The Crimson King Ch 05

"Sammi … "

The disembodied voice gently called to her and she was suddenly a bird, lazily flapping her wings as she soared over sea and earth. She swooped and glided, catching the caress of the winds and laughing when she was pushed upwards under their guidance. She felt so vibrant, so free as she headed for a twinkling light on the horizon. The radiance from the light swelled, gathering an outline and becoming a target. As she flew closer, she recognized the form and he turned towards her, his arms open and his eyes blazing. She screamed, the shrill shriek carried away on the wind, towards the crashing waves and breaking on the oily rocks below.

"Sammi … "

Sammi Glass opened her eyes and blinked slowly. Bright sunlight filtered in through the heavy drawn drapes, filling the spartan room and giving sustenance to a few plants that sat on the cold, marble sill. She tried to sit up, moaning as pain swam through her skull, forcing her back to the pillow.

"Well, welcome back, Miss Glass." A happy-voiced nurse greeted her, breezily moving about the room. "How are you feeling?"

"Where's Leon?"

"Mr. Antonidas? He's on the fourth floor, resting comfortably."

"He's okay?"

"Why, yes! Why wouldn't he be?"

Sammi lay back, closing her eyes and trying to remember what had happened. There had been an accident. The van had ripped through the guardrail and the subsequent speed sent them careening over the cliffs, heading straight for the cold water. She remembered the harsh impact, the tinkle of glass and then … nothing.

"How long have I been here?"

"You were brought in last night. It's almost two now so nearly 12 hours." The nurse checked her vitals and gave her a cheery smile. "I'll send the doctor right in. Do you feel up to having visitors?"

"Uh, sure."

"Good. Your news director, I believe his name is Jake?"

"Yes, Jacob Whiting."

"That's it. He's been waiting outside to see you. Shall I send him in?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"Now, he can't stay long. Doctor Rutherford has to give the okay."

"Can I see Leon?"

"No, but I'll let him know that you were asking after him."

"Thank you."

Sammi didn't watch her leave, her mind on the aftermath of the accident. She wondered if Thorne had missed her last night. She closed her eyes and reached out to him, finding him deep in slumber.

Thorne

. She whispered his name, dissecting the layers of sleep and finding his sleeping core.

Thorne, I'm okay. Please visit me tonight

. She didn't stay any longer. She felt as if the effort was draining the precious little energy she had and she opened her eyes to the sight of Jacob's pale, drawn face.

"Sammi, you okay?"

"Yeah, Jake. I'm okay."

"It's a miracle. That's what everyone is saying."

"A miracle? Why would they say that?"

"Because the van was found burnt beyond recognition but you and Leon and most of the equipment was found on the beach."

Sammi sat up, instantly regretting the movement, her head throbbing with her heart beat. "What?"

"The van exploded. At least that's what they're saying happened. Number one, someone tampered with the brakes and number two, there was a strange little thing attached to the gas tank, set to go off when you guys reached 90."

Her voice shook. "A bomb?"

Jacob nodded, keeping his voice low. "Yes." He pulled a chair over to the side of her bed and grabbed her hands. "And that's not the half of it." He moved closer. "They have eyewitness reports that you and Leon were magically extracted from the van and that's how you ended up on the shore."

Thorne!

"I don't understand."

"I think you do." Jacob leaned even closer, his lips seeking her ear. "It was

him

, wasn't it?"

"I don't know, Jake. I don't remember very much."

"Did you get his name?"

"No."

"No name?"

"He wouldn't tell me."

"But you think it was him."

"Jake, I just told you that I don't remember! Honestly, you're worse than a damn psychological test."

The door opened and a grey-haired gentleman strode in, followed by the nurse. "All right, Mr. Whiting. Time to leave."

"I just got here!"

"Sorry. I have to examine the patient. You can come back later."

Sammi gave herself over to the doctor and slipped back asleep after the medical professionals left. She was tired and her head was still aching so she gave in to the sleepiness that claimed her, comfortable in the thought that uniformed guards had been posted outside her room for her safety. Though it was unspoken, everyone knew that the ‘accident' had been delivered by Mayor Chambliss.

It was several hours later when the soft, insistent touch of a set of fingertips tugged her from her sleep and she opened her eyes to the warmth of Thorne's orbs. He touched the purpled bruise on her cheek and gingerly traced her split bottom lip, tears glistening in his eyes.

"Are you okay?"

"Yes." Sammi tried to smile, wincing at the pain. "They say that I was very lucky."

"And that you were." Thorne adjusted his height, effortlessly floating above her. "Someone was following you last night and rescued you and your cameraman."

"It wasn't you?"

Thorne nodded negatively. "I woke up late or else I'd have met you at the shoot."

"Then … who could it be? Another vampire?"

Thorne's beautiful eyes narrowed. "Why would you think that?"

"No one else could have saved us from that wreck." Sammi reached up, smiling when he drifted upward, just out of her reach. "You saved us, didn't you?"

"No. I told you, it wasn't me."

Her cheerful smile died. "So what's that mean?"

"That there's another vampire out here." Thorne took a deep breath. "I'm not the ‘Crimson King'."

Sammi's breath caught in her throat as the implications of his words caught her. "Another … "

"Are you disappointed? Was that why you were with me? To do a story on the ‘Crimson King'?"

"No." Her eyes burned hotly in her bruised face. "I'm not like that."

