Bloodlust Ch. 06

"I'm dreaming," she stated.

"Yes," Ari said.

"And you're... part of my dream."

He nodded.

Eve bit her lip, considering this. So the wards were still working. She was just dreaming, it was that simple. She was relieved and disappointed.

"What do you want?"

Ari didn't answer for a long moment, his dark eyes watching her carefully.

"I want to eat you whole, little hunter," he said.

His hand moved up her thigh, his fingers brushing over the skin of her legs. The robe had slipped, exposing her thighs. She should have stopped him, should have done anything but watch his fingers trace circles up her leg, leaving goosebumps in their wake.

Eve swallowed. She had to get out of there, she had to wake up. It wasn't real, not really, but it was dangerous. She needed to focus. She could wake up.

A breeze fluttered across her skin, strands of her hair picking up in the wind. For a moment, she saw a flicker of light, a drift of stars. But when she opened her eyes, she was still there on his bed. The room was hazy, the red light giving everything a surreal quality.

Ari's hand was sliding up her leg, his touch cool. He shifted onto his knees on the bed and pushed her down until she was on her back. He crouched above her, his face hovering inches above hers. She had a sudden image of him sinking his teeth into her flesh, her blood filling his mouth.

She reached up and touched his face. It was as smooth as it looked. She traced his cheekbones and the hollow of his cheeks, feeling him lean into her touch. She let her thumb run across his lips, and he pressed a kiss into the pad of her thumb. His eyes burned holes in her. It was driving her crazy.

She shuddered when he pressed his lips to her collarbone. He moved slowly, kissing and sucking the sensitive skin. His tongue traced the grooves of her throat. Her robe had slipped open, baring her shoulders. She could feel his fangs, the points pressing against her, drawing tiny pinpricks of blood.

Her thighs parted around him. His weight was solid against her, his hips pressing into hers. She gasped, her body reacting without her permission. She felt the length of him hard and hot, pressed against her. Eve closed her eyes and tried to will herself to wake up, tried to ignore the ache inside her that begged for this.

"Eve," said a voice, far away, coming into focus. Luke's voice.

Her eyes flew open. Suddenly, she was back on the roof, her pulse racing. Her clothes were damp from sweat, the wind cold on her skin. Luke was crouched beside her.

Ari growled, and the sound vibrated in his chest against her. The image of Luke was gone as fast as it had come.

Ari grabbed her wrists, pinning them above her head. His other hand pushed aside her robe, his fingers skimming across her waist. He leaned in and pressed his lips to hers, his mouth opening hers. She whimpered against him. His touch was electric and she felt like a live wire.

He bit down gently on her lower lip. Her whole body was aching, her mind a haze. Her thighs squeezed around his hips.

"Eve, you have to wake up." She felt Luke's hands shaking her shoulders.

Now she was lying on her back, looking up at Luke's worried face. Her breath came in quick bursts, her chest rising and falling.

"Luke," she managed to say, "I don't... I don't think I'm dreaming." She searched his warm brown eyes with hers.

"You're shaking," he said, his voice tinged with panic. He shrugged off his jacket and wrapped it around her. She pulled it tight around her. Her body was still reacting, the throbbing in her belly insistent and impossible to ignore. Even in the cold air, her cheeks were pink with a blush.

Then she was in the bedroom again, barely able to make out the room before she felt Ari enter her. She gasped in surprise. His cock slid all the way inside her in one motion, an aching fullness taking over her senses. She twisted in place, realizing that Ari had both of her wrists in his grip.

He was thrusting deep and slow, his rhythm steady. She felt every inch of him, her body clenching around him. She could see the veins in his forearms straining, the corded muscle rippling beneath his skin. She tried to pull her arms free, tried to fight, but she was powerless to stop him. Her legs were wrapped around him and she couldn't even remember doing it.

Eve bit her lip so hard she drew blood, the metallic taste flooding her mouth. She tried to hold in the moan that escaped her lips. He was fucking her relentlessly, his hips moving at a steady pace. His cock was filling her up, his thrusts so deep she couldn't breathe.

"You're mine."

Ari leaned down and licked her blood off her lip.

She was in two places at once. The moonlight was shining in her eyes, Ari's hands gripped her tighter, and she could feel nails digging into her flesh. She felt the bite of the cold wind on her face and a burning heat across her skin at the same time.

She was on the roof and in the bedroom. She could hear Luke's voice and Ari's breath in her ear. She arched her back, pressing her body into him, desperate for more. She could feel the tension building inside her, threatening to burst. Eve couldn't control herself, couldn't stop the noises that were coming out of her. He slowed, then stopped.

He brushed his lips against hers. "When you wake up," Ari murmured, "Come find me."

"Ari-"

She jolted awake, sitting up with a gasp. She was on her bed, the lights were on, and Luke was kneeling on the floor beside her. He was saying something. Her eyes adjusted slowly to the bright lights.

"Breathe, Eve, just breathe," Luke repeated, "I'm right here, okay?"

She tried to shake the haze of sleep and the memory of the dream. Her whole body was thrumming with energy. Her heart was racing and her stomach was roiling.

She tried to focus on Luke. His hair was mussed, his face creased with concern. His eyes were soft, the color of chocolate, and as she looked into them she felt calm. His steady presence brought her back to reality.

"It's okay," he said, "It was just a dream."

"Just a dream," she repeated, but even as she said it she knew it wasn't true. The words echoed again and again in her head.

Come find me.