Dark Ghost

  Sivamet, kiss me.

  His tongue lapped at her lips. His mouth brushed across hers, sending little darts of fire straight to her bloodstream where they rushed like a fireball to her sex. She thought to resist. She really, really did. But maybe she needed to be kissed. She needed something. She was so scared of what she was that she wanted comfort.

  She opened her mouth and was instantly lost in him. His kisses left her breathless. On fire. But more, they swept her away to another realm altogether where she couldn't think. Only feel.

  The moment she began to return his kiss, Andre yanked her to him, his arms strong, powerful even. He deepened the kiss, devouring her. She met his hunger with her own.

  Arms around my neck, sivamet.

  There was that beautiful voice. Velvet. Silk. A new rasp that sent tingles down her spine and liquid fire spilling from her sex. His mouth never left hers, and it felt like he poured himself into her, down her throat. All of him. Who he was. What he was. How he felt. How much he felt.

  It was intense. So intense her eyes burned with tears for both of them. She slid her hands up his chest to his shoulders and then circled his neck with her arms. The moment she did, he lifted her. Easily. So easily. Instead of making her feel vulnerable, she felt safe. Cherished. Cared for.

  He kept kissing her, even when she had to breathe, and then he simply breathed for her. His bare chest pressed against her bare front. Her shirt was gone as easily as it had come. Like magic. She didn't know if she had done it or if he had, but it didn't matter. All that mattered to her was his fiery mouth and his hands cupping her bare bottom.

  Hurry, Andre. I can't wait.

  Her breathy admission was the truth. Her body was already coiled too tight. The tension built fast, just from his kisses. Just from her nipples sliding over his chest. From the way his fingers sank into the firm muscle of her buttocks. Her blood was too hot in her veins. She could hear his heart beating, accelerating like her own. She needed him inside her.

  My impatient woman. Are you ready for me?

  Yes. Hurry.

  Wrap your legs around me. Open for me.

  She hadn't done that. She'd pushed on the strong column of his thigh with her feet, not thinking. Not knowing and she should have. She did what he said instantly, wrapping her legs around him. Instantly she felt his perfect, beautiful crest pressing tight at the entrance to her sex.

  So hot. So perfect. Every time. No matter how he took her, she felt the fire raging through her and she let herself burn. She welcomed it. There was no fear this time because she was already so far gone with fear, she couldn't process it. She strained toward him, needing to impale herself on him. Connect them.

  Andre. Frustrated, she caught his hair in one fist, her fingers sliding through the silk in a little caress. She moved against him. You aren't listening again.

  I am listening. Still, he held her there, that hot spike pressing into her, but not giving her what she needed.

  His mouth left hers and he kissed his way to her neck. Her throat. That was beautiful, too, but it only made her hotter.

  What are you waiting for? she demanded.

  You, palafertiilam, I am waiting for you.

  Teagan froze. There it was. She was in his mind. She knew what he needed--her acceptance of him--of his world. She was naked. In his arms. Burning from his kisses. Her body out of control, hips writhing and him pressing into her entrance, just enough that she felt his scorching heat, that burning stretch that felt so good and made her desperate for more.

  She bit down on his shoulder, closing her eyes. It was done. There was no taking it back. Would she be able to live without him? Did she even want to? But was she the type of woman who could be dictated to? No way. And he was using sex to get his way--that was her prerogative, wasn't it?

  Andre pressed her down slowly, another inch of him filling her, stretching those tight muscles until she moaned his name against his shoulder.

  Tet vigyazam avio palafertiilam.

  He whispered the words in that voice. The one she couldn't resist. With that accent. She closed her eyes and nuzzled his chest.

  I don't know what that means.

  Look at me. I want to see your eyes.

  She took a breath, knowing she'd need one, and raised her eyes to his. Oh God. She was in so much trouble. There was love there. Real love. Intense love. The kind of love there was no way to resist. She melted inside.

