She blinked, hard and fast, her lips parting in shock and anger.
All vestiges of cute, hilarious, sweet, intoxicated Leah had vanished. Lucien uncharacteristically felt doubt about his decision to carry through with her punishment.
This was mainly because he liked cute, hilarious, sweet Leah and he wanted her back.
This was also because she wanted him. She made this abundantly clear without any evasion. Even if she hadn’t, he could smell it.
This was also because he wanted her. He wanted to bury himself inside her slick, wet core. He wanted to f**k her so hard he felt her body jolt under his with his thrusts. He wanted to listen to the noises she made, feel her sleekness clench around him, smell her sex in his nostrils and watch her face as she came.
He wanted her more than he’d ever wanted a female, vampire or mortal.
Even Maggie.
And the power of his desire caused him to doubt the wisdom of carrying through with her punishment.
She tried to tear free of his arms but he moved swiftly.
He exited the bed, taking her with him, standing her on her feet. She swayed a moment then moved to flee but he caught her wrist in an unbreakable grip, ripping his shirt open at the same time, the buttons flying. He released her for less than a second, taking his shirt off. Then he tossed her back into bed and as she scrambled to get her limbs in order, he finished disrobing. Before she could escape, he had her on her side, her back to his front, tucked into the bend of his body, his arm holding her captive.
“Let me go,” she demanded, her breath straining, exposing her body’s inability to keep pace with his.
He settled behind her. “Leah, sleep.”
She struggled. “Let me go.”
He gave her a shake and repeated, “Sleep.”
She kept struggling and he contained it effortlessly. This went on for quite some time.
Suddenly she stilled.
He listened to her heavy breathing and felt her legs move, still wrestling with residual desire.
After some time, she settled.
He thought she’d conquered her body and finally fell asleep.
Instead, in a fierce, tortured whisper, she declared, “This morning, if you told me there was a way I could hate you more, I wouldn’t have believed it. But it’s true.”
Yes, he seriously doubted the wisdom of carrying through her punishment.
“Leah,” he murmured into her hair.
“I’ll never stop hating you,” she vowed, her voice scratching with her passionate assertion.
He pulled her closer and made his own vow. “Yes you will, my pet. I’ll find a way through.”
“Impossible.”
“Nothing is impossible.”
“We’ll see,” she said, her voice dripping with doubt at his words as well as conviction to her oath.
Yes, Lucien thought but didn’t speak aloud, we’ll see.
* * * * *
Lucien woke before Leah.