Page 11

CELESTE

I woke after sundown, invigorated from the night before with Van.

Stretching beneath the silken sheets, I recalled each moment—every touch, every kiss, every whispered word.

Van’s scent lingered on my skin, and I inhaled deeply, savoring the blend of feline and forests with his unique masculine musk. My fangs itched, wanting more.

Last night had been wild, my body high on rapture while also tormented by agonizing thirst. I’d desperately wanted to bite Van, not just to taste his blood, but to mark him. Claim him as mine. And that was something I’d never experienced in two centuries.

I better have a nourishing meal before I was near him again. As I sat up in bed, I noticed a folded note on the bedside table. I picked it up and unfolded it—a piece of paper with the Moonlight Siren’s logo.

Celeste,

Had to meet up with the band. Meet me at the Nocturnal Lounge after my show tonight?

Yours,

Van

I smiled and held the note to my chest. Tonight couldn’t come soon enough. Van was incredible in bed, without doubt—that wild, feral, animalistic side to him revealing itself. But there was something else—something deeper. We’d connected on another level; I was sure of it.

Or maybe I was deluding myself after having the best sex of my life.

I climbed out of bed, still naked, and walked into the bathroom to shower.

I hated to wash Van’s scent from my skin, but we had tonight.

Once I’d dried off and put on a royal blue dress, I glanced at the daily schedule to see what time Luna Blue Shadows was playing.

Not until ten. That gave me plenty of time to feed and explore.

I spent time savoring breakfast while I read a few chapters of my book.

Later that night, I left my suite. The decks of the Moonlight Siren were alive with the sounds of conversations, activity, and the distant clanking of the ship’s machinery. I stepped out on the promenade deck, staring out at the silvery tips of waves twinkling beneath the stars.

“Cut the act, Celeste,” a voice cut in, breaking my reverie.

My muscles tightened. I braced myself for another unpleasant encounter as I turned to face Lucien.

“How could you choose that clown over me?” He sneered. “He’s nothing. A child. A kitten.”

I seethed. “Why must you continue to pester me?”

“I did some digging,” Lucien continued, ignoring my question. “You and that boy toy just met. No way you’re that serious after just a few days.”

I clenched my hands at my sides as my body heated with fury. “It’s none of your business what I do or who I choose to be with.”

He stepped closer, his eyes flashing cold. “You think I don’t see what you’re doing? Trying to make me jealous with some young, dumb shifter? Don’t worry, it worked. Now it’s time to drop the charade so we can start over.”

“This has nothing to do with you,” I hissed, my voice trembling with barely contained fury. “I’m moving on with my life, and you need to do the same, Lucien.”

Lucien scoffed, his lip curling in disgust. “You’re deserve better than that stray cat. Why is he interested in you? Your money, that’s why.”

His words stung, striking a nerve deep within me. The connection I’d felt with Van had felt real. Could I be fooling myself?

I shook my head, pushing the doubts away. I shouldn’t let Lucien get to me. “The only one who used me for money was you.”

Then I turned and walked away.

I found a seat in the lounge, my blood still racing from the confrontation with Lucien. Only once I heard Van’s voice did I start to calm down. I met his gaze and his locked on me, intense and soulful. Warmth spread through me, chasing away the chill Lucien had left behind.

Maybe it had started as an act, a ruse to keep Lucien at bay, but somewhere along the way, something had shifted.

I felt something for Van, but Lucien’s words twisted beneath my skin.

Was it foolish to let myself fall for someone so quickly?

Someone I’d just met? I could be setting myself up for heartache—again.

Van thanked the audience for coming and said goodnight.

As he stepped off the stage, he made his way through the crowd, stopping to chat briefly with those who sought his attention, but his focus remained on me.

My blood simmered with anticipation as he approached, his amber eyes pooling with such heat that my stomach fluttered.

“You made it, darling,” he said with a smile, his voice a low rumble. Then he bent down and greeted me with a kiss on the lips that shot tingles down to my toes. When he pulled away, he purred, “I’ve been thinking about you all day.”

“I’ve been thinking of you too,” I admitted, my voice barely above a whisper. All my doubts, all my fears, seemed to dissipate in his presence.

He leaned in, his lips brushing against my ear. "Let’s get out of here."

I nodded, and he led me away from the lounge, his hand resting on the small of my back as he guided me around small groups of people.

We wandered the decks, exploring the ship together.

The Caribbean night air was cool, and the stars above twinkled like diamonds on black velvet.

We talked and laughed, our conversation flowing effortlessly and all the unease that Lucien had fueled was forgotten.

In the early hours of the morning, I suggested, “How about we have a drink on my balcony?”

His eyes shimmered with heat. “Anywhere I can get you alone.”

We ventured back up to my suite and carried drinks out on to the balcony.

But then the moment we stepped outside, they were placed on a side table and forgotten.

We rushed together in a heated kiss, as if the anticipation that had built up all night burst through the surface.

Then we undressed each other slowly under the moonlight, and the urgency slowed.

We took our time, exploring each other, savoring each touch, each kiss.

The sensation of being naked out there, surrounded by thousands, yet shielded from view with the privacy of our location, shot a forbidden thrill through me.

“You’re so beautiful,” he murmured, his voice dark and sensual.

Van ran his hands through my hair, pulling me closer as he deepened the kiss. He traced the curves of my body with his strong hands, igniting a fire within me. As my hands fluttered to his chest, his heartbeat pulsed strong and steady under my fingertips.

We made our way back inside to the bedroom.

Van led me to the bed and covered my body with his long, lean one.

His hands stoked intense flames beneath my skin.

I explored the muscles of his back, feeling the strength and power beneath his skin.

He trailed kisses down my neck, and I felt the heat of his breath, the gentle graze of his teeth.

My fangs ached, the primal urge to bite him now entwined with another one—to be bitten.

“Tell me you feel it,” he whispered as he kissed down my torso. “This connection.” His tongue swirled over my breast, and I arched into the wet heat of his mouth.

Tears stung my eyes. I wasn’t imagining it, this bond forming between us. “I do,” I swore. “It’s almost overwhelming.”

“But so right,” he murmured. Then he licked down my midriff and lower still, to my inner thighs, tormenting and torturing me with a yearning for more.

“Don’t tease me,” I begged.

He finally relented, his tongue unbelievably magical as he drew out my pleasure in a blinding climax. When I returned to my body again, I crawled out from under him, emboldened to take the lead.

I slid down his thick shaft, taking him all in, as my fangs lengthened and slipped out of my lips. “Sorry.” I covered my mouth, not wanting to ruin this moment by terrifying him.

“No, it’s okay,” he insisted and pulled my hand away. “Natural. Trust me, I’ve wanted to bite you too.”

I searched his eyes. Did that mean?—

He reached up and captured my lips in a searing kiss, then pulled away a fraction.

“Do it, Celeste,” he urged. “Bite me.” He leaned back down and turned his head, exposing his smooth, tanned throat.

My fangs itched as my excitement grew. A hunger rose in a way I’d never felt before. I ground up and down on him as the pressure built inside.

I bent down, brushing my lips against his neck, where the steady thrum of his heartbeat whispered to me. I could swear I heard his jaguar rumbling within, spurring me on to claim him. The scent of salt and musk on his skin mingled with the arousal coursing through the air, intensifying my thirst.

And then I rose higher, and higher, and—clamped my teeth into his throat. Van let out a low moan and gripped my hips so tightly it would leave marks. The second his delectable blood flowed over my tongue, something happened—something unexpected. I hadn’t felt it in that way since I was human.

My heart thumped.