Unholy Night (5 page)

Or someone was trying to get out.

“They’ve got him well contained,” Neil said. She nodded, climbing into the car. She thought she should question Kirk’s detainment, but she didn’t. One of the SUV’s rear doors had a red iron cross on it, not terribly large, but big enough to be noticed. For some reason, the gothic symbol comforted her as they passed the vehicle.

Neil took off like a shot through the side streets, his hand laying lazily on her thigh, stroking her back and forth, slipping closer and closer to her center with every stroke.

God. Had she lost her mind? This was so crazy. She didn’t know this guy, she didn’t have a clue who he was, and yet, here she was, letting him take her home.

And probably screw her senseless.

Yet her whole body screamed for him to do it. She wanted this, she did. On the most primal level—that part of herself spouted out directions to her house.

However, her voice choked twice as his hand slid toward her middle.

Neil only smirked. As they turned into her residential area, he slowed the car. “I don’t want to do anything you’re not comfortable with,” he said, his hand resting on her knee, the caresses stopping.

She felt like she was suddenly unable to breathe. “If you leave me hanging tonight, Neil, I’ll beat you within an inch of your life.” She blushed at how heady her own voice sounded.

Neil grinned, the streetlights highlighting his long canines. “As you wish.” His fingers darted under the hem of her short skirt.

She trembled in the seat. “Here,” she said, pointing to her little brick ranch house.

Neil pulled into the driveway. “Nice place,” he said, his fingers grazing the straps on her garter belt. He mumbled something akin to a growl as he stroked her skin at the top of the stockings. He withdrew his hand to throw the car into park and turn off the engine.

Then Neil reached over to her, pulling her to him, and a noise deep in his chest emerged as he stuck one hand in her hair, bringing her to him for another searing kiss.

She moaned and quivered as he slid his free hand back up under the edge of her skirt. Their tongues fought each other as they kissed, both of them rocking their heads side to side, frantic in pace with the kiss.

Neil’s hand grazed her curls hidden beneath thong underwear. He came off her lips and traveled down her neck, nipping and biting.

“So wet.” He pulled his hand away from her center and brought it up her body, stroking her breasts, and her nipples tightened against the sensation.

She arched forward into his hand, moaning as he ran his thumb over the hardened peak.

“I want you,” she said.

Neil growled as he lowered his head to the front of the silk camisole and nipped at her breast.

She pushed up on him. “Inside,” she whispered, “now!”

Chapter 5

Barely inside the door, Neil yanked Marissa’s lush body against him. He covered her mouth in kisses, then shooting down her neck with nips and bites as he ravaged her throat with his tongue.

Marissa cried out as he pulled her jacket open and palmed her breasts, feeling the hardened peaks under the silk material. He leaned down enough to take one in his mouth through the fabric; he licked and bit at it, and Marissa’s legs started to buckle underneath her.

He picked her up. Placing a hot kiss on her lips, he felt her moan as he situated her in his arms.

“Where’s the bed?” he growled at her.

“There,” Marissa pointed toward a hallway, one arm wrapped around his neck, the other caressing his face. “Second door on the left.” She licked and nipped at his throat.

He almost ran to the bedroom, bursting into the room; forcing himself not fling her on the bed like an animal. Marissa sighed as she lay down on the unmade bed and stared up at him.

He started pulling at his costume, trying to get the damned thing off, and he heard laughter coming from the bed.

“Here,” Marissa said, standing up and starting to help him with the clothes. She undid the cape knot and helped him get the medallion off.

“Thanks,” he whispered, smiling at her. “I can get the rest,” His body screamed for him to just rip the clothes off, to strip them away and then rip off hers.

“Let me.” Marissa said, putting her fingers on the buttons to his shirt. Neil tried to stop her, she was taking her sweet time opening the buttons, but she batted his fingers away. “Stand still.” She undid the top two buttons, her hand slipping inside his shirt.

The feel of her hand against his chest made him shudder, her fingers threading through the hair on his chest, tugging on the dark hair, and he felt himself start to throb.

He let out a growl as she released another button, reaching for his nipples, the scant nails she had scratching at him.

Marissa leaned forward and licked a trail across his bared chest. “I knew you’d be hairy.”

“I hope that’s not a problem,” Neil said.

She let her tongue wind through the hairs. “Not in the slightest.” Her slow pace must have been getting to her, because she quickly finished the rest of the buttons, her hands roaming all over his chest, flicking his nipples, down his stomach. Her fingers swirled in the hair, pulling on the black strands as she traced a path down his stomach toward his pants.

She made quick work of his pants, and Neil put his hands in her hair, tugging on the pencils tucked into it. Her locks tumbled down her back, surprising him at how long they were.

Marissa started to kneel in front of him, but he stopped her.

