rested one big, warm hand on my knee, toying with the hem of
my silk skirt. He pulled out of the parking lot and turned right, the opposite
direction from my house. As we headed away from town and into the woods, a
flash of anxiety washed over me. “Where are we going?” I asked softly.
He glanced at me
and I went all tingly when he said, “To my home,” in a voice that could only be
described as a growl.
His accent had
become more pronounced. I closed my eyes again, trying to get a rein on my
hormones. It hadn’t even been a question. It was a sure statement . Cocky
bastard. Everything inside me was screaming for his touch, but my
instincts were crying out for caution. He might be used to one-night stands,
but I was an entirely different story.
His fingers were
now lightly caressing the top of my thigh. I glanced at him and slowly let out
my breath. Maybe I needed to rebel. Besides, when was the last time a girl
like me ended up with a man like him? I knew it was too good to
be true. At that moment, I didn’t care.
I leaned my head
back against the seat again and sighed as his fingers lightly caressed their
teasing way up my inner thigh. The tingling sensation that had been present
earlier intensified as his touch sent little jolts of pleasure racing along my
skin. I was more aroused by that simple touch than I had ever been in my entire
relationship with my previous boyfriend.
Warmth radiated
from his touch, and sent a shock through me. He was almost bringing me to a
climax just by touching me. I blushed profusely at the thought. Oh. My.
God.
“Will we be
there soon?” My voice was husky, but I couldn’t help it. How was he doing
this so easily? I usually took a while to get warmed up.
“Not nearly soon
enough,” he said in that low growl. The look in his deep green eyes told me
that this was just the tip of the iceberg. I was in way over my head.
Without taking
his eyes off the road, he gently caressed my face, slipping his hand behind the
nape of my neck. This thumb gently traced the curve of my ear. I closed my
eyes and tried not to pant. His hand slipped from behind my neck, trailing
lightly down my arm before taking my hand and resting on my knee. I wondered
just what I had gotten myself into. At least my headache had eased.
A few minutes
later, the car slowed and we pulled into a long driveway leading to a rambling,
one-story stone house. Even in the moonlight, I could tell that the property
was huge. Big trees and dense shrubs lined the driveway, and as I stepped out
of the car I could hear the breeze gently rustling through the branches.
Taking a deep breath, I paused to peer up at the stars overhead, visible in the
spaces between branches.
I didn’t notice
him coming around the car. Suddenly he was just there, pinning me to the door
aggressively, nuzzling my neck as his hands roamed over my body. The pulsating
waves of desire, beat at my skin like a physical force. I felt as though I
couldn’t draw a full breath. His hands lowered to my hips, pulling me against
him so that I could feel him through our clothes. Oh…wow.
I leaned back,
looking into his face. His eyes glinted in the night. I shuddered in sudden
chill, again wondering just what the hell I was doing here. For all I knew,
Ailis was right. I concentrated for a moment and sure enough, his bright red
aura was more prominent than it had been before, but with a different “flavor”
than the vampires I had met.
He bent and
deftly swept me up into his arms. I let out a little shriek, and he chuckled,
the sound rumbling through me. He carried me to the door as if I weighed
nothing at all. When he reached the door he let me stand again, removing the
arm under my knees so that I slowly slid down the hard length of his body.
He unlocked the
door and stepped inside, grasping my hand to draw me in with him. He released
me briefly in order to
C. J. Cherryh
Learning to Kill: Stories
John O'Riley
Brenda Sinclair
Christopher George
Stephen Lloyd Jones
Karl Iagnemma
Celya Bowers
Jill Gregory
Aria Cunningham