The Crown of Gilded Bones (Blood and..

damn nightgown?” His chuckle was rough. “You didn’t hide.
Not then, and not when you went out to ease the pain of
those cursed by the Craven. You’ve chosen things for
yourself longer than you realize, Poppy—longer than you
give yourself credit for. You always did when it mattered the
most, and did so knowing the consequences. Because
you’re brave. You were never the Maiden. You were never
truly helpless. You were smart, strong, and brave.”
He exhaled heavily. “I don’t think I’ve told you this. I
didn’t get the chance yet. When you asked me to kiss you
under the willow? Deep down, I knew then that I would give
you anything you asked for. I still will. Whatever you want,”
he promised roughly, his fingers tangling in my hair. “You
can have it. Anything. Everything. You can have it all. I will
make sure of it.”
Warmth buzzed through me, erasing the prickly
sensation in my skin. I swallowed the rich essence of him
and then I took what felt like my first real breath. It didn’t
burn or open that empty feeling again. It did something
entirely different. The blood…
His blood…
It was like liquid fire, stroking to life a different kind of
need, one I fell headfirst into. I tilted forward, pressing my
breasts against his bare chest. The contact left me hungry in
a way much different from earlier but just as potent. I
shifted in his lap. We both groaned. Instinct took over, my
body knowing what I wanted—what I needed—as I drank
from his wrist. I rolled my hips against his, shaking at the
intense curling sensation deep in my lower stomach.
His blood…gods. My skin tingled now, becoming overly
sensitive. The tips of my breasts ached as they brushed
against the fine dusting of hair across his chest. I
whimpered, pressing down against the hardness straining
through thin pants. I wanted…no, I needed him.
“Whatever you want,” he said, his words a vow. “I will
give it to you.”