Sweet Ruin (19 page)

He’d come from rutting the sheets. How the old queen would laugh. He gritted his fangs.
Get control of the situation. Begin anew.

He surveyed Josephine’s body for the next round. Where was his clinical detachment? For the first time in his life, he didn’t know what sexual thing he wanted to do next. Bed sport had always been about limitations—
can’t do that, can’t touch that, can’t put my mouth there.

Now the options were dizzying. His repertoire hadn’t prepared him for this. “Good. We got that out of the way.” His voice sounded off. Strained. From his war bellow.

Still panting, she said, “I was
so close
to telling you everything. No, really. Swear.” She flashed him that bedazzling smile. “Next time I’m sure I will. Should we get to it?”

Rune was going to make her eat her words. “You’ve just made me that much more determined, vampire.”

TWENTY-TWO

M
aybe Jo shouldn’t have taunted the dark fey. Over what had to be hours, or even days, he’d teased her mercilessly.

Again and again, he would take her right to the edge, patiently toying with her. Whenever she reached the very brink, he backed off. At times, he would nick himself, spicing the air just to make her insane.

Her body from the waist down was one tender ache. The cuffs had chafed her wrists. Her eyes were wet with pink tears, her mind reeling.

But . . .

She was a woman of flesh—a yearning, empty, horny woman. And she
loved
it.

Releasing his suck on a nipple, he leaned up over her breasts, his expression ominous. He’d questioned her as he tormented her, to no avail. “You must be so thirsty.” He sliced the pad of his forefinger.

The scent hit her. Her thirst scalded her. “Just a taste, Rune. . . .” Her claws dug into her palms till her own blood spilled. With a cry, she punctured her bottom lip with a fang.

“Tell me anything about Nïx.”

She shook her head. “Can’t.”

He ran his bleeding finger across her chest, painting her. His blood was searing, a brand over her skin. He traced it over one swollen nipple, and she could only moan.

He eased down her body, making himself comfortable between her thighs once more.

She whimpered, anticipating what was to come—namely, not her.

“Look at your lush little slit.” He’d discovered what his dirty talk did to her. “My cock would fill you to the brim, vampire, have you screaming for mercy.” He tickled her opening with his tongue, French-kissing it. “For now, do you need my fingers fucking you, dove?”

“Yes, fucking me!”

He slipped in one, and her needy core clenched it, her body trying to capture it.

“Your pussy’s nice and tight.” His voice was so deep, like the thrust of a finger. “Good call not to fuck yet.”

Yet.

He curled that finger inside her. “Here’s something you’ll enjoy.” He stroked one . . . specific . . . spot.

Bursts of light appeared before her eyes.
“Ohmygodyesmore!”
He’d done it—he’d made her see stars.

“That’s it, baby.” Over and over, he rubbed that spot. “Getting so wet for me. Doesn’t it feel good?”

“Uh-huh—AHHH!”

He leaned down to tongue her clit while rubbing inside.

Some woman was spluttering nonsensical words and sounds.
Me?

In a lower tone, he said, “Need more, Josie?”

When he called her
Josie
her toes curled. She nodded.
All I am is need.
She was need in the shape of Jo.

He worked another finger inside her. “So hot and soft and hungry.” When he plunged both fingers, her head thrashed, arms catching against the cuffs.

“Hear how wet you are? Wouldn’t you do anything to come on my hand? Just tell me how you met Nïx.” He sucked her tender clit between his lips, tugging at it.

She gasped, shaking her head.

Suck.
“Why did she target my brethren?”
Tug.

“Brethren?”

“What’s your involvement with the Valkyries?”

Jo nodded.

He made a sound of frustration. “You’re the strangest creature I’ve ever met. You should despise me. I feel how swollen your little clit is—it throbs against my tongue. Your pussy’s begging for my cock. How can you not want this ache to end?”

“Never end. Never . . .”

“No? Then you’re not hurting for it enough.” He began working a third finger into her.

The fullness made her eyes roll back in her head. She imagined his dick was penetrating her. So close . . . so close . . . She wriggled her hips on his long fingers, fucking herself with them.

He groaned. “Damn it, Josephine, do you want to hurt this way? Do you like this?”

She raised her head, telling him honestly, “You. I
like
.” A tear streamed down her cheek. “I like you so much.”

Never had Rune tortured himself by torturing another.

His shaft felt as if it’d explode. His heart hadn’t stopped pounding, his lungs heaving. He now knew what all his victims had gone through.

And never had he broken skin—unless he’d meant to. Yet the vampire’s wrists were bleeding. “Gods damn it, woman!” Injuring her was
not
part of the plan. He slid his fingers free, then rose from the bed.

She might want this never to end, but unlike his body, hers was suffering from more than thwarted desire. Pink tears had spilled from her eyes. Her skin was pale from thirst, her eyes black and glassy with it. Her fangs were sharp as daggers.

He couldn’t keep hurting her. Which meant she’d won. He bit out a Demonish curse and punched a hole in the stone wall. She’d defeated him.

“Rune?” Her finely boned face looked exhausted.

Flexing his fingers, he collected the key to her cuffs, then returned to the bed to unlock her. He knew just how she’d want to celebrate her release. Her predatory gaze had zeroed in on his neck.

