Nothing had ever been so beautiful.
“I want you, Brigette,” he murmured in a soft voice.
She wrapped her legs around his waist. “How much?”
Xi positioned his cock at her entrance, sliding the tip into it. He wanted to savor each thrust. Each caress. Each cry of pleasure.
“A lot,” he growled, slowly plunging deep inside her.
Chapter 18
Brigette brushed kisses over Xi’s broad chest, savoring the cool, satin perfection of his skin. She didn’t know how much time had passed. It felt as if it’d been mere minutes, but she knew that it had to have been several hours.
Time really did fly when you were having fun, she drowsily acknowledged. And there was nothing more fun than explosive, toe-curling sex with a gorgeous vampire.
She smiled as his arms tightened around her and a low growl rumbled in his throat. Xi’s heart might not race, and his skin remained cool to the touch, but she didn’t have to guess whether or not he was thoroughly sated. Not only did the scent of cedarwood drench the air, but she could feel the small vibrations that raced through his body from his most recent orgasms.
Xi pressed his lips against the top of her tangled hair, his fingers trailing down the curve of her spine.
“Well?” he murmured.
She tilted her head back in surprise. Surely, he couldn’t need reassurance. She’d nearly bitten her tongue off to keep her screams from giving away their presence.
Then, meeting the dark mystery of his gaze, she realized that his question went beyond sex. It veered into dangerous territory. Territory she wasn’t prepared to enter.
She forced a teasing smile to her lips, determined to keep him focused on their physical connection. That she could handle.
“Not bad,” she assured him.
His brow arched. “Not bad?”
“For an old man.”
“I’m not old,” he protested. “I’m experienced.”
She allowed her fingers to roam over his pale, stunningly beautiful face before moving them to trace the elegant tattoos on the sides of his head.
“Anciently experienced,” she helpfully pointed out.
His lips parted to show a hint of fang. “You’re welcome.”
She shivered. He’d scraped the fangs over her skin and used them to nibble at her most tender parts, but he’d been careful not to draw blood. She understood the care he’d taken, but there was a part of her that deeply resented the fact that she would never feel those long, sharp teeth sliding deep into her flesh.
She arched against him. “Hmm.”
He bent his head, his lips touching the tip of her nose. “There’s a smile on your face.” He nibbled kisses down to the valley between her breasts. “But I sense a conflict in here.”
On cue, her heart jerked and skidded, hitting against her ribs. She felt a nearly overpowering urge to cup the back of his head and urge him to sink those fangs into the curve of her throat. Or maybe the plush softness of her breast.
Dangerous territory…
She shivered, lowering her hands to lightly press them against his chest. “I was debating whether to satisfy my hunger for that turkey sandwich or my hunger for an arrogant leech.”
His dark eyes flared with an emotion. Disappointment? Then, with a speed that no other creature could match, he was out of the bed to grab the sandwich and chips.
Returning to the bed, he stretched onto the mattress beside her and laid the food between them.
“Eat,” he commanded. “I need you to keep up your energy.”
With a snort, she picked up the sandwich and ate half in one bite. The meat was processed and the bread stale, but it tasted like ambrosia. It’d been too long since her last meal, and she’d burned through a massive amount of energy.
“I’m a Were,” she told Xi, munching through a handful of chips.
“And?”
“And my energy is ten times greater than any leech.” She sent him a mocking smile. “With or without a turkey sandwich.”
The rich scent of Xi’s desire flooded the air. Brigette was instantly on fire for his touch.
“Finish your meal, and we’ll see who has the superior vigor,” he told her.
Two more bites and the sandwich was gone, along with the last chip. She even licked the salt from her fingers. Yum. At the same time, she glanced at Xi from beneath lowered lashes.
“Are you one of those males who always has to win?”
The scent of cedarwood pulsed through the air, as Xi’s snowy white fangs fully extended. “That depends.”
“On what?”
“If I am in battle, I have to win.”
“I’ll give you that one.”
“And I would suggest you never play hide-and-seek against me.”
She rolled her eyes. “Considering your unique talents, I can guarantee that I’ll avoid playing any childhood games against you,” she said in dry tones. “Anything else?”
Without warning, he turned his body, rolling on top of her to press her flat against the mattress. He gazed down at her startled face, his expression suddenly somber.
“I have to win you.” His voice was low, but she didn’t miss the urgency in each word. “Forever.”
She hissed, her hands pressing against his chest as she turned her head to the side. “Xi.”
“No. Don’t look away,” he commanded, waiting for her to reluctantly turn back and meet his fierce gaze. “We’ve been dancing around this since we caught sight of each other.”
“I don’t dance,” she ridiculously muttered.
A rueful smile touched his lips. “No, you’re more a bob-and-weave fighter, but it’s time to stand still and accept what’s happening between us.”
She dug her nails into his skin. She’d been so determined to avoid this conversation. And if Xi had any sense, he would want to avoid it as well.
The mere thought of this magnificent creature being trapped with a jaded, evil-tainted Were with a bad attitude was enough to make any demon cringe in horror.
“Please don’t make this complicated,” she pleaded in a husky voice.
“It’s been complicated from the beginning.”
He was right. There’d been a primitive tug between them from the moment they’d crossed paths. As if some mystical fate had decided their futures long before they were created.