She didn’t doubt that for a second. Ian kept hold of her hand as they followed them into the main entrance of the hotel. Paige had to force herself not to gawk at the elaborate, arching entranceway done mostly in tones of red and gold. The ringing and rattling of slot machines echoed through the entryway, but she had a feeling she would barely be able to hear them if she were still human.

  Emma stopped walking to admire the numerous photos of celebrities and entertainers lining the wall across from the check-in point. Most of them were in black and white and featured people Paige recognized. She smiled when she spotted Elvis’s signed photo near the top.

  Behind the people and computers lined up on the elaborately carved, wooden reception desk, a full wall of glass reflected the lights and colors of the main lobby in a dizzying array that made her glad she was wearing sunglasses. Ronan approached a man in his mid-fifties with salt and pepper hair. Paige didn’t know how she knew it, but she recognized instantly that the man Ronan spoke with wasn’t human. The other guys gathered around Ronan to speak with the vampire behind the reception desk.

  “Amazing.” Emma’s murmured word drew Paige’s attention away from the main desk and back to her.

  Paige glanced at the mostly black and whites photos before turning away to admire the colors and intricate design of the moldings decorating the walls. Tilting her head back, a trickle of amazement went through her when she spotted the striking mural of fifties era Vegas above her. The colors were eye catching enough, but it was the artist’s intricate attention to detail that kept her riveted upon the old cars, signs, hotels, and clothing depicted in the mural. She could spend hours looking at it and still find something new within the work.

  She felt Ian’s approach before he rested his hands on her shoulders. “Nice.”

  “It’s beautiful,” she murmured.

  “I’ll let you paint my ceiling when we finally get to see our new home.”

  She laughed and turned to face him. “I’d prefer a wall. Whoever painted that mural had to have a major kink in the neck after.”

  “Then you can paint my wall.” He brushed her hair behind her shoulder and slid his arms over them until the inside of his elbows rested near her ears. “Or you could paint me.”

  The lascivious smile he gave her caused a quickening in her body. Her breasts tingled as they brushed against his chest. She would love to take some paint to his body, to swirl it over his chest, down across his abs, before going lower over his throbbing cock and heavy balls. She’d follow the direction of the paint with her tongue…

  She hadn’t realized her eyes were following the direction of her thoughts until she felt his amusement and lust slithering through her mind. Her head shot up; she fought against the color staining her cheeks. His grin revealed all of his teeth as he took a step closer to her. “I think we’d both prefer it if you painted me.”

  “I think so too,” she admitted.

  He laughed and pressed a kiss against her forehead. “Come on, let’s go check out our room.”

  “Aren’t we going to look for him?” she asked, anxious to get this over with.

  Ian shook his head. “No. Brian says he’s in the city, but he doesn’t know where, and the sun is coming up.”

  “Crap,” Paige muttered, she’d forgotten her father wouldn’t be capable of walking about in the daytime. “He’ll be going to ground.”

  “He will,” Ian agreed.

  “Would it be easier if we found him while he was sleeping, or whatever it is he does during the day?”

  “He could be in any of a thousand buildings in the area. We’ll have better odds of finding him at night, when he’s most likely hunting his prey.” Paige glanced at the doors; she knew he was right, but she was eager to get this over with. “Come on, we could both use some rest too.”

  Paige leaned into his side as they walked out of the main lobby and stepped into the hallway before the elevators. The ringing slots and the crescendo of the voices in the casino became louder. She glanced down the long hall to the casino beyond. From here she could see the dim neon lights and the first row of slot machines.

  A slew of zombie-like people sat before the slots. Their slack faces were highlighted by the splash of light pouring from the machines; she wondered if they stopped to go to the bathroom or continued to sit there. Then, one of them rose to their feet, and another one passed out on top of the buttons of the machine.

  “I think I’m going to see what kind of excitement I can find,” Aiden said. “It is the city that never sleeps.”

  “That’s New York,” Ethan told him.

