Читать книгу Addicted - Lydia Parks - Страница 7

Jake felt her presence long before they arrived. Excited by the prospect of seeing Katie again, in spite of his best efforts not to be, he’d left the abandoned mine shaft where he and Skidmore had spent the day, early enough to give off smoke.

Holding a blanket over his head like some kind of television criminal, Skidmore had trotted along behind him, muttering, “Bloody hell, I don’t know why I travel with such a fucking lunatic.”

They’d driven with the top up until well after dark.

Now, a mere fifty miles from their destination, he felt her. After decades of sharing blood, they were one in many ways. Not spouses in the human sense, but much more, although they’d only lived together for fifteen years. Even that was unusual in vampire circles with the exception of a few rare couples, most of which had come to the Night together. As a rule, vampires tended to be loners—partly by necessity, and partly because eternity made it hard to put up with others for too long.

Jake slowed the car as they wound into the Sangre de Cristo mountains, and enjoyed the scent of evergreens in the cool night air. An owl screeched overhead, soaring above ponderosa pines, and he suddenly recalled a night long ago he’d spent chasing Lucky Bill Wainright across the state. He’d lost a damn good buckskin gelding to a prairie dog hole on that ride, and he’d taken his wrath out on the outlaw when he’d caught him. Lucky Bill hadn’t looked so lucky riding back into Lubbock with two black eyes, lips so swollen he couldn’t speak, and a nasty gash across his cheek. But it had been a fair fight—Jake wouldn’t have given the man such a beating otherwise.

He shivered at the vibration running down his spine. Even thinking about the past didn’t help as he closed the distance between himself and Katie. How long had it been? Ten years? No, more like twelve. Maybe more.

Jake swerved off the road at a wide spot, cut the engine, and jumped out, grabbing his hat from the backseat. He started across a field, headed for the trees, forgetting about his travel partner.

“Dammit, man, slow down,” Skidmore said.

Jake glanced back. “I thought you were in a hurry.”

“Not quite so much as you.” Skidmore waved him off, obviously annoyed. “Go on, then. We’ll rendezvous at the cabin.”

In the cover of trees, he moved faster, picking up scents and noises of night creatures, soundlessly passing coyotes, rodents, bats, and owls.

Halfway to the cabin, he stopped.

For a split second, he could have sworn he’d heard a human heart. Turning a slow circle, he listened and searched the darkness, but detected nothing resembling a man.

Shaking his head at his folly, Jake continued on, but at a fast walk just in case. Who would be out alone in the mountains at such an hour? In the old days, it might have been a shepherd—a young son proving his worth by watching over the flock for a long, sleepless night—but those days were gone. Jake sometimes wandered upon campers now, but they were rarely quiet enough to go undetected.

No, he must have been imagining things.

As he approached the site, he heard conversations and recognized some of the voices of the two dozen vampires in and around an old log cabin.

“I thought that might be you.”

Jake spun around at the voice to find Katie standing close, her eyes glistening and her wild auburn hair brassy in the moonlight. He smiled.

She slid her hands across his chest, cooing softly. “It’s been too long, Jake.” Leaning forward, she ran her tongue slowly up the side of his neck, tracing the line of his jugular.

Jake shuddered at the pleasure and grabbed her waist. “Oh, yeah,” he whispered. “Way too long.”

He wanted to fold her in his arms and drink from her until he’d had his fill of the bliss she would offer, but he knew Katie McMillan as few others ever could. Katie would never be dominated by a male of any species, now that she had a say in the matter. With Katie, it was better to wait, and he knew she’d make the wait worth his while.

She pressed the points of her fangs against the skin of his neck as she reached down to rub the front of his pants.

Jake’s knees shook. “Damn, woman, you’re making it hard—”

“Umm,” she purred.

“—for me to stand up.”

Katie straightened, knocked his hat off his head, wrapped her arms around his shoulders, and kissed him. Her full, sweet lips met his squarely, and she worked his mouth open with her own as she gripped a handful of his hair.

Jake steadied himself by widening his stance as he kissed her back and drew her close. They fit together just as they always had, like two halves of a whole. Katie’s tongue circled his, then slid along the sides of his growing fangs. The sensations running through him were like electrical currents zapping his limbs, and his cock also grew in response. Katie slid her knee between his thighs, pushing just enough to make him groan again.

She tore her mouth from his and stared at him with her golden glowing eyes. “Spend the day with me, my love.”

“As you wish,” he said, grinning again. “I can’t think of anything I’d rather do.”

Katie raked her fingers through his hair, then drew him to her for another kiss.

“Oh, please.” Skidmore leaned close to their faces. “Must you do this in public? It smacks of romanticism so unbecoming of our kind.”

Katie smiled against Jake’s lips, then glanced over at Skidmore. “Don’t worry, Thomas. I promise you’ll get the spanking you deserve.”

