Caressed by a Crimson Moon (Rulers of Darkness) (13 page)

In a flash of movement, he was across the room. His back turned to her.

“Run along, half-breed,” he grated.

Eva moved from the bed, her legs weak. “No,” she said squaring her shoulders. “I really must speak with—”

“I’m not in a talkative mood, little one. I suggest you go.”

Standing her ground, Eva lifted her chin in defiance. “Why haven’t you kissed me?”

Hadrian turned. His gaze focused on her lips.

She had not seen him move, though he now stood behind her. “I have kissed you,” his fingers skimmed over her neck to her shoulder, “here,” his hands brushed the sides of her breasts, “and here.”

Good lord, if he would cup her breasts—How could Hadrian make her so hot that her blood nearly boiled? How could he make her thoughts fade away until there was nothing but him?

“H–Hadrian,” she said, her voice a soft whisper.

His lips tickled her ear as he spoke. “Yes, little one.”

Her head lolled back against his shoulder as she struggled to regain her composure. She had been angry. She had wanted—Hadrian’s lips caressed the tender flesh below her ear. Eva tried to focus, but her mind was consumed with a mess of erotic thoughts. Would he take her now? Would he lay her back onto the bed?

“Eva,” he rasped against her ear, “you need to leave.”

No! This could not end. Not now. She wanted more, needed more. And she had come here with a mission. She had followed him because she had questions…right?

Hadrian felt his control slipping. His hands shook as he pulled away from her.

Eva slowly turned to face him and he had to look away. Her eyes glowed with need, her arousal and sweet vanilla scent was overwhelming. His fangs grew to lethal points, slicing his lower lip as his cock hardened and strained against the confines of his jeans.

How could he still crave her blood? He had fed.

Was Eva destined to be his next victim? Gods, he craved to kill her. His demon roared, delighting in the thought of draining her and slashing his own vein for her—

Make her mine.

Her heartbeat was a steady rhythm in his ears. It would be so easy. All he had to do was reach out…

Hadrian snatched her arm, his fingers encircling her wrist, the coolness of his flesh felt like steel. Eva did not resist when he pulled her to him.

He said nothing as he continued to stare at her as if he were contemplating tackling her to the ground and ripping her clothes from her body. The thought sent a jolt of pleasure down her spine.

His black eyes shimmered with carnal need and undeniable desire. Then, with a simple blink, his gaze became void of all emotion, soulless and empty. His expression was unreadable. The sudden change told her that he was a master of hiding his true feelings, his true nature.

Hadrian silently struggled against his instincts to throw her back on the bed and claim her body, her blood, and her life. Releasing her, he forced himself to step back, retreating from the welcoming heat of her body.

“It is not safe for you here,” he coldly stated, impressed that his words did not falter.

Eva watched him take another step back. Hadrian honestly believed he was a threat to her. Her stomach twisted as the rumors flooded her mind.
He’ll suck the life right out you, done to the marrow in your bones. He’s a devil, that one, a beast straight from the fires of hell.
Falcon, his closest friend, had warned her just moments ago about Hadrian being a danger.

“Have you no sense, woman?” Hadrian barked, his hard voice shattering her thoughts. “Get out.”

“I have questions.”

“For love of all the gods,” he sighed. “It is not safe for you to be near me.”

“Will you rip my throat out? Will you suck the marrow from my bones? Or will you play cat and mouse with me first, drawing out my death while you laugh?” No response. “I don’t think you will.”

“What makes you so sure?” he countered, his voice deepening.

“If killing me was your plan, you’ve had ample opportunities to do the deed.”

Hadrian scrubbed his face with shaking hands as he turned and stalked to his desk. He needed a drink. With luck, the liquor would help to calm his roiling emotions. His fingers wrapped about the fragile neck of the crystal decanter as he poured the glowing silver liquid into a tumbler. The liquor burned in a delicious way as he gulped it down. Wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, he poured another glass.

Eva watched as he continued to drink the strange, glowing, fluid. She had never seen anything like it and could only assume it was Silver Moon. She had heard about the liquor. It was rumored to be the only thing that could get a vampire drunk.

Great, Eva, you’ve driven him to drink.

Praying that the liquor would soothe his demon, she decided this would be the best time to start with her questions. Wetting her lips she asked, “Why did you leave me sitting in the snow?”

Hadrian carefully set the tumbler on his desk, idly tracing the rim with his index finger. “If I had not abandoned you, I would have torn your jeans from your limbs. And as I savagely thrust into you over and over again, I would have sunk my fangs into your lovely, elegant throat.”

His voice was smooth as he poured himself another drink. His manner was relaxed and detached. Yet, Eva could sense the demon lurked just beneath the calm surface.

“Your blood would sweeten with your orgasm. The taste would have driven me to madness and as I came, I would draw on your vein until every last drop of your precious blood touched my tongue. Then, as I released your body, I would rip your throat out with my teeth and leave you to be buried in the snow,” he shrugged, “or to be eaten by wolves.”

“You had me excited until that last part,” Eva said.

“I was losing control. If I had not pulled away…” A twisted smile graced his perfect lips. “My demon wanted to kill, more than it has wanted anything its entire unholy existence.”

Was he trying to scare her again?

No matter what he said, fact was, he had done none of the things he described. He had recognized he was becoming dangerous and vanished.

“But you didn’t hurt me. Well, except my pride. No woman wants to be left in the snow like that.”

His gaze turned sharp then his eyes narrowed. The temperature of the room dropped as shadows descended upon his face.

“Perhaps I’m not making myself clear,” he said, his voice hard. “Or,” his gaze traveled over her, studying her from head to toe, “you want me this way, on the verge of losing control.”

