Vampire Seduction Ch. 04

Curled up in the middle of the massive bed, Kate wiped at silent tears spilling down her cheeks with the back of her hand. Her thoughts were fragmented, each vying for dominance in an overwhelming rush.

Luc took life giving energy from sex, not just blood. Kate liked to think she wasn't the kind of girl that had sex with someone before the first date, but ...too late. Not that she had mustered much resistance, particularly after he gave her her first orgasm.

She liked to think she wasn't a prisoner in some freakishly old looking tower or castle reminiscent of something that could have been featured in the pages of Home Beautiful: The Middle Ages. So far, lying to herself wasn't working out too good for her.

Mirabelle, a beautiful vampire and possibly Luc's ex, wanted her gone. In a permanent sense. Mirrabelle's current lover, Nicolas, gave the phrase perve extra meaning. Nicolas wanted something from Kate, which she guessed involved enacting some sort of revenge against Luc, and was even prepared to look like Luc to get it. Who does that?

Luc had forced her to bond with him, whatever that meant, so that other vampires had no powers over her. It seemed there was something in the blood on her mother's side that called to vampires. She wanted so much to believe it only meant that if they tried messing with her, they had to answer to Luc. She was still processing the whole 'you are now my human servant' thing.

When she slept, her dreams were full of sacrifices, blood and orgies, in no particular order. The sacrifices were always of her. Of course.

Luc was trying to convince her she was some kind of witch, descended from a long line of powerful witches. Kate was pretty sure she would know if she had awesome power to do, well, stuff.

But it was the last that got the pity party into full swing. Something had changed inexplicably deep within her with the bonding. The only way she could describe it to make sense to herself was that when Luc had forced her to drink his blood, his essence seemed to flow within her. Through the bonding, she experienced flickers of emotions without warning. At first she thought she was going crazy, until she realised the intruding flashes of emotions weren't her own.

So she cried. Kate didn't know how long she lay there curled up on her side, hiding beneath the sheets. She wanted her favourite pair of jeans, and chocolate, and her mum.

"Katalina."

Kate was unprepared for his silent approach. Her fingers tightened about her pillow.

"Kat." His voice was soft, coaxing. The bed dipped, then tugs on the sheet. It was an unfair fight. The sheet was easily drawn from her, revealing her creamy nakedness to the cool circular chamber.

"Go away." Her voice was muffled by the pillow, but he had vampire hearing so she didn't care.

"Little one, look at me."

"Huh." He just had to look at her with those gorgeous green eyes fringed with black spiky lashes, and her willpower died a hot, pleasurable death in his arms. She knew if she looked at him she would end up doing sexy things with Luc, letting him have his way, and her blood, and enjoying it all way too much.

Cool hands slipped into the shiny golden mane tumbling with abandon around her, drawing it back from her face. She murmured in protest, throwing her arm over her face.

A month ago she had been a virgin, and ignorantly bliss to the cravings Luc easily wrought deep inside her. It wasn't just sexual urges either. Sex alone couldn't explain how Luc affected her the way he did.

Kate gasped as she was scooped up into the cradle of strong arms. Not ready to face him, let alone let him see her naked, her hands pushed at his chest, her body wiggling in his arms as he lifted her from the bed. She cringed in agony when her hand accidentally caught in her own hair.

"Damn it!" she cried.

"Stop, Katarina. Tell me what is wrong, so that I may rectify it."

As angry as she was, his command made her giggle. Which turned swiftly into a sob.

He strode to a soft leather chair, and she ended up sitting across his thighs with her legs dangling over the padded arm chair. His hand cupped the back of her head, tucking her face against his broad shoulder. She rubbed her cheek against him, her hand fisting in his shirt. She breathed him in, the unique scent that was Luc easing her.

Everything, all thoughts of fighting him, of wanting answers to questions she was too frightened to ask, melted away. Instead, that hidden place deep within her that awoke with the bonding and was no longer hers alone, began to expand with feelings of possessiveness, cherishment, hope. It was the last that should have worried her the most.

The silence stretched as he waited, his thumb stroking her hip.

"Tell me."

"I don't want to talk about it," she grumbled.

"So there is something wrong." His voice held a hint of masculine triumph.

