Page 18 of Bound

Beck fucks his way to the back of my throat. He shoves hiscock in, even as he pulls my head forward. The twin sensations call to me. He’sso deep, I can feel his balls hit my chin with each thrust. He’s close. I feelas though I’m in his body. An almost painful anticipation courses through him.His balls squeeze. A warning prickle tickles at the base of my spine. It’scoming from him. He’s so close. Instinctively I swallow around him. Beck throwshis head back and roars as he comes.

I’m suddenly full. My mouth is filled with his essence, andI’m suffused with his orgasm. It rolls across me like a powerful wave, bashingagainst my senses. Only Beck’s strong hands keep me from falling over. Theentire experience is exquisite and completely draining.

“Lick me clean,” he orders, keeping his hands tangled in myhair.

I obediently lick his softening cock, running my tonguealong his skin. I try not to miss a drop. It feels so good. The orgasm itselfwas massive. It was like a high-powered locomotive barreling into me. Thispleasure is softer, sweeter. It feels like tenderness and caring.

And then it’s gone. The connection is cut abruptly, and Ifeel cold at its loss.

“What am I doing?” Beck asks in a rough voice. He lets go ofme.

I fall to the sand, completely exhausted.

I watch through languid eyes as he tucks himself back in andrefastens his trousers. A peaceful lethargy overtakes me. Now he’ll tell me howpleased he is. He’ll kiss me and hold me. He’ll see to my pleasure. It’s goingto feel so good to make love with him.

Except he doesn’t look pleased as he reaches down and haulsme up into his arms.

“Cover yourself,” he orders harshly.

My robe has come open. My breasts are bare, the nipplespuckered and wanting.

That hard command forces me out of my pleasure-induced haze.Seconds before, I didn’t care if the whole world saw me. I only cared aboutpleasing Beck, but now a flush of shame rushes through me. What seemed soloving before now seems perverse without his kindness.

What did I do? I was connected to him. I know how pleased hewas, but the moment that door slammed shut, all my insecurities crawled backinto place.

I pull the sides of my robe together so I don’t offend himagain. As he carries me out of the arena, I keep my hands at my sides, sensingthat he doesn’t want my touch.

I’m alone again.

Chapter Seven

Beck

She won’t touch me.

I try to keep my face painfully passive as I march back tothe tent Reeve put together for the compatibility ritual. If everything went asit should have, I would have taken Meg back to this tent and very gently,respectfully made love to her in front of two witnesses. Reeve would have beenone, and the vampires would have selected one. It’s a simple ritual to prove Ican take care of her sexually.

Instead, I proved I’m an animal.

Now she won’t look at me, and I don’t blame her. I have tohold her tight because she refuses to put her arms around my neck.

All in all, not how I thought my wedding day would go.

Cara is at the door to the tent and holds it open as sheeyes us. She looks at the pale female in my arms. Damn it. She’s looking withpity on the woman I just married. I treated her like a whore. I sigh inwardly,avoiding Cara’s eyes. The truth of the matter is I would never treat a whorethe way I treated Meg.

I lay her down as gently as I can on the bed prepared forus. It’s covered with thick, soft blankets and pillows. Flowers have beenstrewn—marigolds, St. John’s Wort, and shamrocks. It’s a lovely setting andwould have made a beautiful bridal bed. Instead, I shoved her to her knees inthe middle of a bloody arena and throat-fucked her in front of a crowd.

I try not to think about how soft and sweet she looks lyingon the bed. There’s nothing I want more than to climb into bed beside her andattempt in some fashion to make up for the way I treated her. I want to kissher and hold her. I want to tell her how much she already means to me. I wantto beg her forgiveness and promise to never, ever treat her that way again.

She won’t believe me. I’m obviously a man of no honor. Iproved it in the arena today. If I had a shred of honor, I would walk away fromher now. I can provide her with nothing but a dying brother and a ramshackle brughon a meaningless plane of existence. I should allow Dante to take her to hisplane. At least there she’ll be fed, clothed, and taken care of.

The thought sends a rush of rage through me. It’s stillthere. The fight. It’s still coursing through me, though now it’s tempered withself-loathing. For the briefest moments I felt peace. When Meggie took all myrage into her own sweet soul.

Yeah, I feel like shit about that, too.

“Clean up.” I don’t mean for the words to come out asharshly as they do, but I can’t take them back. I need space, but I don’t havetime. The situation with Cian is serious. “We leave in an hour.”

“Sire,” Cara blurts, a startled expression on her face.“Surely you cannot expect your bondmate to travel this evening.”