Page 73 of The Primal of Blood and Bone (Blood and Ash #6)

Her lips curved into a wide smile, and the sight of that shook me in the same instant it ignited a fire within.

I closed my eyes, needing a moment to maintain my control—or to find it—as I felt her fingers coasting down my chest and over the taut muscles of my stomach.

The featherlight touch danced lower, stopping just short.

I tasted something mildly sweet, like milk and honey, and my eyes opened in realization.

My heart…fuck, it felt like it doubled in size.

Somewhat mystified and utterly charmed by the boldness she displayed one moment and her shyness the next, I lowered my head and kissed her. “My sweet, shy Queen,” I murmured. “Touch me,” I ordered—or begged. Likely the latter.

She obeyed, wrapping her fingers around the base of my cock as best she could. The contact frayed my every nerve ending.

“Stroke me,” I whispered against her swollen lips.

Poppy drew her hand up my length, causing the muscles along my spine to tense. I groaned, dragging my nose over the curve of her jaw to breathe in her heady scent.

“Don’t stop.” I kissed the underside of her chin as I skimmed my hand over her shoulder.

Her arm moved between us as I palmed one perfect, full breast. I dragged my thumb over the hardened tip, kissing my way down her neck. Her breaths quickened as my mouth replaced my thumb, and I drew her nipple into my mouth.

Poppy’s grip on my cock tightened as she arched, a soft moan escaping her lips. The sound sent a jolt of electricity through my body. With a grin, I grazed my fangs over her sensitive flesh and was rewarded with a sharp cry.

“Harder,” I instructed as I moved to her other breast. Didn’t want that one getting lonely.

Poppy moved her hand with confidence, squeezing and sliding as I flicked my tongue over her rosy bud. This time, I nicked her flesh, though not enough to pierce her skin. I couldn’t risk that. One drop, and my fangs and cock would be buried deep within her.

Poppy cried out again, her body trembling as she parted her legs. Her scent was everywhere, and the taste of her skin, the sound of her pleasure, was both too much and not enough.

Aydun’s words about rejecting the heartmate bond echoed through me, eliciting a near-animalistic need within me as I lifted myself. “Poppy,” I growled, my cock achingly hard. “I need you. Now.”

Her lashes fluttered up, and her eyes met mine. The colors swirled. “I’m yours,” she breathed.

“Always?”

“Forever.”

Catching the wrist between our bodies, I pinned her arm to the bed and moved between her thighs. Her moan was lost in my shout as I sank into her.

Godsdamn. Nothing, absolutely nothing, felt as good as she did. As perfect.

I held myself still as she lifted her legs and wrapped them around me.

“Gods,” I breathed, blindly finding her mouth with mine.

Kissing her deeply, I flicked my tongue over her fang. With a breathy moan, her pussy clamped down on my cock.

Based on how tightly she wrapped those curvy legs around my hips, she really liked that. A lot. I did it again and chuckled when I felt delicate spasms.

“My gods,” she moaned. “You’re going to drive me mad.”

“That’s okay.” I moved against her. “I’m already there.”

Poppy’s arms went around me. I wanted to take it slower this time. Taste every inch of her, but I couldn’t slow myself down. Her nails scored the flesh of my back as I ground against her, loving the rush of wet desire coating my cock.

“Fuck,” I grunted, rearing back and watching my length slide out of her until only the head was still nestled between the pink folds and wisps of red. I lifted my gaze from where we were joined and let it travel over the soft, concave dip of her stomach to the valley between her breasts.

Fuck.

I could almost weep at the sight of the faint scar left behind by the bolt that had nearly stolen her from me. I hadn’t liked seeing it before. But now? I cherished that fucking scar because a patch of smooth, shiny skin marked by the memory of draken blood hadn’t replaced it.

My gaze roamed over the swells of her breasts. They heaved with her fast breaths, and the tight nipples glistened from my earlier kisses. I dragged my tongue over my lower lip and decided I needed to make time for that. I started to lower my head.

“Cas.”

Halting, I flicked my gaze up. She parted her lips enough for the tips of her fangs to show. The pink in her cheeks was such a damn beautiful thing to see.

“I want…” Poppy’s dusky lashes fluttered as the flush traveling across her cheeks deepened. “I want you to…fuck me.”

Stiffening, I groaned. And almost came right there.

It was rare for words like that to slip from her tongue, so there was no hesitation on my part.

“Your wish is my command, my Queen.” Gripping her legs, I broke her hold on me and pulled out.

Poppy whimpered. “How is that—?”

“Patience, my Queen.” I grasped her hip.

