want him to bite me. But Tiffany would have. And I had her memories.
Her need, her addiction, whirled in my mind, ignited my skin. Blunt human teeth grazed the flesh over my pulse, and I gasped. It would feel good. I didn’t need Tiffany’s memories to tell me that. I had personal experience.
Tatius’s fangs pressed against my throat, not yet piercing the vein. Fire flushed my skin and a gasp escaped my lips.
The sound made him chuckle, his amusement rumbling against my body where we touched.
I gritted my teeth, willing my reactions silent, but as his hand played across my stomach, trailed down to cup my hip, my breath hitched. My skin felt hyper-sensitive, overly aware of the heat of his body. He nicked my throat, not actually biting, and I trembled.
I couldn’t take anymore.
“If you’re going to bite me, get it over with.” My voice sounded thick, breathless in my ears, but Tatius went still. My words were apparently not what he expected.
“So much spirit,” he whispered. Then he stopped playing, and his fangs slid into my throat.
A flash of pain shot through me, then there was only the liquid heat of his mouth. A heat that expanded, spread, and spiraled to my center, building into a giddy current. Electricity ignited inside me, rushing through my body, reducing the world to static and heat. A wave of pleasure crashed through me, knocked my knees out from under me. There was no time to recover as a second and then third wave crashed.
Tatius pulled back, and I sagged in his arms. Someone was breathing hard, gasping for breath. It was me. I swallowed, trying to focus my blinking eyes, but nothing felt real. Nothing but the warm arms around my waist, the broad chest against my cheek. A rumble built in my chest, and I realized I was purring.
Well, why wouldn’t I be? I felt good, content. I snuggled against the chest cradling me. Hadn’t I been panicked earlier?
It seemed like I had, but it must not have been important. I drew in a deep breath, cataloguing the base scent of the man holding me.
Stone dust. Hot metal. Sea Salt.
I blinked. I didn’t know those scents. At least not as belonging to anyone I trusted. My head snapped back, and I wiggled in Tatius’s arms, inching away from his chest. I stepped back, still caught in his arms, and it was those arms that kept me standing when my knees wobbled. I swallowed and concentrated on standing upright. Just standing on my own would be an accomplishment.
“Let go,” I whispered.
He looked at me, just looked at me, his green eyes sparkling with amusement. “You’ll fall.”
“Let go.”
He did.
My legs buckled, refusing to support my weight, and I collapsed to my knees. Tatius, not touching me, moved with me, and I realized my fingers were tangled in his mesh shirt.
I didn’t remember grabbing him. Forcing my stiff fingers to uncurl, I dropped my arms to the floor. I stayed like that a moment, on all fours, on the floor, just breathing. Then I pushed to my feet. My legs wobbled, but held my weight.
Tatius watched me, his green-eyed gaze blistering, searing my skin until a flush crawled to my cheeks. What’s wrong with me? I needed to be more on the ball than this. One little bite and I turn into a simpering idiot? Hell no.
I lifted my chin and I looked around. Nathanial was on the couch again, but his gaze was on the floor. He didn’t look up.
Didn’t look at me.
I didn’t blame him.
“Happy now?” I asked Tatius, forcing every last bit of bravado hiding in my body into my voice.
He didn’t look fooled as he smiled down at me. “Not yet. But closer.” His arm wrapped around my waist, and he turned me, tucking me against his hip so we were standing side by side. “You’ll be on my arm tonight. Hermit, are you coming? We have an appointment with the Collector.”
Nathanial’s head shot up. I’d seen him rage once before, and it had been a terrifying thing to behold. It was no less frightening to see his full lips thinned in
Her need, her addiction, whirled in my mind, ignited my skin. Blunt human teeth grazed the flesh over my pulse, and I gasped. It would feel good. I didn’t need Tiffany’s memories to tell me that. I had personal experience.
Tatius’s fangs pressed against my throat, not yet piercing the vein. Fire flushed my skin and a gasp escaped my lips.
The sound made him chuckle, his amusement rumbling against my body where we touched.
I gritted my teeth, willing my reactions silent, but as his hand played across my stomach, trailed down to cup my hip, my breath hitched. My skin felt hyper-sensitive, overly aware of the heat of his body. He nicked my throat, not actually biting, and I trembled.
I couldn’t take anymore.
“If you’re going to bite me, get it over with.” My voice sounded thick, breathless in my ears, but Tatius went still. My words were apparently not what he expected.
“So much spirit,” he whispered. Then he stopped playing, and his fangs slid into my throat.
A flash of pain shot through me, then there was only the liquid heat of his mouth. A heat that expanded, spread, and spiraled to my center, building into a giddy current. Electricity ignited inside me, rushing through my body, reducing the world to static and heat. A wave of pleasure crashed through me, knocked my knees out from under me. There was no time to recover as a second and then third wave crashed.
Tatius pulled back, and I sagged in his arms. Someone was breathing hard, gasping for breath. It was me. I swallowed, trying to focus my blinking eyes, but nothing felt real. Nothing but the warm arms around my waist, the broad chest against my cheek. A rumble built in my chest, and I realized I was purring.
Well, why wouldn’t I be? I felt good, content. I snuggled against the chest cradling me. Hadn’t I been panicked earlier?
It seemed like I had, but it must not have been important. I drew in a deep breath, cataloguing the base scent of the man holding me.
Stone dust. Hot metal. Sea Salt.
I blinked. I didn’t know those scents. At least not as belonging to anyone I trusted. My head snapped back, and I wiggled in Tatius’s arms, inching away from his chest. I stepped back, still caught in his arms, and it was those arms that kept me standing when my knees wobbled. I swallowed and concentrated on standing upright. Just standing on my own would be an accomplishment.
“Let go,” I whispered.
He looked at me, just looked at me, his green eyes sparkling with amusement. “You’ll fall.”
“Let go.”
He did.
My legs buckled, refusing to support my weight, and I collapsed to my knees. Tatius, not touching me, moved with me, and I realized my fingers were tangled in his mesh shirt.
I didn’t remember grabbing him. Forcing my stiff fingers to uncurl, I dropped my arms to the floor. I stayed like that a moment, on all fours, on the floor, just breathing. Then I pushed to my feet. My legs wobbled, but held my weight.
Tatius watched me, his green-eyed gaze blistering, searing my skin until a flush crawled to my cheeks. What’s wrong with me? I needed to be more on the ball than this. One little bite and I turn into a simpering idiot? Hell no.
I lifted my chin and I looked around. Nathanial was on the couch again, but his gaze was on the floor. He didn’t look up.
Didn’t look at me.
I didn’t blame him.
“Happy now?” I asked Tatius, forcing every last bit of bravado hiding in my body into my voice.
He didn’t look fooled as he smiled down at me. “Not yet. But closer.” His arm wrapped around my waist, and he turned me, tucking me against his hip so we were standing side by side. “You’ll be on my arm tonight. Hermit, are you coming? We have an appointment with the Collector.”
Nathanial’s head shot up. I’d seen him rage once before, and it had been a terrifying thing to behold. It was no less frightening to see his full lips thinned in
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