“Because I want you.”
Her breath left in a whoosh. “Oh.” She dropped her gaze to the floor, her cheeks burning under his attention.
He caught her chin between his fingers, coaxing her attention back to him. Her entire body tingled at his touch. Chills danced over her flesh, drawing her nipples to attention. And, for once, she was grateful for the concealing clothing.
“By your body’s response, I see you want me too.”
Her breasts lifted against her dress. It wasn’t fair that he could read her physical responses so clearly. She had no control over those things. But he was right. The thought of losing herself in a fit of passion to a man like Adam made her wet.
A low purring sound rumbled from his chest. He inhaled deeply and smiled with unguarded male satisfaction.
“Your lust has a fragrance. Its sweet nectar calls to me.” He leaned closer and inhaled again, this time beneath her jaw. His tongue skated over her rapid pulse and she whimpered. “I ache to taste every inch of you.” Another swipe. “To spread your body out beneath mine and slake this carnal hunger that’s haunted me so.”
Her jagged breathing jerked from her lungs. She licked her lips, her eyes growing heavy as his mouth teased her ear.
“Give yourself to me, Annalise. Let me show you how well we fit together as one.”
Her head tipped back, his fingers sifting through her hair as he dragged his teasing lips to the other side of her throat and kissed softly.
“Say yes,” he rasped, scraping his teeth slowly over her flesh and easing her back on the pillows. “Open yourself up to me.”
She’d never had such a response to a man. Her body panted for him. Her knees fell open as her head fell back.
Keeping his eyes on hers, he slowly dragged his palm down the front of her dress, between her breasts and over her stomach. He traced her hip, making a slow glide along the outside of her thigh until his fingers teased the hem of her skirt.
She swallowed, her throat incredibly dry. Parched.
His finger traced a delicate circle on the side of her knee as his mouth brushed over hers. But he didn’t kiss her. When he pulled back an inch, her mouth foolishly followed.
His eyes flashed silver. “Only if you want me.”
Despite her incessant need to understand every unnatural connection he’d explained, she couldn’t deny the sensation of his emotions projecting into her. His lust mingled with hers in a potent cocktail that left her drunk with desire.
All she could feel, taste, smell, and see stirred from her need to have him inside of her. Deep. Penetrating. Possessing. Her need to feel his complete possession created the strongest instinct she’d ever known. It consumed her. Clouded her thoughts until all inhibitions and reasoning disappeared leaving only the two of them in a world without consequence.
She caught him by the back of the neck, holding him close before he could pull further away. Her breath mingled with his, her eyes open and watchful.
He stilled as she slowly licked across his lips and said the magic words. “I want you.”
Chapter Twenty-Five
Adam’s head jerked back, Anna’s tongue nearly tracing his fang. Hunger matched his desire as her eyes dilated. He could scent her arousal, hear the rapid pulse of her fluttering heart, and feel her desire combining with his.
His hand fisted in her hair, jerking her head back to expose the long column of her throat. He growled at the temptation, biting down on his lower lip until he tasted blood.
“Be very sure, ainsicht.” He held his control by a tenuous thread.
Her breath puffed across his lips, her fingers curling around the back of his neck as she tried to pull him closer. This could only happen if he took the lead. Anything else put her at risk.
“Adam, I’m sure. Now, stop making me wait.”
He growled and his mouth crashed over hers. He yanked her closer, his fingers forking through her hair as he pinned his body over hers. Devouring her mouth, he gave her little time to think, his hardness rubbing against her softness with delicious friction that built to what would be a euphoric release.
He hiked up her skirts as far as her apron allowed. Years of pent up need, weeks of relentless hunger, had his normally agile hands trembling.
Pale lush thighs spread before him and his mouth watered. He hadn’t fed from her since they arrived, and he missed the richness of her blood.
He caressed the soft skin, gliding his hands up her thighs and forcing her legs to open all the way. Delicate pink folds, wet with arousal, unfurled before him.
