pulled into her
driveway, parking beside her. Her boots slapping the wet concrete, she hurried
to open the door while Gregory stood for a few moments, savoring the lingering
slight drizzle heralding an early spring.

He took in the well-manicured garden leading up to the front
porch and followed slowly, relishing the crisp bite in the air.

It had been way too long since he’d taken a night off from
work. If not for her, he might have still been huddled in his office, neither
bothering to glance outside the high-rise building nor realize life was passing
by while he drove himself onward and upward. After all, if not for work, what
else did he have?

“Are you coming in, Gregory?”

Her soft voice carried easily to him on the night air, and
in an instant, he hardened again.

Jesus! What was up with him? One would think he hadn’t
climaxed in ages, while his last date was… Hell! He couldn’t recall the last
time he’d had a woman in his bed. But then, he’d never been at someone’s place
long enough to use the bed either.

The dim front lights silhouetted her in the doorway. He
stood at the threshold, his pulse increasing as he stepped inside. The mixed
scents of cinnamon and cookies hit him first, followed close by the comforting
warmth he associated with her. An impressive collection of books, rivaling his,
greeted him from the rosewood shelves. The U-shaped couch placed strategically
in the corner had him imagining her draped on the plush cushion with a book in
hand. Sexy didn’t cover the reaction the image evoked. Against the tan carpet,
the lime green color of the couch was a pleasant contrast, providing him a
secret glimpse of her personality.

Her home smelled just like her—fragrant—and he barged in,
eager to unwrap the mystery that was his Elena.

Her startled gasp yanked his focus back to her. In his hurry
to get past her, he’d trapped her between him and the door. Belatedly he
realized the warmth spreading from his arms was from her breasts. Pushing up
against her blouse and into him, their heat spread through his blazer and
straight to his groin.

He bit back a groan and she squirmed in an attempt to slip
away. The movement pressed her body into his, enticing him beyond reason.

“If you move a little bit…” Her voice trailed off when she
spied his lengthening fangs.

Don’t turn toward her!
His body, having a mind of its
own, did exactly that. His hips grinding into hers, he backed her up against
the paneled oak, trapping her hands against the wood, showing her how affected
he was in spite of the layers of clothing separating him from her luscious
body.

Her throat awakened his hunger, her soft form cushioning him
tempted his libido. The darkness he’d kept under wraps roared to life, urging
him to take her right there. How could he resist? Did he even want to? He
leaned in, not missing her swift intake of breath. She gave a feeble twist and
the wordless protest hardly registered in his dazed brain.

Up close, her irises swirled violet and gray, glistening
with what he suspected were unshed tears, and his heart constricted in
response. His fangs retracted.

What the hell was he doing? Giving himself a mental slap, he
reined himself in.
Damn!
He’d scared her already.

He placed a quick peck on her nose and pushed away from the
door. Outside. Anywhere but near her. His heart raced and his pants threatened
to choke his cock as he strode out to the front porch. He swore the raindrops
sizzled when they landed on his skin.

When he’d set out to find her, he’d expected a bombshell,
drop-dead gorgeous package, but the soft-spoken siren, with ample curves that
he’d had the chance to hold earlier, amped his senses into overdrive. Stripped
him of basic manners. Could he be anymore pathetic?

Stay sensible, calm, in control.
He gritted his
teeth. Yeah, he would do it, even if he had to smother his erection with a
cushion.

He swiveled back to face her. His apology died in his
throat. He couldn’t afford to screw up the only thing he lived for—the chance
to find his mate.

“Be ready Sunday night. I’ll pick you up.”

She eyed him warily. “Where are we going?”

“On our first date,” he replied and walked to his car
without turning back. He couldn’t bear to see any hint of rejection or doubt on
her face after the way he’d screwed up.

* * * * *

The shrill ring of the telephone pulled her out of a
dreamless sleep. Only on a Sunday she allowed herself to sleep in. Someone had
to disturb her now?

Bleary eyed, Elena picked up the phone without checking the
caller ID.

“I’m sorry.” The smooth male voice barely penetrated her
hazy senses.

“Huh?” Her mouth felt as if it was stuffed with cotton and
she scrambled to sit, reaching for a glass of water. She took a sip, then
another to clear her fuzzy brain. “Gregory?”

“Did I wake you up?”

The concern in his voice sent warm tingles up her spine.
She’d beat herself up for two nights and a whole day for behaving as if he was
a total wacko when he’d taken such pains to meet up with her.

She peered into the digital clock beside the bed. “What time
is it?”

