High school, prom, college, losing her virginity, career, marriage, children. As a being who would live indefinitely, how should she view her life? Patrice had wanted to give herself to Titus. But what did Desdemona want? Did she want to be bound to a man, just because she’d wanted him in the past? She still didn’t know.
“I don’t think I know what I want,” she said, looking back up at him.
“What about this?” he said, running his strong hand up her back.
It cupped the base of her head as he leaned down to press his lips against hers. The heat of his body penetrated her, and she felt a desperate need for his warmth. She wrapped her arms around him and drew him closer, letting out a gasping moan. The sound of her excitement drove him on, and his tongue darted between her lips. All of her went soft and wet.
Their hot tongues danced, making her ache for more. The unexplored space between her legs begged to be discovered. Titus cupped her ass with his other hand and pulled her against his hard erection.
She had never felt a man against her before, the rigid length of it pressed her stomach like a steel bar. The violence of it made her want to withdraw, but also part of her wanted to give herself up to it. She had no idea how to withstand his power as he slid his hand down the crease of her ass and lifted her leg over his thigh.
With his impossible strength, he lifted her up, holding her against his cock. She quivered, groaning. His kiss penetrated deeper as he carried her across to her room and laid her on her bed.
“Do you want this?” he said, standing above her as he pulled off his sweater and the T-shirt underneath.
He was left bare-chested, his muscles gleaming in the dim light. Desdemona panted, her body awash with new sensations. Her mind was swept up in the current, fuzzy and fleeting. All she wanted was to follow the driving passion that throbbed in her core. Titus had spread her legs when he laid her on the bed and stood on the floor between them looking down at her. Her sweater had ridden up her stomach. Her breasts were swollen and round in her push-up bra. She leaned up on her elbow, bit her lip, and whimpered.
“Yes. I do.”
Titus unbuttoned his pants and moved toward her. He rested his forehead against hers as he pressed his hardness between her legs. Desdemona gasped, her mouth dropping open.
“Do you want to feel this inside you?”
“Oh God,” Desdemona gasped, lying back down on the bed.
She became a pool of languid putty, Titus above her, slowly rolling between her legs. The waves of pleasure radiated through every nerve. Her body was electric and alive. Her nipples squeezed tight with need and her pussy was so wet she was afraid he could feel it through their clothes.
Titus drew back and slid her out of her sweater, exposing her lacy bra to his eyes. He unfastened the hook and slowly pulled it away. Desdemona covered her breasts out of habit, but Titus gripped her wrists and pulled her hands away. He held them above her head as he ran his tongue down the flesh of her chest, leaving a trail of fire until he flicked her tight nipple and sent her reeling.
She moaned and squeezed her eyes closed, too excited to think or move. The feeling of his hands holding her down and his cock pressed against her wet pussy as his tongue played with her nipples drove her to the edge of sanity. But he was there above her, holding her, giving her this pleasure.
All she had to do was let go to it. She moaned and pushed back against his grip on her wrists, but he didn’t let go. He held onto her and held her still and he sucked her nipple into his mouth.
The sharp bite of his teeth punctuated her desire and she grinded against his shaft. Titus made a purring sound against her breast, slowly moving down her belly. He let go of her hands and gripped the waistband of her leggings. He pulled her out of them and her shoes and returned to her. Even in those quick seconds without him in her arms, she longed to have his heat against her again. He kissed her belly softly, so softly.
His kisses ran down her thighs and grew harder until they grew softer again. He kissed her undiscovered country, buried beneath the curling mound of hair. Her quivering virgin sex screamed to be taken. Titus slid his tongue into her slit and licked up the gushing moisture he found there.
She could hear him moaning in enjoyment. He gripped her thighs and spread them open, exposing her fully to his eyes. She looked down at him as he gazed at her pussy. His eyes were dark and full of danger. He glanced up at her and met her gaze.
“Your pussy tastes so fucking good,” he growled. “You have no idea how long I’ve wanted to taste you.”
He licked her up and down, lapping up her juices as if it was candy. He slid his tongue over her tight throbbing clit and began twisting and biting and licking the root of her desire. She gasped and set up on her elbows, staring down at him. His black hair covered his eyes but he gazed up at her as he continued to lick her vigorously.
Her legs were spread wide. He held them down and open as he ate her pussy with methodical devotion. The look on his face and the feeling of his immortal mouth on her virgin sex made her throw her head back and groan. She moved her body against him as he licked her, the budding orgasm growing at the base of her spine. She needed the release so badly, but her mind could not comprehend the pleasure he was giving her. She fell back against the bed and let herself go.
Titus held her thighs and rolled his tongue over her clit. All at once the pleasure broke through, gripping her pussy and mind in equal measure. The pleasure was like an electric shock, radiating out from her clit and electrifying every other nerve in her body. She had never experienced anything so intense.
Titus groaned into her clenching pussy and stood up from the floor. He kicked out of his shoes and dropped his pants. His cock was long and hard, pointing at the ceiling. It was impossibly thick and big, and Desdemona gasped when she saw it. She inched away from him on the bed, but he caught her and slid between her wet thighs. Her pussy was still clenching from her orgasm and he pressed himself against the quivering flesh. She bit her lip and he caught her chin in his hand, forcing her to look in his eyes.
