His cock punched at the zipper to his jeans and his fangs stretched out against his bottom lip. And that reaction was another consideration. Could he feed her and not make it about sex? He wasnt even sure it was possible.
Kaira gasped, her eyes trained on his mouth.
He almost turned away. But then he thought better of it. It would be good for her to see his true nature now and have the time to wrap her head around it.
At first, looming panic filled her expression. But then it shifted into what he wouldve sworn was abject fascination. Her respirations quickened, her heart rate thrummed, and the rich scent of her adrenaline filled the airalong with something else. Something hotter, sweeter, more feminine.
She was aroused. By the sight of his fangs.
He was merely a shadow of the male hed once been. No delusions about what he looked like here. Was it really possible that someone as beautiful as Kaira could find him attractive?
Kaira, he said in a rasping warning. If she didnt stop looking at him like that, he wouldnt be responsible for his actions. She blinked and licked her lips. Which didnt help his restraint one damn bit. He pushed onto his feet and braced his hands on each of the bedrails, a predator stalking her, boxing her in. You need to understand how weak my restraint is, kjære. Dear. The term of endearment was out of his mouth before hed thought to say it. He pulled away.
She cupped his cheek in her hand, and her touch was like an anchor. Holding him. Steadying him. So, you need blood to survive? Her thumb stroked across the skin under his eye. Warm. Soft. Captivating.
The question unleashed a rising tide of hope. Was she finding her way to being all right with this? And how long had it been since someone had touched him with such gentleness? Momentarily overwhelmed, all he could do was nod. While vampires were capable of ingesting rare meats and spirits, blood provided sustenance like nothing else. It was the one thing he couldnt live without.
Kairas gaze dragged from his eyes to her own thumb moving over his flesh, and then she looked lower. She shifted her hand until she cupped his jaw. Her thumb caressed the corner of his lips once, twice.
Henriks heart tripped into a sprint. Kaira.
The next slide of her thumb brushed the surface of his fang.
He sucked in a breath and every muscle went rigid. His hands fisted on the bedrails, attempting to hold himself in place for whatever exploration she wished to conduct. She touched his elongated canine again, a purposeful drag of her skin against the most visible outward manifestation of what he was. The sensation lit up his entire central nervous system.
Adrenaline and arousal poured off her, and her heartbeat fluttered like a hummingbirds wings. Her lips fell open. She swiped her thumb under the point of his fang.
He wasnt sure who gasped louder.
She examined her thumb. A thin ribbon of red bloomed on the pad. Her eyes went wide.
The bedrails under his fists creaked and groaned. He couldnt look away from her intrigued expression, from her breasts heaving under the thin gown, from the smear of her lifes blood turning the air so fragrant he could barely maintain rational thought. If I...let go...Im going to be...all over you, he growled. Get rid of it.
She hesitated for only a moment, then pressed her thumb to her own lips.
What the hell are you doing, Kai? she thought as she sucked at the cut on her thumb. The cut made by his fang. You have no idea what youre playing with here. Hes not like you.
She knew that was true, felt it down into her very marrow. Part of it was her own fascination with the man, the vampire, before her. And part of it felt like an unseen force, as if a part of her psyche was being drawn to him against her will.
Henriks big body loomed over her, his muscles so taut they popped under the tight shirt. The whole bed trembled under the strain of his restraint. Trained on her mouth, his eyes glowed and threw off sparks like a pair of spotlighted diamonds. His nostrils flared. He panted and shuddered.
The dark promise of his words hung in the space between them. Im going to be all over you.
Kaira had never been more aroused in her life, hadnt even known her body was capable of feeling this way, nearly vibrating with life and need and want.
His desire heated the entire room, beaded her nipples and dampened her panties. Shed never felt so wanted, not surprising since her illness did little to attract the opposite sex. But it was more than that. It wasnt just that some man desired her, it was that this one did.
Immortal. Powerful. Royal.
And she possessed the ability to help him.
She pulled her thumb from her mouth.
The sound of cracking plastic exploded from under Henriks right hand.
And then he was on her. Though not the way she expected.
He grasped her face and planted his mouth on hers. His hands dug into her hair as his big body climbed over hers. He worshipped her with devouring kisses, his hands fisting and opening with each kiss and withdraw.
Sexual heat radiated off him and soaked into her depths. A soft growl rumbled in his chest and she longed to feel it against her own. Yet, he kept his weight off her, almost like he was afraid to fully yield to the chemistry pulling them together.
