"Yes, take me."

He reached down, his finger unerringly finding her thick, sensitive c.l.i.t. The little bundle of swollen nerves pulsed under his questing fingers. He rubbed, tugged and stroked until she was delirious with pleasure. Until he was more than aware that every muscle between her toes and her head pulled tight, then tighter still as she strained against the pressure of the o.r.g.a.s.m building within her core.

The spring snapped and she came on a scream. Bix, his b.a.l.l.s drawn up against his body, was right behind her. He exploded in molten release, his thick load rocketing against her womb.

It was an endless loop of built and shattered ecstasy, both physical and psychic. His pleasure streaked through him, slammed into her, and back again, over and over until they were blinded with the sheer joy of it. In all his long years, he couldn't remember anything quite like being with Carin. And he hadn't even taken her blood yet. The thought of what that would be like made him dizzy all over again.

When his eyes regained the ability to focus, Bix just couldn't bear to part with this woman. He rolled with her to one side of the mattress, still planted firmly inside her sweet treasure. The thick comforter at the foot of the bed was pulled over them and they settled into the plump pillows. Even when he could finally make himself pull out of her warm body, Carin remained sprawled on his chest, clinging sweetly to him as he stroked her back and placed light kisses at her temple.

Together, they floated in the afterglow of their lovemaking.

After long moments, Bix finally spoke softly against her cooling skin.

"How long have you been psychic?"

"Psychic? I'm not sure if you can call it that," she whispered on a sated sigh.

"There are different types of psychic abilities. Some people can detect thoughts. Others are empathic and can feel other people's emotions. Which one are you?"

"Well"-she yawned-"I've always had a kind of sixth sense. Sometimes I can pick up people's feelings. But until I met you I couldn't hear them speaking in my head. Earlier, when you were leaving the lab you spoke to me in my mind, then ducked out before I could ask you about it. How did you do that?" Bix didn't answer right away, needing to know a little bit more about where she stood on her abilities. Just because she had them didn't mean she accepted them. "Did anyone ever try to help you develop your ability?"

"Are you kidding? Puh-lease. I learned to keep it quiet, especially growing up. People thought I was weird. By the way, handsome," she crooned, stroking a single finger across a flat male nipple, "you didn't answer my question."

"How did I speak to you in your head? Well, I have a little bit of psychic ability, too." He left out the part about her being able to hear his thoughts because of their newly forming bond.

"But I've never been able to hear anyone's words in my head before, Bix."

He changed the subject. "Why did you bite me?" he asked, dropping a kiss on the side of her face.

"I don't know," she replied quietly, honestly. She tilted her head to the side, pondering, as if she didn't understand it herself. "It just kind of felt right. Is that okay?"

"Baby, you have no idea," he drawled, lowering his mouth to hers. He nibbled on her bottom lip before sucking the plump cherry, then rolled her onto her back and slid home in one smooth stroke. Bix was sure the loving would be easy, slow and tender this time. After all, he'd been sated, right? Wrong. With each slide into Carin's wet folds, a coal-hot spark shot straight from his d.i.c.k to his fangs. And the more he sank into her body, the more powerful came the need to join with her, to bond mind, body, blood and soul.

He couldn't stay easy and slow with her. His thrusts came faster and harder. The writhing, panting woman with her smooth cocoa legs wrapped around his waist, urging him on didn't help.

He looked down to where the skin of her calves brushed against his thigh. The contrast between her beautiful dark skin and his fairer golden hues was stunningly sensual and strongly erotic. Her p.u.s.s.y fluttered around him and her calves pushed into the meat of his a.s.s, pulling him deeper.

"I love it when you lose it inside of me. Come with me, baby," she cried into his thoughts.

And lose it, he did. Taking her just as deep and hard as the first time. She exploded around him, bathed him with her juices as her p.u.s.s.y tightened and flexed so strongly it felt like she would rip off his d.i.c.k if he pulled out too fast. The woman milked his come right out of his b.a.l.l.s until it blasted against her cervix with such intensity his vision blurred.

d.a.m.n, would he ever have the strength to leave her lush body? He sure as h.e.l.l hoped not.

Chapter Seven

Carin awoke in the dark. She stretched, then winced as muscles she'd forgotten were capable of becoming sore protested her movements. She rolled to her side, her hands roaming over the cooling sheets where Bix had lain. His natural masculine scent greeted her, but he did not.

Why had he left her? She couldn't help feeling disappointment at finding him gone. She thought he'd enjoyed their little tryst. She snorted to herself as she sat up and snapped on the lamp. Well apparently not.

