He should have known better.
Ah, hell. Maybe he did know better and had to do it anyway.
The drum of her heartbeat pulsated against his mouth. Tegan followed it, moving up Elise's throat until his mouth hovered at the tender patch of skin beneath her ear. She whimpered as he hesitated there, his tongue licking along the line of her artery.
His fangs throbbed in time with her pulse, every Breed instinct in him rising to the temptation that lay just a breath away from completion.
Elise's hands came up around his head. Tegan...Oh, God...do it.
He nipped at her, just a small test of her mettle. In answer, she impaled herself deeper on his cock, grinding against him as another orgasm shuddered through her.
It was too much for him to bear.
Tegan held her head to the side in one hand and lowered his mouth to her neck. His fangs sank in easily, sharp points penetrating her tender skin like a warm knife through butter. She cried out as he took the first long pull from her vein. Her body arched catlike in his arms, then eased into a languid calm as he began to drink.
And oh, God, she was sweet. His mouth filled with a sudden rush of her blood, the heather- and-roses scent of it saturating his senses. He was greedy for it, could not recall ever knowing anything as exquisite as the taste of Elise on his tongue, the vibrant essence of her blood coursing into his body, lighting him from within.
With each quenching, binding swallow from her vein, Tegan's hunger for her rose. The lust he'd known for Elise before was just a pale hint of the desire he knew now.
Possession rolled over him like a storm. He roared with need for this woman--his woman now, irreversibly.
Irrevocably.
He pushed her down beneath him and let the awakened beast in him have its head.
Elise could only hold on to Tegan as he covered her with his body and drove her toward another shattering orgasm. She reveled in the feel of his long fangs penetrating deeply into her neck, in the hard suction of his mouth as he drew her blood down his throat and completed their bond.
There was nothing gentle about him now. His unbreakable self-control had snapped, and she had never known anything quite so arousing as Tegan gripped in the wildness that had overcome him the moment he took his first taste of her blood.
He spun her out on an endless wave of pleasure, making love to her until they were both sated and panting, lying boneless in each other's arms. When it was over, he ran his tongue over the punctures he'd given her, sealing the wound with a tender lover's kiss. Are you all right? he asked her, smoothing his fingers through her hair.
Mm-hmm. Elise nodded, groggy but enlivened at the same time. I'm very all right.
She'd never been better, in fact. Although it hadn't escaped her notice that when she told Tegan she loved him, he hadn't returned the sentiment. A little late to be worrying about that, perhaps, but now that the worst of her hungers had been dealt with, reality was edging in again to spoil things.
I haven't said those words in a very long time, Elise. I didn't think I ever would again.
Don't do that. She sat up and drew out of his reach, embarrassed that he'd invaded her emotions with his touch. And don't feel that you have to say anything kind because of what just happened here.
I don't feel that I have to say anything.
Good. Please don't. I don't think I could stand your charity right now.
He reached out and took her hand in his. If I tell you that it pissed me off to see you kissing Reichen, and that I never want to see you kissing any other male ever again, it's not because I feel I have to tell you that.
Elise stared at him, hardly daring to breathe. His amber-tinged eyes were intense as he held her gaze, his pupils still thinned from desire. When he spoke, his voice was rough, the tips of his fangs gleaming.
I don't feel I have to be kind because of what we just did here, so that's not why I'm telling you that you are unlike any woman I've ever met before. I wasn't prepared for you, Elise. Holy hell...not even close.
She glanced down to where their hands were linked together, his strong fingers firm and protective, always so gentle with her even though they were trained for war and combat.
It wouldn't be charitable of me at all to tell you that I hope you never want another male as much as you want me. He exhaled a wry laugh. Do I love you? Yeah, God help you, but I do.
Tegan, she whispered, bringing her hand up to rest against his cheek. The bite she'd given him was already healing over, his skin knitting together. She touched the red mark tenderly, then looked up into his eyes. Kiss me again.
His mouth quirked at the corner as he pulled her into his arms. They had barely gotten started before a low buzzing sound drew Tegan's head up with a groan.
What is it? she asked as he vaulted out of the bed and grabbed his cell phone from his discarded pants.