Enhanced

  And then she saw a huge metal hand catch it by the throat and squeeze. At the same time, a booted foot kicked out and caught the other sniffer squarely in the chest. It gave a mechanical squeal, like a piece of equipment that needed oil, and fell backwards. It tried to get up but the boot descended on its blood-smeared jaws and crushed the metal flat. The low slung silver body writhed for a moment and then a grinding sound, like something breaking, came from it and it lay still. The boot came up and a wisp of black smoke drifted out of the robotic carcass.

  “You dare…” The deep voice was familiar but so distorted with rage it was barely recognizable.

  Mei-Li looked up and saw that both the boot and the metal fist holding the still struggling first sniffer belonged to Six.

  “Well, hello there, Six.” Two’s long thin body looked tight as a wire under his blood spattered leather coat but his voice was still calm and relaxed.

  “You dare to threaten my female. You dare try to harm her?” Six ground out, glaring at the other man.

  Two shrugged his boney shoulders. “I had no choice—she was committing Feel-crime. As a member of the Purge Squad, it was my duty to eliminate her.”

  “She has a dispensation!” roared Six.

  “Which she had hidden under her cloak.” Two folded his thin arms over his narrow chest. “It was not clearly visible. I was perfectly within my rights to have her purged.”

  “And I would be within my rights to purge you myself, here and now,” Six growled, leaning forward to get in the other male’s face.

  Instead of jerking back, Two inhaled deeply and then grinned his awful metal grin.

  “Careful, Six, you appear to be committing Feel-crime yourself right this moment. Is this little female getting to you? Are you having emotions?”

  “You…” Six took a deep breath, clearly trying to calm himself. “You are wrong. What I feel is simply my natural Kindred instinct to protect my female. That is all.”

  “Is that so?” Two inhaled again. “Then why do I smell so many feelings on you? Rage…fear…even…” He sniffed once more. “Oh my, is that lust that you’re feeling for this little one? My, my—how very intriguing.”

  “You’re wrong,” Six growled. “I feel nothing but that will not stop me from killing to protect my female.”

  He took a step back and held up the first sniffer which still twitched in his grasp. There was a sudden spasm of his metal hand and the robotic head with its long, ugly snout and gore-flecked silver teeth popped off. The body fell twitching and smoking to the ground.

  Six threw the disembodied head at the other man’s feet.

  “Touch her again and see what happens, Two.”

  Then he turned and pulled Mei-Li up off the ground.

  “Six,” she began but one look from him was enough to shut her up. She thought she had never seen so much rage—or so much conflict—in a face, human or Kindred, before.

  “Come, I am taking you home.”

  Before she could protest, he lifted her in his arms and strode out of the market place. Mei-Li didn’t dare to talk but she shot a glance over his broad shoulder. Two was standing there with the ruined remains of the sniffers and Malak’s dead body at his feet.

  He was still grinning.

  Chapter Twenty-four

  Six didn’t know how to master the sensations that were flooding through him. One moment his chest was burning, his muscles were tense with the need to tear and rend and punch and all he could see was red.

  Killed—she could have been killed! Mei-Li could be lying dead in a pool of her own blood just like the old male if I had been a moment later!

  This thought brought a whole new range or sensations. His throat felt tight and his eyes stung. A desire to hold her tightly and never let go rushed through him. Thank the Goddess, he had made it to her in time! If he hadn’t…if Two had done as he wished…

  I’ll kill him! The next time I see him I’ll pull him limb from limb! I should have done it this time! The only thing that had stopped him had been the other male’s accusation that he was feeling. That couldn’t be right—could it?

  Then what are all these sensations you keep having? whispered a little voice in his brain. Why are you having so many irrational thoughts and impulses? What’s wrong with you? Maybe it’s time to call these “sensations” what they really are—emotions.

  No!

  Six tried to push the thought aside, to still the little voice, but he couldn’t quite manage it. All he could do was clutch the girl in his arms tighter as he strode through the streets to his domicile and swear to himself that this time he would never let her go.