Skidmore grinned, his own eyes twinkling with a bit of gold. “Then I shall not complain. Come, the meeting’s about to start.”

He led the way into the cabin.

Jake snatched his hat from the ground. He held Katie’s hand until they reached the door, then he released her, stepped inside, and found a place against the back wall.

As members of the enforcement committee, Katie and Skidmore wound their way to the front, and André, the elected leader, moved forward.

Jake preferred to stay out of the politics of the group, although he’d often been called on to lend expertise from his human life in law enforcement over the past century or so. In spite of the group’s mission to protect its members, anarchy tended to reign when there was no outside threat. Several times, Jake had helped track down one of their own.

But tonight, excitement filled the room like the scent of frying bacon.

André silenced the group with a look. His age alone would have commanded respect—Jake estimated him to be about fifteen hundred years old—but the ancient vampire also possessed wisdom nearly everyone appreciated. He’d held the top position for over a hundred years.

“My brothers and sisters,” André said, his voice just above a whisper, “I’m happy to see so many here. We’ve suffered several recent losses, and I will sorely miss Shadow and William Sears.”

Jake glanced around the room, lit by a half dozen oil lamps. He hadn’t yet noticed the absence of the two mentioned, perhaps because he was having a difficult time taking his eyes off Katie. Her invitation had left him way beyond horny. His hands shook with anticipation, so he tucked them into the pockets of his pants.

André had his attention now.

“Society changes. The reason we are here, when so many before us have perished, is that we have learned to change with it. Many times, I’ve seen scourges that have threatened to wipe us out—periods in history where belief has made us visible to our mortal prey. One such scourge is upon us again.”

Whispers rose as vampires discussed this news.

André raised one hand, and the cabin fell silent again.

“This threat has come,” he continued, “in the form of vampire hunters, produced by the recent popularity of Van Helsing.”

Ah, the old moving pictures. Jake had realized they’d be a hit the first time he’d seen one, and he certainly hadn’t been wrong.

“When the myth of vampires—”

Chuckles filled the cabin.

“—was rekindled in recent times, we were endangered by those who wished to emulate us. They were able to see us for what we were. But this is much worse. The vampire hunters know our weaknesses. They are effectively armed and determined to wipe us from the face of the earth.”

A fair fight. Jake grinned. How long had it been since he’d stared a worthy opponent in the eye, when he’d stood an equal chance of living or dying? The thought caused his heart to quickly beat several times in a row.

One thing he’d missed since coming into the Night was standing on even ground, testing his nerve against that of another man, feeling the weight of his revolver on his hip. He’d nearly given up early on when he’d realized there was no challenge.

And then he’d spent several decades playing with fire, running the risk of exposure just to test his courage. Skidmore had actually saved him once when he’d decided to see how long he could face the sun. He’d purposely driven to a spot in the high New Mexico desert where he had no shelter, then waited. The sun had not just burned his skin as he’d expected, but had sucked out his strength so that he collapsed, unable to move. As he cried out in excruciating pain, he’d suddenly been whisked into darkness, and discovered caves he hadn’t known existed. Skidmore had laughed at his folly, then nursed him back to health.

That was when he’d met Katie.

“I think we should round them all up and drain them,” Katie said. “We’ll show them who they’re messing with.”

Cheers of support rose, but André raised both hands. “One moment, please.”

Katie folded her arms across her chest and frowned.

The ancient vampire spoke again. “We cannot simply have a portion of the population disappear without lending credence to their claims of dangerous monsters. I propose that we first study the group—find out exactly who they are.”

“Know your enemy,” Jake muttered.

“Once we understand them, we will find a way to discredit them.”

“I prefer Katie’s method,” Skidmore said. Several others in the room agreed with him.

“I understand the desire for action,” André said. “That desire is in our makeup. And it is what will be our undoing if we are not careful. We don’t want to create more vampire hunters than already exist, do we?”

Jake sighed, impressed once again with the ancient’s wisdom.

“I suggest we allow our enforcement committee to do its duty, and perhaps reconvene in two weeks. During that time, we can all keep our ears open for information. Sound reasonable?”

Nearly everyone nodded.

“Fine. Is there other business?”

Any minor squabbles that had existed prior to the meeting had vanished.

André nodded dismissal, then turned to talk to his enforcers.

Jake greeted several vampires he knew as he made his way toward Katie.

She watched him approach, her eyes glowing and a smile threatening at the corners of her luscious lips.

André gripped Jake’s shoulder in a friendly greeting. “Perhaps we can persuade you to assist us, dear friend.”

“Perhaps,” Jake said, focused on the object of his intense and growing desire.

“You have contacts in Santa Fe, do you not?”

Jake nodded.

“Good. Let me know what you learn.”

“Will do.” Jake held out his hand to Katie. “It’s getting late.”

