Cooper's Passion: Scanguards Hybrids #5 (Scanguards Vampires Book 17), page 17
“See what you’re doing to me?”
His voice sounded different now, much gruffer, but she wasn’t afraid of him or of the ferocity with which he took her. On the contrary. She loved feeling the untamed beast in him, the vampire who was all powerful. She loved how he thrust deep and hard, how he gripped her hips with his hands, so she couldn’t escape.
She managed to lift her head just long enough to answer him, “I love it when you lose control.”
“Goddamn it, Anita!” he cried out, and pulled out of her.
Before she could protest, he rolled her on her back, pushed her thighs apart, and plunged back into her. Breathing hard, she wrapped her legs around him, and put her hands on his ass to force him deeper into her.
Cooper slowed his thrusts and brought his face to hers. “I will never get enough of you.”
He didn’t give her a chance to reply and kissed her. His fangs were gone, but his kiss wasn’t any less tantalizing. Combined with his relentless thrusts into her drenched pussy, he showed her the desire he felt for her. When he shifted his angle slightly, she felt the approach of her orgasm. She tensed, and a moment later, her entire body seemed to float on an ocean of bliss. She moaned into Cooper’s mouth and felt his cock spasm inside her. The warm spray of his semen that followed only intensified her pleasure.
Cooper severed the kiss and braced himself on his elbows and knees. He brushed a few strands of her hair from her face. She looked into his eyes, eyes that were still shimmering golden.
“I’m sorry I was so rough with you.”
“Don’t be. I loved it. I’ve never felt anything so intense,” she said almost breathlessly.
“That makes me very happy.”
Cooper smiled at her, and the dimples in his cheeks made him look young and innocent, the polar opposite of what he looked like in his vampire form. She lifted her hand to his face and traced it with her fingers, marveling at his flawless skin, his perfect bone structure, his masculine beauty.
“I could get used to this,” she confessed.
“You’d better.” He smirked and moved his hips back a couple of inches, before sliding back into her, making her realize that he was still hard and ready for more. “’Cause you’re not leaving this bed anytime soon.”
“Promise?”
“Promise.”
29
It was well past noon, when Cooper walked next to Anita toward the kitchen in Wesley’s house, showered and dressed, a bottle of blood in his hand. He was fully healed, and he had no scars from the two bullet wounds. In fact, he’d never felt better in his life. Anita had accepted him for what he was, and had shown no fear of his vampire side. On the contrary, she’d been curious and explored him without hesitation. It wouldn’t take long until she would allow him to bite her, making their lovemaking even more perfect than it already was.
He’d answered many of the questions she’d had about vampires, explained a vampire’s capacity to heal a human with his saliva and his blood, and confessed that his baby cousin Jacob had indeed bitten her with his tiny fangs. He’d also explained that as a vampire hybrid he could be outside in the sun, whereas the sun would kill his pure-blooded vampire parents if they were to brave it. The relief he felt at being able to tell her the truth about himself and his family and friends, was freeing, and it had brought them closer, not just physically, but emotionally too.
“Smells like somebody’s making lunch,” Cooper said with a glance at Anita, before he pushed the door open, and they entered the kitchen.
Wesley was cooking, and Virginia was setting out plates. Both turned their heads.
“Hey, guys,” Cooper greeted them and motioned to Wesley at the stove. “Are you making enough for all of us?”
“Good morning,” Anita said, addressing Wes and Virginia.
“Morning,” both of them replied.
Wesley added, “Yeah, I made plenty. You guys hungry?”
“Famished. Virginia, let me help you with setting the table.” Cooper placed the bottle of blood on the counter.
Virginia looked up. “Here—” She stopped herself and sucked in a breath of air. Her gaze shot from the bottle of blood to him, and then to Anita.
Wes turned at the same time.
“It’s okay,” Cooper said quickly, pointing to the bottle. “Anita knows.”
“I found out last night,” Anita added.
