Page 133 of The Bond That Burns

My hands slid up her side, skimming her ribcage. Her lips were soft, insistent, her body arching into mine as if she couldn’t get close enough.

She moaned softly and the sound sent a surge of heat through me. My hand moved to her jaw, gently tilting her head to deepen the kiss. Her fingers tangled in my hair, pulling me closer, her nails grazing the back of my neck.

The tingling sensation along my back suddenly returned with a vengeance, as if triggered by her touch. The itch of something foreign, something savage, clawing to break free. I closed my eyes, willing it to go away, hoping she wouldn’t notice, and in another moment, the feeling subsided.

But my heart was still hammering a warning beat inside my chest. I wasn’t ready for this. Not yet. Not for her to see the monster that lay inside me.

I pulled back slightly, just enough to look down at her, my forehead resting against hers. Her eyes were wide, her lips swollen and parted. She looked damned perfect. I knew how I wanted her to look. Even more flushed, more disheveled, more freshly-fucked-looking than ever before.

“Blake,” she breathed, her voice low.

“What?” I whispered, my mouth already moving to seek hers again. “Tell me, Pendragon. Do you want this to stop?”

“I just need to tell you something,” she murmured.

“Yes?”

“I still hate you,” she whispered against my mouth, her voice trembling not with anger but with barely contained laughter.

“You’re a terrible liar,” I shot back, my voice rough, before kissing her again, deeper than before, with a hunger I could hardly contain.

She made a sound low in her throat, almost like a snarl, and her hands slipped beneath the edge of my jacket, pushing it off my shoulders. I let it fall to the floor, not caring about anything but the way her touch felt. Her fingers traced the edges of my shirt, tugging it loose. When she pulled back to look at me, her eyes were green stars, alight with an internal fire.

“This is a bad idea,” she murmured, but her words faltered as I pressed my lips to her forehead.

“Yeah,” I said, my voice hoarse. “It is. So let’s keep going.”

I slid my hands to the hem of her tunic and tugged gently. She hesitated a moment, then let me pull it over her head. Her hair tumbled free, a cascade of fire and light, contrasting with the paleness of her soft skin. My breath caught as I looked at her, every freckle, every curve making me ache with how stunning she was.

“Damn, you’re beautiful,” I said softly, the words slipping out before I could second guess myself.

Her lips quirked into a wry smile. “And you’re trouble.

“Absolutely,” I agreed, stepping closer, my hands settling against her bare waist. “And you love it.”

Her laugh was soft, breathless, but it quickly turned into a gasp as I kissed her again, my hands roaming up her back and unfastening the black lace bodice that covered her breasts. She arched into me, her fingers curling into my hair.

“Blake,” she murmured against my lips, her voice a mix of exasperation and longing. “You do know we’re in a library.”

“Is that what this place is?” I nipped at her lower lip with my teeth. “All the books... I was starting to wonder.”

“Don’t...” She cut off with a sharp inhale as I rained a trail of kisses along her jaw, down the curve of her neck, then sank my fangs into the sensitive skin of her throat, giving her just a small taste of the pleasure my teeth could bring. She let out a moan of longing and I grinned, grinding myself against her so she could feel how hard I was for her.

“You were saying?” I murmured.

I wanted to distract her before her hands moved to the buttons of my shirt. I leaned back, taking in the sight of her hair tumbling loose around her shoulders, of her bare breasts. The sight of her stole the air from my lungs.

“You’re staring,” she said, her voice quiet but teasing.

“And you’re perfect,” I murmured. I brushed a strand of hair from her face, letting my hand linger against her cheek. “I want...” I hesitated. Searching for the right words. “I want to worship you. Say you’ll let me.”

Her eyes widened slightly, but I leaned in and kissed her, my hands sliding down her arms, grazing her wrists. The heat of her lips on mine was everything. All-consuming. Her taste, her breath, her scent. The world around us was obliterated.

I moved my hands down to her waist, gripping her hips as if I could anchor myself to her. Her fingers tangled in my hair, sending bursts of fire through my veins. I couldn’t get enough. She arched closer and I lost all restraint.

Without thinking, I bent slightly, gripping her thighs and lifting her. She let out a soft gasp of surprise, but her legs immediately wrapped around my waist, her heels digging into my back as if they belonged there.

Her arms looped around my neck as I braced her against the bookshelf behind us. My mouth trailed down her body, drawing one delicate nipple between my lips. My tongue moved over her, fangs extending with the heat of desire, teeth scraping against her breasts in a gentle torment.

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