Honor Calls

Caridad Piñeiro

Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 1

Michaela had been tracking the vampire since she’d sensed the elder during her scouting mission in Central Park.

He wasn’t the one she sought, but the heightened thrum of his power told her he had just killed. Reason enough to pursue him until she could find the right vampire and dispatch him.

Then and only then could she leave New York City for a kinder, gentler place.

She discovered the elder vamp’s victim just beyond one of the jogging paths. The kill was fresh, the scent of the elder strong on the female runner who had been tossed into the underbrush like garbage. As Michaela bent to examine the jogger’s body in its shredded clothes, she realized the vampire had not just been content to drain the woman of blood. The victim had been sexually assaulted as well and in the most brutal of ways—ripped apart by the vampire sating his lust.

Michaela opened her senses to pick up every last scintilla of the elder’s trail, from the metallic taste of the victim’s blood on his breath to the unique wake of energy the immortal left behind.

She reached the southern end of the park and something ahead of her spooked one of the horses attached to a hansom cab waiting along Central Park South. The animal reared up, hooves flailing.

She darted behind the cab and caught a glimpse of a blurry figure speeding through Grand Army Plaza. As she raced to the fountain in the center of the square, the pulse of undead power beat at her more strongly, signaling that she was getting closer to the ancient vampire.

Another indistinct flash weaving through the pedestrians on Fifth Avenue confirmed the immortal was within her reach.

She focused on that vague shape, keeping a watchful eye and a respectful distance as she chased after him. She could not engage the vampire elder out in the open where either humans or other vampires might see what was happening. To do so might expose her presence in the city and possibly bring down the wrath of the vampire council.

Despite her caution, the elder must have sensed that he was being followed.

He increased his speed, weaving in and out of the humans on the sidewalks, climbing to the rooftop of a building in lower Midtown Manhattan and leaping from one structure to the next before dropping to the ground. The vampire moved at an almost frantic pace, as if he knew the nature of her mission.

Michaela kept up her determined pursuit, patiently waiting for the moment when the time would be right. She dodged pedestrians and vehicles as the vampire attempted to elude her, well aware that she had to act before the immortal reached the safe haven of the Blood Bank.

If he made it there, she would have to pull back and wait for another night. There were too many undead in that place to risk a confrontation within its doors.

Too many, and she was just one against them.

She drove back the crush of loneliness that nearly choked her, reminding herself that there was no other way. Her life held too much death and destruction; it hindered any kind of personal commitments.

The few people she had allowed to get close had run away when they discovered the truth about her existence.

The truth about her.

Or they’d ended up dead.

In Union Square, the vampire geared down to human speed, using that pace to lose himself amongst the many mortals still present in the park. The beat of the humans’ life forces and their scents served to disguise his presence.

Michaela paused at the far edge of the square, examining the walkways, attempting to separate the humans from her undead prey, but she was unable to pin down the immortal. She waited, hopeful that once the elder moved beyond the boundaries of the crowded area, she would be able to pick up his presence once again.

Her wait was futile.

Long minutes passed with no activity that she could discern.

She finally acknowledged that she had been bested by his subterfuge, but that didn’t mean the chase was over.

She knew just where the vampire was likely to go.

If she could beat him there, she still might be able to take him out before he reached the safety of the nightclub.

Hustling at breakneck speed, she arrived at the mouth of the small cobblestoned street that led to the Blood Bank. At the club’s door was the ever-present vampire bouncer and crowd of humans waiting to mingle with both wannabe and real vampires. Not to mention the occasional shape-shifter brave enough to cross into bloodsucker territory.

Michaela had never understood the human fascination with the undead, the near veneration for the amoral creatures who had taken so much from her and others.

Vampires weren’t meant to be idolized, she thought.

They were meant to be exterminated.

As she felt the presence at her back, she realized she had guessed right about the vampire elder.

She had barely half turned to face him when he lashed out at her, nails as sharp as eagle’s talons raking across her jacket. The leather did its job, keeping his nails from tearing into her flesh.

Bending backward, she avoided the deeper thrust of another vicious swipe toward her midsection and then dropped down to sweep the vampire’s feet out from under him.

He landed with a thick thud, while she was immediately back on her feet after a quick jerk and launch of her body, a nice sharp wooden stake in her hand.

“Not what you thought, fang boy?” she taunted as she stood, arms akimbo, above the prone body of the stunned elder.

With a swift move of his own, the vampire surged to his feet, fully transformed. His eyes glowed with a piercing teal-blue light. Long deadly fangs erupted from his mouth and ended at a point below his chin. Such a prodigious length of tooth testified to his longevity. The strength of his elder power jabbed at her senses, threatening just by its very existence.

This vamp would not go quickly, she thought as the elder issued a warning growl and lunged at her again, beginning a dance that could end in only one way….

With one of them dead.

Frustration clawed at his gut as he stared at the picture of the latest victim found torn apart in a downtown alley. As he flipped through the status report on the investigation, a familiar name appeared in the FBI case report.

The Blood Bank.

FBI Assistant Director in Charge Jesus Hernandez expected a fair share of crime in a city like New York, but judging from how often the edgy Goth bar appeared in the reports provided to him, the Blood Bank appeared to be crime central.

He supposed the easy way to find out more about the club would be to ask any of the agents in his bureau what to make of the place. But he hadn’t gotten to be one of the top agents in the New York City Bureau by taking the easy way. On the contrary. He believed in personally getting involved when it was necessary.

As he picked up the file again and examined the photo of the body parts found a couple of blocks from the bar, he raked his hand through his short-cropped hair and blew out a disgusted breath.

He’d read the witness statements. Tales of creepy happenings and Goth clubgoers who might be a little more than they seemed.

Even his top agent—Diana Reyes—seemed to believe in the possibility of an underworld that was less than human.

It was definitely time for a visit to the Blood Bank to get his own impression.

Memorizing the address, he rose from his desk and slipped on his suit jacket. For a moment he considered going by his apartment to change, certain he would look out of place in his expensive suit.

But his apartment would be seriously empty. His last lover had moved out nearly a year earlier, complaining about the time he devoted to his job. Considering that the living room still boasted only the recliner and the plasma television he’d bought after she’d left, she had probably been right.

Plus, as he mentally reviewed the contents of his closet, he knew he had nothing suitable to wear to a Goth bar anyway.

Best just to drive by the place, scope it out and decide what to do next, he told himself. For good measure, he checked to make sure his gun was loaded and tucked snugly into the holster at his side.

The one thing he knew about the Blood Bank: It wasn’t the kind of place you went without protection.

Chapter 2

Shit. The small street on which the Blood Bank was located was not wide enough for the passage of a car. His intent to just drive by wouldn’t be possible.

As Jesus rounded the block for the third time, he scoped out a free parking spot a short distance away and then headed on foot toward the club.

He hadn’t gone more than a few feet before the heat and humidity of the August Manhattan night had him sweating beneath the weight of his suit jacket. Since he was armed, removing the jacket wasn’t possible. He was starting to regret that he hadn’t gone by his apartment to at least change into a T-shirt and jeans.