  * * * * *

  Mei-Li didn’t know what to think. She had never seen Six look so wild and out of control, not even when he’d walked in on her the night before and seen her watching his memories. She’d thought for a moment that he was going to murder Two aka Mr. Metal Teeth but the other man’s accusations that he was “feeling” seemed to have put an end to that.

  Mei-Li knew it was wrong but she wished the big Kindred had killed Two. The way he had looked at her as Six carried her away made her think there was going to be trouble in the very near future. And after watching the bastard kill poor old Malak in cold blood…

  It could have been you. It almost was you. If Six hadn’t come—No, I don’t want to think about that! God, she was shaking all over! She took a deep, breath, trying to regain control. All right, I’m all right…

  Just then Six pushed open the door to his house, cutting off her train of thought. He kicked the door shut, took three strides into the living area, and set her down so roughly her teeth clicked together. Then he took her by the shoulders and glared down into her face.

  “Six,” she began tentatively.

  “You could have been killed, Mei-Li. Do you hear me? You could have been killed!”

  It was exactly what she had been trying so hard not to think about.

  “I know! I know that! I saw what…what he wanted to…to do to me.” The memory of Malak’s death rose fresh in her mind again, his choked cries and the horrible ripping sound as the sniffers tore out his throat… No, stop it! Stop thinking about it. To her horror, she found that tears were very close to the surface. Somehow she managed to swallow them back down.

  “Why were you there, anyway? Why did you go out into the city alone, without me to protect you?” Six demanded angrily.

  “Without you to protect me? You’ve been acting like you don’t want to be anywhere near me!” she snapped. “You made me feel like crap this morning before you left. So instead of moping around the house, I decided to go out.”

  “You decided to go out?” His gaze was burning into her. “To go out to one of the most dangerous parts of the city alone?”

  “I didn’t go out looking for trouble,” she protested. “I made myself a cloak so I’d be less conspicuous.”

  “This?” Six grabbed the back of her black, hooded cloak and ripped it off her in one stroke, revealing her red wrap dress. “This fucking thing that nearly got you killed because it covered your dispensation?” He shook it in her face and dropped it on the floor. “Goddessdamn it, Mei-Li!”

  “I didn’t know the stupid thing had to be visible all the time,” she flared, waving her arm with its glowing yellow numbers in his face. “You never told me!”

  “I never expected you to go out on your own looking to be purged!” he shouted. “Looking to get killed.”

  “Why would you care if I got killed?” Mei-Li demanded. “You have no emotions, right? You’d probably just step over my body in the street and go on with your business.” She knew she wasn’t being fair. Six had just saved her life and no matter what the big Kindred insisted about his emotionless state, it was becoming clear that he wasn’t as cold and unfeeling as he wanted to believe. But she couldn’t help herself—he had hurt her deeply and the words just came out.

  “Is that what you think?” The look Six gave her was almost wild. “Is that really what y
ou think? That I don’t care for you at all?”

  “Yes.” Mei-Li lifted her chin. “That’s really what I think.”

  “You…I…” He seemed at a loss for words. Stepping back from her, he raked both hands through his hair. “Do you have any idea…any idea what you do to me?” he demanded in a low voice.

  “What…what do you mean?” She watched him warily as he began to pace back and forth.

  “When I am with you, I can’t think properly,” Six growled. “My breathing is faster, my heart rate accelerates. All I want to do is touch you…hold you and—”

  “And what?” Mei-Li whispered.

  He didn’t answer in words. Instead, he closed the distance between them in a single stride. Taking her in his arms, he cupped her cheek and pulled her close, leaning down to cover her mouth with his.

  At the last moment, Mei-Li turned her head away. “Wait, we can’t. I told you, I don’t want to—”

  “No.” His deep voice was nothing more than a growl as he turned her face back to his. “No, you will not deny me again.”

  Mei-Li opened her mouth to protest but he was already kissing her—taking her lips in a way that was almost brutal in its intensity.

