Page 94 of Her Vampire, His Ruin

“I’ll live.”

“Christ, what the hell have I done?” she says, her warm fingers reaching for the cut on my neck.

“It’s fine, Edie. I’ll heal.”

“It’s not fine…” Her voice trails off as she blinks up at me, then she grabs a discarded t-shirt on her dresser and presses the material against my skin.

“This is the least I deserve. I’m sorry for the way I reacted that night in the club, for breaking into your home. For every stupid, thoughtless thing I’ve said or done since we met.”

“How can I trust anything you say?”

“I don’t know. But I want to earn your trust. Please, Edie. It’s important.”

She sighs, and I can feel the hardened points of her nipples scrape against my chest, and the scent of her arousal lifting into the air between us.

“I should ask you to leave,” she says.

“Then why don’t you?”

“You’re bleeding, that’s why.”

“Is that the only reason?”

She flicks her gaze away, a whole host of emotions lancing over her face. Then she seems to come to a decision. Rising up onto her tiptoes, she presses her lips against the cut. My whole body shudders.

“Fuck,” I exclaim, completely taken aback by her tenderness.

“Does it hurt?” she asks, stilling.

“No, Edie. It doesn’t hurt,” I say, and on instinct I wrap my arm around her, cup the back of her head and pull her even closer.

“I don’t know if I can do this,” she mumbles against my skin. “I don’t know if I can let you soothe me with your words and your touch. I don’t know if I should trust you. I don’t know if I can open myself up to you, all the while knowing that you’ll only hurt me again.”

“I don’t want to hurt you.” I pause, dragging in another breath. “Just tell me to leave, and I’ll leave.”

“I should,” she whispers. “But…” Her chest heaves as she presses another kiss against my cut. “But I don’t want you to.” She tongues the cut, the wet warmth going straight to my cock.

“If you keep doing that, I’m not sure I’ll be able to resist you.”

“Then don’t,” she mutters, melting against me.

“Edie,” I warn, desperate to take her, to indulge in her soft curves, her scent, her fucking everything. If I can do that without wanting to feed off her, if I can do that without feeling, then perhaps I can keep both her and my clan safe.

“Isn’t this what you want?” she asks, her tongue slipping up the side of my neck, her teeth gently tugging on the lobe of my ear.

“You know it is.”

“Then just for tonight, I’m going to take what I want.”

“Are you certain?” I ask, caution in my voice.

“You might not be able to give me what I need emotionally, but I know you can give me what I want physically, and you are going to apologise with your lips, your mouth, and your cock. Then I will decide what happens next.”

“I can do that,” I say.

“Then get on your knees.” Edie takes a step back and points to the floor.

“You want me to get on my knees?”