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LA

Coraline felt her inner muscles clench at Mick's whispered announcement that he wanted her, and didn't plan on waiting. The uncharacteristic reservations that had been hounding her since he lost his memory fell away, her craving for his body the only thing that could matter right now. His blood was in her mouth, coating her throat, and the world could go to hell.

Withdrawing her own fangs, Coraline cleaned his neck of the thin stream of blood, a wanton light dancing in her eyes. "What the vamp wants, the vamp gets." She nipped his jugular, feeling an answering shudder wrack his body. His hands found their way under her silk blouse, hands teasing up her spine, bringing the nerves on the smooth skin there into new life. She quickly unbuttoned his shirt, eager to see those delicious muscles, press her lips to the familiar taste and texture of his skin.

His shirt fell away at the same second her bra did, Mick's agile fingers unhooking it one-handed, the way she'd encouraged him to learn a long time ago. Her tongue tantalized the skin at his throat as it skillfully glided along the surface, her fangs aching at the smell of his slowly circulating blood. He repaid the enticing gesture by cupping her slight breasts, the touch sending electric shocks throughout her whole body. Her nipples stabbed his palm, begging to be touched.

Firmly guiding her onto her back, Mick slid down her body until he could engulf her left breast in his cool mouth, his efforts rewarded by a throaty moan on Coraline's part. He slipped the slacks down her hips, and she wriggled out of them, mindlessly kicking them off. The material was an abrasion on her skin. Her blue lace panties were scant at best, and Mick didn't even bother removing them. With a single gesture that thrilled her to the core, he ripped them from her quivering body, the ruined material discarded and forgotten.

Not wasting any time, Coraline deftly removed his belt, unfastening his jeans and unbuttoning them. They pulled apart just long enough to get Mick out of the obnoxious barrier, and she took a couple seconds to admire him in the pair of thin cotton boxers. Her limited patience spent, she yanked them off his hips, watching hungrily as he kicked free of them. Mick gathered her close, and she savored the feel of the skin on skin contact.

As she had so often in the past, Coraline boldly put his hand between her legs, wordlessly commanding him to pleasure her where she needed it the most. He complied instantly, stroking her soaking folds expertly. "More," she gritted out, rubbing herself against his talented hand enthusiastically. To drive her further out of her mind, he pierced just below the nipple with his fangs, driving her straight to the edge of an intense orgasm. Chuckling roughly, Mick eased his touch, denying her that wild ride she craved. She arched violently, seeking what was just out of her reach.

Her fingers slipped down his taunt abdomen, encircling him with her fingers. Mick's breathing turned harsh instantly, and through her sexual haze, she felt a twinge of feminine pride. She stroked along his rock-hard length, feeling him begin to thrust into her practiced touch. They fell into an instinctive rhythm together. There was only the unsteady plunge and parry of his fingers inside her wet sheath, the merciless manipulation of her clit. There was only the eager pumping of his cock by her small hand, the feel of her ruthless fingers massaging his balls. They were equally lost, equally at each other's mercy. It was a hell of a rush.

It was as though they'd only made love yesterday, they were instantly in synch with each other's needs. Both knew just how much pressure to exert, and just how to apply it. They traded hungry kisses, and Coraline felt almost drunk off the taste of him. How had she survived all these years without him, without this?

The simultaneous orgasms crept up on them, their bodies stiffening as the pressure churning inside both of their bodies built. His fangs penetrated the soft skin of her neck, and she returned the gesture with abandon, tasting each individual drop, the way she always did. She dimly heard his snarl of satisfaction as bliss exploded inside her, as he emptied his sterile seed into her hand.

It didn't take long for either of them to recover, their releases whetting their appetite more than diminishing the fervor brewing between them. Coraline's smile of anticipation was sharp, and she saw the answering predatory intent in his expression. Their hands were quickly cleaned of excess passion, and were all over each other, both consumed by the need to reclaim memorized territory.

The tip of his length dragged across her clit, wrenching a low cry from her as she flung her head back, eagerly absorbing every sensation. She wrapped her legs around his waist, and urged him closer. She'd been so empty without him; she needed him back where he belonged. Then he was filling her with one smooth plunge. "Ahhh!" she sighed harshly, her heightened senses keener than ever, and her body writhed beneath him.