Thorne took a deep breath. "I'm sorry." He floated down, letting his body hover just inches over hers. "I had to ask, you know?"

Sammi did know and she understood why he was asking. "It's okay."

"Sammi," His voice deepened, matching the hunger that raced through his loins. "I want to taste you again."

"Oh, Thorne." Her entire body hummed with the anticipation of his touch and she closed her eyes, moaning when his lips took hers, pressing gently and allowing his tongue to trace her wounded lips. His touch was so gentle. He pulled the sheet back and removed the hospital gown she was wearing, then lowered his mouth to one of her already-puckering nipples. She arched, her soreness suddenly insignificant as shivers of pleasure rushed to her awakening pussy.

The scent of her arousal was intoxicating and he drank in every bit. His lips moved to her neck, kissing the soft flesh, moving across her collarbones and past her raspberry nipples, heading downward, over taut ribs and quivering stomach muscles. He loved her honest responses, a catch of breath or a soft whimper, that let him know how much she was enjoying his touch and he made it his mission to extract as many out of her as he could, each sweeter than the last.

Again, the touch of his tongue was gentle, softly stealing between the damp folds of her sex in search of her hidden pearl. He found it quite easily, stroking it into attention as she fought to keep her moans and whimpers low so as not to alert the nurses. She couldn't keep from quivering, her body arching to meet every stroke of his tongue as she moved closer to a sweet orgasm.

Thorne pressed his tongue into her weeping chamber over and over, drinking in her essence and tickling her emerging clit on the upstroke. He wanted her to forget the accident and its accompanying pain. While his mouth captured her clit, curling around and stroking, he slid one thick finger into her canal. Her body arched yet again, the breath leaving her lungs in a low growl.

"Oh, God." She couldn't think; all she could do was feel. His finger moved in and out of her, joined by a second a minute later, catapulting her into the stratosphere. Her pussy clamped down on his fingers and her thick cream squeezed out, coating him and sliding down her ass crack. She rode those cum-slickened fingers to three more earth-shattering climaxes before he allowed her to breathe. "Oh, Thorne. I want to feel you inside me."

Thorne paused in licking his fingers to meet her dark eyes. "You don't know what you ask of me, Sammi."

"Why? Would you bite me then?"

"I might." He savored her taste, closing his eyes for a moment to imagine being inside her. "The bloodlust of a vampire runs perilously close to our sexual desires and I might not be able to stop myself from biting you." He bent to kiss her puffy lips. "And I could never forgive myself for that."

"What if I wanted to become a vampire?"

The blood drained from Thorne's face and his heart gave a great lurch in his chest.

Did she know what was she asking?

"I would say no."

"Is being a vampire that bad?"

"Drinking blood almost every day? Absolutely."

"But you don't drink

human

blood, do you?"

Thorne had known that this was coming. "Yes, I do." He said softly. "I never outright attack anyone. I just look for victims."

"Victims?"

"Victims of crime, car accidents … people that are already beyond hope. I've lived like this for years and have never had a problem."

"Until the ‘Crimson King'?"

"He showed up about two hundred years ago and has been creating victims. I've tried to catch him but I'm always seconds too late."

"Have you ever been close enough to recognize him?"

"Once. He had just finished feeding and I had smelled the blood and was coming in to see what was happening. He turned and looked at me, then flew off."

"How is it that there's another vampire that you don't know about?"

"We can't always sense each other. There could be still more here that I couldn't feel. Most keep themselves hidden because some vampires like to play Black Widow."

"I see." Sammi pulled the sheet over her naked body, then raised her hands, caressing Thorne's face. "Thorne, I need you to do me a favor."

"Name it."

"The young girl that I interviewed the night I met you, Mary. I need you to go check on her and make sure that she's safe." Very quickly, Sammi related the information regarding Mary Ann and the connection to the accident.

When she finished, Thorne's handsome features were taut with anger. "Why didn't you tell me about that earlier?"

"I was afraid that you'd be upset."

"Well, you guessed right. I

am

upset. Someone tried to kill you tonight. You didn't think I'd be upset?"

"I didn't think about that … "

Thorne heard the confusion laced in her words. "You didn't think I'd be upset that you almost died? What do you think we've been doing?"

Sammi was speechless. She had enjoyed their trysts but she was afraid to think that his attention was anything other than superficial. After all, there was a monumental problem between them and it wasn't something that could be fixed with therapy. "I … I'm sorry, Thorne. I guess it's hard to have a relationship with a vampire."

Thorne let the hurt flee from his heart and pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead. "I'll go check on Mary for you. You promise me that you'll rest."

"I promise."

"And Leon?"

"I promise that he'll rest, too."

"Good." Thorne smiled into her soft eyes. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Okay." She accepted his warm and encompassing embrace. "I want to make love next time." Her innards quivered as their eyes met, the communication deep and undeniable. His mouth opened to protest and she laid a gentle finger across his delectable lips. "I'll take the risk."

Thorne felt torn; torn between the chance to love this woman and the possibility that he might kill her or worse, make her a vampire like himself. Beautiful Sammi Glass didn't deserve an existence like that. Still, he knew how stubborn she was and he nodded, giving her one final kiss before floating toward the open window. "Sleep well." He whispered, knowing that she was already deep in slumber, her pussy twitching in remembrance of him.

Now, to pay a visit to Mary. He didn't know why, but he had a bad feeling about this …