Page 43 of The Curse of Eternity (Descendants of Helsing #1)

Drake’s attention slowly rose, drinking in every detail from the curve of my hips to the swell of my breasts.

A breath shuddered from my lungs as I reached closer, my fingers trembling with anticipation as I unbuttoned his shirt.

Callused palms traced up the shape of my legs, and my eyes nearly fluttered shut when his knuckles skirted my inner thigh.

Dark eyes met mine, his pupils blown until barely any dark brown remained.

My breath seized when I managed the final button, and the rain-drenched fabric parted to reveal the hard lines of his abdomen.

No wonder he’d been so heavy to carry at the Cneaz’s manor, the man was all muscle. Not to mention covered in scars.

Grooves of toughened tissue were scattered across his chest and stomach, with more lines disappearing beneath the fabric at his shoulders.

One of them must have been responsible for his death, but how many wounds had he been forced to heal without stitches when he was still alive?

My ogling was cut short when his lips touched mine, and I redirected my focus to pushing his shirt free from his broad shoulders.

Before I could start on the button of his jeans, Drake shifted us. My back touched the floor, and I gasped as the cold seeped through the thin material separating my flesh from the stone. Except I quickly warmed as his kisses drifted from my mouth to the curve of my jaw.

Following down my throat to my collarbone as his forefinger and thumb teased my nipple.

I arched closer, running my fingers through the silken strands of his hair while the path his lips took trailed lower.

He’d reached my navel by the time my mind caught up with his actions, and I took his face between my hands to raise his gaze.

“There’s no time,” I rasped, desperately wishing that wasn’t the case. We only had until morning light, and then reality would crash down around us. If this was it for us, then I wanted all of him, for as long as this could last.

Seeming to understand, Drake nodded, repositioning himself over me while I reached low between us.

The button and zipper of his jeans were quick work between my fingers, but my hands stilled when his mouth encircled my nipple.

Fervor surged to my core, and I bit my lip on a murmured moan as my eyes closed.

Blindly, I shoved the waistline of his jeans lower. Then I grasped him—

Holy shit.

My lips parted as I stroked his hard length from tip to base, and Drake groaned a soft sound against my breast. Warmth hit my face tenfold.

Was it going to fit? It had better fucking fit.

I startled, inhaling a gasp when Drake suddenly hiked my thigh up, opening me fully, and my eyes flew open.

Raven-dark eyes bore into mine, but Drake’s expression softened as the barest smile quirked up the corner of his full lips.

“You are incredibly beautiful,” he whispered, so close that his breath touched my lips.

My voice quavered with a heady sigh as I said, “You’re not so bad, yourself.”

A full smile graced his striking features while firelight flickered shadows across his face.

Then he kissed me, his mouth moving tenderly over mine as a shiver caressed my spine.

Bracing myself, I let my legs relax as I lined us up.

Rough denim brushed my inner thigh, but the fact that his jeans were still mostly on became trivial as he slid inside me.

My next breath caught in my throat as my eyes squeezed shut tighter.

Heat swelled where my center stretched, throbbing with need while my toes curled.

On instinct, I held him closer, my hands drifting over the scars across his back.

Soft lips grazed my jawline, and his groan was exhaled across my cheekbone.

His palm flatted over my hip, fingers gripping hard. I yelped when he hauled me closer, deepening his thrust until our bodies were flush. At my unintentional squeak, Drake stilled.

“Are you alright?” he murmured, and I nodded.

“Keep going,” I urged, biting my lip when he obliged.

A moan escaped me in a sigh when my body relaxed around him.

Another chill climbed my spine, and the spasm of his bloodlust reverberated below my navel.

My back arched as a thrill spiked through me with his relentless pace, steadily increasing alongside the pitch of my strangled voice.

The touch of his lips over my neck sent me over the edge when a wave of his bloodlust echoed the satisfaction that swelled to a fever pitch at my core.

Molten bliss washed over me, and I clutched him closer.

Every ridge of muscle across his shoulders was hot to the touch, warmed from the fireside and our continued proximity.

I exhaled a breathy moan as the aftershocks faded one heartbeat at a time.

After wanting him for longer than I’d dared to admit to myself, being with him was better than anything I could’ve imagined.

The way he moved against me, filling me so completely as his body trembled under the sweep of my tracing fingertips while pleasure coiled low at my core.

A tremor shivered up my spine as Drake suddenly slowed, and I blinked fast to bring the dilapidated ceiling back into focus.

His arm had wound around my back when I’d arched, and his hand at my shoulder blade tightened. My chest rose and fell in succession while his forehead pressed against the crook of my neck.

I swallowed, and it took an extra second to find my voice. “Y-You okay?”

He inhaled a breath to answer, and another shiver shook my spine as his head rose.

“You smell divine,” he confessed, and his throat bobbed on a swallow as his attention drifted to my neck.

“And unfortunately, I cannot stop thinking about how you taste.” Lust for my blood shone heavily behind his unwavering gaze, and my heart hammered in spite of the self-deprecating smile that hid the extent of his desire.

Except I could feel it, in every uncontrollable chill that racked my spine. Suddenly, the intoxication of his bite was all I could think about.

“Bite me,” I blurted, my voice clear.

“Maria—” Hesitation smothered his tone, but beneath his concern for me, there was hunger . Need threaded the cadence of his unnecessary inhale, the act of breathing me in clearly tempting him further. “I should not weaken you.”

His lack of conviction made me smirk.

“I’ll be fine, as long as you don’t take as much this time.

” I fidgeted beneath him, and pride prickled inside my heart when his eyes briefly fluttered closed.

“Besides, it’ll get your strength up, and—” It improved our chance of surviving what came next.

