And there it was, the command that she could not ignore. She tried, but her body wanted to comply. Mal's reaction was knee-jerk and violent.

"No!" she yelled, and tried to back out of the room. "h.e.l.l, no!"

Ahmose sat up, his eyes on hers. "Get on the bed."

This time he pushed the compulsion. With an expression like a thundercloud, Mal came forward and dropped onto the bed. She laid down beside Ahmose, her leg too close to that male organ that had all of her attention now.

"Could you at least put on some pants?"

"Does my body disturb you?"

He knew it did. Her breathing had quickened. He was certain that after he took his blood draw, they would have s.e.x. Consensual, of course, he would never use compulsion on something so intimate. But she wanted him, even if she fought the need. And when he fed, neither of them would be able to resist being together. The erotic nature of a blood draw combined with their already elevated s.e.xual tension made it definite. He felt his c.o.c.k jerk at the thought of sliding into her.

It had been a long time since he'd met a woman that intrigued him as this one did. Her strong confidence and aggression appealed to him. Most of the women he knew maintained a quiet deference with him because of his position in the community. It was refreshing and stimulating to be with a woman like Mal.

Ahmose slid off the bed on the opposite side and slipped on some khaki's lying on a chair.

As he zipped them up, he asked, "May I ask your name? Not the one that started with detective."

Mal stayed on the bed, as she was commanded to do, but sat up and faced him. "I'm Mal. And if you rape me, I will kill you. Even if you do it while forcing me the way that you do, I'll still kill you."

Ahmose sat on the bed beside her. "I would never rape you, I promise. I have never, nor would I ever, violate a woman. You are all so beautiful to me, and I honor and respect you."

"Then will you let me go?"

"I can't. But I will explain why and how I am holding you."

Mal lowered her head as she nodded. "That's a start."

"You won't believe me, but this is the truth. It will also explain how I am alive when you verified that I no longer was. I am not the same as you. I am vampire."

Mal just watched him after he revealed that strange thing.

He continued. "Which is why, even though I was shot in the head, I did not die. A bullet cannot kill me forever."

"Sure," Mal responded finally. Now, she got it. He was an escaped mental patient. And he was probably on so many freaking meds, they had somehow helped him to survive a gunshot to the skull. Or maybe he was self-medicating with powerful meth-amphetamines, the street drug of choice. Either way, the poor man wasn't right.

Now she understood why he was so bizarre, the depth of his confusion. Her eyes moved over his body again. What a shame, he really was a stunning man.

"You don't believe me," he stated suddenly.

"I believe that you believe it, and that's okay. We can get help for you."

"I have the help I need. I am an ancient vampire with powers that would shock you. Someone just tried to murder me, and he would have succeeded if he had been able to finish his mission. Fortunately, he was interrupted. We heal incredibly quickly from nearly any injury, but once our bodies go to death, the healing takes more time. To begin the healing, I need to take a blood meal. That is where you come in."

Bottom line, this poor man really thought he was a vampire, and he thought he was going to feed on her. She wondered what event or illness had driven him there.

"Well that's quite a story."

Ahmose nodded with a slight smile. "It is, isn't it? Vampires can use forced compulsion on humans when we need them to do things as we want them to. Tonight, I need your compliance. That's how I've controlled your actions thus far. Although you did not want to surrender your phone to me, you had to. Whatever I want you to do, I'm sorry, you have no choice."

He paused to let her consider his words before he continued. "I need the nutrition of a blood meal to heal, and you must be that for me. I promise, other than the blood meal, I will make no other demands of you and I will not harm you in any way. You will stay here until I am gone, and then you are free to return to your home."

Keeping the story he spun in mind, not to confuse or frighten him, Mal agreed. "I think that's fair. Would you let me do something for you, then?"

"That's the plan."

"Oh, yes, you need my blood, but before that..."

"Come here." The teasing tone in Ahmose's voice was gone.

Just when Mal thought she had regained some control over this situation, it all fell to h.e.l.l, because when he commanded her to come to him, she did so without delay.

Standing on her knees, Mal crawled across the bed to Ahmose.

"Ahmose..." She started to say, but he cut her off.

"Little detective, let me do the speaking. Please remove your shirt. Come down and lie on the bed."

