Page 52 of Chains of Blood and Darkness

He was a centuries-old vampire who had, I am sure, been with countless women, but had he ever known love? The thought lingered in my mind as I searched his eyes for answers. Could a being who had lived through so much, seen so many lives come and go, truly open his heart to someone like me, a fleeting spark in the vast expanse of his existence?

Yet there was something in the way he held me, the way his words caressed my soul, that made me want to take the leap. Could I fall in love with a ruthless vampire, the king of the Santi family? What kind of love could even flourish between us? He was immortal, and I was mortal. He was a king, and I was a poor college student. He was darkness to my light. We were no different from Romeo and Juliet. Like theirs, our story could only end in tragedy.

All my muscles tightened up as I inhaled a sharp breathand clenched my legs together. I didn’t know if I could do this after all.

“You’re tensing. I promise we’ll go slow. I’m not going to make you do anything you don’t want to do. If you say stop, we’ll stop.”

My doubts and thoughts faded as he leaned down, pressing a soft kiss to my forehead. His lips moved against my skin. “I mean it. If it gets too much for you, say stop.”

He had no idea how much those words meant to me.

I took a quivering breath and a sense of relief rolled over me. Then I gave him a shy smile as I stared into his eyes. “I will. But I really do want to do this.”

He lifted my chin. “I’ll cherish every moment, every discovery. I’ll show you how much you mean to me, how deeply I care for you.”

His soft words, his gentle touches, and the depth of emotion in his eyes melted away any lingering fears and insecurities. But how many times had he said these very words to other women over the centuries? I was probably just one conquest among many. At the same time, no one had ever said such romantic words to me, and I fell under his spell, wanting to feel him inside me. As I lost myself in his eyes, a radiant sense of being treasured and revered blossomed within my heart, like a flower blooming under the gentle caress of the sun. I reached up, winding my arms around his neck and pulling him closer.

“Yes, show me,” I whispered, my nervousness giving way to a growing sense of anticipation and desire. “I want to feel everything with you. I want to be yours in every way.”

Angelo smiled tenderly and lovingly, making my heartskip a beat. “You already are,” he murmured, before capturing my lips in a kiss that sealed our connection and ignited the passion between us.

He took my breast in his hand, molding his fingers to my flesh and squeezing gently. The intimate contact made me gasp, and a surge of electricity shot through my body. It was a sensation unlike anything I had ever experienced, a potent mixture of pleasure and vulnerability that left me trembling.

My nipple hardened beneath his touch, and I instinctively arched into his palm, craving more of this exquisite feeling. Sparks of electricity danced along my skin, igniting a fire deep within me that threatened to consume me entirely. A soft moan escaped my lips, and I felt a shuddering flush of embarrassment roll over me.

I bit my lower lip, trying to stifle any further noises that might betray the depth of my desire. What if he thought I was too eager, too wanton? The worry nagged at the back of my mind, even as my body yearned for his touch.

“Angelo…” I breathed, my voice barely recognizable to my own ears. It was both a plea and a prayer, a desperate invitation for him to continue his exploration of my body. At the same time, I felt self-conscious about the breathy, urgent quality to my voice, wondering if it sounded as needy to him as it did to me.

I forced myself to meet his gaze, searching for any hint of judgment, of disapproval. Instead, I found only adoration and a hunger that matched my own.

He murmured, “It’s okay, my sweet. Let yourself go. You’re safe with me.”

And so I allowed myself to sink further into thesensations, letting the sounds of my pleasure fall freely from my lips. The whispers of doubt began to fade, replaced by a growing confidence in the beauty of our connection.

Every touch, every kiss, stoked the flames of my desire, building toward a crescendo that threatened to shatter me. Yet even as I teetered on the edge of blissful oblivion, a flicker of nervousness curled in the pit of my stomach again. This was uncharted territory for me.

Angelo must have sensed my slight hesitation, for he paused and met my gaze with a look of tender understanding. “I can feel you tensing again. We’ll go at your pace, my sweet Nephilim,” he murmured, his thumb caressing my cheek. “Tonight is all about your pleasure and your comfort. If, at any point, you want to slow down or stop, just say the word.”

The tenderness in his voice and the sincerity in his eyes soothed my nerves and reignited the flames of my desire. I trusted him implicitly, knowing that he would guide me through this new experience with the utmost care and devotion. With a shy smile I nodded, silently granting him permission to continue his sensual explorations.

As Angelo’s hands and lips resumed their worship of my body, I surrendered myself to the overwhelming sensations, my nervousness giving way to pure, unadulterated bliss, knowing I was safe and cherished in Angelo’s arms, ready to discover the heights of passion that awaited us both.

Chapter Twenty-Four

Serenity

Angelo’s touch grew bolder and more purposeful, as if he was mapping out every single curve and contour of my form and committing each detail to memory. His fingers skimmed along the sides of my breasts, tracing delicate patterns that left me burning for more. I pressed into his touch, a silent plea for him to go further, to claim me as his own.

He met my gaze, his eyes dark with desire, and I saw my own hunger reflected back at me. “I want to touch every part of you,” he murmured, his thumb brushing over the sensitive peak of my nipple. “I want to make you feel cherished, worshipped, loved...alive.”

I thought he would remove my bra, but instead, his mouth fastened over my nipple, sucking hard through the lacy material. The sudden sensation consumed me, my bodysurrendering to the overwhelmingly intense pleasure as I cried out, my back arcing off the bed. The contrast of the rough lace against my sensitive skin and the hot, wet pull of his mouth was exquisite torture, driving me to the brink of madness.

He slipped his hand down to my panties, his fingers stroking the delicate material, teasing the flesh underneath. His touch was hot through the thin fabric, and my hips instinctively lifted, seeking more contact. It was a maddening, delicious tease, a promise of the pleasure to come.

I was about to demand that he shed his clothing too and join me in this vulnerable state, but before I could do so, he slid his hand across my back, deftly unbuttoning my bra and rendering me speechless. The garment hung loosely below my breasts, and he greedily gazed down at my exposed flesh, his eyes darkening with desire.

“Aren’t you going to remove your clothes too?” I panted, my shaky hands tugging at his shirt, desperate to feel his bare skin against mine.

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