  “I think it’s both,” Aiden replied. “But you know, what happens in Vegas…”

  “Yeah, yeah, yeah we get it, you know city slogans. Just don’t get in any trouble,” Ian interrupted.

  “I’ll join you.” Brian stepped away from the elevators. The two of them made their way down the hall to the adjoining casino, laughing as they went.

  “Are those two friends?” David asked incredulously.

  “I’m not sure how I feel about that,” Ethan muttered.

  “Why?” Ronan inquired and turned to face them.

  Paige couldn’t stop the small shiver that ran through her when those strangely colored eyes skipped over her. She’d felt his power as a human, now it radiated from him in vibrant waves that rattled her bones and caused her teeth to chatter. “Do you trust him?” she inquired.

  “With my life.” A ripple of shock went through Ian and into the connection linking their minds at Ronan’s answer. “Annoying and lethal doesn’t equal untrustworthy. You feel the same way, or you wouldn’t call him when you feel he could help.”

  Ethan bowed his head in agreement. “I’d like to kill him eighty-five percent of the time, he put us all in danger once. I don’t like him around Emma because of whatever it is he’s still involved with, but he is trustworthy.”

  “He’s not involved in anything other than trying to keep our race safe. The same as me,” Ronan replied.

  The elevator chimed, announcing its arrival before the doors opened. Paige crowded into the elevator with them. She felt like an ant compared to the group surrounding her; she couldn’t imagine what Emma felt like as she stood against Ethan’s side. Paige watched the floors tick by. When they hit the tenth floor, she began to question if the elevator’s weight capacity was right and if it would hold them. Maybe they weren’t close to the weight limit, but the power within the car made it feel as if there were twice as many people in it. The doors finally opened on floor twenty-nine.

  Emma, Ethan, David, and Ronan stepped out, but Ian held her back when she went to follow them. “We’re on the next floor,” he told her.

  Emma let out a little squeal when Ethan picked her up and threw her over his shoulder. “See you in the afternoon, late afternoon,” Ethan said as he walked down the hall with Emma laughing over his shoulder. Lifting her head, Emma gave them a little wave before disappearing into the room with him.

  The doors slid shut and the elevator continued upward. “Why are we on a different floor?” Paige asked him.

  Ian gave her a mischievous smile as the doors opened. “I figured we’d get something a little fancier for ourselves to celebrate becoming mated.”

  Paige barely had a chance to register his words before Ian bent and swung her into his arms. She laughed as she wrapped her arms around his neck and rested her head on his shoulder. He carried her down the hall holding her against his chest. Adjusting his hold on her, he pulled the electronic card for the room from his pocket. He swiped it through the keypad and pushed the door to their room open.

  She’d never seen a room so big or elaborate before in her life. Her eyes went everywhere at once; she didn’t think she’d ever be able to take it all in, there was too much. “Like it?” Ian inquired and nuzzled her hair.

  “I love it!” she cried.

  “And you haven’t seen the tub yet.”

  Paige followed him through the first room that she could only describe as the sitting room. It had an assortment of deep red sofas arranged on a gleaming, oak hardwood floor. Ian kept hold of her hand as he flicked on the light switch in the bedroom. She hadn’t known they could make beds as big as the one facing her right now. Ian would fit comfortably on it; five Ian’s could sleep comfortably on it.

  She was still reeling at the massive bed when Ian turned on the light to the bathroom across the way. She wondered if it was possible for a human’s, no a vampire’s jaw to become unhinged because she was certain hers almost hit the floor. The bathtub across from her could be considered a small pool or an oversized Jacuzzi.

  “Tired?” he asked as he ran his hands over the marble of the tub. What those hands could do… Every bit of exhaustion she’d been feeling fled at the prospect of crawling into that tub with him. A smile curved his mouth as he turned the water on before gliding across the room toward her.

  The feel of his hands on her hips seared through her clothes to heat her flesh. “Not really,” she managed to get out.

