I wanted to scream no. I wanted to shove him away, to prove I could master this fire on my own. But the scent curled tighter around me, coiling hot in my chest and sinking lower, twisting through every nerve until even the thought of refusal felt impossible.
My lips trembled inches from his skin. The warmth of him radiated against my face, his pulse thudding like a drum just beneath the surface. The scent was everywhere now, wrapping around me, filling my mouth with a promise I hadn’t yet tasted. My tongue moved before I could stop it, darting out, catching the first ruby drop as it slipped free.
The taste shattered me.
Sweet. Metallic. Endless. It rolled across my tongue thicker than wine, darker than desire, so potent my body arched toward it before I had even swallowed. It slid down
