Bloodseeker - Colin's Conquest Part 13

Joanna broke the silence. "Can I look at your teeth?"

He chuckled, but opened his mouth wide and watched her with amus.e.m.e.nt as she inspected his teeth.

No fangs! Except for the sharpness of his eyeteeth, she found nothing unusual about his mouth. Closing his mouth, he smiled at her perplexed expression.

"My fangs are retractile. They descend when my pulse rate accelerates, for whatever the reason. When my heartbeat returns to normal, so do my teeth!"

"How come you don't make a mess like the movie vampires? You know, they get blood everywhere." She couldn't believe she just asked that!

He sighed and ruffled her hair.

"You should know by now that most movies you see in cinemas are false. It attracts more viewers to have blood running everywhere. As civilized as humans pretend to be, they flock to see blood, the more the better. You see, all humans have hidden so-called vampiric traits."

She wiggled in his arms and he turned her over to fit her back against his body. Bending his head to her neck, he kissed her smooth skin again and again, but he had to break off when his pulse quickened. He began talking to distract himself.

"My fangs are hollow, like straws. I can insert them into a victim's vein and draw the blood out, but it is slow and I prefer tearing the vein with my teeth and swallowing large draughts. A real blood seeker attack is so swift and clean that it would appear unreal to humans. If I allow my quarry to live, the punctures are rarely discovered. That is why we can exist undetected in the midst of the mortals."

"You said mortals. Does that mean that you are immortal?"

She showed genuine interest in what he had to say and it surprised him that she showed no revulsion by what he told her.

"I believe so, yes."

"How old are you?"

He lifted her hair to his cheek, feeling the silkiness of the strands and smelling the light fragrance of his own body lingering there.

"I am young, only three hundred twenty four years. Do you really wish to hear all this, Joanna? Would you not rather go to sle..."

"Don't you dare hypnotize me again, Colin! I hate it when you do that! When I'm ready to go to sleep, I will. Don't make me avoid your eyes all the time."

In one smooth motion, he rolled over, pushed her onto her back, and stretched out above her, his weight resting on his hands so that he could look into her face. She wouldn't meet his gaze, keeping her eyes down and averted.

He curled his lips into a smile. "I meant only to make a suggestion, not to use my powers on you. Come on ... look at me." His voice dropped to a near whisper. "Look at me."

When she lifted her eyes the tenderness she saw there evaporated any remaining doubt about him. In slow motion, he lowered his lips to hers. She felt the repressed power in his kiss, the very power that frightened her but yet also attracted her. He left a damp path of kisses from her mouth to her ear.

"I need not look into your eyes to spellbind you my lovely one. It is my voice that does it. Listen to my voice echo through your mind. It floats there, infiltrating every part of your being, becoming one with your consciousness." He stopped his whispers to slide his tongue into her ear and nibble her ear lobe then he smiled when he heard her breath quicken.

"You feel it do you not? The heaviness of your limbs? With a few uttered words, you are completely in my power." He rose to look into her glowing face and the corner of her mouth lifted just a bit as she met his eyes.

"I only make you look into my eyes to reinforce my commands. You are very ... uh, difficult to control." Her smile grew wider and Colin could see the imp in her just by looking at her face.

"Colin, I am in your power without your silly hypnotic suggestions." She giggled when his eyes rounded in disbelief. Wrapping her arms around his virile body she hugged him, putting all the feelings she had for him into her arms and her hug.

As he allowed himself to be pulled down into her embrace she heard him mutter, "Silly?" Laughing into his neck, she squeezed tighter and kissed his throat like he did hers so many times. She grinned with satisfaction when she felt him grow hard against her thigh. Perhaps it was not he that had the power over her, but the opposite instead.

"Oh, Colin, what have you done to me?"

"Nothing that you have not done to me also."

Twelve

Joanna ached all over when she awoke, the stiffness in her limbs adding to the discomfort and pain. The sensuous odor of Colin's body filled her nostrils as she became fully aware. His heart pounded under her head with the resonance of a church bell tolling from the bottom of the ocean. The sound pleased her, making her soreness seem less severe. She disentangled her limbs from his body and eased off the bed. Stumbling in the direction of the bathroom, hoping she could make it in the dark, her left foot collided with Colin's immense chest of drawers.

"Dammit!"

"What is it, Joanna?"

