Frightening First Kiss Friday – Immortal Death by Laurel O’Donnell

Happy October!  For this month, I will be featuring kisses from totally terrifying books of the undead!  Today’s Frightening First Kiss Friday featured book is my paranormal romance Immortal Death.  Here’s the first kiss between Demetrius Mercer and Jade Smith.  Enjoy!

“I don’t want my story to end that way,” Jade said, her voice thick. “My Demetrius would be…destroyed. He would…”

Demetrius looked at her and was shocked to find glistening tears ringing her eyes.

“…be devastated.” Jade looked at him, her eyes tormented with anguish.

He reached out to her, taking her face in his hands. His fingers stroked soothing circles over her temples. “He would not have wanted to go on,” he said gently. He didn’t like to see her tears. He didn’t like her sadness. It made his own anguish worse. He pulled her close to him, holding her. “Don’t be sad. It happened a long time ago.”

“But he’s my Demetrius. If I can’t make him happy, who can?”

Her words shocked him, confused him. His gaze dropped to her lips. She was so beautiful. So very mesmerizing. It was so dangerous to be this close to any mortal, yet alone Jade. So dangerous. He couldn’t help how he was leaning in toward her. Just one taste. Just one touch of her warm skin. He had been so cold since Rosaline’s death.

“Rosaline would have wanted him to be happy,” Jade said softly.

Her words halted him a mere inch from her lips. “Happy?” he whispered bitterly. “Without her? It wasn’t possible. She was so vibrant and so full of life. When she died, she took his life with her. His heart died when that dagger was plunged through hers.” He stopped cold, but did not pull away from her. Her eyes were like a sea of blue, consuming, compassionate. And he needed that retribution. Absolution for not being able to protect Rosaline.

“She couldn’t help it,” Jade whispered. “She would have stayed with him if she could. She would never have left him. But there was betrayal. And–”

“Betrayal?” Demetrius demanded, his gaze sweeping her face. “What do you mean by betrayal?”

“Didn’t you tell me that? Someone close to her…” Her hand brushed across his arm. “I don’t know. I feel like it was someone she trusted.”

“Trusted?” he echoed, disbelievingly. It had been a Malachite. There was no way Rosaline would have trusted one of those monsters. No way. Maybe Jade didn’t know the story as well as he thought she did, as well as she pretended. Her hot breath fanned over his face and the story became less and less important. All that was important was the feel of her in his arms, the need to have her lips against his.

“Sometimes, I feel the story,” she whispered. “Not the way I want it to be, but the way that feels right.”

Demetrius stared down into her eyes and then moved his gaze languorously to her lips. She was so lovely. So enticing. A longing and need rose in him like he hadn’t felt in all the years since Rosaline.

The first touch of their lips was tentative, testing, as if he were giving her a chance to escape. But she didn’t pull back. A taste, he reminded himself. Her lips were hot, not just warm. It wasn’t enough. He wanted a larger taste. More. Demetrius pressed his lips to hers, fully. With a gentle stroke of his tongue across her mouth, her lips parted. And he couldn’t help himself. He was lost. He swept his tongue into her mouth, pulling her against him.

For the first time in centuries, he hardened. It was sweet, sweet ecstasy to feel her against him, to touch her face, her lips. Lord, he’d forgotten how absolutely breathtaking it was. She pressed her tongue to his and he almost exploded. He wanted her. He leaned into her, pushing her back against the bed. She was so small beneath him and he felt a sudden need to protect her. His emotions…yes, emotions, churned. He had been dead for so long he barely recognized the passion. But now, now it was as if he were given a second chance, a bolt of powerful desire shot through him and he crushed her to him.

She tasted of coffee and strawberry ice cream. Demetrius knew this was wrong. She was a mortal! She was not like him. And yet, he could not stop. He didn’t want to. He wanted to feel her. All of her. He wanted to touch her. She warmed him, touched him inside, made him feel alive again.

*****

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