There was nothing better than feeling Abby climax around his fingers and on his tongue, Damien thought as he swallowed her copious juices with relish. Before he was tempted beyond refusal to test that conclusion by stripping off his slacks and sinking his raging erection into her still warm, still wet pussy, he pulled back and looked up to see the glazed, sated look in her blue eyes.
“Tell me you’re not done,” she demanded lowly as she ran her fingers over her now quiet mark only to set it pulsing again.
“I can’t, Abby. I’m sorry, there are things you don’t know about me, things I’m capable of that I don’t want you to know.”
Without thinking, Abby grabbed his right wrist and brought his palm to her mouth, her warm breath setting his mark aflame. “I know even without these marks, that I belong with you, that I want to belong with you despite what you are, what you’re capable of. I’ve seen what you’re capable of and I still want to belong to you.” With her eyes on his, she slowly licked his palm, watched his eyes go black with lust, his jaw tighten in warning.
“Damn you, stop that.” His terse command fell flat as they both realized he could easily pull out of her grasp. With the next stroke of her tongue his cock jerked in the first throes of orgasm, with the next a spurt of semen paved the way for his complete release upon her next stroke. “Fuck,” he breathed in surrender as he gave in to the pleasure, the pulsing need to simply let go.
Damien waited until Abby showered and dressed for work, sending her off with a promise to be at The Book Nook before nightfall to accompany her back to the plantation, before he returned to his room to spend the day. Closing the shades, he shut out the burning rays of the rising sun before stripping. His damp slacks were a vivid reminder of his adolescent lack of control with Abby, but he couldn’t regret his weakness in succumbing to his need of her. For three years his mind had been waging a war with his body against claiming her, the ongoing battle slowly wearing him down until he feared claiming her in every way was inevitable. He knew it wasn’t natural for any of them to turn away their prospective mate, the one woman who could not only complete them emotionally, but bring them into their full power. If Isabelle was still alive and behind these attacks, it would take several of them at the height of their powers and strength to defeat her. Not only did she have a small army of rogues at her disposal to wear them down, her longevity as well as the decades she had spent with her mate, made her more powerful than he had given her credit for if she had been able to survive Jacob’s and his assault as well as escaping before the sun finished what they had started.
The only thing he had to decide now is whether Abrielle was safer with him or without him.
Chapter Five
Abby was glad Mondays were slow as she was feeling the stress of the last twenty-four hours. Going from the shocking painful intercourse with Roger to her first terrifying encounter with the evil side of paranormal beings to the dream come true ecstasy of climaxing under Damien’s hands and mouth as fast as a roller coaster ride spiraling out of control, she felt both mentally and physically battered. But all of that combined paled in comparison to the turmoil her mind and body was struggling with over Damien’s constant rejection. She wished she knew what had happened in his past that made him think he was capable of harming her, but he had always been reticent about the vampire who had turned him and the time he had spent with her.
Unlocking her store from the front entrance, she flipped on the lights, raised the shades on the front window and flipped over the Open sign. Thankfully, she handled the shop herself on Mondays because she wasn’t in the mood for Nan’s constant chatter. Normally she enjoyed spending part of the day with the nineteen year-old college girl, but her mind was too occupied with how to break through Damien’s reluctance and her body too sore to do anything but wait on the few customers she was bound to get. Stepping behind the small café counter, she set water to brewing for tea then set out the pastries, desserts and cookies she had picked up from the bakery on her way in where anyone buying a cup of tea couldn’t resist adding one to their order. Most of the time, she spent Sunday evenings baking her own sweets to serve with tea, only filling in from the bakery when she ran short. Instead of baking last night, she was wallowing in pleasure so intense her pussy and nipples were still throbbing, ready for more despite their soreness.
Trying to ignore her body’s seemingly endless need for Damien, she looked around her store with pride. Oak wood shelves put together by the guys held new releases on one side of the shop while the used trade-ins were shelved on the other side, leaving the middle for seating. Small, round rod iron tables with matching chairs she had scoured flea markets for sat two or three people, each painted in a different color to brighten the room. The success of her bookstore never ceased to amaze her and her pride in all she had accomplished never dwindled. Damien would never know how tempted she had been to take him up on his offer to finance the store, but he had already done so much for her, from saving her from her uncle, to finding her a loving home to funding her education, she not only didn’t want to take advantage of his generosity, she had wanted, needed to accomplish something on her own.
But she had taken him up on his offer to clean up the building as well as build the shelves and counter. It was during those evenings, watching him work alongside his friends that she started seeing him as more than her guardian. Any one of the men who had befriended her without question the minute Damien brought her home would draw the eyes and the interest of women. You knew just by looking at them that there was something different about them, something predatory in the way they watched others, something both scary and erotic in the way just one look could compel your attention. But it had only been Damien she had been drawn to from the start and only him she wanted now.
