Once Forbidden(9)

Somehow, he’d have to devise a way to protect her from them.

But—at the end of it all—she was his and even if she decided that she couldn’t accept being a vampire, he’d stay with her. It would hurt him to watch her grow old and die—but he wasn’t leaving her.

Already he’d broken his own rules. He’d invaded her dreams.

He’d made contact with her.

If he changed her, he’d bring down the wrath of the Hunters and possibly the Elders—despite Carina knowing how he felt.

Devlin sighed and clenched his jaw.

None of it mattered as long as she was safe and happy.

She was his.





Chapter Five





“Sarah!”

“What?”

Devin sighed impatiently and loudly. “Are you ready yet?”

Sarah laughed. “Almost.” She’d kept him waiting for ten minutes, knowing that by now he’d be getting ready to climb the walls. “I’m hurrying,” she fibbed.

She felt light and free today. Her reflection didn’t return scars when she put on her makeup. She felt alive for the first time in months.

“Sarah?”

“Yes?” she purred.

“Would you like to know what I’m going to do if you’re not in here and ready to go in the next two minutes?” he asked in a conversational tone.

Sarah had been about to pick up her sweater off the chair, but she paused. Something in that tone…”Umm…yes.”

“First, I’m going to take all your clothes off,” Devlin began.

Sarah felt heat move up her face. Well, that certainly didn’t worry her! In fact, it sounded rather pleasant! “Okay,” she said trying not to giggle.

“Second, I’m going to pull you across my knee and spank your cute little ass,” he promised, his voice a deep growl now.

Sarah gulped and hurriedly grabbed her sweater and purse and ran into the bathroom. She didn’t think for a minute that he’d ever actually do such a thing, but decided maybe it was better if she didn’t take the chance. “I hurried!” she assured him as she shut the bathroom door.

Devlin narrowed his eyes. “You didn’t wait to hear what I was going to do third,” he said, lowering his head and giving her a deep kiss.

Sarah twined her fingers in his hair and held him against her, loving the feel of his lips on her own. The man could kiss. He nipped on her lower lip and she groaned as he deepened the kiss, driving his tongue deep inside. When he finally lifted his head, they were both breathing hard. “What were you going to do third?” she asked, her voice breathless.

“I was going to lean you over the vanity,” he said huskily, “and slide deep inside you.”

Sarah was instantly aroused. Not in a hundred years would she have ever believed that she’d get turned on by the idea of being spanked and then made love to afterward—but right then, she wished she’d taken her time coming back into the bathroom! “Oh.”

There was such a wealth of disappointment in her single word that Devlin laughed. Devlin took her small hands into his and backed to the vanity. He stopped when his legs hit the bench. He released one of her hands and pulled the bench out, and then sat down and tugged her down onto his lap. “Disappointed?”

Sarah looked at him very seriously for a moment, and decided to be honest with him. “A little.”

“You know I’d never hurt you, don’t you Sarah?” he said.

Sarah nodded. It felt good, sitting here on his lap. She’d never done this before. She felt safe sitting here with his arms wrapped around her. Of its own accord, her hand moved up to his face. “I know.”

“Stand up a minute, Sarah,” he ordered gently.

Sarah looked at him, a question in her eyes, but she stood before him. Was he really going to actually spank her? Her heart beat a little faster. Something else she’d read about in books. But was it something she really wanted to experience first hand?

Devlin smiled. “Trust me.” He pulled her over his lap very gently. His hand moved to her skirt and he edged it up very slowly, his fingers caressing each inch of skin as it was exposed. When it was at her waist, he rested his hand on her bottom. She’d worn a thong, and her white skin was soft against his hand.

Sarah felt a surge of desire as his hand rested on her cool bottom. She tensed, waiting to see what he was going to do now. She closed her eyes tightly. It was an embarrassing position, but exciting in a way, too. In the next instant, she felt the gentlest of smacks against the soft flesh of her bottom and she released the breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding in a little whoosh. “Oh.”

“Sometimes good girls get spanked, Sarah,” Devlin said, a smile in his voice. He continued to spank her gently, his hand raising and falling on the resilient flesh of her bottom.