My breath hitched. I had not realized I was holding my breath—or maybe it was an anxiety attack. I averted my gaze awkwardly, not knowing if feeding my curiosity was the wisest course of action.
The silver halo of his irises studied me. It was like if I made a sudden movement, he would snatch me up and eat me, which was still not out of the realm of possibility. Knowing how much this man liked to hear himself talk, I knew that his silence was unnatural.
His hands moved from my hips and trailed up my waist. Leaning in, he breathed steadily against my neck, seeming to savor the proximity.
My hands pushed against his broad shoulders when his hands ventured too close to my breasts. My body was rigid with discomfort.
He was not letting go. Any struggle made him hold on tighter.
Why is my body so impossibly hot?
“I can’t,” I said hoarsely, pulling away.
He grabbed the hair at the back of my head, tugging it back to expose my neck.
I was a trembling, flustered mess in his arms, both from fear and shame, but mostly from shame.
My body shook from nerves that left me more depleted than before. To my surprise, he did not bite me with those terrifying displays of teeth, but he deliberately sucked at my skin like he was trying to relish it before he got a taste.
He left a soft kiss on my pulsing artery, so gentle that I may have even mistaken him for a lover. Then, the warmth of his contact traveled down to my breasts, leaning me forward again as his grip on my hair tightened. A predatory rumble could be heard as he nipped and sucked on the sensitive skin, moving the fabric of my robe away as he worked.
He pinched my nipple between his teeth, and I took in a sharp breath.
A sound that could be interpreted as a deep purr came from him.
It made the tightness in the pit of my stomach knot eagerly.
Are those sounds for me or because of me?
His other hand trailed along my abdomen, working his way lower.
“No!” I snapped, and my hand shot out, digging my nails into the wound on his shoulder.
Not even a flinch came of my desperate clawing. His brow arched at me amusingly, as he leaned up and trailed his tongue up the side of my breast.
I bit my lip, but he gave me no time to think before he sucked, leaving marks as he worked his way to my collarbone. Isquirmed in his arms as his hands and mouth explored me, leaving rough marks on my pale flesh.
His possessive touch made me feel ways I was ashamed to admit. Pinches and bites were left all over my torso as he left mark after mark, his sick way of leaving his claim on his catch. He touched wherever he could, poking and prodding to find what made me twitch, though he did not attempt to touch lower again. It was like he was saving the best for last.
A tightness burned in my core. It could be the leftover thrill from thinking I was going to die or because a creature so deadly was deciding that he would rather play with me than eat me. I was flattered, to say the least. I did not believe in heaven, but knew I would not be heading there with the ideas crossing my mind. I was wondering when he would just end it, just sink those teeth into my jugular and end my suffering here.
“Where did you go?” he whispered into the crook of my neck. “You drifted somewhere. I could feel it.”
“Hell,” I answered honestly, my eyes having difficulty staying open.
That earned me an endearing laugh. “Fair enough.” He sighed, leaving kisses along my jaw, nipping at my skin, and sucking hard high on my neck.
I did not remember what happened next, because my body was then surrounded by darkness, succumbing to exhaustion.
9
THE CREATURE
No words could have described her at that moment.
It was painful to wrap my mouth around her flesh without getting a proper taste. The little sounds she made satiated me far more than her screams. I wanted to devour her until there was nothing left, until she was just a shaking, pathetic mess in my arms.
Alternatively, I wanted to shield her from the world and keep her in my room—like a pet.