“But—”

I rolled her onto her belly, and the sharp rise of her scent screamed her pleasure with the change in position.

My Queen liked it from behind.

Her hips rose as I ran my palms over her sweetly rounded ass. I didn’t think she was even aware of how she presented it to me. My cock twitched as I parted her flesh just enough to hear her gasp. I promised myself then that I would have her ass.

Just not tonight.

“Get on your knees,” I ordered.

Poppy obeyed with a shudder.

I ran my hand up her back as I watched her ass. “Spread your legs.”

She shifted them apart, giving me a glimpse of her slick thighs and slit.

“Beautiful.” Wrapping my hand around her braid, I guided my cock, already slick with her arousal, to her entrance and then grasped her hip. “What did you want me to do, my Queen?”

Her voice was quiet, barely above a whisper, but there was no hesitation this time. “Fuck me, Cas.”

I slammed into her.

Poppy cried out as she took me deeper than before.

I held myself still as I tightened my grip on her braid and forced her to raise until only her fingertips reached the bed. I slid my arm around her waist, bracing her. “How do you want it?”

Her pussy spasmed as I withdrew, inch by inch.

A growl escaped my throat. “Soft?” I leaned forward, dragging a moan from her. “Or hard?”

I watched her throat move as she lifted her hands from the bed and clasped my arm. “Hard.”

I thrust deep into her and didn’t stop. The sound of our skin meeting filled the chamber as I pounded into her, watching her breasts bounce with the thrusts.

Pulling her back until she was flush against me, I ground into her. “Your pussy is paradise.”

She moaned. “Oh, gods.”

“You like it like this.” I nipped at her earlobe. “Don’t you?”

“Yes.” She turned her head, her mouth seeking mine.

As always, I gave her what she wanted until I felt the first deep ripples within her.

“I…I love the way you feel inside me,” she whispered.

I smiled against her cheek. “I know.”

Poppy laughed. “So arrogant.”

Giving her braid a teasing jerk, I drove her down until her chest touched the bed. Then I fucked her, driving into her relentlessly as I held her in place.

The first wave of her release took me over the edge. I came with a shout, spilling into her as she spasmed around me, milking my cock as my gaze fixed on the bluish-green veins of her throat.

Hunger twisted my gut. My jaw throbbed, and before I knew it, my arms were tightening around her, and my mouth was inches from her neck.

My lips brushed the skin there. Poppy shivered against me, either unconsciously or purposely tilting her head, exposing herself more to me. The throbbing increased.

I couldn’t feed from her. Not right now. I knew that, but her blood called to me.

All those years of restraint and self-control meant nothing in her presence. Never did. But I couldn’t. Drinking from her now would weaken her, possibly even send her back into stasis. Even knowing that, my lips peeled back.

What was I doing?

Fuck.

Pulling my head back, my eyes slammed shut as the need to sink my fangs into her vein burned through me.

The knowledge that feeding from her so soon would weaken her should’ve pushed the need down, but as fucked up as it was, it still took a couple of moments for me to do it.

Breathing raggedly, I forced myself to move so I didn’t have my full weight on her, then kept my arm around her waist and rolled us both onto our sides. Working my leg between hers, I pulled her flush against my chest.

I kissed her damp shoulder as I listened to her fast breaths. “You okay?”

“I don’t think I can move.” Poppy cleared her throat. “But other than that? Perfect.”

“Good.”

My arms tightened around her as she relaxed into me and we lay there, letting our bodies cool and our hearts slow.

My eyelids felt heavy, begging me to let them lower. Fuck, I was tired. But I had a feeling if I caved to the need to sleep, it would be a good day before my eyes opened again, and I couldn’t let that happen.

“Talk to me,” I said.

She was quiet for a moment, her confusion adding a tartness to the thickness of her concern. “About?”

“Anything,” I said, and then she wiggled that ass of hers. I groaned again.

She stilled, then looked over her shoulder with a raised brow.

My eyes narrowed on her. “You’re not talking.”

She settled back against me. Seconds ticked by. My eyelids were starting to feel like they carried the weight of iron, and my thoughts were getting a little hazy—

“I saw Vikter,” Poppy announced.

My eyes snapped open in surprise. Damn, if that didn’t clear away the remnants of my blade-sharp hunger. Using my arm around her waist, I rolled her so she was on her back. “Come again?”

“I saw him at Mount Lotho,” she elaborated, turning her head toward me.

“Really?” Damn. “How is he?”

“Good,” she said as I tasted her bittersweet emotions. “He was just like he was before. Nothing about him was different. I think he lives there.”

“With the Fates ?”