“Valentin!” I screamed, and fought for breath at the dual sensation of his tongue and finger working in tandem, lifting me higher and higher.

Lights flashed behind my closed eyes. Like lightning, I felt a burst of heat shoot through my veins, bringing with it the most intense heat. And I burst apart; I screamed as pleasure filled my every part, my chest pushing against Valentin’s rigid hold. My body bucked and strained until I couldn’t take any more. But Valentin never stopped. He groaned as he lapped at my flesh, but I was too sensitive, my body needing a break.

“Valentin,” I whispered, my thighs shaking against his shoulder as my body struggled to calm down. “Valentin,” I pushed again, and laid my hand over his on my chest. I squeezed at his hand and felt his tongue slow. He lapped at and circled my clit, then slowly pulled his finger from my channel. I gasped for breath as the sensations heating me from within began to cool. But Valentin’s thorough tongue lazily licked at my wetness, his soft lips kissing at my core, filling my heart with light.

Minutes and minutes passed by as he caressed my center. My back flattened against the mattress as my hand held on to his, still on my chest. My legs fell to the side, too weak to move. My eyes were closed, and I was sure I could stay like this forever. This, the aftermath of the pleasure, the man I craved most bringing me down and worshiping me. Making me feel alive.

I had survived the massacre that took my family, but lying here, I realized that the years spent away in hiding I was simply existing.

And it took a monster to revive my heart. It took a killer to touch my soul.

Peppering kisses along my folds, Valentin then turned his face to my thighs before finally lifting his head. As his eyes met mine, my heart lurched and my face flushed. Valentin sat back on his ankles, and my attention dropped to his hard long length jutting against his stomach. The tip glistened.

Valentin wiped across his mouth with his arm, then moved forward, planting his hands at my sides. Valentin crawled forward, looking every inch the dark, dangerous predator he was. His muscled inked body, spattered with scars and marks, engulfed mine. I tried to control my breathing. As he stalked me, I tried to cool my blood. But this man hovered over me in silence, hunting his prey. My heart raced and my chest seized with anticipation.

His expression had changed. I could see that taking me in his mouth had triggered something carnal and dark within him. Yet I wasn’t afraid. I wanted him like this.

I liked him needing me like this.

Valentin’s hands stopped beside my head. Still he remained silent. The air in the room was still and heavy as he stared down at me. His cut and ripped muscles tensed and rippled as he held his large frame over me. I shivered and shook under his scrutiny, yet my skin burned with need.

My lips parted and I released a pent-up breath, Valentin’s jaw clenching as I did so. The static pulsed and crackled between us; then as he lowered his torso, his heavily muscled thighs pushed mine open until I could not spread them anymore.

Valentin’s chest met mine, and his arms caged my head on the mattress.

I was trapped.

I was held captive.

I was alive.

Reaching down, Valentin’s warm breath ghosting over my skin, I suddenly felt him at my entrance. My heart kicked into a sprint as he ran his broad wet tip up and down my folds. I swallowed at the sheer size of him. I wasn’t sure I could take him.

The silence of the room, and the lack of words coming from Valentin, only added to the nerves, topping up the tension. My chest was coiled as I waited for him to push forward. Just as I feared I could not do this, Valentin suddenly lowered his mouth to mine, and he pressed a soft and gentle kiss to my lips.

I whimpered. Just like that, I was calmed. Valentin reared back, but only by an inch. His eyes still bored into mine and no words were spoken, but he moved forward, the head of his hardness pushing into me.

I sucked in a sharp breath at this new feeling. My hands slapped against the heavily defined biceps on Valentin’s arms. His jaw was tense, and he scarcely breathed as he slowly pushed forward again.

Air whooshed from my lungs as he pushed farther inside. Pain began to build, and as he continued to move I was sure he could not fit. I wasn’t sure I could take him … the pain.

I squeezed my eyes shut as he filled me, and filled me, my nails digging into the skin on his arms. Then they snapped back open when, on a long thrust, he filled me to the hilt. I cried out. Valentin’s strong arms shook as he held up his torso.

A fast burst of breath rushed from his mouth, an echo of a growl in his throat. My forehead was damp as I tried to bear the pain. Then Valentin moved, his hips pulling back slightly until only the tip of his length remained within me. I froze as he began pushing forward once again, only this time, as Valentin pushed himself within me, the pain dulled and, in its place, a shiver of pleasure ran through my veins.

A surprised moan left my lips. My eyes that were fixed like glue on Valentin’s then dropped down between us, and I could feel myself get wet at the sight that greeted me. Valentin’s stomach rolled with the movement of his hips, and every time it did I caught sight of him pushing within my core, my skin flushing at this erotic sight.

Valentin’s breathing suddenly changed. His long controlled breaths quickened in pace. His fair skin flushed under the dark stubble coating his face. His eyes became leaden as his hips began to thrust faster and faster.

“Valentin,” I whispered almost inaudibly. Valentin hissed at his name on my lips. His large arms caging my head closed in, until he was all I could see, all I could feel—within me, around me. The warmth from his skin scalded my flesh, and the low raspy groans beginning to claw from his throat ignited a fire in my blood.

Valentin thrust harder. At the heady feel of his length dragging against something within my channel, something that I knew on instinct I craved, my hips moved, too, rolling in conjunction with his.

A loud moan poured from Valentin and his body jerked. “Fuck,” he bit, and lowered his mouth until his lips brushed against mine. He never kissed me, just left his soft mouth teasing me. But at the same time my heart stuttered at his closeness.

That now-familiar pressure of pleasure began to build inside me, traveling down to my thighs. My eyes widened at the feel, and I realized it was nothing like the pleasure Valentin had given me before. This was different; this felt very different.

Valentin’s thrusts were fast and strong, the pace of him pushing inside of me bringing me to the brink of an unknown precipice. Moving my hands, I wrapped them around Valentin’s neck and felt every second of our joining, of our hips fighting for the pleasure that was now within sight. Hot shivers accosted my skin and my heart beat too fast. Crying out as a spark of intense heat spiked within me, I pressed my forehead against Valentin’s forehead and whispered his name.