Marcus' Mortal Embrace (Book 3) (The Supernatural Desire Series) Read online

  The waitress brought their food, interrupting what was swiftly become a heated kiss, and Liz backed away self-consciously. She heard Marcus chuckle as he thanked the young woman and gave Liz’s thigh a gentle squeeze.

  Marcus watched as Liz dug in to her food with gusto, her eyes rolling back in her head as a sigh passed her lips, and he was absolutely entranced. The woman had a fire and passion that she was just beginning to set free, and he found himself wanting nothing more than to see just how far she would let herself go. He wanted to be the one who brought that out in her, that made her feel safe enough to be herself completely. To let herself go, and be the Elizabeth that she was.

  He pushed his food around on his plate as he glanced around him. With a slight sweep of his hand, the lights in the Café went out, leaving them sitting there in the semi-darkness with only the candlelight around them.

  “Oh!” Liz gasped as she glanced at him.

  “No worries,” he said with a smile, “I’m sure it’s only a fuse.”

  He waited until she had started eating again before quickly dropping most of his meal into the napkin at his lap. He made a good show of commenting how delicious everything was and even fed her a bite of his, not wanting it all to go to waste. She chewed slowly, the movement erotic as hell, and he found himself wanting nothing more than to be back at the Inn in a nice soft bed.

  When he saw that she was nearly finished, he swept his hand once again and the restaurant came alive with light. He bit back the grin threatening to curve his mouth as he thought that sometimes, it was actually nice being a vampire.

  After dinner, they took their time walking back towards the Inn, enjoying the sights and sounds of the city. He pointed out the numerous landmarks as they strolled along, his arm wrapped around her waist, and she took in everything with a wonder that had him feeling an excitement that he hadn’t felt in centuries. This was all new and thrilling for her and he couldn’t help but to feel what she was feeling. Damn, just another nail in his coffin when it came to her, he thought with a shake of his head–yet the thought only brought a smile to his lips.

  Marcus’s body suddenly tensed beside her and he stopped walking, his eyes darting around the area. He sensed vampire. Son of a bitch!

  “Marcus?” he heard her say as she looked up at him with wide and questioning eyes, and he knew that she could feel his unease. He quickly looked around, but nothing seemed amiss. The street was filled with people, laughing and talking, yet, he knew that there was a vampire nearby. Shit!

  “Hmm? Oh, sorry. It’s nothing,” he reassured her gently, beginning to walk again, but this time at a much quicker pace. He wanted her safely back at the house. He wished that he could track down the vampire and find out if they were friend or foe, but with Elizabeth beside him, that wasn’t an option.

  “I know that reaction, Marcus,” she said softly as they headed back, and Marcus glanced down to find her eyeing him warily. “I’ve lived looking over my shoulder for a long time,” she went on, keeping up with his steady pace. “What spooked you?”

  Crap! Just how in the hell was he supposed to answer that? “It was nothing, really,” he replied. “We were just heading into the seedier part of the city and there were a group of drunks that I preferred to avoid.” Jesus! How lame was that?

  Liz nodded and quietly walked on, seemingly accepting his explanation, for which he was eternally grateful. There was enough that he was hiding from her. He didn’t want to have to start telling elaborate lies. He felt guilty enough.

  They were quiet until they made it back to the Inn. Marcus was preoccupied with making sure that the vampire that he had sensed was not following, and other than a tingle here and there, it seemed as if whomever he had picked up on, had gone. He let himself relax and stopped at the doorway, pulling Liz to him and crashing his mouth down on hers. She relaxed into him, her soft curves melding with the hard plains of his body, and that ever present fire ignited between them with a roar. Marcus swept her up into his arms and opened the door, carrying her through and up the staircase, his mouth never leaving hers.

  The house was dark and quiet as he carried her to her room…and for that, he was grateful. He really didn’t want to have to deal with Brianna’s snarky looks at the moment. All he wanted was Liz. And he wanted all of her.

