Page 71 of Viper

“I rarely wake feeling like I’ve slept well. It’ll pass.”

He bumped his nose to hers gently. “I’ll make sure you get a good night’s sleep tonight.”

“If that means you intend to fuck me to sleep, I’m all for it.”

“Glad to hear it.” The hand on her hip tugged her closer as he glided his free hand up her spine to settle on her nape … smoothly pulling her into a hug.

“You’re good at this.”

A wolfish smile tipped up his mouth. “You said that last night. I was going down on you at the time, wasn’t I?”

Her belly clenched at the memory his words conjured up.

“Now, it’s fucking with my head that you’re wearing nothing beneath that robe,” he said, his voice dropping to a whisper; need blooming in his eyes. “I want to see it on the floor.”

Smiling, Ella opened the tie. “I think I can accommodate that wish.”

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

Everleigh stared up at him, biting her lower lip. “Are yousureyou want to do this?”

He held her gaze, his expression grave. “I’m sure.”

“I just don’t want you to have any regrets. I’d understand if you later did, and I’d even understand if you came to hate me for—”

“I could never hate you.” He framed her face with his hands. “I love every fucking inch of you, inside and out. And I would never regret falling to be with you.”

“Even though you’ll have to survive partly on blood?”

“Even though. I have been alone for a very long time. Alone and numb. I didn’t live, I existed. Until you. I’m not going to let you go, and I’m not going to leave you. I fucking refuse to be without you.”

She took in a shaky breath. “I should really push you away to spare you the consequences of falling—especially when I get the impression that there’s some things you haven’t told me about the curse—but I’m too selfish for that.”

She kissed him. Hard, deep, and slow. She trulyshouldpush himaway for his own sake, but she just couldn’t find it in her to do it, couldn’t—

Everything went black.

He was gone from her arms. There was no noise. No smells. Nothing tosee.

But … she was moving. No,beingmoved by someone or something.

She opened her mouth to speak, to ask what the fuck was going on, but no words came out.

Finally, her back met something hard and cold. Her arms were wrenched high above her head. Her vision came back to her … and she found herself facing six—

A horn beeped, cutting into her sleep, sending the dreamy images dispersing and making them fade away too fast for her to remember any.

“Some people shouldnotbe allowed to drive,” snarked Mia, flipping a finger at a fellow driver.

Ella straightened from her slouch in the front passenger seat. “I fell asleep?”

Her sister spared her a sideways glance as she turned the steering wheel. “Yes. I didn’t wake you, because I figured a nap might do you some good. Ihadthought you’d take advantage of us having the morning off work to sleep in. Didn’t you?”

Ella rubbed at her face. “No.” She’d spent the extra time with Viper.

“Did you sleep at all last night?”

“Some.” Viper had insisted on it, concerned about how tired she looked. He often did coax her to get some sleep while in his bed, and she always slept better at his clubhouse.

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