ELOISE
Death is a train you see coming from a great distance and think will never reach you until it knocks you out of your shoes. The grief it leaves in its wake is bone-rattling and soul-deep. After everything that has happened, my grandmother's death, her funeral, and the confrontation with Maeve about the candle, I suppose most people would want to wallow in it, to crawl under their blankets and sleep for three days. But Damien is a light in the darkness tonight, a balm for my pain. He may be made of shadows, but he’s the only warmth I can feel through the cold sadness inside me.
He returned to me. He is free, but he came back… for me. He’s right about it not being the time to make any permanent decisions. I’m not even officially divorced from Tony, and this thing with Damien is more intense than anything I’ve ever experienced. But as I deepen our kiss, every fiber of my being screams that Imusthave him. I cling to him like he’s a rock in a turbulent sea. Everything hurts, and then Itouch him, and it doesn't hurt as much. Maybe I’m delaying the inevitable weight of grief. I don't care. I want to lose myself in this passion. I want to forget everything and feel good, just for a little while.
I break the kiss. “Please, Damien, I need you. I need to feel good. Make me feel good.”
The rumble in his chest is somewhere between a purr and a growl, but I know the second there is no turning back for him. He carries me up the stairs to my bedroom so fast the hallway is nothing but a blur. Then he spins me around and removes my robe, throwing it across the chair. I try to turn around to undress him, but his hands are cinched around my waist again, tossing me easily onto the bed. I land on my hands and knees, panting as my heart sprints to keep up with the action. Damien grips my ass and spreads my cheeks.
“What are you—” I gasp as his tongue licks up my center from behind. My inner muscles clench, and I fist the comforter. Another lick, this time lifting me to tease my clit with the tip of his tongue before spearing me with it. My thighs tremble. I try to push back against him, but he hoists me higher, gripping my thighs. My chest collapses on the bed, my nerve endings flickering to life as he licks and sucks, spreading me wider. I moan.
But abruptly, he sets me down and backs away, leaving me cold. “Last night, I did as you commanded. Tonight, you obey me.”
I nod. God, how does he always know exactly what I need? “Then tell me what to do.”
“Eyes on me,” he commands.
I flip over and sit on the edge of the bed, aching and slick with need. He removes his shirt, then his pants and briefs. His long, thick erection juts toward me, and I lick mylips, thinking about what it felt like when he was inside me, surging beneath me. He palms his cock, staring at me as he strokes himself from root to tip.
“Spread your legs,” he growls.
I do, my nipples tightening as his gaze settles between them.
“Are you wet for me, little dragon? Reach between your legs and check.”
I slide my palm down my stomach and then over my soaking wet core. “Yes.” My throat’s so tight it comes out like a croak.
“Better be sure. Play with yourself. Make yourself feel good.”
I tip my head back and rub my clit in tight, quick circles the way I like it. My blood heats, and the gathering storm of an orgasm coils tight at the base of my spine with the building pressure between my legs. Damien’s hand lands on the back of my head. He’s moved to stand in front of me, the head of his cock pressed to my lips. I open for him, and he slides himself to the back of my greedy mouth, his fingers digging into my hair. The erotic feel of it pushes me over the edge. I suck him hard, heat and pure sensation filling out every cell under my skin.
I’m just coming down from the orgasm when he pulls his dick from my mouth and pushes me down on the bed. And then he’s over me, surging into me, spreading me wide and entering me so hard and quick that I cry out. My inner walls contract, my orgasm doubling down with the intrusion. I close my eyes against the intense fullness as he settles into me, waiting for me to accommodate his size.
“Look at me, Eloise.”
I obey, relieved to think of nothing but him in that moment. My mind is otherwise blissfullyblank. Our eyes lock, and the intensity I see in his gaze steals my breath. “Good girl.”
Holding my stare, he starts to move, draws back, almost to the tip, then slams into me. He’s so deep I can feel his thrusts in my throat. He doesn't slow down, and he doesn't ease up. Like a wave, he crashes against me and I meet him stroke for stroke. As if I weigh nothing, he supports my back to keep me from sliding up the bed from the force of our collision. There is nothing slow or gentle about this coupling.
We fuck as if the end of the world is coming and all we have is each other.
I cling to him as he lets loose, pinioning faster and harder until I can't hold back. I scream in ecstasy, throwing my head back into white light and showering stars. His orgasm comes on the heels of mine, his cock growing longer and thicker. It’s perfection. All I want is more.
And then his lips are on my neck, brushing over my vein. I tip my head to the side, offering my blood. He strikes. I’m just coming down from the strongest orgasm of my life, and the effect of his bite sends me over the edge again. Everything I am, everything I feel, narrows to the places we connect, where my body milks his and he drinks me in. My eyes roll back. I’m drowning in pure, intense pleasure. Let me drown. I don’t care to breathe.
When we finally come down to earth, I’m exhausted, and he’s lapping my neck to close the wound. Still inside me, he meets my stare again. “Gods damn the consequences, I won’t give you up.”
“You don’t have to.” I stroke my hand along his face.
“You aremine, Eloise Harcourt. No other man will touch this body.” He runs a hand up my side, growling andsqueezing my breast. “Or kiss these lips.” He kisses me, hard. “Do you understand me? I claim you as my mate.”
My breath catches.Mate.How do I feel about that? I search my soul and find only peace. I feel wanted. I feel safe. I feel content. “Yes,” I say, pressing my lips to his. “I'm yours.”
He smiles wide enough to show his fangs. Some time later, he lifts off me and returns with a towel. Once I’m cleaned up, he climbs in beside me, covering us with the plush comforter. I fall asleep, my back to his front, sharing a pillow with my monster.
38
Everyone Stops When They’re Dead
