Jocelynn Drake - Nightwalker

“What’s wrong?” I demanded in a harsh voice, making him jump.

“Nothing,” he quickly answered, his hand automatically reaching for his gun in his surprise. A spastic smile jumped across his lips as his hands returned to his sides.

“What are you doing up here?”

“I didn’t think you should be here unprotected.”

“I’m fine. Your job right now is to protect Sadira. I can manage,” I reassured him, running my fingers through my damp hair. Fear unknotted in my stomach, leaving the muscles trembling for a moment.

“Do you need anything?” His eyes were wide as he watched me.

“No, I’m fine.”

Something about him was making me ill at ease. He seemed nervous and extremely tense. I could only guess that it was the constant traveling and the threat of the naturi. While I’m not sure he completely understood the danger, he’d overheard enough conversations to catch a solid glimpse.

He walked over to me and placed a trembling hand on my cheek. “I’m worried about you. You nearly died last night and you’re still in danger here,” he murmured, pressing a gentle kiss to my temple. “This place is wall-to-wall vampire hunters and God only knows what else. You know I’ll do whatever it takes to protect you, but…” His strong voice drifted off, suffocated by his doubts.

“But you and Gabriel are outgunned,” I finished, running my hands up his strong chest. Lacing my fingers behind his neck, I pulled him down so his forehead touched mine. Michael wrapped his arm around my waist, enveloping me his warmth. “Right now, these hunters are not the threat that concerns me. Besides, they seem to follow Danaus, and he needs me alive.”

He pulled away so that he could look me in the eye. “He tried to have you killed in Egypt,” he reminded me, with barely caged anger.

“He claims it was a misunderstanding. They were trying to rescue him.”

“And you believe him?”

“No.” I laughed, pulling his head down to capture his soft lips in a quick kiss that lasted a bit longer than I initially intended. Michael’s arms tightened, pressing me against his strong body. His skin was warm and his heart pounded against my breast, proclaiming his life and strength to my own cold form. I started to break off the kiss, telling myself that I had too many things to take care of, when Michael deepened it, running the tip of his tongue along the seam of my lips. My own body instantly responded, my mouth opening so his tongue could dart in, tasting me.

French kissing a vampire was an art form that Michael had mastered during our years together. He could kiss me without pricking his tongue on my fangs, but there was never anything hesitant or careful about it. He explored my mouth, opening up senses and feelings within me I hadn’t realized were laying dormant, waiting for him and his touch. In his hands, I felt almost human again.

I moaned softly against his mouth, my fingers threading through his hair. With a little pressure he guided me backward until I felt something pressing against the back of my knees. Running his hands up and down my back, he slowly pulled his mouth away and smiled down at me, his eyes sparkling with some kind of mischief. It was on the tip of my tongue to ask what he was thinking when he gave my left shoulder a little shove, pushing me onto the bed.

“Make time stand still, Mira,” he murmured in a low, husky voice that sent a shimmer of warmth over my body. “Give us tonight.”

Parting my knees so he was standing between my leather-clad legs, I sat up and grabbed a fistful of his shirt. As I lay back down, Michael crawled onto the bed, placing his elbows on either side of my head as he leaned down and reclaimed my lips. My eyes fell shut as he wrung another moan out of me, my body instinctively arching against his. I wanted to feel all of him. I needed to feel all of his soft, warm skin pressed against the length of my body, but I would follow his lead. Michael was in control and I was enjoying every second of this escape while I could.

Moving his lips along my jaw, Michael shifted his weight onto his left arm, allowing him to slip his right hand between our bodies. His nimble fingers slid over my ribs and up to cup my breast, his thumb rubbing over my nipple through the rough lace of the bra.

“Have you missed me?” he asked in a harsh, breathless whisper, running his lips over mine.

“Very much.” My hands fumbled for a moment, searching for the edge of his shirt. I finally found it, allowing me to run my hands up his back. His muscles flexed and danced beneath my fingers. He kissed me again as his fingers pulled down the bra, freeing my breast for his teasing fingers.

“Not nearly enough, I think.” Changing directions, he ran the tip of his tongue along my flat stomach from my belly button, up along my ribs, skirting along the edge of the red scar left from last night’s wound before finally settling on my bare breast. His tongue swirled around my hardened nipple, his teeth grazing it.

My eyes fell shut again. My fingers dug into his blond locks, twisting to get a better hold. I arched against him, my heels digging into the edge of the bed. I needed to be closer, to become a part of him.

“You’re driving me mad.”

Michael chuckled, his hot breath dancing across my damp flesh from where his mouth had been just moments before. “That’s the point.” My angel moved back up to my lips, kissing me deeply.

Wrapping his arms around my waist, he rolled over onto his back, pulling me on top of him. “Bite me, Mira,” he said, moving his lips to kiss down my jaw to my neck.

“Not tonight, my angel,” I said, lifting my face so I could kiss his lips again, but he kept his head turned so his neck was before me. The main artery throbbed at me, beckoning. The darkness stirred inside me, but I struggled to push it back down again. I was still half starved, needed to gorge myself on blood not only to heal but to regain my full strength. But I wouldn’t feed off Michael. I had taken too much of his blood too often. His warmth and laughter kept any lingering pangs of hunger at bay.

“Please, Mira. Bite me. I need this.” His words escaped him with a harsh, desperate quality that sent a chill through me.

I sat up so I could look down at him, my desire suddenly cooling. “Please, don’t push me, my angel,” I said wearily. “I need you strong.”

“I can handle it.” His right hand cupped my cheek. He tried to pull me back down but I wouldn’t budge.

“No. You should go back downstairs.” I moved so I was now sitting beside him, my hip pressed against his.

“Please, Mira,” he said, his voice wavering. Something in his tone finally caught my attention and I stared into his eyes. They looked a little glassy, as if he was sick. Frowning, I pushed into his thoughts. Jumbled and fragmented, it took me a couple seconds to make sense out of them, but there was one repeating one; the need for the pleasure my bite brought him.

I pulled loose of the tangle of thoughts in his brain and smacked him hard enough to snap his head sideways. “Enough!” I was more frustrated with myself for letting this happen than at him. Michael had become addicted and come begging to me for his next fix. His interest in sex had nothing to do with me and everything to do with my feeding off of him.

He looked at me like a wounded puppy and I bit back a groan. “I need you to be focused. I can’t get Sadira out of here safely without you,” I continued in a soft but firm voice, resisting the urge to cup his cheeks with my hands. Pushing off the bed, I got to my feet and paced away from the bed, readjusting my bra so my breasts were covered again. A horrible, hollow ache throbbed in my chest. I had fooled myself into thinking that I’d held his interest.