Lachlan Read online

  “Open your eyes, princess,” he growled.

  She did and was not even surprised to find herself staring up at eyes that gleamed solid gold. She had the stray thought that it must have something to do with what he was, but vampire physiology was the farthest thing from her mind. “Why?” she whispered, in response to his command.

  “I want you to know who’s fucking you.”

  She gave him a slow, delicious smile. “Oh, I know that, Lachlan McRae.”

  He slid deep inside her again, her sheath pulsing around him . . . and stopped. Bracketing her head with his forearms, he leaned down and kissed her lightly, before murmuring against her lips, “That pretty pale skin and perfect blond hair is just a disguise for the real Julia, isn’t it?”

  She slung her arms around his neck and pulled him into a hard kiss, sucking his lip into a slow release as she finished. “You don’t like my skin?”

  “Oh, I like it well enough.” He pulled out slightly and thrust into her once more. “Not as much as your tight pussy, but . . .” He winked.

  “Are we going to talk?” she asked, narrowing her eyes. “Or are you going to finish what you started?”

  “Oh, princess, I’ve barely gotten started with you.”

  Julia’s entire body clenched, her inner muscles flexing to squeeze Lachlan’s cock so tightly, she didn’t know if he’d be able to move. He smiled, as if reading her thought, then slid out and back in again, stimulating the delicate tissues lining her channel and sending fresh shivers rolling over her skin. She moaned quietly, knowing he’d only delay her orgasm further if she asked for release.

  “You want to come?”

  Julia swallowed on a dry throat, not knowing what to say. She knew what she wanted, what she needed, but she didn’t know how to get it. “Don’t you want me to?”

  “Oh, yes. Over and over again. I love the way your pussy feels around me, the way you squeeze me so tight.” He winked. “But I bet it feels even better when you climax.”

  She licked her lips, staring up at him, nails digging into his shoulders as if he would do what she wanted if she only held on tightly enough. She thrust her hips against his experimentally, closing her eyes and breathing at the delicious friction of his cock. “You want to find out?”

  He began fucking her without warning, his big cock shoving deep inside, pulling back, and slamming back in, over and over, as her muscles clenched and her pussy spasmed. Her entire body went rigid when the climax struck, back bowing, and muscles clenching so tightly that it hurt for a fraction of a second. And then it was nothing but pure, screaming pleasure as Lachlan continued to ride her, his cock pounding in and out, plunging through the tight squeeze of her inner tissues, setting off fresh waves of carnal pleasure until that was all Julia knew. Delicious sensation crashed over and back, one part of her body easing down as another jolted with ecstasy, only to switch off as a fresh swell of pleasure crashed through her.

  “Jesus,” she whispered, hanging on to him in desperation, barely able to think beyond the intense passion filling every inch of her being, and wondering if she’d survive the night. Lachlan was still fully aroused, his cock thick and hard, and unlike her own panting breaths, his were deep and even, as if he was just getting started. Just as he’d said.

  “I’m sorry to cut this short, princess.” He spoke softly, his iron-hard shaft buried inside her, as random shivers and quakes of sensation pulsed through her body. “The sun will be with us soon,” he continued. “Next time, I’ll take it slow.”

  Julia made a mental note to make sure her papers were in order, because if this was Lachlan’s idea of fast, there was no way in hell she’d survive the slow version.

  He started fucking her hard, a man intent on achieving climax, his hips pumping, cock driving, as she wrapped her legs around his waist. He grunted his approval, reaching back to shove her leg even higher over his back, and she did her best to meet him thrust for thrust. She caught a glimpse of his fangs a moment before he reached between them and pinched her clit, sending her into another raging orgasm. But this time, he came with her, the hot rush of his release filling her clenching womb as the pounding of his cock slowed to a luxurious glide through the mixed evidence of their climaxes, until he finally collapsed on top of her.

  She wrapped her arms around him, holding him as tightly as she could, his heart thundering against her breasts—evidence that he, too, had been affected by their lovemaking. That she hadn’t been simply a convenient hole to relieve the boredom of a long flight.

