Chapter 32
Thirty-Two
Killien
Being alone with Jacob makes me far more nervous than I expected.
Our apartment smells heavily of his musk-and-leather perfume, making my pulse ramp up.
He looks particularly enticing sitting beside me: legs crossed, tattooed fingers scrolling through his phone, the sleeves of his black shirt rolled up to his elbows, a few silver chain bracelets decorating his wrists as well as a stack of silver necklaces dangling over his chest. We’re alone while Damien takes a shower, random metalcore music videos play on the TV, and the impressive view of the city skyline glows like a live painting beside us.
Honestly, I’ve been thinking of him since the moment he agreed to come see us.
I can’t seem to stop reminiscing about the night I fed from him.
How good he tasted, the embossment of the ink on his soft olive skin under my fingers, the sounds he made as we drank from him.
My throat goes dry, making the moment more awkward than it already is.
“I know you said I didn’t have to, but I want to apologize again,” Jacob says, finally breaking the silence as he leans forward. His phone lands on the polished marble surface of the coffee table before he sits back again. His dark eyes find mine, making my heartbeat thunder in my ears.
“It wasn’t your fault, you were trying to help.”
“I should have just introduced you to Abby.” There’s a sad undertone to his voice as he speaks. “She’s the only one I truly trust. But I wanted to give you more options . . . I was reckless.”
I understand what he’s trying to say. However, the end result of my little adventure with Owen makes it more than worth it to me, as dangerous as it was. Not like I can say that to him, though. I did break his relationship with my brother, as well as his heart in the process.
“I really appreciate what you did, Jacob.” I smile at him, trying my best to push through the uncomfortable knot in my throat. “I haven’t forgotten what you told me about your maker. You tried to make a difference.”
A half smile curls up the corner of his lips, forcing my attention on them.
Damn, I really want to kiss him. It’s like I can’t stop thinking about the taste of his blood, and I feel like I’m still high on it.
My entire body aches for him, somehow. I’ve never desired another man like this, besides Damien.
Although it’s a completely different thing, because this isn’t the same kind of . . . overwhelming love, I guess.
“I should have suggested you drink from Damien, though. Don’t you think?” He laughs, turning his face away from me as he lets out a long sigh. “Honestly, it made me jealous to think about it. I always knew he was into you, but I wasn’t sure how you felt.”
There’s a short silence while Jacob reclines on the plush cushion behind his back, darting his eyes around the room, trying to hide his smile.
He’s the personification of a perfect vampire right now: so handsome and elegant, in a goth kind of way.
The black velvet fabric that surrounds him suits him so well I almost find it funny.
“That’s my fault, I guess. I tried really hard to fight it.” I laugh too, surprised by my own thoughts. Every glance I take at Jacob seems to entice me more. I’m desperate to sink my fangs into him, to taste him again. And, this time, I don’t want to restrain myself.
As awkward as this whole situation is, it only seems to turn me on more. Damien’s devious tendencies must have corrupted me, or maybe it’s because I’ve decided to let go of the damn chains that held me back.
Jacob’s nervous laughter intensifies and I find myself turning to look at him again.
His gaze is on my face, his smile radiant.
My heart skips a beat at the sight of him.
I love the way some locks of his almost-black hair have broken free from the loose bun on top of his head.
They frame his masculine face perfectly, softening it.
“I can’t believe I failed so terribly at reading the room.” Jacob massages his temple while he continues to laugh. “That night, I thought my blood had made you interested in me . . . But it wasn’t me you wanted, it was just Damien.”
My lips part, but I swallow my words as I hesitate. Should I tell him the truth? Should I say that he wasn’t wrong?
“I totally misunderstood the things you said.” His smile is wide and bright, but his eyes seem sad. “Even after all this time, I keep reading signs the wrong way.”
“You didn’t, though.”
Oh, shit. Did I actually say that?
Jacob stops laughing and stares at me with the most adorable puzzled look on his face. My cheeks and ears burn so much that I must be blushing like a silly teenager. I swallow hard and keep my eyes on his while he tilts his head to the side in confusion.
