Sara Humphreys - Vampire Trouble

“Would it be safe to say that I bested my opponent?” Maya whispered, brushing his lips with hers and squeezing him tighter, seductively wiggling in his embrace. “Perhaps I distracted you?”

“No.” Shane gripped Maya around her waist and placed her on her feet before stepping back and increasing the distance between them. Hurt flickered over her features, and even though his gut instinct was to gather in his arms and protect her, he knew that would be a mistake. There was no time for childish nonsense with both of their lives hanging in the balance. “This is not a game, Maya. If you don’t learn how to defend yourself, you’ll never make it past your first century, and let’s not forget that your games landed us down here in the first place.”

“Fine.” A wounded look flickered over her features, and her mouth set in a tight line. “But I wasn’t the only one who screwed up, Shane. So don’t try and act like you’re not partially to blame for us being sent away.”

Shane leveled a stern gaze her way, but he knew that what she said was spot-on. He’d lost his fucking senses because he had let his emotions cloud his judgment, but that would not happen again. Bloodmate legend be damned.

Even as he told himself that, he knew it was utter bullshit. He was in love with Maya and had been for months. The bloodmate legend was…incidental.

“You’re correct.” He stepped back and kept his voice free of emotion. “I allowed my personal feelings to get in the way of my duty, and as you’ve pointed out, it cost us dearly. I can assure you that situation will not be repeated.”

“That makes two of us.” Maya folded her arms over her chest and glared at him with a cold, detached look that was like a kick in the gut. “So what’s next?”

As if on cue, the engine of a car starting and the sound of tires crunching along the dirt and gravel driveway rumbled through the wild quiet of the rural Louisiana night.

“Lottie must be leaving for work,” Shane said tightly. “Good. Then we can continue our training undisturbed. We have much to do.”

“So stop talking,” Maya said. She placed her hands on her hips and sent him a challenging look. “And start doing.”

Maya never thought she’d enjoy fighting. In fact, the idea of any physical violence used to make her sick to her stomach. But when Shane took her through yet another round of sparring, she couldn’t wipe the exhilarated grin off her face. For the first time since she could remember, Maya felt empowered—strong and unstoppable.

She was able to deflect every punch Shane threw. Each time he tried to grab her and pin her arms to her sides, she was able to spin out and throw a defensive heel thrust to the chin. However, her favorite move had to be the roundhouse kick because almost every ounce of anger and frustration could be expelled in the process.

He came at her again, flying through the night like the deadly warrior he was. Eyes wild, he whipped toward her, but instead of attempting to throw a kick or a punch, Shane rolled right into Maya’s legs and knocked her feet out from under her. Before she could counter or right herself, Shane straddled her and had her pinned to the ground with her arms held above her head.

“Not every attack will come in the way you are trained for, youngling.” Shane’s dark eyes peered down at her, and a smile played at his lips. “You have to be prepared for the unexpected.”

“Lesson learned.” Lying trapped beneath his body, Maya kept her sights on Shane and let her body relax. “I won’t make that mistake again.”

“We shall see,” Shane murmured. He released her arms and rested his hands on his thighs while he continued to stare down at her. “It’s always a different experience in the heat of a battle.”

“You know what they say?” Maya murmured seductively, trailing her fingertips up his bare arms. She traced the lines of his muscles and they flexed beneath her touch. “Don’t you, Shane?”

“No,” Shane murmured. His gaze skittered over her face and his body tensed. “What do they say?”

With every ounce of strength she had and using the leverage technique he taught her, Maya grabbed Shane’s shoulders, pushed her body up, and flipped him onto his back, totally turning the tables on him. Straddling him and pinning his wrists over his head, she didn’t miss the sly smile on his face or the look of approval in his eyes.

“All’s fair in love and war,” Maya whispered.

Shane’s grin widened as he remained held within her grasp, and she felt his body harden beneath hers. His smile faltered when her grip on his wrists relaxed and she laced her fingers in his. Still he didn’t attempt to get out from under her. Memories of their tryst from earlier came roaring to the forefront of her mind, but she also remembered what he said about the seriousness of their situation.

Shane was right. This was not the time for games.

Maya went to pull her hands from his so they could get up and resume their training but Shane wouldn’t release her. His thumbs brushed along the underside of her wrists, sending tiny zings of lightning up her arms with each pass. Maya trembled, staring into the dark, limitless depths of his eyes.

I don’t want to be at war with you, Maya. Shane’s deep voice whispered seductively into her mind, sending flickers of desire through her blood. He sat up slowly, still holding her hands in his and keeping that intense gaze locked with hers. With their hands intertwined and pressed between their bodies, Maya sat in his lap, fitting there perfectly as though her body had been made just for his. I am equally resistant to love. For love is also a dangerous prospect that can wound or maim as deeply as any weapon. Shane placed a kiss at the corner of her mouth and trailed kisses down her throat, which added to the seductive sensations of the telepathic contact.

Maya let her head fall back, allowing him clear access to the sensitive skin of her neck. She knew that what he was saying was true and that taking the leap into love was as dangerous as going to war, but with his lips brushing her flesh and his voice touching her mind, all she could do was feel. Even when he tried to rationalize why they shouldn’t do what they were doing, his fingers were dragging down the zipper of her catsuit and peeling the fabric from her torso.

Moaning with desire and sheer anticipation, Maya sat up, grabbed Shane’s face, and kissed him. There was urgency between them, a stark, driving need to touch and be touched. Maya suckled his lower lip and grinned, then gripped the edge of his T-shirt and helped him pull it off. Shane tossed the offending garment aside, and Maya gasped, taking in the sight of his well-muscled chest covered with a dusting of dark hair. She trailed her fingers along his collarbone and down the center of his torso as he covered his mouth with hers.

Maya groaned and pressed herself harder against him, reveling in the erotic sensation of his bare chest brushing against her nipples. Kissing her, he pulled her hair free from the confines of the ponytail and sighed into her mouth, running his fingers through her long locks. They both needed more.

“Stand up,” Shane murmured as he broke the kiss. “I want to look at you in the moonlight.”

Maya rose from his lap, taking in the sight of him as she went. His broad-shouldered torso was perfectly sculpted, and it was plainly evident that every single inch of him was rock hard. Her eyes widened briefly and panic welled when she saw that his erection was barely contained by the faded jeans, but once she looked back into his eyes, any fear she might have felt abated.

Shane went to his knees and, with incredible tenderness, lifted her left foot before carefully removing her tall boot, tossing it aside, and placing a featherlight kiss on the tip of her toes. Maya lost her balance switching feet and laughed nervously. Shane captured her hand and pressed it to his lips before placing it on his shoulder so she could regain her balance. Desire surged as the muscles of his shoulder flexed beneath her fingers, and she watched him remove her other boot and set it aside. Shivering with anticipation, she stood barefoot in the grass as Shane rose higher on his knees and grasped her hips with his hands.