  He didn’t stay on top of her for long, however. He rolled over, taking her with him, until she lay on his chest, her nipples snug against his warm skin. She leaned down and kissed his neck. “Are you going to sleep?”

  “Soon,” he said, opening his eyes just enough that she could still see some of the gleaming gold.

  “Do all vampires’ eyes go gold when they’re . . .” She reached for the right word, but he spoke first.

  “Fucking?”

  “Well, yeah.”

  He smiled. “No. Most vampires’ eyes shine red when the lights hit them, or when they’re using whatever power they have. Only powerful vampires have distinctly colored eyes, and we’re the only ones whose entire eye gets involved. Not only when we fuck, but when we experience any strong emotion, or use our power.”

  She registered the pronoun change and asked, “Does that mean you’re a powerful vampire?”

  He gave her a puzzled look. “Of course. How else would I think to claim a territory?”

  She shrugged. “I don’t know how all that inside vampire stuff works.”

  “Well, that’s how. Vampire lords are the most powerful, as in we have serious magical power.”

  “Magic?” she repeated doubtfully.

  “And what would you call it, then? How many men do you know who can read minds? Or kill an enemy by ripping out his heart, then making it burst into flame with a thought?”

  “Uh, that would be no one.”

  “You know one now, princess,” he reminded her, putting a big hand on her butt and pushing his still prominent shaft against her.

  Grateful for the dark, which hid her blush, she said, “Present company excluded. Besides, I never even met a vampire before you, much less a vampire lord.”

  “And now you’re in the thick of it. You sure you won’t change your mind and wait for me in Edinburgh? Or even better, in London?”

  “No.” It was one tiny word, but she said it forcefully enough that there was no doubt about her intentions.

  He sighed. “I knew you’d say that.” He closed his eyes briefly, then opened them and said, “No time for a shower. Not for me, anyway. Guess I’ll be sleeping with the delicious smell of your pussy to sweeten my dreams.”

  “The things you say.” She shook her head primly, privately pleased.

  The truth must have shown on her face. Or damn, maybe he was reading her mind, because he gave her a crooked smile and said, “I think you like it.” He slapped her butt smartly. “Ten minutes, Julia, and I’m out.”

  “You want me to leave or—?”

  “Please yourself. It won’t matter to me.” His eyelids fluttered. “Whoa,” he said, slurring slightly. “I forgot we’re racing into the sun.”

  And then his eyes closed, his breathing slowed, and his heart forgot to beat for what seemed like a long time. But she remembered when they’d been flying the other direction, and how she’d nearly panicked, thinking he was truly dead. So she waited until his heart finally pounded out a single beat and after a long time, another. Then she kissed his still lips and climbed off the bed.

  It wasn’t until she was in the shower, with hot water sluicing over her body, that it hit her. He’d hadn’t taken her blood. Cyn had told her about the incredible high of a vampire’s bite, but Lachlan hadn’t bitten her. She s
cowled as she washed her hair, wondering what that meant, and nearly pounding the wall in frustration because she’d have to wait to ask him until the sun went down . . . in Edinburgh.

  THE THING ABOUT eastbound flights, Lachlan thought grumpily as the jet finally crossed enough time zones to take him back into darkness, was how it screwed with his sleep. People might think vampires didn’t need sleep, since it was forced on them by the sun. But those hours of daylight gave the vampire symbiote a chance to repair whatever damage his body might have sustained during the previous night, in addition to simply resting his muscles and major systems. Vampires might be higher on the evolutionary chain than humans, but they weren’t indestructible. They needed rest just like any other living creature. A need that was totally fucked up by an eastbound flight into darkness.

  Fortunately, when his eyes opened on this particular flight, there was a soft sweet-smelling woman curled up next to him, all warm and familiar. He rolled toward Julia, tucking her lithe body beneath his as he bent to kiss her neck. His fangs pushed at his gums, drawn by the delicious scent of her blood rushing hotly beneath his lips. So close. He ran his tongue along the line of her vein, making it nicely plump and ready for his bite.

