Page 27 of Dark Fire Kiss

But the desire still burned, and my heart beat faster. “You’re only saying that because you need a female.” And now I was in a swimming pool with him. Smart.

“If you knew anything about dragons, you’d know how far from the truth that is.”

“I know your people are dying out. And that you need offspring but you prefer—” I cut myself off before I could parrot the parting words of the warrior who’d dumped me in front of the castle.

But Fergus wasn’t having it. “Prefer what?”

Heat entered my cheeks, and I was grateful for the darkness that allowed me to hide at least some of my discomfort. “I know you prefer males.”

His crack of laughter made me jump. “Is that what you were told?” He dipped down so the water washed over his shoulders. “I think someone’s been filling your head with tales, fair Halina.”

I pulled my gaze away from his chest, which was now damp and glistening.

He moved slowly toward me, and I held my breath as he reached the wall and propped an arm on the edge beside me. “We’re bisexual, lass. It’s not really a matter of preference. More like a hardwiring. We’re also polyamorous, and that’s hardwired, too. You say we need a female, and you’re absolutely right. But we don’t want just any female. We want the one fate chose for us.”

My stomach fluttered with nerves—and maybe something else. His scent was stronger now, that mouthwatering blend of cinnamon and evergreen…

I swallowed hard. “You claim I’m fated for you, but I don’t feel the same pull.” He and Bram were so certain. What if they were wrong? Or just very convincing actors.

“Don’t you?” he asked gently, and before I knew what was happening, he’d cupped my jaw in one big palm. “You want me, lass. There’s no point denying it.”

His gaze held mine captive. As I spoke, my voice seemed to come from far away. “I… It’s just the hunger.” Even as I said it, my fangs ached and my mouth filled with saliva. At first, I couldn’t figure out why I didn’t hear his heartbeat. Then it hit me.

It was beating in sync with mine.

“Feed from me,” he said. “Satisfy your craving. If you don’t want me after, you’ll know it was nothing but your need for blood that drew you.”

My gaze went to his neck, where that enticing vein beckoned. “I could do that,” I heard myself say. Once I fed, I’d be able to think straight again.

“Aye, you could.” His thumb feathered over my cheek. “You should.”

“I need a knife,” I said slowly, and I had to focus hard to make the words come out correctly. “My fangs are too short to pierce the skin.” Somewhere in the back of my mind, I knew I should be embarrassed to admit that. But I couldn’t be bothered with anything other than the need twisting inside me.

He lowered his hand and drifted back. “I’ll fetch one. You stay put.” Then, in the most startling move I’d ever seen, he launched himself from the water and sped off in a blur. He hadn’t shifted. He’d simply lifted into the air.

I blinked, and he reappeared on the pool deck, his long strides carrying him swiftly to the steps. And as he descended, I realized he’d always been able to move that quickly. He could have used that speed at any point during our many interactions. But he’d restrained himself.

He did so again now, wading toward me with a small but sharp-looking knife in his hand. When he reached my side, he proffered it. “How do you want me?”

My insides trembled as I took the knife. Was he really willing to put himself at my mercy? There was only one way to find out. I licked my lips. “Back against the wall. A-And let me see your hands.”

He complied, stretching out his arms so his palms rested on the edge. “Do what you like, lass. I won’t move.”

Sila dripped from my fangs. Not enough to enthrall him. The chemical had to be delivered directly into the bloodstream, and I could only do that with a deep bite.

“Go ahead,” he murmured. He tilted his head to the side, baring his neck. “Take what you need.”

The hunger struck like a lash, propelling me forward. I nicked his vein and pressed my mouth to his neck. The second his blood hit my tongue, I moaned.

Ambrosia. His taste was unlike anything in this world. Raw power flowed down my throat and into my veins. Heat flashed through me—and then it shot straight between my legs, the force of it so intense I moaned with unbridled pleasure. My hips undulated of their own accord as instincts urged me to seek more. More friction. More of him.

Distantly, I heard his breaths grow ragged. And when I moaned a third time, he echoed it, his throat rumbling under my lips.

Helpless to stop myself, I pressed my body against his, letting my breasts mash against his hard chest. His scent grew thicker, filling my lungs and making the heat between my thighs pulse like a heartbeat. My nipples were so hard they ached, and it was like invisible cords tethered my tongue to my breasts and sex. With each pull of my mouth, they tugged harder, spinning me into a fog of sensual need so hot I thought I might burn up. And I wasn’t sure I cared.

A loud crack startled me out of the haze, and I reared back and licked Fergus’s blood from my lips. As the cloud of desire dissipated and I got a clear look at his face, I gasped.

His eyes were an inferno, the silver totally obliterated by orange flame. The playful, charming Fergus was gone, replaced with something dangerous and powerful.

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