Claim Page 7

  I moved with the speed of a normal human, careful not to move too fast and hurt her.

  Her brown eyes glazed over as she looked up at me. The pleasured expressions on her face made her even more beautiful.

  She tightened around me, letting me know she was close to another release and I knew I wasn’t going to last much longer after her.

  “Bite me, James. Please bite me,” she begged.

  Leaning over, I bit into her neck and slowly sucked on her. Just like that, she exploded around me. Her loud cries filled my ear and the room around us as her body poured wet heat all over my cold stiffness.

  Seconds later, I released her neck and threw my head back as I filled her with all that I was. I made noises I hadn’t made in many years as the pleasure coursed through my body and made me come to life for a few brief seconds.

  I stayed seated deep inside her as I came back to the room around us. I was a soulless demon, but for those brief seconds, I had seen heaven.

  Harley breathed hard in attempts to catch her breath.

  “That was amazing,” she said once she finally caught her breath.

  The magnitude of what I was doing started to settle in and I wasn’t sure if what I had done was wrong or right. All I knew was I felt like a new man and Harley was starting to look a little pale.

  “We need to get some food in you,” I said as I pulled out and adjusted myself.

  A tiny hint of pink blood coated the head of my cock from taking her virginity. Reaching down, I wiped it with my thumb and sucked it off. The salty taste of orgasm mixed with the metallic taste of blood turned me on again. One of the hardest things about being a vampire, other than the lack of food, was the insatiable lust that haunted me.

  “I don’t need food. I feel fine,” she said sleepily as sat up and took her shorts from my hand when I offered them.

  Once she was dressed, she pushed up on her feet and kissed me sweetly on the cheek before she left me in the kitchen to use the bathroom.

  The second I was alone everything came crashing down over me and several things slammed into me all at once.

  One: I no longer felt like I was starving.

  I hadn’t filled myself on Harley, but I had gotten a nice little appetizer from her. I probably should have still been burning with hunger, but I felt more satisfied than I had in many years.

  And two: I had gone and done the worst thing possible.

  I had gone and fallen in love with a human. The one human, in fact, that could mean the difference between life and death for me and the rest of my entire race.

  Then suddenly, as if God himself was punishing me yet again, my cell began to ring in my pocket. Pulling it out, my eyes landed on Rhys’ name as it danced across the screen.

  It was time.

  He was calling to let me know I needed to bring her in.

  There was only one tiny problem there. I had no intentions of doing that anymore.

  I pressed the decline button, quieting my cell before I stuffed back in my pocket.

  I didn’t want to leave everything I had behind, but I wasn’t willing to give Harley up anymore. And the truth was, we could do this.

  There was a garden planted out back for her and a well for water.

  We had clothing and everything we needed to survive.

  I would run out of Hematonin at some point, but it wasn’t like it was working for me anymore anyhow. I wouldn’t last forever, but a few weeks with Harley was better than a lifetime without her.

  I could spend my final weeks with her making sure she had everything she needed to survive once I was gone.

  It was possible, and it was what I wanted.

  So when my cell began to ring yet again, I didn’t hesitate to decline the call. Once the call was declined, I silenced my cell and shoved it back in my pocket.

  Harley wasn’t going anywhere.

  She was mine.

  I had claimed her not five minutes before on the kitchen table and over my dead body would anyone take her away from me.

  9

  Harley

  It was ecstasy.

  Bliss.

  Rapture.

  A release, unlike anything I had ever experienced.

  The way James had touched me. I had never felt anything like it, and my body responded to him on its own without even listening to my thoughts or cares.

  I was feeling things I had never felt before, not only physically, but mentally, as well. I could hardly believe what was happening between us or that I had been so bold with a man who was essentially a killer.

  He had seduced my mind and pleased my body to the point of complete abandon.

  It was beautiful.

  No.

  It was living.

  Once inside the bathroom, I stared at my reflection, taking in the brightness of my eyes and the blush on my cheeks. I had never felt so radiant and complete.

  It was James.

  I never thought I would be happy to be captured by a vampire, but James finding me was by far the best thing that had ever happened to me. The thought of escaping him was a joke because as far as I was concerned I was at home in a cabin with the man I hoped to spend the rest of my life with.

  When the morning birds began to chirp, and it was time for us to go to bed, I started toward my room.

  “Where do you think you’re going?” James asked, stopping me before I could reach for the doorknob.

  “I’m going to bed. The sun’s coming up.”

  He grinned. “I’m aware, but you’re going to the wrong room.”

  I understood his meaning and a large smile pulled at my lips. “Are you sure? I was under the impression that I had the room with the larger more comfortable bed. Maybe it’s you who’s going to the wrong room.”

  He laughed, his smile lighting the dark hallway. “You know what? I think you’re right. Please,” he said, motioning for me to open my bedroom door.

  Once I opened the door, I paused, waiting for him to make the next move.

  “Ladies first,” he said.

  He followed me when I entered my bedroom, and once we were settled into bed, he wrapped his cool arms around me and held me until I fell asleep.

