Page 87 of The Vampire's Bride

She frowns. “Do you not want me to touch you?”

“I don’t think that’s the problem.” Aerlyx snickers into his glass. “I think he wants you to touch him too much.”

I level a warning glare at him, and he clears his throat, composing himself once again.

I turn back to my wife. “Juliet, you are not yourself.” Gently, I lift her into my arms and then stand. “I think it would be best ifwe retire early. The wine should be out of your system when you awaken.”

Glancing at Aerlyx and the half empty goblet in his hand, I arch a brow. “I trust you can find your room without help.”

He nods. “Would you like me to check in on her during the day while you’re sleeping?”

“No.” Jealousy rears its ugly head and my voice comes out harsher than I’d intended. “I would not.”

“Someone should watch over her,” he insists. “Don’t you think?”

I’m too distracted by Juliet’s touch to respond as her hands begin to roam again, smoothing over my chest and up my neck. My eyelids flutter shut, and I bite back a growl of arousal as she massages the tips of my ears. “Juliet,” I rasp, tipping my head to pull away from her grasp. “You must stop.”

“She didn’t even have a whole glass and she’s acting as if she drank an entire bottle,” Aerlyx adds.

She leans in close to my neck and inhales deeply. Tingling pleasure spreads through my body as she whispers against my skin. “You smell so good. Like mint and cedar.”

Aerlyx is right. I cannot leave her alone in her room. She is so intoxicated she might stumble out onto the balcony and fall over the side of the cliff and to the beach down below.

Eben eyes her in concern. “I can check in on her while you sleep, if you’d like,” he volunteers.

“No.” I growl as primal possessiveness surges through my veins. “She will sleep in my chambers with me.”

Without waiting for him to respond, I leave the room and head straight for the spiraling stone staircase that leads down to my chambers, beneath the first floor of the manor.

When we reach my room, I kick the door closed behind us, sealing it with a flick of my wrist. Snapping my fingers, I activate a fae light to illuminate the space for her human eyes.

My chambers here are comfortable but somewhat sparse. I carry her to the large, curtained bed and untie the green velvet drapes from their posts. Carefully, I pull back the thick fur comforter and lay her down gently on the plush mattress. I slip off her shoes and help her remove her dress, leaving her in only her shift before I tuck her beneath the soft, silken sheets.

When I start to move away to light a fire in the hearth, she grasps my wrist. “Don’t leave,” she whispers.

“I won’t,” I reassure her. “I am merely going to start a fire for you.”

She releases me, and I light the hearth, adding several logs to make sure it burns evenly throughout the night. If she were not here, it wouldn’t be a concern. My kind are able to adapt to nearly any temperature, but I remember the terrible nights spent huddled in the cold near the fire when I was still human. And while it is not nearly as cold here as it is back at our castle, I don’t want her to be uncomfortable.

When I return, her eyes blink open and closed as she struggles to stay awake. I kneel on the side of the bed and gently tuck the covers up around her shoulders. “If you need anything, I will be on the sofa, nearby.”

We slept next to each other at the inn, and I’ve sat in bed with her when she’s had a nightmare. But that was before I knew the taste of her lips, the small sounds of pleasure she makes when I touch her, and the feel of her body moving against my own. If I were to remain in the bed with her now, I doubt I would be able to fall asleep.

“Stay with me,” she whispers. “I don’t want to sleep alone.”

Desire flares brightly within, but I tamp it back down. Indecision freezes me in place. “You are not yourself. The wine is making you—”

“Please,” she pleads, her eyes searching mine.

Although I know it isn’t wise, I cannot deny the longing in my heart. “Just to sleep,” I murmur, more to myself than to her.

I remove my tunic and boots and slip into the bed beside her. She immediately rolls toward me and I pull her into my chest, folding my wings around her smaller form. She fits so perfectly in my arms, as if she were made to be mine.

Her gaze drops to my mouth and desire sparks within as she reaches up and touches my lower lip, like she did earlier. Need courses through me. My fangs extend and venom fills my mouth with the want to mark her—to claim her. To make her my true mate.

She touches the tip of one fang and then cups my cheek. “Kiss me,” she whispers.

At war with myself, I swallow hard. I know I should push her away, but I cannot. I press my hands to the curve of her waist, my fingers flexing against her soft and delicate form as I pull her closer.

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