Adam Read online

  “Please, don’t make this hard. I usually have a scrubbing brush to deal with it. I feel unclean and I wouldn’t ask you if I had other means of getting clean.” She sounded irritated.

  “You’re a necromancer,” he blurted.

  “So? Does that mean I can’t have my back washed? Am I suddenly some unclean person because of what I was born as?” she yelled.

  Adam held his hands up. “I’m finding this a little unsettling.”

  He saw her rest her head against the shower stall. Her shoulders were slumped in defeat.

  “Please, I know I’m freaky but I can’t stand the thought of not having my back washed.”

  He wanted to say more to her but he stayed silent. Staring down the length of her back, he admired the sight of her. “I’ll wash your back. I think it’s strange you want a clean back but I’m an agreeable guy, for the most part,” he teased.

  Seeing you naked, I’m going to need the cold water to cool my dick off.

  “Don’t worry about me. Enjoy your shower. Do you want me to get in?”

  “Can you lean round?”

  “I can but I’m going to need to remove my shirt,” he said.

  “Okay.”

  He wondered if he’d be able to smell her arousal. All he could scent at the moment was lemon shampoo. It was a nice scent, though not as nice as a woman’s essence when she was turned on.

  “I’m so sorry about this,” she said while he was removing his shirt.

  He briefly checked out his chest and muscles to make sure he looked okay. He took great pride in lifting weights and it showed in his arms. Adam had thick heavy muscles, hopefully enough to make this woman drool.

  “I’m coming round,” he warned giving her a little time. Adam had no intention of averting his eyes.

  Oh, sweet Lord have mercy.

  He could bounce a coin off her full ass. Would it be inappropriate for him to squeeze the globes in his hands?

  Closing his eyes for a split second to get his raging hormones under control, he began thinking about vegetables, his mother and his brothers to rid himself of the killer hard-on he was sporting.

  “Sorry about the scars.” All it took was hearing the insecurity and vulnerability in her voice to get him back to focusing.

  Opening his eyes, he stared at her naked flesh. A mass of faded lines dotted her back. Each one was fiercer than the last.

  “Never be sorry about these marks,” he said to her. With the soap in his hand he touched her skin and began to spread the scented stuff all over. “You’ve been through a lot of battles.”

  “Yes. It’s part of my calling.”

  “I think part of your calling doesn’t like you.” He heard her hiccup. “Hey, baby, don’t cry.” Adam didn’t think about her nakedness anymore. He thought about the woman he cared about spilling tears over her body.

  “I’m ugly,” she said between sobs.

  Adam turned her to face him. Not caring about the water, he climbed into the tub so he could wrap her in his arms. His cock liked her close but more than that, his heart and soul beamed having her so close to him. He feared, after finding out what he needed to know about the alpha, he wouldn’t want to let her go.

  “You’re never ugly.” Adam had never found any of her scars frightening.

  “Yes I am.”

  He held her while she poured out her heart, the tears speaking more volumes than any words could spill.

  “You’re not ugly.” He placed a finger over her lips to keep her quiet. “Give me your hand.” Her little fist was resting on his chest.

  Adam hoped what he was about to do was the right thing. This wasn’t about his needs. It was about hers.

  “Why?”

  “Because I want to show you why I don’t think you’re ugly.”

  Her tears subsided and she gazed at him with curiosity in her eyes. She gave him her hand and very slowly he brought it to rest over his tight pants. As he guessed, she pulled back and he looked at her.

  “I don’t find you ugly and this is my proof.”

  “Proof?”

  “I can’t get a hard-on if the woman in front of me is ugly.” There were many types of ugly to Adam. To some men the scars may bother them and some would consider them ugly. He’d had many women—beautiful, fantastic, good-looking women. But they had been ugly on the inside with only their good looks getting them through from one day to the next. Ugliness to him wasn’t about looks. Ugliness was about a person’s attitude and general personality.

  “You feel this for me?” she asked. He heard the sound of wonder in her voice.

  His heart burst for his good luck. “Do you want to see what you do to me?” he asked.

  This was all for her.

  Poppy nodded. He removed his arms from around her and carefully took off his pants. He never wore underwear unless he had to. Adam threw the trousers over the side of the bath.

  Getting back in, he stood naked and proud for her to see.

  “Wow.” He heard her mutter. Pride filled him, even though he cursed as the blood filled his cock standing to attention.

  “You’ve never seen a man’s cock before?”

  She shook her head.

  “Would you like to touch?”

  She nodded her head. Adam braced himself for the touch of her small fingers. He contained the moan inside his throat. His whole body going on white-hot alert as her small hands encompassed all of him in her fist.

  “You feel so hot,” she said.

  Darling, you’ve no idea how hot I feel at the moment.

  “It’s because I want you,” he admitted to her.

  “Want me?”

  “I desire you as a woman.”

  “It seems strange for us to be talking about desires like a normal man and woman.”

  “Poppy, underneath it all we are just normal people. We feel and love and want like the next person.”

  She nodded her head and her touch ceased. “I think I’d best go and get changed.”

