Lured (7 page)

The fingers of her free hand curled around the top of the chair, holding her steady as Marcus finger-fucked her with determination. Her breath came in heavy pants as her chest rose and fell sharply and her pulse raced. Her heart hammered and her nipples remained tight and tingly.

“Oh God,” she whispered, feeling the enormous sensations build within her again. “I’m going to come with your fingers inside me.”

Marcus worked her feverishly. “Do it,” he said in a tight voice. “I want you to come again.” The thumb covering her anus pressed in, adding one more erotic ingredient to the delicious recipe. “Come for me,” he coaxed as he fingered her.

“Yes,” she said, her eyelids fluttering closed. “Oh God, yes. That feels so good.” Her own fingers massaged her clit in a wicked pace that matched what Marcus did to her.

“Come now,” he commanded.

She couldn’t have held back if she’d tried. “Marcus!” His name rode a cry that pierced the quiet room as the orgasm erupted deep in her pussy, stealing her breath. Pure ecstasy coursed through her veins, lighting her up like a bonfire.

Marcus didn’t give her a moment to recover or catch her breath. Cass’ eyes opened and she stared at him over her shoulder as he withdrew his fingers from her and shoved his pants over his hips, followed by his briefs. His long, thick cock sprang free and her desire ignited again. He eased his wet fingers over the tip and down the shaft, rubbing her juices over his hard cock.

“Do you want me inside you?”

“Oh yes,” Cass said. “Please.”

Excitement flashed in his ice-blue eyes. He used the toe of one booted foot against the heel of the other to loosen the boot and slip out of it. He bent at the waist and whisked off the second boot and stepped out of his clothes.

When he straightened, Marcus said, “I can’t get you pregnant. Just so you know.”

“So no condom necessary?”

“No condom necessary.”

What a relief. She’d get to feel his thick cock with no barrier.

He grasped her hips with his large hands and pushed himself deep into her wet cunt, causing Cass to cry out again. He filled her completely and she felt herself stretch around him. It was a snug fit, one that felt wholly intimate and erotic. Absolutely perfect, as though their bodies were made for each other.

She clutched the back of the chair again, needing the steady support as Marcus moved inside her. He pulled out for the briefest of moments, only to thrust back into her, pushing the breath right out of her.

“Yes.” Cass’ whisper was a strained one. “I’ve wanted that for so long. I’ve needed
you
for so long.”

“I’ll give you whatever you want,” he assured her. “Whatever you need.”

“This is heaven,” she told him.

Marcus groaned. “You’re so damn tight,” he said. “Wet and warm.” He moved inside her with long, full strokes that were quick and powerful. He gave her exactly what she asked for, taking her hard and fast.

Her heart continued to hammer in her chest. She gripped a cheek and pulled it taut, opening herself even more to him. As Marcus thrust deep into her pussy, she inched quickly toward another orgasm.

He plunged into her, pounding hard.

“Oh yes,” she moaned. “That feels so incredible. You’re going to make me come again.”

Cass lost herself in all of the scorching-hot and tantalizing sensations she’d so quickly become addicted to. All the insecurities she’d ever felt seemed to melt into oblivion as her lover’s hypnotic eyes burned with desire and passion. And something darker, more substantial. Something primal and territorial.

His gaze alone made her shudder with excitement. The way he pleasured her confirmed he was damn serious about giving her everything she wanted and needed.

Another assertive, deep thrust and Cass screamed out his name, letting all the exquisite sensations consume her in a dizzying, mind-blowing climax.

Marcus let out a low growl as her inner walls contracted and released, milking him as she rode out her orgasm.

“That’s it,” he said in a tight voice. “Squeeze my cock.”

She did, and moments later, she felt the tremor through his body before it convulsed and he groaned sharply as he came inside her.

Cass clenched him even tighter.

“Oh yes,” he ground out. “You feel so good, sweetheart.”

The term of endearment made her heart soar.

When he withdrew from her, wrapping an arm around her waist to help her straighten, his lips grazed her neck again.

“I want you to belong to me,” he whispered.

