Embrace the Darkness (31 page)

“Good.” His lips brushed her mouth. “I want the pleasure of convincing you.”

She gave a small shiver. She didn't doubt it would be a pleasure.

For both of them.

The sound of Levet clearing his throat echoed eerily through the cavern and Shay glanced up to discover him regarding them with a hint of impatience.

“Not that I wish to be the pooper of the party, but unless we get out of these caves Dante will soon be bringing his army in with guns blazing,” he pointed out. “Time is a-ticking.”

Viper gave a slow nod. “I hate to agree with the gargoyle, but if Dante is on his way then we must stop him before any further violence.” His head turned to regard Styx who was silently gathering the handful of ashes that remained of his master. “There has been enough bloodshed.”

Shay lightly touched his face in sympathy before returning her attention to the giant demon. He was quite impressive with his bulging muscles and grotesque features. As terrifying as even the greatest of gargoyles. But she missed her tiny Levet.

“Not that I want to rain on your parade, Levet, but have you given any thought to how you're going to get out of these caves?” she murmured softly.

With a frown of surprise, Levet glanced down at his enlarged body. “Can't I just…” He gave a wave of his hands. “Force my way out?”

Viper rose to his feet and pulled Shay to stand close to his side. “Not without bringing most of the bluff down on our heads. And while I appreciate your help, my friend, I have no desire to be trapped in these tunnels with you until we can dig our way out.”

Levet gave a testy stomp of his foot, showering them all with chunks of rock from the ceiling.

“This totally blows,” he complained. “I finally get to be a decent size and now I have to give it up before I can even enjoy one good pillaging.”

“No.” The silent sprite suddenly grasped Levet's arm, her expression pleading. “Don't listen to them. They are trying to deceive you and make you give up your last wish. We can get out of here. I know a way…”

“Oh, do shut up,” Levet snapped. “It's worth giving up a wish just to be rid of you.” He sucked in a deep breath. “I wish I were my normal size.”

In the blink of an eye Levet had shrunk to his three-foot stature and, best of all, the wailing water sprite had disappeared.

With a small smile, Shay moved forward to wrap her arms about her dear friend.

“I love you, Levet,” she whispered.

He gave a derisive snort at her mushy words, but he didn't try to pull away. With an awkward motion he patted her back with his small hand.

“
Oui, oui.
Now can we go home?”

Home. Yes, she was going home. With her family at her side.

No demon could ask for more.

 

Viper was as good as his word.

He did have the necessary connections to discover a witch willing to break the curse that bound Shay.

Of course, he wasn't pleased with her decision to allow Evor to slink back beneath the rocks he had crawled from. He was fairly straightforward about what he wanted for the troll. A nice, lengthy bout of torture, followed by several hours of being sliced into tiny little pieces.

Shay, however, discovered that her fierce need for revenge was no longer the driving force in her life. Not when she had an eternity to plan with the vampire she loved.

She was free of Evor, and as long as he was being watched by vampires to make sure he didn't hurt any other demon, she was satisfied.

They had quarreled, of course, but in the end she had had her way. And they had both enjoyed the delicious opportunity to kiss and make up.

Now the curse was gone and Shay was able to plan her future for the first time in nearly a century.

With blissful joy she traded her life as a servant for one as a mate.

It had been a beautiful ceremony at Viper's country estate surrounded by hundreds of candles and roses and the sweet scent of freshly baked apple pie floating through the air.

As Viper's fangs had slid into her flesh and he had called the ancient power to bind them as one, Shay thought that there would never be a more perfect moment in her life.

She had been wrong.

As the days had passed she realized that her days were now filled with those perfect moments.

Shopping or just sharing lunch with Abby. Watching Viper teach Levet how to use a sword with deadly accuracy. Late-night dinners with Viper teasing her as she polished off a huge meal left by the housekeeper. The festive gatherings with his clan where the vampires revealed their profound respect and unwavering loyalty to the leader who kept them secure.

They were moments that many would take for granted.

But never her.

Returning to the house after a marathon shopping spree with Abby, Shay silently slipped into the bedroom she shared with Viper, and tossed aside her numerous bags. Until she had fallen in love she had never cared about something so foolish as fashion.

Now, however, she had a very special desire to look her best.

Relieved to discover that Viper was busy in the shower she hurriedly stripped off her clothes and reached into one of the bags to pull out a white nightgown.

It was a beautiful garment.

Shimmering satin with inset lace over her breasts and down her stomach it managed to reveal far more than it concealed.

It seemed custom made to make the most discriminating vampire stand up and take notice.

She had just slipped it over her head when the connecting door to the bathroom opened and Viper stepped in the room.

Just for a moment she struggled to remember how to breathe.

He was just so damn gorgeous.

Wearing a heavy brocade dressing gown and the silken spill of silver hair framing his perfect face, he looked like some decadent fantasy come to life.

Her fantasy.

Coming to an abrupt halt he allowed his eyes to widen as they took a slow, extremely thorough survey of her barely clad body.

Shay hid a smile as she felt the air in the room begin to prickle with the passionate heat that Viper stirred with such ease. It didn't seem to matter how many times he held her in his arms, he was always hungry for more.

His eyes darkened as he paused long enough to ignite the dozens of candles left on the dresser before turning off the overhead light and moving to stand directly before her.

