Page 22 of Depths of Desire (The Emerald Dagger Mafia #3)

“You’re not a damsel,” he mutters, a shadow of amusement in his voice. “But even the strongest bodies break under pressure. Yours has been under a lot.”

I open my mouth to argue again—but my tongue feels thick, dry. He sees it. Of course he does.

Without a word, he reaches over me, grabs a water bottle from the nightstand, and holds it out.

I hesitate, eying it suspiciously. He smirks and shakes the bottle in front of my nose. Before I can change my mind, I snatch it and take a long drink, the coolness soothing the burn in my throat.

I lower the bottle and glare at him over the rim. “Get out.”

Nico doesn’t move. Instead, he walks to the other side of the bed, peels off his shirt, and drops it to the floor. I stare, dumbfounded, as he kicks off his pants until he’s standing in nothing but a pair of black boxer briefs.

“What are you doing?”

“Getting into bed.”

“Are you insane?”

“I need sleep. And I’m not leaving you alone to sneak off while I’m out cold.”

“You don’t trust me?”

“Not even a little.”

He lifts the covers and slides in beside me like we’re some long-term couple and not two people caught in a storm of betrayal and blood politics.

I shift away from him immediately, but the movement makes my vision tilt. I press a hand to my forehead, cursing under my breath.

Nico sighs. “Slow down.” He reaches out, guides me gently back down. His fingers brush my wrist, surprisingly gentle. “You’re safe here. Just for a few hours.”

“Safe?” That word sits on my tongue like ash. Will I ever be safe again?

He settles beside me, one arm slipping around my waist, anchoring me like he has every right to. I should scream. I should punch him in the throat and bolt for the door. But I don’t. Because the fight has bled out of me for now.

Because some tiny, traitorous part of me knows I won’t make it ten steps before I collapse again.

“I don’t want you here,” I whisper into the darkness between us.

“I know,” he murmurs. “But I’m not going anywhere. Not until I know you’re okay.”

I close my eyes, breathing in the faint scent of his skin—something wild and warm and threaded with danger. I hate how comfort creeps in anyway. Hate that, despite everything, I stop shivering when he pulls me closer. He’s a vampire. I need to get away from him. He’s a creature of the darkness.

Sleep circles me like a predator, and this time, I let it win.

I awake with a start. My heart is pounding against my ribcage. I try to catch my breath.

“Hush now, Luna. It’s okay. You were having a bad dream.

You’re safe.” Nico pulls me to him and keeps an arm wrapped around my waist. He’s turned on his side, facing me, while I’m on my back.

I try to relax. Nico’s presence helps, and I hate that.

He’s a vampire. I should be terrified of him like I am of Malrick, but somehow, it’s not the same. Not at all.

“I dreamt that I was marrying Malrick. It was awful. He kept me in a locked room.” I shudder.

“That’s never going to happen, sunshine. I won’t let it.”

“Maybe,” I say.

I just don’t believe him. My parents betrayed me.

My friends didn’t tell me they were married to vampires.

I feel like no one is telling me the truth.

No one. Except Nico. He hasn’t lied to me, I admit to myself.

He’s been straight with me about everything except that he’s a vampire.

I’m not sure I blame him for that. I understand why they keep their existence a secret.

In fact, I understand why the whole magickal realm stays in the shadows.

God knows I hate having the knowledge. People would not react well.

“Your heart is still beating too quickly.” He presses his palm to my sternum.

“You can hear that?” I ask as I turn my face toward his. The heat of his hand resonates all the way south to land between my legs.

“Yes. I can also smell the adrenaline in your blood. It makes it smell sweeter. Even if I couldn’t feel the tension in your muscles, I can sense it. And I hear the uptick in your breathing. I can do all this from right next to you or from a great distance.”

If he can smell the adrenaline in my blood, can he smell my aroused reaction to the proprietary position of his hand? “Really? It must drive you crazy to be around people then. All that noise.”

Nico smiles and moves his pinkie until it sweeps the slope of my breast. “You misunderstand. I can track people by smell from a great distance, but the other things, it seems I can only do that with you.”

“What? Why? I don’t understand.”

“I don’t understand either. In all my four hundred years, I’ve never had this happen. Not once.” The tip of his finger slips under the lace on my bra.

“Jesus, you’re four hundred years old?” I gasp. I can’t get my brain around it.

“Give or take, yes.”

“But you were alive in the sixteenth century?” I try to imagine what that must have been like.