Wes put a hand on his wife’s arm. “Sorry, Babe, totally forgot to mention this. Cooper got shot last night. By Anita.” He smirked.
“How do you know about that?” Cooper asked.
“Haven called me, of course. Everybody knows about it.”
“Everybody but me,” Virginia said.
Wes pressed a kiss to her cheek. “You were busy at the council, and when you got back, we had something better to do than talk…” He winked at Virginia.
Virginia rolled her eyes, then looked at Anita. “You shot Cooper? What did he do?”
While Anita filled Virginia in on what had happened the previous night, Cooper set the kitchen table for four people, and Wesley put finishing touches on the stew and the potatoes. Cooper opened the bottle of blood and gulped it down.
Wes pointed to the empty bottle. “You sure you wanna eat with us after this?”
“Trust me, I could eat a cow right now.” He looked over his shoulder to Anita, who was still talking to Virginia, before he looked back at Wesley and dropped his voice. “Some women can really take it out of a guy.”
His uncle chuckled. “Like you would have it any other way.”
Cooper smiled to himself, and his gaze drifted to Anita. No, he wouldn’t change anything about Anita and their relationship. She was absolutely perfect for him.
“You’ve got it bad,” Wes whispered.
“I know.”
“Let’s eat!” Wes announced and set the pot of stew in the middle of the table, while Cooper placed the bowl of roasted potatoes next to it.
Everybody helped themselves to the food and dug in. Cooper was happy to see that Anita didn’t just pick at her food, but ate with gusto. She, too, had burned a lot of calories the night before, and they’d both barely gotten any sleep. Holding her in his arms all night and into the morning, had put him in a constant state of arousal, one he could only relieve by making love to her again and again. It was a wonder that she wasn’t complaining that she was sore after he’d relentlessly thrust his cock into her. Instead, she’d welcomed him even when she was half asleep.
Wesley pulled him out of his reverie. “I heard you guys got a sketch of the suspect. So, a serial killer, huh?”
Cooper nodded. “Yeah, we know what he looks like, and thanks to Anita, we know his modus operandi.” He kissed Anita on the cheek.
She swallowed her food and looked at him. “Which reminds me: we should set a trap for him. With me as bait.”
Cooper nearly choked on the piece of meat he was chewing. “Excuse me?”
Anita set down her fork. “You promised if I could defeat you, you’d let me do this.”
He remembered only too well how she’d defeated him: by caressing his cock. But he also remembered what he’d promised her. “It’s too dangerous. Now that you know the killer is a vampire, I thought you’d changed your mind about wanting to be bait.”
Anita shook her head. “Now it’s even more important that he’s caught. Just think of all the women he’s killed. How many more will he take? And they have no way of fighting him. But you do. You and your friends—only another vampire can defeat him. And we have to catch him here, in San Francisco, before he moves on.”
“She’s got a point,” Wes said with a shrug.
“Thanks for your support,” Cooper said dryly. “You could have backed me up.”
“Coop, you’ve gotta know when to fold.” He cast a sideways look at Anita. “As a Montgomery, you should know by now that the women we pick don’t cave easily.”
Anita smirked and put a hand on Cooper’s arm. “Your uncle is right.”
“She’s a trained law enforcement officer, Cooper,” Virginia added. “Besides, she didn’t fall apart when she found out you’re a vampire. She’s stronger than you think. She can handle this.”
“Et tu, Virginia?” Cooper shook his head, but he knew he’d already lost this argument. He took a deep breath and clasped Anita’s hand. “All right, we’ll work on setting a trap with you as bait.” And he hoped he wouldn’t regret that decision.
The doorbell rang. Wesley looked at his wife. “Are we expecting anybody?”
“I’m not,” Virginia replied. “If it were somebody from the council, they would use the portal not the door.”
Wesley rose. “I’ll check.” He left the room.
“What’s a portal?” Anita asked, her gaze directed at Virginia.
Virginia hesitated. “Uhm…”
“Oh,” Anita said quickly. “If it’s a secret to do with you being a Stealth Guardian, you don’t have to tell me. I didn’t mean to be nosy. There’s just so much that’s new for me.”
