Tashi snorted. “As if we don’t know what they were doing. Did he rip your shift off?”
Neona used her wooden spoon to break up the lump of rice in her soup. “Nothing happened.”
“What?” All three women gasped.
“He was . . . weak and running a fever. Because of the wound. He needs rest, so don’t go in there. I’ll nurse him back to health.” Neona stood, careful not to spill any soup. “I’ll give him some of this. Thanks.” As she walked toward her house, the women talked in hushed voices.
“I can’t believe it,” Freya whispered.
“I know,” Tashi agreed. “He couldn’t even do it?”
Freddie huffed. “I thought he was stronger than that.”
Neona winced. Thank God Zoltan’s pride was as dead as he was at the moment. She slipped inside the house, quickly shutting the door behind her. He was still stretched out on Minerva’s bed, barely visible in the dark.
She set the bowl of soup on the table next to the uneaten dinner from last night. Then she took a candle from the mantelpiece and hurried back outside. The women hushed and exchanged glances when she approached. No doubt they had been discussing Zoltan’s inability to perform. He would most probably be annoyed by her current strategy, but it seemed like the best way to buy some time. They wouldn’t kill him as long as they were waiting for her to get pregnant.
Freddie stood and brushed off her pants. “Freya and I are going to our father’s cabin to bring back the presents. You want to come?”
“I should keep an eye on Zoltan.” Neona lit her candle from the central fire pit. “I’ll see you in a few hours.”
She rushed back to her house and lit the fire in the hearth. Then she wedged the lit candle into the holder on her bedside table.
“There. Now I can see.” She glanced at Zoltan. His eyes were still closed, and he hadn’t budged.
Her gaze drifted to the black box sitting on the bedside table. “Is this another gift for me?”
No response. He just lay there, looking gorgeous with the firelight glimmering over his muscled body and handsome face.
She opened the black box, and her breath caught. Two gold bands. A larger one for a man. A smaller one for a woman. She’d read about these in the books Frederic had left behind. A man and woman exchanged vows and rings at their wedding.
Her eyes misted with tears. Zoltan wanted to marry her. Didn’t he realize that marriage never worked for the women of Beyul-La? Calliope’s husband had deserted her. And Zoltan’s mother, Dohna, had ended up dead.
Would Zoltan try to repeat his father’s actions? Would he try to lure her away from the valley and her sacred duty?
Just last night Neona had urged Tashi to run away and live with the man she loved. But he was a villager. A mortal, who lived close by. She and any future daughters she had could still visit Beyul-La and help fulfill their sacred duty.
Marriage to Zoltan would mean marriage to a vampire. A husband with fangs? Would she have children with fangs?
She snapped the box shut and set it back on the table. There was no point in even imagining it. She couldn’t leave Beyul-La. She was the only healer left. Everyone counted on her.
Her eyes filled with tears as she removed her sparkly watch and set it beside the black box. Then she sat on the edge of her bed and gazed at Zoltan.
“It’s impossible,” she whispered.
Neona woke to a loud squeaking noise. She lay in bed, disoriented for a few seconds. She hadn’t intended to fall asleep again, but after eating all the food on the table, she’d stretched out on her bed with nothing to do other than stare at Zoltan.
She blinked. His bed was empty.
With a gasp, she sat up.
“Good evening.” He smiled at her as he twisted the top off a bottle of blood.
While he drank, Neona looked him over. He was standing next to the wooden chest. The open box, containing ice and his bottles of blood, sat on top of the chest. He’d slipped his blue pants back on, but they were unfastened and rested low on his hips. A line of dark hair ran from his navel into his black underwear. She swallowed hard and lifted her gaze. The stab wound by his ribs was completely gone. No doubt his arrow wound was completely healed, too.
She ventured a quick glance at his face and stiffened when she realized he had been studying her, too. She looked away and busied herself, unbraiding her hair. The wildflowers had fallen from her hair onto her pillow while she’d slept. She gathered the wilted flowers up, then eased past Zoltan to the fireplace, where she tossed them in. Another log had been added to the fire.