“You’re beautiful.”
Blood flooded her sex, swelling her labia, as glistening nectar gathered in a pearl of dew at her slit. His head lowered, his tongue sweeping over her and lapping up her arousal.
She arched beneath him, crying out as he felt the ripple of her pleasure. He licked again, his lips curling around the small bud and sucking softly.
Her breathy moans climbed in pitch and tempo as he stroked his tongue over her soft flesh, raining open mouth kisses over her sensitive skin.
His tongue stabbed gently into her, showing her what would come and driving her closer to that steep edge of pleasure where they could finally let go. His erection pressed into the bedding, throbbing with hard need until he feared his desire would burst through his pulsing veins.
Her moans quickened as she pulled at his hair, holding his mouth to her sex. She begged and pleaded for him not to stop, her cries edging him on, filling him with ego and satisfaction. His determination to give her insurmountable pleasure became as important as his will to survive.
The bed rocked as his body thrust. His fingers tightened under the ripples of her skirt, digging into her lush skin. His tongue drove deeper, swirling and laving. He needed to get inside her.
He slid his finger over her folds, gliding in and out of her wetness with fast, penetrating strokes. She gasped and he added another finger, filling her as much as her body would allow.
His mouth closed over the sensitive bud and she screamed in pleasure. Sweet nectar gushed over his fingers in a rush of pulsing pleasure and her body tightened like a bow until she trembled beneath him.
She shivered, her breath coming out in a choppy sigh as her nails dug into his shoulder. Her body fell back, landing fully on the bed as her fingers splayed across her chest, trembling to her throat.
He carefully slid the pins from her apron, unraveling the ties. She panted, eyes closed, as he undressed her, first stripping away the apron then lifting the cape over her head. He slid a hand behind her back and lifted her, tossing the garments aside.
His movements were more intrinsic than thoughtful, his instincts guiding him where his experience lacked. He gently pulled her dress over her head and eased her back to the bed. Then he quickly rid himself of his clothes, as she smiled up at him, her pupils dilated and her cheeks wearing a delightful blush. Hair splayed across the pillows in amber waves contrasted her delicate ivory skin in a work of art. She was an angel sent to save his soul.
His hand trailed over her shoulder, his thumb and forefinger detouring to feel her hair. His gaze dropped to her nipples. Tight, pink peaks, darkened by blood flow, called to him.
Her belly would one day swell with life. And their children would nurse from her breasts. He wanted that day to be now. He ached to put his seed inside of her and start a family with her.
Flattening his palm over her belly, he met her stare. “You’re so small.”
She made an unladylike snort. “Hardly.”
His hands shifted to close around her waist, his thumbs touching above her navel. What if he hurt her? What if her body rejected children the way his mother’s did?
Worry strangled his desire. Had he not already been kneeling, the thought of any pain or sadness coming to her at his doing would have dropped him to his knees.
“It is my honor to protect you, ainsicht.” He would never let anything harm her as long as he lived.
Convincing her to b
ond became imperative, not for his survival, but for her safety. If he left this world, left her alone, who would watch over her? He couldn’t leave her unprotected. It was his God given duty to make sure she lived a safe and happy life.
Her hand closed around his wrist. “Are you okay?”
He shook away his fear. The more time they spent together, the more aware she would become of his emotions. And once they completed the blood exchange, there would be little he could hide. But for now, he tucked away his worry and refocused on the gift before him.
“I’m more than fine. You take my breath away. That’s all.”
A gentle laugh slipped from her lips. “That’s all? Women wait lifetimes to hear a man say such things.”
His smile mirrored hers. “Then I should tell you every day, so you never need to wait.” Once she transitioned, she’d be immortal, and they would have all the lifetimes they wanted.
Sweet anticipation built inside of him, thrumming through his veins as he lowered his lips to hers. With just a brush of his lips, her mouth opened to him and his tongue swept in for a taste.