  "It means I love you, my lifemate. It means I will cherish you for all time, for eternity. It means you will be safe in my care," he whispered, holding her gaze captive. "It means I am going to make a mess of things and you will take me to task and forgive me. It means all that, Teagan. Forgive me. Be mine. Give yourself to me and allow me the privilege of cherishing you for all time."

  Teagan knew it wasn't the sex. It was the sincerity in his voice. The love in his eyes. Mostly it was the intensity of his emotion in his mind. She was everything to him. His entire world. His entire focus. He was telling the absolute truth--there would be no other woman for him. She might not understand it, but there was no other woman in the entire world, and there hadn't been all those long centuries. How in the world could she turn her back on him? And the truth was--she didn't want to.

  "I love you, too, Andre," she conceded, looking him straight in the eyes.

  His eyes went so dark blue and liquid she wanted to melt right into him. He kissed her. Hard. Rough. Hungry. His hands went to her hips and slammed her down hard over his cock, surging up at the same time. He tipped her back against the wall and drove into her hard.

  It was wild and out of control. It was perfect. Beautiful. She bit her lip. Harder. More. Give me more.

  He took them to the ground, only of course, because it was Andre, there was a blanket beneath her body. Still, the hard ground had no give and with her legs wrapped around his hips he could drive into her with hard, satisfying strokes that jolted her body and sent flames crashing through them both.

  She reached for him, feeling the fire stealing over him. Threatening to consume him--consume them both. She moved to meet him. Moved to increase the wonderful friction, her body grasping and pulling to keep him in her. His stretching her, filling her, invading her, trying to go as deep as he could get. She felt the flames rising in him. The tidal wave threatening to engulf him. She actually felt it start in his toes and work up the strong columns of his legs.

  Let go, he demanded.

  Teagan looked up at him, at his face. He was watching her, his gaze devouring her. Hungry for something. With you, she told him.

  He shook his head. I need to watch you. I love the way you look when I give this to you. For me, sivamet. Give this to me now.

  He thrust hard. Once. Twice. A third time. He was so close. She felt the fire in his sac, boiling, roaring. Still he waited. Her own body was just as close. She just had to let go and let it take her. Give that to him. Staring into his eyes, she did. She gave him what he wanted.

  Her orgasm roared through her, taking her over fast, rushing down her thighs and up to her breasts, into her stomach and sending strong quakes through her feminine channel. Her tight muscles constricted around Andre's shaft, clamping down, gripping hard. All the while he watched her face.

  Beautiful, he breathed into her mind. The most beautiful thing I have ever seen.

  He surged into her, strong. Hard. Deep. Over and over, powering through her tight muscles, prolonging her orgasm, until she took him with her. He groaned softly in her ear, with one last thrust burying himself all the way, as deeply as possible. He lay over her, their hearts pounding, both trying to catch their breath.

  Andre lay on top of her, his body nearly crushing hers, making it difficult for her to breathe. He was holding her tight, his arms around her, his face buried in her neck, still deep inside of her. It was the first time he'd ever done that--not lightened his weight--and she slipped her arms around him, holding him to her, feeling completely surrounded--and taken--by him.

  Hi
s hands slid up her body to her hair, fingers sinking into the braids. He lifted his head and only then did his body weight change. She sucked in a breath, but something in his eyes kept her from complaining. He looked at her as if he'd nearly lost his world and she'd given it back to him.

  She was terrified to face the change in her, and she was still angry with him that he'd made such a momentous decision without even consulting her, but she honestly didn't know if she really could have left him. The lifemate bond aside, because she didn't fully understand that, she knew she was in love with Andre.

  It was all the little things he did that made her feel special and beautiful. She couldn't work up the energy to tell him she was still angry with him so instead, she took the opportunity to run her hands slowly down his back to feel the delicious muscles there. She let peace steal over her, the warmth of his body and the solid feel of him surrounding her gave her that.

  Teagan had never felt at home anywhere other than with her grandmother and sisters. She just didn't fit. She liked people, but she never felt comfortable enough with them to share her body or soul. She was always on the fringe. She had friends, but even they didn't really know her, not even the ones she'd grown up with.

