"Are you?"

"I meant what I said before. I love you."

She covered her face with her hands shaking her head.

"Pretty b.r.e.a.s.t.s," he murmured as he dipped his head to kiss the valley between her b.r.e.a.s.t.s. He captured one brown nipple between his teeth. She jerked as his p.r.o.nounced incisors sc.r.a.ped her nipple, pulling and tugging it. His finger continued to stroke her. Her knees bent. Her hips jerked to another o.r.g.a.s.m.

Finally, she let out a breath and relaxed, but not for long. His cool lips lowered to hers. "Wait! My lips are chapped."

"I know."

His tongue ran around the contours of her lips, wetting every curve and b.u.mp. He held her head, deepened the kiss. It was freeing to actually wrap her arms around his neck. His skin was cool. She rubbed his back, feeling the rippling muscles and b.u.mpy skin move beneath her palms.

His p.e.n.i.s slipped between her opened legs. She was thoroughly wet now and lost all coherent thought. And loved it. She gasped as she felt his p.e.n.i.s push slowly inside her. He was being careful not to hurt her. Slowly he filled her up. She arched her back to receive all of him then a ripple of fear went through her. He was so large and hard as steel.

"Shush, Angel," he whispered in her ear. His lips captured hers swallowing her cries of pain and pleasure. His hips stopped moving. She caught her breath, and then he began the primitive rhythm. Soon she lost herself to it. His lips spread fire to her earlobe then neck. He nibbled her skin, licked. Sweet pain became a lingering sensual ache. Her eyes drifted closed. She felt nothing except his constant sucking at her neck while his hips pummeled her.

And that delightful stiffness throughout her body... pure bliss. The rush of pleasure came over her. Daedalus moaned in her ears and his hips rammed her harder, forcing her into the cushion. He moved in and out then his magnificent body shook with spasm as his hot c.u.m flowed into her body.

Ilida struggled to capture all of the images he fed her...

Daedalus as a young boy so sweet, beautiful with his blue-violet eyes. He was dragged away from his mother. A harsh voice hollered at him-cursed him. Pain...She felt the tearing in her back as Daedalus was lifted up by his wings...

The images were unrelenting. She felt the force of her body being ripped apart. The pain radiated from her back to womb. Anger and humiliation...

He was older now, changed to half cross. Daedalus seethed with anger, pain. Blood! So much blood. She felt the blood on her back on his back. Flesh torn from there. Unbearably hot steam surrounded her skin. The walls smoothed from... lava?

He was chained to it. The chains rubbed his skin raw. His wrists and ankles bled. Heavy breathing, moaning- the heavy smell of s.e.x in the air. He was forced to watch. She couldn't grasp that image fast enough. Then she felt a drawing from his body and hers. His spirit. Her spirit, collided, entangled bursts with pure incandescent light, then dropped back into their bodies.

His anger became hers. His rage became hers. The effect of his memories was shattering.

Her head lay on his muscular arm. It was the closest she'd ever laid against anyone.

Now she knew what made him tick. What made him the way he was. She wanted to kill the b.a.s.t.a.r.ds who'd hurt him years ago. All she could do was offer a weak apology.

"I'm sorry, Daedalus."

From the look in her face, she instantly regretted it. I survived insurmountable odds to stay alive. Pity was the last thing I wanted, but she was angry that someone attempted and went through with the rape. She cared.

I hadn't told a living soul, except Gauge, in centuries.

"You didn't rape me, Ilida."

I had to comfort her, rea.s.sure her, something. Her revulsion for my rapists was almost a living, breathing ent.i.ty-it was that strong.

"You killed them didn't you?"

"Yes."

"They deserved it."

"Are you my dark angel?"

"I thought you were mine."

"You are taking this remarkably well."

"I suspected something traumatic happened to you. Does anyone else know?"

"Just Gauge. He saved my life that night." I stopped myself, not sure how much to reveal, but I'd come this far and I didn't want to back down now.

"You don't have to talk about it."

"After I killed the first rapist and freed the Vrykolakas clan, the ones that wanted to be free, I collapsed on the warmed ground. His blood coated my hands. I was a mess. Gauge cleaned..."

"I'm being...your friend. Continue, please."

"s.h.i.t ran down my legs. I didn't know vampires could s.h.i.t."

It was subtle the change in rhythm. She held her breath as my hands, now warmed from rubbing her, dipped between her legs. Didn't want to talk anymore. I wanted to feel her around me. I wanted her to coc.o.o.n me in her safe loving embrace. I love... Ilida.

I found her throbbing and erect from my stroking. I caressed, teased her until she moved her hips against my p.e.n.i.s. Whether she liked it or not, the foreplay had begun. We had extended foreplay for over a day already. I continued to stroke her as she gazed into my deep, red eyes.

"I don't scare you?"

She couldn't speak through the sparks of desire firing off and ricocheting through her pelvis, through my pelvis. She managed to shake her head.

I had to be sure.

"You're nuts, but brave. Very brave. I like that. Do you like this?" I asked. I dipped my finger inside her. I stroked circled her inner valleys drawing out her desire and wetness until she arched her back, creaming my fingers. I knew I would be safe with her.

Chapter Twenty-nine

Ilida's body pumped me empty of my seed. I fell over her, burying his face in her shoulder. I should stop, but it was pleasure beyond pleasure, like a drug, an addiction to a human woman.