  He walked through the doorway and kicked it shut with his foot, setting her feet down on the floor with a sliding of her body against his. Her hands yanked at his shirt, pulling it from his waistband and sliding it over his head. He broke their kiss for only the instant that it took to pull the shirt over his head and toss it aside.

  His muscles rippled as her delicate, amazing hands traveled and slid across his chest to the button of his slacks, and a groan vibrated in his throat as she undid the button and slid the zipper down, the pressure of her touch hardening him to the point of pain. He wanted nothing more than to be buried in her moist heat.

  His hands tugged at the cotton shirt she wore, but she quickly shook her head and slid his trousers to the floor, releasing the proof of his desire as she went.

  “Elizabeth,” he rasped, his need for her swelling to dangerous proportions. It was raw, heated…insatiable.

  “Shh,” she cautioned as she grasped his manhood in her tiny hand. He sucked in a breath, his head falling back.

  “Jesus,” he groaned. “I…” the words were ripped from his throat when he felt her warm lips surround his steely member. He couldn’t have finished the thought if he had wanted to. The sensation of her mouth on him was driving him to the brink of insanity. “Liz…” he moaned as his hand slid into her hair and his fingers fisted. His touch was tender–not at all demanding, as he let her set the pace. Her mouth on him felt incredible, but he needed to be inside her. He needed that connection, the connection of their two bodies joining as one.

  “Sweetheart,” he choked out, knowing that unless he stopped now there would be no going back. He looked down to find her staring up at him, those sapphire eyes hooded with desire. He grabbed her by the arms and lifted her, bringing her face up to his.

  “Didn’t you like…” she started to say, but his mouth capturing hers stilled her words. He kissed her hungrily…greedily, wanting to convey everything that he was feeling–even if he didn’t quite know what it was himself.

  “God, Baby,” he finally murmured against her lips when he knew that he had enough control to actually make sense. “You’re incredible. I just need to be inside you.”

  Before Liz even had the chance to reply, Marcus had her shirt and jeans off and thrown across the room. She stood there in only her bra and panties and felt that rush of heat as his gaze took her in from head to toe, his eyes gleaming wickedly. There was no denying the need in his expression, and it was an absolute turn on.

  He turned her around, stepping up and pulling her back against his chest. He moved her hair over her shoulder and kissed her neck, his lips trailing up to the shell of her ear. His tongue traced where his lips ventured as his hands slid around her and cupped her breasts through the lace of her bra, the friction causing her nipples to pebble instantly.

  She dropped her head back and rested it against his shoulder, losing herself to the pure sensation of his hands as they skimmed over her body. It was beyond description.

  “You feel so damned good,” he growled in her ear, and a smile lifted her lips.

  “Funny,” she laughed softly. “I was thinking the same thing about you.”

  The rush of breath that came from him tickled her throat and she giggled, feeling the gooseflesh rise up on her arms.

  He turned her back around and stared into her eyes a moment, and she was almost certain that she saw something in them. Was it just desire or something more, she silently wondered, her heart skittering around in her chest.

  She could feel him pressing intimately against her stomach and another shiver ran across her spine. “I need you, Marcus,” she confessed, and a sound came from his chest that went straight through her heart an
d right to her very soul. It was a feeling that was indescribable.

  He fused his mouth once again to hers and lifted her against his solid frame, carrying her over to the bed. They fell on the mattress, their tongues dueling with need as their hands touched and stroked the other’s skin, hers smooth and soft, his muscled and firm. They both craved that contact as if their very existence depended on it. They needed it–that wonderful electricity of flesh against flesh.

  In a flash, her undergarments were gone and there was nothing between them, only heated skin–and Liz sighed.

  Marcus kissed her jaw and moved down her throat to the curve of her collarbone. He nipped her softly, and then soothed it with a swipe of his tongue. He felt his fangs pop from his gums and closed his eyes, willing them to recede. He wanted to taste her in the worst way, but silently fought that inner battle to keep from doing what instinct demanded that he do.

