“I want to feel you come on me,” he hisses, and I shift, switching my rhythm. He’s pressed against the tender bud of my clit, and the tip of his cock is stroking my insides at the perfect angle. My hips and thighs burn, but the sensation is worth it. I feel the buildup in my lower stomach as it tightens with my movement.
“That’s it, darling.Fuck me,” he says, and I kiss him, holding myself there to keep my mind focused. He meets me with equal passion, chasing my lips every time I break away, and coaxes my tongue to tangle with his.
Focus, he seems to say.Focus on me.
“I’m so close,” I whimper, and he grips me, keeping the same pace with his own hands and hips. The ringing in my ears is growing louder and I’m so wet, so goddamned wet, I can’t think about anything else but the way my pussy throbs around his cock. We’re pressed against each other, chest to chest, and yet, it doesn’t feel like enough. I want more; I need more. That’s the feeling I chase until I’m ready to fall over the edge.
“Bite me,” I pant. “Fuck! Bite me!”
Gray’s teeth sink into my neck just below my ear, and the moment I feel them puncture, I let myself topple over the edge into pure orgasmic bliss.
When I wake the next evening, I’m buried beneath soft covers, and my head is cradled in a nest of the fluffiest pillows I’ve ever slept on. My fingers flex across the smooth cotton sheets, and I stretch my legs out down to my toes with a little wiggle. If being a vampire means I get to sleep in a rich bed with the world’s most luxurious, and probably expensive, comforter set, then immortality doesn’t sound so bad.
“Do you like the sheets? They’re Cotton Sateen,” someone says from the room. I startle, worried at first it might be Dante, but then Tannis pops into view and jumps on the bed. “They’re made in Italy.”
Frozen, I reach for Gray, but he isn’t there.
“He’s taking a bath.” Tannis leans on their side and grins. They’re wearing a plush emerald colored robe, and I imagine nothing else underneath. “That was quite the love-making you two did last night. I think every vampire in the house heard you.”
I’m absolutely sure my eyes go so wide they might pop out of my head. “I’m sorry, what?”
“Oh, darling! The way you twofucked…” Tannis fans themselfwith a perfectly manicured hand. “Why, even I was aroused.”
“Wow, okay.” I bury myself deeper into the covers. “Next time, please don’t ever come into the room after and tell me that you heard anything. In fact, just don’t even look at me.”
Tannis’s eyes alight with excitement. “Next time? Precious thing, please, tell me more.”
“What’s there to tell?” I ask, unmoving. I’m still very naked underneath the covers.
“Aren’t you his lover?” Tannis asks. “He’s never been with a human before. I’ve always told him it’s better than any vampire he could fuck, and he’s fucked quite a lot of those over the years.”
“You mean Dante?” I ask, lifting myself a little. It’s safe to assume Tannis doesn’t know about Francesca, so I keep that nugget of truth to myself.
Tannis frowns deeply. “Dante isn’t the only one; he’s just the worst of them.”
I think back to the night in the club with him and his friends. That feeling of fear when I remember his face and the way he bit me still hasn’t left my system. It’s enough that it haunts the corners of my mind when I think about it, and I do a lot of other thinking to avoid his memory entirely. I hated the way he made me feel—violated, unsafe, uncomfortable, but mostly, helpless. I couldn’t do a single thing to protect myself without the possibility of dying.
And knowing now who he is and how he devastated Gray, I’m glad I listened to my gut and kept my peace.
“Be straight with me.” I sit up, keeping the blanket wrapped around my chest, and look Tannis right in the face. “Do you think teaching me how to fight a vampire is going to help?”
Tannis considers me for what seems like an eternity. I think they’re sizing me up, calculating their next words based on what they see. I hope to them, I’m more than what I look like post-sex.
“It could mean the difference between life and death,” Tannis says seriously. “Humans are resourceful. Mortality doesn’t mean you’re weak, it simply means you have one less advantage than a vampire. And even then, a wooden stake, silver, or sunlight can mean death for us, too.”
“That was a really vague way of saying maybe.” I sniff.
“It’s the truth.” Tannis shrugs. “I’ll teach you how to defend yourself, how to parry, whatever you want. As long as, in the end, you feel safer.”
I nod. I do want to feel safe.
“Now, onto more pressing business.” A wry smile pulls at their pinkish lips, curling over one of their fangs. “Have you ever been with a vampire before?”
“I am absolutelynottalking about this with you.” But who else do I tell? I could sit here all day and tell Tannis how incredible it was, how every nerve inside of my body lit up under Gray’s touch. I could go on and on about the filthy way he talked me through my orgasms, or the instant praise that followed every single one. I could even tell them how it felt like he was holding himself back to make sure that I was okay. He was gentle, and no one was ever gentle with me.
“Boo.” Tannis frowns.
“It was earth-shattering, and sexy.” I sigh with frustration. I was already growing wet with need. With a deep breath, I tried to refocus and put on my best serious voice. “Okay? Is that good enough?”
