Page 26

T he other night with Viktor was fucking amazing. Hands down, the best sex I’ve ever had. “Sorry, Roman,” I mutter to the ceiling after closing the cabinet door.

The kitchen is quiet. Only the soft chirping of the few remaining songbirds coming in through the open window.

Harvest season has descended upon the orchard.

Lily started kindergarten. And Viktor started tutoring at the community center a few nights a week.

Which means, somehow, we’ve barreled straight into mid-September, and we only have a month left with Viktor.

And after our passionate night together, I hope the next month will be filled with the same heated kisses and orgasmic touches .

Except… it’s been a week, and he hasn’t touched me. Maybe he really did only want one night.

Granted, we’ve all been adjusting to a new routine now that Lily is in school.

My eyes lift from the window, turning toward the family room to find Lily engrossed in her tablet. Her finger slides across the screen, probably playing one of the letter tracing games Viktor loaded onto it.

Since she’s occupied, I let my brain wander. Back to that night.

The night I was Viktor’s whore… and his good girl.

For a little while, I could turn off my brain and let the pleasure consume me. Let him consume me. No worries about my looming debt or making sure Lily is okay. I was simply a toy for Viktor to use.

And use, he did.

Wetness drips from my pussy, and I clench my thighs against the ache forming in my clit. I’ve never been degraded in my life, but the mix of praise amongst his dirty words had my skin buzzing.

Fuck, it’s still buzzing even days later.

I want more.

Sighing, I fill a large pot with water and set it on the stove to boil. Viktor’s lack of initiation surely means he’s done with me, right?

One night. No feelings.

That’s all he wanted, and I stupidly gave it to him, thinking that’s all I wanted, too .

Boy, was I wrong. My nipples pebble every time he enters the room, and the man has the ability to soak my poor panties with just one heated glance of his beautiful red eyes.

Lost in thought, I grip the handle of the pantry door and push it open. A hand snaps out, gripping my wrist and tugging me into the closet-sized room.

Before I can scream, another hand slaps across my mouth, muffling my squeaked protests.

“Shhh, sweetheart. It’s just me.” I melt at the deep rumble of my vampire’s rich voice.

My vampire?

Not yours, Mags. No feelings, remember?

“What are you doing? I thought you had a tutoring session tonight,” I hiss when Viktor removes his hand.

My back is plastered to the closed pantry door. Thick arms come up to cage me against the hard wood.

“Not until later.” Viktor dips his head, nestling his nose against where my pulse is beating at a frantic pace in my neck. His chest brushes against mine as he fills his lungs on a choked groan. “You smell so fucking good.”

This spot, where my neck and shoulder meet, seems to be a favorite of his. He showered the skin with attention during our heated night together. Does this mean he wants to bite me? Feed on me?

The thought alone has a needy exhale spilling from my lips and my already drenched panties soaking through with arousal.

“Fuck, you’re wet for me, aren’t you? I can smell your arousal. What were you thinking about in the kitchen, naughty girl?” His hot tongue follows his filthy words, and my skin scorches under the attention.

Gripping his trim waist in shaking hands, I tug his groin to my core. He’s hard. His thick, pierced cock strains against the front of his slacks.

My mouth watered at the sight of him the other night. Long and thick. So thick, in fact, I could barely wrap my hand around him.

Dark-blue veins ran up his shaft, visible through his pale skin.

Yes, even his beautiful cock is pale, like the rest of him.

But my favorite part is the ladder of piercings running up the underside. Five metallic crimson bars perfectly spaced along his cock. And a massive ring bisecting the tip.

I shiver, remembering the way each ridge stretched my pussy as he slid inside.

“You must be thinking about something really good. You’re soaking the front of my pants, and your scent is so thick, it’s practically choking me,” he murmurs against the burning skin of my neck.

And my cheeks heat to match. I’m probably as red as the freshly picked tomatoes on my kitchen counter. “Why haven’t you touched me again?” Internally, I cringe at the pathetic whine in my voice, but I’m too worked up. Too horny. It was never like this with Roman.

Not that the sex was bad or anything. But I wasn’t desperate, vibrating with the need to be fucked.

