Page 244 of Evil Hearts

“Never,” he promised, his lips capturing hers in a fierce, possessive kiss.

Dimitri positioned himself above her, nudging her legs apart. In one swift thrust, he buried himself inside her, filling her completely. Amelia cried out at the sudden intrusion, her inner walls clenching around his length. He began to move, slowly at first, then gaining speed and intensity with each stroke.

Amelia met his pace, rolling her hips to take him deeper. Moans spilled from her lips as he pounded into her, relentless and demanding. She clutched at his shoulders, nails biting into his skin, urging him on as her pleasure mounted.

Dimitri’s muscular arms encircled her, pulling her close as they moved in perfect harmony. Every kiss, every touch, every thrust drove them higher, the world outside vanishing until there was only the two of them, lost in their own universe of pleasure.

“Amelia,” he groaned, his hands causing fiery paths over her curves. “You are everything.”

“More,” she gasped, needing him closer, deeper.

With a growl, Dimitri complied, his movements becoming more urgent, more forceful. Amelia’s moans saturated the room, mingling with his guttural sounds of pleasure.

Dimitri’s eyes glowed crimson, his fangs extending as he neared his release. He drove into her harder, faster, chasing their climax with single-minded focus. Amelia’s back arched, her body tensing as her orgasm crashed over her in waves. Shescreamed his name, lost in ecstasy, as he followed moments later with a roar.

They collapsed in a tangle of limbs, breathless and sated. Amelia’s head rested on his chest, his heart thundering in her ear. She traced lazy circles on his skin.

“I love you,” Dimitri whispered, his arms tightening around her. “More than I ever thought I could love again.”

Amelia’s heart swelled. “And I love you, Dimitri Volkov. Vampire or not, you are my heart, my home.”

He lifted her chin, gazing deeply into her eyes. “I will always protect you, Amelia.”

Dimitri’s heated gaze smoldered, a smile of pure joy curving his lips. He claimed her mouth in a red hot kiss.

Amelia shifted closer, her skin tingling from the contact. “Tell me everything,” Amelia whispered against his lips. “About vampires.”

Dimitri’s stare narrowed. He kissed her forehead gently before speaking. “We are primordial beings, bound to the shadows by a potent curse. Our existence is sustained by the crimson essence drawn from humans,” he explained, his hands roaming over her body, drawing heat from deep within her. “It is our lifeblood, an elixir that keeps us eternal.”

The reality of his world lingered in her subconscious like a heavy fog. Could she truly accept this part of him? The idea of blood as sustenance was foreign and unsettling, yet there was something undeniably intoxicating about the way he spoke.

“Do you...do you have to kill people?” she asked.

“Not in a very long time. I take only what I need, leaving my victims unharmed. It’s a delicate balance.”

“Is it painful for them?” Her fingers caressed the hard plains of his muscular chest.

His answer brought a strange feeling of relief, though it didn’t completely ease her worries. The thought of him feeding onothers gnawed at her conscience. She wondered if she could ever reconcile this dark necessity with the man she was falling for.

“Not if done right. They feel pleasure, almost euphoria…like you did.”

“What about the myths and legends? Like sunlight. Does it burn vampires to ash?”

“Oh, it certainly does,” Dimitri confirmed, his breath hot against her neck. “The purifying rays of the sun sear our flesh. We must move in darkness, hidden among humans, our identities cloaked.”

The image of Dimitri, a creature of the night, forever relegated to shadows, haunted her. She could almost feel the pain he described, a visceral reaction to his suffering. How many lifetimes had he endured this torment?

“How do you survive? Do you all hide in plain sight?”

“Society’s elite circles provide perfect cover,” he said, his hands sliding down her back, pulling her closer. “However, we are often hunted by clandestine groups seeking to expose and eradicate us—a deadly game of cat and mouse.”

She shuddered at the thought of him being hunted. The idea of such danger lurking around every corner made her heart ache for him.

“Are there more like you?” she asked, her cadence a mere whisper now.

“Many, many others, but no child vampires exist. It is forbidden to turn a child. Each member of our nocturnal race thirsts for human blood alone—an unending hunger that defines our lives.”

Amelia’s stomach churned at the mention of blood. She tried to imagine living with such an insatiable thirst, an endless craving that could never be fully sated. It was a life she couldn’t fathom, yet here she was, drawn inexorably into its dark allure.

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