“Very,” she answered, flashing a quick smile at André as she entwined her fingers with Jake’s.

Ignoring the attempt by others to engage them in conversation, the two left the cabin and hurried into the woods where they could find some privacy.

If Skidmore didn’t hurry, Jake would leave for Katie’s place without him. The old vampire would have to fend for himself.

Katie’s body vibrated. The energy of desire flowed from her fingers like waves of electricity as she ran her hands over her own skin.

Jake watched, his eyes glowing, his erection large enough to make her drool. His body was long and lean, but his limbs were powerful, and his stomach and chest rippled with muscles. She’d always loved his physique. And she loved to make him tremble with wanting her.

Flickering candlelight sent shadows dancing around Jake as Katie moved in time with the music playing on her Victrola. Blues. She loved blues. She loved to dance naked to blues.

“Damn, woman,” Jake muttered, “you’re driving me nuts.”

“Good.” She moved closer, her arms folded behind her head. “Anticipation raises the heat.”

“Gets much higher, I’ll burst into flames.” He stroked his cock with one hand as he watched her and gripped the seat of the chair with the other. His fangs dented his bottom lip, and his blue eyes sparkled with golden streaks.

Katie danced around to the back of the chair. She ran her fingertips up the outsides of Jake’s bare arms, across his shoulders, and slowly up the sides of his neck. He made a noise that was something between a groan and a growl, and it vibrated through the entire room.

She shuddered in response. Her own fangs dropped to their full length and began to throb with pleasant longing.

Moving to face him, Katie dropped slowly to her knees. She shoved his hand away and he didn’t protest. His erect cock stood straight now, and his eyes held no hint of blue. Yes, he wanted her as much as he ever had.

And she wanted him, too. There had never been another like Jake Brand, once a hardened lawman, now a tough old vampire. Even though he was nearly a century older than she, Katie knew exactly how to handle him.

Holding his thighs, she teased the head of his cock with her tongue.

His head went back, leaving his mouth open to reveal glistening fangs.

She licked him in long, slow strokes.

He groaned quietly.

Then she took his cock in her mouth and sucked, and his entire body jerked.

“Damn you, Katie,” he breathed.

As she drew away, she ran her teeth up the sides of his prick, careful not to damage the silky skin.

Jake whimpered softly.

Heated passion ran through her veins as she straddled him, leaving his erection unsheathed, to his obvious dismay, but he knew better than to complain. With her hands on his wide shoulders, she kissed him, drawing hard on his tongue, moving up and down against his stiff rod until she couldn’t stand the building need for another moment.

She rose up higher until the head of his cock nudged against her cunt, and she smiled as she eased her way down, watching the effect on his face and in his eyes. Without regard to what he wanted, she rubbed and pushed, using his cock to stroke her swelling clit.

Had she been human, she would have come.

Jake’s lips curled back in a snarl as his gaze moved down from her eyes to her neck.

Katie grabbed his hair, jerked his head back, and bit into the side of his neck.

She exploded with the taste of him, her body slamming against his in horrific need, her head swimming with sweet release. Ecstasy pulsed through her cunt, and she drew harder.

He cried out, wrapped his arms around her, and pulled her down onto him, trembling with desire now, ready. She could taste his need and his pleasure, and knew how much he’d missed her and how desperately he wanted her, how he’d spent long days dreaming of fucking her.

Releasing his head, she offered him her shoulder, and he took it with greedy abandon. The sharp piercing of her skin only increased her orgasm, and he drew from her as he released his seed into her with brutal thrusts, holding her down.

Then the purest bliss flooded her as she tasted her own joy in his blood, and knew he did the same, and they met again in another climax that rose above mere physical joining. The circle closed, fusing them into one writhing beast of rapture, and she clung to his body and his thoughts, relishing the strength in both, feeding from him.

With practiced precision, they withdrew their fangs simultaneously, and rode out the last of the orgasms until all was quiet.

Katie rested her head on Jake’s shoulder and he held her, stroking her back and kissing her neck.

“I’ve missed you,” he whispered.

Katie smiled and raised her head. “Shall we try the bed now?”

Jake leaned back and frowned at her. “Are you trying to drain me?”

She grinned. “Perhaps.”

Jake suddenly jumped up, scooping her into his arms, and carried her across the room.

There weren’t many men she’d allow to carry her in this manner. In fact, Jake was probably the only one, and he knew it. He knew everything about her. At least, everything she’d allowed him to know. Katie had learned how to lock thoughts away back when she was still mortal, and had carried that ability with her into Darkness.

Jake tossed her onto the bed and flung himself down beside her. “It’s not bad,” he said. “Pretty good bed. Glad we tried it.”

“That’s not what I meant.” Katie crawled over on all fours and straddled him.

