I blink. He wants to spar? “What?”
“It would be useful to see your skill level.”
His words are logical, but that doesn’t mean they make sense. “Why do you care what my skill level is? I’m only here for two reasons.” Maybe that’s what his offer is about. A reminder of my place here. I’m not foolish enough to nourish the false hope he’s different from every single vampire I’ve ever known. The odds of that are astronomically not in my favor.
“Indulge me.” The steel in his tone informs me this is less a suggestion than a command.
I could try to push back, but it’d just end in us sparring while I attempt to escape the room. The thought of him getting his hands on me again has my traitorous heartbeat kicking up a notch. “You just want to bite me again.”
“If I want to bite you, I’ll bite you.” He moves closer, backing me onto the mat. “Surely your father didn’t leave you completely defenseless. Show me what you can do.”
I snort. “You have a heightened opinion of my father he doesn’t deserve.”
He clenches his jaw. “Trust me; he deserves everything I think of him.”
Not sure what I’m supposed to say to that, but it doesn’t matter because he strikes. He slows himself down enough I can see him coming—but only barely. I jerk back, and I can actually feel the air displacement against my cheek where his fist moves. “What the hell?”
“Stop arguing and spar, Mina.”
I try for a right jab, but he shifts out of the way. He’s fast, it feels like I’m moving through water by comparison. “Even a dhampir can’t hold their own in a fight against a vampire.”
“Sounds like an excuse to me.” He hits me in the stomach. It’s barely strong enough to knock me back a step. “Again.”
I glare. “This is pointless.”
Malachi arches a brow. “Is it? I already know plenty about you.” When I glare, he jerks his chin at my body. “Your form is abysmal, you have no formal training, and you favor your injured knee even though it’s not bothering you as much as it did yesterday.”
I drop my hands. “Like I said; this is pointless.”
“Are you going to flee from every single confrontation, Mina?” The question is quiet and strangely serious. “Are you so sure you know everything there is to know about the world at… what? Twenty-five years old? Can you truthfully say there’s nothing left to learn?”
I open my mouth to argue, but stop myself before any of the angry words can escape. It’s like he’s found a wound I didn’t know existed and he’s digging his fingers around in it. Finally, I say, “Why do you care?”
“You have potential.”
That isn’t an answer. Not really. “What does that mean?”
“There was a time when dhampirs were far more common than they are now. I don’t know what your fool of a father told you, but you haven’t begun to reach your upper limits.” He’s watching me closely, each word a precision missile aimed at the heart of me. “With proper nutrition and a steady diet of vampire blood, you’ll be easily as strong and fast as a turned vampire. Possibly as a born vampire, albeit without the magical abilities.”
“Don’t lie to me.” I sound too harsh, but I don’t care. What he’s saying… I know all too well how hope can become a weapon used to break an opponent. That has to be what Malachi is doing right now. It must be. “I know my role in all this. You don’t have to be cruel.”
He watches me for a long moment. “Give me a chance to convince you.”
“Why? Even if what you’re saying is true, why would you want me stronger? Then I could fight you off, possibly even kill you.”
His lips curve. “I have my reasons.”
Reasons that no doubt include tormenting me. I shake my head. “No. You get to fuck with my blood and my body. You don’t get to fuck with my head.”
“And if I offer you a bargain?”
It feels like my feet have sprouted roots, each one holding me in place when I just want to run away from this vampire and this conversation. But then, what would be the point? Even without my knee injury, he’s faster than me. He’ll always be faster than me. I swallow hard. “What bargain?”
“Train with me. Exchange blood. As long as you’re doing that, sex is off the table.”
I stare. “You’re lying.”
“I think you’ll find, Mina, I never lie.” He shrugs a single shoulder. “Sometimes I withhold the truth, but I give you my word I won’t fuck you while you’re meeting your end of the bargain.” He flashes me a hint of fang. “Unless you ask nicely.”
“It’ll never happen,” I shoot back, even as part of me wonders. I can’t deny I want him, whether it’s bite-induced lust or pure lust. He’s gorgeous and strong and there’s a sly intelligence in those dark eyes that draws me despite myself. I can’t blame all that on his intoxicating bite, no matter how much I’d like to.
“Then you have no reason to say no to the bargain.”
It’s too good a deal. Why would he offer this? I frown. “Every time you bite me, I orgasm.”
“I can’t control that.”
“And if I beg you to fuck me while I’m all drugged up on your bite?”
Another of those quick flashes of fangs. “I won’t fuck you until you ask me nicely while my fangs aren’t inside you.”
I don’t know if I believe him, but I’d be a fool not to take this bargain. What if he’s not lying? “You have yourself a deal.”
“Then we can begin.”
I don’t know what I expected, but Malachi immediately begins correcting my stance and then we proceed to spar in slow motion while he critiques me. I had thought I’d learned something in the colony, but with every word he flays my confidence down to nothing at all. After an hour of it, he stands back. “That’s enough for today.”
