Chapter 77 Donovan’s Unbearable Longing
Iris turned her face away, but then met his gaze.
His eyes were filled with unmasked desire and pure aggression.
Her heart pounded violently. She held his gaze for less than a second before looking away frantically. Her breathing became rapid.
If one look scared her this much, how could she claim she wasn’t afraid?
A sudden wave of restless frustration surged through Donovan.
He sat up and pulled Iris tightly into his embrace.
He leaned in close to her neck, aimed for that pale, tender skin, and bit down without mercy.
Fear wouldn't save her.
For the rest of her life, she would belong only to him.
Iris:
His teeth sank into her flesh, and a fresh, fruity scent mingled with the rusty, metallic taste of blood, filling Donovan’s mouth. In just a few seconds, a clear, deep ring of teeth marks appeared on the left side of her neck.
Donovan bit deep and hard; the pain made Iris' pupils tremble.
She pounded on his shoulders, crying out in distress.
"Stop! Donovan! Stop!”
Donovan released his grip.
Without hesitation, Iris pushed herself up against his chest and ran toward the entrance.
Donovan had gone mad!
Iris was terrified. Just as she opened the door and before she could step outside, Donovan grabbed the back of her collar with one hand and pulled her back inside.
“Where do you think you’re running off to?”
The front door slammed shut with a bang.
Iris shuddered all over.
Donovan swallowed the lingering taste of blood between his teeth, scooped her up, and turned toward the bedroom.
Iris curled up in his embrace, not daring to move a muscle.
The look in Donovan’s eyes was downright dangerous, just like yesterday. Bloodshot veins wound through his gaze as if he wanted to devour her alive.
As the bedroom door grew closer and she recalled the terrifying reaction she’d just experienced, Iris ignored the pain in her neck and began to sob and apologize, begging for mercy.
“I’ll never lock the door again! I won’t run away either! Please don’t treat me like this. I don’t want this. I don’t want this.”
“What don’t you want?”
Donovan lowered his gaze and looked at the tears streaming down the corners of her eyes, puzzled.
Iris was getting bolder and bolder. She deserved a good lesson.
But he hadn’t figured out how to punish her yet. Had she already decided?
In his arms, Iris cried, not daring to make too much noise. Her shoulders heaved as she sobbed.
“No… I don’t want to do that thing between men and women.”
Do that thing?
Donovan chuckled softly. That idea was actually quite good.
But whenever Donovan smiled, Iris grew afraid, and her dark pupils trembled uncontrollably.
Donovan wore a mischievous grin.
He strode into the bedroom, bent down, and placed Iris on the bed carefully. Then he leaned over, controlling his weight as he pressed down.
The mattress was already soft, and with Donovan’s added weight, Iris sank almost completely into it.
Her tightly clenched fists were pressed together in front of her chest. The fear, resistance, and panic in her eyes were on the verge of spilling over.
Iris didn’t want this, and Donovan knew it all too well, but he chose to turn a blind eye.
He gazed at her unabashedly, as if she were the most perfect, most precious treasure in the world.
This sweet, soft little kitten—he’d only had her for over half a month, and already so many reckless fools were trying to steal her from him!
Just when he’d gotten rid of one nuisance, another showed up.
It seemed he’d have to keep Iris by his side after all.
He had to possess her completely, leaving her nowhere to run.
From now on, she would belong to him alone!
He raised a finger, its pad barely touching the delicate skin at the side of her neck and sending a wave of heat through her.
Her skin was simply too perfect—moist and smooth. Even such a light touch stirred a tingling sensation deep within him.
Donovan was pleased and the smile on his face grew wider.
But whenever Donovan smiled, Iris grew afraid.
"Don't...don't do this..."
She instinctively raised her hand to pry his fingers away from her neck, but Donovan gently clasped her small hand.
His long, strong fingers glided over her soft palm, inch by inch, moving gently along her fingers before slipping between them and interlocking with hers.
His voice was low and husky. “Be specific.”
The more nervous and frightened Iris became, the more intense her alluring scent grew, driving Donovan to the brink of desperation.
His voice grew hoarse, and the heat from his palm scorched her skin.
“Tell me, Iris.”
Iris felt stifled and wronged, so she refused to answer.
She furrowed her brow, pressing her lips tightly together. Yet, the tears would not stop, falling in big, heavy drops.
This man clearly knew!
Why was he making her say it?
Would he let her go if she did?
Donovan was a complete bastard!
Seeing Iris cry without saying a word and looking as pitiful as a kitten that had fallen into water, Donovan raised an eyebrow lazily.
The desire in his eyes was impossible to hide.
His lips slid along her cheek and brushed against her soft earlobe.
Without hesitation, he took her rosy, delicate earlobe into his mouth.
His tongue licked it lightly while his lips and teeth gently ground against it; his breath was scorching hot.
Iris was terrified, but she couldn’t break free.
Even if she hadn't been injured, Donovan’s strength would have been too much for her to resist.
His restless, hot breath teased the base of her ear, and she trembled, constantly turning her head to avoid him. Finally, she broke down and cried out.
"No... don't do this... please..."
Donovan chuckled softly, pinching her chin and turning her face back toward him. He bit her earlobe gently, as if to punish her.
“Begging won’t help,” he said, his voice carrying a hint of amusement. "You have to be specific, Iris. What don’t you want?"
This time, he didn't bite hard. His teeth merely ground gently against her tender earlobe.
It was both painful and ticklish.
The pattern of biting her neck and then her ear convinced Iris beyond a shadow of a doubt that Donovan must be a giant canine creature in human form!
But she didn’t dare say it out loud. Knowing that she couldn’t resist him, she cried even more pitifully and could only speak in a tiny voice.
"Don't... don't do it..."
Unlike Donovan, Iris was shy and just couldn’t bring herself to say it. Her face flushed, and she kept pushing against his chest with her left hand, trying to make him get up.
"Donovan, I said... can you let me go?"
Donovan chuckled softly. He pulled his thin lips away from her earlobe and grabbed her left hand, pinning it down on the sofa alongside her right hand.
The corners of his mouth curved slightly. "You didn't make yourself clear. That doesn’t count.”
Her ears were probably her most sensitive spot. Just a simple touch like that sent shivers running through her body.
What about the rest of her?
Donovan was getting impatient.
He looked down at the bite mark on her neck.
Deep red tinged with purple, it was still oozing a little blood, as if it were a brand uniquely his.
There was also a small bite mark on his chest, near his heart—the one Iris had left.
In a few days, that mark would leave a scar, just like the one on her neck.
In this way, it was as if they had marked each other.
Donovan’s mood suddenly lifted.
But the moment he felt better, he wanted to tease this little kitten even more.
He leaned in close and positioned his lips over the bite mark on the side of her neck. He pressed his cool, thin lips gently against it, tracing the outline of the mark with slow, lingering kisses and gentle suction.
He caught the droplet of blood oozing from the wound with the tip of his tongue, swirling it between his lips and teeth before swallowing it.
The sensation was both painful and itchy, causing Iris to tremble slightly.
A low, suppressed chuckle echoed through the air.
After a long while, the man reluctantly lifted his head and stared into Iris' glistening eyes. He lowered his voice, speaking slowly and deliberately in a threatening tone: "Iris, remember: You are mine. If you let anyone touch you—even just a finger—I’ll make him pay with his life!”
"I won't..."