Page 18 of The Bond That Burns (Bloodwing Academy #2)

It was feeding time.

I made my way to Blake’s room. I really didn’t want to look at his face again that day. But I had no choice. We had a deal and tonight was our scheduled “feeding session.”

But this evening I also had plans to head to the library. So I’d decided the sooner the better. I figured he wouldn’t mind moving things up if it meant he got his blood meal a little earlier.

Now I stood in front of his door and raised my hand to knock.

But as soon as my knuckles brushed the surface of the wood, the door creaked open slightly. The latch must not have caught all the way when he’d closed it.

I hesitated. Blake didn’t make mistakes. He’d probably stepped out and hadn’t bothered to close the door behind him properly because he knew he’d be back in a moment. And who would dare go into the House Leader’s room without permission?

The smart thing for me to do would have been to go sit in the common room and wait. Or leave. Definitely leave.

Instead, I pushed the door open slowly and stepped inside.

The room was dark except for a single lamp burning on a wide oak desk in one corner.

Blake’s scent was everywhere, infusing the room. Both musky and masculine, light and fresh. I caught sight of a green apple on his bedside table and rolled my eyes. Maybe he rubbed them all over his body before he left for class every day. Whatever his secret, the smell wasn’t exactly off-putting. Rather the opposite.

The room was neat, almost surprisingly so. Most boys’ rooms I’d been in were a disgusting mess. But Blake’s four-poster bed had been made perfectly, neater than mine, the deep crimson duvet cover smooth and unwrinkled. His papers and books were in orderly stacks on the desk over in the corner.

The only sign of disarray was a white linen shirt and pair of black trousers that had been tossed carelessly over the back of an armchair.

That should have been my first hint.

“Blake?” I called softly. No answer.

I knew I should leave. This was his personal space and I doubted he’d take kindly to finding me there.

Then I heard it. The faint sound of running water.

The bathroom.

Blake hadn’t stepped out. He was taking a bath.

Common sense screamed at me to turn around and leave. But my traitorous feet carried me straight toward the sound.

I approached the bathroom door slowly. It was cracked just enough for me to peek inside if I wanted to.

Before I could stop myself, I’d leaned forward.

And there he was. In all his glory.

Blake sat on the edge of a massive, tiled tub, his back against the wall. His head was tilted upwards just a little, giving him a swaggering, roguish appearance.

My mouth went dry. He must have just stepped out of the bath. The fluffy white towel he’d used to partially dry himself lay discarded on the floor.

His pale gold hair was wet and damp against his forehead, curling a little at the ends. Droplets of water still clung to his skin, catching the light and turning his torso into a living canvas of ivory and ink.

I couldn’t take my eyes off him. Every line of his body was precisely crafted, maddening in its perfection. The faint sheen of water on his skin made him seem like some wild creature, caught in a vulnerable moment. His usually sharp features were unguarded in a way I’d rarely seen them. The tension that always bristled beneath his skin was temporarily gone.

Slowly my eyes dipped lower, fastening on the trail of light blond hair that led down his ribs and stomach and formed a slight triangle at hip-level.

My heart thudded in my chest. If he caught me... I couldn’t even imagine what he’d say if he knew I’d seen him like this.

I started to turn, my face burning.

Blake sighed. I froze. Then, slowly, I turned back.

He’d slipped a hand down his body and lazily curled it around his cock. His eyes were closed.

Oh, shit.

I couldn’t look away.

He was long and hard. Bigger than I’d imagined. And yes, I’d imagined. I’d been with boys before but Blake put them all to shame.

Were all highblood men like this? Or was he a special case?

My throat was tight as I watched as his hand wrap around himself. Slowly he started to stroke his cock up and down, almost absent-mindedly.

The scene was incredibly intimate and I was very much an intruder. A wave of shame washed over me. But I was so turned on I could hardly move.

I felt trapped. Knowing I should run, knowing I should look away, but knowing I might never get another chance like this—to see this side of Blake again.

I watched his hand slip up and down his cock, the motion practiced, experienced. I wondered who he was thinking about.

Was it Regan? Or that girl, Camilla? Had they...? No, I didn’t want to think about it. Not now.

