Three days later …

“Thank you.” Natasha was smiling from ear to ear and he loved it. Loved that he had been the one to put that smile there. “I had such a fantastic time.” She gave a twirl. A ballerina with a gun. It didn’t get much better.

“I could see that, and I have to say, you’re good … Better than good … you are amazing to watch in action. I was both stunned and turned on and in equal measure.”

She gave him a dirty look. “That’s just wrong. You got hard watching me shoot?”

He nodded. “I’m still hard.”

She choked out a laugh and shook her head. “Bullshit.” She walked right up to him and grabbed his cock.

It was no wonder he was falling for this female. He grunted as her little fingers closed over him. “Oh, my god! You are hard. I have to say that you were really good with a gun for a newbie. Are you sure you haven’t been to the shooting range before?” She let him go.

He barked out a laugh of his own. “Yeah right. We couldn’t have both been looking at the same targets.”

“You hit the bullseye twice and were on target for most of those rounds.” She raised her brows. Still shocked at how well he had done.

“Of course I’m sure. I don’t know … I could’ve done better.”

She looked at him with mock disgust. “Better? What are you talking about? You’re a natural. You know how to hold the grip. Most people make the mistake of holding it too tight. There was zero recoil as far as you were concerned and you naturally squeeze the trigger instead of trying to pull it. I’m impressed. Just remember to breathe out as you shoot and take your time and you’ll be plugging the bullseye every time in no time.”

He nodded as she spoke. “In many ways swordsmanship and firing a gun are the same. Firstly, the stance, legs slightly apart and bent at the knees. The only difference is one foot is slightly in front of the other,” he demonstrated by stepping forward with his leading foot, “when holding the hilt.” He picked up the sheath and pulled his scimitar from its case.

Natasha’s eyes lit up. “Wow!” she breathed out the word. “It’s so beautiful.” She reached forward.

“No touching,” he growled and she yanked her hand back.

“So, I can look but I can’t touch?” She rolled her eyes, a smile toying with the edges of her mouth.

“You can touch it, just not on the blade itself. It’s razor sharp.”

“Of course it is.” Her eyes were filled with lust, only they were directed at his blade and not him. Fuck, but she was something. “Here.” He held his scimitar out to her, hilt first, and she took it. “We still have surveillance footage to watch, but have a feel first.”

She was smiling, eyes bright. “It’s heavier than it looks.” Her voice was filled with awe. “I can’t believe you’re actually letting me touch your weapon.” Her voice was laced with excitement. “I thought you didn’t let anyone touch your blades.”

“You should know by now that you can touch anything of mine.” He moved in behind her. “You’re not just anyone.”

She swallowed deeply.

“I mean it,” he said

“I know you do. It doesn’t change anything though, so you shouldn’t say things like that to me.” There was a touch of anger in her voice.

She was right. He was a dick for going there. Thing was, he forgot himself at times like this. “No, it doesn’t change anything. I wanted you to know,” he paused. It was best just to move on. “Widen your legs and put your leading foot forward. That’s the same side as the arm holding the weapon. That’s it. Now, bend your knees. It’ll help …”

“To put my center of gravity low and central, which will assist with balance,” she finished for him.

“Exactly. You can cut and parry with the weapon but make sure you use small movements from your elbow.” He brushed her arm.

Natasha did as he said. Going slow at first and then becoming more daring.

“That’s it,” he urged.

She huffed out a breath after a half a minute. “I thought I was fit but heck, this thing’s getting heavy already.”

He moved in flush against her back and held up her sword arm by sliding his hand over hers. Titan took her through a couple of defense moves followed by the main attack ones.

She shrieked with excitement, moving with him. “This is awesome!”

“Yeah, I love it,” he said. “You need to have both strength and finesse to be able to wield a blade such as this. I have heard the act of sword fighting being described as a dance but I don’t agree. It’s hard damned work. It’s bloody and messy and way more violent than any gun fight could ever be. You need to get close to your opponent. At first, close enough to study them. To know their strengths and their weaknesses. Later, you need to get close enough to kill them.”

She shivered. “I know it’s wrong to think it, let alone say it, but,” she paused, “that’s sexy.”

Titan chuckled. “I think so too, female. I’m going to let your arm go now.”

“Okay.”

He released her. “Hand me the scimitar ‒ nice and easy,” he warned.

She held the blade out to him in the same way that he had to her. Natasha was a quick study. “I would love to see you in action with this,” she said as he took it from her.

“Maybe one day.” He sheathed his weapon, putting it back down on the table.

“You shouldn’t say things like that.” The anger was back. She worried her bottom lip for a few seconds before looking him in the eyes. “I’ve been thinking.”

He fucking hated the sound of that. Titan grit his teeth.

“One more day and then I’m going to have to leave.” She looked away.

“Give it a chance. A week. You need to give it at least a week. That’s a couple more days.” His voice was pleading. Titan couldn’t stand the thought of her leaving.

“I can’t.” Her voice was filled with emotion. “I … shit!” She paced away from him. “I’m starting to get in a little too deep here, Titan.” She spun around. “Like over my head deep.” She looked him in the eyes.

