Her heart was beating with the rhythm of his. Electricity seemed to arc between them. Whips of lightning danced in her bloodstream. Destiny was vaguely aware of the steady roar that thundered in her ears as his mouth took possession of hers. His gentleness was her undoing, the exquisite care he took with her. It was his tenderness that enabled her to merge with him completely.
Nicolae allowed the need to wash over him, through him. How did one survive when the body went up in flames and burned so cleanly? So completely? When the mind roared with need and every muscle was swollen and hard with a craving beyond bearing? Colors danced behind his eyes; fireworks burst through him, shooting sizzling sparks into his bloodstream. He deepened the kiss, feeding on her exotic taste. Possession and obsession were intertwining.
It was her small wince of pain that brought him to his senses. Reluctantly he lifted his head, needing her, craving her, but mindful of her terrible wounds. He rested his brow gently against hers, struggling to regain control of his breathing.
Destiny’s long lashes fluttered and lifted. She regarded him with a dreamy, unfocused gaze. Her breath was coming in ragged little gasps. Nicolae deliberately slowed his breathing, coaxed her into following his rhythm. His white teeth flashed in a small, smug display of male arrogance. Of satisfaction.
Her palm skimmed his jaw, framed his face. “You learned a few things in all those years hanging around on earth, didn’t you?”
His smile widened, his eyes glinting with humor. “I do not believe I ever experienced anything quite like this. Believe me, I would have remembered. It was rather like stepping off a cliff and free-falling through the heavens.”
Destiny was pleased in spite of herself, but too exhausted to keep her hand up. It slipped away from him and she snuggled against him, shifting her hips to a more comfortable position in his lap. At once she came into contact with his fully aroused body. Her blue-green eyes went wide with shock.
“Do not panic, little one,” he soothed gently. “I am not asking for anything.” The pad of his thumb slid over her lower lip to trace the perfection of her mouth.
Destiny’s gaze drifted over his face for a long moment, lingered in the dark depths of his. “You don’t ask for anything, yet you’re asking for everything.”
“In your time, Destiny,” he answered gently. “It will happen; we have all the time in the world.”
A faint smile curved her mouth. “Do we? You’d like me to believe that, wouldn’t you? This isn’t the first time the lifemate ritual has come up. You know, if what you say is true, it won’t matter one way or the other if you say the words and bind us. You’re already fixated.” There was faint humor in her voice.
His eyebrows shot up. Nicolae found he wanted to kiss her again. He was fascinated with the way her mouth curved and tempted him when she smiled. “I wouldn’t say fixated.”
“Sticking to me like glue, then,” Destiny insisted. A soft laugh escaped and immediately was choked off as pain slid over her fragile features. “Just do it. Get it over. Otherwise that idiot brother of yours will sit around glowering at me.”
“Vikirnoff does not glower.”
“Oh, yes, he does. He has those eyes and he gives me the ‘get it together’ look. It’s annoying.”
“What is annoying is that you are noticing his eyes. I do not think there is any need for you to be noticing his eyes.” He scowled at her.
She stared up at his face, a slow grin spreading. “You are jealous. Oh, my gosh, you are totally jealous because I noticed your silly brother glowering.”
“I am not jealous. And it is not that you noticed his glowering, it is that you noticed his eyes, which is an altogether different thing.”
“You are so jealous. That’s too funny. As if I’d look at the silent caveman. It’s bad enough that I have to put up with you. Just say the stupid words so I can go to sleep.”
“Destiny,” Nicolae sighed in exasperation. “You are missing the point. This is supposed to be romantic. There seems to be something lost in the moment.”