Daughter of Night (A Daughter of Nyx novel)

Chapter Sixteen

How was it possible for six words to send her already racing heart into another gear?

"What do I do?" she asked.

"Well," He took her hand and led her to the couch. "We need to get the tricky part out of the way first." He sat and pulled her down on his lap. His chuckle at her squeak brought heat to her face. "That is such a lovely color on you."

"I... Do..."

He put his finger over her lips. "I'm going to distract you first."

The image of Bianca sitting where she was flashed in her mind. The way his lips had moved over her skin...

A slight bloom of heat curled in her blood and he smiled. "You remember."

She also remembered the scream. Would he... She swallowed hard and nodded.

Nikolas.

He would be watching.

She twisted before Elliot stopped her, his breath caressing her skin. "Don't worry about him, Chevonne. If he chooses to bond, he'll be holding you soon enough and I'll be forced to watch."

She could be about to die. Him watching her with someone else shouldn't be her overwhelming though at that moment. Another quick nod and she turned back to face the one going to bite her. His kiss took her by surprise and she closed her eyes, willing herself to get lost in it.

His hands cupped her face, holding her still while he brushed his lips over hers, soft as a feather. The barely-there touch sent chills across her skin and the bloom of heat expanded within her. One of his hands crept up the back of her sweater, softly stroking her flesh and she shivered as the chills grew. His other hand held the back of her head, fingers winding in her hair and he deepened his kiss.

Her arms moved, sliding around his neck and she sighed against his lips. The fingers in her hair tightened and slowly pulled her head back. His lips left hers and trailed her skin, moving to her ear, brushing the sensitive skin at the base of the lobe. The flames grew higher as he ran his fingers down her spine before moving to her hip, holding her tight against him.

"Elliot," she whispered, running her fingers through his hair, holding his mouth against her.

"I love how you say my name." His breath stroked her as surely as his hand and she burned.

He caught her lip in his teeth and she trembled. Not in fear, but in desire. He tilted her head further back and trailed his tongue over the vulnerable flesh of her throat. Her fingers gripped his hair. The flames were an inferno and she was dying. She couldn't keep in the moan as his hand on her tightened.

He let go of her hair to move the mass from her neck and his tongue continued to trace patterns on her skin as her head tilted, exposing more of her for him to devour. His breath was deep as he paused. What was he waiting for? She was burning alive.

Her hips moved over him and his growl poured gas on the flames. An instant later, she felt his fangs drive deep into her flesh. She let out a scream as she tried to pull away. His hand cupped her head, holding her tight, keeping her from escaping the agony and she shoved once at the chest she was being held against. Once. Then the pain faded, replaced by a sea of pure pleasure. The hands she had been using to push now pulled and she arched against him. His arm held her tighter as he groaned against her neck. The feeling of his mouth on her, searing her with its heat, was exquisitely beautiful and she curled around that sensation.

His fingers clenched, digging into the soft swell of skin of her bottom and she cried out.

His mouth pulled hard against her and her eyes squeezed tight. She wound her arms around Elliot's neck, holding him against her throat.