Page 53

I wasn’t sure if I was disappointed or relieved. The pressure of being more in control hadn’t even occurred to me until this moment. I’d watched a fair bit—okay, a lot —of porn, but I suddenly felt woefully unprepared. How badly could I mess this up?

But then again, the thought of Seb wanting me like that, of him trusting me enough… My dick gave a hearty throb, as if telling me to shut up, that it was up for the challenge.

“Is that how… you want to do it?” I managed to get out, my voice embarrassingly shaky.

Seb considered me. “You told me…”

“I know,” I said quickly. “That’s fine. I mean, that’s great.”

Seb’s hands slid lower. “Though I’d love nothing more than to plunge myself into your tight heat…” His voice was rough against my ear as his fi ngers pressed more firmly, drawing a whimper from my throat. “That pleasure will have to be yours to take. Because…”

He reached for the other items on the dresser, and my jaw dropped as I took in what he held. A length of thin rope, deep burgundy in colour, and something black. Black and leather.

“No.” I pressed my hand to my mouth, unable to stop the nervous laugh that bubbled up. “You want to be tied up? And wear a muzzle?” The question came out high-pitched. Why the fuck does he even have that? “Where did you get that from?”

“It’s not personally mine.” Seb’s lips quirked. “But you’d be amazed what we’ve got stored in these rooms.”

His thumb traced circles on my hip, but I couldn’t move past the muzzle gleaming dully in the low light.

“Is this… what you’re into? Bondage ?” I felt like I’d just skipped easy mode and gone straight to level one hundred.

His soft laugh rumbled in his chest. “It’s a safety precaution. But if this all makes you uncomfortable…”

“I guess…” I shifted my weight, trying to find the right words. “I just… I wanted our first time to be more… I don’t know. Natural? Normal?” My throat tightened. “With two equally active parties? And less like you’re some kind of dangerous animal that needs restraining.”

Seb’s expression softened. “Flynn.” He set the items down and cupped my face in his hands.

“This is only about keeping you safe. If I lose control, even for a moment…” His thumb traced my bottom lip.

“I could tear your throat out without meaning to. The bloodlust, combined with how good it’s going to feel… it’s too risky.”

“But when you bit me before—”

“That was different. With the amount I want you, this is going to be far more intense.” His eyes held mine, serious. “Either we do this with precautions, or we don’t do it at all. I won’t risk your life just for pleasure.”

I glanced at the rope and muzzle again.

“Okay,” I whispered. “If that’s what you need to feel safe. ”

I was still processing the whole bondage situation when Seb’s expression shifted to something more playful, eyes glinting.

“You know,” he purred, stepping closer. “We could make this fun. Add a dash of roleplay to ease the tension.”

“What?” Roleplay now?!

His hand slid down my chest, coming to rest at my hip before brushing against the front of my pyjamas. Though light, the pressure had me quivering.

“Mmm. Perhaps you could be a vampire hunter.” His voice dropped lower, the sound like dark velvet against my skin.

“One who’s finally caught the big bad vampire he’s been chasing.

” His fingers traced the outline of my bulge, and I hissed softly.

“And now you get to do whatever you want with your captive.”

I almost laughed at the absurdity of it—me, playing at being some kind of badass vampire hunter. But before I could tease him for watching too much Buffy, Seb had dropped gracefully to his knees in front of me. My brain short-circuited at the sight.

His mouth pressed against me through the chequered fabric, tongue tracing the length of my cock. Even with the barrier, the sensation was glorious. My head fell back against the wall with a thud as a moan escaped my lips.

Seb pulled away from me, and a disgruntled noise slipped out of me.

“Hold on. I’ll quickly drink.”

“Oh. Right. The very expensive blood.”

He crossed to the dresser in fluid movements, grabbing the cask. The scent hit me—metallic and rich. My stomach twisted slightly, but I couldn’t look away as Seb lifted it to his lips.

He drank deeply, his throat working as he swallowed. His eyes never left mine, burning with an intensity that made my breath catch. A drop of crimson escaped the corner of his mouth, trailing down his chin.

My hand drifted to my thigh, then my groin, fingers pressing against the growing ache there. Seb’s gaze tracked the movement, and he took another long pull from the cask. His predatory stare as he drank set every nerve ending ablaze, molten desire spreading through my body.

I shifted, trying to find some relief from the building pressure. My palm rubbed slow circles over my dick as I watched him feed. There was something mesmerizing about it—dangerous and beautiful all at once.