She glanced at Zoltan. “Have you been up long?”
“Just a few minutes.” He finished his bottle and grimaced. “Cold blood.” He shoved the empty bottle back into the box. When he closed the lid, it made the same squeaking noise that had awakened her.
“Of course, I could have enjoyed some fresh, warm blood.” He turned to her, his eyes darkening as he looked her over. “I woke up with a terrible hunger and there you were, lying so close, smelling so sweet. Tempting the hell out of me.”
She stepped back. “You wanted to bite me?”
“I’m a vampire. Of course I did.” He shrugged. “But I didn’t. So do you trust me now?”
“No!”
His amber-colored eyes gleamed with humor. “Then we have no choice but to continue with the original plan to earn your trust. Ten climaxes, one at a time.”
She had a feeling he’d set her up. “I didn’t agree to that.”
The corner of his mouth curled up. “One little climax. You’re not afraid of that, are you?”
“I’m a warrior. I laugh at fear.”
His eyes sparkled. “Good. Then we’ll start tonight.”
“Says who?” She lifted her chin. “Are you smirking at me?”
His smile widened. “Never.” He opened the wooden chest and put his supply of blood back in. Then he removed a small bag from his duffel bag. “Is there a place to shower around here?”
“I usually go to Frederic’s valley, where the stream from Beyul-La shoots out from the rock wall.”
“I know where that is. Do you have any towels?”
“We cannot leave this valley.”
“Of course we can. They’ll never know we left the house. We’ll teleport.”
Her mouth dropped open. “I-I’d rather not.”
“Afraid?”
“Of course not. But I’m supposed to keep you here.”
“You’re supposed to guard me. That’s why you should come with me.” He stepped closer. “What if I tried to escape?”
She snorted. “You could escape anytime you want.”
“Towel?”
“Fine.” She moved to the shelves in the corner next to the hearth. “Here. Go take your shower.” She grabbed a linen towel from the stack.
When she turned, her breath caught. He was right next to her. With a very determined look on his face. “What are you doing? You shouldn’t sneak up—”
He grabbed her and everything went black. A few seconds later, her feet landed and she stumbled.
“Easy.” He steadied her.
“You startled me!” She shoved at his chest.
With a smile, he released her and stepped back. “Just one of the many thrills in store for you tonight.”
“I didn’t agree!” She threw the towel at him.
He caught it and sauntered along the stream, headed for the rock wall.
She looked around. Good Lord, she’d actually teleported with him. They were in the next valley, not far from Frederic’s cabin. In the distance, she could see where the water jetted through the rock wall. The grass felt cold and damp under her bare feet. She hadn’t even had time to put on her shoes.
As she approached the waterfall, she watched Zoltan setting his towel and small bag on a flat rock.
He waved at her before heading toward a clump of trees and bushes. “I’m not running away. I’ll be right back.”
What wa
s he doing? She ventured closer, then turned away when she realized he was relieving himself. She leaned over to peer at his small bag. It had the same sort of metal closure that his blue pants did. She tugged at the metal tab and smiled when it slid along the top of the bag, opening it.
“You like zippers?” He stopped beside her and dropped his pants to the ground. “I’ll let you practice with my jeans next time.”
“Jeans?”
“My pants.” He folded them and set them on the rock next to the towel. “Would you like to shower with me?”
“No. I’m fine.” She stepped back. When he hooked his thumbs into the waistband of his underwear, she quickly looked away. Something grazed her toes, and she jumped back. The rascal had tossed his underwear at her as if he was daring her to take a peek.
Very well. She wasn’t a coward. She did. He was leaning over his small bag, and he pulled out two of the smallest containers she’d ever seen. And they were clear. She could see some sort of liquid inside. When he straightened, she caught a glimpse of his manhood before turning away. Good Lord, he was huge.
She swallowed hard. “Those are interesting. What are they?”
“My balls.”
She gritted her teeth and gave him a wry look, being careful to only look at his face. “In your hand.”
