He didn't; he took her clitoris between his lips. And gently sucked.

"Ah!" Lost again.

Rippling waves inundated her. Helplessly, she surrendered to them . . . just let them come and come. . . .

Once her second release subsided, he finally began kissing up her body, rasping something in Dacian, something that sounded like a promise-or a threat. She didn't recognize the words, but she recognized the So help me . . . tone.

"Soon, Bett." She thought he grated, "As deep and hard as you need me."

Panting, she lay with her legs spread and-for blissful moments-not a care in the world. Again she felt like she was floating, yet tethered.

Gradually she came to her senses, keen to please him as well. He'd drawn back on his haunches, staring at her sex with such a fierce hunger that she almost became fearful.

With each second, he looked even more agonized. His body radiated waves of tension. "Ah, female"-he swallowed hard, his Adam's apple bobbing-"I can see where I would kill to be."

His comment made her want to snap her knees shut, but something told her she didn't dare.

More harsh words in Dacian followed. He repeated, "A mea."

Mine?

"Vampire?" Her gaze trailed lower. His engorged shaft pulsed against his pants, the material straining.

"If you knew . . . the thoughts running through my mind right now."

Gathering her courage, she eased up on her knees and laid one palm against his face. Such a slight touch, but he quaked from it. "Daciano, I want to reciprocate."

He choked out, "Then we're . . . in accord."

Maybe it truly wouldn't matter that she was sexually untutored. Maybe he could still enjoy her clumsy kisses. She reached for his shirt; he tore it away.

"You know I've never done this," she said distractedly, her attention fixed on the glorious muscles of his chest. I really need to sketch him.

"Dragă, you don't have to . . ." He trailed off when she reached for his pants.

"But I figure I'll make up for my lack of experience with enthusiasm."

Another groan. "If you're enthusiastic about this, I won't last long to enjoy it."

Enthusiasm did matter. She grinned up at him.

He gazed at her lips, exhaling a gust of breath. "Do you know how many times I've come while imagining those lips of yours around my shaft?"

Her brows drew together. "But you've only been blooded for a few days."

"Then you must have blooded the living hell out of me because I'm hard for you constantly. Releasing the pressure has been the only thing keeping me in check with you."

"Really?" This powerful warrior pleasured himself to fantasies of her? Bettina, the femme fatale? The idea melted away any hesitation.

She had nothing to fear from this vampire, and it might be his last night on earth. She wouldn't hold anything back. "I've imagined it too."

"I know. You wondered if I would shudder and groan if you put your mouth on me." With his vampire speed, he discarded his pants in a blur, then returned to kneel in front of her.

Between hoarse breaths, he grated, "Allow me . . . to appease your curiosity."

When Trehan knelt before her again, Bettina didn't immediately gaze at his rampant shaft as he'd expected.

She rose up on her knees in front of him, tilting her head as she took in his face, his chest, his twitching stomach muscles, then finally his cock-as if she wanted to savor her perusal.

Her interest in his body was palpable-and so fucking erotic. At first, she'd surveyed him with an analytical eye. But now her lids went heavy, her breaths shallowing. Those sparkling pinpoints glimmered from her eyes.

A soft moan escaped her, and her hands shot out to his chest as if magnetized. When she feathered her fingertips over his muscles, he hissed in a breath. "You touch me like you do your golds. I watched you in your workshop and wanted you to handle me with such attention."

"You're so much harder than gold," she said, voice gone throaty from her unbridled cries. "You're as hard as these marble columns." She squeezed his tensed muscles, then rubbed her palms down his torso. "That night in your tent, I only got to feel you for so brief a time, when I wanted to explore you like this for days."

You will. Somehow I'll make it so you get that chance-

She took him in hand; his hips bucked, his knees jerking wider.

"It really is unlike anything I've ever felt."

"It aches for you." He curled his finger under her chin, catching her gaze. "Forever only for you. Do you understand me? There will be no other."

