A Vampire for Christmas

chapter EIGHT





NOW THAT HE NO LONGER had to hide his true nature from Della, Eagan didn’t hold back, taking the stairs three at a time. At the top, he headed straight for the bedroom and that brass bed that had haunted his thoughts for days. Not to mention his dreams. From the way Della dug her fingers into his shoulders and scrunched her eyes, maybe the speed hadn’t been such a good idea. He gave her a quick squeeze, hoping to reassure her.



Thanks to his night vision, he moved easily through the shadowed rooms. He considered the lamp beside the bed, but wasn’t sure if she’d want it on. The lights from the small Christmas tree by the window would be enough.



I’m going to put you down now.”



Della nodded and released her death hold on him as he lowered her slowly, waiting to make sure her legs would support her before letting go. He crooked a finger and used it to lift her chin, trying to read her mood without invading the privacy of her thoughts.



“You still up for this?”



To his immense relief, she smiled, a teasing glint in her dark eyes. “As long as you are. If not, I’m betting I can fix that.”



She waited to see if he got the joke and looked pleased when he grinned. Damned if he could remember ever laughing with a lover.



“Believe me, I’m definitely up for it.”



To prove his point he picked her up by the waist and tossed her down on the mattress and followed her down, making a place for himself between her legs. Her eyes widened as he rocked against her, the slow friction driving both of them a little crazy.



She dragged him down for another of her mind-frying kisses as he worked his hands underneath that great ass of hers. God, he loved its perfect shape and fit. She immediately lifted her legs high around his hips, slowly driving him crazy as she brought her core into direct contact with his erection.



Time to get shed of all these clothes. He rolled to the side and stripped off his shirt. Della followed suit, sending her Santa T-shirt flying through the air to land on the rocker across the room. His pants were a little trickier to deal with, but the jeans along with his boxers closely followed.



When Della stood up on the mattress to shimmy out of her jeans, he was pretty sure his tongue was hanging out. All those luscious curves just for him. When she hooked her fingers in the elastic of her panties he stopped her. There were some jobs a man wanted to take care of himself. He knelt in front of her and ran his hands up the back of her thighs to support her as he nuzzled the soft curve of her belly and then worked his way lower. Her breath caught in her throat as he reached the juncture of her legs, testing and tasting with his tongue.



“Eagan! You can’t!”



“Yes, I can.”



He wasn’t sure if she was protesting or approving, but he loved the huskiness in her voice as she repeated his name a second time. Smiling up at her, he slowly dragged the scrap of blue lace down the length of her legs. She held on to his shoulders to steady herself as she lifted each foot in turn.



This time he cupped the round curves of her backside to hold her still while he used his tongue to slowly tear down the last bit of her control. He was pretty sure her nails were going to leave marks in his skin, but the little nips of pain only added to the intensity of the moment.



He drove her hard, not stopping until her whole body went rigid and then slowly folded down to straddle his thighs as she shuddered in release.



Finally, she lifted her head to smile at him, her eyes at half-mast. “Wow. That was amazing.”



He thrust upward, pressing hard against her core. “Glad you liked it, but that was just the appetizer.”



“What if I want dessert first?”



Her question was accompanied by a lingering kiss and wandering hands. If she kept that up, it would all be over before the party really got started. He picked her up and laid her back down on the bed, capturing those talented hands with one of his, holding them prisoner over her head.



As he looked his fill at her curvaceous body stretched out for his enjoyment, she blushed. He loved that hint of innocence mixed in with the siren. He nuzzled the lower curve of her breasts, deliberately taking a circuitous route to finally capture her pert nipple with his lips. So sweet. He worked it hard, enjoying the way her entire body undulated on the mattress in response.



“Eagan, you’re driving me crazy.”



“That’s the whole idea,” he murmured as he moved on to pay homage to her other breast.



As he learned what she liked and what she craved, her pulse called to him. He vowed not to take her vein. That didn’t mean resisting the urge was easy. He pressed a kiss against the pulse point in her wrist, loving the soft throb just under the skin. Even that distant connection with her life’s blood ramped up his need for her to a whole new height.



He needed to claim her. Now. With everything he had.



He closed his eyes, knowing they were more black than blue, not wanting to remind Della that her lover was something other than human. Then she opened her arms, her legs, her body to him. Her touch was so welcoming that he had to look, had to watch her pretty face as he took her.



“Hold on, sweetheart. I’ll try to go slow. I don’t want to hurt you.”



