sat on it. He pulled her to stand between his knees. It was one of the first times she was taller than he was.
The gesture was purposeful. He was trying to be as unintimidating as he was capable of making himself. It mostly worked.
He leaned in and kissed her stomach over the black dress she wore. “Beautiful child…don’t be afraid.” He kissed her a second time, a few inches higher than the last, moving his way north up her body. “If you change your mind, say it.”
“I…I don’t know as I explicitly agreed to anything.”
He placed a kiss to the swell of her breast. Although it was still through her clothes, her body lit up from the simple gesture.
“You needn’t say a word.” He began to untie the laces of her dress in the back. “It is all right. I will not hurt you. There may be a brief sting, but that is all.”
“It’s not that.” Not entirely. “My gift…” Her hands went to his shoulders. She needed to hold on to something. She sensed the strength in him, and it soothed her somewhat, even if he was the source of her nervousness. “I do not know what will happen.”
“I am not concerned.”
“I might destroy you without intending to.”
“I do not know of a means by which I would rather die.” Slowly, painstakingly, he finished unlacing her dress. Hands, once cold but now warm with his beating heart, drifted carefully up her body. He took his time, each moment drawn out, each gesture with enough warning that she might be able to protest.
Instead, it left her trembling in anticipation of what he might do next.
He slid her dress down her arms and to the floor around her feet. He leaned in to kiss at her collarbone, his breath hot. She watched him, rapt, unable to look away. Unable not to feel as though every touch of his fingers and his lips sent lightning coursing through her.
His tongue ran a slow line over the exposed skin, and she moaned quietly, furtively, ashamed by it. He glanced up at her, seeing her chewing her lip shyly.
“Do not feel shame for this. Not now…not ever.”
She shivered. Goosebumps coursed over her body as her silk slip joined her dress on the floor. He leaned in and feathered kisses over her bare skin. In no rush, taking his time, he untied her undergarments. They pooled around her ankles, leaving her fully naked before him.
“So beautiful,” he purred. He ran his hands up and along her body, coursing over her.
She was trembling. She was utterly lost in his grasp. She clung to his shoulders as he captured one of her nipples in his mouth, already pert from his attentions, and whimpered as he tongued the sensitive flesh. Suddenly, he bit down hard enough to sting, but not nearly enough to break the skin.
She cried out at the feel of it. Sharp, but not unpleasantly so. Far from it. It sent heat pooling in her, and she gasped at the sensation it left. When he parted from her, he rolled his tongue along the soft flesh once more.
“I will be gentle with you tonight. But that will be…worth exploring.” His voice was dark, husky, and thick with obvious desire. He wandered his lips to the other side, lest it feel neglected. His hands never stopped exploring her, caressing her, palming her. He wandered his hands down to her rear, and taking a globe in each hand, squeezed.
She squeaked, feeling his sharp nails dig into her skin. She slapped his shoulder. He laughed quietly. Looking up at her, he grinned wickedly. “What?”
She glared back at him. “I thought you said you would be gentle.”
“This is me being gentle.” He grazed her skin sinfully with his teeth. She shuddered, her anger shattering in the wake of his gesture. “Do not be afraid to touch me if you wish.”
“I…I don’t know what to do.” Shame hit her again. Not because she was standing nude before the Vampire King—that was well enough a problem on its own. No, she felt shame redoubled since she did not know how to bring him pleasure.
“Trust your instincts. Do only what you desire.”
She let her hands roam over his shoulders first, feeling the strength beneath the fabric. She then did what she had been wanting to do since she had seen him. She ran her fingers through his dark hair, combing through the silken tendrils, brushing her fingernails along his scalp.