Chapter 21-
by Michelle M Pillow & Mandy M Roth
Interview with
Heather Holland -
The Drigon's Fall
Mandy sat on the edge of her couch
with her head down. She blinked back the tears that tried to flow.
James touched her shoulder and she refused to look up. “Come on,
love. It’s not so bad.”
“Not so bad?” Mandy gasped. “You
show up here, drop the fact that you’re leaving into my lap, and you
say it’s not so bad. We’ve got some sort of weird vampire
friendship-bond thing going and you cut town?”
“We bonded out of a fluke. I think
we both know who your heart belongs to.”
“Armando,” Mandy said, breathlessly.
“Yep, I may think he’s a wanker, but
you seem to have taken to him. Besides, Pallo needs me to go to
Tuscany for a bit to smooth out some kinks with one of his businesses
there. I’ll imagine that I’ll be gone for a few months.”
“Why the hell can’t he go?”
James’ eyes widened. “Yeah, next
time I want my head ripped off I’ll ask him that. Besides, Caradoc’s
being sent to France and Pallo needs to stay behind and oversee Necro
World. I’ll call you as often as I can and maybe you and Michelle can
come visit me.”
There was a knock on the door and
Mandy looked at the clock. It was pushing ten and she wasn’t
expecting anyone. From the way James’ hand tightened on her leg, he
was. He patted her gently and went to the door.
“Thanks for coming,” James said,
softly.
“Where is Mandy?” She heard
Armando’s cold voice ask.
She stiffened in her seat and
prepared to have more of his harsh words thrown at her. Instead, he
followed James into her living room and stood before her. “Mandy?”
When she didn’t answer him, he
reached down and touched her cheek. “Mandy, what’s wrong?”
She looked up then, but not at
Armando. Her eyes met James’ and he winked. He’d arranged for
Armando to come. He wanted things to work out between them and the
fact that he’d risked the wrath of Armando spoke volumes. She let a
smile creep over her face. James gave her a small wave goodbye and
headed out of her apartment.
Armando glanced behind him and then
back at her, dropping to his knees before her. “What was all of that
about?” The tension in his neck and jaw said that he wanted to be
screaming, and that it was taking a good deal of restraint on his part
to avoid making a scene.
Mandy leaned forward and pressed her
lips to his. He was still for a moment before his arms wrapped around
her. The kiss said what each had been meaning to say for some time
now—I’m sorry. Her heart sped and she found Armando suddenly over her
body, laying her back across the couch.
It felt good to be this close to him
again. The scent of his cologne and taste of his cool mouth left her
moaning beneath him. She tried to unbutton his shirt, but her fingers
were shaking too much to do anything other than fumble around.
Armando let out a small, nervous
laugh and pulled back from her slightly. “I missed you too.”
The tears she’d been fighting to hold
back for the last half hour gave way. At Mandy’s insistence, Armando
peeled the shirt from his body. Her hands urgently tried to undo the
top button of his pants. He brushed her hair from her face as she
fumbled to free him from his jeans and wiped the tears from her
cheeks. “Delizia, why do you cry?”
“You’re wearing jeans,” Mandy said,
looking down at him in awe and sniffing.
Armando’s eyebrows rose. “You are
crying because I am wearing jeans? Odd.”
She gave up on trying to free the
thick press of his erection and reached up to pull his face down to
hers. “No, I’m crying because it took losing a friend for me to see
how much I love you.”
A small smile came to his lips and
his eye glowed with hot meaning. “Is this shirt a favorite of
yours?”
Mandy looked down at the T-shirt.
“No.”
Armando chuckled and, taking a long
nail, sliced open the front, freeing her large breasts to him. His
lips lowered, devouring hers in a deep kiss that left her breathless.
Small sounds of pleasure left her lips as his mouth moved down her
neck. She didn’t even flinch as his parted lips strayed over her
racing pulse.
“Argh,” he growled softly and she
knew he forced himself to move on. A small smile glanced over her
lips as she felt his self-control.
His kisses trailed over her heated
flesh, across her collarbone, to one sensitive breast. Flicking his
tongue across her nipple, Armando sucked the bud into his mouth. He
toyed with it gently, bringing more and more pleasure to her.
“Armando!” Mandy cried out in
pleasure, her panties dampening with desire for him. It had been too
long since he’d held her like this and she’d missed him so much.
Her hands became frantic, eagerly
stripping him from the remainder of his clothes. Her eyes devoured
his naked body as he stood beside the couch. He was pale and
beautiful and so very perfect. His long, thick erection stood waiting
for her. She knew how velvety smooth it was from memory and that
alone was enough to almost bring her. She wanted him desperately,
wanted him to fulfill the ache that had bore a hollow in her chest.
“I love you,” she whispered, not
feeling as if she could say it enough. Her eyes screamed for
forgiveness for all the issues that had been between them.
“And I you,” he said, leaning over to
remove her jeans with great care, worshipping her body with tender
caresses and bold kisses.
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READ THE REST OF THIS SEXY SCENE, & TO READ THE Interview with
Heather Holland
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