“So, if I eat garlic, you won’t recoil?” I ask, arching my brow.
“Yes, because the smell is so strong. All of our senses are immensely powerful.” He shrugs.
“Mirrors?” I press.
His jaw sets tight. “We see our reflection. Not what you see, not what we are, but our true reflection. Our body, face, everything, as if we’d never changed.” He exhales slowly. “Seeing your own flesh rotting away isn’t something any of us wants to see. That is why we don’t have mirrors.” He pauses. “To destroy us isn’t with a wooden stake to the heart like the stories would have you believe.” He looks at me. “It’s by our own kind.”
I frown. “You mean humans can’t kill you? But what about hunters?”
“Hunters aren’t human. Some are vampires. The hunters are part of the Order. A bit like police forvampires. We break any laws, we create too much attention, and among other things—” he trails off.
“LikeTwilight,” I say.
This time, I don’t hide my grin.
Lucian’s smile deepens. “Fuck, fine. LikeTwilight,” he agrees, rolling his eyes.
A bubble of laughter escapes me at the sight of him, relaxed and playful.
His gaze turns molten. “How sore are you?” he asks, his voice rough.
He rolls his hips, pressing his hard length against my centre.
“Oh,” I breathe, desire flooding my veins. “I’m a little sore, but nothing I can’t bear,” I add, rocking my hips up to meet his.
“Hold on tight,” he orders.
“Wha—?” I start, but the word dies as he lifts me like I weigh nothing. I wrap my arms around his neck, instinctively clinging to him as he moves, too fast to track, my hair whipping around us.
A breathless laugh escapes me just as warm water crashes over our bodies. His hands lock me tight against him, my legs wrapping around his waist. He buries his face into my neck, dragging his mouth along my skin, inhaling me. His kisses are slow and territorial, like he’s memorising my scent.
I shift, pressing down, feeling the hard tip of him waiting for me. As his mouth lowers, I lean back slightly, letting the water spill over my breasts. He closes his mouth around my nipple, sucking hard, his tongue circling the sensitive peak. My fingers slide into his dark hair, scraping my nails against his scalp.
He growls, low and dangerous.
He releases me and lifts his head. His gaze collides with mine, a dark, burning hunger there. Water trails down his face, over his chest, disappearing between us. My eyes follow the droplets before lifting back to his.
“I want to taste you,” I say.
His jaw tightens as he shakes his head. For a heartbeat, my confidence falters.
“You will,” he growls, “but not like that. Not yet.” His grip tightens on me. “Right now, I need to be inside you. I need to feel your heart racing against mine while I take you apart. I need your pulse under my mouth, your heat wrapped around me.”
His nostrils flare as he inhales deeply, catching my scent, and something darker flickers through his eyes.
“I need to remind the monster who you belong to.”
Heat floods between my legs. I meet his gaze. “What are you waiting for? Permission? I thought you took what you desired,” I goad him.
His eyes blaze brighter.
“Take what you need,” I breathe.
He moves like lightning. My back slams into the cold tile. I gasp—not in pain—but in shock. One second he’s pressed against me, the next he’s thrusting into me in one smooth, powerful motion, filling me completely.
My back arches as I cry out. My nails dig into his shoulders as he pulls back and slams into me again. My body stretches around him as he drives into me relentlessly, his growls ripping from deep in his chest.
This isn’t tenderness like last night.
