Bite Marks Read online

  “Thank you. I know I should warm it. Kaden told me to. But I’m so desperately hungry I can barely get it out of the bag before I’m shaking.”

  A thought dawned on her and she suppressed a grin. Would he be shocked? “There’s so much I have to tell you, but maybe the best thing we could do is distract you.”

  “What did you have in mind?”

  She walked closer to him. Even amidst his blood lust he must have showered. He smelled of soap. Trudy took a deep breath to bring it in. “There are benefits to being a Vampire. Kaden should have told you. ?”

  “He doesn’t say much on the subject. Just told me I should stay inside and wait to hear from him about seeing the Council.”

  “Too bad. He left out the best parts. People ask to be converted. Sometimes they beg for it. If being a Vampire meant entirely bad things, would anyone do it?”

  He sat back in his chair. “I guess that makes sense. How do you know so much about this?”

  “I’ll get to my history later. I promise. How about I show you a benefit first? It’ll take your mind off things.”

  “What did you have in mind?” He sounded skeptical, and his raised eyebrow added to the not-believing-her impression.

  “This.” She pulled at his shirt and ran her hands down the front of it. Beneath her fingers, she felt him shudder. “Everything is more heightened for you. I understand the sex is mind blowing.”

  “Trudy.” He exhaled loudly. “It can’t possibly be safe.”

  “Hmm.” She straddled his legs until she sat on his lap. “Are you thinking about hunger? Or do you have other, more pleasurable things on your mind?”

  She ran her hands along the seam of his pants over his cock. He already felt hard, but it jumped at her touch. “I think your penis isn’t worried about the danger.”

  “My whole body is tingling. Trudy, you don’t have to do this.”

  “Look at me, George.” He met her gaze full on. She knew right then she wanted him, and, even though it might make things complicated, why shouldn’t she have tonight? Something both of them could remember forever. In his case, literally. “I’m not a woman who can promise forever. I would never have been able to be your wife. Much as I might wish sometimes things could be otherwise. But this I can do. This is what I want.” She paused, finally saying the words she hadn’t stopped considering since their aborted date. “Unless this was all about winning me and the reality is uninteresting to you.”

  He squeezed her side, his eyes hard. “This isn’t about whether I want you. If you could imagine the wet dreams.”

  She warmed at the thought. He’d fantasized about her?

  “But I’m not a human anymore. I’m a monster.”

  She bit down on his lips, and his cock jerked against her. “Do I seem as if I think you a monster? Trust me, I’ve seen monsters. I’ve known them. There is nothing about you, George, that is monstrous. If you could be inside of me, you’d know how hot I am for you.”

  “I want to feel you.” He paused. “Please.”

  “No begging necessary. I want it, too.”

  She got off his lap and peeled her shirt off. His eyes widened, and she grinned. This would be great for both of them. For her, because there was nothing headier than the way his eyes grew the longer he watched her strip, and for him because she would bet money he wasn’t thinking about blood anymore.

  Trudy twirled around until she’d gotten all her clothes off. “Is this better than the show you got the other night?”

  “Oh, sweetheart. You have no fucking idea.”

  The meaning of his words occurred to her. “I meant before the biting, obviously.”

  How did she mange to put her foot in her mouth whenever she tried to be sexy?

  “I know. And the answer remains the same.”

  When she finally got down to her underwear, she put one finger in her mouth and managed to remove the rest of her clothing one handed. By the time she finished, George panted.

  “Your turn, big guy. Let’s see you naked.”

  He jumped to his feet and quickly stripped all of his clothing. His cock jumped out in front of him, a beacon begging for her attention. She intended to give it to him.

  She smiled, knowing she had his full attention. “Did it change when you did?”

  “What?” He shook his head.

  “Did you penis change? Did it grow? Alter?” She couldn’t believe she was conversing about this. Sex had always been a fast scratching of a mutual itch. Where had all this playfulness come from?

  He looked down at his cock. “Um. Actually I think it’s the same. Doesn’t look different to me.”