“It’s all right, Anita,” Virginia said with a smile. “It’s just there are still a few things we need to keep to ourselves until…”
Cooper caught Virginia glancing at him and knew what she was referring to. If and when Anita truly became a part of their family by blood-bonding with him, there would be no more secrets.
He was saved from giving Anita an explanation, when the door opened, and Wesley entered followed by a tall Hispanic man in his late fifties or early sixties, dressed in casual clothes. His cowboy boots made a loud clacking sound on the hardwood floor.
Anita jumped up from her chair, staring wide-eyed at the newcomer.
“Dad?”
30
“Dad!” Her heart beating like a jackhammer, Anita stared at her father in disbelief. “What are you doing here? How did you even find me?”
“Your cellphone GPS,” he said in a clipped tone. “But that’s not important right now. Is this Cooper Montgomery?”
Cooper had already jumped up from his chair. He extended his hand toward her father. “Yes, I’m Cooper Montgomery. Nice to meet you, Sheriff Diaz.”
He ignored the offered hand, and instead, glared at Cooper. “I wish I could say the same thing, but you, Mr. Montgomery, are a liar.”
“Excuse me?” Cooper asked, his voice colored in stunned disbelief.
“I don’t know what kind of scam you’re running here, and what you’re trying to do with my daughter, but you’re not a police officer like you claimed.”
“Uh…”
But Sheriff Diaz cut him off with an impatient wave of his hand. “And don’t try to deny it. I called SFPD, and you’re not working for them!”
“Dad! Stop it,” Anita interrupted.
He turned his gaze on her. “You, young lady, are coming with me. I’m not leaving you here with a con artist who’s trying to reel you in with lies.”
“Sir,” Cooper started. “I can clear this up.”
“Oh, I’m sure you can. I’m sure you’ve got plenty of lies lined up. But I’m not as naïve as my daughter.”
“I’m not naïve!” Anita ground out. “And Cooper isn’t a con artist! He’s an investigator.”
“Didn’t you hear what I just said?” Sheriff Diaz asked, his jaw tight. “I called SFPD. He doesn’t work for them!”
“I never said I did,” Cooper interjected. “I said I worked with the SFPD not for them.”
Her father huffed. “Bullshit!” He made another step closer to Cooper, going almost nose to nose with him. “What the fuck do you want from my daughter, huh? What game are you playing? You’re pretending to believe in her crazy serial killer theory to do what? Use her? What’s your endgame?”
Anita noticed how the cords in her father’s neck bulged, and his face turned red, while Cooper looked like he was trying to restrain himself from lashing out at him.
“First of all,” Cooper said, inhaling a deep breath, “it’s not a crazy theory. We have a serial killer on the loose. And secondly, I’ve been working with your daughter to find him. I didn’t lie to you or to Anita about what I do. And the chief of police will be able to confirm that what I’m telling you is the truth.”
“Right!” He thrust his chin up. “Next you’re gonna make a phone call to one of your cronies and pretend he’s the chief of police. Nice try!”
“Goddamn it, Dad! How can you be so stubborn? I spoke to the chief of police myself to verify Cooper’s identity.”
He cast her a sideways look. “Don’t mind if I verify that myself. You haven’t exactly shown the best judgment lately.”
Anita gasped.
“Sir, I’d suggest you stop insulting your daughter,” Cooper said tightly.
“How about we all relax a little?” Wesley asked. “Would you like some lunch, Sheriff?”
He turned his head to look at Wesley. “And you are?”
“Wesley Montgomery…”
“His brother?”
“His uncle.” He pointed to Virginia. “And that’s my wife, Virginia.”
Anita could firmly see the wheels in her father’s head spin as he looked at Wesley and Virginia who looked almost as young as Cooper.
“Hmm,” he grunted.
Virginia spoke for the first time. “Coop, why don’t you take Sheriff Diaz to see Chief Donnelly at the police station?”