She kissed him back, her arms wreathing around his neck as she leaned up to catch each kiss, silently begging for more. He gave her everything she asked for, knowing he’d never possess the will to deny her anything.
Dropping his body over hers, her breasts crushed to his chest. He cupped her, massaging gently as he kissed down her throat. His teeth ached to sink into her flesh, but he maintained control.
Pulling one puckered nipple into his mouth he suckled, losing himself in the pleasure. Her fingers knotted in his hair, holding him to her flesh as she arched beneath him and cried out.
His teeth scraped lightly over the delicate lily-white flesh, tempted to puncture, desperate to feed, but resisting all the same. His tongue swirled around the hard, raspberry tip.
“Your eyes,” she gasped, and he lifted his face, too soon to mask his feral response to her.
Lips parted as he softly purred and panted for more, he gave her a moment to see him as he truly was. Her brow tightened and she studied him as if seeing him for the first time.
Her finger traced over his lip until her thumb pressed to the sharp tip of his fang. He ached for her to push harder and give him a sweet taste.
His lips closed around the exploring digit and her breath caught. He watched her as his tongue swirled gently around the thumb. He wouldn’t repeat his promise not to hurt her, but he would show her she had nothing to fear.
Releasing her finger, he brushed the side of his face against her fingers, kissing the backs of her knuckles, and dragging his mouth to the soft side of her wrist. Her pulse fluttered as he softly scraped his teeth over the fragile blue lines of her veins.
His pheromones mixed with hers, pouring into the air and forming an intoxicating musk. Her fingers cupped his jaw, her trepidation sliding into something else, as she swallowed thickly.
“I’m ready,” she whispered, her stare holding his. “I’m not sure what any of this means, Adam, but I know it means something.”
His eyes closed in sheer relief. Her confession proved they’d come far in the short time they’d been at the farm. Though their journey hadn’t been too long, he’d grown weary from the restraint he showed her. His efforts to make sure this moment meant something to her had cost him, but it was all worth it in the end.
Sliding up her body, he found her mouth and kissed her deeply. His tongue swirled over hers as he took his heavy cock in hand and slid it over her wet folds.
She moaned and his fingers teased her open, nudging the broad tip of his erection inside her heat and giving her a split second to adapt. It was all he could offer.
His hips thrust and he tugged her body down, impaling her with his full length and claiming her. Her mouth opened and her head fell back on a moan. Her chest lifted, heaving beneath him as he retracted his hips and slammed into her again.
Holding her under her narrow back, his hands stretched upward until his finger curled over her shoulders. He maintained total possession of her body. For every thrust of his hips that filled her, he made sure she greeted the intrusion as much as their physical bodies could allow.
Pulling her body hard against his with each throbbing stab of his cock, he penetrated deeply. Her legs fell open and his hips pistoned faster, harder, drilling into her at a speed that no human male could match.
Her cries of pleasure pitched, colliding into an endless stream of ecstasy. The more he possessed her, the more she surrendered. His hold directed her body and he lifted her off the bed.
Her hair came undone and tumbled around her, falling like a sun-kissed waterfall through the space in between. Her back bowed, molding to his hold as he thrust into her. Her breasts jostled to his body’s rhythm as her arms fell wide.
In that moment, he truly believed she was his. Her submission an indisputable truth between them as her body surrendered to his.
She was his first and she would be his last. His only.
She was his existence, his survival. His beginning and his end. His ainsicht.
And as her body fully opened to him, his soul settled in. He swallowed her emotions, drinking them in with pure euphoria. Her shock, her pleasure, her desire to know every carnal secret he had, it was all there, pouring from her soul to his. Stroking the beast inside.
With a growl of ecstasy, his head flung back, and he poured his seed into her. Her channel gripped his pulsing cock, milking his very essence from his veins as her own release ricocheted back to him, multiplying the pleasure and driving him to another plane.
