Page 72 of Thirst

Now it’s my turn to smile. “Yeah, I want you to get over here and kiss me right now. Help me get over the fear I'm feeling. Help me trust you.”

In the time it takes for my eyes to blink once, Amari moves from behind the bar to standing directly in front of me.

I jump back and chirp like a scared child, before giggling like one too. “I didn't know you could move that fast.”

“There's a lot you don't know,” he says, placing the palm of his hand on my cheek. “But don't worry. I'm gonna show you everything.”

Then our mouths come together and I succumb to the sensation of lust and romance that flows between us. I give myself to him, knowing I may not come back from this, and wondering if I’ll ever even want to.

As we kiss and make our way down the hall to his bedroom, I remember the night Janae and I made a toast to my life.

To sex, adventure, money, and danger.

I feel a tickle in my throat as the memory plays in my mind, because now that I’ve made my choice to be with Amari, I'm getting everything I asked for.

Forty-Three

Ialways knew his hands were cold. I remember joking about him having bad circulation that he needed to get checked out, but once we were lying on top of each other, I never noticed how cool his skin was to the touch because he seemed to feed off my bodyheat. Tonight, his hands are like ice as we enter the dark bedroom and fall onto the mattress together. But the more we touch, the warmer he becomes, until his fingertips no longer freeze me as they glide down my skin. At least now I know why his skin was always frigid.

Knowing everything changes the way intimacy works. There's an underlying fear that courses through my veins like a blood thinner, making me feel pumped with adrenaline and desire. I never thought I'd feel terror and horniness at the same time, but it seems to make the experience that much better. Every inch of my skin feels more sensitive when the pads of his fingers press down, and when his lips kiss up my neck. I think about what he could do with the fangs I know he has tucked beneath his gums, and if I crane my head to the side, he could unleash them and end me … or mix pleasure and pain and thrill my body in ways I never even thought to experience. I never wanted to be bitten, but the thought is titillating now that his mouth is so close to my neck. I'm with a vampire—how could I not think about it?

Amari lays me on my back and begins kissing his way down my neck as his fingers caress my stomach, my body writhing from his touch. I let out a soft moan of pleasure when he finally pulls up the loose shirt I threw on as I was leaving the club, and sucks my nipple into his mouth with practiced perfection. I guess being a hundred and fifty-six years old teaches you a thing or two, because every move he makes feels like it has been mastered. His tongue swirls and his teeth graze my flesh, and he doesn't neglect my other breast once he's done with the first one. He slides over, cupping it with both hands before playing with my nipple, teasing it with his tongue and watching the expressions that take over my face. He grins each time I moan, proud that he's getting the reactions he wants out of me.

“Every inch of you tastes so good,” he says with his mouth only inches from my flesh. I feel his breath splash against my skin and it makes me shiver with desire.

“Keep going,” I tell him. “Taste all of me. If you want me … claim me.”

“I intend to. I always did,” he says with a devilish grin, just before he leaves a trail of wetness on my stomach as he licks his way down to my thighs.

He spreads my legs to give himself room to work, and I wonder if he’ll cut me again. Is he only willing to eat me out if it’s mixed with my blood? His mouth feels so good doing what it does, nibbling at my flesh as he continues his journey downward. I think a million different thoughts about what he will do versus what he could do. My anxiety peaks and makes me tense, but when his tongue dances across my clitoris, the only tension is caused by immediate pleasure.

“Oh god,” I whisper as he licks me again, and I'm forced to gasp when he uses his entire mouth. I feel the softness of his lips, like rose petals against my most sensitive area, and the pressure from his tongue as he makes it wiggle at a speed a normal person doesn't possess. My knees clamp against the side of his head as he puts me through it.

Amari lets loose on me. From my angle above him, I see his entire head moving from the effort he's putting in. He uses his mouth to ignite me while using his hands to caress my entire body, still squeezing my breasts with one hand while using the other to squeeze my ass and inner thigh. He's a magician down there, and it’s clear he’s taking it a step further now that I'm aware of what he is. In just thirty seconds I'm ready to explode for him.

“If you keep that up, I'm gonna come,” I announce, feeling the moment drawing nearer. “I mean it. If you don't want me to come yet, you better stop.”

“You say that like you're only gonna come once tonight. You clearly have no idea who you're messing with,” he says, before diving back in and focusing on forcing me across the finish line. He inserts two fingers and curls them up before sucking my clitoris again, both his tongue and fingers vibrating like a machine and reminding me that he is not human.

I couldn't hold off if I tried.

“Oh, that’s it. God, I'm …” my words trail off as an orgasm rips through me. I shake like I'm having a seizure while stars shoot across the back of my clenched eyes like a meteor shower in a cloudless night sky. My entire body floods with ecstasy that reaches the outskirts of my limbs.

As soon as I come down, Amari goes right back to licking, using his saliva to make sure I stay wet for him. After another minute, he pops up, quickly sheds his clothes, and lies on top of me, kissing me passionately while rubbing the head of his erection against my already-sensitive-clit.

“You want it?” he asks as he pulls my hair and forces my head back to give him access to my neck. I gasp, wondering if he's about to bite me, but he licks me instead before kissing a trail up my chin. “If you don't tell me you want it, I won’t give it to you. Think I'm playing, Aaliyah. Say it.”

I feel his hardness pressed against me, and I want it more than I can explain. “I need it. Please give it to me.”

“Yeah, I like the sound of that,” he says. “I like when you beg me. Say it again.”

“Please,” I plead. “Please fuck me right now.”

“That’s my girl,” he says, before pushing his thickness deep inside.

Like a porn star, Amari gives it to me like he knows exactly what I like—deep and slow at first, allowing me to stretch out for him and making me wetter with each stroke. Then he speeds up, pounding me and sending the sound of our bodies smacking together all throughout the penthouse. I yell a slew of profanities that bounce off the walls, and I'm shocked by the wetness that coats him when he sits up, throws my leg over his shoulder, and keeps going without missing a beat. It’s obvious that vampires don't get tired, because there isn't an ounce of sweat on him, and he isn't even remotely out of breath. If I had to guess, I'd say he's probably holding back so he doesn't hurt me with his strength. Even with minimal effort, he’s the best I've ever had, and it’s not even close. His endurance, his strength, the angles he hits, the way he can make himself vibrate—it’s all unmatched.

When he lies flat on me again, he puts both of my legs on his arms so that they’re held in the air and my ass is arched up a bit. From this position, he's deep, and every stroke is long and as powerful as a steam engine. He strokes me hard, hitting my G-spot with each thrust and causing sensory overload. My head shakes back and forth as the tension builds to a crescendo and I lose myself in the moment. I know when I come this time, it’s going to tear me in two. A clitoral orgasm is one thing, but a G-spot orgasm will change your life. I forget everything about who I am as it gets closer and closer. My mind races and all I want is to make this moment one that I’ll never forget—for him to give me something nobody else can. Just as I'm about to combust, I lose my mind completely.