Page 64 of Thorn Evermore
“I can no sooner deny you than cut off my own foot.”
He closes in on me, his lips brushing against my skin as he hooks his hand behind my neck. Instead of being nervous, I’m so excited I’m lightheaded.
He licks my skin, but the softness of his tongue is soon replaced by a sharp stinging pain. I gasp as his teeth break my flesh and blood rushes to the surface. Thorn moans, sending shockwaves of lust vibrating through me. His free hand rubs my growing bulge as he drinks from me, and the sensation is difficult to find words for. It’s overwhelming, like a strange tug of war between too much and not nearly enough.
I tangle my fingers in his silky hair, holding his mouth to my neck as he drinks me in. It’s everything I imagined it would feel like. A vampire’s bite. It’s real!
Thorn pulls off too soon for my taste, licking the spotwhere he bit me. He gazes up at me, eyes hooded and lips tinged with my blood.
“I knew it,” he whispers, almost breathless. “I knew it had to be you.”
Stroking his beard, I gaze into his eyes. “That was incredible.”
“And you know it now too, right?” he asks. “You know you belong to me and I belong to you. You can feel it just as I can.”
I nod as his words make sense of the tingling sensation traveling through me and the tugging in my chest. “Yes, I feel it too.”
His smile is like none other I’ve seen from him before. It’s a knowing one, a satisfied one.
“You won’t understand this yet, but I love you, Kyson. I love you like the moon loves the stars, like the flowers love the rain. I need you. Now that I know you exist, you are my purpose.”
“You…love me?”
“With everything I am.”
“I’ve waited a long time for you, Thorn.” I chuckle. “Not as long as you though.”
“Every minute was worth it. I had no idea it would feel so right and so good. I want to do everything with you. I want to show you the world.”
“I only want to see your world, Thorn.”
“You will.” He licks his lips, his eyelids fluttering as he tastes my blood again. “Sweeter than anything known to man. The gods must envy me.”
It’s as if some poet from long ago has replaced his normally modern vernacular. If he keeps talking to me like this, maybe I can believe him. Maybe I can see myself through his eyes and believe that I’m truly what he wants, just like I am. All the years I’ve spent feeling like not enough, too short, too plump, too plain, seem like another life rightnow as Thorn gazes at me like I’m the best thing to ever exist.
“You are,” he whispers. “You are everything to me.”
“Can you ever not listen to my thoughts?”
“I can block you out if you ask for privacy.”
“It’s not privacy.” I shrug. “It’s embarrassing.”
“You should never feel shame for bearing the cloak others hung on you, but it’s time to shake it off and reveal what was always there. A priceless treasure.”
The tears I’ve staved off finally burst free, sliding down my cheeks as I lean into him. He holds me as I sob, releasing all the years of fear and shame and inadequacy. If Thorn can love and want me, then it must be true. I must be amazing because he is.
“That’s right, darling,” Thorn whispers, rubbing my back. “Let it out. I’m here now, and I’ll never leave. No one will ever hurt you again.”
“Promise me.”
“I promise you. I would cut out my own heart before I would ever leave you.”
Sniffling, I murmur, “I’m going to believe you, Thorn. I’m gonna work on it every day.”
He pulls away slightly, brushing my cheeks with his thumbs. “That’s beautiful. I have so much more to tell you, but first, I must make love to you. I can’t think clearly until your flesh is pressed against mine.”
“Will you stay like this?” I touch the point of one of his fangs. “I love it.”