  She loved his smile, she decided as he bent his head and kissed her tenderly. His hands slid down over her ribcage to grab hold of the bottom of her shirt. Her heart rate escalated, her pulse pounded in her ears. He hadn’t undressed her yet, and she felt as turned on as the lights over them. Lifting her arms, she reveled in the sensation of her clothes sliding over her hypersensitive skin.

  The irresistible urge to scream built in her throat as he trailed a single finger down her chest, over the center of her bra and further over her stomach. The simple touch of his finger caused her to become wet as a growing pressure began to build within her. She reached for him, needing him inside of her already, needing the release only his body could give her.

  He grabbed hold of her hand before she could touch him and pressed a kiss against her palm. Shaking his head, his eyes glimmered with amusement as he used his massive body to push her back a step. Waves of heat from the water filling the tub curled up her back, steam drifted up around them.

  He stretched around her to turn the water off. She pressed her chest more firmly against his; her breath catching in her throat as the enticing scent of him filled her nose. The pulse of his blood flowing through him beat against her ears. His vein, only inches away from her lips, caused her mouth to water.

  “Which hunger do you plan to fulfill first?” he murmured as his head turned toward hers. His azure eyes filled her vision. The musky scent of sex oozing from his pores made the answer to his question very easy to decide.

  Her fingers wrapped around his biceps; she held onto him as his hands skimmed over her ribcage. The steam against her back had nothing on the heat of his body as his fingers unclasped her bra. Her breasts heaved; her nipples puckered as the cool air brushed over her exposed flesh.

  Slowly, he bent his head and ran his tongue over her collarbone before he began to move steadily lower. A moan escaped her when he took her taut nipple into his mouth and leisurely ran his tongue over it. Her hands wrapped around his head; she held him against her as her hips thrust forward.

  A rumble of pleasure escaped him when she rubbed invitingly against his groin. The friction of their bodies caused his hardened dick to strain against his jeans. Seizing hold of her hips, he walked her backward toward the marble vanity across the way. Steam from the bath had fogged the mirror, but not enough that he couldn’t see their reflection in the glass.

  With her back pressed against the vanity, he undid the button of her jeans and slid them down her slender thighs and muscular calves. He tugged her jeans and panties over her feet before wrapping his hands around her calves. A gasp escaped her when he began to leisurely kiss his way back up her leg. Nipping at her flesh, he ran his tongue over the small drops of blood forming on her creamy skin, sealing the bites as soon as he made them. Her breath came in rapid pants; her hands wrapped around the edge of the marble as her head tipped back and a moan escaped her.

  Pushing her legs further apart, he kissed his way up her slender thigh before pressing his mouth against her center. Her body jerked; her astonishment drifted through the bond connecting them. A growl of possession escaped him when he realized she’d never been tasted before. He’d have her unable to stand and begging for the more by the time he was done with her.

  Grabbing hold of her ass, he pulled her more firmly against his mouth. His tongue delved in to savor the wetness and her delicious heat. She tasted of sex, and him, a heady combination he found impossible to resist. He plunged his tongue deeper into her as his thumb rubbed over her clitoris. Her legs began to shake and her breath coming in rapid pants as small cries escaped her. Her hands entangled in his hair; her thighs pressed against his head.

  Her ecstasy beat against him as he stroked her higher and higher. He nipped at her and his fangs piercing her flesh for a brief moment before his tongue licked away the blood and closed the wound. This pain and pleasure sensation had her squirming against him; her hands tugged at his hair as he pushed her toward the brink of impending orgasm.

  With one more nip, he swirled his tongue over her before pulling away. Her displeasure beat against his mind; he couldn’t hide his amusement from her or his desperate need to be buried within her. To feel her muscles contracting around him, draining him and calming him in a way only she could.

  A small groan of disappointment escaped her. Before reality could crash fully over her, he spun her around. Her eyes flew open to meet his in the clouded mirror. His gaze held hers as he undid his jeans and swiftly pulled them off. Paige’s mind spun; her body quaked with its need for release. She was still trying to get control of her body when he nudged her legs further apart and stepped in between them. His cock pressed against her, but he didn’t plunge into her, didn’t ease her torment as he continued to rub and tease her.