She felt the sharp scrape of his fangs, knew his intent. It was an invitation unlike any she’d ever received. Unlike anything she would ever experience with another man.

Cass thought of her work and her friend Linda. She’d miss both, but enough to pass on this unique, unexpected opportunity? And what about her mother? Considering their tumultuous relationship, was that reason to stay human?

“Cass?” Marcus muttered against her throat.

“Yes,” she answered, this time without hesitation, not feeling a shred of fear or doubt. She knew exactly what she wanted.

Marcus.

Forever
.

“Do it,” she insisted. “Make me yours. For all of eternity.”

His sharp teeth sank into her neck and Cass felt that exquisite pleasure surge through her once more and knew it would never end.

Chapter Four

Three months later…

“Cass,” her mother said into the static-filled line, “I don’t understand what you’re doing in Italy!”

“Taking a vacation, Mother,” she replied with practiced patience. She hadn’t told her mother she’d eloped with Marcus. It was a private affair she’d kept to herself, protecting it from anyone tainting the beautiful relationship they had.

A lengthy sigh ensued, then her mother said, “It just isn’t responsible. Taking a leave of absence from your job to travel Europe. I’m sure I raised you better than this.”

Cass smiled. Funny how these little nit-picks no longer bothered her. Oddly, when Cass had met Marcus and had became a vampire, she’d found a place for herself in the world. She was suddenly comfortable in her own skin. For the first time in her life.

She spared a glance in his direction as he lit several candles lining the pony wall of the terrace that overlooked Florence and its dazzling city lights. They were staying in a villa on the outskirts of the city, having spent the past few weeks enjoying the region by night, with all its breathtaking and sultry evening sights. Another two nights here and they’d move on to Milan before heading to Greece for another month.

Every moment with her new husband was pure bliss.

“Mother, my boss was perfectly amenable to me finally using the vacation hours I’ve stored up over the years. He doesn’t want to lose me as an employee, so he was more than willing to accommodate the request.”

Not that she was wholly certain she’d go back to work. Being a vampire meant she had to make some radical changes in her life and be extra careful not to draw attention to the fact she was no longer human. But perhaps she could move into a part-time position, working remotely, so that she could continue the job she loved. Details she’d address when she and Marcus returned from their honeymoon.

Her mother made a sharp tsking noise at her comment. “That job is the best thing in your life, Cassandra. Without it, what would you be?”

The cruel statement would have stung the old Cass. But it merely made the new one laugh softly. “Oh, Mother. You know so very little about me.”

Not only did Cass’ mother not know about her new existence as a vampire or her marital status, she didn’t know a thing about Marcus. Perhaps it was selfish of Cass to want to keep him all to herself. To not mention him to her mother so that the bitter woman couldn’t try to tear him down or make snide remarks about Cass not being able to hold his attention for long.

Because she did hold Marcus’ attention.
All
night long
… And then some.

She grinned as he turned away from the candles and caught her staring at him. Such a magnificently built man. So gorgeous and sensual, he stole her breath every time she looked at him. And every time he looked at her? He seemed to devour her with his ice-blue gaze, as though imagining a dozen different ways in which to take her.

She squirmed in her seat on the sofa as he came through the opened floor-to-ceiling patio doors. Her cunt clenched tight and anticipation shot through her as thoughts of how he’d make love to her tonight flitted through her mind.

He mouthed the words
hang up
, and Cass had to stifle another laugh. Into the receiver of the phone, she said, “Mother, I have to go.”

“But, Cassandra. This is the first time you’ve answered my calls in nearly a month! We’ve only just begun to talk this evening and I have so much to say about—”

“Mother,” Cass cut her off. Something she’d never done before. It felt surprisingly good to hear a
huff
on the other end of the line. “I really have to go.”

“Well! I’m not very pleased with you, Cassan—”

“I’ll phone you in a week or so. Goodbye, Mother.” She disconnected the call and tossed the cell onto the cushion beside her.

Marcus said, “I could hear her all the way out on the terrace.”

“She likes to make her presence known.”

“Hmm.” He rolled his eyes. “You won’t take offense if I tell you I have no qualms over
never
meeting my mother-in-law.”