Swiping at a line of perspiration along his brow, he paused at the mouth of one of the older streets in the city. It looked more like an alley, which seemed appropriate for the place he was about to visit.

Ahead of him and about four small blocks down was a line of people at a nondescript building—the Blood Bank, he assumed. The line was relatively long, considering the hour, and it was filled with a decidedly rough-looking crowd clad in black leather and metal. That at least was not very different from what he had expected.

As he proceeded along the cobblestones, bright with the light from a full moon and uneven beneath his shoes, he kept a wary eye on the smaller, narrower side streets and tight gaps between the buildings. It was at the mouth of one of those alleys that the last body had been found.

Or at least, parts of the body.

A grunt, loud and painful sounding, snared his attention. Two turn-of-the-century brick buildings, built so closely together that the moonlight did little to illuminate the area between them, did a good job of hiding whatever activity was going on in the gap.

Another grunt was followed by the din of metal trash cans crashing together.

Definitely a fight and, judging from the sounds of it, someone was getting their ass kicked.

Jesus pulled out his Sig and advanced to the opening of the alley. He took a step within and let his eyes adjust to the lack of light, revealing the two people locked together in combat. One was tall and much bigger than the other, and as they grappled together, the light from a side-door lamp illuminated their features.

The smaller one was a woman, while the other…

Eerily bright blazing eyes shot a glance his way while long white fangs gleamed under the artificial light of the lamp. The creature growled at him, the sound like the rumble of a mountain lion, but then turned back toward the woman.

Jesus blinked, unable to believe what he was seeing, but another glimpse of the creature’s face confirmed what he was—a vampire. Or at least, someone posing as one.

The much smaller woman had her arms braced against the creature’s jacket, trying to keep those wickedly long fangs away from her face, but with the vampire’s greater height and bulk, Jesus feared she might be fighting a losing battle.

No, he cursed as she continued with the fight, totally ignoring his presence.

The creature spun the woman around and as the light swept over her face, he could tell she was young. Mid-twenties he guessed before she whirled out of sight again, struggling to break away from the demon’s grasp.

With a quick upward jab of her arm, the woman snapped the creature’s head back. It emitted a louder growl, but the woman’s blow did little to slow the demon. It reached behind to grab the woman by the scruff of her neck and whip her against a brick wall. She hit with a thick thud and fell to the ground dazed, prompting Jesus to action.

“FBI. Stop or I’ll shoot,” he called out, training his gun on the demon as it took a step toward her.

The thing actually halted and looked at him. What he guessed passed for a smile erupted on its face, but then a second later the demon reeled back, grabbing at its chest with long taloned fingers.

The woman had buried a wooden stake deep into its chest.

Shock filled the creature’s face, mirroring Jesus’ own surprise as he realized she had just killed someone…

No, make that something, before his eyes.

Blood leaked from around the edges of the stake, staining the off-white shirt the man-beast wore. It stood, hands flailing, long nails clacking against the stake, disbelief on its face before the look became blank and the creature dropped to the ground.

“One down, too many more to go,” the woman said, her voice deeper than what he would have expected from someone so petite. She nudged the creature’s body with the toe of her black boot and then bent to examine it, as if to make sure she had finished the job.

One down, huh? He turned his gun on her and warned, “FBI. Put your hands up.”

She faced him and just for a moment he thought he saw a hint of fang at her mouth and a glow in her gaze, but then she stepped into the puny shaft of light from the side lamp on the building.

Her face was anything but demon-like.

She stood before him, her hands outstretched at her sides, her totally human face serene and beautiful, reminding him of the pictures of the saints his mother used to have on the wall of their fifth-floor walk-up apartment. Of course, the black leather encasing her slim body was anything but saintlike.

Too beautiful and too young, it occurred to him as she took a step toward him.

“FBI. Stop or I’ll shoot.” He held his gun steady and aimed straight at her head.

A wistful smile played across her face as she stepped toward him tentatively. “This is none of your business. The FBI has no power here.”

“Here? This is New York City, lady, and in case you didn’t notice, I’ve got the gun and the badge.” For good measure, he drew aside the edge of his jacket to reveal the silver and gold badge clipped to his belt.

She surprised him by laughing, a sexy husky sound that pulled at his gut, confusing him. His confusion only increased with her next words.

“This may be New York, but that gun and badge won’t help you against vampires. Especially ones like him.” She motioned to the body on the ground. “Or the ones up the block in the Blood Bank.”

Certifiable, he thought, because now that he had time to think, he knew the demon on the ground had to be a man in costume. Vampires were not real and a stake to the chest would kill most anybody. But then the body on the ground did a funny little twitch and began to shrivel up before his eyes.

Following his gaze, she peered over her shoulder. With a shrug she said, “The older they are the faster they dry up. Harder to kill, though. Age makes them stronger.”

He shook his head and, for the barest of seconds, closed his eyes to refocus, blaming what he had seen on the lack of light. But when he returned his gaze to the body, it was still slowly disappearing, sublimating like dry ice, and the stake remained buried deep in the middle of its chest.

When he looked back at the woman, he realized she had walked right up to him. The barrel of his gun was barely an inch from her face. Her very young and attractive face.

After she finished perusing him, she wrinkled her nose and said, “You don’t strike me as the type to believe in anything that doesn’t go by the book.”

She was right, which frustrated him; despite his better judgment, her power and self-assurance called to him.

As their gazes met, he detected loneliness in her.

The same emotion that lived in him, thanks to the demands of his job.

Fascinated, he said, “So make me believe.”

She smiled and motioned to the entrance of the alley behind him.

“Follow me.”

Chapter 3

Michaela watched the bewilderment on his face fade and be replaced by something…

Dangerous, she thought, sensing his attraction to her, sensing the want in him that could make him risky. Somehow that wasn’t enough to deter her from fulfilling his challenge. She would make him believe.

When he holstered his weapon, she brushed past him, trying to ignore her response. She wasn’t usually the suit-and-tie type, not to mention that he was older than the other men who’d been in her life.

Of course, that was because dead or gone was her typical type. Not old. Especially since old was something she would never become.

Ignoring her contradictory emotions, she put a sexy roll in her walk as she moved toward the Blood Bank. A quick glance over her shoulder told her that he was totally buying into her challenge. A thrill of anticipation shot through her.

She smiled, pleased that he seemed intrigued, and headed straight to the bouncer. The big man glared at her until she allowed a hint of her gleaming gaze to emerge. He hesitated, maybe sensing the difference in her power, but then she repeated the action and added a bit of fang.

The bouncer relented and, with a broad sweep of his arm, lifted the red velvet rope for her and the FBI agent. As they slipped beneath the boundary, the bouncer emitted a low growl, as if to warn her that the two of them were not fully welcome.

She ignored him and plowed forward, the FBI agent close to her back. After they entered and moved out of hearing of the bouncer, he leaned forward and asked, “Bouncer is a vampire?”

