Dark Solace (33 page)

“Think about it,” Devlin said jadedly. “I
control a territory, and the vampires in it pay me homage. But what
happens to my respect if someone is hunting and killing them? I am
not only supposed to protect the law and keep order, I also am
responsible for the safety of those vampires in my territory. If
someone is hunting them down like deer, I am supposed to find out
who, and deal with it. A Ruler who can’t protect his people is
overthrown by his subjects sooner rather than later.”

That made complete sense. Devlin had been
trained from birth to protect the law, and—in spite of his father’s
many failings—to also be a good leader who not only led but also
looked out for his men. It was natural that after his changing, he
had still been that man, even if he hadn’t been kind. “So what is
the latest data on Ulysses? Do you know where he is?”

“Zane almost nailed him in Africa, but he
slipped through somehow. Zane called me to let me know he was on a
plane headed here. I need to end him this time, because he’ll be
coming for me again.”

And for Lash and me, once he knew how we’d
helped Devlin escape. “Does Danial know? Ulysses didn’t know you
were brothers, at least he seemed not to.”

“Danial knows to be on guard,” Devlin
replied, nodding. “But he is not paying the kind of attention that
he should be. But I made Theo aware. He and Terian will look out
for Danial.”

That was a welcome relief. Lash had to be
aware, also, which meant Dev, the kids, and I would all be
okay.

“So I’m going to be a little ‘off’ for a
while,” Devlin said with a grimace. “Until my emotions even out, or
at least, go back to what is normal for me.”

That would be approximately somewhere between
borderline psychotic and sexual sadist.

“If you’ll please have patience with me
as—”

“I will,” I agreed, then took his hand in
mine. “But that’s not the only problem we face, Dev. Tell me the
real reason you are jealous of Lash.”

Devlin looked away from me.

It was time to come clean. “Come upstairs
with me, Dev.”

As I closed the bedroom door behind us and
locked it, I noticed that the lock was fixed. So much time had
passed since Lash had kicked it in to come to my rescue back in the
spring. How many times had Lash kicked in this door, and had to fix
the lock later? Odds were it had been more than once...

“Sar—” Devlin began suddenly.

Forget about Lash. I turned to face Dev.
“Show me yourself.”

He blanched. “I’m not ready—”

“Show me now, Devlin,” I said. “It’s past
time you did.”

Devlin suddenly headed for the bathroom. I
crossed the room in a few strides, and grabbed hold of him. “Show
me!” I cried out, grabbing his face in my hands. “I need to know,
Dev! It doesn’t matter.”

“It does,” Devlin said, anguished.

I faced him, and without preamble, stripped
off my clothes. Devlin watched me, fear building in his expression.
Naked, I went to him and took his face in my hands gently. “Dev, I
held you when you were burned. You are healed now—”

“I am not how I was,” Devlin whispered,
unwilling to meet my eyes with his own.

The longer this dragged out, the more afraid
we were both going to be. “This is how you are now,” I said firmly.
“You are as healed as you are going to be, Dev. Show me.”

Devlin sighed, and then slowly began
unbuttoning his shirt.

“I want you,” I said softly, then kissed him.
“I want you, Devlin, just as you are. Don’t be afraid.”

At first, he didn’t kiss me back, or even
reply. But before long, Devlin succumbed to my kisses and with a
groan, began kissing me back. Quickly, before I lost my nerve, I
stripped off his T-shirt, baring his golden chest hair. As I ran my
hands down to his jeans, apprehensive, waiting to feel ridged
flesh, for him to flinch backwards suddenly with a gasp. Yet his
cool skin was the smooth perfection it had always been.

Pushing him backwards to sit on the bed, I
began unbuttoning his jeans. I could feel him easily underneath the
heavy denim, the engorged length of him pushing almost through the
waistband. As I slid the cloth down off his hips, I saw at once
that he was hairless, his organs still looking newly healed. But
all his equipment was intact, and fully working.

I wrapped my fingers around him and stroked
gently. He inhaled sharply, then grasped my hand, moving it off
him.

“Are you sensitive?” I asked tentatively.
“Did what I do hurt?”

