She scooted lower on him, rubbing him once again to readiness. He hissed in a breath as she leaned down and licked him directly on his nipple. It hardened, reaching for more of the hot perfection of her mouth.
'Are you thinking of another woman?' she asked huskily.
Her sharp little teeth scraped the skin surrounding his other nipple, so the only noise that escaped him was a moan. Of pleasure.
She hadn't been this aggressive before. She had bitten him last time, yes, but it had been accidental. Even knowing it, he had nearly slapped her for it. Only his quick reflexes had stopped him.
He'd nearly been drained once, and it had been as painful, horrific and humiliating as having a limb severed. Alyssa had nearly drained him to get him here, and that hadn't been pleasant, either. So the thought of being bitten again should have disgusted him. Except…
Gods, he didn't want Alyssa to stop. He wanted some part of her inside him, taking nourishment, living because he gave her life.
What was happening to his mind, his desires?
She nibbled harder. 'Are you?'
'Am I what?' He had forgotten the question, was too busy arching up to meet her mouth.
'Who are you thinking of, Shivawn? What woman's image is in your mind when I do this?' She licked her way down, not stopping until she reached his navel.
His cock reached for her, craving her mouth. Hot, tight, wet. Pumping in and out. Hard. Fierce.
'Tell me and I'll be gentle with you,' she whispered before blowing a warm puff on the moisture her tongue had left behind.
'You,' he replied honestly. 'I see you.' And he did. Her heat infused his skin, her silky hair tickled his chest, and he liked it.
Her fingers curled around his cock. Squeezed. His hips surged up, a groan splitting his lips. Where had this tigress come from? Mostly she had been still last time, as if savoring every touch, every sound. He'd thought at the time that he might have been a wee bit charmed if he hadn't been so busy wondering why his body wasn't responding as it should.
He tried to lift his arm to fist her hair, force a kiss, but the chains rattled and pulled tight. 'Release me.'
'Of course.' She released him—just not the way he desired. His cock was suddenly free, hard and aching on his belly. Satisfied she had his attention, she continued, 'You don't give the orders here.'
She probably meant the words to sound harsh and commanding. She sounded breathless.
'Then touch me again. That's why I'm here, isn't it?'
Before she could reply, he cracked his eyelids open. He did not focus on her entire face, but on one feature at a time, trying to figure this out. He saw the pink tip of her tongue emerge, darting over her lush lips. The sight was amazingly erotic, and rather than losing his erection, his arousal was ratcheted another degree. Her lips weren't the problem, then. He watched her wrinkle her nose. Again, his arousal remained. He gazed into her eyes. The screams returned.
Her eyes, then. What about them transported him back to that bloody field?
She peered down at him, hair hanging over her shoulders like damp velvet. Her eyelids were at half-mast, her expression soft and luminous. Needy as he now was, the screams were a nuisance rather than a hindrance.
'Touch me,' he commanded her again, but there was a plea to the words. He flattened his palms against the cool rocks beneath him.
'Not yet.' She reached up and tugged at the shoulder strap of her robe. The sapphire material floated to her stomach, revealing full, proud breasts with sweet, pink nipples.
His mouth watered as though he were starving and had just been offered a banquet. 'Release me.' He could barely work the words past his thickening throat. 'I want to touch you.'
Her eyes narrowed. 'You're lying again.'
'Look at my body. I'm not lying. Desire beats through me.'
Her gaze remained locked on his face. 'I can feel it,' she said, her cheeks growing bright with color.
A blush? From this fierce warrior woman? Even that fueled his desire.
'But it's there because you're thinking of another,' she added. 'I know you lied.'
'Only you, I swear it.'
'What's changed?' she demanded. She traced her fingertip over the head of his penis, which was sticking out from between her legs, and spread a sheen of moisture on his stomach.
Sweet heaven. He opened his mouth to reply—how, he didn't know—when she stopped him.
'Never mind. It doesn't matter. As I said, you will find pleasure with me this time.' She scooted farther back and then—sweet gods, then—she took his cock into her mouth, sucking him all the way to the base.
Every muscle in his body went taut, his blood molten. 'Alyssa,' he gasped.
The sound of her name must have been startling to her, for she stopped. With her mouth a mere whisper away from his cock, she stared up at him. He saw pleasure in those lovely eyes, but only a little. There was too much hurt and determination standing in the way. The screams increased in volume in his mind, but still they didn't affect him. Just then, something else mattered more. That hurt…
That didn't sit well with him. He wanted her wild. Out of control. Not so that he could regain his strength and escape, he realized, but because…with his private admission that he liked having her in his life, that he liked her, with the flashes of blood and screams overshadowed, he was beginning to sense something else…something shocking. Wondrous. Unbelievable.
Something that swept through him, infusing his cells, his organs, imprinting her essence inside him.
He closed his eyes and pictured Twila, a female nymph he liked to bed. His penis withered as it used to do with Alyssa. He pictured Helen, a siren he had spent a month pleasuring. Nothing, not even a twitch. He pictured Brenna, the human he'd wanted above all others. Again, he remained flaccid.
'Shivawn?' Alyssa asked hesitantly.
Just like that, he was hard as a rock, her voice the fuel needed to spark his desire.
Dear gods. She was his mate, his one and only. No other would do. She was it for him. She was a part of his life, always had been. He could no longer deny it—why had he ever?—for all he could suddenly think about was her pleasure. Her protection. Her smile, her laughter, her body. Him, inside of her. Her, and no other. All these years, and he'd allowed painful memories, memories that had nothing to do with her, to cloud his judgment. All these years, he'd pushed her away, treated her horribly, hurt her deeply.
She was a vampire. That no longer mattered.
She would have to bite him to live. He was glad.
She had stolen him. Merely loveplay.
My mate, he thought, shocked to his very core. How he'd mixed his past with her, he didn't know, but he would act the fool no longer. Besides, now wasn't the time to figure it out. He'd ponder it later. Much, much later. 'Alyssa,' he said.
Something in his tone caused tears to spring to her eyes. He knew women well enough to know they were not tears of happiness. What had brought them on? 'Unchain me, love. Please.' His tone was gentle. He had to caress her face. Perhaps lick those tears away. Hold her. Apologize for all he'd done to her.
She wiped the moisture away with the back of her wrist and shook her head. Her chin trembled, her gaze lowering once again to his cock. 'No.'
'Strip for me, then.' There would be time later to convince her of his new feelings. Right now, anything he said would most likely be dismissed as a lie he told to ensure his escape. 'Let me taste you while you taste me.'
Again, she shook her head. But there was intrigue and passion blended in her eyes now. She nibbled on her lower lip, something he suddenly wanted to do. 'Last time, I found fulfillment and you didn't,' she said. 'This time, you will find it and I will not. Equal ground, Shivawn, remember?'
'Alyssa.' Oh, yes. He had hurt her, and he hated himself for it. 'No!'
'Keep me chained, then. But at least allow me to kiss you. Somewhere. You may choose where. Your mouth…your breasts…between your legs…I will not find pleasure unless you allow me to do so.'
Her pupils dilated, delighting him. 'You don't really want to pleasure me,' she said, even more hurt drifting from the undertone.
'You and no other,' he assured her. He could not explain this change in him, even to himself. All he knew