His tone was laced with disbelief, but she nodded as she navigated through the crowd with him nearly plastered to her back. The bar was full tonight, packed with dozens of human Goth and wannabe vampire types as well as the real deal. Colored spotlights skittered unevenly over the crowd. On the small stage at the far end of the club, glaring light illuminated a band playing loudly and aggressively, half singing half screaming indeterminate lyrics. The strong thumping bass and heavy drumbeats pulsed across the club and incited those on the dance floor to thrash and jump in rhythm.

The lights and noise bothered her senses. She hurried to the back of the club where it was quieter and dimmer, creating a feeling of false intimacy. The area was crowded, but in the farthest corner was an empty table for two.

She sat down with her back to the wall, not wanting any surprises. Unexpectedly, he plopped down right beside her rather than across from her.

When she arched a brow in question, he shrugged and said, “Don’t want to have to watch my back either.”

Understandable and yet provoking.

His physical presence was difficult to ignore, and his dark brown eyes seemed fathomless in the dim light.

She hoped he would not prove as fascinating as he appeared.

“So you expect me to believe the bouncer was a vampire and that there are other ones here as well?” he said, examining the interior of the club.

There were definitely vampires present. She sensed the push of their undead force, but before she got into proving it, she wanted him to buy her a drink. She was low on cash and most men disappeared once they discovered the truth around them.

The truth about her.

Raising her hand, she signaled a waitress.

When the young woman arrived, Michaela said, “Cuervo shooter.”

Slipping a glance at her companion, she realized he was checking out the waitress, in a vamp way, not that she expected him to pick up on the signs so quickly. She shook her head.

He understood and ordered a shooter as well.

The waitress hesitated and Michaela explained, “You’re new. You’ve got to pay up front.”

He snorted in disgust, but quickly dug into his pocket, peeled off a twenty from a moderate wad of cash and tossed the bill on the scarred black Formica table. The waitress immediately scooped up the money and walked away to place their orders.

“Must get nice clientele in here,” he said as he tucked his money into his pocket. The motion pulled his suit jacket back, exposing the butt of his gun. At an adjacent table, one of the patrons noticed the weapon and quickly scurried away.

Jesus wondered why the man felt compelled to run. In his line of business, it was an obvious sign of guilt, but in here….

For all the patrons’ Goth rebelliousness, they were quite uniform in their manner of dress, lots of black, from the leather and jeans to their hair.

“You said you’d make me truly believe,” he reminded his companion just as the waitress came to the table with their drinks.

The waitress placed the lime, saltshaker and shots of Cuervo on the table. His companion bit into the lime, skipped the salt and then downed the tequila in one gulp before ordering another.

“Thirsty?” he asked as he paid in advance once again.

“Once guys see how things are, most of my dates don’t last beyond the first drink.” She fidgeted with the empty shot glass.

“Didn’t realize that buying you a drink made this a date,” he said, perplexed by her, by the self-assurance on the surface that seemed to hide a well of vulnerability.

“Not your usual type, I suspect,” she said and fully faced him.

Not his type?

He wondered about that as he sipped his shot of tequila and studied her. Her dark, nearly black hair fell in choppy layers against her roundish face. Cerulean-blue eyes bore an exotic slant and hinted at extreme intelligence, while pale, creamy skin appeared to be as soft as satin sheets.

The black leather jacket she wore fit tight against her body, accentuating both her slimness and slightness of stature, but the tank top beneath the jacket exposed the lushness of her curves.

He imagined exploring those curves. Raising that lean, strong body against his and slipping within.

His type, he thought, fighting back his body’s response. Now that they were up close, he guessed her to be at least a decade younger than his thirty-eight years.

“Don’t have a type and I’m not the kind to drink and run,” he said, taking another sip of the Cuervo to quell the desire awakening within him.

She laughed, the tone of her merriment rich and uninhibited. It had been a long time since he had allowed himself that kind of freedom, but she clearly was not one to hold back.

That only intrigued him more, especially when she challenged him with, “You may be the kind to run after you see what goes on in here.”

Elegantly raising her hand, she gestured to the far corners of the club, close to where they sat. He could barely make out the shadows of people engaged in various activities.

Leaning close to him, she said in a hushed tone, “Look carefully if you dare.”

Her warm breath against the base of his neck was sweet. He imagined the kiss of that breath elsewhere and decided it warranted the risk.

“I dare.”

Chapter 4

He followed the surprisingly long line of her index finger, which pointed to a doorway guarded by a muscular bouncer. He was another very pale man who exuded a power that Jesus could feel even across the distance separating them.

Yet one more vampire? he wondered before turning his attention to the door.

In the distant corners, so dark they were almost devoid of light, he finally recognized the activity going on.

Sexual, he thought as he watched one woman writhing against someone, her legs wrapped around a waist. Heat raced through him as he imagined his companion riding him like that, but he quickly tamped down the thought.

Beside that couple was another in an intimate embrace. The woman straddled a man’s thigh, grinding against it, clearly seeking satisfaction. Her companion had one hand tangled in her long blond tresses. Before Jesus’ eyes the man pulled the woman’s head back, exposing the long line of her neck. There was a familiar weirdly bright blue-green gleam in the man’s gaze and a flash of white fang before the man buried his face against the woman’s throat.

Jesus imagined he could hear her sharp gasp of surprise. He saw the jerk of her body, confirming that he wasn’t imagining the attack. When the man shifted his head for the barest of seconds, a dark line of blood became visible against the woman’s skin.

Instinctively Jesus began to rise, determined to interrupt the assault, but his companion laid a hand on his arm.

“Don’t get involved. She came here for that and the vampire knows the rules.”

Vampires did not exist and what he had seen so far that night could be explained by….

He didn’t know what would explain it, but surely there was a rational reason somewhere.

“The rules?” he asked, sitting back down and picking up his shot glass. He hoped her answer would provide a more plausible explanation for what he had just seen.

“No siring the humans in public. I’m even surprised he put the bite on her like that. Foley—”

“Foley?” He finally downed his shot, wincing as the heat burned down his throat.

“Foley’s the owner of this place. He usually has a ‘no public biting’ policy,” she replied easily, but a furrow of worry was etched in the middle of her forehead.

“Not good that they’re getting so bold,” she added.

The waitress came over at that moment with their next round of drinks and he placed another order.

“Not running?” she asked as she picked up the wedge of lime.

“Not sure. But before I make up my mind…Who are you?” He dragged the shot glass close and slowly shifted it between his hands.

She wiped the lime juice from her hands against her jeans and then introduced herself. “Michaela Ramirez.”

He eyeballed her hand, then shifted his gaze back to her face as he took her hand in his much larger one. “Jesus Hernandez.”

Raking her gaze over his attire, she said, “Special Agent Hernandez?”

“Assistant Director in Charge,” he corrected.

“The boss man.”

