Even as he tensed, nonetheless, Grace was giving a slight shake of her head, and without warning, she bent forward to scatter kisses over his chest, pausing at each nipple to flick her tongue over the beaded tip. James groaned, one hand burying in her satin hair in silent encouragement. Later, he would wonder why Grace had so abruptly gone from trying to deny the desire that constantly pulsed between them, but for now... Hell, for now, he could only enjoy.Trailing a devastating path down the center of his stomach, she tongued his belly button, making his cock twitch with a silent plea of mercy. James squeezed his eyes shut, torn between the need to flip her onto the bed and take her with a swift, glorious explosion of pleasure and the desire to allow Grace to continue her seductive torment.
"I want you inside me." Grace’s blood was molten in her veins, causing sweat to bead on her brow. "I need to be inside you, but not right now." His hands returned to her hair, his fingers pulling at the strands. "Must control the urge to bite you first.""Don’t control the urge." She leaned down and flicked her tongue against one of his fangs, quickly cutting the soft tissue. "Give in to it. I’m fine."James groaned as if in pain. "Delicious.""More?" The world suddenly spun. James threw her on her back and loomed over her."More," he slurred, his gaze locked on her hammering pulse. "No, can’t. Not yet, not yet," he repeated. "Dear… Grace.""Yes?" Why not yet? Maybe she was greedy. Maybe she was selfish. She wanted now, now, now. He chuckled, making a broken sound. "No. Baby. I could give you a baby. Do you want a baby?"Understanding dawned.Sadness and fear suddenly swamped her, dulling some of her desire. "I can’t have children." Would he think less of her? No longer want her? The w
James tucked Grace into his side while panting, perspiring, and feeling utterly satisfied. His veins were filled with her blood, which gushed through them like champagne, claiming every thought and rebuffing a bitter truth he wasn't yet prepared to confront. James wanted to close his eyes and take it all in, but he had some mental calculations to make first. She had wished to speak. Exactly what? After everything they had discussed, she wouldn't be able to push him away, so that wasn't going to happen. It was impossible to call what they just did "sex." It was more than that; both knew about it. Sex was an urge. Sex was something you could do with anyone. Sex could be consensual or forced, as he well knew. What they’d done was a mating. Primal, wild, necessary, and as essential as a beating heart. James would have died if he’d been denied access to her body. He’d simply had to be inside her. Nothing could have stopped him. Not attack, not death, not hell, not even her disappearanc
Grace didn’t hesitate. "I’ll help you."James did not want her involved in such a violent, dangerous plan, but he did not want her out of his sight either. "I need to find a way to keep you bound to me and to this land first. Should I write another book for you?" His magic was stronger now."If you do, we will be operating under the assumption that I’ll return, no matter what we do or try." "And perhaps such an assumption is what would send you back."Damn this! There had to be a way."I wonder what spell I used to bring you here. If I knew, I'd know if you'd leave after a certain amount of time or when I'm truly free.or if I bound you to the land forever. I remember so many things, but not that, not yet, and I cannot risk another spell. It might interfere with the first."She eased up, her hair tumbling over her bare shoulder, golden moonlight illuminating her."When I first read the book and realized it wasn’t a joke, I wondered how you could have known me when we’d never met.""And
Jame’s stomach dropped. "He cursed you, then. A blood curse," unbreakable—for the most part."That was years ago, and I thought he was just spouting off. Trying to make me feel guilty for his incarceration!""No. He gave his life force to the words, breathing them into existence, lending them his heartbeat. The curse waited for the perfect time to strike.""So I’m destined to only ever see you in spirit form? No matter what we do?" Grace laughed bitterly. "If that’s the case, no wonder you end up leaving me. I mean, we can’t even touch each other!""Grace—""James I don't know what is wrong with me, I have been travelling to another time, the future... I mean, our f-future…""Since when?""I've seen Daniel—in the future... and numerous times since we parted. I don't know what to believe anymore.""We will talk about that soon, but I assure you, everything has consequences here. Whatever we do can alter our future."James scrubbed a hand down his face, his chains rattling. He couldn’t
James dragged Grace through the forest, branches slapping at him. She was limping again, and he wanted to carry her, but Levy’s guards must have caught his scent, because the echo of their footsteps increased, and the sense of magic intensified in the night air.They were closing in.He could have moved from one location to another with only a thought. Back to the withered, perverted kingdom of Nork from here. His heart clenched in his chest, and he gritted his teeth. Now was not the time to think of his home. Or the condition of his home. Or his parents and the sorcerer he would soon destroy.What if he disappeared, but Grace did not go with him? She would be left on her own in an inhospitable environment, the enemy all around.Damn this. He had to try something. He’d managed to beat the flood of memories back, but they were knocking at his mind, demanding release. If they overtook him again...James focused on what was most important. He and Grace shared a past he’d barely touched o
James gave chase.Grace heard the voices before she spotted the town, and she nearly toppled over with relief. She increased her speed, and finally, blessedly, she reached civilization. The sun was steadily rising in the sky, casting a violet haze on the people just now starting their day. Warming Grace, and even burning her. Her skin itched, prickling as if little bugs were crawling through her veins.She did not want to contemplate the possible reasons for such an occurrence. People—humans?—strode along cobbled streets, some carrying wicker baskets piled high with clothing, some carrying bags of—she sniffed, moaned—bread and meat. Her stomach grumbled as her mouth watered. She was lightheaded; her blood supply was a little low. She needed to replenish.Grace paused beside a tree, watching, thinking. She had two choices. Continue to move, remaining on her own, and risk being discovered by mistress Levy. Or enter the town, eat, and risk being found by Levy. At least the second option
Stay calm. I’m dreaming. The void will go away. It always does.Just as she thought that, the emptiness disappeared, bit by bit. Sensation came back first, then memories, and finally awareness of the space around her. Usually, the blank cut right to hazy images of sand, cheering, and fighting, but this time felt different.This doesn’t feel like a dream.Grace sucked in a stuttering breath, trying to inflate lungs that felt like they’d never been used. Her chest burned, and her thoughts were sluggish and cloudy. Prying her eyelids open only earned her a stab in the brain from the bright, white light around her. It took blinking repeatedly for the room to come into focus.When it did, adrenaline flooded her in a rush, sending her heart pounding so hard that her chest ached. Shock scattered her thoughts, but her training kicked in almost instantly.Mindlessly taking a slow, silent breath, she forced herself to calm down. Something vaguely resembling composure came slowly, in increments,