She rose, padded out of the bedroom and into the bathroom next door. There, taped to the gla.s.s shower stall, was a note. She s.n.a.t.c.hed it down and felt her cheeks heat. Her lips parted in a wide grin as she read it.

Sweetheart, Had to run out and get some work done on another project. Thank you for a fabulous dinner. I have no regrets that we never got around to eating it. I wrapped everything back up and put it in your little fridge. Enjoy. It's Thai. You're something special. Can't think of a single evening I've enjoyed more in a long, long time. I'll see you again very soon.

Always, Bix PS-Charles gave me the spare set of keys to your lab. I made sure I locked up on the way out.

Wouldn't do for someone to step in and see all that sweet, beautiful skin of yours.

Boy, does the man have a way with words, she thought as she folded the note and laid it on the small counter next to the equally small sink. She hopped into the shower with a lot more pep in her step. Since he hadn't hit it and run, maybe they could spend time...whoa, stop right there and hold the door. Regardless of the weird connection between them, it was still just s.e.x.

In college there'd been no frat parties, no nights out with the girls, not if she wanted to finish her doctorate early. In between the death of her mother and grandmother she'd foolishly indulged in a disastrous relationship with a womanizing idiot. After a devastating and painful end, she'd given up trying to decipher men and focus on school at the same time. As a result she'd earned her bachelor's in medical science by age twenty and gone on to complete her Master's and PhD, all in less than ten years. All by herself.

A lonely road to say the least, but even now she couldn't afford to get all tooty over the man or try to recapture all the fun she'd let pa.s.s her by.

And here she was again with a dilemma-a biological problem to solve and no time to be distracted with a relationship. Maybe they could just have some more good hard s.e.x? Perhaps. But fall for him? No. Or at least that's what she told herself.

There was no way she could afford to put much stock in anything developing between her and Bix. For some reason she felt like she was running out of time on figuring out the shortcomings in her serum. And she still hadn't figured out all the properties of the blood and samples she'd stumbled on in Sidheon's cart.

After a good mental shake and a steaming hot shower, Carin pulled on clean sweats, changed the bedding and stuffed all the dirty laundry into a dry-cleaning bag. The bags and containers full of food packed up, she carried it all to the door, locked up and headed to the gym.

She pushed the fabulous loving Bix had laid on her to the back of her mind, and prepared to throw herself into her workout. Yep, by the time she was done, she'd have forgotten all about her little Lady Chatterley experience. She had it all under control. Well, except for being unable to ignore the sweet ache between her thighs. d.a.m.n.

"I can't believe you didn't shower first. I smell her all over you," Alaan quipped.

"What's wrong with that?"

"Are you serious? I'm getting the hard-on from h.e.l.l just from her scent on you, Bix. That's just wrong, you b.a.s.t.a.r.d. What kind of friend are you, anyway?"

Bix had teased his best friend since the day he'd sworn off women two years ago. Alaan used to be quite the lady's vamp, but he'd pretty much cut s.e.x out of his diet altogether. n.o.body understood it except Bix. But then Alaan hadn't bothered to explain it to anyone but Bix.

Being a Seeker was dangerous business, and being the mate of a Seeker could be just as risky.

Years ago Alaan had found a mate, only to lose her to the well-aimed blade of a rogue he'd been hunting. Now, as the single son of the Matriarch of Clan Serati, he was one of the most eligible and wealthy bachelors in the western territory. With the number of women who'd claimed to be mated to him, if even half of the stories had been true Alaan would have had his own mega-harem. Plain tired of playing games with the unmated females of the ten clans and their ambitious mamas, he'd cut off every female who wasn't a relative. Two years of no p.u.s.s.y had the poor devil h.o.r.n.y as h.e.l.l.

Bix totally understood how Carin's spicy scent affected the man. After all, he'd sported his own semi-hard erection since leaving her asleep in the lab an hour ago.

"It's not my fault you haven't had a woman in two years, Alaan. You're a healthy vamp of breeding age, and no s.e.x? That's just not normal, man," Bix teased unmercifully, flashing an impish grin, fangs and all.

"Oh, shut up," Alaan grumbled at Bix's ribbing while they both tried to rearrange the bulges in their pants. "d.a.m.n, this is uncomfortable. Now I can't even leave my trench in the SUV while I tail Sidheon."

"That's for sure. We can't have your d.i.c.k waving at every female who crosses your path while you're trying to work, now can we?" Bix chuckled as Alaan flipped him the one-fingered salute.