When her lips parted, both emotion and arousal surged inside him. Half of him wanted to take her in his arms and crush her against him; half of him wanted to fit his shaft between those carnal lips.

Her halting touches grew bolder, a silky stroke here, an inquisitive heft there. "Is this like you imagined?"

He bit out, "Better than. Impossibly better."

She rubbed her thumb across the crown. When pre-semen welled to her touch, she unconsciously wetted her lips. His eyes locked on her mouth. She's ready. . . .

"Vampire, maybe you should lie"-

He traced from her grip, reclining on his back.

-"down," she finished with a gasp.

He tugged her hand back to his shaft, coaxing her to kneel between his legs. She did, eagerly.

"How should I begin?"

He reached out, grasping her nape, drawing her closer. "Kiss anything you want."

She tilted her head again, as if debating where to start. Leaning in, she pressed her lips to his neck, then his chest, grazing them over one nipple. She licked the other one.

Never knew I was so sensitive. His hips began to move of their own accord.

As she dipped a kiss lower on his torso, her wild braids trailed over his skin like teasing fingertips. Don't press her head down . . . don't press her head . . .

When she nuzzled the hair near his navel, his cock surged for her mouth. So close to those sweet lips of hers.

She grasped the base of his shaft. She aimed it at her mouth. He waited . . . didn't breathe. . . .

With a tentative lick, she daubed her tongue at the crown. She must have liked his taste; a purring sound of approval fanned from her lips, warm breath tickling across the head.

Enthusiasm? He was doomed.

Then she . . . lapped at the slit for more.

"Ah, Bett!"

A swirling lick around the tip followed, rendering him dizzy with lust. Doomed.

"How am I doing?"

His cock was under her thrall. She had more control over it than he did. With shaking hands, he piled her braids on top of her head, grating, "If only you were this good with gold." Had his accent ever been so thick?

She gazed up at him with a hint of a grin. "There's a different dimension to this, so to speak," she said, just before she closed her lips over him-and sucked.

"Zeii mea!"

That tight seal of her lips slid down his length; his eyes rolled back in his head.

With her fingers splayed around the base of his shaft, she worked her mouth up and down. Taking him deeper each time, she experimented with her clever tongue.

Any lingering inhibition burned away as she got caught up in the act, growing aroused once more.

Her intoxicating scent frenzied him. "Bett, straddle my leg!"

She didn't ask why, only complied-but her eyes went wide when he moved his leg between her own.

His hand snaked down her back to cup her generous bottom. Palming it, he pressed her against his thigh in a rocking motion.

"Oh!"

He shared her surprise. She was even wetter than before, her flesh dampening his skin. "Does that feel good, dulcea?" Another rock.

"Yes," she moaned. As she resumed her kiss, she squeezed her thighs together and rocked all on her own, her ass moving like a dream beneath his shaking palm.

Only moments remained for him. He struggled to draw them out, withholding his seed from her. But her scent, her mouth, and her tongue were soon to defeat him.

Her moans around his shaft grew louder; she was on the edge as well.

She pulled away to cry, "Again, vampire?"

He bit out, "Yes, my sweet. Again." When he flexed his thigh between hers, she continued her wicked kiss. Even as she moaned, she bathed his cockhead with her tongue, wrenching a groan from his chest. Then she took him between her lips once more.

She sucked; he rocked her. Sucking . . . rocking . . .

As seed climbed up his length, she ground against his leg, beginning to come . . . her throaty cries muffled by his shaft.

His throbbing cock. In his Bride's mouth. As she orgasmed.

Over.

He knew he was about to explode, knew the pressure would pump his spend up to his chin. Her first time-and she didn't like surprises. He had to stop her. Somehow he had to make her draw away.

With a will he hadn't known he possessed, he grasped her face and tugged, surrendering the wet heaven of her mouth.

"Wait! I liked that." The vampire had made her climax three times, and now he was stopping her before his own release?

"About to . . . come." He seemed out of his head. His skin gleamed with sweat. Whipcord tendons stood out on his torso.

"I kind of figured that out."