He stood for endless moments, drinking in the sight of her with an expression that was impossible to read. At last Shay heaved an impatient sigh.

“Well?” she prompted.

“Well what?” he demanded, his voice suitably thick.

What was the point in satin and lace if it didn't make a man struggle to speak?

She deliberately ran her hands over the smooth material. “You're supposed to tell me that you think my new gown is beautiful.”

His fangs lengthened as he struggled not to simply haul her to the bed and let instinct take over. For all his elegant sophistication there were times when he was utterly male.

“Anything that you wear is beautiful,” he murmured.

“I thought you would like it.”

Her heart jolted with excitement as his arms slid around her, and she was tugged firmly against his body. The feel and scent of him was enough to make her blood rush and her stomach quiver with anticipation.

“I like it very much, but I'm not certain that it's worth the cost,” he said as he dipped his head to gently nuzzle at her cheek.

“Don't tell me that you've become a penny-pincher in your old age?” she protested.

He gave her ear a light nip. “I could care less about the cost, it's the time that you took to shop for the gown that I regret.”

Shay shivered as she allowed her arms to wrap around his neck. She knew quite well that Viper was pleased she was forging a friendship with Abby.

He better than anyone understood just how special a bond it was to her.

“I was only gone five hours.”

His tongue traced the length of her jaw sending a flare of raw heat racing through her body. Holy guacamole he was good at this.

“Entirely too long,” he informed her.

Shay struggled to recall she had a brain. One that usually functioned quite well.

Not an easy task when his hands began to explore the sheer lace that covered her breasts.

“You obviously know nothing of the intricate rituals involved in shopping,” she breathed.

His thumbs brushed her nipples, raising them to eager points. “Intricate rituals?”

She obligingly leaned back so he could more easily cover her aching nipples with his talented lips. A sigh slid from her lips as he suckled her with growing insistence.

“Abby is instructing me in the art. It's all very complicated, and very secret.”

“Hmm.” His tongue stroked the hard tip of her breast until her knees threatened to buckle. “It sounds far too tedious to waste your time upon. You have far more important matters to attend to.”

She clutched at his shoulders. “And what matters would those be?”

“Let me see.” Before she could sense his intention he had swept her off her feet and was heading toward the nearby bed. She found herself flat on the mattress with Viper on top of her before she could blink. Not that she minded. It was precisely where she had planned to end up. Although not necessarily with Viper on top. He regarded her with a ridiculously smug expression. “First you should always greet your mate with a kiss.”

“Ah.” She intended to put a swift end to the smug smile.

Cupping his face in her hands she lifted her head to place her lips against his. At first her touch was gentle. Featherlight kisses, and the brush of her tongue. Viper moaned but she refused to deepen her touch as she nibbled at the corner of his mouth.

She felt his body harden above her, his erection pressing into her thigh with a fierce insistence. Only then did she part his lips with her tongue and allow her restrained hunger to taste him as she desired.

He made a sound deep in his throat as his hands impatiently tugged at her expensive gown.

“Is that how I should kiss you?” she murmured.

“Oh, yes,” he said as he wrestled her out of the satin. “That's precisely how you should do it.”

“Anything else?”

“You should remove my robe.” He smiled as she gave a lift of her brows. “Just to make sure I managed to wash all of the soap off.”

“Yeah, right.” She chuckled as she obligingly slipped the rich material off his body and tossed it onto the floor. She ran her hands over the rippling muscles of his back. “You wouldn't want any stray soap bubbles.”

His eyes were as black as midnight and his hair had spilled like a silk curtain around her. With his fangs fully extended, he looked dangerous and exotic and wholly wicked.

“You really should search more carefully, pet.”

“Really?” Angling her head she skimmed her lips down the length of his neck and over his collarbone. She lingered a moment to nibble at the cool, sinfully smooth skin before continuing down to tease his nipple as he had teased her own. “How's that?”

“Perfect,” he moaned, his fingers sinking into her hair and tugging it from her tidy braid. “Shay.”

With a sharp movement he had pulled her back up to meet his seeking lips. There was no more pretense of gentleness as he captured her mouth in a kiss that demanded full capitulation.

Shay readily parted her lips as his tongue stroked deeply into her mouth. At the same time his hands were roaming over her skin with an urgency that made her heart clench with excitement.

There was nothing quite so delicious as a fully aroused vampire.

Drinking deeply of her desire he scattered demanding kisses over her face before moving to caress the line of her neck. Shay caught her breath, expecting to feel the smooth thrust of his fangs.

The past weeks had taught her that there was nothing to fear in offering Viper the blood he craved. It was an intimate sharing that provided a pleasure beyond all imagination.

His fangs lightly scraped her skin, but he continued to move ever downward, planting a teasing kiss on her breast, her stomach, and the curve of her hip.

Shay's eyes rolled back in her head as he tugged her legs apart and settled himself between them. Oh, she liked this part.

With the patience only an immortal could invoke Viper trailed his lips over the curve of her thigh, his tongue teasing down to her leg to the tips of her toes before returning. Her hips arched off the bed in a silent plea.

“Please…” she whispered.

His tongue continued to stroke her inner thigh as he glanced up to meet her glittering gaze. With a deliberate motion he allowed his fangs to pierce the skin, and just as deliberately paused as he waited for her approval.