Dalakis Passion 1 Harker's Journey Page 4

  possible. You're Mr. Dalakis, but you're also Cris. My Cris."

  "Yes. Surely you knew by now that you weren't dreaming all those years."

  "Well, yes, but this is different. You've only ever come to me in dreams. I came to

  Transylvania on a business trip and to fulfill my dream of seeing this country. I never

  expected you to actually appear in myreal life." Johanna frowned at him, shaking her

  head in denial. "Who are you, really?"

  "I am Cristofor Dalakis and it is I who have brought you here." He saw the exact

  moment that she began to see all the possible implications of the situation. Her dreams

  and reality had collided and there were many truths she now had to face.

  Her face was pale, but calm as she straightened her shoulders and met his gaze.

  Clutching her hands in her lap, she held them so tightly that her knuckles turned white.

  "What are you?"

  "I am the same man who has come to you all these years." Standing, he began to pace

  the room, trying to give her some space, and at the same time find the words to make her

  understand. "I am of the family Dalakis. We have always been different."

  "Different!" she exclaimed. "You've been in my dreams for years." She swallowed hard

  and her face paled even further before a blush began to creep up her cheeks. "We've had

  mind-numbing, heart-pounding, raw sex over and over in my dreams." Her voice lowered

  until it was barely a whisper. "Was it real?"

  "Don't lie to yourself. You knew it was." He refused to soften the blow. "All of it was

  real. You are mine and I am yours. As it has always been." Coming to a stop at the end of

  the sofa, he loomed menacingly over her. "Ask the question you really want answered."

  Scrambling off the sofa, she stood her ground and glared at him. "In my dreams, you're

  not human. But vampires don't really exist."

  "Are you sure?" he taunted her.

  Johanna took one step backwards. "Are you a vampire?"

  "You know I am." As he was finished speaking, Johanna started to bolt, but he reached

  out and grabbed her wrist, whirling her around to face him.

  Her fear of him made him unreasonably angry. "Why do you run from me? I have had

  years to hurt you if that was my intention." His voice was soft, but she heard the

  underlying anger and flinched.

  He released her and she backed slowly towards the door. "I'm not sure I'm ready for

  this." Her hand went to protectively to her neck. "It's not that you tricked me, but maybe

  I've deluded myself into believing that you were just a harmless fantasy."

  Cris stalked towards her, not stopping until her back was pressed hard against the door.

  He loomed over her much smaller frame and ignored the hand she held out to ward him

  off. "You are fascinated by the idea and the lure of the vampire, but not the reality even

  though I have never harmed you." Wrapping one hand around her neck, he tilted her chin

  up as he slowly lowered his lips to hers. "Although at the moment, I am reconsidering my

  options."

  Her eyes widened as he held her immobile with his gaze, and she did not fight him as his

  lips brushed hers. His tongue swept inside her mouth to claim what was already his.

  For a moment, she did not move at all, but within seconds, he could feel her whole body

  softening towards him as her body remembered all the pleasure they had shared. Closing

  his eyes, he savored the taste of her and moaned when her tongue tentatively touched his.

  While he explored her mouth, his fingers slowly undid the buttons of her jacket. Pushing

  the lapels back, he placed his hands on her waist, enjoying the way she arched her back

  and pushed her chest towards him.

  Her nipples were hard little buds stabbing against his chest, driving him mad with desire

  for her. Unable to resist her allure, he swept his hands upward until they were covering

  her breasts. The lush mounds filled his hands perfectly, as he caressed them through the

  silk of her blouse.

  As he nipped a path down her neck, he opened her blouse one button at a time. He could

  feel the heat of her skin on the backs of his fingers, and a rush of pleasure filled him.

  Expertly, he flicked the front clasp of her bra open and pushed the lacy cups out of his

  way until she was totally exposed to him.

  Bending, he captured one of her nipples between his teeth. He rolled the tasty morsel

  around in his mouth, teasing it with his tongue, her hot flesh tempting him to take a bite.

  Growling, he gripped her waist tighter as he feasted on her breasts. He could smell her

  arousal now and he inhaled deeply, allowing her fragrance to fill his nostrils. Her warm,

  musky scent enthralled him.

  His cock was hard and throbbing, and every instinct he possessed was urging him to rip

  off the rest of her clothes and take her now. She was his. Pulling back from her luscious

  breasts, he grabbed her hips and ground her soft feminine mound against his cock. He

  could feel her heat through the layers of their clothing and knew that she wanted him.

  Her tight skirt kept him from pushing her legs wide open, so he reached down and

  yanked it upwards. Thrusting his hand between her legs, he fingered her pussy through

  her panties. She was so wet. So ready for him.