“Yeah!” His voice was rough. “I know what you mean.”

“What are we doing to ourselves here? We’re pretending. Playing house.” She looked away. “We need to rip off the band-aid,” she said the last more to herself.

“No! A couple more days won’t make any difference.” He was kidding himself. A few years with this female wouldn’t be enough.

“These last few days already have made a difference. The longer I stay the harder I fall. The harder I fall, the harder I’ll crash.” There were tears in her eyes. “This is my self-preservation kicking in. It’s for you as much as it’s for me. You’ll thank me some day.”

“Thank you … I seriously doubt that. I’m in love with you.”

She scrubbed a hand over her face. “What are you saying?” A couple of tears fell but she wiped them away. “You can’t say things like that to me.”

“It’s true though.”

“It doesn’t matter.”

“Yes, it does.” He took her face in both his hands and forced her to look at him. “We belong together. We fit. We get each other. I don’t want to live without you.”

“What about your lores? Your kings?”

“I don’t give a shit! I don’t know why it took me so long to realize it but none of that matters.”

“Of course it matters. What are you saying? You could end up in jail or beaten to within an inch of your life or worse.”

“I might be banished from vampire territory. I’ll probably be whipped but it would be worth it. I love you, Natasha. I want to be with you. Not just for a couple of days, or weeks. I want us to be partners.” His eyes were so intense. They zoned in on hers. “For real. Not just nine to five.”

“Really?” she squeaked.

* * *

Was he serious? He couldn’t be serious. Was this even happening? She wanted to pinch herself or pinch him. Maybe he wasn’t thinking straight. She could feel her eyes welling with more tears. She couldn’t stop them. Natasha sniffed. She blinked a couple of times.

“Don’t cry. Please don’t.” Titan was breathing hard. His voice was choked up with emotion. “Just tell me that you’ll at least think about it … please.”

“No.”

“Come on, I’m begging you here. I’ll even go down on both knees.”

“I don’t have to think about it.” She gripped his wrists.

“You must. I’m not letting you leave until you think things through.”

“You won’t let me leave. Really?” He was so cute when he was being bossy.

“Yeah.” His Adam’s apple bobbed. “I’ll throw you over my shoulder, tie you to the bed and spank you until you agree to at least think about it.” He was trying to make light of it even though his voice was thick. His eyes pleading. They clouded up. “I’m sorry, that was a terrible joke. I should never—”

“It was an awesome joke. It means you’re starting to move on.” She held up a hand. “Before you say anything more, you need to know that I don’t have to think about it because it’s a no-damn-brainer. I love you too. We can do this if we’re together. If we have each other.”

“Listen …” A growl.

“Yes?”

“You know when I said no rutting during working hours?”

“It’s not working hours,” she pointed out.

“Yeah, but we should be working since we took off early.”

“Fair enough,” she conceded.

“Well, we’re breaking that rule, just this once.” He picked her up and she put her legs around his waist.

“I’m down with that,” her voice was husky in an instant.

He backed her up into the closest wall and kissed her. Hard, deep, like a pro. He sucked on her tongue and nipped at her lower lip before devouring her mouth like he was the dark and she the sun, moon and stars.

There was a loud ripping noise and a hard tug on her suit pants. Titan ripped them clean off. He yanked her thong to the side and zoned in on her clit. Firm, tight strokes that had her moaning hard from the word go. Then he plunged a finger inside her and she arched against him trying to rock her hips. She gripped him tightly around his shoulders and panted like a woman possessed. Just as the heat started to accumulate at the pit of her stomach, he stopped. Natasha made a noise of frustration.

There was the sound of a zipper going down. Titan looked into her eyes as he pushed into her. His face became pinched, his eyes went straight to half-mast. His head fell back and he groaned. Like joining with her was everything.

Then he was tugging her legs up his body, anchoring her against the wall so that her back was flush against it and thrusting into her. Hard and fast right from the start.

“Oh … oh …” she moaned as he bent a little at the knees so that he could pound into her from below. Groaning, Titan moved away from the wall, holding onto her. “Wrap your legs around me.”

She locked her ankles at his back. He was so big and thick inside her. Stretching the hell out of her.

Titan walked over to the sofa and sat down. He ripped her jacket off. Buttons went flying. She tried to remove her holster.

“No.” Titan smiled. It was strained. His cock throbbed inside her. “Leave it on.”

He talked dirty, could fuck like a demon and liked violence. No wonder she was in love with him. Natasha smiled. “Who needs lace when there’s plenty of weapons and leather to go around?”

“Abso-fucking-lutely! Only …” He gripped her shirt and ripped that across the front. More buttons went flying.

Natasha bit down on her lower lip. “If you keep doing that I’m going to have to walk around naked soon.”

“I won’t complain.”

“You’re lucky I find it sexy, it’s just, I don’t have that many items of clothing and going out is going to be a problem.”

“We’ll stay home.”

“Indefinitely.” Natasha reached down and unclasped her bra, uncovering her breasts as best she could considering her holster was in the way. “Better?”

“Much.” He eyeballed her boobs.

