He struck quickly, which was a bad idea. I came instantly, biting my lip to keep from screaming. My head fell onto the mattress, and I wanted to give into the burn that was left between my legs.
Like Aiko had with me, I felt the pull of his lips and the swallow of blood. The burn grew with each mouthful until, finally, when he had taken just enough of my blood, he swiped his tongue over the punctures, and I climaxed again—rolling away and onto my back.
I let the wave wash through me, panting and brushing my hands up and down my hips—simply to give them something to do.
“Kimber?”
“Don’t touch, don’t touch,” I breathed. “Give me a minute.”
“I’m sorry.”
I snapped my eyes to his. “No apologies!”
“I’m—” He cut himself off. “Right. A minute.” He flopped onto his stomach and dropped his head to the bed.
“Any chance we’ll ever get that under control?”
“Someday, maybe.”
My lip twisted. I didn’t know if I’d wanted ayesor anoout of him.
* * *
“Ahoy!”
Straightening from where I was winding rope, I found a larger boat pulling alongside us.
I raised my hand. “Ahoy!”
“Any problems, Captain?”
“None, thank you.”
“You are aware this is a no-anchor zone?” The man at the railing was dressed as one of the captains from our small druid navy.
“I didn’t know such a thing existed near Cold Bay.” I looked to the horizon to gauge how far we were from North Landing.
“No anchor. From the Spi—Scar to the Bay. Vampires, you know.”
Yes, I did know.
“Sorry, sir. Our sail slacked yesterday noon, and no wind was to be had,” I lied. “We were about to set into port at North Landing.”
“No, you weren’t,” the captain said. “No one is currently allowed to dock without a permit there. You’ll have to sail on to Otano.”
Aiko called from the bow of the boat. “How many days from here?”
“Do you not know our cities?”
“It’s three more days with favoring wind, as long as a week without,” I snapped. “Captain, wehaveto put into North Landing. Our food supplies are running out, and we must get in contact with the Temple.”
“The Temple is razed.”
“What?”
“The city has been burned. The vampires marched from the south to the city,” he said. “Where have you been that you do not know this?” The captain pointed out behind our stern.
I turned and looked and found twenty or more warships floating both close and far from us.