“I need to be inside you,” he growled into her ear, pressing the head of his cock against her opening.
“Oh, Titus,” she moaned.
He slid his hands down her body and moved her over the bed, moving with her. He slid his cock up and down her slit, covering himself in her juices. Then he kissed her hard and deep as he pushed through her barriers and sank inside her for the first time. Desdemona sucked in a startled breath, his thick cock stretched the walls of her core, sending thrills of pain and pleasure through her body. She panted and clung tight to him.
“I don’t want to hurt you,” he growled, holding back.
She leaned up to him and reached to his lips to kiss. Her body was alive and electric under him. It was as if her body had always known this was her destiny and she wanted it more than anything she could imagine. She slid her hands down his back and cupped his ass while running her tongue through his lips.
“I want you inside me,” she said breathlessly.
She had waited for so long. For two thousand years. He pushed deeper and she let out a sharp scream. Finally, she felt Titus release her from her innocence. The pain sliced through her and the blood gushed hot, but it was worth it. It was then that she could truly let go. She leaned back and raised her arms above her head, closing her eyes. Titus slid deeper and deeper until he had buried himself completely inside her. He rested there, both of them breathing heavily from excitement.
“Are you okay?” he asked.
“I’m better than okay,” she said.
He drew back his hips and thrust forward again, giving her the full force of his manhood. She groaned with surprise, awakening to the new reality of her sex. Desdemona had known for quite a long time how these things worked. But it wasn’t until that very moment that she truly understood what it meant to be a woman. Titus licked her earlobe and thrust again, this time more slowly. He moved into her in waves, building up the deep-seated desire that
grew inside her.
“That’s it, sweet girl.”
Desdemona squeezed her eyes closed as the warm bubbling rush broke through and overtook her. Titus held her close, her body like a doll in his hands. His strong arms and sure movements turned her into jelly. She let go and let him move inside her, pushing the rolling orgasm along until it peaked and flooded her with pleasure.
Time seemed to stand still as she rode on the waves of Titus’s love. She felt his teeth brush over the flesh of her neck, hard and sharp and pointed like daggers. He growled into her ear and whispered, “I’m going to claim you.”
She looked into his eyes. They burned into hers.
“No,” she gasped, wiggling beneath him.
“No?” he said bluntly.
His face contorted and his lips curled back in an angry expression. It startled and surprised her, but shifted quickly. Titus ran his hands down her hips and kissed her cheek.
“You still don’t know what you want,” he said, his fingertips pressing hard into her flesh.
He thrust into her forcefully again and again looking down at her with his eyes, shining like silver-blue torches. She groaned at the violence of his thrusts. She twisted away, the pleasure of it still pushing her to the brink. She felt him grow harder inside her, his shaft expanding against the walls of her core. He leaned down and thrust his tongue into her mouth as his cock exploded in her pussy. His hot cum shot hard against the back of her channel.
As Titus pulled away and she looked into his face, she regretted not giving herself to him. She should have done it. She should have let him claim her. She could tell she had hurt him. As much as she wanted her freedom, the pained look in his eyes was like spikes in her heart. She had denied him yet again.
She sat up on the bed and pulled the sheet over her nakedness, seeing the smear of blood on the bed. Shame burned hot in her face, and she couldn’t look at Titus. He stood to pull on his clothes. The distance between them felt like a gaping chasm. She couldn’t cross it. She couldn’t reach him.
“Titus…”
He turned to her and shook his head.
“You don’t need to explain. I understand. You want to keep your options open. Maybe you’re right. Maybe we’re fooling ourselves that we can be mates now, after everything. But you did make an agreement to bear my child. I’ve planted my seed inside you. All that matters is that it takes root. There need be no romance between us.”
“That isn’t…” she started, but he cut her off.
“You refused my bite. I won’t forget it.”
He opened the door and left, shutting it behind him. Desdemona was alone and naked, staring at her own blood on the sheets.
15
Titus left Desdemona’s rooms, his mind burning. Her rejection had sent him into a tailspin. He hadn’t expected her to refuse his bite. If he had, he wouldn’t have taken her in the first place. His blood boiled so hot he felt as if he might combust. He had to calm himself down. There were more important things to attend to. The Silverdrake clan needed a leader. The humans of St. Louis needed protection.
At the very least, he’d planted his seed inside her, and with any luck it would grow. An heir was all that was required by the clan for him to maintain his position as Alpha. Claiming her as his mate was not. If she produced a child for him, and decided then to leave him, he would let her.
He entered his own rooms, his mood black, his heart sinking into the pit of his stomach. For centuries he had wondered what would’ve happened if he’d handled things differently. He’d carried the guilt in his heart all this time. Through all of Orion’s cracks about never finding a mate and all his years of loneliness, he’d kept the flame burning for her all this time. Then to finally have her in his arms with his cock buried deep inside her virgin warmth, only to have her reject him?