"No. Yes. It's...everything is so overwhelming." Understatement. But she didn't want to think right then, wanting nothing more than to stay wrapped in his arms, where nothing could reach or hurt her.

Lips pressed against the crown of her head. A finger curled beneath her chin tipped her head back, and lips softly whispered against hers. It was impossibly sweet, and not entirely welcome as it brought a glimmer of tears to her closed eyes. His mouth moved softly against hers, teasing, nipping, until finally she was no longer able to resist him. She kissed him back, her fingers sinking into the thick silky black hair at the nape of his neck. A gentle hand traced her collar bone, before wandering gently over her breasts. Light whisper touches seared her, coaxing fine shivers from her pale body held firm in the circle of muscular arms.

Kate's lips parted on a mew when he ended the kiss. He gazed down at her, her head resting back on his arm, her lashes lowered. Green eyes searched her heart-shaped face, still glistening with her earlier tears.

"You are precious to me. I fear I have been entirely selfish in my desires. You are young and incredibly innocent, and I am not," he told her quietly. "It has been trying for you here, among my people, and I have forced the bond for your own protection. It pains me deeply to see you hurting and unsure of us. The bond is more than words can explain, and I promise you in time you will come to see it is a beautiful thing. In many ways, you are not ready for what will be between us."

Kate pressed her face against his chest, her fingers clutching his shirt in a fist. She felt too emotionally fragile to even begin to untangle the meaning of his words.

He held her, and only when her tears dried did he say "Let me take you somewhere this eve."

"Where?" she asked, curious despite herself.

"It will be a surprise, little one."

He rose from the chair, gracefully lowering her to her feet. Hands smoothed down the column of her back, spreading shivery tingles as they landed caressingly on her bottom, before falling to his side. Feeling suddenly shy standing before him in nothing, she covered her breasts with her hands, ducking her head.

"You are exquisite." He murmured, pressing lips against her pinkened forehead, her temple, his teeth grazing her ear lobe. Hands traced up her sides before coming to rest over hers where they cupped her breasts. "It takes all my strength to keep from pinning you on that bed and pleasing your delicious body until you are flushed and dewy from our loving, my name a whisper on your lips."

Through the fragile bonding, she caught a flash of intense hunger, leaving her breathless and shaken. She imagined the feel of him surrounding her, moving intimately within her. Her fingers tightened instinctively over her breasts, her pink nipples budding. Between her thighs was a familiar melting.

He left her while she struggled with her own wanton feelings. Her eyelashes flickered open, dismay warring with relief. Kate watched him stride over to a narrow archway that she could have sworn was not there earlier that evening when she woke alone.

He disappeared, to return carrying a scrap of pale lavender silk. It turned out to be a beautiful scooped neck dress, only not the twenty dollar variety from the local chain store.

He watched her intently while she slipped it on over her head. It had a zip on one side, from breast to hip. It was deceptively simple and elegant, with cap sleeves, gathering over the slight swell of her breasts, skimming over her waist and hips to float gently around her knees. The material shimmered slightly, and moved against her like water. She felt incredibly beautiful and feminine, like Audrey Hepburn. Only without panties.

Giving him a considering look, she walked past him. Standing in the narrow stone archway, she looked into a surprisingly large chamber, filled floor to ceiling with feminine clothes, shoes, accessories and bags of ever shape and colour. Taking up about a quarter of the space were darker, more masculine clothes, no doubt Luc's.

"Oh."

As surprises went, it was pretty impressive. Sometime soon, Kate knew she would spend hours exploring what else was in that chamber. Kate didn't even want to think about how the chamber itself, which wasn't there yesterday, now simply was. There was something incredibly shifty about the place where she was a prisoner.

Asking Luc where her clothing came from only elicited a shrug and a small satisfied smile. He leaned against the archway, arms crossed, one ankle hooked over the other. It should worry her, the expanse of beautiful things. It hinted at a permanency she was far from wanting. She didn't push it, not sure if she was ready for answers.

Walking over to the floor to ceiling shelves filled with shoes of every variety, she ran hands over the beautiful designs, coming to rest on a pair of silver sandals with kitten heels. Slipping them on, she sighed. They softly moulded her feet, not like the clunky shoes she had worn for work.

