Rage and Redemption Read online

  “I promised Michael I would not seduce you,” he lamented.

  She smiled into his eyes and gathered the hem of her chemise with both hands. “You are not seducing me. I am seducing you.”

  Pulling the simple garment off over her head, she let it slip from her fingers and sail to the floor. Naomi held her breath, waiting for his reaction.

  Gideon feared his heart would burst through the wall of his chest. Firelight danced across the surface of her skin, creating hypnotic patterns that did nothing to distract from the beauty of her shape. Her long, slender arms remained at her sides, though he saw a flicker of uncertainty in her eyes.

  “You make me ache just looking at you,” he said.

  She smiled and glanced away. His gaze immediately descended to more intimate treasures while her eyes were averted. Lush and round, her breasts beckoned his touch and his mouth. The rose-hued nipples had already distended and tightened.

  He had just begun his visual investigation of her feminine mound when she took two quick steps forward and wrapped her arms around his neck. The velvet heat of her skin on his made him groan. He wanted to see her and touch her and taste her before he joined his body with hers.

  “Please, Gideon.” She rubbed her cheek against his chest and her moist breath fanned his skin. “We have waited so long.”

  “We have waited too long not to enjoy everything there is to enjoy.”

  So saying, he grabbed her ass and dragged her up along his body until her mouth was even with his. Her lips were parted and pliant, waiting for him. Gideon savored the texture and the softness of her lips before venturing into her mouth with his tongue. She angled her head and curled her tongue around his, clutching his shoulders. She tasted of wine and woman and Gideon drank deeply.

  “Wrap your legs around my waist,” he murmured against her damp lips.

  Without argument, she drew up her long legs and wrapped them around him. He came to rest at the entrance to her body and she tensed. Did she expect him to ram into her like a beast, a monster…a creature of darkness?

  Gideon stroked her back and buttocks and kissed her slowly, deeply. His fingers delved into the crack between her bottom cheeks and he felt her start. “Easy.”

  The damp heat of her sex enveloped his fingertips. He could thrust into her now and she would take him, but he wanted so much more than simple acceptance.

  Setting her down on the edge of his narrow bed, Gideon parted her thighs and knelt on the floor between them. He moved her arms behind her and pushed gently until she rested back on her elbows.

  “Watch me, Naomi. See my hands on your flesh and my mouth touching you. Know that it is me and only me who gives you this pleasure.”

  He thought she would respond, but his mouth closed around her nipple and she only murmured. He filled his palm with one soft breast while his mouth adored the other. Her nipple pebbled against his tongue and he drew it deeply into his mouth. Restlessly she moved, her head rolling back on her shoulders.

  “Nay,” he said. “Watch me.”

  Naomi forced her heavy lids to rise and look down at Gideon. His dark head bent over her heaving breasts. His mouth sucked one while his hand covered the other. The caresses stirred her senses but seeing the contrast in their skin tone and the strength in his sword hand gentled to tease her made her arch and moan.

  He raised his head and kissed her until the room spun. She returned the kiss with eagerness and trust. It was not until she felt the gentle prodding of his fingers that she realized he had been distracting her with his kiss.

  Ever so gently, he parted her folds and pushed against the shield guarding her feminine core. Naomi moaned. Her inner muscles clenched, her breasts throbbed and tension gathered deep in her belly.

  She heard him mutter an obscene word then he moved away from her opening and caressed her folds instead. It was the most beautiful thing she’d ever seen and yet so graphically carnal that it made her tremble.

  With a slow twist of his wrist, he circled that secret nub and pleasure spread out through her body. “Oh my,” she murmured.

  “Oh mine.”

  Naomi could stand it no longer. She collapsed back across the bed and raised her hips against his fingers. “Please, Gideon, I need you now.”

  “Nay. I will not hurt you.”

  She hurt already. The tense burning in her core had long since turned to pain. Each breath and movement only intensified the throbbing.