“I’ll be the laughing stock when I’m forced to arrest this mole in nothing but my holster.”

Titan tensed, his gaze turned stormy. “Not a fuck, I’ll buy you more clothes. Whatever you want.”

“Titan?”

“Yeah.”

“We can have this conversation some other time.”

“Agreed.” Titan bent down and suckled on her nipples. He rolled his hips, holding onto hers to stop her from moving. It was a slow grind that had her panting, it was enough to drive her crazy with need but not nearly enough to get her off.

He moved from one breast to the other. Licking and sucking. Now he was making circular motions with his hips ending on a tiny thrust. Shit! It was good. He was good.

Then he was kissing and licking her neck and sucking on her earlobes. He was thrusting into her but using tiny little movements, staying deep. “You’re driving me nuts.” She could barely get the words out she was breathing so hard. “Oh god! Oh! Just one …” she moaned. “Just one rub on my clit.” Another hard moan. “I’ll go off like a rocket.” Heavy panting.

“No rubbing on your clit.”

“No?” She sounded devastated and out of breath.

“No.” Deep and guttural.

“More then. I need more.”

“No.”

“I hate you.”

Titan chuckled.

“Oh my!” she gasped in both alarm and pleasure. Titan continued using those deep small movements. “Your fangs.” They were long and sharp. They looked pretty wicked. No wonder he had stopped kissing her. Might slice her wide open with those things. She felt both fear and excitement.

He looked sheepish and closed his mouth. “Sorry,” he mumbled. He stopped moving. Her pussy complained big time by clenching. Her clit throbbed … begging to be stroked.

“No, don’t be. You said it’s natural.”

He nodded, he looked her head on. “I guess I’m just really thirsty. Every instinct is telling me to drink from you. We don’t normally look this bad. It’s hectic! I know I look scary but I would never harm you.”

His frown was more prominent. His mouth, a weapon in itself, his eyes were much lighter, they glowed eerily. “You’re beautiful.”

Titan laughed, out popped his fangs in all their glory. “You are too much, female. More than I could ever have hoped for.” He turned serious. “I love you, Natasha.” He tucked some loose hair behind her ear.

“I love you too, all of you. I want you to drink from me.”

His eyes narrowed. “No.” A rough rasp. He cleared his throat. “I …”

“Yes, we’re going to be together. We’ve broken some major lores already, may as well add one more.”

He looked like he was thinking it over. “Are you sure?”

“Yes, of course. Unless you would prefer to keep drinking from Drago,” she raised her brows, “you—” he thrust into her, cutting off what she was about to say.

“No. I want to drink from my female … from you.” He thrust hard a couple of times making her cry out but then he went back to those slow maddening little deep thrusts. Only this time he moved more quickly. It was a little like riding a vibrator.

“Oh shit!” she groaned. “Yes, oh yes … just like that. Fuck …” She’d never felt anything like it before.

Titan held her hips and fast-fucked her deep inside. As deep as he could get. Each quick movement produced a tiny bump against her clit which was doing a happy dance. Her g-spot was doing tumbles.

Her eyes rolled back as her orgasm took her in a choke-hold of epic proportions. Her back went rigid and then everything spasmed.

Titan roared. His head went back and then came down at her neck. He began to jerk and grunt. She could feel him coming just as she was coming down. There was a light pinch at the base of her neck. He sucked and she felt the pull on her nipples, her clit and deep inside her and all at once. The air seized in her lungs. On the second pull she felt like she was convulsing, it was that good. Her back bowed, her nipples tightened up some more. On the third pull, she was screaming, the ecstasy was almost too much. Then he was gulping and slurping. Sucking, sucking, sucking. It was all too much.

“No!” A whisper.

“Stop …” A moan.

It was no longer pleasant. It hurt. Natasha screamed again, this time in pain. She tried to pull back but Titan held onto her in his vice-like grip. His fangs sank in deeper. “Titan!” Desperate.

Pain.

Pain.

Pain.

More gulping. His hands were tightening on her hips. Hurt! Stop! No! Her eyes were wide. Fear rushed through her. He was going to kill her. Titan was in one of those frenzies. He had to be.

Gulping.

Gulping.

Sucking.

Pain.

His fingers dug into her. He was growling and grunting, sounding like a wild animal on a kill. She needed to do something. Her gun. Natasha used every ounce of strength she still possessed and reached over, unclipping her holster. She bowed her back to try and make space. She had to work to think clearly through the pain. She pulled out her weapon and disengaged the safety and put the muzzle to Titan’s chest. She tried to push the metal against his skin.

He didn’t flinch. Didn’t stop. Didn’t seem to register at all. “Stop!” A croak. Her head was spinning. It was now or never.

Natasha sobbed as she pulled the trigger. The gunshot was loud. Titan froze, mid-suck. He hung suspended for a moment. Then he pushed out a breath. It was a sound she had heard before. It was his body expelling its last breath. He slumped back. Blood trickled from his gaping mouth. His eyes were closed. Blood blossomed, radiating from a tiny hole in his shirt. His shirt slowly turned red. The patch growing wider and wider with each passing second. Other than that, all was still.

Titan was dead. She had killed him.