I’m covered in sweat and shaking like a leaf. I’m not sure I have the strength to make the trip to my bedroom, but I’ll be damned before I admit as much.
Malachi stalks to a low stool set against one wall and motions me closer with an impatient flick of his fingers. I tense. I know what comes next. The biting. “Why can’t we do it standing?”
“Because you’re going to collapse again and I have no interest in accidentally ripping your throat out.”
My face flames. My embarrassment is made more overwhelming by the fact he’s right. I can’t seem to control my body when he bites me. I pad to him slowly, and don’t argue when he takes my hand and pulls me down to straddle him on the stool. He runs a broad hand up my back to fist in my hair and tow my head gently to the side. I don’t have a chance to brace myself before he strikes, sinking his fangs into me.
Gods, it’s so good.
I clutch his shoulders and relax against him. His strength will hold me up, keep me caged, and I can’t decide if it’s a good thing or a bad thing. Why am I fighting this? It feels so good, it’s hard to remember my reasons.
Each pull feels like he’s stroking my breasts, my clit, my pussy. His free hand lands on the small of my back, urging me closer, and I’m only too eager to obey the silent command. I need. I roll my hips, rocking against his hardening cock. It feels so good. Too good. If Malachi stripped us and bore me to the floor, I’d welcome him happily. Knowing that, somehow trusting he won’t… It makes me bolder. I dig my fingers into his hair and moan.
Malachi growls against my skin, but instead of sucking harder, he lifts his head and drags his tongue over the spot where he bit me. “You taste too fucking good. I don’t understand it.”
“Keep going.”
“No.” He leans back, easily overpowering my hold, and reaches up to grab my chin. He runs his thumb over my bottom lip, urging my mouth open and presses the pad of his thumb against one of my canine teeth. They’re a little more prominent than a human’s, but nowhere near as long as a vampire’s. He frowns. “I don’t think you can break skin effectively with these little things.”
“Wow, I didn’t realize you were a size queen.”
His grin is quick and nearly knocks me on my ass. “We’ll have to improvise.” As I watch, he drags his tongue over his tooth, cutting it. Malachi shifts his grip to the back of my neck. “Come here.”
He doesn’t even have to pull me. I’m already moving, diving down and taking his mouth. He tastes of blood and man and, gods, I can’t get enough. I wish I could say it’s because of the blood zinging across my tongue and setting fire to my veins as if he’s poured lightning down my throat. That would be less unforgivable than the truth.
I like kissing Malachi.
He holds me easily to him and plunders my mouth. Tongue and teeth clash, this moment as much a battle as our earlier sparring. Maybe I shouldn’t like that. Maybe I should crave a softer touch, something like my single kiss before this. A tentative brush of lips against mine. A stolen moment filled with yearning. At least on my side… At least until I realized Darrien only kissed me on a dare from his friends.
That slams me out of this moment. No matter how devastating this kiss is, Malachi isn’t kissing me because he’s so overcome with lust he had to have my mouth on his. No, he’s playing a game of chess and I’m already seven moves behind.
I force myself to lift my head. It’s only then I realize I can’t taste his blood any longer. He healed while we were kissing. If I hadn’t pulled away, would he have stopped me on his own? I look down into his handsome face, his eyes violently dark with desire, and I just don’t know.
I lick my lips, tasting him there. “That’s enough.”
“As long as you’re satisfied.” His voice is as rough as I feel. He strokes the small of my back, the slightest touch that almost seems to urge me to keep riding him.
I want to demand he bite me again, do the one thing guaranteed to override my spiraling thoughts long enough for me to orgasm like this. Worse, I almost don’t care if the bite is even involved. I want him to keep touching me, to keep doing this until neither of us can think any more.
That’s the problem, though. I might lose myself, but Malachi won’t. I can almost guarantee it. Aside from that first time in the foyer, he’s been perfectly in control during every encounter. Unlike me.
I shove to my feet and nearly land on my ass. For once, Malachi doesn’t move to catch me, merely watching as I stumble back until I’m steady. I press my fingers to my lips. “Give me the knife back and you won’t have to improvise again.”
He smiles, flashing a little fang. “No.”
“So this is all a trap. You say you aren’t going to sleep with me and then you cross lines all over the place the first chance you get.” I’m trying to work up a good mad, but my body is still crying out from the loss of his. I ache in a way I’m terrified only he can fix.
“Don’t be naive, Mina. A kiss is not the same thing as sex.” He leans forward and props his forearms on his knees. The position should look relaxed, but every one of my prey instincts is screaming he’s half a second from pouncing on me. “When I fuck you, it won’t be with a little tongue.” Another of those slow smiles. “But if you’re feeling needy and want me to kiss your pussy better, I’m more than happy to.”
I take a measured step back. Now is the time to retreat, to take the out he’s offered me and put some distance between us. It’s what a smart woman would do in my position. But then, a smart woman would have run the second she had the chance and damned the consequences. I’m here. For better or worse, I’m choosing this. I lick my lips. “Prove it.”
