Page 48 of Immortal Bastard (The Order of Vampires)

“We’re one, pintura. Your needs are mine, just as mine are yours. Your pleasure’s my pleasure. Your hunger my hunger. It’s futile to fight such a connection. There’s no severing what God has forged, so why not accept it and stop fighting what your body so obviously needs?”

She didn’t want to hear about his God. When he wrapped their circumstances up in some biblical bow, it excused him, placing all accountability on some cosmic force. But this was his doing, his fault. She hated that he’d done this to her without giving her a choice, and if she stopped fighting him it would be too much like she was giving up on herself.

Life as she knew it was gone. Her shop, her friends… Would she ever see Lance and McGuire again? They were the only family she had. He took them from her. He took everything from her.

And now she wanted to hurt him. “I don’t need anything from you.”

The gash at his eye stopped trickling blood, the wound sealing shut without a stitch or even a tissue to stop the wound from gushing. “You’ll always need me, pintura, and I you.”

She glared up at him. “Do you think you’re the only warm body—”

He growled and jerked her knees wide, shifting quickly to stretch them around his thighs as he pressed the bulge of his cock against her sex. “I’ll warn you now, the males of our species are extremely territorial with their mates. You do not want to anger the beast that hides within.”

“I’m not afraid of you,” she rasped, voice trembling.

“When it comes to you and other males, you should be. I’ll kill any male who thinks to lay a finger on you.”

“Not so virtuous now, are you?”

“I warned you, I’m an immortal before all else, and there is nothing more sacred than an immortal’s bond to his mate.”

But an addiction to someone was not the same as love. If he truly cared about her, he would let her go. She almost said as much, but that would start the whole cycle over of how he couldn’t live without her so he couldn’t let her go, and blah, blah, blah… They were going in circles.

This argument was endless and making her head ache. “Get off.”

“Is that what you truly wish?” The wounds on his flesh had closed, the skin mended as if it were never torn. His voice turned to gravel and the scent of his desire intensified. “I could give you what you really want, pintura. I could make the ache disappear.”

Her breath caught and her sex clenched. The temptation was real. But her stubborn refusal to cooperate forbade her from accepting his offer, no matter how much it enticed her.

Part of her wished he would just take what he wanted and take the damn choice out of her hands.

Wait… No. That was all wrong.

She didn’t want him. He was an asshole. So, if he could just shove himself inside of her—

No, no, no! What the fuck was wrong with her? No sex. He was evil. Gross. Horrible. She hated him. Hated everything about him.

Well, there were some appealing parts. But most of him was crap. “

He ground his cock against her and she moaned before she could stop herself, softening right under his horrific touch. Where were these raging hormones were coming from? Clueless about immortals and ovulation, she could only assume this was one more vampire thing.

Her lips pressed tight to prevent any sort of begging from accidentally slipping out. Bending low, he dragged his nose up her throat and whispered, “All of your frustration could go away if you just say the word.”

A whimper filled her throat. He wouldn’t break her.

The thick weight of his cock nudged her sex through the thin fabric of her chemise. She was slick and ready for him. Starved and needy.

“I…” She squinched her face tight.

“Say it,” he dared, licking up her throat and nibbling her ear. “Try to tell me you don’t want me inside of you.”

She wouldn’t. Couldn’t. It was like there was some sort of truth serum controlling her vocal cords.

He shifted her wrists, transferring her arms above her head in an unbreakable grip. With his free hand, he fisted the front of her chemise and stared at her.

Her breath quickened. She wanted him to tear the barrier away and give her what she needed. Just take it so she didn’t have to be the weak one to give up her position and surrender.

“If it must be this way, so be it.” The material pulled tight and her desperation mounted. “Last chance, Delilah. Tell me no.”

She said nothing as her mind screamed do it!

The fabric tore open with one hard tug, exposing her bare breasts and amping up her desire. His hot palm cupped her possessively, his thumb tracing over the ball of her piercing and teasing her flesh into a taught and needy point. She arched into his hold, a deep moan escaping her throat, as she silently begged for his mouth on her.