  Gideon held himself back with iron control. He stubbornly prepared her body, keeping her on the edge of the precipice for as long as he could. Her abdomen quivered and her liquid response assured him she was nearly there.

  Slipping one hand beneath her, he anchored her with a firm grip on her rounded behind. He needed her to stay still and he knew she would not. The scent of her arousal filled his head and stirred his hunger. Never again would he take her blood, but as often as she would allow it, he intended to enjoy her cream.

  Pressing his fingers against her maidenhead, he searched with his tongue until he found the spot that made her entire body jump. Oh aye! He circled the nub, flicking his tongue across it over and over. She whimpered and tried to move. He held her firmly. Concentrating carefully, he closed his lips around the swollen bud and allowed his fingernails to grow, pushing through the thin barrier.

  He sucked gently and she cried out, driving her hips upward. Each blessed contraction of her muscles and each shuddering breath assured him she had felt only pleasure.

  His fingers slipped knuckle-deep into her sheath. She was slick and hot, but oh so tight. Even without her maidenhead, it would be a challenge not to hurt her. He continued to tease her with his mouth as he worked his fingers deeper.

  She came again, hot cream drenching his fingers and rolling into his palm. He pulled back then drove his fingers deep, each rotation a little easier to maneuver.

  He drew carefully upon her sensitive bud and she cried out, bucking against his hand. She felt softer now, even wetter and more open.

  Waiting until the last ripple passed, he finally slid his fingers free and boldly pushed his tongue into her core.

  She cried out again, clearly shocked by this new intimacy. Her taste intoxicated him, passion-rich cream with the tantalizing hint of blood.

  Dark hunger slammed through him, stealing his breath and energizing his senses. His skin tingled and his eyes burned as his fangs lengthened.

  I will not hurt you. His own words echoed through his mind, mocking and challenging him.

  This was about passion and pleasure, not blood. He would never feed from her again.

  Using only his tongue, he gathered her essence with gentle caresses and sensual swirls. Her cream coated his lips and tongue, gradually filling his mouth. He inhaled her scent and savored her taste until the worst of his hunger eased. He felt drunk and joyous, wild and free as another wave of ecstasy rolled through her body.

  Naomi lay sprawled and replete, stunned by the intensity of her pleasure. Still he had not joined his body to hers. Surely he didn’t intend to end this way.

  She sat up and reached for him. “Please do not deny me again. I want you to share this with me.”

  He chuckled and pressed his mouth to hers. “Not tonight. Not ever again.”

  The taste of her pleasure on his lips and tongue made her shiver. Soon the part of his body that made him male would be where his tongue had just been. She’d never imagined that a tongue could be used like that or that she’d find it so pleasurable.

  Shedding his hose, he started to join her on the bed. Naomi stopped him. “Do I not get the opportunity to torment you?”

  “Not tonight.”

  “Not ever?” She batted her eyelashes.

  “Oh, I will let you ‘torment’ me to your heart’s content, but I need to be inside you now or I will lose my mind.”

  Her gaze descended along his body as he eased her back across the bed. A tremble of fear skipped through her. She tried not to let him see.

  �
�I will not hurt you, Naomi. There will be only pleasure.”

  Dragging her gaze back to his, she said, “But Zarrah told me—”

  “I took your maidenhead with my fingers. There will be only pleasure.”

  She wasn’t about to argue. Already he’d given her more pleasure than she had dreamed possible. He crawled onto the bed and kissed her gently, tenderly, until she relaxed beneath him.

  “Part your legs. Invite me in.”

  His sensual whisper unleashed countless tingles and Naomi opened for him.

  “Draw up your knees and kiss me with your whole body.”

  She had no idea what he meant but she pulled her knees up along his sides and found his mouth with hers. As she caressed his lips with hers, she heard his ragged groan and felt him press against her opening with something broad and blunt. She tangled her fingers in his hair and kissed him wildly.