  Sliding his fingers under the edge, he pushed the material away. He closed his eyes and

  savored the feel of her soft, downy pubic hair. Sifting his fingers through it, he slipped

  them between her legs, stoking the moist flesh of her sex. Not stopping, he dipped two of

  his fingers into her pussy. Johanna moaned and pushed her hips towards him. His cock

  strained against the front of his pants, wanting to be buried in her hot depths. Cris pushed

  his fingers deep inside her cunt, enjoying the way her inner muscles squeezed them.

  Using his thumb, he flicked at her clit. Johanna responded immediately, circling her hips

  and driving his fingers deeper.

  Anticipation grew in him as he envisioned taking her here in his study with her back

  against the wall. He'd strip her clothing from her a piece at a time and pound into her hot,

  wet flesh until she was begging him for release. Cris felt his whole body tighten in

  anticipation.

  Everything was perfect. Until she spoke.

  "What are you doing to me?" The accusation in her voice as she turned her head away

  from him nearly shattered him.

  It took every ounce of discipline he had to pull his hands from her aroused body. He

  brought his fingers to her mouth and stroked them against her lips, knowing she could

  taste her own juices. There was no denying that she wanted him.

  "I am doing nothing to you. If anything, it is you who are tormenting me." The air in the

  room was electric now, his anger and lust a living thing waiting to explode.

  He clasped her face in his hands, forcing her to face him. "For years, I have had to be

  content with stolen moments with you." His grip on her tightened and for a moment the

  temptation to just fuck her against the door taunted him. He could still smell her arousal

  on his fingers.

  Clamping down hard on his primordial lust, he took a step away from her, but kept her

  pinned to the door with his fierce glare. "You have tormented me every night in my

  dreams." He stalked away from her, afraid that if he didn't, he might shake her.

  Like some wary animal, she never
took her eyes off of him as she shoved her skirt down,

  pulled her blouse closed and crossed her arms protectively over her chest. That she felt

  the need to hide herself from him enraged Cris. "I have waited endlessly for you to come

  to me and now that you finally have you are full of accusations and fear."

  He forced himself to take a deep breath and center himself. A feeling of defeat swept

  over him. If she truly did not want him, he could not, would not, make her stay. He had to

  let her go quickly, for if he did not, the beast inside him would claim her regardless of

  what she wanted. Then she would hate him forever, and he would rather face the killing

  midday sun than face her hatred.

  Determined, he strode past her, ignoring the fearful look in her eyes as he grew closer.

  Grabbing the briefcase from the floor by the sofa, he stalked to his desk. Opening it, he

  pulled out the folder with his name on it, withdrew the papers, scanned them, and signed

  them. Stuffing them back into her case, he returned to her and hooked the bag back over

  her shoulder.

  He stared at her for one long moment, imprinting her image on his soul, knowing he

  would not see her again.Keeping his hands fisted at his sides to prevent himself from

  grabbing her and locking her away in a tower, he felt what was left of his soul begin to

  shrivel. He knew his eyes were glowing red now as the familiar longing to possess her

  raced through his blood. The full moon was rising. He could feel it, and longed for the

  nights gone by that they had spent together in its welcoming glow.

  Gathering all his strength, he turned on her and smiled cruelly, flashing his elongated

  teeth. Gripping the door handles behind her, he flung the doors wide open. "Go," he

  commanded her.

  She hesitated for a moment and he felt his resolve falter. "Go." His shout echoed down

  the empty stone corridor.

  This time she didn't hesitate. This time she ran as fast as she could on her broken shoes

  and didn't look back. He closed his eyes and felt the pain move inside him as, with her,

  she also took his heart.

  Chapter Five

  Johanna tore through the front door as if the hounds of hell were after her. A cold gust of

  wind rushed over her as she raced through the utter blackness of the night. Dark, ominous

  clouds now obscured the moon, which had been so bright moments ago. She didn't look

  back as she skidded and slipped along the gravel path, her heart pounding and breathing

  labored.

  Her body still ached with unfulfilled passion as she ran. She could hardly believe what

  had just happened to her. Vampire. For all her fascination, reading, and encounters with

  Cris in her dreams, the logical side of her brain had always told her that it was

  impossible. Vampires didn't exist, except maybe in dreams.

  The hidden, wilder side of her nature, the part that craved the visits of her dream lover,

  had always believed in the possibility. But believing that it might be true and coming

  face-to-face with the fact were two different things. In the firelight, she could still se his

  fangs gleaming bright and his eyes glowing an eerie red.

  Johanna had always kept the untamed part of herself tucked away, confined to the dark

  of the night. Most people knew her as sensible and career minded. No one knew the real

  her.

