Taken aback, Alexander blinks, then shrugs and unbuttons his shirt. He strips down until he’s only wearing his underwear, then carelessly tosses his pajama set over the side of the bed. He grins. “Is that better?”
 
 “Yes,” I say, stifling a smile.
 
 “Do you want anything else from me?”
 
 What I saw in the mirror upset me. The fire and intention behind it have offended me, deeply. Regardless, I want to indulge and shelter myself in him. I don’t want these harmful feelings to rule me.
 
 I lift my hand and use my fingers to play in the top of his hair. “Will you feed?”
 
 Without a word, Alexander pushes up onto all fours again, then leans in to kiss my lips. He urges me back and I concede, sliding down until he’s on top of me. I lift one knee to cradle him and his palm finds and strokes the inside of my thigh—pushing my leg open wider and fitting his body into mine. Aligning our centers.
 
 Alexander leans into the curve of my neck and my hands snake and wrap around his naked back to hold him closer. When he breathes, his belly and chest press into me. His frame is heavy and hot and sweet. Tight and firm like ripe tropical fruit.
 
 I raise my chin and he bites down hard. I gasp and my eyes flash with fire and light. The sensation of his aura cradling us and his love pouring into me are pure ecstasy. The depths of his devotion remind me of the ocean—unyielding, immense and fierce as it churns within his being. I sigh and let myself slip into his paradise. Acquiescent to the flow of his power and energy.
 
 Whatever he wants from me, he can have. I willingly surrender.
 
 He pulls harder and my body hitches from the pressure of his sensual presence and weight. I writhe against his groin and within seconds I come, softly. The sensation is like something sticky and warm melting inside of me and it feels so fucking good. So, so good.
 
 Alexander removes his incisors from my flesh and licks my neck. When he’s finished, he lifts to watch me with alighted irises. My eyelids are heavy and my body is languid and limp.
 
 He raises his hips and glances down between our melded bodies. “Did you… just come from me feeding?”
 
 “Yes.”
 
 “Huh.” Alexander sits up and back on his knees, then pushes the hem of my t-shirt up so that my navel is exposed. His palms grasp my hips just above my underwear. “Is… feeding a kink for you? You’ve asked me to do it a lot.”
 
 I wriggle my hips, desperately wanting him to take the ruined underwear off of me. “Not feeding—youare the kink. When you feed, your mind and emotions are so… profound. Poetic and sincere. I don’t think you realize what you do to me, Alexander. You don’t understand your power.”
 
 Alexander takes hold of the material at my waist and slides it down. I raise my ass to make the task easier. “This is new for me.”
 
 “What is?”
 
 His glowing eyes flicker away before landing back on me. “Someone being this turned on by me—especially when I’m not necessarily trying. It’s surprising.”
 
 I stare in disbelief at this purebred vampire man in front of me. His beautiful golden eyes and this thick mane of sunshine-blonde hair, damp and yet perfectly unkempt. His half-naked and taut body emitting a perfume like summer citrus.
 
 I laugh. “You’re ridiculous.”
 
 “Am not.” He grins, amused as he lowers himself closer to my exposed stomach and cock. “If this is how you respond when I’m not trying, let’s see what I can do if I try?” He laps his tongue below my navel and a violent tremor races up my spine.
 
 He tortures me, licking and cleaning the mess I’ve made while I gasp and squirm from his efforts. When he finally grips my ass and takes my cock into his mouth, I lose my mind altogether. He lifts me up with his palms until I feel my cock hitting the back of his throat and the sensation is… I don’t have the words.
 
 Apparently, though, I have sounds. Loud ones, because he stops once to shush me, but I’m too far gone and swept up in the rhapsody of his essence and actions to comply.
 
 I climax a second time, greedily, shamelessly. Alexander holds me and devours every last drop and it speaks to that same earnest devotion that he fills me with when he feeds.
 
 Even though I’m spent, my natural inclination is todosomething for him. I’ve laid here and been gratuitously pleasured twice like an insolent prince. My limbs tingle and feel warm and lazy, but I think I should make some effort.
 
 I’m about to lift myself, but he stretches out half-way on top of me, collapsing against my side and draping his arm across my chest. He blows out a breath. “You need to rest more and heal. Just lie with me for a while?”
 
 I shift my body so that I’m cradled into him and lift my leg torest over his thigh. Alexander closes his eyes and I brush the damp heft of his hair away from his forehead with my fingertips.
 
 I don’t think I’ve done anything especially good or right in this life to deserve him, but God, karma and the universe… I am grateful.
 
 I’m still bitter as fuck about my hair, but thank you for gifting this purebred to me.
 
 CHAPTER 45