Chapter 85

“Do I look like a psychic to you?” I snapped, irritated by the assumption that I’d regret it. I was still a little pissed at his earlier smugness, but I refused to back down now. “I’m not a fortune teller. You want to fuck me? Then let’s do it. We can worry about regrets later.”

He eyed me, his gaze now dark with interest and amusement, but there was something else there too—tenderness, maybe, though it was hidden behind the layers of his gruff exterior. “You’re jealous,” he observed, his voice softer now, almost teasing.

“Not jealous,” I lied, though I could feel the twinge of it. “Just don’t expect me to let you off the hook that easily.”

He sighed, his shoulders relaxing just a bit. “No one deserves a pass on what I did to you,” he admitted, his voice full of guilt and something else—regret, perhaps. “I don’t blame you for hating me. I’ve hated and loathed myself for ages.”

I softened a little at his confession, though I still wasn’t ready to let him off the hook. For over a century, he had carried the weight of his actions, hiding behind the roles of villain, victim, and martyr. But there was still so much for us to work through if we were ever going to find peace together.

“Oh, I hold a grudge,” I said with a wry smile. “And I’ll hold it for a very long time, so make no mistake, vampire. I’m one of the pettiest creatures you’ll ever meet. But I also have the capacity to move on.” I paused, my eyes locking with his. “I get that you wronged me, big time. But you might not have had a choice. We can’t undo the past, but we can do better now. I’m not the kind of chick who’ll let a dark past drag me down. I’m never a victim. I always come out a fucking winner.”

His gaze softened, and for a moment, I thought I saw a flicker of something in him—hope, maybe. It was just the beginning, but maybe, just maybe, we had a chance.

“I don’t know about you, King Nollan, but I have a lot to live for,” I said with a defiant grin, my tone light but my words purposeful. “Like eating lots of burgers with French fries on the side, smelling the roses, and sometimes lilies, hanging out with my pack, watching Peppa Pig  while we share three bags of popcorn, generously sprinkled with butter and salt. Oh, and some of your vamp minions, like Faerry, are welcome to join us, but only if they promise to bring their own snacks. So, you’re either with me on this, or you can forever wallow in that old quilt of yours—the one that smells like guilt, regret, and misery. Take your pick.”

I couldn’t help but smirk as I finished, watching the gears turn in his head. He stared at me for a long moment, his throat bobbing up and down, the weight of what I’d said settling between us like a thick fog. His eyes narrowed slightly, and for a split second, I wondered if I’d gone too far, if he was too far gone in his own dark thoughts to even understand what I was offering.

Then, at last, he blew out a long breath, a sound filled with resignation, and possibly something else—something like relief, or even regret. His voice was quiet when he finally spoke, but there was a new softness there, a vulnerability I hadn’t expected.

“You truly are different, love,” he murmured, his gaze never leaving mine. “And I can change too.”

I almost couldn’t believe my ears, the words rolling over me like a gentle wave. My heart started to race, but I knew I couldn’t stop here. This was the moment of truth—the moment I’d been waiting for, hoping for. He was opening up, but I needed more.

“So what about my proposal?” I asked, my voice steady, though I couldn’t hide the anticipation in my chest. “Tell me how you truly feel about me. I don’t do subtle, vampire. If you don’t want me, say so now.”

The air around us grew thick with tension, the stillness hanging like a storm on the horizon. My breath caught in my throat, a cold shiver creeping over my skin. What if he didn’t feel the same? What if this was all just a fleeting moment of vulnerability for him, one that would evaporate the moment he had to face the truth of his feelings?

His eyes darkened slightly, and I saw the flicker of something deep inside him—something raw and honest. Then, just as the silence stretched into something unbearable, he spoke.

“You think I don’t want you?” His voice cracked, but the words were laced with something deeper, something fierce. He chuckled then, but it wasn’t a happy sound—it was full of pain, like a bitter realization. “Every day without you is like breathing shards of glass into my lungs. I finally have you back, and I can’t afford to screw things up again. You’re everything to me, Ollivara. You’re the sunlight to my eternal darkness. Call me selfish, but I’ll never let you go.”

I could hardly breathe at his words, the impact of them settling over me like a heavy blanket. No one had ever spoken to me like this, not with such raw honesty, such vulnerability. And the intensity of his gaze, the sincerity in his eyes—it all wrapped around my heart like a vice. It was real. He meant it.

I took a step forward, my legs trembling slightly, but before I could get any closer, he was faster, more aggressive, and infinitely less patient. In the blink of an eye, I found myself trapped in his arms, his strength holding me against him as though he couldn’t bear to let me go, not for a second.

And then his lips were on mine, crashing down with an intensity that stole the air from my lungs. His kiss was everything—desperate, needy, as though he was starving and I was the only thing that could save him. He kissed me like a man lost in the desert, like a man who had wandered for too long with no water, and I was the last drop. It was urgent, frantic—his lips moving against mine with a force that left me breathless.

When he finally pulled back, it was only to allow me a few gasps of air, though the space between us felt unbearable. My lips tingled from the heat of his kiss, my body humming with satisfaction, and yet all it did was stoke the fire inside me. I could feel the intensity of my need for him building, an ache that only he could ease. My heart raced, my skin tingling from the brief moment of contact. Every part of me screamed for more.

“God, Ollivara,” he whispered, his voice ragged, as if the kiss had taken as much from him as it had from me. He held me close, his breath warm against my cheek, his arms tightening around me. “I can’t—can’t lose you again. I won’t.”

My hands curled into the fabric of his shirt, holding on like it was the only thing keeping me anchored in this moment. I had never been so certain of anything in my life. We had both been through hell, but here we were, standing together, at the edge of something new, something real.

“Then don’t,” I said softly, my voice barely above a whisper. “Don’t ever let me go.”

He didn’t answer with words, but the way he held me—so tight, so sure—was all the answer I needed. We had a long road ahead, full of challenges, but for the first time in so long, I wasn’t afraid. I was ready to walk that path with him, wherever it led.

“Now I’m ready for very hot and super dirty sex, vampire,” I breathed, giddy to see the huge bulge against the front of his pants. “And you’d better deliver, and with a gleeful attitude. Some guys are all bark but no bite—”

“Oh, I bite,” he said, wicked seduction and viciousness glinting in his eyes, turning me on badly. “I bite a lot, and I hope you like it hard.”

Before I could help the vampire out and give him instructions as to how he should take care of me, he carted me to the bed in a flash then tossed me onto the silky sheet. I might have to warn him to slow down, as he proved to be a very impatient man.

He descended upon me like a beast, my top and pants flying off the bed. Before I could follow where they’d landed on the floor, his warm breath puffed over the tender flesh between my thighs.

His fangs grazed over my flimsy panties, which were shamelessly soaked now. Then with one pluck, he tore them off me, his face remaining between my legs as he greedily inhaled my scent. I whimpered, as I was very much aroused.

The vampire raised his head to glance at me before he darted his tongue out to flick roughly at my clit. My legs jerked at the incredible sensation. I switched between moaning and clenching my teeth.

“If you don’t fuck me soon,” I warned him, “I’ll be too hot to cool down, and then I’ll combust and burn the house down, and it’ll be your fault.”

He only chuckled savagely, relishing tormenting me, as if his century of celibacy was somehow my fault.

“Oh, you won’t combust,” he said. “You’re the flame, Bride, and it’s okay if you burn the house down.”