Chapter Twenty-One #3
“Of an open mind. Of not cutting off your instincts when they tell you to enjoy the moment. Two weeks of seeing what could be.”
“And then you’ll break the bond between us.”
“And then I’ll help you end the fledgling bond that keeps you tethered to me,” Raphael corrected. “Do we have a deal?”
There was no more time for hesitation. I nodded.
“Then we have a deal, Samara Koisemi.” My name felt like a grave vow in his mouth.
“We have a deal, Raphael…” I trailed off and blinked at him. “I don’t even know your last name.”
“Damerel.”
I cocked my head. The same name as the kingdom’s capital? “We have a deal, Raphael Damerel,” I repeated. Perhaps that was the custom, for monarchs to take the name of their seat of power, the way nobility in the Witch Kingdom were named for their magic.
Raphael looked pleased. A little too pleased. “There’s only one final thing to do to seal our bargain. Custom dictates certain agreements between vampires are sealed with a kiss.”
Oh, he had to be joking. “We can skip that, surely.”
“Reneging so soon? Part of living like a vampire is honoring the customs.”
“We never did that before.” We’d made plenty of agreements without him ever mentioning that as a requirement.
“You weren’t a vampire before. But, if you feel I’ve been remiss, and we need to make up for those other deals…”
I wasn’t about to encourage him to collect for agreeing to teach me to ride. “Fine.”
I expected him to come forward, but he didn’t, remaining seated.
He arched a brow.
“Well?” I said. “Isn’t this the part where you kiss me?”
He grinned. “Ask me to.”
Warmth stirred inside. I imagined the words tracing over my lips. Raphael, would you please kiss me?
But vocalizing that felt even more impossible than agreeing to a deal where I lived like a vampire for two weeks.
I lunged for Raphael once more, but this time it wasn’t with blind hunger. This was deliberate. I grabbed both sides of his face and pulled him against me.
For once, I’d caught him by surprise. The compulsion to kiss was quickly chased away by the desire I felt for him. He let me lead, my hands threaded through his hair, tugging him close while his own hand cradled around the back of my neck. Was I certain I was even doing this correctly?
No. But it felt right.
It made me feel alive, electrified, the same way tasting his blood had. Like life was being pumped directly inside me as I tasted him.
But if I thought I was taking control, I was sorely mistaken. Raphael deepened the kiss. I moaned against his lips. My chest pressed against him, the corset I’d put on for the day suddenly too tight. My fangs nicked him once more, but Raphael didn’t pause.
It was different without the burning ache of thirst. Now his blood was sweet.
It should have repulsed me. It only spurred me on.
He nipped my lower lip in answer, our blood mingling.
The slight pinch of pain barely registered.
Instead, it just tasted more like him. Vampire. A creature I should hate.
And more tempting than he had any right to be.
I tugged against him, and he wrapped a hand under my thighs, lifting me off the seat and drawing me toward him.
At once I understood how wonderful it must be to have a lover, to have someone who was entirely yours, who would pull you close on the coldest nights, the one you could look across the room and speak no words to while having a conversation.
In his grip, my walls felt like they could finally crumble and he would embrace every side of me.
Too dangerous. This is just a vampire custom, I reprimanded myself.
I forced my hands to unclench, letting the white strands go as I pushed back to my seat.
I tried to convince myself that I hadn’t enjoyed that at all.
And fine if I had—fine, it was hard not to lust after a male like Raphael.
But having him? I could never truly have him any more than he could have me.
Raphael’s clothes were once again askew.
I glanced down, self-conscious. My nice traveling clothes were also a mess.
I hastily tugged them back in place, doing the best I could to make it less obvious I’d been grinding against the vampire king’s lap twice in the past hour.
My braid was a lost cause, so I unwound the hair and quickly redid it once, then again because I’d messed up with Raphael watching me so intently.
At last, the carriage slowed. I glanced out the window. We were almost to the city limits. Somehow, I’d missed the entire last leg of our journey. I ran my tongue over my lip. The wound was already closing.
I narrowed my eyes at the vampire healing.
“Raphael…” I barely kept the growl out of my voice. “If I hadn’t licked that bite, wouldn’t you have healed by the time we arrived?”
The carriage lurched to a stop. The door to his side opened.
He smirked back at me. “Perhaps.”
He exited, extending a hand for me to step down.
As my foot landed on the stone path beside him, he bent to my ear, quiet so only I would hear.
“Let me know if you want to make any more deals later, viper.”