“We said one night—”

My fingers dig into the soft material of his shirt, the muscle underneath hard as granite. “I-I know, but I need you again. ”

Viktor’s nostrils flare against my neck, like he’s taking one more hit, before he pulls back.

“I can’t stop thinking about you. The sweet taste of your lips.

The way your body trembled with anticipation.

And the tight hug of your cunt every time I drove deep inside you. I need you again, too, Maggie.”

“Viktor.” I brace my hands on his chest, his heart beating just as fast as mine. “What are we doing?”

“I don’t know, sweetheart, but one night wasn’t enough. I need more of your moans. You’re so beautiful when you come. Let me see you come again.” Crimson eyes plead with mine, tugging on my heartstrings until I don’t know if I’ll be able to say no to him. “What if we keep our feelings separate?”

I swallow, trying and failing to resist the pull of his body as he cages me against the pantry door, fingers toying with the ends of my hair. Right now, I want him more than anything. “Like friends with benefits?”

Lips splitting wide, those sexy fangs are on full display when he smiles down at me. I still remember the pinpricks of pain as he scraped them against my neck the other night. I’d be a fucking fool to deny myself another experience like that.

The pleasure. The hint of pain. The perfect mixture to send me careening toward the best orgasm of my life.

With a wink, Viktor ends my little daydream and answers my question. “Yes. Exactly like that.”

“You won’t catch feelings?”

His gaze drops, focusing on a curl of my hair while he wraps it around his long, elegant finger. “I won’t catch feelings. ”

Silence fills the small pantry until it’s nearly suffocating. We’re both lying to ourselves if we think feelings won’t be involved in this arrangement.

But at this moment, I want to be selfish. Reckless.

For the first time since Roman died, I want to think only of myself and my needs.

I don’t want to be Maggie, the single mom or business owner.

I want to be Maggie, the woman who lets a vampire ravish her on a nightly basis once the rest of the world has gone to sleep.

I want to take every drop of pleasure Viktor is willing to give me, and I won’t apologize for that.

Gripping the back of Viktor’s neck, I pull his mouth to mine in a heated kiss. “Then you better make good on your words and take another taste.” Bracing my hands on his shoulders, I push until he drops to his knees in front of me, eyes glowing in the dim light of the pantry.

Cool hands coast up my legs under the hem of my sundress. “Fuck, country girl, what are you doing to me?”

Instead of answering, the air stalls in my lungs when his fingers curl around the sides of my panties. Viktor slides them over my hips and down my legs, stuffing them in his pocket. “For later,” he says, voice laced with a promise as he winks.

Then his hands are back on my skin, like an icy river cutting across my heated flesh. My back arches, and I shiver as he pushes the skirt of my dress up until my soaked core is exposed to him. “Do me a favor, sweetheart?”

“Anything,” I breathe .

Pushing the soft fabric into my hands, his eyes never leave my pussy. “Hold this for me so I can eat.” His chest rumbles with a growl, his tone commanding.

Oh my— Fuck. I adore the gentle Viktor, who’s so good with Lily. But I crave this hungry side of him. The monstrous side he hides from the rest of the world.

The growl deepens when he leans forward and buries his nose in my pussy. He sucks in a breath. “Fuck, I can’t resist you.” His words are hushed, almost too quiet for me to hear.

And maybe I wasn’t supposed to hear them because we said no feelings. But Viktor’s lust for me boosts my confidence, and I widen my stance, giving him better access to what he wants.

The heat of his mouth moves to my inner thigh as he hooks my leg over his shoulder, opening me wider for him.

I suck in a breath when something sharp pricks my inner thigh. Not breaking the skin, but testing the limits. His fangs.

“Viktor,” I moan.

He groans. “Do you have any idea how much I want to taste you, Maggie? You smell so sweet. So perfect. Fresh apples. Sunshine.”

“Do it.”

He shakes his head, rubbing his nose against my inner thigh, sucking in a breath. “Not yet. I want to take my time when I finally drink you down. I don’t want to be interrupted or rushed.”

Oh. Right. I almost forgot about Lily in the other room.

“No. Right now is about you. Making you feel pleasure.” His long fingers drift back to my pussy lips, and he spreads them wide for his view. Crimson eyes burn into my exposed skin, sending a trickle of arousal leaking from my core.