  He mentally shook himself as he continued his journey down to the swell of her breast, tracing his tongue around her hardened peak before sucking it into his mouth, pulling that sexy as hell purr from her throat as he did, and he felt his body quiver with a need that was deep, and desperate…and raw. It was primal. She arched her back; her hands cupped the back of his head, pulling him as close to her as humanly possible, and Marcus feared that he would not be able to hold back much longer. He was a pulsating mass of desire.

  He leaned back on his haunches, pulling her with him so that she was straddling his thighs and she moved to join them, but the gentle motion of him shaking his head stopped her.

  “Not yet,” he husked, snuggling his face between her breasts. She wrapped her arms around his neck, and let out the breath that she had been holding against his hair, feeling that liquid fire shoot up her spine and heating her body to dangerous proportions.

  “Marcus,” she croaked, her throat seizing up with the need washing over her like a tidal wave, knowing for certain that she would surely go mad if he didn’t take her–now. Her body was crying out to him.

  Marcus’s hands slid down to her waist, his touch searing a trail of white-hot heat against her skin, and he effortlessly lifted her up and brought her back down, burying himself to the hilt into her sublime heat. He heard her gasp as he held still, basking in the feel of being one with this remarkable woman. Never before had anything ever felt this incredible.

  His fingers slid up her back, only to fan out at her shoulder blades, pulling her closer so that he could take her mouth once more–slow, deliberate…thorough. Their tongues teased and chased the others, hungry…desperate.

  He began to thrust his hips, slowly at first, but with a growing intensity as she responded to him with uninhibited abandon, meeting his rhythm stroke for stroke. Her head fell back, her lips parted as she struggled to find her breath, and he knew that she was as close as he was. He swirled and moved, their body’s slick with a sheen of perspiration from their lovemaking, and suddenly she cried out. His name passed her lips in a breathless rush as her body came crashing down around him, tightening and pulsing, and bringing him to an explosive climax. He roared his release, burying his face against her neck as the world exploded around him with brightly colored bursts of light.

  Marcus collapsed to his side, pulling her with him and curling her against his body. He could feel the short puffs of air against the base of his throat as she tried to catch her breath, her heart beating a rapid tempo against his chest. Yes, he thought with a contented sigh, he was coming to care for this woman a great deal; more than he should perhaps, but he just didn’t care. All he cared about at the moment was holding her in his arms and keeping her safe. She was fast becoming extremely important to him, and there wasn’t a damn thing he could…or wanted to do about it.

  “All you all right?” he whispered against the top of her head, and he felt her nod against him, her warm lips placing soft kisses against his skin. He knew that in his need for her that he had been more aggressive than before, but it seemed as if every time he was with her, he only craved her more. That he would never get his fill of her was a screaming truth. And the cold, hard fact that she was human was always foremost in his mind. He was terrified of forgetting how fragile she really was and hurting her.

  “Mm, more than all right,” she finally replied after a long, thoughtful silence. He could hear the pure satisfaction in her voice… and yes, it made him feel damned good. In fact, he thought with a small puffing up of his chest, it made him feel fan-freaking-tastic. To know that she was as satisfied as he, was one of the most amazing feelings in the world.

  He rubbed her back as he nestled her more securely against him. Jesus, he had it bad.

  Liz lay there quietly, simply enjoying the feel of this Marcus’s strong arms wrapped securely around her as he held her close to his body. She had never felt so safe or protected before.

  Marcus made her feel as if she could conquer the world; that she could actually forget her past and be normal, and she would be forever grateful to him for that. She knew that she was falling for him…and falling hard. She wanted to share everything with him. He was a safe haven in the storm that had been her life. He brought comfort and a happiness that she had never experienced before, and she was going to enjoy every single moment of it.

