The captain sat back in his chair and frowned. “Another agent cleared. This case has me stumped.”
“Yeah, me too, but we must be getting close. Someone at the STF field office placed a tracking device on my ship yesterday.”
“You told me about the tracker earlier, but you didn’t tell me it was implanted at headquarters.”
“I didn’t know until a few minutes ago. The device found on my ship was a Council design.”
“But it was the Fed that attacked you.”
“Exactly. Can you imagine the ramifications if the Federation has purchased the codes to our trackers and have access to our tracking information? They could locate any of our ships, at any time. We’d be sitting ducks.”
“Shit, Taylor.” Donnie shook his head. “If that’s true, this is a lot bigger than we thought. I’m going to assign someone to assist you in investigating the remaining agents in that field office. I don’t want to step on your toes, but it would make the work go twice as fast.”
Sable nodded and tried to hide her relief. If she’d been presented with that idea yesterday, she’d have been mad as hell. Today, however, she realized she was in over her head. She was proud, sure. But she wasn’t stupid. “Sure, Captain. I’m all for wrapping this up as soon as possible.”
“Good. Glad you’re not getting territorial about this.” Donnie arched a brow.
“Really isn’t like you to concede so easily about a case that you’ve worked your ass off for.”
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She shrugged and thought of Derek. He’d taken a leave of absence for her and she longed to do the same for him. “I’m tired, boss. I could use a little time away.”
“Soon, Taylor,” he agreed. “I’ll give you three months leave when this is over.”
“Great. Divide the remaining agents and leave a list of my assignments in the database for me to check in the morning.” She stretched and yawned. “I haven’t slept in days. I’m going back to my hotel to crash.”
The captain nodded sympathetically. “You do that. You look tired and for a vamp, that’s saying something.”
* * * * *
Sable woke slowly. Opening her eyes, she could tell by the dim light creeping in around the blackout drapes that it had to be late afternoon. She stretched, grinning as her leg brushed along Derek’s thigh. He slept like most vamps did, like the dead, his heavily muscled torso rising and falling with the measured breaths of deep sleep.
She brushed a hand along the rippled planes of his stomach and smiled as he groaned softly, the bed linens starting to rise with his erection. She stroked the heated length of him through the thin sheet, feeling him swell to rock hardness with a few deft squeezes of her hand.
Watching Derek as she built his desire, Sable took in the masculine beauty of his features—the full, sensual curve of his lips, the strong line of his jaw, the bold sweep of his raven brows. Just watching him so innocent and boyish in repose made her heart ache for him. He was physically beautiful, but also emotionally supportive, something she truly had never expected from him. The last two years she’d spent watching him and wishing she could have him, she’d never allowed herself to picture beyond the heartache she’d thought he would bring.
She grew wet and hot as her hands drifted with feather lightness over his satiny skin and the light matting of hair on his chest. She wanted him. Wanted to always wake to the sight of him, gorgeous and tousled and eagerly receptive to her sexual advances.
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She pushed aside the sheet and licked her lips at the sight of his massive cock, fully engorged and pointing straight in the air.
As the cool air of the room drifted over his skin, Derek turned instinctively toward her warmth. Sable tossed her leg over his hip and wiggled until the hot head of his erection pressed at the creamy opening of her cunt. He’d taken her often during those two days on his Starwing. More than once, she’d woken up to the awareness of her body tensing in orgasm, discovering Derek’s tongue or cock thrusting deep inside her.
It was time to pay him back.
She closed her eyes and, with a downward thrust of her hips, impaled herself on him with a tortured moan of pleasure. Shivering as needles of sensation swept over her skin and hardened her nipples, Sable set her hands on his broad shoulders and buried her face against his chest. She breathed him in, absorbing the luscious scent that drove her to distraction and hoped with all her heart that they could make a relationship work.
Unbearably aroused, she ground downward, massaging her clit with his pelvic bone. Her face rested just inches away from Derek’s and when she opened her eyes, she found herself staring into his shocked and passion-heavy gaze.
“Damn, baby,” he murmured in a sleep-raspy voice, sparkling erect fangs peeping out as he spoke. “A guy could get used to waking up like this.”
Sable rolled him gently onto his back, straddling his lean hips and forcing him deeper into her core. “Yeah? Well, a girl could get used to waking a guy up like this.”
She raised slightly, the heavy weight of his cock slipping wetly from her, then she slid down around him again, gasping at the feel of his thickness boring deep.
Derek gripped the tops of her thighs, his expression intense. “You’ve got a deal.”
He lifted her and then thrust his hips upward to meet her downward drive. They both groaned.
She began to ride him with the same slow strokes that he liked to use on her.
Torturous stokes that drove them both insane. Again and again, she rode his cock until 75
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she couldn’t tell where he ended and she began. Her back arched, her head fell forward and her fangs descended. With a quick hiss of warning, she bit into his throat.
Rich and heady, Derek’s blood was a nearly intoxicating delight. She reached out to his mind, feeling for the connection in the red haze of her overwhelming desire. She writhed over his body, her breasts rubbing across his chest, her stomach sticking to his with their mingled sweat, her arms wrapped around his shoulders as she held on to his bucking body with all of her strength. His tunneling cock stretched her deliciously and his warm hands firmly guided her hips while his deep voice purred encouragement in her ear. And then he was there, in her mind.
