“I guess I do. Oh, this is very nice inside. There’s even a platform for the bed. It’s not very wide, though, is it? One of us is likely to push the other off the side.”
“I’ll just have to prepare myself for a hard landing.”
“Hey, I’m not that bad.” But she laughed.
“The first night, when I was recovering from mortal wounds, mind you, I woke up with you draped over my chest and my thigh. I could hardly breathe.”
Her heart seized at the memories, not just of waking up with him when he’d finally healed, but of having seen him fly through the plate glass window, of the depths of his burns, and that she knew he would have died without her help. “I’d apologize but I’m just too grateful you survived.”
She sat down on the side of the bed and held out her wrist. “I’d offer a different vein, Quin, but I doubt we’d be able leave the tent after that.”
When he didn’t respond, she frowned. “What?”
“You called me, ‘Quin’.”
“I did? Oh, I guess I did. You don’t like it?”
At that, he dropped down to sit beside her, something that caused the wood-frame to creak. He was a lot of vampire to hold up anything on four posts of wood and a few one-by-fours.
“That’s the problem, I guess, the thing I’ve been grappling with. I like a lot of the stuff you do and I even like you calling me Quin. You keep surprising me.”
“Ditto.” But she sighed heavily. She met his gaze, those large dark eyes of his now reflecting her own concern. “Does any of this mean anything? I just feel so confused by my behavior and yours. I feel desperately out of control.”
He nodded slowly and without taking his gaze from hers, he picked up her wrist and began stroking the veins very slowly with his thumb. “The worst part of that moment for me was that it made me hot as hell. I knew you’d claimed me earlier, but right then you’d proved it. I’m the land you want.”
She glanced down at his thumb, which had set up an erotic vibration at her wrist. Such a small movement, yet she shifted where she sat, needy for him all over again.
Lifting her gaze once more to his, she drew a breath slowly. “But I just reacted, that’s what bothers me, like something new lives inside all that I am and keeps driving me toward you. I’ve never been in this place before and it maddens me.”
He lifted her wrist to his lips and kissed where the vibrations had been touching her. His eyes closed. Does this madden you? He kissed her skin over and over, his sensual lips warm, soft and moist, increasing her desire.
You know it does.
He opened his eyes and met her gaze, his dark brown, almost black eyes piercing her as he drew back his lips. Her gaze fell to the sharp points of his fangs, glistening with purpose. She blinked several times and for the life of her she’d forgotten how to breathe.
He turned her wrist gently, then angled his fangs. He moaned softly. Your mouth is open, begging for me.
Then don’t leave a girl hanging. Give me something of yours to suck.
He growled softly, then lifted his free hand and rimmed her lips with his thumb. She gave a soft cry as he penetrated her mouth and struck her wrist with his fangs at the same moment.
She suckled his thumb as he removed his fangs and attached his lips to her wrist. He groaned as he drew in her life’s blood.
Desire flowed over her in heavy waves, up through her abdomen and into her chest, gripping her heart. How heavily her heart thudded as he sucked greedily, pulling into his body what she willingly gave.
But it was the level of her desire that confounded Batya. She’d always wanted Quinlan. What realm-woman in her right mind hadn’t lusted after his extraordinary physique, his sexiness, his almost troll-like charisma, and that something very dark of his that spoke of dominance in the night?
I don’t want to give in to you.
He met her gaze once more and his dark eyes flashed in the non-existent light of the tent. But her fae-vision held him in a glow. He sucked harder and thrust his thumb deeper into her mouth. Then what do you want from me, Cha? Why are you here, in this tent, feeding me and sucking on me?
She pulled harder on his thumb, her sucking sounds almost vicious in the enclosed space. I want you moving over me and thrusting into me hard, but I don’t want to surrender all that I am to you or to anyone.
He released her wrist suddenly, and in flurry of movement, vampire fast, he threw her onto the bed and landed on top of her, pushing her thighs apart with his knees.
He pinned her arms over her head. “You’re a fool to say things like that to me. You know what I am, the reputation I have. I take what I want where women are concerned.” And you will surrender.
He kissed her once, invading her mouth with his tongue, letting her feel his desire. But just as she was ready to strip naked, and let him do what he wanted, he flew backward to stare at her hard from the open flap of the teepee, then disappeared into the night.
Batya lay trembling with a combination of fear and desire.
She understood something about herself as she continued to stare at the space Quinlan had just vacated: she’d always had the upper hand in every relationship she’d been in, that the men she’d chosen were, without question, men she could subdue or at least resist.
But Quinlan, sweet Goddess, who could ever command him and what would it be like to truly surrender to him, to be commanded by him, to be told what to do from one moment to the next?
She shivered, desire cascading over her in heavy waves. She didn’t understand why she needed him so desperately, why she craved him, why she wanted him to come back and tear her clothes off.
Though he’d just taken a good portion of her blood, still her heart labored as though she wanted to give him more. Why? What was it about Quinlan that had turned her into such a shivering, lust-laden, heart-pounding female?
* * * * * * * * *
Quinlan stood just outside the open-air tent, his thighs quivering like a stallion needing to run, or better yet, to mount something fast. He worked on his breathing, taking one damn breath in, releasing it, then pulling another labored draw into his overtaxed lungs. He wasn’t sure his c**k had ever been so hard.
Sweet Goddess what the hell was going on between him and Batya? He’d never been like this before. He’d wanted to strip her down and plunge inside of her. The scent of her sex still permeated the air, that rich exotic tropical fragrance that assaulted his senses and caused his nostrils to flare then retract, working like bellows.