Page 61 of Blood Queen
He doesn’t answer with words. Instead, his hands are on me, his mouth claiming mine, desperate, his kiss tastes like regret. We lose ourselves in the fire that’s always burned between us. I moan into his mouth, my hands clawing at his back, pulling him closer, closer, until I can feel every goddamn inch of him.
He breaks the kiss, his breath hot and ragged against my neck, his teeth grazing my skin as he growls, “I’m not asking.”
Before I can say anything, he’s lifting me off the ground, my legs instinctively wrapping around his waist. His hands grip my ass, squeezing hard, and I whimper, my core throbbing with every step he takes toward the bedroom. He kicks the door open, and then I’m being tossed onto the bed like a rag doll.
He stalks toward me, ripping off his shirt. His chest is a masterpiece, all hard muscle and smooth skin, and I can’t help but lick my lips as he unbuckles his belt. He’s on me in an instant, his hands tearing at my clothes like they’ve personally offended him. My shirt is gone, my bra follows, and then he’s sucking my nipple into his mouth, his lips and tongue working me until I’m writhing beneath him, my hips grinding against nothing but air.
The needy sounds escaping my throat drive him wilder, and he shifts lower, his mouth blazing a sinful trail down my stomach. The anticipation is nearly unbearable, making my whole body taut with longing. He yanks at the waistband of my jeans, pulling them off in one determined motion, leaving me in just my panties. His eyes darken as he stares at me sprawled out for him, like he’s ready to devour me whole. My breath catches when his fingers slip under the edge of my panties, teasing me until I can barely think straight.
“Please,” I beg, desperate for more.
A wicked smile curls his lips as he drags the last bit of fabric down my legs and tosses it aside. He lowers himself between my thighs, exhaling hot against my skin, before diving in with a deep hunger that sends shivers up my spine. His mouth on me feels like fire and silk, each stroke of his tongue pushing me closer to the edge.
My hands grip the sheets as a tidal wave builds inside me—intense and unstoppable. My back arches, pressing closerto him, and then I’m falling apart, blissful and breathless as pleasure crashes over me in surges so strong that it feels like they might never end.
He leans back on his heels, watching with a triumphant glint in his eye while I come down from the high he’s given me. Then he’s over me again, kissing me deep while one hand tilts my chin up and his other arm wraps possessively around my waist. I can taste myself on him as he kisses me senseless.
The hard length of him grinds against my stomach, teasing and tormenting until I dig my nails into his back with a moan. He breaks the kiss, breathing hard, eyes gleaming with a mix of raw desire and fierce impatience.
“I love you,” he rasps.
I barely have time to brace myself before he plunges deep inside me, filling me completely in one intense thrust that knocks the air from my lungs. I gasp as he stills for a moment, our bodies perfectly fused.
Then, it’s like something snaps inside him. He moves with a relentless rhythm, each drive more intense than the last, and I match him, meeting him with equal urgency. Fireworks explode behind my eyelids every time he takes me to the hilt, the friction and heat sending sparks through my veins.
“I love you, too,” I groan against his neck.
I can only cling to him tighter, consumed by the way we seem to unravel each other so completely. My legs lock around his waist as I angle my hips for more—more of this wildness, of him—and a keening cry escapes my lips when he shifts just right, hitting a spot that makes everything spin into bliss once more.
My body tenses again with sweet overload as another climax barrels through me, even fiercer than the first. He doesn’t stop—doesn’t slow—a man undone and untamed above me until his own release hits with a shudder that rocks us both.
He tilts my face to his. “Don’t go.”
I wrap my arms around him, snuggling into his body.
“I’m here all night.”
When dawn breaks, I slip out of his bed, dress silently, and leave without a word. Always careful not to wake him. The goodbye is something I cannot stomach. Not with him.
On the way to the airport, I text Marcy.
The Commission is meeting. They’re panicked. This is it. Be ready. If anything happens to me, you know what to do.
I don’t wait for a reply. I tuck my phone away and stare out the window as the city blurs past, my pulse steady, my mind razor-sharp.
It’s time.
34
Past
The music pulses through the packed house, heavy bass rattling my ribs. I’ve never been to a party before, never stood in a room filled with this many people—laughing, dancing, drinking. It’s overwhelming but also… intoxicating. A frat party, or so I’m told. I’m still not exactly sure what a Frat is. Tasha loaned me some clothes after declaring that what I had on wasn’t good enough. I’m mildly self-conscious in her too-short skirt and barely there tank top. A halter top she called it.
Truman’s hand is wrapped around mine, keeping me tethered to him as we push through the crowd. He’s solid and sure, the only familiar thing in this chaos of flashing lights and bodies moving in time with the music.
“C’mere,” Truman murmurs, tugging me toward the kitchen, where Eli and Tasha are standing near the counter lined with bottles and red cups.
Tasha’s already sipping something pink and fruity, leaning against the fridge like she owns the place. She grins when she sees me.
