“Yes.”
A ripple of excitement tickles the back of my mind, but his face stays calm. “When?”
“Now.”
Instead of setting down his tea, he drops the mug and walks through the splash of steaming liquid without so much as a flinch. Goosebumps rise on my neck as he runs the back of his fingers over my cheek. “You are certain?”
I nod. “Very.”
His pupils expand until I’m staring at two obsidian orbs. Heat pulses between my thighs. A deep, satisfying sound vibrates his chest. His fingers curl around my chin and he kisses me before gripping the hem of my shirt. “I both love and hate seeing you in my clothes,” he rasps.
“Sounds tough,” I say, feeling my nipples pebble as I raise my arms and let him pull the fabric over my head.
“I enjoy ‘tough’.” His gaze roams my body, and then his mouth is on mine, fingers knitting into my hair, and desire surging between us.
I slide my arms around his neck, and he straightens up, lifting me off the ground and guiding my legs around his muscled torso. As hard as I try, my legs aren’t long enough to lock my ankles behind his back, so I just grip him with my thighs as he walks us to the bedroom.
“You’re a mountain, you know that?” I ask.
“I amyourmountain.”
Smiling, I kiss my way down his neck, tasting the salt on hisskin and feeling his pulse beneath my lips. “Yes, yes you are,” I whisper.
He detours to a cabinet on the bulkhead, pulls out a knife in an ornate leather sheath, and climbs onto the bed with me still in his arms. The head of his cock brushes between my legs as he sets me down, and I let out a gasp that makes him grin.
With a quick move, he tosses the knife aside, pushes me onto my back, and buries his face between my thighs. I gasp and manage to say, “I thought we were going to complete the blood thing…”
He shushes me and says, “I am hungry,” before grinning and returning to his task.
I can’t stop myself from laughing. His fingers cling to me as I relax into the moment, wrapping my hands around his horns, and enjoying the pleasure he gives so freely. When he resurfaces, I run my thumb down the deep scar on his cheek, mesmerized by his perfect imperfection.
“You’re beautiful,” I say.
He kisses me, long, deep, and so full of emotion that my throat tightens and burns with unshed tears. I don’t know how we found each other, or what planets had to align for this to happen, but I feel blessed in a way I don’t think I’ll ever be able to describe.
“Do not be nervous,” he says as he rises to his knees and pulls me up with him.
“I’m not,” I say casually. He raises a brow, and I sigh. “Ok, fine. I’m a little nervous.” We have no idea what’s going to happen, and that’s both terrifying and exciting.
He picks up the knife and smiles gently. “I am glad it is just you and me. No crowd, no rules, nothing between us.”
I push up onto my knees, scooting closer ashe settles back on his heels, dick rock hard and bobbing against his stomach. My mouth waters, and the urge to climb into his lap becomes overwhelming. It’s one of those instinctual urges I’ve learned not to ignore.
I glance up. “Do people usually fuck during these ceremonies?”
He laughs. “Not that I am aware of, no.” Then he sees my face and goes still. His gaze heats, and it’s clear we’re on the same page.
“You said no rules. We can do whatever we want, right?” I ask.
“No rules,” he whispers.
The knife makes a soft thump as it hits the bed, dropped from Vexar’s relaxed hand, and a second later, I’m standing and pulling his mouth to mine.
Claws trail down my back, teasing my skin until the sharp sensation disappears and the warm pads of his fingers find my ass. Like Pavlov’s dog, my body reacts, knowing what comes next. A second later, his fingers dip between my thighs.
“Gods, I will never tire of your body,” he says, as his teeth nip my stomach and his fingers continue their gentle movements. “I will never tire of thisneedfor each other. Of this hunger. I will never tire ofyou.”
I run my fingers through his hair and whisper, “Until the very end.”
