Lord of Shadows ~ Seven ~

Lord of Shadows is an ongoing serial story.

Content advisory: m/f sex, oral sex

Recap: In part six, Tierney discovers that while he and Sarah slept, someone broke into his home. She talks him into spending the night in her family guest house.

“No way,” Tierney sputtered.

“You have to,” Sarah said. “You can’t sleep here all day when you’re alone and vulnerable. You’ll be perfectly safe at the guest house. No one would think to look for you there.”

As much as he didn’t want to leave his home and go to some strange place, he couldn’t argue with her logic. Still, he wasn’t comfortable with the idea. She was placing him square in the lion’s den. “What if one of your father’s goons decides he’d like a little rest and relaxation instead of going out to scout for victims for your father?”

Sarah planted her hands on her hips and looked at him as if he’d said the dumbest thing she’d ever heard. “Tierney, you’re smarter than that. None of the men would dare go in Mamma’s sanctuary.”

“And if your mamma decides she needs some peace and quiet?”

She won’t. She has too much to do. My aunt is having a huge coming out ball for my cousin. Mamma is helping get everything organized. She’ll be heading over to their house as soon as it’s acceptable to show up.”

“Okay. I’ll go.” But he wasn’t happy about it. Though he was even less thrilled with the idea of an unknown human prowling in his home as he and Sarah slept, blissfully unaware while curled in each other’s arms.

***

An hour later, Sarah opened the door to the guest house and ushered Tierney inside. She lit a table lamp and handed it to him. “Take any of the upstairs bedrooms. They all have strong locks. There’s a small library if you get bored.”

“I don’t think that’s going to be a problem. Besides, it’s difficult for me to remain awake during the day.” He glanced about the place. Much smaller than their main home, it was almost cozy. A huge fireplace took up most of one wall. Not that he would be making any fires to announce his presence.

He had to admit, staying here probably made a lot more sense than sleeping in a compromised house. Biting his lip, he touched her arm.

She glanced at him, her eyes questioning.

“You realize this will have to be dealt with. I have to find whoever was in my home and deal with them.” The time had come to take off the gloves. If someone intended to kill him, then he had to strike first.

“I know.” She looked him dead in the eyes. “I also know for a fact it wasn’t my father.”

“I think you’re right. But it may very well be one of his men.”

She nodded. “Tierney, I understand. I don’t want any details. But I can’t lose you. No matter what it takes.”

***

Tierney prowled the strange house as he waited for Sarah. His sleep had been peaceful and undisturbed, yet he was antsy and needed to move. Unfamiliar surroundings and the proximity of the main estate, not more than two hundred feet away, left him on alert and over stimulated.

Against his better judgment, he lit a few candles. He saw perfectly without them, but Sarah couldn’t. He hoped the thick velvet drapes smothered the flickering light and kept anyone from seeing the soft glow.

Maybe he should go out and check. Tierney unlocked the door, and like a wraith, slipped into thick darkness. He walked far enough onto the lawn to get a good view of the guest house.

A thin vertical line of light ran down the center of the window where the drapes met. “Shit,” he hissed and raced back inside to overlap the offending material. As he made the adjustment, Sarah let herself in.

“Are you fixing the curtains? I saw the light in here.”

“Yes. Step outside and see if it’s okay.”

She did as he asked, reappearing in moments. “It’s fine now. I hope no one else caught a glimpse of that.”

“You and me both. I should have known better and only lit candles in the back rooms.”

She didn’t say anything but her eyes reflected worry.

“Are any of your father’s cronies over there?”

“No. And he hadn’t come out of his study yet. So it’s probably no big deal.”

He eyed her from head to toe, taking in her deep purple-blue dress and matching wrap. “You look like a queen in that color. It suits you.”

“Thank you,” she whispered and slid into his arms.

With delight, he breathed in her flowery scent. “You smell good, too. In fact, you smell so good, I think I want to eat you.”

Giggling, she pressed tighter against him. Tierney’s cock rose to the occasion.

She laughed again, reached down and stroked him through his tight britches. “Oh, goodness, what’s that big hard thing I feel?”

“I’m not sure. Maybe you should keep checking.”

With a hand that was rapidly becoming skillful, she eased down inside his trousers and wrapped warm, questing fingers around his length.

Tierney closed his eyes and groaned. Everything she did to him felt so good and so right. She ran her hand up his cock, stopping at the head, where she smeared a finger through the tiny amount of liquid that had gathered at the slit.