“No,” Dev said bitterly. “But I look like a
boy who has never reached puberty—”

I reached down and stroked him again gently,
bringing a groan from his throat as he thrust involuntarily. “I
like it. I can see all of you this way—”

“Stop!” Devlin said desperately, moving away
again. “I have no staying power now, Sar. None. My body won’t obey
my will.” He swallowed hard, closing his eyes. “I couldn’t...I
didn’t want to start something with you I couldn’t finish. I didn’t
want to disappoint you, Love.”

Devlin had always prided himself on his
sexual skill, his ability to finesse me with his staying power and
seductive teasing. Now, he couldn’t. As a result, his huge ego was
in tatters, and he’d been keeping his distance rather than risk a
failed romantic encounter with me. This was also why Devlin was so
jealous suddenly of Lash; he knew Lash—being were—could easily make
love for hours on end.

“Dev, you just got well,” I consoled. “Give
yourself time.”

“I have been fully healed for over a week,”
Devlin replied, his tone raw with hopelessness. “Yet the problem
remains.” He kissed my hand. “I want so much to love you for hours,
to show you what it’s meant to me that you took care of me, that
you’re with me now. Instead, I’m practically useless to you.”

“Hush,” I said firmly. “Kiss me, and take it
slow, Devlin. I want to try.”

Devlin gave me a worried look, but pulled me
hard against him. I kissed him passionately, sliding my hands up
into his hair. He wrapped his arms around me and we fell back onto
the bed. Devlin rubbed the tip of his penis between my legs, then
held my gaze as he slowly bore down with his hips. Shifting, he
moved closer, bringing a moan from me as I strained up against him,
clutching his back. Suddenly, Devlin shuddered, then cried out in
anguish as he unexpectedly spurted. He sagged, then swore angrily,
his erection already softening inside me.

I hugged him close. “It’s okay. It doesn’t
matter—”

“It does matter,” Devlin said disgustedly. “I
can’t believe this is happening to me—”

“Pull out,” I said gently. “Then lay back for
me.”

Devlin rolled onto his back with a sigh. I
grabbed a nearby tissue, and wiped him off, then curled my hands
about his penis. His flesh was limp in my grasp.

I tried to think of a single time I’d seen
Devlin like this, and couldn’t remember one. In the broiling
Jacuzzi, when he’d been freezing after our January bike ride, when
he’d been an emotional wreck our first day together in the motel,
that time at the concession stand at the movies, in the doctor’s
office, Danial’s kitchen, Hell, anywhere, he had always been ready
for action, his flesh hard and firm. He had always been in complete
control of himself, sometimes sustaining erections for hours at a
stretch. Ulysses had struck the bull’s-eye with his well-planned
revenge. The loss of his sexual power was likely more horrible to
Devlin than just dying would have been. Dev would remember it for
as long as he lived, no matter if he regained his old skill and
stamina, and even killed Ulysses.

Luckily, I wasn’t without skill myself. And
no matter how worried he was about his performance, there was one
thing sure to make him forget that and get back in the mood.
Leaning over him, I began kissing him gently, running my lips and
tongue over his flaccid member.

Devlin groaned loudly. “Ahh, Sar...I have
long waited to feel your lips on me, kissing me so intimately—”

I took the tip of him into my mouth and
sucked teasingly. Looking up to face him, I stroked him with my
tongue, letting him see how much I enjoyed feeling his flesh
between my lips. His own lips parted as he beheld me, his golden
eyes so hot with lust they were gleaming red in the darkness. His
body almost came off the bed, his hands reaching down to grab my
shoulders as I moved my lips over him, caressing him with my
tongue, watching him watch me.

Devlin pushed me back. “Climb onto me,” he
urged, moving me astride him. “Please, Sar. Move quickly!”

His penis was lengthening again, filling out
as his body made itself ready to love me again.

Hurriedly, I straddled him and began moving
on him, wetting his hardening organ with my juices. He pivoted his
hips and slipped inside me, then began to grind my body against
his, stimulating me.

I was already close, my desire rampant with
need for satisfaction. I moved my hips on his with abandon,
throwing my head back. God, no one felt like he did. No one else
gave me that feeling of being stroked all over inside, completely
filled...

Devlin strained beneath me, panting, his eyes
closed. “Sar, you’re so warm—”

“Oh, yes, just like that,” I moaned, rocking
my hips on him, my tone complete need. “Harder—”

Devlin thrust in deeply, his hands sliding up
to cup my breasts. He twitched suddenly beneath me, then began to
shudder.

I was almost there. I was so close! God,
please—!

