Scarlet Heat Read online

  I was so hard for her—aching for her touch—but I knew I couldn’t rush her. I tried to ignore the brand at my back burning me, tried to ignore the beast inside me growling that I needed to claim her, to make her mine completely. This moment was for Taylor, this was my chance to show her she could be intimate with me and not fear the consequences. I held myself perfectly still, hardly daring to breathe.

  When my cock came fully into view, she stopped a moment and stared, a look of nervous anxiety coming over her face.

  “Taylor?” I murmured as she looked at me. “You okay, baby?”

  She nodded and blushed. “I’ve seen it before, but not in, uh, detail. You’re so, um… you’re really big.”

  “But always gentle,” I promised her. “If it bothers you, though—” I started to pull my pants back up but she stopped me, one small hand on my arm.

  “No, let me…just let me get used to it. Like I said, it’s been a long time since I wanted to touch a guy this way.”

  “It’s okay,” I said, trying to keep the growl out of my voice. “Take your time, baby.”

  “Thank you, Victor.” She gave me a small, grateful smile. Then, slowly, tentatively, she laid one hand on my cock and curled her slender fingers around my shaft.

  I hissed through my teeth as a bolt of pleasure ran through me and an answering bold of burning pain shot through my brand. God, I shouldn’t be doing this—it was dangerous. Too fucking dangerous. But I couldn’t bear to ask her to stop.

  “Does it hurt?” she whispered, stroking me gently, up and down. God, her little hand felt good. It was so soft and smooth and cool against my heated flesh. But I needed more from her.

  “Doesn’t hurt exactly—it aches some from being so hard,” I admitted in a low voice. “You can touch me a little harder than that, baby. Go ahead.”

  Her fingers curled tighter around my shaft and she began a slow up and down slide I thought would drive me insane.

  “Is this all right?” she murmured as she pumped me slowly. “Does it feel good, Victor? Am I doing it right?”

  “God, baby, you’re doing it so damn right,” I swore hoarsely. “Just please, don’t stop.”

  “I won’t.” She got a pleased expression on her face, a look that was half desire and half satisfaction. “This is good,” she murmured, pumping me harder. “I like it.”

  “You…you like being in charge?” I panted, grinning at her. She had me well in hand now, pumping with a strong, steady rhythm from the root of my cock all the way up to the tip, which was wet with pre-cum, and sliding back down again.

  “I do.” She smiled at me shyly. “I like being in control. Not feeling trapped or cornered. Not feeling held down.”

  “I’d never do that to you,” I swore softly. “Never hurt you, baby. Oh, God…” I gasped. I wanted to make it last, to feel her soft little hand on me forever, but I could feel myself getting ready to come. The pressure was gathering hot and heavy in my balls, threatening to explode at any minute.

  “All right?” she asked anxiously.

  “Good, I’m just…I’m not going to last long. Not while you’re touching me like that.” I tried to keep my hips from moving in time to her strokes and failed. It felt too good and I’d been on edge for too long. I needed to come.

  “Are you going to…?” She looked at me meaningfully.

  “Yeah.” I nodded. “So if you don’t want me to finish, you’d better stop now.”

  “Of course, I want you to finish,” she murmured. “I…I like the idea of making you finish to be honest.”

  “You like that, huh?” I laughed hoarsely. “Okay then, baby—come on—make me come.”

  “All right.” She pumped me harder and faster, her soft little hand flying over my aching shaft. There was a look of concentration on her face, her lush bottom lip caught between her little white teeth, and her full breasts swayed to the motion of her strokes.

  At that moment, a red haze came over my vision and the beast inside me roared, demanding that I finish not in her hand, but in her pussy. I wanted desperately to flip her over and shove my cock into her sweet, wet cunt. To flood her channel with my seed and mark her as mine forever. Below the beast’s demands, I could hear my wolf whining uneasily. When the curse was closing in, it was the beast who held sway. Its savage dominance frightened the wolf.

  I fought the beast’s desires grimly. Not going to hurt her, I swore to myself. Not going to do anything to scare her or take more than she’s ready to give.

  My hands curled into the blue bedspread on either side of me and I closed my eyes, closing out the scarlet heat that wanted to envelope me. I concentrated on fighting the curse, ignoring the burning of the brand. If I could just get through this, if I could just come before the beast inside me burst free…

  “Victor,” I heard her whisper in my ear. “Come for me. I want you to come, now.”

  Her soft sweet voice saying those hot words, her scent in my nose, her hand on my cock, finally, mercifully pushed me over the edge. With a low growl, I arched my back, thrusting fully into her fist and came, spurts of hot cum jetting from the tip of my cock and wetting my belly.

  At last the fire in my back went out—but not entirely. It was more like someone had doused the flames but left the coals, burning and banked for the next time.

  There can’t be a next time, I told myself as I collapsed, panting and spent on the bed. I can’t let this happen again. It’s too damn dangerous. I almost took her. Almost hurt her…

  And then Taylor was curling up against me, laying her head on my shoulder and sighing contentedly.

  “Was it good? Did I do it right?” she asked, stroking my chest.

  “God, baby, it was better than good,” I assured her hoarsely. “It was…a-fucking-mazing. I don’t remember the last time I came that hard.”

  She made a happy little noise of contentment at the back of my throat and I reminded myself that she had no idea of the danger she’d been in. God, I was a shit, risking her this way. If the curse had consumed me, if the beast had come out…

  I won’t think about it now, I told myself, taking a deep breath as my body finally relaxed. But I won’t let it happen again either.

  I can’t.

  Chapter Eighteen—Taylor

  We got cleaned up soon after that and went to bed together, even though it was still just the middle of the night. As a vampire, I knew I should want to be up until just about the crack of dawn and not wake until sunset the next day. But somehow, since I’d been with Victor, my body clock seemed to be resetting itself. I woke up earlier and earlier in the day and got sleepy sooner at night. It was almost as though I was slowly reverting to a daytime schedule—which made no sense for a vampire but then again, neither did going into heat.

  Nothing makes sense anymore, I thought drowsily as I put my head on Victor’s chest. Nothing makes sense but it’s wonderful. So wonderful.

  It was the first time I had slept with him in human form and I loved how safe I felt in his arms. The hard planes of his chest made a perfect pillow and his deep, even breathing relaxed me. Best of all, I found he kept me just as warm as a man as he did in his wolf form. Perfect.

  I usually sleep too deeply to dream, but this time my sleeping mind made an exception…

  I am with Victor, the two of us holding hands and laughing and somehow I know it is in the future—whether years or weeks, I can’t say. We are walking along the beach at noon—the sun hot and bright overhead, the sunshine warming my skin as it hasn’t in many long years. I look up at it, squinting the way you do on a bright day, but I am not afraid. The sun is no longer my enemy but a warm, benevolent friend.

  Victor says something I can’t hear. I looked over and asked him to repeat it.

  “I said, I think she’s hungry…”

  “Who?” I ask but then I look down and realize I am pushing a baby stroller. Victor is already kneeling on the sandy beach, cooing to whoever is inside the stroller.

  “Daddy’s litt