He was a little shocked he had any gentleness in him, any tenderness, but he felt both toward her, in spite of the fact that she’d betrayed him with another man. She’d come to him, terrified. He didn’t have to be in her mind to feel the terror coming off her in waves, but she had done it, not knowing if he would kill her or not. He had that right. No Carpathian woman should have done what she did. At the very gates. In front of the other ancients. Honorable men who were hanging on by a thread. She could very well have tipped him and all of them right over the edge.
He felt her hands pushing at his chest and his eyes jumped to her face, blazed down at her, took in the stark fear on her face. He realized he had growled and his hands had gone to her body, hard, holding her still while his body took hers roughly. He hadn’t realized he was still angry with her. Not just angry, a kind of fury riding him hard. He needed to lose that if he was going to work this out with her—and he needed to work it out before the next rising so she would know what he expected of her.
He eased his glide to slow. To easy. He eased his grip on her hips. “Relax, kessake, you are safe. No matter what, I will see to your pleasure.”
Her eyes searched his. She bit her lip. Every peje time she did that, he wanted to bite her lower lip himself. His hand found one breast. Her nipple, so hard and inviting, made his mouth water. He slowed his movements to a lazy, torturous glide, making certain his cock rasped over her sensitive little bud while he bent his head to take her other breast into his mouth. Deep. Sucking hard. Using tongue and teeth until she was squirming under him and crying out.
“Aleksei, harder. I need harder.”
She couldn’t stop her body from writhing under his. There was intense satisfaction in knowing he gave that to her. He did that for her. Not her other man. Him. She used his name just as he ordered, and she’d asked sweetly. Panting. Showing him need. Putting herself out there.
He drove deep. Hard. Giving her what she wanted. Giving himself that gift. That beauty. He had seen so much in his centuries. He had watched. Listened. Learned. He knew the things he wanted. Things he wanted to do to her. To have her do to him. Still, he didn’t expect this. This absolute peje beauty.
He felt her body tighten, strangling him in that hot, wet, silken fist, milking and gripping. “Wait,” he bit out. “Wait for me.”
Her hands flew to his shoulders, nails digging deep. He felt her instant struggle to accommodate him, but her body was close. Very close. Demanding she let go. That she fly. “Not. Without. Me.” He made it a decree. He wanted that. He even needed it.
“Hurry,” she whispered. “Aleksei, please hurry.”
It was her voice, that soft little plea. The sound of his name whispered in a panicky voice that sent him over the edge. He groaned and thrust to the hilt. Deep. So deep while she convulsed around him. He buried his face in her neck, letting her take his weight again. She was so soft. Her breasts were full and felt astonishing against his bare chest. This time, his cock was sated, at least for a short while, relaxing slowly in the haven of her body. He enjoyed the aftershocks shaking her, sending little shudders of pleasure through her body and bathing his cock with her honeyed liquid.
Aleksei knew he would forever crave the taste of her. Forever crave her body. He wasn’t about to share that with another man, and she needed to know that right now. He was safe. There was no danger of him turning vampire, but if she thought to save him and then walk away, she needed to know immediately that wouldn’t work. They were tied together for eternity. There was no Gabrielle without Aleksei. No Aleksei without Gabrielle.
He moved slowly, pushing himself up on one arm to brush his mouth over hers. He felt her retreating from him, withdrawing into her mind. He wasn’t certain he was ready to follow her there. His anger still smoldered beneath the surface, and she deserved punishment. He didn’t quite trust himself to find this man in her mind and see the extent of her betrayal.
He rolled off of her, automatically cleaning himself, although there was great satisfaction in seeing the evidence of his possession on his cock and thighs. He liked seeing it on her.
“We are going to set a few ground rules, Gabrielle,” he said.
She rolled to her side and curled into a little ball, drawing up her knees in the fetal position. He caught the sheen of tears in her eyes before she curled into herself.
For some reason, the sight of tears swimming in her dove gray eyes caused a curious jerk in the region of his heart. He didn’t like that. He didn’t want to be affected by her emotions. Not yet. Not until he knew what parts of her were real and what was manipulation.