She swallowed hard. His heated, predatory gaze fixed on her as his voice deepened. Dangerous sexual intent burned in his eyes as he downed his liquor, savoring it as if imagining it was her blood. His eyes roamed her body. A pure masculine smile softened his features, as his fangs grew longer.

Eva gasped. God, she wanted this vampire. She had to use every ounce of her rapidly depleting self-control
not
to throw herself at him.

“Danger,” he grated past his fangs, “it excites you.”

Eva opened her mouth, ready to deny his words, but she knew whatever she said would be a lie. Was danger the reason she was so attracted to Hadrian?  She always had a thing for bad boys and Hadrian was the worst kind. His reputation was deadly, his looks combined with his sexuality was lethal. He was a king amongst the vampires with nearly unmatched power, strength, and speed. He was the embodiment of all that had been denied her for the past nine years. He was sex, danger, and excitement. He was a true alpha male and he would claim her. Dominate her.

“Come here, Eva.”

His voice sent waves of sensual vibrations throughout her body. Without a thought or a care, she came forward. In a whirl of movement, he spun her about, pinning her against the desk, trapping her with his body.

“I warned you,” he whispered, “You should have left while you had the chance.” His cool breath brushed her neck. “A feral beast haunts this castle and,” his hands gripped her hips as his lips brushed her ear, “that beast is me.”

His hands slowly moved up her sides, tracing the contours of her body. He removed her shirt and his fingers brushed over the exposed flesh of her breasts.

Hadrian stroked his velvet tongue down the column of her throat. His hand dipped inside her bra. As he rolled her hardened nipples between his fingers, he pressed her forward with his chest, forcing her to lean over the desk. He nipped at her jugular and her knees went weak. He caught her to him, effortlessly supporting her with his body.

“I’ll try to control myself for as long as I can. But you want me to behave like a savage, do you not?”

He gathered her floor length skirt in his fists, drawing it over her legs inch by painstaking inch. Eva bit her lower lip. She wanted to scream at him to rip the skirt away, but she savored the sweet, torturous anxiety. Her breaths came in pants as fire skipped along her flesh. Heat collected between her thighs.

God, she wanted this male. She needed him. Now. Hard and fast. She needed him to claim her, to make her feel alive after so many years of pain and neglect. She had been waiting for this, dreaming of this moment for too long. And she had a stunning vampire as hot for her as she was for him, caution be damned.

Using his knee, he pushed her legs open, giving him better access to her. Eva moaned as he drew a finger over her damp panties. All he had to do was move the thin material of her thong aside…

“You’re so hot,” he said. His finger brushed her again and her entire body quaked. “So wet.” Shifting, he held her skirt in one hand, bunching the material around her waist. He ran his fingers from her navel, between the valley of her breasts to cup her jaw. Turning her head, he ran his tongue over her sensitive earlobe before taking the tender flesh between his teeth. “Gods, you are ready,” he whispered, as he rocked his hips against her. “You want the demon.”

Eva gasped as he moved against her again, brushing his hard length over her ass.

“You want me.”

All she could do was nod in response.

Hadrian took her hand in his and slowly drew their entwined fingers down her body, pausing to massage her breasts in turn, then her hip and lower.

Eva’s breath caught as he traced their fingers over her panties. A violent wave of pleasure washed over her as he drew her index finger along her silt.

Hadrian released her hand and pushed her forward, making her rise to her toes. In this position, her skirt was pinned between her hips and the desk. With both of his hands free, he captured her wrists and placed her palms on the smooth polished surface, giving a silent command not to move.

He cupped her ass, then leisurely ran his strong hands up her arched back, over her shoulders, then down to her breasts. He kneaded her and Eva silently prayed he would remove her bra.

Releasing her breasts, he moved his masterful fingers lower. One hand flattened against her belly, his fingers splayed, filling the area between her hips as the other continued down. He began to stroke her through her panties, the pad of his index finger casually rubbing along her clitoris.

Eva trembled. If desire had not robbed her of her voice, she would beg him to tear her panties away and demand he bury himself deep within her. She knew there would be pain at first, but she was on the verge of coming and craved to feel him filling her.

“Tell me what you want,” he grated.

She could hear the change in his voice and sense the darkness rising within him. His fangs would extend, if they hadn’t already. Their stark white would shimmer in the candlelight, long and razor sharp. Would he bite her? Dear heaven, she wished he would.

He increased the pressure and speed as he worked his hand over her, drawing sigh after sigh from her lips.

“Say it, Eva,” Hadrian rasped. “Tell me what you
crave
.”

Her breath seized in her lungs as his fingers moved to the edge of her panties and…stopped. He gently teased the flesh along the hemline. Her rapidly beating heart skipped a beat as he toyed with her, tortured her. God, surely the anticipation would kill her.

“Come on, little one,” he urged.

She swallowed, praying her voice would work, “Hadrian.”

“Hm?”

“I–I want y…” Eva’s words ended with a gasp as the tips of his fingers curled beneath the seam of her panties.

When she wriggled her hips in anticipation and moaned with sexual frustration, he chuckled, “Sorry, sweet, but,” he pressed his hard length firmly against her backside once more, “can you be a little more specific?”

“P–please Hadrian.”

“Tell this demon what you want,” he encouraged as he flicked her clit with his thumb.

Eva moaned as her body arched in pleasure. Damn, she was close to coming.

“This is your last chance, Eva. Tell me what you want and I will show you every bit of the monster I am or…leave.”

Eva blinked in surprise. Hadrian was offering her an out. If she did not answer him, he would pull away and deny her—No. He would deny them both.

A shadow of doubt crept into her mind. Was he truly worried he would lose control, that he would harm her…or worse? She knew his style of lovemaking was rough. Did he think she was too frail?