What recent events are these?"

Chris gazed at him a moment, then took a deep breath. "Well,Lascaux became mortal recently out of love for the CE priestess, Darelle, whom he sired almost seven hundred years ago during the bubonic plague." His expression darkened. "The Soldiers, a group of rabid slayers, capturedLascaux , tortured him for centuries in the catacombs of his own estate, trying to lure Darelle there and then kill them both.Lascaux cut off his mind link with her and with all of us so we wouldn't know what was happening and risk death to save him. After centuries of this, he became mortal and would have died. The Soldiers finally contacted Darelle themselves and told her what was happening to her sire. She went to him and brought him back across. After that, they were able to fend off the attackers."

Chris paused before continuing, a soft look stealing into his blue eyes. "I must admit that I've never relished being a vampire. Even so, I'm glad to have been sired byLascaux . He is as loyal, caring and protective of his proteges as he is selfish, decadent and stubborn." Chris looked briefly down at their joined hands.

The sorrow in Chris's voice and then the pride and admiration with which he spoke of his sire, sent a stab of jealousy through Jesse's chest.

Chris's dark look turned in his direction and the blue eyes widened, lit with understanding. "

Jesse,Lascaux and I were never lovers. As soon as I woke up in that barn, realizing I was alive when I should have been dead, I panicked. The bloodl.u.s.t churning in my body was frightening beyond anything I'd ever known.Lascaux gave me a wineskin full of blood. I sucked down every last drop only because my body demanded it of me. And then I ran from him." Chris gave ahumorless chuckle. "I feel sorry forLascaux . Apparently, he's frightened off many a young protege who is any part Coeur Eternel."

Chris looked at Jesse, his eyes smoldering again with desire. "But even as time pa.s.sed and I grew accustomed more or less to my fate, and even as I was able to forge a friendship withLascaux , I never wanted to be his lover." He looked down. "No one has ever had the effect on me you have, Jesse. That is the absolute truth."

Jesse heard the sincerity in his lover's voice and words and his jealousy subsided. He relaxed against the pillows again. His hand still rested in Chris's hands and his lover's thumb brushed across the soft flesh of his palm. The tiny movement was at once tender and erotic and stirred Jesse's yearning for Chris's large, hard body against his. In mere seconds, Jesse's c.o.c.k stirred and began to harden, pushing against the blanket that covered it.

Chris's gaze darted to the spot where Jesse's erection tented the bedding. His eyes darkened with an immediate sheen of l.u.s.t and he released Jesse's to undo the b.u.t.tons of his shirt. In mere seconds, Chris had the article slipping off his broad shoulders and down his brawny arms to the floor.

The glint of firelight off Chris's golden chest hair and pale-skinned muscles made Jesse's mouth water and his growing erection strained against the coverlet. Chris slipped off the bed to his feet, stepping out of his boots. Jesse watched Chris's hands as they went to unbuckle his belt, slowly, torturously working open the leather, the teasing pace continuing as he undid the b.u.t.ton and let the zipper of his fly down, one tiny click at a time.

Jesse licked his lips, his gaze riveted to the juncture where Chris's trousers were slowly falling open, giving him a hint of his dark blond pubic hair. The swollen head of his lover's shaft appeared, then the whole c.o.c.k, the reddish-veined skin stretched taut over the muscle.

The trousers slid past Chris's hips, revealing all of him. The shadowy firelight in the bedroom cast an alluring glow over every inch of his muscled warrior's body. With a seductive grin curving the planes of his cheeks, the beautiful vampire pulled back the covers and climbed onto the mattress, sliding the length of his body against Jesse's.

Their c.o.c.ks met in a silky glide of skin against skin, their chests rubbing together. The soft rasp of Chris's chest hair grazed Jesse's nipples, causing them to tingle and pebble.

Chris settled his torso against Jesse's, slanting his mouth over Jesse's in one single motion. The air filled with their combined murmurs and the erotic suction of their lips and tongues meeting and tasting each other. Chris nudged Jesse's legs apart with his knee, and Jesse gladly opened to him, hooking his legs around the vampire's slim, delectable hips as Chris fitted his body between them.

In spite of everything that had led up to their meeting, Jesse loved him now, and his surrender to Chris, though fast and hard, felt like the most natural thing that could ever be, as if he'd been made especially for Chris and no one else.

Chris must have sensed Jesse's complete surrender for he lifted his mouth from their kiss and gazed down into Jesse's eyes, his own blue depths smoldering with the ethereal light that came from the hunger to feed. His masculine lip curled back, revealing his incisors. The sight should have frightened Jesse, but instead, made every inch of his body burn for his lover's possession.