He freed her, and she rose up on her knees. She shoved him back on the mattress, and he let her. Where would she bite him first? She’d likely drain him dry. His cock surged at the idea, even as his mind rebelled.

She won.

He told himself he could take her to the brink again. But he had no taste for it any longer.

Torturing her tortured me.

She straddled him, seating herself right atop his aching rod. Her sex was drenched, tormenting him with what he couldn’t have. Would she fall upon him?

She seemed to be resisting that urge. Why wouldn’t she move on his cock? She was edging herself!
I don’t understand her!

She reached forward to cup his face with shaking hands. He had no idea what she was thinking. She telegraphed nothing—

She leaned down and pressed her lips to his cheek.

A gust of breath left him. Why would she do this?

Then she tenderly kissed his chin. The tip of his nose. His forehead. She nuzzled the sensitive point of one ear.

“Are you . . . thanking me?”

She drew back. “Yes.”

“For hurting you?”

She shook her head, the silky curls of her hair cascading over her shoulders. “For making me feel alive.”

His gaze dipped to her mouth. He had to kiss her, couldn’t wait any longer. He clutched her nape. “I’ve wanted to take your mouth from the moment I first scented you.”

A lie. He’d wanted it all his life.

To kiss without killing?

She licked her carnal lips in invitation. “Take it, Rune.”

He tugged her head down, pulling her closer. Their gazes locked. When only an inch separated their lips, he swallowed. The moment was laden. “So long I’ve waited . . .” He pulled her in.

Contact.

Soft, giving lips trembled against his. He stilled, basking in this luxury, his senses drinking her in.

In time, he slipped his tongue into the welcoming heat of her mouth. He knew she was immune to him, but habit made him tense.

As if to reassure him, her tongue met his. When she gave a gentle lap, he felt it in every single inch of his body. His shaft pulsed so hard, it lifted her.

She moaned with pleasure. Only pleasure.

The most erotic sound his twitching ears had ever heard.

His grip on her nape tightened, his hand beginning to shake as he deepened the contact. He claimed her mouth possessively, his tongue twining hers—until they shared the breaths from their lungs. Until her heartbeat drummed in his ear alongside the sound of his.

This kiss was
right
. Her lips were
right
.

He’d wanted this so badly. And it was so much fucking better than he’d dreamed. He groaned for more.

She lovingly cradled his face again, and something inside his chest twisted. Her lips . . . her lips were teaching him to need. To feel again.

This woman. This vampire. With her slow, sweet kiss.

He wanted to teach her as well. To demonstrate why he was a man she should desire. That he had strength enough for both of them. She would listen to this kiss—just as she did to his blood.

He licked one of her fangs. The instant his blood hit her tongue, her body stiffened.

They both went motionless.
Heartbeat . . . heartbeat . . . heartbeat . . .

“Ummm.”
She cried out, lapping at him. He set back into the kiss, giving to her as she was giving to him.

Yet she still hadn’t moved over him. He gripped her hips and pulled her along the top of his shaft.

That was all it took.

She screamed against his mouth. Her orgasm made her suck on his tongue and rock atop him, her slickened pussy slipping from the base to the crown.

Ecstasy.

He shuddered, on the verge of coming instantaneously. The reasons why he couldn’t pin her down and rut, spending so deep inside her, grew dim.

She pulled back to rise up over him, undulating her hips as her eyes slid closed. Blood spilled from the corner of her lips.
Mindless.

Voice thick, he said, “You’d drink me till eternity, if I let you. Become a little glutton for it.”

“I would,” she moaned, piling her hair on her head. “Pierce you day and night.”

“You’d drink me alone, forever.”

She licked her lips as her hands dipped to caress her body. “You alone.”

“Already you can’t live without my kiss.”

“I can’t . . .
can’t
. . .” Blood trickled from her chin, hitting her breast. His lifeblood had never looked blacker than against her alabaster skin.

Like paper inscribed with ink, her flesh was marked by him. Marked with his scent. She was his
possession
.

Obsession.

Yet he knew nothing about her. He reached forward, caging her delicate throat with his fingers. “Tell me
anything
, woman. Anything I don’t know about you.”

Dazed, she murmured, “Your blood isn’t tainted. I can taste heaven.”

His breath left his lungs. His fingers went limp. His arms fell back. “Move on me, then,” he ordered her. “Make me come!”

As she snapped her hips, that urge to shove himself inside her grew overwhelming, his body fevered for release.

Right on the edge, he stared up at this female. Hair wild, eyes onyx with need, lips black from his blood. Pierced sex, navel, nipples. Plump breasts quivering.

He’d never forget the sight of her like this. Not even if he lived for another seven thousand years. He’d never seen anything so stunning.

She could make me wish I got a mate.

But she was still weakened, hadn’t drunk enough. His undeniable urge to come battled an inexplicable need to care for her. He sliced his neck and pulled her down to him. “Feed.” Arms coiled around her, he awaited her fangs.

“I don’t want to take too much.”

“Drink!” he commanded her. “Feed from my body till yours is sated.”

He growled as she sank her fangs in so slowly, penetrating his flesh like a leisurely lay.

Lids heavy, he stared at the ceiling, struggling to process his actions, what he was feeling. As her bite made him come, he nearly bellowed once more. Instead he clasped her tightly to him and rocked her as she fed.