What Happens in Vegas...After Dark (29 page)

Sabine looked stunned. “But, Father, I can’t.”

Saul looked at her, his gaze stern. “Why not?”

“I’m a woman. The Magister is always a man. It’s been that way forever.”

Her father shrugged. “Just because it is tradition doesn’t mean it is right. You have the ability and the interest. I have seen it in you all along, but chose to ignore it because of tradition. Instead, I drove Eli too hard, pushing him to accept a role he was never meant to assume. His interest was always in the darker spells and augmenting his power. Forcing myself to ignore those traits caused this.” Saul’s voice broke. “Tradition and my bad judgment led to the current predicament. Both are now rectified. You will come home from Paris and begin studying to take over my position when I am ready to step down.”

Sabine nodded meekly, but Devi saw the sparkle of excitement in her eyes. “Yes, Father, if that is your wish.”

Saul turned his gaze on Mal. “As for you, son, well done. I won’t pretend that I like being a vampire, but it’s better than the alternative. I don’t know where you found your young lady, but I thank you.” He looked at Devi. “Both of you.”

She nodded when their gazes locked. A flush of warmth from the new respect in his eyes spread through her. It buoyed Devi as she stepped into the background. Once the family had continued with their conversation, she backed to the door. There was no place for her among them, and she had to leave before she overstayed the welcome they had issued. The last thing Devi wanted was to make Mal feel like he had to accept her or owed her something for saving his father. Much as she wanted to be with him, she couldn’t live with their union if it was under those circumstances.

It was better to make a clean break and not prolong their parting. Her pride was all she had left, and she wasn’t going to sacrifice it in order to spend a little more time with Mal.

They were strong words and made sense, but offered only cold comfort as she walked away from the Nixa mansion without looking back.

D evi stumbled at the sight of Mal standing outside her shop when she closed up the next night. In her surprise, she dropped the keys and bent down for them at the same time Mal reached for them. Their fingers touched, and she jerked away as if burned. In truth, his touch was hot and as dangerous to her common sense as an open flame.

“Excuse me,” she mumbled as she scooped up the keys and deposited them into her bag.

Shoulders squared, she started walking toward the parking garage of the Liege. “What are you doing here?”

“I wanted to say thank-you, and to explain a few things.”

Devi didn’t reply until they were at the elevators. After pressing the button, she turned to look at him. “There’s no need to thank me. Saul already did.”

“But you did it for me,” he said with a disgusting amount of confidence.

Disgruntled, she glared at him as the elevator dinged before the doors opened. “Why does it matter why I helped your father? The outcome is the same.” She stepped into the cab before he could respond. It was too much to hope he wouldn’t follow her. Devi sighed when he squeezed in beside her, though there was plenty of room in the empty car. The button bore the brunt of her annoyance as she stabbed it with more force than necessary.

“Okay, so you’re thanked. I’d still like to clear up a few things,” said Mal.

“That isn’t necessary.” She didn’t look away from the floor indicator. “I understand everything, Mal.”

“No, I don’t think you do.” He pressed the stop button and blocked the panel when she tried to push the button for her floor. “Not yet, love.”

Devi glowered at him. “Don’t patronize me.”

Mal blinked. “How am I doing that?”

Anger was making it difficult to think, and she took several cleansing breaths. “Look, I really do understand what happened,” she said in a much more reasonable tone. “You did what was necessary to save your father.”

He nodded, still not letting her press the button when she tried. Instead, he took her hand, holding firmly when she tried to snatch it away. “That’s right. When I cast the spell, my only interest was in the closest latent vampire. I didn’t care who or what you were.

Hel , I would have seduced anyone, even a man, if that had been necessary.”

“Yeah, I got that.” She took another deep breath, finding it less effective for controlling her emotions when he stated the situation so bluntly. “Thanks for clearing it up, just in case I hadn’t.” It was all she could do to keep from rolling her eyes.

“I didn’t expect to find you, Devi.” He stroked her hand with his fingers, making her skin tingle with warmth. “You are passionate and caring, warm and vibrant. Even though I had betrayed your trust, you still helped me save my father. With your beautiful body and amazing sexual appetite, how could I ask for more?”