That truth hung in the infinitesimal space between us, but neither of us acknowledged it.

“You are sure?” His gaze held mine, and I nodded once.

I wouldn’t waste a moment of our limited time on regretting what could’ve been. “Yes.”

Warmed fingertips threaded through my hair, his trim nails scraping my scalp as he tugged my head aside.

A delectable chill climbed my spine as his canines grazed my throat.

Adrenaline pulsed through my bloodstream when his lips touched my skin, bestowing one more kiss before his sharp canines pierced my flesh.

My whole body jolted as the puncture deepened, but the effects of his venom soon soothed the sting, saturating my bloodstream even as he sucked.

Airy elation suffused my mind, and I rasped a moan as his pace resumed.

His answering groan vibrated along my throat, and his fingers tightened around my loose curls.

Ecstasy spasmed through my middle, and my head kicked back as I bucked into his following thrusts.

A tremor of satisfied bloodlust shivered up my spine, echoing the sensation of my release, and I whimpered on a moan.

I cried out when his canines slipped free from my torn flesh, but my shriek was hushed by his mouth covering mine.

Iron laced the sweet taste of his venom, coating my tongue with a single stroke of his as rivulets of blood trickled from my neck.

Drake’s palm flattened over the mark he’d made, his thumb pressing into the base of my throat.

Our mouths moved in sync while his rigid chest and stomach pressed into my softer counterparts.

Maybe it was the venom’s effects, clouding my thoughts with a surge of dizzying confidence, but I managed to get one foot under me, using the leverage to roll us over.

Faster than anticipated, Drake grasped my hips, hard enough to bruise as he secured me on top of him.

Our kiss broke as I rose, biting my lip when the shift in our position deepened his next thrust. Blood dripped from the quickly healing puncture wound at my throat, and Drake sat up beneath me in a blur.

The tip of his tongue caught the drop at my collarbone, and my head tipped back as his strong fingers massaged up my aching spine.

Then his mouth closed over my nipple, rolling the sensitive flesh between his teeth.

I steadied myself against his shoulders while I rode him, and his low moan tickled the swell of my breast.

My breath caught as his thumb slid up my inner thigh, quickly finding my center.

Heat swelled beneath the gentle swirl of his insistent touch, and exquisite satisfaction unspooled.

My legs shook while I clung to him for support, barely able to keep myself upright.

The bridge of his nose brushed my jaw, and then his mouth was close to my ear.

“Maria—” He exhaled a groan as my hips rocked, chasing another kind of delirium as the analgesic effects of his venom wore off. “If you do not slow down—”

“Don’t stop,” I begged, falling into him as he reclined until his back hit the floor.

The low tenor of his accented voice warmed my ears, and my eyes slammed shut.

Gratification coursed through me with every powerful jolt of his cock driving into me from beneath.

Then his hands seized my hips, and swiftly lifted me off of him.

I yelped at the sudden withdrawal, nearly toppling off his lap, but Drake caught me.

A wince of pleasure flashed across his features as he sat up, and I reached down on instinct to grasp him.

His low moan ached with relief while I stroked him, catching every jerk that pulsed hot and wet between my hands.

Blissful fulfillment stole over his expression for several long, captivating moments before his posture relaxed, and my hand stilled.

The fast breath I inhaled stuck in my lungs when his raven-dark eyes opened, and immediately locked onto mine.

Silence surrounded us for one long moment, broken only by the crackling of flames, while we stared at each other in the aftermath of surrendering to our desperate desires.

Then his hand rose, his fingers damp from my sweat as he brushed a stray curl from my face.

I leaned my cheek into his touch, my eyes closing as his thumb swept over my jaw only to catch my lower lip.

Mirth tugged up the corners of my mouth, and I gave into the grin as a chuckle rumbled from Drake’s chest. Vibrant emotion warmed my insides as I cradled my hands in my lap, and then frowned. How the hell was I going to clean up?

“Ah, my apologies,” he said, releasing me from his touch only to tear another sheaf from the fabric beneath us. My lips pressed together, trying and failing to hide my smile while he wiped my hands.

“Don’t be sorry.” I shrugged. “You more than made up for it.” My smirk strengthened when Drake closed his eyes, like he was trying to keep from rolling them.

“While I appreciate the reassurance, I was referring to my lack of preparation for any form of contraception.” Amusement quirked up the corner of his lips as he tossed the rag into the fire beside us, and then pulled me closer.

His firm hold reignited a quiver in my stomach as his arm wound around my back, and I closed my eyes.

The backs of my knees rested over his thighs as my torso pressed against his, warm where our bodies touched. I reached across my stomach to take his hand in mine, entwining our fingers until they fit perfectly.

“Maybe next time,” I whispered. Hope for our future battled the uncertainty stabbing into my heart, throbbing like the ache settling between my sore legs.

Drake was silent while his fingertips tenderly caressed up and down my thigh.

Melancholy hung over us like a cloud, and I huffed to clear the intrusive thoughts.

“Honestly, I can‘t go a day with you without getting my hands dirty.”

My attempt at lightening the mood succeeded because Drake laughed, the easy sound brightening the fragile emotions swelling in my heart. Peace settled behind his dark eyes, gazing into mine.

“I am most grateful for you, Maria,” he said, barely above a breath. “Never forget that.” Desperation saturated his tone, imploring for more. Like what he really meant was ‘Never forget me.’

My throat constricted, and I nodded.

“I never will,” I promised.

Acceptance and gratitude softened his features a moment before he held me closer, clutching to me like he never wanted to let me go.

Exhaling a shallow breath, I tilted my head against his.

My attention flickered over his shoulder, to where the glow of first light illuminated the outline of the door to the outside world.

Suddenly, I didn’t want to face the day ahead.