Page 21 of House of Crimson Kisses
“And now you’re hungry for something else?” she says, wiping her thumb across my lips. She licks up the drop of her blood. My lips tingle at her touch, my body is hot with desire. Want. Lust.
I crave her.
Need her.
I try to push the desire away, fight to control my mind. There’s a part of me deep down that loathes the fact I allowed myself to get like this. To succumb to an addiction that controls me when I’ve fought so hard against those who seek to control. It’s pathetic. My mouth salivates at the thought of her pussy.
I want to spend the rest of the night wrapped in her. This desire is more intense than before. The fucking bond. As if it wants us to be near, to be one and united.
My body trembles, but not from thirst anymore, from an entirely different hunger. I can barely stand to stay dressed; I want to tear her out of her clothes and all the while, I fucking hate myself for it. I want to scour her out of my mind and soul and rid all my memories of her. And yet, that would make me just as bad as her.
The fucking irony.
Finally, I look up at her. “Yes, I want something else.” Heat simmers in my eyes. Somewhere deep down, I’m aware of how pissed off I am.
“But you still hate me?” she purrs.
“With every cell in my body.”
She leans against the tunnel wall. The ivy vines are overgrown here. She licks her lips and holds my gaze. “Then I suppose you need to punish me, don’t you? Will that make you feel better?”
She’s practically electric with anticipation. I swear I can detect her sweet scent in the air. The faintest hint of lust between her legs. But how could I? I don’t have her vampire senses. Was I too hasty in wanting to be rid of this dhampir fate? Maybe there are upsides.
Her eyes glow a sultry crimson, and finally, I get it. “You want to be punished for what you’ve done,” I say.
She sucks in her bottom lip and stares up at me from between her bangs. Her eyelashes practically flutter.
“Punishing you won’t make it go away.”
“But it might make you feel better because that is what you want to do, isn’t it? Punish me?”
I shake my head, knowing she’s right. “You’re some kind of fucked up.”
“Coming from the human who just drank my blood straight from my neck? I think we make a fine pair. And we’re bonded now. So I know exactly how much you want me. Exactly how much you hate me, and exactly how much youwantto punish me. Why don’t we stop fucking lying and give each other what we need?” She grips my crotch.
My entire body flexes, urging me to back away. To do the sensible thing.
Sadly, I don’t. “Turn around. I don’t want to look at you while I punish you.”
She sucks in a breath, her mouth dropping open as her eyes glimmer. I lower my tone. Thread command through it.
“Take your trousers off. Now.”
She acquiesces and drops them next to her.
“Underwear too,” I say.
She slides her lace underwear off.
“Hands on the wall. Tell me how many memories you took?” I say, my voice scathing.
“Wh—”
“How many?”
“A lot.”
“Fine. If you can’t quantify it, then how many times. Let’s start there.”