Chapter 30
I waited for Quinn outside her building. She’d been travelling to other states to see the layout of concert venues, so tonight would be the first time I’d lay eyes on her in over a week. My recent feed warmed me, a necessity if I was to spend the entire evening with her. To have her so close, I needed to resist my own temptation. She’d made it clear she had no desire to turn. I hadn’t let go of that want, but I wasn’t yet willing to walk away from her. Carlos had finally brought me sunglasses enhanced by Luna, the Magic Wielder, offering to be there with me when I turned her.
As I waited, people stopped to stare, something I was becoming accustomed to again. A part of me that had never died, the enjoyment of public recognition from six hundred years ago, would always be there. But they recognised me as the man dating Quinn Bailey.
I recognised her heartbeat as she descended in the elevator.
“Quinn, relax,” she muttered to herself, and took a deep breath and exhaled. “Breathe. It’s just a vampire wanting to take you to a masquerade ball. No biggie.”
I smiled. This woman intrigued me, and I couldn’t get enough of her presence.
She walked through the door, and I stopped breathing. She’d done her hair up, her bare throat on show, the mask in place, green eyes standing out. But the dress was what made my heart skip. It hugged her body in all the right places.
“You’re staring,” she noticed.
She wore perfume that had a slight hint of vanilla beneath the fruity scent.
“You’re breathtaking.” I reached for her hand, leaning forward to kiss it. “Absolutely exquisite.” It was an effort keeping my gaze from her neck as I helped her into the limo. “All eyes will be on you tonight.”
She cast a quick look over me. “You’re not so bad yourself. You look like you were born to wear suits. I could almost forget you’re a vampire.”
“Almost.” I murmured and leaned forward, breathing her in, brushing her throat lightly. “You wore your hair up. Is that tantalising neckline all for me?”
Colour rose to her cheeks as she lowered her eyes. Fear spiked, but not enough to be a danger to her. “I meant what I said,” she murmured. “No talk of turning me. Let’s just enjoy this evening.”
I was not used to women so unafraid to make their wants known, and I had to admit it only drew me to her more. I hadn’t spent a lot of time in the human world, only on the edges of it, feeding and sex when I needed to. Modern women had become bold.
“Can I kiss you?” I asked.
Her eyes lit up as if she’d been hoping for a kiss. She nodded.
I shifted forward, until my body was over hers. This close to her, the scent of her blood tempted me. Our lips pressed together, rougher than usual, a kiss full of desire, and longing. Her lips were warm, and soft. Her mouth pressed hard to mine with urgency, her hand grasped the back of my neck.. I pulled back, her eyes burning. Unable to resist, I caressed her throat, kissing it. I was tempting myself, and my canines ached. My lips touched her soft skin, and she went very still.
“I won’t bite you,” I murmured against her neck. “You’ll have to ask me for that.” Soon, she’d be begging. I was sure of it.
Her breaths revealed her hunger for me, for my ‘vampire’s kiss’. I could feel her weakening in her resolve to not let me bite her. I let my fangs emerge, almost touching the pulsing in her throat. Say the word. I willed her silently. A ll you need to do is ask me. It took everything in me not to bite, and I growled, driving her heartbeat faster, her scent of lust making me hard. Her reactions to my growls had intensified over the past few weeks. She’d developed a liking for them.
I rested one hand on her side, the other pulling her dress up. I touched her, finding that she wasn’t wearing anything under the dress. I growled again. “You are tempting me, my little cantante .”
Her soft intake of breath brushed against my ear as my fingers pushed inside her. I paused, watching her face. Her muscles pulsed tight around my fingers, and she pushed up ever so slightly to indicate for me to keep going. I pulled them out, gently stroking her in a circular motion, teasing. Her grip on my arm tightened as I moved my fingers through her wetness.
I breathed in the scent of her lust, fighting my own desire for her. With one hand stroking her, I had her pinned beneath me. I could have her if I wanted, and she wouldn’t fight me. Her hips rose, her hand pressing down on mine through the dress, and she threw her head back, a moan escaping from her.
I couldn’t look away from her throat. It took everything to continue working her with my fingers instead of unzipping my trousers and driving into her, hard. But if I did that, I would need to feed, to bite into her throat and taste her blood. I’d resisted that urge and — truthfully — I wasn’t sure how much longer I could.
Her gasps and moans pierced me to the core.
“Don’t…stop…” She panted, her back arching up. “Oh god, Matteo…” Her words died in her throat as she breathed hard, grinding herself against my fingers.
Her lips parted, her eyes focused on my mouth, my fangs. Desire flared in their depths, and for a moment I thought she was going to ask me what she’d insisted she never would.
Desperate for her to ask me to bite, I licked her throat. I wanted all of her, and it hurt . With my lips to her throat, her desire beating against me, I was on the edge of giving in. Of taking what I wanted. She came, her entire body spasmed, arching up, her trying not to scream. I almost did the same just watching her climax .
Her heart thundered in my ears, fine tremors passed through her body.
Ask me to bite you. I willed her silently. She’d probably orgasm again if I did.
“Matteo,” her voice was rough, as if she had trouble speaking.
“Mmm.” I groaned against her throat, hopeful.
“We’ve stopped. We’re there,” she whispered.
I growled in frustration but didn’t make a move as she caught her breath.
“I need to clean up before we go out there,” she murmured. “Do you have anything?”
Finally, I lifted my head, moving away from her throat, with a deep chuckle. “No, but I can assist with that.”
She held still as I shifted, lifting her dress over my head. With deliberate, easy movements, I lapped up her juices from between her thighs. She squirmed and let out a gasp. “Matteo, you’re going to make me come again!”
“We can’t have that,” I said, my mouth above her heat.
“Please, stop,” she pleaded, unconvincingly.
I finished cleaning her and moved out from under her dress, pressing my mouth to hers. I knew she could taste herself, but her hand slid over the back of my neck, holding me there.
When we tore ourselves apart from each other, her cheeks were flushed, her eyes glinting. “You should probably put your fangs away,” she said, her voice low. “Did you just mess up my lipstick?”
I smiled down at her. “It looks fine, but I’ll let you compose yourself if you wish.”
I climbed out and held a hand out, waiting. After a minute, she took my hand and I pulled her from the limo, pulling her arm through mine.
“Are you ready?” I asked.
“Give me a minute,” she requested, taking a deep breath. “I can’t believe you did that. The driver…”
I held a hand up. “Won’t remember a thing by the end of the night.” I’d compelled myself a limo driver, all for Quinn. The driver would wake up in the morning with no memory of me or where he’d been this evening.
She was as affected as I was that we’d both come close to giving in. To our desire, to each other. I appreciated her needing to take her time; it gave me a chance to push down the feral part of myself. I needed to move like a man. To play the part acceptable to humans, not frighten them with my burning hunger for the woman on my arm.
Quinn laughed nervously, pushing her forehead into my shoulder. “You’re-” she cut herself off and took another deep breath, letting it out slowly. “Okay, I think I’m ready.”