Chapter Twenty-Eight
Skye followed Theo to their new room, the clinking of the bag of bottles oddly loud to her improved hearing. She tried listening out as they passed the rooms, but there didn’t seem to be much going on inside, unless there was some kind of sound-proofing in place.
Her nerves were rattled. The nightmare wasn’t over, she knew that as definitely as she knew the heart in her chest no longer moved. Her emotions were still wired in, but the lack of physical response was the most unnerving thing about the new version of herself. She’d bumped into the wall on the way out of the tunnel of ghosts, and it hadn’t even nipped a little. She’d poked and nipped at the skin on her hand and it felt like nothing. She worried for what that meant. She was dead, but so far not on the inside.
“I can’t seem to feel pain.”
“You won’t. Not physically, at least. Not unless you starve yourself of blood.”
He opened the door to their new room and hit the light. She closed the door behind them. It looked exactly the same as his room. The layout, the décor, everything. Fancy hotel room with no widows seemed to be the brothel’s look.
“What about pleasure?” Surely, there couldn’t be one without the other?
He put the bag down and pulled her to him. “Your responses might be slower, but believe me, they’re very much alive and well.”
He crushed his mouth to hers. She gave in to him as he lifted her into his arms and onto the bed. She understood what he meant gradually, as his kiss deepened and she started to feel that first flush of heat below her waist. She pushed him back suddenly.
“Take off those clothes,” she told him, screwing up her nose as she remembered who they’d belonged to. “And never put them back on.”
He did as ordered and she stripped at the same time, eager to find out how everything felt in this new state of being. There had to be advantages she wasn’t aware of yet.
He was quick to pin her back down as soon as she was naked. She felt him throbbing between her legs as he gazed into her eyes.
“I’ll never let anything happen to you.”
“Anything?” She raised an eyebrow, but she knew exactly what he meant and it made her stomach flutter. He’d done nothing but try to save her from the moment they’d met. Had that only been a day ago now? She could barely believe that. It felt like she’d known him for a lifetime.
He smiled, kissing his way down her body. This time he didn’t stop at her throat. His kisses didn’t tingle strangely against her skin like they had before, he didn’t feel cold. It felt teasing, and each touch sent a thrill through her body, anticipation sparking her desire. The heat at her core spread as he ended the trail between her legs, his kisses softening as his tongue began to move against her. She groaned under him and he gripped her hips, keeping her from squirming under his touch. She reached down and stroked through his hair as he worked her closer to climax. It hit hard and fast. The scream that left her lips was earth-shattering. He moved, licking at his lips as he positioned himself to enter her. The self-satisfied smile was justified so she didn’t tell him to wipe it off his face.
“It’s just as well my heart doesn’t beat anymore,” she told him. “That might have stopped it.”
He slid his length into her wet warmth and she wound her legs around his back, keeping him close. She was still riding the high, ecstatic to be pinned down by his muscular bulk and loving the feeling of being filled by him. She never wanted it to end. He moved, bending to tease her nipple into his mouth as he slowed his thrusts. A fresh spark of heat burst through her as he sucked. She moaned as he worked her into a second orgasm, his measured thrusting and well timed tongue flicks driving her crazy. The euphoria that followed kept her in a state of bliss as he reached his own climax inside her.
His kiss this time was relaxed, a slow but passionately infused embrace that made her want more. She pulled his head back to hers as he started to move away, not letting him end it. He legs stayed wrapped around him possessively, keeping him in place.
He smiled when she let go. “You don’t want me to move.”
“How did you guess?” She grinned.
“Well, if you want a repeat performance you’re going to have to let me drink something first.”
She let him go. “That’s how it works?”
He nodded. “You might not even notice it, but something happens when we drink blood. It’s called a Pulse. It’s what makes sex possible.”
“So you have to drink right before, every time?”
He shook his head as he grabbed a bottle and picked up the bag. He had to put it in the room’s fridge before it went bad. As soon as it was gone, he sat back down next to Skye.
“I haven’t been drinking enough. It’ll take me time to get back to full strength.”
She looked him over with a raised eyebrow. “This is you not at full strength?”
He smiled wryly. “I might look okay, but inside I’m a little messed up.”
“I think that could be said of anyone.”
He nodded. “You know what, you’re probably right.”
He opened the bottle and took a drink.
She wondered why he hadn’t been drinking enough, but she didn’t quite have the guts to ask. It was why he hadn’t been able to stop himself from biting her when they’d met. The reason couldn’t be good.