Page 71 of Trapped for Her Blood
“Pretty?” I cock my head to the side. “If you say so.”
He laughs and I press a quick kiss on his cheek. “But…how long have you been a vampire?” I trace the thick scar on his shoulder.
“A long fucking time.” He shakes his head.
Clearly he doesn’t want to talk about the details, or about his exact age, and it doesn’t really matter. Physically, he’s younger than I am, but whether he’s been a vampire for fifty or five hundred years he’s lived many,manymore years that I have, experienced a million things I haven’t.
I’d love to hear stories about his pirate days, but not now.
What I want now…
His erection shifts against my hip, and I suck in a sharp breath, shocked at how its movement on my skin elicits so much pleasure. Or maybe it’s less about the actual feeling and more about the promise—the threat—of what’s to come.
“After you…after you drink from me.” I shift, unable to stay still as my arousal grows out of control. “The last time you drank my blood we…”
“Yes. I’m going to fuck you.” He looks deep into my eyes. “Assuming that’s what you want?” He grins. “No pressure.”
His fingers lightly trail up and down my arm, but even that benign caress feels to me like his hands are elsewhere. There is no way for me to deny how much this man turns me on. And he hasn’t even fed yet, which, if the other two times I’ve fed vampires are any measure, will amplify everything I’m feeling right now. Amplify them to the power of ten thousand.
“Isthat what you want?” he asks, his voice lowering. “Do you want me tofuckyou, little dove?”
Nodding slowly, I try to breathe normally and then slide my hand over his chest. “But.”
“Oh!” He slams his fist over his heart as if in agony. “Why is there always a but?” He grins playfully his eyes dancing with mischief.
“Before we…” I can’t help but grin too, even though what I want to say could ruin everything. “I need to tell you something.”
“I’m all ears.” His lips hover over my ear, kissing softly, then his tongue flicks inside.
I sigh and my mouth goes dry. How can his tongue in my ear feel like it’s penetrating me elsewhere? I wish I had water, but I don’t want to leave his arms to get it, so I suck moisture from my cheeks and swallow so I can talk.
“While we were separated…” How am I going to explain this to him? “I thought that you’d left me down here. Zuben told me…”
He shakes his head and his thick mane of hair brushes my face. “Yeah. I might not even kill him for telling you that. Dude saw what he saw, heard what he heard.”
Ryker shrugs, and then his expression turns serious and he cups my face in his hands. “Ember, you need to understand that I wouldneverhave left you down here. Never. Not a chance. Not for a second did that cross my mind. I would protect you with my life.”
I gasp. I know it’s hyperbole, but with the intensity in his expression… “I believe you.”
“No.” He shakes his head, still staring into my eyes. “I’m not sure that you do. Because…” His chest expands as he draws a long breath. “Thing is, Ember. Zuben was right about me.”
“About what?”
“I have always cared more about myself than anyone else. That’s me. That’s who I fucking am.” He closes his eyes for a second and when he opens them, his expression has changed. “Never mind. It doesn’t matter.”
I thought he was about to tell me that it was a big deal for him that he didn’t sacrifice me to save himself, and I’d love to hear the words, but it was clearly a struggle for him to admit as much as he did. And it’s possible I’m reading more into it than he meant.
And all that matters right now are his fingers, tracing down my throat and now circling one of my breasts. I’m going insane with desire, but I still haven’t told him what I need to confess before we do anything more.
“What did you want to tell me?” he asks as his thumb slips softly over my hardened nipple.
I gasp, my belly contracting with need, but then I clear my throat. “While you were gone, when I first woke down here, I was weak, dehydrated and...and Zuben fed me some of his blood, and then…” I can’t say it.
“The robot fucked you.” Ryker’s eyes go dark.
“Yes.” I cringe. I’ve ruined everything. “We…” I want to tell him how it wasn’t the same, how I didn’t feel an emotional connection—especially not once he started the actual…penetration part of it, but I don’t feel right going into details. “And there’s more. Axel…”
Ryker leans back, but his hand stays over my breast. “The bear fucked you too?”
