A Ride of Peril (A Shade of Vampire #46)(8)

This felt different. He emanated desire, and my knees weakened as he gently pushed me against the cold wall behind me. His lips refused to part from mine. His hands, however, moved up and down my sides, kneading the flesh as they slipped upward, high enough for his thumbs to brush against the sides of my breasts.

I gasped as we tasted each other, as he told me more with his touch than he possibly could with his words. I suddenly felt foolish and lightheaded as his musky smell invaded my lungs, and I couldn’t stop a heartfelt moan from leaving my throat.

Field raised his head to look at me, his eyes burning straight through my soul. His lips were raw, red, and slightly swollen, and I couldn’t help but lick mine in response, yearning to taste him again.

“Aida, I’m sorry,” he breathed. “I should have been clearer the other day, but I promise I won’t make that same mistake again.”

The pessimist in me tried to brace for the worst, expecting this sublime moment to end on a sour note, with Field probably telling me that yes, I was his rebound chick.

“I never looked at you for more than a minute because I was with Maura…and deep down, maybe I knew I wouldn’t have been able to stop thinking about you afterward if I did look at you,” he said. “I watched you grow before my eyes, and I didn’t fully realize what you meant to me until my scuffle with the shape-shifters. I could have died then. But I didn’t. I got to live another day, long enough for me to notice how you bite into your lower lip every time I get close to you…”

I felt myself slowly sliding down against the wall, but Field pushed his thigh between my legs to keep me standing. It also sent ripples of electric jolts through my core, tearing ragged breaths from my chest.

I was speechless, a prisoner under his fiery gaze. His fingers were busy digging into my waist, thumbs brushing over my ribs. I could feel everything through the thin linen fabric of my shirt.

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you from the moment I realized it, Aida. You set my soul on fire, which is something Maura never did. I know you better than most, but seeing you like this now makes me feel like I’m barely scratching the surface with you,” he whispered. His teeth grazed my earlobe gently, making me quiver in his arms. “Please, don’t compare yourself to any other woman.”

His lips traveled slowly down the line of my neck, and I let my head lean backward against the stone wall, abandoning my senses completely. He kissed my collarbone before he raised his head to lean his forehead against mine.

I was hot against his hard thigh as he wrapped his arms around me and tightened his hold. I could feel his heart thundering. I whimpered in his embrace.

He watched me carefully, analyzing every line, every movement, every ragged breath I took.

“Field, I…I’m sorry I doubted—”

Once more, he didn’t let me talk. Not that it bothered me. He swept me off my feet, taking my lips hostage in a sweet kiss. He gently bit into my lower lip. His tongue worked in passionate strokes, caressing my lips and the inside of my mouth, making me feel consumed with desire for him.

Any doubt I’d had about him was instantly obliterated. The way his hands held on to my body, the way he enjoyed tasting me, the way he reacted every time I softened under his touch—they were all signs that further confirmed everything he’d just said to me.

I let the heat of his being burn into my soul, as I opened myself up to him. There was more to this, more to discover about each other. Field was a new experience altogether for me, rattling me on a subatomic level, and I needed to take it all the way. I was his, and he was mine, despite everything else that happened around us.

After years of pining over him, he was there, holding me, setting me on fire, and making my heart twist with a single touch. Our mouths fused, our tongues met, and our souls demanded more of each other. I was safe, I was desired, and I was truly cherished in the arms of the only man I’d ever loved.

As much as I’d tried to deny it, that’s what this was. Love.

I am in so much trouble.

I mentally chuckled, wishing to never see the end of this incredible moment.





Vita





We started our search from the top floor of the eastern wing, which was mostly comprised of bedrooms and a small library. Jovi and I turned each chamber upside down, looking through every box, every dresser, drawer, and shelf, for anything resembling the swamp witches’ third book.

I noticed the frown on his face, but I didn’t mention it straight away. I guessed it had to do with Anjani, but I wasn’t sure he would be willing to talk about it. We rummaged through two bedrooms in absolute silence, occasionally dropping a “Nothing here!” before moving the search to another corner.

“Jovi,” I eventually said once we made it into the third bedroom. “I’ve noticed there’s something going on between you and Anjani, and I just want you to know that if you ever want to talk about it, I’m here. No judgment!”

Jovi looked up from one of the dresser drawers and gave me a weak smile. He was searching one of the two massive mahogany dressers.

He sighed. “Is it that obvious?”

“It wasn’t at first, just minor details that otherwise would slip through the cracks,” I replied, my gaze focused on several shoe boxes at the bottom, hidden beneath layers of moldy clothes. “It’s getting serious, isn’t it? I mean, there’s definitely chemistry between the two of you. It doesn’t take a chemist to see that.”