It explained the air of power about him and confirmed what Michaela had already suspected—he was the kind of man who knew how to take care of himself. But it also meant he was the kind of man who would not understand the mission to which she had dedicated her life, and her eventual death.

He played by the rules. Her existence defied such constraints.

Arching a brow upward, he asked, “And what is it that you do? You know, your job when you’re not busy staking the undead.”

She didn’t have an answer she thought he would accept, so she took her time, perusing him once again.

His suit was expensive and well tailored to his big muscular body. Despite his age, thick dark brown hair showed not one hint of gray. The few wrinkles on his face were the smile lines at the edges of his very sensual mouth and dark brown eyes.

Eyes that twinkled with amusement at her inspection, at her stalling tactic.

Surprising.

“What’s a guy like you doing in a place like this?” she asked, wanting to shift the focus back to him.

“Maybe starting to believe.”

He downed his shot of tequila just as the waitress brought the third round.

When she reached for the lime and shot glass, he covered her hand with his deliciously warm one. His palm was rough against the back of her hand. She imagined that roughness rubbing other parts of her body and a hot flush erupted within her, dampening the spot between her legs.

“Sure you can handle another? You’re kind of…small,” he said, dragging his gaze over her figure.

His look lingered at her breasts, yanking a more obvious response from her. Her nipples beaded into tight points, which only convinced her that it had been way too long since she had last satisfied herself.

Way too long, she thought as she turned her hand and grasped his, running her fingers along the fine hairs on the back of his wrist. She stroked his bare skin, edging beneath the cuff of his shirt.

“You’d be surprised at how much I can handle.” She grinned when she felt the tremor beneath her fingers.

Jesus held his breath as her simple touch jerked his body to life. It had been so long since he had done this little dance with a woman. He wanted to confirm that he wasn’t misreading the signals.

“Just need to make sure you know what you’re doing in a place like this,” he said and half turned in his chair to be certain that he didn’t miss a millisecond of her reaction.

“What I’m doing?” She looked down to where her hand still stroked the sensitive skin at his wrist.

He took her question as an invitation and grasped her hand in his. He noticed the slight chill of her skin and wondered at the reason for it, but he thrust aside the niggle of concern.

“Nervous?” he asked, narrowing his eyes to read her reaction. If anything, she’d been assured, strong and complex so far. He was anticipating experiencing more of the same from her.

“Just…cold,” she answered and twined her fingers with his. “As for where this is going…Are you sure you’re ready to handle all of this and more?”

Jesus shot a look around the club and then back at her. She seemed so much a part of this place and yet removed from it. That might explain the hint of loneliness he had sensed in her.

“If the ‘and more’ involves the two of us alone together somewhere, I’m ready.”

Shaking her head, she smiled, but there was no mistaking the sadness in her voice as she said, “You may be sorry you said that.”

He cupped her face with his free hand and explored the soft skin of her cheek. He shifted his thumb downward over her full lips. Her warm sweet breath exploded against his finger, as if she was shocked by the intimacy of his touch.

“If I promise not to be sorry, can you do the same?”

She sucked in a shaky breath and he saw how her pupils widened with desire. Against the pad of his thumb, her lips quivered before she worried her bottom lip with her perfectly white teeth.

Perfectly white fangless teeth. The thought brought some relief that he wasn’t about to engage one of the supposed undead in what he hoped to be some very satisfying sex.

“Well?” he prompted, her delay both worrisome and frustrating.

She released her bottom lip and finally said, “I won’t be sorry.”

Chapter 5

“Good.” He rose and stood by the table, obviously waiting for Michaela to choose where they would go for their tryst.

“Where” definitely not being the flophouse where she was staying while she completed her mission. She suspected that Jesus, too, would not volunteer where he lived for their encounter.

Which left only one immediate choice—one of the backrooms at the Blood Bank.

She stood and inclined her head toward the rear of the club. “We can pay for a private room in the back.”

Jesus narrowed his eyes, seemingly doubtful, but he didn’t hesitate to follow her as she led him to the bouncer by the door. He stood with tattooed and muscular arms across a broad chest barely covered by the metal-studded leather vest he wore. He kept an unwelcoming glare on his face until Jesus reached into his pocket and extracted some cash.

“What will it be for the best room you have?” Jesus asked.

The bouncer looked at her and replied with a snicker, “I guess such a fine lady only deserves the best. A hundred dollars until dawn.”

“Dawn?” he asked, even as he peeled off the bills and handed them to the man.

“A virgin, are you?” the bouncer said with a sneer, but Michaela shot her hand up to silence him.

“The key is all we need from you.”

When he held out the large brass key, she snagged it from his grasp and rushed into the hallway containing the private rooms.

The hall was narrow and relatively short. The walls were painted black and seemed to devour the light from the dated wall sconces located near each door. The floor beneath their feet was carpeted with a thick shag rug in deep crimson. It was matted down in the center, testifying to the traffic that passed this way.

Jesus followed Michaela as she checked the number on the key against the ones on the wooden doors of the rooms. Finally, at the door farthest away from the club and all its noise, a brass number eight marked the room as theirs.

“What did he mean that we had the room until dawn?” Jesus asked, towering over her. His physical presence rattled her calm, causing her to falter while she tried to unlock the door. He immediately covered her hands with his and helped steady her as she turned the key and opened the door.

She had heard about the Blood Bank’s private rooms, but she had never been in one. The room was surprisingly more than what she had expected.

A queen-size four-poster bed took up one side of the space, the bed’s surface lushly appointed with a satin comforter, an assortment of pillows and remarkably clean sheets.

But it was the accessories on the opposite side of the room that subsequently snared and held both her attention and Jesus’.

He walked to the wall where an assortment of whips, chains, cuffs, knives and other toys were conveniently displayed. Running his index finger along a pair of fur-lined wrist cuffs, he shot her a half-lidded glance as he once again asked, “Why dawn?”

“Why do you think?” She removed the wrist cuffs from the wall and examined them more carefully, even going so far as to undo the strap on one of them.

“It’s when the vamps go home after a night of play,” he said.

A rough edge tinged his voice. Was it from fear or from imagining their own night of play, fur-lined wrist cuffs included?

“It takes a lot of trust, don’t you think?” she asked, slipping on one cuff and holding out her arm the way one might do when examining a bracelet.

It would take a lot of trust, Jesus thought. More trust than existed in their newborn relationship. He reached out and slipped off the cuff, tossed it aside, encircled her fine-boned wrist with his hand and urged her close.

“Tell me what you want, Michaela.” He enjoyed the contradictions she presented, but he needed something concrete on which to begin this night, on which to—perhaps—build something more. Because he suspected that with a woman as complex as Michaela, one night just wouldn’t do it.

She laid a hand on his chest and stepped so close she had to tip her head back to peer up at his greater height. Softly she rubbed her hand against the fabric of his shirt and said, “I want normal.”

The longing in her voice was unmistakable. His own yearning responded in sympathy.

It had been way too long since he had done normal.

