Kayla was going to do more than talk when this was over. She was going to wring Ryder’s neck then give him her opinion on this male overprotectiveness. It was getting old. Sure, she’d been shot once already, but she would bet her ration of food that a bullet would no longer have the same effect on her. She had changed. Was continuing to change, and she only hoped it wasn’t into one of those rogue vampires. Or worse, some kind of demon. Was that even possible?
Even more annoying was the fact that her damn stomach wouldn’t stop rumbling. Not to mention every time she got close to Ryder, she hungered for him to do naughty things to her while he sank his fangs into her throat. Maybe other places if he so desired.
Shit! I need to stop thinking. She glared even harder at the vampire that had become both the bane of her existence and her desires.
“Why are you stabbing me with your eyes?” he whispered as they crept down the corridor.
“Because it’s better than taking a stake to your heart. Don’t you think?”
He chuckled. “I don’t believe those tales work on us.”
She cocked a brow. “You sure about that?”
“No doubt you want to test my theory?” he shot back.
“One can’t gather information without conducting a proper study.”
“Fine,” he snapped. “You can stab Ace.”
“Hey! What the fuck did I do?” Ace held out his hands in innocence.
“You breathe apparently,” Kayla responded.
“I think after we secure this place, you two need to find a nice cozy spot and fuck like rabbits. Maybe that will even out your tempers.” Ace glared at both Kayla and Ryder. She drew in a calming breath, fully aware that was indeed part of the reason she was on edge. Ryder simply shot back a lethal stare that put Ace back in his place.
They came upon a door and everyone quieted, bringing their attention back to the task at hand. Ryder positioned himself on one side and Ace on the other while Brandon tested the knob.
“Locked.”
Ryder looked for a keypad, but there didn’t appear to be one. “Break it.”
Brandon grinned and twisted the knob until there was an audible snap. He shoved open the door, exposing himself to the line of fire from anyone inside.
Nothing.
Brandon glanced at Ryder. “I smell fear.”
“Well then, lets find out who’s inside,” Ryder replied and waved Brandon in while he followed. Lights were not needed for any of them to see in the dark, and as soon as Kayla stepped through the threshold, the acrid scent of fear filled her nostrils.
Odd. How did she know it was fear she smelled?
“You might as well come out and save us from hunting you down.” Ryder’s tone would intimidate even the most fearless man. She watched his jaw tick and knew he was ready to rip the place apart. Kayla took matters into her own hands and breezed past him.
“Stop being a bully.” She stopped in the middle of the small room. “Come on out. I promise he won’t hurt you. You don’t need to be afraid of us.” She hoped.
A rustle of fabric behind a dresser and a man stepped out. Ryder sized him up, but Kayla already knew he was human. Around six-foot-three, his blond hair a bit messy and in need of a cut, but at least his face was shaven.
“Name?” Ryder apparently fell into his Navy commanding role.
“Uh, Ethan.”
Ryder strode forward and Kayla had to give Ethan credit. The man didn’t flinch but pulled his shoulders back and stood tall. “Ethan. How is it you come to be here?”
“I live here. Have been a caretaker of this place for the last five years.”
“Are you the only one here?”
“Yes. When I received word of what was going on outside, I expected others to come but no one ever showed up. You guys are the first.”
“Well, Ethan, if you were expecting people to show up you might want to be more hospitable. Like opening the fucking door.” He nearly shouted the last word. Kayla laid a hand on his arm and Ryder immediately calmed.
“You were not military, so I had no idea if it was safe to let you in.” Ethan remained calm.
“Are the rumors about this place true?” Ryder asked.
“Most are. We can sustain three thousand people for a long time. We have our own water and power system.” His voice filled with pride, but concern etched lines across his forehead. “If you got this far, that means no one is out there. How did you get here, anyway?”
“Long story for later. We have people on the surface we need to get to shelter.”
“Who are you guys, anyway?”
“Name’s Ryder. I was Navy Seal in my previous life.”
“Previous life?”
“Another long story. How about you show me around while my men bring the others down.”
Kayla followed Ethan around as he showed Ryder the layout. The place was enormous. A giant hole inside a mountain with its own parking lot and separate buildings. As they were talking, the bus pulled in carrying the women and was quickly followed by the rest of their convoy of dismal supplies. To say he was relieved they had managed to get into this place was an understatement. He wondered how they had gotten the vampires from camp to inside the mountain, then he noticed the covered bus windows.
He spotted Gordy. “Everyone okay?”
“Yeah, thanks to the ladies. They are the ones who came up with the idea to cover the windows with whatever they had then use a tent to fashion a large tarp. We walked the guys from the woods out to the bus. We were also blessed with some cloud cover.”
“Wait, you were not in the woods with the others?”
“I was not affected like them,” Gordy replied.
Ryder tried to scrub the frustration from his face. There was no rhyme or reason to anything happening right now, but maybe once they got settled into their new home, he could take some time to analyze things. After he followed Ace’s advice and got Kayla settled into a room. He was going to lock the two of them in for a week at least. Speaking of…
“Ethan, sleeping quarters?”
“I know where they are.” Liam stepped forward.
“Who are you?” Ethan gave the other soldier a questioning glare.
“This is Liam, he used to work here long ago. You two can exchange notes later. I want to get everyone settled then get a better layout of the place,” Ryder replied then turned back to Liam. “Lead the way.”
