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  “Unless this thing vibrates, it’s useless to us.” He pitched it to the end of the couch. His hand pushed up her dark blue t-shirt, and Valerie tugged it over her head. Remann eyed her breasts encased in a simple dark cotton bra, her necklace with its gold ring charms that gleamed against her pale skin. Her breasts were firm and full against his palms, and Valerie moaned as her head fell back. She rocked her hips against him. He growled and wrapped his arms around her, hugging her tight. He stood, carrying her to his bedroom.

  Remann laid her gently upon the black silk comforter before he moved his body above her. His tongue traced Valerie’s earlobe before he placed gentle kisses down the pale skin of her neck. Her breath was ragged, drowning out the rapid beat of his heart ringing in his ears. He let the tip of his tongue tease the hollow of her throat, and she moaned, arching into him.

  “We shouldn’t do this, Remann,” Valerie said. Remann growled in response and felt a shudder pass through her body.

  “My beauty, you’ve had your way, and now I wish to have mine.” He slipped his hands beneath her body, unclasping her bra. His lips found a pebbled nipple, and he drew it between his teeth and sucked it gently.

  Valerie whimpered, arching her body into him. Her hands roamed over his shoulders, kneading and stroking the muscles as he moved his attention to her other breast. His tongue stroked and teased her other nipple, leaving her writhing and panting beneath him.

  “Remann, this isn’t right,” she whispered as he undid her jeans. After he removed her shoes, he slid the denim off and quickly followed it with her modest cotton panties. He pulled her to a sitting position on the side of the bed. Her soft brown eyes were wide and dark as they roamed over his face. Remann slipped the elastic from her hair and released her braid, fanning her light brown waves over her shoulders.

  “My God, you’re breathtaking, Valerie.” Her hand came to the gold chain around her neck, and she toyed with the two gold bands. Her eyes fell to the floor. Remann tilted her chin gently.

  “Look at me, Valerie,” he said. Valerie’s eyes darted to his before looking to the side. Remann sighed. He slipped the elastic of his lounge pants over his hips, letting them drop to the floor. Her eyes fell to his cock, and she reached for him, wrapping her fingers around him.

  He sucked in a hard breath as her tight fingers stroked him, sending hot shivers through his body. Closing his eyes, he relished the sensations. He felt Valerie move, and when he opened his eyes, she was kneeling before him. She took his tip in her mouth, her hot tongue stroked as her moist mouth moved over him. Her hand came up to toy with his nuts as her other stroked his shaft.

  “Oh God, you’re too much, my beauty.”

  He pulled her up and pushed her back down upon the bed. Wasting no time, he fell to his knees on the side of the bed and buried his face between her thighs.

  * * * * *

  Valerie gasped as Remann’s tongue thrust into her tight hole. His hot, moist mouth covered her lips as his tongue slid in and out of her. She wound her fingers in his silky dark strands as she felt the waves of an orgasm already approaching. She pulled his face tight against her pussy, bracing her feet on his broad shoulders.

  A voice in the back of her mind reminded Valerie of her mission. She had planned to let Remann take control as a distraction, but now she was lost in the distraction as well. She shoved away the annoying voice and allowed herself to ride the waves of pleasure building within her. The tip of his tongue flicked rapidly over her clit, and she screamed, arching into him. She had never felt passion like this, not even with her gentle and adoring husband. Remann’s hot breath fanned over her folds, and his wet, ragged gasps filled her ears.

  “I’m gonna come, Remann,” she said, feeling dizzy with lust. He continued to explore her slick lips with his tongue. She felt the orgasm building in her toes before it spread through her in a shock of ecstasy that sucked her breath away. Valerie screamed Remann’s name as her pussy pulsed against his mouth. Remann pulled back and flipped her over. Bracing her spread legs against the side of the bed, he thrust his hard cock into her hole, shoving hard and fast. The intense waves of her climax continued and began to build once more. He pounded hard and fast, his hands tight, almost bruising on her hips as he jerked her body into his pelvis. Her legs were weak and useless, so she braced her hands against the bed, her hands knotted in the silk comforter.