  I slept better in his arms than I had in my entire life.

  I woke the next night with James kissing the back of my neck. I stretched the sleep from my arms and legs and moaned at the pleasure of his lips against my skin.

  My body was sore from our first time together, but I didn’t care.

  I wanted him again.

  I turned in his arms, pressing my lips to his and kissing him without abandon. He pulled back, tucking my hair behind my ear before running a single finger across my cheek.

  “I could wake like this every night for the rest of my life,” he said, his eyes scanning my face for a reaction to his words.

  “Good because I don’t plan on ever leaving here.”

  He closed his eyes as if my words had given him some form of pleasure and then he moved in, kissing me harder and pushing me back onto the bed.

  He moved over me, his hips fitting themselves between my legs. His lips moved from mine and traveled over my cheek until he was softly kissing the side of my neck.

  I tensed a bit, preparing for him to bite me, but his fangs never entered my neck. I wiggled beneath him, rubbing myself against him as I searched for relief.

  I wanted him to bite me.

  When he did it seemed to intensify my physical need.

  “Bite me,” I whispered, cupping the back of his head and pressing his mouth harder to the side of his neck.

  He continued to kiss me, not giving in to my begging.

  “Please, James, bite me.”

  He pulled back, his eyes moving over my face before landing on my lips.

  “No. Let me pretend for a bit that I’m just a man making love to a woman. Let me pretend I’m not a monster.”

  The way he said the words making love made my heart skip a beat.

  I nodded, willing
to give him anything he wanted, and we he entered me I sighed at the feel of connecting with another person so completely.

  He moved slowly and with precision, reaching inside my body and touching the exact spots that made me moan the loudest. And when I fell over the edge, I did so with his name on my lips and my fingers digging into his muscled back.

  Afterward, he held me, running his long fingers through my hair and planting small kisses against my hairline. I relished in the feel of his naked flesh against mine, enjoying every second of his embrace.

  “This doesn’t feel real,” he said, making me pull back to look up at him.

  Once my eyes landed on his face, I knew right away that something was wrong.

  He was a vampire, which meant his skin was always a bit pale, but this was different. His eyes were sinking in and black shadows dusted just beneath his eyes. He lips were pale and looked as though they were beginning to crack.

  He looked sick.

  “Are you okay?” I asked, reaching up and running my fingers over his dry lips.

  He kissed my fingertips and grinned. “I’m better than I’ve ever been.”

  “No, James, something’s wrong. You don’t look well.”

  He pulled back a bit, but the smile remained on his face.

  “Everything’s fine, Harley,” he said, moving in to kiss me yet again.

  I wasn’t falling for it.

  Everything obviously wasn’t fine.

  I put my palms on his chest, pushing him away so I could continue to look at his face and into his eyes.

  “Are you sick?” I asked, feeling ridiculous for even asking.

  He laughed.

  “You’re asking a vampire if he’s sick? You do know how this whole vampire thing works, right?”

  He was teasing me, trying to make light of things, but I saw past that.

  “I’m being serious, James. Are you sick?” I asked again.

  He sighed, falling back onto the bed and running his palms over his face.

  I knew what he was about to say wasn’t going to be good.

  “The pills I take every night, they aren’t enough anymore. A lot of vampires are becoming immune to them and they’re getting sick. Some are even dying, believe it or not. It’s fine. Don’t worry you’re pretty little head over it,” he said, tapping the tip of my nose.

  He leaned in to kiss me once again, and again I pushed him back. Worry pressed against my chest. A vampire dying wasn’t something I thought was possible. Before James, that thought would have made me happy, but now things were different. The thought of James dying made me feel sick in my stomach.

  “Would my blood help?” I asked, sounding hopeful.

  Again, he sighed and moved away from me.

  “Because if it would, you can feed on me as much as you would like; whatever you need to feel better.”

  “No, Harley,” he said, getting up from the bed naked.

  He went for his clothes, which were on the floor beside the bed.

  I sat up, pulling the sheet against my chest and followed him as he moved around the room. “What do you mean? Why not?”

  “Because I’m not going to use you like a human buffet. I’m fine. The pills are still working for now.”

  I crawled to the end of the bed, forgetting the sheet, and knelt on the edge in front of him.

  “Please, James. Please let me do this. I want to help you. I want you to feed on me.”

  He stopped, his eyes moving over my position.

  I realized how I looked.

  I was kneeling naked and basically begging him to drink the blood from my body. The truth was, I wanted him to feed on me. I liked the way it felt; how intimate it was. And if by some chance it made him feel well, then that was even better.

  “You don’t know what you’re asking, Harley. What if I can’t stop myself? What if I hurt you? I couldn’t live with myself if I did that.”

  “You won’t. I know you won’t. We’ll go slow. You can drink just enough for you to get better; enough for you to feel stronger.” I looked away, feeling the tears form in my eyes. “I don’t want to lose you, James. I can’t.”

  He was kneeling in front of me before I could blink.

