Lothaire (Immortals After Dark #12)(104)

Somehow he fought the utter bliss of his bite, the rightness he’d never known. Somehow he released her neck.

Her back bowed once more. Her head thrashed. Coming again?

“Ah, gods, I feel you!” The pressure throbbing in his cock made him throw back his head and bellow, “Lizvetta! I claim you—”

At the last second, he jerked back his hips, just as semen began to pump from him, line after line marking her tender body.



Lothaire collapsed beside her, heart thundering, still languidly thrusting against Ellie’s hip.

“You’re mine now,” he rasped, flicking his tongue against his bite mark.

Dazed. Can’t get my bearings. The vampire had her not knowing up from down anymore. And she couldn’t be happier.

He rose up on one elbow and brushed her damp hair back from her forehead, leaning down to kiss her at intervals.

When she could manage words again, she asked, “Why did you pull out?”

“I won’t let you get pregnant.”

She frowned. “You said you wanted heirs.”

“We will have no offspring until you’re a vampire. Tomorrow Hag will give you a contraception potion to last a month or two.”

So high-handed. Not even asking me? “Do I get a say?”

“Just an hour ago, you agreed that I would make decisions for us.”

Well, there was that. She cast him a smile. “You’re right. Bottoms up on potions.”

With an enigmatic look, he said, “I will guide you rightly, if you trust me.”

She stared into his gaze. Could she blindly trust a male like him? She forced herself to nod.

“You will also need a cloaking tattoo. I’ve much to show you outside these walls, Elizabeth.”

“What?” she asked breathlessly, because he’d already begun hardening for another round.

“Nothing less than the entire world, beautiful girl. . . .”

At the end of the night, when she asked him for just one more time, he shook his head. “No matter how badly I want you.” He dragged her close, until she lay over his chest.

“I’m fine,” she said sleepily. “Your mortal can hang with even big, bad vampires.”

He curled his finger under her chin, lifted her face. “Let’s talk when you wake.” He seemed to be really looking at her.

“Your irises are so sharp right now.”

“My mind is easy.”

She snuggled closer to him. “That makes me happy, Leo.”

“You’ve pleased me this night.” He pressed a kiss to her hair. “Above all things, you’ve pleased me.”

It’s him. Lothaire for me. Deal with the devil? If this is wrong, I don’t wanna be right.

As she drifted off to sleep, she did feel protected, cared for. “I’m glad you chose me.”

“I am as well.” Then, in a lulling, loving murmur, he said, “But don’t ever betray me, Lizvetta.”



Once Elizabeth slept, Lothaire remained awake, wanting to enjoy this rare peace.

Her breaths on my chest. Tension easing from every muscle. Warm relaxation.

His mate. Claimed. She was the most exquisite thing he’d ever possessed.

As he threaded his fingers through her glossy dark hair, his thoughts were shockingly clear. Crystalline. I will figure out a way around my blood vows. His situation was merely a puzzle to solve.

And I’m the master of them.

His gaze fell on the diabolically difficult eighteen-piece puzzle among his collection. It would take sixty-five calculated moves to assemble it—without a single misstep.

Easing Elizabeth away with a kiss on her forehead, he traced to his chair.

Sixty-five laughably simple moves later, he held the completed puzzle in his stunned grasp.

Then Lothaire smiled evilly. I’m back. . . .





43


I’ll never get used to this, Ellie thought as waves lapped at her feet on a secluded beach in France. A balmy breeze danced over her skin, most of which was bared in a string bikini.

For nearly three weeks, Lothaire had taken her to moonlit shores all around the world—after Hag had given her a cool druid-looking tattoo around her ankle.

But that pain had been worth it to see the world. “It’s gorgeous here, vampire.” Almost as much as you . . .

He was barefooted, shirtless, wearing only low-slung jeans. Sea spray had dampened his hair and misted his chest. In the moonlight, his skin sheened, his eyes glowing.

Though he’d seen her thrilled expression with each locale they visited, his watchful gaze was locked on her face.

“Thank you for bringing me here.”

A short nod.

After that first night of mind-blowing sex, Ellie had awakened, sore but happy, expecting things to be different between them. Instead, Lothaire had dropped her off at Hag’s again, as if nothing had changed.

Well, except for the sizzling, toe-curling kiss he’d given her before he left. And then he’d returned early, asking her, “If you could go anyplace in the world, where would it be?

“Bora-Bo—”

She hadn’t even gotten the words out before he’d traced them there. Whenever she was at Hag’s, she read travel magazines, and then he’d take her to whatever destination she’d dog-eared.