BEL LOWERED ME TO MY FEET INSIDE his bathroom. His hands were so gentle as he carefully pulled my top away from my skin and lifted it over my head. He bent down, placed a delicate kiss on my cheek, then tilted his head, and kissed my other cheek. My lover dropped to his knees and used the same careful touch to remove my pajama shorts and panties, careful not to rub the blood-rough material against any of my skin.
Bel leaned forward and kissed right below my belly button. He placed his forehead against my stomach, staring down at the ground, and wrapped his arms around me, holding me close. Even though his body was relaxed, his voice was rough with tension, “If I had thought for even one second he’d try to kill you first, I never would have let him near you. I am…sorry.”
I placed my right hand on top of his head, and asked, “You said first. When did you expect him to try to kill me?”
“I didn’t think it would get there. I put you as number two on his list, right after your father so he could steal the Original vampire amulet beforehand.” His forehead rubbed against my skin as he shook his head, his long hair dangling and tickling my bare thighs. “That bastard.”
I gripped the hair at the back of his head and pulled gently until he was looking up into my eyes. “You have nothing to apologize for, Bel. I’m not mad at you or disappointed in you. I know it’s hard to fathom inside that head of yours, but people don’t always know the answer to a problem. And King Niallan was working on pure emotion today. You can’t always predict that.”
His eyes closed slowly. “He almost killed you.”
“He almost did. But it didn’t happen thanks to you. You gave me what I needed to stay alive.” I bent over and kissed his lips gently. “Thank you. Your gift saved my life.”
Bel sighed and opened his eyes. “You’re welcome, Gwen. But you don’t need to thank me. Not for keeping you alive. You wouldn’t have been in that situation if it weren’t for me and my actions a long time ago.”
I didn’t really have an argument for that…since it was pretty much accurate. I kissed his lips again, and grumbled, “Are you going to release me so I can take that shower?”
He chuckled against my mouth and kissed me back with a tenderness that curled my toes, soft, sweet, and caring. My lover murmured, “But I like you naked in my arms. Stay here.”
“You have work to do, my lord. We can roll around naked once you’re done tonight.”
He smacked my ass softly, and his eyes twinkled with affection. “I’ll hold you to that, your majesty.” He stood and turned on the shower for me. “I’ll find you something to wear.”
“Much appreciated.” I smirked and hopped under the steaming hot water. Red blood rushed down my skin with the force of the spray. I tipped my head back and proceeded to wash my hair three full times until the stench of death was gone, and I cleaned my body so hard every inch of me was pinked from the scrubbing.
I dried off and snickered at the too large T-shirt he’d left out for me, along with a pair of his boxer briefs. Not really a look I usually go for, but I put the clothes on quickly enough. I cleared my throat and called out through the open bathroom door, “Do you have an extra toothbrush?”
The sound of his voice came from his sitting area. “I don’t. Use mine if you wish.”
My nose scrunched in disgust…but I did it anyway. I had to admit, he had a better toothbrush than mine. I’d have to get one of these. The crazy awesome toothbrush vibrated so hard in my hand, I almost dropped it at first.
I took my time drying my hair with his hair dryer, attempting to relax my soul from the visions of a man who was so powerful I couldn’t even do anything to fight back.
Finally, with my mouth minty fresh and my body clean, I walked into Bel’s bedchambers and went straight to the food cart I’d heard brought in. My lover didn’t bother me or blather on with questions on how I was feeling now. Instead, he left me alone to hover over the food cart and stuff my face with pretty much everything I grabbed.
I eventually turned with a glass of blood in my hand and surveyed my vampire Overlord. He had changed out of his suit and into a pair of clean pajama pants, his chest and feet bare. He’d looped his hair up into a messy bun again at the top of his head so his long hair didn’t bother him while he worked, his head tipped down over a book he was reading. My lover sat cross-legged on the fur rug in front of a lit fireplace, the red and orange flames burning quietly behind him.
The hidden compartment on his bookshelf was open, and all of the ancient tomes lay scattered around him on the floor. There were so many books. Bel had his hands full with our new predicament and the time crunch of impending war.
I finished off my glass of blood, savoring the rush to my system as the liquid filled my mouth and ran down my throat. Then I set the glass on the cart and filled a plate full of food for Bel since none of the food had been touched before I’d attacked it with vigor.
I placed the plate down next to him on an empty spot on the floor and kissed his forehead, the vampire not even glancing up as his eyes flew across a page, written in his own hand, in the ancient druid language—lost in his work. I ran my fingers over his left shoulder, and whispered, “I’m going to sleep now. Make sure you eat something, Bel.”
He grunted. His eyes still cast downward.
“I’m serious. You need to keep your strength up.” I kissed his forehead one more time just because I enjoyed the mint smell of him…and because I wanted to kiss him again.
The bed hadn’t been made yet, still rumpled from our rest the night before. With the sun just rising on this dreadful day, I slid onto my side of the bed, pulled the cover up over my head, and pressed my cheek to a fluffy pillow.
It took longer than I’d admit for the flashes of my would-be killer’s face to go away and allow sweet slumber to take my exhausted body into its peaceful depths.
* * .*
The affectionate brush of lips on my collarbone woke me. I hummed in approval, sleepy and rough, the cover still high over my head, trapping Bel and me together underneath its soft material. Those fascinating lips of his took a slow journey across my neck, pausing over my pulse. His mouth opened wide and gave an open-mouthed kiss over my beating pulse.
I squirmed underneath him in pleasure, only to feel soft sheets beneath my bare flesh. I giggled, and teased, “Sneaky vampire. You already removed my clothes.”
