Chapter 23 [sexual content]

Jed pressed his face into Mila’s dark curls. He was breathing hard and while she clung to him, he only had one hand pressed to her waist.

For a moment, she thought he didn’t want it after all. Perhaps it was just the atmosphere causing misinterpretation. If he wasn’t actually interested or if he was uncomfortable, she should allow him to go. An ice bath would cool her off just as well.

Still, she couldn’t bring herself to move off of him just yet.

He brushed her hair aside, looking down at her. Despite the blood loss, she was flushed. Her skin burning against his own. Neither of them knew if it was due to the healing effects, their closeness, or the atmosphere.

Her skin was no longer covered in wounds, but the blood was drying all over her skin. It felt a little tight and flaky to her, probably not the most attractive sight. Jed didn’t seem to mild though. He lowered his mouth to her again, cleaning away the residue.

He laid her down again, expertly positioning himself above her. He looked graceful, but his red eyes were still wild. His lips trailed over her body, soft as a whisper. She could feel the coolness of his breath and tongue while he cleaned after last trace of blood.

It should have made her feel cold, but it didn’t. Every newly cleaned area burned once he’d moved on. Her skin was feeling suffocatingly hot.

And then there were the spots he was avoiding.

He ripped away the last of the troublesome fabrics at the seams, laying her bare before him. It made her burn even hotter and she reached to pull him down against her to ease it. But she may well have been trying to move a mountain. He didn’t budge an inch, her tugs seeming pathetically weak.

The tingles left behind by his touches didn’t have the same jolting sensation that they’d had when he was healing her. This was gentler, coaxing her body to respond to him in ways she’d never experienced.

He moved his mouth around her chest, blatantly ignoring the nipples that were almost painfully hard and demanding attention. She attempted to angle her body to force his attention, but he pressed on, lower down her body.

When he’d reached between her legs, she automatically tried to draw him in. The burning was becoming so fierce she could hardly stand it. The coolness of his breath was like menthol. It only made her burn and tingle.

More. More. More, she almost pleaded.

She knew what would bring her the most relief, but he continued to deny her.

She reached for him, her nails scraping harmlessly over his rock-hard skin. She tugged at his blond locks, but that only seemed to amuse him. He pressed a tender kiss to her inner thigh, so close and still not where she wanted him to be.

Then she felt his fangs. They dipped into her flesh as easily as she could dip her finger in water. He wasn’t thirsty though, he licked it closed a second later, sending tremors through her that made her moan.

She was on fire. Somehow, the flames she’d instinctively shied away from had found her and she was being engulfed by them.

“Jed-!” She gave a little yelp when he bit even closer.

Then she felt a coolness press into her. He was kissing back up her stomach, but one of his hands had remained between her legs. She inhaled sharply, her entire body tensing for one incredible moment.

His mouth found her chest and she choked on a scream. This went far beyond any experimenting she’d done in the early days of having a human body.

Tears sprung to her eyes. Jed stopped, his eyes wide with surprise. He tried to back off from her, but Mila was not ready for him to stop. She had only gotten a small taste.

Mila nearly tackled him. She kissed him fiercely, feeling his breath come out sharp and cool against her lips. Her second teeth extended to bite into his bottom lip, incapable of drawing blood, but earning a little moan from Jed that made her even more frantic.

In a dizzyingly fast motion, he’d lifted Mila away from the cot, one hand on her hip and the other cupping her neck. He threw her against the wall, protecting her head from injury with his wrist. His pants were off.

Mila’s head lulled back when he pulled his mouth from hers to nibble along her neck. Zings of pleasure shot through her from every too-gentle bite. Her legs curled loosely around his waist as he lined himself up with her body.

The coolness of his manhood was exactly what the fire had demanded. She gasped up at the ceiling, feeling him press into her far too slowly. She could feel every millimeter as it entered her.

Once he was all the way in, he paused to savor the sensation. Then, with inhuman force, he was moving and Mila screamed as his fangs sank deep into shoulder.

She was far beyond even registering discomfort. Her toes were curled and her body arched against the wall. It was far more amazing than she’d ever considered and she understood why the humans had spent centuries crowing on about it.

When he lifted his head, she grabbed at his blond hair and kissed him. She could taste the faux-human blood on his lips. They were red as his eyes which glimmered.

She wasn’t entirely sure how long he lasted in this position, but it still wasn’t enough. When he lowered her to the floor, she struck him hard, swiping his legs so he fell onto the floor.

He might have been able to catch himself, but that wasn’t what she wanted. She was on him and he didn’t even attempt to complain. With a slightly more frenzied eagerness, she explored his body as he’d done to her.

Jed’s ruby eyes followed her every move through heavy lids. He groaned softly when she tasted him, a ripple running through his stone-like body. It helped bolster her confidence so she continued until she couldn’t take it anymore.

She was burning too much, she needed him in her again. He held her hips gently while she took control, only to find that it wasn’t enough.

She glared at him, “Harder, Jed.”

He opened his mouth, looking at her blankly for a moment. As though she couldn’t possibly want him to loose himself on her. But that’s exactly what she wanted.

Mila found herself on her hands and knees before she could fully grasp that they’d moved. He was behind her and while the wolves outside howled loudly at the moon, Mila screamed at the floorboards, her entire body racked with pleasure.