  Adam watched her leave the bath then shut the door behind her. He looked at his hard member and growled at the unfairness of it all.

  The water still ran hot, but he wouldn’t be able to get his bearings with hot water. Turning the dial to cold, he blasted his body with the icy water. His mind was still filled with the images of her naked body.

  He took himself in hand—the only way he felt was going to relieve some of the built-up pressure was to make himself climax.

  He thought about Poppy and her wet body while stroking his shaft.

  The cold water did nothing to cool him off.

  He started to masturbate faster, thinking about pressing her against the tiles and taking her. His thoughts were plagued by images of what she would do and sounds she would make while he pounded inside her.

  In no time at all he was climaxing, his seed lost with the water down the drain. He was left panting, resting his head against his arm.

  Adam cleaned himself, trying to wait it out before going into the other room. He knew in his heart it was only a matter of time before he lost control and took her. After getting out of the shower, he washed his face with water from the sink and after another twenty minutes had passed, he let himself back into their room.

  “Are you all right?” she asked from the dark. She lay on the side of the bed closest to the bathroom door. In the dim light he saw the outline of her body.

  “I wanted to cool off.”

  “I’m sorry about that.”

  Adam went around the bed and settled in beside her. “What are you sorry about?”

  “I know a man can reach physical pleasure from his organ.”

  Adam tried not to laugh but failed. “I’m sorry, Poppy. Just so you know, I took care of it.”

  “How?”

  “I masturbated in the shower.” He heard her gasp. “You’ve never taken care of yourself?”

  Poppy’s eyes widened. “How?”

  Chuckling, Adam moved closer. Maybe he’d get his hand
s on her after all. “Do you want me to show you?”

  “Will it hurt?”

  “Never.”

  She nodded and he shortened the gap between them. She wore the dress she’d been wearing every day he’d seen her. A few buttons were undone and he saw she’d not bothered with a bra.

  “I want you to close your eyes and trust me.”

  Adam didn’t touch her until those eyes were firmly shut.

  His fingers ran up her thigh, gathering up the fabric of her dress and lifting it to lie over her stomach. Opening her legs wide, he leant down and kissed her lips at the same time resting his hand over her mound. As she gasped into his kiss and opened her legs to his touch, his fingers slid along her wet slit. A slight dusting of hair covered her pussy lips. He pressed his tongue against her lips and sought entry.

  Careful to bring her only pleasure, he teased her clit, which was already swollen and peeking out from its little hood. This wasn’t about drawing out her pleasure but about giving her release, showing her how good it could be for a woman as well as a man.

  Within seconds of constant contact with her sensitive clit, Poppy grasped his arms and a scream emitted from her lips.

  The sound was sweet music to his ears.

  Adam helped her to ride the climax and bring her down slowly.

  He kissed her on the lips, cheek and neck before bringing his fingers to his mouth and sucking her sweet cream off.

  “Thank you,” she said on a whisper.

  “Try to get some rest, and you’re welcome.” Adam kissed her cheek and cuddled against her.

  Being near Poppy—having her in his arms—was the best feeling in the world. He no longer wanted to be in a world without her in it. All he wanted to do was claim her for his own.

  He closed his eyes and allowed his mind to drift.

  Chapter Ten

  At the motel Poppy twitched the curtain aside, gazing out into the night. They were staying on the outskirts of some American town. The place in between had shoved them out into a foreign land, though not so foreign to her. When Adam had marvelled at his surroundings and she’d learnt he’d never been outside of England, she’d decided to let him stay a short while. The man was over three hundred years old and still hadn’t visited the world. Poppy tried not to think about last night, the first time she’d been completely naked in front of a man. The first time she’d touched a man and been touched in return.

  What did it all mean?

  Shaking her head she tried to focus on everything she had to do and not the pounding in her chest or the ache at the thought that she could never have him. A necromancer and a vampire could never work. Jason and his fears had been spot on. She didn’t want Adam to fear her as she posed no threat to him. Not intentionally at least. The unfairness of her situation was coming at her from all sides. No matter what she tried to do she couldn’t escape the loneliness of her calling or existence.

  “Such sombre sounds from a pretty person,” Adam whispered in her ear coming up behind her. Shivers of delight ran through her body having him close. Closing her eyes, she leant back into his warmth and accepted him.

  The past two days being with him even on the mission had been the best of her life. For the first time in years she didn’t wear the cloak and she wasn’t conscious of the scars marring her face.

  “Just wondering what is happening in Beyer West. So much paranormal stuff is happening right now and I feel we are only a small part in the scheme of things.” Poppy had felt the energy rising for some time. The prickles across her skin were a warning of an enemy near or a battle about to begin.

  “It doesn’t seem all that frightening right now. The night is still and we’re alive,” he joked. His arms encircled her waist and the warmth spread through her.

  Poppy moulded to his body. She loved his touch and didn’t want to leave the comfort of his arms.

  “For now we’re safe, but something is coming. There is something far more dangerous than any of us.” Poppy glanced at the clear black sky. Night-time was always the best time to look into the sky. It was clear and beautiful to her.

  Poppy felt Adam move her hair away from her neck and begin to kiss along her exposed flesh.