"It's too d.a.m.n dark in here!" She growled as she hopped on her uninjured foot. Diffused light flooded the room. She glared at Colin, but he lay unmoving as if he still slept.

"How did'ya do that?"

He sighed as if she asked the most inane question.

"Remote control." He cracked an eyelid and ogled her. "You look lovely in that suit, little one."

She realized she stood there naked and burned with embarra.s.sment. She turned and ran to the bathroom, slamming the door behind her. No surprise, another beautiful bathroom. Recessed shelves lined one wall and lush green plants cascaded down from them giving the room a jungle-like appearance. An enormous marble tub dominated the far end of the room and it beckoned to her.

She couldn't resist a nice hot bath, and she filled the tub almost to the very top with steamy water. Testing the temperature with her toe she decided it felt just right, then slid into the big tub like an alligator slithering into a swamp.

Running her hands down the side of the smooth marble she discovered several tiny holes and upon further inspection she found the little openings all the way around the tub ... a whirlpool!

Excited with her discovery, she reached for the controls and flipped all the switches until she found one that filled the tub with millions of tiny bubbles. Stretching out full length she sighed and closed her eyes, enjoying the gentle ma.s.sage. The warmth of the water and the jets eased the ache in her muscles and bones. Images of the pleasant interlude she shared earlier with Colin floated through her mind and she smiled. But the smile disappeared when the uncanny tickle on her nose made her feel like something was about to touch her face. She eased her eyes open and jerked with surprise. Colin crouched over her, his nose inches from hers as he grinned down at her.

"Mind if I join you?"

His soft utterance sent chills down her wet arms while at the same time it warmed her torso from the inside out.

"It seems to me you already have."

He kissed the tip of her nose and settled himself beside her.

"Colin! I'm taking a bath!" Gaping at him, she showed her outrage.

The smile didn't waver from his face as he stroked her slick thigh up and down.

"I don't have any clothes on!" Her voice grew shrill.

He gasped in mock dismay. Then acting as if he hadn't noticed her lack of dress, his fiery eyes traveled down the length of her body and back up to her reddened face.

"Colin!""Do not be so shy with me Jo."

He called me, Jo!

"I have viewed your delectable body more than once in the past. I know every inch of your skin as well as I know my own." His voice caressed her as well as his gentle fingers sliding down her waist.

"For instance, how did you acquire this scar on your midriff?" His fingers circled the tiny mark on her skin.

Crossing her arms to cover her b.r.e.a.s.t.s she stared into the bubbles avoiding his all-seeing eyes. She felt different in the dark while in the throes of pa.s.sion. Now she felt overcome with shyness, her face a livid pink. She sat embarra.s.sed and naked, and in the tub with her sat a naked "vampire-man" ... his obvious affection for her sticking straight out, bouncing in the turbulent water.

"I did it climbing a tree when I was little. I can't believe you even noticed it." Maybe he wouldn't hear the nervousness in her mumble. Cutting a glance at him, she saw that he still smiled and watched her with interest. "Why would you be interested in something so trivial anyway?"

With delicate feathery strokes, he pushed the strands of wet hair away from her face and tucked them behind her ear.

"I am fascinated with every word you utter, Joanna. I love to hear about your mortal life and nothing you say is trivial to me." He touched her chin and turned her to face him. For a moment she thought she was in a movie. How could real life be like this?

"You know what I am, do you not? I have all the time in the world."

"To tell you the truth, Colin, I find it hard to believe what you are. I mean, to me vampires only existed as characters in movies and books. And, to be quite frank ... it felt good when you bit me. Well, not at first, but afterwards ... I'm almost ashamed to say it, but it was rather pleasurable."

"There is no reason to be ashamed, Joanna. A blood seeker's saliva is filled with an organic drug that produces instant euphoria in humans."

"But, Ben's bite didn't give me anything but pain and fear."

"Hmmm. A creator's chosen one must be immune to any other blood seeker's magic. That is why he had to take you by force. It is not that way with other donors."

Joanna's face contorted with pain.

"Oh G.o.d, Colin, am I one of your victims?"

Placing his hands on her shoulders, he straddled her shivering body and gazed into her eyes.