“I did want you,” I croak, my voice betraying me and sounding completely off. “Even before drinking your blood. I just didn’t understand it very well.”
We stare at each other in silence for a while.
The music keeps playing, the TV casting flashing lights on us.
I can’t seem to stop thinking about how I tried to run away from him that night.
How I wanted to touch him, to arch my back and rub my ass onto his dick as he held me.
How he cornered me against the wall and tried to persuade me to go back inside while I stared at his lips.
And he seems even more handsome right now than he did then.
Oh, fuck it.
I find myself leaning closer to Jacob, closing the distance between us.
The cushions shift as I set my weight on one of my hands right between us, making both of our bodies sink towards it.
Nothing in his expression changes, and he doesn’t push me away or stop me.
He lets me press my lips against his. It’s a soft, shy kind of kiss. But delicious nonetheless.
At first, Jacob just stays there, as if he’s shocked.
Until his hand slides up my spine, reaching for the back of my neck.
His touch is so soft and gentle that it makes me shiver.
When his lips part to let me in, my body lights up.
I’m suddenly all instinct; I can’t think of anything other than how good he tastes and how much I want him.
Jacob pulls me closer, almost forcing me on top of him as he sinks deeper on the back of the sectional, nestled between the cushions and the velvety black fabric.
I groan into his mouth, deepening the kiss and biting his lower lip.
I don’t know what’s gotten into me, but I’m going feral.
His scent engulfs me, the leather-and-musk perfume mixed with his natural smell: something sickly sweet like maple syrup that intoxicates me and makes my cock hard.
My hands run up and down Jacob’s body, his muscles flexing underneath his signature black shirt. I undo the first few buttons to slide my fingers underneath the fabric and feel his chest. The warmth of his skin makes me moan into our desperate kiss, feeding my hunger for him.
Jacob’s breath seems to become irregular as I explore him, taking my time to feel as much of his skin as I can reach. When my fingers graze one of his nipples, I can’t help but pinch it. A playful, soft kind of touch that gets a loud moan out of him.
As if the hungry beast within me has been jolted awake by that sound, I push him until he’s lying on his back, sprawled across the sectional.
My other hand grabs on to his throat, not trying to choke him but just holding him in place as I climb on top.
I grind my hips against his, delighted to feel that he’s just as hard as I am.
“Fuck, Jacob—” I hiss, staying close to his lips. “You’re so damn hot. I’ve wanted this for so long . . .”
I’m not sure why I’m saying that, but I’m pleased by the soft whimpering kind of sound he makes before claiming my mouth again.
For some reason, since I started having sex with Damien, I find myself speaking my mind a lot while I’m at it.
Which usually works in my favor, because he loves it. And now it seems like Jacob does too.
One of his hands grabs my waist so roughly that it hurts as he pulls me down harder against him. As if he wanted us to fuse into one. God knows I’d love that; I’d crawl under his skin right now if I could. I’m so high on his scent, so horny, that my blood boils like lava down my veins.
“Damn . . . Should I record this?”
Damien’s voice pulls me out of my trance, forcing my eyes to open.
Jacob tries to push me off him, but I don’t move far.
The perplexed look on his face is adorable, and there’s a clear hint of terror in his gaze as he stares at my brother.
I can only chuckle at that while I struggle to catch my breath.
“Why did you stop?” Damien asks, gifting us his most devious grin. He’s naked, barely covered by a white towel wrapped around his waist. His obvious erection has me biting my lower lip. “Keep going, come on. I’ve been dying to watch this for months.”
Jacob doesn’t move. Instead, he looks back and forth between us, as if he wasn’t expecting Damien to be okay with what’s happening between us. There’s a strange kind of vulnerability to him right now, and it makes me want him even more.
I slowly dive into his neck, kissing it softly until the tension in him fades away.
My fingers get tangled with his silver necklaces as I tug on them playfully while I lick his skin, feeling him take deep breaths and melt underneath me.
The urge to bite him comes over me, and I find myself digging my fangs into the spread wings of his red phoenix tattoo.
“God, fuck yes—” Jacob whispers as his fingers slide between my hair, holding me in place firmly.