Page 108 of This Blood That Breaks Us

Her head tilted to the side as She observed me. I wondered what She was looking for on my face. An answer to a question I didn’t know.

“Yes, Love.”

Slowly, I pulled at the edge of Her gown, lowering the sleeve so I could kiss Her shoulder and bring Her to me.

There were no words that could describe the feeling that pulsed through my veins when my lips grazed Her skin, but that feeling only left me hungrier and hungrier. I moved up Her neck, over Her chest, and to Her jaw. A soft sigh left Her lips. The room swirled and pulsed in a vivid gush of ecstasy, and every taste of Her was like forbidden fruit that made my stomach sour with need. Vicious, snarling need to take Her and bleed Her dry.

I slid the other sleeve of Her gown down to kiss there too. The night was young. There were so many ways I could make it last and prolong the vibrant euphoria running in my veins.

“Are you trying to undress me?” Her lips held a mischievous smile, and I kissed the corner of Her pale mouth.

“If you’ll allow me to.”

She invited me with Her lips on mine, and Her nails dug into my scalp as Her tongue entered my mouth. She tasted like ice-cold water on the hottest summer day.

I pulled Her gown to the floor, revealing two sheer pieces of white underwear that left every inch of Her pale skin on display.

With the room tilting, I laid Her over the bed. She watched in silent amusement. Like She was waiting to see how far I’d go and prove how much I wanted Her. Her hands rested above Her, and She let me spread Her legs. I kissed my way up Her thigh to Her throat.

“Do you want me, My Love?”

“You’re the only thing I’ve ever truly wanted.” I wasn’t surprised by my words. It felt true.

“Show me how much. Show me your devotion.”

“Anything for you.”

I kissed Her neck and pressed my lower half into Her.

Her absence jolted me as I was pulled backward and off the bed. The movement was so swift I had to cling to whoever was keeping me from falling to the floor. It took me a moment to steady myself while the room spun vigorously.

“He’ll be unhappy when it wears off tomorrow. You know that. He’ll blame you and he’ll blame me. Not to mention his brother will have a lot to say, I’m sure,” Ezra said.

“I won’t. Please let me stay.”

“We can’t risk Ascension,” he said.

Her starlight irises swirled like a whirlpool, and Her skin glistened like evening stars. What did he mean by that? Why was he doing this to me? Denying me the one thing that made sense.

She watched me like She might protest, with desire burning in those eyes for me.

“Another time, Love.” She nodded to Ezra, and he spun me so fast I grabbed on to his coat to keep from falling to the floor.

The world was shaking so much I couldn’t think about anything else for a moment.

“Are you angry with me?” Ezra asked as we walked.

He was holding me up much more than I thought I needed. Whatever was in the wine came in waves, because the walls were zigzagging into an infinite pattern that reached to the ceiling, and the floor vibrated my shoes like it had its own heartbeat.

“Yeah, a little.”

I thought of Her, the permanent ache of not being there with Her, and how if he hadn’t stopped me, I could be there with Her in Her bed.

“Maybe a lot.”

He said nothing else as we walked.

“Don’t let me drink the wine again.”