He stopped the vehicle around the corner from a little sushi place where Sidheon was reported to eat several times a week. Alaan hopped out and Bix drove away to a good spot for surveillance.

He raised a sleek pair of modified, non-reflective, digital binoculars and positioned them on Alaan as he walked down the street. Seconds later their prey pa.s.sed him by. Sidheon was right on time.

"All right, there's our man," Bix whispered into his mouthpiece. "You on him?"

"Right behind him." Alaan strolled behind Sidheon. His pace was easy and unhurried, with the occasional stop to peer into a window at some overpriced item or another. Dressed in black jeans, a dark gray fine-gauged wool sweater and the black leather trench coat of a Seeker, Alaan looked like an overdressed tourist window-shopping on the boardwalk. To humans, anyway. To the vamps congregating in the warm night air to enjoy the ocean breeze and the last of an orange-tinted sunset, he looked like a prime male vampire. A Seeker with a fat att.i.tude.

"Why am I doing this again?" Alaan whispered sarcastically.

"Because," Bix replied dryly, "I think the vamp I scented near Carin's door this morning may have been Sidheon. He could have easily spotted me while I was scouting out the building. He wouldn't automatically suspect you since there are other Seekers on the boardwalk, that's why."

Bix smiled at Alaan's none-too-subtle snort and popped a couple of watermelon Jolly Rancher candies into his mouth. Following Alaan's progress from his parking spot down the street, Bix watched his partner stop briefly and clasp hands in respect with two Seekers apparently patrolling the beach. Nodding his thanks when they pointed him to a restaurant that catered to their special needs, Alaan was off again, careful to keep his prey within his sight at all times. After a few uneventful minutes, Alaan walked past his target and stopped at the pre-designated surveillance point. Pretending to study the menu posted on the door, he stepped aside to let Sidheon enter the building.

Alaan's deep voice came through Bix's earpiece. "He's awful pretty looking. You sure Sid's not a woman?"

"If anyone can tell the difference, it's you my friend."

"Kiss my a.s.s, Bix," Alaan hissed into the small flesh-colored mouthpiece barely visible against the side of his face.

"Sorry, handsome. a.s.s kissing's not possible. I'm taken." Bix chuckled at his partner's deep growling response. "Keep me posted. Bix out."

Alaan crossed the street and grabbed a table at a seafood house directly across from Sid. With schooled features and thoughts, he ordered a gla.s.s of red wine and a light dinner. Repulsed that Sidheon even breathed the same air he did, what he really wanted was to walk across the street, pound the s.h.i.t out of the pasty-faced pretty boy, and truss him up for a trip back to V.C.O.E.

headquarters for sentencing. There was nothing he hated worse than a rogue, a vampire excommunicated from clan life for betraying his own kind.

Alaan watched the hostess seat Sidheon at an outdoor table facing the street. The skinny, too- pretty traitor sat alone for almost half an hour when suddenly he flashed a predatory grin as his gaze locked on a good-looking woman pa.s.sing by. A woman with cinnamon skin, a tight, killer body, and endless legs. Dressed for a casual evening, she sported a pair of formfitting, dark green capri pants, low-heeled pumps and a hunter green short-sleeved sweater. Her hair was pulled back into a long, curly ponytail. If she'd been a bit taller and a little more muscular, the woman could have pa.s.sed for Carinian Derrickson. Definitely not good.

Sidheon looked after the woman as she smiled her thanks at him for what was probably some lame-a.s.sed compliment and kept walking. Was that a hint of fang? Was he crazy, letting his incisors slip free in public? It didn't matter if n.o.body noticed but Alaan. No vamp, rogue or otherwise, was to bring attention to their kind under any circ.u.mstance. Idiot.

"Please, please screw up so I can take you down right now. Screw finding out whatever you're scheming."

"I heard that. What the h.e.l.l's going on, Alaan?" Bix whispered through their security link.

"I'm watching Sid eyeball a fine-a.s.sed sistah who looks a lot like your girl. Five-foot-seven, dark skin, similar facial features, and legs like I don't know what. d.a.m.n, she looks good. Could be a pattern here."

"Aw, h.e.l.l. That might be a problem."

"Exactly what I was thinking. Wait, someone else just showed up. A mousy-looking human male just joined Sid at his table. The guy looks like a subordinate or something. Sending you a digital now," Alaan said as he raised his vid-phone as if he were making a call.

"Hold on a minute," Bix whispered. "Okay, I've got the digital transmission. Yep, he's Sidheon's a.s.sistant. Name's Don or Dan, or something like that. I saw him talking to Carin in her lab while I scoped out the place earlier. Seemed to spend a lot of time either watching her or running back and forth between Sidheon and Carin's labs, and the quality-control rooms downstairs."

