Total pages in book: 158
Estimated words: 145341 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 727(@200wpm)___ 581(@250wpm)___ 484(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 145341 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 727(@200wpm)___ 581(@250wpm)___ 484(@300wpm)
“There are four gates,” he said, confirming his knowledge.
Her head came up, and her eyes went from soft to suspicious. “How would you know this?”
He liked that she was so careful. “I traveled with Sandu, one of my brethren from the monastery, when he journeyed with Adalasia to repair the tears in the earth around the gate she was ensuring stayed closed. We spoke with Liona, a Carpathian woman guarding that gate for centuries. She is Sandu’s sister. The reason Adalasia’s tarot cards survived all this time is because Liona’s blood was spilled on them.”
Her eyes had gone soft again, all suspicion gone. “I have met Liona. She is a strong woman, and one I admire greatly. She spoke of Sandu often and couldn’t understand why he didn’t come to her.”
“His memories had been removed by his uncle before he was sent away. He had no idea of Liona’s existence.” Siv watched the way she moved through the snow, barely skimming over the surface.
“Before we chase after this vampire, and I know you’re in a hurry, I need you to do something first.”
He stopped immediately. “Of course, my lady. Anything.”
For one moment, her eyes met his, and then she looked away quickly. She looked almost shy. He couldn’t imagine his lifemate shy. He examined his every interaction with her. The way she took control of the battle with the demons. Her conversation with her brother. Was it just with him? He reached for her, slipped his palm gently around the nape of her neck.
“You are my lifemate, Vasilisa. You have only to ask and it is yours.”
She moistened her lips, still not meeting his eyes. He was tempted to lift her chin, but he waited, instinctively knowing she needed to find her own way.
“I have never responded to any man’s kiss. I have found kisses to be rather . . . repulsive.” Her long lashes lifted, and her startling blue eyes met his once again.
His heart jumped. Skipped a beat. Those eyes of hers did strange things to his chest. He both was amused and felt as though his insides were melting. It was a peculiar and disturbing combination.
“I would very much like you to kiss me. I need to know if this is going to work between us. As my husband, you’re going to expect certain things, and I need to know if we have . . .” She broke off, looking uncertain again.
“If we have chemistry,” he finished for her. He wanted confirmation that she was looking for that specifically. He knew the power of lifemates and the bond between them. They would have explosive chemistry. Kissing could be dangerous, but he was very willing to oblige her.
Siv didn’t wait. He exerted pressure, pulling her closer to him. One hand framed her face. Her skin was unbelievably soft. His thumb slid over her high cheekbone, mapping it out in his mind and then sliding over her aristocratic nose before tilting her chin up. Her long lashes swept down to cover the astonishing blue of her eyes.
Her lips trembled as his thumb outlined their perfection. He leaned down to catch her breath. So sweet. He very gently kissed her lower lip on the corner. Tasted her. Sipped at her. Used his teeth to tug tenderly and then shifted to the other corner to nibble there. His tongue made a little foray over her soft lower lip and then along the seam. He kissed her upper lip gently, with almost no pressure. Moved upward to press a kiss along her very elegant nose and then each eye. Claiming her. Leaving his imprint on her. He moved down her face, along her cheekbone, back to her mouth. Those lips. So soft.
He kissed her gently. Coaxing her response. Breathing for her. His teeth nipping a little harder this time, a little more insistent so that she gasped, parting her lips, letting him in. His tongue swept away the small sting and then stroked a caress over hers. Silky soft. Flames licked up his throat and began to roar in his bloodstream. Their mouths welded together; their tongues, dancing a tango, were as hot as hades.
Vasilisa slid her hands up his chest, and then her arms went around his neck, and she leaned her weight completely into him. He shifted her in his arms so he could get a better angle.
The moment his body felt hers melting into him, he needed clothes gone, needed skin-to-skin contact. It was hard to resist the urgent needs of his body when hers moved not so subtly against him.
Sanity and thinking left and feeling took over. There was a roaring in his head, thunder in his ears and a fierce wildfire burning out of control in his veins, spreading fast and rushing to settle in his groin. The feeling was euphoric. He’d had no idea. As many times throughout the centuries as he’d studied the arts of sexual practices, he hadn’t actually participated.