“Yes.” He kissed her lightly. “Prepare yourself.”
He began moving inside her once again.
Raven lifted up to kiss him.
“Nothing could have prepared me for this.” She spoke against his mouth, her breathing uneven. “It feels incredible.”
His expression darkened, but only for a moment. Then he rolled to his back, pulling her astride him.
She’d just come down from her third orgasm when he placed her beneath him once again, his rhythm increasing.
“Eyes,” he commanded, his hand at her jaw.
She looked up and saw desperation and need.
His pace quickened, far faster than any human man could manage. She reached for his lower back, simply to hold on.
He strained and pushed above her, every muscle in his body tense. Then, with a roar, he stilled inside her and released. His mouth dropped to her neck and he sucked at her skin, a curious and extraordinary pleasure radiating from that spot throughout her entire body.
His release seemed to last much longer than normal, far outstripping the pulsing inside her.
When he finally opened his eyes and lifted his head, he regarded her curiously.
“Are you all right?” She touched his face, his brow, his chin.
He pressed his lips to hers.
“You’ve ensnared me, Cassita,” he whispered. “I’ve never been less eager to escape.”
Chapter Forty-four
Dawn poured sunlight through the open balcony doors into the bedroom, spilling onto Raven’s face.
She opened her eyes, peering with disappointment at the empty space beside her.
William was magnificent. He was Cupid. A god.
He’d been attentive and passionate, truly an expert lover.
He hadn’t showered her with pet names or paid her extravagant compliments. But he’d been tender and affectionate and when he orgasmed, he looked as if he’d truly been overcome.
He was attracted to her and she believed she’d captured his interest, if only until this morning. But he didn’t care for her. Not really. From what he’d confessed already, he never would.
She stretched her hand experimentally over the mattress, shifting her legs. The space between her legs was tender, which wasn’t surprising. When William had confided that he had tremendous stamina, he spoke the truth. She’d had three orgasms to his one, and that was only because he was worried about hurting her. When she was used to him, he said, he’d multiply that number.
The vampyre was insatiable.
She closed her eyes, chiding herself. She knew better than to become attached, sexually or otherwise, to someone who didn’t truly care for her. And there was the small matter that William wasn’t human.
In the harsh light of day, no doubt he’d seen her as she truly was and fled. It had happened before. This was why it was better to be alone and to accept one’s solitude rationally and cheerfully.
“My lark awakes.” A masculine voice broke into her musings.
Raven turned toward the balcony so quickly, she found herself entangled in the sheets.
“Good morning.” William was standing in the open doorway, naked, his arm lifted above his head to rest on the doorpost.
In the sunlight, his pale skin burnished bronze, complementing his pale eyes and blond hair. His figure was a study in male perfection, every muscle defined and honed, especially his chest and abdomen.
“You’re handsome.” The words escaped her mouth before she could consider them, her eyes drinking him in.
He smiled and dropped his arm. “You’re pretty. Especially now, with your dark hair mussed and your cheeks a little pink. You look as if you’ve been bedded and bedded well.”
Raven smiled down at the sheets, unable to meet his gaze. “I was. Three times.”
“I didn’t mean to wake you.”
“I noticed you were gone.”
William nodded, noting the way she’d woven part of the sheet through her fingers. Her green eyes were fixed on it as if it had the answer to life itself.
“I held you for some time, but I grew restless.”
She flexed her fingers.
He turned away from the door and she was treated to a frontal view of his body. Not even the greatest sculptures of the Renaissance could rival his symmetry of form.
“You don’t need to wake up yet.”
She smiled her thanks and tried not to stare.
“Why so quiet?” William’s brow furrowed.
“Why me?”
“Why you?” he prompted.
Raven pulled the sheet up to her shoulders.
“There are lots of human women you could choose from. And there’s the red-haired vampyre. She’s gorgeous.”
William wore a distasteful expression. “Aoibhe is an ally; nothing more.”
Raven contemplated his answer, wondering why she felt suspicious.
“In comparison with the others, I’m practically celibate. I don’t engage in intercourse everytime I feed and my assignations are carefully chosen.” He watched her face to discern her reaction.
She gazed at him curiously. “You said once that you didn’t know how sex as a vampyre compared with what it was when you were human.”
William nodded, appearing uncomfortable.
“What did you mean?”
His jaw flexed. “I meant that as a human being I never engaged in sex.”
Raven’s mouth dropped open. “How old were you when you became a vampyre?”
William turned away to look out over the gardens. “The world was different then. I was different then. At the time of my transformation, I was a novice in the Dominican order.”
“You were a priest?” Raven practically shrieked.
He pinned her to the bed with his dark glare. “I was in formation to become a priest. Novices take the same vows.”
Raven murmured an oath.
“I haven’t spent a great deal of time thinking about it, but it’s clear the chains I wore in life still bind me. I enjoy sexual relations but intemperance repulses me.”
