51. Ell-rom

51

ELL-ROM

" W hat are you thinking that makes you smile like that?" Jasmine traced the contour of Ell-rom's lips with her finger.

"Love and how it changes everything." He caught her hand and kissed her fingertips. "How does the venom bite feel?"

She chuckled softly. "I thought we were not going to talk about sex."

"We are not going to engage in it, at least not right now, but we can talk about it."

"Talking might lead to doing," she said playfully.

"We can do whatever we want as long as we are both comfortable with it."

"True." She looked at him from under lowered lashes. "Are you sure you want me to describe how being bitten by an immortal felt even when that immortal wasn't you?"

She had a point, but Ell-rom felt that hearing her describe how pleasurable it had been might help him get over his aversion. He wanted to give her pleasure, and he wanted to turn her immortal, and the stronger that desire was, the better chance he had of battling his revulsion for blood.

"I need to know what to expect."

Jasmine's eyes took on a dreamy quality. "The bite itself hurts, but not terribly so, especially if you lick the spot before striking. Your saliva has healing properties. The pain lasts only a split second, and then there is a rush of warmth and euphoria that spreads through the entire body. I climax, again and again, until I can climax no more, and then I black out and get catapulted into the clouds on a euphoric wave that takes me on a marvelous trip to a different reality. It's really indescribable how that feels, and sometimes, I don't want to come back." She cupped his cheek. "But I know that I will want to come back to you. You will be my tether to this reality."

Ell-rom felt a stirring of desire. The thought of giving Jasmine that kind of pleasure was intoxicating.

"I want to give you that so much."

Jasmine lifted her face to him and kissed him. "We'll work up to it slowly." There was a playful glint in her eyes. "We can start by exploring each other a bit. No pressure, no expectations. Just touch and be touched." She leaned in to kiss him again.

This time, the kiss was deeper and more passionate, and Ell-rom responded in kind, warming, and hardening.

"You're beautiful," he murmured against her skin, pressing soft kisses along her neck.

Jasmine hummed with pleasure, her fingers threading through his hair. "So are you. Inside and out."

Ell-rom liked the slow, exploratory pace and the absence of expectation.

He spent time marveling at the softness of Jasmine's skin, the subtle curves of her body, and the way she responded to his touch with soft sighs and quiet murmurs of encouragement.

As the water began to cool, Jasmine reluctantly pulled away. "We should probably get out before we turn into dried fruit."

Ell-rom chuckled. "Why would we turn into fruit?"

"It's just a saying. When you stay in the water too long, your skin gets all wrinkly, kind of like a dried fruit that was left in the sun for too long."

"Ah," Ell-rom said, understanding dawning. He looked at his fingers, noticing for the first time how the skin had indeed begun to wrinkle. "Fascinating."

As they climbed out of the tub, Ell-rom didn't miss the hungry look Jasmine directed at his erection, but she kept her word and didn't pursue more than he indicated he was ready for.

Careful to steady himself on the slippery floor, he took the towel that Jasmine handed him and dried himself off.

"How are you feeling?" she asked as they settled onto the bed, both wrapped in bathrobes.

"Good. Thank you for being so patient and understanding. I just hope that I'm not disappointing you."

She smiled, reaching out to take his hand. "Never. I love this slow pace. It allows us time to get to know each other better, something I have never bothered with before."

"Why not?"

She sighed. "It's hard to explain without sounding like I'm analyzing the twisted workings of my mind."

He lifted her hand to his lips and kissed her wrinkly fingertips. "I'm sure to be fascinated by those twisted workings."

Jasmine sighed again. "I didn't have much love in my life growing up. My mother died when I was very young, and my father was not affectionate with me. I did not even know what love was supposed to feel like, but I craved closeness. When I developed feminine curves and started to feel sexual urges, I didn't hold back. Sex provided the need for closeness and connection. I didn't need to work hard for it, it was pleasurable, and it filled some of the void in my heart."

As Ell-rom's heart flooded with sorrow for the lonely girl she'd been, he kissed her fingers again. "I vow to love you so much and so completely that your heart will be full to bursting with it."