A Blood Seduction (Vamp City #1)(86)

This was what he was. A vampire. A man. And while she felt a thrill of fear, it was only a shadow of the real thing. A scary-movie or roller-coaster fear. A safe fear. Which was a bizarre thing to think about a vampire. But she knew in her bones, this one would never hurt her, not physically.

She held out her arms to him, and he came to her, covering her body with his longer, harder one. Brushing her hair off her shoulder, she tilted her neck, giving him access. And he took it, dipping his head and sliding his fangs into her neck as he slid that thick erection into her body.

A low moan escaped her throat as the twin pleasures, his pull on her blood and his thrusting cock, shot her straight to orgasm.

Arturo thrust into Quinn's welcoming body, her sweet blood flooding his mouth, his pleasure mounting at an alarming rate, ripping through his senses. Warmth spread up into his body until he could swear he felt the sun on his back - not the burning, flesh-eating heat of his vampire existence, but the balmy caress he'd known for too short a time in his human youth. He smelled sunshine and summer on Quinn's flesh, in her hair, and tasted it in her blood.

Her arms curled around him, her fingernails digging into his back as she met his thrusts with low, sweet cries, her body rising for a second time, right along with his.

Despite the glorious sweetness of her blood, he forced himself to pull away from her neck before he took too much. His fangs retracting, he lifted his head, needing to see her face as he drove into her.

Lovely, her brow damp, her mouth open and gasping, she was angel and siren, sweetness and raw, carnal pleasure, and watching her nearly sent him over the edge. At his change in position, her lashes fluttered up, and she met his gaze, a smile, at once sexy as sin and sweetly delighted, lifting the corners of her mouth. How she pleased him! A well of tenderness flooded his mind and chest as she began to cry out with her climax, her body squeezing his until he leaped over that sensual cliff, flying with her straight into the warm embrace of the sun.

Slowly, they settled back to earth, and he kissed her, unwilling to be parted from her even now, loving the way she slid her fingers into his hair and held him as if she, too, didn't want to let him go. If only she were merely human. If only he could make her a simple slave and keep her, always, in his house. In his bed. But she was a sorceress, one claimed by Cristoff. There was nothing simple about Quinn Lennox. And she could quickly become an addiction he could ill afford.

With a sigh of regret, he rolled off her, pulling away, shoving his hands into his hair. The woman had been a problem since the moment she first entered Vamp City. A problem he had no idea how to solve.

Quinn was pulling on her boots when a rap on the door had Arturo striding across the room to open it. Looking at him, at that long, muscular body, once more dressed, at that devilishly handsome mouth, at those sexy eyes, only made her flush all over again with a heat that had barely begun to recede. After two orgasms, she should be replete. Boneless. Done. Instead, she felt energized. Incredible. And ready to go at it all over again.

It didn't hurt that her heart was light with the joy of Zack's rescue. Still, the sex had been outstanding. Was it always like this with vampires? Or only Arturo?

"Kassius is here, Master," the slave said, as Arturo opened the door.

"Thank you, Horace."

When she'd finished tying her bootlaces, Quinn rose and joined Arturo at the door. Instead of ushering her out, he pulled her into his arms and kissed her thoroughly one more time, as if he'd read her thoughts as she watched him walk across the room. As if he'd enjoyed the interlude as much as she had. Finally, he ushered her out of the room and down the stairs to the living room.

Kassius waited for them, his body still, yet radiating a coiled tension that had Quinn's trouble sirens blaring. "Cristoff has already discovered that the sorceress is missing," he said without preamble. "He's on a rampage, every guard ordered to search for her."

Arturo spat something she didn't catch, something that sounded a lot like an Italian curse word, then turned toward the door. "Ernesta!" The moment the Slava appeared in the doorway, he said, "Take Quinn. Darken her hair. At once!"

Quinn gaped at him. "What?"

"A disguise, cara," he said impatiently, waving her away. "Go!"

Her pulse skittered as she hurried down the hall after Ernesta. If Arturo and Kassius were this worried, she should be absolutely terrified. What would Cristoff do to her if he found her? And what if he found Zack? Of course, he didn't know Zack was her brother. Yet. But once he figured it out . . . She couldn't finish the thought. He wouldn't find out. But if Cristoff found her here, he'd know Arturo was involved in taking her. Would he kill his snake?

He might not kill him, but he'd probably make Arturo wish he had.

By the time she entered the kitchen, she was shaking.

Ernesta pulled her to a chair and pushed her down, then hurried out of the kitchen, returning moments later with a towel, a comb, and . . . shoe polish? Quinn closed her eyes, trying to remain calm, as Ernesta combed the thick polish through her hair, strand after strand.

"Ernesta . . . I'm sorry I hit you."

The woman didn't reply, just began to rub Quinn's blackened hair dry with the towel. Finally, the Slava pulled Quinn's hair back into a braid with quick, nimble fingers. "There. None will know you, now."

Quinn was kind of glad there were no mirrors around. She wasn't sure she wanted to see what she looked like. Would this dye job really fool anyone? Certainly not Cristoff, but perhaps someone searching for a blonde would look right past her. She could only hope.