Lover Awakened - By J.R. Ward Page 0,176

you just playing him?"

Those diamond eyes hypnotized her, and she felt his thumb go over her wrist. As it stroked back and forth, her heart rate gradually slowed to the lazy rhythm. She swayed.

"Answer my question, Marissa."

"What... what did you ask?"

"Will you let him be your mate?" Vishous leaned down, his mouth at her ear. "Will you let him take you?"

"Yes..." she breathed, aware that they were talking about sex, but too seduced in the moment not to reply. "I will take him within me."

That hard hand loosened, then stroked her arm, moving over her skin warmly, strongly. He looked down at where he was touching her, an expression of deep concentration on his face. "Good. That's good. The two of you are beautiful together. A fucking inspiration. But I want you to remember something. You hurt him again, and I will consider you my enemy. We clear?"

The male turned on his heel and stalked out of the room.

Butch paced around the mansion's library, feeling caged by the bookcases full of leather-bound classics. They reminded him of all he hadn't read, all that literary culture bullshit he'd never been a part of, all the higher education he hadn't had.

Street smarts were his deal, and he'd always thought that was enough.

Except now he wished he was a fricking Rhodes Scholar.

With a curse, he forced himself to chill by the fireplace. Looking into the flames, he fiddled with the collar of his silk shirt. Smoothed the jacket of his Prada suit. Checked his shoes to make sure there were no scuffs on the Gucci loafers. He wanted to be perfect for his female. After all the misunderstandings and... the other thing, he prayed they finally had a shot at a future.

So he wanted to at least look as if he were worthy of her.

The smell of an ocean breeze drifted into the room, and Butch closed his eyes, dragging the fragrance down deep into his lungs. He had to brace himself as he turned around.

Oh, Christ, she's beautiful.

Marissa appeared in the doorway like an angel, and his mind momentarily seized up, seeing her not as real, but as a figment of his obsession. Her pale yellow gown and her hip-length blond hair seemed like a divine aura and her body became the apparition of beauty he'd seen in his dreams... and his nightmares. As she looked across the room at him, his pathetic, racing heart transformed her into a vision right out of his Catholic childhood: the Madonna of salvation and love. And he, her unworthy servant.

"Hello, Butch." Her voice was soft, gentle. Devastating.

"Marissa." This woman... this vampire... was everything he'd ever wanted and nothing he'd dared ask for. Too good for him on his very best day.

And so help him God, he wanted her.

Yet as she came into the room, he ditched the hearts-and-flowers stuff. Jesus, look at how weak she was. She moved slowly, as if she couldn't feel her legs, and she was terribly pale, nearly transparent from a lack of energy.

Her words, too, were as thin as breath. "Butch... we need to talk."

He inhaled as he nodded. "I know what you're going to say."

"You do?"

"Yeah." He started across the room toward her, arms out. "Don't you know I would do anything for - "

"Don't come any closer." She shuffled backward, bouncing up against a panel of matching bloodred volumes. "You've got to stay away from me."

He dropped his hands. "You need to feed, don't you?"

Her eyes widened. "Yes. How did you - "

"It's all right, baby." He smiled a little, aware of a blast of heat flaring in his body. "It's very all right."

"So you know what I've got to do? And you do not... mind?"

He shook his head. "I'm fine with it. More than fine."

"Oh, thank God." She lurched over to a sofa and sat down as if her knees had given way. "I was so afraid you'd be offended. It'll be hard on me as well, but it's the only safe way. And I can't wait any longer. It has to be tonight."

This time, when he came closer, she let him. He knelt in front of her, taking her hands in his. God, they were cold. He rubbed them back and forth in his palms, warming them.

"Come on," he said, aware of a thick anticipation. "Let's go."

A curious expression crossed her face. "You want to watch?"

He stilled their mingled hands. "Watch?"

"I, ah... I'm not sure that's a good idea. You can get a little protective - "

"Wait - watch?" He became aware of a sinking feeling in his gut. Like someone had popped the stoppers on a number of his internal organs. "What are you talking about, watch?"

"When I'm with the male who lets me take his vein."

Abruptly, Marissa recoiled, giving him a good idea of what the expression on his face must be like. Yeah, or maybe she was reacting to the fact that he'd started to growl.

Butch jacked up to his feet. "The hell you're using another man. You have me."

"Butch, I can't feed from you. I'll take too梂here are you going?"

He stalked across the room, shut the double doors, and locked them in together. As he came back at her, he tossed his jacket onto the floor and ripped open his shirt so that the buttons popped off. Falling to his knees in front of her, he tilted back his head and offered his throat, himself, to her.

"Use me."

There was a long silence as their stares warred. Then her scent, that gorgeous clean fragrance, intensified until it flooded the room. Her body began to shake, her mouth opening. As her fangs unsheathed, he got an instant erection.

"Oh... yeah," he said in a dark voice. "Drink from me. I need to feed you."

"No," she moaned, tears glowing in her pale blue eyes.

She made a move to get up, but he launched at her, taking her by the shoulders, holding her down on the couch. He moved himself between her legs, bringing their bodies together. She trembled against him and pushed at him and he kept her close... until suddenly she was gripping the two halves of his shirt. And pulling him in tight.

"That's right, baby," he growled. "You grab on to me. Let me feel those fangs get into me deep. I want it."

He palmed the back of her head and brought her mouth to his throat. An arc of pure sexual power exploded between them, and they both began to pant, her breath and tears hot on his skin.

But then she seemed to come to her senses. She struggled hard, and he did his best to keep her in place, even though he knew he was going to lose the fight against her soon. As he was just a human, she was physically stronger than he, even though he outweighed her.

"Marissa, please, take me," he groaned, his voice hoarse from the struggle and now the begging.

"No..."

His heart broke as she sobbed, but he didn't let her go. He couldn't. "Take what's inside of me. I know I'm not good enough, but take me anyway."

"Don't make me do this."

"I have to." God, he felt like crying with her.

"Butch..." Her body bucked, strained against his. "I can't hold back... for much longer... Let me go... before I hurt you."

"Never."

It happened so fast. His name shot out of her on a yell and then he felt a searing blaze of pain at the side of his throat.

Her fangs sinking into his jugular.

"Oh... God... yes... !" He loosened his grip, cradling her as she latched onto his neck. He called out her name as he felt a powerful, erotic draw on his vein. Pleasure swamped him, sparks flowing all through his body as if he were orgasming.

This was so the way it had to be. He needed her to take from him so she could live -

Marissa broke the contact abruptly and dematerialized right out of his arms.

He fell headfirst into the empty air where she'd been, face-planting into the sofa cushions. He shoved himself up and spun around.

"Marissa! Marissa!"

He threw himself at the door and clawed at the lock, but couldn't budge it. And then he heard her broken, desperate voice on the other side.

"I'll kill you... God help me, I'll kill you... I want you too much."

He pounded on the door. "Let me out!"

"I'm sorry - " Her voice cracked then grew strong, and he feared her resolve more than anything else. "I'm so sorry. I'll come to you afterwards. After it is done."

"Marissa, don't do this - "

"I love you."

He beat at the wood with his fists. "I don't care if I die!"

The lock sprang free, and he burst into the front hall. The vestibule's door was just easing shut. He ran for it flat-out.

But by the time he got out into the courtyard, she was gone.