“Ah.” He smiled as he raised his hand to her. “Shampoo and conditioner. Travel size. Would you like to try it?”
“No, thanks.” She lifted her chin. “Are you smirking at me?”
“Never.” His smile widened. “Are you ogling me?”
“Never.” Her gaze slid down as he turned. Good Lord, could a man’s back and buttocks be that gorgeous?
He strode into the shallow pool at the base of the waterfall. The water only reached midcalf, for it rushed down a rocky path to join the main stream in the valley.
After setting the small containers on a rock, he leaned into the cascade of water, his back to her.
She took a deep breath to ease the quivers in her stomach. Even with the scars on his back, he was beautiful to behold. He lifted his arms to smooth his hands over his slick hair. The muscles in his arms and shoulders rippled. His buttocks flexed.
And her knees nearly gave out. With a muffled squeak, she steadied herself.
He glanced back as he squirted shampoo into his hand. “Are you all right?”
“Yes. I—I’ll just rinse out your underwear.” She grabbed it off the ground and hurried to the stream.
Crouching next to the water, she dunked his underwear in and swished it about. She glanced back. He was vigorously lathering up his hair. Trails of soap trickled down his back, meandering around his muscles, till they reached his rump.
She turned away, sucking in a deep breath. How could a man’s rear end look so enticing? So touchable. She wanted to dig her fingers into those cheeks and feel the muscles flexing beneath her hands.
She squeezed his underwear in her hands, wringing out the water. Her thighs tensed as an odd sensation settled between her legs. An empty, aching need. It made her press her thighs together.
She glanced back and gasped softly. He’d turned to face her. His eyes were closed, and he was leaning back to rinse his hair. His hands glided over his hair, biceps bulging. Rivulets of water ran down his chest and stomach to the patch of dark hair that surrounded his manhood.
He was aroused. Jutting out. Her mouth went dry, and moisture pooled between her legs.
He stepped toward her, and with another gasp, she realized his eyes were now open. He’d caught her ogling him. She stumbled to her feet.
“Is that my underwear?” He pointed downstream.
“Oh!” In her shock, she must have dropped it. It was tumbling down the creek, halfway to Frederic’s cabin. “I’ll get it!” She ran along the bank of the stream, then plunged in to grab it where it had caught on a tree branch.
Suddenly, Zoltan appeared in the middle of the creek, right in front of her. With a squeal, she fell back, landing on her rump. Cold water enveloped her to her chin.
With a laugh, he plucked his underwear off the branch, then pulled her to her feet. “Now that you’re all wet, you might as well shower with me.”
“I—” Everything went black again, then she stumbled in the pool by the waterfall. “Stop doing that!” She shoved at him, but he didn’t budge.
He untied her sash, then pulled off her robe. She was still wearing the sheer white silk shift underneath.
Zoltan tossed her robe onto the grass, then squeezed some shampoo into the palm of his hand. “Is your hair wet?”
She leaned into the spray of water to dampen her hair, then he led her over to a rock.
“Sit.” He stepped behind her. “Close your eyes.”
She sat with a huff. “You shouldn’t order me about.” She swiveled on the rock to glare at him but found her nose inches away from his manhood. Her jaw dropped. The cold stream had doused his arousal a bit, but the shaft was still thick and heavy, swollen with desire.
“You should close your mouth,” he said softly. “It’s giving me ideas.”
She snapped her mouth shut and glowered at him. “Are you smirking again?”
“Are you ogling again?”
She scoffed, then turned her back to him and squeezed her eyes shut. But even with her eyes closed, she kept seeing his manhood.
His hands moved over her scalp, his fingers massaging her temples and the back of her neck. It felt heavenly. Sensual. She gripped her knees.
“Come.” He pulled her to her feet and led her back to the waterfall. Then he arched her back to rinse her hair.
When she straightened, her silk shift was soaked and plastered to her body. And his eyes were red and glowing.
He palmed her breast, kneading it gently. “Neona.”
She shuddered. “Why do your eyes turn red?”
