Until the Sun Falls from the Sky(109)

My temper flared and instead of shouting, out of necessity, I mumbled irately, “Boy, I wish I could kick your ass.”

His hands left my face, his arms blurring around me with vampire speed, caging me tight against his chest. He threw his head back and roared with laughter.

Usually, I liked his laughter. Okay, being honest with myself, usually, I loved it. And I hadn’t heard it in weeks. And, worse, even though I didn’t want to lament that loss, I did. Every day. For three stinking weeks.

However at that particular moment, I did not.

“This isn’t funny,” I muttered angrily to his chest.

I felt him kiss the top of my head.

It’s something between jaywalking and murder in the first degree, he told me.

That doesn’t tell me much.

It’s all you’re going to get, sweetling.

I had no chance to reply. He took my hand and walked us back downstairs.

The three vamps were waiting for us. I knew Cristiano and Rudolf heard the very little we spoke out loud. It would be hard to miss Lucien’s shout of laughter even if you didn’t have vampire hearing. Both of them looked highly amused.

Our whispered conversation made Marcello move from surly to openly hostile.

Casual as can be, Cristiano moved to and opened the door, walking through it. Rudolf and Marcello followed. All three stopped outside and waited.

Lucien walked me to the opened door.

Lock the door behind me. Stephanie has a key, he said.

Instead of nodding, I replied, Okay.

Then he demanded, Kiss me.

Did he just say what I thought he just said?

My eyes widened and I whispered, What?

Do it, now.

He told me to take my cues from him. That wasn’t exactly what one would call a cue, more like a command.

Still, in this troubling situation I felt it sensible to do as he ordered.

I leaned in, hands to his abs, getting up on tiptoe and tilting my head back. His own dipped down, I pressed my lips against his and his opened. Another cue I was forced to follow, my tongue slid into his mouth. The instant it touched his, his arms came around me like vices, pinning my hands between us, hauling me into his big, hard body.

It had been three weeks since he’d kissed me like this. For three weeks, even during feeding, he’d been the perfect gentleman. Often during those weeks he’d brush his lips against mine before going to sleep. Or he’d stop, bend and touch his mouth to the top of my head when he’d walk past me while I was reading. But he hadn’t really kissed me.

Clearly my body missed it, so much I forgot our audience. My head tilted to the side, my hands forced themselves from between us, one wrapping around his waist, the other one going into his hair to hold him to me. Our tongues dueled, taking, giving, making my body burn and my heart race.

Like his laughter, it gave me sustenance. I demanded it and took it and more of it and even more of it because it had been so long, I was starving.

He broke the kiss and when he did I sensed he didn’t like the fact that he had to.

“I’ll be back soon,” he murmured against my mouth and stepped away but only after I took a deep, calming breath and nodded.

He moved out the door and I finally felt the air. It was again thick with that seductive danger, so thick, the minute I sensed it, it nearly choked me.

All three vampires were watching me, now with no hostility and no humor. It didn’t take a mind reader to know they were hungry. For what, I wasn’t sure but my guess was it was me. It wasn’t my blood they were after but something far more profound.

Definitely a menace.

Lucien turned to me, Lock the door.

Then, whoosh, they were gone and all I saw or heard was the doors slamming on the car.

I closed and locked the door. Then as fast as my feet would carry me, I ran to the phone and called Stephanie.

* * * * *

Terror seared through me, all I could think was escape.

I collided with something strong, powerful, iron bands went around me, holding me imprisoned.

“Leah, honey, what on earth?”

Loss. Pain. Anguish. Fear. Too much. I couldn’t cope.

Burning, burning, the heat was too immense. Overwhelming. Scalding my eyes. Singeing my throat.

Falling, sharp, uncontrolled, something tightened around my neck. I couldn’t breathe.

I struggled against my gentle prison.

“Jesus, Leah, calm down. What’s the matter?”

Clawing at my bounds, I could hear my choking breaths hitching through my wracking sobs. Fingers forced open my mouth, pressed against my tongue, searching for the source of my suffocation.

Need. Need. Desperate need. Touch. Skin. Warmth. Strength. Power.

Him.

Needed him.

Needed his hands, his breath, his presence, him.

Soothing, soothing, soothing.

I had to have him. If I didn’t get him, the noose would tighten and I’d die.