She ached.
She needed.
She craved.
They’d been tied together for longer than any human had everlived, and she’d had no idea the heated depths churning within him. Not untilright this moment.
Gasping for breath, panicking, she wrenched her mouth free.
He allowed it.
She gulped, panting to fill her deficient lungs. “Why?” shegasped, her body feeling foreign. Why now, after all this time?
“I’ve waited. This had to be your decision.” His breath washotter than any fire, nearly burning her forehead. “Just say the word, Ivy.I’ll make you mine.”
The words shocked her, while her body’s instant reaction tohim, one of hunger and aggression, stilled her. Warned her in a way shecouldn’t decipher. “I have to know the truth,” she gasped, still unable to lookabove his whiskered chin. He had one of his hands intimately placed around herthigh, holding her against him. The other controlled her head by gripping herhair. Desire and something predatory, something terrifying, lay just beneaththe surface of his powerful body. Did she have the courage to dig deeper?
“What truth?” His lips moved against her wounded temple, andshe shivered.
The truth about her entire life. This mattered. She hadn’teven known more was possible with him, and now, was it too late? Had he lied toher for decades? “Have I had freedom since we mated?” Her voice was low andbreathy. Sexy. Like a siren of old on the silver screen and not like simple Ivyfrom an Irish village who no longer existed.
“You’ve been free,” he said, his body solid rock beneath herhands. His chest was made of granite, and when she finally found the courage tolook up, his eyes were the color of compacted slate. Deep and impossibly bluewith golden shards.
Even though her body pounded with need, her brain fought forsome rationale. “Have you been watching me?”
“Yes.”
She blinked but didn’t draw back. This felt too good. “Forhow long?”
His head cocked just slightly. “Since the beginning.” Aquick tightening at the corners of his eyes, rapidly gone, showed…surprise? Atthe question?
Since. The. Beginning. Thunder clapped through her,bringing a chilling freeze. “You’ve always watched me? Or had others do so?”
“Of course.” The hand at her hip gripped tighter in a quickexample of his strength. “You truly didn’t think I mated you, put you inpossible danger, and then just set you free, did you?”
Put like that, she sounded not only naïve but also downrightstupid. She flashed back to the turn of the century when her loan applicationto build her first tenement house in the burgeoning city of New York had beenapproved. Then the time her stocks had suddenly doubled, or when herstockbroker had known exactly where to invest. “Have you controlled my entirelife?” She withdrew her hands from his chest, leaving them empty and cold. Howmany decisions had actually been hers?
“Controlled? No.” His hold didn’t relent. “I may havesteered you down a path or two, but you made your own decisions.”
Yet she hadn’t, had she? “Put me down.” Before she startedgyrating against him like a horny modern teenager.
He drew slightly away but didn’t loosen his hold. “I needblood, Ivy.” Without waiting for a response, he twisted his wrist and tiltedher head to the side, revealing her neck.
“Be quick about it,” she muttered, wishing her voice didn’tsound so breathy. How had she thought him almost robotic? Unemotional? Rawstone with no depth? He wasn’t. Not even close. He was churning fire and heatedpassion. Rough maleness and iron-clad control. There was so much to AthanMaxwell, and he was finally revealing himself. “Hurry up,” she whispered. This wastoo much, and she needed distance to think and plan.
“Hmm.” His lips skimmed her neck, and fire jolted to her core.“Maybe I’ve waited too long to make you mine. It’s been absolute torture.”Slowly, treacherously, he slid those twin fangs into her neck for the firsttime. He usually went for the wrist or upper arm, but this time, he took herneck.
Lust crashed through her to land between her legs. This wasdifferent and enticing in a way that made her head spin. Her body felt as if itbelonged to somebody else, and the temptation to jump into the flames wasoverwhelming.Hewas overwhelming. He murmured something unintelligible,and his hand burned her flesh, even through the material of her dress.
His hold firmed, showing his strength and unreal power. Inthat second, she felt the immortal being at his core. This was beyond human andanything she could’ve ever imagined.
She gripped his flanks with her thighs, holding on with allher strength. She stiffened, every muscle tensing, and each nerve flaring wideawake inside her.
Swearing heatedly against her skin, his fangs deep and hismouth drinking rapidly, he yanked her dress up. Cool air brushed her thighs andsmarting backside. Her breath caught, and her body angled closer to him.Wanting him. Craving something she’d only dreamed about alone at night.
What was happening? Was it possible to need this badly?
He slowly, treacherously, lifted the sides of her panties.Then he tugged, and the expensive silk shredded, removing the last barrierbetween them. The pads of his fingers were rough, and it was like he knewexactly how to tempt her as he tapped her thigh right where she ached so badly.For him. Just Athan—finally, something clicked deep inside her like a locksnapping shut. The feelings were too delicious to counter, and warning tickedthrough her, but it was too late. Her mind blanked, and her body took over. Hisfirst touch set her off, and she stiffened as an orgasm bore down on her,stealing her breath.
