Page 61 of Reign of the Beast

He eased off my cock and I watched in satisfaction as he made a show of gulping down my cum.

He grinned when he was done and licked his lips seductively.

My cock jerked in response, ready for another round or two, a delicious perk of vampirism.

Ryker made a grab for my shaft, but I evaded his touch with a brief burst of speed, putting a couple of feet of distance between us.

Just enough breathing room to allow me to think straight.

Not understanding me turning him down, he startedtoward me, his eyes hooded. “Ah, you wantmeto chaseyouthis time. As you wish.”

I held up my hand and took another step back, needing to ensure there was a physical distance between us. I was still worked up and enthralled in our sexual spell. It was beyond trying to hold off on going in for another round.

Once was never enough with him.

People thought I was the seducer, yet Ryker was one in his own right without even trying.

He was naturally charming, extremely captivating. Irresistible, in truth.

But I had to resist at this point in time, much to both our regrets.

I’d noticed that he always had his defenses lowered right after one of oursessions, so it was the best chance to have the sort of difficult discussion that we needed to have now.

It was already long overdue.

A lot of that had been down to my mind not being clear with the powerful scent of Immortal blood in the air. My focus had been on fighting to overcome the awful urge that came with that. But a couple of days ago, Mia had managed to re-erect the veil that concealed the scent. Her magic had stabilized. Shortly after she’d allowed Jaxon to take her actually. Accepting him physically had served to calm her and comfort her, a benefit of the mating bond.

And now I was back to my levelheaded and astute self.

It was time to see to my beloved.

It couldn’t wait any longer.

Thinking it would taper off and that he’d calm down had been a mistake.

“We need to talk.”

He tensed, his heart rate spiking noticeably.

I held up my hand, realizing where his mind had gone.

The last time someone had uttered those words to him had been the night Mia had unceremoniously broken things off between them. I cringed inwardly at my choice of phrasing. “Calm, my beloved. It is not about us. We are solid, now and forevermore. I apologize. I should have worded it differently.”

He calmed a little at my assurances. “What’s wrong, Lucian?”

I tucked myself back into my dress pants. “I am concerned.”

“With everything that’s happening, you’re going to have to be way more specific.”

Touché.“You’re insatiable.”

He cocked his head to the side, perplexed. “Something of mutual benefit, no?”

“Of course. Under normal circumstances, I would be reveling in every moment of it,” I said, as I took a seat on the foot of our bed. “As it is, circumstances are not normal.”

“What are you saying?” he asked, coming toward the bed.

I shook my head. “No closer.”

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