Page 101 of Taste of Blood

His eyes spark, the green deepening to something that looks like hope, but I don’t want to do that to him.

Not yet.

Not till I’m sure.

As if reading my mind, he smiles and brushes the damp hair back from my face. “I don’t want anything you’re not ready to give.”

“I’ll be honest. I don’t know what that is just yet.”

“Then we’ll take it slow. As long as I have you in my life, I can wait.”

32: Asher

WE SLEEP CURLED together as thunder rumbles outside. I can’t remember the last time I was this content. I roll over and watch Cord sleep, his face relaxed and free from the worry that usually mars his expression. He truly is a beautiful man. Before I can stop myself, I reach up and brush the hair back from his eyes.

“Are you stalking me in my sleep?” he murmurs.

“Can you blame me?”

He opens his eyes and offers the merest hint of a true smile. It’s so rare I want to bottle it, keep it close to my heart to pull out whenever I need a shot of hope.

“What are you doing today?” I ask him.

He rolls onto his back and sighs. “Not sure. There’s no new leads so unless Dante comes up with something else for me to do, I actually have the day to myself.”

“Well…you could always sleep in.”

He smirks at me. “I could, but someone already woke me.”

I reach over and walk my fingers across his chest. “If you were tired enough, that would put you back to sleep.”

“Did you have something in mind to tire me?”

I roll his nipple between my fingers. “I could think of a couple of things.”

“If I didn’t know better, I’d swear you were trying to seduce me.”

“Is it working?”

He grabs my wrist and flips me over, straddling my body, his hair falling around my face like a curtain, his lips grazing mine. I lean forward, completing the connection, my tongue snaking out to taste his while my hands slide up to his firm biceps, pulling him closer.

He presses his lips to mine as a moan escapes his mouth, igniting a fire inside me, and all of a sudden I’m wide awake andhungry.

I bite his lip, sucking it into my mouth. Devouring it. Feasting on him.

The kiss becomes something charged and untamed, a gnashing of teeth and exchange of blood, and just when it seems we’ll tear each other up, we pull apart, breathless and wild-eyed.

“Where did that come from?” he pants.

“Guess we were both a little hungry.”

“I think I need more.”

He slides his body down over mine, his mouth closing around my nipple, licking circles around it. Sucking it into his mouth and nibbling on the nub until it’s swollen and throbbing before moving on to the opposite one.

Just when I think I can’t take any more, he releases it, his mouth trailing kisses across my abdomen, and then I feel his bite.

Marking me.