Page 26 of Those That Defy the Realm

Stepping across the room and forcing myself into his eye line, I half expect him to turn his head away again but he doesn’t.

“I don’t know what you want me to say. Clearly, you’re upset,” he says after a few seconds of hanging silence.

“How about the truth? Why have you been locking yourself away up here when all of last week you at least spent dinner with me? Most days it was breakfast too.”

“I needed some time to…” He trails off, but there’s a look that flashes across his face. I swallow some of my current rage because at a guess, I think he’s nervous of me.

Why would he be nervous of me? Or at least, of telling the truth? Unless I’m not going to like it.

Has he decided I’m not worth his time? Has he gotten bored of me that quickly?

“Say whatever you need to say, I don’t like games,” I press with more conviction than I possess. The anger has vanished and, in its wake, all of my insecurities are rushing to fill its void.

“Claire, I think I like you.” His words have my brows pulling in confusion. His hand moves up to rub at the faint stubble across his chin. He’s normally clean shaven so this is new. I don’t not like it. “Gods, that sounds so juvenile. But you seem determined to force my hand here. I’m sorry if you think I’ve been ignoring you. I haven’t. Quite the opposite. I can’t get you out of my head. I’ve been trying to back off a bit because we’re meant to be friends and quite frankly, none of the thoughts in my head right now are platonic when it comes to you.”

Opening my mouth to respond, nothing comes out. Instead, I close it again and swallow as I process what I think he’s saying.

“You feel it too?” is what eventually comes out of my mouth.

The air around us changes. Electricity zaps around the room. Henry takes a step towards me. “Yes. I’ve been attracted to you since the moment your messages popped up on that damn app. But I enjoy being your friend. We should be friends.”

“We can’t be more than friends,” I state clearly. It’s the truth. Despite the fact my body is heating as arousal floods my veins, I need Henry to know that we can never be more. I’ll never trust someone with more again. “But maybe there could be some benefits?”

Pausing mid-stride at my words, he finally, truly, meets my eyes. His flecked hazelnut irises are still hesitant and unsure. I don’t know what reasons he has for holding back, and frankly I don’t care. All that matters is that we’re being honest again. Honest about what matters at least, about what we are and ever can be.

“I can work with that,” he replies. “If you’re sure?”

“No strings,” I reiterate. “We’re friends.

“And if we add sex into this?” His voice holds a scepticism, but I’m unsure if it's aimed at me or himself.

“It’s purely physical,” I tell him forcefully. “I don’t want anything more. I’m not open for anything more.”

Henry’s eyes momentarily fill with questions but he doesn’t voice them. I’m grateful that he decides to leave them unasked. I’ve already told him too much about my past.

“Done,” Henry says and closes the gap between us in one fell swoop. Before I can take a breath, or change my mind, his hands are around my waist and I’m being thrown backwards, a soft mattress hitting my back. He doesn’t really throw me, as he never lets go, and he follows me down, catching himself at the last second so that he doesn’t crush me.

“Damn, vampires really are strong. And fast.” I giggle nervously at the display of his power. We’d been a few metres from the bed.

Henry’s body engulfs mine as he looms over me, his weight still on his elbows as his lips find the skin between the neckline of my dress and my collarbone. The kisses light liquid fire under my skin. “Sorry, did I scare you?”

Scare me? Maybe slightly, but in an exhilarating way. A sudden adrenaline rush from the thrill and anticipation of what I hope is to come. “No, you surprised me, as I’m sure you can tell from my thundering heart, but I don’t mind some assertiveness in the bedroom.”

Henry peaks up at me from beneath dark eyelashes and my heart increases its already thrumming rhythm when I see the pure carnal desire there. “You like being told what to do?”

“In a sense. I like someone who can take control, I enjoy feeling used, but only if it's from a place of getting us both to the finish line.” Feeling a little hesitant underneath him, I continue, “My ex always wanted me pliant and meek when we had sex. He controlled what we did, but he didn’t like it getting rough.” I blame the fact Henry’s lips are burning a pathway to my neck for the fact I can’t stop the secrets I normally keep locked away from spilling out. I don’t mention my ex out loud. Ever. Even if he still occupies way too much of my headspace. And yet I keep bringing him up around Henry.

“I can’t be too rough with you. I’ll hurt you,” Henry says between kisses that feel like pure sin. He’s added his tongue now that he’s reached the column of my throat.

“Just don’t treat me like I’m fragile. Please. Don’t be soft with me.” Or this will be over before it starts.

Henry chuckles against the base of my earlobe as he shifts slightly and presses himself against my lower thigh. “There’s not a chance I’m going to be soft around you.”

Indeed, he is already hard. And through the denim of his jeans I can tell he’s impressively large. I guess that makes sense with his height.

More heat pools in my belly and I wiggle beneath him, losing the feeling of his cock against my leg as my thighs spread in invitation. My dress slips up my thighs with the movement, probably baring my lower half to him but I am already there, wanting to be naked and feeling him skin to skin.

He sucks my earlobe between his teeth and I moan, arching up with the sensation. “Fuck, you taste as good as I’ve been imagining.”