Bleed For Me Read online

  Bleed For Me

  Author: Cynthia Eden

  This book is a work of fiction. Any similarities to real people, places, or events are not intentional and are the result of coincidence. The characters, places, and events in this story are fictional.

  Published By Cynthia Eden at Smashwords.

  Copyright ©2012 by Cynthia Eden

  Once upon a time, the Greek gods were worshipped and adored.

  Once upon a time…

  But now, they have been all but forgotten.

  And this really pisses them off.

  Chapter One

  Oh, how the mighty had fucking fallen.

  Apollo drained his whiskey in a gulp and slammed the empty glass back on the scarred bar top.

  Humans buzzed around him. Laughing, talking, and making themselves at home in the hovel that his brother Ares called a bar.

  Once, Apollo had lived in golden luxury, his every single whim instantly met by the thousands who worshipped him.

  Now, humans worshipped their technology. The gods were gone. Their power just a myth…or so the humans thought.

  The bar in New Olympus, Florida, seemed just like any other along the small strip. At least, that was the way the place dubbed Hades appeared to those who didn’t know how to look for the truth. Humans were packed inside the place, yes, but there was magic inside the bar as well.

  Gods and goddesses often slipped inside Hades, enjoying their chance to mix and mingle with humans. Humans might have forgotten the ancient power of the gods, but that didn’t mean that the gods had forgotten them.

  We do love to play with you.

  And Apollo was in the mood to play. Unfortunately, this night was proving to be as boring for him as the others that had passed before it in the last century. So many days. So many nights.

  He sat there, gaze drifting toward the door, his body was curiously tense. Energy hummed just beneath the surface of his flesh.

  And then she walked in the door of Hades. Midnight black hair, glistening red lips. One look, and Apollo knew that he wanted her.

  What a god wanted, he took. Some rules didn’t change, no matter how much time passed.

  The woman sauntered across the room, moving slowly on two inch black heels. She wore a skin-tight leather dress that molded to her high breasts, clung to her slim hips, and barely brushed the top of her thighs. The tempting expanse of her legs drew his gaze. Pale, perfect legs. Legs that he couldn’t wait to feel, wrapped around him and holding to him as he thrust deep into her body.

  Damn. She was a pretty thing. With wide, dark eyes, high cheekbones, and a straight little nose. Her chin pointed just enough to stop her from being too perfect. Apollo had never liked perfection.

  And her lips…so red. So full. Her lower lip was slightly fuller than the top, and he had the strongest urge to cross the room and kiss that pouting lip. To suck it. He wondered what her lips would feel like beneath his mouth. Hmm…how would she taste?

  Perhaps he should go find out.

  Apollo shoved away from the bar and began to stalk his prey. Other men had noticed her, and they were already closing in, but he didn’t really mind the competition. Once the lady in black saw him, she’d forget the others.

  Women wanted him, they always had. Hell, he wasn’t the fucking sun god for nothing.

  He strode through the crowd, waving his fingers and shooing the others out of his path with merely a thought. Then he was in front of her, less than a foot away, close enough to smell the light scent of jasmine that clung to her skin.

  He smiled, deliberately stretching his lips to showcase his dimples. Several nymphs had told him that he had fabulous dimples. “Hello, my love. Welcome to Hades.” Or, as close to the underworld as he planned to get anytime soon.

  The woman blinked at him but her expression remained perfectly blank.

  Ooohhh. His cock tightened. A challenge. It’d been far too long since he had a challenge.

  She inclined her head slightly. “Hades…is this your bar?” A slight southern drawl coated her husky words.

  He liked her voice. It was a voice he could imagine hearing in the darkness. “Ah…” What had she said? “It’s my brother’s place.” Good thing he’d decided to wander in tonight. Boredom could be such a bitch.

  The woman nodded, a vague, polite gesture. And tried to brush past him.

  Uh, no.

  He caught her arm and took a moment to admire the soft, silken feel of her skin beneath his fingers. “I’m Apollo.”