"Coraline, Coraline," she heard him growl, taking her in hard, measured strokes. She met each one, her colorless eyes glassy, her fangs gleaming in the dim light. It felt incredible in a way no one else had ever been able to give her. Over the course of their 22 year separation, she'd indulged her ravenous sexual appetite, but those clowns had been substitutes, living vibrators for her whims. Now that Mick was inside her again, claiming her, she realized just how deprived she'd been.

Dragging him down for a kiss, her tongue mating with his, Coraline greedily increased their pace. She couldn't get enough of him, the slow tempo driving her crazy. She needed him harder, faster. She unwrapped her legs, flipped them over, locked her legs on either side of his, never breaking the connection of their bodies. He didn't fight her show of dominance; instead, he seemed to revel in it, slamming up into her, able to go deeper with the new position.

Atop of him, her slender hips slamming down, Coraline placed his hands over her neglected breasts, instinctively clamping down on him when he obeyed her cue. Her hands streaked down his chest, addicted to the feel of him, desperate for more. He pinched her left nipple roughly, just the way she liked, and she sank her nails into his flesh, the scent of blood spurring them both on. It also brought out Mick's predator, shoved his submission aside.

He flipped them back over, pinning her body under his, their chests touching, rubbing together in their now frenzied coupling. He was slamming her back into the sofa now, and she matched him every step of the way. Again, their fangs buried into the other's neck, both riding that high, still moving together to wring every ounce of pleasure out of the earth shattering experience. Eventually, the motions of their hips ebbed into stillness; the only sound their harsh panting.

Affectionately stroking his hair, Coraline smiled, floating in the afterglow. "I think it's safe to say you haven't lost your touch."

"Good to hear." He nuzzled her throat, touching his tongue playfully to the skin. "Still, you know what they say. Practice makes perfect."

She arched an eyebrow. "That an invitation?"

"Definitely." He stole a kiss that had her body stirring all over again, and she squeezed her inner muscles on him, feeling him harden and lengthen inside her again. She heard him laugh, the sound rough and happy. She thought it was the best sound in the world.

Later, much later, as Coraline dozed in his arms, Mick carried her to the freezer for a much needed rejuvenation period. If she'd been awake, she would have seen the cold, contemplative gleam in his eyes, and it definitely would have worried her.

Lance's Fortress

"Feeling refreshed, my dear?" Lance drawled, feeling his cock harden as he took in the sight of the blonde beauty sprawled out on the four-poster bed. He resisted the urge to fuck her. He wasn't the biggest fan of rape, as a rule, anyway, especially with this glorious creature. It would be so much fun to break her, have her willingly take his dick inside her tight little pussy. Besides, he wanted to have the stench of the other vampire removed when he had her.

"Peachy keen," she spat, and the fire inside those sapphire eyes made his physical reaction stronger. "Now, if you let me go, it'll be a red letter day all the way around."

"Creative," he conceded approvingly. He sat down, regarding her. He'd dressed her in a tiny burgundy number without any bra or underwear. The velvet clung just the way he'd intended. She really was a stunner. A tad ordinary, perhaps. Blue eyes, blonde hair, fair skin weren't exactly an original combination, but it certainly was an efficient one, especially in this woman.

"Where'd you buy this?" Beth resentfully gestured to her dress. "Sluts-are-us?"

"It suits you," he told her snidely. Her face flushed with anger, her eyes narrowing at him. "Josef Kostan certainly would have approved, don't you think?"

"Hardly. Josef may be a lot of less than flattering things, but he's a vampire of impeccable taste." She sat up, pushing her silky hair from her face. Did he actually see some longing for that upstart in her eyes? Nonsense, from all accounts it was a purely physical relationship, he told himself. She couldn't possibly feel anything for that fool.

"Josef Kostan has an eye for beauty," Lance agreed. "But obviously he lacks in the skills to protect what catches his eye. Take for example, how easy it was to acquire you. The employee that fetched you told me that he was able to pluck you right off the streets of New York."

"That's not exactly how it went," Beth countered, her fists clenching. "He took me out of the empty ladies room, knocked me out, and from what I understand, dragged me out via a window."

"Details," Lance said with an airy gesture.

"Pig."