Sable, he growled. So damn good. Nothing has ever felt this good.
She sobbed almost desperately against his throat. It wasn’t what he said, but what he felt, her mind flooding with his affection and need. Her entire body began to contract in anticipation of her orgasm and he urged her to a faster pace.
I’m here, baby. I’m right here inside you.
She’d never experienced this closeness with anyone, this need to merge completely with another individual. Derek knew what she needed and he was with her, everywhere. Over her, under her, around her, inside her.
Her body began to shake and she released his neck, pounding her hips onto his. The orgasm swept her away, hard and fierce, like Derek, who rolled her beneath him and fucked her like a beast, pumping his cock through the grasping spasms of her climax.
Sable held onto sanity by a thread as he built another sweeping tide of pleasure in her veins. Powerful and insistent, their need for each other would not be denied.
Wrapping her legs around his hips, she felt his steely buttocks clench and release against her calves as he propelled himself so deeply into her body that she felt him in her throat. She screamed as another orgasm claimed her.
Her eyes flew open in astonished pleasure and she met his gaze—dark and possessive and hot with passion. His face was flushed and sweat dripped from his forehead to splatter onto her skin. His fangs glistened in the semi-darkness and she 76
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arched her neck to him, wanting to gift him as he’d gifted her. It had ceased to be just sex and they both knew it. Better yet, they both welcomed the added intimacy.
As he pierced her skin, she felt his shaft swell and then jerk inside her, h
is scorching come spurting out in powerful jets that brought her to the brink of pleasure and then shoved her over. Her back arched into his chest, her blood poured freely into his seductively sucking mouth, her pussy gripped his spending cock in a fist of silk. And in her heart, she felt Derek demanding entry.
She opened the door and let him in.
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Chapter Six
Derek closed the tiny punctures he’d left in Sable’s throat with reverent laps of his tongue and willed his heart to slow its fevered thumping. Making love with her just got better and better. He could feel the power her touch gave him flowering in his body. He rolled to his side, taking her with him, relishing the feel of their sweat-slicked skin stuck together.
I like the feeling too.
Derek looked down at Sable in surprised pride and awe.
She grinned at him. I love the way you smell after sex. You smell like me—power and pure male vampire. It’s very yummy.
He gifted her with an exuberant kiss. “You’re calling me.”
She nodded shyly. “Every time you touch me, I grow stronger. I’ve been feeling your strength building within me since the first time we made love.”
He nodded. “It’s the same for me.”
“What does it mean?” Her smooth brow was marred by a tiny frown. “Is this normal? I never felt like this with Marius.”
Derek caressed the length of her spine. “I don’t know what it is. But I like it.”
“Me too.” Her fingers drew invisible drawings on his chest. “So what happened after I left last night?”
He knew she was asking about Jeffrey Leroy. “You were right. Jeff is getting a little piece of action on the side.”
Sable pinched his nipple, renewing the desire within him. He’d never been so physically attuned to a woman before. It was unnerving, in more ways than one.
“Where did you get that tuxedo you wore last night?”
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“Someone reminded me yesterday that it was Retro-bration here on Rashier 6. I picked that costume up at a shop in town. Just in case.” He smiled with lascivious intent. “You looked stunning last night in the slinky dress you wore. We’ll have to keep that around for some off-duty use.”
She tweaked his nipple again and blood rushed to his groin. “We may get that downtime you wanted a little earlier than I anticipated.”
He shoved a pillow under his head to look into her eyes. “How so?”
“I spoke with my captain last night. He’s going to assign another agent to partner with me on this case. He’ll divide the remaining agents from your field office between us and hopefully, we’ll get done twice as fast.”
“While the news is good to my ears, I want to know how you feel about that.” He brushed his fingertips along the side of her face. “I wouldn’t think you’d like having to share a case you worked so hard on.”
She gave a little shrug that strove to be nonchalant and almost succeeded. “I’m okay with it. Work doesn’t hold the same appeal that it used to. Maybe I’m just a little burnt out.”
Or maybe I’d rather be with you.
Derek kept his face impassive as her thought entered his head as clearly as if she’d spoken it. She was still so new to calling, she didn’t know how to shield herself yet. And he didn’t mind. His heart leapt at the simple declaration and he held her tighter. “So what’s the plan for this evening, baby?”
“Tonight we leave Rashier 6.” She rested her chin on his chest. “How much time did you take off from work? Do you need to go back yet?” Please say no.
As he felt the twinge of sadness that colored her thoughts, he kissed the tip of her nose. She still had doubts about his interest in her. He, however, no longer had any. “I have all the time in the world. It’s only been a couple of days. I can stay with you.”
“A couple of days. Is that all? I feel like I’ve known you forever.”
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“It’s been a week since I first took you to my ship, but we had two years of foreplay before that.”
Most people would consider them to be strangers, but Derek knew Sable from the inside out. They were connected so completely, he could sense her thoughts and emotions.