She had learned a lot from reading the book Jacob had given her last night. Thankfully, it had explained the burning sensation from Roger’s semen was a temporary reaction to having sex with someone other than her mate, a reaction that would slowly abate the longer their relationship remained unconsummated. And now that she knew the sudden appearance of a matching birthmark and its reaction when near a mate confirmed that she was meant to be with him, she was more determined than ever to break through Damien’s resistance. He had called a meeting tonight of the brethren and knowing now how sex, even simply touching one’s mate, increased their strength and power as well as strengthens the bond between them, Abby was looking forward to seeing how the other couples coped with this almost constant, aching desire.
“How many people are here?” Abby asked when Damien drove through his gates and parked her car in front of his home that evening. The first floor windows were all lit up, a welcome sign against the spring storm brewing. Jagged streaks of lightning split the inky night sky off to the west as the prediction of wind
, rain and possibly hail loomed closer.
Damien feared the impending weather wasn’t the only storm pressing. Only four of the ten brethren who lived elsewhere were able to make it tonight, the others too worried about recent attacks to leave behind family or friends, even briefly. “Four others and their mates, along with Jon, Luc and Jacob.” Mason hadn’t arrived when he left to pick up Abby, but had promised he’d be here. Smiling at her as they got out, he added, “Ava’s here and anxious to visit with you.”
“I was hoping she would be. Other than an occasional e-mail, we haven’t gotten together in several years.” Ava was another step on the ladder that had led her to conclude that there was more to her guardian and those people he surrounded himself with. Over the twenty years Abby grew from a malnourished eight-year old into a healthy young woman, Ava had maintained the same youthful appearance of a twenty-nine year old.
Another regret to add to his growing list, Damien thought as they went inside. Abby had become attached to Ava when he first brought her home and Ava was the only woman in residence to care for a child. He knew they kept in touch and their bond remained close despite Ava and Gideon living in Columbus, but Abby hadn’t seen Ava in the last few years when the couple visited because Damien had been trying to keep his distance. “You’ll have time to get caught up while I meet with the others. When I left, the women were in the kitchen.”
Abby sighed deeply as she watched him walk away before heading to the kitchen. She had been both irritated and pleased when he arrived at the book store and her body had its usual reaction to his nearness. But his aloof manner had quickly cooled the pleasant warmth and the hope she had harbored all day that he might have changed his mind about their relationship. Nothing worthwhile ever came easily, her adoptive mother always told her, and Damien was definitely worth pursuing. If she could only figure out how to break through that brick wall he had built around himself, she knew the effort would be worth it.
Abby stopped dead in her tracks when she entered the kitchen, her eyes widening at the sight of Ava wearing nothing but a short sundress, bending over the oven as she removed a big casserole dish, the under curve of her bare buttocks as well as the slit of her completely denuded pussy on display. Seeing so much of a woman who was mother, sister and friend all rolled into one was a bit disconcerting and she felt a warm spread of heat cover her face. A throaty laugh drew her attention away from Ava’s privates to the three women seated at the table in the corner of the kitchen.
“You must be Abrielle,” the one who was grinning ear to ear at Abby’s shocked expression said. “I see our esteemed leader didn’t tell you what to expect when he informed you we were coming.”
“Abby!” Ava set the bubbling dish with its mouth-watering aroma on the slate gray granite counter and whirled around. “It’s so good to see you.” Rushing over, she embraced Abby before kissing her on the cheek then standing back to look her over critically. “Yep, I was right. You’ve gotten even prettier. No wonder Damien is in a tizzy. From the look on your face, he didn’t tell you we’re a little indiscreet when we’re all together.”
Ava’s warm, enthusiastic greeting pulled Abby’s attention away from the other three, one of whom was unashamedly bare breasted. “Define a little,” Abby answered with a grin and another glance at the half naked woman.
“That depends on who you’re mated to.” Looping her arm through Abby’s, Ava pulled her over to the table. “The one flaunting her tits is Susan and her mate, Ryan, is one of the more public demonstrative ones. Probably because Susan, the slut, loves public displays.”
“Hey! I’m only an exhibitionist slut.”
Laughing, Ava introduced the other two. “And that’s Kim and Emma. Emma and Beau just had their mating ceremony.”
“And still on our honeymoon when we were summoned back here,” Emma grumbled. The white blouse she wore was left unbuttoned and loosely closed over her braless breasts.
“It’s nice to meet you.” Strangely enough, being the only one in the room fully clothed made her uncomfortable, made her feel as if she didn’t fit in, didn’t belong. The easy, friendly banter among the four of them made her long to become better acquainted. These people were a part of Damien’s everyday life in a way she wanted to be.
“Sit down. I bet you’re hungry after working all day. Since our mates didn’t tell us diddly squat about why we’re here, maybe you can fill us in.”
The small table sat in front of a bay window that overlooked the back and Abby slid onto the padded bench seat and told them about the attack last night. By the time she got through, she noticed the splatter of rain against the panes. “Looks like the storm is here. I hope it’s not as bad as they’re predicting.” Since Katrina, she wasn’t the only resident who still cringed when bad weather was forecasted.