Dark Possession - Aja James Page 0,98

arm’s length, and he always held her when she dozed.

Once they returned to the Cove, he installed her in his own chambers. She’d gone to her apartment the first day, crashed on top of the bedspread in a deadweight of exhaustion, but woke up in his bed at night.

The next day, she did the same thing, after spending the whole night in the library, trying to make sense of what she’d learned in the scrolls, and again woke up in his arms, in his bed. After that, she went directly to his chambers when she remembered to sleep. And she always woke up dressed in the same clothes she wore the night before, with Ramses’ big, beautiful, naked body wrapped snugly around her. As if she were wearing him too.

Eveline really enjoyed waking up this way.

But aside from the sleeping arrangements, Ramses hadn’t touched her.

He’d gone about his kingly business just as she’d gone about her Keeper business, their paths never crossing during waking hours. As far as she knew, he hadn’t taken her blood since their return. She didn’t even know if he was fully healed by now.

She thought about taking liberties with him, quite daringly. Their close proximity in his bed was too good an opportunity to resist. And, too, Ramses seemed to bring out aspects of her personality she never knew existed.

Maybe a kiss on the mouth, a grope of his muscular ass, or even better, a bite on his corded throat.

She was so thirsty. He made her positively ravenous for a taste of him. Blood or cream, she’d take either, but she really craved both.

Alas, he always dashed her boldness when he opened his eyes to stare at her whenever she thought about making a move. And then he kept on staring, not saying anything, not doing anything.

So Eveline stared back like a ninny, holding her breath in anticipation.

But nothing ever happened!

He just looked his fill, unwound from around her, stretched that glorious, magnificent body (always sporting a King Kong boner that made Eveline drool like a leaky faucet) and disappeared into the en suite bathroom for his nightly shower.

What in Goddess’s name was she supposed to do with that? His lack of initiative was driving her crazy!

“I don’t know the Dark King well,” Ava was saying, bringing Eveline back to the conversation at hand, “but from what Ryu tells me, he never takes a female into his chambers. He always…entertains in the throne room.”

“And from what Devlin tells me,” Grace added, “Ramses hasn’t entertained other females since your arrival, Eveline. The last time he had a visitor, the woman experienced some kind of strange allergic reaction. Quite severe, I’m told. She ran out of here like her hair was on fire. Devlin’s words, not mine.”

Eveline sipped her chocolate, not meeting the other women’s eyes.

In hindsight, she wasn’t proud of the curse she put on that predatory hussy who tried to take advantage of her male. On the other hand, she’d do it again in a heartbeat, so she had no regrets.

“Eveline,” Ava needled, “what’s going on with you two?”

Eveline sighed and put her empty mug down on the coffee table.

“I don’t know. We shared…”

Her eyes darted to Annie, who seemed blissfully oblivious to the conversation around her.

“…a cataclysmic moment when we were away,” Eveline said, “if you know what I mean.”

“Do tell,” Clara scooted closer.

“Just a moment?” Ava smirked.

“An eternity,” Eveline intoned with an uncharacteristically mischievous waggle of brows. “The cataclysm went on for so long I lost complete track of time.”

Clara giggled, prompting, “And?”

“And nothing,” Eveline said glumly. “I think he’s the one for me. See these lovely Pure fangs that came in?”

She showed the tips of her retracted canines that were just visible below the gumline.

“Quite adequate,” Grace observed clinically, though her small smile conveyed admiration. As a vampire made, she was the only other woman in their group who had fangs.

“What do the fangs mean?” Clara asked, confused. “I thought only vampires have fangs.”

“Pure females have them too,” Ava said. “Rain, the Pure Ones’ Healer, tells me that Pure females who have found their Eternal Mate grow fangs. The better to draw Nourishment from their body. Just like Dark Mates, Pure Mates need each other for survival, blood and…”

She eyed Annie and amended the word she was about to say into, “the other stuff, you know what I mean.”

The other women nodded. They knew very well what she meant.

“But the difference is that Dark Mates can literally live off each other’s bodies,