Page 14 of Lucas
His fangs scraped along my back from shoulder to shoulder. A finger slipped under my lace panties. And I thought I’d come undone.
He teased me until I couldn’t think. But I could feel. I sensed his need as he lifted me onto him. His strong arms wrapped around me, and he hugged me tight, gently rolling us back and forth until he was fully sheathed.
But he didn’t stop. And I let the ripples of desire and my own hunger for him wash over me until I was nothing but raw emotion.
Then he pulled me off him. “Don’t worry, baby. Just turn around.” The shock to my system was short-lived as he helped me get settled before he pulled me onto him. Now we were faceto face. His eyes glowed with his inner beast, which only made me want more of him.
I couldn’t look away, and for a moment, I thought he might be mesmerizing me. He pressed the flat of his hand on my belly then ran it up my body, goosebumps erupting in his wake, until he stroked a thumb along my neck. The glow in his gaze never diminished, only growing hotter. I was witnessing his desire through his eyes. I wasn’t sure how long I could hold everything in as I let the sensations ripple through me.
Then his lips were on mine, his tongue searching as his kiss deepened. Our rocking motion became frantic, and we gripped each other, afraid to let go, needing the soft embrace of skin-on-skin. My first cries of release shook me; the second wave spread a heat through me that made me gooey inside.
His arms never let me go, even when his body stiffened, and he let out a low growl that always made me smile.
We collapsed onto the soft carpet, his body covering mine, his lips pressing light kisses along my upper back.
There were no words for how he made me feel. His warm foreplay, his ministrations after sex. Without words he made me feel cherished, his hands now roaming over me in long, languid movements.
We never spoke of emotions—feelings. What could either of us say? Our relationship was problematic, so we shoved it away, living only for the moment. And then he curled me into him, his arm possessive as he tightened his hold.
And for the moment, I felt safe from the world.
We walked along 5th Avenue,stopping frequently as I window-shopped. He laughed as I pointed out one outrageous dress afteranother, assuring him I would look marvelous in each of them. We were still laughing when we rode up the elevator, his hands roaming over me.
“You were right.” My hands did some of their own perusing as I squeezed his ass.
“About what?”
“I won’t forget that dinner. It was so romantic.”
Dinner had been at a penthouse restaurant that overlooked Manhattan. Candles lit the table, and the bucket of champagne kept the alcohol flowing. The meal itself was five-star, and I rubbed my tummy. The espresso afterward took the buzz away, and the walk back helped settle the food. I was ready to get busy again. This time we were going to take full advantage of our king-sized bed.
We’d made two steps out of the elevator before Lucas pushed me behind him. I hadn’t seen anyone, but I didn’t waste any time pulling the dagger out of my clutch. I stepped to his right as he moved into a defensive posture.
Two vamps waited at the end of the hall. They didn’t look friendly. I couldn’t believe they’d be so bold to attack us in a hotel where humans could leave a room or step out of the elevator at any moment. The vamps moved toward us. They didn’t appear to be in a hurry, and there were no visible weapons, but they strode shoulder to shoulder, sneers on their faces.
We were in close quarters in the hallway. There wasn’t any room to spread out. And we couldn’t work back-to-back with a frontal attack. I considered Lucas’s options, but I didn’t have to think past the first one that came to mind. He’d take them both on, wanting to keep me out of it. There wouldn’t be time to argue about it, so I fell back a step, putting distance between him and me.
I’d let him attack because these vamps were obviously falling for his defensive posture ruse. As soon as he dropped one, I’d make sure they stayed down until Lucas finished them both. We couldn’t take a chance of leaving them injured. They’d most likely grab the first human they found to make a blood donor out of them—possibly taking too much and leaving the human nothing more than a husk.
When they were about thirty feet from us, Lucas ran. I chased after him, still keeping a decent gap between us. The vamps weren’t expecting it, but they had quick reflexes. Lucas spun and kicked out, catching the chin of one vamp. He ducked as the second vamp swung his fist. The vamp missed, which took him off his stride, and Lucas struck the back of his knee. The vamp went down.
The first vamp was already coming at him, and I raced for the second vamp, kicking him in the head before he could stand. He must have seen it coming, and while he took the hit, he grabbed my foot and twisted it. I went with the twist, but it still hurt like a mother. I held back a scream so I wouldn’t alarm Lucas. I hit the wall but held onto my dagger, so when the vamp came at me, I struck out, slicing his chest. Blood smeared his shirt, but it didn’t stop him.
He grabbed me by the hair while gripping my hand to pull the dagger free. Instead of trying to pull away, I stepped toward him and kneed him in the groin. Who would have thought such an old trick would work so well? He went down, and I wrenched my knife free.
I was getting ready to stab him when his eyes went wide just before his head slipped from his shoulders.
Time seemed to freeze. Blood sprayed everywhere. I glanced down and stared at his head. His eyes, still wide in surprise, stared at the ceiling.
All I could think was—there went the carpet.
Lucas grabbed my arm and turned me around.
“Are you okay?” He shook my arm. “Ginger?”
I looked for the other vamp, and his headless body was slumped against the wall—his head a few feet from him.
“Where’d you get the sword?” I glanced up the hall but didn’t see anyone. Then my gaze traveled back to the headless vamps.