  Andre was in her mind. With her almost all the time. He knew her. The way she thought. What she thought. How she thought. He just knew. He got her.

  "I will work very hard to fix this between us," Andre said softly. He brushed kisses along her throat and up her chin to the corner of her mouth.

  "And we'll talk before making decisions. When we make them, we make them together," Teagan prompted.

  He kissed her. Her stomach did a roller-coaster number on her and she felt her inner muscles tighten around him. Her heart melted. She found her arms circled his neck all on their own so she could bury her fingers in his hair.

  When he lifted his head and looked down at her, she blinked up at him several times, feeling a little dazed and even mellower. She narrowed her eyes at him. "You're doing it again," she accused. Both hands went to his shoulders and she shoved at him.

  "What am I doing?"

  "Don't look innocent. You know very well what you're doing. You didn't answer me. I said we'd make decisions."

  He rubbed his chin along her jaw. "Sivamet."

  "Oh no, you are not going to sivamet me in that voice or kiss me senseless. Get up, Andre. We're going to sort this out right now, and I need clothes and you off of me to do that."

  "I kiss you senseless?" He smiled at her.

  "You know very well you do, which is why you take every opportunity to kiss me when you want your way."

  "I was not doing that, but it seems a good idea."

  There was amusement back in his voice. She liked that too much. She pushed at him again and this time he slid out of her and instantly she regretted insisting. He was up in one fluid motion, reaching down for her. He waved his hand and she was clean, refreshed and fully clothed in the softest jeans she'd ever had, faded and vintage blue. She loved them. Her top was a soft, fitted sweater in a cream color.

  Okay, that was just plain cool. She wasn't a morning person. Without her preferred black tea she just wasn't moving. Being able to do this would save time and effort. She ran her hands down her thighs, feeling the material. Andre wore similar jeans and a shirt that stretched tightly across all the amazing muscles he had.

  "I love the jeans, Andre, but I usually wear pants I can climb in easily." She had to say something because he looked gorgeous, and that was what got her in trouble in the first place. Who knew she was susceptible to cavemen?

  His smile was faint, but there was amusement in his eyes. "Teagan. Seriously. You can fly. You can change your clothes with a wave of your hand and the image in your mind."

  She bit her lip. That was seriously cool. "Andre, I'm not hungry at all. Maybe I won't need to take someone's blood." She said it hopefully because, really, she could get used to the cool aspects of being in his world.

  "Before I woke you, I fed and then fed you," Andre said. All trace of amusement was gone and he was watching her closely. Very closely. His eyes hooded and a little possessive. "You told me you liked to be held, so I brought you out of the ground where you were healing and made certain you were completely healed before I woke you."

  Her stomach lurched and she pressed a hand there. "I was in the ground?"

  "You were in terrible pain, Teagan. The moment I knew it was safe to send you to sleep, I did. I put you in the ground to heal. You have been there for two risings."

  She knew he meant the rising of the moon. Two nights. Forty-eight hours. He'd fed her. That meant he gave her blood. He'd brought her out of the ground. Cleaned her. Cuddled her. She bit her lip again. As much as it was all his fault, he'd still been thoughtful. She couldn't have faced all that. Not blood and dirt.

  "Do bugs crawl all over us when we're in the ground?"

  His eyebrow shot up. "Bugs?"

  "Andre, I don't mind insects, but not crawling all over me."

  "I will do my best to keep that from happening."

  "And from now on we make decisions together," she pressed.

  He was silent for a long moment. Too long. She went back to narrowing her eyes at him. He so deserved narrowed eyes and a black scowl. Her meanest one.

  He sighed. "Lifemates cannot tell an untruth to each another. You are not always rational, Teagan, and I do not argue well."

  She was outraged. "I am very rational."

  He shook his head. "You are not. And you admitted already you have trouble with anyone telling you what to do. What happens when I issue an order and you do not obey?"

