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Terese knew he wanted to control her, that he wanted to dominate, but she wasn’t going to let him. It was her turn to have the power. Her turn to control the pleasure.

  Her tongue curled over the head of his arousal.

  “Terese…suck my cock.”

  Her lips opened over him, and she took him inside, just one inch, then she pulled back.

  His hands tightened in her hair.

  She smiled up at him. Then she took him inside, deep inside, and she sucked him, tight and hard.

  “Oh, yes.” His eyes closed and he thrust against her mouth. “Just like that.”

  Her tongue licked the underside of his cock, and she drew him even deeper into her mouth. She could feel the head of his cock against her throat, feel the rough, thick ridge of his flesh. Her mouth worked him, licking, sucking, and holding him tight with her cheeks and tongue.

  His cock swelled, pulsed, and she knew his orgasm was coming. Arousal flooded her as she worked him, and her fingers trailed down her body, slipped between her legs and rubbed, pushed. There.

  She could taste him already. Taste his rich, warm flavor—

  “No!” He pulled back, stepping away from her.

  Blinking, Terese stared up at him. Her lips were open and trembling. Her hand was buried between her legs—

  His eyes widened as he gazed down at her.

  She froze as she realized just what she was doing.

  Before she could even blush, he grabbed her, jerked her upright, and hauled her over to the sofa. Then he was pushing her onto the cushions, shoving her dress up, and burying that thick cock in her sex. He thrust into her, driving deep over and over and she loved it, loved it.

  Her head thrashed against the sofa. She lifted her hips, shoving against him, wanting to take him deeper, deeper—

  Her legs wrapped around his hips. She moaned, a high, keening cry. “More,” she gasped, her hips pushing against his. “I want more.” She wanted all of him.

  He tilted her hips, moving so that his cock pushed past her clit on every stroke. That rubbing, that friction, had her shuddering and begging.

  So much for being in control…

  But she wasn’t alone. She could tell by the frenzied thrust of hips against her that Apollo’s own control had broken.

  Her teeth burned, and she longed to bury them in his throat, but she kept her lips closed. She’d already taken from him once that night, and for just a moment, she wanted to pretend that she was a human again, a human with her lover.

  And not a vampire hungering for blood.

  His cock stretched her and filled her sex completely. She clamped down on him, loving the feel of his flesh inside her body.

  His fingers slipped between her thighs, rubbed against her swollen, sensitive core—

  She screamed as her orgasm ripped through her.

  Apollo was right behind her. As his body stiffened, she felt the jetting of his semen inside of her.

  Her arms locked around him, and she held him tightly, more tightly than she’d ever held anything or anyone.

  Because she realized that he was coming to mean more to her than anyone ever had before…

  I could love him.

  * * *

  His little vampiress was trying to kill him. She had to be. Trying to kill him with sheer, mind-numbing pleasure.

  Apollo raised his body off hers and stared down at Terese. Her eyes were closed, her lips parted.

  And she was the sexiest thing he’d ever seen.

  He kissed her, a quick, light kiss.

  She blinked and slowly opened her eyes.

  “Don’t go to sleep on me yet.” His cock was still buried in her, and her tight sex cradled him in a warm, wet grip.

  “I-I wasn’t.” She stretched slightly, and her delicate inner muscles clenched around him.

  His cock thickened. Again. He’d just pumped his seed into her, just drained his cock dry, but now he wanted to fuck her again.

  Addicted.

  “Dawn’s coming.” Her voice was soft, hushed.

  Yeah, he could sense the approach of the sun.

  He’d noticed there was only one small window in Terese’s place, and it was covered by a thick black curtain.

  “It’s strange,” she murmured, “but I swear it’s almost like I can feel the sun rising…” She shook her head and her hair brushed against his arm. “That’s never happened before.”

  Her blue eyes were so dark and deep. They reminded him of the waters off the coast of his native Delos. When a storm approached, the light blue waves turned to a midnight blue, a blue the exact color of her eyes.

