Arching my back, everything felt like too much. The blanket I’d covered us with, the lightweight clothes layered over my skin, the brush of my hair as it shifted over my shoulders, sliding over my bare arms.

“Goddess,” I whispered, more prayer than a curse. “What’s happening?” Humans were the only species that could be turned into vampires. It had been tried on others to no effect. Still, I wondered. “Am I—”

“No. To turn anyone, they would need to be drained to the point of death. My blood is only enhancing you, fixing any cells damaged by age. My blood is syncing our life spans. As long as you are with me, as long as you continue drinking even the smallest amount of my blood, you will no longer age. As my beloved, your lifespan is now equal to mine.”

“Oh . . .” What did one say when they heard they were essentially immortal? I had no idea. The thought was too big, too overwhelming. It would take time to contemplate, and evidently, I now had that in spades.

Nuzzling my neck, Lucroy incoherently rumbled. A string of barely audible “beloveds” swam against my skin, filling my mind with a sensually lazy fog.

“I want inside you so badly,” Lucroy hummed, his breath warm against my damp skin.

“Who am I to deny you?” I had no idea why Lucroy thought his desire would remain a distant wish.

I wasn’t a celibate pixie. Not that I’d had a lot of dalliances lately. I’d had more than my fair share of fun after I first left home. Pixies weren’t body shy. Fairies considered us a “touchy-feely” group. It had taken Sedrick time to come to terms with how often Phil and I hugged and touched. It was something that gave us comfort.

Lifting his finger to my mouth again, Lucroy added his middle finger to the mix. This time, I didn’t need verbal direction and eagerly took those two digits into my mouth. I twirled my tongue around them, getting Lucroy’s fingers nice and wet. His darker-than-night eyes held steady with mine. Those inky pools spoke volumes and were far more expressive than I’d ever imagined they could be.

I shimmied out of my sleep pants when Lucroy pulled his fingers from my mouth, slipping my shirt over my head and laying both off to the side. Space was tight, and I was too eager. So, when I leaned up on my knees, giving Lucroy access, I reached down, meeting Lucroy’s naked flesh, his thickened cock silky within the palm of my hand.

Mutual groans sang through our underground haven. Lucroy’s fingers found me, one finger first, just a tease of what was to come. “Lucroy,” I panted while tugging his stiff cock within my hand. Lucroy was much bigger than me, both in height and sex. Both my hands were needed to fully encase him.

“Beloved.” Lucroy arched, lips pulled back, fangs peeking through.

Small crimson trails traced down his chin from where he’d bitten his lower lip. Now accustomed to the taste, I leaned in, licking the blood clean.

“You’ve injured yourself,” I whispered against Lucroy’s chin. “That is unacceptable,” I teased.

Lucroy’s happy grin lit me up from the inside. Vampires were experts at hiding their emotions. Every time Lucroy relaxed and let me in on his, a piece of my soul lit up.

“You tease me in the most delicious ways.” Lucroy claimed my lips, swallowing my gasp when he added another finger, loosening me.

I leaned back, rocking on Lucroy’s fingers, helping the process along. Knowing my body would adapt to his larger size, I said, “I’m good. I want you in me. Now. Please, Lucroy.” Unlike some, I wasn’t opposed to begging to get what I wanted.

“I don’t want to hurt you,” Lucroy protested, although there was a strain in his voice that said he was nearly at his limit.

“A little pain never hurt anyone. Besides, haven’t you learned yet, pixies are a hell of a lot tougher than we’re given credit for.” I didn’t wait for Lucroy to act. I pulled off his fingers, scooted up, reached behind me to steady his cock, and sank down.

I groaned. The stretch was almost too much, but it was so damn right at the same time. My mouth dropped open as small gasps of air attempted to fill my lungs. “Oh, goddess.”

I’d never been filled so well, never felt so complete. I’d always loved sex and thought it was enjoyable. I’d never known what I’d been missing. I knew, in that moment, that no matter how many decades passed, no matter how many centuries I spent with this splendid vampire, I’d never want anyone else. It was an instantaneous thought, one that blew in and out of my mind like a warm, comforting breeze.

I sat there, seated on Lucroy’s cock, my back arched, head thrown back, and wings still. Lucroy’s hands were on my hips, blunt fingernails digging into my flesh. I’d bruise, but it would heal quickly enough. It was a moment frozen in time, one that I knew, no matter how many times Lucroy and I came together like this, that I’d never forget.

Lucroy’s body was unusually still, tension singing through every muscle. He was waiting. So patient and yet strung so tight he was ready to snap.

Wrapping my fingers around Lucroy’s, I ran my hands up and down his skin. Ever so slowly, I rose, descending just as languidly. Soft pants spilled from my mouth, my eyes trained on the cottage ceiling, so far above our underground nest. I didn’t think I could stand looking into the black abyss of my lover’s gaze. Tears leaked, whispering down my cheeks. I hadn’t expected coming together with Lucroy to feel like this. It was overwhelming, the emotion spilling from my eyes.

“Come here,” Lucroy spoke softly, in a hushed whisper that wrapped my brittle shell in a warm blanket.

Leaning forward placed my face near Lucroy’s, and I could no longer avert my gaze. Kissing my cheeks, my vampire licked away my salty tears. “I swear, Peaches, I will treasure you always. I will worship your body and feed your soul. I will tear the world apart should any seek to harm you. I will hold your heart and dry any tears. I will honor our bond with everything I am and everything I will be.”

I inhaled, sharp and jagged, fresh tears spilling from my eyes. I didn’t have the words; I couldn’t think of a single syllable that began to express how full my heart felt. Instead, I melded our lips together, entangling our tongues, scraping mine against Lucroy’s fangs. Lucroy’s pleasured moans made me shiver and reminded me of another type of fullness.

Pulling away, I grinned, shoving every bit of cocky seduction into it that I could. Sitting up, I tossed my hair back. Lucroy’s eyes tracked the movement, desire filling them. Hands planted on his hard chest, my wings fluttered, picking up speed as I lifted up, dropping back down onto Lucroy’s cock.

Neither of us said a word as my speed picked up. Lucroy’s open expression, filled with lust and love, was more than enough. Pants, groans, and whispered shutters of pleasure drifted up into my cottage. The tree roots shifted, rustling within the dirt they held at bay. My orchard rejoiced in my happiness, whispering their joy in a language only I could understand.

Our measured pants turned into stuttered grunts. Unable to hold back any longer, I coated my stomach and Lucroy’s chest in glistening white. Within seconds, Lucroy flooded my body with his seed.