"Well that didn't take long," Alaan muttered. "The mouse is leaving and Sid looks p.i.s.sed."

"I see him. You stay on Sidheon. I'll tail the mouse and catch up with you at the house later."

"What's up with dinner?"

"Depends on how long I have to tail Sid's go-fer. Hopefully, I'll be having chocolate tonight." Bix chuckled, as thoughts of Carin continually inserted themselves into his mind. G.o.d, the woman was like a drug. He wanted her as much now as he had only hours before. Their marathon loving this evening hadn't done a thing to slake the urgent need to be with her, to touch her. To bind her to him. He could also use a little bit of blood, but he was pretty sure she wasn't up for that yet.

"Tell Dr. Carin I said h.e.l.lo, you h.o.r.n.y b.a.s.t.a.r.d."

"Smart a.s.s," Bix gritted out between clenched teeth, striving to get a hold of himself. He couldn't afford to allow a woman, any woman, to interfere with his concentration while on a mission. Besides, he was still dealing with being far gone over her. Carin was his mate, and yes, he was supposed to be crazy for her. But it didn't mean an independent prime like himself would immediately adjust to such a strong need for anything other than blood, s.e.x and action. Aw, who the h.e.l.l was he kidding?

Alaan's quiet voice interrupted Bix's brooding. "Sid is on the move. And by the way, there's a half-pint bag of AB-negative in the cooler under the backseat. You know, just in case the chocolate thing doesn't work out. Catch up with you later. Serati out."

"Good luck, partner. Bix out."

Bix followed Sidheon's idiot crony for hours. The man's errands seemed typical enough, stopping to pick up prescriptions from the local Walgreens, get some takeout from a restaurant on La Jolla Blvd. Bix was bored out of his mind until the man finally stopped somewhere interesting.

Don, Dan or whatever his name was, parked across the street from a warehouse in the industrial district. It looked newly built and awaiting an occupant. Bix drove past and disappeared around the corner before circling back to park down the street. He watched the little mouse of a man look over his shoulder as if he expected to be followed. Maybe the guy wasn't willingly helping Sidheon? From the terrified expression on his face as he looked around, it wasn't hard to guess where the man's loyalties lay-on the side of self-preservation. He seemed a bit green about the gills as he slid a key into the lock on the front door of the building and disappeared inside for the better part of two hours.

From there the man had gone straight home and stayed there. By the time Bix met up with Alaan at the house designated for their use, it was well past one o'clock in the morning. Spending the night in Carin's arms was obviously out.

Chapter Eight

Other than a glimpse of him from a distance around the facilities, Carin hadn't seen Bix in three days. Why she'd expected him to pop up everywhere, she had no idea. Even at the gym she'd looked over her shoulder every now and again, hoping. Finally, she'd reprimanded herself for refusing to accept she'd been the recipient of a one-night stand. Okay time to forget him.

She was almost home when a sharp jolt of pain shot through her lower back as the muscles spasmed. Thoughts of Bix's strong hands kneading the tension away popped into her head. So much for the two grueling hours spent throwing herself through every lower body exercise she could think of, all in an attempt to get her mind off the man. Obviously it hadn't worked.

Rolling her eyes at her own ridiculousness, she screeched to a stop in her driveway and dragged herself into the house. She'd been alone for years, but she missed this man so much the only word she could think of to describe it was hollow. All this drama for a man she knew nothing about, other than he was a great lay? Yeah, a great one-time lay.

"Now see, that's exactly what you get," Carin grumbled to herself as she kicked off her tennis shoes inside the front door. "Getting all worked up 'cause you thought that d.a.m.ned man was serious about you. Now look at you, feeling all stupid and disappointed."

After a quick wash up she settled back in the thick, overstuffed cushions of the couch. A plate of untouched food congealed on the coffee table while her thoughts flew all over the place. One second she was thinking about the next steps for her serum, then her head filled with the images of a tall, dark-haired, gorgeous manly-man who'd put it down on her in the bedroom at the back of her labs earlier this week. She didn't like it at all.

Carin sat up on the couch, s.n.a.t.c.hed out of a comfortable doze by the ring of the doorbell.

Startled, heart in her throat, she glanced towards the unlit fireplace at the clock over the mantle.

Eight fifteen. Who the h.e.l.l would come by her house after dark without calling first? Moving with silent caution she rose, grabbed the st.u.r.dy baseball bat next to the door and peeked through the viewing hole.