  “Ah, my beauty, you drive me mad,” Remann said, his voice harsh and low. It sent hot tingles down her spine as she felt another orgasm coming upon her. His strength and power was evident as he easily supported her weight in his hands and thrust her against his hips.

  Valerie’s head spun; she was unable to gain a full breath. Her pleasure peaked, and her world exploded in intense sensations that were almost painful. She gasped in shocked delight and collapsed against the comforter, her body trembling in the aftermath of the orgasm that literally rocked her world. Remann suddenly stopped, releasing her hips, his hand coming to rest on her back to keep her from sliding to the floor.

  “Not like this,” he said between his harsh gasps.

  Chapter Seven

  Valerie was limp as he pulled her up to the pillows. His jaw was clenched as he let his odd eyes travel over her face. His nostrils flared.

  “I’m afraid I was a bit brutish,” he said as he stroked her hair gently from her forehead. Valerie looked at him curiously, her body still trembling beneath him. He placed a gentle kiss on her lips, so different from his manic passion earlier, and she held her breath. His tongue traced her lips, teasing and tasting as he slid his hips between her thighs. She opened to him eagerly, her body stirring and needing more. His cock danced and circled just within her opening as his tongue mirrored the movement between her lips. Valerie groaned, shifted beneath him, and locked her legs tight around him, trying to pull him deeper. Finally, in one languid stroke he filled her, and she gasped and whimpered. Remann was slow, steady, yet his movements had all the intensity of his rough sex from before. She tensed before her body began melting into him, moving instinctively to heighten their mutual pleasure.

  As another orgasm approached, something inside of her shifted. Her gaze flew to Remann’s face, and his eyes locked with hers. For the first time she found herself unable to break contact. Valerie searched the clear blue depths of one eye, then the dark brown depths of the other. Something tightened in her chest, and as their shared orgasm caused her body to arch and his own body to thrust into her, she felt fear wash through her.

  As their cries of combined satisfaction filled the room, Valerie’s mind flashed to the last time she’d felt such a sensation. It had been the last beautiful night she’d made love to her husband.

  She was losing her heart to Remann. She was falling in love with a Dissenter.

  Valerie lay stunned as Remann’s body collapsed on top of her. His weight was mostly supported by his strong arms, and her hands massaged the muscles of his biceps. His face lay in the crook of her neck, his hot, moist breath caressing and dampening her flesh. Valerie’s heart fluttered, and the feeling quickly spread to her gut.

  She had to get out.

  She shifted beneath Remann, and he braced himself up. He smiled broadly, and Valerie watched as his long canines shrank back into his gums to a more human length. He brought up a finger and traced her slight scar lightly.

  “How did this happen?” he asked after a moment.

  Valerie sucked in a hard breath, yet she felt the words bubbling from her chest before she could stop them.

  “My husband and I had just celebrated our fifth anniversary. We were leaving a nightclub when a…” Valerie swallowed against the lump that was growing in her throat. “A Dissenter jumped us, pulled us into an alley. He tore us apart pretty good, ripped my face to shreds. I’m still amazed at our healing abilities.”

  “My God, I am so sorry, love.” Remann’s eyes filled with sorrow, and he rained light kisses down the scar, a scar that ran to her very core.

  “My gift to hi
m had been that I had just found out we were pregnant with our first child. Of course after the change, my body destroyed our baby.”

  Remann sucked in a hard breath as Valerie pushed him away. Her legs were unsteady, and she grabbed the headboard as her knees gave out. The anger and pain of that night swamped her, bringing tears to her eyes. She rapidly blinked them away and massaged her throat, willing away its painful constriction.

  Fucking Dissenters. Her eyes narrowed on Remann as he pushed himself up.

  * * * * *

  His heart pounded in his chest as he felt her grief pass through him. Remann watched as she backed away from the bed, her body rigid as she collected her clothes. For a wonderful, fleeting moment, he’d seen behind that hard façade to the woman beneath. Her face had softened as they’d made love, and for the first time she’d looked into his eyes, her beautiful, soft brown eyes searching his own.