Titus recoiled at his own pathetic stupidity. The girl had always been flippant and stubborn. What had made him think she would be any different now? He was an Alpha immortal, one of the oldest on Earth. And she was but a child who played silly, childish games. No, he would not allow her to play with his heart. Not again, not ever.
He slammed the door behind him too hard, sending a reverberating crack through the penthouse. He knew she must have heard it, but he didn’t care. What did it matter if she knew he was angry? He no longer cared to impress her. Titus sank into the bench at the end of his bed, staring at the holographic painting across from him. Sorrow slid over his shoulders and coiled up in his brain. His pride wouldn’t not let him feel it. He was done being her fool. If she wanted Kyran, then he’d let her have him.
Titus stood from his bench, the thought of Desdemona and Kyran together burning his brain. He gritted his teeth and growled. His inner dragon reeled with disgust. No, he could never let Kyran have her. He would always protect her. He would always see her as the delicate beautiful flower she truly was, despite all her flaws. Deep in his heart, Titus knew that Desdemona belonged to only him. He could never let her go. Even his momentary flash of anger made him feel ashamed and disloyal.
He battled with himself for quite some time as he paced back and forth in his room. The fight between his pride and his heart raged deep into the night, until he finally drank himself into a stupor and passed out on his bed.
When he woke in the morning he had regained his resolve. After a shower and dressing in a tailored suit, he left his rooms. He went to the dining room where his Goudy servants had already put out a buffet breakfast with coffee and fresh baked pastries. He grabbed a croissant and a cup of coffee and sat down in his chair to read the latest news on his glass pad.
As he was reading about the latest updates on the battle for Paris, Desdemona walked into the dining room wearing loungewear, her hair still damp. She dished up a plate from the buffet and brought it to the table to sit across from him.
She looked sheepish and tired, but the youthful glow had not left her bright cheeks. He knew that, after last night, everything had changed for her. He had awakened her sexuality. Now she was truly a woman. He wished things had gone differently, but her rejection had cut too deep. He could not stay in the room with her a second longer the night before.
“About last night,” she started.
“There’s nothing to explain,” he said, flicking his finger up the screen of his glass pad.
“Titus. I don’t want this to be a thing between us now. I should have said yes.”
He stared at her for a long moment, examining her expression and sniffing the air to pick up her scent. It smelled of anxiety, and he could pick up the subtle scent of himself still inside her.
“But you didn’t say yes. If you had, we’d be having a different conversation.”
“I’m sorry. I was overwhelmed.”
He waved his hand, silencing her.
“All I have ever wanted was for you to be safe, Desdemona.”
“You were so angry last night.”
“Let me just say, I don’t take rejection well. Especially from a woman who begged me to make her a birthing goddess for five years.”
“I understand. I’m a bitch. What can I do to make it up to you?”
“There is nothing required of you. You don’t have to make anything up to me. But until the child is conceived, we should continue to make love.”
“Okay, if that’s how you want things to be.”
“That is how things need to be. If you’ll excuse me, I have business to attend to.”
“Titus. Please don’t be angry at me.”
“I’m not angry at you, Desdemona, my dear. I’m angry at myself.”
“All this time I had no idea that you wanted me, Titus. I believed you never had. You have to just give me another chance. This is all new and strange to me. I can’t help but feel like a prisoner here.”
He turned to her, hearing her words. It soothed the pain in his heart. Perhaps he should give her the benefit of the doubt. He was being impatient and uncompassionate. It hit him all at once and he crossed th
e room to her, grasping her hand where it rested on the table. He lifted her to her feet. She looked up into his eyes, her face open and receptive.
“I’ve been hard on you, haven’t I?” he said. “Sometimes I forget what it’s like for humans. You must be very confused. I accept your apology, and I hope you will accept mine. When I come back, we will try again.”
He could feel her shaking his arms. She leaned her head against his chest. He held her close, not wanting to let her go or leave. But he had to confront Kyran Blackrose before the vampire returned to Chicago. There still was no word on Titus’s energy device shipments and no records of it after leaving the port of Chicago. With everything happening with Desdemona, Titus couldn’t help but suspect Kyran of foul play.
At the very least, the Blackrose coven owed the Silverdrake clan cooperation in finding his missing property. It was last seen in a port under Kyran’s control. This was the way they had done business for millennia, yet Kyran was being uncooperative. The thought of his eyes on Desdemona the day before made jealousy boil in Titus’s gut. He didn’t want to let it color his decisions, but he knew it would.
“I want to try again,” Desdemona said, pulling back to look up at him.
He kissed her softly and then with more fervent passion. And when he let her go, they were both smiling and breathless. That was how he wanted to see her. He hoped that now they were turning a new corner in their relationship and could move forward.
He drove across town in his Lamborghini to where the Blackrose coven were staying in one of the Silverdrake clan buildings, care of Ajax of course. Ajax had been less than helpful in regard to almost everything. If he weren’t his brother’s son, he would have demoted him in the clan. But Orian still had power as the previous Alpha, and technically Ajax was the next in line.