ChapterEighteen
Leo was eighty-four years old. He'd helped form an unlikely alliance with the shifters and fae witches when no one thought it was possible. He ruled over all the vampires in London and nearly half of all residing in England. On top of that, even now, he had plans in place in case of a coming war with the French.
And yet, as he approached Yesenia's door later that evening, he was actually quite…nervous. His heart raced, his palms sweated a bit, and his fangs were already elongated in anticipation of biting his bride's soft, sweet skin.
And his unease wasn't because it'd been decades since he'd last been able to have an erection and fuck a female either.
No, it was because after this night, the instinct drawing him to the fae witch would fade, Yesenia could say her end of the bargain was over, and he might never be able to kiss her again, or taste her sweet blood, or revel in her moans as he stroked her pointed ears as she came.
Stop it, Yates. You don't need a weakness. This is for the best.
Yes, that was true. Wanting her to be his for more than a night would only bring her pain, make him weak, and possibly endanger a great many people, including his sister, brother, and nephew.
Laurie.He'd nearly forgotten about his younger brother over the last weeks. But in a way, it was good his younger brother had stayed away. The bastard was too charming by half, and even if he was in his frozen state and couldn't fuck anyone, he had an entire pleasure house that could tempt Yesenia away from Leo.
Wait, no. She wasn't his. Not really.
Frustrated with himself, he ran a hand through his hair and resisted a growl. All of this, the bloody worrying and desiring, was exactlywhyhe hadn't wanted to find his bride in the first place.
The reminder helped to calm him down and keep him a bit more focused. This evening was a task like any other. And once he checked it off his list, he'd move on to the next item.
That was the way it had to be.
He finally arrived at Yesenia's suite of chambers, took a deep breath, straightened his waistcoat, and knocked.
She opened the door wearing a belted dressing gown. The material was thin and did little to hide her womanly curves. As she stood back and motioned him inside, he couldn't tear his gaze away from her gently swaying breasts or the faint points of her half-hard nipples.
Yesenia cleared her throat. "Are you going to stare at my boobs all night or come in? I'd rather not give a free show to anyone walking by."
The thought of anyone else seeing her delectable skin made him growl. He rushed in, shut the door, and tugged her against his front.
Yesenia gasped, and with all her softness now pressed against him, Leo couldn’t resist any longer and crushed his mouth over hers.
Her soft hands rose to his neck, caressing his skin, and he tugged her even tighter against him. With her taste, and scent, and heat surrounding him, his dick turned to stone.
Needing much more than a few nibbles, he seamed her lips and his fae witch opened her mouth and didn’t hesitate to meet his tongue stroke for stroke.
Between her tangles and teasing flicks, and even trying to suckle his tongue, it was all so bloody perfect, as if she knew exactly how to please him and wasn’t shy about it.
Even as he explored every inch of her mouth, it wasn’t nearly enough. He needed to feel the curves and valleys of her body. His hands traveled down her back and gripped her soft arse cheeks. He rocked her against him, her belly teasing his cock through his trousers, and they both groaned.
He deepened the kiss, holding onto her arse as if afraid she’d move away without his touch, and didn’t let her take control. No, Leo was the one to lick, and stroke, and suckle her tongue, never letting up for a second, as if she might vanish if he did.
She tugged his hair, probably trying to tell him to give her a turn, and he eased up a little, but only a little. After she finally stroked her tongue against his, she rubbed her lower half against his and he broke the kiss, hissing. “Are you trying to rush me?”
She traced his jaw, and he nearly leaned into her featherlight touch. “Maybe.” Her hand trailed down his neck and lightly stroked his pulse. “Or maybe I’m just curious what your bite will feel like.”
The image of his fangs in her neck as he fucked her flashed into his mind, and something inside him snapped. “For that comment, I’m going to purposefully drive you a bit mad before I do it.”
She frowned, but he ignored her reaction to scoop her into his arms and stride into her bedroom.
As he sat her on the edge, Yesenia stared up at him, desire plain in her gaze, and tilted her head. “How long is this drawing out going to take?” She toyed with the belt of her dressing gown. “Because I’m getting rather hot and want to take this off.”
Leo’s heart thundered in his chest, and it took him a second to realize his bride was far more wanton than he’d thought. “Take it off.”
It wasn’t a request, but Yesenia didn’t balk at him for once. No, she maintained eye contact as she oh so slowly undid the bow and let the dressing gown gape open a few inches, revealing a strip of flesh down her torso while still hiding far too much.
Reaching out, he traced her bare skin from throat to navel and back again, loving how she shivered at his touch. Yesenia placed her hands behind her on the mattress, arched her back, and the material fell off her shoulders to reveal her glorious body.