Good girl.
I peel off my jacket the same time she strips down. Aura shivers as the glittering chains slide over her flesh, cold no doubt.
No matter how many times I've seen Aura's naked form, I am always in awe. I love every inch of her. I can't help but torture myself yet again with thoughts of all the things I would do if I were able to worship her body the way I dream of.
In this drab motel room of moss green and mustard colors, she is a jewel of vibrancy and seduction.
"Don't look at me like that," she says with sudden force.
I startle. "Like what?"
"Like everyone else does. Like I'm your wet dream come true. Like I’m some perfect untouchablethingyou can only fantasize about. " The last words come out on a sneer.
I open my mouth and close it. I'm not sure if this new blatant way of speaking her feelings is because of the company she keeps now, or if she's always felt this way and has only now given herself permission to say it out loud.
Okay, it’s probably the latter.
Fine. We're not at the castle anymore? The rules are different? We're saying what we're thinking now?
"Youaremy every dream come true, Aura. And it's not because you're perfect, because you're not."
Aura's shoulders tense as her chin lifts.
"Did you know you have a splotchy freckle on your ass?" I raise an eyebrow. "Very unsightly."
Her mouth drops open and then closes a few times like a fish out of water.
"You snore. You never put the cap back on anything. Jars, bottles, toothpaste. I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve grabbed something only to have it spill all over me. It’s infuriating. Your laugh? You start with this normal sound, but then it wheezes out like you’re eighty years old and dying. It’s horrifying. You’re impossible when you’re hungry. Worse than impossible. You become a nightmare gremlin. Snapping, pacing, biting people's heads off until someone throws food at you from a safe distance. You refuse to admit when you’re wrong. I couldprovesomething to you, have it written down, signed by the fae lords themselves, and you’d still argue with me out of pure, stubborn spite. You are messy. Not cute messy. Clotheseverywhere, dishes left in the sink for eternity, your hair tangled in the drain like a horror show."
She glares daggers, and I want every one buried in me.
"See, princess? You're not perfect, and yes, you areabsolutelymy dream. You and I both know that I dream of making you scream, of being the one you feed on, because evenwith all of your many flaws, I'd let you suck the life out me through my dick, lips, or otherwise."
A knock on the door interrupts us before Aura can respond.
"Let me do the talking," I order.
She nods, but her eyes remain wide with astonishment, her mouth slightly agape, as if she's struggling to comprehend what I lay bare.
"One more thing." I grab another item from the bag. A jeweled collar with a long chain. I walk to her. "Lift your hair." The command comes out husky even though I don't mean it to. I could even let her put it on, but I do it myself anyway.
Never looking away from me, she lifts her hair, her breasts rising up toward me like an offering with the motion. I'm careful not to touch her as I fasten the collar around her long, elegant neck. My mouth turns dry with the need to run my tongue over the column of her throat. Warmth and energy crackle in the short space between our bodies.
Aura searches my eyes, though I'm not sure what she's looking for.
"I've got you," I say, giving the collar a short little double tug. A whimper escapes her, and I'm nearly undone. I step back, and she drops her hair.
Then I cross the distance to the door and open it.
"Thank you for coming," I say to the woman I’ve been expecting.
I promise. I won't let you die.
The promise is a silent vow to myself, to Aura, and to this woman.
I keep my promises.
Chapter 15