  He’d like to take her to Delos. Like to walk with her on the white beach as the sun shone down on them and he—

  Watched her die.

  Apollo closed his eyes.

  “Apollo?” Her soft hand touched his cheek. “What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing.” He’d just realized how vulnerable she was. He would have to protect her, have to take extra steps to make certain she stayed safe. “We need to talk.” Rising carefully, keeping his cock nestled in her sex, he carried her toward the bed.

  A sexy smile curved her full lips. “Oooh…I like traveling this way.”

  He lowered her onto the bed and curled on top of her. “Um…the better to keep fucking you, my sweet.”

  She giggled. Actually giggled. It was the sweetest sound he’d ever heard.

  He was in trouble. His gaze narrowed as he stared down at her.

  Her eyes were already closing as she snuggled up against him. The woman seemed to fit right into the curve of his arm.

  “Will you be here when I wake up?”

  He kissed her neck. “There’s nowhere else I want to be.” Truth.

  Her fingers linked with his. “I was afraid.”

  His body stiffened.

  “When Eric changed me, and I realized what I’d become, I was afraid that I’d never be happy again.”

  He was going to make Eric beg for death.

  “But when I’m with you…” Her eyes were still closed and a faint smile tilted her lips. “I keep forgetting that I’m a monster.”

  “You’re not.”

  “I’m glad I found you in Hades.”

  His lips brushed her skin once more. “Ah, sweet, don’t you realize, it was I who found you?”

  But her breathing had eased and he knew that Terese was lost to him in dreams. Apollo didn’t move. Didn’t leave as he’d done with so many others over the centuries. He just held her, and realized the Fates had finally taken their vengeance on him.

  In his arms, he had the one woman he wanted more than any other.

  The one he could too easily destroy.

  * * *

  She would have to be punished.

  Eric paced the confines of his room, his teeth burning and his hands clenched into fists.

  The blond bastard was probably fucking her now.

  Eric closed his eyes and nearly choked on his rage.

  He’d found Terese, found her working in that damn gallery, painting those idiotic landscapes—those stupid rising suns. He’d found her, and he’d been the one to transform her.

  Not that bastard back at her current hovel.

  Terese should have stayed with him. She should have been a good little girl and taken him into her bed. She should have spent her nights showing him her love and undying gratitude for the new life he’d given her.

  But, no, the stupid bitch had run. She’d waited until he’d gone to hunt, then she’d fled, disappearing into the night.

  Foolish, foolish girl.

  Terese wasn’t the first he’d transformed. Over the centuries, there had been others. Others that he’d chosen to gift.

  Some had stayed with him, serving him night after night…until he’d tired of them. Then he’d had to kill them. But he’d made their deaths quick. Relatively painless.

  A few others had been foolish like Terese. They’d fled, they’d fought, and he’d had to punish them. He’d made sure
they suffered before they died. They’d deserved no courtesy from him.

  Terese would have to suffer, too. He’d thought she was different. That she might finally be the one he needed most.

  Pity.

  He opened his eyes, but he didn’t see the room in front of him. Didn’t see the boarded windows or the makeshift bed.

  He only saw her. Terese.

  The whore who’d betrayed him.

  Yes, she would pay.

  But, first…he’d have to find a way of dealing with her new protector.

  The man had been far too strong for a mere human.

  Eric would take care of that bastard first, then he’d go after Terese.

  He’d make sure she begged, make sure she cried and pleaded, before he gave her the sweet release of death.

  And she would beg…

  Chapter Five

  A circle of laughing, leering men surrounded Terese.

  Apollo paused inside the doorway of Hades, every muscle in his body seeming to turn to stone—and Medusa wasn’t even around.

  What in the hell did Terese think she was doing?

  He’d asked her to meet him there at dusk. He hadn’t thought that she’d—

  Terese broke away from the circle, her hand outstretched, beckoning, to one of the guys.

  Apollo’s jaw clenched.

