“I don’t think you’re a brute…” She bit her lip and pink dusted across her nose and cheeks as she leaned a little closer. “It was kind of hot.”
Before she could say another word, I swept her up into my arms and strode toward the hallway, growling, “See yourselves out,” to my brothers as we passed them and ignoring the raucous laughter that followed.
“Bye!” Thana called with a wave over my shoulder. “It was so nice to meet you. Come to dinner tomorrow—”
“Next week,” I shouted over her. “And start calling first!”
Thana giggled all the way up to our bedroom. The sound was so sweet and melodic, but I thoroughly enjoyed the sound of her moaning five minutes later.
9
Thana
Kieran and I spent the next week getting to know each other without many intrusions. When the police came to ask about Jonathan’s disappearance, I got to see how quickly vampiric influence worked. It took him less than five minutes to have them fully believing an embellished version of the story my aunt had come up with, complete with which flight he’d taken when he left the country and which bank he’d stopped at to withdraw enough money to live on for the rest of his life—if he hadn’t already been turned to ash. My aunt boarded a cruise ship to France without stopping by to see me again, and Kieran’s brothers were giving us the space he’d wanted. Although, much to Kieran’s annoyance, they did keep texting me funny stories about him that had me in stitches.
Our uninterrupted time together could only last so long, though. After seven glorious days together, we decided the time had come for our claiming ceremony—before his brothers started popping in unannounced like they’d threatened the last time they’d reached out to him telepathically. About an hour ago, he’d ushered me into the bathroom to pamper myself before we began.
When I came back out, I was surprised to find how different the bedroom looked. In the short time I was getting ready, Kieran had done quite a bit to set the mood for the claiming. The lighter-colored canopy had been swapped out with a deep red material. Candles were spread around the space, giving the dark room a romantic glow, and the sheets on the bed had been changed to black satin. I probably stood out like a shining beacon in the white lace and silk negligee Kieran had picked out for me, but I didn’t feel the least bit shy.
There was no room for modesty when my sexy vampire was standing next to the foot of the bed with his hand stretched out toward me. “Come to me, Thana.”
My heart raced as I neared him, but not out of fear. I was overwhelmed with excitement over what was to come. From what Kieran had told me about the daywalker claiming rituals, I was about to experience pleasure beyond my imagination. Sliding my palm against his, I smiled up at the man I was going to spend the rest of my life with—one that would last into eternity if we were lucky. “You were busy while I was in there.”
“I’ve waited almost a thousand years for this night, and I wanted everything to be perfect.” He tugged me over to the edge of the mattress. “Are you ready for this?”
“I was born ready,” I quipped, which wasn’t just a figure of speech since we were fated to be together.
As he locked his gaze on mine, power swirled in his bright blue orbs. “Thana Fernsby, do you accept my claim on you?”
Kieran had made sure I knew what to expect during the claiming ritual, so I was ready to give the traditional responses. “Yes, I accept your claim on me with all of my heart and soul, Kieran Bancroft.”
“You’re prepared to be mine from now until the end of time?” he clarified.
My smile was blinding as I replied, “And beyond.”
He helped me onto the mattress and got me settled in the middle before rounding the bed to stand near the headboard. Wrapping his fingers around my wrist, he stretched my arm toward the corner of the bed and lifted a padded restraint. “To cement our mating bond, you must trust me unequivocally. Are you prepared to demonstrate the depth of your faith in me?”
“My confidence is unshakable.” Lying back against the pillows, I closed my eyes. “I’m yours for the taking. Do with me what you will.”
Without being able to see, my other senses were heightened. The stroke of Kieran’s fingers as he wrapped the restraint around my wrist sent goose bumps across my skin. After he circled the bed to secure my other arm, the rustle of material—presumably from him stripping out of his black silk pajama pants—rang in my ears. And when he climbed on the mattress to cover my body, his earthy masculine scent filled my nostrils.
His masculine frame cocooned me, and being tied up made me acutely aware of how fragile I was in comparison. But there wasn’t any fear—I knew Kieran would never do anything to hurt me. At least not in a way I wouldn’t enjoy.
“I’m glad I went with the white. You look like a virgin sacrifice, spread out for me to feast upon.” His body left mine, and his hands glided from my knees to my thighs. “But I know that you aren’t because I’ve tasted that sweet pussy, fucked it with my fingers, and thrust my cock into your tight heat until we both exploded. And I’m going to do all that and more again tonight.”
“Yes,” I gasped when he flicked his thumb over my clit to punctuate his point.
His hands skimmed up my torso to cup my breasts. He squeezed the plump flesh and toyed with my nipples before moving up to bunch the soft material of my negligee’s neckline in
