Free Finding the Blood Assassin [Lords of the Expanse 3] (Siren Publishing Allure) by Honor James

she leaned back in and nuzzled against his neck, her hands clenching and unclenching before smoothing up his chest, back down, and holding onto him. “I’ve never fed from someone before, Raven. I’ve only ever had bagged blood.” Her words were rougher now with her teeth fully extended. “It’s right, that it’s you that’s my first, at least for something.” She finished speaking and then sank her teeth into his neck deeply, drinking down his blood with a moan.
    He meant to ask what she’d meant about firsts, but the small sting of her teeth had his mind blanking out. Lifting his hand, he cupped her head to him as he pulled her closer, even as he tried to remember the damage that had been done to her. His body and his instincts were not listening to his mind. Sliding his free hand down, he cupped her bottom and pulled her up farther against his body as his hips lifted slightly to grind his sudden erection against her.
    She shivered when she felt his cock pressing against her and whimpered in need. She drank deeply from him, taking as much as she could without hurting him before removing her fang, now only having one because of the torture she had endured, and sealing the wound. She licked the side of his neck and kissed it, and then as she gyrated her hips against his hard cock, she shook her head. “I can’t, Raven.” She wanted to, god help her she wanted him, but she hurt still. She hurt deep up inside of her where terrible things happened. “Not yet, Raven, not yet.”
    Her words seemed to break the spell over him and he froze, his whole body stilling so that even his chest didn’t expand as he breathed. Letting her ass go, he dropped his hand and ground his teeth together loud enough she could actually hear it. “I apologize, my lady, I was obviously not thinking.” Still stiff, he lay there as she adjusted herself against him slowly and carefully.
    “I need you to hold me, Raven. I’m sorry I had to stop you but please, don’t pull from me.” Looking up and into his eyes with her trust there for him, and only him, she told him, “I love you, Raven. When I’m healed I will need your help healing the wounds that the sleep of our kind won’t. Only you can help me chase away the nightmares, ensure that the darkness never comes back.”
    Wrapping his arms around her, he held her close like she’d asked. “Don’t apologize for protecting yourself even from me,” he told her softly. “Sleep now, Jamison, you need it too much to keep putting it off.” He shifted her around, turning his own body into a protective position. Something that she was very sure he didn’t even realize he was doing. He was placing his body in a place to keep any from her and be the first to be injured should an attack come.
    She nodded her agreement and looked up at him a moment before pressing her lips to his. “I love you, Raven. If I weren’t still healing the internal injuries, I wouldn’t have stopped you.” She pulled back to readjust herself in his arms, and as she lay there holding onto him, she fell asleep where she belonged, in his bed, in his arms.
    “I doubt that,” he murmured once she was asleep. He knew that as soon as she’d remembered who he was, she’d have run. He wasn’t a gentleman. He never had been and he never would be. When he took lovers, they all knew of his darker needs and were willing to try it at least once. Stroking her hair lightly, he buried his face in her neck and breathed her in. Her scent was soft, delicate, and fit her perfectly. Closing his eyes, he rubbed his nose to her skin before relaxing and letting her warm, soft body help him to sleep.

Chapter 8
     
    When she woke the next morning, there wasn’t as much pain in her body, just a bit of a throb here and there. But her belly was definitely feeling pain, hunger pains she realized. She was still wrapped in Raven’s arms as she stirred. Jami felt him lightly caressing her back, stroking her gently. She moved her hands