Blood Crave 2 by Jennifer Knight Page A

around to face him and watched his eyes grow lighter. I gave him a look, and a wry smile twisted his lips. “No fair,” he said. “I wasn’t ready.” He closed his eyes, breathing deeply. When he reopened them, they were a perfect dark brown. Beautiful.
    I tilted my face upward and brushed my lips against his, inhaling against his skin. The familiar scent of sweetness and pine needles reached my nose, sending warmth coursing through my body. I kissed his neck, feeling the stubble of his five o’clock shadow prick my lips. Lucas sighed, pulling me on top on him and sweeping my hair to the side. I let him kiss my throat, loving the goose bumps he raised on my skin.
    Tension built between us as we teased each other with kisses, touching everywhere but lips. Just when I thought I’d die if he didn’t kiss me, he took my face and pressed his lips to mine. Fire bloomed in my chest and I deepened the kiss, reveling in the warmth of his mouth.
    As we kissed, I let myself feel the happiness he brought me, and it bathed me in a warm beam of sunlight. All I wanted was more of it.
    My fingers found the bottom of Lucas’s shirt, and he let me pull it over his head. I felt the smoothness of his skin with my lips, tracing down his ribs. He pulled me back up with a lopsided smile on his face. I ate it up with my kisses, heart beating erratically. Lucas’s hands grazed the small of my back. I wanted him to go further, to take my shirt off—take everything off. But it was out of the question.
    Then I remembered that it might not be impossible anymore. I’d pretty much dismissed Lucas’s suggestion that I repress his change with my power while we made out because I’d been worried about Derek. But Derek was fine—for the moment—and well, Lucas and I hadn’t kissed like this in weeks. His suggestion was definitely starting to look good at the moment. Especially with everything Yvette had said about “matches” and whatnot. If Lucas and I had this superconnection or whatever, then I had more of a shot at calming his change than anybody else’s.
    Was I completely sure that I could suppress his triggers well enough and long enough for us to make love? Nope. But damn it, I was going to try.
    I pulled back, leaning on my elbows over him. I could feel that he was curious, but it was laced with the hunger of desire. A little crease puckered between his brows and I kissed it.
    “I have something to tell you,” I said.
    “Oh yeah?” His hands still ran up and down my hips, making it difficult to concentrate.
    “Mm-hmm,” I hummed. “I’m ready to try that whole suppress-your-trigger thing while we make out.”
    “Are you, now?” He grinned sleepily.
    I nodded. “I’ve recently acquired some new info about my power, and I think it’s time I test out the limits. What do you think?”
    He furrowed his brow. “What new info?”
    I smiled mischievously. “I’ll tell you later.” I bent in to kiss him, but he dodged and rolled over so I was below him. It happened so quickly, I was left a little disoriented.
    “Tell me now,” he said, and I could hear that stubborn edge to his voice. The one that told me he wasn’t about to drop this without an explanation.
    But I was probably the only person in the world who could make Lucas’s obstinacy melt away like snow at sunrise, and it was a power I liked to play with every once in a while. Especially at times like these when—amazingly—I knew something he didn’t. It wasn’t very often that I had the upper hand, but when I did, I didn’t give it up easily.
    “Tell you, or what?” I arched my hips into his and he groaned.
    “Or . . .”
    “Yeah?” I smiled innocently, a stark contrast to what I was doing with my hips.
    “Or . . . something ... bad . . .”
    “You’re very scary,” I said, pouting my lip out. “But I think you’re all bark and no bite.”
    “I’ll bite,” he said and hissed inwardly as I ran my fingernails lightly up his spine.
    Oh, this was