Page 34 of Wicked Chains (Serpentine Academy #2)

I push myself off the bed and stand at the end of it, taking in the magnificent sight before me.

Rose, spread-eagled and naked, her hands restrained with my tie above her head.

My eyes devour every bit of her, from her bruised lips down to her firm breasts and soft belly, then the cleft at her center with its dark pink bud, all swollen and wet, peeking out.

I unfasten my trousers, letting them fall to the floor along with my undergarments. Her eyes widen as she takes in the sight of me, fully aroused and ready. I am not a modest man, centuries have cured me of such human vanities, but the hunger in her eyes as she looks at me makes me smile.

"You're beautiful," she says.

I return to the bed, positioning myself between her spread thighs.

I press against her entrance, feeling her heat against my hardness, but I do not enter her yet.

Instead, I lean down to capture her mouth in a brutal kiss, swallowing her moans of frustration as she tries to push up to take me inside of her.

"Patience, Rose."

Rose pulls against her restraints, hips writhing as she seeks what I'm deliberately withholding. "You're torturing me."

I rock against her, sliding myself through her wetness without entering. The sensation is agony, even for me. "I've waited a long time for this moment."

"I don't want patience. I've waited long enough."

I press her hips back down with one hand, my strength easily overcoming her efforts. "I decide when you've waited enough." She's so wet for me, so ready.

"Please," she whispers, her voice breaking. "Lucien, please." The sound of my name on her lips, spoken with such need, is my downfall.

I push forward, entering her with one slow, intentional thrust. She lets out a sound from her throat as I sheath myself fully, my head lowering once again as I take a nipple into my mouth and suck, then release it with a pop.

Her legs come up to hook around my back, encouraging me to go deeper.

Her body surrounds me, hot and tight, and for a moment I cannot move, cannot breathe, can only experience the sensation of being inside her.

I increase my pace, my hips pounding against hers with enough force to make the bed frame creak.

Her legs tighten around my waist, heels digging in, and I am mesmerized by the way her breasts bounce with each impact, how her head falls back against the pillows.

I am enthralled by every detail of her surrender.

"Mine," I growl, the word tearing from my throat unbidden.

Her eyes fly open, locking with mine. "Yes," she breathes, and the simple admission almost breaks me, but I hold on, wanting to extract every bit of pleasure I can from her.

I reach between us, finding her clit with my thumb, watching her face as pleasure overtakes her again. Her inner walls clench around me, milking me, drawing me deeper.

"Come for me again, little one," I command.

She does, spectacularly, her entire body jerking beneath mine as she cries out my name. The sound of it, the feel of her contracting around me, the scent of her arousal mixed with the taste of her blood, brings me to my own climax.

I spill myself inside her with a growl that echoes off the walls, my release so intense it borders on violence.

My fangs extend fully as I come, and I have to grip the headboard to keep from biting her again, from marking her throat while she's helpless beneath me.

I remain buried inside her, unwilling to see this end.

Her pulse hammers against my chest where we're pressed together, and I can feel the aftershocks of her climax still rippling through her body.

The scent of our coupling fills the air.

I reach up immediately, working the knot free to release her wrists, pulling us both so that we are on our sides, facing each other, staring at each other without saying a word.

I gather her close to me. "Stay," I whisper, adjusting my hold on her so we're both more comfortable, my cock still buried deep inside her.

The desire to remain connected to her this way is overwhelming, possessive in a way I haven't felt before.

"Let me stay inside you while you rest."

Rose's eyes widen slightly, but I feel her body relax against mine, accepting me. Her inner muscles flutter around my length, sending sparks of pleasure through my body.

"Is this a vampire thing?" she asks, voice soft with satisfaction. Her fingers loop lightly on my chest, and I wonder if she can feel how her touch affects me.

"No," I admit. "This is a Rose thing." I brush a strand of hair from her face. "I want to feel you around me for as long as possible."

She smiles, and there's something almost shy in it, so at odds with the fierce witch who disrupts everything she touches. I catch her hand, bringing it to my lips to press a kiss to her palm.

"Rest now," I murmur against her skin. "I'll keep you safe."

Her eyes flutter closed, and within minutes her breathing evens out into the rhythm of sleep.

I remain awake, reveling in the feel of her warmth surrounding me.

The snow continues to fall outside, and for the first time in a very long time I feel something close to contentment.

I am not foolish enough to think it will last, but for this moment it is enough.