  She stepped forward and took him in her hand. He sucked in his breath. “So you’ve always been built like a god then.”

  “I wouldn’t use the word myself, but, for you, I’d be anything you wanted.”

  George surged forward and picked her up in his arms. In under ten seconds, she was lying on his living room rug. It felt soft beneath her, and she rubbed against it. He snarled before his mouth pressed down on her in what could only be called possession.

  She let him dominate. He was a Vampire, and there would be those moments when he couldn’t control the need. Better he embrace the instinct than try to deny it.

  “George, be gentle with me.”

  “Always, Trudy. Always.”

  He kissed down her chin all the way to her breasts. When he took one nipple in her mouth, she squirmed beneath him. Yes, this was what she wanted. He touched her all over.

  She could have asked if this behavior constituted something new, if he’d always been such a possessive lover, but she didn’t want to know about anyone else he’d ever slept with. They were new. This moment was new in the universe.

  Trudy ran her hands up and down his chest, letting herself enjoy the feel of the coarse hair. He sighed and shuddered. Yes, Vampires had a reputation for loving sex. She wanted to be the only one he enjoyed it with. Ever.

  Pushing the slightly disturbing thought from her mind, she concentrated on kissing him everywhere she could reach.

  Until he touched her pussy, and then she couldn’t think at all. He inserted one finger deep inside of her, and she cried out. “You like it, Trudy? Do you want more? Another finger?”

  “Yes.” She whimpered.

  He smiled above her. “Are you sure you want another?”

  So he liked to play, too. She grinned at him. “Yes, oh God, George. More please.”

  Anything he wanted to have more of him. Right then.

  Chapter Three

  The need to possess Trudy threatened to overwhelm him, and he fought the urge back so he wouldn’t scare her. He couldn’t guess how he’d gotten so lucky. How had the girl of his dreams turned out to be so okay with him being a Vampire?

  He couldn’t question it too much. Not right then anyway, with her wanting him despite his monster status and the ringing in his ears begging him to bring her to completion over and over so he could feel as if she belonged to him.

  Even the thought sounded caveman-esque and he knew it. But he was a Vampire. Maybe the dominance would turn out to be an Undead thing. Or perhaps just a Trudy thing. He’d wanted her desperately before he’d been changed.

  Who cared? Her muscles clenched around his one finger, and he pulled it out to suck on the taste of her. He might be only able to consume blood as his food but he could certainly still taste Trudy for pleasure.

  She whacked him on the arm. “You promised me more, not less, you brute.”

  He smiled. “You taste of peaches.” It occurred to him right then he’d never get to eat a real peach again, which seemed okay as long as he still got to experience them on Trudy. But they’d made each other no promises other than when she’d told him she wasn’t a forever girl. He’d have to see why another time.

  “I did promise you more.” He touched her thigh and moved his hand up gently until he could insert two fingers into her warmth. She squirmed, her muscles tightening around him.
His cock jumped, and he tried to ignore the feeling.

  Sex as a human had always been good. He didn’t have a tremendous amount of experience but enough to know how to please his partner, how to make sure she came to her pleasure first, how to read the signals her body sent him.

  But, since he’d changed, everything had become different. He could hear her pulse, see the subtle shifts of her muscles, and hear the gasps she made as if they were ten times louder than they actually were. His body buzzed, and every nerve ending in him had come alive in anticipation. Every time she touched him, even a brush of her body against him, his cock grew harder and harder.

  He knew that, as a human, he’d never been so hard without needing immediate completion. But now he seemed to have the ability to bear it. In fact, he wanted more.

  George slipped a third finger into her and she sighed. He felt it as if she was inside of him.

  “You desire more, sweetheart?” He bent over to suck one pretty pink nipple.

  “I do. But I want to be able to touch you, too. Please, can I?”

  He grinned. “I enjoy the begging.” And he did, even though he knew the pleasure constituted a change in him, too. If she craved him enough to ask, then he wanted to give it to her. Trudy seemed not to mind. She opened her eyes and grinned at him.