Seb kept drinking, swallow after swallow. To keep himself under control. For me.

Something wild fluttered in my chest at the thought.

“Does it taste nice?” I asked innocently, though I knew he’d understand what I wanted to hear.

The empty cask clattered against the floor, rolling away into a corner. Seb’s mouth glistened crimson as he swiped the back of his hand across it in one feral motion.

In a blink, he crossed the space between us. His hands gripped my waist, pulling me flush against him. The coolness of his body seeped through my clothes, making me gasp.

“Like dirt compared to how you taste, sweet angel. You were absolute perfection .”

Fucking hell. My legs turned to jelly, and I started to slip from his grasp. His grip tightened instantly, keeping me upright. My hands found purchase on his shoulders, steadying myself.

“Are you ready?”

“Yes.” I bit into my lip. “But sorry in advance if it’s not the best.”

Seb’s cool fingers caught my chin, his thumb gently tugging my lip free. “It’s already the best,” he murmured, eyes so, so soft. “Whatever happens—it’s already perfect because it’s you.”

Heat bloomed across my cheeks at his words. How did he know exactly what to say to make my heart feel like it might burst?

“Besides.” His lips quirked into that devastating half-smile. “I haven’t had sex in twenty years.” He winked. “So I’m practically as virginal as you are.”

I rolled my eyes, but the tension in my shoulders eased slightly .

“Let me have one quick taste first,” he said silkily, dropping to his knees again, tugging on the elastic of my pyjama bottoms.

My breath caught in my throat at the sight of him looking up at me through those dark lashes. But…

“Not if you want me to fuck you,” I said, face aflame. “At this point, I’ll literally explode straight into your mouth.”

A rich chuckle rumbled through Seb’s chest as he rose to his feet. He reached for the light switch. Darkness fell, save for a silvery shaft of moonlight streaming through the window.

He positioned himself deliberately in that ethereal glow, and my breath caught. The chiaroscuro effect of moonlight against shadow transformed him into something otherworldly—a painting come to life—all dramatic shadows and luminous skin, beauty tinged with danger.

His fingers moved to the buttons of his fitted waistcoat, undoing each one with careful precision. The garment slid from his shoulders, joining his discarded tie on the floor with a whisper of fabric.

Next came his crisp white shirt. He took his time with those buttons too, revealing inch after inch of golden skin.

The shirt fell away, and I couldn’t help but stare at the lean muscles of his chest and abdomen, carved like marble beneath a light dusting of dark hair.

It trailed enticingly down his stomach, disappearing beneath his waistband.

His hands moved to his belt, and the soft hiss of leather through belt loops made my pulse quicken.

When his fingers found the button of his tailored trousers, I gripped the edge of the dresser behind me. They joined the growing pile of clothes, leaving him in nothing but black briefs that clung to his thighs.

He hooked his thumbs into the waistband of his underwear, pausing for just a moment—teasing—before sliding them down and stepping free.

My mouth went dry. Within a dark nest, his cock hung thick and heavy between his thighs, already half hard and impossibly splendid.

He stood before me like some ancient statue of Adonis, all perfect proportions and classical beauty, but with an underlying current of power that no marble could capture.

He shifted, and the moonlight turned his skin to alabaster, catching in the strands of his dark hair and making shadows dance across the planes of his face. His eyes, when they met mine, gleamed with hunger.

I fumbled for the burgundy rope. “I’ll tie you up.”

Maybe this whole thing would be easier in the role of a vampire hunter.

Seb moved to the queen-sized bed with feline grace, stretching out. He lifted his arms above his head, crossing his wrists against the ornate metal headboard.

My hands shook slightly as I picked up the rope, then muscle memory took over as I quickly formed a Highwayman’s Hitch, looping the loop around his wrists and the wooden frame of the headboard.

The motions were familiar— around, through, over, under —the same pattern I used to secure boats at the harbour.

“My grandfather taught me this one.” I tested the tension with a gentle tug. “Though I doubt this is quite what he had in mind for its application.”

“Is he the type to roll in his grave?”

“Oh, definitely spinning as we speak.” I couldn’t help but smile as I completed the final loop before shuffling awkwardly back from the bed. The contrast was comical—Seb completely naked and bound, while I stood fully clothed.

“Well then, hunter.” Seb’s low voice teased. “What are you waiting for? Don’t you want to claim your prize?”

God, he was going to kill me before we even started.