Page 84 of Taste of Death

“Yes, Novak. I want you, need you.” I was pinned against the desk, held in place with his hips and his hands. “But—” I grabbed his wrist when he reached for the hem of my shirt, about to lift it up. “But that stays on, okay?”

He pulled back with a growl that held a tinge of anger to it. With a dark look, he released me and planted his hands on the desk on either side of me. “No, akra. That’s not going to happen.”

Chapter 26

Amy

Istarted to withdraw, closing my legs and pulling them toward my chest, when Novak placed a hand on my knee.

“I’m not rejecting you, and I’ll never force you. But I want to understand, Amy.” His gaze was heavy on me, missing nothing like a microscope.

“I just don’t like being naked, okay?”

Novak was never pushy about anything, and I was hoping he’d just drop it. But this time, he seemed unable to let it go.

“Why?” he asked.

“I don’t need a reason, okay? I just don’t.”

“Amy.” His voice gentled, and he separated my knees to stand between my thighs again. He held my face in his palms, making me look at him. “Do you trust me to take care of you?”

“Yes.” My eyes closed on a shaky breath. “You already have, so well.”

“Do you believe me when I say I love you?”

“Yes.”

“Then you must know I already love every inch of you. Even the parts I haven’t seen.” His fingers trailed down my neck and over my shoulder. “Love doesn’t feel like a strong enough word. My heart beats for you. I found the strength to free myself from my clan’s expectations because of you. Every moment I look at you, hear your voice, taste your blood, touch your skin, they all feel like gifts I don’t deserve.”

“You deserve everything, Novak.” I swallowed, my throat feeling on the verge of closing up. “I’m the one who’s undeserving.”

“And I want to run a silver blade through everyone who ever made you feel that way.” His hands closed around my upper arms. “Because it’s not true, akra. Everything humans told you about yourself is a lie.” Novak brought my palm to his chest, pressing it flat against his heartbeat. “Believeme.Not them.”

My heart felt heavy, both with how much love he poured into it and the fear of it shattering.

“I want to,” I said, fingers curling into his shirt. “But I’m so afraid.”

“Of what?” He covered my hand with his. “Let me dispel any fears you have. I’m happy to.”

“Of disappointing you.”

The silence that followed was deafening. Novak looked bewildered, like he couldn’t fathom such a thing. But I knew disappointment all too well. It followed me everywhere back in Sapien. Every time I tried to help out with some task but got dizzy, or didn’t have the strength, or had an asthma attack, disappointment was all around me.

It was the first thing I saw in Tom Harrison’s eyes when he undressed me.

“What if I’m not everything you say I am?” I went on. “What if you decide this isn’t what you want in a few weeks or months?”

“We’re blood mates,” Novak answered as if the solution was so simple. “We are meant for each other.”

I waved my hand in front of my face. “Forget about that for a second. There’s more to our connection than just blood, right?”

“Yes, of course.”

“So without that component, how do you know? How are you sure you won’t hate my guts in a few months?”

Novak’s face pinched with pain. “Because I could never hate you. I adore you. I cherish you.”

My head fell back in frustration. “You’re not getting it.”

---