Page 43 of Fanged Temptation

She gave a terse shake of her head. “I am furious—at my family, for manipulating you. For scaring you. For putting you in danger.” A flicker of guilt darkened her expression. “And I’m sorry I wasn’t there to protect you.”

The knot of fear in my chest loosened, replaced by an overwhelming relief that threatened to buckle my knees. I saw the regret in her eyes, saw the understanding, and the bittersweet melancholy there.

“You couldn’t have known,” I whispered, drawing closer even as her arms locked to keep me at bay. “It’s not your fault either. It’s theirs. They’re the ones who’ve kept us apart for so long.”

My arms slipped around her waist at the same moment that hers softened and slid around my back, and we clung to eachother, anchoring ourselves in the raging storm. Apart no longer. And never again.

I buried my face in the crook of her neck, and her hand cupped the back of my head, fingers tangling in the damp tendrils. After a moment, I felt her gently pull back, her hands moving up to trace my face, my jaw, my throat. Her fingers fluttered on the nape of my neck.

Our eyes locked, and I could scarcely breathe at the proximity, the short distance between our lips.

I didn’t hesitate.

I leaned in, my heart pounding, and pressed my mouth to hers.

The kiss was soft like the first time, a tentative brush of lips that spoke of uncertainty and apology. Then Maxine let out a small, trembling sigh, and something within both of us shattered simultaneously—the tension, the fear. All of it rushing out in a breathy exhale. A long, deep sigh of relief.

The kiss deepened, and fire surged through me, burning away the final barriers between us.

A low sound escaped her throat, and I felt her arms tighten around me, pulling me closer. I responded in kind, my hands sliding up her back, tangling in her hair, tugging lightly.

Maxine’s eyes turned to heavy-lidded slits and I surged into her, teeth grazing her tongue. My hands fisted in the silky fabric at her back, hauling her close—all heat and urgency and quiet little moans as I sucked bruises down her neckline.

She pulled me flush against her, one hand cupping the nape of my neck. The other traveled down my spine, circling my ass, and kneading the soft flesh there. I groaned into her mouth, the sound reverberating in my throat.

Maxine let out a hum of approval against my lips when my own hand traveled downward—down her stomach, and under the seam of her pants.

I brushed past soft pubic hair and felt heat radiating in my palm. Maxine groaned when I cupped her mound, curling one finger between the twin petals at her entrance. Her grip on me tightened and her nails dug into my skin, her legs buckling and locking up again as my fingers began to stroke, seeking out her clit and massaging slow circles there.

“Leah…” She murmured my name against my mouth, a half-warning, half-moan as I plied my tongue between her lips, gliding it over hers.

Finding her entrance I slid two fingers inside, starting up a gentle beckoning motion against the soft pad of her inner wall.

“Leah–fuck.” Her body contracted around my fingers, a squeezing pressure that only riled me up further. I picked up the pace, my free hand rising to fist in her hair. I tilted her head back, bared her neck, holding her in place as I pumped my fingers into her.

Maxine snatched at my gown, tugging it off my shoulders as she whined and bucked, hips rolling upwards to meet my fingers. I fastened my lips to her neck, kissing and nipping my way down to the juncture of her throat; the irony of sucking at a vampire’s neck wasn’t lost on me.

I bit down for good measure and felt a groan rattle through her throat.

She was on the brink in a matter of moments, hot wetness pooling in the palm of my hand, slicking up her inner thighs. But it was too soon. I wanted to taste her, devour her entirely—I pulled my fingers out abruptly and Maxine was… very vocal about it.

She whined and stamped her foot, and then flushed a brilliant beetroot red.

“Relax, you diva.” I kissed her again, grinning against her lips. “I’m not done with you yet.”

She mumbled something incoherent, grinding her hips against mine, seeking out any sort of friction. In response, I tugged at her pants, dropping them to her ankles and urging her to step out of the silken puddle.

I knelt in front of her.

Maxine’s breath caught in her throat and she let me guide her closer, let me haul one soft, smooth thigh over my shoulder. She braced herself on the bedpost when my hands rounded her hips to grip her ass, dull nails digging into soft flesh.

I aligned myself with that cleft between her legs, inhaling the scent of her, and licked my lips.

And went to town.

“Fuckinghell,” was what I think she meant to say, but it was cut off halfway through when she sucked in a sharp breath, spearing a hand through my hair and lifting her hips to meet my mouth.

My tongue found her clit, circling the small bud before licking along her entrance and delving deeper. I relished the taste of her, the warmth of her arousal on my lips, smearing on my chin. My mouth found her clit again and I sucked at it, lapping at it with a rough tongue, and her hand tugged wildly at my hair.

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