CHAPTER 272: VAMPIRE HUNT 32

Lucian groaned—an unrestrained, guttural sound—and Selis felt the solid weight of his arousal pressing against her palm, hardening under her touch. Her own pulse kicked up at the realization.

Selis blinked, taken aback. So the stoic, infuriating Captain could react like this . . . Not even Tessa’s much-gossiped-about curves had ever made him so much as blink.

Yet here he was, his body betraying every wall he’d tried to keep between them.

"I guess you’re still a man after all," she murmured, her voice husky, teasing—but with a flicker of wonder she couldn’t quite hide.

Lucian’s jaw tightened, his eyes burning into hers as if he were deciding whether to sunk his fangs unto her again . . . or make her regret testing him.

Selis’s hand lingered against him, her touch light and slow, as if testing the boundaries of the man who seemed untouchable to everyone else.

Lucian’s amber eyes locked onto hers, that faint crimson glow deepening—like embers stoked into a fire. She could feel the restrained strength in him, the weight of someone used to control, yet now that control felt paper-thin.

"You . . . ," his voice was low, almost unsteady, as if he couldn’t decide whether to pull her closer or push her away.

Selis tilted her head, her lips curling in a half-smirk. "I guess even the great Captain has his weak spots."

Her words were meant to provoke, but instead of snapping back, Lucian simply exhaled through his nose—slow, sharp, and heated. His hand moved, not to restrain her, but to rest against the small of her back, drawing her just close enough that the space between them all but disappeared.

The scent of him—metal, sweat, and something darker—wrapped around her.

"You’re playing with fire," he murmured, yet he didn’t step away.

"Maybe I like the burn," she whispered back, her voice softer now, almost challenging him to test her resolve.

In the next breath, he moved—fast enough to make her gasp. One arm locked around her waist, the other braced at her jaw, tilting her face up toward his.

His gaze searched hers, intense and burning, as though he were memorizing every flicker of hesitation and desire in her expression.

Her heart was hammering against her ribs, but she didn’t look away.

Lucian’s lips brushed hers—barely. It was the kind of touch that wasn’t a kiss but a promise, leaving her suspended between anticipation and impatience.

"That’s not fair," she breathed.

"I’m not here to be fair," he replied, his tone deepening.

And then he kissed her.

Not a cautious meeting of lips, but a fierce, claiming pull that made her knees weaken. His hand at her back tightened, pressing her to him, while the other cradled her head as though she might try to escape. She didn’t.

This wasn’t part of the plan, but . . .

Her fingers curled into the fabric at his chest, feeling the solid muscle beneath. The tension that had always sat like armor around him was unraveling in her hands.

When they parted, only barely, their breaths mingled. She could feel the heat radiating from him, his chest rising and falling faster now.

"You’ve wanted this," she murmured, her voice husky.

His lips curved just slightly—not quite a smile, but close enough to make her pulse spike. "And you’ve been daring me to take it."

Before she could retort, he lowered his head again, his mouth tracing along her jaw, to the curve of her neck. The warmth of his breath made her shiver, but when his teeth grazed her skin, a thrill shot through her that stole her breath entirely.

Her fingers slid upward, tangling briefly in his hair before fisting at the nape of his neck. She didn’t know if she was pulling him closer or holding herself steady.

Lucian’s voice rumbled against her throat. "Careful what you offer. I might take more than you think."

"Maybe that’s exactly what I want."

The words left her before she could second-guess them, and whatever restraint Lucian had been clinging to finally snapped.

In one fluid motion, he swept her off her feet, his arm locking under her thighs, carrying her as though she weighed nothing.

She gave a startled laugh that quickly turned into a breathless sound when his mouth found hers again—harder, deeper this time.

The world around them blurred. She could barely register the faint creak of leather from his coat, the sound of their breaths tangling, the way his heartbeat thudded in perfect sync with hers.

By the time her back touched the cool surface of the floor, she was already lost in the pull of him. He hovered over her, eyes burning in the dim light, his chest rising and falling like he’d been running.

And then—without warning—he stilled.

His gaze roamed over her, sharp and assessing, as though asking a question without speaking it.

Selis met that look head-on. "Don’t you dare stop now, Captain."

The faintest, most dangerous smile touched his lips. "You started this."

"Then finish it," she shot back, her voice steady even as her pulse betrayed her.

Lucian leaned down, his forehead brushing hers. "Gladly."

What followed wasn’t slow—it was a storm breaking loose.

Selis didn’t break eye contact, her fingers still teasing at the line of his waistband. The steady rise and fall of his chest wasn’t steady anymore — it was quickening, each breath deeper, heavier, as if he was wrestling with something inside himself.

There was no going back now, she could feel the faint heat radiating off his body despite the chill in the night air.

His scent — a mixture of leather, steel, and something darker — wrapped around her senses. It was maddening.

She tilted her head, her hand tracing lightly up his torso, feeling the rigid lines of muscle beneath.

Lucian leaned in, his lips brushing her ear as he spoke, sending shivers down her spine. "Once I start, I won’t stop."

"Good," she murmured.

Lucian moved. One hand slid to her hip, anchoring her against him, while the other tangled in her hair, keeping her exactly where he wanted her.

She responded in kind, her hands exploring the lines of his back, the tense muscles coiled beneath his clothes.