My eyes were glued to the sight of his hand riding his cock harder and faster. There was something incredibly erotic about watching him touch himself. I couldn’t take it anymore. With only a split-second’s hesitation, I slipped a hand inside my pants.

I closed my eyes, biting my lip. I was as wet as I’d known I’d be. My underwear was soaked through, my thighs damp.

I hadn’t thought I’d missed that highblood asshole. But now, seeing him there, buck naked, pleasuring himself like that. It was too much to bear.

My eyes still on Blake, I slid my fingers over my clit and the contact was incredible. I let out a moan.

My eyes popped open. Shit. Had I moaned aloud or just in my head?

It didn’t matter. Blake was still going at it. He hadn’t noticed me.

My hand stilled, I stood frozen in indecision. This was dangerous. I could run out of his room while I had the chance, or I could watch him finish bringing himself to completion while I kept doing what I was doing. One of those things was a hell of a lot more tempting than the other.

I rubbed my clit again and bit my lip. Watching him touch himself was amazing. But it wasn’t enough. I wanted more. My body felt tight. Pent up and tense with longing.

Was he close? Was he going to come before I could?

I took a deep breath and sank a finger inside myself, imagining it was Blake’s, remembering that horrible, wonderful, terrible night in the Sanctum when his hands had been all over my body, inside of me, filling me, taking me.

What would he do if he found me now? Would he punish me?

Part of me almost wanted him to.

Blake let out a groan and my eyes popped back open, watching his hand skim over the head of his cock. He was close. I could tell. His beautiful lips were half-parted in a pant.

“Fuck, Pendragon,” he groaned, his voice low and rough as he stroked himself faster. “Yes... fuck.”

Well, fuck me.

I was so shocked to hear my name on his lips that it was almost enough to bring me over the edge myself—but not quite. And then I’d lost my chance. Blake’s seed was spilling over the top of his hand, milky and white. He let out a low groan of frustration, as if jerking off still hadn’t been enough to satisfy him.

Now was the time to get the hell out of here. I took a step backwards and the floor creaked.

I stood perfectly still.

A moment passed, then another. Blake hadn’t rushed over with his vampire speed, so I figured I was all right. He was probably toweling off. Maybe he’d take another bath.

I’d go back to my room, finish what I’d started, and wait for our usual meeting time. When he showed up, I’d act like nothing had happened. It wasn’t as if he could read my mind.

I turned towards the door.

“Like what you see?”

Blake stood in front of me. Somehow he’d managed to get past me, moving from the bathroom to stand in front of the door leading out into the hall before I could even see him.

Fuck his vampire speed. Had he gotten even faster over the summer?

I bit my lip. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I just got here. I was going to ask if...”

“Bullshit,” he said, his voice clipped. “You’ve been here a while.” He grinned lecherously. “I can smell you from here, Pendragon.”

He looked down at my hand and I hastily shoved it behind my back.

“No idea what you’re talking about,” I lied breezily. “I’ll be going now.”

“Take your clothes off,” he commanded.

I froze. “What?”

“I said take your clothes off,” he repeated. “All of them. I want a show, Pendragon. Just like you got.”

“Are you insane? I’m not going to do that,” I said, my face heating. I was still all too aware of the wetness between my thighs... and of the fact that he was still stark naked and apparently completely comfortable that way. He’d cleaned himself off but hadn’t even wrapped a towel around his hips.

Then, before I could even process what was happening, the air shifted.

I gasped as I found myself picked up by the waist in an iron grip. The next thing I knew I was landing unceremoniously on his bed on my back. The impact knocked the breath out of me.

Before I could scramble to my feet, Blake pounced on top of me, crouching over me like some wild animal. Damp hair clung to his temples. Water still glistened on his chest. His black tattoos rippled over taut muscles as he shifted, putting a hand on either side of my head and leaning down over me. He snarled and his fangs came into view.

“What the fuck are you doing?” I demanded, my heart pounding against my ribs.

“Fair is fair,” he repeated. “So, what? You thought you’d just let yourself in?” He slowly smirked. “Trying to change the terms of our arrangement, are we? Well, if you wanted me naked, all you had to do was ask. I’m not shy.”