  No one but Cris.

  The night air around her seemed to still for a moment. Then the unnatural silence was

  filled with a roar of utter anguish. Deep in her soul, she knew it was him. Her legs slowed

  their frantic pace until she finally came to a complete stop in the middle of the road.

  Opening her mind to him, she was suddenly filled with such despair that her legs

  crumpled beneath her, and she fell to her knees. Pain. There was nothing but pain,

  longing and suffering. Wrapping her arms around her stomach, she rocked back and forth

  in the dirt, keening softly.

  For the first time, she truly understood the suffering he had endured by choosing to wait

  for her. Everything was suddenly becoming crystal clear. He had given her time to forge

  her own path in life. Time to grow and experience life before offering her a choice. It was

  due to his patience that she'd had the opportunity to grow into the intelligent,

  independent woman that she was. Even now, he thought only of her and released her at

  the peril of his very soul.

  Tears tracked down her cheeks as she was forced to face her own fears and selfishness.

  He had given her so much over the years and she had turned her back and run from him,

  treating him like some monster, when confronted with the reality of him.

  Johanna was ashamed of herself. It was time to stop acting like some overwrought

  heroine from a Victorian novel, and be the strong, mature woman that she really was.

  This was the man she'd known and trusted for years, the man who, years earlier, had

  saved her life, the man she'd secretly loved for twelve years. But instead of embracing

  him and accepting him, she had feared him, scorned him, and run from him like a

  frightened child.

  Another roar filled the darkened sky and suddenly she was back on her feet, running

  once again. Only this time, it was back towards the castle. Back to him.

  A flash of something caught the corner of her eye, and she looked towards the woods.

  Something was running in there, keeping pace with her. She tried to run faster, but her

  lungs were burning and her stomach cramping from exertion.

  The shadowy figure leapt onto the road in front of her, and the dark shape of a wolf took

  form. It was large and muscular, it's silver-gray coat shining in the moonlight as it

  blocked her path. Skidding to a halt, she froze as the animal bared its long, sharp teeth

  and growled. Eyes glowing, it stood in the center of the road staring at her.

  Johanna whirled around, looking for an avenue of escape, but she came face-to-face with

  another large silver-gray wolf blocking the road behind her. This one looked slightly

  bigger than the other and had a silver patch on its chest. It too stared at her, but instead of

  growling, it was silent and still, but watchful.

  They were both beautiful in a deadly way, with their powerful bodies, and intelligent

  eyes. Slowly, they began to circle her, readying themselves for attack. In that moment,

  Johanna knew that she was going to die.

  Gripping her leather briefcase with both hands, she turned in a circle with them,

  watching their every step. She waited for them to make their move, prepared to swing the

  briefcase when they attacked. It wasn't much of a weapon, but it was all she had, and she

  wouldn't go down without a fight.

  Mentally, she opened her mind and called to Cris, screaming that she was sorry for how

  she had reacted to him and that she would have returned to him if she'd only had the

  chance. She didn't want to die without trying to tell him how much he meant to her.

  The first wolf sprang suddenly and Johanna swung the bag hard, hitting it in the head.

  With a yelp, it landed on all fours a few feet away from her, and scrambled to regain its

  composure. The large wolf canted its head and looked almost quizzical, as if it couldn't

  believe that she'd actually hit it. Tilting back its head, it howled. The sound was long and

  soulful and made her unbearably sad.
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  It howled once again before swinging its gaze back to her. "Great," she muttered as she

  braced herself for the next attack. "All that did was piss you off even more."

  Her fingers tightened on the bag and she found herself praying as she waited for the

  wolves to spring. The larger of the two launched itself towards her, but never reached her.

  A blur flashed in front of her, and then the wolf was flying through the air and crashing

  into the bushes.

  Another wolf had joined them. This one was just as big as the other two, but heavier and

  more muscled. Its silver coat was thick and Johanna was filled with the desire to run her

  fingers through it just to see if it was as soft as it looked.

  Now she knew she was losing it. She had bigger concerns that what the wolf's fur felt

  like. Staying alive was at the top of that list. While two of the wolves were distracted, she

  started to edge towards the woods. She didn't think that wolves could climb trees, so if

  she could just get close enough, she might be able to take refuge in one of the large trees

  that filled the forest.

  The third wolf planted itself between her and the possible safety of the woods. Its tongue

  lolled out of its mouth and if Johanna hadn't known better, she would have sworn it was

  laughing at her. A growl startled her from behind and she swung around, swinging the

  bag as she turned. The momentum turned her in a complete circle and she struggled to

  maintain her balance.

  All three wolves were sitting in front of her, watching her every move. The stronger of