  Valerie’s walls weren’t impenetrable after all. He had hope.

  He slipped his lounge pants back on and found Valerie pulling her t-shirt over her head where it had been discarded in the living room. She walked over and picked up her handcuffs, stuffing them into her back pocket, and then retrieved her spike. Remann leaned against the wall across the room, watching her stiff movements. Valerie turned to him, twirling the spike nimbly in her fingers. She eyed him as she flipped it into the air. He watched as it did several somersaults before falling. Valerie easily caught it by the sharp tip without a glance.

  She was truly magic with those hands.

  Valerie looked lost in thought as her eyes traveled over him. She continued to toss the spike in the air, each time a little higher and a little more forcefully. Her body was square to him, and Remann suddenly had the dreaded notion that he was being sized up. In his mind’s eye, he saw the spike being flung from her practiced fingers and landing squarely in his heart, destroying it completely, as that was the cleanest and quickest way of dispensing of their kind.

  He shook off the silly thought, though he instinctively turned his body to the side to pose less of an open target.

  “I would hate for you to leave so soon, love. Why don’t you stay, share a meal with me? I have type AB in the cooler fresh from a donor agency.”

  Valerie remained silent, her tension thickening the air in the room. Her shoulders slumped, a look of utter defeat crossing her lovely face. Remann cocked his head.

  “Are you okay?”

  “Fine, I’m fine. I have to go.”

  Her long strides carried her rapidly to the door, and Remann had to move quickly to catch her. His hand caught her shoulder as she turned the front doorknob. He spun her around gently and brought a hand up to cup her chin.

  “Please, Valerie?” He wasn’t sure what he was asking as he tried in vain to hold her soft brown gaze. “Please.”

  Her posture was granite, and her brows were knit. For a brief moment her eyes at last met his and held. They widened. Then she was out the door, running to her truck. The loud engine stuttered obstinately before it rumbled to life. Remann massaged his forehead as the truck’s tires squealed on the pavement and it sped away. His cell phone buzzed, causing him to flinch, and he shut the door and walked over to it. It was Aiden. He silenced it and picked up an ink pen, twirling it between his fingers. He eyed the stacks of business and real estate contracts he’d been reviewing prior to Valerie’s visit.

  He sighed. There were much more pleasant ways to spend an evening.

  Several hours had passed as he read and reread the same type, his mind drifting to his beautiful temptress. His chest felt tight as he recalled again and again how she’d fled from him. Warm light spilled through the windows as the sun broke the horizon. There was a gentle tapping at the door. Frowning, he stood and went to the door, silently hoping that perhaps Valerie had had a change of heart. Opening the door, he was startled to see his living mirror image at the threshold. Remann stepped back and forced a smile onto his face.

  “Aiden, my brother, come in.”

  * * * * *

  Valerie wiped at her cheeks as she pushed the truck to its breaking point. The engine roared and groaned as her foot pressed the gas pedal against the floorboard. Her body trembled, and her fingers found her necklace. Her husband had gotten the bands inscribed for their anniversary, and they hadn’t been ready before their celebration dinner. Now they were the only connection she had to Mike. She tried to pull his image into her mind, his dark red curly hair and sky blue eyes. His image was fuzzy, and she could only remember him in bits and pieces now. His freckled skin, an eye tooth that was a little crooked. She couldn’t even recall the exact tone of his voice.

  A pair of mismatched eyes found their way into her mind, as well as a dashing, ever-present smile. A deep timbered voice whispered in her ear, and a hot shiver raced down her spine. Valerie shook her head of the hallucination and growled, the sound filling the cab of her truck. She’d been weak, unable to make a move against her Dissenter lover. Remann had looked at her with such…real adoration and not just male lust. Valerie snorted. He’d have to be disposed of, and soon. She was relieved to see her road ahead as the sun climbed higher over the eastern horizon.

  Valerie would set a trap and finish the job.

  Chapter Eight

  “Why have you not answered my calls or replied to my emails, Remann?”