Devlin came again with a harsh cry, spasming
hard. As he jerked under me, his movements pushed me to climax, my
loud scream of release breaking free. Devlin ground into me
frantically, the sensation bringing cry after cry from my parted
lips as he thrashed and jetted into me.

I sank down on his chest, my breaths ragged.
“God, that was good—”

“It was successful,” Devlin said bitterly.
“But if you hadn’t come as easily as you had, I’d have left you
behind.”

“It was wonderful,” I said gently, kissing
him. “You heard me orgasm, Love, and I heard you. We came together,
both of us. That’s what matters,” I hugged him. “The rest we can
work on.”

“What if I can’t fix it?” Devlin whispered,
terrified. “What if I am always this sensitive?”

“We can fix it,” I said confidently, much
more confidently than I really felt. “You weren’t born with the
staying power you used to possess, right?”

“Some,” Devlin said slowly, prideful. “Most
of it was learned over time.”

“You have all the know-how,” I encouraged.
“We just need to practice.” I kissed him. “Just tell me when I have
to take one for the team.” I kissed him again. “I never get tired
of hearing you come, Dev. I always want to feel you inside,
stroking me—”

“I love you,” Devlin said tearfully,
embracing me. “I’m sorry for how I acted earlier tonight—”

I put my finger to his lips. “Don’t apologize
to me. Apologize to Lash. He’s upset that you are angry with
him.”

“He told you that?” Dev said in surprise.

I nodded. “Don’t be at odds over me.”

“I know how he feels about you, Sar. It was
wrong of me to keep you apart.” He took my hand and kissed it. “If
you want to—”

I shook my head, putting my finger to his
lips again. “No. He and I are over.”

“I know you want him, Sar,” Devlin replied,
confused. “I could see it tonight—”

“I do want him,” I said brokenly, looking at
the ceiling in hopes there was some answer up there. “But I need to
give it my best shot with Theo. And that means staying away from
Lash, Dev, no matter how I feel.”

Devlin nodded. “Titus told me what he’s doing
for you.”

I sighed. “I didn’t want anyone to know.”
Next Danial would know, of course.

“I’m not going to tell anyone,” Dev said
knowingly. “Not even Danial. But I’d think Theo might want a
say—”

“He doesn’t get a say,” I replied sharply,
making Devlin move back. “I was the one who put it on him. He never
asked to be bound to me or to dream with me.”

“He never asked to be unbound, either,”
Devlin said quietly. “And I’m guessing if he knew—”

“Can you be satisfied with only taking my
blood?” I said flatly, looking over at him in challenge. “Because
Theo’s okay sharing me with Danial, but he’ll never really get used
to sharing me with you, or not be jealous about it. He’ll only be
truly happy if I give you up as my lover, Dev. Can you let me
go?”

“I am never letting you go,” Devlin said
lovingly, pulling me into his arms. “The more I’m with you, the
more I want to be with you, and the more resolved I am that we were
meant to be together, as Anna and I were. I will not lose you the
way I lost her.” He kissed me possessively. “Nothing is coming
between us, Sar. Nothing and no one. Not even death.”

I gave him a lopsided smile. “A tad creepy,
but I do so love your romantic soul.”

He smiled, baring his fangs. “Romantic, but
also practical. Was the one enough for you, Love? You usually enjoy
at least two.” Devlin paused. “I can use other parts of my body to
love you, if you want me to.”

I gave him a coy smile. “Now why would I turn
that down?”

Devlin grinned, again showing the tips of his
fangs. “You have never asked me for anything else,” he said simply.
“If you liked oral sex better, as some women do, you would have
asked me for it long before now. So naturally, I assumed it was not
an act you welcomed or preferred.” He ran his hand down, inserting
it gently inside me, his deft fingers stroking. “But perhaps it’s a
night for widening your horizons?”

Knowing Dev, I was unsure of how wide he was
proposing my horizons would grow, or if they involved exotics for
which I wasn’t ready. “I’m up for a little experimenting, sure. But
are you done for the night?” I whispered, blushing. “Or will this
be one-sided?”

“I don’t know,” Devlin said hesitantly. “I
thought I was finished after the first time with you, but your
touch awakened me again. We will have to wait and see. In the
meantime, I’d like to show you some other skills of mine. There is
more than one way to bring a woman pleasure, Love, and I would have
you feel as much joy as your body could possibly withstand.”