The corset was weird, but definitely a turn on—for both of them, judging by Gregor’s greeting. Already her nipples were hard and tender, tight against the leather cups. As an added benefit, it functioned to secure all her hardware, and that freed her mind.
Oh, please Gregor. Let loose.
The best car was reserved for the house. Gregor pulled a big gold key out of his pocket and showed it to Maddy with a smile. Once inside he locked the door and shut the drapes. The sconces gave off low, golden light. Maddy leaned against the flocked wall-paper, breathing fast and shallow, her knees wobbly with need for him.
“It’s perfect,” she said. “And very…cushiony.” Most of the narrow room consisted of a womb-like day bed covered with tufted red velvet.
He took a crystal decanter off a shelf above a tiny marble sink and poured them two glasses of wine. As he did, she noticed a knot of chain above her head. It was attached to a small winch on the wall. “What’s that?”
Glasses in hand, he followed the direction of her gaze, and swallowed. “It’s a restraining device.”
“For?”
“Some people prefer to feed standing up.”
Maddy raised her arms over her head and crossed her wrists. “Like this?” She batted her lashes at him.
“Here.” He shoved a glass at her. St. Gregor.
“To Elixir,” she said, clinking his glass. The wine warmed her throat, made her lick her lips. Her diet might be limited these days, but somehow everything was extra tasty. “I’m so proud of you.”
“To us,” he said. “And our future.”
She sidled close and slid her hand around the back of his neck. He went stiff, and not in the good way.
“Gregor—”
“Maddy,” he said, warning in his voice.
“Don’t you have first rights to this fine, puffy couch?”
“It’s too soon. Felix said—”
“I don’t give a good goddamn about what Felix said. I’m ready.”
Gregor put down his glass and took her by the shoulders. “Lover, only four weeks ago you died in my arms.”
That surge of real emotion softened him, and he opened his mind to her. It wasn’t that she heard his every thought, it was more like a subtle joining of hands, or an invisible embrace. They were together, and because of it, everything was better. He kissed her on the forehead.
Maddy reached up and loosened his tie. He didn’t stop her, so she began to unbutton his shirt as well. That he made a token gesture against, but she pushed his hand aside. “You asked me to walk into a new life with you.”
She stripped off his shirt and jacket at the same time, and yanked his undershirt over his head, ignoring his grumbling. What she paid more attention to was how fast he breathed and how he swayed on his feet. The man wanted to be seduced. It was not hard to push him down onto the deep, tufted velvet.
He groaned, and she knew it was a groan of resignation. He pulled her on top of him, and she got the kiss she wanted, long and deep.
“You’re so gorgeous,” he murmured as he left her lips to work her throat. With a single click the heavy garnet choker slid off her skin and into the cushions. He nuzzled her bare neck.
Yes. She sunk her hands into his hair and held him tight. Yes, baby, you want to feed. She’d be damned if she didn’t feed him before they left this car.
Gregor skimmed his fingers inside the cups of her corset, found her nipples and teased them up until they poked over the tops. He ran his hands down her cinched waist and over her hips “I didn’t know they made librarians so hot.”
“It’s all for you.” She slid her hands under her breasts and lifted them out of the cups, offering them to his rough tongue and hungry, sucking kisses. Between her legs his erection was growing more insistent, and she circled her hips against it, imagining it inside.
Running his hands up the shiny leather on her thighs, he said, “Just how do I get into these pants of yours?”
Maddy smiled the smile of Eve. No way was he holding back on her once he saw this.
“Zipper,” she said, nipping his lower lip. Turning away from him on her hands and knees, she presented him with her rear. “There’s a tab at the small of my back.”
That was when Gregor realized the zipper that ran all the way from back to front. His throat went bone dry.
Holy Mother of God.
He found the tab and pulled. The black leather slowly parted, revealing her bare, sumptuous ass. That view was enough to last him a lifetime, but he kept pulling, and made another discovery. She’d been waxed.
“So how do you want me, Faustin,” she said over her shoulder. “Like this?” She waggled her ass. “Or like this?” She turned over, leaned back against the padded wall and spread her legs.
A barrage of images—him defiling her in every way possible—broke over his mind. They were her fantasies. All the different ways his filthy-minded wife wanted him.
Gregor couldn’t see straight after that. A fine sweat broke out all over his body. Okay. All right. His original plan of giving her a quiet orgasm wasn’t going to cut it for either of them. Maybe it would be safe enough to do a little more. Just a little more.
He kicked off his trousers and leaned back naked against his own section of upholstery. With one hand he stroked his pulsing cock. Maddy stared at him—stared at it—and licked her lips. She parted her pink flesh for him and stroked herself until her fingers were shining wet.
“Why don’t you come over here?” Gregor said, his heart slamming against his ribs. Somehow he had to control both of them enough for them to have some nice, easy sex.
Obedient, she slithered back over, ran her tongue up his belly, his chest, along his throat, coming at last to his mouth.
“I want you to claim me in the Old Way,” she whispered against his lips.
Uh uh. That was way out of bounds. He growled his disapproval, but could not stop kissing her. Her skin tasted so damn good, the scent of her arousal made him crazy. Gold dust glittered on her cheeks. She was a goddess, and she was his—and her damn leather pants were crotchless. How strong did a man have to be?
“We need to complete the bonding,” she said, her voice low and smoky. “There’s no need to wait any longer.”
“No. Absolutely not.” Felix had said to wait six weeks before he could feed from her or engage in strenuous activities. They had two more weeks to go. And claiming her was different from feeding on her by several orders of magnitude.
“The correct answer is yes, Faustin.”
To shut her up he kissed her, and his mouth ran over with blood. Her blood. Gregor’s eyes flew open in surprise. He tried to draw away, but she held his head tight, ruthlessly sealing her mouth against his, forcing her blood on him.
It was a trap. She’d cut her lip open with her pearly little incisors. In that moment he realized that she really had become a Faustin.
Nearly choking, he swallowed convulsively. Madelena’s new blood was as smooth and powerful as the finest aged scotch. It was as he remembered her, but so much more. There was no weakness in this woman at all. She could probably wipe the floor with him.
What had their combined blood made her into?
My mate.
The sound of a hammering pulse filled his ears, and everything went red.
He sank his teeth into the high curve of her breast, and let them break the skin. The pain made her cry out, but also gasp in pleasure. A little spurt of blood filled his mouth. He moved to the opposite breast, and made an identical wound, and drank again. And again. Each swallow intoxicated him more. Each bite made her gasp and writhe. He threw her on her back and pinned her down, taking her as he pleased. Again and again he bit and drank, covering her arms with small wounds from wrists to shoulder. Maddy whimpered beneath him, her mouth open, her eyes blind. Need poured off her, raw and hot, fueling his own.