My heart thundered, my pulse wild and dizzy.
“Shai…” I whispered, breathless. “What are you?”
IV
“Shai… what’s going on?” I finally dared to ask.
He set me down gently, and the moment his hands left my body, I already missed their warmth. Instinctively, I took a step closer, craving that heat again, that contact that made my skin tremble. Then he reached for the base of the pumpkin, lifting it from beneath and sliding it off his head.
What I saw beneath it struck me like lightning.
It washim, my recent crush from a book! The very same one whose image I had burned into my mind through endless rereads and daydreams. His blond hair gleamed in the candlelight, his red eyes glowed with impossible heat, and his lips curved into a smile that revealed sharp fangs and those irresistible dimples that made my heart twist in my chest.
I froze, my breath catching. My mouth opened in disbelief just as he reached for me, his thumb brushing under my chin,his fingers curling softly around my neck. The warmth of his palm against my skin sent shivers down my spine. He traced my lips with his fingertip, slow and teasing, until I let out a soft moan that surprised even me, it was a sound of pure desire and disbelief tangled altogether.
I blinked over and over, trying to make sense of it, but there was no doubt,he was real.The fantasy had stepped out of the page and was now standing inches from me, breathing, touching, devouring me with his gaze.
“You made such a sweet sound just now, kitten,” he murmured, voice low and dark. “I want to hear it again.”
His grip tightened slightly around my neck, just enough to make me gasp. Then his mouth crashed against mine. His bite was possessive, hungry. My moan broke free instantly, raw and trembling, as sparks of pleasure raced through my body. My clit pulsed wildly, demanding his attention not just on my lips, but on the ones lower, aching for him to kiss them too.
Shai pressed me closer, his bodyhardand burning against mine. I felt the outline of his cock through his leather pants, thick and unyielding, and my hips arched instinctively toward him. The heat between us built so fast it made my head spin, my skin feverish and alive.
It felt like I’d been waiting for this—waiting forhim—my entire boring, predictable life. Every lonely night, every fantasy I’d ever buried suddenly made sense in this one impossible, blazing moment. It was too surreal, too good, like a long-forgotten dream made flesh.
I couldn’t help it, I laughed breathlessly, half-delirious with lust and disbelief.
“Checkmate, Mom!” I said between gasps. “You always said I’d never meet anyone if I didn’t go on shitty Tinder dates! That no stranger would just show up at my door and fall for me onsight! Well, guess what? HA! It happened! It actually happened! Checkmate, atheists!”
Shai’s deep, rumbling laugh joined mine, and the sound of it that was so dark, amused, and impossibly sinful, only made me fall harder into whatever this strange, thrilling night was turning into.
What woman wouldn’t be happy to see her favorite character come to life, standing before her in the flesh, kissing her under the glow of Halloween candles in a treehouse filled with the scent of cinnamon, pumpkin spice latte, and apples?
Wait a minute… coffee? My favorite drink this season?
Shai smiled against my lips and pulled back, his forked tongue slipping out with a teasing lick. Up close, I noticed a few piercings glinting on each side, and the thought hit me,damn, how incredible that tongue would feel inside me, or on my most sensitive spot.He licked his lips and exhaled softly, as though one kiss wasn’t enough to sate him. And as for me… what had just happened wasn’t nearly enough either. My body and mind ached for more; the hunger only grew sharper, more insistent.
As my gaze drifted around, I finally noticed how enchanting the treehouse was. It looked like something from a dream. Soft candlelight flickered along the wooden walls, casting shadows shaped like leaves and wings. Tiny pumpkins lined the windowsills, their carved eyes glowing in hues of amber and gold. The scent of cinnamon and roasted apples wrapped around everything like a spell. In one corner, strings of lights shaped like red demons shimmered faintly, their glow reflecting on the polished wood floor, giving the whole place a cozy yet mystical air.
Shai stepped toward the small coffee table at the center of the room, his bare feet sinking into a black rug that looked like fur — something soft, luxurious, almost alive. He had already kicked off his heavy boots, and for a moment, the sight of himmoving barefoot in the candlelight sent a strange thrill through me. The space was small but intimate,perfect for two.
He took two large cups from the table, both filled to the brim with rich foam. Tiny pumpkins were drawn on top, dusted with a golden mix of cinnamon and nutmeg. The aroma filled the air, thick and sweet, and I closed my eyes in bliss as I took a sip. It was the best coffee I’d ever tasted. I let out a soft moan of pleasure before I could stop myself.
Shai’s eyes gleamed. He leaned in again, catching the foam from my lips with his tongue. His kiss deepened, hungrier this time, almost desperate, as he bit gently at my upper lip with his fangs. There was something wild and consuming about it, like he couldn’t get enough of me, or maybe like I couldn’t get enough of him. Each kiss left me breathless, craving more, until the air itself felt charged, too thick to breathe, too sweet to stop.
I began to take off his leather jacket, sliding it slowly down his muscular arms and touching them greedily. He smiled through the kiss and pressed closer, slipping his forked tongue into my mouth. The piercings on his tongue felt intoxicating, and every time he created tension between our tongues, I moaned. My clit throbbed harder between my legs, already turning into a desperate, aching lump that needed release.I wanted him everywhere, on every inch of me, with every cell of my body.
As if reading my thoughts, he lowered one strap of my dress, exposing a breast whose nipple had already hardened, aching for his attention. He broke the kiss, trailing his tongue down my neck until he wrapped it around my stiff nipple. The sensation made my knees buckle, and I collapsed before him onto the floor. The feelings were cosmic, primal, animalistic, like some sort of a lustful monster awakened in me from a centuries-long slumber by a magical kiss from a prince, straight out of a fairy tale.
Pulling back, he gave me a moment to breathe.
“You had foam on your lips. I’m sorry, I couldn’t help myself. I wanted to taste it,” he murmured, licking his lips before drinking nearly half of his coffee in one greedy gulp.Insatiable.
“I didn’t mind,” I whispered, licking my own lips, tasting him mixed with the pumpkin spice latte lingering on my tongue. It was like a bomb of flavor and desire erupting inside me. Warm lava spread through my soul, filling me with a brilliance I hadn’t felt in years, painting the world around me in bright, living colors. It was as if the long gray shadows of my life had finally parted, and the sun’s first warm rays kissed my heart and soul.Wonderfully, magically alive.
He took my hand and led me to the soft black carpet beside the table. Sitting me on his lap, I felt the edge of his hard cock pressing insistently against my thigh, desperate to be freed from the confines of his leather pants. My mouth watered in anticipation. I wanted to taste him, explore him completely, savor every inch of his body down to the smallest detail.
I shifted on top of him, still sipping my hot latte, watching his reaction, but he was just devouring me with his eyes. An expression of raw longing crossed his face, as if he wanted to come, and his hands squeezed me so hard that I turned purple from the heat of his touch.
