Page 56 of The Hunger
It didn't scare me to realize he was probably right.
“Come on, chipmunk. Put us out of our misery.”
I shook my head, not in denial but in surrender.
“Can you hold me in your lap?”
“Gods, yes!”
He plucked me from my spot beside him and had me wrapped in his arms before I could squeak. I didn’t pull away, though. Wrapping my arms around his waist, I leaned in and took what comfort I could.
“Better?” he asked.
“Much.”
With a calming breath, I gave in and inhaled his sweet, rich essence. The unique taste of Fenris coated my tongue, and my hunger roared to life. He’d been right. I was starving. How had I not known?
Pull after pull, I fed on what he offered while his hand smoothed over my back and my cheek pressed against his chest. I couldn't stop. I didn’t want to. The need for more rode me hard. Turning my head, I rubbed my nose against his shirt. The scent of his lust grew stronger.
A smile curved my lips, and I purred in response. His hands stilled on my back. Mine started to explore, leaving the safety of his waist and sliding around to investigate the planes of his pectorals. He started to tremble beneath me, his lust climbing higher still.
I consumed gulp after gulp. Even though my head swam with it, it wasn’t enough. I needed more. More lust. More contact.
One second, my side was pressed against his chest, and the next, I straddled his hips.
His wide brown eyes met mine as I rose to cup his face. I could feel the pressure of each of his fingertips at my waist and the way he was struggling to maintain his control. Such fragile control. So easy to break or bend to my will.
“Be mine,” I purred. “Give me everything.”
Where I would have pulled closer, he locked his hold and kept me at arm's length. I narrowed my gaze at him and leaned forward, parting my lips.
“Eliana, you are my moon and my night sky. You have my heart and hold my life in your hands. Take what you need, but don't do something you'll later regret. It would break my heart to have to see tears of regret because of me.”
The words and his worry, under all of that lust, penetrated the fog in my mind. My mouth closed with a snap, and I quickly scrambled off his lap. I didn’t hurry away to hide in shame, though. I stood before him, shaking and unsure.
Watching me, he reached out for a sandwich and casually took a bite.
“This is good,” he said after he swallowed. “Not nearly as satisfying as letting you make out with me while you feed, but still good.”
His calm acceptance was everything. If I was his moon, he was becoming my sun, the source of light in my life. My pulse gradually slowed, and I returned to my spot beside him.
“Feel better?” he asked.
I considered the question and focused on how I felt. My hunger was still there, and I was starting to think that it always would be. But it wasn’t fighting against me, and I realized that I did feel calmer. My concerns were still there, but less debilitating than before.
“You were right. I was hangry.”
He grinned at me and reached for a sandwich.
“I have a thought. But before I share it, I want to know how you feel about what just happened,” he said.
“Which part? Me wanting to make out with you while feeding or the part where you stopped me?”
“Both.”
“I’m not sure, honestly. I hate that my baser instincts can so quickly change the way I think. I know what’s right and wrong, but when I’m feeding, it gets blurry. I’m glad you stopped me. I think you would have been right about some tears.”
“I hear a ‘but’ in there. Don’t hold back. Tell me everything. Unconditional honesty, okay?”
