His wane smile grew sad and accepting all at once. “That’s what scares me most.
Harley has a penchant for collecting things, most of them being people. Like me. If he gets his hands on you, that’s what you’ll be. Another toy. But, what’s fun for Harley is never fun for his toys.”
The creepiest chill crept over me as he uttered the words. Harley loved torture, and if he got his hands on me, I’d be praying for death instead.
“Stop,” I whispered, suddenly afraid to speak any louder. “I don’t want to go there right now. You have to leave before sunrise. Let’s not spend our time talking like this.”
A small bead of blood overflowed from my lip, down my chin. Arys’ eyes followed it, and his little finger was quick to catch it.
“Alright.” He brought the little crimson splash to his lips; his eyes glazed with the rush of energy, which he openly embraced. “For now, it’s all about us.”
I smiled when he reached to untie the sash to my silky robe, wasting no time hiking my short nightie up around my waist. I gave a small playful shriek and slapped at his hand when he made as if to slide my G-string to the side.
“Hey now,” I said, shoving against his solid chest in an attempt to sit up. “What’s your hurry?”
He remained steadfast so that I was deliciously trapped beneath him. He released his hold on my skimpy underwear and kissed me hard. The thrill that shot through me caused me to gasp, and Arys chuckled seductively.
“We don’t have much time. I want to make the most of it.” He whispered the words against my lips before sliding a hand up my side to cup my breast. “I need to feel you.”
His touch was possessive and demanding but had a gentle quality to it that I noted immediately. As nice as it felt, I couldn’t help but be anxious. I knew his sudden need for me came from his insecurity regarding Harley. It frightened me to know that it was eating at Arys so badly.
My arms went around his neck as I took a deep breath. His scent was made up of cologne and hair products since vampires generally have no distinct scent. When he was experiencing my weaknesses, he also smelled like wolf.
He leaned into me again; his tongue sought mine hungrily. I welcomed the warm, moist heat of his mouth as he pressed his erection against my bare thigh.
All at once, our bonded power began to grow between us, stretching and reaching for more. It was extremely rare that we made love without it encouraging the flow of our passion.
When Arys broke off the mind-shattering kiss, I was momentarily disappointed. His tongue soon traced wet lines down my neck beneath my ear, causing my body to respond with a rush of blood through my veins and a flood of feminine moisture between my legs.
His fingers deftly found my nipple, and I let out a small moan when he rubbed it until it stood firm.
I entangled my fingers in his amazingly soft hair, loving the sensation as he licked and nipped at my sensitive throat. “I need to taste you, Alexa.” His voice came hot and breathy against my ear. His request caused me to tense in heart-racing anticipation. It was not often that he really bled me, and it was even less often that he asked.
And, something about his use of the word “need” had me on alert. If I didn’t know better, I’d almost think Arys was getting emotional on me. As far as emotions go, it’s not something we openly discuss. It’s something that somehow plays a part in our relationship but has a tendency to be glossed over.
We were both guilty of pretending we could live without the other, yet, it was a thought I couldn’t entertain. There were no claims of undying devotion between Arys and me. That was something that only came out with Shaz. But, if forced to look inward to what I felt for Arys, I couldn’t deny that there was something real there.
What it was, I couldn’t define, as it had kind of snuck up on me. I hadn’t ever intended to feel anything for him. Not really. Ultimately, we don’t always choose who we feel for.
Butterflies beat their delightful wings hard against my insides. I was nervous because I was rarely the prey. Allowing Arys to take blood from me took a lot of control on my part. I trusted him, though, and the rush of power swirling around us assisted in my readiness.
Ever so softly, he stroked the side of my face as he pulled back to look into my eyes.
The tenderness in his hypnotizing gaze was shocking. I didn’t expect to see such vulnerability hidden in those ocean blue depths. I realized in that moment that, though I had become one of Arys’ strengths, I was also one of his weaknesses.
It went beyond the metaphysical weaknesses that we shared. I worried that, if he developed deep feelings for me, it would destroy him.