  Her eyes—at first he’d thought they were black, but now he saw they were a deep, deep blue—fell to his hand. “I don’t like to be touched, Apollo.”

  He didn’t remove his hand. He planned to touch her a whole lot, and he’d make absolutely sure she enjoyed the feel of his hands. “What’s your name?”

  Her head tilted to the side, and she studied him with a raised brow. “Terese. Terese Lafitte.”

  “Well, Terese…” His fingers skimmed down her arm. “May I offer you a drink?”

  Her eyes widened, and stark hunger flashed across her face. Then, just as quickly as the hunger had appeared, it vanished, and that blank expression slipped over her features once again. “I don’t think you have what I need.”

  She tried to walk away, again, but he just tightened his fingers around her arm. “You’d be surprised.”

  “No,” she told him flatly. “You would be.” This time, she did walk away.

  And Apollo laughed.

  The hunt was on.

  ***

  Terese Lafitte took a deep breath and tried to fight the ravenous hunger pounding through her. The blond hunk was still close by, watching her, and sending a shiver over her flesh.

  The guy obviously wasn’t used to a woman telling him no. Hell, when you looked as good as he did, you probably didn’t get a lot of rejections. The guy was…gorgeous. No other word for him. He had the kind of strong, chiseled features that probably made women—me—quiver. Perfectly cut, square jaw. Sculpted cheekbones. Wide set, light blue eyes. Firm, sensuous lips. He even had thick, tousled blond hair. The kind of hair that she’d seen once on a shampoo commercial.

  And his body. She swallowed. Talk about a perfect package. The guy was tall, with tight muscles and deeply tanned, golden skin. The lucky jerk probably got to spend hours in the sun each day.

  Oh, yes. He was absolutely gorgeous. A feast for the eyes. But she’d never been the type to fall for pretty boys. Not while she was alive, and certainly not while she was…well, dead wasn’t the right word. Because she wasn’t technically dead.

  But she was a vampire.

  Her heart still beat. Her lungs still worked. She got tired, she got hungry—well, for blood, anyway. Her body was pretty much as it’d been before, except for the addition of the fangs.

  No, she wasn’t dead. Not yet, anyway. But if she didn’t find something to drink soon, she might be.

  Her gaze drifted around the bar. So many men. She’d need to find a weak link. A man she should be able to control. If things got rough, she’d need to be able to escape easily.

  So many men. She could hear their heartbeats. Almost feel the rush of their blood and—

  And he was touching her again.

  Her head whipped to the left and her gaze immediately locked on Mr. Perfect’s. Then, slowly, helplessly, her stare dropped to his throat. She could see his pulse beating and could even hear the soft swoosh of his blood.

  He wouldn’t be the kind of man that she could control.

  “Looking for someone?” His voice was like a stroke over her flesh.

  She managed to nod.

  “Forget him.” He brought her hand to his lips. Pressed a kiss to her knuckles, and his tongue slid against her skin. “I can give you a night you
’ll never forget.”

  She’d give him that, too. It was hard to forget some nightmares.

  Her heart raced like mad, and her knees trembled. Okay, he wasn’t weak prey, but maybe that would be a good thing. He was so big and strong that she shouldn’t have to worry about her bite hurting him too much. And a big guy like him…surely he’d be fine with losing a few pints of blood?

  “Why don’t you come with me?” He leaned in close, and his fingers feathered down her cheek. My, he was warm. “I’ll take care of all your…needs.”

  Her teeth began to ache. He was so close to her now. So close.

  Oh, damn, if she didn’t drink soon, she was going to break down.The hard, driving hunger lanced through her. Her hands curled into fists, and her nails bit into her palms.

  The hunk would have to do because she didn’t know how much longer she’d be able to hold it together. Terese turned and carefully fit her body against his. “I want you,” she whispered, deliberately pitching her voice low in what she hoped was a seductive tone. She didn’t know how to use compulsions, didn’t know how to do hardly any of the damn things that vampires were supposed to do. So she was just going to have to wing it and rely on her skills as a woman.