Devi wanted to believe him, but couldn’t allow herself to be hurt again. She stiffened her spine. “This really isn’t necessary. You don’t owe me anything, least of all one last pity-fuck, or whatever you’re here for.”

“That’s absurd.” A hint of anger darkened his eyes. “Why are you being so damned cold to me? I’m trying to tell you how I feel.”

“No.” Her tenuous control snapped, and she poked him in the chest. “You’re trying to tel me what you think I want to hear. You don’t have to feel guilty for fucking me, or nearly getting me killed. Slimy as some of your actions were, I understand why you did what you did. I’m even grateful that you helped me discover a key part of my physiology.

All I want from you now is for you to leave me alone.”

In her tirade, she had driven him against the elevator panel and was standing much too close for her comfort. Coming to her senses, she started to take a step back, but his arms enfolded her. With her new level of strength, she could have thrown him off easily, but his proximity made her freeze, muff ling the voice of logic and encouraging the madness of surrendering to Mal. What could it hurt to pretend he really desired her just one more time?

“I can’t do that, love.”

Devi licked her dry lips. “Why not?”

“’Cause I’m crazy in love with you, Devi. If you tell me to leave, I will, but I’d rather you just ask me to rip my own heart out and stomp on it. That’ll be less painful.” His eyes shone with sincerity.

“Don’t be so melodramatic.” Despite her flippant words, she weakened, not sure what to believe. Her body melted against his, but she tried to resist. “I just can’t believe that.”

Mal shook his head, his expression one of confusion. “Why not?”

“It’s too convenient. What would you have found so appealing about me, Mal? Until Master Shol transformed me, I wasn’t even average. A man like you couldn’t have found me attractive.”

“What do you mean, a man like me?” he asked with narrowed eyes.

She shrugged. “You’re a musician, and you’re gorgeous. There’s a different woman for you every night, and you can have your pick of any of them. So why me?”

His mouth opened and closed a couple of times, as if he was formulating and rejecting different responses. Finally, he said, “I don’t know. I can’t explain why I feel the way I do.

I just feel it. There hasn’t been a woman, ever, who made me feel the way you do. I want to spend the rest of my life exploring every inch of your body. I want to get to know everything about you. Just being with you, even right now when you are so angry and rejecting me, makes me happy.” Mal shrugged. “I don’t know what else you want me to say. How can I convince you?”

“Make love to me.” The words surprised her, but resounded with an echo of rightness.

Only in the heat of passion would she be able to discern the facts. If he was telling the truth, she would know it. If he wasn’t, at least she would have one more blissful moment in his arms. She ignored the voice whispering to her that she already knew the truth. Why would he go through such an elaborate charade if he didn’t feel something? Did she really believe he would go so far with the pretense as to confess his love if he was just here out of a sense of obligation?

I don’t know.

Yes, you do, whispered that annoying voice. Tell him you believe him and enjoy each other for the right reasons.

He deserves to suffer a little uncertainty after everything he put me through without mercy. I don’t care what his reasons were. Ruthlessly, she refused to listen to her conscience. Devi closed her eyes, silenced the voice, and lifted her head to accept his kiss.

His lips were hot and moist against hers, and she opened her mouth, welcoming his tongue. She rubbed and stroked it with her own, matching his caresses as their tongues parried and thrust in imitation of the way their bodies would soon move. She gasped at the slight sting caused by him nibbling her lower lip, finding it more pleasurable than painful by far. As he swept the roof of her mouth, he hissed and recoiled. The taste of blood on her tongue had her checking her teeth, which had become fangs. Instinctively, she cupped her hand over her mouth. “I’m sorry,” she said, voice muff led.

Mal dabbed at a place on his tongue, and his fingers bore a trace of crimson when he withdrew them from his mouth. With a crooked grin, he reached for her again. “One of the hazards of making love with a vampire.”

Fear of hurting him had her resisting his attempts to embrace her again, and she tried to pull away. Her strength should have exceeded his, but perhaps his determination helped him keep her in the circle of his arms. She stared up at him, certain he could read the worry in her eyes. “I can’t control this thing yet. I don’t want to bite you.” The words were difficult to discern with her hand blocking her mouth, but she was superstitiously frightened to drop her arm, as if she would suddenly attack him if her mouth wasn’t covered.