Bel lowered his body against mine. Bare skin touched bare skin as his talented mouth continued down my body, licking and caressing my right shoulder. “I removed mine, too. If you’d like, I can dress us again, and then take the time to get rid of them once more. If it bothers your majesty that much, that is.”
I tipped my head to the side and nipped his ear. “Smartass.”
Ice blue eyes, not as chilling as they usually were, met mine, and then he went back to the skin he was gifting with succulent affection. His lips opened, and his tongue slid across my left nipple before he opened his mouth wider and feasted on my breast.
I groaned and arched underneath him, grabbing onto his too-intelligent head. “Fuck, I needed this.”
He chuckled against my damp skin. “So have I.”
His fangs flashed and stabbed into my breast.
I shouted in pain, but it quickly turned to a pleasure-filled moan while he drank my blood and twirled his tongue around and around my nipple at the same time.
Bel hadn’t bit me since our first time together.
Guess he was done waiting to do it again.
My own fangs descended and my head pressed back on the pillow, offering myself to him.
The invitation given, he struck faster than I could see. His fangs left my breast and sliced into my fragile neck, while he pressed one finger into my wet channel, shoving my legs apart with his knees.
I shouted in sweet agony.
My lover was greedy tonight, sucking hard and swallowing with loud moans. His finger pumped into me, adding a second long finger, and then pressing the heel of his hand against my clit with each drive.
I dug my feet into the mattress for support and humped his talented fingers with abandon.
He purred deep in his throat, enjoying my loss of control, and sucked harder against my neck.
A few pieces of his long black hair had fallen loose from his bun and brushed against my face as my head shook back and forth, lost in his touch. “Please… Oh, please.”
With the hard thrust of his fingers sliding inside my wet core, I tumbled over the edge of climax, my shout imprisoned under the cover with us. My body shuddered against his warmth and strength. I gripped his hair in my clenching fists as my channel throbbed against his fingers.
I swallowed on a dry throat and jerked inside his hold, the vampire gone from my neck with the flick of his tongue over his bite, and his fingers gone from inside me, replaced by the shove of his massive cock.
His face hovered over mine with his fangs still lowered. Bel lifted on his arms, the blanket rising with him in the darkness, and he thrust again. He didn’t relent as his hips pistoned until he was fully seated inside of me. With blood red eyes, he stared down at me with fangs flashing and hard muscles tightening, not stopping to allow me to adjust to his size, thrusting his hips faster and harder. My vampire Overlord wanted to fuck me.
I dug my fingernails into his back, just as fiercely as he was screwing me, and dragged them down his back.
Bel hissed in pleasure, his lips pulling back from his teeth. He snarled, “Harder, Gwen.”
I shoved my hips up against his with each of his brutal pounds, his cock filling me so full, and curled my fingers further into the skin of his back and slowly scratched down his flesh again.
He shuddered over me, his eyes closing in rapture.
Sweat coated our skin. Our flesh smacked together.
And as he opened his eyes and gazed down at me with raw, carnal pleasure etching his features, I had never felt this close to anyone in my entire life.
I lifted my hands up, grabbed his whiskered chin, and yanked his face down to mine, ordering on a growl, “Kiss me like you’re fucking me.”
Bel’s mouth slammed against mine, his tongue thrusting past my lips. I tasted my blood inside his mouth, copper and potent and delicious, as his tongue battled with mine. He pressed harder until my head was shoved back against the pillow with no more give to the material. He claimed and owned my mouth.
I groaned and ran my hands up his cheeks and into his thick hair, and held the fuck on.
Our growls and hard touches consumed us; pain turned into pleasure. I yanked his head back so fiercely he groaned in ecstasy, and then I attacked his neck, biting violently enough it was just shy of piercing his flesh. Bel lifted his right hand from the mattress and twisted my left nipple so brutally, I screamed against his neck as I shuddered with desire. Everything was so much more with this man.
The headboard smashed against the wall every time his hips met mine with crazed savagery. Uninhibited, we fucked how we wanted. All fears and reserve gone. We did as we wished.
I wrapped my right leg around his waist and shoved up against him, pressing my clit to his groin. Faster and faster, I thrust up against him. I wanted what I wanted.
I screamed as my climax detonated inside me.
Bel hissed above me and his fangs sliced into my neck again, sucking my blood down as he shoved into my core, finding his own fierce release.
Our bodies pressed together as our muscles trembled.
I shuddered so brutally, the bed shook with me.
Bel snaked his arms under me, holding me tight against his body as we floated in our fiery climaxes.
I blinked hard up at the cover pressed against my face, my eyelashes rubbing against the soft material, and tried to breathe as my chest heaved. I unclenched my fingers in his hair and let my arms drop to my sides, thumping loud on the mattress.
Bel wasn’t any better, yanking his fangs from my neck and licking over the wound, then dropping his head next to mine on the pillow. His breaths labored in his lungs, both of us currently spent.
He panted his words. “You okay?”
“Yeah.” I swallowed hard. “You?”
“Yes.” Even though neither one of us could breathe well, he scooted his head closer and turned his face toward mine. With his nose smashed against my cheek, he muttered, “Blanket. Move the fucking blanket.”
I barely had the energy to blink, but I managed to grapple with the edge of the cover at our heads and yank it down hard.
Fresh, cool air rushed over our faces.
We both inhaled heavily, our hair sticking to our sweaty faces. My lover groaned and hugged me tighter, not moving from lying on top of me. I merely closed my eyes and passed the hell out in sated pleasure underneath him.