Pink and orange clouds hovered over the eastern horizon as if on fire, and John would be one ball of it if he didn’t get his ass in gear. He rushed cautiously down the streets, sticking beside the buildings, his dark clothes a useless camouflage as dawn approached and lit up the area. So he not only had to avoid the sun, he had to avoid any onlookers. Guess that was what he got for being greedy.
When Sarah had asked him to spend the night, he’d had no problem obliging. It beat camping outside, which he would have done otherwise. He had planned to leave well before sunrise, but six turned to seven and then her alarm went off. He had to stay and say good morning, right? One kiss led to another and then another until she practically pushed him out the door. At least one of them had some sense.
Traffic became heavier, forcing him into a normal gait. By the time he arrived at Wings, his heart was racing and not from exertion. He quickly unlocked the door and entered the stairwell. The door shut with a slam as he leaned against it in relief. Damn, he’d cut that close.
He trudged up the stairs as emptiness settled over him. Day would be damn lonely without her. Playing games would pass the time, but he preferred playing with her. This past weekend had shown him what he could have. He still wouldn’t rush her, though. She needed to understand what she was getting in to. If after the year, she still wished to be a vampire with him, then his life would be complete.
When he reached the landing, he froze. Someone had left his apartment door ajar. What the hell? He sniffed the air and relaxed. Damn man had nearly given him a heart attack. He opened the door to Perry lounging on the couch, playing a video game.
“Hey, Johnny!” Perry said, sitting up. “About time you got home. Couldn’t stay away from the little lady, huh?”
“What are you doing here? Have you learned something new?” Because, truly, the man wouldn’t think of calling with news that important.
“Not yet. Came to talk, but you weren’t here, so I let myself in through the bedroom window.”
So if Perry came in through the window… “Why was the door open?”
“I left it open for you.”
Sometimes it wasn’t worth the bother trying to understand Perry.
John shut the door and tossed his coat and keys on the counter. Perry didn’t usually stay during the day—claimed John would kill him with boredom—now he was stuck. Maybe the day wouldn’t be so bad after all. “What did you want to talk about?”
“Just curious about how your weekend went, that’s if you’re willing to kiss and tell as they say. But man, how come you never told me about Lori? Friday night turned out better than I expected. I could easily see her again. Maybe we could double-date.”
“I doubt that would ever happen. You do realize Sarah doesn’t like you, right? And hitting on her friend isn’t helping matters any.”
Perry frowned. “She doesn’t like me? Really? I thought she was playing a game. Huh.”
John sat in the chair and stared at his friend. How blind was the guy? He didn’t want to add to his friend’s woes, but still needed answers. So he pulled a Perry and changed the subject. “So you and Lori, huh? Did you bond?”
“Bond?” Perry laughed. “Yeah, right. She was great in the sack and quite tasty.” Perry wagged his eyebrows. “Nothing special, though. Well, except she does have these moves—”
“Enough.” John held his palm out. “I thought you said when you feed during sex it creates a bond.”
Perry laughed. “Yeah, about that. I was kind of talking out of my ass, hoping to interest you in sex again. That’s why I said it. I mean it’s fun, but bonded? No, that’s a fairy tale.”
John gaped at Perry. He suspected many things Perry told him were fabrications, but he’d honestly hoped that one was true. What the hell had happened with Sarah?
“Johnny? Anyone home?” Perry waved his hand in front of John’s face, bringing him out of his trance. “Hey, I’m sorry. I guess it didn’t go well with Sarah, then?”
John scrubbed his face. Maybe he was using the wrong word. “So when you bite during sex, you don’t feel her pleasure as well as your own?”
Perry’s eyes widened. “Uhhh, no. Are you saying… Did you… You mean feel, like you were her?”
John nodded.
“Damn.”
“What does it mean?” And why was he asking Perry? His chances of getting a straight answer out of him were slim and none. He probably should be talking to Barnet.
“I have no idea. I’ve been with hundreds of women, but never experienced that. You might want to ask Barnet when he stops by tonight.”
“What? Why is he coming? You told me you didn’t find anything.”
“I didn’t. Don’t know about Barnet. I happened to run into him last night.”