  Apollo gazed down at her. “Do you?” He didn’t seem surprised. Cocky bastard. One golden brow lifted. “Well, what are we going to do about that?” He smiled again, his dimples flashing.

  My turn. She lifted his hand, raised it to her lips, and licked his index finger.

  His jaw clenched.

  “Do you…know a place we can go…to be alone?” Hades was packed with people, filled with hazy smoke and blaring music. Now that she’d found her prey, she wanted to go someplace else, someplace quiet—someplace where no one would disturb them.

  Where no one would hear him scream.

  Just in case he was the screaming kind.

  “Upstairs.” He turned on his heel pulled her behind him. “Come on.” The good-natured humor was gone from his voice. Only dark need remained.

  The people around them parted as if by magic, and Apollo led her past the bar and its black counter top, to a heavy, metal door. He shoved open the door and ushered her inside.

  “What—”

  An old, twisting staircase led to the next floor. Apollo slammed the metal door behind her and instantly muted the thunderous music and the voices of the crowd.

  Terese inched forward as hunger, anticipation, and ice-cold fear filled her. Would she be able to do it?

  “Not changing your mind, are you?” he asked, voice rumbling.

  She could feel his cock pressing against her. Apollo was definitely game up for the seduction, and honestly, so was she. It was what came after the seduction that scared her.

  “I promise,” he told her, “you won’t regret going with me.”

  No, but he might regret going with her.

  His fingers slipped beneath the plunging neckline of her dress and eased down to fondle her breasts.

  A moan trembled on her lips.

  “Oh, that’s good.” His fingers stroked her, plucking the tender flesh, and teasing her nipples. “But I want you naked. I want to see you. Taste you.”

  She definitely wanted to taste him.

  His cock pulsed against her, and she wondered what it would feel like inside of her. Plunging into her.

  It had been so long. Too long.

  With a final soft stroke, his hands fell away. She edged forward, placing her foot on the bottom step. Once she went upstairs with him, there would be no going back.

  The stair creaked beneath her weight.

  The rasp of Apollo’s deep breathing filled the air.

  She could still hear the soft, echoing swoosh of his pounding blood, calling to her, tempting her.

  She took another step.

  No going back.

  Her teeth were burning now, already stretching in preparation for the bite. She’d have to get him ready and make certain he was so far gone that he didn’t feel her teeth when they sank into his flesh, that he—hopefully—wouldn’t feel any pain.

  She climbed up the stairs, moving faster with each step. Her body shook with hunger. A new, yearning need filled her. A need for him. Apollo.

  Terese wanted him to touch her. She wanted those strong, warm hands on her flesh. She wanted him to put his mouth on her breasts.

  They were at the top of the stairs now. A wooden door waited in front of her.

  Her hand lifted, and her fingers curled around the silver knob.

  “Go on,” Apollo urged. “Unless you’ve changed your mind…”

  No. Haven’t done that. She opened the door. Stepped inside. Saw the couch. The king-sized bed. The small kitchen.

  He kicked the door closed behind her. Then he caught her arms, spun her around and pushed her up against the rough wood. His hands clenched around the straps of her dress, and he yanked them down, baring her breasts.

  Apollo inhaled sharply as he stared at her. Then his head lowered, and he took her breast into his mouth.

  His tongue stroked her nipple, laving it with rough care. His fingers found her other breast. They tightened, plucking and squeezing the nipple. And his mouth kept sucking her…

  Her sex grew moist. His thigh wedged between her legs, and her skirt hiked up. She pushed down against that strong thigh, rubbing, arching.

  His head lifted, and his lips gleamed with moisture. He stared at her with shining blue eyes. “I’m going to fuck you, Terese.”

  She swallowed. Yes, that had been the plan. Part of it.

  His thigh pressed upward, and the hard muscle rubbed against her tender flesh. “You’re wet for me, aren’t you?”

