Love Me to Death (Underveil) (22 page)

It was bizarre to see all these powerful men put totally on hold by this woman wearing a terry cloth bathrobe and baby-blue Crocs. “Thanks for the invite, but I can’t.”

The dog growled again, and she set it down. “Uza needs to try to keep some of these cats indoors. The neighborhood committee has received a couple of complaints. She’s only allowed to have four pets. And they need to be neutered and have their rabies tags, too.”

The murderous expressions on the cat shifters’ faces were so comical when Elena looked back she laughed out loud. “Yeah. Neutered for sure. I’ll tell her.”

Ms. Prescott nodded and wandered back across the street to her house, and the big shifter with the gold beard took several steps closer, growling low in his throat.

Nikolai’s sword made a
shing
sound as he pulled it out of the sheath on his back. “One more step, kitty, and I’ll neuter you here and now.”

The man opened his mouth to speak but was interrupted by the slam of the front door.

“Well, run me down and call me road kill! Ellie baby is back.” Aunt Uza grinned from her porch. She threw both arms up in the air. “And hallelujah, she brought a hottie along.”

Elena looked over her shoulder and saw only Nik, and then Stefan straightened from where he’d been crouched behind the fence.

“Woo!” Aunt Uza wolf whistled. “Two hotties! You go, Ellie!”

At her puzzled look, Stefan shrugged. “I’m visible in both planes, but I cannot cloak myself under the Veil. I thought it best to conceal myself from the neighbor.”

“Oh, speaking of concealing… We don’t want Fydor’s flying monkeys to swing in, now do we?” Uza raised her arms over her head and shut her eyes. A rumbling sound like the echo of thunder rolled in Elena’s head. “There. You’re undetectable in your house for a while. Didn’t have juice for much else.”

The shifters lost their hostile stances and relaxed, acting like it was normal to be standing naked in the yard. Maybe it was. Normal for Elena was a moving target these days.

Aunt Uza shuffled in her housecoat and slippers through the side yard toward her. “Why don’t you sweet kitties go on inside and I’ll be with ya in the span of a flea hop.”

The one in the center nodded, and they followed her instruction, including the ones still in cat form lurking in the bushes and on the porch. As Uza passed the thickest one with the beard, she patted him on the backside, and Elena swore she heard a purr.
Holy crap.
Elena shook her head to clear it.

“Figured you’d turn up soon,” Uza said, passing her and opening the gate between yards. Stefan held it for her. “Ah, a foldy hottie. Good company, Ellie baby.” She winked at Stefan, who gave a shallow bow.

Uza stopped and stared at Nik for a moment. “Mercy. I might melt.” She grinned at Elena. “He’s like birthday and Christmas dipped in Nutella and rolled around in powdered sugar, huh?”

Elena was too stunned to respond. Her aunt had always talked in terrible colloquialisms, but never about men before. It was a bit shocking, actually.

Winking, Uza patted her bouffant hairdo. “Is he as good as he looks?”

She could only gawk soundlessly.

“Better,” Nik answered.

Uza laughed and shuffled to Elena’s side door. Stefan rushed past and opened the door for her. “Good boy,” she said with a chuckle. “Well, don’t stand there with your mouth open catching flies, Ellie. Let’s swill some bubbly.”

Nik and Stefan followed her into the house, and Aunt Uza had them sit at the tiny dining table. She rummaged in the fridge and pulled out the cheap bottle of champagne Elena had bought last New Year’s Eve. After her ex stood her up saying he had a family obligation, she had shoved it to the back of the fridge, and there it sat, just like her love life. Until now. Well, it was more like a lust-life with Nik, but there was always hope. His apology had been remarkable. He was remarkable. They just needed to find a way to make the differences between them acceptable.

Uza plunked four champagne flutes on the table and shoved the bottle toward Stefan. “Open ’er up, foldy hottie. The smokin’ Slayer might break it with all that pent-up frustration.”

“Your appearance is markedly different from the last time I saw you, Zana,” Nik said.

“So is yours.” She winked. “The centuries have suited you.”

The cork eased from the bottle with a pop. Stefan filled the first glass and handed it to Uza.

“What happened to you?” Nik asked.

Stefan passed a glass to Elena.

Aunt Uza smiled. “I hope for Ellie’s sake you’re better in bed than you are with polite conversation, little Niki, or I’ll be regretting my decision.” His eyes narrowed and she laughed. “Well, she’s immortal and unbound. Obviously, you were able to pull off the minimum necessary, so lighten up, hottie-totty, it’s all gravy from here.” Uza held up her glass. “To the Uniter,” she said. Then her brow furrowed, and she set the glass on the table.

Her eyes met Stefan’s, and then his phone rang.

