Page 52 of The Temptation of Roan Island

“Will it be a problem if I don’t… engage in…” Her gaze shifts to look around at the partygoers, many of whom are only half dressed now.

“No. You get to choose what you partake in.” I twist a lock of her hair, unable to resist touching her. “But… you might find it difficult to control your cravings once you’ve been bitten. I don’t want to put you in a position you aren’t comfortable with, where you lose control of yourself and regret it.”

“Are you worried I’ll lose control or are you worried you will?”

Fuck, how can she see through me so completely? I don’t answer.

She furrows her brows and chews her lip. Without thinking, I swipe my thumb over her mouth, pulling the soft flesh from her teeth and caressing its fullness to wipe away the hurt she’s done to herself.

She releases a breathy sigh, the warmth of it wafting across my skin.

My touch trails down her neck to her arm, and she trembles in response, silent for a long beat.

“I trust you, Shemaiah.” She gives my hand a quick squeeze, and I can see her resolve clicking into place when she brings her mask back up. “Biting me will kill two birds with one stone. You get the blood you need. I hopefully feel better before we travel. And it further convinces everyone that we’re together.” She gives a nervous chuckle. “And, well, if there’s some pleasure that comes along with it… maybe that’s not a bad thing. It’s been a long time since I’ve really felt good.” Another beautiful little laugh. “I guess that’s four birds, actually.”

“Pippa.” All I say is her name, unsure where to go from there.

“You don’t have to worry, Shem. I know it doesn’t mean anything. It won’t change anything. We’re friends, helping each other out. We both win in this situation.”

This is happening. It’s really happening.

“I should eat from someone else first,” I blurt out. “So I’m not so… needy. Will it bother you to see me with someone else?”

A shiver teases the base of my spine at the thought of Pippa watching me with someone else. Would she be jealous or eager? Curious or repulsed?

“I’m actually not sure,” she says with a look of open curiosity. There’s a light flush to her cheeks that I can only see in the low light because of my keen eyesight.

I slide my hand up her white satin glove to its edge and brush my thumb over the warm skin of her inner arm. “If at any point you want me to stop doing something—no matter what it is—just tell me. Or pinch me if you don’t want to say it aloud.”

“Pinch you?” Her laugh is light and airy, her demi mask dipping so I can see her eyes lined with kohl. Goddess, she’s beautiful.

“You’ll notice a pinch when you’re in the thrall of passion?” she asks.

I bend close to her ear and take a deep inhale of her scent. Even with the illness, that heady lemon blossom essence goes straight to the nucleus of my being. “I always notice you.”

She inhales sharply, and I relish the way her pulse jumps at her neck. Somewhere my mind is telling me this is dangerous, but the monster in me is too close to the surface to care.

“How do you pick who you’ll feed from?” she asks, barely above a whisper.

“Follow me.” I lead her between the two hedges where the Frellmans disappeared a little while ago. The noises they’re making drift from the muted darkness. When we find them, they’re laid out on a rug accented with pillows and lanterns.

Pippa’s pretty mouth falls open when she sees them, cheeks pink, eyes bright. Mr. Frellman is sitting with his wife between his spread legs, her back against his chest, her skirt pulled up to her waist, and his hand buried between her thighs. Her breasts are bared, one of them hidden behind his palm. I know he’s attempting to prolong their pleasure because once he’s inside her, he won’t last.

“Wendt,” she whines, undulating her hips against his hand. “I need you.”

“Another one first, Nadine,” he pants into her ear.

She’s frustrated, chasing a pleasure that’s still elusive.

“Should I help them?” I whisper.

Pippa’s sweet scent thickens, rich with arousal. My cock swells, aching with a need I don’t plan to satisfy tonight. One corner of Pippa’s mouth lifts in a tentative smile, and she nods, taking my hand.

I draw her to the blanket. “Mind if my fiancée and I join you?”

“Oh, gods, yes,” Nadine moans. “I can’t—I need⁠—”

Pippa leans against me. “Now I’m your fiancée?” Her breath teases my ear.