“Why didn’t he call me?”
“He might have if I didn’t tell him I was coming over. Said he wants to talk to Sarah, get her side of the story.” A guilty smirk crossed Perry’s face. “Oh yeah, I guess you should make sure she’s here, huh?”
John resisted the urge to smack Perry, as if it would have done any good. The man remembered what the man wanted to remember.
Did Barnet just want to talk or was he planning on reading Sarah’s memories? What would he do when he was unsuccessful?
* * * *
Sarah practically floated into work, high from the weekend, high from love. And while that was all good, emptiness was settling around her. Whatever John’s bite had done to them was fading, and fast.
He really was a drug and she was going through withdrawals.
She shouldn’t complain. Being with John was better than life itself, but that connection made it more so and she wanted it back as sharp as it had been after The Bite.
She hung up her coat, stashed her purse in the desk drawer, and headed toward the break room for some much-needed coffee.
“Seems we both got lucky this weekend, huh?”
Sarah jumped at Lori’s voice and spun around. Had the whole company heard? Fortunately, they were the only ones in the room. “Is it that obvious?”
“Sure it is. I haven’t seen you this happy since…hmm…never. John really agrees with you, huh?”
“I love him.”
“Yeah, I got that.” Lori sat at a table. “You never told me about Perry, though. Man, that guy is hot. He sure knows how to give a girl a good time, too. I swear, he has these moves—”
“Enough.” Sarah held her palm out. “Do I really need to hear this?”
“TMI? Still, I’ve never had anyone suck on my neck like that and not give me a hickey.”
“He gave you a hickey?” Sarah sat and took a sip of the hot drink, wishing she could have spiked it with something strong. Like whiskey or brandy, anything to dull the uneasiness in her chest.
“No. Aren’t you listening? But the way he went at me, I was pretty sure I’d have one, but there’s not a mark there. Whatever he did, sure felt good. No one’s ever been able to make me come three times in one night!”
Sarah choked on her coffee, spewing a mess all over the table. Perry had fed on Lori. That bastard!
“Sorry.” Lori grabbed a paper towel and some disinfectant and cleaned off the table. “I gave him my number, but he hasn’t called. If you see him, can you find out if he’s interested in another time? I wouldn’t mind being his friend when he visits. You know, the kind with benefits.”
“Benefits?” Sarah took another sip.
“Yeah. His fuck-buddy.”
The coffee never made it down her throat.
* * * *
John looked at his watch. “Sarah will be here soon. Would you disappear for a while?”
Playing video games with Perry wasn’t nearly as fun as playing them with Sarah, but it passed the time and beat being alone.
“Why? You plan on doing the nasty?” Perry nudged him in the ribs and cackled.
“Just go down to my office. You can play on the computer there.”
“Yeah, like I won’t be able to hear you.”
“She doesn’t know that.”
No sooner had he said the words than the downstairs door slammed. Finally. Euphoria mixed with a burning need filled him and he rushed into the hallway. Sarah climbed the stairs, wearing a pretty pink blouse and black slacks under her blue coat. When she reached the top, he picked her up and twirled her around, so thankful to have her in his arms. She squealed delightfully and gave him a hello kiss he would never forget. She tasted so sweet and her warmth radiated all the way to his growing erection.
Perry cleared his throat. She stopped abruptly and John silently cursed.
“Hello, Sarah. You’re looking fetching today.” Perry was still sitting on the couch, but craned his head to look out into the hall.
John moaned and slowly let Sarah stand on her own. “Look who was waiting for me when I got home this morning. But he’s going downstairs. Aren’t you, Perry?”
He ushered her into the apartment and helped remove her coat. Perry stood and took her hand. “Johnny tells me you don’t like me. Why is that?”
John rubbed his face. Crap. What the hell was Perry doing?
She stammered, “He… He shouldn’t have said that.”
Perry stared down at their hands. “So it’s not true?”
John fought the urge to pull his so-called friend away—the vampire most likely enjoyed the rush of warmth Sarah emitted—but he needed to remain civil. “Perry, leave her alone.”
Perry grabbed her by the shoulders and kissed her. Shock nailed John to the floor. She pushed Perry away and slapped his face.
