“If you get lightheaded, you will need to push me away,” Darius said seriously, his gaze rooted to mine. He did not move toward me again. “I am having a hard time regaining control. I feel like a brand-new vampire. I am not to be trusted.”

That didn’t sound good. Good thing my logic was still on hiatus.

“Question: do the chemicals in your saliva keep getting more intense, or do they diminish? Or stay constant? I can’t remember with the other—” A flash of rage crossed his features. I didn’t finish the sentence.

“I should be able to control it to give you whatever you desire. The chemicals, as you call them, are to counteract the pain of the bite. For tonight, however…I’m not sure I have control.”

“Fair enough. And your warning is noted. Do you need more blood?”

Hunger like I had never seen before flashed through his eyes. He straightened up and moved in slowly, wrapping a big arm around my waist and jerking me tightly against his big frame. His lips crashed down onto mine, spiraling my desire to new heights.

I ripped at his shirt like a wild thing, popping buttons and tearing it off him. The feel of his bumpy muscle made me moan, smooth and warm and man. I felt his hands under my shirt as his tongue continued to play with mine.

Desperate, crazed, I yanked at his belt. His thumbs hooked in the waistline of my yoga pants. Soft fabric slid down my thighs and pooled at my ankles. A moment later, I was in his arms. He yanked the covers of the bed back and gently laid me on the bed.

Finally getting a clear path to the goods, I worked his belt and pants again, getting them out of the way.

The pinch of his bite was unexpected. The rush of glorious bliss was not. I moaned, spreading myself for him. His fingers danced, so fast it felt like a vibrator, hitting exactly where I needed him, in multiple places, all at the same time. I had no idea how he did it, because that other vampire certainly hadn’t, but I didn’t really care, as long as he kept going.

The world dropped away. All I could feel was his touch and the deep draw of his bite. I soaked in the sensations, tightening up around the pleasure. Feeling it pound within me.

“Don’t stop,” I said with harried breathlessness, meaning both his artfully working hand and the pulling on my vein. “Please don’t stop.”

I rocked into him while clutching at my hair. Loud moans vibrated through my throat. Everything in me contracted. Another wave of his erotic serum surged into me, and a force of pleasure so intense I nearly blacked out pulled me under. My body shook, my teeth chattered, and my entire being fractured. I didn’t know which end was up. If he was still sucking or not. Maybe he was killing me; I didn’t know. All I knew was that the mother of all orgasms had swept me out to a place where there was no gravity. Where nothing existed besides this unbelievable, soul-clenching bliss pounding through every inch of my body.

“Would you—”

“Shhh.” I waved him away. “Give me a minute.”

I shuddered with an aftershock. I knew there was more to come, and we’d get to that, but first I needed a little me time.

A moment later, I opened my eyes to Darius poised above me, his strong arms flexing as he held himself up. A delicious little smile tweaked those shapely, kissable lips. “I was right about your passion, ma cherie. It is all-consuming.”

He lowered and softly kissed my lips, igniting the fire again. Igniting the pull to feel his skin against mine. How had I ever thought I’d be able to resist his temptation?

“I cannot take more blood,” he whispered. “Even though I crave it, you’ll need strength for tomorrow.”

“Okay.” I pulled the back of his neck, making him drop down over me. His delicious body pushed mine into the mattress. I slid my thighs up his sides, giving him access. Wanting him with every fiber of my being.

“I can’t spread diseases or impregna—”

“I know,” I said. “I’m not supposed to tell you how I know, though, remember?”

A feral growl issued from his throat and he thrust. I cried out with the dull ache of his size, but he immediately rose up so he could slip his hand down between us and massage me while working his way in deeper.

The pain tapered off, and a glorious sensation unfurled inside me. Small balls of fire rose from the candles, hovering in the air around us like fairy lights. The tone had changed between us, now rougher, more intense. His fingers entwined with mine, and he lifted our hands above my head as he dropped down low again, trapping me to the mattress. Dominating me with his size and strength.

Claiming me.

I knew it from his actions. From his frenzied, primal movements, intent on imparting a mark on me that I would never forget.

Strangely, without my meaning to, the fire started dancing within the room, my unspoken accent. I cried out, squeezing him tightly with my thighs. At his mercy. The feelings so right.

A shock wave of pure ecstasy pumped through me. I blasted apart and called out his name. The real mother of all orgasms shook me to the core. He shuddered above me, groaning, and wave after delicious wave of pleasure rolled over me.

In the aftermath, all of the tension seeped out of my muscles. I turned into a puddle of satisfied Reagan on the bed. His hands still held mine, but he didn’t collapse over me like a human man might’ve done. Instead, he feathered me with soft kisses as I basked in the sensations.

“Are you ready for more?” he asked softly into my ear, starting to move again, painfully slowly.

“You’ve got to be kidding me.”

But he wasn’t. And we started again.

I could only hope that when this was over, I wasn’t completely lost to him.

Chapter Twenty-Four

A vibrating phone clattering against a hard surface woke me. My phone that I’d left in my suite.

I peeled an eye open. The blurry red numbers on the clock showed five something. It was still very much light outside.

The heat of Darius’s nude body was curled around me within the covers of his bed. His strong arms pulled me close, even in sleep, like I was the precious teddy bear of a sleeping child.

Good job on only giving him blood, Reagan. Way to stay strong.

I sighed within his warmth, realizing to my horror that I was perfectly content. My body fit just right, cuddled within his. It was a bad sign.

I blinked a few times to clear my vision, but I was still tired as hell. The guy had kept me up until all hours of the day. We hadn’t done much resting, either, and I had sore junk to show for it.

Speaking of sore junk.

I shifted and winced, feeling the not-quite-comfortable ache in my lady bits. But wow, the guy had prowess. He should’ve, because of his age and situation, but still. Legendary. A little unbelievable, actually.

So that wouldn’t be so easy to forget, unfortunately. Crap, I was an idiot.

The phone clattered again. Someone was clearly trying to get hold of me. And being that I was supposed to be working, and not fornicating with overprotective elder vampires, I pushed his arm away and crawled out from under it. He groaned and shifted, snuggling deeper into the pillow.

My smile at his humanlike antics turned brittle. My heart was fluttering. Actual, honest-to-goodness fluttering. This wasn’t good. A heart didn’t belong anywhere near this situation.

I about-faced and made for the door between our suites. It was time to get myself back under control. Thankfully, logic had returned, and I knew without a doubt that I could never go down this road again. Darius would be good on blood until we got out of here, and then he could go back to using very pretty humans who fawned all over him, and maybe I could date a human who wouldn’t try to manipulate me. Or at least wouldn’t succeed at manipulating me if he did try.

A pang of regret hit my heart. Damn it!

Back in my room, I snatched up my phone, shivering now that I was separated from the warmth of his body. I didn’t recognize the number of the two missed calls. After slipping on a white, fluffy robe provided by this fine establishment, I listened to the new message.

Tiredness fled.

I shrugged out of the robe and hurried to don my leather.

Ouch. I gingerly buttoned up my pants, not comfortable in such thick, unforgiving material. Sure, the material was worn in, and therefore softer, but loose sweats would probably be more my speed after my night with Darius.