Free The Bloodgate Warrior by Joely Sue Burkhart

mouth.”
    He pushed his finger deeper into me and I almost obeyed just because he asked. Almost. But I couldn’t wrap my mind around the reality of it. Blood. His blood!
    So why the hell was my mouth watering?
    “Trust me, Cassie. I’ll never ask something of you without a very important reason.”
    He shifted against me, driving me down harder, and I ached for more. Everything tightened painfully, so close, and his blood was right there, tempting, calling me…
    “I swear on my quetzal now living inside you that my blood will give you more pleasure than you’ve ever known before. Open your mouth for me, Cassie, and taste heaven.”
    He bit my earlobe, not hard, but the sharpness of it sent me cresting over the edge. Lunging forward, I wrapped my lips around his thumb.
    His blood filled my mouth eagerly and I thought for a moment I would retch. Surely I couldn’t swallow it once I tasted the metallic…
    But a candied sweetness dissolved in my mouth, melting like rich caramel. I swallowed him down, sucking on his thumb, gripping with my teeth. If I’d had his cock in my mouth, I might have maimed him, because I couldn’t stop. He tasted too good, and just as he promised, pleasure rolled higher, casting me to the stars.
    In the velvet blackness of night, something cried out to me like a dark ugly wound. I couldn’t hear that plea and ignore it, but until I stretched out my hand, I didn’t realize I could see it.
    A silver spearhead gleamed in the swirling darkness.
    “Take it, Cassie.”
    I didn’t want to touch it. Old pain screamed on that sharpened point, promising death. His pain and death, which made me flinch back. I couldn’t bear to touch such a foul thing, let alone bring it out where it might bring his death again.
    “I need it,” he whispered. “I need it as badly as I need you.”
    My fingers felt clumsy and stiff, but I forced them to wrap around the steel. Cold seared me, ice creeping up my hand to my forearm. My bones felt brittle, like I’d shatter if he touched me too hard, but I couldn’t let go. He needs it.
    I pulled the spear out of the hole. My ears popped and my vision tumbled wildly, as though the earth had been knocked off kilter. Dizzy, I didn’t try to hold myself up. I didn’t have to, because his arms were locked around me.
    “That’s right. I’ve got you, safe and sound. Don’t hold it too tightly, noyollotl . It’s still sharp enough to slice your fingers to the bone.”
    He gathered me up, smoothing my dress down. As he walked, he spoke to someone in a language I didn’t understand with my ears, but inside my head, I knew everything he said. Every thought that crossed his mind echoed in mine. Noyollotl , my heart.
    “Is your lady well, Ahau ?” Lord. Or perhaps even more, the lord of the sun, lord of all.
    I tried to open my eyes or speak, but I was just too tired.
    “She’s more than well, just exhausted, wet and cold. She retrieved the spear.”
    From the other man’s fervent gasp, Técun might as well have said I’d found the Holy Grail. “Blessed be your lady. We stand guard, Ahau . The palacio is secure.”

Chapter Six
    Before I opened my eyes, I soaked in the feel of him beside me. He still held me close, the heat of his chest blazing against my back. He enfolded me, hips, arms locked about me, his groin pressed full against my buttocks.
    Ah. He’d managed to eliminate our clothes.
    After months of dreams, he was here in the flesh. I couldn’t help but fear that if I opened my eyes, he would disappear once more, as he’d done every night for months.
    “Never,” he whispered against my ear.
    I burrowed backward deeper into his embrace. His erection dug into me, but he made no advance, as if he, too, was simply happy to breathe beside me. Yet I couldn’t completely relax. Something nagged at me. We were in bed, naked and comfy. There couldn’t be danger since his men were guarding the hotel. I was toasty warm beneath the blankets and no longer