“What the hell?” John got his feet working and rushed to stand between the two of them. He wanted to punch something. Perry’s face looked like a good target.
She touched her mouth. “You bit me! What? Lori wasn’t enough? Now you felt the need to sample me?”
Perry sat back on the couch, his face scrunched in bewilderment.
She pulled her hand away. Blood covered her fingers and the scent triggered John’s fangs.
He clenched his fists as a mixture of anger and betrayal burned through his veins. “Perry, are you insane?”
“That does it,” she muttered, then looked up at John with guilt in her eyes. “I didn’t want to have to tell you this, but Perry hit on me when he visited me in Lima.”
She couldn’t have shocked him more if she had punched him in the gut. “What? Why didn’t you tell me this before?”
She glanced briefly at Perry, who was currently staring at the carpet. “Because he said he would behave. So if that’s behaving, I don’t want to know what it’s like when he’s bad.”
“I think I’ll go downstairs like you wanted. We’ll talk later.” Perry zipped around the other side of the coffee table and shot out the door.
John fumed. If Sarah hadn’t grabbed his arm, he wasn’t sure what he would have done. Murder seemed like a good idea, and what vampire would blame him? Perry had basically attacked his woman.
“I’m sorry, John,” she said.
His anger abated out of concern for her. “You have nothing to be sorry for.” With a forceful will, he retracted his fangs as he gently lowered her jaw. “Where did he hurt you?”
She pointed, and while he was tempted to lean in and lick it all better, his emotions were mixed up and one taste of her blood might be the thing to put him over the edge. Losing control was not an option. Instead, he licked his finger and rubbed the wound. The bleeding stopped.
“John, if you want to talk to Perry, I can come back tonight.”
He wiped his finger on his thigh, afraid even to get a sample. “No. You just got here.”
He grabbed her hand. The couch was littered with game controllers and Perry’s indentation. Hell no, not there. He dragged her to the bedroom. After flipping on the light, he shut the door as she sat on the edge of the bed.
She’d never been in his bedroom before and she glanced around in curiosity. The double bed—a recent addition—and dresser took up most of the space, but then he only used the room to store his clothes.
She stared at the floor. “Can he hear us down there?”
“I don’t care.” And he didn’t. He sat on the bed beside her. “What did he do in Lima?”
She closed her eyes and took a moment. That moment nearly killed him. “He didn’t hurt me. He just wanted to know if his touch did anything to me.”
“And? Did it? Does it?”
“Does it matter?” The scent of fear emanated from her.
John grabbed her hand, getting a rush of her warmth and a faint zip up his arm. “It won’t change how I feel about you if that’s your concern. But I need to know, okay?”
She stared at him with tears in her eyes. “I told him I didn’t feel anything.”
“Did you lie to him?”
One tear slipped down her cheek. “I don’t like Perry. I love you.”
Dear God, she’d lied. He pulled her into his arms. “I know you do. I love you, too. But this sure as hell complicates things.”
“You blame me for—”
“No.” He held her back. “I don’t blame you for anything. You understand? It’s not your fault Perry’s acting like an ass,” he said, loud enough so the man would hear. “But Barnet’s coming over tonight and he wants to talk to you.”
“Me? What for?”
“I don’t know. I assume it has to do with Ray or Steven. He’s probably hoping to access your memories.” He rubbed his face. “Guess I have no choice but to tell him about you now.”
“What are you afraid of? You think I’m going to choose one of them over you?”
That thought had crossed his mind.
She pushed him onto the mattress and straddled his hips. “Let me tell you something, John Pennington. Yes, I felt a spark when Perry touched me. And yes, it scared me. Then I realized, it’s just a spark. When I touch you, it’s a hundred—no a thousand—times better. Perry’s a spark. You’re a God-damned electric plant. You hear me? There’s no comparison.”
“Yeah, but who knows how you’ll react to other vampires?”
“John, I was attracted to you long before I even touched you. Perry repelled me at first sight. I’m yours, you idiot.”
He laughed. Yes, he was an idiot. “Come here.”
He pulled her down and kissed her—her mouth soft and complying—ran his tongue over her healed wound, and tasted a trace of her blood. His fangs emerged.