Kairas heart broke into a gallop, making her gasp for oxygen around his demanding, desperate kisses. His big hands tilted her head and tugged at her hair, and she let herself be guided. When he pushed his tongue into her mouth, dizziness swamped her. His incredible male spice was a thousand times more potent on her tongue. Hunger erupted deep inside her and she wrapped her arms around his neck.
He groaned and shook, his muscles nearing full-out tremors. What would it be like if he let loose that tremendous restraint? She wasnt sure she wanted to know. Or that she could handle it if he did.
Her tongue brushed something hard and unyielding. His fang. She moaned into the kiss and he growled and surged forward, pressing her back into the pillows. His body overflowed the narrow bed and so completely encompassed hers that he was all she knew, all she smelled, all she tasted.
A warm tingling heat gathered low in her belly and her hips tilted and rocked of their own accord. Her body yearned for friction, for contact, for penetration. The fact that her experience was so limited made these desires new and scary, but no less intense. She whined and whimpered and tugged at his broad shoulders.
With one strong arm, he shifted their bodies. Kaira didnt really notice until the next thrust of her hips brought the aching place between her legs up against something warm and hard. She unleashed a strangled scream into the kiss and thrust again. Squeezing her thighs, she realized hed slid his leg between hers. She rubbed herself against his thigh, alternating between holding her breath and gasping for air as she chased the maddening pressure growing within her core.
For just a second, her bottom lip pinched and stung. Until Henrik unleashed an animalistic grunt and suction pulled at the small wound made by the Soul Eater.
She was bleeding. And he was drinking it down.
Fear and arousal shot through her veins in equally shocking amounts, followed by the dragging heat of lust.
But now that shed acknowledged her fear, it escalated, tearing her in two between what her body wanted and what her head thought was right...was safe.
His lips tugged hers and she caught a flash of brilliant light from his eyes.
And then blinding white light was all she saw. The orgasm ripped through her in a wave of breath-stealing contractions. She wrenched her head against the pillows, every muscle in her body taut.
On the way back down, her fear went volcanic. What did I just do?
Kaira beat on his chest and shoved at his shoulders and pushed with her feet. Nei! Stoppe! she cried. Nei!
On a growl, Henrik lurched away until he was on his knees above her. His chest heaved. His fangs protruded. And his lips were coated in the dark red of her spilled blood.
Kaira beat on his chest and shoved at his shoulders and pushed with her feet. Nei! Stoppe! she cried. Nei!
On a growl, Henrik lurched away until he was on his knees above her. His chest heaved. His fangs protruded. And his lips were coated in the dark red of her spilled blood.
Hunger rolled off him in waves of potent energy.
He was nowhere near sated.
Chapter 8
The taste of copper spilled onto her tongue as three men exploded into the room. They grabbed Henriks arms and dragged him backward off the bed.
Henrik unleashed a feral growl. He flailed and fought. The men struggled to contain him and in a coordinated move, slammed him to the floor.
Kaira gasped and scrabbled off the bed. Stoppe! Youre hurting him! Stoppe! Granted, shed freaked out and wanted him off her, but that didnt mean she wanted him roughed up like this. Wasnt he their king? How could they treat him this way? They ignored her pleading as Henrik continued to struggle. She grabbed at the closest vampires arm. Please. He didnt do any
His elbow busted her in the cheek.
For a second, all she saw were silvery white stars. She groaned and clutched her face, stumbling back from the melee. Warmth spilled against her palm. Damnit. So stupid. She never shouldve approached them like that.
Henriks roar reverberated off the walls.
Kaira looked up to find bodies strewn around the king as he rose to his feet. His breathing was a freight train, a growl rumbling out on each exhale. Fangs extended and flashing eyes narrowed, he took one step toward her, then another.
Jakob burst through the door. Hva faen? What the fuck? Henrik, nei! He lunged for his brother.
Not again. Jakob, stoppe! She held up the hand not busy covering the new cut she now wore on her cheek. Leave him alone. They jumped him. He didnt do anything. Just...give him a minute.
Jakob reared back, hands in the air, just as Henrik whirled on him and gnashed his teeth.
The kings eyes flashed back to hers and zeroed in on the hand pressed to her cheekbone, the one hopefully offering enough pressure to staunch the bleeding. Kairas heart pounded but her gut told her he would keep his word. He wouldnt hurt her.