“Around seven.” He paused before adding, “Mornin’,
sleepyhead.”

“Some of us need our beauty sleep, you know.” Speaking with
him seemed so damn easy over the phone. “Not everyone can look as well groomed
as you all the time.”

His warm chuckle woke her up more effectively than her
regular dose of caffeine. “Well groomed?”

She blinked. “Uh-huh.”

“Very vocal in the mornings, aren’t you?”

The teasing was back in his voice. She’d done this
before—could do it again. But the hint of passion she’d
almost
shared
with him two nights ago had electrified her whole body, kept her on the edge.
She’d been scared out of her wits when he became real instead of a warm voice
on the other end of the telephone. Even now, her heart thumped a little faster,
her palms threatened to drop the phone. Picturing him in his office or in his
home…

Her fears weren’t completely laid to rest, but the first
stirrings of desire made its presence known. She readied—down there—wanting
more than a vibrator catering to her fancies. Not that her dildo satisfied her
anymore. She’d fingered herself to sleep with his voice, his commands in her
head. She had replayed their phone sex over and over again—wondering how she
could let go of something so special without even sampling a taste.

And suddenly, the siren in her reared up. It took two to
play the seduction game. Not that she’d allow it to go beyond that. No matter
what he said about her siren’s voice not influencing him, she wasn’t ready to
risk his life. Having a good time? Well…

“I can be, given the right incentive.” She kept her voice
low, allowing the sleepy rasp to work its magic. She heard his quick intake of
breath. Silence reigned for a few seconds. “Cat got your tongue now, Gregory?”

“You’re toying with me,” he accused, his tone sharp, but she
felt the smile in his voice. “Does this mean I can forgo the apologizing part?”

“I’m surprised you didn’t write me off your list already.”

He grunted. “I don’t have women lining up, if that’s what
you mean. You’re the only one who’s stirred my interest in a very long time.”

“Stirred? I haven’t even touched you yet.”

His colorful curses made her bite back her laughter.

“Where did you keep this charm hidden earlier?”

His answering growl made her feel about ten times sexier.

“So…” He paused deliberately.

“So?”

“Our date is still on?”

She’d debated calling his number, canceling his so-called
date just so he could move on, but somehow she hadn’t been able to. She didn’t
want to tell him that now, not when they were communicating so well. Another
proof that she could lay off her fears and take life as it comes. How many
people could she say she’d enjoyed being with? She could count them on her
fingers. God! Was she pathetic or what? A hot man, albeit a vampire, was ready
to spend time with her and she was all but kicking him to the curb.

Clean-shaven and pale, he’d looked as if he hadn’t seen the
sun in a while, but the roped sinews and suggestion of six-pack abs meant he
wasn’t exactly an indoor person either. Maybe she could discover how he’d
gotten those fantastic muscles.

“I’m looking forward to it,” she assured him. “And,
Gregory?”

“Yeah?”

“Wear something informal.”

“Tired of suits already? Dang! I have just one more I was
hoping you’d see.”

Birthday Suit.
Didn’t that joke ever get old? She
smiled. “I bet you do!”

“Behave!” he scolded her.

“I’ll try.” Laughing, she hung up. She threw the duvet aside
and stretched her body, feeling lighter than she had in years.

She couldn’t wait for their evening together, wondering
where he’d take her on their first date.

* * * * *

Tending her garden and basking in the burst of warm spring
sunshine only improved her mood as the day wore on. All too soon, Elena headed
into the shower, ready to wash away the lingering smells of grime and sweat.

She opted for dark-blue stretch jeans, a contrasting
turtleneck sweater, and pulled out her suede boots. Neither too formal nor
informal, since she had no idea where she’d be heading to.

A few more minutes …

She took a deep breath to quell the butterflies in her
stomach. They fluttered harder. She could do this! A date. What could possibly
go wrong? Not wanting to jinx herself, she mentally scratched the question as
the doorbell rang.

Switching off the lights, she grabbed her purse and went to
the door. She had absolutely no intention of putting herself in an awkward
position—certainly not after the fiasco that was their last meet.

His hot stare made her cheeks burn and his appreciative grin
brought the damn butterflies back. The air between them crackled with hidden
electricity.

“Whoa. Hard to compete with that,” he teased. He held up his
hands. “This good?”

She took in his jeans and sports shirt and gave him a
thumbs-up, still too dumbstruck to speak. He shepherded her into his car and
whisked her away. She didn’t tear her gaze off him, the ride passing in
amicable, yet sizzling silence until they pulled into a crowded parking lot.