A Vampire's Salvation (A Vampire Romance) Read online

  He’d driven to her apartment like a man in a daze, and when she’d turned to thank him, he hadn’t been able to hold back a second longer. He’d opened her mouth wide, breaching it with his tongue so he could still taste the remnants of the chocolate mousse. Her breathy moans had spurred him on, and his hands had suddenly had a mind of their own, caressing her breasts and hips, and diving under her skirt before he could stop them.

  She hadn’t seemed to care. In fact, her hands had done their own exploring, testing the strength of his upper body before dipping down to cup his shaft through his pants. He’d ripped his mouth away and said her name—Francesca—and suddenly her eyes had cleared as if she’d realized what she was doing. She’d scrambled down from her perch and immediately began to adjust her clothes.

  When she’d said goodnight and that she’d see him tomorrow, he’d wanted to howl in agony. But instead, he’d nodded and walked away.

  He was exercising amazing restraint with her, something his brethren would find hilarious. It was what she needed right now. But he knew it wouldn’t last much longer.

  He knocked on the door and listened to her footsteps as she approached the door. It swung open. Time ground to a halt.

  He had the impression of hair and heat. Of sultry perfume and creamy flesh. Of dark, mysterious eyes, and glossy lips.

  He watched her mouth move. Heard her voice. “Are you ready to go? I thought we’d—”

  Her eyes widened when he growled. And then he was on her.

  All restraint gone.

  A man out of control.

  A vampire pushed past restraint.

  A lover ready to show his mate that she was his.

  CHAPTER 3

  I’ve unleashed something wild, was Frankie’s first thought when Jake moved towards her.

  Thank God, was her next one.

  His mouth on hers was a benediction.

  Something she’d been missing not just for the past twenty-four hours, but all her life.

  Possessively rough but as tender as a butterfly’s delicate wings.

  A fantasy come true.

  Again and again, his tongue sought hers, invading the moist depths of her mouth at the same time his big hands found her breasts, molding themselves to her curves. She flung her arms around his neck, arching her body towards his until he growled and swept her up in his arms. Wrenching his mouth away from hers and breathing hard, he stared at her. “Going out or staying in?” he grunted, making her smile at the sheer primitiveness of his voice and expression.

  “In. Definitely in,” she whispered, marveling at her ability to speak so openly. To play. Somewhere along the way, she’d lost her customary caution. While she’d once been a much freer spirit, exalting in sexuality and experimentation, that had come to an end after the “incident” that had robbed her of both her innocence and sense of security.

  This man was as powerful and dangerous as any man she’d ever met; where was her sense of self-preservation? But there was no denying it: while he made her feel insane with passion, he also made her feel safe.

  Unable to help herself, she stroked her hand down his chest, adoring the feel of his tense muscles beneath her palm. When she skimmed across one of his nipples, he sucked in a breath, and she bit her lip, imagining sucking on the hard nub.

  Tucking her closer with one arm, he shifted and pushed her front door shut. He engaged the lock with an audible click, never once looking away from her.

  She jerked in surprise. She hadn’t even noticed it was still open. Hadn’t given a thought to the fact that once again, anyone could have seen them… Heard them…

  Her breath hitched and her heartbeat accelerated as she pictured what they must have looked like, him eating at her mouth and her practically begging him for more. If they’d started stripping each other’s clothes off like she’d wanted to, someone would have gotten quite an eyeful.

  For a moment, she closed her eyes and pictured it—the two of them kneeling on the couch, their bodies gliding against one another as their hands rubbed and squeezed and probed. She’d be pinned helplessly beneath him as he fed her his cock, forcing her to accept every inch, urging her to come despite the fact another person looked on, seeing every flicker of pleasure crossing her face…

  The wetness of her arousal intensified. Gasping, she opened her eyes, forcing the fantasy away. She was with Jake. Here. Now. That was the biggest fantasy come true, and it wasn’t going to last long. She needed to relish him while she could.

  Jake looked at her with a considering eye. “Go somewhere?” he asked mildly.

  She shook her had. “Just bracing myself.”

  He quirked a brow. “Dread?” he teased.

  She marveled that the serious, all-about-business man she’d worked with for six months suddenly had no qualms about showing his lighter side.

  She snorted. “Relief. I’ve been wanting you for so long, I was beginning to wonder if this would ever happen.”

  Expression darkening, he hiked her higher in his arms. “Oh, it’s happening, all right.”

  “You know what they say. All talk…”

  He swooped in, once more covering her mouth with his and effectively stifling her taunt as he walked toward her bedroom with unerring accuracy. Three seconds later, he’d lowered her onto her full-size mattress and pulled back, hands on his hips.

  “Small,” he commented, eyeing the neatly made bed.

  Shifting toward him, she cupped his dick through his pants. “Big,” she said, her tone almost reverent.

