Bad Mouth

chapter Twenty-two


Indecision skipped across Kade’s face. “I don’t know if—”

“What’s wrong? Is it dangerous?” She’d never heard of humans dying after a feeding, other than illegal bloodings caused by derangements. “Will it hurt much?”

“It won’t hurt at all. But I’ll see—”

“Kade, everything I’ve been these past few days is the extent of who I am. No more, no less. I’m not perfect, but I have nothing to hide. You have nothing to be afraid of, not from me.”

He nodded slowly. “All right. Okay.”

“Do you really not want to?” Disappointment pressed down on her shoulders.

“Oh, baby, I want to. F*ck do I want to.” His chin tilted down. “I was just…”

She rubbed her palms over his chest. “I’m nervous, too. I’ve never—you know.”

He murmured really low at her ear. “A virgin. How sweet.” She tried in vain to ignore his warm breath fanning along her throat.

“How will we collect the sample?” She’d almost forgotten the whole reason for the feeding in the first place.

“I have syringes.”

Her eyes narrowed. “And why would you have those?”

“Hunting Slavers requires tranquilizers for the bystanders. Notice I didn’t say innocent. An outright killing spree would draw too much attention, and the last thing we need are the Ancients finding out about these humans.” He took her hand. “Come with me.”

He led her past the bathroom to a room at the end of the hallway. So this was his bedroom. It was very spacious, about half as large as the open living area. The decor continued the same clean, uncluttered aura, but the tones were warmer with wide, dark cherry dressers and a heavy headboard standing over his massive bed. As in the living area, one wall was a window overlooking the Sound.

“I can’t believe I f*cked you, in a car no less, and never made it to a bedroom,” he said. She managed an exasperated huff. He watched her study the room for a moment before he headed toward a closet. When he disappeared into it, she followed him.

“You have a walk-in closet? You never wear anything but T-shirts and jeans,” she said as she entered. She stopped short, her eyes wide. A few suits hung near the front and several pairs of shoes sat in an organizer near the floor, but the rest of the closet was outfitted like an armory. Blades, rifles, shotguns, pistols, crossbows, and other unidentifiable armament covered the walls. He checked a couple of drawers before he found the syringes. Turning toward her, he froze and then laughed.

“You’re so f*cking cute,” he said.

“What?” She couldn’t take her eyes off the arsenal.

“It’s pest control, my sweet.” He nudged her backward with his body and nuzzled her throat. “Don’t you have some other firepower you’d rather ogle?”

Her belly flipped at the brush of his lips over her sensitive skin. Oh yes, she certainly did have better things to ogle. He lifted her feet on top of his. She let him walk her backward to the bed as she worked his shirt up and over his head. The tingle of desire racing from between her legs made her thighs quiver.

“I missed you,” he mumbled against her temple. He rained kisses all over her face and down her neck. He went lower, stripping her shirt away as he went. “I didn’t know what I’d do if you didn’t understand, if you didn’t forgive me.” He was talking against her breast. When she giggled, he started to draw back, but she wrapped her arm around his head.

“Don’t stop.”

He tossed the syringe on the nightstand, guided her flat onto the bed, and tugged her slacks down without leaving her breasts. The scrape of his teeth over her nipple was like a live wire. Her legs folded over the back of his thighs, tugging him closer on top of her. She struggled with his jeans until he sat back and jerked at the button, which flew across the room.

He pushed his jeans and briefs down his strong, lanky legs. She wet her lips as she watched. He was incredibly sexy naked. Kade had the form of a Greek god. Of course, he’d had centuries to sculpt the perfect body.

His hand went to his long, thick shaft and stroked it. “I love the way you’re looking at me.”

Her cheeks grew hot, partly with embarrassment but mostly with brazen need. His bold sexuality surpassed her real-life experiences with men, as if those men had been merely a few diluted warm-ups.

He lowered his body between her legs, and his voice softened. “Are you sure about this?”

“Yes. Be careful with me.”

“Always.” He cupped her chin. “I won’t hurt you, Val.” He tipped her head slightly, the red glow of his eyes brighter as he fixed on the pulse of her throat. His breathing grew heavier. “Goddamn, I don’t think I’ve ever been this excited in my life. I could bust right now.”

His tongue laved her throat, and he groaned. She didn’t feel his fangs when they bit into her, only his lips against her skin. A blast of pleasure rippled over her. Arousal seared her veins, its fire exploding along every nerve. The intensity turned her feral. She cried out and thrust her hips against him rhythmically. Her fingernails dug into his back.

“Please! Oh please, Kade,” she cried. She’d gone completely out of her mind and into a world of animal sensation. If he didn’t do something now, she would burn to death.

The suction at her neck strummed her core as if his fingers flicked her there. Her breath rasped in and out. She was going to climax, and he wasn’t even inside of her. He growled against her throat. Without warning, he ripped her panties away and then he was in her, meeting her thrusts with his own powerful strokes.

His breath caressed her throat as he sucked from her and rocked his hips against hers. She dug her fingers into the tight, straining back muscles rippling as he surged over her. Her heels pressed into his hard thighs, urging him on faster. Something wildly explosive built higher until she ached all over with its sweetness. When his fangs withdrew, spikes of ecstasy zigzagged like a pinball driving her to her peak.