In a rows of drawers filled with feminine things, she finally found a pair of panties. Selecting the first pair she spied, pretty lace panties painted with pastel flowers, she slipped them on beneath a pair of amused green eyes. Kate knew asking him to leave would have likely ended in her being naked beneath her dress.

"I'm not wearing this dress commando." Was all she huffed at him instead. Everything fit her perfectly. Eek.

He strode to her, drawing her up against him, his hands delving beneath her skirt and sliding deliciously over the lace covering her bottom. His lips pressed against the side of her neck. A shiver racked her at the scrape of fang. "I will enjoy imagining taking them off you."

His mouth captured hers, no longer the gentle lover, but demanding, hot. There were tongues involved. Feeling a little dizzy, she clung to his broad shoulders.

This time, when he eased her away from him, she almost growled her frustration at him. Heat pulsed wickedly between her thighs, a constant ache that intensified to almost the point of unbearableness with his slightest touch. But her breath was swiftly taken away as she realised they now stood in a deserted, cobblestoned avenue bathed in moonlight.

"How do you do that?" she muttered.

Rising on either side of them were grand old buildings made of what looked like concrete facades interspersed with tall columns and rows of glass windows and curving wrought ironwork. While she couldn't read French, she knew enough of the language by sight to guess where they were.

"Paris?" she whispered, squeezing his fingers in delight when they caught and entwined with hers.

Unable to remain still, she practically dragged him along the street in her excitement.

He smiled a boyish grin that did funny things low in her belly. "You would prefer somewhere else?" he enquired.

"And what would you do if I said yes?" she demanded, still looking about her with awe. She breathed in the crisp evening air, trying to absorb every last minute detail. Even the streetlights had an air of elegance, like tiny box houses with a steeped roof and glowing square glass windows.

"I will do whatever is in my power, and more, to please you."

Her face swung around, her wide violet eyes meeting green ones, serious and removed of all teasing.

"Never doubt me on this, Katarina."

A tremour raced through her. She was his prisoner, denied the luxury of freedom because her blood called to him and his kind. While he hadn't hurt her, he had seduced her beyond boundaries she wouldn't have known existed, not just physically. Her feelings for him were complicated, and now she couldn't trust those feelings because of the bonding. He had turned everything in her life inside out, becoming the only constant in a confusing and scary reality.

"Would you let me go if I asked?" She voiced tremulously, discovering the courage to voice her darkest fear.

"No, little one." His voice was laced with a mixture of regret and something else. Fingers brushed down the side of her face, before dropping away.

Kate pulled her hand free, and crossing her arms over her waist, she gazed about her. Hearing what she knew in her heart to be true made her chest tighten and her belly flutter. He watched her intently, perhaps fearing she would cry again. He probably wasn't far from the truth.

She was eighteen. Her plans had revolved around going to community college in the fall while working to support herself. She had wanted to build a space for herself where she could fit in, away from the unhappiness of growing up under her father's roof. Until Luc crashed into her life. Now she didn't know where things stood or what she wanted, or if wanting or needing were the same thing. Her hard fought independence was burdened by the growing realisation that she didn't know if she could leave Luc, even if he decided to let her go.

But she was in France. Paris. Coming to a decision, she turned to face him, her skirt flaring around her legs. She didn't want what was between them to spoil her first and perhaps only experience of Paris.

"I've always wanted to taste real French pastries that crumble in your mouth."

Luc chuckled, wisely shoving his hands in his pockets. His eyes told her she was beautiful, forcing her to glance away.

~*~

In the early hours of the morning, they sat on a bench on an arched bridge overlooking the Seine, its waters glimmering beneath the dimming stars. She was nestled sleepily beneath his arm, trying to keep her eyes open, wanting to remember every last thing. The only threat to her enjoyment were the jarring flashes of contentment she felt along the bonding. They were too confusing, and she pushed all thoughts of it out of her mind.

They had walked the narrow streets, passing couples, families and groups of friends. Alfresco cafe's were filled with laughter and the clinking of glasses and plates. She was surprised to see so many people after midnight. Wherever they wandered, many of the stylish women, and some of the men, cast inviting stares at Luc, although Luc seemed oblivious to them all.