  Reaching up, he cupped my face his in chilly palms. “You’re not going to lose me, Harley.” He sighed, looking down and shaking his head. When he looked up at me again, a tiny grin tugged at the side of his mouth. “Fine, you win. We’ll go slowly, and I’ll only take a little bit, but I’m going to continue to take the pills.”

  I nodded, feeling the weight disappear from my chest.

  Honestly, I would have agreed to anything at that point if it meant him feeding and getting well.

  James admitting he was sick scared me. Knowing someone like him could get sick and possibly die… it was too much to think on. I couldn’t lose him. I had only just gotten him, and my heart couldn’t handle it if he went away. The truth was, I would let James feed on me, but I was doing it more for myself than I was for him because I needed him. He was everything that was wrong with the world, but that didn’t stop me from falling in love with him.

  He only took a little from my wrist, and once he was done, he sealed the wounds for me. When he looked up at me again he did so with a touch of guilt in his expression, but already he looked healthy again.

  “Don’t feel bad. This is what I want,” I said, running a finger over his cheek.

  He nodded, agreeing even though I knew he was only feeding on me because I asked him to.

  10

  Harley

  I went outside using the moonlight to check on our garden. I moved up and down the rows checking to see if anything had begun to grow yet, but nothing was there. I moved away from the fruits and vegetables and started toward the flowers and once I reached the area where the sunflowers grew I looked down and saw a tiny green leaf sticking up from the dirt.

  Excitement filled me, and I turned running back toward the cabin.

  “James!” I burst through the door, nearly slipping on the hardwood floor. “James!” I called again.

  We crashed into each other as I ran into the hallway and he caught me, keeping me from being knocked to the floor.

  “What’s wrong?” He held my arms and his eyes did a quick search of my body from head to toe. “Did something happen?”

  I took gulps of air as I tried to get the words out.

  “You… you have to… ”I gave up on putting together an explanation and instead I grabbed his hand and pulled him toward the back door. He tensed, and I could sense his hesitation.

  I dragged him into the backyard and into the darkness, but the moonlight lit up our little garden as it were excited about the tiny growth in the dirt, as well.

  “Harley, what’s going on?”

  “Look,” I said, sinking into the dirt outside the border of our garden. “Do you see it?”

  It took him a minute before he finally knelt on the ground next to me. “Do I see what?”

  “They’re growing.” My fingers gently traced the small green leaves that had started to sprout. “They’re perfect, James.”

  His eyes widened, and he reached out, running his fingers over the tiny leaves.

  “They are. You did it, Harley.”

  “We did it, James. Thank you so much.” I threw my arms around his neck and he pulled me into his lap.

  “What are you thanking me for?”

  “For everything, but mostly for bringing me here. Being here with you… it’s been perfect. I think I lo-”

  His lips crushed to mine before I could finish, and I lost myself in his kiss. My mind was so focused on his kiss that when he flipped us, I didn’t realize until I was being crushed into the earth by his weight.

  And when we made love, we did so next to the batch of tiny leaves we had grown together with the moonlight on his back and my fingers in his hair.

  I screamed into the night, my body clenching around his and making me go tense above me as he filled me with all t
hat he was. After his release, he rolled onto his side, pulling me into his arms. We lay in each other’s arms naked in the dirt and somehow it felt like the most natural thing in the world.

  “Why haven’t we thought to have sex out here before?” I moved my fingers down his chest, enjoying the way the moon’s light bathed his pale skin.

  “I’ve thought about it. Many times,” he added with a smirk.

  I laughed.

  Dirt clung to my naked skin and when I tried to wipe it away it only smeared it even worse.

  “I’m going to need a shower now. Will you help wash me?”

  His eyes moved down my chest and then back up. “Yes,” he said, lifting up onto his elbow. “But I might have to wash you twice.”

  I laughed again.

  I had never laughed so much in my life.

  He pulled me up from the ground and we held hands as we made our way to the cabin. Once inside, I led him toward the hallway already feeling primed and ready for him again, but before we reached it his phone was ringing.

  It had been ringing a lot lately, but James never answered it. I was sure who was calling or what they wanted, but it seemed every time the phone rang James’s body would tense up and a strange sick expression would move across his face.

  “Are you going to answer it?” I asked.

  “I should.”

  “But you don’t want to?”

  He shook his head and a sense of dread moved over me.

  “Why not? Who keeps calling you?”

  Did James have another woman in his life?

  He was obviously keeping a secret from me and thinking that it might be someone else made my heart feel heavy.

  “It’s no one important,” he replied. The phone stopped ringing and he seemed to relax. “Why don’t you go start the shower and I’ll be right there, okay?”

  I wanted to ask more questions, but he turned his back on me and I knew that meant he wasn’t going to answer them.

  I walked away and into the bathroom. I started the shower and opened the cabinet beneath the sink to get us towels, but the cabinet was empty. I knew there were fresh towels in the hall closet, so I opened the bathroom door and stepped out into the cool space outside the steaming bathroom.