He tensed, drawing in a sharp breath. “Luna, what are you doing?”
It was my turn to shush him. My fingers continued their careful movements, traveling up the sculpted planes of his chest until my hand cupped his face. Releasing my grip on his fingers, I shifted until I kneeled before him.
His legs brushed up against mine, and I rested my forehead against his as I ran a finger over his dust-covered cheek. Our breaths were ragged as we shared the same air, and for a long moment, neither of us moved.
“You’re not taking a choice from me, Sebastian,” I whispered. My hands brushed his cheeks as I pressed a feather-light kiss to his forehead. “I want to do this for you.”
He was so tense, his entire body vibrated from tension. It felt like he was moments away from breaking into a million pieces.
“It’s almost dawn,” he said. “Someone might come to help us.”
“They might,” I murmured. “But they might not. I’m not willing to take that chance, Sebastian. Not when your life is on the line.”
Maybe mine, too. I wasn’t entirely sure what would happen to me if he died, but I really did not want to find out.
If I concentrated, I could see the faintest outline of Sebastian’s face. It was as though he was chiseled from the darkness itself. I could feel the weight of his gaze as his eyes swept over me.
Parting my lips, I whispered, “I want you to live so we can explore this connection between us.Please.”
I didn’t want to wait until it was too late. Julieta was gone, and he was dying. I would never forgive myself if I didn’t act.
Remembering my new resolution—to live in the moment right in front of me—I made up my mind. Before I could second-guess myself, I closed the distance between us.
Steering clear of Sebastian’s chest, my lips brushed against his. None of the dust covering us mattered as our mouths met in the darkness. His lips were cool to the touch but not icy, and soft in a way that I hadn’t expected.
For a single heartbeat, he didn’t move. I wasn’t even sure if he breathed.
Another second passed.
I moved my lips over his, and a wave of disappointment washed over me. This one-sided kiss was… nice.
But that was all. Sebastian was as tense as a board beneath me, the lines of his body rigid where it met mine. He didn’t move at all.
I pulled away, exhaling slowly.
Maybe he didn’t want this. Maybe I read the cues wrong. That was possible, especially for people like me who lived in their heads. This wouldn’t be the first time I misunderstood a situation.
Maybe I missed something, and he didn’t want me like that.
Maybe…
An animalistic growl rose from the vampire’s chest and he raised a hand, gripping the back of my neck as he pulled me back toward him.
Our lips met in a crashing symphony of want. There was nothing nice or gentle about this meeting of our mouths.
This kiss was claiming, bruising, and world-changing. It was hot and urgent and filled with everything that neither of us had said. It was everything I had ever wanted, and nothing I had ever dreamed of. This kiss was one that I would never forget for the rest of my life.
Our breaths were heavy. An intensity so deep I could barely breathe, let alone think, filled our every touch. With every passing moment, I needed more. I hadn’t known kissing could be like this.
This wasn’t my first kiss. In the name of research, my first boyfriend Nathin and I explored each other when we were teenagers. I thought I knew everything there was to know about the reproductive process. It wasn’t that complicated, after all. I thought I knew what being with another person was like.
I. Was. Wrong.
My vampire’s powerful lips moved over mine as he took control of our kiss. He tilted my neck, deepening our connection. Every single place where he touched, from his mouth moving urgently against mine to the hard press of his hand against the back of my neck, felt like it was on fire. He kissed me like I was his entire world.
I moaned.
In reply, his tongue brushed up against my lips. I parted them, and his tongue swept into my mouth.