Chapter 17
“How long has it been since you’ve fed?” Gabriel asked quietly, his gaze pinned to Vega’s. She was strong, he knew that. But she’d been psychically attacked and now they’d been tossed into this…hole, with seemingly no way out. No good way anyway. Because that doorway? No thanks.
She started braiding her long black hair, her fingers moving deftly, expertly, as if she’d done it a thousand times. “Ah…I don’t remember. In New Orleans. Maybe a couple days before I graduated. I’m okay.” Finishing the braid, she tossed it over her shoulder.
He looked around again at their surroundings. The stark cave with strange little lights overhead. Something told him they were going to need all their strength to get out of here and he wouldn’t miss a little blood. “I think you should drink from me.”
“Ah…” She glanced away and in the dimness it was hard to be certain, but it looked as if her cheeks were flushed.
“What?” He took a step closer, closing what little distance was between them. The scent of her was overwhelming, heady.
She looked back at him. “I feel weird drinking from you when I’m…attracted to you. It’s always been a business transaction type of thing. Almost always with humans.”
There were some humans who knew about their kind, and even if there hadn’t been, there were other ways to go about getting blood. “Whatever’s going on,” he said, slightly motioning around them, “isn’t good. We need to be at full capacity.”
Nodding, she stepped closer, looking nervous.
Yeah, welcome to the club. He should have offered his wrist—sanity told him to offer his damn wrist. Instead he bared his neck. A dark, primal part of him wanted to feel her teeth piercing his skin, to feel the pull of her drinking from him. To have her pressed up against him, wrapped around him.
He’d never let a vamp drink from him before. Had never even considered making himself vulnerable like this to anyone. Ever.
But Vega was different. Vega was his. Even if she would never actually be his.
She stepped even closer and placed her long, elegant fingers on his shoulders. “I can just drink from your wrist,” she whispered. In the dark cave, her violet eyes seemed even brighter, more alluring.
“I want your mouth on my neck.” A harsh, guttural growl. God. He should be clawing his way up the interior of the cave, digging his way out for all he was worth. Instead, he was standing in front of Vega, desperate to feel her mouth on him. He’d never felt like this about anyone and knew he never would again.
She made a strangled sort of sound and nodded, the scent of her lust slamming into him with the force of a dragon.
Leaning forward, she brushed her lips over his throat. His heartbeat pounded out of control at the feel of her breath feathering against his skin. When she gently flicked her tongue against his neck, he forced himself to remain immobile, even as his body immediately reacted.
Fuck.
He should have just given her his wrist. Not done…this. His erection strained against his pants but he closed his eyes and kept still as she struck, her teeth piercing his skin.
Instead of pain, all he experienced was pure pleasure as she began pulling blood from him. A harsh groan filled the air and he realized it was him. Before he could stop himself, she shifted closer, grinding against him even as she groaned against his neck.
Oh, God. They needed to stop. He should do…something.
But she hoisted herself up and wrapped her legs around him. Double fuck. Reaching around her, he grasped her ass as she continued drawing from him, drawing blood and grinding against him in a simulation of fucking.
All he wanted to do was shred their clothes, to push deep inside her, to mark her with his come, inside and out. He wanted his scent all over her. To mark her, claim her, let the whole damn world know that Vega was his.
Suddenly she pulled back and he felt the loss throughout his entire body. Breathing hard, he opened his eyes to find her watching him intently, her eyes heavy-lidded with lust.
“You taste amazing,” she murmured, her tongue darting out to lick a stray drop of blood.
He zeroed in on that little flick of her tongue and a shudder stole through him at the knowledge that now a piece of him was inside her. He wanted more than just this, but he’d take what he could get.
Because he felt crazed and desperate around her. He’d been holding back for so long, keeping his distance, trying to keep that wall erected between them. Now…everything was all fucked up. He’d changed his entire life to avoid ending up back in this territory and here they were.
He wasn’t sure who initiated it, but he crushed his mouth to hers at the same time she moved toward him. They were already as close as possible, their bodies tangled and writhing against each other.
They couldn’t do more than this. Just kiss. And… He backed her against the nearest wall, hated how rough it was. She deserved silk and softness.
She didn’t seem to mind and he wasn’t strong enough to stop this.
This wasn’t for show, for anyone else but them. For her.
He cupped the front of her jeans and pulled back slightly. “Let me give you this.” He couldn’t get the rest of the words out, but his meaning was clear enough.
She nodded, her expression as wild as he felt. “I want everything from you.”
Her words made all the muscles in his body pull taut. Swallowing hard, he snapped open the front of her pants, slid his hand down the front and cupped her mound. This female was everything he’d ever imagined, ever wanted. They might not be able to mate—to do that, they’d have to have sex and he’d have to bite her, mark her as they came—but…God, he was giving himself a pass right now.
Screw it. He didn’t care. He needed her to come. Needed to feel it, at least around his fingers. Later, and there would be a later because they’d get out of here, he wanted to taste her too.
Simply touching her was like setting off an explosive device. She jerked against him, her breathing erratic as her fangs descended again.
“Bite me again,” he demanded as he began slowly teasing her clit.
Her eyes glowed as she dipped her head to his neck, pierced his skin. He had no idea what drove him to demand it, but he loved the feeling of being connected to her. Craved it after just one bite.
When he slid a finger inside her, she started rolling her hips against him and he knew it wouldn’t be long for her. Not because he’d remotely learned her body yet, but because her inner walls gripped him tight and the scent of her lust was overpowering. It mixed with his own arousal, drowning him, overtaking everything, including any sense he had.
Her slickness covered his finger as he ground his palm against her clit.
She moaned against his neck and he was pretty sure she said his name but he could barely make it out above the blood rushing in his ears.
So driven to make her orgasm, he continued sliding his finger in and out of her, wanting to do so much more, but—
Tearing her head back, she shouted, “Fuck!” before piercing his skin again.
It took all his restraint not to come in his pants as she started climaxing, sharp and fast, her orgasm seeming to be a tsunami as she writhed against him, drawing blood from him as she came in wave after wave.
He closed his eyes as she rode through it, holding her tight as she came down from the high—and continued to ignore the ache between his legs.
Appearing a little dazed, Vega pulled back slightly from Gabriel. Staring at him with wide eyes she cleared her throat. “That was…”
“Bad timing,” he murmured, his lips curving up into a grin. What the hell had he been thinking, bringing her to orgasm now of all times? They needed to get out of here. But when she’d taken blood from him, it had ignited something raw and primitive inside him. Something that apparently made him lose all reason.
She quirked an eyebrow. “I was going to say amazing.”