  “But I don’t know if you’re hot enough yet, sweetheart.” She felt warm and tight. But he wanted her writhing.

  Bending over, he moved his mouth to her opening.

  “George, I asked to touch you. Don’t get me wrong, I like it. Everything. But, wow. I want to touch you.”

  “Here’s the thing, sweetheart. I want to get my mouth on your clit. And I’m afraid if you touch my dick I might lose control and never get there. This is my first time doing this as a Vampire. I don’t know about my control yet.”

  She smiled, and her grin moved right through him. “You’ll be able to do this many, many times. Allow me to demonstrate.”

  Trudy pushed back and then jumped on top of him, knocking them both to the floor. He managed to take the hit himself, protecting her. But the fabulous woman seemed not to have an ounce of concern about it. She moved until she had the tip of him inside her mouth.

  He gasped. Her mouth was hot, and he closed his eyes when the sensation of it threatened to overwhelm him.

  A sound tried to intrude on him, but he ignored it. What did it matter what happened in the rest of the world if Trudy wanted to go down on him?

  “Just that way, sweetheart.” He groaned.

  “Holy shit.” Kaden’s voice thundered into the room, and Trudy gasped.

  George reacted without thought, shoving her behind him to cover her body and growling at Kaden. His fangs descended fast, and rational thought fled his mind. There was another male in the room. And the male had come close to his woman. He needed to die.

  Trudy scampered toward her clothes, and he threw himself at Kaden. One second the other man looked normal, and, the next, the sight of Kaden as a Vampire filled his vision.

  “George.” Trudy yelled at him, but he couldn’t stop.

  He pounded into Kaden, wanting blood, wanting death, wanting to show his woman he could protect her from any threat coming after her.

  “Hey.” Kaden growled. “Calm down. I don’t want to hurt you, but I will stop you. I didn’t mean to surprise you. I worried you’d killed someone when I saw the car outside.”

  Kaden shoved George off him and stepped back. George growled. He wasn’t sure he believed him. Maybe Kaden just needed to be ended.

  “Listen. I have patience, but only so much. We’re exactly the same, you and I. Everything in me is aching to end you. But I’m holding back. I’m going to step into the hall. If you come after me again, I won’t care one hoot what the Council says, I’ll fucking kill you.”

  “Oh, no, you won’t.”

  Trudy’s voice resonated in the room, and George swung around. His girl had dressed and she had her hands on her hips. “I’ll end you, Kaden, before you get one step toward him.”

  Kaden snorted. “As if you could. Stay out of things that don’t concern you. George put you at total risk having you here tonight. He has no control. We’re Vampires. You do know what that means, don’t you? It’s not pretty. No one is suddenly becoming glittery.”

  “I’m a Werewolf hunter, you arrogant piece of shit.” Trudy sprang forward. “And if you think I can’t have you burned to a crisp before you say boo, then you’re overestimating yourself. George, get dressed. We’ll all talk in the kitchen. And, Kaden, next time you want to come in here, knock. Even if you think someone is dead.”

  George became suddenly aware of his nudity. Trudy’s words had cooled him down fast. She was a Werewolf hunter? He pushed away any remaining thoughts of sex. There were things they all had to talk about, clearly. He’d become a Vampire, but somehow he had to be able to control himself. It couldn’t be all death all the time.

  He walked toward his pants and smiled at Trudy. There were clearly some fringe benefits.

  For the rest of his life, he’d never forget how it had felt when her mouth came down on him. It had been akin to molten lava warming his skin, making all the cold inside float away.

  Too bad fucking Kaden had come in.

  ****

  They stood around his counter. Trudy hadn’t spoken a word since her earlier proclamation and instead seemed preoccupied with cleaning up the mess his eating area had become. She threw out bags and wouldn’t look at either of them while she worked.

  Kaden cleared his throat. “I should have knocked. I’d want to kill someone if they busted in on me.”