"No, Joanna, you are my chosen one. I chose you long ago and I have not forgotten even though you have." He followed his hushed words with a kiss on her lips that smoldered there as the fire grew between them. She wrapped her thin arms around his neck and in one fluid motion he lifted them both out of the tub and carried her hot, dripping body to the bed.

"You are incredibly strong, did you know that?" He silenced her with his kisses as his hands roved her body, leaving a blistering trail of delight on her fevered skin.

"I find you irresistible. Your blood, your light, your very soul." Lowering his mouth to a spot above her left breast, he whispered against her skin. "Enchantress ... siren ... witch, you drive me wild with desire and I cannot stop myself. Just a sip, little one." He drove his sharp fangs into her flesh.

Running her fingers through his silky curls, she held his head to her breast and moaned. She relished the feel of his soft vampire mouth moving against her skin. It t.i.tillated her almost to the point of screaming, and she wrapped her legs around his hard body, squeezing him to her with all her might. In mere seconds, he withdrew his teeth.

"No! Colin, don't stop!"

He heard her whispered cry and almost complied, for the blood l.u.s.t demanded the same thing. But he would not do such a thing.

"I must, little one, I must."

He licked the drops of blood from the puncture wounds, then his tongue slid down to her nipple, circling it for awhile before returning to the bite wounds to suck on them until no more blood seeped out.

Although in a stupor, Joanna managed to slap Colin on his behind for withdrawing.

"I told you not to stop." Her speech slowed until she almost lost her voice.

"Are you sleepy, little one?"

"I feel wonnerful and numb."

Colin smiled at her slurred speech and ruffled her hair.

"The effects of my bite ... you probably will not remember any of it."

"No! No! I want this memory!"

"Relax, relax. Perhaps I can give you something better to remember." He ran his tongue over his lips and grinned.

She knew what that look meant! She giggled as his mouth descended to her throat and he ran his chin across her breastbone tickling her.

He lay, spent, listening as Joanna's respiration deepened with the coming of sleep.

"I love you, Colin." She closed her eyes and nodded off.

For one brief second, his heart stopped. Then he realized it was just another temporary effect of his bite. Holding her close to his chest, he reveled in her human softness. Her skin emitted a light tropical fragrance all her own and he wished he could breathe it forever. Would he ever be able to take that away from her, that essence of mortality?

Would she ever wish for the gift of immortality? To spend eternity walking the earth with a detachment from human life, and a thirst for blood too strong to deny?

In an attempt to violate the blood seeker precept, he tried again and again to suppress the insatiable craving for human blood. Each time he pitted his will against the drive, the drive proved victorious and over time he stopped trying, giving over to his blood seeker nature but never losing his high regard for human life. Men and women became prey instead of people, quarry instead of acquaintances, but never did he enjoy killing. Never did he take pleasure in the fading of human life ... never would it get any easier.

Joanna sat up, glancing around Colin's immaculate clutter free bedroom, noting at the same time the absence of her clothing.

Shrugging her shoulders, she pulled the fragrant sheet from the bed and wrapped it toga-style around her body. She padded across the plush carpet and reached to open the door only to find the deadbolt locked. The blood rushed to her face as she realized that he locked her in.

"Colin!" She screamed as she pounded on the dense metal door. She couldn't hear her own fists striking the door, and she doubted that he could hear her either, but nevertheless she continued to beat on the door and holler his name."You better run and unlock that door lest she discover she is being punished!"

Colin glared at his grinning protege.

"Her head wound was excruciating to her and I could not bear to cause her more agony. She is only human after all and a very delicate one at that! I need not explain myself to you and I would appreciate it if you would refrain from listening to what goes on in my room!"

Spinning on his heel he strode away from the still grinning young buffoon, ignoring the laughter that Ben tried to m.u.f.fle.

He smiled to himself as he unlocked his bedroom door, for not even Ben's jest could darken his mood. With striking swiftness he entered his vault and stopped beside the bed where Joanna sat brooding over her confinement. Her human senses did not perceive his presence until he spoke.

"Wake up on the wrong side of the bed, dear?"

She startled when he spoke, but recovered right away to stare up at him with eyes filled to the rim with defiance.

"Why, might I ask, am I locked in this airless room?"

Oh, so stilted and oh so angry.

He drew in a long audible breath. "You may ask, and this room is far from airless." Placing his hands on her knees, he bent down, bringing his face even with hers. "And you know as well as I do that you are confined because you disobeyed me."