Page 38 of Bleeding Love

Yet now he came here to live, he had added with a somber smile.

Then, after making sure my organs were alright, and I didn’t have any serious injuries, he ushered me to this room to clean myself and change. I barely had the time to get a word in before the door had been slammed in my face.

There were no wards—I had checked. There were no humans or other sentient creatures nearby—I had checked. Nothing stopped me from leaving except for my word. So as I sat in the tub for an hour, my magic keeping the water pleasantly warm, I realized I didn’twantto go.

I flinched when I realized I had been standing in the middle of the room, staring at the wall.

The idea of being with someone, even in this capacity, was so, so tempting. To talk to someone other than Nym, to eat with someone other than Nym, even argue with someone other than Nym. I loved my familiar, but he wasn’t even a person. He was an infernal creature that didn’t even have a human form.

And Roman was…

I let the towel drop, picking up the thin satin robe I found in one of the old, dusty wardrobes. The place needed a stern cleaning and some renovation, but it was clear that it was beautiful once. It could be beautiful again. Safe, warm, home.

Just for a little bit. I couldn’t stay for long. I couldn’t be with Roman—or anyone else—for long. I wasn’t going to fall in love, that was never an option. But I could get a lot out of this arrangement and so could he.

Just two people using each other for company, safety, and pleasure. Yes, I could do that.

I sent my magic through the house, searching for him. When I found him in a room at the end of the corridor, I made my way there. I knew I didn’t have to knock, he could probably hear me across the house, but I did nonetheless.

He was standing beside a four-poster bed, drinking from a glass. It took me a second to realize it was filled with blood, and another to figure out he had gone hunting. But he had said there were no humans anywhere near. Was he drinking animal blood?

The question remained unanswered since I grew distracted by his body. He was only wearing his breeches, slipped on in a hurry judging by how loosely they were tied. They hung so low on his hips that I could clearly see his toned stomach and the V-shaped muscle disappearing underneath the dark fabric. There were scars marring his pale flesh, not nearly as many as the ones I carried, but enough to tell me he must have had a hard life before he became a vampire. Vampires didn’t retain scars even with the gravest of injuries—they either healed or died. So all those pale lines, burns, and stitches had to have come from before.

“Is something amiss?” he asked, and I realized he was watching me watch him the whole time. He stood with that unnatural stillness that just showed how inhuman he was, but his eyes were warm and very human.

I shook my head, striding further into the room. His gaze slid down, irises growing larger every time the robe parted to reveal the entire length of my leg. I was almost sure I saw red flash in his eyes, but then he was turning away from me and bringing the glass back to his lips.

I got down on my knees in front of him, and as I reached for the ties on his pants, he choked. By the time I looked up, he was already staring at me with a look that made my hands grow bolder. I slid my fingers over his chest until they were resting at the edge of his trousers. I was just about to tug them down when he caught my wrist.

“What are you doing?” he asked in his usual calmness, but his voice sounded strained. My smile grew wider as I cocked my head.

“What does it look like to you? I want to show my gratitude for keeping me safe.” My eyes lowered to his crotch, where I could very clearly see his erection growing. “Or you’ve changed your mind?”

He was quiet for a second, but when I tried to wiggle my wrist free, his grip tightened.

“Consent goes both ways,” he finally said, and I froze, looking at him curiously. The smile that appeared on his lips was taunting, but his eyes remained serious, making me think there might be more to his sudden prudeness. “So ask nicely.”

I considered my next words before pulling my hand free and sitting on my heels. He watched me quietly, his expression closed off, so I couldn’t really tell what he was thinking. But one thing was for sure—he wanted me, he had said as much. So all I had to do was follow his lead.

“My dear Roman,” I said sweetly as I ran a finger between the folds of my robe, parting it so he could see that I wore nothing underneath. His jaw tightened and the edges of his eyes turned red while he followed the movement. “May I suck your cock, please?”

His lips parted as if he was about to gasp, but no sound came out. Then the familiar smirk returned, and he said, “You may.”

I pushed myself to my knees again, sliding my hands over his thighs and to the rim of his trousers. Working the ties quickly, I let the fabric slide down. His cock was hard, just like I suspected, and so deliciously thick that I found myself staring as it jerked impatiently. Smiling wider, I slid my fingers over it until they wrapped around his shaft, and I looked up, running my tongue over the head.

The look in Roman’s eyes was feral, but his face remained a mask of complete calm. A mask I longed to shatter tonight.

I took my time to memorize every inch of his cock, licking and sucking in the way I had found drove men insane. Shudders passed through his body and the fact that his dick was so hard that I feared for my jaw told me he was enjoying it. Yet…it wasn’t enough. I wanted him a moaning, gasping, unrestrained mess. I wanted him aching for me just as much as I ached for him right now.

I pulled back so I could run my tongue over the tip of his cock and I noticed his shoulders relax. Frustration rushed through my chest before I took him back into my mouth, deeper and deeper until he was almost at the back of my throat. His jaw tightened again. Sliding my hands to his thighs to keep myself steady, I took him deeper. A low groan tore from his lips and my heart leaped in a victory that lasted only until my throat constricted and I choked. I tried to back off, tears already burning my eyes, but he grabbed a fistful of my hair and held me in place.

“Don’t,” he said in a breathless voice and I froze, blinking the tears away. The red had almost taken over his irises, but I didn’t care, not even when his grip on my hair tightened and he slowly thrust his hips forward.

I couldn’t breathe and I could barely see, but as I listened to the moans that finally became loud enough for me to hear, I was determined not to stop, even if it killed me. I was just thinking that this might end up the most pleasant of my deaths, and the only one I didn’t regret when his hips bucked, a guttural growl filling the room as something cold slid down my throat. I choked again, and he finally pulled back, keeping his fingers under my chin while I swallowed.

When I looked up at him, he was panting. I wasn’t sure if it was a muscle memory or if he was trying to look human for me, but he looked rattled. Just like I wanted him to.

I smirked, opening my mouth to taunt, when his fingers tightened around my throat and my feet left the ground. I landed on something soft before he grabbed my leg and yanked me to the edge of the bed. The robe lay open beneath me, exposing every inch for his eyes to devour.

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