Page 76 of The Duke’s Bloody Bargain

She cried out and grabbed fistfuls of the bedsheets when I kissed her deeply. Her hips rolled and lifted, and I had to hold them in place to slide my tongue deeper. Her scent surrounded me, and the sound of her pounding heart was the only one in my ears. The deeper I kissed her, the faster her pulse went.

She said my name among breathy moans, and if I died in that moment, I would die happy.

The wave of pleasure coursing through her shocked me as well. We were one and the same. Our emotions were intertwined. Our bodies were welded by heat.

Her release became mine, too, and we held each other as two desperate lovers, shaking with the strength of the release. I kissed her inner thighs and her breasts until I reached her neck and jaw. She was a vision, a goddess with sapphire eyes and golden hair I wanted to worship.

She wrapped her arms around my neck and squeezed me tightly. I scattered kisses on her face until she giggled.

“You’re the guardian of my soul.” I held her. “You’re my shield of light against the darkness.” I didn’t mean to sound so solemn, but it was true.

Her mood shifted. Tears threatened to drop. “I sense it through our bond. I sense your fear of losing your soul, of losing me. You aren’t a soulless monster. You’re my precious love, and if I can help you by keeping your soul safe, then I will.”

We held each other, sharing heat, breaths, and tears.

I propped myself on my elbows, needing to see her face. “I swear I’ll protect you with my life and do my best to make you happy.”

She put her hand on my cheek. “I trust you, Alex.”

Those were the best words she could ever say to me.

28

VISITORS

Irene

Alex kissed my shoulder, neck, and arm, making me giggle.

The bed was a tangle of bedsheets, clothes, and limbs after he’d fed from me and kissed me and touched me and kissed me again.

The sunlight struggled to break through the fog, and the result was a dull glow that would have depressed me on any other day. But today was a celebration of love.

He slid under the bedsheet and closed his lips around my nipple. His mouth was a shock of heat and wetness that had me sigh. He’d tongued and sucked my nipples many times in the past hour, and they were tender and swollen from his ministrations, but his kisses never failed to make my skin sizzle with pleasure.

I cried out when he nestled between my legs and kissed me intimately. I’d become quickly addicted to this type of bliss, so intense and special that only a few lashes of his tongue were required to make me spiral into a peak.

Little pulses started between my thighs and spread through me, amplifying the sensation.

“Alex.” I wasn’t sure if I’d whispered or shouted.

He moved under the bedsheet to emerge close to my face. His black hair was deliciously mussed, and the smile of sheer happiness suited him.

“I love it when you say my name like that.”

“Like what?”

“Like I’m the only one.” He fondled my breast, eliciting another sigh from me.

“You are.” I put my hands on his chest and pushed him until he was lying on the bed. “My turn.” I slid down the bedsheet.

“For what—” He let out a noise between a hiss and a shout when I closed my mouth around him.

The freedom of being able to touch him anywhere, anytime was exhilarating. He proved to be rather undisciplined when it came to staying still. As I touched and took him in my mouth, he kept jolting, clenching his fists, and rocking his hips.

But I loved every moment.

His powerful thigh and abdominal muscles contracted. Deep, growling sounds rumbled out of him. There was something fascinating in watching a mighty vampire be undone by the stroke of my tongue. Through our bond, I experienced his raw pleasure, which guided me. When I was slow, he trembled, and when I used my tongue, he seemed to boil. When I took him deeply into my mouth, he burst with pleasure.