Chapter 30

Piper flexed her fingers against mine. “I haven’t decided yet. Maybe you need to work a little harder to convince me you want to stay.” She tugged her bottom lip between her teeth, trying not to laugh, but her eyes danced with amusement.

I smirked. “Or maybe you need to convince me to stay.”

We both knew that was a load of shit, though. She wanted me here, and that was enough to make me stay. Not that I was considering leaving. She’d literally have to tell me point blank to get out of her room before I’d leave. I had no idea how I’d go back to sleeping on the couch after tonight. Or alone, after she left in a few days. I shoved that thought away—that was a problem for another night.

Piper wiggled her hands free from my hold, then wrapped her arms around my neck. “Jaxon?” Her tone was taunting, her expression teasing.

Her using my full name was never a good thing, but I couldn’t deny I loved hearing my name—in any form—fall from her lips. “Yes?” I asked slowly.

“I’d really, really like you to…” She averted her gaze as if too afraid to look at me. “I mean.” She cleared her throat. “What will everyone think if they see you sneaking out of my room in the morning?”

I narrowed my eyes. Was she really worried about that, or was she screwing with me?

“First of all, I won’t be sneaking out of your room in the morning. I’ll be walking out of here with a huge ass smile on my face. And secondly, other than Sophie, no one is going to care that I spent the night with you. But if this makes you uncomfortable, just say so. I won’t like it, but I’ll survive another night on the couch.”

I started to push myself off her when she tightened her arms around my neck. “I didn’t ask you to leave.”

“Are you going to?”

“No,” she whispered, eyes wide and clear and full of faith. In me.

Right then, the truth hit me—Piper trusted me, not only with her life, but her heart. I had no idea when this shift had happened, and I didn’t care. I wouldn’t ever do anything to make her question her belief in me.

“Good, because I really didn’t want to leave.”

I nipped at her chin, then with tortuously slow movements, I kissed along the curve of her jaw and down the column of her neck. Her skin was hot against my mouth, despite the way she trembled beneath me. Goose bumps tickled my tongue as I licked my way down her body, lingering on each of her breasts.

My grand plan to prolong this, to savor her yet again, went out the window the second she tangled her fingers through my hair and moaned my name. I groaned, the sound rumbling through me.

“Jax.” She gasped, clutched handfuls of my hair, and guided my face to her neck.

Hot, flushed skin awaited me, and I snarled as I stared at her creamy flesh. At the veins throbbing just below the surface. The scent of her blood pumping through her body. The sound of her racing heart. My fangs broke free. With a growl, I pushed away from the temptation of her neck. My insides thrummed with the need to bite and drink and claim, but as badly as I wanted to, she wasn’t ready. Not yet.

“Piper, honey, look at me.” I barely forced the words out through the emotions shredding my insides and shattering my already tenuous self-control.

Her gorgeous green eyes opened, and her gaze collided with mine. All breath and coherent thought left my body. My arms shook from the intensity of her stare, from the desire and desperation swirling in the depths.

Dragging my body back up hers, I spread her legs with my knees and positioned myself to enter her. Then I stopped, because if I didn’t, if I didn’t regain a little of my control, I’d do something I’d regret, something I couldn’t take back.

Lowering my head, I grazed my lips along her forehead, down the side of her face, and across her cheek, my mouth hesitating mere inches from hers. “Please tell me why I can’t kiss you.” My tone was pleading, borderline whining.

Piper turned her head, putting some much-needed space between our lips. “Because…” She heaved a sigh, closed her eyes, then turned back to face me. “For us, our kiss is our bond. Vampires claim their mates, right?”

I nodded.

“A kiss from a Pendragon seals a bond that’s only breakable upon death. It’s our version of claiming our soulmate.”

I blinked, confused. Since when did kissing a witch result in an unbreakable bond? But then I remembered something Sean had said to me, that some covens implement and live by rules unique to their coven. That had to be what this was, right?

“Until I know what’s going to happen when I get home, I can’t…” She shook her head.

I still didn’t fully understand, but at least now I had an answer. “It’s okay, Piper.” I kissed the tip of her nose, then each of her cheeks. “I can’t claim you unless you give me permission, and you can’t kiss me unless you’re ready to seal our fate forever. I know you’re not ready for that.” I teased her neck, and she tilted her head, moaning softly. “Lucky for you, I have all the time in the world.” I nipped at her earlobe. “And I can be incredibly patient when I want something bad enough.”

“You willing to prove that?”

“Try to stop me.” I grinned wickedly.

Shifting beneath me, she hooked her legs around my waist and welcomed me without hesitation. I sank into her, her moans of pleasure rivaling my own. No matter how many times I had her like this, it wouldn’t be enough. If I thought my feelings for her were intense before, they were nothing compared to now. She held every part of me in her delicate little hands. She could either cherish me or crush me—and I couldn’t say with any certainty which she’d do.

“Don’t stop,” she said breathlessly, clinging to me. “Don’t ever stop.”

“Never,” I promised.

***

I had no idea what time Piper finally fell asleep, but I stayed awake for a long while, soaking in her beauty, focusing on the steady rise and fall of her chest, savoring the warmth of her body tucked firmly against my side.

Stroking her hair, I dropped a lingering kiss on her forehead. She stirred, stretched her legs out, but didn’t wake as she snuggled closer. I flattened my palm on her back and pressed her tighter to me. No matter how close we were, it never felt like enough.

She consumed me in ways I never knew possible, and I loved every second of it. I loved her more deeply than I’d ever loved anyone, to the point the feelings overwhelmed me. I was drowning in emotions and sensations, and I had no idea how to handle them.

When I’d first met Hannah, I thought she was amazing—pretty, passionate, funny, full of life—and I was convinced she was the one. That she’d be by my side for eternity. Instead, I’d killed her.

Then Chloe came along, and she was everything Hannah had been and more. Chloe breathed new life into me, and I’d been willing to fight my own brother for her, to risk the one person who’d been with me through everything. But I’d been wrong about her, too.

I wasn’t wrong about Piper, though, and I knew that clear to my soul because I had never felt anything as intensely before. Nothing about being with Piper felt wrong. No hesitations. No regrets. No awkwardness. We just fit.

And I was at risk of losing her.

I knew she had responsibilities that she couldn’t ignore, and I knew that a relationship between a witch and a vampire was almost as difficult as one between a vampire and a human. The fact that I was one of the cursed vampires who’d been responsible for the events that led to the downfall of her family, of the entire witch community… I sighed and rubbed my hand over my face.

Was I fooling myself? Were things between us completely hopeless? My stomach twisted. There had to be a way to make this work, and I wasn’t going to stop fighting until I figured out how to make that happen. I refused to let her go when I’d only just found her. No way would I survive letting her go again.

Yawning, I rested my head lightly on hers. Maybe I should try to place nice with Sophie and make a deal with her, beg her to do whatever was necessary to ensure Piper didn’t ascend to the throne. Piper not becoming queen was my only hope at salvaging a future with her. Besides, Sophie seemed a lot better suited for the role anyway; she loved to boss people around, and she’d perfected the holier-than-thou attitude.

“Are you ever going to go to sleep?” Piper asked, her voice thick.

I chuckled softly. “And miss a single second of watching you?”

She groaned. “If you plan to spend the day with me tomorrow, you’d better get some rest. You’re going to need to be on top of your game to keep up with me.” I felt her smile against my chest.

I smiled. “Nice to know we finally agree on something.”