He cupped her face in his palms, his expression serious. “I don’t care if you do. Really.

I’d prefer you feed from me than some random stranger. If that’s part of our lovemaking from now on, I can accept that.”

She swallowed, finally dropping her hand from her mouth. “You’re awfully confident there will be more sex between us in the future.”

A full smile bloomed on his lips. “I’m going to spend every day of our first fifty years together learning everything there is to know about your body. When I know it all, I’m going to start over and relearn every curve, mound and niche again.”

Devi allowed herself to relax against him again, tentatively returning his kiss. Sealing her lips didn’t keep his determined tongue from squirming between them to plumb the moist recess beyond. Her fangs remained extended, but he deftly maneuvered around them this time. Soon, the passion overrode her hesitation, and she enthusiastically returned his kisses once more.

Devi wanted his bare skin against hers, so she grasped his shirt and tore it open. He chuckled as she stripped the ruined fabric from his arms and let it fall to the floor of the elevator. Primal need ruled her actions, lust directing her to drag her nails down his chest and stomach. He grunted, but didn’t withdraw. Her eyes widened when she broke the kiss to examine the result. Red scratches marred his perfect skin, and remorse needled her. She dipped her head to trace her tongue down the marks, soothing the sting. Mal shifted restlessly, clearly enjoying her tongue on him, and she went lower.

Her fingers were nimbler than ever, and she unfastened his jeans in seconds, peeling them down to his knees, along with the scrap of red he wore as a pair of briefs. Very briefs, she thought with a hint of amusement as she dropped to her knees. Devi looked up at him from her subservient position, never having felt more control in her life. “Have I told you how much I like your cock?” She stroked the length as she asked the question.

“Devi, this is supposed to be about you. You don’t have to—”

“I know.” Devi licked the head of his shaft, thrilled by the way his body stiffened in response. “I want to.” She needed to. Not only did she want to taste his cock, to swallow his length again, she had to see if she could without losing control.

Devi opened her mouth wider and slid her hot mouth down his erection, taking him completely inside. At first, she bobbed her head slowly, enjoying the taste and texture of him inside her mouth. Gradually, she increased her pace, bobbing and sucking with more enthusiasm. Every few seconds, a spasm ran the length of his cock and transmitted to his body. He sagged against the wall, his ragged breathing the only sound in the cab, aside from her licking and sucking.

When he stiffened, she prepared for his orgasm. Mal’s cock convulsed, and she continued sucking, lapping up every pearly drop of his release. Her own control was tenuous, and her fangs were out, but she managed not to bite or nick him. Relief surged through her, and she released his erection when the last twitch finished. He was still semihard, and she grasped his shaft, meeting his gaze. The naked love in his eyes took her breath away, and she couldn’t doubt his words any longer.

With slow, gentle strokes and light squeezes, Devi coaxed his erection forth again. A light kiss on the tip of his head made his cock jerk in her hands, and she looked up. “Save the next round for inside me, Mal.”

“And the next, and the one after that, too,” he agreed as he took her arms and lifted her to her feet. Mal slammed his mouth over hers in a heated kiss, his tongue not at all shy about entering her mouth. Liquid heat ran down Devi’s thighs, and she reached between them to push aside the panties chafing her so unbearably. Grateful she’d worn a short minidress that evening, she pushed it up to her hips and plunged a finger into her pussy to stroke her neglected core. She whimpered when he pulled her hand from her heated flesh. “That’s my job, love.” Mal licked her finger thoroughly before releasing her hand.

“Take off your dress.” His commanding tone excited her, and she grasped the hem of the indigo denim sheath, peeling the garment over her head and discarding it near his shirt. The black bra she wore pushed her breasts together and up, maximizing her cleavage. “Come here.” She stepped toward him, and Mal bent his head to lick the valley between her breasts. She trembled at the sensations his tongue evoked, and he steadied her with a hand on her back. The other busied itself with unfastening the front clasp of her bra. They sighed in unison when the closure yielded and her breasts spilled forth.