Chapter Ten
Seb whisked me into his embrace, his mouth warm and questing. “You’re amazing.”
Surprised, I raised my arms. My fingers were still curled around the canister. My other hand landed open on his chest.
His naked chest.
Oh my heavens. I palmed warm, silky-smooth skin, covering muscles like rocks. The male was built like a castle, all hard power and strength. Sheer, unadulterated lust threaded my veins.
I shuddered.
Sera had put the idea in my brain, his searing kiss in the honeymoon suite had only worsened it, and now the feel of his bare torso exploded from my subconscious into full daylight.
What would he feel like lying atop me? Moving inside of me?
Biting me?
That rippled deep, quaking down to my core.
I slid my palm up his hard chest to his neck to tangle in his hair. Opened my mouth to grab more of him. His breath was so hot I was about to go up in flames.
“Evening, folks.”
Seb’s mouth lifted abruptly. Reluctantly, I opened my eyes.
A young police officer moseyed up. “I got a nine-one-one for this location. What’s going on?”
Strangely, Seb reacted as he had with the rogue vampires, protecting me with a barring arm. His gaze on the cop was stony.
Weird, because the young officer didn’t seem very dangerous. Tall, thin, and blond, he reminded me of Kenneth in 30 Rock, or possibly an overly perky chipmunk, all bright-eyed innocence. His five-o’clock shadow was less beard than peach fuzz, and though he must have been an adult, he was so fresh-faced I expected zits.
I tucked the spray in my pack. I didn’t recognize him, not utterly impossible, but in a town of seven thousand, not something that happened often, especially when the most popular hangouts were multigenerational. (Except no one in their right mind showed up at Nieman’s Bar for Seniors’ Night—Sera’s granny often climbed onto the bar, and while she did a passable striptease for having arthritis, when she flung off her bloomers, it gave new meaning to Too Much Information.)
Seb’s nostrils flared. My breath left me. With Julian, that sniff had meant he’d suspected vampire. But Officer Chipmunk?
“Is there a problem, sir?” the boy said.
“You’re damned right, there’s a…” Seb trailed off, his glare dimming into a frown. His barring arm slowly fell.
Something had changed, but I wasn’t sure what.
“No, no problem, Officer. A gang of kids, but it was just hijinks that went out of control.”
“Your shirt—or what’s left of it—tells a slightly different story, sir.” The officer rested his hands on his big utility belt, and gave us a friendly, open version of a scowl. “Maybe you really met up with a bunch of reprobates, they threatened you, and you’re too scared to talk?”
I’d never heard anyone use “reprobate” in a sentence before. I half expected him to add “Golly, shuckums, yup.”
“I’m sure, Officer…?”
“Keydew.” The young cop doffed his hat with a little bow. “Nathaniel Keydew, at your service, sir, ma’am.”
“Well, thank you for responding to the call, Officer Keydew. My fiancée and I were just on our way back to Otto’s. If you’ll excuse us…?” Seb put a hand on the small of my back and started to escort me away. Whatever he’d smelled at first, whatever had changed, he still wanted to get me out of there pronto.
So when Keydew’s mild, “Begging your pardon, sir. Before you go, I have a question,” stopped us, I was dismayed. We turned.
Two-handed, the young officer settled his cap back on his head, giving it a wiggle to adjust it. “You have a permit to carry that concealed weapon, sir?”
I startled. Seb had a gun? Normally, I consider myself an observant person. I sketch what I see, not what I think should be there. Except Seb. Why? Because he was a vampire?
“Certainly,” he said. “It’s in my wallet, in my pants pocket. Did you want me to get it?”
“No, sir, that’s not necessary. If you could come down to the station later tonight, though, I’d sure appreciate it. I’ll be there between midnight and six a.m.”
Seb nodded. I didn’t understand. Why go to all the trouble of bringing the permit to the station, if he could just show the officer now? The special agent must’ve caught some nuance I missed.
We left the officer ringing the downstairs doorbell of the flat over the daycare. Still, I waited until we were a couple blocks away before murmuring, “Is it safe to talk?”
“Quietly.” He guided me around a couple college kids lurching out of Nieman’s.
“You smelled something. What?”
Grimacing, he shot a glance at the kids then bent his head to my ear. “He smelled like a v-guy. Then he didn’t.” His breath caressed my neck and lobe.
My skin rumpled with pleasure, and I enjoyed the soft warmth until I latched onto the importance of his words.
“You’re saying he instantly disguised his scent?”
“I’m saying he instantly got rid of his scent.”
“Febreeze?”
His lips twitched. “I wish. No, I think something else is going on. What, I’m not sure. However, I’ll have the chance to find out tonight.”
“Oh! The gun permit thing. That was really a blind to talk in private.”
“I believe so, yes.”
As we walked, Seb slid an arm around me. Without meaning to, I relaxed into his big body. When I realized what I’d done, I tried to jerk straight, or at least put a breath of space between us.
Too much work. I relaxed back into his side. Even if he was trying to get more of my scent on him as camouflage, his heat and strength was too nice.
A real pity I couldn’t take a chance on him.
Hell. If Seb had been human, I might have welcomed him to my bed. Hoping he’d turn out to be the one for me, yearning for connection, but not devastated if it didn’t work out. Because a human man couldn’t make me fall in love without putting in the work.
