Page 51 of Sinful Curses
Her heart rate increased as her skin prickled with awareness. She recalled waking, nestled against his side, and the safe feeling of having his arm around her.
Safe and Orin were two words she’d never thought would go together, but somehow they had this morning. It was a scary sensation that should have made her run as fast as she could from him, but her feet remained planted.
Oh, Hecate, he was gorgeous with his crow-black eyes and hair the color of a raven’s wings. He also had a face that could stop traffic in the human realm, and the son of a bitch knew it.
She no longer knew if she hated that about him or admired it.
When she was younger and learned how much the witches despised her because she was half vampire, it rattled her confidence. Over the years, she’d regained it and learned not to care what they, or her mother, thought of her.
But she’dneverpossessed the sort of overwhelming, in-your-face confidence Orin exuded. Maybe it was because he was born a dark fae prince with wealth, power, and everything he’d ever wanted at his fingertips. Or perhaps it was just who he was.
His brothers were also arrogant, but not to his level of it. They also weren’t pure dark fae, and she’d never met a dark fae who didn’t think their shit didn’t stink.
“It’s been almost a week since you fed,” he said. “You must be hungry.”
Of course. She should’ve seen it coming but hadn’t. Her stomach rumbled as she recalled the taste and scent of his blood.
Has it really been that long?
She struggled to recall how much time had passed since she last drank from him, but the arduous climbing had blended one day into another. She thought it was six, but it could be five, seven, or ten.
What do I know anymore?
“That’s okay; I’m good,” she told him. “And like I said, you’re never nice for no reason.”
His eyes glittered with amusement. “Always so quick to think the worst of me.”
“You’re always so quick to prove me right.”
His smile grew as he held out his arm with his wrist turned toward her. “I expect nothing in return.”
She eyed his wrist as the blood pulsing through the vein called to her with every beat. It took everything she had not to lick her lips.
“I’m telling you the truth,” he said. “I expect nothing in return.”
“That’s because you think the bloodlust will overtake me and I’ll have sex with you again.”
“I wouldn’t say no if it did, but it won’t. It didn’t last time.”
When her eyes met his, they held a challenge, but she didn’t argue his words. He was right; she didn’t have sex with him the last time because bloodlust took her over; she did it because she chose to.
Just like she had their first time together.
“We’re about to cross that field, and we have no idea how long it will take or how bad it will be. You should be at full strength for it.”
“And not you?” she countered.
“I feel great.”
“It’s okay; I’m not hungry.”
But as she said it, her traitorous stomach growled.
“Go ahead, Sahira. I promise you, I don’t expect anything in return.”
She shouldn’t trust him, and while she didn’t believe him, his expression was so earnest it made her pause. Sahira glanced at his wrist before meeting his eyes again.
She could say no; she wasn’t starving and had gone longer without blood, but it was so enticing. Everything about him was.