Within seconds, Mal had pulled her tee shirt over her head and laid on the bed, her b.r.e.a.s.t.s nearly exposed. She wore only a thin, transparent bra that barely contained full b.r.e.a.s.t.s that she had always thought were too large.

"You have lovely b.r.e.a.s.t.s," Ahmose said.

"Go to h.e.l.l," she answered.

"Maybe someday, not today. I will begin the feed, but I warn you, it is highly arousing. s.e.x is a natural finish for vampires following a blood meal. The feed itself often creates intense physical and emotional need. If you desire it, I would enjoy making love to you. It would only be if you ask it of me, without compulsion."

"Go to h.e.l.l," Mal repeated.

"I can tell you are a pa.s.sionate woman. I doubt you will be able to resist the physical pleasures we will have. Your choice, though, all the way. Only if you ask."

"Never."

"We will begin."

Mal could move, but she couldn't make herself get up off the bed. She had control of her arms and legs, and tried to fight him off, but she admitted he was far too strong for her, it wasn't possible to get free.

This crazy man who thought he was a vampire was going to rip out her throat and she would bleed out here on this quiet beach before she ever had a chance to find where she really belonged in this world.

He stretched out beside her, lifted her hair away from her neck, and licked a row of flame on the skin that he had exposed from just above her breast to the side of her neck to her ear.

"You smell like chocolate," he whispered.

Mal felt a sharp puncture on her neck and panicked, struggling suddenly with desperation, but his hands were just too powerful. The electric heat continued until her muscles became languid and relaxed.

His tongue moved against her neck while one of his hands held both of hers above her head. His other hand curved against her chest, the fingers moving slowly in little swirls against her bare skin. The sensation was the most sensual thing she'd ever experienced, and when the s.e.xual arousal began to spread throughout her body, she twisted her hands loose, and he let them go.

Instead of beating at him, the fingers from her left hand curled into that long slick hair she'd wanted to touch, while the other slipped along the hard smooth skin still bare above the pants he'd put on at her insistence. Now, those fingers played with the b.u.t.ton and wanted to crawl beneath. Now, she needed them gone!

Mal had never wanted anyone this desperately. She was already wet between her legs, the insistent pulsing begged for attention. She didn't know what he was doing to her and didn't care, as she groaned because his mouth was busy elsewhere and all she wanted was for it to be busy between her legs.

Ahmose felt the blood as it entered his body, an infusion both necessary and desired. This woman's blood excited a furnace of heat that spread through him, and he knew...it spread through her too. She was pulling at him, her hands on his skin, one pressed against the pants he now wished he'd left off. He didn't want to stop taking her blood, it was magic for his wracked body, but he wanted to be inside her while he drew. She hadn't been ready before, but, Mother of G.o.d, she was now.

He lifted his head. "You must ask me," he said, because he'd promised.

"No. I won't." Her eyes held fury and pa.s.sion as she stared into his.

"You must or I won't."

"No," she repeated, and closed her eyes.

Ahmose slid his fingers beneath her pants and touched the very edge of her s.e.x.

"No!" Mal said again. Then, "Yes!" Her eyes flew open, and she said, softly, "Yes. Okay. Please."

He wanted her, as badly as she wanted him, the pants gone so quickly, and hers too, she didn't even see him move. He was back on top of her, skin to smoldering skin, her hands grabbing for him.

"I'm going to be so p.i.s.sed afterward," Mal whispered as she moved her hand down and captured that huge c.o.c.k that had been beckoning and teasing her all night.

"You're going to be satisfied beyond any dream," Ahmose answered, "And it is going to be my pleasure to watch you come for me."

"For you?"

"For both of us."

She felt his mouth against her neck again and couldn't believe herself when she said, "Go ahead, drink."

His eyes burned into hers, he lowered his head to bite again, only this time it nearly rocked her off the bed. She felt his c.o.c.k pressing against her and pushed him up just enough so he could enter her. When he did, her body lifted to meet him, seeking him, forcing him deep into her because more than anything now, she wanted him. She wanted every incredible inch of him!

Ahmose curled his tongue and pulled in Mal's blood, which fueled his c.o.c.k, and drove him to move faster and faster when he felt her legs wrap around his waist and her nails embed in his back as she matched his movement.

When she moaned, he lost it, literally, and exploded into her body, so that when her moan changed to a pa.s.sionate cry, he pulled away from her throat and plunged his tongue into her mouth to taste her completely.