The vampire's chest rose and fell in a wild rhythm against him, and his lover's c.o.c.k pushed firmly against his a.s.s. "Jesse." His voice was tight, strained, conveying his inner battle, his struggle not to give in to his desire to feed for pleasure. "I swore I wouldn't ... feed. Not ... for pleasure."

"Take me," Jesse breathed, his palms pressing with urgency into the iron brawn of Chris's back.The warm masculine skin under his fingertips quivered and a raw, delicious smell, more potent than sandalwood and wine permeated the air, the primal musk of s.e.x emanating from their entwined bodies.

A feral groan vibrated deep in Chris's throat, obviously inspired by Jesse's complete submission to his lover's needs.

"All of me, Chris," he prodded, that spot on his neck aching for the pierce of Chris's fangs. "Don't fight it."

"Jesse, I mustn't --"

"I want you to. It's all right if you love me."

Chris smoothed back Jesse's hair tenderly, the thrum of tension in his large strong body palpable. "You mean that, don't you?"

Jesse nodded, the desire pulsating through him making him unable to say more.

"I won't hurt you, I promise."

Jesse's throat, tight with emotion, made speech difficult. "I know."

Christian slanted his lips over Jesse's, swiping a brief kiss across them. He leaned over and reached for the small vial of scented oil he'd rubbed into Jesse's skin after the shower. Pulling the tiny cork, he poured the jar's contents into his palm. Replacing the bottle on the bedside table, the vampire reached down, sought out Jesse's a.s.s, and smeared the oil over his tiny hole.

Around and around in tiny circles, he worked the oil into Jesse's sensitive pa.s.sage. One large finger penetrated Jesse's opening, pushing deep inside.

Jesse threw his head back and moaned at the delicious invasion of thick fingers pushing him open, rubbing in and out, preparing him for their joining. The inner ma.s.sage caused his whole bottom to tingle madly, shoots of heat slithering down his thighs and up into his belly.

Chris's fingertips brushed Jesse's b.a.l.l.s, over and over, nearly sending him over the edge. He felt his lover shift slightly and anoint his c.o.c.k with the remaining oil. That same hand then slid up Jesse's stomach, a slow, teasing trail that moved to his chest, sliding sensuously over each tight nipple. The slick oil made Chris's touch glide smoothly over the tiny buds, causing them to tighten more and send shoots of ecstasy through Jesse's chest and down in an invisible trail of fire to his c.o.c.k and a.s.s.

"Now, please," he begged in a tight voice, desperate to feel Chris's thick hardness inside him. His clutched at the bunching muscles of Chris's back to emphasize his hunger.

Jesse's plea roused Chris to a pitch. The sound reverberated in his fangs, which now ached to the point of acute pain. He brushed several fingertips across the supple underside of Jesse's jaw, preparing to feed. He shifted his body the tiniest bit, covering Jesse more. The movement brought the head of his c.o.c.k right up against the tight oiled hole he sought.

Jesse moaned and grasped at his back, his body shifting underneath Chris's so that the taut lobed cap of Chris's c.o.c.k penetrated him.

Chris sucked in a breath, holding himself back from sinking his fangs mercilessly into Jesse's neck. He bent down and swiped the tip of his tongue across the salty soft skin where he wouldfeed, his hands covering Jesse's smoothly muscled shoulders. Jesse's musky scent filled Chris's being, driving him nearly mad with want.

Chris pushed his c.o.c.k in deeper, the friction of Jesse's tight pa.s.sage engulfing him with delicious heat. Chris groaned, his fangs pulsating, the pain icy hot. He thrust once more into Jesse's delicious a.s.s, driving his oiled c.o.c.k all the way in until their bodies touched.

Jesse released a long low moan, his head tilted back, his full, soft lips parted. His legs were wide apart, the soles of his feet resting lightly on Chris's a.s.s.Sweet heaven , Chris had known intense pleasure in his life, great pa.s.sion, but nothing quite like this, nothing that had ever engulfed him so completely.

In an even rhythm, Chris withdrew his c.o.c.k until he'd nearly receded all the way and then drove it in again, impaling himself to the hilt in Jesse's tight channel. Chris paused, swiped his tongue across Jesse's parted lips and then gave several quick, sharp thrusts, wildly pleased when Jesse gasped with each one.

Chris shifted the angle of his body, withdrew and plunged again. The pleasure cry from his lover underneath him echoed through the bedroom. Hovering on the brink, Chris bent his head to Jesse 's throat, licked the supple skin again and bit down, a gentle thrust of his incisors that pierced the skin.

Jesse flinched, yet the low moan he uttered as Christian's fangs slid in belied any pain Jesse might have experienced. Jesse's supple flesh throbbed slightly under Chris's lips as he withdrew the incisors and placed his lips tenderly over the tiny punctures. Jesse's coppery blood slid into his mouth, warm and sweet, better than any nectar he could want.