Gingerly, aware that she was a little skittish and might bolt, he eased his arm around her waist. Slowly he urged her to move that last little bit, until her body brushed his. But he moved her no farther, not wanting to intimidate or overpower. Somehow, he understood that Michaela needed equal footing.

She needed a partner, he thought as he bent from his greater height to put his face level with hers.

“I think I can do normal,” he teased, a playful grin on his face as he sought to begin her night of respite.

Their evening of pleasure.

A smile crept to one corner of her mouth. She cradled his cheek and traced the lines of his mouth with her thumb, shifted it to the dimple beside his lips.

“You have a nice smile. You’ve done it often during your life,” Michaela said. At his puzzled look, she slipped the pad of her index finger across the faint lines on his face.

His grin turned wickedly sexy. “There’s something to be said for maturity in a man.”

Dipping one hand while bringing the other upward, she placed both on the cotton of his shirt, exploring the gloriously sculpted muscle beneath. As she closed the final distance between their bodies, the hard jut of his impressive erection pushed against the flatness of her belly.

She pressed against him, shifting her hips back and forth. “Maturity doesn’t seem to have affected your ‘something,’ because it’s definitely saying—”

“I want you, Michaela. You’re…unique.” He buried his hand in her shoulder-length hair and cupped the back of her head.

Unique?

He couldn’t even begin to guess just how different she was, but she had asked for normal tonight. Any explanations could wait until she’d experienced the wonder that he had promised.

“You sweet talker. I bet you charm all the women with lines like that.”

The playfulness faded from his face, replaced by an intensity that nearly stole her breath. “Not much for talk, Michaela. I’m an action kind of guy.”

At the back of her head came the gentle pressure of his hand, urging her to her tiptoes until his lips were a breath away from hers.

“Are you an action kind of woman?” he asked and his tequila-spiced breath spilled against her lips, creating an intense pull of need within her.

“Yes,” she replied.

Chapter 6

A shudder ripped through his body at her answer. He knew then that no matter how much she wanted a normal night, there was one thing he couldn’t do…

“I’m not sure I can go slow,” he said.

She chuckled and tipped her head upward once again to lock on his gaze.

“That’s okay. You can go slow later.”

Later, he thought, and groaned as he imagined taking her again and again until the dawn came and maybe even beyond that. But for now…

He slipped his arm beneath her buttocks and raised her until they were face-to-face.

“I think later sounds great.” He smiled, which prompted her broad, unrestrained grin. A smile so real and inviting that he had to feel it against his lips. He traced the edges of her welcoming smile with a series of impatient little kisses until the contact wasn’t enough for him.

Or for her.

She bracketed his head with her hands, kept him close, as she tasted him and then slipped her tongue into his mouth. Raised her legs and wrapped them around his waist, welcoming him elsewhere.

Jesus kept on kissing her even as he walked with her toward the bed on the other side of the room. When he bumped the mattress with his legs, he dipped down to let her sit on its edge. Michaela grabbed his lapels, the fabric expensive beneath her hands although she itched to have the more luxurious texture of his skin against her palms.

She urged the jacket from his shoulders, exposing the well-worn and cared-for leather of his holster, the menacingly black grip of his gun and the slick cotton of his shirt. Grasping the fabric, she jerked, sending buttons flying but accomplishing just what she wanted.

As the shirt hung open, she laid her hands on his skin. Hot like a winter fire. Surprisingly smooth since he had little chest hair. The rich caramel color of his skin matched the warm brown of his eyes, which were glittering brightly as he glanced down at her, a deliciously receptive grin on his face.

“I guess I’m not the only one who can’t go slow.”

“Guess not,” she said, wrapping her thighs around his legs once again, imprisoning him tightly. Leaning back against the soft surface of the bed. Challenging him to action.

He didn’t disappoint.

He teasingly brushed his hands across her breasts before helping her ease the leather jacket from her body. As the jacket came off, he tossed it to the side, seemingly ignoring the unexpected weight and metallic thud that hinted at some kind of weaponry in the garment. Instead, he immediately grabbed the edge of the black tank top she wore, pulled it up and over her head and exposed her upper body to his gaze.

Between her legs came the jump of his erection. He emitted a low rumbling moan a moment before he put his fingers at the front clasp of her black bra. The slight tremor of his fingers confused her.

“Jesus?” she asked and laid her hands over his.

His name on her lips nearly undid him it had been so long since a woman had said it with such a mix of need and doubt.

He wanted all doubt gone.

Needed all doubt gone.

“Be sure, Michaela.”

She slipped her fingers beneath his hands at the clasp of her bra and parted the fabric to reveal herself to him.

“I’m sure, Jesus. Incredibly sure.”

He dragged his hands away from her breasts, to her shoulders, where he ran his thumbs across the fragile lines of her collarbone before inching down the straps of her bra and removing it. Then he slowly passed the pads of his fingers down the softness of her skin until he cupped her breasts. He ran his thumbs across the hard peaks of her nipples, intent on savoring all the differences between them: the paleness of her skin against the darker tones of his; the size of him, immense against her slight frame, reminding him of her physical fragility. But as she encircled his wrists with her hands and urged him onward, her actions spoke instead of the strength of her spirit.

He circled the hard tips of her nipples with his thumbs then pulled on them, dragging a response from her as she raised her hips and ground herself against him.

Bending, he replaced his fingers with his lips, sucking and teething. He thrust his hips against her center, building her need. Enticed by the soft gasp of pleasure and the shiver of desire that came beneath his lips, that slipped from her skin to his as his body brushed against hers.

Michaela grabbed hold of his shoulders as he loved her breasts. She rocked his body against the center of her, creating a deep sensual clenching that wanted more.

While he tongued and sucked on her nipples, bringing her to the edge, she reached down and undid her black jeans. Parted the fabric there.

He sensed her motions and responded, lowering one hand down her body until it rested on the gap of skin exposed along her belly. His thumb circled the indent of her navel, while the tips of his fingers brushed the hair between her legs.

She shifted her hips and he raised his head from her breasts, locked his gaze on hers and dropped his hand down the last few inches.

His eyes were dark with emotion when he parted her with his fingers, seeking the center of her. Intense as he slowly circled the nub between her legs, building her pleasure. Warmth and damp erupted between her legs at his caress and she once again urged her hips upward.

Again he didn’t disappoint.

He eased first one finger and then a second within her and brought his thumb to her clitoris, the pressure and thrust of his movements sure. Demanding.

She grabbed hold of his shoulders. Powerful. Stable. A solid place where she found purchase as she moved her hips, seeking her pleasure and release.

Jesus loved the look on her face, in her eyes. Part wonder. Part desire.

All woman.

Strong, certain female.

He had warned her that he couldn’t go slowly and her actions only made it even more impossible to hold back.

As much as he regretted leaving her, he ripped his hands from her body and made short work of stripping off her boots, socks and jeans, revealing impossibly long legs and the nest of curls at the juncture of her lush thighs.

He stared down at her, appreciating the beauty she offered.