“You need to get that,” she said when he made no move to answer it. “It’s important.”

He pulled his phone from his pocket. “Yes?” He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. “As always, your service is impeccable and appreciated. I’ll return immediately. Tell Bridgette I will bring Aliana there as soon as things are cleared up, and I am satisfied she will not flee.” He listened for a moment. “Thank you.”

He put the phone back in his pocket and lifted his glass. “Where were we?”

Uza tilted her head and studied him. “You are an odd hottie. I figured that news would have you skedaddling faster than a kitty on hot coals. We were toasting the Uniter.”

“So we were.” He gave Elena a sad smile. “I wish you luck, love, and long life, Elena Arcos. You as well, Nikolai Itzov.” He clinked his glass to Uza’s. “To the Uniter.” He downed the champagne in one swallow and set the glass down. “You know what I need, yes?”

“Of course I do,” Uza replied. “Hottie needs are my specialty.” She closed her eyes, and the air changed and charged with current, and then the glasses in the cupboards rattled, and with a crack, Stefan disappeared, just like that.

Uza turned her attention to Elena and Nik. “Well, I’d better go back and tend my kitties while there’s a lull in the action. We’re all about to be as busy as one-armed wallpaper hangers.”

She stood to leave.

“Wait,” Nik said. “We have questions.”

She grinned. “And I have answers, but can’t share. The knowledge is mine. The discovery is yours.” She shuffled toward the door.

“Why can’t you share with us?” He gestured to Elena. “This girl loves you.”

“And I love her, but I don’t love being in this form. If I breach the rules of silence, the curse will be unbreakable.”

Nik blocked her way. “What is she?”

“She’s a miracle. The joining of a vampire and any other species rarely yields offspring.”

“Yes, but she’s not a vampire.”

Uza shook her head. “She most certainly is not. But you are a smart hottie. Figure it out.”

“You know what happened to my father.”

“So do you,” she said.

“Did you cast the masking spell?”

The plates in the cupboards rattled again. “The one with the most to lose commissioned it. I don’t deal with losers. Kill the one who ordered it, and the spell is broken.”

“Fydor.”

“For my Ellie’s sake, I hope that tongue of yours is good for more than stating the obvious, hottie.” She shoved him to the side. “You have about twenty-four hours before all hell breaks loose. Use your time…and tables wisely.”

Chapter Twenty

T
he look on Nik’s face when he turned to Elena was nothing short of predatory. Thrill shot through her, and she flared with heat as if lit with a blowtorch.

Had Uza really said that?
Really?

“Pick a table.” His voice was just over a whisper—more like a growl.

With one sentence, he had bypassed any need for foreplay. She’d been picturing his “plan” ever since he’d whispered it in her ear.

“We still need to talk,” she said so unconvincingly she didn’t even believe it herself. The last thing she wanted to do was talk about his bossy, caveman ways.

“And we will. Later. Suffice it to say for now, I need you, and I want you, and the time I spent away from you was painful. I don’t want to be parted again, and I’ll do whatever it takes to keep that from happening.”

“Shouldn’t we be preparing for battle or something?”

He ran a hand though his hair. “We don’t know what’s coming. We have no way to prevent it or prepare. Zana told us we have a twenty-four-hour pass before something happens, and as much as I’d like it to, this won’t take that long. Now, while Zana’s spell is still in place, pick a table.”

Stefan had been right. This man was the thing that had been missing, and clearly, he felt the same way. Right now, her immortal body was screaming for them to do something with their mouths other than talk.

Her eyes shot to the small, round, pedestal breakfast table where he had just laid his sword.

He chuckled and shook his head. “Closest, certainly, but too fragile.”

No. Not fragile. Not for this round.
Trying not to appear overly eager, she picked up her glass of champagne and took a sip. Nik lowered the blinds over the sink and locked the door.

“Take off your clothes,” he said.

Ah, back to bossy. Well, that was okay to a point. She picked up his champagne glass and handed it to him. He reached for her, but she backed away, grinning. She took another sip of her own drink and set it on the counter.

They were equals now. No more leash. No fear. Twenty-four hours of each other. Power surged through her, and she reveled in the hum and buzz and heat filling her from head to toe. He needed her. Longing was written all over his face. He would do whatever she wanted. And she wanted him to do everything.

The blouse skimmed across her skin like a whisper when she pulled it over her head. Nik took a sip of champagne. Slowly, so very slowly, she loosened the tie on the shorts he had masterfully untied earlier, but she didn’t slide the shorts off. Instead, she took another sip of champagne and met his eyes directly. She didn’t lower her gaze from his, which became more heated as she pushed the shorts over her hips and let them slide down her legs to the floor.

