Coveted - Book 3 in the Gwen Sparks Series Page 15

  I stopped beside him and admired the architecture too. Slowly, I reached my hand out to the side and clasped his.

  “The St. Louis Cathedral,” Dorian said.

  “It’s beautiful.” Thunder boomed overhead, lightning striking through the gloominess of the sky. “We should get back.”

  Dorian turned toward me. His face was calm, masking what he was feeling inside. “I take souls, guide them to the hereafter. I’ve done it for as long as I can remember, never asking questions.”

  Another crack of thunder sounded, the rain picking up. “Dorian, we can talk back at your place. It’s not safe to be out here.”

  The wind was picking up, bending tree branches with its ferocity. The square was now completely empty.

  “I never questioned the departure of a soul until yours,” Dorian said. “I couldn’t watch you go.” He was shaking his head as if his words astonished him. Tears filled my eyes, hidden by the rain. My mouth was open, words failing on my trembling lips. The air in my lungs constricted with his vulnerability.

  He stepped toward me, his hand going up and his fingers burying themselves in my wet hair. With his thumb, he brushed the droplets away from my cheek. His eyebrows scrunched together, as if pained by something. Like the lighting above, Dorian struck, claiming my mouth with an eagerness that awakened every nerve ending in my body.

  Wrapping an arm around my waist, he held me tighter. His tongue slipped between my lips and I felt my body sag against his. We drifted to a place where only he and I existed. I no longer heard the booming thunder, the smack of rain hitting the concrete or the feel of it against my skin. There was only Dorian, his hands on my body, his mouth on mine and the delicious sensations he stirred within me.

  He sucked on my bottom lip, his tongue rolling over the plump flesh before delving back into my mouth. I wrapped my arms around his neck, needing him even closer. The barest sliver of space between us was too much. I needed to feel all of him against me as I tasted the sweetness of his mouth.

  The slamming of a door startled me back to reality. My eyes popped open and I stared in amazement at being inside Dorian’s home. He didn’t allow me to analyze how we had just been in Jackson Square one minute and at his place the next. His hands were currently tugging off my jacket, my shirt and my jeans. They all fell to the floor in a wet heap. Dorian used one arm to lift me. My legs instinctively wrapped around his hard waist as he carried me down the hall and to his bedroom.

  Dorian released me and I slid down his body, my feet hitting the floor. He reached over, making sure to keep a hand on my waist, and turned on the small bedside lamp. When he was standing in front of me again, I reached up and slipped his sunglasses off so I could see his eyes. The reverberating thunder outside was like a soundtrack to the thunderstorm rolling through his eyes.

  “You’re shivering,” Dorian said softly, trailing a finger down my arm. “Are you cold or nervous?”

  “Both, I think.” I was standing in my bra and underwear after having wet clothes on, but I was also nervous because I knew without a doubt I wouldn’t stop Dorian this time. Tonight I would throw all my rejections about relationships out the window and just take what I wanted, and I wanted Dorian.

  “Close your eyes.”

  I did as he instructed. Fingertips grazed my shoulder, down my arm until it was lifted up. Dorian took one of my fingers and traced it across his bottom lip, his teeth nipping softly before placing a kiss there and moving on to the next. I heard the rustle of clothes and then my hand was traveling over the hard ripples of Dorian’s stomach. I couldn’t help myself, I peeked through one eye. Dorian was looking down, watching my hand touching him. When he looked up, I snapped my eyes closed, unable to stop from chuckling.

  Dorian let my arm fall to my side and then his hot breath and wet lips were on my shoulder, ascending toward my neck. His seduction chased the cold away, heat consuming its place. With one hand he fisted my wet hair and gently tugged my head to the side for better access to my throat. A moan slipped from my lips, each kiss searing my skin.

  I felt him peel the strap of my bra off my shoulder and my breathing hitched. Anticipation for what I had wanted for so long caused time to slow to an unbearable crawl.

  “Dorian,” I breathed.