  A slow nod. Her panties were soaked. And he’d only just started to really touch her.

  “Good.” That smile flashed again. “I’m hard as stone for you.” His arms locked around her, and he lifted her easily, carrying her toward the bed.

  He dropped her lightly onto the mattress then yanked off her dress, pulling with rough force. He dropped the dress onto the floor and left her clad in just her black lace panties. Licking his lips, he stepped back, and began to strip.

  Her eyes widened when she saw his chest. The guy was even better looking without the clothes. Tight, flexing muscles. Dark, flat nipples. A light thatch of hair veed down his chest. He kicked out of his pants and revealed the thick, hard length of his cock. Veins lined the shaft, and the wide head glistened with moisture.

  Apollo leaned forward and pressed one knee into the mattress. His fingers rubbed against the skin of her upper thigh.

  Terese licked her lips as she watched him. She couldn’t remember ever seeing a man look at her that way before. There was so much raw lust in his gaze.

  It made her feel good. Sexy.

  She’d felt like a monster for the past few months, but with Apollo, she was just a woman again.

  His fingers trailed up her thigh. “Spread your legs for me, Terese.”

  She did, opening herself fully to him. To his touch.

  His broad fingers slipped under the edge of her panties. He found the center of her desire and stroked her lightly as he rubbed his warm fingers over her hungry flesh.

  Her hips arched against him, and a thin, choked cry slipped past her lips. Oh, yes…

  One think finger plunged into her even as his thumb pushed against her sensitive flesh, the pressure intense. Perfect.

  “You’re tight,” he whispered. “You’re going to feel so fucking good.”

  He already felt pretty damn amazing to her. He knew just how to touch her, knew just where to stroke—

  Another finger worked up inside her. He stretched her, pulled his fingers almost completely out of her, then thrust them back inside.

  Terese squeezed her eyes shut as a moan broke from her. She was so close to coming…with just the touch of his hand.

  His tongue rubbed over her nipple. Then his mouth closed over her breast. He sucked her and pulled her flesh deep into his mouth.
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  And shoved his fingers inside her in a quick plunge.

  “Apollo!” Her body bowed off the bed. So close—

  “Look at me,” he ordered, his voice a harsh snap.

  Her lashes lifted. Her gaze locked on him.

  She was panting, her body shaking, need burning through her. Why had he stopped? She wanted—

  His fingers curled around the elastic band of her panties, and he yanked, shredding the material. The lace fell onto the bed, exposing the dark curling hair at the juncture of her thighs and the glistening folds of her sex.

  His pupils flared. “Do you want my mouth on you?”

  Terese nodded, unable to speak. Yes, definitely, yes—

  His hands squeezed her thighs, then shoved them even farther apart. He lowered his body, and his golden head dipped between her legs.

  His breath blew over her clit, a long, slow breath that had her tensing in anticipation. Then he licked her.

  Her heels dug into the bed even as Terese buried her fingers in his hair and pulled him closer.

  He growled, and the rumble vibrated against her flesh.

  “Apollo…”

  He thrust his tongue inside of her.

  Terese screamed and came on a long, hot tide of pleasure.

  He licked her, tasting her cream, rubbing his tongue over her, and murmuring softly as she shook beneath him.

  Then he was moving back, positioning his muscled legs between hers, and he pushed the thick head of his cock into the opening of her sex. “My turn,” he growled and drove into her in one deep, hard thrust.

  He filled her completely. He caught her hands and pinned them to the bed. And he thrust into her, again and again.

  Apollo’s mouth opened over her shoulder. He sucked her flesh, his teeth lightly scoring her in a delicious bite.

  Oh, yes…Her nails dug into his back. Another orgasm built within her as the hunger spiraled inside her.

  His head lifted, and his neck—that strong, golden neck—was just inches away from her mouth.

  “You’re so tight.” His nostrils flared. “So good…” He drove into her again, pushing his cock balls deep into her sex.

  His neck…it was just out of reach—