  He clenched his teeth and ripped off his suit jacket. Then his tie. Then his shirt. Not once did she break contact with the treasure she touched.

  Bare-chested, he once again put his hands on his hips, braced his feet apart, threw back his head, and closed his eyes. Scrambling to her knees, she took his cue and tugged his belt loose, then fumbled with the button and zipper of his trousers. The material parted to reveal black briefs tented with an imposing length of eager male flesh.

  “Huge,” she amended, unable to keep a hint of trepidation from her voice. Nonetheless, she gamely dipped her hand into his briefs and found him, bare skin to bare skin. He was blazing hot, the tip of him slightly damp, velvet covering steel. With a firm grip, she began a slow milking motion.

  He hissed. Groaned. Opened his eyes to look at her with heavy-lidded eyes. “Just the right size,” he gritted out. “Exactly what you need.”

  She nearly whimpered at the assurance in his voice. Although she didn’t want to look away from his face, her gaze was drawn inexorably to the treat she held. Wanting a better look, she used her free had to tug his pants and briefs down, pulling until they caught on his upper thighs. His cock was thick and long, spearing out from a soft-looking thatch of dark hair like a commanding warrior, eager to ride to battle.

  “I don’t know…” she whispered, unsure for a moment what she meant. Would he truly be able to fit inside her without hurting her? It had been so long, and the last time she’d had sex it hadn’t been pleasant. What if her first taste of real sexual intimacy made her long for more? Who would give it to her once Jake had moved on? Perhaps she was rushing things. Maybe they should go out after all…

  She moaned when she felt him nip at her ear then lave the small sting. “I’m going to make you feel so good, Frankie. I promise. Trust me. Give yourself to me.”

  Trembling, she tilted her head to the side, giving him better access so that he kissed his way down the column of her throat. To her shock, he captured the curve of her neck between his teeth and held her, much like a stallion would when mounting a mare. Her hand drifted away from him, but he quickly grasped her wrist and led her back. Wrapping his fingers around hers, he squeezed with almost brutal pressure, guiding her into a rhythm he liked.

  And still he bit her, the dominant act ridding her of her momentary hesitation. She moved slightly, restlessly, wanting him to suck or bite her harder. Instead, he pinched both her nipples and tugged. Tingles of heat arrowed into her
pussy then spread outward to concentrate in her clitoris. She mewled and shifted her hips closer to his, seeking ease. Lowering his hand, he cupped her. A surge of pleasure blasted through her, making her buck. Together, they groaned and she realized ease wasn’t something she’d find with him.

  His every touch cranked her arousal higher and higher, making her want more.

  “Please,” she gasped.

  Finally, he released her neck and lifted his head. With one hand, he pulled at her nipple again. With the other, he rubbed at the pearl hidden underneath her dress, teasing it with firm, then barely-there strokes.

  “Say it, Francesca. Tell me you want me. Inside you.”

  “I want you inside me,” she said dutifully.

  “Say ‘fuck me.’”

  Automatically, she shook her head. She didn’t use words like that, not out loud. She had to remember who she was. Who he was. A co-worker. A strong, dominant male. One she’d allow herself to enjoy for a time but never rely on. She needed to keep some measure of control.

  “Say it,” he commanded, his voice hardening even as his fingers slowed, implicitly threatening to stop altogether.

  “F—fuck me,” she cried in panic.

  “Say ‘Come inside my body. Pleasure me. Love me.’”

  This time, she was the one who tried to pull away. Anger threatened to overshadow her desire. What kind of game was he playing?

  He gripped her chin and forced her to look into his eye. “Say it, Francesca. Please. I want to hear you say the words—I need to hear you say them—and then I promise, I’ll give you everything you want. Everything you need.”

  “I told you,” she forced out. “This isn’t about love. It’s about sex. If you want more—”

  “I heard what you said. And this isn’t just about sex. This is about amazing sex. About me making you come so hard, so many times, you’re going to think you’re dying from the pleasure. Now just say the words, Frankie. Give them to me. Now.”

  His voice was like a warm slide of honey. An erotic temptation soaking into her skin. Into her very soul. Her pussy throbbed and so did the area at her throat where he’d gripped her with his teeth. She wanted to feel him in both places again. At the same time. To experience the intrusion of his cock inside her while his teeth locked on her throat, maybe even pierced her skin…

  For a brief moment, the thought seemed odd to her, but she pushed it away.

  Say the words, Frankie, she urged herself. They’re just words. Say them and take what he’s offering.

  Rising on her tiptoes, she cupped the back of his neck and pulled him down so she could whisper into her ear. “Come inside my body,” she said, then flicked his lobe with her tongue.

  He groaned.

  “Pleasure me.” She nipped at his lobe, gasping when he yanked her tighter against his body and ground his erection into her stomach. “L—Love me.”