“I don’t see how a priest—I mean, a novice—could become a vampyre. Wouldn’t you have crosses and relics on you at all times?”
“We are alike, you and I. We both hate God. You hated him into atheism and I hated him into a cursed supernatural transformation.”
“I don’t understand.”
“If you continue to share my bed, it’s possible I will tell you how it came about. But not this morning.” William turned his back on her.
Raven realized she’d been dismissed.
Without a word, she swung her legs over the far side of the bed, facing the closet.
She wrapped the sheet around her naked body, fashioning it into a toga, and hobbled over to her overnight bag.
“What are you doing?”
She heard his voice but didn’t look up. “I’m getting dressed and having breakfast.”
“Why? It’s early yet.”
She withdrew underwear and a T-shirt from her bag. “You said ‘if ’ I continue to share your bed. I know regret when I hear it.”
He strode toward her. “What are you talking about?”
“I’m talking about being content with what I have and not deluding myself into reaching for something more.”
“You aren’t making sense.”
“Actually, I’ve come to my senses.” She glanced at him without making eye contact. “If you give me the room, I’ll change and you won’t have to watch.”
William pulled the clothes from her hands. “Maybe I’d like to watch.”
“So you can make fun?”
“Of what?”
She gestured to herself. “Are you really going to make me say it? Look at me.”
His eyes bore into hers. “I am.”
His look was heated, full of desire.
Raven turned her gaze to her feet. “Thin is beautiful.”
He scoffed. “Thin is an indication of ill health and weaknes
s.”
Raven gave him a quizzical look.
He stroked his chin absently. “I’d forgotten about this aspect of human culture. For the most part, I ignore the workings of your world, unless there’s something that particularly interests me. You, for example.”
He placed a hand to her hip. “When I was human, slender women had a low survival rate. They were considered sickly, infirm, and definitely not beautiful.”
“You don’t mind my weight?”
He brought his hand to the top of the sheet, where she’d twisted it under her arms.
“Let me look at you.”
“I’m naked.”
“Precisely.” His gaze darted to her breasts as he pulled the sheet from her body. He stood there, his eyes roaming her figure with undisguised appreciation. “You’re an attractive woman, Raven.”
She didn’t meet his eyes. She felt conspicuous, embarrassed. She bent to pick up the sheet but he took her hand, leading her over to his painting of Primavera.
He stood behind her and placed his hands on her shoulders.
“I can see you may need a little convincing. Take a moment and examine the painting, focusing on the female forms.”
“I know what they look like.” She crossed her arms over her chest. “I’m an art restorer, remember?”
“You may have looked at them, but you haven’t seen them. Look again.”
Raven began at the left of the painting with the figure of Mercury and moved to look at the three Graces.
“They’re certainly healthy.”
“Look on the Graces before examining Venus. Remember, these are depictions of the ideal of feminine beauty.”
“According to Botticelli.”
William squeezed her shoulders. “Botticelli recognized beauty when he saw it. He admired Simonetta Vespucci, for example, and she was extremely attractive.”
Raven turned her head to the side. “You aren’t making me feel better.”
“That’s because you aren’t paying attention. Look at the women’s stomachs.”
She did as she was told. “They’re rounded.”
“They’re healthy.” William brought his hands to her abdomen and placed them flat against her. “As are you.” His lips found her ear. “And their breasts?”
Raven shuddered at his nearness.
“It’s difficult to make out but they look full.”
William brushed her hands aside and cupped her breasts, reveling in the weight. “You’re far more voluptuous. Far more pleasing to my eyes, my hands, my mouth.” He kissed her ear. “What about their bottoms?”
“They’ve got back.”
“Back?”
“Um, they have substantial bottoms.”
“Hmm.” William slid his hands down the curves of her sides and her hips before gripping her backside. “You have an excellent, round bottom. It pleases me to hold it while I’m inside you.”
He stepped in front of her, facing her. “In other words, Botticelli’s ideal women look like women and not boys. They’re soft and curvaceous. Healthy and rounded. Women of the size figured in this painting were considered beautiful for centuries, if not millennia. They were the aesthetic ideal during my lifetime and long after.”
He brought his mouth to her neck before whispering, “My ideal hasn’t changed.”
Without a word, Raven wrapped her arms around his shoulders and kissed him as he carried her to bed.
Chapter Forty-five
“Someone is happy this morning.” Patrick smirked as he saw Raven sitting at her desk with a dreamy smile on her face.
She was staring at an image of Primavera that she’d used as the wallpaper to her desktop computer.
“Earth to Raven?” He snapped his fingers, causing her to jump.
When she saw who’d surprised her, she shoved his arm. “Jeez, Patrick. What the hell?”
He laughed. “I called your name twice.”
“I was concentrating.” She turned back to her computer, logging out of the system.
“On what, your wallpaper?”
“Very funny.”