  "You do not issue orders, Andre. I do not obey." Now, finally, she knew why people in books were sometimes described as "tearing their hair." Because she wanted to tear at hers. He was impossible. Standing there, looking all gorgeous from his way superior height and telling her she wasn't rational. Whatever.

  "It was not rational to come here alone and go into the mountains with a serial killer who I will add was also a serial rapist."

  She did grab her long braid and yank. "You cannot possibly use that as an example. I didn't know he was a serial killer."

  He was silent. His blue eyes had that faint trace of amusement in them. She could never resist that. Still. She was entirely rational at all times. She didn't want to think about any of this right now. She needed to be normal, even if just for a short while. She'd discuss life-changing decisions with him when she wasn't so emotional, because she was rational. Feeling better, she took a breath and let it out.

  "Thank you for this evening. The wake-up, I mean. That was very thoughtful of you to remove me from the ground and . . . um . . . feed me. I'm not ready for reality yet."

  "I am aware of that, sivamet. I am happy to take care of those things for you. You will be ready in time, but for now, I enjoy taking care of you. The idea of you taking blood from another man does not sit well with me. We both have things to learn."

  That released about a million butterflies in her stomach. She lifted her gaze to his, trying for rational and practical. "I'm going into that little town to report that Armend Jashari is dead and someone needs to come up and get his body. Then I need to talk to the village police or whatever and tell them about the women he killed. After that I have to call Grandma Trixie and tell her I met someone."

  She could see, by the way his face darkened and his eyes went ice-cold, that once again he didn't think she was being the least bit rational or practical.

  15

  Andre stood outside the entrance to the cave, looking up at the night sky. Gray and misty, not even the clouds could be seen. "A storm is coming in," he announced. "A real one."

  "As opposed to a fake one?" Teagan asked, smiling up at him.

  Teagan was full of smiles, he knew, because she was getting her way. It wasn't rational or practical. He'd explained to her that it wasn't a good idea for Carpathians to draw attention to themselves. He'd stupidly mentioned that he could easily
get someone to come up the mountain, find the body and eventually discover the bodies of the women Armend Jashari had killed.

  She had jumped all over that and argued if he could do that, he could protect her in a village with so few people. So she was making him just as irrational as she was--because he couldn't say no to her. Not when he felt her need to do something normal, something human. Not when he could tell she'd buried her fear, but it was there. She was terrified and still holding it together. Mostly he couldn't tell her no because he loved her and he wanted to give her everything she wanted and he couldn't give her what she wanted most.

  Not just couldn't. If he was honest, he would never give her that, never take back that he'd brought her fully into his world even if it was possible--which it wasn't. He hadn't known she'd suffer the way she had, but still, it was done. She was his. She would get over being angry--and he could admit her anger was justifiable--but she wasn't the type of woman to hold on to anger.

  He'd said she wasn't practical, but she was. She knew they couldn't reverse the conversion. Because she couldn't deal with it, she buried it along with her fears and turned to human normal. She would let him deal with Jashari's death and the bodies on the mountain, but she just wanted to walk through the streets and look into store windows. Normal.

  Andre shook his head and reached out to take her hand. She was trembling, but she didn't hesitate. He needed to give her something else. Teagan admitted she was afraid of everything but she didn't want to allow fear to rule her. She would accept the challenge of her new life. He had to give her time.

  He closed his hand around hers and drew her to him. "Do you want to fly? By yourself, I mean. You doing it, not me."

  Her breath came out in a rush of white vapor. She shivered. He brought his hand up to the nape of her neck to ease the tension out of her.

  "First, I want you to learn to control your body temperature. When you get cold or hot, you can regulate it to be comfortable."

  Her eyes went wide. Surprise. Shock. Like he was giving her a gift. His fingers tightened on her neck and he brought her closer to the shelter of his body. She had a way of looking at him that made him feel as if he was the only man she ever saw. Or would see. He liked that a lot. He had never considered what the reality of having a lifemate would be like, but he was learning. Emotions got in the way of rational thought.