  “Thank you for dinner,” she murmured, and felt the vibration against her cheek as he chuckled.

  “Just dinner?” he asked and Liz felt that now familiar fluttering in her belly.

  “Well, dessert wasn’t half bad,” she countered and he burst out laughing. God, she thought with a sigh, he had a fabulous laugh. It was deep, strong, and sexy as hell.

  Marcus pulled her up so that he could look into her eyes and she saw that flicker of heat in them. “Half bad, huh?” he questioned with a snarky grin that just about curled her toes, and she found herself wondering if he had any idea how gorgeous he was. He exuded self-confidence, but there was no arrogance…..just genuine, natural, sex appeal. “I might have to remedy that,” he laughed, nipping at her bottom lip and causing a shot of electrical current to shoot straight to her core.

  “You think you got it in ya, tiger?” she asked, and her answer came in the form of him pulling her up over his body, his erection strong and proud between them.

  “I think I can manage,” he replied, right before his mouth took hers.

  Chapter Twelve

  Marcus carefully slipped from the bed, making sure not to wake Liz. He stood there a moment, silently looking down at this beautiful, amazing…wondrous creature, and realized with a tightening in his chest that he did care for her… a lot.

  He squeezed his eyes shut, trying to control his wayward emotions. No matter how hard he tried, he just couldn’t stop the onslaught of feelings rushing at him. This woman had embedded herself so easily into his heart and life that the thought of walking away from her was incomprehensible. It was like a swift punch to the gut. It was something that was quickly becoming unacceptable.

  A smile twitched at his lips as he once again gazed down at her sleeping form. So relaxed, so beautiful…so mine, he thought with a shiver.

  A tiny smile touched her delectable mouth as she slept, her mahogany hair falling over her face in a gentle wave, and he found himself thinking that he would be content just to stand there, looking at her forever. Yes, he silently admitted to himself. He was falling…and falling hard. And, the thought made him smile.

  Marcus slipped from the room and headed downstairs. He needed to feed. He realized with a grumbling in his belly that he was absolutely famished.

  He silently headed towards the kitchen. He walked into the breezeway and grabbed a bag of blood, piercing it with his teeth and downing it in an instant. He grabbed another and headed back into the kitchen, dropping the empty bag into the trash as he did. He glanced up at the clock and realized with a smile that it was just before midnight, they still had the entire night. He planned on going back upstairs and waking her in the most wonderful way.

  He looked out the window at the grou
nds as a smile cut across his mouth, trying to remember a time that he had been this happy, and he realized that the answer was simple… never.

  He bit down on the second bag and closed his eyes, trying to think of the best way to talk with Liz. He wanted her in his life, and he had to be honest with her. A tremor of fear crept up his spine at the thought of her being frightened of him. Would she understand? Abby had accepted the fact that Desmond was a vampire unbelievably well, but then again, she was also half-supernatural herself and had always felt different. With Liz, to say that this all would be a shock was an extreme understatement.

  Marcus’s eyes snapped open when he heard a gasp coming from the doorway. He turned to find Liz standing there, dressed only in his t-shirt, and he noticed in an instant that her skin was almost as white as the cotton material that covered her. Her beautiful blue eyes were wide and frightened as she stared at the bag of blood at his mouth. He could see her body starting to vibrate with tremors, and his gut clenched as if he had been kicked.

  He dropped the bag into the sink, his hand reaching out towards her, but she violently shook her head as her eyes welled with tears.

  “Elizabeth…” he rasped, his gaze locking on hers in desperation.

  “Don’t,” she choked out when he made a move to step towards her. “Don’t come near me.”

  Marcus dropped his hand to his side as those four words hit him like a sledgehammer to the heart. They twisted his insides in knots as nothing ever had before.

  Liz stood there silently and felt complete terror wash over her as she stared at Marcus. He was drinking blood! Oh, dear God! It couldn’t be! She had to be dreaming! This had to be another one of her never-ending nightmares!