  With firm, gradual pressure he sank into her tight center. Naomi tore her mouth away, panting harshly. Her body stretched to take him, pulsing around him. There was distinct pressure but no real pain.

  Just the incredible fullness of having his body inside hers.

  “Oh Gideon,” she moaned.

  “Aye, love, feel me. Know me.”

  He kissed and kissed her while Naomi adjusted to his penetration. Gently stroking her breasts and caressing her legs, he waited for her to accept him.

  Naomi released his hair and ran her hands across the slick muscles of his back.

  “What happens now?” she whispered, knowing he must have to move somehow.

  He chuckled, a deep, sinfully wicked sound. Naomi’s nipples tightened. His hands moved between their bodies, on the inside of her thighs then under her buttocks. He lifted her as he rocked back onto his knees. Naomi gasped and clutched the bedding. Her legs were hooked over his arms, keeping her open and accessible. He pulled back, almost out of her and then thrust in deeply and completely.

  She arched her back and tightened her inner muscles. His strong movements accented the aching need. She thrashed beneath him and lifted toward him. With each thrust he became more demanding. It thrilled her to realize just how much he had been holding back.

  He strained, his muscles rippling with each forceful lunge. Naomi wanted to touch him but she couldn’t reach him. Instead she closed her eyes and concentrated on the sensations building within her. Each rhythmic pulsation tightened her body around his and she understood what had been missing before. Now when the pleasure crested, she’d have something to squeeze.

  His fingers gripped her bottom with urgent force. He was losing control. She opened her eyes, basking in the intense, golden glow as he gazed upon her.

  “Now, Gideon, now,” she murmured, and he slammed into her with a sound part growl, part groan.

  He released his seed deep inside her and the distinct pulse triggered the culmination of her pleasure. Tingling heat washed over her and twisted through her. She cried out, shaking with the force of her climax.

  Awareness returned slowly. She felt his fingers against her lips and realized he had released her legs. He was still buried inside her body but she didn’t feel quite so full.

  “What happens now?” he asked, echoing her earlier question.

  His gaze was no longer glowing and his hair tickled her face.

  “Give me a few moments to catch my breath and I shall show you,” she said playfully.

  He shook his head. “Nay. What role shall you set for me now?”

  “What role?” She didn’t want to think about the morrow. She wanted to bask in this moment forever.

  He shifted so his arms kept his weight from crushing her. “I want you with me, Naomi. I want to awaken to your smile and know you will be there when I reach for you in the night.”

  Naomi licked her lips and stared up into his eyes. “What are you suggesting? That we marry?”

  She tried to keep the tension from her voice. He must have sensed her hesitation. He separated their bodies and rolled away, sitting on the end of the bed facing her. Naomi sat as well, drawing her legs up and wrapping her arms around her knees. Her body still hummed with the incredible pleasure he had given her and already he was discontent.

  “Is the idea so intolerable?” he asked.

  “The idea is not intolerable, Gideon, it’s impossible. How can I wed with you? You are not…human.”

  That set him in motion. He bound off the bed and reached for his hose. “You can share your body with a creature who is not human but you cannot share your life?”

  “I cannot share my life with you until you have ended your war with God.”

  He planted his fists on his hips and glared at her. “I am not at war with God, I am at war—”

  “With humans,” she finished for him. “And I am human.”

  Raking his fingers through his hair, he turned from her and stared into the dying fire. “I am weary of war.”

  His words surprised and pleased her. Naomi quickly donned her chemise while she debated what to say.

  “What keeps you from ending the war?” She wanted to approach him, to press herself against his back and wrap her arms around his waist. But she stayed on the bed, afraid of distracting him.

  “All I have seen. All I have done. I don’t see how…”

  She had to touch him. It was simply unthinkable to leave him alone in his misery. She crossed the cottage and slipped her hands up under his damp hair. The muscles in his shoulders flexed and flinched but he didn’t pull away. She rubbed him with firm pressure, leaning in to smell his hair.

