Page 123 of Immortal Bastard (The Order of Vampires)

She leaned forward and kissed him softly, dragging her nose over his skin as she kissed her way to his ear. His labored breathing teased the fine hairs slipping past her bonnet and she shivered.

“I want you to do it,” she whispered, presenting him with the side of her throat.

He growled. “You need your strength.”

She slid her body up and down, taking him slowly. “I need you.” Her hands crawled over his broad shoulders as she looked into his eyes. “Please. Just a little? I like when you do it.”

He caught the back of her neck and her breath hitched. In one aggressive pull, he yanked her to his mouth and she gasped when his teeth bit into her. It wasn’t painful. On the contrary, the sensation of him drinking from her vein felt more intimate than his lips around her clit.

She sucked in another breath as her sex clamped tight. It was all connected in one euphoric sexual act. The harder he pulled the faster she rode him, her needy cries matching his masculine groans of satisfaction.

“Yes! Please!” She gasped, riding him faster.

His grip tightened on the back of her neck as she came in a flash of white light and ecstasy. Her body went lax in his arms as he licked over the puncture. His cock remained buried inside of her as she cuddled into his chest and sighed. “Thank you.”

His arms closed around her, simply holding her close. The familiar beat of his heart filled her ears and she rested, safely in her mate’s hold.

“I love you, Delilah.”

Her lashes lifted and she sat back to look at him. “What?”

His blank stare couldn’t hide his vulnerability. “I said…I love you.”

Those three words were not taken lightly. Even her mother hadn’t said such things to her. And while she believed her grandparents had loved her, they never expressed it in words.

“Christian…I don’t know what to say.”

His gaze cut away. “Then don’t say anything.” He was disappointed.

Her lips pinched, but not quite as sharply as her heart. She wanted to tell him that she cared about him. Compared to a few days ago, that was a huge improvement. “I—”

“Delilah, please. Let’s not trivialize it. I think silence is best.”

She shut her mouth, respecting his wishes, but her heart ached. Everything inside of her wanted to say something, but he only wanted to hear those three words.

Pressing a kiss to his cheek, she slipped off his lap and lowered her gaze. “I’m sorry.”

His hard stare turned further away as he glared toward the front windows, ignoring her. She couldn’t leave him like that, not after the beautiful moment they just shared. Didn’t he realize how confusing all of this was for her? Didn’t he see?

Apparently not.

Worrying her lip, she lowered her body to the floor, kneeling between his thighs. She folded her hands and mentally reached for his mind, but hit a wall.

Shocked he would shut her out, her breath caught. “Christian, please.”

He met her stare but said nothing. She could feel his regret. He disliked showing vulnerability, and there was nothing more vulnerable than love.

What if he took back his beautiful words? She couldn’t bear the thought, but she also couldn’t lie. She needed more time. “Can we talk about it?”

“What else do you want me to say, Delilah?”

The pain in his voice gutted her. He opened himself up to her, bared his heart, and she did nothing. Now his mind was closed to her and she felt chillingly alone.

He had to understand that just because she moved at a slower pace it didn’t mean she felt nothing for him. “I’m here. Yours.” She picked up his hand and touched it to her cheek.

He caressed her face, prepared to speak only to change his mind and turn away again. It hurt to reach out and not be met halfway.

Even if their situation was temporary, it was very real to her. She felt things for him she couldn’t explain, things she’d never felt for anyone before.

“I’m sorry I hurt you.” Leaning forward, she rested her head on his lap. “Please don’t be upset with me.”

His hand opened as if to comfort her, but then his fingers balled into a fist and he pulled his touch away. “I know.”

He was afraid. Afraid of opening himself up to others, afraid of being hurt, afraid of being abandoned. These were not unique fears. She too worried about similar things, knowing firsthand how terrible rejection could feel when one’s heart was on the line.

Their burgeoning trust was still so fragile. It took courage on both their parts to navigate so many uncertain emotions. He’d bravely shared his feelings and not gotten the response he’d wanted. But that didn’t mean he made a mistake.

She needed to courageously bare herself to him in return, to remind him that she was also fragile and scared, but willing to trust him not to hurt her.