  “Hmm, say my name.” He pressed another kiss to my neck and my eyes popped open.

  “You did not just say that,” I laughed.

  Dorian stood up straight, staring down at me. “When my name is a sweet whisper on your lips, you can guarantee I’ll beg to hear it again and again.”

  All I could do was smile. Dorian took my hand, leading me to the bed. We were in the room where I had first woken up. The world outside of the shuttered windows was dark as the storm moved in.

  “Lay back,” Dorian said as he gently pushed me down. I stretched out along the down comforter, my body his to claim. Dorian placed a knee between my legs, crawling onto the bed so he towered over me. My eyes absorbed the broadness of his shoulders, his chest and the rippling muscle of his stomach.

  He leaned forward, his hair brushing against the swell of my breasts as he pressed a kiss to the mounds. My hands moved up his arms, to his shoulders until my fingers were burying in his hair. He slid down my body, pressing kisses here and there. I held my breath when he stopped at my black cotton panties. Had I known I would be naked in front of him I would have chosen something a little sexier.

  Dorian hooked his fingers under the hem of my underwear. My heart was racing like that of a frightened animal. I was anxious and nervous, both emotions fighting for attention. Dorian had been with countless women. The measly three sexual encounters I’d had left me feeling inadequate.

  When Dorian raised my leg, his mouth hot against my skin, my mind snapped back to reality. His kisses made a path down my calf and toward my inner thigh. Something white caught my peripheral vision. Rolling my neck, I checked out the other side of the room but didn’t see anything. I shrieked when I felt the pressure of Dorian’s mouth against the cotton of my underwear. We made eye contact down the length of my body, a smile playing on Dorian’s lips.

  “I bet you taste as delicious as you look.”

  I propped myself up on my elbows so I could see him better. I hoped he didn’t notice the flush coloring my cheeks. “You don’t need to…” I loved when Aiden did it, but I knew Aiden, was comfortable with him. With Dorian it felt too intimate, which was silly because sex in itself was intimate.

  “Oh I think I do,” Dorian said, pressing another kiss against the fabric covering the very spot that was quivering for him. “I’ve wanted to taste you from the moment I saw you.” He slowly tugged my underwear down.

  Another glimpse of white raced out of the corner of my eye. I snapped my legs shut, sitting up and staring around the room. Now that it had my full attention I could detect it was a spirit.

  “Dorian?”

  “Hmm?” He was sliding an arm around my back and working the clasp of my bra.

  “Stop it.” I shrugged him off. “Something is here.”

  Dorian let out a frustrated breath. “It’s Eddie.”

  I quickly grabbed a pillow, hugging it to hide my body. “Eddie, you better show yourself right now.”

  White mist hovered in the air, growing thicker until Eddie was standing in the room.

  “You better have a damned good reason for bothering us,” Dorian bit out. He enveloped me in his arms. Geez, how much had Eddie seen?

  “I didn’t want to bother you but…the vampires are here.”

  “What vampires?”

  “The blonde woman and the dark haired man,” Eddie explained. “They’re out on the patio.”

  Dorian and I looked at each other. “What do they want?” Dorian asked.

  “More importantly,” I said. “How did they know I was in New Orleans?” The last time we had seen Lauren she was fending off rogues. It seemed like ages ago.

  “I don’t know, but I followed them like you asked and they led me here.
”

  I looked up at Dorian. “You told Eddie to follow Lauren and Aiden?”

  “I thought after the bond it was the smart thing to do. I don’t trust either one of them.” He looked over at Eddie. “Give us a minute.” Eddie disappeared in an instant.

  Dorian tugged the pillow out of my hands. “I’m going to go kill your ex and then we’ll pick up where we left off.” He stepped away from me and I hopped off the bed, grabbing his arm.

  “Don’t you dare,” I warned.

  Dorian grumbled, but nodded. “Okay, I won’t kill him but if he just came here to track you down, then nothing will stop me from taking you right in front of him.” A wicked grin spread across his face, and he leaned down to kiss me again. In no way did I like an audience when I was with a man, but his words excited me.