"You'll get used to me," he promised her, laughing at the face she made. "Fortunately for you, I'm a vampire of limitless patience."

"What did you do to me?" his captive demanded. "Earlier, I mean."

"I used my energy to induce you to an unconscious state," he explained glibly, knowing she was carefully storing the information away in her mind. "It worked rather well, wouldn't you agree? Not many vampires have that kind of power. I doubt even your Josef Kostan could pull it off. Well, everyone knows he's more interested in bimbo's and money than applying his strength. It's a wonder you gave him the time of day."

She ignored the observation. "Nice room. It's not exactly a typical prison cell, I'll give you that."

"Luxurious, isn't it? Only the best for my sister's descendant and my future mistress."

"Dream on," she sneered. "What should I be calling you, anyway? Uncle Lance?"

"I doubt at this point there's much in the way of genetic linking. However, from what I hear, you do bear a strong resemblance to Jacqueline. That's probably why my sister chose you in specific when she had the urge to kidnap a child." Now it was his turn to make a face. "Why you'd want to live with a creature that has the potential to wet the bed is something I'll never understand."

"So that's why I was the lucky winner," Beth muttered, then shrugged off the discovery. "What happened to Jacqueline, anyway?"

"She lived. She bred. She died. Isn't that what humans do?" He knew his attitude invoked her rage, and he loved it. Her anger was a real turn-on. "I doubt it broke Coraline's heart. Still, Jacqueline was her creation, and obviously that meant something. You're living proof of that."

Beth crossed her arms over her chest. "She nearly killed me. Her daughter lucked out that she pawned her off."

"Coraline wasn't out to kill you." Honestly, did she think Coraline would go through the trouble for a potential meal? "She was out to raise you, turn you into the perfect vampiress. She might have succeeded if Sir Lancelot hadn't ridden in and burned her to a crisp."

"Well, that makes it all better, doesn't it?" Beth countered sarcastically. "And you've kidnapped me out of family loyalty?"

"Oh, hardly." Lance dismissed the sentimental notion without a second thought. "I kidnapped you for a few reasons, none of them to do with family loyalty, as you so quaintly call it. One, I want you, and I take what I want. Two, you come from a powerful vampire line…distantly, I'll admit, but validly nonetheless. You have the markings for a great vampire. It became clear neither Kostan nor St. John were going to do anything about that. Third…I know Coraline will come for you. It's the perfect lure."

"Don't be so sure." Beth gave him a curiously amused look. "I stabbed the bitch. She won't be doing me any favors for a good long time."

"Did you, now? Well, if my sister was harboring a grudge, you'd be dead. Besides, she'd never hurt you. You remind her too much of her long buried daughter for that. I'm having serious doubts it's a maternal urge, it's just principle. She probably perceives you as her property, and oh, dear. Big brother has his paws all over it. Call it sibling rivalry."

"I won't be turned," Beth all but snarled.

"You have no choice, my beauty. Just ask your P.I. buddy some time. You'll probably see him soon, anyway. He is, after all, an employee of mine now."

"Mick wouldn't piss on you if you were on fire!" Beth all but screamed. Good grief, didn't she understand about volume?

"First of all, vampires don't piss, and second of all, don't be so sure. We had an interesting chat last night, and he's fully in league with my plans. You see, he believes I'll restore him to his original humanity if he cooperates with me."

He saw glimmers of doubt enter those lovely eyes. She must have known how desperately the idiot wanted to return to the mortal coil, knew that it would be his one area of great weakness. "I still don't believe it," she maintained stubbornly. Oh, yes. This one would be a delight to break.

"He's probably fucking my sister as we speak," he announced casually.

"Mick wouldn't touch her with a ten foot pole," she hissed. "Besides, Coraline's MIA. She's probably in Europe or something. Or wherever it is that ex-hooker-kid stealing-vipers go."

"She's in LA right this moment." Lance took delight in the shock emitting off his stubborn 'guest.' "The best way to earn her trust is to rut with her. When I'm done with her, I'll reward him handsomely. I'll put an end to his misery once and for all."

"Why? Why not give him what he wants?" Beth brought her knees up protectively, her bravado vanishing.

"Because when I have the chance to get what I want with nothing in return, I take advantage of it." He took a look at the look of fear on her face and left her with that pleasant thought to keep her company.