“You are a cruel male. Can’t you see I’m dying here?”
He smiles. “Dying? No, you’re not dying, not yet anyway. But soon.”
We’ve always joked that making love to each other is like dying and being born again. Lucca has the power to unravel me completely; he can turn my body into stardust, then put my fragments back together.
He licks my clit, and I arch my back, unprepared for the caress. I thought he was going to torture me more. But what he’s doing to me now is a different type of torture. His velvety tongue and sharp teeth tease my sensitive skin, exploring every inch of my pussy with expert precision. I’m soaring high already, straight into a vortex of pure bliss. Lucca’s groans of pleasure mingle with my gasps and moans, creating a symphony of passion that echoes through the room. When I think I can’t take any more, he bites my inner thigh, piercing the skin. The sharp pain only lasts a split second before the sweet sensation of a vampire’s bite spreads through my body.
“Lucca!” I yell, climaxing hard.
He keeps drinking from me while destroying my pussy with his fingers. My body is shaking from head to toe even once the wave of pleasure subsides. But Lucca isn’t done yet. I know that was just the prelude. He pulls back and finally removes the rest of my clothes, lobbing them out of sight.
Then something I wasn’t expecting happens. Lucca begins to glow from within. I let out a gasp.
“What is it?”
“You’re glowing, Luc.”
He looks at his chest and arms, then back at me. His eyes are as round as saucers and no longer red. “What’s happening to me?”
The light in his body fades in the next moment, but the magnitude of what just happened stays with us. “I don’t know. How do you feel?”
“I’ve never felt better in my life.”
I let out a breath of relief. I thought for a second that Lucca was reacting poorly to my blood now that I have my powers back. “Thank heavens.”
He leans down once more, pressing the tip of his cock against my wetness. “You’ll be thanking someone else real soon, babe.”
With a powerful thrust, he sheathes himself in me. And oh, do I believe him.
Nine
SOPHIE
SALEM
Tish lets out a squeal of delight as she zooms into our new apartment, which is located downtown and near the border to dragon shifter territory. Larsson van Praag, the dragon kingpin, has always kept his people away from the conflict between the two vampire factions, never fully committing to any side. My father believes that hasn’t changed, even though he tried to pit the dragons against Raphael and failed.
I stand on the entry foyer and take a moment to look around my new home. All the windows have automatic shutters that lower before sunrise, and they’re hidden by off-white heavy curtains. The walls have been painted a soft lavender save for the one behind the purple couch that has a big flower pattern wallpaper.
“I didn’t know where you wanted your violin, so I just kept it in the case.” Igor points at it.
My beloved violin is propped against the wall in a corner. All this time, I had assumed it had been lost along with our other belongings. “I can’t believe it didn’t sink with theTitanic.”
“It made sure it was safe.”
Something akin to warmth spreads across my chest, surprising me. I’m usually dead inside unless it’s anger.ThatI feel in spades.
“Thank you,” I say through a choke.
“Do you like it?” Igor, who’s standing next to me, asks.
“Yes, it’s lovely. Thanks for putting it all together.”
“You’re welcome.”
“Hey, don’t go taking all the credit,” Tish complains. “It only looks nice thanks to my input.”
“I know. Thank you so much, Tish.” I walk farther into the apartment, then drop my duffel bag near the couch and head over to the kitchen, which is in plain view. Tish calls it an “open concept.”