  “Lachlan?” Her voice was slumberous and sexy as hell, as one knee rose to slide next to his hip, and her arms went around his neck.

  “Who else, princess?” He meant it to be lighthearted, but even he heard the snarled demand underneath the words. Did she have another lover? Not any more, she didn’t. He didn’t share.

  “Stop grumbling at me,” she said, slapping his shoulder. “I was questioning your intent, not your identity.”

  “My intent should be clear.”

  She laughed gently, a sweet feminine sound, as her arms ran over the long muscles of his back. “I have a question.”

  “Now?” Realizing she’d changed into something silky while he’d slept, he reached down to find her naked beneath a short slip-like nightgown. His hand slid up her bare thigh and pushed it wide, making room between her thighs as he rubbed his already hard cock in the growing wetness of her pussy.

  She made a soft, wordless sound as her hips flexed upward. “Damn, that feels good. Are you always this hard?”

  “Not always. That’d make it a chore to get around, wouldn’t it?”

  “I don’t know,” she said absently, seeming focused on making him even harder the way she was grinding herself against him. “I’ve never tried.”

  “Well, thank the gods for that, love.”

  She snorted a less than graceful laugh, realizing what she’d said. “Sorry. Good thing you’re not the delicate type.”

  “Are we finished talking now?” he muttered, closing his teeth over the delicate bones of her jaw, then licking away the bite and kissing his way back to her neck. He hadn’t bitten her when they’d fucked before, because they hadn’t discussed it. And he’d learned very early in his life as a vampire that it was always better to practice what would now be called “full disclosure” before sinking his fangs into a woman’s neck.

  “Yes,” she breathed, her body all but vibrating beneath him.

  “Good.” Pulling back his hips, he slammed his full length into her sweet body in a single, long stroke, relishing the tight grip of her inner muscles as they strained around his intrusion. The delicate tissues almost vibrated in a combination of shock and excitement as her body adjusted, growing slick and welcoming when he pulled out and plunged in a second time. He remained buried inside her as he reached down and gripped her ass, tilting her hips just enough to permit him to go even deeper.

  She groaned breathlessly, her fingers tangled in his hair, her breath hot against his cheek. “More,” she whispered.

  He grinned. He’d wondered if her demands on their first go-round had been just that . . . a wild demand of a first-time lover. But it would seem his princess liked it rough all the time. That was fine with him. Tightening his hold on her ass, he rolled over, putting her on top, straddling him, her beautiful breasts swollen with arousal, pale pink areolas and rosy, hard nipples just begging to be sucked until they ached.

  “Lachlan!” she gasped, surprised at the sudden move. Her gaze found his and whatever she saw there had her sucking in a long breath and pushing her chest out, as if offering her breasts to him.

  Her thighs flexed as she rose onto her knees, sliding her tight pussy up his cock, but when she would have slid back down, he dug his fingers into her hips and held her there. Leaning forward, he took a breast into his mouth. It was too full to fit all the way, but he sucked harder, rasping his tongue over and around her nipple until it was swollen with blood, until her fingers in his hair didn’t seem to know whether to pull him closer or to tug him away. And then he switched breasts, giving her second nipple the same pleasure, sucking and swirling his tongue, until it, too, was pulsing against his lips. But instead of freeing her this time, he closed his teeth over the swollen nipple. Just enough to be felt, enough to cause an erotic pain, but not enough to draw blood.

  Julia gasped, her grip on his hair going painfully tight as she crushed his face against her chest, and soft wordless moans fell from her pretty lips. Her heart was pounding so loudly that he could feel it drumming against his cheek, could hear the thrumming rush of arterial blood as it pumped from her heart, hard and fast. Without warning, her pussy clutched around him, and she cried out, crashing into an orgasm while she pleasured herself on his cock.

  Lachlan watched her eyes close, her expression suffused with such savage desire that his cock stiffened to a furious hardness. Half of him wanted to slam into her until he climaxed and relieved the pressure. The other half wanted to fuck her into oblivion, until she was limp and exhausted and begging him to stop.