“Why so happy this morning? Is it because Batelli got turfed?”
Raven glanced around the room at their colleagues. Fortunately, they weren’t paying attention to their conversation.
“Ssshhh!” She gave Patrick a censorious look.
He lifted his hands in surrender. “Sorry.”
“Summer is coming. That makes me happy.” Raven grabbed her cane and walked to the wardrobe to retrieve her lab coat.
“Right.” Patrick followed her. “Hey, if things with your wine collector are that good, why don’t we go on a double date? Gina wanted to plan something for your birthday.”
“It isn’t until July.”
“Well, she’ll plan a party for then. But we should go out before that. Bring your friend to meet us.”
“Um, I don’t know.” Raven tried not to look troubled.
“No big deal. I know how things are when it’s new.” He smiled again.
Raven returned his smile. “Things are pretty new with Gina. You guys have only been together a couple of weeks.”
“Yeah, but it feels like longer because we were friends first. How’s your collector?”
She directed her grin at her lab coat. “He’s good. Thanks.”
Patrick shook his head at her. “Now that we know everything is good, let me know when you’re free. We can go out to dinner or meet for drinks after work. You decide.”
He started for the door. “By the way, they’re going to reopen the exhibition hall in a couple of weeks. The Prado in Madrid agreed to lend us a few pieces.”
Raven gestured to him to come back. “Does that mean they’ve closed the investigation?”
“No. From what I hear, it’s just moved off-site. There’s no way Vitali is going to let the illustrations go without a massive investigation. By the way, be careful walking around the city at night. The newspapers are reporting that there’s a motorcycle gang attacking people. They shot a guy with a crossbow Monday night.”
“What?” Raven’s jaw dropped open.
“I know. Ridiculous, right? The BBC is reporting that both British and American tourists are canceling their travel plans to Florence this summer. The theft at the gallery, plus those bodies they found near the river, and now the motorcycle gang have all hit the news.”
“Is the gang attacking random people or are they targeting?”
Patrick gave her a quizzical look. “I have no idea. There were reports of attacks but when the police arrived, the victims had disappeared.”
“Thanks, Patrick. Say hi to Gina. I’ll let you know about dinner.”
Her friend nodded and made his way to the archives.
Raven thought of one word as she walked toward the restoration lab.
Hunters.
During her lunch break, Raven contemplated calling Ambrogio in order to leave a message for William.
But she didn’t.
He didn’t communicate by telephone, text, or e-mail. If she asked him to come to dinner with her friends, he’d decline, of course.
How could she introduce her . . . vampyre to her friends?
The answer was clear and concise.
She couldn’t.
Raven didn’t see William again until Saturday evening. He’d been busy day and night trying to locate the hunters.
It was a plausible explanation.
But Raven couldn’t help the doubt that crept into the back of her mind. She wondered if he’d seen the red-haired vampyre while he was hunting. She wondered who he was feeding from, since he wasn’t feeding from her.
She cursed herself for being jealous of his food sources.
On Saturday evening, at William’s request, she put on a little black dress that dipped very low in the back, exposing a great deal of skin. The dress would have looked better with stilettos, but now that her leg was back to its previous form, she couldn’t wear high heels without excruciating p
ain.
She took time brushing and styling her long black hair, curling the ends. And she made up her face with a light hand, accentuating the natural color of her lips and highlighting her green eyes.
William had said he was taking her out for the evening, but that she was to be ready before sunset.
A knock sounded at the door and she looked through the peephole.
It was Marco.
She opened the door to let him in and retrieved her purse. “Where’s his lordship?”
“In the car.” Marco moved past her, searching the apartment. When he seemed satisfied with what he saw (or didn’t see), he accompanied her to the landing, keeping careful watch on the stairwell as she locked the door.
When she entered the Mercedes, she found William in the backseat.
“Good evening.” He greeted her with a passionate kiss.
She kissed him back earnestly, for she’d missed him.
“I like this.” His fingers descended to where the dress began at her backside.
“You requested it.”
“I may have requested it, but only you could wear it.” He grasped her wrist, moving her bracelet aside so his lips could meet her skin. “You’re stunning.”
Marco pulled away from the curb and they began driving.
“You won’t need this tonight.” William undid the scarf that covered her neck.
Slowly and sensuously, he slid the silk across her skin, allowing the end to trail across her breast.
Raven stopped breathing for a moment.
“Why not?”
“We won’t be in public this evening.” He touched her neck with a single finger. “But I need you to close your eyes.”
“Why?” Raven looked out the window in alarm. “Are you taking me back underground?”
“No. Trust me.”
Raven didn’t trust him. Not completely.
But she swallowed her doubts and closed her eyes.
She could hear the sound of other cars and Vespas as they passed. She could feel the movement of the car, the acceleration and deceleration. There were several stops and several turns.
She had no idea where they were going.
All this time, William’s thumb stroked the back of her hand.