Tierney moaned his pleasure. “Jesus, Sarah. I’ve never known a woman like you. You’re so beautiful and so perfect.”

“I love you, Tierney,” she whispered, then leaned forward and pressed her lips to his in a soft kiss. After a moment, she skimmed her tongue along his lip. With a groan, he opened, allowing her into his mouth where she stroked over one fang and then the other. She nearly felled him with pleasure.

Her arms eased about him and he drew her up, soft curves pressing into him. He picked her up and her legs wrapped around his back, clinging tight. The heat of her body warmed him.

Now his tongue was in her mouth, stroking slowly along hers until she moaned. She grabbed the leather tie in his hair and pulled it free, letting the long strands fall loose.

“I love your hair. It’s so long and thick. Like other parts of you,” she said and giggled.

He kissed his way up her jaw-line and down her throat below her ear where he licked the delicate skin. She moaned and sank her nails into his shoulders as she tilted her head.

Ravenous, he pressed kisses over the pulse before driving his teeth into her. She moaned softly as he drank. Only partially sated, he backed off, cleaning the wound with his tongue. He couldn’t take much from her. Instead, he would have to go out later and hunt. A half feeding wasn’t enough to hold him in check for long, and he wouldn’t risk hurting her on accident.

He gently detached her and set her on her feet. She leaned into him, resting against his body.

Too bad he couldn’t get his hands on the person who’d broken into his home. He’d satisfy his hunger and take care of his problem all at once. He sure as hell couldn’t stay at her father’s guest house. After making love with Sarah, he would go home. Maybe the dirty bastard would be there snooping through his house again.

Sarah stroked his cheek, snapping him back to the present. “Don’t worry, love. You can stay here for a couple of days. No one will stop by. I don’t think my father has been in here one time when Mamma didn’t drag him.”

That was good to know, but he still couldn’t push his luck. “I’ll have to head out and see what I can do about securing my home. Staying here is asking for trouble.”

Sarah looked disappointed but nodded.

Tracing his hands up her sides, he cupped her breasts and stroked his thumbs over the pebbled nipples. A little sigh of pleasure escaped her as she let her head drop backward. He bent and pressed kisses at the base of her throat but made himself stop. The thought of her blood was too tempting.

He took her hand. “Come on. Let’s go upstairs.”

Back up in the bedroom, he pulled her into his arms. “You make me so hot. How did I live all these years without you?” Then his lips were on hers, seeking entrance. His tongue eased along hers in slow sensuous strokes. Pressing tightly to him, she moaned from deep within her. Her breasts crushed against him, the taut nipples hard like little pebbles.

He latched on to a firm globe through the material of her gown. His thumb slowly stroked the nipple.

Her hands skimmed over his chest and on down to his trousers where she worked open the buttons. Warm fingers gripped his already hard length and freed him from the confines of his pants. The cool of the room felt good on his hot flesh. Her hand began the slow stroke he loved so much. She was going to be the perfect companion to spend the rest of his life with.

Warmth seeped through his body, and he bucked his hips forward, wanting more contact, more skin on skin. She delved back inside his britches and grasped his balls. Gently, she squeezed and released then stroked the delicate flesh until he was almost whimpering.

“You like that, don’t you, sweetheart?”

“You know I do.”

She put her hands on his chest, and with gentle pressure, urged him to move backward. He did as she wished until he bumped into the mattress. Then her fingers were on his pants again, shoving them down until he stepped out of the garment.

“Sit, babe,” she said.

As soon as he did, she moved between his legs and went to her knees.

Tierney’s cock jerked in anticipation.

Her hand closed around the base of his dick as she met his eyes. A sly grin bloomed on her face before she bent and her tongue shot out and circled the engorged head. She probed at the tiny slit, taking the single drop of precum.

Tierney’s fingers bit into the soft mattress and a moan floated from him when she eased him deeper into her mouth. She hesitated then took more of him.

“Oh, my God,” Tierney moaned.

Holding him securely, she slid up and down, finding her rhythm.

Tierney’s hips bucked, trying to shove more of him inside her. She giggled around his bulk and kept her hand in place at the base, blocking his efforts.

As he reached the verge of orgasm, she backed off.

A frustrated groan slipped out of him.

“You know I’m not going to let you do that,” she said and laughed again. Her fingers began working loose the long row of tiny pearl buttons running down the bodice of her gown.