After stepping out of the shorts, she walked to the table to pour herself a bit more champagne, then topped his glass off as well. This time, he made no move to touch her. He simply smiled and clinked his glass to hers. “To the Uniter,” he said. “And Stefan Darvaak’s taste in lingerie.”

When she’d first slipped on the sheer, pearl white lace bra and panties, she’d been slightly uncomfortable, but was glad of it now. She wasn’t used to skimpy underwear, but could certainly appreciate its appeal. She felt sexy and powerful, and obviously, it appealed to Nik, who was rubbing his hand over the bulge in the front of his pants, smiling like a starving man at a feast.

She loved it when he touched himself. His unabashed sexuality was painfully appealing. And so was his plan. She strolled into the living room in search of the perfect table. The room was fairly dark due to the closed curtains and no lights being on. She flipped on a lamp. This time when he touched her, she wanted to see him. No more darkness or being cold. No cord or fear.

He had paused in the doorway to watch her. Reveling in her power, she ran her fingers over the sofa end table, pretending to consider it. She put some weight on it and jiggled it. “Mmm. Nah. I want something…bigger.”

The low rumble of his chuckle made it hard to breathe. She paused and collected herself, then moved to the coffee table. She met his heated gaze and shook her head. “Too low. I don’t want you on your knees…yet.”

Nik groaned, took a sip of champagne, then, to her absolute surprise, dropped to his knees. “I’m already there.”

She strode to where he kneeled in the doorway and stopped right in front of him, then handed him her glass. “Don’t spill.” He grinned and held both glasses out to the side.

With deliberate slowness, she unlatched the clasp between her breasts but made no move to take the bra off. Nik groaned as she stood within inches of him, breasts at his eye level. He blew on her nipple though the lace, and her breath hitched. Her skin was so sensitive even his breath across it set her on fire. Through the thin fabric, he caught her taut skin in his teeth and ran his tongue over the tip of her nipple, causing her knees to almost buckle.

“You have a little current to you now, you know,” he said, lips still against her. “You can channel energy.”

Earlier today, Stefan had drawn back when he took her hand. She shifted from foot to foot. “Am I shocking you? Does it hurt?”

“Not at all. It’s like you are charging my battery. Stand still.”

She grabbed the doorframe for balance as he caught the edge of the clasp in his teeth and peeled the bra from her breast, then opened his mouth and took as much of her as possible in and sucked, rubbing his tongue over her at the same time. All day, she’d imagined his tongue on her—had relived their moments in bed in the cabin in her mind in thrilling detail. He’d made her feel amazing, just as he was right now. Unable to stand it, she ripped the bra off and presented her other breast, and he repeated the procedure until she pulled away, head reeling.

“I didn’t spill,” he said, handing her glass back.

Clutching the fragile stem of the flute, she fought for control. His pupils had expanded, almost pushing his gold irises to the edge. Forever, he stared up at her face, and she couldn’t peel her eyes away. This man. This beautiful, immortal being wanted her, and she wanted him, too. Like nothing she’d ever experienced.

“Find a table, Elena. Now. Before I die like this on my knees.”

Now. Yes.
She was dizzy with need. The oak dining table was at the far end of the room in a darkened nook. No darkness this time. She flipped on the chandelier above and walked a full circle around it slowly, skimming her fingertips across the surface while Nik watched from his knees in the doorway.

She stopped and pulled the chair away, then slid her panties down and kicked them off. He stood, but made no move to come closer. Turning her back to him, she leaned over the table. “This one,” she said, reveling in the power of her invitation.

N
ever, not even in his most vivid fantasies, had Nikolai imagined this scenario. Strong, bold, and borderline defiant, Elena had driven him wild as she played along with him. Now, she bent over a table completely naked, inviting him inside her. It was enough to make a grown man weep. But he didn’t. He crossed to her and ran his hands over her beautifully presented body instead.

Her breaths came in fast puffs. It was clear she was ready and so was he. Hardly believing his good fortune, he ran his hands up her back and back down, sweeping his fingers through the seam of her ass and running them through her wetness. As he stroked down the insides of her thighs, then back up to her heat again, she shivered and made an odd noise somewhere between a moan and a sigh.

“Don’t move,” he whispered. “Stay just like that.”

He tore his shirt from his body, then stripped out of his pants in record time. His urgency troubled him. He needed to stay under control. This was their first real time together with no agenda or ulterior motive, and he wanted to make it the best experience she’d ever had.

He nudged her legs farther apart and leaned over her. Like a homing device, the head of his cock found her opening and nudged against the wetness. She groaned and pushed back against him.

“Not yet.” He pulled back slightly and ran his lips over the soft skin at her nape. “I want you to come first, so you are completely relaxed and ready.”