“Kade!” she screamed. At the sound of her pleasure, his body tensed against her, and he came with a satisfied roar. He collapsed next to her on the bed, his arms around her, and his leg tucked between hers. His palm rested over the trim patch of pale hair between her legs.

“Mine,” he whispered at her ear.

She turned her head and caught his lips with hers. “Mine,” she said.

His eyes flashed bright with pleasure. “You feel okay?”

“I feel amazing.” She thought about it. “Well, a little tired.”

He frowned. “It’s normal, but I don’t like making you weak. You should have let me use my service.”

“No.” As in no way in hell.

“Just no?” He gave her a lopsided grin. “At least I won’t have to feed often. I get most of my sustenance from transformations.” His grin faded.

“What’s wrong?”

“I’ve never f*cked and fed before.” Whatever he thought of it sobered him.

“Are you…disappointed?” She almost didn’t want his answer.

“Disappointed?” He laughed. “Val, the earth shifted. I didn’t know it could feel so f*cking good. I’ll have a hard time keeping my dick out of you when I’ve got my fangs in. And vice versa, you know.”

“Do the service girls all react like that?”

“Like a Baptist girl at church camp?” he asked. She rolled her eyes at him, but he ignored it. “They always do, and it always made me want to heave the blood back up. Nothing worse than getting dry-humped by a horny bitch in heat when I’m trying to enjoy a meal in peace.”

“There’s no stopping that pit of profanity, is there?”

He didn’t answer, but he rubbed her with his palm and she tightened her thighs around his hand.

“Your p-ssy is like velvet. You wax?”

She laughed. “Your mouth is going to get you in trouble.”

“It already has. Anyway, I think you like what I do with my bad mouth.” He slid down in the bed and ducked his head toward the junction between her legs. She pushed at his head.

“Where’d you send your merry men?” she asked with a laugh. His expression sobered as he looked up at her, and she tensed. “Where, Kade?”

He sat up. “I wanted to—”

“To what?”

“To find Parrish for you. They’re hunting for Parrish.”

“Why? What are they going to do with him?”

“Val, he wasn’t created by the Slavers. We don’t know where he came from.” He glanced out the window. “A rogue maybe.”

“What will they do with him?”

“They won’t kill him, Val. Unless they have to.”

“Unless they—” His sudden outcry interrupted her. He bent over, his head pressed to the bed. “What’s happening?”

“It’s all right,” he huffed. “It’ll pass.”

His rolled over, his eyes closed and his head tipped back. It was over in only a few seconds, but still alarming. He started to sit up but slid back to the mattress and rolled toward her instead. He reached out for her, pulling her close.

“Does this always happen after a feeding?”

He stroked her hair. “Unfortunately.”

“You saw, didn’t you?” She felt him nod. “No corpse in the closet?”

He chuckled against her top of her shoulder. “I’ve never viewed anyone so…clean.”

“Do you see everything?”

“Not everything. Only little random samples along the way.” He lifted his head to look her in the eye. “So, uh, sex before me has been a little…bland for you?”

“You did not see that!”

His cell rang from the jeans on the floor. Laughing, he dragged himself out of bed and fumbled in his pockets until he found the phone.

“What?” He was only silent a moment. “On my way.” And then he threw his clothes back on.

“Where are you going?”

He didn’t look at her as he dressed. “They found Will. They’re holding him for now.”

The earth quaked under Val. They had Will, finally. She would see him in his changed form. What would he say to her? Could he even speak? What kind of man had he become? She jumped from the bed, reaching for her clothes.

“I’m coming.”

His eyes shot her a warning. “Val, I want to flash there.”

“No.” When he didn’t even slow, she grabbed his arm. “I have to see him, Kade.”

She didn’t let him turn away while he thought it out. This was too important to let him get overprotective on her. It was her case, anyway. She needed to see Will if she was ever going to heal the wounds he’d left behind.

“Let’s go.” His lips formed a thin line of displeasure, but he took her hand and led her out of the penthouse. It wasn’t too far by car, only a half-hour drive before they arrived at an empty warehouse. The streetlights were all out except one near the corner of the building, stretching the shadows around the crumbling mass even longer. Graffiti plastered the front wall and red spray paint streaked the double door, barely visible in the tiny light above the entry.

He shoved the doors open wide, the shriek of the hinges echoing through the cavernous interior. Dust choked her throat and she had to fight back a coughing fit. She couldn’t hear anything but their footfalls as they made their way toward the rear of the building. Gripping Kade’s hand in a vise, she wrinkled her nose at the musty smell of disuse and rust.

A feral scream of rage tore the silence and seized her insides. That had to be Will. The sound of a scuffle followed and then more silence. Soon she heard the murmur of voices as they approached an office in the rear corner.

“Are you sure you’re okay with this?” he asked.

She looked up at the concern on his face. “I have to do this.” He flashed an encouraging smile, and her heart squeezed. “I’m glad you’re here.”

“Good. Now let’s get this over with.”