Page 54 of Cruel Vampire King

“Just tear it off,” I urged. “It’s ruined anyway.”

“I want to enjoy this, Elara. We will have plenty of time for rushed, passionate sex in the future. I want our first timeto last as long as possible.” He cupped my cheek with his hand, staring into my eyes. “You want that, too, don’t you?”

I nodded, suddenly breathless. First time. Did he know? Should I say something? “Luken…”

His hand had started to slip down my neck, but he paused and looked questioningly at me. “Are you having second thoughts?”

“No,” I said quickly. “It’s just… should we talk about… our histories? I’m a virgin…”

“I know,” he answered softly.

I swallowed hard. “And you are the only one to touch me, but I… there were other vampires who drank from me.”

Luken’s smirk was enough to make me grin back. “I don’t care about your history, Elara. I only care about right here and now. But if there’s anything you want to know…” He trailed off, quirking a heavy brow.

“I… do you…” I floundered, not knowing what I was meant to say now. “I don’t have experience. With others touching me. Except you at the hot springs…” I trailed off, biting my lip. “What I mean is, I’m not sure what to do. I want it to be good for you, too.”

His eyes widened slightly. One of his arms slid around my waist, and he pulled me closer. “Thank you for telling me, Elara. I will adjust my actions accordingly. I want you to be an active participant with me. Do what feels good, what feels natural. Don’t worry about being awkward, okay?”

I nodded. “And I know it’s going to hurt, so you don’t have to worry about being gentle.”

Nerves flitted in my stomach. Even though I still wanted him more than anything, I started to worry. What if my trainingkicked in at just the wrong time and killed my desire? What if I wasn’t good at it? What if my instincts were all wrong?

Luken pressed his mouth to mine. My worries melted away as I felt the promise in that kiss. It was safe. That was all I wanted, to feel safe again.

As his hands moved around my body, exploring softly, I let my fingers trail down the front of his shirt. The buttons were already gone, so I moved my hands to his skin. It was soft, cool beneath my fingers. The muscles beneath were hard and gently rounded, defined and strong. Luken moved his mouth from mine to kiss down my jaw. He unhooked my bra and pulled it off me, then stepped back to sweep his gaze over me.

I bit my lip, watching his expression. At the hot springs, we’d both been guarded. Now, I saw the wonder in his eyes. He cupped my breasts in his hands, and a pleasant tingling made them tighten. He leaned down and kissed the burn scar lightly.

“Does it still hurt?” he asked.

“Sometimes,” I admitted. “Mostly, though, it’s just… numb. I can’t even feel your kiss on it.”

A trace of devastation crept into my voice. Because of Greyson, I couldn’t feel Luken’s touch on all of my body. I thought I’d grieved for everything when it came to these injuries, but now something new had opened up. Because of someone else being jealous and bitter, I’d lost something I didn’t even know I could have.

Luken turned my face back to his. “I’m so sorry that you went through that.”

I nodded once, then slid my hands up his shoulder, pushing his shirt off. I watched as a crisscross of scars wasbrought into view as I pulled the shirt off his body. “Where are yours from?”

“Three hundred and fifty years of fighting,” he answered.

I traced my thumb over a silver scar that ran from his collarbone down over his chest. If I wasn’t this close to him, it wouldn’t even be visible. His hands rested lightly on my hips, letting me take my time as I touched him. When I unbuckled his belt, he let out a soft gasp.

Startled, I froze. “Did I hurt you?”

He laughed breathlessly. “Quite the opposite, my dear. You don’t have to worry about hurting me. I like the pain.” He winked at me.

I was suddenly seized by a boldness. As I continued to unbuckle his pants, I leaned in closer and kissed his breast. “You like it?”

“Yes,” he answered.

I scraped my teeth across his chest, settling at his nipple. I took it between my teeth and bit, following my instinct. I gauged the pressure of his skin between my teeth, not wanting to get too hard. He gasped and groaned. As he did so, I pushed his pants down to his knees. His cock was hard already, and seemed to twitch as I bit a little harder.

“Gods, Elara. You’re a natural at this.”

I couldn’t help but giggle as I pulled back and licked over the red mark I’d left behind. I reached to take him in hand, but Luken picked me up suddenly. He kicked off his pants as he carried me to a table, setting me on the edge. With a few swift movements, he’d discarded my own pants and tossed them carelessly aside.

“I am going to taste you now,” he told me.

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