Color sparked behind his eyes and he thrust, still pulling her onto him, not ready to let her go. Her tight, hot sex choked him the more she felt. A roar of satisfaction ripped from his chest and fearful his last sliver of control would slip, he turned his face away from her and bit into his upper arm before he lost control. The next time he fed from Anna, it would come after her invitation to do so.
Spent. Strength depleted. He licked away the puncture wound at his bicep and softly lowered her trembling body to the bed.
His breath shook out of him as she moaned and turned her cheek to the pillow. Her eyes were closed, but she wore a smile on her lips—very much awake, though drowsy.
He carefully pulled out of her body and they both groaned. The world was cold and the second he left her warmth he wanted back inside. But he sensed her exhaustion.
He climbed beside her and curled his body around hers, not leaving a speck of space between them. Pulling the covers over them, he pressed his lips to her shoulder and breathed her in. Every inch of her wore his scent and he purred.
“Sleep, my beautiful one. I’ll watch over you.”
She sighed and a wave of contentment radiated from her. His hand closed over hers, as he cradled her to him.
“I’ll watch over you always,” he whispered. “Ewichkeit.”
She owned his soul. His heart. His body. All of him was now eternally hers.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Sunlight gathered on the windowsill as it seeped past the curtain with the waking of day. Annalise lay nestled in the crook of Adam’s arm, her hair draped over his skin like a silken ripple of ruby and gold.
Protectiveness surged through him every time he looked at her, followed by a gratified peace. She belonged to him. He’d found her. And they were almost out of the dark.
Sharp angst spiked along his spine as he thought about yesterday, about his brother’s betrayal and unforgivable transgression. Laying a hand on another male’s mate was an inexcusable offense.
When he saw his brother—his very own flesh and blood—touching Annalise, a rage unleashed, unbridling the beast within. His only instinct, to slaughter the threat to his future.
It took every bit of his fraying restraint not to claim her when he entered the room last night. Not driven by salvation, but by masculine possessiveness, he needed to sink his teeth and cock into her, claim her, mark her, and bond with his mate. But as he b
arged into the room and saw her sit up in a hurry, her concern washed over him. It soothed him when he’d assumed nothing could tame the beast within. And, like the sea, when the clouds reclaim the wind and everything stills, the storm calmed, and his rage receded.
He hadn’t expected her to hold such power over him. It nearly knocked him to his knees. How could anyone, with only a look, transform his emotions so completely?
He was not a fool. He understood that as the sky mirrored the earth, and the sun balanced the moon. There were always two sides to God’s power, and for as easily as Annalise could soothe him, she could antagonize him as well. Every bit of joy they shared risked the counterbalance of pain.
As if his eyes saw love for the first time, he now understood the cost of caring so deeply for someone. The price he might pay for trust, should she turn her back on him. It was a terrifying risk, but one he saw no other choice but to take.
As he stroked her hair, he studied her still features. She appeared to sleep peacefully. His grandfather had no advice regarding her nightmares. He said the idea that someone else might be trespassing on her shared dreams with him was an improbability he’d never heard of before. Adam had no choice but to assume these dreams were only dreams, and nothing more.
While immortals required little sleep and could go lifetimes without ever dreaming once, humans were different. They dreamed regularly. Adam only had the experiences of those who had been called before him to reference. According to the Order’s records, none of the bonded males or females on the farm had nightmares during the calling.
In the end, his grandfather had one piece of advice. Complete the bonding as soon as possible.
Birds sung on a nearby tree and he smiled, lifting a strand of her hair and turning it in the morning light. She appeared delicate, but she was a willful thing.
Thoughts returning to Cain, his jaw locked, and he released the strand of hair. His brother’s actions threatened his very existence. The cruel thoughtlessness wounded Adam in ways he didn’t want to examine, so he focused on his rage.
Original Sin (The Order of Vampires Book 1) Page 22
