77. Ell-rom

77

ELL-ROM

I t was a gamble, in case Jasmine did not enjoy being the dominant partner, but Ell-rom was desperate. Perhaps if she took the lead and got more aggressive with him, he would get carried away and bite her before his mind made the connection between biting and blood, between fangs and pain.

According to Jasmine, the venom bite was highly pleasurable, but at the moment of incision it was very painful, and he dreaded the thought of causing that.

She hadn't made a big deal out of it, but he suspected that she had downplayed the unpleasant part and overplayed the euphoric effect of the bite.

The desire to fully bond with her was all-consuming, but he feared that his aversion would kick in again and make him bite the cursed pillow.

It had been the low point of their previous lovemaking, and he still felt shamed by it, even though Jasmine had reassured him that everything had been perfect. She had also climaxed, but he wasn't sure if it was indicative of his skill as a lover or just an automatic response to the joining.

He studied her face, trying to gauge her emotions.

She looked tired, the weight of Annani's expectations evident in the slight slump of her shoulders, but her lips were curled in a seductive smile, and her eyes sparkled with mischief and desire.

"Are you tired?" He reached out to tuck a stray strand of hair behind her ear.

Jasmine leaned into his touch. "A little, but not enough to fall asleep yet." She sounded breathy.

He captured her lips in what he'd intended to be a tender kiss, but she responded with such hunger that his plan was forgotten.

Her arms came up to wrap around his neck, pulling him closer as she deepened the kiss, igniting passion between them. But despite the heat, the almost desperate need, there was also a gentleness, a reverence in the way they touched each other.

There was love.

When they parted, Ell-rom rested his forehead against Jasmine's. "I love you."

"I love you too," she whispered. "Sometimes, the intensity of my emotions scares me. You've become my whole world, and I feel like I'm forgetting who I am."

"I don't want that," he said.

"I know." She lifted her head and looked into his eyes. "It's not your fault. It's mine, and I need to work on it." She smiled, but it looked forced. "When you are fully recovered and we move into the village, I'm going to start working for Syssi's company —the Perfect Match Virtual Studios. I hope to become their spokesperson, but I'll settle for a lesser position."

"I hope I will find something to do as well. Maybe I can also work for Perfect Match? You said that trying out their travel adventures will allow me to learn about your world much faster, and since I am a blank page, I can provide them with unbiased feedback."

Jasmine nodded. "That would be lovely because I can't bear to be apart from you for more than a few hours. I start to get restless and anxious."

"I do, too," he admitted. "It's the bond, although we didn't fulfill all the requirements for it to form yet."

"There is no rush, my love." She leaned her head on his chest. "Sometimes I can't believe how much my life has changed since I met you."

"For the better, I hope."

"Of course." She looked up at him and smiled, but this time, the smile wasn't forced. "I'm a trained actress, and I'm supposed to know the whole spectrum of emotions, but I've never felt so alive as I do with you. It's almost as if I was sleepwalking through my life before, which doesn't make sense since I've done a lot and experienced a lot. All the productions I was a part of, the people I've met, the Wicca, and yet everything seems meaningless to me now. It's scary."

Her words resonated with him, but in his case, he actually had been sleeping for seven thousand years, and he had awakened to a new world and a new life, and at the center of it all was Jasmine.

Ell-rom leaned down and kissed her forehead. "You make me want to be better, to be worthy of your love."

"You are already worthy, my love, just the way you are. You are kind, brave, and determined, and you have a big heart full of love. You don't need to change anything for me."

That wasn't true, but the moment was too sweet to spoil with reality, like the fact that both of them were enjoying the clan's hospitality and that, at some point, they would be required to contribute to the community and not just take. Jasmine had skills she could offer the clan, but Ell-rom had none.

Well, that wasn't true either.

If they needed an undetectable assassin, he was their guy.

Except, he didn't want to be a killer for hire. He would rather mop floors or do any other menial work, just not do that.

Jasmine chuckled softly. "Stop thinking so hard and kiss me."

He leaned in, kissing her again and trying to pour all the emotions he couldn't quite articulate into the kiss. His hands roaming Jasmine's back, he pulled her closer and reveled in the soft warmth of her body against his.

With a soft moan escaping her lips, she melted into him.

For a moment, Ell-rom lost himself in the sensations, the taste, and the feel of Jasmine, but as his arousal intensified, so did his awareness of his fangs and the urge to bite that always accompanied his passion.

Anxiety began to creep in, tempering his desire with fear.

Jasmine must have sensed his hesitation because she pulled back, her eyes searching his face. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing." He cupped the back of her head, but she resisted his pull.

"It's not nothing. You are tense."

There was no hiding from this female of his. "The aversion to blood. It's still there."

Her eyes softened. "It's okay. We had fun last night without the bite, right? It was amazing."

Their joining had been spectacular despite his inability to bite her, but Ell-rom had feared that she'd been disappointed.

It was good to hear her say that she'd enjoyed it as much as he had.

"It was," he murmured. "I wonder if that was how I imagined it would be, but I doubt it."

She chuckled. "If your and Morelle's sex education in the temple was based on the Kra-ell customs, I wouldn't be surprised if it was your choice to become a celibate priest."

"It wasn't my choice, but if I was given one, perhaps I would have chosen celibacy over being mauled by a ferocious she-beast."

Jasmine laughed. "I wonder what Jade would have to say about being called that."

He pretended horror. "I would never dare say that to her face."

Jasmine shrugged. "Maybe she would find it funny."

"Jade doesn't seem to have a sense of humor. She's a warrior."

A playful smile lifted Jasmine's well-kissed lips. "You are her prince, and she said something about being duty-bound to protect you. I think you could say anything you want to her, and she would bow her head respectfully."

He hadn't known that. "I need to speak with her to learn more about my past, but once again, I forgot to ask Kian to arrange a meeting."

"No worries. You are getting a phone and a laptop, so you can call her yourself anytime you want. I'll show you how to do that. I'll also show you how to use a laptop, but I don't think either device will come programmed with Kra-ell, so you might have to learn English first. I'll help you with that, too."

Ell-rom felt his heart swell with emotion. He pulled Jasmine close again, burying his face in her hair, breathing in her familiar scent. "I don't know what I did to deserve you," he murmured.

Jasmine's arms tightened around him. "You're you. That's more than enough." She kissed him lightly and then untangled herself from his embrace. "Come on." She pushed to her feet. "Let's get into bed and just lie down together. It's too early to go to sleep, but I know that you are exhausted."

He was, but he didn't want to sleep.

They settled onto the bed, Jasmine curling into his side, her head resting on his chest. He wrapped his arm around her, enjoying how perfectly they fit together.