“Feed,” I urged, guiding her to my throat as I turned my head. “Feed, my Queen.”
She was still rigid against me as I stared at the wall. The puffs of her breath were warm against my throat. I waited. Her lips grazed my skin as she trembled against me. A heartbeat passed. Another.
Then she struck.
My jaw clenched as her fangs pierced my flesh, causing a dual reaction. Red-hot agony shot through my body, momentarily causing me to stiffen and my cock to harden.
Poppy tensed and started to pull back.
“It’s okay,” I told her, slipping my hand to the nape of her neck as the burning pain started to fade. “I’m fine. Drink.”
She was still for a moment, and then I felt her take her first swallow and shudder. Then I shuddered.
“That’s it,” I murmured, rubbing my thumb down the side of her throat, feeling each swallow. “Drink.”
Poppy drank, and she did so deeply. One. Two. Three swallows. She released her fangs and closed her mouth over the wound, drinking greedily. And fuck if I didn’t feel dampness building in my eyes as I let go of her hand.
She let it fall to her side, balling the material of her sleeping gown in her fingers. Clearly, she was still wary and acting onpure primal instinct as I wrapped my arm around her waist. Her shiver made me smile and eased some of the pressure in my chest.
“I’ve missed you,” I said, my voice thick and low. “I’ve missed you so much, Poppy.”
Her gentle touch sent a jolt through my body. I felt her small hand on my upper arm, then curled around the back of my neck. I had to blink a few times to clear my vision. Another shiver coursed through her, and I bit back a groan as I felt it everywhere.
“Keep drinking,” I murmured, tightening my hold on her.
Carefully, I shifted us, moving her to sit on my lap.
Holding her, I moved so I could lean against the headboard. We were farther away from the edge of the bed, and not only could I keep my eyes on the door, but I was also able to widen the gap between my legs, giving her more room to settle there without sitting on my dick. Which was hard. Painfully so.
I talked to her as I filled my head with memories of us under the willow and how I’d felt when she asked me to kiss her. I had no idea what the fuck I was saying as I filled my thoughts with an image of her dancing on the beach, her body highlighted by flames. I wanted her to remember, and I needed to distract myself.
Because I could taste the pleasure beginning to build within her—a need that had already begun heating my blood. It was a normal byproduct of feeding, one damn near impossible to ignore, but I needed to keep a clear head—unlike last time—and make sure she took enough.
Not that the change in positioning really helped, with her mouth moving hungrily against my throat, and especially not with her relaxed into me. I thought the softness of her breasts against my chest was torture, but I was wrong. Whenshe pressed more fully against me, her hardened nipples just begging for my lips, fingers, and fangs, it nearly drove me mad.
Then, her scent thickened to a heady mix of sweetness, warm spice, and something new—something more floral as her hips began to move.
Lilacs.
Fresh lilacs.
Life. She smelled of jasmine and life. Her scent was all her. And, gods, I’d never been on the verge of crying while my dick was as hard as bloodstone before.
I almost laughed.
Her fingers slipped into my hair, and the hand on my arm tightened. Then Poppy…fuck.
I was wrong again.
Poppypurred.
My body reacted to the sound and the way it felt. My hips jerked, and my dick throbbed.
This was torture.
Keeping a hold of her, I didn’t let myself feel how she shook against me, even as each tremor echoed in my blood. I ignored her moans even as they carved themselves into my bones. And I sure as fuck didn’t let myself think about how wet and warm she was for me—
I bit back a groan, losing track of whatever the fuck I was thinking as she managed to get closer somehow. “Behave yourself,” I gritted out.