Jake smiled up at her, his arms out to his sides, his gray and brown hair spread around his head in nearly a perfect circle. She liked the way his hair rested on his shoulders when he stood, and the gentle wave that made it always look a little wild. He was forever thirty-five, just as she was forever twenty-three, but his thirty-five mortal years had been tough ones. He still sported a variety of scars, including two from bullets, one from a knife fight, and two that he said came from barbed wire, but had never really explained.

“Tell me again why I only see you every decade or so,” he said, his voice deep, softened now with satisfaction.

“Because we drive each other crazy.”

“Do we?”

“Yes. Don’t you remember?”

“Not at the moment.”

She smiled. “Good.”

They both looked over as the bedroom door opened and Skidmore stepped in. “Am I not invited to this little soiree?”

Katie laughed. She’d always had a soft spot for Thomas Skidmore, in spite of his annoying personality. If nothing else, he excelled at following directions—at least, in the bedroom.

“Take off your clothes,” she said, “and sit over there until I tell you otherwise.”

He did as instructed, settling into the leather chair closest to the bed.

Katie returned her attention to Jake. She lowered her hips and stroked his somewhat flaccid cock with her pussy lips, moving slowly up and down, kissing his nose and cheeks and lips as she reached them.

Jake closed his eyes, and she felt his cock quickly respond to her caresses. “Oh, yeah,” he whispered. “That’s nice.”

“Just nice?” She sat up, pressing his erection against his abdomen, and drew her fingernails down the front of his body, leaving red welts in their wake.

He writhed a bit, frowning now.

Katie moved down, started at his belly, and licked long, slow lines back up the welts, stopping to circle his nipples. His body quivered under her mouth as he groaned.

She sat up and glanced at Thomas, who squirmed in his chair. Motioning with her head, she said, “Come here. Suck my tits.”

The older vampire jumped from his chair and slid into bed beside them. He leaned around Katie and suckled, his tongue circling her nipples at dizzying speeds. Pleasure fluttered through her torso and down to a point on her lower back. The sensation also drew wetness from her cunt that drenched Jake’s cock. Jake’s hands ran up and down the fronts of Katie’s thighs.

She rose up, positioned herself, and took Jake’s swollen rod in an inch at a time as she held Thomas by a handful of his blond hair.

With Jake’s cock sheathed, she stopped a moment to enjoy the fullness inside her, then began to ride back and forth, thrilling to the way his erection continued to grow.

She moved Thomas’s mouth down the front of her body, and he kissed, and licked, and nipped at her skin, and her senses seemed to take off on their own.

“Oh, yes,” she breathed. “Lower.”

Then she released Thomas and leaned back, exposing her filled cunt. Thomas’s tongue flicked back and forth against her swollen clit and Jake’s cock, and Katie held perfectly still to enjoy the blissful attention.

“Damn,” Jake said, his voice deep with desire. He gripped Katie’s thighs.

Katie ran her tongue along her fangs, massaging the aching need until she couldn’t stand it anymore. She grabbed Thomas by the hair, raised him up, and bit into his pale shoulder. He whimpered as she drew hard.

Her world exploded once again, with an orgasm racking her body as Thomas’s desire racked her brain. Need swam through her, tearing at her veins, tugging at her cunt as she ground down on Jake’s cock.

And then she felt Jake’s strength, bursting with desire, flowing into her, filtered through Thomas’s fulfillment. She opened her eyes and found Thomas’s mouth on Jake’s wrist, the older vampire stroking his own spewing cock.

Jake’s eyes were closed and his mouth open, and his body moved against her thrusts. His need made her cry out as she released Thomas and pushed him away. Thomas rolled to his back to enjoy the last of his orgasm alone.

Katie leaned down and pressed her shoulder to Jake’s mouth. He didn’t hesitate, but penetrated her skin quickly and wrapped his arms around her as his cock erupted inside her. She sank her fangs into his neck and took back the pleasure, letting it roll violently over her, clinging to him as she rode the waves.

For the second time, their bliss entwined into one, terrifyingly perfect joy, and Katie held on longer than she should. Jake released her, but she continued to feed, her cunt contracting almost painfully.

“Katie,” Jake whispered, pleading.

She broke the bond then, sat up, and let contentment flow across her skin and through every nerve.

She met Jake’s heavy-lidded gaze. “Are you all right?”

He grinned. “You bet.”

“Good.” She rolled off him and stretched out between the two men, a hand on each of them. Thomas had already succumbed to sleep, and Jake yawned. Dawn, well under way, burned in her bones.

“Will you help with the hunters?” she asked Jake.

“I guess so.” He yawned again.

“I still think we should drain them all and get it over with.”

“Hmm.”

“Are you listening to me?”

He didn’t answer.

Katie rolled over, moved his arm so that it encircled her, and rested her head on his shoulder. She ran her hand over his cool skin and her fingers through the hair on his chest.

“Just watch your back, Jake Brand. I’d hate to lose you.”