  Tightening his hold on her hips, he thrust up into her hot body, her pussy so slick with arousal that it slid like silk over his throbbing cock. Using the power of his vampire nature, he jackhammered into her, while she screamed his name, hands twisted in her own hair, her face wild with helpless passion, breasts bearing the mark of his teeth as they swayed with every upward plunge of his straining erection.

  He snarled when he felt the tightening of his balls, the ferocious pressure giving no more than a moment’s warning before his release roared down his shaft and into her welcoming body. Julia cried out, trembling as the pounding heat of his climax threw her into a second orgasm.

  Lachlan rolled again, tucking her beneath him, his cock gliding lazily through her throbbing wetness. Her blue eyes, darkened with lust, met his in disbelief when his penis hardened again, growing thick enough to push at the walls of her tight sheath. “Fuck me,” she breathed. She meant it as a comment on his stamina, but he took it literally.

  “That’s the plan, princess.”

  “My God, how do you—?”

  “Let’s fuck now, talk later.”

  “If I live that long.”

  He leaned down and kissed her. It was slow and luxurious, the claiming kiss of a man who knew how to make a woman feel beautiful and sexy. She was breathing hard against his lips when he whispered, “You’re going to live. I’ll make sure of it.” He began thrusting again. Long, deliberate strokes, while her pussy shivered around him, and her body grew taut, her fingers digging in his shoulders.

  “Lachlan,” she whispered almost desperately, her nails drawing blood as she held onto him, almost as if afraid she’d fly apart.

  “I’ve got you,” he murmured, fighting the push of his fangs. Damn, but he wanted to taste her. “Julia.”

  Her eyes opened when he said her name, going wide when he let her glimpse the bare tips of his fangs. “Do you want . . . ?”

  “Oh, yes.” There was an eagerness to her agreement that surprised him, but he forced himself to be sure.

  “Do you understand—?”

  “I know about the—” She moaned softly wh
en he ground his groin against her clit. “—the effect of your bite.”

  “It will hurt,” he warned, still unsure of her ready acceptance.

  She smiled slowly. “Hurts so good, baby.”

  He’d forgotten again about his princess’s penchant for erotic pain. Letting his fangs glide out to press against his lower lip, he bent his head to her neck and once again rasped his tongue along the line of her vein, over and over, until it was a firm swell of temptation against his mouth. He didn’t give her any warning. His fangs slid with smooth ease into her satiny skin and punctured her vein with a tiny pop of resistance. Her blood surged, filling his mouth and rolling down his throat, a caress of warm, dark honey. It was sweet and thick and delicious, and he knew instantly that one taste of her would never be enough.

  He didn’t know how long he was going to keep Julia Harper. But he did know that he wasn’t going to let her go until he’d had his fill—body and blood.

  Chapter Nine

  Edinburgh, Scotland, UK

  LACHLAN WOULD have known they were in Scotland even if he’d been locked in the darkness, blindfolded, with headphones muffling his ears. His soul sang the minute the jet touched down, the land of his birth—both human and vampire—welcoming him home. For the first time since he left for London, he was utterly at ease. He knew this place, drew strength from every mountain and field, every drop of water tumbling down to fill the lochs. No one could defeat him when he was home. Not even Erskine Ross. The evil bastard might be Highlands-born, just like Lachlan, but something had twisted inside him. He’d replaced loyalty to the lands of his birth with a mendacious hunger for the trappings of wealth, so much that he’d sacrificed the well-being of his own people to enhance his coffers. But more important, in Lachlan’s estimation, was the complete lack of honor, the kind Lachlan had been lectured on daily, even before he truly understood what it meant. An honor that had its roots deep in the Scottish Highlands and the clans that grew there. Erskine couldn’t possibly hold that kind of allegiance to the lands that had birthed them both. If he’d had, he’d never could have forsaken honor so cravenly that he’d used humans to attack and kill the McRae vampires while they slept, helpless to defend themselves.