Then he slammed inside me until he was seated full to the root and I felt his body spasm powerfully, shaking me with him as his deep groan filled my mouth. His orgasm, and the depth of it, caused a sense of triumphant elation so powerful, it felt like it shredded me straight through to my core.
Shredded, shattered, sated and moved beyond anything I could imagine by the splendor of our joining, uncharacteristically of me I didn’t fight the feeling.
I drew it in, pulled it close, held it safe and I wrapped my limbs even tighter around my vampire.
* * * * *
My eyes opened when Lucien set me in bed.
I saw the sun peeking weakly through the curtains. It was nearly morning.
I’d been dozing or, more accurately, passed out.
He slid in behind me, his arm curling around my waist, pulling me to his heat, holding me close.
I settled against him.
After the first time, we’d done it four more times.
Four.
More.
Times.
That was five, in total.
The first was by far and away the best but it was up for grabs which reigned supreme of the other four. I could likely argue in favor (for hours) for all of them.
The last time was on the couch in the comfy seating area off the kitchen. We’d gone down to raid the fridge. Or I had, I was starved. Lucien had been feeding a lot, he couldn’t be hungry. And we got sidetracked.
It was the first time he let me be on top. After we were done, still joined, I rested my torso on his wide chest, burrowed my face into his neck and fell fast asleep.
I didn’t know how long ago that was. It could have been minutes or it could have been hours. Now I was awake and, out of nowhere, it hit me.
And it felt like I’d been struck by lightning.
Lucien’s behavior was not about making me cow to him, to submit, to change, to be something he wanted to force me to be.
He’d said and demonstrated more than once that he always wanted me.
Just me.
It was about me submitting to what he was.
I had to accept him, in all his bossy, domineering vampire-ness and the other sweet or gentle or generous parts besides.
He wasn’t taming me.
He was taming that part in me that held me away from his differentness. He was showing me who he was, what he was, how he behaved and I had to accept it, all of it, without him being anything but Lucien.
You live your day-to-day life hiding the essence of who you are; you don’t want to let someone into that life who won’t accept you for that same thing.
Even embrace it. Even rejoice in the beauty of it.
I felt tears fill my eyes.
I was such a moron!
“Sweetheart?”
Oh my God.
Could he hear tears? That would suck!
“What?” I asked and I was pleased my voice sounded normal.
“You aren’t asleep.”
“Um…” I couldn’t answer. I was busy trying to control my tears and I succeeded but just barely.
“Is there something on your mind?” he queried gently.
Yes, many things were on my mind. Weighty things. Ayers Rock style weight or at least it felt like it.
“Not really,” I lied.
His arm grew tight. “You can sleep, Leah. What happened last night won’t happen again.”
He thought I was worried about my dream.
I wasn’t worried about my dream.
Though, now that he brought it up.
“How do you know?” I asked.
“I’m here,” he answered.
All right, so I pretty much believed that Lucien was big enough, bad enough, fast enough and strong enough to kick anyone’s ass but a phantasmagorical dream that mysteriously hangs its victim? I was thinking even he couldn’t beat that.
I made a decision. It was a scary decision but I made it and seeing as I was so freaking stubborn, once made I’d see it through, no matter that it scared the heck out of me.
“Are you tired?” I asked.
“Yes, pet.” I felt his face move into my hair before he muttered, all vampire sexy, “I’m very tired.”
Oh. Well then.
Maybe I couldn’t see it through.
Knowing I’d tired out the Mighty Vampire Lucien with all our sexual antics and thinking that was pretty cool thus being pretty pleased with myself, I decided I didn’t care.
He went on, “But if you wish to talk…”
As was my way, instantly, I changed my mind (again) and took my shot.
I turned in his arms so I was facing him.
It was time to get some questions answered.
I started with one that might not freak me out (much).
“Am I famous?” I asked.
“Pardon?” he asked back, seeming surprised by my question.
I explained, “Everyone I meet when I’m with you seems to know me. Even at The Selection people were looking at me like they knew me or at least were curious about me so they knew of me.”
“Most members of a concubine family are known by vampires, Leah.”
I studied him. He was so holding back.
“Not like me,” I whispered my challenge.
He blew out a sigh then curled me closer.
“No, my pet, not like you.”
I knew it!
“Why not like me?”
“Because of me.”
I held my breath. I didn’t know why, I just did.
I heard his chuckle. “You can breathe, sweetheart.”
I breathed. Then I wrinkled my nose.
“I’m so glad I amuse you.”
His mouth touched mine before he murmured, “Always.”
I shivered in his arms. Those arms grew tighter. Even though this felt good, curiosity was killing me.
“Well, are you going to explain?”
He rolled to his back taking me with him so I was pressed mostly to his side but partially lying on top of him. He tucked my forehead in his neck and started to play with my hair before he began.
“During The Revolution, I was a general. A very…” he hesitated then went on, “successful general.” I shivered at his words but this time reading the meaning behind them it was in a different way. He stopped playing with my hair and wrapped his arm around me before continuing, “After The Revolution I was a hunter.” His voice dipped low. “And very successful at that as well.”
I’d quit breathing again.
I did not like this.
At all.
He hunted mortal and immortal mates!
Oh. My. God.
His arm gave me a squeeze and he whispered, “Not that kind of hunter, Leah. Never that. I’d burn before doing that.”
I started breathing again. In fact my breath came out in an audible gush of relief.