Tierney grabbed her and pulled her down on top of him. He took over for her and she tackled his shirt. When he finished, she stood and let the dress fall about her feet. She stepped free of the pooled silk and kicked off matching slippers. Glorious bare skin was all she wore beneath.

Tierney removed his shirt and reached for her again, this time she fell in his arms. He fastened on one firm breast, laving over the peak while his hand caressed its twin. She sank her fingers into his hair and moaned her pleasure. Switching, he took the other orb in his mouth while stroking over its opposite’s damp nipple. After abandoning her breasts, he gently pushed her down on the mattress. His hand lightly skimmed over her skin, over her belly, on down until he reached the juncture of her thighs. Once there, he sank his fingers into the soft curls before pushing between her legs.

Delving into wet heat, he caressed slowly over swollen flesh and dipped into her opening. He pumped then withdrew and stroked over her nub, coating it with her moisture. He moved in tight circles around the hard little bud until she laid panting and grinding her hips against his fingers.

He stopped working her clit and rolled onto his back. “Mount up, baby, and ride me,” he said with a grin.

She straddled his hips, took hold of his length, and positioned the head at her entrance. With a gasp of pleasure she impaled herself on his cock, sinking until they were skin to skin. She caught his hands in hers and began a slow pump. Their combined groans increased with the speed of her motion. Picking up her pace, she threw her head back and a long moan came out of her. After long moments, as she orgasmed, she rode him hard, slamming herself on his shaft.

When her body stopped quaking, he grasped her waist and rolled them so he had the dominant position. His mouth found hers in a hungry kiss and he nibbled at her lip. As he positioned himself better, she drew up her knees and wrapped her legs around him.

Tierney pounded into her, driving deep with each thrust. She unlocked her hold on him and planted her feet on the bed. Pumping her pelvis, she kept up with him, working with him for shared pleasure. A long moan tore out of her. She was close. Tierney was closer.

He was going to reach his peak soon. Determined to bring her to orgasm, he pumped harder and faster, sawing into her. Her moans and grunts increased in volume as her back arched and she cried, “Tierney. Oh, God, Tierney.” Hips rocking hard, her pussy squeezed him with tight contractions, gripping him in her heat.

A moment later, his orgasm roared through him, hurricane strong and lightning hot. He continued pumping until he began to soften inside her, then he slid from her clenching walls. He rolled onto his side and gathered her close.

He needed to go home and take care of things, but first he wanted to hold her for a little while. He had the rest of the night to leave and secure his bedroom.

What if someone set the house on fire? With him in it.

He hadn’t considered that possibility. If someone lit his place, he was done. He couldn’t survive fire. No vampire could.

“You have to stay here,” she said as if she’d read his thoughts.

He wanted to go home.

“Promise me, Tierney. Promise you’ll stay another day or two. At least until we have time to go back to properly secure the place. It’s late already. You don’t have enough time tonight.”

Much as he didn’t want to admit it, she was right.

He lay staring at a zigzagging crack in the wall as he debated what to do. Staying under the nose of the man who wanted to kill him was playing with fire, but so was going into a house that had been breached.

He was probably safer right where he was. It was time to start making plans to get them out of New Orleans. He could put the house up for sale through his solicitor once everything was packed and ready to ship to. . .wherever they decided to go.

Shit. He was stuck for at least a day or two.

“When we leave New Orleans, where would you like to go?”

“I think I’d like Charleston. I’ve heard it’s beautiful.”

Charleston? Sure. Why not? “We could blend in there just fine. Charleston it is.” Actually her choice was excellent. It wouldn’t take that long to travel there. They could go by water and quickly ship their belongings. Yet Charleston was far enough away that her father shouldn’t find them, assuming they covered their tracks.

“Yeah,” he said. “I think Charleston is a great idea. He grasped her hand and placed it on his hardening cock. “If I’m going to stay here tonight, we may as well take advantage of it.”

She stroked him with slow, deliberate motions. “I couldn’t agree more.” Her lovely eyes sparkled as she increased her pace. “Since we’ll have all night together. Let’s see what a vampire can really do.”

“Is that a challenge, my love?”

“Yes. It is.” She gave him a sly grin.

He quirked an eyebrow. “I hope you’re up for the answer,” he said and rolled her onto her back.

~***~

Copyright © 2011 Nickie Asher

All rights reserved. This is a work of fiction. All names, characters, locations, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination, or have been used fictionally. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, locales, or events is entirely coincidental. No portion of this work may be transmitted or reproduced in any form, or by any means, without permission in writing from the author.