Page 91 of Bloodhunter

“My love,” he murmured. “You are so very strong.”

The second I gave up my need to hurt him, the pain stopped.Just…stopped. In its place grew a relief so profound it was almost asoverwhelming as the agony had been.

He encircled my throat with his fingers, then brushed mycheek with his lips in a barely there kiss before lowering me to the hardground.

Something changed in that instant.

And even the moon dimmed, unable, perhaps, to watch.

Part of me stood back and stared, aghast.

“What are you doing?”

“Life. I’m doing life.”

I pulled the silver chain out of my shirt and ripped it frommy neck, then tossed it away. “Help me,” I whispered.

He took his time. “I’ve been waiting,” he murmured, hisvoice full and soft and filled with something I couldn’t name, “for such a very,very long time.”

I didn’t think he was talking about the last six years, butI didn’t ask. I couldn’t.

I had surrendered myself to the master, and I could only liein my defeat, and in my victory, and let him bring me back to life.

He reached for my bloody, tattered clothes, and I closed myeyes as he undressed me. It was perhaps even more erotic with my eyes closed,because I felt everything. Everything.

When I was completely naked, he sat back on his heels and Iopened my eyes to watch him watch me. His gaze was like a physical touch.Everywhere he looked, I felt the caress of his stare.

“Mine,” he whispered. “My woman.”

He leaned forward and grasped my bare feet, rubbing histhumbs over my sensitive soles, then running his hands slowly and with thebarest of touches up my legs. He parted my thighs, and as I lay sprawled andexposed before him, my body began to awaken.

I could barely move on my own. I was damaged and exhaustedand heavy, but still, I tried to lift my hand to touch his face.

He took my hand and lowered it back to the ground. “You haveonly to lie there and feel what I can do. I gave you pain. Now I will give youpleasure.”

My heart began to thump.

“Submit to me, Trinity.” His eyes glittered in the weakmoonlight, and his face appeared carved and almost unreal.

I nodded, and closed my eyes, but shot them open once againwhen I realized the rage had gone. I’d surrendered that to him, as well. Butonly for that night.

Perhaps later I would beat myself up.

Perhaps much later.

It was brutal and depraved and forbidden. I should not allowa vampire—especially notthatvampire—to touch me. But I would. And Iwould allow much, much more.

“Mine,” he whispered, and for that moment, it was true.

I was his.

He parted the lips of my sex and ran his thumb over the softbit of slowly swelling flesh he found waiting, and I shuddered and cried out.

Pleasure? Oh yes.

He stretched out on the ground between my legs, slid hishands beneath me, and lifted me to his mouth.

The movements of his tongue were long and slow, languid andheavy as he lapped and played. He dipped the end of his tongue inside me, thenran it up over the sensitive nub of flesh, again and again.