“No,” he whispered, his pants loose, though his cock remained firmly covered. “Lie down,” he told her.

Marissa pouted at him. “But I wasn’t done.”

“Yes, you are,” he said. His body throbbed so hard, one touch and he’d explode all over her, and on her chest, although appealing, wasn’t where he wanted to explode.

He wanted to be inside her.

Ravage her.

Make her scream.

Marissa lay back down on the bed, her hair fanned out around her, a shiny chocolate color that made her look like any man’s wet dream. He lay down next to her, leaning forward enough to smell her warm skin—the scent that had him lost—and pressed kisses against her throat.

She moaned and purred as he licked the flesh under her ear, sliding his hands down her body and over her breasts. Pulling on the flesh, he felt her shake and grabbed the edges of the thin top and pulled it over her head.

Marissa cooed when he returned to her breasts, licking the edge of her bra until he felt her buckle, her body quivering against him.

“Lord, Neil,” she cried as he slid his hands behind her and unfastened her bra. She pulled the barrier away and tossed it onto the floor. He took his first taste of her skin and growled as he clamped down on her, his mouth on one breast, his hand fondling the other.

Marissa arched into him, shoving her breast deeper into his mouth.

“Amazing.” He released the one, sliding over to her other breast. His hands slid down her sides, finding the edges of her skirt and tugging at the clasp to loosen it.

Marissa helped him shove the skirt off to reveal her garter belt and tiny panties, and he paused to examine the sight.

“Oh, Zeus,” he muttered, his hand sliding down the edges of her garter belt and across her almost non-existent panties.

Marissa’s hips bucked.

“You like?” he said, placing a kiss on her stomach.

“Ughn.”

Neil worked his way down lower, feeling every part of her.

She was amazing. Breathtaking. Incredible. He could feel her heat and moisture through the soaked fabric, her hands rubbing against her breasts as he slipped a finger inside the edge of her panties. His finger grazed her center, then her clit, then back, sliding up and down, a slow rhythm she started pumping her body against.

“I need you now,” Marissa moaned. “Now!”

He nodded, a moan of his own escaping. He stood to shuck his pants, pulling a condom out of his wallet, while Marissa struggled with the garter belt and panties.

“No,” he said, rolling her over, then grabbing the edge of the thong and sliding it out of the way. He poised himself in her entrance, and tested the space with a soft nudge.

Marissa cried out as he entered. Her cry sent him over the edge, losing all control of himself, and he slammed into her, hard and fast.

Unintelligible words came out of Marissa as his pace increased, his body beginning to shake as he felt himself closing in on orgasm.

Marissa continued to scream with every thrust, her face down, almost buried in the pillow, muffling her shouts. He held onto her hips, pounding so hard he thought he would fly apart.

Marissa let out a wild scream as she shook and convulsed around him. Her spasms squeezed him in just the right way, and his own growl erupted from his chest as he toppled over in orgasm, slamming into her with four hard thrusts.

Marissa, still lost in waves of release, managed to turn her head to see Neil as he erupted. His head tipped back, and as the howl came out of him, for a second, she saw a long snout on his face, his whole body darkening, and her hips felt the piercing of sharp nails.

She blinked at him, then looked again. Neil looked like Neil.

As he finished his orgasm, he dropped forward on top of her, covered in a sheen of sweat, and he nuzzled her neck and shoulders, panting.

“Wow,” he whispered.

Marissa nodded. “Yeah.”

Chapter 6

Marissa lay next to Neil a little while later, after they both had hopped in the shower and cleaned up; of course, that led to more sex, which made her thank God she lived in a house and not an apartment where some neighbor could have heard her screams.

Never had anyone taken her to such heights during sex. Neil truly amazed her. And for the first time in a long time, she curled up to him in the bed, glad to have the physical contact. She’d never been a cuddler, and in the last three years she’d really never wanted to touch anyone more than she had to.

Neil, though, seemed to change that idea. He made her want to curl up to him, to let him hold her, to keep her safe and secure, something she hadn’t felt in a very long time.

She glanced at the ceiling, and her mind wandered; for a second, she remembered exactly what night it was, and her vow, and she felt herself growing nauseated.

Neil, who she’d thought was asleep, mumbled at her. “What is it?”

She faked a smile, though her back was to him. “Nothing,”

“You have that smell again,” he whispered.

“What smell?” Marissa asked, sniffing her arm. She didn’t smell anything weird.

“That mourning smell,” he mumbled, pulling her harder up against him and kissing her neck. “What do you mourn?”

“There’s a smell to mourning?”

“Answer my question,” Neil said, nuzzling her shoulder, “and I’ll answer yours.”

She let a smile flutter across her mouth, his teasing soothing her, if only briefly. The darkness that welled in her chest pounded, and the urge to run started to overpower her, but as if Neil could sense it, he held her tighter.