  The foolish mortal eagerly followed her—like some kind of damned dog. The mortal was a big, brawny guy with short cropped red hair and muddy brown eyes. He licked his lips as he watched Terese, and, even from across the room, Apollo could smell his lust.

  Oh, hell, no. He waved his hand, parting the crowd as he stalked toward them.

  He wasn’t sure what kind of game Terese thought she was playing, but there’d be no—

  Terese opened the back door of Hades and led her mortal out into the alley.

  “Terese!”

  The dancers around him stilled at the lethal yell. But the back door had already swung shut.

  * * *

  A heady rush of power swept through her. Terese stared up at the red-head—Jeez, what was his name again? Martin? Marvin?—and felt her bloodlust grow.

  The man was completely under her thrall. His gaze was helplessly fixated on her, his pupils dilated to tiny pinpricks.

  “Get on your knees,” she whispered softly…and he did. He actually lowered to his knees before her! He stared up at her, waiting.

  She’d been practicing her thrall over the last week. Little tests at first. Not on Apollo, never on him because she didn’t want to take his will away. She’d experimented only on strangers. Just little pushes before, but…

  Now this.

  A car horn sounded in the distance and laughter drifted in the air around her.

  Terese was alone with the guy in the alley. Alone with a guy who outweighed her by at least two hundred pounds, but she wasn’t scared. She had all the control. All the power. Finally. “Tilt your head back,” she whispered and licked her dry lips.

  Instantly, his head cocked, and his throat, that thick, muscled throat, was offered up to her.

  Oh, my. Terese swallowed as her gaze drifted to the racing pulse point that tempted her—

  “Don’t even think about it.”

  She yelped and spun around at the rough rumble of Apollo’s voice.

  He stalked out of the building’s shadows, his blue eyes glittering with rage. “Get away from him, Terese.”

  “It’s…ah…not what you think.” He would have appeared at just that exact moment.

  “Oh?” He took another slow step toward her, and the street light fell across his face. His seriously pissed face. “You didn’t just bring that guy out here so that you could stick those lovely fangs of yours in his throat?”

  Well, the idea really was tempting…especially now that the fellow had his head tilted back so far and his throat was just waiting for her, but— “No. That’s not why I’m here.” Her fangs burned, but she ignored them.

  The guy on the ground shook his head, then blinked groggily. “Wh—what’s goin’ on?”

  Terese could have screamed. She glanced back down at the guy, striving to keep her thrall. “Nothing.” Her fingers stroked his hair. “You’re just resting for a moment, just resting and—”

  Apollo grabbed her hand. “Do. Not. Touch. Him.” A tic jerked along his jaw.

  But she needed to. She’d found that her compulsions worked a lot better if she touched her prey.

  The redhead rose slowly. His brown eyes blinked, then narrowed. “What’s goin’ on?”

  Apollo barely spared him a glance. “Go inside.”

  The fellow’s bushy brows lowered. “Dick, don’t you tell me what to do—”

  “Fuck off.” Apollo turned his head and locked his unblinking gaze on the fellow.

  “Man, I will kick your ass!” The man’s fingers curled into ham-sized fists.

  Terese reached out to touch him. She knew she could bring him back under her compulsion, knew she could calm him down and—

  Apollo pulled her to his side. “I told you not to touch him,” he gritted.

  She swallowed, and a lick of fear shot through her at the lethal expression on his face.

  “Mortal, go inside.” Apollo’s voice shook with power.

  The fellow ran inside.

  And Terese really, really wanted to run after him.

  Because she didn’t think being stranded in a deserted alley with an angry god was going to be much fun.

  A strange, golden glow seemed to surround Apollo. Her eyes began to water as she gazed at him.

  “I thought we went over this…” he muttered, his hand tightening even more around her wrist. “If you want to drink, then you will damn well drink from me.”

  Her fangs burned. She realized that she wanted, quite badly, to bury her teeth into his flesh.

  “Come on, Terese.” He yanked her against him. “You want to bite someone? Bite me.”

  And she did. Her fangs sank into his throat and his sweet blood flowed onto her tongue. His hands curled around her ass and pulled her against the thick length of his arousal.

