Page 28 of Deadly Cravings

Panting, I gawked at Tobias as his grip loosened. I wiggled until I slipped off his lap and onto the ground. When he’d caught me, he’d dropped to his knees. That had been a close call to a sprained tail bone.

Asher crouched beside me.

“Must you be so careless,” Tobias snapped, and his chest vibrated against my back.

Asher ignored him and clasped my face within his palms. His blue eyes were wide and his eyebrows furrowed.

“It was your fault for being so abrupt,” Asher snapped. “Are you all right, Pet?” His thumb grazed my lower lip and the softened line of his mouth tightened my chest.

I sniffed exaggeratedly and brushed nonexistent dust off my knees. My movement pressed me more against Tobias and his breath halted.

Asher tilted his head questioningly.

“You’re lucky my skirt didn’t tear. It’s limited edition.” False bravado was all I had. Shooting to my feet, I avoided their grips as I straightened my shirt, blushing hard. I’d enjoyed being between them more than I wanted to admit. Tobias didn’t meet my eyes as he stood and strode down the hall without comment.

“Did the priest have a hard-on?” Asher’s shock seeped into my senses.

Licking my lips, I met his eyes and rage flashed to the surface so briefly I could have imagined it. He bounced to his feet and stepped up to me, forcing me back until I was corralled by his body.

“Good thing I caught you first.” His breath brushed across my lips. “Nothing has ever pulled an erection from Chastity Belt.”

I mouthed his last phrase, wrapping my head around them.

“Oh,” I whispered, the warmth that had bloomed spread at his words. I couldn’t tear my attention from his warm bowlike lips. They perpetually tipped up at the corners, the seductive smile exploding butterflies through my chest. I swayed back and flattened against the wall.

“I ordered some things for you that will arrive too late for the first location we must take you, but there are a few outfits upstairs that may fit you. I was pulling them out when I saw you making your way over.”

“Were you waiting for me?” I teased, but I slammed my mouth quickly shut. Where had that tone come from?

The line of his shoulders stiffened briefly as he became preternaturally still. Then his lips spread into a smirk, his scoff sounded forced and he waved an elegant hand in the air.

“As if I’d wait for anyone,” Asher said, turning on his heel, the loafers scuffing across the tile as he ascended the stairs. I wrinkled my nose at the swift retreat. “You can wait in the parlor.”

The swift steps widened as he rounded the staircase, and I shuffled foot to foot, a little lost at the reaction. Vampires were too confusing. Much more than I had anticipated. There were facets to them that weren’t simply evil. Tobias’s patience had shown me this. The one truth I had to admit was that they could have snapped my neck two times over.

I rolled my shoulders as the remaining tension leaked out of me and I slowly entered the living room. It was the same location I’d first been dragged into when Jax stole me away from my van.

The arm of the couch dug into my side as I leaned against it. I tapped my foot as I waited for Asher to return, a giddiness expanding my chest. His touches were electrifying. I hungered for the feel of his fingers grazing my neck, or his palm splayed on my thigh. I licked my lips and shook myself out of it as Asher rounded the corner of the entrance, hugging a pile of gray tulle to his chest. Oh no, the dress was going to be hideous.

Asher smiled at me over the fabric and the pressure in my body bloomed and heated. I blinked. I eyed Asher’s cutely upturned nose. Sexy and a vampire? I was asking for trouble.

“Put this on so I can get a look at you.”

Asher dropped the dress onto the couch and I stretched it out.

It was... gaudy. But I took the material and smoothed it down. The old fashioned fabric was raspy. The sort of thing that was all the rage in the eighteen hundreds.

I gripped the bottom of my shirt and paused, looking over at Asher with a frown.

“Turn around.”

His head tilted slightly to the side and his eyebrow raised. It was worth asking. Sighing, I lifted my shirt, trying to act as nonchalant as possible, like flames weren’t licking down to my chest. Lust blazed in his searching eyes and I nervously licked my lips. Asher’s fangs sprang out and his jaw bunched, but he didn’t make a move toward me as I set my wedges to the side. Holding eye contact, I slowly rolled my tights down to my feet.

My fingers prickled with excitement and my movements slowed. I craved the look in his eyes. His gaze lifted to my face. I’d never behaved so wantonly, but I didn’t care to stop.

Shuddering, he exhaled and turned his back. “If I keep looking at you, I will devour you and we won’t get what we need done.”

My heart skipped a beat as I finished undressing. I rubbed the goose bumps on my arm and swallowed hard. I was kind of addicted to this new heathen side of me. All the desires and needs I hadn’t been able to satisfy raged forward and it felt freeing. As train-wreck coded as it all was, I didn’t want to stop.

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