They rode together for the seconds it took to drop back from o.r.g.a.s.ms so intense, it left both of them shocked.

Ahmose could feel that his body was already returning to normal, and a satisfied sigh escaped as he held Mal close to him.

His eyes met hers when she looked at him, searching. She didn't know what to say, so she dropped her gaze in silence. After those incredible o.r.g.a.s.ms, he slid off her to let her breathe, and just watched her. They stayed like that for several minutes before she felt his hand slide across her belly and he spoke.

"Are you okay?" he asked, when she looked up at him again.

"No. I just had s.e.x with a complete stranger who, all evidence points to, is crazy. I don't do things like this. I feel..." Her eyes and mind searched the open air for the words.

"Amazing?"

Mal pushed away from him and slid off the edge of the bed. Standing there, naked, she looked down at him, easily the s.e.xiest man she had ever seen, a work of sensual art. He looked up at her as she stood over him, threading her fingers through her hair, and gave her the most charming smile possible.

She shook her head. "Yes. And p.i.s.sed and confused. How..."

Mal paced towards the door, turned back, and picked up her shirt, holding it in front of her like it could actually give her dignity back to her. "Did you actually drink blood from my neck?"

Her eyes went to his forehead where the gunshot wound was nearly closed. "You really are healing. How is that possible? What are you? Am I crazy?"

"Please sit back down. You already know, you just cannot accept it. I am something you have never seen before. I am healing because your blood has made me stronger. Blood is life for vampires, and I thank you for your contribution. Once I had the infusion of blood, healing became exponentially quicker. By nightfall, there will be no evidence I was ever shot at all."

Mal lowered herself back to the bed. "I truly have no idea what to think. I know what it felt like when I did things that I did not want to do. When you forced me to give you my phone or follow you up to this room."

Her eyes went straight to his again. "The s.e.x was my own choice. I wanted you to f.u.c.k me."

Ahmose moved forward and pulled her between his legs, his hands sliding around her waist. "Do not use that word for what we did. It was beautiful and that crude word implies that we were nothing more than rutting beasts."

Mal smiled at him, because it felt good to feel normal again, as she reminded herself that this man was just mentally and emotionally confused. She slid closer and took his face in her hands.

"Ahmose, that's exactly what it was. I mean, it was beautiful. I can honestly say that was the best s.e.x of my life. But it wasn't love or anything deep. We're complete strangers, so yeah, it was an amazing f.u.c.k."

"You have difficulty connecting with people, don't you?"

She pushed back and crawled off the bed.

"Don't try to psychoa.n.a.lyze me. You're just a quick lay. An awesome one, I'll give you that, but that's all. Look, I need to get back to my partner. Luka has to be losing it looking for me. Let me go, Ahmose."

Who was this partner? Who was this man Luka that the woman he had just made love with was thinking about? He let the flash of jealously fade. Ahmose was a reasonable man, and this woman was not his.

"Soon. When the sun drops tonight, I will wipe your memory of me and release you from my control."

"Now," Mal insisted.

He was in front of her before she saw him move. He took her head in his hands, captured her eyes and said, "Sleep."

As she lost consciousness and her body fell, he lifted her in his arms and laid her gently on the bed. She really was one of the loveliest of women. Not just her looks, they were excellent, but her spirit, her fire, her personality, her courage and strength, her refusal to compromise. Her pa.s.sion. He ran his fingers lightly from her neck to her throat to her perfect b.r.e.a.s.t.s. He would love to take her home and spend months, maybe years, getting to know everything about this furious, fascinating woman.

But she was apparently taken. Had he known, he might not have made love to her.

No, that was not true. The moment he had her in his arms, he knew they would be magic together. He had known they would connect in every way.

Still, she would return to this man who probably didn't appreciate how magnificent she was, and Ahmose would return to his village to prepare for his daughter's birth.

Pulling a sheet over her, Ahmose looked down at her. If destiny had given her to him, he would have been overjoyed to make her his queen.

It seemed destiny liked to mess with him. In this, in love, karma seemed to have f.u.c.ked with him, too.

He needed rest now, more than anything, so he slipped in beside his sleeping beauty, kissed her gently on the lips, and fell into a deep, healing sleep.

Chapter 6.