Page 12 of A Kiss From a Revenant
The door slams shut behind him, followed by a sharp click of the lock. A metallic scent dances in the air as a reminder of the magical being I’ve given myself to during the duration of this bargain.
Heat from the fire continues to warm me to the point I feel sweat gliding down my spine. The air around me shifts—turning charged in an instant. It’s not long before I realize this heat kindling in my body has nothing to do with the fire. It has everything to do with the Eryx as he approaches me. Power exudes from him and dances over my body. The fire in his gaze makes me feel naked in my tight dress, and for the first time in my life, I don’t fear this type of look.
Still, I can’t help but cross my arms over my chest to cover the hardening of my nipples. My body has never responded to another in this way, but no other has ever made me feel the way Eryx has. He has awakened something in me I thought would lie dormant for all time.
His eyes glow in the firelight. The shadows of his face deepen as I watch him scent the air. Eryx’s body drifts closer to mine, and I feel his cloak brush against my booted feet. The scent of night and soil flows into my lungs.
“Are you hungry?” I ask, trying to ease the tension between us somehow. “I have stew—day-old bread that should have kept well. I can?—”
“You know very well what sustains me.” His voice is a low growl.
My mouth goes dry. The world around me spins, and I once again question if I’m not under some spell. I’ve scented his magic before, and I know it isn’t at play here. I was of sound mind when I struck the bargain—just as I am of sound mind now. These new revelations have left me reeling, but mycuriosity has overcome any sort of trepidation. It’s how I manage to find my voice.
“And are you hungry for that?” I swallow. “For…me?”
His eyes blaze bright. His skin takes on a new sheen, glistening. He raises a hand and it ghosts over my cheek, making my breath catch. The featherlight touch makes my whole body prickle with awareness. The space between my thighs turns wet—needy, seeking. I have to bite my lip to keep from crying out.
“For centuries, I have lived only as an insatiable appetite.” His fingers play with a lock of my hair. “Yet never have I ever hungered for anything the way I do for you.”
My arms fall away from my chest as I drift closer to him. The cold, rigid plates of his armor press against my aching nipples, and I bite back a moan. Eryx hisses at the contact. I should be fearful of him—he is a creature from my worst nightmares. Instead, all I feel is curious. In his gaze, I can see him so plainly.
This is a lonely creature. Eryx has only known solidarity and instant gratification after gorging himself on blood and corpses. That is no true existence. I can see the male he longs to be simmering in his eyes, and I can give that to him. Despite his desire for blood, we are not so different. I have been adrift in my own lonely existence.
It would be nice to find companionship with another, even if he just so happens to be a revenant. He protected me, helped me—how many men in this village would’ve done the same? They would’ve hurt me the first chance they got. Not Eryx. I believe he’d sooner harm himself than bring about my discomfort.
I trust him—enough to let the last of my inhibition fade at least for tonight.
Extending my hand towards him, I find the tie of his cloak and pull it free. The old fabric drops into an unkempt heap. Without it, the shiny plates of his armor sparkle. Sinew musclesare coiled beneath the metal, and I long to see him fully unclothed. Not yet, though.
Cupping his cheek, my thumb digs into the hollow there. I’ve never touched a man like this before. We are in uncharted territory, and I relinquish myself to it.
“Feed from me.” My voice is steady and clear. “Have me.”
The fire in his eyes reaches a blazing peak. Eryx understands my meaning. I want him to find completion not just from my blood but my body as well. I want to tease out this more fragile side to him. I want to be with the male who only asked for companionship from me—I want to free him from whatever is holding him back.
More than that, I want to free myself too. I’ve been cautious for too long. I will not live the rest of my life in fear. Not when wanton desire flows through my veins and causes wetness to seep from my most feminine flesh.
His thin fingers tease the column of my throat.
“Your blood calls to me. But that is not all I want.”
Fingertips kiss my jaw before tickling my lower lip. A moan works its way up my throat.
“Watching that man tonight—the way he looked at you, the vile thoughts he had—filled me with more anger than I can ever remember having.” His eyes burn me alive. “It was a delight to kill him—to know he will never touch you again. He will never do you harm. Before I leave this place, I will slaughter anyone who thinks to take from you what you will not give.”
“I will give you whatever you wish from me.”
My confession is a broken whisper and shocks both of us—Eryx’s hand cups my face, the lines of his body tight as if holding himself back. I want him freed—unleashed upon me in whatever way he wants.
“Take what you want from me, for I have never longed for another the way I long for you. I cannot explain it. I?—”
“You must be some final offering,” he interjects. “Some kind of goddess, sent to bestow a final favor on a wretched creature.”
“Eryx—”
“I just wish to hold you close,” he groans, and I fall against him. “To taste your sweet lips—for yours to be the only ones I’ve ever known before the magic unmakes me.”
Unmakes him? The statement unsettles me. The thought of my time with Eryx being limited makes me even more determined to throw caution to the wind. I give in to my delirious need for him. I rub myself against his hard body. My thighs clench, desperate for some friction.
