Page 56 of Make Me Bleed

“But the thing is… healing takes up a lot blood.”

He’s right in front of me in a heartbeat. “Do you need more? Drink me, darlin’. Take everything I have.”

I plan on it.

“Is that okay?”

“I toldja,” he says, emotion turning his voice gruff. “This body is yours. Take my blood. Take my fuckin’ heart. It’s all of yours.”

“Then come here, beloved.”

He does.

When he’s within my reach, I lay my hand against his throat with one hand. With the other, I take a firm hold of his erection. I stroke it, enjoying the way the big bear melts against the boulder, his shoulder bumping into mine as he falls forward.

His eyes are half-open, but there’s enough confusion in them that I have to explain.

“I need your blood, Hank,” I say throatily, “but I need this more. I needyou. And after you take my blood, I’ll gladly accept everything you have to offer me.”

It takes him a moment to understand. It’s probably harder for him to focus since I’ve grabbed him again, increasing the pressure of my hold to keep him from bucking into my fist. This is his first time, after all, and he’ll be marking me. I don’t want him shooting his load too soon so I squeeze him and purr up at him as he grits his teeth, eyes going crossed.

“Honey bear?” I murmur.

He shakes his whole body, though not so roughly that he knocks loose my grip. “I’m sorry, darlin’. I gotta have this wrong. You’re tellin’ me to… what? Bite you? Take your blood?”

“That’s right.”

“But… wouldn’t that trigger that blood exchange I’ve heard tell about? I asked around, you know. When… unh… when I found out you were a vamp. Then you confirmed it when you said you were worried about someone bitin’ ya. If I do… and then I mate ya… we’re bonded, Lise. You know that, don’t you?”

Oh. I do.

In answer, I release him.

For split second, disappointment shadows his face. He must think that he’s made some huge revelation that I’d never thought of before, that now that I know that we’d end up formally bondedin the eyes of all supes and the magic that makes us this way, I’ve changed my mind.

Not likely.

I’m Elise van Duren. When I want something, I go for it, and I don’t stop until I have it. It might take me a while to decide that I want it—that Ineedit—but the decision-making is the hard part. After that?

The rest comes easy.

When I start to slide down the rock, Hank backs away, giving me space. I have to bite the corner of my mouth to keep from smiling, especially when I grab my dress and hike it up to my hips. I use one hand to keep the skirt bunched before using the other to shimmy my panties down.

He watches in baffled amazement as the material snags on my heel.

My shoes made it during the confrontation with Julian. Now? I kick one foot, then the other, sending them flying into the distance. My underwear goes with the left heel.

I’ll have to remember to get them later.

Once I’m as naked as I can get without asking Hank to undo my zip and help me out of the dress itself, I march over to the rock again, making sure he’s watching every jiggle of my ass as I go.

Only then do I go up on my tiptoes and bend over the boulder, bracing myself up on my elbows so that the rock doesn’t jab into my gut as I look over my shoulder at Hank.

I swear, he’s standing there in his skin, but all I see is a bear looking back at me.

“Elise?” My name is strangled in his deliciously deep voice. I don’t think he’s even aware of it, but he’s taking over stroking his cock as his eyes are glued to my ass. “What are you… I don’t… Youcan’t…”

I can.

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