Page 98 of Immortal Bastard (The Order of Vampires)

Her throat was suddenly bone dry. “You’ve really thought about this.”

“Fervently.”

Her breath caught as more images came to her. Christian in bed—touching himself. Christian under a stream of cool water, muscles taught, bringing himself to completion. Christian throwing his head back as he came. A shiver chased up her spine.

His nostrils flared as he tipped his head back and closed his eyes, breathing deeply. “You’re aroused.”

Her gaze dropped to the table. “Well, what do you expect? You just played a highlight reel of raunchy porn in my head.”

“And you liked it.”

She did. Not only that, she wanted everything he’d shown her.

Unclenching her fists, she flattened her palms on the surface of the table. “So, this table…”

“I’d make a feast of you.”

“Right.” She swallowed, picturing him pushing her skirt to her waist and spreading her wide.

A wave of pleasure teased through her and she swayed forward, gasping. “What the…? How did you just do that?” It was as if his tongue literally just licked into her, just as she pictured.

The side of his mouth quirked. “The bond between mates has a magnificent link. You’ll find, in terms of intercourse and intimacy, my pleasure will only amplify your own. And vice versa.”

“But I physically felt you.”

“What did you feel, pintura?”

Was he screwing with her? “I felt…your tongue.”

“Where?”

He was definitely screwing with her. Her breath hitched as he did it again. “How are you doing that?”

“I’m not sure I know what you’re asking.”

Another wave of pleasure and her lips parted. He was going to knock her out of the chair if he kept going. Another lick. Her eyes rolled back and she shivered.

“Okay, okay!” The sensation abated but not before he gave her clit a little mental flick. She exhaled jaggedly, trying to compose herself. “That’s a neat trick.”

“It is.”

She suddenly felt like she was getting hustled. He was playing it super cool, like he had an ace up his sleeve. But now she wanted the sex, so she couldn’t tell him no. “Fine, we can have sex, but no biting.”

The side of his mouth kicked up and a full grin took over his face. She had the slightest instinct she’d just been swindled and signed off on something more than simple intercourse. “I’ll refrain unless you make a request.”

“I’m pretty sure I can contain myself.” Sex was one thing. But biting…no thanks. “And just to be clear, this isn’t some archaic husbandly right to my body. I own this body. Me. And if I change my mind, all bets are off.”

“You won’t change your mind.”

God, when he looked at her like that… It wasn’t fair for a man to be so beautiful. His dark lashes, full lips, and carved cheekbones, women would kill for such features, and he somehow pulled them off with chiseled masculinity.

It was getting warm. She prepared to shift closer to the window but paused when her body cooled. “Did you just lower my core temperature?”

“No, you did.”

“I did?” She hadn’t meant to.

“Just as our hearts know how to beat and our lungs know how to breathe without our brains sending a command, your body will know how to regulate such things. It’s your turn, pintura. What do you want from me?”

He’d gotten her all hot and bothered with the sex talk—clearly a distraction tactic meant to throw her off her game. She needed to get her head out of the gutter and focus.

Her brain quickly prioritized her desires in terms of probability. If she asked to leave the farm, he’d say no. They already circled that ride a hundred times. She needed to start smaller. “I want to leave the house whenever I wish.”

“No.”

“What do you mean, no? You didn’t even think about it. And I just gave you sex!”

“You haven’t given me anything, yet. Regardless, you’re a mated female and a new transition. You need an escort.”

“You mean a chaperone.”

“If you want to call it that.”

She rolled her eyes. “Fine. You escort me, but I control my own schedule. I’m a people person. I can’t stay cooped up in this house all the time.”

“I can accommodate your request within reason. But you must stay on the farm.”

“A bigger birdcage,” she muttered. “Fine. Whatever. Agreed.”

“And you will not speak to other males outside of my presence.”

“That sounds like another condition.”

“Trust that I’m self-aware enough to know my limits, Delilah. You don’t want to trigger my possessive side.”

“I’m pretty sure I’ve seen—”

“You’ve seen nothing compared to what I might do if I suspected another male of trying to take you from me. Trust me. Some beasts are best left to hibernate as long as possible.”

“How evolved of you.”

“In many things I’m reserved. Where you’re concerned, let’s just say I’ll stop at nothing to protect what’s mine.”

She expected him to fill her mind with another wave of images that showed how far he would go, but he did the opposite, putting up a wall between them, censoring sides of himself he did not wish her to see. And that made her more nervous. “You can’t hurt anyone, Christian.”