of their joining, a strong urge clamored in her head. She wanted to give all of herself to him, to please him in every way she could. She needed to be his everything.
He wanted to drink from her, she could sense it. Flipping her hair away from her shoulder, she exposed her neck to him and reached back to pull his head down.
She felt his warm lips against her skin just as she reached the crushing peak of her orgasm.
AS HIS FANGS elongated from his gums, he stared at the graceful arch of her neck. He lifted her off her hands. Back to front, he fit the contours of her body to his. With his fingers, he sought out the precise location of her artery. It fluttered as if it was calling to him and his mouth watered. Perfect. So beautiful. He wanted to feel her nectar slip down his throat as his seed spilled into her. As she climaxed around him, he reared back to bite.
He brushed her mind, but sensed no thoughts about pain or danger, just her eagerness to give herself to him. Oh God, she trusted him in a way he didn’t deserve.
Bastard. What the hell was he thinking? He’d drain her dry without the distraction of the cilice. Of course he would. He wouldn’t be able to stop and she’d die.
His whole body stiffened then, his arms going rigid. Cursing, he tried to pull out of her, but her internal muscles held him tight. Her body refused to release him until he climaxed. He cried out in agony. This couldn’t be happening.
Pushing her down on all fours again, he arched his head to the darkened sky, trying to put what little distance he could between them, but he salivated with anticipation.
Take her. Do it now. Look how beautiful she is, and she is yours. Remember the rush of her sweet taste in your mouth. The invincibility it gives you. For God’s sake, you can even vapor. Drink from her and use that strength to finally kill Pavlos and avenge your parents’ deaths. That’s what you want, isn’t it? You’ve waited a lifetime for this opportunity. Don’t waste it. Take her now.
“No. No,” he cried as he released into her and plunged his teeth into the skin of his forearm. Her body loosened its hold when it received what it needed from him and he pulled himself out.
“What is it? What’s wrong?”
“Get away. Get the hell away.” He scrambled to the far side of the dwindling bonfire. It’s not too late. Look at her. She wants to give herself to you. She wants you to take her blood again. To sacrifice herself for your cause. She was made for you, don’t you agree? And you were meant to defeat Pavlos. So take what you deserve in order to kill him. Do it now.
“Oh God, I’m sorry. Are you okay? What happened? Dom, please.”
She was concerned for him when she was the one in danger. That floored him. What had he been thinking, bringing her here like this, cooking for her like they were mated, pretending he could make a normal life with her? What an idiot.
He crouched in the sand like an animal, ready to attack. Through the hanks of hair covering his face, he watched as she stood and wrapped herself with her robe.
“I know you won’t hurt me, that you won’t go too far. I feel it, Dom. You’ll stop when you need to. You’re not a monster. You’re a good man and…and I love you.”
Dios mio. She loved him? Like this? Anguish tore his heart open and he became suddenly light-headed, as if the oxygen molecules in the air around him had been sucked away.
Was she insane? Did she not know what he was capable of? What he truly wanted? What had he done to deserve an angel like her? With her hair tousled and her skin flushed from their lovemaking, she was way too perfect for him. She reached out to take his hand and he felt his foot dig into the sand, compressing it like a starting block, his body ready to spring.
When she didn’t move right away, he bared his teeth to her. Her eyes widened and she took a step back. With the firelight playing off his fully extended fangs, which dripped with coppery blood from where he’d bitten himself, he knew she saw the nightmare he truly was. “You think you want this? Run to the cabin and