Fierce femininity, he realized. Sexy strength wrapped around an intensely private and vulnerable soul.

A soul that needed this night’s satisfaction and respite.

He intended to give her the evening she desired.

Quickly he undid his belt and pants. He dropped them, but didn’t bother to remove them.

He secured her hips in his hands and poised his erection at her entrance. The ripple of her desire beneath his fingers and at the tip of his penis urged him on.

Michaela gasped as he penetrated her in one sure thrust and then waited for her to accommodate the size of him.

So large.

Scalding heat within her, igniting her ardor.

She held her breath, overwhelmed by the sensation of him. Overwhelmed by his barely controlled passion.

Then he destroyed her.

He tenderly brushed his thumb across her cheek as he whispered against her lips, “Let go, Michaela. I’ll be here to catch you.”

Chapter 7

Let go.

It had been so long since she had allowed herself such freedom. Since she had been able to trust anyone enough to permit herself such liberties.

Now, here he was. Promising so much. Unaware of the impossibilities of his promise.

But for this one night, she intended to believe as he did.

With a subtle roll of her hips, she accepted what he offered and took him deeper within.

He dropped his head to kiss her, his mouth open on hers, tasting her. Sucking in her breath while he drove into her, his movements steady and sure.

She cupped the back of his head and played her tongue against his, mimicking the movements of their bodies, but then he shifted away to lick and bite her nipples.

She held him near as her body answered the call of his, rising ever higher. Need tightened into a knot deep within that had her rocking her hips in rhythm to his thrusts and arching her back so that he might more easily savor her breasts.

Then suddenly it came, wrapping around the center of her and stealing her breath. Forcing her ever higher against him as the sharp explosion of passion burst throughout her body. Dragging a strangled scream from her as she dug her nails into his shoulders.

He stilled his thrusts, kissed her lips and whispered, “Let go, Michaela.”

She did.

A second later the full force of her climax washed over her, so intense that her body shook from the power of it. Around his erection, her muscles tightened, as if afraid he would leave, but then he slowly pulled out and the slick friction of his withdrawal yanked a protest from her.

Jesus answered that protest, driving in again and again, his forehead leaning on hers. His mouth swallowed her gasps and sighs of pleasure as he drew out her release until unbearable pressure built inside him.

She must have sensed it since she reached down and cupped him, caressing him and dragging a finger along the sensitive gap right behind his scrotum.

Her touch undid him.

With a sharp swift inhalation, he buried himself so deeply it almost seemed he might split her in half. He spilled his seed in her womb, his body taut. His back arched as he closed his eyes and experienced every nuance of her body, became intoxicated by the smell of her, now marked by his sweat and release.

Michaela watched him as her own climax ebbed around him, the last fluttering motions rippling across his erection as it nestled within her. Milking the seeds of life that could never find fertile soil within her.

His arms were braced at her sides until she laid her hands on his forearms and ran them up to his shoulders. With a gentling touch, she said his name and urged him down onto her. He came willingly, laying his head beside hers, his larger body nearly engulfing her as she lay pressed beneath him.

“Am I too heavy?” he asked and she shook her head.

“No,” she replied, welcoming the protective weight of him. She continued her caresses, wanting this tenderness after the intense way they had taken one another.

He brought one hand to grasp her waist, slowly running it up and down her side in a soothing motion. He waited until the tremors had left both their bodies and their breathing had slowed to a regular tempo. Only then did he pull away from her to remove the rest of his clothes. Almost before she could notice his absence, he was back by her side.

He urged her upward on the bed until they were once again lying beside one another. Her head was pillowed on his shoulder; her one thigh tucked between his legs while his arms held her close.

She had wanted physical satisfaction and gotten it.

She hadn’t counted on this.

The loving caress of his hand along her back.

The way she was surrounded by him and not just physically.

There was unexpected security in his embrace. A surprising sense of dependability.

Not that it would last.

Jesus sensed her pulling away from him even though she had barely shifted physically. It was more in the way a slight tension had crept into her body. When she looked up at him, that furrow of worry was back between her finely shaped brows.

“Running already?” he asked softly, but he didn’t stop the gentle glide of his hand along her back.

“Is that what you think I do? Hit and run?”

She moved away from him then and he immediately felt the absence as the night chill replaced her warmth.

“Am I wrong?” He spread his hands across her back to keep her from escaping.

She shook her head and looked away, but much as he was determined not to let her leave, he would not abide her hiding her emotions from him.

He cupped the side of her face and tenderly urged it upward. That was when he noted that her dark brown eyes were bleeding out to the weird blue-green gleam he had seen earlier that night.

Fighting back the fear he suspected she wanted to see, he injected calm into his voice. “Who are you, Michaela?”

“You mean what, don’t you?” she asked, a low inhuman rumble in her tone. A slight bit of fang nipped just below the edge of her full upper lip.

He could take a guess at the what, although he was still finding it difficult to believe, even with the proof staring him in the face. He mustered control over his gut reaction to the unexpected, then realized he was neither fearful nor repulsed.

She’d made him feel more than he had ever felt before. Because of that, he was willing to suspend his usually strict approach to learn more about her.

“No, not what, Michaela. Who? Who are you and why are you doing this?”

Christ, she thought, completely at a loss on how to deal with him.

With her vampire powers engaged, there was no missing the slightly hurried beat of his heart and the chill and tension that had crept into his body. Sure signs of fear, not that he was revealing it.

Or giving in to it, she thought, totally puzzled and unbalanced by his reaction.

By him.

“You’re afraid of me, but you’re not fleeing?”

He laughed harshly. “I didn’t get to be an ADIC by shitting my pants and running at the first sign of trouble. So you can cut out the whole creature-of-the-night routine—if that’s what it is—‘cuz I’m not going anywhere.”

She morphed back to her human state and realized his response proved what she had initially thought about him—he was a man used to dealing with danger.

A man who might be prepared to deal with her.

So she gave him his answer, praying that once she did, things would return to the way they should be so that she could figure out what to do about him.

“I’m a dhampir.”

Chapter 8

He shot her a perplexed look and raised one full dark brow. “A dhampir? Care to explain?”

“Half vamp, half human. Stronger than a human, but weaker than a vampire.”

With his thumb, he traced the lines of her mouth, parted her lips to reveal the now perfectly straight edges of her teeth.

“Do you bite? Humans, that is?” he asked.

She bit down on his thumb with her teeth, making his erection jump against her belly.

“Guess a little fang in a girl doesn’t bother you?”

He shrugged, clearly guarding his reaction. “Depends on the girl. Depends on why she’s busy staking vampires in my city.”

“Your city?” As if to prove just how little was truly his, she reached between them and stroked him, fully rousing his erection to life, loving the jerky jump of his body that prompted a sympathetic twitch between her legs.

Jesus knew he’d be hard pressed to deny he still wanted her despite the discovery of what she might be. She held the proof of his desire in her very capable hands. But he suspected he wasn’t the only one who couldn’t resist.

