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“How did you sleep, Moonlight?”
She hums softly. “I don’t remember the last time I slept that well. How about you?”
Something loosens in my chest knowing that my presence gave her the peace to sleep without fear.
“Same.”
“The animals weren’t too much?”
“Not at all.”
I kiss her again, savoring the slow, unhurried rhythm we slip into.
Her hands find the hem of my shirt, bunching the fabric. Her hands flex, as if in some internal debate on whether or not to simply hold on to me so I don’t slip away or take it off. She releases my shirt and slips her fingers beneath the hem.
Everywhere she touches, a fiery heat blossoms.
Every ounce of my being screams for me to deepen the kiss. To give in to the voice that now purrs a singular word in my mind.
Mine.
Instead, I force myself to take things slow. After all she’s been through, she deserves gentleness, not sloppy impatience.
Her hands map my stomach with unsure fingers. Tracing every contour as she explores my body.
“Moonlight,” I groan when our kiss breaks, “if you keep touching me like that, you run the risk of ruining my reputation as a gentleman.”
The look Cordelya gives me is somewhere between sultry and sassy, making my heart forget how to beat.
“I don’t think you’re capable of being anything but a gentleman.”
I let out a rough chuckle.
“You give me entirely too much credit, Moonlight. You have no idea how hard I’m working to remain a gentleman.”
Something flashes in her eyes as she wets her lips.
“What if I don’t want a gentleman, Auggie?”
“Moonlight,” I growl, heat burning beneath my skin.
She arches one perfect eyebrow. A silent challenge.
The last thread of my restraint snaps.
In the blink of an eye, I roll Cordelya onto her back, gently pressing her into the mattress, pinning her arms above her head.
When I capture her lips, I kiss her like a starving man.
“Is this what you want, Moonlight?”
“Yes,” she breathes as she arches into me.
My fangs lengthen, aching to sink into the beautifully exposed curve of her neck. I drag them along her jawline before following the delicate line of her throat. Even without breaking her skin, her blood calls to me.
My lips trail hot kisses to the neck of her shirt.
Careful. I remind myself.