Anita nodded at Virginia. “I think that’s an excellent idea. That’s the only way to get past his boneheaded, stubborn—”
“I heard that!” her father proclaimed loudly.
She shot him an annoyed look. “You were supposed to!”
“Now I can see from whom you get your doggedness,” Cooper said with a smirk, before he looked back at her father. “I’ll call the chief to let him know that we’re coming to see him.”
Shaking her head at her father, Anita walked toward the door. “I’ll get my jacket and handbag from upstairs.”
She pushed the door open and walked into the hallway. Her father followed.
“You’re staying here?”
“Yes, if you must know.”
But she wasn’t going to tell him about her misfortune with the Airbnb, or he would only use that as another example that she was gullible or naïve. It was bad enough that he had accused Cooper of being a conman, when Cooper had been the first to believe in her and support her in her theory—a theory that had turned out to be correct.
“Anita, I’m just looking out for you,” her father said as he walked up the stairs next to her. “I was worried about you, so I tried to call Mr. Montgomery to ask him how you’re doing, and then found out that he’d lied to me about who he is.”
Anita snapped her head toward him. “He didn’t lie to you. He’s a private investigator the police hires for…uhm…” She couldn’t very well tell him vampires existed. “…difficult cases.”
She marched toward Cooper’s room, where she’d left her things.
“Well, what was I supposed to think, huh? Put yourself into my shoes.”
Anita entered the room and glanced at the unmade bed. There was no evidence that she’d not been the only one sleeping there. Cooper had tossed his dirty clothes into a hamper in the bathroom, and the closet that held his clothes was closed. Before she’d taken a shower this morning, she’d brought her suitcase and anything she’d unpacked into Cooper’s room, leaving the other guestroom as pristine as it had been before.
She snatched her handbag and her jacket and turned on her heel, when she noticed that her father looked around the room as if it was a crime scene.
“It’s a nice place, this house.”
Surprised at his complimentary assessment, she nodded. “It is.”
“Why are you staying here? Didn’t you book a hotel?”
There it was, the question she’d been dreading, so she decided to lie. “Only for the first week. But when I identified Janet’s body and Cooper asked me to work with him on this case, I decided to stay longer. But the place I’d stayed was booked solid.” Which wasn’t exactly a lie. “So he offered me a place to stay.”
“Hmm.”
“Sort of for compensating me for my help. Hotels are expensive here.” She thrust her chin up.
“Still odd that he would offer you a place with his relatives.”
Her father was fishing, but she wasn’t going to volunteer more information. If he wanted to know why Cooper had really offered her a place to stay, then he’d have to find the courage to ask her directly.
“Shall we go?” she prompted and left the room.
“Looks like your future father-in-law is quite stubborn,” Wes said grinning.
Cooper didn’t even make an effort to dispute Wesley’s assumption that he wanted to make Anita his. The fact that he hadn’t wiped her memory when she’d discovered that he was a vampire, made it clear to everybody that his intentions were serious.
“Can’t choose family,” Cooper said instead.
“Don’t worry,” Virginia interjected. “He’ll change his tune once you have Donnelly vouch for you.”
“I’d better call him quickly.” Cooper navigated to Mike Donnelly’s number. “Thanks for lunch, guys.” When Donnelly picked up, Cooper filled him in on what he needed to know, including the fact that Anita knew of the existence of vampires, but that it had to be kept a secret from her father.
Half an hour later, an assistant ushered him, Anita, and Sheriff Diaz into the chief of police’s office in the Hall of Justice on Bryant Street. Donnelly greeted them, and Cooper could instantly see that Sheriff Diaz was relaxing when Donnelly shook his hand.
“Cooper tells me you’re the Sheriff of Elko County,” Donnelly said.
Diaz nodded. “And I was a little worried when I couldn’t verify who Mr. Montgomery really is.”
“Well, let me assure you, he’s indeed working with the SFPD. In fact, he’s leading the investigation into the serial killer who’s currently roaming San Francisco.”