  He groaned when she licked his neck.

  By now, she knew all of his weak spots. Just as he knew hers. Each day just made her want him more.

  Not just want him, need him.

  She lifted her head. “I wasn’t going to bite him.”

  He smiled down at her. “Finally mastered it, huh?”

  And she knew that Apollo had been aware of her games.

  She nodded.

  “He wanted to fuck you.” Now her god sounded disgruntled.

  Terese arched a brow. “Wasn’t going to happen.” His blood filled her with power and a humming energy. “I don’t want to—”

  “Damn, Apollo, are you taking your dates to alleys these days? Cheap asshole.” A man’s thundering voice cut across her words.

  Apollo swore and turned slowly to face the guy who stood near the entrance of the alley.

  Terese followed his gaze. Her eyes widened when she caught sight of a dark haired man with a wicked grin.

  “Ares.” There wasn’t a whole lot of warmth in Apollo’s voice. All right, there wasn’t any warmth in his voice. “I thought you’d be out of town for another week.”

  “Don’t worry, bro, I’ll be leaving soon.” His dark stare drifted over Terese and he whistled in appreciation. “I just thought I smelled a surge of power and figured I’d better pop in, you know, in case you were about to kick some ass.” His lips twisted. “But apparently, you aren’t kicking ass, you’re just getting some a—”

  “Ares…” A definite warning edge was in Apollo’s voice.

  The dark man just laughed.

  Terese stared at the stranger as curiosity burned within her. Ares. She knew that name. “You’re the god of war, aren’t you?”

  He gave a little bow.

  “Oh, great! Him you know!” Apollo wrapped his arm around her shoulder as they faced his brother.

  �
�And who might you be, my lovely?” Ares asked.

  “Terese Lafitte.”

  “It’s a pleasure to—”

  “Cut the shit and stop hitting on her,” Apollo warned.

  Ares frowned. “I wasn’t hitting on your…” He inhaled, and his eyes narrowed “…little vampire.”

  She felt Apollo stiffen beside her. “How the hell did you—” he began.

  “Her scent.” A small shrug. “I’ve met her kind before.” His eyes narrowed. “Even killed a few in my time.”

  Apollo stepped forward and placed his body squarely in front of Terese’s. “Don’t even think about it.”

  Another low rumble of laughter. “Relax, Pol. I’m not going to hurt your…friend.”

  “Damn right you’re not.”

  Hmmm…she wasn’t feeling a whole lot of love for the war god. Peeking over Apollo’s shoulder, Terese glared at Ares.

  “But there’s someone else nearby…” His head cocked to the side. “Someone who wants to hurt her, very badly. I can feel his rage lapping at me.”

  Eric.

  “Where is he?” Apollo demanded.

  “Close. Very close.” A gleam of what appeared to be anticipation lit the war god’s eyes. “Want me to track him?”

  “No.” Cold. Deadly. “The bastard’s mine.”

  “Huh. So you’re not all sunshine and smiles, eh, Pol?”

  He didn’t answer.

  “Good. I always knew there was a reason I let you keep living.”

  Apollo snorted.

  The air around Ares began to shimmer. “If you change your mind, well, you know how to find me.”

  “I can handle this guy on my own.”

  “Yeah, killing vamps should be child’s play for you, sunny boy.” With a wink, Ares disappeared.

  Terese blinked, then glanced around the dark alley. She didn’t feel quite so powerful anymore. Actually, she felt scared. There’s someone else nearby… “I-is he out here?” Was Eric watching her? Watching them?

  “No, if he were here, Ares would have told me.” Apollo’s gaze scanned the darkness.

  Dammit, why couldn’t it be over? Why couldn’t Eric just leave her alone?

  “Don’t worry, I’ll take care of him.” The back of Apollo’s hand caressed her cheek.

  “What—what do you mean?” She didn’t like the idea of Apollo going up against Eric. The guy was an elder, who knew what he could do? “I think we should just stay away from him.” Far away.