A Tempest In The Night Part 25

"I needed to know."

"All you had to do was ask."

"Don't come off indignant. You released your tension."

"You can be a son of a b.i.t.c.h sometimes."

"I know."

From that look he gave her she believed him. He leaned over her and she got a tantalizing view of his nipples. They were dark brown and taut. He was breathing heavily and she could hear... a roaring in her ears. Compelled, she darted her tongue against him feeling the nubs.

He shuddered, hissed in his breath. "Stop or I'll flip you on your back."

"I won't hurt you, you know."

She ignored him wanting the feel of him in her mouth. Once her hands were free, she grasped his waist kissed his nipples.

She was too late to deflect his hands. He held down her arms pinning her to the bed. His nose inches from hers.

"You are hardheaded."

"You can trust me with your heart."

He said nothing in response, just gazed in her eyes with a hard, merciless stare.

Chapter Seventeen

Trust is hard to come by." I'm too close, too ready to take her every which way I can. I bit her already. If I bite her again she'll know. She's not Maiko, not yet. She could turn on me like Maiko had. I don't think I could survive that twice.

"I like to think I'm easy to trust."

"First you want me then you want to stay away from me. Which is it?"

"You wanted to try bondage."

"It was light bondage compared to what I've done in the past."

I'm a b.a.s.t.a.r.d. I know it. I've always known it. I'm hard to get along with. I kill too easily and I loved too readily - and end up f.u.c.king that up, too. I won't do it to myself again, not even for Ilida. But I couldn't let her go. Her nipples...with every breath her nipples rubbed my chest.

"You feel it too, don't you?" she said, as she slid her hands under the waistband and felt my raging c.o.c.k.

"I feel my c.o.c.k bursting through these pajama pants."

She knows too much, seen too much. I should kill her. That would make Alec the happiest vampire on earth. I'm not into making others happy and I hate rules. She's staying alive. "I'm going," I said, as I jumped off her bed.

"Why are you leaving?"

"This isn't good for either one of us."

She reached out to me and I felt myself weakening. What I wanted was to lay down with her again, drive into her, force her to her knees, and be pulled into her deeper and deeper. This had to stop. There were no walls between us now.

She shuffled out of bed forgetting her nakedness. I turned my back to her not wanting to look, but finding my head and eyes had a mind of their own. I turned around.

Behind me, I could hear her climbing into her wrinkled pajamas. The air vibrating around me changed as I felt her bend down. Fabric rubbed against her skin. She grimaced at the sight of her torn up bra and panties.

I couldn't move. My feet wouldn't listen. She opened drawers, took out...a T-s.h.i.+rt, and pulled it down over her head. Her footsteps came closer, closer.

"We need to talk this out."

"We need to work hard staying away from each other."

"Someone hurt you in the past."

"Yes."

"Who?"

"My first wife. She thought I was a freak."

"You aren't a freak."

"But you want to stay away from me because I remind you that you're different. Same d.a.m.n thing."

"Maybe I was wrong."

"You need to convince me."

Her voice, a powerful force that lured me, and I struggled like a beached whale on dry land against it. The air next to my arm vibrated. She was behind me, about to touch me. I spun around, held my hand up stopping her. "For G.o.d's sake don't!"

She froze, dropped her hands. Her lips swollen. The look of confusion and replete showed clearly on her face then she asked, "Would you please tell me what I did wrong?"

"You could never do anything wrong." You're perfect. "If I touch you I'll be inside you again. It will be raw. I can't afford that, now or ever."

"I don't know why I can't stay away from you."

I reached out to Ilida aiming for her cheeks. To touch her... I moved my hand behind my back. "You need to eat. Preferably meat."

Slowly, I walked into the living room located my clothes. I'd been with other women, other vampiresses in the past. I've had many s.e.xual encounters too many to count, but never had I wanted a woman like a... drug. Brittany with all her fire and beauty never tempted me with one touch.

"That's a strange segue."

"Have you ever wanted something so bad you'd give your left side for it than when you got it you were afraid of it? Well, that's me."

"I don't understand."

"You bring out feelings in me I don't ever want to deal with." She could break down my defenses. I've seen and been through too much already to let that happen.

"I'm sending you mixed signals."

"You have psychic hang-ups you need to deal with."

"It's not a hang..."

I heard it first; the unmistakable key in the lock. The door swung open. We met Ilida's roommate's surprised expression. She walked into the apartment. Her dark brown eyes went form to Ilida then to the floor. Oh, s.h.i.+t! Ilida's torn underwear.

"h.e.l.lo," she said walking in like an officer ready to inspect barracks. Her anger beat off her.

"Beverly. You're home."

"I live here. He doesn't."

"Nice too meet you, too."

"Whoa, Beverly this is Daedalus. Daedalus this is Beverly my roommate."

"h.e.l.lo," I said. She kept her hard eyes on me while I tucked in what was left of my s.h.i.+rt into my pants, lifted my coat off the coat hanger.

"Don't leave yet. I want to talk about this. Privately!"

She wouldn't leave. Beverly was determined to stay where she was and listen to our private conversation. She loves Ilida and doesn't want her to get hurt.

"Could we have some privacy please?" Ilida asked.

"Why? So he can get rough with you?" Beverly crossed her arms.

"That's not what happened and it's none of your business, Beverly."

Right, enough of this. With one thought, I froze time around us. The TV, Ilida's pit bull friend, the stove clock, microwave clock and the fridge stopped. The cars outside stopped moving. All except Ilida and myself.

She looked at me uncertain then glanced at the clock then at Beverly.

"Oh my G.o.d! What did you do?"

"Froze time."

"Are you showing off for my benefit?"

"I wanted to talk without Beverly going ape s.h.i.+t on me."

Ilida touched Beverly's arm. It was stiff. Beverly's full lips were frozen at a strange angle.

"Does she know? Can she hear us?"

"She won't remember what's been said. Your friend wants to kill me. So many a.s.sa.s.sins so little time."

"She's projecting. She has a boyfriend-difficult guy like you."

"We agreed to stay away from each other. Nothing is working."

"I started this."

"Yes, and we keep going around in circles. Lock your door behind me."

"Hey, what about you protecting me?"

I faced her as I slid my arm through the coat sleeve. "I didn't say I was leaving you unprotected," I said and almost faltered when I looked down at Ilida. She was in her bra and her half-fastened pajama pants. The taste of her nipples lingered in his mouth. I shut his eyes as I opened her front door. "Don't let anyone in. That includes me."

"What about Beverly."

"Don't you want some peace and quiet?"

"D'?"

Once I heard her lock click, I was satisfied and walked down the three flights of stairs. I couldn't leave her alone. The threat was still out there waiting for a chance to strike. I opened my mind, unblocking telepathic signals and sought the one person I trusted with my life. Gauge.

Daedalus?

I need your help, Gauge.

Just name it.

I opened the front door dreading leaving her. I need you to look after Ilida until morning.

Not hard. She's easy on the eyes.

And off limits to you.

Shouldn't you be doing this?

Something else has come up, Gauge.

Show me where she lives.

Ilida turned the dead bolt then bottom lock. She checked the door then Beverly moved her hand and continued her "I can't stand Rich men" rant. The oven clock and microwave beeped. She'd have to set the clocks again.