"Watch me this time, little Bride." Even though his expression was anguished, his eyes seemed . . . loving. "So you know what to expect the next."

She stroked his slick length, making him buck in her grip. "Are you sure?"

Between gnashed teeth, he said, "See what you've done to me."

Chapter 38

"Well, I had wanted to see this." Another groan from the vampire.

When she started rubbing his erection, he wrapped his hand around hers. Their gazes met, and together they worked his flesh.

Beneath her palm, she could feel his shaft pulsating, still growing though they squeezed it so hard.

Just when she perceived it beginning to pump, he bit out, "Watch me."

Eyes gone wide, she did.

The crown erupted with pearly seed, spurting, arcing over his torso. He threw back his head and bellowed, his body wracked with pleasure, muscles straining from it.

Beauty, form . . . function. The vampire yelled in his language, thrashing in their grip. She was awed, speechless as they wrung his semen free.

"It's for you," he groaned as his back bowed and his spend lashed up his chest. "Always for you."

After wiping his shirt over his torso, Trehan drew Bettina to him, tucking her body against his side. He pressed a kiss against her hair, satisfaction filling him.

Warm, sated Bride. Rain. Peace. Yes, he felt at peace when he held her.

Again, he asked himself, Why not this place? This could be his, she could be his. Together, he and Bettina would start a new house.

"I think you like it here," she said, reading his thoughts.

"Yours is a swamp plane with frequent precipitation. I come from a cold realm with zero rain. Still, I could be so content with you here."

"Truly?"

He lazily stroked her hair. "That's not saying much, I'm afraid. I could be content on a hell plane with you by my side."

He felt her smile against his chest. From his dreams of her, he knew that she'd once been quick to smile, a happy female who liked to laugh. But this tournament had disheartened her more than anyone could have guessed.

"Vampire, what else have you seen from my memories?"

He skimmed his thumb and forefinger along a glossy braid. "I saw that you fear taking the crown of this realm."

"Shouldn't I? I'm so different from everyone here-with no horns, no fangs, no strength. Sometimes I feel like an imposter."

"You are precisely what Abaddon needs. Your subjects are warlike and raucous. A levelheaded, compassionate queen is the only thing that will keep your realm out of constant conflict. Especially during an Accession."

"I never thought of it like that." Then her tone turned contemplative. "I'm not really compassionate. I think bad things should happen to evil people."

"If anyone is evil to you again, I guarantee they'll meet a bad end. And that's if you don't get to them first. I experienced what it was like when you use your power."

"You did? Which time?"

"When you took down two escaped ghouls. I can only imagine the pain you can inflict. Once you're the Queen of Hearts again, I'll pity your enemies."

"My ability didn't help me with the Vrekeners last time. Channeling it took a lot of concentration-which took time. My range was limited too."

Trehan remembered that she'd had to aim her hands directly at the ghouls to affect them.

"Bett, when I first held a sword, I was too young even to swing it. You grow into a skill-you practice with it. It will become second nature."

"And if I never get it back?"

"You will. Until then, I plan to help you steal another's."

She seemed startled by this.

"Did Morgana not propose the same to you?"

"Well, yes. But I could never make another Sorceri feel this way."

"In any case, my offer stands."

She seemed to muse over his words, then said, "You know so much about me. Won't you tell me something about your life?"

"What do you want to know?"

"What's Dacia like?"

"Strategically and mystically hidden. Very well defended."

"Um, can you describe what it looks like for me?"

Her question made his lips curl. My artist halfling needs details. "Before you, I noted sights only for tactical advantages. But again, I will try," he said, casting his mind back to the view from his balcony. "There's a constant mist. It wisps along the cobblestone streets. Vast caverns soar above all. Fountains run with blood. The buildings are ancient, carved from the very mountain. Our black stone castle lies empty in the center of Dacia, like a bloodless heart." A constant reminder of their failure to install a regent. Though not for much longer.

"Caverns? Does it smell like a cave?"

"No, it smells of cold and blood, which is pleasing to one like me."