Page 70 of The Vampire's Bride

A soft moan rises in my throat and I curl my hands in his tunic as he strokes his tongue against mine, deepening our kiss. I’m lost in sensation, every nerve ending in my body alight with pleasure as he devours me with his lips and his tongue.

This is more than I could ever have imagined. I’ve never wanted anyone the way that I want him.

Valaric growls low in arousal as my tongue grazes over the tip of one fang. The delicious vibration moves through me as he wraps his wings around my body and pulls me even closer.

Dipping my hands beneath the hem of his tunic, I trace my fingers over the deliciously hard muscles of his abdomen and chest before moving to his back to explore his powerful wings.

He groans as I smooth my hands along the inner folds, marveling at their soft, suede-like texture.

Lightning fast, he grips my wrists, stopping my exploration. Breathless and panting, he drops his forehead to mine. “You must stop.”

“Did I do something wrong?”

“My wings,” he murmurs, panting heavily. “They are very sensitive.”

Worry fills me. “Did I hurt you?”

A soft huff of laughter escapes his lips. “Quite the opposite, my beautiful wife.”

I want so much to kiss him again, so I’m disappointed when he allows his wings to fall away and pulls back.

He lifts my hand to his mouth and presses a tender kiss to the center of my palm. “I believe we’ve found the limits of my control this night.”

I’d be lying if I said I was not disappointed that we stopped, but I’m also so happy to know that he desires me as much as I do him.

“Perhaps you might like to work on your manuscript this evening.” He motions to my new desk. “I’m dying to read more of your book.”

“Well then.” I grin as my mood instantly improves. I take my seat and place the ink pot and quill to my left. “It’s been a few days. Where did I leave off?”

“Sir Danric was besting Lord Soryn in a duel.”

“All right.” Already, my mind is churning with several possibilities to resolve the ending to ensure my characters get their happily ever after. Dipping the tip of my quill into the ink, I look down at the blank parchment. “Let’s see if Sir Danric has what it takes to defeat Lord Soryn, then, shall we?”

My heart clenches as Valaric flashes a handsome smile. “I will await with great anticipation for your new pages.”

CHAPTER 27

VALARIC

Pretending to read a book on ancient mythology, I study Juliet as she sits at her new desk. Her quill flies across the page furiously a moment before she stops. She frowns down at the parchment, softly biting her lower lip in the way that drives me mad.

She often does this when she is pondering something. It’s one of her many quirks that I’ve come to adore.

Without warning, her head snaps to me, and I quickly look back down at my book, worried I’ve been caught.

“Do you think a knight would also carry a concealed dagger in addition to his sword?” she asks.

“I don’t see why not.”

She stands and starts toward me. “Can you act something out for me?”

Nodding, I rise from my chair. “What did you have in mind?”

“We’ll pretend this is the knife.” She takes a spoon from the tea tray and hands it to me. “And this will be the sword.” She grabs a feather duster and holds it out before her. “If I wereLord Soryn and you were Sir Danric, and I rushed you, what if you grabbed my sword arm, distracting me a moment before you pulled your knife from your boot and then jabbed me with it?”

I arch a brow. “It would be rather hard to pull a knife from my boot while holding your sword arm.”

“Right.” She stares at the spoon in my hand, tapping her finger on her chin. “Where might Sir Danric conceal it?”

---