Luc had found them a table at a tiny hole in the wall place that smelt divine, and conversed in seductive French with the proper waiter in starched whites and blacks. She had devoured the selection of delicious pastries and hot chocolate presented to her while Luc drank from a bottle of red wine. They talked about nothing and everything inconsequential as Kate people watched in awe, their fingers intertwined beneath the table.

If she were honest, it had felt like a date. But it wasn't a night for honesty, but fantasy and dreams. Never had she felt so worldly as she did on Luc's arm, his attention devoted solely on her. No longer was she the tired, lonely girl who worked long hours to make ends meet. She didn't want to close her eyes, didn't want the night to end.

~*~

Kate woke on her side to discover herself fully dressed, Luc's naked strength curved behind her. A sleepy sigh escaped her, her mind filling with images of beautiful Paris.

Finally lifting the sheet, she intended sliding out of bed, but the strong arm curled beneath the swell of her breasts, tightened. He was awake.

In a medieval tower without windows, she had long ago lost sense of night and day.

Fingers tucked her golden hair behind her ear as his mouth settled against the side of her neck. He teased her, raking her gently with his fangs, his intention clear. His lower body pressed against her bottom, betraying his arousal. Feelings more complex than hunger seeped through the bond. In answer, a gentle, insistent throbbing began between her thighs.

Her languid silence was her consent. Kate gasped as fangs buried deep into her flesh at her throat, exquisite agony flaring to life within her. Her body arched, pressing into the hand that pinched at her tightening nipples. He took from her in long, languid draws that sent shockwaves rushing through her and moistening her panties.

A whimper of approval escaped her when the back of her panties were dragged down beneath the curve of her bottom. The bed moved beneath his shifting weight, then the cool hardness of him was sliding between her thighs, the tip of him nudging against her dewy gate.

His mouth lapped at her, the first flush of hunger abating as he leisurely took his fill. She pushed back on his surging length, the feel of him sliding into her yielding flesh merging with the incredible sensations rippling through her.

All sleepiness fled, her body demanding relief from the unrelenting need Luc so easily roused within her. Her fingers curled in the pillow as he rocked within her, her breath coming in gasping pants.

His fangs withdrew, his body easing from hers. Kate moaned softly in protest, but he caught her hips, holding her still when she tried to hold him.

"I think I hate you," she moaned, and he chuckled wickedly. Luc's intent became clear when he pulled the lavender dress up over her body. She helpfully lifted her arms, and he swiftly drew the tearing fabric over her head. The silk disappeared over the edge of the bed, revealing her to intent green eyes.

A quivering heat invaded her limbs as she waited for him, unwilling to beg. Yet. His hips pressed against her, letting her feel the long, thick strength of him against her bottom. A whimper of need escaped her.

He rolled her beneath him, guiding her so that she was positioned stretched out before him with her weight resting on her drawn up knees, her bottom thrust up with inviting vulnerability. He rose to kneel behind her, his hands caressing her from breast to thigh.

He toyed with the band of her panties stretched uncomfortably over her upper thighs. "You knew when you flaunted these panties in front of me that I would enjoy taking them from you."

Strangely, disappointingly, he tugged the panties up not down, smoothing the wispy lace in place over her hips. Fingers pinched her bottom, making her jump. "But not yet." She sensed the smile in his words, and bit her lip uncertainly.

Hands slid around and up over her belly to discover her aching breasts. He tormented the soft mounds, until she was rubbing insistently against him, eager for more.

Luc gave her what she craved. He peeled aside her panties and swiftly speared her, thrusting incredibly deep and drawing a sharp cry from her.

He was still, his thickness forged deep within. She squeezed down on him, like he had whispered he liked. It was not enough to incite him, so she rolled her hips, causing a delicious friction that inflamed her own need.

"That's it," he encouraged her, pinching her nipples. She began to move on him, pressing back on his length with increasing urgency.

Her body tightened on him as a shudder racked her. But he refused to give in to the demands of their bodies.

"Luc. Please." She begged. Hunger unlike anything she had ever experienced whispered at her, sinking its claws into her through the bond. He groaned against her bucking hips, not impervious to her inexperienced seduction. She whimpered when finally he eased his thickness out of her, then immediately thrust home. She cried out.