  She gasped in surprise and his tongue was there, penetrating her. Thrusting inside and filling her mouth with his sensual, dark chocolate taste. At the same time, his scent filled her senses—sharp and clean with that dangerous hint of dark spice that made her dizzy. She couldn’t think, couldn’t form a coherent thought to save her life—she could only feel.

  She moaned as a different kind of surprise flooded her. He had her bent over his arm, her body flush with his and she wasn’t trying to push him away. Instead, her hands were in his hair, pulling him closer, asking for more. Somehow she was kissing him back, sucking his invading tongue, nipping at his lush lower lip to bring a low, eager growl from his throat.

  Six must have sensed her eagerness because he kissed her more deeply, exploring her mouth as he rubbed his big, warm hands up and down her back. It was as though he couldn’t get enough of her lips, as though he couldn’t pull her close enough to satisfy his need.

  Oh God, this is going too far…And yet she didn’t want it to stop. She felt like they were bruising each other with their desire but all she wanted was more. This was Six as she had never seen him—fiercely passionate and completely unwilling to let her go.

  Then his mouth left hers. He pulled away, leaving her nearly panting for breath, her whole body throbbing after the intense exchange.

  “What—?” she began, wondering if he had changed his mind. And then he began to trail hot kisses down the sensitive side of her neck.

  “Wait!” Mei-Li gasped as his mouth found the hollow of her throat and lingered there. “We…we can’t.”

  “We can and we will,” Six growled, meeting her eyes. “I claimed you, Mei-Li—you are mine. And I intend to take what is mine tonight.”

  “But…I thought…” She shook her head, trying to form words that made sense as he kissed his way lower. His big hands found the ribbons that tied her wrap dress together and suddenly it was open, baring her breasts for him. God, why hadn’t she thought to wear her bra? At least she had on her panties—for now, anyway. “Six,” she gasped. “I can’t—”

  Her words ended in a moan as he captured one sensitive nipple in his hot mouth and sucked it…long, slow, and hard.

  “Oh!” Somehow Mei-Li found that her hands were in his hair again and she wasn’t trying to push him away. “Six!”

  He released her nipple slowly, nipping it gently with his teeth at the last moment. The tiny love bite radiated through her and sent a shock of painful pleasure straight to the spot between her legs where she was getting wet and hot and swollen.

  “Yes?” His voice was a hoarse growl.

  “I…what…what are you doing?” she somehow managed to gasp. “I mean, what exactly…”

  “Tasting you.” He gave her a meaningful look and nipped her other tight peak as well. “All of you. I’m going to taste all of you tonight, Mei-Li. Just as I wanted to the first night, when I healed your knee.” He put one large, warm hand on her thigh, making her shiver. “I will not fight these impulses anymore—I cannot. I am not strong enough.”

  “Yes…yes, you are! I mean, you can fight them—you can.” Suddenly her breath was coming short and her skin felt too sensitive. “Besides, it’s not our tasting week yet. Not until tomorrow.”

  “I do not care about that.” He sucked her other nipple, taking as much of her small, tender breast into his mouth as he could, making her feel completely surrounded by his heat. The whole time, he held her gaze as though he was daring her to try and pull away. But somehow Mei-Li couldn’t. The sensation of his mouth on such a sensitive area felt too incredible to make him stop and her legs felt like jelly. At last he released her.

  “Six—” she began breathlessly.

  “You said I would not care if you died,” he said hoarsely. “I am going to show you how I care…show you now, tonight. I will not wait. I will spread your thighs and taste your sweet pussy. I will lick you and suck you and pleasure you until you come for me—come hard against my tongue. Then you will know.”

  “You’re going to…oh my God…” Mei-Li felt faint. He was looking at her hungrily, as though he was going to eat her up and she could feel part of herself responding to that hot, hungry look. It made her feel like she was burning up inside.