“Umm, foreplay,” she purred.
“Not that you gave me a chance for any of that this morning.” His hands drifted to the tempting curve of her ass. He pressed her into his growing erection.
“You loved it.” Her mouth curved in a provoking smile. Bet you’d love me to do it again too.
“I’d love for you to do it again.” He bit the lobe of her ear and hid his smile.
She wiggled her hips into position and pushed down onto his thick cock easily, her passage lubricated with her cream and his come. He watched her eyes darken as he filled her. Then her voice came husky and warm.
“Derek, darling, you read my mind.”
* * * * *
Sable hung the last of Derek’s new clothes next to hers in the closet of her quarters on the Starwing. In a way, it was comforting to see his belongings nestled so intimately with hers. In another way, it was like an invasion. He was merging himself into her life so completely, she wondered if it would ever be the same when he left.
Maybe he won’t leave, whispered a little flare of hope. But she squelched the thought.
It wasn’t a good idea to get her hopes up so soon. Everything was still too new.
Sighing, she exited her ship through the cargo door and searched the bustling crowds of passengers for Derek.
“Hello, Sable love.”
She stiffened at the familiar voice and turned. Marius stood just inches away at the 80
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end of the ramp. Wary, she rose up on her tiptoes and glanced over his shoulder, searching for Derek.
“Your toy is still in the concourse,” he assured her.
“What do you want, Marius?” she asked coldly.
He grinned and the light in his emerald eyes chilled her to the bone. “You need to ask yourself what you want—do you want to keep your boyfriend? Or do you care enough for him to let him go?”
Sable felt her stomach tighten into a knot of dread. They’d spent decades together and she knew Marius so well. He wouldn’t be such a successful politician if he didn’t know how to play dirty. “What are you talking about?”
“Your friend.”
“What have you done?”
Marius shrugged, his shoulder-length blond hair drifting around his handsome face. “Nothing. Yet. The choice is yours to make.”
How had she ever imagined that she loved this man? “Let’s not speak in riddles.
Tell me what you want and how much I’ll have to bleed to give it to you.”
He stepped closer, curling his palm around her cheek. “If you want to stay with Atkinson, I can’t stop you, but I can get you drummed off the Force. And I will.”
She offered a grim smile. “Go ahead and try it. I’ve already proven myself to be an excellent agent. You’ll have a hell of a time proving otherwise.”
“I don’t need to prove otherwise. You’re a vamp. Since the popular opinion right now says that a predator shouldn’t be guarding the prey, it won’t take much to get you pensioned.”
Knocking his hand away, she snapped, “Do your worst, then. But stay the hell out of my life afterwards.”
“If you don’t care about yourself, do you care about Atkinson?” His lips hardened into a harsh line. “I think he appreciates his job a little more than you do. Do you have 81
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any idea what he went through to get into the force? The academy was full when he applied and Captain Hoff had already begun his lobbying to keep vamps out. Atkinson slipped in when I got you in.”
“You what?” Her face drained of color.
“Did you really think you got in on your own merit?” he asked softly. “Oh, you did well in the academy and Captain Donnie wanted you
for IAB, but you should’ve gone through years on patrol with a partner and then more at a desk on the Force before moving into Internal Affairs. But I knew how badly you wanted the job and I pulled a couple of strings. You think I don’t care for you, Sable, but I do. I would do anything to see you happy.”
Sable recoiled, her mind in a near daze. How long had Marius been watching her? “If you truly wanted me to be happy, you’d let me have Derek.” She lifted her gaze to meet his. “I love him.”
Marius shook his head. “He’s not for you. Can’t you see that? He won’t stay faithful to you or cherish you like I will. He’s never been a one-woman kind of man and he never will be.”
“Maybe you’re wrong,” she whispered.
“Are you willing to take that chance?” he asked, exploiting her greatest fear—losing Derek. “You’ve seen how much he loves his job,” he pressed. “Atkinson may not care at first if he’s kicked out of the STF, but eventually he’ll resent you. And you’ll lose him anyway. I’m a very powerful man, Sable, and I’ll do whatever is necessary to keep you from being hurt.”
Marius would follow through on his threat, she had no doubt. “What do you want in return for leaving him alone?”
“Break it off with him. Now. And come back to me. I want you back in my house, back in my bed. If you do that, not only will I leave him alone, I’ll help him get promoted.”
She snorted. “I won’t share your bed. You make me sick.”
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“But you’ll come home?” he asked with obvious excitement.
“It’s not home to me anymore, Marius. I’ll have my own room and I want it in writing that you’ll assist Derek with his career. You give me those assurances and I’ll move back in.” He’d lose interest eventually. She’d make sure of it. In the meantime, it wasn’t fair to Derek to drag him into her mistakes. She had to protect him and she would. Whatever the cost.
Marius grinned with triumph. “Of course,” he agreed in the soothing tone of voice one would use with a petulant child. “I don’t want you unwilling. I’ll change your mind, love. You’ll see. You’ll forget about Atkinson and remember how much you love me, how right we are together. You’re mine, Sable, and soon you’ll remember that.