Page 9 of You Give Me Fever

Clara felt a stinging in her eyes and her chest and her throat—was she crying? She covered her face, confused, shaking, and so afraid that she would never feel this again once she awoke.

Shiver stared a moment. Something in his chest hurt. It couldn’t possibly be his heart; he wasn’t sure he’d ever had one. The demon was genuinely puzzled. Human tears were so beautiful, so precious, the only thing that had made him envy their kind—but what could she be crying for, after that?

“What’s this?” he asked, pulling her into his arms. Was she feeling sicker? Had he hurt her?

Clara shook her head, sniffling. Not even she was entirely sure what her tears were about. It was a big feeling, a feeling she couldn’t hold in by herself, but she had no way to articulate that.

“That was... very nice.”

Shiver smiled. “Well, don’t worry, sweetheart. I’ll make you do that again.”

Chapter

Four

THE MOON IS LOW, AND I CAN’T SAY NO, GET THEE BEHIND ME

For this moment, nothing hurt. Clara felt those tingles all over her body—it was almost like the incident with the anthill but without the stinging and welts. Every inch of her was buzzing like the telephone line when the operator took a powder. Vaguely, she became aware of being shifted, settled back against her pillows with that cool, stormy autumn breeze ghosting over her skin.

“Tell me to stop,” came a low, rumbling whisper right beside her ear as she felt fingers tracing up and down her naked side, feathering across her breasts.

“Why?” she asked, shivering at every touch.

“Because I am... a terrible creature,” the low voice said, its rich timbre hitting her right where all her nerves were on fire. “I'm acting selfishly. I ought not be allowed to touch you. I will sully you as you have never imagined.”

Clara shuddered. That last bit felt less like an argument to send him away and more like a delicious promise she was desperate to hear more about.

“Then sh-shut up and sully me,” she said.

Shiver’s long claws dug into the sides of her mattress, threatening to rip her bed linens to tatters. He was raging between his thighs, a need that snarled and bit and thrashed. The demon’s mind raced. He was painfully hard—had he been painfully hard since he first saw her? Had he even known pain before he first saw her?

“Oh, princess,” he said in a shaking growl. “I will.”

He spread her thighs apart again and knelt between them, a huge hulking beast of shadow and heat, looming over her like the storm clouds outside. She seemed so tiny now that he was above her, just barely pressing the tip of himself to her entrance.

She jolted at the sensation. This was new. This was more than just her fevered mind concocting some fantasy—something huge was right up against her, slipping in the honey from her last climax, beginning to press inside her.

“Oh—oh ffffuck, sssslow down—I-I can’t...”

“Mm baby doll, you can, I’ll help you,” said Shiver, knowing he was a terrible thing, knowing he ought to go away and let her be, but he was in far too deep now—or, he intended to be. “Deep breath. Relax.”

Clara couldn’t relax. She couldn’t see this thing that was pressing inside her, but it felt enormous, hard as stone, hot as a skillet—her heart had shot up into her throat where it hammered away.

Shiver reached up to stroke her face, letting his extra tendrils unfurl to hold her legs apart. She was a tight fit, but he could be patient. He pulled back just slightly, coating himself in more of her slick nectar before edging his way back in, feeling her squeeze with each gasp of air.

“Shhh, breathe, honey,” he groaned. “You can take this, aren’t you a brave girl? This should be nothing to you.”

Clara reached for air in such small, pathetic gasps. The golden fireflies were back at the edges of her vision. His little dig at her pride was working—her defiant side flared up, overpowering her fear and uncertainty.

“Of c-course it’s nothing,” she gasped. “D-didn’t even... realize you were... ssstill here.”

Shiver had to pause to hold back a truly evil laugh. Oh, he would marry this little hot pepper if it wouldn’t mean his demise. He gripped her hips with shadowy appendages that kept her still and open.

“Have it your way,” he said. “Deep breath, now.”

Clara was too stubborn to take his advice. She opened her mouth to unleash a scathing remark—but then he pressed in deeper and her breath left her lungs. Something far too big for her was now inside her, and she could feel it with every heartbeat, how her body squeezed around it so tightly the buzz in her ears became a shout. Were those soft lips she felt against the side of her face?

“Come on, baby, unclench,” said Shiver. His entire world was being shaken to its core, but the fever demon fought to sound normal. He rubbed his palm along her stomach as he kissed his way down her neck to her chest. “Tell me you’re all right.”