An hour later, he and the rest of his men had everyone settled in and accounted for. The women were in building E, sharing a large bunk area with its own bathroom and a small kitchen. For them it was more than enough room to have private space. The men––those who were still human––were located in building A. Ryder wasn’t taking any chances by keeping them too close to the females. His vampires––thirty in total––were being housed between the two areas and the perimeter of the buildings as a security measure. The couples, which right now were only Gordy and Tara and Ryder and Kayla, were allowed the more luxurious quarters that were apparently reserved for the more influential government officials. It was also where Ethan had made his home, and Ryder wasn’t going to make the man move.
Kayla set her pistol on the table, kicked off her boots, and flopped on the bed. “This feels so good. Who knew a mattress could be so comfortable?” She sat back up. “And this place is like an apartment.”
She was correct about that. Equipped with kitchen, living area, and a master suite with a large bathroom, it was more than adequate. He brought his focus back to the female on the king-size bed. Even fully clothed, she was a tempting morsel that caused extreme pressure behind his zipper. There would be time for that later, they needed to talk. He wasn’t keeping anything from her.
“I am way out of my element here.” He sat on the edge of the bed.
Kayla flopped to her stomach, a frown on her face. “What do you mean?”
He dropped his head into his hands. “How the fuck can I keep up with all the changes? I can’t keep everyone safe when I don’t even know what the next danger will be. Fucking sunlight? What next?” The warmth of her hand on his back spread through him.
“You can’t take on all this responsibility yourself.”
He lifted his head to look into her gray eyes. “But I am the one who took on this role. We have no idea what we’re going to face in our future.” With the speed of someone who was no longer fully human, Kayla moved and shoved him to his back, straddling him. Her sex was now planted over his even stiffer erection.
“You’re not alone, Ryder. I am with you as is everyone else here. I think we all understand what’s at stake. There are no guarantees in this life.” She lifted her shirt over her head and tossed it aside, leaving him with a view of rounded breasts that threatened to spill from her black, lacy bra.
“So, what do you say about picking up where we left off earlier?” Her eyes filled with desire as the corners of her mouth lifted in a seductive grin.
“Are you sure? You know what will happen if we have sex.”
“I’m not sure of anything, except I need you. If I don’t get to have you, I may just kill someone.” She leaned in so close her warm breath brushed across his mouth. “Whatever is going to happen between us will happen. Our world is changing and we have to find a way to survive.”
Ryder’s mouth was on hers before she could utter another word. His tongue pushed past her parted lips and slid across her own. She moaned while her body heated to an inferno she swore would never be satisfied. All she thought about was ripping his clothes off and having him inside her. Screw foreplay, she wanted him to devour her. Pulling back, she clawed at his shirt and found herself shredding the garment into strips of rags.
Ryder lifted a brow. “Well, what do you know? Claws.”
She jerked her hands back and gasped. “Shit! Did I hurt you?”
“I find it sexy as hell. My kitten has claws.” He chuckled. “But don’t stop.”
“Apparently, these things also appear when I’m aroused.” She wanted to stick her hands behind her back, but Ryder’s arousal scented the air and she was on the brink of madness. “I need you. Like now. This damn second!”
Ryder flipped her onto her back and tugged her jeans off, followed by her underwear and bra. Before she knew it, she was naked to him and he was busy shoving his own jeans down. She hardly had time to enjoy the view before he had his mouth latched onto her nipple, and she arched into him. Need wrapped around her clit and moved upward until it reached her stomach where it morphed into a butterfly. Soon, she had several of the creatures fluttering around and setting her further on edge.
She dug her nails into his back. “Ryder, I need you.” If he didn’t get inside her right this minute, she would simply go insane from need.
He kissed between her breasts, and as he suckled the other, he rubbed the tip of his cock against her folds. Out of control, she dug her nails into his flesh. How was it her desires burned so hot? In her wildest dreams, Kayla never thought she would want someone so badly that it caused physical pain. But since her body was in distress, it was hard to dismiss.
“Stop teasing me.” Her voice was feral.
With a swift thrust of his hips, Ryder planted himself deep inside her. Stretching, he filled her but it was more than sating her sexual lust. There was more to this moment than their physical connection. If she still believed in God, she would swear to him that Ryder touched her soul. He lifted his head and their gazes met. Something passed through his. It was more than desire, yet she couldn’t pinpoint what exactly.
“Kayla,” he whispered before he claimed her mouth and began thrusting in and out.
She wrapped her legs around his waist and locked her ankles together. Wanted to open herself to him and take everything he had to give her. In this moment, the world outside stopped, and it was only Ryder and her. She could finally forget about all the loss and death and think only of how good this man made her feel.
Riding the crest of her orgasm, she hung there waiting to fall off the edge and with each thrust the pressure built. Ryder broke their kiss with a nip to her lower lip before he sank his fangs into her neck. With the piercing of her skin, she fell off the ledge. Plummeting into a world of pleasure never before known to her as the orgasm took hold and shook her to her core. No longer did she have control as she arched her back and screamed Ryder’s name. The entire complex likely heard, but she no longer cared. Finally, the release she yearned for carried her away on a cloud of bliss.
Ryder retracted his fangs and kissed her neck as he groaned. His shaft thickening inside her as his own release took hold and sent her over the edge once more.