Page 97 of A Drop of Anguish
I squirm as an achy discomfort spreads throughout my neck.
He slides his tongue over my skin, savoring every last drop. I tug him in tightly, fingers digging into his shoulders.
“Fuck, Candice.”
I shiver at the desperation in his tone. “Don’t stop.” Those are words I didn’t think I’d ever say about being bitten.
“I have to,” he whispers.
I frown. That’s not the answer I expected.
“If I take too much, I could hurt you.” He nuzzles my neck gently.
“Oh,” I squeak stupidly.
“I swear to never harm you. But until we are bound magically, I can’t tell when I’ve taken too much. Let me claim you, sunshine, and this will never have to end.”
I shiver, remembering our conversation from last night. I press my palm over the bite.
“It’s just a bite,” he assures me.
He pushes up, so that our chests are several inches apart. His eyes are hazy, his expression slack. There’s bright-red blood on his lips.
He stares at me, at my neck, at my body laying helplessly below him in absolute awe. “You are everything, Candice,” he whispers. “Everything I hope for. Everything I desire. Everything I fear.”
I sit up on my elbows. “What do you fear?”
His expression falls. “Losing you. Never earning you, truly.”
I grip the back of his neck and pull myself up to press my lips into his. My kiss is desperate and claiming. After a beat of surprise, he meets my passion with his own. His tongue slides between my lips, tasting.
His fingers dig into my thigh and pulls me to him as he sits up. I slide onto his lap, strapping my legs around his waist. I want more, so much more.
I want to never leave this room and face reality. I don’t want to think about the past or the future. I want only now.
This moment.
This forever.
I don’t know how long we stay like this, but I can’t get enough of his skin on mine, of his lips, or his taste. All of it.
At some point, though, a deep growl grabs my attention, and we both pause.
Jarron smirks, his eyes shining with a light I haven’t seen in weeks. “I think my sunshine is hungry.”
I huff out a laugh. Heat rushes to my cheeks. Right, that was my stomach.
Jarron stands, pulling me with him, legs still wrapped around his waist. “Let’s go find you something.”
“Wait,” I squeak. “I—I’d like to clean up first.” Who the hell knows what I look like right now?
He reroutes toward the bathroom and slowly sets me on my feet. His eager stare lingers on my neck.
I bite the inside of my cheek to hide my anxiety. I don’t feel any new pain right now. Maybe a small ache but nothing sharp or burning like last time. But I don’t know if that’s because of the blissful rush of our kissing. Will the pain begin when the adrenaline fades?
Once the door shuts behind me, I lean against the marble counter and take in a few deep breaths to calm myself before forcing my gaze into the mirror.
As expected, my hair is an absolute wreck and there are smears of red all over my neck and chest. Upon closer inspection, my new bite mark is bright-red but not any bigger than before.