She broke the kiss and stared at his mouth. “You like my blood, right?”
Oh, God. Not again. He willed his fangs to retract and sat up, keeping her straddled over his lap. Too bad she wasn’t wearing a dress or skirt—the access he could have—then maybe he could postpone this conversation for another time. He stared at the buttons on her blouse. Maybe there were other ways to distract her. “My aversion has nothing to do with how you taste, okay?”
He flicked open the top three buttons, eliciting a gasp from her and exposing the black bra with the little red bow. God, he loved her sexy underwear and hardened at the sight.
“What are you afraid of then?” she asked.
The clasp was in front for a change. He reached to unhook it, but she slapped his hand away.
“Answer me, John.”
He could overtake her easily, but at what cost? Her anger? Her rejection? But in essence, wasn’t he rejecting her? Her blood? “Why is it so important that I bite you?”
She leaned her forehead against his. “Because ever since you did it, I’ve done nothing but crave for you to do it again. Not want. Crave. You created a connection between us and I felt whole for the first time in my life. But it’s fading, and I don’t like that feeling. It’s like you’re leaving me. I know it’s silly, you’re right here and what we have is great. But your bite triggered some wonderful need and instead of needing a certain vitamin or chemical, I need you to take my blood. Not Perry. Not Barnet. You. I need to know I’m yours. Do you get it?”
Oh he got it all right. He’d been feeling the same way all day. But what she was asking, or needing… “What if I lose control?”
“I don’t think you will. I know you don’t consider me food and don’t want to consider me as food, but would it help if you thought of me as dessert?”
A nervous chuckle escaped. Dessert. That might work. “You’re killing me, you know that?”
“And you kill me a little with every no. Please, John. Bite me. Show me I’m yours.” She tilted her head and moved her hair, exposing her neck. When he made no move toward her, she pulled his head down and whispered, “Dessert.”
He inhaled her scent, triggering his fangs. He grabbed her shoulders. “We leave the clothes on, you hear?”
Because any other distraction could prove fatal.
“Sure, John.”
Her heartbeat reverberated in his ears. The scent of her arousal hardened him to the point of pain. Then again, she was sitting right on top of him.
The artery in her neck beckoned him. He bit. The sweet delicate taste swirled across his tongue and down his throat. He did this for her, not for him. If he kept repeating that mantra, maybe he would be able to stop.
She gripped his shoulders and moaned in pleasure, as the emotion transferred to him. Their connection strengthened, sharpened. He could almost pinpoint when it reached the max, as if it were some kind of fuel gauge.
Her orgasm shocked and overtook him—he hadn’t even been touching her anywhere erotic—and he nearly came in his pants. The imaginary gauge read full. He stopped sucking. But now he was horny as hell. Now he needed her. He licked the bite marks away and kissed her on the mouth, claiming her. She ran her fingers through his hair and sucked on his tongue. Kissing wasn’t enough. He stood with her in his arms and laid her on the bed. Without much fanfare, he slid her slacks off and groaned at those sexy black panties. No time to admire. His shoes and jeans quickly joined the pile on the floor.
He entered her and came after only two thrusts. She cried out his name and then promptly fainted. Okay, so maybe it was the sex that knocked her out. Nearly took him away, too. He collapsed beside her, his lungs searching for oxygen.
“Sarah?” He patted her cheek. At least she didn’t look pale. Not like last time.
Eyes blinking, she faced him. “You okay?”
“Not really. I don’t like seeing you knocked out like that.”
“But it wasn’t the blood. You know that, right?”
He touched her cheek and smiled. In a way, he hated her being right, but was relieved all the same. “Yeah, I know.”
A smile spread across her face as she reached out for him. “I’ll make sure to eat first next time. Then maybe I can stay awake, huh?”
He pulled her into his arms. Next time. He couldn’t believe he was actually considering it. “Vitamins, too. You start taking supplements. Especially B12. And iron.”
“I love you, John. I feel so much better already.”
Strangely, so did he. That emptiness he’d felt earlier had disappeared and their connection was back, stronger than ever. But why the hell did it come at the cost of biting her?