Chapter 6
Chapter Six
AIDAN
Idon’t think, as I sink my fingers into Joanna’s wet heat.
I’m still unsure what came over me, but once I caught the hint of her adrenaline pumping wildly through her veins, it felt as if a magnetic pull drew me to her.
That soft, alluring smell I noticed before is cranked to eleven, I can’t stop breathing it in, afraid to breathe out, afraid I won’t be able to get it back.
All human blood is unique, some sweet and others bitter, depending on the person, but no one has ever smelled as downright delectable as Joanna’s. It’s like her blood was made for me—my own glass of fine wine with tannins to perfectly match my preferred taste.
I was so caught off guard by this new, heady scent overtaking all of my senses that one thing led frantically to another. By the time my mind caught up to what my body started, I found myself sitting eagerly between Joanna’s pretty thighs.
She releases a series of breathy little moans as I move my fingers slowly in and out of her. Her walls are tight, but they adapt so perfectly. I can’t help imagining how well she’ll take my cock.
I’m momentarily struck with how rash I’ve been. But as I gaze down at Joanna, sprawled out naked and panting on my sitting room floor, I realize she’s just as desperate as I am. Maybe she feels it too, this odd melding of perfect chemistry clicking into place between us.
I find my rhythm as I glide in and out of her slickness.
Pumping her like this is easy—she’s so eager for me that her wetness has coated my knuckles.
Her heart pumps loudly as I stroke her walls, like music to my ears.
My fingers are just long enough to press against the spot she likes, and as she starts to clench her thighs together, I place my free hand under her knee to wrench them apart.
Her eyes are closed, nipples glistening from where I sucked them, and her arms are spread high above her head, as if she’s grasping for something just out of reach.
I hitch her leg over my shoulder, incidentally shifting her closer to where I’m kneeling.
Her eyes flick downward to where my fingers are inside her, and her mouth opens with a soft “Oh” of pleasure at the new position.
With her spread like this, I take in all the beauty of this woman.
Before today, Joanna was someone I’d never given a second glance.
She was an annoyance, but not so much she took up space.
Now, as I watch her jaw slacken with pleasure, I want to worship at her altar.
I would gladly listen to her berate me any day of the week, if it meant spending time in my new favorite place: between her legs.
She tilts her head back, exposing her throat, and I can see her vein pulsing just below the surface. I feel drunk, my judgement clouded by her smell and just how fucking turned on I am watching her. She’s squirming, writhing beneath my touch, but she loves it. I can smell the desire in her blood.
The harder I pound into her, the more noise she makes, so I guide her all the way to her climax and then yank my fingers away.
She lets out a frustrated moan and reaches one hand up to grab my shirt collar, pulling me toward her.
She slams her lips against mine, but tasting her is too close to the thing I really want, so I shove her away, as if my distaste is part of the foreplay.
She doesn’t mind. I’ve managed to shift her fly-like focus to my fingers again as I remove my clothes.
“Finally,” she gasps, out of breath.
I get to my feet and drop the shirt on the arm of the chair next to us.
Next, I slip out of my pants and briefs.
Joanna’s eyes gleam as she takes me in. Something tells me she’s down for pretty much anything, so I press my luck and slide my hand through the damp strands of her hair to move her head closer.
I cup her jaw, and she looks up at me eagerly. I would think a woman like Joanna wouldn’t be interested in getting on her knees for a man, but perhaps in the bedroom, she prefers to be dominated.
She surprises me by licking from the tip to the base of my cock, and the feel of her tongue makes my knees weak.
I nearly collapse back to the floor, but Joanna wraps her lips around me carefully, taking her time and adjusting to my size.
I’m probably bigger than any human she’s been with before, so I don’t expect her to take me fully.
She sucks lightly as she takes the rest of my length in her hand and strokes, and I revel in the combination of textures and movements. It’s not quite enough to—
Oh fuck.
Without me paying attention, Joanna has pushed the rest of my cock as far as it will go down her throat. I can’t help the deep moan as she swallows around me, continuing to suck with her cheeks.
Fucking hell. I was not expecting that.
