Sacrifice of Passion (Deadly Legends) Read online

  He needn’t have worried. She was trembling, her legs winding around him.

  In one quick motion, he pulled back, quickly freeing her hands from the ropes and pulling her shirt all the way off. He slipped out of his pants, removed a condom from his wallet and slid it on, then moved between her legs again, feeling completely at home with her body against his, thrilled with her hot, eager palms against his flesh.

  She dragged one hand down his chest and waist until she gripped him, stroked him. Then, in a quick movement, she angled her hips up and placed the tip of his erection against her opening. She brought her hand back up and let her fingers claw through his hair. “Now,” she breathed, desire weighing down her words as she tried to thrust up and draw his erection into her.

  Home. He buried his face in the perfect crook of her neck, eliminating from his mind every intrusive sound from outside. Every shadow that stretched across the floor. He breathed in her fresh scent and lowered himself down. For the first time since he’d begun fantasizing about Delaney West, he entered her.

  “Darlin’,” he said, his voice hardly more than a breath.

  Her response was instantaneous. “Mmm,” she moaned, arching into him.

  It was like nothing he’d ever experienced in his life, as if every other sexual experience had been leading up to this. She belonged to him, and as he drove deeper, an intense shudder wove through her, slow at first, then gaining strength until finally her body erupted in a rocking explosion. She cried out his name, clutching him, her fingers plowing through his hair. Finding his back, her nails dug into his flesh, her voice dropping until, finally, her body relaxed.

  Need overtook him. He wanted to rush now, to find completion. Too many times in the past and even in the present he’d been at this place with her—ready to explode—but left to finish things himself. Not this time. He drove into her again, sliding his hands under her until her hips were pressed hard against his. He rocked, watching, seeing clear as day the pressure building up inside her again.

  She threw her head back and moaned, her hands lifting from his back, her arms flexing against him as the orgasm built. He pulled back, suddenly afraid that she’d regret being with him come morning.

  But she clawed her nails deeper into his flesh. “Don’t stop!”

  Rain started outside, a steady pelting against the roof of the old cabin, growing and gaining force with each passing second.

  Settling into her again, he was mesmerized by the contrast of her pale skin against his dark complexion, her vibrant wavy hair, her seductive eyes. Her hands were on his backside now, trying to drive him harder.

  There was one more truth he wanted from her. He slowed again. “Why’d you ever leave, Laney?”

  Instead of answering, she tried to pull him tight against her, tried to make him grind his hips against hers, only an anguished moan coming from her lips.

  “Tell me you’re not going anywhere,” he said.

  “Vic!” she cried.

  She could have told him that the sky was green and he would have believed her. He just wanted to hear her voice as he came and claimed her. “Tell me…”

  “I’m not going anywhere.”

  That was all he needed. He moved faster, his movements responding to her moans. And then she stopped cold, her fingernails digging into him as her body convulsed. He rocked against her, bringing her higher and higher.

  “Oh!” she cried out. “I’ve never been able to…only you… Please!” Her voice hitched. “Don’t stop,” she wailed, wriggling and thrusting her hips up.

  He smiled to himself as he gripped her hips and pulled them high just as he thrust down. He arched into her, bringing her higher and higher and higher until a final shudder racked her body. His momentum grew, and finally, he gave in, releasing himself into her. At long last.

  …

  Delaney didn’t budge as Vic stayed buried in her until he’d caught his breath and both of their spasms drifted away, leaving blissful exhaustion in their wake. She held onto him, afraid if she let him go, he’d vanish in a puff of smoke.

  After several long, perfect minutes, he lifted up off her and rolled onto his side. She lay there, naked, her body pressed against his, his arm holding her close. Her eyes grew glassy, but she blinked the film away.

  And as she returned to reality, that’s when the doubts began. Her mind was soon in turmoil. Long ago, she’d fled San Julio hoping to gain some semblance of control over her life. She’d returned for the same reason. But now Vic was here with her, close to her, burrowing deeper in her heart than she’d ever let him before. Messing with her emotions. Demanding answers.

  And making the impossible happen.

  He’d brought her to orgasm. Three times, so powerful it had been as if her body was shaking off every bit of power and strength it had inside, as if it had needed Vic and Vic alone to set it free.

  That in itself was shocking. She’d let go, had been able to release every thought from her mind until only pleasure wound its way through her flesh.

  And although the pleasure was still quivering within her, she was so afraid. Afraid to give Vic the answer to the question he’d demanded while he’d made love to her. She couldn’t make herself tell him the truth about why she’d left. About what had really happened that night.

  Would he believe her? Would he blame her?

  Would he be able to look at her in the same loving, shiveringly possessive way as he had just moments ago, ever again? Oh, God, the risk was too great.

  “You have to go now,” she said, surprised at how her voice held strong while her heart ached so badly.

  “I’m not going anywhere.”

  She dragged in a ragged breath as his hand slid up her stomach until his fingertips brushed the swells at the base of her breasts. His gaze caught hers, steady and solid. Comforting. Loving, even. Could he mean that? Would he really stay this time?

