“And you believed him?”
“You do not understand. This man could not tell an untruth. He was not capable of deceit. I made a promise to myself I would never allow my brother to go the way of the undead. Much was asked of us—the constant killing of our own kind, the isolation the hunter must endure. Gabriel was different; he felt emotions far longer than was normal for our males. I believe it was because his lifemate was alive. She is one of our people. We were moving so often, hunting and destroying and battling, Gabriel missed finding her. Eventually I pretended to become vampire when I knew my brother was close to turning. My doing so prevented him from having to make kills, which is dangerous to those close to turning. He had to hunt
me
instead. After years of battling me and chasing me across the continents, Gabriel managed to lock us both in the ground.” His slight smile was rueful. “A miscalculation on my part. Gabriel actually managed to surprise me. It was only by chance that we surfaced before his lifemate chose to meet the dawn.”
“You did all that for your brother.” Jaxon was awed by his sacrifice. He told the story casually, in a few simple words, but she was still a shadow in his mind, and she saw his painful memories clearly. The details were vivid, the carefully constructed scenes of death and mayhem planned meticulously to convince his twin, a man who was lethal and well aware of what a vampire kill looked like, that he had turned. It had been a difficult existence, to say the least.
“Even when I could no longer
feel
such an emotion, I knew I loved my brother and that he had followed my lead. It was my decision to fight for our people and battle the Ottoman Turks and destroy the undead. Gabriel followed me and remained steady and loyal throughout his life. He deserved happiness. It was my duty to ensure it came to him.”
“Whose duty was it to ensure yours?” she asked softly.
He smiled at her instant defense of him. “I was given tremendous gifts, honey. I was strong and better able to hold out against the gathering darkness. And even more than that, I had touched the light as no one else had ever done. I could not forget that moment, touching a mind so pure and beautiful, so completely good. It was a gift I could not turn my back on. I never had a choice to lose my soul after that. I would never turn my back on something so completely of the light. I knew the truth. I knew we were here for a purpose and that our lives counted for something.”
She shook her head. “You
amaze
me, Lucian, how little you ask for yourself.”
He laughed then, a soft sound of love. “I would never give
you
up, Jaxon. You are everything to me. You are the only thing that matters now. Believe me, my love, I am no saint, no martyr. I would no longer ask for your presence in my life, I would
demand
it.”
His gaze was suddenly hot, a dark intensity centering solely on her. It made her feel hot and achy, a curling excitement blossoming deep within her.
Jaxon shoved impatiently at her hair, the action lifting her breasts beneath the thin material of her blouse. “Why have I so easily accepted our relationship when before I would never allow anyone close to me?”
“Even before you were converted to our blood, your heart and soul were still the other half of mine. Once I spoke the ritual words, we were finally bound together as one.” He turned up her hand to kiss her knuckles in a tribute. His tongue licked the inside of her wrist. It was sexy and intimate. “We belong. We are complete now. You are the light to my darkness. I am the predator, and you are compassion. I need you just to be able to feel emotion, to see the colors in the world, to enjoy each day and night. You need me to protect and cherish you, to be certain of your happiness. It is not exactly the same relationship as that of humans; it is more intense and continues to grow so as the years go by.” His gaze burned over her possessively, his fingers sliding along her thigh, massaging her knotted muscles.
“You believe that? That we were destined to be together even before birth? That I am really the only woman in all the centuries you existed who was for you? That there is only you for me?” Jaxon could barely breathe, could barely get the words out, all too aware of his palm sliding between her legs, pushing against the core of her right through the fabric of her jeans.
His black eyes smoldered at her, a sexy, brooding look that melted her insides. “Do you?” He pushed harder, rubbed, caressed until a soft moan escaped her throat.
She thought about the question for a few minutes, turning it over in her mind before answering. Did she believe they were meant to be together? She couldn’t imagine her life without him. She, who had never shared her life with another human being, wanted to never leave his side. She wanted to share his mind, his memories; she wanted the feeling of belonging always. And when she touched his mind, she found an intensity burning there, a need of her as elemental as breathing. He thought only of her, no other woman. She had touched no memories of another woman. She was his life. Very slowly she nodded. “It must be your bad influence on me, but I can’t imagine life without you anymore.”
“It is a good thing, angel, so do not say it as if it is a fate worse than death.” He bent his head, his teeth nibbling at her shoulder. “Take off your blouse, Jaxon. I’m so hard and hot, I think I may explode.” He leaned closer, his mouth against her ear. “I want to taste you, wet and wild and hot for me. You are—I feel it.”
Jaxon loved him hot and hard for her. Loved hearing him admit it, that soft hitch in his voice, a slightly husky note that caught at her insides. She slipped her top off obediently and tossed aside the lacy scrap of bra, spilling her breasts out under the heat of his gaze. She watched his shirt follow her bra and helplessly leaned over to taste a small bead of sweat on his skin. His body trembled.
“Lie back, honey, and stretch your hands over your head.” He gave the instructions softly, but there was nothing soft in the way his black gaze moved over her.
Jaxon’s heart leaped, but she lay back along the flat rock, her arms stretching past her ears until her hand connected with a long, thick stick. She wrapped her fingers around it and held on, knowing it was what he wanted. It left her breathless, stretched out under his hot gaze, her body an offering for him. Little beads of sweat were running along her rounded breasts, into the valley between them.
Lucian tossed his pants aside and caught at her waistband to slide the material from her body. The tiny curls beneath, already damp with her invitation, caught his attention. “I think about you like this all the time. Open your legs for me, angel. Invite me in.” He was hard and thick, aching with the urgency of his own need.
Jaxon spread her legs wide, deliberately slowly, a carnal enticement, tightening her grip on the piece of wood in anticipation of his reaction. He looked so big, so desperate for her body. It was incredibly sexy, and she was rather shocked at herself that she felt so uninhibited. “You have no idea how much I want you. Touch me, Lucian. I need to feel you touching me.” Her tongue touched her lush lower lip; her nipples were hard peaks beckoning him.
He stroked her leg, her thigh, his fingers lingering in her damp curls so that her body jumped, her hips arching toward him. Lucian smiled, his teeth very white. “Do not let go, angel. I want you like this, just like this, open to me.” Watching her face intently, he inserted a single finger into her hot, wet core. At once her body clenched around him, velvet soft, tight. He felt her response, her muscles gripping his finger. He pushed deeper, watched her gasp her pleasure. “I know how tired you are, Jaxon, so you just lie there and let me make you feel good.” He brought his finger to his mouth, his tongue capturing the juices. Lucian inhaled, taking in her spicy scent.