The rhythm of Chris's suckling fell into sync with the glide of his c.o.c.k in and out of his lover's pa.s.sage, tight and slippery. Chris's stomach muscles ma.s.saged Jesse's c.o.c.k from the front and he could feel Jesse's body tensing underneath him, his lover's climax building rapidly.

Jesse's fingertips clutched Chris's back, digging in as his body tightened. Jesse groaned, his seed erupting, milky hot spurts pooling on his stomach between them. Jesse's a.n.u.s clenched, creating even more friction and Chris careened toward his own climax. Tiny spasms, like miniature o.r.g.a.s.ms, flared in Chris's fangs. The slide of blood down Chris's throat, combined with the slide of his c.o.c.k in and out of his lover, caused the buildup of pressure to explode.

Chris's climax shuttered through his entire body. One last hard thrust into Jesse and he came, the weight of his body pressing Jesse into the mattress while he filled his lover's pa.s.sage with his seed.

Jesse's arms closed around him. Jesse's head remained tilted back, eyes shut. Chris collapsed lightly, pressing Jesse deeply into the soft bedding. Chris lifted his face long enough to seal the punctures on Jesse's neck with gentle swipes of his tongue.

In seconds, Jesse's regenerative powers healed the skin over completely, and Chris rested his cheek against Jesse's damp shoulder, his still-hard c.o.c.k remaining buried deep inside Jesse's a.s.s.

Jesse breathed heavily, his legs wrapped around Chris's hips. The gentle warm pressure on Chris's sides made him smile as he breathed in Jesse's scent. Mmm, there was no feeling in the entire universe as potent as finding one's soul mate.

As quickly as the bliss had coursed through him, so did the fear of loss. Chris froze, remembering why he'd found Jesse in the first place. Not that Jesse would kill him now. Would he? With an ache, Chris realized the question hung over him. After all, Jesse's sister was still in Noiret's clutches and Noiret was a s.a.d.i.s.tic f.u.c.k. Even if Jesse loved Chris, Jesse must still bedesperate to save his sister's life.

Chris lifted his face from Jesse's shoulder and shifted his weight so that he could look down, his hands pressed into the mattress, his arms bridging his lover's lithe, sculpted torso. His c.o.c.k, now mostly soft, slipped from Jesse's pa.s.sage, leaving a sudden empty feeling.

Jesse stared up at him from under his thick lashes. Those deep brown pools made Chris fall in love with him more deeply every second that pa.s.sed. "What is it?" Jesse's voice was a whisper. "

What's the matter?"

Chris shook his head, and heaved a sigh. "Nothing, really. It's just that ... well ... I wanted to tell you that I'll willingly give my life to save your sister."

Chapter Eight.

Jesse shot up, pushing Chris onto his side with the force of his movement. He stared down into the vampire's blue eyes, panic rising in icy heat through his chest. "What the h.e.l.l are you saying?"

His hand came out, landing on Chris's hard shoulder, his fingers digging into the muscle with renewed strength. Up until this moment, part of him had remained ready to kill Chris if he had to.

That declaration wiped away Jesse's last shred of murderous resolve. He couldn't let Chris die, not now, not when he'd finally found his great love.

Therehad to be another way.

Chris's large hand covered his and he levered up so that his torso pressed close to Jesse's. His breath pulsed warmly onto Jesse's cheek. "Jesse, what you said and did just now was the nicest that anyone has ever said or done to me." His voice radiated a blend of sadness and tender sweetness.

Jesse heaved a deep sigh. Perhaps Chris had been even lonelier than he all these centuries.

Jesse looked down, his cheeks burning. "I just can't ..." he murmured, struggling for the words to express what was deepest inside him, the kinds of things he'd only ever said to one other person, his beloved Sondra. "I can't let you ... die. I'll find a way to get her back."

Fingertips on Jesse's cheek bid him look up with gentle pressure. He met the riveting blue of his lover's gaze. "Jesse, I didn't say that I wasgoing to die."

"But you --"

Chris grinned, a s.e.xy grin that turned up one side of his sensual lips. "Give me a little credit, would you? Yes, Noiret is a formidable enemy and one I've spent much of eternity trying to avoid.

But there are ways to deal with him that don't include my having to die." He continued to stare into Jesse's eyes, his grin fading. "You know I'll help you. I would have done it no matter what, even before I fed on you and bound us together. You don't have to give him what he's demanding. And youdon' t have to face him alone." The blue of Chris's eyes darkened to a rich cobalt. "You don't have to do anything alone anymore if you choose not to."

Jesse stared at him. Disbelief stabbed him to the core. Was it possible that the help he'd needed had been there the whole time? Could one being love another that much ... that is, someone who wasn't bound to him by the bonds of birth? In the course of Jesse's existence, the world didn't work that way.