Cradling her breast in his hand, he idly rubbed his thumb across the hard tip of her nipple.

“My city. My rules,” he stressed.

She chuckled and increased the pressure of her hand. She inched upward on the bed until her lips were against his and the spill of her breath flavored his every inhale.

“I warned you before. Your FBI rules have no place in my world and the vampires have no place in yours.”

He kissed the edges of her lips. Tasted the sweet straight lines of her teeth with his tongue before he said, “Wrong, querida. I came to this place because its violence has already touched my world and I need to stop it.”

“Like you may one day have to stop me?”

“Yes. I will stop you if I need to.”

Her body went rigid. She ceased her caresses and moved away from him both physically and spiritually. As he met her gaze, the gleam of unshed tears shimmered in her eyes, but she held them back as she said, “I won’t let you prevent me from what I have to do. Honor demands that I finish what I’ve started.”

“What have you started? Why did you stake that vamp?”

She shook her head and bit her bottom lip before she finally faced him. “They raped my mother. That’s how I came to be born. She managed to escape them, but they came after us.”

Jesus grabbed hold of her fisted hands. “They wanted you dead?”

She nodded and a lone tear escaped, tracking down her face.

“They wanted my mother dead. They got their wish,” she said and told him her story.

New Jersey Shore
Twenty Years Earlier

Her mother was bleeding.

Michaela could feel the warmth and wet of it drip down onto her as her mother held her hand and dragged her through the tall marsh grasses along the edges of the dunes. The stalks, dry from a lack of summer rain, crackled, the noise overly loud in the silence of the night.

Too loud, Michaela thought, recalling the creature that had attacked them. The creature who would surely hear them pounding and crashing through the grasses as they tried to escape.

Suddenly her mother stopped short and shoved Michaela away toward a larger patch of foliage.

She fell to the ground, the sharp edges of the grasses biting into her palms as the tall stalks swallowed her up. The saw edges of the plants cut her hands and arms, but she bit down on her lower lip to stifle her cry of pain, aware the sound would reveal where she was.

Aware that her mother was ready to sacrifice her life to hide her daughter.

Holding her breath, Michaela tried not to move as she peered through the ever-shifting mass of dune grass.

Her mother stood, her chin at a defiant tilt. Blood dripped down the side of her face from a large gash above her brow. The blood looked black thanks to the palette of the night. Her face was washed to a pale green hue by the light of the full moon.

“You didn’t think you could run from me again, did you?”

The tone of the creature’s voice was low, almost soothing, with an odd rolling sound beneath, like the purr of a cat.

Her mother said nothing for a moment, then picked up her chin another rebellious inch. “You will not take me again. I will not allow it.”

The odd rumble in the creature’s voice intensified as he laughed and said incredulously, “You will not allow it?”

Something flashed before her mother. A bright white blur so close to her…

A gush of dark liquid erupted from her mother’s throat and spilled down the front of her bright yellow sundress.

Her mother brought her hand to her throat, but the creature yanked it away, laughing cruelly. “I will have you now, as you die. I will have you after, as your body cools. But first…”

The creature wrapped an arm around her mother’s waist, holding her up as her knees buckled, burying his head against her ravaged throat.

The horrible sounds of his sucking and her mother’s moaning carried across the still night.

Michaela covered her ears, but it was too late to avoid hearing him say, “But first I will have your blood.”

Curling into a tight ball, Michaela tucked her head against her knees, brought her arms over her head and closed her eyes. She tried to escape from what was going on just a few feet before her. She imagined other places and times. Prayed for her mother to be safe. Thought about the yellow sundress her mother wore and how they had bought it at the thrift store just earlier that week.

The rough shake of the ground beneath her body pulled her back from where she had gone.

Only then did she realize the night was now almost quiet. The only sounds were those of the stalks as the wind moved them and the faraway susurrus of the waves washing against the shore.

She was alone. Or at least she thought she was.

Peering through the brittle green stalks, she saw what had made the resounding thud that had snared her attention.

Her mother’s body lay less than an arm’s length away, staring sightlessly at the moonlit sky. Her dress was torn, exposing her breasts and the bite marks on them. The cheery yellow was bloodied from the hideous hole where her throat had once been.

Michaela wanted to keen and cry, run to her mother, but instead she grabbed hold of her knees and forced herself to remain still, fearing that the creature lingered nearby. Knowing that her mother had given her life to save her. She could not dishonor that sacrifice with her fear.

A second later the ground shook again and suddenly there were shafts of light piercing the night, moving back and forth across the dark sky. Other tremors came beneath her and she realized they were footfalls. Coming closer and faster as the intensity of the lights increased. Suddenly there were blue pants legs standing before her hiding place.

“Shit. Holy shit,” the man said and passed his flashlight over her mother, across her still-beautiful face and sightless eyes.

Michaela cried then, a puny wheezing sound, but it was enough to snare the man’s attention.

He parted the grasses before her and the silver and gold badge on his chest gleamed brightly against the royal blue of his uniform.

“Jesus, Mary and Joseph,” he said as he reached for her.

Chapter 9

“The officer who found us—Joe Santos—had been sweet on my mom.” Michaela dragged in a long tortured breath as emotion choked her.

“He didn’t turn you in to the authorities, did he?” Jesus asked and swiped away another silent tear from her face, his gaze fixed on her.

She nodded. “He gave me a home and kept me safe. Taught me how to protect myself and use a gun.”

“He knew about the vampire?”

Her fists were clenched so tightly they had begun to hurt. She relaxed her hands and he took advantage by twining his fingers with hers as he asked, “Did he know about you?”

She tried to pull away from him, wary of what he made her feel. Of the emotions he had forced her to relive. But he increased the force of his grip. He couldn’t have held her if she wanted to escape him.

But she didn’t want to escape.

There was something safe and secure about his presence. Something that reminded her of the policeman who had adopted her.

“When I hit puberty, things changed. I got stronger. Started needing less sleep. Craved—”

“Blood?” he jumped in.

Regretfully she nodded. “Joe never adopted me, but he was a father to me. He realized something was going on and finally gave me a letter my mami had written that he had found and read years earlier. He had put it in a box of things he collected to give me when the time was right. The letter explained about the vampire who had raped her—the one who came back to kill her.”

“The vampire didn’t know about you?” Jesus asked, caught up in the story she was telling him. Concern for the child who had suffered tangled with his fascination for the woman she had become. As she had promised earlier that night, he was coming to truly believe that vampires were all too real. But even if they were, in his heart he knew Michaela was different.

“If the vampire had known, he would have killed me. Full vamps don’t care for half-human abominations like dhampirs.”

“And you have no love for them either, only—”

“You can’t stop me from honoring my mother by killing the creature who murdered her. By exterminating others like him who care nothing for human life,” she urged, pleading her case.

“Honor calls to you, but it does to me as well. I can’t let your violence create havoc with the laws I’m supposed to enforce.”