I lifted my head. The heavy copper smell of blood filled my lungs. Ilida should be dead, but she was alive and l.u.s.t filled her dark brown eyes. She was changing slowly before my eyes. I didn't want to stop it. I feared I couldn't at this point.

As if to punctuate my thoughts, my c.o.c.k pulsed and hardened again. Her body, warm and wet, welcomed me to continue. She lifted her hips. I cried out shooting my c.u.m into her again. Her muscles cleaved my s.e.m.e.n as she cleaved my notions of love, s.e.x, and being a vampire. Suddenly, I wanted her to be apart of me to know all of me. I bent down and grasped her with my fangs. I released my thoughts, emotions into her mind, into her body.

The tip-tap of snow hitting the ice, and the howl of the wind did nothing to distract her from my answer. After making love again, we talked. It was something I rarely encouraged with my previous partners. But Ilida has a gift. Until now, she'd talked nonstop. Her voice soothed and distracted me from my sorrows so I wanted to hear her.

It did other things as well. I shifted on the cushion next to her. Blood filled my center. "I finally shut you up."

"Six hundred years old. I don't think I've ever been dumbstruck in my life."

"I can believe that."

Her eyes flashed with quick fury. "Excuse you?"

He smirked. "You ask a lot of questions, and you don't come up for air."

"When I'm nervous I get verbal diarrhea. She shrugged her shoulders. "So sue me."

"Vampires don't sue. We have other means to settle disagreements."

She must have flinched for he rushed to a.s.sure her he was harmless, at least for the moment.

"I won't hurt you, Ilida."

"It was a reflex."

Last night I-we made love after biting her, and we didn't stop. Made love? It wasn't s.e.x. We indeed made love.

I'm dangerous to be around now. Taking my word that I wouldn't hurt her would take convincing.

"I was angry, starving and in tremendous pain."

"I understand that. This situation is stressful."

"We'll get out of here."

"I just thought of something. I have to keep eating to feed you," she said.

"You'll have to keep eating to gain your energy back after." We make love, I wanted to say. Can I get them out alive without revealing the bond we created?

"We'd better get out of here by tomorrow."

"Survival is my middle name. When I say we'll get out of here, I mean it. Besides, my people are looking for me."

Finally, day became night. I watched her finish her second meal of ham from across the living room. She'd eaten twice to ration the food. It was time for me to feed and I found myself staring at her throat as it worked to swallow food. Her long throat could entertain a vampire for hours. Her body could entertain equally. Her voice could tame even the wildest beast.

The veins under her skin were highlighted. Okay, I needed blood. There was no getting around it. I only hoped what happened before wouldn't happen again, but it was slim hope. My pulse began to beat fast at the prospect of holding her in my arms and...

"I have to feed, Ilida."

She swallowed hard. I strove for detachment, but it eluded me. She was vulnerable to me and that triggered my protective instincts-that's all it was.

She got up from the couch and opened the door. Frigid air and quarter size snowflakes flew into the cabin. She bent down to quickly wash her hands then closed the door. Then she said, "It's okay. Just do what you need to do."

So brave and giving. I'd been told vampire bites hurt. I was determined to not hurt her. I was in control of my needs now. I hoped. "Take off your shirt and sweater."

She did and walked to me exposing her neck and shoulder. She opened the blanket covering her and let it drop to the floor. I covered her with my blanket. I'd always known women were attracted to me. I'd always taken them to my lair in Manhattan, but I'd never allowed a woman into my heart. After the blizzard was over I would never see her again and that suited me perfectly. Until then, we had nothing to link us but the physical, symbiotic relationship we'd formed.

From neck to shoulder, my nose hovered over her skin sensing the heat of her blood beneath. Her skin smelled faintly of roses even two nights later. Perfectly her softness molded to my hard body.

I licked her neck were her pulse beat as if she were running a marathon. With my fangs, I drove in deep, penetrating her vein. She rose on her tippy-toes and stiffened at my sucking. A moan rose out of her as I clutched her a.s.s, pushing her to me.

She knew what I was thinking. I was angry with myself for doing even this. I didn't want this connection but was helpless to ignore or control it. She gasped, moving against my hardness. I backed her against the wall, pushed her legs around my waist and drove home into her warm wetness. Home! I was home if only for this instant.

But I had to go slow. I didn't want to split her in half.

The cold was temporarily forgotten and now replaced by heat and hunger. I slid into her with hot and urgent movements filling her completely. There wasn't one of inch of her I didn't know.

Soon the stroking intensified from smooth and slick to thick, meaty strokes. With a final cry, I pushed her over the edge. I burst inside her bathing her organ.

Neither of us could move. Her hands tangled in my hair. Tenderly, I released her neck and licked, sealing the wounds, then held her.

"This is late, but are you dating that model?"

"We broke up before I met you."

I could never date anyone now that we're "married." It would make me physically and psychologically ill to do so.

Silence again. Her skin felt cool. To be safe I rubbed her arm. Rubbing her breast would warm her up faster. There was nothing safe about this, not when blood rushed to my c.o.c.k like a broken dam.

"Were both of your parents Greek?"

"My mother is Greek and my father is Romanian."

"Why is it so hard for you to talk about yourself?"