Unless… What if I asked him not to use his vampire wiles on me?
I glanced up at him. He was silent, his thoughts hidden behind his stony eyes.
Yeah, there was that. He was still distant around me. Except for kissing.
My eyes fell to his lips, remembering that last kiss. He had taken my mouth with such passion, I’d begun to think we’d do it right on the sidewalk.
And then it’d be a shotgun wedding courtesy of the whole town.
I snorted to myself. That would be a helluva solution to my commitment worries.
For a moment, I let myself daydream. His kiss had been amazing. Stunning. If it hadn’t been for Officer Keydew, maybe we’d have gone further.
As we neared Otto’s, with that great big honeymoon mattress, I let the idea out to play. After fighting the gang, we’d have returned here to enjoy a little physical blowing off of steam. I’d palm that rock-hard chest. Kiss that big hot mouth, tasting of flames licking ever higher.
I’d ask for human. He’d raise his head and stare deeply into my eyes, that clever brain of his mining for exactly what I meant. Then he’d smile, easy, confident. He’d say, “Yeah. I can do human.”
Making a small sacrifice for the good of our potential relationship. That would fuel my lust like nothing else could.
We’d barely make it into our room at Otto’s before falling…more like crashing…into each other’s arms. When his big mouth closed over mine again, I’d seize his head with both hands and thrust my hungry tongue between his lips, fueled by knowing he really cared.
He’d respond with insane passion, swinging me into his arms with his mouth still devouring mine. He’d carry me to the bed and when he set me on it, he’d release my mouth but only long enough for me to get rid of my backpack. I’d be shaking with need and drop it on the floor.
Desperate for me, he’d cover me immediately.
Hey, it was my fantasy.
Lying atop me, he’d be heavy enough to press me back into the mattress. I’d close my eyes and let the lust roll over me, confident that the real Seb would keep me upright and walking straight. The fantasy was so potent it caused a very real tingling in my thighs and sex.
He’d kiss me again, his tongue filling my mouth, dark and primal. I’d writhe with need. Incredibly turned on by me, his fangs would grow.
But, with an obvious effort, he’d will them away, because I’d asked. Doing the work. Making the sacrifice.
Making it a real relationship.
My eyes itched at the thought. I blinked away the bittersweet ache.
Vampires were sexual beasts, and certainly, from the expert heat and thoroughness of Seb’s kiss, he was experienced.
But my fantasy Seb would care enough that, instead of plunging right to the goal, he’d slide his palm to just below one breast—and he’d leave his hand there, warm, waiting, tacitly asking permission to touch more sensitive, intimate flesh.
That would move me so deeply, I’d reward him by peeling off top and bra, all at once.
His eyes would widen. He’d seize a breast in each hand and suck first one nipple then the other, as if he couldn’t get enough. His fevered urgency, proof that he found me deeply desirable and that it wasn’t just vampire lust, would catapult my excitement to a hot sheen of perspiration and swelling, aching need. I’d bump my hips against him, letting him know I wanted him, too.
And where I wanted him.
He’d smile and kiss his way down my naked torso, adding occasional hot little licks that would only raise the steamy heat. Arriving at my jeans, he’d work the button and zipper. I decided he’d fumble a bit because his hands would shake with sexy desire.
Even so, it wouldn’t take him long to divest me of my pants and panties.
The scent of my need would hit him. His canines would descend, but by now I’d trust he’d control them. Trust he wanted, not just easy sex, but more.
Willing his fangs away, he’d use his mouth to hotwire my clit.
I’d gasp as his breath steamed me. He’d pet my dampening sex as he tongued my clit. I’d shudder, his fingers sliding in my desire as I bumped against his mouth. “More,” I’d moan.
He’d thrust a finger into me.
I’d shout, loving that he was doing this to me, not as a vampire, but as Seb. My whole body would tighten with anticipation, burning with the urge to release.
But because he was doing the work, he wouldn’t take the easy orgasm and let me come right away. He’d crank me tighter, licking and thrusting until I mewled, until I writhed on the bed.
Until I was desperate for the climax only he could give me.
Then he’d say, “Come for me, Brie.” He’d thrust deep and suck and I’d contract to a single, hard point. “Come hard.”
I’d ignite, from my pumping heart and rasping lungs out through my adrenaline-laced blood. I’d shout with it, bursting in body and voice, contraction after contraction wracking me.
Finally, minutes or hours or an eternity later, his finger would withdraw and his sucks and licks soften to kisses.
Perfect, because he’d really care—and perfect fantasy.
I heaved a wistful breath. What was there about Seb that made me want to connect with him, not just any vampire, but him, connect completely in body, heart, and soul? The desire in my breast was so strong, it emerged as a little moan.
“What’s wrong?” Seb bent closer. His breath tickled my neck, soft and sweet, stirring all sorts of desires…
“Nothing,” I muttered. Nothing that wouldn’t be taken care of with a good hard pounding into the mattress.
“Oh. Good.” He straightened, and his gaze returned to the distance. Back to work for him.
And that answered that, didn’t it? I sighed and pushed aside my fantasies. Even if he kept it human, I wouldn’t get a real connection. Not with all-work, no-play Rikare.