  “Well….”

  Trudy interrupted, her head darting up when she spoke. “Damn straight, you should have knocked.”

  Apparently, she felt ready to speak again. She picked up one of his sponges and pointed it at Kaden the way someone else would hold a weapon. “Why did you leave him here, feeling like a monster, and what did the Council say? Who’s even running it? Is it still Dale?”

  “Wow.” Kaden sniffed. “I’ve never heard you speak much at the bar. At least to anyone but George. I had no idea you could form complicated sentences.”

  George’s temper rose, and he snarled at Kaden. “Watch your mouth when you speak to her. She’s my girl.”

  He wished he hadn’t spoken as soon as he did. Her eyes flared for a second, but then she hid her feelings back behind whatever mask she wore most of the time.

  “Maybe I just didn’t have anything to say to you, Kaden. You mind your business, I’ll mind mine. I don’t want to get involved in your Vampire stuff. I’ve had enough of it to last a lifetime, but this happened to George who is my friend”—George tried not to wince at the F word. But he might have failed—“and he needs help so I’m here for him as long as I can be.”

  What? He needed Kaden to leave so he could clear the air with Trudy.

  “Why did you come over Kaden? I wasn’t expecting to see you until tomorrow night.” They had decided before Kaden had left earlier to see each other the next day.

  “I heard from the Council.”

  Trudy interrupted again. “What did they say?”

  “They, meaning the Council, which is still run by Dale Curuthers, want to meet George tomorrow. And I came over because I wanted to make sure you would be able to pull off looking like something other than a beast when we had to go.” He paused. “I didn’t expect to walk into you getting some.”

  George ignored his last remark. “I don’t know what condition I’ll be in. I’ve never been through this before. Let’s call it a new experience. You must know. You were once in the same situation.”

  “Right, but they locked me up for mine. The Council doesn’t generally spend time with the newbies. They approve them. The person either dies or he doesn’t. They’re locked away until the hunger is under control. Then released.”

  “Then lock me away.” Other than not seeing Trudy, he might enjoy the relief of not having to worry about hurti
ng others for a while.

  Trudy touched his arm. “Be careful. Don’t forget; Kaden chose this. He knew what he signed up for. You were bit and changed by accident. Vampires make and keep rules to stop those things from happening. Hunters leave them alone because they police themselves.” He loved the way the warmth from her seemed to infuse into him. She could melt the polar ice caps all by herself.

  “George?” Kaden caught his attention. “Are you listening?”

  He looked at the other man. How long had he been musing about Trudy’s heat? Had the conversation gone on without him? “No. I’m not listening.”

  Kaden narrowed his gaze. “Hungry?”

  “No. I’m good. My mind just wandered. What were you saying?”

  Trudy let go of him, and immediately he felt bereft of her presence. “He’s a writer. He daydreams.”

  “You might find it hard to do for a while; even daydreaming is going to be a challenge. Concentration and imagination are things that come back. Later.”

  “Shit.” He had deadlines that wouldn’t include time off for being Undead. Just something else he’d have to figure out. “What were you saying?”

  “I think if we clean you up, if you look presentable, and if you try not to growl so the elder Council members who haven’t seen a newbie in a hundred years and have forgotten what the beginning was like don’t think you’re feral, they probably won’t kill you.”

  Maybe he could pull it off. Maybe.

  ****

  He’d expected more from a Council meeting. It looked more akin to some kind of strange lodge gathering. Some of the older Vampires even wore hats with dangling feathers on them to indicate some kind of importance.

  George tried not to laugh, and, while his fellow monsters debated the merits of killing him, he focused instead on the text on his cell phone from Trudy. She’d wished him good luck and told him she hadn’t slept a wink thinking of him. Her experience made him feel good because he’d had to jerk off about fifty times to even settle down. Blood had been preoccupying him before she’d come over, and now he was preoccupied with sex. But not just any sex. It had to be with Trudy. No one else would ever do again.