Page 113 of Blood Ties

Her gaze flicked to the section Adrian’s command had broken. “Most of it.” Her smile made it clear she intended a less respectable explanation.

“You’re blaming that on me?”

“I’m allowing the house to draw its own conclusions.”

A wardrobe opened to reveal clothes in her size. She laughed. “It has opinions about my clothes and sleeping arrangements. I’m starting to understand why Edith stayed away.”

“You’ve been here long enough to argue with the building. Harrowmere may consider that a formal claim.”

Bryony kicked off her shoes beside the bed. “There. Claimed.”

“Most people give Harrowmere blood.”

“It already took some. It can have my shoes.”

I caught her around the waist when she came back through the connecting door. She settled against me with a quiet breath, and I rested my forehead against hers.

The danger outside hadn’t changed. Adrian still had the dagger, and the main gate remained under his control. For a short stretch, I let myself hold her without solving either problem.

Her fingers moved along my jaw. “You keep checking your fangs.”

“I’m hungry. Fighting the restraints burned through most of the stored blood.”

Her body stilled. “You used your fangs on me earlier.”

“I didn’t break your skin.”

Her thumb brushed my lower lip. “Can I touch one?”

Desire went through me. I kept my hands at her waist and let my fangs lower fully. Then I took her hand and guided the side of her thumb from the gum down the outside edge, keeping her clear of the point.

Every nerve in my mouth reacted. A rough sound left me, and her gaze lifted to mine as interest replaced her caution. She traced the fang again, slower, while my hands tightened at her hips.

“You failed to mention that,” she said.

“You were occupied.”

She touched the second fang. Her breathing changed when my lips closed around the side of her thumb and held her skin against my tongue.

Her pulse jumped where my fingers rested at her wrist. Hunger pulled hard enough to make my stomach clench, followed by the need to put her back on the bed.

I released her thumb and lifted my head. “That’s enough while I’m hungry.”

She didn’t step away. “Because you’ll bite me?”

“Because I want to, and you deserve more than a rushed lesson while Adrian waits outside with a knife.”

Bryony slid her arms around my neck. “When this is over, you’re teaching me the rest.”

“Gladly.”

I kissed her until the tension left her shoulders. She met me with the same heat, then smiled when one fang caught lightly on her lower lip.

“Still dangerous,” I murmured.

“I never asked you to be safe.”

“Danger and dishonesty aren’t the same thing.”