Cass grinned again. She loved any and all references to her new marital status. Being Mrs. Marcus Ionescu was Cass’ very own fairy tale come to life.

“Lucky for you,” she said as she stood and crossed the living room, “I have no intention of subjecting you to her Supreme Bitchiness. I intend to keep a safe distance myself.”

He pulled her into his strong embrace. “For that, I am eternally grateful.”

“It’s the least I can do,” she murmured as she snuggled close to him, her body melding to his, her lips brushing over his neck. “After all you’ve given me.”

He made a funny sound. “Turning you into a demon?”

“I hardly think of myself that way. You’ve taught me how to exist without human blood.” He’d gotten her hooked, instead, on animal blood. More than a few chicken coops had suffered along the way, until Marcus had helped her to learn to control her thirst and hunt larger game that sated her and sustained her for much longer periods of time than the chickens had. Curiously, though, she still enjoyed eating human food. She didn’t need the sustenance, but she still had taste buds and a few leftover human cravings.

“You also gave me a wedding night that lasted an entire week,” she reminded him. “Followed by this incredible honeymoon.”

She sighed contentedly as she wrapped her arms around his neck. Her tongue flicked his earlobe before she nipped playfully at it. He groaned in response. His arms tightened around her and he all but crushed her to him. Her body was nearly as strong as his, so he didn’t hurt her. When they unleashed their passion, there was no physical danger now that she was a vampire.

As his erection pressed against her belly, she said, “I also love all the stories you’ve told me of your travels. I’m so glad we get to experience them, along with our new travels together.”

“It’s more exciting the second time around. Now that I can share all of this with my eternal mate.”

“And here you wanted to tuck me into a cab and send me off when we first met,” she teased him.

Marcus said, “I wanted you safe. Even if it meant I’d never see you again.”

“But it all worked out. Because we were destined to be together.”

He nodded as his beautiful eyes glowed in the soft candlelight from the terrace. Then his lips slid over hers. A whisper of a touch that made her moan from the pleasure he sparked.

She tightened her arms around his neck and pressed her lips to his. Their mouths opened at the same time and his tongue slid inside to tangle with hers. He kissed her deeply, passionately. Conveying his love for her and confirming they truly were destined for each other. She hadn’t doubted it once since their first kiss. He had proven, in every way possible, that he wanted her. Desired her. Loved her. His acceptance of her had changed Cass in ways she’d never dreamed possible. The past seemed to have vaporized. It no longer existed, no longer mattered to her, no longer held her captive.

She owed her freedom—in every form she’d received it—to Marcus. And gladly showed her gratitude to him every day…and every night.

She asked, “Can dinner wait?” There was no missing the lascivious tone that slid from her lips.

He gave her the sexy grin she loved. “We’re having Tuscan roasted chicken stuffed with Swiss chard couscous. It can be heated up later,” he added with a wink.

“Well, then…” She worked her way out of his embrace and reached for the sash wrapped around her waist. Her white satin robe fell open. She was naked underneath.

“Good Lord,” he whispered as his hands slid inside the robe at her shoulders and eased the material down her arms until it pooled at her feet. He stared at her body as though seeing it for the first time. Marveling over every inch of her as if she were the most beautiful creature he’d ever laid eyes on.

“You leave me utterly speechless every time I look at you,” he told her.

He ran the pad of a finger along her jawline, then down the long column of her neck. The backs of several fingers brushed over her collarbone, then the pads swept downward to the tops of her breasts. Cass’ skin tingled under his touch and the intensity of his gaze on her naked body. She didn’t wonder what he thought of her, how he felt about her or what he saw when he looked at her. It was all there in his beautiful ice-blue eyes, the soft glow of his irises conveying every emotion he experienced as his fingers and gaze explored her body.

He took a step closer to her, closing the small gap between them. Her nipples tightened with anticipation and her pussy throbbed with excitement. The nearness of him alone was enough to light her up from head to toe. But as his other hand gripped her hip, holding her in place, and his head dipped to her breast, fire roared through her.

