AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“You want a taste?” I whisper, exploring the planes of his taut muscular back. It’s so broad that it could take me all night to memorize every inch of it.
“Hayley,” he murmurs, kissing my throat. His tongue caresses my skin, and he sucks the skin of my neck hard enough to leave a hickey. “I shouldn’t. I’m already taking things too far.”
“Too far? Not to me. I like this and don’t want to stop. I give you permission to bite me and drink. You’re hungry.” I tilt my neck to the side, exposing more of my throat. “You’ve taken such good care of me. I want to do the same for you. Please, let me.”
He groans, scratching his fangs along my skin, teasing me without biting. “I don’t want you to feel like you need to exchange things with me. I’ll never ask for anything in return. My protection doesn’t have strings attached. I expect nothing from you.”
I can’t stop the smile stretching across my face. My cheeks hurt in a good way, and I can’t remember ever smiling this big except by force during one of my performances. “That’s why I’m offering. I know you don’t. So let me give you this. I don’t have much to offer, and it bothers me. At least let me do this.”
Humming deep in his throat, he brings his lips back to mine as he kisses me with explosive passion that makes me gasp against his mouth. I comb my fingers through his hair and bend my neck again, this time guiding his face to my throat.
The world jerks around me, and I laugh at Sawyer suddenly relocating me back into the room. He sits in one of the plush chairs, letting me straddle him with my knees outside his. The sides of my legs press into the arms of the chair, and I use my strength to haul myself as close as I can get to him until I feel the length of his boner between my legs.
“Bite me,” I whisper, loving that despite the low tone of my voice the words still come with an unexpected command.
Brushing his fingers into my hair, Sawyer repositions my head and kisses my throat. I moan at the sensation of his fangs piercing my skin and can’t help myself from reaching between us to rub his hard-on.
He shifts beneath me, his desire running as hot as mine. I want him now more than I realized, but a part of me fears putting us in a vulnerable position in a moment we need our guards up.
Breaking away from his bite, Sawyer licks the blood from his lips and kisses me again. He sinks his fangs into his tongue enough to send his blood flooding into my mouth. Tingles burst through my body, and I can’t stop from turning our kiss into a full-blown battle to suck his tongue, feeling as his blood eases the slight ache of his bite until it disappears altogether.
“You’re an amazing kisser,” I say, easing away as he slows down. “I want to do it all night.”
“I’m about to figure out how to get past Opal just to make it happen for you.” His gruff mention of Opal snaps me back into reality. “She’s going to cause problems.”
Oh. Not only does he bring me back to reality, he unintentionally slaps me with it. I don’t know what I was expecting from Opal. She raised me. She’s been my caretaker while Alexander has been my master all my life. I don’t know why I expected things to just be magically okay between her and the Bella Crew.
“She’s protective of me,” I murmur, sighing and resting my head to his shoulder. “She’s doing what she thinks is best.”
“For her and the Aris. Not for you, Hayley.” Sawyer draws his fingers up and down my spine, his affection the most incredible thing in the world. I never want him to stop, but I know that nothing good can ever last. The fact that he moves his hand to scrub his chin proves it. “We need to make some decisions and soon. There is no way I’m leaving you here. She can only do so much to protect you, and it’s not enough.”
I twist my mouth to the side, unsure of what he’s getting at without assuming. “So what are you saying? What do you suggest? I can’t let you hurt her. Without her, the other performers—my family—won’t survive. Can’t you form an alliance with her? It would help. You could tell her about your plans and—”
“No.” Sawyer’s sharp word interrupts me, and his eyes blaze silver. “She belongs to the Aris Coven, Hayley. I know it doesn’t feel like it to you, but she is our enemy. She has to be. My crew will not stand by and hope for the best. There is a war coming, and if it comes down to it, she will fight against us. Against you.”
I drop my gaze and hang my head. “Okay.”
Touching my chin, he nudges me to look at him. “No, it’s not okay. I know you love her and look to her as your caretaker, and it really fucking sucks that you’re in this position. It kills me that I know you’re only agreeing because while you care about Opal, you hate Alexander more. He’s been abusing you for your whole damn life. I wish it didn’t have to be a decision you have to make either, but it is what it is. I need you to think long and hard about it. Do you want us to get you out of here? If we do, you’re never coming back.”
“And if I stay?” I can’t help asking.
I want to leave. I want so badly to run away with the Bella Crew and never have to think about Vampire Nights, performances, Alexander, or risking my life every damn second just by existing. But what about Mya? The other performers? I’ve only been with the Bella Crew once outside of this hotel, and what if it turns out to be worse? He’s talking about a war. About Blood Feuds.
“I can’t promise to be able to protect you like I thought I could.” He slumps his shoulders in defeat. “Aris is more cunning than I realized. I can’t keep asking my crew to endanger themselves for my selfish obsession with you. I’m not always a good man, Hayley, and the fact that I will ruin everything for you without a second thought...please. Come with me. Come with us.”
I think about his words, letting them swirl through my mind. I’ve never felt so conflicted in my life. He’s not asking me to sacrifice myself to change the future. He’s telling me that he will sacrifice the future for me.
I sigh a long breath and kiss him again, just wanting to feel his closeness. “Ask me using mind manipulation,” I finally say, meeting his beautiful sky eyes. “Pull it out of me. I need to know what I truly want.”
Sawyer furrows his brows. “Hayley, I ca—”
“You can. Please.” I comb my fingers through his hair. “I want to know what my heart really wants. I need to see if it aligns with my thoughts.”
Closing his eyes, he cuts me off from his gaze and slackens his jaw, a dozen expressions twisting over his features. He thinks quietly to himself, and I stroke my fingers over his cheekbones until he finally opens his eyes to look at me.
“I’m afraid,” he admits, resting his head back. “What if it’s not what I want to hear? I want you to go. It’s taking everything in me not to just kidnap you.”
“There is always that,” I muse, trying to lighten the mood.