“I
am
ready,” she practically shouted. “God, Nik. You’re killing m—”

Her protest was cut off short when he slid two fingers inside her in a hard thrust. “I’m sorry,” he said. “I didn’t catch what you said.” He thrust again and she groaned. “Oh, you said you like what I’m doing and you want me to continue?”

She laid her cheek against the table and closed her eyes. It was so hard not to fuck her right then and there, but this was about her. About their future together. He would make sure she didn’t regret giving him another chance. And when he was done, she’d have no doubt as to their bond.

He pulled his fingers out and dropped to his knees. He’d never seen anything as beautiful. And she’d turned the lights on purposely. He parted her with his thumbs and gently stroked his tongue across her. She groaned.

“Stand up straight, Elena,” he said. Using her hands to push up, she stood. “Now, turn around and sit on the table, please.” She did. He placed her feet wide apart, then slid her to the edge of the table, parting her knees. “Now, relax and watch me.”

He touched the tip of his tongue to her, and she groaned. So receptive and responsive. She was perfect.

Elena gasped when Nik touched his tongue to her again. She leaned back a little more to give him a better angle, and he took full advantage of it, using his tongue and fingers to take her higher. The lights from the outdated, vintage sixties chandelier reflected off the crystal prisms, casting little rainbow shimmers across her pale skin as he worked to bring her more pleasure.

“I missed you,” he said. “I looked for you everywhere.”

She cried out as he thrust his fingers inside her and met her gaze directly. “I would have searched forever, you know.” He ran his thumb over the top, and she writhed as a tremor shimmied through her body. Then he replaced his thumb with this tongue and set a rhythm that he knew would take her over the edge. She groaned and muttered some incoherent encouragement as her orgasm built.

“Don’t close your eyes. I want you to watch me so you know how much I enjoy doing this.”

Her eyes met his, and that was it. With almost frightening intensity, her body came apart in what he knew was a nmindless blast of pleasure. On and on it went while he slid his fingers in and out, pressing hard against the top of her with his other palm.

“Yes,” he said. “Keep going. Say my name, Elena.”

“Nikolai,” she said, waves still rolling through her.

“Again,” he whispered, pressing into her deeper.

“Nikolai.”

Fingers still inside, he stood, and his mouth met hers, causing one more intense contraction to pass through her, leaving her limp and loose jointed.

Before the tiny ripples signaling the end of her orgasm had stopped, Nikolai pulled her from the table and bent her over it, gently laying her down, pressing her breasts to the cool surface. He skimmed his fingertips of one hand over her back while he rubbed the head of his cock against her opening. “Tell me when, Elena. Then tell me how.”

“Now,” she said, “Now, Nik.”

Pushing just part of the way in, he reveled in the tightness of her body. Her contractions began again, just not to the level of a full orgasm.

“Mmm, you’re still there. I feel you tightening around me,” he said. “You don’t have to wait for me. You can go whenever you want to, you know. Make the most of this immortal body you have. See what it can do.”

She gasped as he pushed farther in and waited for her body to accept him. Hands on her waist, he pulled out and then pushed in deeper.

She moaned and pressed back, making it almost impossible to not simply give in to his body’s instinct to take her hard and fast.
No.
He took a deep breath and calmed his heart. She deserved more.

“I need you,” he said, barely in control.

He retreated several inches and looped his arm around her to where he could touch her. Then, he pulled out until only the head of him was inside her. “Don’t ever leave me again.” His voice was strained. “It almost killed me.”

A shudder passed though her. “Nik, please.”

He rubbed his finger over her, and she gasped.

“Yes,” he said. “Come again. I want you to come again. And then I’ll do what you want.” He made tiny thrusts in and out as he rubbed circles over her most sensitive part, making her writhe and strain under him. “What do you want, Elena? Tell me how you want me to take you. Slow and gentle, or hard and fast?”

“Hard,” she managed to say, voice and body tense.

“I was hoping you’d say that.” But he continued with the shallow pulses and circles until she was gasping for breath. “And I’ll comply as soon as you come again for me.” He increased the speed of his circles and thrusts and then, without warning, pushed all the way inside in one hard thrust, sending her tumbling over the edge again.

“My God, Elena,” he said, grabbing her waist. “I’ve never…”

And the man who was usually all talk was rendered speechless as her body squeezed his cock, nearly making him lose his hard-won control. “Now, Nikolai,” she whispered. “Hard. Now.”

And Nikolai was happy to comply. Again and again he slammed into her as she cried out with pleasure. She repositioned and gripped the edge of the table, her hair fanning in a gold sheet to one side as she laid her cheek against the wood, allowing him to see her expression on her face. An expression of desire that made him want to last all day for her.

“Yes?” he asked, nipping her shoulder blade as he slowed his pace in order to calm down.