  His gaze flickered downward and he pulled back slightly, but kept steady pressure on her back with his hand. As if he knew she needed space. “When did you start sleepwalking?” he asked.

  “A long time ago,” she said reluctantly.

  “After you left San Julio?”

  She nodded. After that night.

  His hand moved to her hip, his fingers pressing lightly into her flesh. “There’s still something you’re not telling me, Laney.”

  “The curandera…”

  “She really scared you.”

  “Yes.”

  “I’m not going to let anything happen to you.”

  “But the mutilated animals—”

  “What killed the livestock is not a chupacabra.”

  “I know. I saw the forensics report on the Internet. The evidence says it was a human.” She hated that her voice trembled. That fear had this strong a grip on her. “But who would do such a thing?”

  “Braido will figure it out.”

  The warmth of his palm on her belly and the intensity of his gaze seemed so comforting. So real. She so wanted to believe him. To lean on him. To feel safe in his arms and secure in his love.

  But he’d made no secret that for him this was just about the sex. A way to purge themselves of the past. She’d thought she could do that. But already she was having thoughts of forever, just like she’d feared she would. A forever he had no intention of granting her.

  She couldn’t risk her heart again. It would kill her.

  “We’re done here,” she choked out.

  Climbing over him, she quickly dressed, gathered up his clothes, and tossed them on the bed.

  He hesitated, but finally took the cue, slipping on his jeans and shirt, but never taking his gaze off of her. “What is it, Laney? Is something wrong?”

  She shook her head, not wanting to be taken in by his concern. Conflicted by her own sp
iraling emotions.

  “I’m sorry. I thought I could get past it, but I can’t.”

  “What? I thought—”

  “You stood me up that night.” She met his gaze full on, wanting to see something there that would justify twelve years of loneliness. All along, he’d wanted nothing more than to get her into bed, and tonight she’d let him. Like a fool, she’d let her desire for him—the only man she could ever really love—take her down a road she should have avoided.

  “Laney—”

  “I can’t forget seeing you with”—her voice choked—“with Sheila.” Sheila wasn’t the bigger problem, but Vic’s betrayal then was all Delaney could handle now.

  The angles of his face grew sharp and his eyes lost their hint of blue. “Sheila came on to me. I told her no, that I was in love with you.”

  “You slept with her!”

  “After you left me,” he ground out through gritted teeth.

  “You had a child with her.”

  “I didn’t know—”

  “Sex education 101. Unprotected sex can result in pregnancy. Did sleeping with Sheila mean anything to you?”

  He slammed his hand against the wall. “You tore my heart out, Laney.” His face flushed. “I’m not proud of it, but there it is. I waited a long time, a very long time, but you didn’t come back. Hell, you didn’t bother to call.”

  “Convenient,” she muttered, knowing that she was desperately trying to protect her heart and hating herself for reopening old wounds. And hating herself more because—oh, God, what if she’d been wrong? What if he was telling the truth?

  Did she dare believe him?

  Vic had awakened feelings in her that she thought had been stripped away from her that night. Feelings she didn’t want in her life. Feelings she couldn’t deal with right now.

  He waved his hand toward the bed. “We just made love.”

  He sounded as upset as he looked. She desperately wanted to reach up and take his face in her hands and kiss him, a searing kiss that would surely make him want her for keeps. But he’d already admitted he hadn’t wanted to marry her then—that he wasn’t a commitment kind of man.

  “Exactly.” She grabbed his arm and dragged him toward the door. “You told me what you wanted. That sleeping together was the only way you could let go of the past. Okay. So let it go.”

  He gave her a stormy look. “Stop it. You’re not thinking clearly—”

  “On the contrary.”

  “What about the chupacabra? Your sleepwalking?”

  “I’ll be fine.”

  “You were terrified earlier. Come with me. You can stay at my house. In the guest room, if you don’t want to share my bed.”

  When he tried to wrap his arms around her, she pulled away and shook her head, concentrating on the softening sound of rain pounding against the roof. She’d savor the memory of being with him. But she couldn’t experience it firsthand again. She felt too vulnerable.

  “I’m going back to my parents’ house. This crazy idea of tying myself to the bed obviously won’t work.”

  “No—”

  “Think about Zach,” she said. “What would he say?”

  That finally got him to back down. But he didn’t look happy.

  “Look, you don’t have to worry about me anymore, Vic. We had a deal to finish what we started and we have. Now we can let each other go and forget about the past.”

  He arched an eyebrow, looking at her like she was delusional. “You’ve got to be kidding.”

  But she shook her head and pushed him toward the door. Continuing to be with Vic wouldn’t make her sleepwalking go away. Wouldn’t erase having been raped. Wouldn’t take away Esperanza’s warning of danger. All it would do was open her up for more heartache than she could handle. “Purge away, Vic. You got what you wanted. No more unfinished business.”

  He cursed under his breath, his expression going from skeptical to stony. “Fine. Let’s go.”

  She crossed her arms over her middle. “I’m not leaving with you.”

  “And I’m not letting you walk to your folks’ place alone at night. I made that mistake once, and it’s not happening again. Let’s go.”