“It’s okay,” he said.

Hot tears burned her cheeks. “I killed my parents.”

She half expected Neil to pull away, to ask what kind of psycho she must be, killing her parents and all, but he didn’t. His fingers grazed her shoulders, waiting for her to go on.

In her mind, she wondered if she should. The truth stained her mind; she didn’t want to think about it, she didn’t want to feel it, only to be lost in it. Speaking of it made it so much more real, so much more clinical, and she wasn’t ready for that.

Yet here, in Neil’s arms, she felt like he’d protect her from anything.

After all, he’d protected her from Kirk.

Still, she didn’t want to think about it. She didn’t want to relive those moments in her mind. She rolled over, facing Neil, placing a kiss on his lips. “I don’t want to talk about it.”

Neil arched his eyebrow at her, stroking a finger down her cheek. “It torments you,” he said. “Release it. Only releasing it can you find healing.”

She closed her eyes. “It’s not your burden to bear. You didn’t kill them.” She could hear the squealing of tires, the crunch of metal against concrete in her mind, the sounds, though only what her mind created, held a resonance that made her shudder.

“And I doubt you did, either,” Neil said, stroking her face, wiping away the rogue tear on her cheek.

“How do you know?”

“Because you’d be in an orange jumpsuit behind bars if you’d killed them. And I doubt orange is a good color for you.”

Her heart shuddered, the pounding so strong, she swore it was an external sound. “I didn’t pull a trigger,” she whispered, her eyes shut. “But I might as well have.”

“I doubt that.”

She could see them clearly in her mind, right there, painted in her brain, the image of the last time she’d seen her parents. On Halloween they’d dressed as the odd couple—Dad, a devil, and Mom an angel; Mom’s halo glittering, her face covered in glitter powder, and Dad, armed with corny red horns and a pitchfork.

It was the last time she’d seen them, both smiling, both laughing, and they were ecstatically waving at her, wishing her well.

“They were at a teen and adult Halloween party. The kids downstairs watching scary movies, the adults upstairs,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper. She opened her eyes and looked at Neil, who only nodded for her to go on. “I knew Dad was drunk, I could see it in his eyes. And I
knew
… I knew he’d drive home.”

Neil stroked her arm. “I’m so sorry.”

“I should have stayed,” she said, remembering how she’d wanted to get to her own Halloween party, get away from the teens and the coupled adults, get to her own friends and have some fun.

“It’s not your fault,” he whispered.

Marissa shook her head. “It was! I should have stayed. Instead, I had to get to my own party, my own friends, because I was too cool to hang out with my parents and my brother. I had guys waiting for me… I killed my family because I wanted to get laid,” she whispered, staring at Neil. “And here I am, desecrating the day they died by doing the same thing.”

“Marissa,” Neil whispered. “You’re not desecrating their memory.”

She scooted farther across the bed, away from him. “I think you should go. You shouldn’t be here,” she said, rubbing at her arms. She had to get the feel of him off her, the sex off her skin.

A shower. She needed to scrub her skin, scrub off the sex, make it go away.

Neil reached forward and pulled her up next to him, his strength incredible, and he wrapped his strong arms around her, holding her to him.

“No,” he whispered, “I’m not going anywhere.”

“Get off me! Get out!” she cried, her voice losing some of its strength as his body kept her held tight against him.

Tears burned in her eyes. “I can’t, I can’t allow any happiness on this day,” she said. “This day, I can’t be happy.”

Neil stroked her hair, feeling her body tremble against him, and he wanted with every fiber of his being to calm her down, to ease her pain, but he couldn’t find it within himself to do so.

He didn’t know how.

Her tears burned like acid on his chest.

“Shh. It’s going to be okay,” he said.

“It’s not okay,” she said through her tears, her voice harsh. “It’ll never be okay. My family is dead! It’s my fault! I was selfish, and now they’re dead!”

“You didn’t give your dad the keys. You didn’t tell him to drive. He made that choice. He took responsibility when he got behind the wheel.”

“If I had been there,” she cried against his chest, “then… then… maybe, maybe I could have…”

He pulled her face up to look at him. “Would he have even let you take his keys? I can’t imagine too many dads allowing their little kid to drive them home.”

“But I could have tried! I could have been there!”

He ran his fingers down her cheek. “We can live our lives wondering ‘what if’ for as long as we are breathing, but that’s not living, Marissa. That’s just existing.” He let out a sigh. “Do you really think your parents would have wanted you to merely exist after they left? Or would they have wanted you to live?”

Marissa buried her head into his chest and cried. She wailed, then she would sob; a soft weeping sound eventually replaced the sobs, until her breathing leveled out, and she’d cried herself to sleep.

Neil still didn’t let her go, a few tears slipping down his cheek.

*

The dawn cut into the bedroom window, and Marissa found herself stroked and prodded awake in the most sensual and gentle ways possible.