  She moaned and tilted her head to the side. His touch spiked her blood with heat. Her pussy growing wet, her nipples budding. All she wanted to do was turn around and deepen the kiss. Poppy wanted to initiate the first sexual contact. The heavy petting felt great, but her body was becoming tired of always being left wanting.

  She cried out as a sharp point dug into her neck. Pulling away, she ripped the flesh of her neck open getting away from his teeth. “What the hell are you doing?” she screamed at him. Her fingers went to her neck and came away with blood.

  “I don’t understand why you’re so tetchy. It’s just a little blood.”

  “It’s my blood, you stupid vampire,” she growled.

  “Stupid? Is it me or have I been reading the signs wrong?” He moved closer and Poppy took a step back.

  “What the fuck is this?” he asked.

  “I said stop!” Poppy yelled. Adam stopped and didn’t move a muscle.

  “What the fuck?”

  Poppy ran to the bathroom and checked in the mirror. A nick, a harsh nick, but he hadn’t taken any of her blood. He would be safe. After grabbing a towel from the rail, she came back to see him stood in the same place.

  You fucked up, Poppy.

  “Why can’t I move?” he demanded to know.

  Closing her eyes, the younger brother’s warning came back to haunt her.

  “You can’t move because I told you to stop.”

  Silence met her response.

  “I thought you told me you didn’t have any power over me?”

  “I lied.”

  “You fucking bitch.”

  Poppy ran to the bathroom. She didn’t want to see his face. The small glimpse of shock and hatred was enough to keep her away from him for a while.

  “You can move now,” she said.

  “Come out here, Poppy. I’m not going to hurt you.” She heard him on the other side of the door. She imagined him standing there with a hand against the wood.

  “I can’t.”

  “Poppy. I’m sorry for biting you, but please come out and talk to me.”

  She touched the wood and her heart broke. Why couldn’t she be different? Like a vampire? Sobbing, she whispered, “I can’t.”

  “If you can’t come out then I’m fucking leaving.” Poppy heard him slam his fist against the wall then the door opened and closed with a vicious bang.

  After a few minutes she opened the door to see her reflection in the window.

  What are you doing? The one man willing to have anything to do with you has just stormed out after finding out you lied. Get your ass out there and find him.

  On a sob, Poppy grabbed her cloak and chased after the man who already owned her heart.

  A necromancer shall know no true love and accept it. The words of her curse struck at her heart.

  * * * *

  Adam was fuming. Jason had been right all along. No one could trust a necromancer. The rumours and old superstitious legends were true. He made his way down a street he didn’t recognise in a town he couldn’t even recall.

  Poppy had lied to him.

  The fact that she could control him didn’t upset him. He’d never had a problem with a woman taking the reins. He was upset and hurt that she’d lied to him.

  Face it, man, you like her way more than you’ve ever liked a woman before.

  Adam wished he could run from his own thoughts. Being close to Poppy brought out a protective instinct within him and even now, walking away from the motel room, he wanted to turn back and make sure she was safe.

  First, he needed to feed. Maybe a good fuck would rid his mind and body of the plague of Poppy. Since he’d seen her, he hadn’t been able to think of anyone else. When they were apart, he couldn’t think properly until they were together again.
/>   ‘What are you going to do? Mate with her?’ Jason had sneered.

  ‘If I did, you’d show her some goddamn respect,’ Adam had retorted.

  Adam remembered the words his brother had tried to scare him with. There was no fear inside him. His heart jumped with joy at the prospect of being with her for life.

  She’s a necromancer and they don’t have any business with a vampire.

  But I want her.

  Tough.

  “Hey, cutie pie. Are you looking for a good time?”

  Adam pulled out of his struggle and gazed at the human woman in front of him. She swayed on her feet and the scent of drugs, booze and decay was overpowering to him.

  “What will it cost me?”

  “Depends on what my little sugar wants.” She touched his cheek. Adam grabbed her hand and spun her so her back pressed against his front.

  “You want a little kinky hanky-panky?” She chuckled.

  Without saying a word he pulled her into the darkened alleyway. No one was around. He could take what he wanted and be on his way in moments.

  “I just want a little taste.”

  “With a voice like yours you can have anything you want,” she said, already lost.

  He pulled her hair back and gazed down at the pulse beating an odd rhythm in her throat.

  “Adam!” He heard Poppy calling to him.

  He licked his lips. The woman in his arms smelt repulsive, but his thirst for blood was too overpowering.

  “Adam?”

  Shit. She’s here.

  Drop the woman. You don’t want her.

  How can you protect your woman if you’re only at half strength?

  “What are you doing, Adam?” she asked. His heart broke hearing the hiccup in her voice. He gazed at her face. She wore the cloak, and in it, he saw the woman he loved.

  Holy shit. The woman you love.

  “What does it look like?” His own revelation was making him go on the attack.

  “You don’t want this.” She came farther into the alley.

  He wanted to see her beautiful black hair and the eyes that shone a glorious red when her power overcame her. She truly was a magnificent sight.

  “Don’t I? You rejected me, Poppy. How else am I supposed to feed?”