A Kiss of Blood (Vamp City #2)(75)

“There are vampires outside.”

“They won’t come in.”

A burst of humor left her mouth on a sigh. “And you don’t care if they do.”

“I do not.” His mouth nuzzled her neck. “I need to taste you, to feast on you, to worship your body in comfort and leisure without anyone’s forcing our intimacy.” As Fabian had last time.

And she needed that, too. Heaven help her, she needed him. That quickly, their kiss had stirred her into a frenzy of desire that sang in her blood, snapping and popping . . .

She stilled.

He lifted his head, peering at her with question.

“Hold on a second. Let me try something.” When he slowly, reluctantly, released her, she turned once more to the chair, lifted her hand, and sent it flying into the wall.

“The passion?” he queried.

“I guess. It seems that my magic only works when something’s stirring my blood.”

He pulled her back against him, one hand sliding over her breast, the other between her jeans-clad legs. Quinn groaned, arching at the pleasure of his hands on her.

“All I need is you, Vampire,” she gasped.

He growled low in her ear, his teeth nipping lightly at her earlobe, without fangs. His fingers slid against the crotch of her jeans, stroking, heating . . .

“You are my sun,” he breathed, his breath warm against her cheek. His hand ducked under the hem of her shirt and burrowed up, his fingers sliding over her bra cup, tracing the edges, delving beneath to find the sensitive bud of her nipple.

She gasped at the sweet pleasure, arching against him as he pushed the cup aside, as he stroked her breast and plucked at the bud.

Suddenly, he was in front of her, on his knees, his clever fingers unfastening her bra clasp with one hand and her jeans button with the other. Her bra gave way. He brushed the cups aside, sliding his hands around to her back, pulling her close, then taking her breast into his mouth.

Quinn clung to him, sliding her fingers into his hair as she struggled for breath against the exquisite pleasure, his tongue stroking her nipple, his lips caressing the flesh of her breast, his warm hands sliding with tender care and increasing urgency over her back.

One of those clever hands returned to the front, unzipped her jeans, and slid down into her panties. A single finger dove deep into her body.

Her legs buckled, and he tightened the arm still around her waist, moving his mouth to claim her other breast. Hands in his hair, she held him tight against her as his finger slid in and out, in and out, his thumb circling and stroking her clitoris, driving her up and up and up.

She came with a cry, her legs buckling as the pleasure pulsed and throbbed inside her.

Finally, slowly, Arturo withdrew his finger from her body, his hand from her panties, his mouth from her breast, and stood. As she struggled to catch her breath, he straightened her clothing and stepped back, licking her essence off of his finger.

She watched him, bemused, and abuzz with the aftershocks of her orgasm. “I thought you wanted to be inside of me.” He hadn’t even slid his fangs into her.

The eyes that watched her were white-centered and white-hot. “You have no idea, cara mia.” He turned away, arching his back, visibly struggling against his own needs.

“Then why . . . ?”

He turned back, his eyes slowly returning to normal. “In the Focus tomorrow, I will not be with you. Nor will your life be in danger. You must learn to call on the power without your emotions stirred.”

“So you brought me to release so that I’d settle down.”

“Yes.”

“You could have joined me.”

He smiled. “I could have. But then it would have been hours, not minutes, and you would have been asleep by the time we were through. I prefer to wait until I can take my time and make love to you properly. And I will take much time to do it.” His eyes sparkled with heat, warming her body all over again.

“That kind of talk is not the way to cool me off, in case you’re wondering.”

His smile turned boyish and impossibly charming. “I am glad.” He held out his hand to her. “Come. We shall attempt to push the chair together.”

Bonelessly, she stepped forward and would have been perfectly happy to slide into his arms and stay there for a while. Maybe the rest of the night. Instead, she straightened her shoulders and corralled her thoughts, focusing on the task at hand. She didn’t have much time to get this right. A single evening.

The realization hit her fully that she would get one chance to renew the magic tomorrow. And if she failed, her beloved brother would almost certainly die.

The knowledge cleared her head as nothing else could have. “All right. Let’s do it.”

As she faced the chair, Arturo moved behind her and slid his arm around her waist again. Grasping the hand she’d been trying to push the chair with, he slid his palm across the back of her hand, his fingers slipping between hers.

“Concentrate, Quinn,” he said softly. “Deep inside you is power, but it is not yet fully at your command.” He squeezed her hand gently, brushing his cheek against her hair. “Close your eyes, cara mia. Now search inside yourself until you find the source of your power.”

“It’s a constant flow beneath my skin. If there’s a source, I’m not aware of it.”

“All right, then imagine that your arm is a laser gun.”