I whimper. “Please.”

“Are you going to be quiet?”

The first lap of his skilled tongue has my legs shaking.

“Yes, Viktor,” I squeak before biting my tongue against the moan crawling up my throat.

“Good girl.” Then he’s on me, tongue swirling against my needy clit, fingers teasing my entrance.

Clamping a hand over my mouth, I close my eyes and focus on the pleasure building at the base of my spine; the petals of my orgasm unfurling like a spring bloom. Each swipe of his tongue pushes me higher.

My fingers dig into my cheeks, and my lips curl around my teeth, trying to keep the moans of ecstasy from spilling free when he presses two fingers into my core.

I’m so wet; he’s met by almost no resistance when he pulls out and pushes three fingers back inside me. “Fuck, Maggie, you think you can take one more?” His eyes meet mine, one dark eyebrow raised.

I nod vigorously, rolling my hips to meet the curl of his hand.

“Are you going to stay quiet?”

Nodding again, the coppery tang of blood fills my mouth when I bite down on the inside of my cheek.

My consent spurs him on, adding a fourth finger into the mix, and I’m so full . So fucking full that my toes curl and my pussy flutters .

“Good girl. Now come for me, sweetheart.” Viktor curls those long, elegant fingers inside me over and over again, swiping my G-spot every time and driving me up to the stars.

When he suctions his lips around my clit and flicks it with his tongue, my eyes slam shut, and I detonate.

Flashes of color dance across the backs of my eyelids and my legs shake.

The fingers in the skirt of my dress curl tighter around the soft fabric.

And the hand over my mouth clamps down harder.

“Open your eyes, Maggie.” This time, Viktor’s voice comes from right in front of me. When did he stand up?

My eyes spring open, met by crimson orbs dancing with humor. One fang pinches his bottom lip, like he’s holding back a self-satisfied smirk. “You good? I think I lost you for a second.”

Lowering my hand from my mouth, my cheeks burn. “I-I’m good. Thank you.”

Leaning in, his lips brush mine as he growls, “Good, because next time, I want you screaming my name as loud as you can, country girl.”

As he pulls back, the smirk finally breaks free, lighting up his whole face. Reaching onto the shelf next to him, Viktor grabs a jar of pasta sauce and thrusts it into my hand.

I gulp, fingers wrapping around the glass jar. Next time. I can’t fucking wait.

“Momma! I need help!” Lily’s voice comes from the other side of the door. Shit! How long have we been in here?

“Duty calls,” I say lamely, clutching the pasta sauce to my chest and opening the pantry door.

Peering over my shoulder, my gaze catches on a pair of devilish red eyes peering through the cracked door. An equally devilish smirk stays on his lips, fangs on full display. Later , he mouths before slipping into the laundry room.

When I turn around, I find Lily on her stool, reaching for the cookie jar. “Do you need help, bug?”

“I’m hungry, Momma. Can I have a cookie?” She lays her best pout on me, but I’m no fool.

“Dinner first, then you can have a cookie. I’m making your favorite.”

“Spaghetti?” Her little mouth breaks into a wide smile, showcasing the gap from the tooth she lost a few days ago.

Heading to the stove, I find the water boiling, so I dump in the box of pasta before getting to work on the sauce. “It’ll be ready soon. Why don’t you go clean up your toys?”

Leaving me to my racing thoughts, Lily scampers out of the kitchen and into the family room. My eyes linger on her while I finish cooking.

Viktor and I said one night, but it’s like neither of us is able to put the lid back on the can of worms we opened. There’s an ache deep inside me that only his touch satiates. Could I really move on and be happy with Viktor?

After what he just did to me in the pantry, this doesn’t feel like just sex anymore. Not with the way my heart skips a beat when he comes through the front door every morning, or how much Lily laughs and smiles when he’s around.

He’s not only good for me, but he’s also good for her.

“It’s only temporary,” I mumble, turning to the sink to drain the pasta. His contract ends in a month. Plus, his father expects him to stay in the city and join the family business. You’ll probably never see him again. Enjoy it while you can, Mags.