Free When It Comes (Vampire Assassin League Book 31) by Jackie Ivie Page A

helped him transport it, first to the car trunk, and then into his condo. Mitch had given the cabbie such a great tip the guy had written his private number on a card to call should another ride be needed. Mitch’s freezer was now full of red meat, mostly steaks. It was nonsensical. He wasn’t even partial to beef.
    That batch of nonsense was followed by an attempt to fix dinner.
    None of his recipes looked appetizing. He’d tried cooking up Black Pepper Beef and Cabbage Stir Fry. Discarded that idea. His next option was Sinigana na Baka, a beef and vegetable soup. The next effort was Mongolian Beef . Mitch ditched them all for the same reason – one completely foreign to him. The dishes contained vegetables and they sounded horrid. He’d settled on Beef Yakitori, a dish featuring grilled skewered beef.
    The meat hadn’t made it to the fire before Mitch had devoured it.
    The senselessness continued well into the night.
    Mitch regarded the ceiling of his bedroom as if it held the answers. That was a misnomer. He actually watched the spot because that’s where Adelaide had appeared, and, despite everything, his body wouldn’t let him forget it. The feeling was sort of like when he’d been in a canoe once out on the water during a storm, his body tensing for an imminent lightning strike. Goose bumps lifted along his skin. His mind flashed with sexual images. Addie’s eyes. Her lips. Her fantastic body...
    “Adelaide!”
    He whispered the name. Nothing happened. She wasn’t just haunting him anymore. This was damn near psychic possession. And it was the most amazing sensation he’d ever felt. He was in the throes of something enormous. Uncontrollable. Impossible to fight. His dick was a major problem. It was at full mast and complete ache. Everything else on his body suffered the same constant state of arousal, pulsing in waves that carried alertness. Energy. And heat. So much heat, he’d tossed off the covers. And then even shed his boxers.
    He’d never felt anything like this. He’d have denied this level of yearning existed if he wasn’t fully immersed in the experience. He desired her – that was a given. He wanted her, which was another no-brainer. But this went beyond physical craving. It was an actual need, and it was massive enough that it cancelled out the level of shit occurring in his life. Nothing mattered – his near-insubordination at the station, his newly-acquired abilities, appetite for blood-rare meat, sore spots in his neck...not even the theft of his motorcycle.
    There was only one thing that mattered.
    Adelaide.
    Mitch closed his eyes. Her image immediately loomed before him. Her eyes...so deep and mysterious. Her skin, so smooth and silky. Her body...
    Sweet mercy!
    Her body was the epitome of womanliness. Firm and welcoming. Passionate. Wet. Wild.
    Mitch groaned and smacked the bed at his sides. That was stupid. He’d forgotten his new powers. The mattress bounced several times before resettling. The bedstead creaked as if in warning. Maybe he should just get up. Pull on his exercise pants. Push his living room rug to one side. Do some cardio. Seeking rest was becoming an annoyance. He wasn’t any nearer fudoshin than when he’d first gone to bed. That was hard to believe. He’d been able to reach that harmonious state since childhood. Easily. Maybe he just needed to try harder.
    He started with regulating his breathing. Mitch eased out a pent breath. Counted to ten before inhaling. Held it for a count of twenty before exhaling. Counted to ten. Inhaled. Held that air in his lungs for a count of twenty. Exhaled. Did it again.
    And then lost count.
    Damn it.
    He tried to focus on his heart rate next, but couldn’t find a rhythm. Thumping sounds reverberated through his consciousness. They seemed to be all over the place. Like a toddler had just been given a drum set and was working it over. With amplification. Mitch was flirting with a headache before he gave up on modulating his heart