Page 47 of Rebel Fae
I swallowed hard, staring into the depths of his eyes. “Then you’ll have to protect me until I’m strong again.”
He smiled and gave my arm a tender squeeze. “You know you can count on me.”
For once in a very long time, I did.
Swallowing hard, I put my wrist to Regina’s lips. “Only take what you need.”
“If you go too far, I will stop you,” Vaughn said, a threat in his voice.
Regina lifted her head, scanned both our faces, and pressed her fangs to my wrist.
There was the pinch of her teeth as they bit into my flesh and then the warm, slow draw as she sucked my blood into her mouth. I thought it would hurt, but, after the initial bite, her mouth on my skin felt almost pleasant and slightly erotic. I knew vampires could enthrall their prey. Was that happening to me?
My eyes fluttered closed as Regina’s hands closed around my wrist and pulled me closer. A moan of pleasure rumbled in her throat. One of my own echoed from my mouth, but I was not exactly aware of my surroundings.
Everything felt warm and soft and far away.
“That’s enough,” Vaughn said. Then louder, “That’s enough!”
My body rocked back as powerful arms pulled me into an embrace. My eyelids fluttered open as a hissing sound shattered my blissful peace.
Regina squatted near me, blood on her fangs, her claws extended. She looked as though she might attack, but the warm, muscular body behind me pulled me back even further and encased me in a wall of muscle.
“Stay back, Regina. I’m warning you,” Vaughn’s voice said in my ear.
Regina hissed again, then turned, bounded away, and jumped into the lake. One flash of sunlight let me know her fist held the large key they’d found in the chest.
I stared groggily at my bloody wrist as Vaughn took it and began cleaning it with supplies from my waist pack, then wrapping cloth around the two deep puncture marks.
“I should have never agreed to let her do that to you,” he said, anger barely hidden in his voice. “She wouldn’t stop. I had to tear her off you.”
“Mmm,” I said, feeling light-headed and far away. It was like drinking too much berry wine at fae festivals. My head lolled against Vaughn’s firm chest as he tended to my wound. Having his body pressed next to mine gave me the same intense feelings I’d had when Regina began drinking my blood. I snuggled into his warmth.
He held me in his arm as we both sat and stared toward the lake. “I hope she finds Antonio,” he whispered. “Otherwise, all that was for nothing.”
“Yeah, Antonio.” But, I couldn’t focus on Antonio. All I could focus on was Vaughn’s naked body and all the places where his skin touched mine. There was his hand resting gently on my forearm, and his chest against the back of my neck. My ankle brushed against his calf muscle as he shifted and I noticed that, too. Anywhere his buttery skin touched was a balm, dismissing the pain I felt in my wrist, but I was greedy.
I wanted more.
I turned around, putting my arms around his neck, my hand where his soft hair met his bronze skin. His eyes were wary, the green of a tumultuous sea. But, as my fingers traced patterns on his skin, the concern seemed to melt away.
“Tally, you’re weak. You need to rest.” His eyes fell on my lips, but he refrained from kissing me. So strong, this male of mine. The idea surprised me, this sudden possessive feeling I had, but I liked it. It felt right.
I shook my head and wet my lips invitingly. “I don’t feel like I need a rest. I feel like I need something else.”
He blinked, the corners of his mouth curling up. “Yeah? And what’s that?”
“I think you know,” I said, softly angling our mouths closer together.
Gently, Vaughn leaned in, pressing his lips to mine. His kiss was tentative, soft like the way he was caressing my back as if he were afraid to do me further damage. I, on the other hand, was having trouble holding back. With the vampire’s enthralling powers still working on me, I could not keep my hands off of him. I pulled him to me revealing in his body, how strong it felt beneath my hands, how smooth his skin was, how good his mouth tasted.
But when I opened my eyes, I realized we had an audience.
I’d forgotten about Bael, Becca, and Ronnie. All three of them sat a dozen feet away. All three of them were staring at us.
Becca seemed jealous. She glared at me when she noticed me glancing back. Bael frowned with disapproval, apparently still hoping I’d “stick with my own kind.” Ronnie just looked... surprised.
I pulled back from Vaughn sheepishly, suddenly realizing myself. “Oh, sorry.”
