I yanked the ends of his shirt out of his pants and slid my hands along his smooth skin, lost to his touch. To the ferocity of my desire for him. To this moment.
His hold on my neck firmed up and his other handdropped down to my butt, squeezing my lower half toward him. My core ached, my logic quieted, and my body keyed up, surprising me by wanting this with everything I had.
My breath came in shallow pants as his face slowly moved to the side. The hint of claw from his hand pricked my neck, sending a jolt of fear through me that I was allowing a powerful, primal being at one of the most physically vulnerable places on my body. Adrenaline dumped into my bloodstream, mixing with my raw passion to create such a potent elixir, I groaned and exhaled in sanguine bliss.
His tongue traced a blazing trail down the side of my neck. I angled my face away, giving him room to work. Melting into the moment. His body. Him.
None of this could be credited to—or blamed on—the chemicals of a vampire. He hadn’t bitten me yet. It was because of my connection withDarius. Somewhere along the way, he’d wormed his way into my world, and now that I was letting myself acknowledge that, I realized my desperate attraction had always been there. That the need was natural, and it was based on his personality, the rough as well as the sweet. The arrogant as well as the protector.
It might not be smart, and I would have to let logic back in eventually, but for this moment, I wanted nothing more than to give in to our needs—his need ofan intimate connection while getting sustenance, and mine of deep, personal contact.
The scrape of his fangs on my neck made me shiver. His mouth sucked a spot on my neck that I knew was over my artery. I was about to offer my most precious possession to him—my life’s blood.
The pinch made me gasp and clutch his arms, but the following flood of ecstasy ripped the breath from my lungs. I dropped my mouth open in a silent scream, unable to handle such an onslaught of earth-shattering pleasure. It exploded, flash-boiling my body. I groaned, writhing against him, wanting him inside me to take the feeling to the next level.
His face ripped away and he slammed his hands against the wall, one on either side of my face. Paint and plaster trickled down from each point of contact. He bowed, breathing heavily. His whole body flexed. It was a pity it was obscured by clothes.
“Everything…all right?” I asked, out of breath. I was the one that was supposed to pull away, after all. We were swapping roles just now.
He began talking, aiming his words at his feet. And while the sounds were beautiful and flowing, I had no idea what he was saying.
“In English?” I prompted, resting my hands on his shoulders and dropping my head back to rest on the wall. I closed my eyes and let a smile curl my lips. Ashudder of delight racked my body as his unique serum continued to course through my bloodstream. “I had no idea vampires got more potent with age. Wow, this feels good. So much better than that other—”
“Don’t mention anyone else,” he said in a ferocious voice. “I am not rational just now. I am completely out of control.”
I grimaced, because that sucked for him, then went back to soaking in the delicious feeling of his bite. I was doing just fine, thank you very much. I saw no reason for him to ruin my high.
“I cannot describe how good you taste,mon amour.Your blood is truly the nectar of the gods. Sweet, spicy, complex. Better than the finest wine in all of France. Better than I could’ve possibly imagined. The smell does not do it justice. There is nothing on this planet that could possibly compare.” He straightened up, his eyes deep and intense. “I am speechless.”
“Clearly not,” I said with a smile, running my hand along his jaw. I traced my thumb across his full bottom lip. “Round two?”
“If you get lightheaded, you will need to push me away,” Darius said seriously, his gaze rooted to mine. He did not move toward me again. “I am having a hard time regaining control. I feel like a brand-new vampire. I am not to be trusted.”
That didn’t sound good. Good thing my logic wasstill on hiatus.
“Question: do the chemicals in your saliva keep getting more intense, or do they diminish? Or stay constant? I can’t remember with the other—” A flash of rage crossed his features. I didn’t finish the sentence.
“I should be able to control it to give you whatever you desire. The chemicals, as you call them, are to counteract the pain of the bite. For tonight, however…I’m not sure I have control.”
“Fair enough. And your warning is noted. Do you need more blood?”
Hunger like I had never seen before flashed through his eyes. He straightened up and moved in slowly, wrapping a big arm around my waist and jerking me tightly against his big frame. His lips crashed down onto mine, spiraling my desire to new heights.
I ripped at his shirt like a wild thing, popping buttons and tearing it off him. The feel of his bumpy muscle made me moan, smooth and warm andman. I felt his hands under my shirt as his tongue continued to play with mine.
Desperate, crazed, I yanked at his belt. His thumbs hooked in the waistline of my yoga pants. Soft fabric slid down my thighs and pooled at my ankles. A moment later, I was in his arms. He yanked the covers of the bed back and gently laid me on the bed.
Finally getting a clear path to the goods, I workedhis belt and pants again, getting them out of the way.
The pinch of his bite was unexpected. The rush of glorious bliss was not. I moaned, spreading myself for him. His fingers danced, so fast it felt like a vibrator, hittingexactlywhere I needed him, in multiple places, all at the same time. I had no idea how he did it, because that other vampire certainly hadn’t, but I didn’t really care, as long as he kept going.
The world dropped away. All I could feel was his touch and the deep draw of his bite. I soaked in the sensations, tightening up around the pleasure. Feeling it pound within me.
“Don’t stop,” I said with harried breathlessness, meaning both his artfully working hand and the pulling on my vein. “Please don’t stop.”
I rocked into him while clutching at my hair. Loud moans vibrated through my throat. Everything in me contracted. Another wave of his erotic serum surged into me, and a force of pleasure so intense I nearly blacked out pulled me under. My body shook, my teeth chattered, and my entire being fractured. I didn’t know which end was up. If he was still sucking or not. Maybe he was killing me; I didn’t know. All I knew was that the mother of all orgasms had swept me out to a place where there was no gravity. Where nothing existed besides this unbelievable, soul-clenching bliss pounding through every inch of my body.
“Would you—”
