Page 34 of Blood Bought

Everything about that sounded like a bad idea, but I needed more of that touch, more of freshly-sated Alaris. “Showing me your ass isn’t seduction. Literal animals put more effort into it than that,” I pointed out, sitting down in the chair closest to his this time. I’d already learned that lesson. “Where’s Sloane?”

“She’s with Renzo. Do you want to hang out with her or something? I can tell her you want to be friends.”

I scoffed, moving the lid off the tray to serve him. “No, thanks. I’ve already seen her vagina, so it would be weird now to go back and ask her favorite colors.”

“Is that weird? I’ve seen your vagina and now I want to know your favorite color. What is it?”

That time, I did drop the tray. “Fuck. Not really, just through the bath... right?” I asked, scanning his face.

“I have good vision. Like right now, I can see your heart beating in your neck. I can hear it too, but I can also see how tense your hand is on the table and the way your pupils just dilated when you realized I’ve seen your pretty little pussy.”

He said all of it without breaking our gazes, and only the sight of those deep red rings of a vampire who’d had his fill could’ve pulled me out of it. He’d been with Sloane within the last couple of hours.

“Hope you got a good look then, Heir. That’s the closest you’ll get.”

He flexed his jaw again in frustration but I had to admit, seeing him tense was hot. “Don’t lie to yourself, Adalind. Even you know one day that pussy will be on my tongue.”

I sat again abruptly and squeezed my thighs together, trying to steady my hand as I reached for the fruit. “I was actually thinking about building a nunnery here. Figured I’d look good in black and white.”

Alaris laughed. A loud, carefree thing that I’d never heard from him before and then he took a bite of food. “I have to ask, Sweets. Do you truly believe that would stop me?”

My breath caught in my throat, but I wasn’t going to let him have me. Not yet, not when he’d just had someone else. “Yes, because you want me to stay sweet. If you didn’t care about my consent, you’d have me bent over right here.”

“I’d be a liar if I said I didn’t think about it. Kind of all I think about when I’m inside anyone else. It’s fucking frustrating,” he admitted with a huff. “My cock goes inside, and all I see is you.”

The somersaults my stomach did could’ve won medals. “That sounds like a problem,” I said quietly. “Anything I can do to help? Potato sacks? Dye my hair purple?”

He did that laugh again, one that I was already wanting to hear more of, and then he started eating. When he got up to get himself a drink, I took the opportunity to check out his toned torso, noting the scars and tattoos scattered around otherwise smooth skin, and when I reached his lower abdomen my eyes dropped to the natural bulge in his grey briefs.

“I’ll take that as a no, then.” I sat back and sucked on a piece of melon, half-tempted to take the bracelet off so he could hear my thoughts, hear how close he really was to changing my mind. “Sloane must be good at what she does if she can satisfy you then go to Renzo,” I commented. “She’s strong.”

Alaris made his way back to the table and eyed me, then reached out to take the melon I was sucking and plop it into his mouth. “I don’t want to talk about her when I’m with you. I’d rather feed you your fruit. Can I?”

He pulled out another piece and slid it across my bottom lip, so I flicked my tongue out just to mess with him at first, and then because I wanted him to feel half of what I was feeling in that moment.

“Yes,” I whispered, kissing the corner of it and sucking gently.

That time, I got to see him squirm. A low growl vibrated between us as he held it there with one hand, and the other broke off the corner of his wooden table. “Fuck,” he whispered, looking down at his wood-splintered hand and the dark Obsidian blood dripping from it.

“You’re very violent, you know that? For the Heir of Discipline, you have no discipline.” I stood, taking his hand and swatting him when he tried to pull away. “Stay still. I can get it out.”

“It’ll heal,” he muttered, pulling me down into his lap with his free hand as I inspected it.

He left that hand on my hip, and gods, I burned with it. I’d never understand why one innocent touch from him felt so good, but I didn’t want it to stop. “I know it’ll heal. You just don’t want it to heal with wood inside of it. Do you know nothing about self-care?”

I yanked that splinter out, making him grunt and pull away. “Ouch.”

“Aww.” I grinned, I couldn’t help it. “Mr. Indestructible Vampire gets taken out by a splinter?”

“I survived,” he argued. “Wooden stakes are a myth, by the way. Don’t even think about it.”

He held his hand up to his mouth and started to lick it clean, and the obscene way his tongue moved had me shifting just a little on his lap.

“If I killed you, I’d end up with your father. Something tells me he doesn’t have the sweet tooth you do.”

“He doesn’t. Don’t move though... unless you want to feel a different kind of wood.”

Curiosity nearly won. I was tired of being a virgin, tired of being lonely, tired of fighting him when it would be so, so easy to give in. But then I pictured that cell, the look on his face when he’d threatened me, threatened my sister, and slowly stood up. “Sorry.”

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