  “You’d do no such thing.”

  “Wouldn’t I?”

  *

  I quickly got dressed, not caring what I threw on. The only thing I was worried about was Dorian being alone with Aiden. I slipped out of the bedroom and headed down the hallway. Aiden, Lauren and Dorian were standing in the living room and their eyes found my face when I entered. I walked over to them, my eyes landing on each of their faces. Lauren had her arms crossed, her hip cocked with a bored look on her face. Aiden’s hair was brushed back, his eyes wild as he stared at me. His hands were fisted at his side, and Dorian was standing as confident as ever, a smirk on his lips.

  “What’s going on? Why are you guys here?”

  “I need to speak to you,” Aiden said through clenched teeth. “Alone.” He glared at Dorian. Uh-oh, what had I missed? Dorian had obviously said something snarky and Aiden was fighting to remain under control.

  “Okay,” I said in bewilderment.

  “Like hell,” Dorian replied, reaching for my arm.

  “Dorian, it’s okay.”

  After a short internal debate, he let go of my arm, and Aiden and I headed down the hallway to an empty bedroom. I couldn’t take Aiden in the room Dorian and I had just been in for many reasons. I made sure to close the door so Dorian wouldn’t be able to eavesdrop on our conversation.

  “How’d you find me?” I stood with my arms crossed.

  “Lauren told me you guys just up and disappeared. I needed to know you were okay. The bond directed me to you.” He walked toward me, his hands reaching out before they dropped and he walked away. “You have to know I didn’t have anything to do with what happened at my club.”

  “What exactly did happen?”

  Aiden had made mistakes, but I still trusted him enough to believe him on this. If there was one group of people he hated, it was the VC. Murdering a person’s family didn’t earn them brownie points.

  “I honestly don’t know,” Aiden said with confusion. “But I do know they’re up to something.” He walked over to me, stopping when only mere millimeters separated us. With soft fingertips, he caressed the side of my face. “I’m leaving, Gwen.”

  “You just got here.”

  “I’m leaving the country,” Aiden clarified. “Traveling for a while. Whatever the VC is planning, I’m part of it. I won’t allow them to use our bond to their advantage.”

  I know I had just been getting frisky with Dorian, but hearing that Aiden was leaving hurt a little. For all the obstacles that had been thrown in our path, I still cared about him.

  “How is moving out of the country going to help? We just need to find a way to break the bond.”

  Aiden’s picked up a strand of my hair, rubbing it through his fingers before leaning forward and taking a deep breath. I didn’t comment how strange that was.

  “Blood bonds are tricky, Gwen. Remember when we were trying to find a way to break the one between you and Ian?”

  I nodded.

  “The only answer I found was that the offending vampire has to bestow the bond on someone else. And there is no one else in this world I want to be linked to. Of course there’s always death…”

  My eyes widened. “I’m not killing you.”

  “That’s good to hear.” Aiden smiled. “Gwen…”

  “What is it?”

  Aiden took a deep breath, stepping away from me. “There’s a reason why I placed Lauren as your guard,” he paused. “It’s not a myth.”

  “What isn’t a myth?” I knew the answer but needed to hear him say it.

  “Hybrids. They’re rare, but not impossible to create. Lauren’s father is an incubus and her mother was human. She was able to accept the vampire virus. That’s why men seem to eat right out of her hand.”

  I didn’t hear anything after Aiden admitted to hybrids existing. “But…you and her…for years,” I mumbled. “And you’re just now telling me?”

  “Yes I’ve known her for years, but I didn’t know,” Aiden admitted. “She asked me about us, and once she heard our story she confessed to what she was. This is why I’m leaving. I’m afraid Aaron commanded me to bite you so we would bond and in return he’d own a piece of you too.”

  I stumbled over to the bed, sitting as I zoned out. “I thought you sired Lauren? How would you not know she was part succubus?”