They both knew he was talking about far more than just the joining of their bodies. There was a world of womanly understanding in those dark eyes gazing up him. She eased her hand between them, wrapping it around his shaft and guiding him right to where they both wanted him to be. With a series of sharp thrusts, he seated himself firmly in her welcoming heat.



He let out a slow breath, for the moment content to savor the profound connection. But then she stroked her hands down the length of his back to dig her fingernails into his ass, making a few demands of her own.



“Now, Eagan. Fast and hard.”



Her demand flipped a switch, sending him right into overdrive. His hips flexed sharply, seating him even more deeply. He withdrew almost completely, only to immediately plunge deeper yet.



And again, over and over, until he was no longer conscious of himself or Della as individuals. There was only pounding sensation and burning desire coupled with a craving to claim her in every way he could as a man—and as a vampire.



Just as she keened out her second release, he buried his face at the juncture of her neck and shoulder. Before he realized what was happening, his fangs pierced her soft skin, and he took a long sweet pull directly from her vein.



Her legs clamped down around his thighs as she rode out her climax with a scream. That combined with the coppery beauty of her blood flooding down his throat was enough to throw Eagan plummeting over the edge with her. With a shout, he retracted his fangs and shuddered in her arms, pouring out his own release deep within her.



When the last wave of triumph crashed over them both, he briefly collapsed in the sanctuary of her arms before rolling onto his back. He tucked Della in at his side although right then he really needed to put some space between them. If he did that, she might interpret it as rejection, and he wouldn’t risk hurting her that way.



But as he thought about what he’d just done, his lungs refused to fill with air even as his fangs throbbed with the need for more blood. Her blood. As much as she’d let him take. To stake his claim on Della, to make her his permanently.



What a damn fool he was. His rational mind argued that this was a fling, a momentary escape from a life spent alone hunting in the cold shadows. It had to be.



But the truth was that he’d inadvertently completed the circle of connections that could link his life with Della’s in the way vampires did when claiming a mate. In a very short time, he’d tasted her blood while treating her wound, and then she’d taken his blood even if it was without her knowledge. Those two things alone wouldn’t have caused her lasting any harm.



But in a moment of weakness, he’d lost control and taken her blood a second time while they’d made love. All of it within the time frame needed to seal the connection.



The only thing that would save them was if the amount of blood he’d given her had been too small. The hand she had on his chest was the one that had been lacerated. He turned it over.



No cut. No scab. No scar.



Son of a bitch, he’d given her enough of his blood to complete the bond. As a human, she might be able to walk away with little or no effect. Normally, a vampire seeking to take a human mate would continue to feed her small amounts of his blood, slowly building up both her tolerance and her need for it.



But through their newly forged connection, he’d always know where she was and what she was feeling. There would be an empty ache in his chest and his heart that nothing would ever completely assuage. His fault. His problem.



He needed to leave, to put some distance between them so he could get his head around what he’d done.



Eagan?” His name came out on a yawn. “Is everything all right.”



No.



Yes,” he lied as he sat up on the edge of the bed. “I just realized what time it was. I need to get back to my place before dawn.”



She rose up to look at him. “So the reflection and garlic are myths, but not the whole sun allergy thing?”



Yeah, unless you like your vampire well-done.”



His clothes were scattered across the room. When he retrieved his boxers and pants, he realized that they’d never gotten around to getting under the covers. She’d be cold as soon as he moved away.



He left the jeans unzipped and started to turn down the quilt she used as a comforter. “Let me help you get between the sheets.”



She smiled up at him. “I’ve been putting myself to bed for years, Eagan.”



Della did so much for everyone around her, and as far as he could tell she asked for very little in return. It seemed important to do this one last insignificant thing for her. He got her tucked in, fighting hard not to crawl right back in beside her. To take her again, further cementing their connection.



He picked up his shirt and shoes before tiptoeing toward the door. Before he made it, she spoke one last time.



Thank you, Eagan. For my hand, and well, everything.”



What could he say to that? Certainly not “anytime,” not when he already knew he wouldn’t be coming back. He settled for a simple, “You’re welcome. Now get some sleep while you can. My blood might have given you a boost, but healing that fast will still have taken a lot out of you.”



Nag,” she teased. “See you later.”



No, in fact she wouldn’t, not if he were careful. He still had a case to solve, but then he’d move on to the next assignment. Maybe he’d even consider a transfer to Portland or even somewhere in California, any place that would keep him too busy to think about what he might have held in his arms only to lose it minutes later.