Page 20 of Blade's Runaway Bride
Slowly, hesitantly, she raises a hand to my cheek. Her palm is soft against my stubbled jaw, her touch light as a whisper.
"What are you doing?" My voice comes out rougher than I intended.
"I can feel your heart beating," she says softly. "It's racing. You pretend you don't have emotions, that you're just this... machine that kills and protects and follows orders. But that's a lie, isn't it? They're just buried deep." Her fingers trace the scar that runs from my temple to my jawline. "I want to find you. To rescue you from your darkness, the way you rescued me."
I should push her away. Should tell her she's wrong, that there's nothing to find beneath the surface, no man worth saving behind the monster I've become. But her fingers are gentle on my face, and her body is warm against mine, and something in me can't bring myself to shove her back.
Having her this close is dangerous in ways that have nothing to do with the Vultures MC or the club or the war we're fighting. She's gorgeous. Curves and golden hair and those eyes that see too fucking much. I want to touch every inch of her, to claim her right here on this bed that's never known a woman's presence before.
My cock stiffens, straining against my jeans, and I know she must feel it where our bodies press together.
"We shouldn't be doing this," I warn her, my voice a low growl. "You don't know what you're getting into."
"I'm choosing this," she says, her gaze steady on mine. "Me. My choice." Her hand drifts down, finding the hard bulge in my jeans and pressing against it. "And it seems like you want it too."
Jesus fucking Christ.
Chapter 8 - Kelly
"And it seems like you want it too."
I have no idea what's gotten into me. One minute I'm crying in Blade's arms, and the next I'm grabbing his cock through his jeans, feeling it throb beneath my palm. I should be mortified by my boldness, but something about this man makes me reckless in the best possible way.
He wants me. I can feel it in the hardness beneath my hand, see it in the way his pupils dilate, darkening his already black eyes. And God help me, I want him too. Not because he saved me—though he did, in more ways than one. I want him because I see the good in him, buried beneath layers of violence and control. This is a man worth fighting for. Worth trying to save from his own darkness.
Maybe even worth building a future with, though that thought should terrify me after knowing him less than a day.
"You have no idea what you're doing," he growls, his voice deeper than before. "My control is about to snap, and when it does, I won't be gentle. I'll claim you mercilessly for myself."
His hand wraps around my wrist, not pulling me away from his erection but holding me there, pressing me harder against it. "If I taste you, it's over. I'm never letting you go."
A rush of wetness floods my panties at his words. Fuck. I've never been this turned on in my life, never felt this desperate ache between my legs. I want him to taste me, to devour me if that's what he desires.
But first, he needs to know the truth.
"I'm a virgin," I whisper, the admission making my cheeks burn. "My wedding night was going to be my first time, and no wayin hell was I letting those monsters touch me." I look up at him through my lashes, heart hammering in my chest. "But you? You can touch me, Blade. You deserve it."
Something flashes in his eyes. Surprise, then something darker, hungrier, before he visibly reins himself in.
"I don't deserve shit," he says roughly. "And I don't want you giving yourself to me because you think you owe me for saving you. That's not how this works." His fingers tighten on my wrist. "I want you to want this. To want me. My hands, my mouth, my cock inside you. Not because you're grateful, but because you can't stand the thought of not having me."
I've never met a man like him before. A man who could easily take what he wants, who clearly wants to take, but instead respects my wishes and desires enough to make sure they're genuine. This is a man worth losing my virginity to. And right now, I can't think of anything else I want more than his cock inside me.
I grip his bulge more firmly, feeling it twitch beneath my palm. He grunts, his hands trembling slightly as he fights for control. His jaw is clenched so tight I can see the muscle jumping beneath his skin, his teeth practically grinding together.
“I really want you.” I tell him.
He takes a deep, shuddering breath. "If I become your first, I'll be your last," he says, each word heavy with meaning. "No other man will ever touch what belongs to me."
Belong. The word sends a thrill through me that I shouldn't feel but do. I love the idea of belonging to someone who understands me, who's walked through the same darkness I have. Someone who'll protect me no matter what.
"Do it," I whisper, pressing myself against him. "Make me belong to you."
With a guttural sound that's more animal than human, he grabs the t-shirt I'm wearing and rips it clean down the middle, exposing my plain white bra and trembling stomach to his hungry gaze.
Before I can react, he's pushing me back onto the bed, his large body coming down beside mine. His hands go to my bra, deftly unclasping it and pulling it away. My breasts spill free, and I resist the urge to cover myself. I'm not small—the Vultures MC used to compliment my “big breasts” in a way that made me feel like cattle being appraised—but Blade looks at my curves like they're a feast laid out just for him.
"Fuck," he breathes, before lowering his head to capture one nipple in his mouth.