  “No, Lauren’s sire is a vampire from Maine. I met Lauren fifteen or so years ago, but she never mentioned her mixed heritage.”

  “Okay,” I said, mentally sorting through all the information. “And the reason Aaron ordered you to drink from me is because…?”

  “He’s my sire,” Aiden said and I nodded. “He can command me to do anything he wants. With us bonded there is no place in the world you could hide from me. Aaron knows you’d never share blood with him. So, through me he controls you too. If he wanted to, he could order me turn you. If the transition was successful I’d be your sire. Do you understand now?”

  I nodded again, all the pieces falling into place. “You would be my sire but since Aaron is your sire he could order you to make me do whatever he wanted.”

  “Yes, now you know why I have to leave?”

  “How does Aaron know hybrids are doable, and do you have proof that Lauren is one? She could be lying.”

  Aiden knelt down in front of me, clasping my hands and staring up into my eyes. “Aaron doesn’t need to know if hybrids are achievable. His curiosity is peeked and he’ll try just to see if it’s capable. If you die turning the blood exchange he’ll consider it a lost cause.”

  I could see the pain in Aiden’s eyes. I couldn’t imagine someone using me to kill someone I loved. The only way he could make sure that didn’t happen was to run away. I knew Aiden well enough to know that he would race all over the globe just to make sure the VC never found him.

  “And I did a background check on Lauren after she told me her story. There’s no record of her father. It’s not concrete proof, but I’ve felt her influence. I would have begged at her feet had she asked me to.”

  I frowned, imagining Aiden worshiping vampire Barbie. Then another piece of the puzzle fell into place. Dorian had been almost enamored with her when they first met and since the only person I had ever seen Dorian enamored with was himself, something was definitely odd about Lauren.

  “Do you think he’s the one who sent the rogues?”

  Aiden shook his head. “No, he doesn’t want you dead before he experiments with his theory. That one has Holly written all over it.”

  “I don’t understand the hype with hybrids,” I said with frustration. “So what if another supernatural can accept the vampire virus?”

  “Vampires live long lives based on those who either fear them or are loyal to them. Being a sire to a hybrid gives that vampire control of the hybrid’s power. If the VC knew about Lauren, they would want her just as much as they want you. She could make their enemies do whatever she wanted.”

  “What if I was the one to run? The only thing I have is my shop, and the people in Flora are starting to hate me. I don’t have anything tying me to Flora like you do. What are you going to do with Vain?”

  Aiden sat on the bed next to me. He leaned for
ward, resting his arms on his knees. “If you ran the VC would just use me to track you down. It has to be me who leaves. If they can’t find me, then they can’t force me to turn you. As for Vain,” he shrugged. “I’m putting Zane in charge of it.”

  We sat in silence, both lost in our thoughts. Finally anger overwhelmed any confusion or fear I felt. Standing, I crossed my arms and said, “We have to kill them.”

  Aiden looked as though I had just shoved a stake through his heart. “They’re the original vampires, Gwen. We cannot kill them.”

  “Every vampire can be killed,” I reminded him. “They’re not immortal like Dorian.”

  “Gwen,” Aiden said, standing and grasping my shoulders, “no one has ever gone against the VC and lived to tell the tale. They’re centuries old. Their veins run with the old ones’ blood, demonic vampire blood, Gwen. They cannot be killed. Promise me you won’t try.” When I didn’t say anything Aiden shook me a little. “Promise me,” he demanded.

  “Fine, but your runaway act isn’t going to save my life. If they want to try and change me into a hybrid, they can just get another one of their children to do it. Hell, if they really wanted to control my power they would just kidnap me and change me themselves.”

  Aiden released my shoulders. “They very well could. What I’ve told you is just my theory of why they wanted us bonded.”

  “How did everything get so screwed up?” I said more to myself than to Aiden.

  “I wish I could take all of your burdens away, my Gwen. The best I can do is take myself out of the equation. Unless…”

  I had been staring at the floor, but looked up at him. “Unless what?”