Jesse sagged back against the pillows, saturated with sudden, horrible guilt. Reaching up, he raked a hand through his hair. "It's not that simple, Chris. I can't let you risk yourself. This is my problem. I'll solve it." He looked at Chris who had opened his mouth to answer and quieted himwith a gesture. "Do you know how Hannah got herself into Noiret's clutches?"

Chris shook his head.

Jesse paused, heaving another deep sigh. Her capture had, perhaps, been avoidable had she heeded her brother's repeated warnings to stay out of certain places. "She won him in one of those underground gambling dens."

Chris's golden eyebrows rose. "The ones where the players gamble for live prizes?"

Jesse nodded, his shoulders drooping. Those dens were incredibly risky and only for the toughest and strongest, especially because all manner of beings frequented them. They weren't closed off to anyone, mortal, immortal, vampire or weyre. The combinations could often prove lethal, but the thrill-seeking could also be irresistible, especially for immortals and other kith with nothing but time on their hands. "Yes, those. Apparently, Noiret had followed her and maneuvered himself into her game, making certain she won him as her prize."

Chris's handsome face darkened and he looked down, a pensive air closing around him. "Hmm, that's rough. I'm going to have to call in help for this one."

Energy zinged through Jesse's body. Had he heard correctly? "Chris, I ..." He looked down, covering his face with his hands. "I 'm moved that you want to help me, really. But I already told you to stay out of this. It's my problem. I couldn't live with myself if anything happened to you."

Strong gentle hands pried his fingers away from his eyes, leaving him open. As he'd done earlier, Chris turned his dark look onto Jesse. "And how do you propose to do that?"

Jesse remained silent. Truly, he knew that he didn't have a chance on his own, and he didn't know anyone else on the face of the earth, besides the vampire in front of him, who would help him. Since his stabilization into immortality, he hadn't exactly spent his existence gaining allies and friends.

Chris chuckled without mirth. "That's what I thought." He cupped Jesse's cheek. "Let's face it.

You, my love, are up s.h.i.t's creek without a paddle." Several soft pats on his cheek and Chris lowered his hand, his intense blue gaze still boring into Jesse's. "I 'm afraid you're going to have to let someone help you, the one thing you've not wanted to do in ... well ... how many thousands of years?"

Jesse looked down, feeling like an a.s.shole. "A couple." When he dared to look back up, his lover'

s eyes twinkled. Great, Chris was amused by his humiliation.

Chris looked at him tenderly. "As I was saying, you're going to have to accept help and shut up about it."

Jesse looked at him. "I can't shut up, Chris. I can't bear the thought of ..." He couldn't finish his sentence. "It's two of us, a semi-weakened immortal and a Coeur Eternel who can't kill except for mercy, against Noiret and his goons. The odds are pretty bad."

Chris grinned. "HalfCoeur Eternel." He brushed fingertips across Jesse's cheek. "So the odds are not as bad as you think. Also, some of us don't have the same difficulty asking for help."

Jesse furrowed his brow. "What do you mean?"

Chris reclined on the mattress, one brawny arm reaching up to pull Jesse alongside him. Molding Jesse's back to his front, he pulled Jesse close, his hand splayed across Jesse's chest.

Jesse closed his eyes, his body coming alive from the press of Chris's c.o.c.k into the crevice ofhis a.s.s and the warm touch on his chest, one fingertip brushing his nipple. Behind him, Christian'

s breath warmed the nape of his neck and soft lips nuzzled the skin there, washing away all thoughts.

"Mmm, you're delicious," Chris murmured, his smooth voice saturated with contentment.

In spite of his tension, Jesse chuckled. "You would know."

Chris's soft laughter vibrated against Jesse's skin. "Yes, I would."

Jesse picked up the large hand on his chest and held it to his lips, the tip of his tongue brushing one knuckle followed by the soft pres of a kiss. "You taste pretty d.a.m.n good yourself."

Chris sighed again and snuggled closer, his hand resting in Jesse's.

Jesse had closed his eyes and opened them when a burning question pressed on his mind. "You know, I just realized I haven't yet asked you why Noiret wants you dead."

"Mm, that's right. You haven't. I suppose he told you that I once murdered someone he loved. Fed on her until her life was completely drained, is that right?"

"Yes, he did say that." But truthfully, Jesse couldn't imagine now that Chris could possibly have done that.

"He lied, of course." Chris shifted against him, his c.o.c.k sliding deliciously between Jesse's b.u.t.tocks, although the tone of Chris's voice showed that he hadn't meant the movement to be deliberately erotic. "Noiret was the one who drained her blood. I tried to get her away from him. He'

s stronger than I am."

Jesse frowned. "So ... why?"

"Why does he really want me dead?"