Cunningham, Pat - Legacy [Sequel to Belonging] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour) by Pat Cunningham

her skin would taste, the noises she’d make when they took her—
    Sweet Christ. What the fuck?
    Except for bouts of blood lust sex, which he barely remembered to start with, he hadn’t been with a woman in decades, undead or otherwise. He hadn’t missed it, either. Scarecrow took care of all his needs, thank you very much. He hadn’t had a chance to drink the bat tonight, so he couldn’t blame his body’s reactions on a blood overdose.
    It was her. It had to be her. Something about her made his prick sit up and beg. Deliberately, he moved away from the stairwell. Her heartbeat lingered in his ears, her blood-rich scent in his nostrils. He tried to tune it out by fixing his attention on Jeremy.
    “I think I’ve got an idea why they want her.”
    “Duh. For her blood.”
    “Simple answer, not the whole one. That asshole from the other night wasn’t in hunting mode. He was trying to abduct her. Assuming that’s what tonight’s asshole was after, we’ve got a flock that wants her alive.”
    Jeremy nodded acknowledgement of Wallace’s logic. “Blood bank?”
    “Could be. But why her in particular? I think I’ve got that sussed. I don’t know if your human nose can pick up on it, but to mine—dammit, she smells delicious, and not in a food way.” He gestured almost violently at the stairs. “You know what I was just thinking about over there?”
    Jeremy’s gaze dropped to Wallace’s bulging groin. “Yes.” His eyes shot back up to meet Wallace’s. “You’ve never responded to a woman that way since I’ve known you.”
    “It’s not just women. I haven’t reacted like this to anybody else since I got with you. Speaking of which…” Wallace smirked. “You feel it, too, don’t you? I’ve been watching you, Scarecrow. You can’t keep away from her.”
    Jeremy flushed. “She’s been through a lot in the past week. I wanted to comfort her. Is that a crime?”
    “Change ‘comfort’ to ‘fuck’ and I’ll buy it. You want to jump her bones so bad I can taste it from here. Which begs the question—since when? I know you inside and out. You’re a bat bitch. One hundred percent vampire-exclusive. You haven’t had a living partner in how long? Since you were in high school? So what’s with all this sudden panting lust for a breather, huh?”
    “I don’t want to sleep with her. How can I? You marked me. I’m yours. It’s just…she’s just…” Jeremy dragged a hand through his unruly hair. “I see her, and I have to touch her. It’s like a compulsion. Dammit, this is weird.”
    “No, this is past weird. If it makes you feel any better, the feelings are mutual. Her pulse ramps up when she’s around you. I’ll bet mine would ramp up around her, if I had one.” He caught himself staring up the stairs and forced his eyes away. “Son of a bitch.”
    “Maybe she’s part succubus or something.”
    “No, she’d have guys lined up around the block if that was the case. You said she doesn’t date much? No sign of a man in her apartment? That’s not a succubus. They can’t go that long without a male.” He snorted a sardonic laugh. “Vampire and succubus. I’d pay money to see that. Wonder who’d drain who first?”
    “If it’s not about blood, it could be about blood lust. Maybe they want her as a blood lust slave. Were either of them post-feed?”
    “Not a chance. They were both too coherent. Maybe they caught a whiff of her and decided they wanted a lay.” Similar thoughts had popped into his own head back in the parking lot. They were still rattling around in there, yanking the hoists on his dingus. He growled raggedly. Like the man said, son of a bitch.
    “Not without a feed, they wouldn’t,” Jeremy said. “Vampire physiology doesn’t work that way. Well, except in your case.”
    “Yeah, I’m such a special guy. We both know why that is.”
    “Maybe that’s it. What if there’s a whole flock out there that’s like you?”
    “Scary, but doubtful. One king vamp