  Love me forever, she thought.

  ***

  Jake saw the longing on Frankie’s face—her longing not just for physical release but for intimacy. Passion. Connection.

  She was lonely, he realized. As lonely as I’ve been.

  Longing for the solace of companionship. Yearning for a mate. Someone to experience life and love with.

  And he was going to give it to her. Hard. Thoroughly.

  Indelibly. Until he was so much a part of her, she’d never feel lonely again.

  At the same time, he was going to take from her.

  Someday soon, he’d formally bond with her.

  He’d take not just her body, but her blood. She’d fill him up, nourish him for an eternity.

  Présager Accoupler

  A divine mating.

  To his people, it was a holy occurrence when a vampire bonded with his destined mate. In the old days, the clan would stand witness to the bonding, simultaneously taking their own mates. No one without a mate was to participate in the ceremony, but they’d heard what the bonding was like: the moment he penetrated Frankie after they’d been bonded, he’d experience an indescribable kind of ecstasy.

  As if taking her now wouldn’t be ecstasy enough…

  He shuddered with anticipation.

  Obviously sensing his need, she caressed his back. “It’s okay. You don’t have to wait. Take me. Take what you want.”

  Her selflessness brought him down a bit. He hadn’t even undressed her, hadn’t made her come, and already she was ready to service him. No fucking way.

  Pulling back from her while still maintaining eye contact, he pulled them both to their feet, divested himself of the rest of his clothes, then swept the soft fall of her hair over her shoulder. He reached for the zipper at the back of her dress. Slowly lowering it, he made sure to brush his fingertips against her spine as he did so. She licked her lips, sweeping a delicate shine across their surface. He growled, wanting to kiss her, but he was also unwilling to miss a single glimpse of her body as he lowered the delicate shoulder straps of her dress and tugged it away from her.

  He hadn’t been expecting underwear as decadent as her lacy black bra and panties, and they almost blew his mind. With an unsteady hand, he rubbed the tip of one finger across her nipple, drinking in the rough texture of the lace as it rasped his flesh, then buried his head in the deep valley of her cleavage.

  She smelled like the night. Mysterious and dark. A respite from the bright, bustling energy of the day. A place to rest and linger, and saturate himself in sensation. Her blood would taste delicious. Unlike anyone or anything he’d ever had.

  Gently, he bit the upper slope of one breast. Then, letting his fangs lengthen slightly, he deliberately raked them against her skin. She gasped and pushed his head deeper into her lush curves. With supreme effort, he retracted his fangs before he lifted his head. He took several steps back. Then several more. Until he leaned back against her bedroom wall, naked. “As sexy as it is, I want your underwear off. Now.” Lowering his hand, he stroked his cock.

  Her eyes darted down to follow his movements, and once again her pink tongue peaked out to moisten her lips. At the erotic sight, he rubbed the head of his cock with his palm. “Hurry.”

  Twisting her hands behind her so her chest thrust out, she unclipped her bra. But instead of sweeping the lace cups away, she let the bra dangle as she hooked her thumbs in the waistband of her panties. Without the constrictive support, her breasts swayed, bits of ivory flesh and rosy nipples teasing him from beneath the material. Dragging in deep, rasping breaths, she pulled down her panties one centimeter at a time, drawing out the act so that his stroking hand lost its easy rhythm.

  “You like teasing, do you? So do I. Just remember that when it’s your turn.”

  She pouted just as she exposed her pubic bone. He’d been expecting to see golden curls shielding the most vulnerable part of her, but as she allowed the panties to pool at her ankles, he discovered that wasn’t the case.

  She was completely bare.

  Nothing to impede his fingers and tongue from exploring her soft center to his heart’s delight. “The bra,” he croaked out. “Remove it.” He wanted to see her tits. Suck on the dark crests that crowned the graceful curves of her body.

  To his astonishment, she shook her head.

  “Don’t tease,” he began, trying to warn her. He was too close to losing control to take much more. Vampires weren’t submissive lovers. Aside from his initial aggression when she’d answered the door, he’d managed to reign himself in, when all he wanted was to shove his dick balls deep inside her and pump himself to release. If she continued to—

  “You want them? Come and get them,” she challenged, her chin tilted high.

  A blanket of possessiveness dropped over him. He forgot that it was their first time together. That this was a human female he wanted to court and reveal himself to gently. He forgot she didn’t know he was a vampire and that she had to have been celibate for a damn good reason—the most obvious one being she was scared of men and sex.

  He forgot his need
to be careful.

  All he could think of was the way she’d teased him, then teased him some more.

  He’d waited for her for centuries, searching for the female he was meant to care for in every way: physically, emotionally, sexually. She would submit to him. She would take all he had to give her and then some. His cock. His fingers. His tongue. Wherever he wanted. However many times he chose to give them to her.