I worry for a moment that she can’t breathe, but she just continues to move me in and out of her mouth with ease. It seems she’s lost interest in me and is only concerned with my cock, as if she’s trying to prove to herself that she can take it, or defeat it.
Whatever the case, something stirs in my balls. It feels like I’m fucking a tight pussy, except it’s the mouth of my dreams.
When I’m seconds away from draining myself down her throat, I squeeze her shoulder in warning.
She takes the hint and backs off, making up for it with both of her hands wrapping around my stiff cock.
She rubs me to the end of my release, her brown eyes looking up at me, watery from having taken me so deep.
I break her gaze, howling out a fuck and I watch myself spill over her chest, dripping between her breasts.
For several seconds, we’re both stunned into silence.
The haze of sex has evaporated post-orgasm, and the reality of what we’ve done suddenly crashes over us both.
I did not anticipate any of this when I invited Joanna into my home, and now that I’ve sobered from whatever daze she put me in, I see the mistake for what it is.
I learned a long time ago how to be in close proximity to humans and not let the smell of blood drive me insane.
I don’t quite understand it, but tonight, the scent of her adrenaline pulsing through her veins must have intensified her pheromones enough to send me into a reflexive spiral.
I needed to touch her, to get close enough to meld my own scent with hers.
And worst of all, the inner, most innate part of me wanted to bite into her flesh so I could taste her blood.
I haven’t lost control of my desires like that in a very long time, and it only adds to my unease. I start to panic as I retrieve my pants from the chair, redressing as Joanna stares at me confused.
“I guess that’s my cue to leave,” she says under her breath. She too gathers up her things (my things, if we’re being specific) and gets to her feet.
I know I’m upsetting her, but right now I just need her out of my house. I need to think, and having her here is clearly a distraction.
She hastily puts my borrowed sweatpants back on, using my discarded shirt to wipe my cum from her chest. I don’t meet her eyes, feeling extremely awkward, embarrassed, and a little bit regretful.
It’s easier this way. Maybe my coldness will convince her this will never happen again.
It was a lapse in judgement on both our parts, and though the hurt look on her face makes my chest tighten, I am willing to take the blame if it means getting her out of here quickly.
My thoughts are abruptly silenced when the door slams behind her retreating form.
I walk back to my sitting room and search for another glass to pour myself a new drink. The one time I go out of my way to be a decent male, I get myself into this mess. I dwell on this as I take a seat in my favorite chair with a fresh glass of whiskey.
I’m not ashamed to admit, the way this woman was able to disarm me was terrifying. As much as I hate it, something in her blood sang to me. It smelled like fresh fruit and melted sugar—like those damn chocolate covered strawberries she was eating earlier today.
My attraction to her is undeniable. She’s a gorgeous woman. Her body is slender, yet toned. She looks like a model, but the work she does has hardened her, giving her sharp edges. I’m afraid I’ll cut myself if I get too close, but she’s alluring, like a shiny new toy.
It’s a terrible idea, given the way her blood seemed to affect me, but I want to play with her more. She pushes me in a way no one else has—meets me eye to eye with every sarcastic line I give, squaring me with an even stronger one of her own. She’s vivacious, mysterious, and…
No!
I massage my forehead in an attempt to deter a headache. I will not let a human take over my mind like a soothsayer. I haven’t thought this much about a woman in decades. It has to be her blood. That’s it.
This day has been taxing. As skeptical as I was to participate in Raegan’s speed dating event, I’m glad I did it.
Now I know, without a doubt, nothing will ever happen between Joanna and I again.
I was right when I told her we wouldn’t work together.
I can’t risk making myself vulnerable to her wiles again.
I am a vampire, and knowing my own boundaries is imperative to the safety of those around me.
I’ve made a home here in Shadow Hills—I've grown to love it with all its charm and community—I will not risk it for a human woman who annoys the shit out of me.
I finish my drink and force myself to go to bed.
Tomorrow is a new day. I will move on from this just as I have moved on from so many other mistakes in my life, some far heavier and harder than others. But this will be easy. Forgetting about Joanna Shepherd might even be the easiest of them all.