He wanted them connected completely; she felt a thousand miles away.

Chapter 43

There could be only one reason for her hesitation. "Big steps," he said in a toneless voice. Again and again he'd surrendered his exquisite prize.

Not tonight.

"I mean, maybe we could just . . ."

She can't even say the words. She knows better than to say them!

"Can we just make love?" she said in a rush.

His weakened arms began to shake, forcing him to sink down on his forearms. "You've lost me, Bett. What big step were you musing about?"

Looking anywhere but at his face, she said, "Um, bite play."

"Pardon?"

"Losing my . . . virginity is, well, a big step for me. And maybe we could save your first bite for later. I'm not saying never, just not everything at once."

Relief soughed through him. "Bite play, is it?" Even in the midst of his body's craven need . . . even though he was wounded . . . he had to stifle a grin, not wanting to embarrass her.

"Maybe we could experiment with those kinds of things later?"

My virgin Bride is naked beneath me, talking about experimenting. How will I last?

"I want you to make love to me." Her cheeks and throat flushed with blood, tempting him to take a nip. But he wouldn't have, even before she'd voiced her concerns. "I-I really want you to. But I just need to take other things slowly."

Now that he understood what she was talking about, he could recognize the new tension in her body, the blunted desire. She wasn't nervous-she was afraid.

"Look at me, love." When she did, he said, "I can't drink from you anyway." What I do tonight affects us eternally.

"You can't?"

"I have to keep control to make this good for you, perfect for you." He wanted to make love to her till dawn, to give her memories to last an immortal's lifetime-and to coax more of her affections. Capitalize on her passion . . .

If it proved perfect, she would fall for him. He had to believe that. "Remember when I told you how often I've envisioned this? I never once considered biting you during your first time."

"You don't think about it?"

A humorless laugh. "Ah, Bettina, it's a fevered fantasy of mine. And it will remain so for now." Because perfect would be hard won tonight.

Already his injuries would hamper him. With both his c**k and fangs deep in her body, he'd probably come in an instant, and he feared that once he emptied himself inside her, he'd weaken even more.

She cast him a brilliant smile. "Then you do understand?" He could feel her relaxing beneath him. "My human friends told me that there'd be pain-and they'd only been with mortal males."

"I'll do everything I can to spare you hurt," he said, drawing back to sit up. "Come." When he held out his hand, she rose up on her knees and climbed over to him, her sweet br**sts quivering.

Pulling her sideways across his lap, he leaned back against the headboard, hissing in a breath from the pain in his wounded neck-and from the pleasure of her bottom gliding over his engorged shaft.

Once he had his arms around her, he brought his forehead against hers. "I'm going to touch you inside, make you ready for me." He cupped a possessive hand between her legs, massaging her there.

Eyes languid, she nodded. So trusting. So innocent.

With teasing caresses, he rubbed the pad of his forefinger over her clitoris. When he felt the little bud swell, he dipped his finger to her opening, just inside her core, stirring her. "Do you like that?" Her first time to be penetrated . . .

"Yes!"

"Deeper?"

In answer, she eased her thighs open for more.

He began sliding his finger farther inside, stunned by the snug heat that gloved it. She was already slick-but so tight. His c**k jerked beneath her. Like me, it's hungry for the virgin flesh I'm exploring.

When his finger moved deep inside her, she gasped. "Oh! That feels . . . good." Her lids were growing heavy, her breaths shallow. Her irises sparkled.

"Another finger?" he grated.

She bit her lip and nodded.

He gingerly wedged a second one inside her, then delved the pair into her glistening sheath. With his thumb, he rubbed her clitoris until her head lolled.

Once he began slowly thrusting, she arched her back over his arm, jutting her br**sts, beckoning his mouth. Had her little ni**les ever been so stiff? He nuzzled them, licked at them, then latched on to one, suckling the peak hard.

She worked her hips, brazenly meeting each thrust. Her ass grinding over his aching shaft nearly robbed him of his seed.

No! Must make this perfect. My Bride, my prize.

Once he'd taken her to the very edge, when she was whispering, "Please, please, please," he slipped his fingers from her. Laying her back down, he knelt between her spread legs.

No silk to bar my way.

She reached for him with outstretched arms. Her lashes lowered over her glittering eyes as her soft palms swept across his chest. The utter hunger in her gaze rocked him, humbled him, made him want to roar with satisfaction.

With a shaking hand, he tilted his length down-

Slick heat greeted the crown; when his shaft pulsed in reaction, the tip grazed up and down her cleft, as if stroking it, kissing it.

Where I would kill to be . . . The instinct to thrust was nigh undeniable. Cock throbbing for that kiss of wetness, he just prevented his hips from slamming home. Want inside!