  She didn’t want him to be nice and worry about her, but he wasn’t going to let this go. She followed him out, then shut and locked the door on the most amazing night of her life.

  Closing it firmly on their past.

  And on their future.

  …

  A loud sound slid into Delaney’s consciousness. She squeezed her eyes shut tighter and shifted slightly, hovering somewhere between a dream and lucidity, smiling faintly as her brain remembered the pleasure Vic’s touch had brought her. She recalled every moment, from the light brush of his hands against her breasts and thighs, to the breath-robbing feel of him as he entered her.

  Dampness seeped through her thin sweats. Her smile faded. She moved. Felt softness under her, but her elbow dug into something hard, then slipped into a valley nestled between two rock-hard beams. Like bone…

  A slam of dread pounded through her. She shivered, feeling drenched to the core from a continual shower of water. She needed to get warm. She stretched her arm out to reach for the blanket and batted around blindly. She couldn’t find it.

  She pulled her knees into a fetal position, trying to tuck her feet somewhere, anywhere, to cut the chill.

  Terror seeped through her. Footsteps. She heard footsteps. She pried her eyes open but saw nothing but darkness. The storm had blocked all light.

  “You came.”

  That voice. Male. High timbre. Menacing. The one that haunted her nightmares.

  Oh, God!

  The blood in her veins turned to ice. The expectation… The violation… The pain… She scrambled forward, her knees scraping against the hard surface of the ground, what felt like sharp rocks digging into them.

  A hand clamped down on her shoulder.

  “I’ll take care of you,” the chilling voice said.

  Terror crashed through her as she felt herself being hauled up. Her feet dangled, finally finding purchase on the ground beneath her as an arm—his arm—slipped around her waist. “You’re covered in blood,” he muttered, an odd tinge of pleasure in his voice. “Open your eyes. Look at what I did for you.”

  Run! her mind screamed.

  The man’s grip on her shoulder tightened painfully. He’d give her no choice, she realized. She eased her eyes open, the darkness of the night like a sheet of black velvet blocking her vision.

  She tried to focus. To see his face. To see the chupacabra…

  His form rippled before her, distorted by her grogginess. Elongated. Sharp-toothed. Frightening.

  And then it evaporated before her eyes.

  A mirage?

  Her unsteady gaze dropped to the ground. A bulky form lay there. In the dark she couldn’t make out what it was, besides the fact that it had once been living. And was now dead. Her pulse turned thready, her breathing shallow. Horror circled around her, twisting her mind until she couldn’t think.

  Get away. Go somewhere safe where he can’t hurt you.

  And she ran.

  …

  Vic’s ability to compartmentalize his life suddenly wasn’t working and he couldn’t sink into a deep sleep. No woman had ever become stuck in his mind as firmly as Delaney West. When he closed his eyes, he pictured her, tasted her, felt her. As he drifted off, he could almost imagine her next to him, in his bed.

  But when he awoke, she was never there.

  He glanced at the clock on his nightstand, its glowing numbers telling him less than three hours had passed since he’d been with her. Already he wanted her again.

  Hell, he should never have left her. Walking her back to her parents’ house had not ea
sed his mind… The curandera’s warning chilled his blood.

  In the heat of the moment, he’d accepted Delaney’s answers to his questions, but now, alone and with nothing but the memories, her answers only caused more questions in his mind. He still didn’t understand what she had to do with the animal killings. The fact that the so-called chupacabra was human only made the connection more baffling. And far more ominous.

  But what disturbed him more than anything else was the rope Delaney had tied herself up with. Clearly she was scared, trying desperately to stop herself from sleepwalking. Why? He wasn’t buying her explanation. The rope wasn’t not just an effort to stay away from his bed. No, there was something else.

  A horrible thought rose to the surface. Could she think she had something to do with the dead animals?

  Was Delaney the chupacabra?

  He shook his head in denial, his chest constricting. Hell, no. She couldn’t have killed those animals. He’d bet his life on that. But something had her scared to death.

  “What are you hiding, Laney?” he muttered.

  He closed his eyes again and tried to relax his body. Sleep. He needed sleep. But his mind wandered. Couldn’t let go of the fact that he should have stayed with her, whether she’d wanted him to or not. Something evil was out there. Something that the curandera believed was after Delaney.

  A shiver snaked down his spine and Vic suddenly thought of his son, sleeping in the next room. Had he locked the back door? He mentally retraced his steps before he’d come into his bedroom after coming home. He’d waited for Ray to show up to take Eva home, then checked in on a sleeping Zach, whispering, “Sleep with the angels,” just like his mother used to say to him, and then he’d read the newspaper and watched replays of the Cowboys annihilating the 49ers. He’d tried not to think about Delaney as he’d checked on Zach one more time before coming into his room.

  Shit. He was slipping. He hadn’t checked the doors.

  He got up to do it, reaching for his sweatshirt. Damn, it was cold tonight. He should put another blanket on Zach. He took one of his mother’s handmade quilts from his closet, went to his son’s room, and gently laid it on top of him.