  Paige groaned; she pushed more demandingly against him, but he still didn’t give her what she so desperately craved. His eyes met and held hers in the glass. Deliberately, he finally slid into her inch by thick, filling inch. A moan escaped her and her hand pressed against the mirror as she braced herself. Her hand wiped away the steam; leaving a streak behind on the surface. She shuddered when he sank deep within her, stretching and filling her completely.

  He leaned over her, his chest pressing against her back as the massive size of him covered her. His heated breath tickled her neck; his fangs grazed over her flesh as he taunted her further, but didn’t bite deep. She tried to close her eyes, to lose herself to the rhythm of their bodies, but his gaze wouldn’t let her look away.

  “What do you want, Paige?” His tongue ran over her ear as he asked the question.

  She had no idea how to answer that or what answer he sought from her. “I… I don’t know.”

  Her fingers curled into the glass and marble when he thrust forward, and went still within her. “Do you want me to make you cum?” His husky tone and thrilling words made her body tighten. He dipped one hand between her thighs to rub tantalizingly against her clit while the other hand clasped her breast. “To make you scream and beg for more?”

  “Yes.” The word came out as more of a whimper, but what he was doing with his hands should be illegal.

  “Or would you prefer if I tasted you?”

  A cry escaped her as his fangs brushed her neck, but still didn’t pierce her flesh. The pressure building within her made her long to scream. She found she couldn’t make any sound as he withdrew from her and drove slowly into her again. “Tell me what you want or I’ll keep you panting for more all night,” he whispered against her neck.

  “All of it,” she moaned as his fingers continued their magic, and her knees began to tremble.

  Ian relished in dragging this out and listening to her pants and moans, but he could feel his own control coming to a breaking point as her muscles compressed around him when he drove into her again. He rubbed her pert nipple between his fingers. This time when he ran his fangs over her flesh again, he left a trail of blood behind that he licked away with his tongue. Her eyes dilated as she watched him; her heart rate accelerated.

  “Do you want me to fuck you?” he murmured.

  “Yes!” she cried.

  An arrogant smile curved his mouth before he thrust into her once more. “Tell me what it feels like to have me inside of you. Describe it to me.”

  She could barely process a thought, never mind understand his question. “What it feels like?” she whimpered.

  His breath tickled her flesh; his lips rested against her ear. “What it feels like to have me inside of you.”

  A lump formed in her throat; she didn’t know how to respond to him. How could she possibly describe this overwhelming sensation of falling apart and coming together adequately? She’d never experienced anything like what he made her feel, but she couldn’t get those words to come out.

  “Tell me, Paige,” he commanded. His eyes became glittering shards of ice in the mirror. “To get what you want, tell me what it feels like.”

  “It feels like you belong,” she finally managed to gasp out. It wasn’t the sexiest of descriptions, but it was the truth, and it was all she could think of to say. “Like you’ve always belonged.”

  She saw the snapping within him as red flashed around his eyes, and his hands stilled on her. A cry escaped her when he grabbed her hips, spun her around and lifted her onto the countertop. He slid her ass forward and plunged himself deeply within her again. A scream of pleasure erupted from her, but even as her body reacted to the exquisite feel of him inside of her, his fangs were sinking into her neck. She’d believed she’d attained her peak before, but she’d been completely wrong. He was taking her to a whole new level of pleasure and sensation as he drove relentlessly into her and fed from her with ravenous abandon.

  Her fingers raked at the skin on his back as she tried to pull him closer to her. The scent of his blood on the air drove her into a frenzy as she eagerly met each of his demanding thrusts. She sank her elongated fangs into the thick vein in his throat. The blood pumping into her mouth and his body plunging within hers pushed her over the edge. Another cry escaped her; her legs locked around his waist as the first wave of tremors shook her. He didn’t relent, didn’t give her time to breathe as he continued to drive into her. She couldn’t breathe, couldn’t think, all she could do was feel him and taste him as he filled her.

 

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30