She gasped as his tongue flicked over her nipple. All of her senses were heightened now that she was a vampire. She felt things more acutely, particularly the erotic sensations Marcus evoked. As his mouth closed over the tight bud, her fingers threaded through his thick hair. Her eyelids fluttered closed. Bliss consumed her.

Such a simple touch, she thought. His lips and tongue on her nipple, licking and suckling. Yet every inch of her responded to his sexy ministrations. Making her body burn for him.

“Marcus,” she whispered. He sucked a little harder at the insistence in her voice, causing her to jolt in his loose embrace. Every touch was like that—sexually charged and explosive.

With one hand still on her hip, the other swept around to her backside and grazed her bare ass cheek. He shifted his head and paid the same attention to her other nipple as Cass’ body melded to his. She wanted to feel his flesh on hers, but couldn’t find the will to stop him from teasing her nipples even tighter in order to strip off his clothes. Instead, she let him continue his foreplay.

His fingers on her ass moved between the cleft, stroking up and down as her pelvis pressed against his hip. Then a long finger dipped into her cunt from behind and she let out a low moan. His other hand slid down the front of her, the pads of his fingers brushing over her pussy lips, making her wetter.

His head lifted and he kissed her as he stroked her, his fingertips moving to target her swollen clit. He rubbed it with just the right amount of pressure, just the right pace. She felt as though she were melting under his erotic touch and scorching-hot kiss. Any moment now, she’d liquefy and puddle at his feet. In fact, her knees went weak as he pushed a second finger into her slick pussy and worked her a little faster.

She broke the kiss, but continued to press her body to his and cling to him with her arms wrapped around his neck. Her legs trembled. She found it amusing. Here she was, a strong, nearly indestructible vampire, and yet her husband had the ability to make her entire body quake with need and excitement. She could barely stand on her own two feet.

“You make me so hot,” she told him. “So turned-on.”

“Come for me,” he whispered in her ear.

His fingers inside her and on her clit worked in tandem to produce the first ripple of sensation that would lead to a powerful orgasm. He nipped at her neck with his sharp teeth, driving her wild. He knew all the right buttons to push, and within seconds, the ripple turned into a wave.

“Oh yes,” she said as the fingers inside her cunt stroked faster, pushed deeper. His finger on her clit worked her into a frenzy with its wicked pace. And his teeth scraping along her throat… “Oh God!”

The wave swelled and then crashed over her, making her cry out from the pleasure that raced through her. “Marcus!”

She barely got his name out before his mouth was on hers, kissing her passionately as his fingers still worked her pussy and clit, while the sensations still coursed through her. His determination to make her come again was evident in his strong, confident strokes. She let the wave build and crest again and she came a second time within moments of the first orgasm.

Tearing her mouth from his, she said, “That is so good.”

He grinned, though it was a tight one. As though he were keeping himself in check. Holding back from ripping off his clothes and thrusting into her. The thought of him doing just that excited her even more.

She worked her way out of the tangled web of fingers and limbs and reached for the buttons on his shirt. She deftly slipped the first two disks through their holes, then abandoned the effort and impatiently tore the material apart, causing the buttons to pop off the shirt.

Marcus laughed. “Now that’s flattery in its sincerest form.”

“I couldn’t wait another millisecond to touch you,” she told him as she splayed her palms over his wide chest. Then she pushed the material over his shoulders and down his arms as he’d done with her robe. He was so wonderfully built, she took a few moments to admire his thick biceps, his broad shoulders, his hard pectorals and his rigid abdomen.

He said, “You can’t even begin to imagine how hard you make me when you stare at me like that.”

“You give all new meaning to the term ‘sinfully delicious’.”

Indeed, he was mouthwatering. His blue irises and black-as-night hair, combined with a devastatingly handsome face, made him even more magnificent. It was a wonder she could ever tear her gaze from him or keep her hands off him. In fact, she likely would have taken in more of the nightlife if she’d been able to look away from him for more than a few seconds. But her eyes and hands were magnets and his body was steel. She couldn’t resist gravitating toward him, pressing her body to his, running her hands all over his exposed flesh.