Page 107 of Taming the Beasts

Emma

Callum’s gaze turned dark as he lowered his lips to my neck.

My heart was beating out of control. Which only made his eyes turn blacker.

“Callum.” My voice was barely a whisper. “I think you need the handcuffs.”

He didn’t listen as his lips brushed against my neck.

“Callum. The handcuffs.”

“Baby.” His teeth gently grazed my flesh. “Do you really think I waited ten years for just a little taste? I want all of it.”

I knew he wasn’t himself right now. He didn’t know what he was saying. “The handcuffs,” I said more firmly and tried to reach for them.

But he put his hand around my throat to stop me. “You’re done restraining me from what I want most.”

I tried to scream, but he tightened his grip and bit into my neck hard.

“Baby.” He shook me. “Emma? What’s wrong?”

“You’re hurting me,” I choked. But I knew he didn’t care. He wanted me to hurt. He wanted all of me.

He shook me harder. “Emma. Wake up.”

I sat up with a start. I reached up and wiped the sheen of sweat off my forehead. It was just a dream. Anightmare. I knew it, yet I was still having trouble catching my breath.

Callum had a tortured look on his face. But it wasn’t because he was devouring my blood. He was sitting there calmly, staring at me. “Did you have a bad dream?” he asked.

“It was nothing.” My fingers touched the side of my neck. There was a bruise there from the other day. And I’d wanted it. I’d asked for it.

Callum lowered his eyebrows. “It wasn’t nothing. Tell me.”

I’d never been scared of him. Well, not since I first found out he was a vampire. I trusted him. He’d never hurt me. “It was just a stupid dream.”

“About?”

“Nothing.”

“Emma. Tell me.”

“It was stupid. I dreamed that you were...losing control. And I couldn’t get you to put on your handcuffs.” I stared at them hanging off one of the four posts of his bed.

“I’d never hurt you.”

Purposefully.I shook the thought away. “I know. It was just a silly dream.”

“It’s not silly.” He sighed. “Lying here while you’re sleeping...my thoughts sometimes do wander.”

“To...me?”

“For so long my thirst was all I thought about. It’s a bad habit. To look at you sleeping and think how easy it would be to satisfy that thirst.”

I just stared at him.

“But I’d never hurt you,” he said again, more firmly this time. “I think watching you sleep has helped memore than I realized. You usually look so peaceful. So pristine and pure. I’d never want to take such beauty out of the world. Watching you grounds me.”

Watching me sleep also tempted him though. “I didn’t realize you sat there all night with a battle raging in your head.”