“I don’t hurt humans, Jesus. And I promise you that I won’t let the demands of my honor spill over into your world.” She laid her hand on the side of his face, stroking the rasp of his evening beard. “But if somehow it did, I understand that this thing between us—”

“Won’t protect you from what I’d have to do,” he finished, regret already wrenching his gut at the thought of having to choose between her and the laws he had sworn to uphold.

A sad smile crept onto her face, but she inched closer until her lips brushed his. “Then we have a truce?”

A truce, he thought. He confirmed it by bringing his lips to hers, his kiss tentative, tender.

There was none of the urgency of their earlier coupling as he explored the contours of her mouth. Treasured her breasts with his hands. Eased his fingers down to the center of her. Explored the slickness of her lips and the wetness of her vagina.

Her soft, soughing breaths drove him on as did the strong strokes of her hand along his erection.

When he entered her again, he waited, wanting to prolong the union for as long as he could. He needed to experience all the nuances of her as they continued to kiss and caress. This time, their passion grew slowly until they were both shaking.

Rolling onto his back, he urged her to straddle him, letting her set the pace of their loving as he worshipped her breasts. He urged her on with the slow upward lift of his hips, deepening his penetration.

Michaela moaned at the sensations he created as he buried himself deep into her center. Biting her lower lip to control the urge to scream, she rocked her hips, riding him. She sucked in a strangled breath as the climax rose within her and the motions of her hips became more forceful as she sought her release.

He placed one hand at her waist, guiding her as he rose up and licked the tip of her breast. Teething the tip of it gently, the sharp moment of pleasure/pain released not only her climax, but the demon she thought she had tamed.

Jesus sensed the surge of her release as it washed over her, followed by a strange inhuman push of power.

As he met her gaze, the bright blue-green glowed powerfully and a small hint of fang extended beneath her full lower lip.

“You want to bite me?” he asked even as he braced one arm against the surface of the bed and rose up so he could be face-to-face with her.

“I do.” The animal purr tinged the tone of her voice and her gaze dropped briefly to his neck before locking back on his eyes.

“What if I bite first?” he asked, but didn’t wait for her answer.

He surged forward and laid his mouth on the spot where her shoulder met her neck. He licked up and down before playfully taking a bite that he then soothed with a whispered kiss.

She shuddered against him, bringing one hand up to the middle of his back and the other to cup his head, urging him on.

“More, por favor,” she pleaded and rolled her hips, enticing him to finish. To allow his own release to erupt.

He bit down gently and then sucked on the spot once more as he surged upward with his hips.

Against his throat came her rough cry followed by the sharpness of her fangs as they skittered along his skin. He stilled for a moment, awaiting the piercing pain, but the warm wet of her tongue arrived instead, licking upward until she brushed the shell of his ear with the sharp points of her fangs.

“More.” The rumble of her voice vibrated against him.

He kissed her throat and drove his hips upward. He gave her another love bite and caressed her breast with his free hand, answering her soft moans of pleasure with tenderness until he was barely able to hold back his own climax.

She lowered her head again and whispered, “Let go, Jesus. I’m here to catch you when you fall.”

He groaned and closed his eyes as her strong arms came around him, supporting him. Her hands pressed against his back while her hips pumped up and down, helping him along to his release.

But he had to see her face as he came.

He met her gaze.

Her human gaze, the demon apparently under control only…

She lowered her head to his throat and gently nipped it with her teeth.

Human teeth.

She sucked on the spot to soothe it, and the tender pull of her mouth sent him over the edge.

A mangled groan escaped him as he drove upward one last time and spilled himself into her. Felt the wash of his climax ripple from deep within and surge through his body.

She wrapped her legs around his waist and her arms around his shoulders, uniting them at every possible spot—hips against hips, her midsection and breasts tucked tight to his. Her heart beat quickly against the wall of his chest as her breath washed over his cheek. Her mouth took his, her kiss tender and calming, restoring something within him that had been empty for too long.

He returned the kiss, burying his hand in her hair to keep her close. His mouth opened on hers, accepting the enticing bite at one corner that prompted his smile. A smile that dragged a playful chuckle from her.

As he looked up at her, her eyes glittered with satisfaction and relief. Somehow he knew his reflected the same.

“Life sometimes brings you unexpected pleasures,” he said.

“Nothing says it only has to be tonight,” she replied and brushed another kiss across his lips.

He was surrounded by her in every possible way and yet didn’t feel trapped. She was a dhampir, inhuman, and yet he didn’t feel threatened.

Or fearful.

For the first time in a long time he didn’t feel alone.

“I assume you have somewhere to stay while you’re in town?”

Shock froze her in place as she considered his question.

A place to stay?

She thought of the run-down hotel whose halls smelled of stale urine. Of the indiscriminate stains on the mattress and mustiness of the room that was barely bigger than a closet.

Then she thought of a different place.

A place where someone might be waiting for her at night. Waiting to hold her. Waiting to make love with her. Waiting to share both triumph and disappointment.

But not just anyone, she thought, gazing down at Jesus’handsome face.

She would be coming home to him.

Slipping into bed beside him. Having his arms hold her and keep the monsters at bay.

Those monsters had destroyed her life, but they had also brought her to this place.

Brought her to him.

“Not really, but…are you sure you’re ready to handle all of this and more?” she asked.

He surprised her by chuckling and shaking his head. “I’m sure of only one thing. I want to explore whatever this thing is between us. Can you accept that?”

Amazingly, she could.

She could accept that uncertain promise because up until now, her life had been empty of any promises except one…

The promise of death.

His vow, unsure as it was, promised life. Possibly love.

Bringing her lips close to his, she said, “I can accept that.”

“You won’t be sorry,” he vowed as he met her lips with his.

Michaela knew she wouldn’t be.

Honor had called for her to go on this journey, one that had been filled with pain and loss. But the journey had now given her this night and this man.

A man with his own sense of honor.

As he began to make love to her once again, she realized her journey had offered her another path.

She would no longer walk the lonely road alone.

She had him and the promise of love to keep her company.

She smiled and gave herself over to honoring that promise.

Craving more vampire romance? Read more of Caridad Piñeiro’s The Calling series, available now in eBook format:

Darkness Calls

Danger Calls

Temptation Calls

The Complete Calling Collection

(contains Darkness Calls, Danger Calls, Temptation Calls, Death Calls, Devotion Calls, Desire Calls and Blood Calls)

“Fate Calls” (in Holiday with a Vampire)

Death Calls

Devotion Calls

Blood Calls

Fury Calls

Ardor Calls (coming soon)

Vengeance Calls (coming soon)

Looking for more paranormal romance? The sizzling and spine-chilling books of Silhouette Nocturne and Silhouette Nocturne Bites are available at www.eHarlequin.com, www.ebooks.eharlequin.com, and your local bookstore.

Interested in writing for Nocturne Bites? Send your submission to NocturneBites@Harlequin.ca

ISBN: 978-1-4268-2836-2

Honor Calls

Copyright © 2009 by Caridad Piñeiro Scordato

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