Page 22 of The Pureblood Princess
Theodore turns toward it, his dark hair mussed by the breeze. “What of it?”
“I’d like to put a swing in it, for the children. ..” Her eyes mist over, and she fights to keep tears from dripping onto her cheeks. “And in the spring and summer we could picnic beneath it and watch the sheep in the fields.”
A moment of quiet passes in which only the dry leaves can be heard crinkling in the partially bare tree limbs and upon the autumn grass. Then Theodore turns, a shadow cutting across his face, and he reaches for Nadia.
She offers him her hand, and he catches it before pulling her in for a kiss. His lips are warm in the cool air, and that sweet, smoky scent clings to his skin, mixing with the fresh breeze and acres of rolling hills.
Theodore deepens the kiss, and in a moment, his passion turns hungry. With a growl, he sweeps Nadia off her feet, just like he did that rainy night in the garden. He carries her to thefront entrance and through the doorway, and she can barely pull away from him long enough to take in the sunlit foyer with its humble chandelier and smooth archways. To their right and down one stair is a lovely sitting room with a wide stone hearth, but Theodore continues past that room and down the hall. He catches her lips with his again, and the next time she blinks her eyes open and pulls away to catch her breath, they’re in the dining room.
It’s minimally decorated, and a table stands in the center of the room, draped with a white sheet to keep the dust away. It’s here Theodore sets Nadia down, perched on the edge of the table, her toes unable to reach the hardwood floor. With him standing over her, she has to tip her head back to kiss him, and as she does, he brushes his fingers down the side of her throat. The delicate touch sends desire rippling through her veins, and she reaches for the buttons on his trousers.
The moment the first button comes loose, she bites down on Theodore’s lower lip, and he flinches, a deep rumble coming from his chest. There’s only one button left, and as soon as it’s free, Theodore shoves his trousers down and then grabs Nadia’s thighs and yanks her to the far edge of the table.
Still kissing her, he wades through her layers of skirts, then finds her bare thighs. Nadia holds her breath as he presses his hips close and eases into her. Her body accepts him hungrily, drawing him in, and they become as one.
Nadia sighs into his touch, and then his lips are on her mouth, moving along her jawline, finding the curve of her neck. Before she can tense for the pain, his fangs pierce her throat. The sensation is agonizing, but only for a fleeting moment. The sting gives way to pleasure, heightening every touch, every thrust of his hips into hers.
She wraps her arms around him, holding him close, relishing the warmth of his body, the firmness of his shoulders andsureness of his touch. His hand pushes through her hair, and she wraps her legs around him, driving him into her harder, faster.
His fangs release her, and when he pulls back to look into her eyes, there’s blood on his lips. Nadia pulls him close again; now it’s her turn.
She isn’t delicate, doesn’t ease her fangs through his skin. Her body knows only want, onlyneed. And so she takes from him what she desires, tightening her legs about him as she sinks her fangs into his neck and pulls his blood into her mouth. He growls, pulling her hair, and his pace intensifies.
With one final draw of blood into her mouth, Nadia releases him, and his body goes rigid.
Theodore thrusts one final time, then pulls out before climaxing, leaving Nadia’s legs splayed open on the dining room table, her chest rising and falling rapidly.
Still breathing hard, Theodore maneuvers himself back into his trousers, then gives Nadia a smile and pushes a hand through his tousled hair. For a moment, she thinks he’s going to leave her unsatisfied, and a frustrated whimper rises in her throat.
But then he yanks her once more to the edge of the table and drops to one knee.
She lifts her head to watch as he draws nearer, his tongue slipping out to taste her. His eyes find hers as he draws his tongue slowly up and down her wetness, and she grips her skirts in both hands, desire building into a crescendo.
When his tongue slips inside her, she squeezes her eyes shut and curls her toes. He starts slow at first, then increases his pace, alternating between licking her and slipping inside her.
Finally, her pleasure swells to a peak, and she arches her back with a cry of satisfaction. Her walls pulse, and Theodore slows his pace, still drawing his tongue up and down her slick skin.
Shuddering, Nadia lets out a contented sigh, her legs going weak.
Theodore stands and adjusts his waistcoat, then flashes Nadia a smile. “You look ravishing, my love.” He offers her a hand, and she takes it, allowing him to help her off the table. His mouth is still smeared with her blood, and she draws him near to lick it from his lips.
“Don’t tempt me,” he says quietly, a mischievous curve to his mouth. “Or I may have to take you again.”
“I’m not so sure if that is a threat or a promise, my lord.”
Chuckling, he pulls a handkerchief from his breast pocket and wipes the blood gently from Nadia’s neck. She winces at the sensitivity there, and it reminds her of something she’s been meaning to ask him.
“When you bite me,” she says, “it’s painful at first, terribly so. But a moment later, it’s... one of the most pleasurable sensations I’ve known.” Speaking of her pleasure openly brings heat to her cheeks, but she continues despite it. “Why is that?”
“It’s the venom.” Having finished dabbing the blood from her throat and his, Theodore folds the square of cloth and tucks it back into his pocket. “It’s meant to neutralize and... subdue.”
“So that the victim doesn’t fight back,” she whispers, remembering how Amélie went limp in her arms when she drank from her.
Theodore nods once, and the unsaid words hang between them.
“Do some vampires attack humans?” Nadia asks, her voice small.
“Yes. Though it’s become rare. Thejumatati de sânge, half bloods, often feed off animals, though they can go long periods of time without any blood at all due to being half human. Only purebloods require regular feedings.” His face softens, and he reaches out to brush a thumb over Nadia’s cheek. “It’s astounding how long you survived on so very little blood. You must have an incredibly high tolerance for thirst.”