“It’s a sign of how much I want to make love to you.” He nuzzled her neck as his fingers teased the hardened tip of her nipple.
Her thighs pressed together.
He kissed a path up her neck to her ear. “Are you ready?” he whispered. He gently tugged at the tip of her nipple, making her moan. “Ready for your little climax?”
She clutched his shoulders. “We mustn’t have intercourse. I mustn’t get pregnant.” Even though she suddenly wanted it more than anything. She wanted to take him deep inside and feel his seed gushing out, filling her with heat. And giving her hope for a little girl with long dark hair and amber eyes. But would the child have fangs?
“I’m only going to touch you.” His hands slipped under her shift and squeezed her buttocks.
She wouldn’t let herself worry for now. She’d live for the moment and pretend that she had an eternity to spend with Zoltan. Even if it was impossible.
He nuzzled her ear. “Do you agree?”
Her heart felt like it was going to burst. She wrapped her arms around his neck. “Yes.”
Chapter Seventeen
Zoltan’s heart swelled. She’d said yes. He cradled her face in his hands and rested his forehead against hers, savoring the moment. This would be the first of many yesses, he vowed to himself. He would not give up on her, not allow their future to be sabotaged by an ancient lifestyle that had forced her to live alone and secluded for centuries. Whatever pact she’d made, whatever her sacred duty was, he would not lose her because of it. She would be his. Forever.
He kissed her thoroughly until she clung to him, breathless and trembling at his touch. As she gasped for air, he moved his hands slowly. The white silk was soaked through till it was practically transparent. He could see the color of her nipples, a dark, dusty pink. He could feel the pebbled skin and the tip that grew harder as he gently tugged.
“Wait,” she whispered, stepping back.
For a second he feared she’d changed her mind, but she gave him a flirtatious smile. With one smooth move, she pulled her shift off and tossed it onto the grass.
His breath caught. The first time to see h
er totally nude. His groin reacted, growing hard.
Her eyes widened. “You don’t seem to have trouble getting in the mood now.”
“I never did.” His red glowing eyes tinted her beautiful body in shades of pink. He gritted his teeth to stay in control. “I wanted you from the first night you clonked me on the head and demanded my seed.”
She gave him a wry look. “I didn’t realize I was seducing a vampire.”
He stepped toward her till the tip of his erection was a mere inch from her. “Each time we meet, I want you even more.”
Her blue eyes sparkled with passion. She lunged toward him just as he pulled her into his arms and claimed her mouth. She kissed him back, delving her hands into his hair. He moved down to her breasts, suckling on the hardened tips, tugging at her until she writhed in his arms. His erection pressed against her stomach, growing more strained as her lithe, supple body rubbed against him.
When he slid a hand between her legs, the amount of moisture there made him growl with satisfaction. His warrior woman was no shy maid. With a groan, she rocked against his hand. His fingers were drenched, making it so easy to slide between the folds. He stroked her, and she whimpered, her knees buckling.
He smiled. At this rate, she was going to melt into a puddle. He spotted the rock nearby with the towel on top. “Come.” He sat on the towel and grasped her hips, pulling her down till she was straddling him, sitting on his thighs, facing him.
She held onto his shoulders, her eyes clouded with passion. “Zoltan.”
He stroked her wet, swollen flesh and she whimpered, her fingers digging into his skin.
“You’re so wet. So sweet.” He quickened the pace, rubbing her harder.
She groaned, her hands slipping up to his head to grasp handfuls of hair.
He spread his legs forcing her to open wider. When he pressed on her clitoris, she shuddered. He fondled her faster and faster, applying vampire speed, till she stiffened and squealed. She fell against him, her swollen flesh throbbing against his fingertips.
He held her close with his free arm, keeping his right hand pressed against her drenched skin so he could coax more aftershocks from her. Each time she twitched, he smiled. She was so responsive, so highly charged that the slightest flex of his fingers sent a shudder through her entire body. Unfortunately, it also made him so painfully swollen that he was about to burst.