And I swear, just beneath her skin, I can feel the crackle of lightning in her veins.
“Severin,” she whispers.
Her voice is richer than whiskey, smoother than the softest silk the kingdoms have to offer. And when I meet her gaze again, I know it’s time.
More venom drips onto my tongue.
“Are you cert—”
Maeve puts a finger to my lips. “Yes.”
I flex my jaw. Inside me, the predator lurks, circling, watching, waiting for its chance.
I shift my weight to one hand, then slowly brush Maeve’s long hair back from her neck. Her throat is smooth, her skin warm. And her pulse flutters there, each beat of her heart sending her scent swirling around me, a mix of rain and lightning and the heavy musk of lust.
Between our bodies, Maeve reaches down to take my cock in her hand. She guides my tip to her slick cunt, then meets my eyes.
I don’t know how I’m going to survive this—how I’m going to feel the rapture of her body while trying to control the rapacious thirst clawing at my throat and burning through my veins.
But she trusts me. I see it in her eyes, smell it in the air. She doesn’t fear me, even if I feel she should.
I fear me. But only around her.
She waits, patient, eyes lit by firelight.
“This will hurt,” I tell her. “But only for a moment.” My fingers trail across her skin, circling the place where my fangs will puncture her throat. “My venom will dull the pain, but it takes a moment to move through the bloodstream.”
“I know.”
I tip my head at her, eyes narrowing, and she smiles that little smile that promises both pleasure and danger.
“I did my research, Professor.”
Of course she did.
My fingers brush her throat again. “Are you sure you’re—”
“Severin D’Arques,” she says, tone sharp, fingers squeezing around my cock. “If you continue to stall, I’m going to pin you to this bed and—”
I cover her mouth with mine, kissing the words from her tongue. The taste of my venom mixes with the soft flavor of lavender, and Maeve wraps one arm around my neck, her other hand still holding my shaft, dragging my tip through her slick folds.
She’s ready.
And I’ll never be.
But I can’t let that stop me.
I pull back from our kiss and press my forehead to Maeve’s, drawing in one last steadying breath.
Then I turn her head to one side and trail my nose across her throat, breathing in the scent of her blood. My cock and fangs throb as my heart thrums hard.
“Try not to move,” I whisper to her, my lips ghosting across her skin.
She nods once.
I use the weight of my body to press her into the mattress, wanting to hold her still. At the same time, I ease my cock inside her, feeling her pussy stretch around me, hot and wet. The sensation distracts her, and she draws a breath.
Then I pull my lips back, baring my fangs.
