Erina nearly jumped at the word. “What?”
“Leave,” I ordered her, gesturing with my chin toward the door. “Go clear your head of the smoke before we both do something we’ll regret.”
I maneuvered her off me, shifting my legs so that she stood. She was unsteady on them. I didn’t want her falling, so I rose, taking her by the arm and guiding her to the door of my quarters. I needed to get her out of here andfast. It took everything in me to pull the door open, to push her through.
Out in the darkened hallway, she met my eyes in confusion, blinking, as if she didn’t understand how she’d ended up out there.
She was frowning. “Kaldur?—”
“Go.”
Then I shut the door before I could second guess myself. I gritted my jaw hard enough that I thought I’d snap a fang as I returned to the fire. I snatched the half-empty tumbler off the table and drained it, feeling the fiery burn of the liquor heat its way into me.
Then I sat, resting my elbows on my knees, prodding between my brows with my thumbs. I could still smell her everywhere. My fingers were still wet with her desire, and my cock was stillfuckingthrobbing like a banging drum.Gods, I needed to fuck. I needed to feed.
I heard the latch of the door click. One I hadn’t locked. Itbanged closed, and I heard her footsteps, her scent sweeping toward me.
Raazos, help me,I thought.
I closed my eyes, leaning back in the chair. I didn’t have the strength to resist her a second time. I’d tried to do the right thing.
When I opened my eyes, Erina was standing in front of me, backlit by the firelight. She was studying me now, her warm brown eyes sweeping over me. My sagged wings, my tented pants, and perhaps even the defeat on my features.
“Erina,” I growled in warning.
She took mylorepipe from between my fingers, turning off the ignitor and placing it beside the empty tumbler on the circular table beside me.
Then her hands went to the straps of her dress.
“You can try to push me away, but I’ll always want you,” she told me. Her voice was a balm, smoothing down the ragged edges that were tearing me up inside. “I always have.”
Gods, I wanted to believe her.
The dress slipped off her shoulders, skimming over her breasts, catching on her hips before she wiggled it down. The light material pooled at her feet like water, leaving her standing naked before me. The most tempting of offerings.
She had a beautiful body. Soft curves and smooth skin. Perfectly sized breasts with brownish pink–tipped nipples I wanted to tease. There were sparse, soft curls between her legs giving way to strong, shapely thighs.
“I’m not afraid,” she said, though she said it as she tried to hide the way her hands trembled.
She crawled into my lap again, the same position as before. Only now, I couldn’t resist cupping her exposed body, squeezing everything I could get my hands on. Her ass, her hips, her waist.
Her lips landed on mine, gasping when my palm skimmed over her nipple. The kiss was hungry and aching and desperate.She could taste the venom on my tongue from my fangs, and she lapped at it, squirming in my lap.
“I’m yours,” she breathed. A guttural sound rose from my throat, harsh and unexpected. “You can have everything.”
I kissed her harder and then pulled away. “Do you mean that?” I growled.
Her eyes were unfocused, gazing at my lips. “Yes.”
“Tell me you’re mine,” I ordered, my hand gliding up her neck to dive into her hair, holding her in place. “I need to hear you say it again.”
“I’m yours,” she whispered. “I’ve always been yours, Kaldur.”
The last of my willpower shattered like glass on stone.
I felt her hands come to my horns—and I nearly went feral with need. The feel of her tight, warm grip, guiding me down to her tilted neck for the purpose of feeding…it locked a new kink into place for me.
I felt her groan vibrate into me when I bit deep. The taste of her blood made the world go hazy. Everything fell away. Nothing else mattered excepther. Except this moment.