  Aiden sat on a chair in Remann’s living room, tense, his gaze constantly scanning his surroundings. Remann wondered for a moment if that was a personality trait a Hunter must have—that constant wariness. He certainly found it tiring, especially when it came to his twin brother.

  “I have been busy, my brother. It is in no offense to you.”

  Aiden frowned as his leg bounced up and down impatiently.

  “Has something happened? Is that why you’re here?” Remann asked. He and his brother had never spent so much time apart, and his familiarity tugged at Remann.

  “No, nothing has happened.” Aiden’s nostrils flared. “You’ve had a vampiress here tonight.”

  Remann’s smile was wide.

  “Yes, I am pleased you didn’t arrive just an hour before.”

  Aiden nodded.

  “So how is our lovely Kate?” Remann asked.

  “Kate is quite well—she has settled into the mansion. Her sister, Melanie, has taken a room with us as well until she finishes at the university.”

  Remann winced inwardly as he recalled the days before he’d left his home in Chicago. Yet he found his mind didn’t linger on Kate. Instead, his thoughts traveled to Valerie and her revelations about the loss of her husband and unborn child. Remann wanted to find her, hold her, and somehow ease the pain of those memories.

  “Kate says she misses your cooking expertise.”

  Aiden’s voice broke through his reverie. Remann chuckled.

  “What, you’ve no desire to please her tastebuds yourself? Come, my brother, our lovely Kate deserves more from you.”

  Aiden offered him his small, tight smile and relaxed more, stretching his long legs before him. He clasped his hands in his lap.

  “So is this vampiress someone of importance?” Aiden asked.

  “I believe she is.” Remann stood and walked into the kitchen, reappearing shortly after with two glasses of thick red liquid.

  “AB,” he said as he extended a glass to his twin. Aiden nodded, accepting the drink.

  “Valerie is a Hunter as well, locally here in Houston. She works for Margaret Hawes, if you can believe that.”

  Aiden snorted before bringing his drink to his lips.

  “How is our dear Margaret?”

  “Quite charming as always, I assure you.”

  Their year of estrangement slipped away as they chatted, bringing a lost sense of contentment to Remann. If only he had Valerie with him to share the moment, he’d be truly happy indeed.

  * * * * *

  Valerie worked the plan over in her head. She steadied her breathing and focused on each step, trying to shove away the emotion
s that threatened to overwhelm her and make her turn the old truck around. Two days had passed since she’d left Remann’s home. Two days of her agonizing over what she had to do, over what Remann really was, and over the loss of her husband and unborn baby to his kind. She parked the truck a mile down an old side road leading to a burned and abandoned home. There was a mere sliver of waning moon left, but her heightened vision allowed her to see easily in the darkness. Billions of stars spattered over the black velvet sky, and a cool breeze stirred around her. The slight scent of the gulf far away carried in the breeze.

  It was a beautiful night to be alive. Valerie adjusted the steel spike in her waistband and made her way quietly to Remann’s home.

  A dim light shown through a window of the kitchen, and Valerie listened for sounds from within the home. Nothing—all was quiet. It was next to impossible to sneak up within striking range of a vampire, and she had decided to simply knock on the front door. She wanted her arrival unexpected, so that Remann would be feeling off balance, and her old truck engine would have alerted him from miles away. Confusion usually worked in a Hunter’s favor. An open window caught her eye; perhaps she could have element of surprise to her attack after all. It was a window to the bedroom she’d shared with Remann. She ground her teeth together as she slipped inch by slow inch soundlessly through the window. Stalking had never been her strong suit—Valerie preferred a more direct approach. She held her breath as she heard Remann clear his throat, followed by the shuffling of papers. Leather squeaked, and Valerie knew he’d risen from the couch.

  Had he heard her or sensed her? God knew her heart was pounding loud enough in her own ears, she felt it could wake the dead. Peeking slowly around the door frame, she saw him standing, his back to her as he stared down at something. A flash of memory came to her. The way her body responded to his, the heights of arousal and eroticism Remann drove her body to. The tenderness he’d shown her, the gentleness in his eyes as he’d studied her scar. The real hurt she’d seen in his face as she’d fled the house.