She couldn’t quite remember everything from last night, at least after the coupling, except that she’d cried a lot. And Neil had held her to him, letting her cry. Though she did remember telling him about her parents, and now she felt lighter than she had in years.

Could he have been right? Could just opening up have been what she’d needed all this time? Her heart still ached for her parents, but something about the way the sun shined in the room, it was a new day, and a new beginning for her.

She couldn’t thank Neil enough for that.

She glanced at her body, seeing him pressing kisses on her stomach.

Okay, maybe she could think of a few ways to thank him.

She fully awoke, her body flaming in desire as Neil knelt between her legs, running his lips over hers, her body quickly running toward release, throbbing and insistent as her climax shook her, her hips rocking hard into his face.

Neil growled against her as he sucked, only making the shaking climax shoot higher and higher.

When she finally ebbed, Neil crawled back up her body, his erection pressing against her inner thigh, and it moved as if it throbbed as much as she did. She shifted her hips so his hard cock was poised at her entrance.

Neil ran a hand down her cheek, pressing a soft kiss against her lips, the lingering scent of what he’d just done made Marissa even hotter.

“And you’re waiting for?” she asked him, shoving her hips up against his.

The corner of Neil’s mouth quirked up at her, and he reached over her shoulder to the small jewelry box that sat on her nightstand. Flipping it open, he pulled out a condom and in a second was sheathed, ready to dive in.

Neil pushed her hip to roll her over again, but Marissa shook her head. “No,” she said. “I want to see you when you come.”

Neil closed his eyes, and nodded his head. He entered her very slowly; his body tight and restrained.

His pace was excruciatingly slow, and Marissa tried encouraging him to speed up, to release that animalistic power he’d had before, but he wouldn’t do it.

He kept his pace slow and steady, like a metronome keeping time.

She caressed his skin, his arms, his chest, anything she could think of to push him harder toward climax; as she licked his shoulders, he growled and pushed her down away from him.

“Neil?” she whispered. “What’s wrong?” Panic filled her. Was he repulsed by her? Did he hate her, and was doing this out of pity? Did he not want to be here anymore?

“I…” His voice sounding like he held back every part of himself, trying to keep himself together.

“You can let go.” What happened? Why was he afraid to let go, like he did last night? Did she do something wrong? Did she make it too hard for him now?

“I can’t.”

“What are you afraid of?” she stroked his face.

He turned into her hand, kissing her palm as she slid her fingers away from him. “I don’t want to frighten you.”

“You won’t. You can’t do anything to frighten me.” She stroked his chest, her fingers threading through his chest hairs. She almost added that she felt safe with him, but she stopped herself.
Too much too soon
.

“I’m not like other men,” he said.

“And I’m not like other women.”

Neil’s head went down, and he placed a few kisses on her neck. “No, you’re not, you’re amazing. And I can’t...” he said, rolling away from her and getting out of bed.

“Neil? Neil! Get back here!”

“I’m going to hurt you,” he said, grabbing for his pants.

“You are hurting me. Please don’t go,” she said. She’d never begged a man to stay with her in her life, ever. Yet seeing him climb off her, getting out of her bed, any pride she had disappeared, and she wanted him to stay.

Please, you have to stay. I need you!
She couldn’t handle him leaving her.

“If I stay, and I tell you everything, I will hurt you.” He fastened his pants.

“Oh, God,” she whispered, every horrible possibility running rampant through her mind. “You’re married?”

Neil laughed. “I wish. That would be believable.”

She shook her head, her chest tight, anguish pouring out of her. “I don’t understand. Please don’t go.”

Neil said nothing and picked up his shirt.

“God, tell me you’re gay, tell me your married, something!” Anger shot through her. How could he? How could he just up and walk away? Now? What was wrong with him? What was wrong with her? “Give me something to write you off with! Anything! Don’t leave. Don’t leave me knowing that I’ve never felt safer with anyone in my life, and you’re going to walk away?”

Neil tipped his head back and howled. Not scream, not a cry, a
howl
—rich, animalistic, primal, and not human.

Her eyes widened, and she scooted across the bed, the noise piercing her heart. In a flash, she saw Neil’s jaw extend, his skin darken, and no longer did he look human, but like a large monster. A monster!

She screamed at the sight of him.

Neil faded back to himself.

“No!” she pulled the covers up over her body, cowering against the back of the bed. She reached for something she could use, some kind of weapon, but she had none.

He was a monster!

Neil’s green eyes flashed at her, and she stopped shaking.

“I’m a werewolf,” Neil whispered, and turned, leaving the room. A white card fluttered from his fingers as he walked out. “Forgive me.”

She stared after him, watching Neil leave, hearing the front door shut, and she continued to stare.

She didn’t move for a very long time.