of pleasure so intense that Brie screamed with
it, a climax that took everything she had left to ride out. Alistair slammed
into her twice more, holding her tight as he came, pouring himself into her with
his teeth still in her neck.
Light flashed in front of her eyes, and for a single, perfect
moment, Brie felt the connection she had with Alistair strengthen, pulling
tight, until she wasn’t sure where she ended and he began. They fused, sparked.
Combusted.
Then he pulled his mouth away, gasping for air as the tremors
began to subside for both of them. The light vanished, but the feeling of
intense connection lingered like the echo of a blissful dream. Brie collapsed to
the bed, feeling boneless, weightless. Thoughts tried to gel, but broke apart.
She could barely move, so sated that her entire body felt as though it was
buzzing.
Brie made a soft sound, the only one she could muster, as
Alistair fell to the bed beside her and dragged her back against him. He pulled
the covers over both of them and then buried his face in her hair. Within
seconds his breathing had gone deep and even. Brie’s eyes drifted shut, and she
wondered, just for a passing moment, what on earth she had just done, what it
had changed.
Everything. The word was there and then gone, fluttering away
from her in the face of the onrushing dark.
Then, exhausted, Brie joined Alistair in sleep.
SEVEN
Brie knew something was wrong when she woke up
alone.
She blinked slowly, surfacing in the cold dark. Her body felt
strangely heavy, every movement taking longer than it ought to. The tender flesh
between her shoulder and her neck ached miserably. It wasn’t until she’d pushed
herself to a sitting position that she remembered why.
He hadn’t just let go. He’d bitten her. She’d wanted it, Brie
thought. Wanted all of him. The connection between the two of them had been too
strong to resist taking that final leap.
And now here she was. And Alistair was...wait...
Brie shivered when she threw the covers off, getting to her
feet in her own cold, dark apartment. The night could almost have been a dream,
apart from her throbbing shoulder and the fact that she wasn’t wearing anything
in a house that still had no power. Her clothes would still be on the floor
downstairs, she guessed, before seeing them stacked in a neatly folded pile on a
chair in the corner of her bedroom.
She could see them, Brie realized, eyes taking in the confines
of her familiar room. She looked quickly to the window, where the cold gray
light of early morning was filtering in. the wind still moaned, but not as
fiercely. Her stomach sank..
Somehow, she knew he was gone.
Brie hurried to her dresser, digging out a pair of old flannel
pants and a sweatshirt, a thick pair of socks, and dragging them on as quickly
as she could. She didn’t bother with her hair, instead rushing past her dresser
and out into the darkened chill of her apartment. Brie didn’t shut the door,
leaving it open as she hurried silently down the stairs, hoping to catch
Alistair unaware before he vanished.
It wouldn’t be for good, she told herself. He said—
Well, he hadn’t exactly said he would be back. He’d just said
he had no choice. What if he put off facing Owain again? What if she never saw
him again? What if he died ? What if...
A litany of questions played over and over in her head as the
knob of his apartment turned easily in her hand. Brie rushed in, knowing what
she would fine, knowing she had let herself in for this. Still, it felt like a
punch to the gut to see the cold, dark fireplace. She walked in slowly. The
furniture was still here.
Alistair was gone.
She didn’t know how she knew, only that she felt his absence.
Was that what Alistair
had meant about being able to sense Owain? She’d thrived on
Alistair’s presence for a long time now, Brie realized, even though they hadn’t
been speaking. The house was empty without him.
You wanted this , she told herself. Yes, she had.
it, a climax that took everything she had left to ride out. Alistair slammed
into her twice more, holding her tight as he came, pouring himself into her with
his teeth still in her neck.
Light flashed in front of her eyes, and for a single, perfect
moment, Brie felt the connection she had with Alistair strengthen, pulling
tight, until she wasn’t sure where she ended and he began. They fused, sparked.
Combusted.
Then he pulled his mouth away, gasping for air as the tremors
began to subside for both of them. The light vanished, but the feeling of
intense connection lingered like the echo of a blissful dream. Brie collapsed to
the bed, feeling boneless, weightless. Thoughts tried to gel, but broke apart.
She could barely move, so sated that her entire body felt as though it was
buzzing.
Brie made a soft sound, the only one she could muster, as
Alistair fell to the bed beside her and dragged her back against him. He pulled
the covers over both of them and then buried his face in her hair. Within
seconds his breathing had gone deep and even. Brie’s eyes drifted shut, and she
wondered, just for a passing moment, what on earth she had just done, what it
had changed.
Everything. The word was there and then gone, fluttering away
from her in the face of the onrushing dark.
Then, exhausted, Brie joined Alistair in sleep.
SEVEN
Brie knew something was wrong when she woke up
alone.
She blinked slowly, surfacing in the cold dark. Her body felt
strangely heavy, every movement taking longer than it ought to. The tender flesh
between her shoulder and her neck ached miserably. It wasn’t until she’d pushed
herself to a sitting position that she remembered why.
He hadn’t just let go. He’d bitten her. She’d wanted it, Brie
thought. Wanted all of him. The connection between the two of them had been too
strong to resist taking that final leap.
And now here she was. And Alistair was...wait...
Brie shivered when she threw the covers off, getting to her
feet in her own cold, dark apartment. The night could almost have been a dream,
apart from her throbbing shoulder and the fact that she wasn’t wearing anything
in a house that still had no power. Her clothes would still be on the floor
downstairs, she guessed, before seeing them stacked in a neatly folded pile on a
chair in the corner of her bedroom.
She could see them, Brie realized, eyes taking in the confines
of her familiar room. She looked quickly to the window, where the cold gray
light of early morning was filtering in. the wind still moaned, but not as
fiercely. Her stomach sank..
Somehow, she knew he was gone.
Brie hurried to her dresser, digging out a pair of old flannel
pants and a sweatshirt, a thick pair of socks, and dragging them on as quickly
as she could. She didn’t bother with her hair, instead rushing past her dresser
and out into the darkened chill of her apartment. Brie didn’t shut the door,
leaving it open as she hurried silently down the stairs, hoping to catch
Alistair unaware before he vanished.
It wouldn’t be for good, she told herself. He said—
Well, he hadn’t exactly said he would be back. He’d just said
he had no choice. What if he put off facing Owain again? What if she never saw
him again? What if he died ? What if...
A litany of questions played over and over in her head as the
knob of his apartment turned easily in her hand. Brie rushed in, knowing what
she would fine, knowing she had let herself in for this. Still, it felt like a
punch to the gut to see the cold, dark fireplace. She walked in slowly. The
furniture was still here.
Alistair was gone.
She didn’t know how she knew, only that she felt his absence.
Was that what Alistair
had meant about being able to sense Owain? She’d thrived on
Alistair’s presence for a long time now, Brie realized, even though they hadn’t
been speaking. The house was empty without him.
You wanted this , she told herself. Yes, she had.
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