“I was. Not my favorite time. The eighteenth century was better.”

“That’s insane. What’s that like? Living for all those years. All the changes you’ve seen.”

Nico sighs softly. “Lonely. That’s what it’s like.

Living in the shadows and never letting my true nature be revealed.

It’s been lonely, but I cannot complain.

Many others have suffered far more.” He gets a faraway look on his face, and there’s an odd tug in my chest. I can’t imagine it. Lonely doesn’t cover it.

“But you said you can hear my heartbeat from a long way off. How come?”

Nico focuses on me again. “I’m not sure, but it’s been the case since I first saw you at Renzo and Mia’s engagement dinner.” He inclines his head and presses his lips to my shoulder.

Heat blooms in my cheeks. I have no idea why I’m embarrassed, but I am. That’s not true. I do know. I felt the connection to Nico that night, too, but I thought it was just too much wine.

“You feel it too,” he says.

“I…possibly. At the moment, I’m not sure what I feel.” No need to tell the truth. No need to share anymore of myself. There seems to be so little that is mine alone these days. “If you can hear me and you know my scent, why didn’t you know I was on the ship?”

He chuckles. “Because I wasn’t looking for you. I was preoccupied with the men who were trying to kill me.”

I chuckle. “Fair, I guess.”

Nico touches my face. “So glad you agree.” He shifts his hand until his palm rests on the curve of my breast, and now the tip of his pinky traces a circle over my nipple.

The tingling between my legs intensifies, and I want to squirm but force myself to hold still to see where this will go.

He’s a vampire, and I shouldn’t want him. Shouldn’t crave his touch. Should never want to wrap my legs around his hips and draw him deep into my body. But I do. God help me, I do.

“What are you doing to me, Nico?”

His smile is quicksilver. “I should think that was obvious, sunshine.” He slips his thigh over my legs, lodging his knee under mine. “I want you.”

His position leaves no doubt about his desire.

His shaft is hard against my hip. I finally give in to the urge to squirm, turning just enough to move his thigh higher.

He must have known what I needed because suddenly, his thick muscles are pressed to my clit, and his hand is firmly massaging my breast.

He squeezes, and my mouth falls open. I can’t help it. I’m panting, eager for more.

Nico lowers his face toward mine but doesn’t fully close the distance. “I can smell you now, sunshine. I think you want me as much as I want you.”

I shake my head. “I don’t think it is possible for you to want me more.” I lift my chin. “Are you going to kiss me?”

His expression turns serious. “There is no walking away from this, once we’re done. You understand?”

Was he telling me this was some strange, ritual passage, where he fucks me and I’m eternally his?

All chances of running from Malrick and my father would vanish?

Was that really what I wanted? Right now, I only knew one thing.

I wanted Nico to press into me, to seal his warm flesh to mine, to brand me with the heat of his cock and make me forget anything else, vampires, magickal creatures, family, and friends, existed.

I cup his cheek and encourage him to close the distance between our lips. “I understand,” I whisper.

Then all opportunity to speak is gone. His mouth is hot and firm on mine. Boldly, he dips his tongue into my mouth, and he skims his hand down my torso, over my waist, along my hips, and into the front of my panties.

I arch at the first touch of his thumb on my clit. His tongue moves in my mouth as he slips a fingertip inside my sheath. My hips rock, trying to pull his digits in further. The hair on his crown is soft under my fingers when I spear them through the dark curls.

“You are so responsive, my little sunshine,” he murmurs over my lips.

“Your greedy little cunt is wet for me. Slick. Warm. Needy.” He punctuates each word with a kiss and a deep thrust of his fingers.

First one, then he adds a second with his next word.

But the time he arrives at his third word, he is working three fingers in me, His thumb never leaves my clit.

The trail of fire along my nerves, starting with what is happening between my thighs, sears me. Brands me. He is making me his, and his alone. Tension spools higher within me, my breath is coming fast and hard, and my body feels like it is spiraling toward competition.

“Nico, god,” I say as I rock my hips and arch my spine, trying to find the edge. “I’m going to come.”

He shifts his hand between my legs, working his fingers in me, pressing the heel of his hand on the bundle of nerves pressing hard and rubbing, the friction nearly unbearable.

“ Vita mia. Let go, my love, ” he groans as he lowers his head to my breast. Using his chin, he moves the covering lace beneath the swell and then sucks deep and hard.