  “You said Gabriel told you what supplies I would need.” She spoke only after he began to relax beneath her hands. “How were you able to contact him?”

  He braced his hands against the mantelpiece, allowing her to massage more forcefully. “I think you are inciting me with your touch to reveal all my secrets.” He groaned. “That feels so good.”

  She pressed a kiss to one shoulder blade. “I thought I knew all your secrets.”

  Tension bunched his muscles and Naomi’s heart plummeted. She had meant the comment in jest but apparently she had struck a nerve.

  “I made a deal with Michael,” he said, bringing them back to her original question. “I told him I’d treat you honorably if he would allow me to speak with Gabriel.”

  He volunteered this information so there must have been more to it. “If Michael was worried about my honor, would he not have kept you away from me?”

  “He could have tried.”

  Smiling despite the arrogance in this tone, Naomi moved his hair aside and cuddled up to his back. The fire had warmed his chest and her hands moved across the heated contours eagerly. It was thrilling to know she could touch him whenever she wanted, however she wanted.

  “What else did you promise Michael?” She spoke the words against the warm hollow where his shoulder met his neck.

  He turned in her arms and framed her face with his hands. “We have wandered far off course here. I promised I would treat you honorably and I am not sure what has gone on tonight qualifies as honorable.”

  Slowly licking her lips, Naomi drew his attention to her mouth. “I came to you.”

  “And now I must do what is right.”

  She rose up on her toes and kissed him. “Tomorrow we can debate what is right. Tonight belongs to me.” She kissed him again. “I want you…” With her mouth moving against his she finished the sentence, “Inside me.”

  * * * * *

  He needed to feed.

  Making love with Naomi had left him drained and weak. She lay curled against his back, her arm looped over his waist and he didn’t want to leave the comfort of her embrace.

  Dark hunger clawed at his gut, refusing to subside, so he carefully moved her arm and slipped out of bed. She looked like a child, so peaceful and serene, but Gideon could still feel her writhing beneath him and clawing his back as she found release.

  Shaking away the lingering memories, he quietly dressed and walked out into the
night. But it was no longer night. Dawn had brushed the sky with the first few shades of morning.

  “You better hurry. You waited almost too long to feed.”

  Gideon cursed beneath his breath but didn’t bother to turn around. He could smell Domieno’s stench and feel his evil.

  “Let me show you something,” Domieno said, a demonic compulsion accompanying the words.

  A groan tore from Gideon’s throat as his body obeyed. They moved quickly through the shadows, faster than human eyes could see. Beyond the castle walls and into the forest, Gideon struggled against the demon’s urging to no avail. The crumbling ruins of some ancient structure came into view and Domieno released his hold.

  “Here we are,” the demon said. “Human kindness at its finest.”

  Gideon didn’t understand until he looked more closely at the shadows surrounding him. Children lay sleeping in every corner of the ruin, seeking what little shelter the broken walls could provide.

  Anger and pity wrestled within him until Gideon forgot his hunger. “Why are they here?” he whispered.

  Domieno shrugged, leaning one shoulder against a section of wall still standing. “No one wants them. They are castoffs, orphans. Most of the creatures in the village do well to keep their own children fed.”

  Awed by their perfect little faces, Gideon moved among the children. He carefully kept his back to Domieno, not wanting the demon to know that his heart was pounding. They were filthy and horribly thin. Some had no shoes and most had no cloaks despite the crisp, early morning air. They clung to each other for warmth, sleeping in small clusters.

  “Pathetic, are they not? Most will not last through the winter. There is no help for it.”

  Gideon spun to face him, protective instincts surging to the surface. “Why have you brought me here?”

  “Do you not see?” His flat, soulless eyes suddenly flashed with malevolent intent. “Take your fill. Feed ’til you burst. No one will miss them. No one cares.”

  Fury spun out of control before Gideon could restrain his reaction. He flew at Domieno and pinned him to the wall with his forearm. “Do not touch these children!”