  But another part—the frightened little voice that whispered fears and doubts in her ear—was scared to death. They were going too far, this was getting out of control! What would happen if she lost her head completely and decided to give him everything? She’d read in the contract something about bonding sex and how if you had it with the Kindred who had claimed you, you would be tied to them for life. She didn’t even know what bonding sex meant but it sounded pretty scary—and completely permanent. Was that what she wanted? Was that what Six wanted? She didn’t know—it was too much uncertainty.

  “Six, please,” she began as he swung her up into his arms again and carried her into the bedroom. “Please, we shouldn’t. We’re getting way past the whole friends with benefits thing here.”

  “A friend is a companion who is mildly pleasant to be around, correct?” He raised an eyebrow at her as he sat her on the sousa.

  Mei-Li nodded as he stripped off her wrap dress and then pulled off his own shirt as well, leaving him bare from the waist up. He looked mouthwatering…and absolutely huge. For the first time she realized that his shoulders were fully twice as broad as her own. Oh God…

  “Well, that’s one definition of friend, I guess,” she somehow managed to get out.

  “I do not wish to be your friend,” Six growled, sitting on the bed beside her wearing only his tight, black flight leathers. “So stop referring to me that way. There is nothing pleasant or mild about what I want from you, Mei-Li. About what I am going to do to you.”

  “Oh my God,” she whispered again. Then she had a sudden idea. “But you can’t. It says in the contract you can’t do anything I’m not willing to do. You can’t hurt me.”

  “Look at me…” He cupped her cheek with rough tenderness and looked into her eyes. “I would never hurt you. But I am going to taste you—with or without your consent.”

  “How can you say that?” Mei-Li demanded. “Will you listen to yourself?”

  “No, you listen to yourself. Listen to your body,” he said in a low voice. “I can smell your heat, Mei-Li.” He nodded at the juncture between her thighs. “I know you are not unwilling.”

  “But I’m saying no.” She crossed her legs quickly.

  “And again, I say that your body is saying yes.” He stroked her cheek and let his long fingers trail down the side of her breast to rest on her trembling midsection, just below her belly button. “Let us do an experiment,” he murmured, looking at her intently. “I am going to cup your pussy and slip my fingers deep inside you—as this is our bathing week, I am allo
wed to do that.”

  “Well…yes,” she admitted, her voice coming out much more breathy than she liked.

  “I will touch you,” he continued, still holding her gaze. “And when I do I will gauge how wet you are.”

  “You’ll what?”

  “If you’re wet and hot for me, you’re ready and your body is willing to be tasted,” he said, ignoring her question. “If you’re not, I will leave you alone. Agreed?”

  “I…but I…” Mei-Li didn’t know what to say but honestly, it wasn’t like he was giving her much of a choice. He was too big and strong for her to get away. And let’s be honest, sweetie—do you really want to get away? whispered a little voice in her head. Of course I do, Mei-Li told it indignantly. I just…can’t.

  “Mei-Li,” Six murmured, breaking into her internal debate. “Are you ready?” The tips of his fingers were already running lightly across the lace border of her bikini panties, making her shiver as he started a fire with his slow, deliberate touch.

  “I…I guess so,” she whispered uncertainly.

  “Good. I am taking off your panties now.”

  With a soft whimper, she lifted her hips and allowed him to work them down, baring her completely. She had never felt so naked before as she did now, sitting with the big Kindred, preparing to let him touch her. Had never felt so vulnerable and open.

  But there was more to come.

  “Now spread your legs for me,” Six ordered in a low growl. “Spread your legs and let me in.”

  Biting her lip, Mei-Li leaned back on the bed and did as he demanded. What else could she do? She felt helpless—trapped. And so hot she thought she might melt from the waist down.

  “That’s good,” Six rumbled, his long fingers slipping lower. “Very good, Mei-Li. Open yourself for me.”

  She moaned breathlessly as he cupped her mound, nestling her securely in his palm. Then she felt him begin to part her outer pussy lips.

  “Oh God…” she whispered and closed her eyes.

  To her surprise, Six stopped.

  “Open your eyes,” he demanded. “Look at me.”