I had to admit, the man had absolutely nothing to be shy about.

“I wanted us to meet earlier, you idiot,” I snapped. “I didn’t come here... looking for that.”

“But you didn’t leave either,” he pointed out. “Why didn’t you?”

I flushed. Just how long had he really been aware of me? From the moment I entered? From the time the moan slipped past my lips? I suddenly thought of something. Had he been jerking off because he’d known I was there watching? The bastard. I wouldn’t put it past him.

“So what are we going to do to make this even, Pendragon?”

He shifted slightly and I couldn’t help myself. I glanced down at his cock. He was hard again.

I closed my eyes. I shouldn’t have been turned on by that. But dammit if I wasn’t. Knowing he was hard for me made the wetness between my legs only increase. I hoped he couldn’t smell it.

And this whole predatory cat thing he was doing was strangely working.

But I had to get out of here. This couldn’t go any further.

“You shouldn’t have left your door open,” I shot back. “It was careless. Anyone could have come in.”

“Maybe I wanted them to. Did you ever think of that? Maybe I was waiting for someone.” He looked down at me, his gray eyes burning with an intensity that made it impossible to look away.

I made myself think of all the girls who had probably been laying just where I was now. But it didn’t work. It just made things worse.

“I think you need to let me up,” I said, my voice as firm as I could make it.

“And I think,” he murmured, his voice a low, suggestive purr. “You owe me a little peek.”

“I don’t owe you anything,” I snapped, raising my hands and shoving at his chest. “You’re being ridiculous.”

He didn’t budge.

“What’s ridiculous, little dragon, is that you think you can walk into my space and walk out again without any consequences.”

“What kind of consequences?”

His smirk vanished, replaced by something darker. “I think you’re about to find out,” he said softly.

Without warning, his hand was in my pants, slipping between my thighs.

The touch of his fingers against my pussy was everything I’d been denying I wanted. I couldn’t help it. I moaned, a low sound of frustration and pent up desire.

Blake groaned. “You’re so wet for me, little dragon. Let’s get you out of these clothes.”

“It’s not for you,” I lied between gritted teeth. “Not everything is about you . Now let me up, Blake.”

He met my eyes. “Let’s make a deal. All you have to do is scream once and I’ll let you go.”

His hand started to move inside me. He slipped a second finger in alongside the first, but it wasn’t enough. I wanted more. His thumb slipped over my clit, gently rubbing back and forth. I gasped.

Notably, I didn’t scream.

“What are you doing?” I managed to say.

“Exactly what you’re too chickenshit to say you want,” he said, lowering his head to my ear. “I told you what to do if you wanted me to let you go. I’m all about mutual satisfaction, Pendragon. And right now, it looks like you could use some satisfaction. Tell me I’m wrong.”

But the problem was, I couldn’t.

His hand moved against me again and I couldn’t help myself. I lifted my hips to give him better access, biting my lip to contain another moan.

“I take it you’re staying. Then all this,” he said, gesturing with his other hand. “Has to go.”

Before I could even formulate an answer, his hands moved. Fast . My shirt was ripped down the front, torn down the middle. My pants suddenly slid from my hips. Underwear and boots vanished, too.

A split second later and I was as naked as Blake was.

He straddled me. I couldn’t take my eyes off him. Maybe his arousal should have been off-putting. But all I could think about was how close his cock was to where I really wanted it.

He was looking back at me, his face a mix of shock and pure hunger. “By the Bloodmaiden, Pendragon. I thought I knew what you looked like before, but this...” His voice trailed off, his dark eyes raking over me with an intensity that made my stomach tighten. “So this is what you’ve been hiding.”

Instantly, I felt my cheeks redden. He was laughing at me. The bastard was fucking laughing. I opened my mouth to say something angry, but he beat me to the punch.

“Magnificent. Utterly magnificent.” And it was his tone of voice that caught me off guard this time. Reverent. No, worshipful.

His eyes moved over my breasts, my hips, the downy red curls between my thighs and I felt every inch of my body heating up with desire.

“This can’t happen,” I whispered, the words almost a plea.

His face hardened. “Oh, it’s happening.”

And so help me, I couldn’t muster the willpower to disagree.