Page 75 of The Duke’s Bloody Bargain

I swallowed hard, tasting her blood on my tongue. “That’s a different kind of intimacy, which I’m more than eager to provide if you want it too.”

She trapped her bottom lip between her teeth, looking even more beautiful. “I want to feel you now when my body is so alive and sensitive.” She caressed my neck, and the shift in the bond was immediate as her sadness flooded it.

“Why are you sad?” I stroked her lower lip with my thumb.

“Bethlen hurt you so terribly that I feared I’d lost you. Now there isn’t any trace of that horrible wound.”

“Darius’s blood did wonders, but your love healed me.” In more ways than she could ever imagine.

She trailed her hand down from my neck to my abdomen, leaving behind a trail of fire on my skin. “I love feeling your muscles.”

She unbuttoned my waistcoat and slid her hand under my shirt, and I hissed a breath at her curious touch.

Her confidence and gentle strokes were a powerful combination. Letting her explore my body without stopping her was a lesson in patience and control. And I wasn’t talking about my restraint in biting her.

“Your skin is different from that of humans,” she said, sprawling a hand over my chest.

“In what way?”

“It’s tauter, smoother, and has a leather-like quality.”

“As long as you like it.”

“I do.” She ran her fingertips over my ribs and toyed with the waistband of my trousers.

And I didn’t resist. I kissed her as her lips trembled under mine, and a wave of pleasure coursed through her. Through us. It moulded us together with heat and desire. The sensation was burning and familiar, and I didn’t want it to end.

“Please,” she whispered again.

I unbuttoned her shirt and unfastened the hooks on her corset, keeping my gaze on her face. The little buggers took a few minutes to yield. When I finally conquered the last one, I tossed the corset aside and inhaled.

Her tempting rosy skin was visible through the thin fabric of her chemise. I ran a hand over her full breasts; the pleasure was doubled by our connection. Her taut nipples pressed against the fabric. I lowered the chemise, revealing her naked breast.

She arched her back and rolled her hips, looking like a siren enchanting me. I closed my mouth around her nipple and sucked gently. I tongued and rolled it until she was panting.

Moans and whimpers came out of her as I drew a hand lower, tracing her curves slowly. She widened her legs in an invitation I eagerly accepted.

We kissed and touched and caressed each other in a rhythm that was both slow and eager as if we’d done this a thousand times.

I found the slit of her drawers and paused before stroking her. We both gasped when I touched her. She was wet, silky, and warm and so precious I would do anything for her.

“Hell,” I muttered under my breath.

She trapped her bottom lip between her teeth when I rubbed her gently. I dipped my head to kiss her neck, and the urge to bite her rose once more, but I didn’t need to feed, and I wanted her to experience the pleasure coming from my touch, not the bite.

I scattered kisses over her breasts, trailing my lips down. The skirt and petticoats didn’t fight me when I untied them. There was the sound of fabric ripping, but I didn’t pause to see what I’d done.

With a quick yank, I removed the skirts and tossed them to the floor. Then she lay in front of me, in her drawers, looking like a fierce goddess.

Vampires could enthrall their victims, but no charming power would ever compare to Irene.

I spread her thighs wide and nestled between them, pausing only to savour the contact with her skin, something I’d thought impossible a while ago.

How had I renounced her touch for so long? It was the most intoxicating sensation in the world.

For a moment, I only stayed there between her shapely legs, surrounded by her warmth.

I dipped my head, filling my lungs with her scent. That was how I would spend my days if I could—close to her heat, surrounded by her softness, staring at her beauty.