Caressed by a Crimson Moon (Rulers of Darkness) by Amanda J. Greene

between her thighs as tension coiled in her belly. God, he needed to kiss her and he needed to do it now.
    Wetting her lips, she whispered, “Y-Your Highness?”
    His hold on her grew firm. With a simple thought he could teleport them to his room, where they could spend the remaining hours of the night in pleasure. Why would he deny his needs? She was a willing female and surely he could control his bloodlust, taking enough from her to satisfy his hunger.
    She gazed up at him expectantly and Hadrian stood, enthralled, immobile. Her eyes sparkled with desire and burned with need, but there was something else that shimmered in their amber depths.
    Innocence.
    She was an innocent.
    For a few precious moments he could forget that she was his ward and that he was plagued by madness. But never could he overlook the fact that she was a virgin and that he was not the sort of man that would be gentle.
    Protect her, even from yourself.

 
    Chapter Seven
     
     
     
     
     
     
    Hadrian opened his eyes. He stood on the balcony of his room. Snow and wind lashed at him, punishing him for his weakness.
    At the last moment, as his body began to fade, he released her, leaving Eva in the solarium while he materialized outside in the storm.
    What had come over him? Good lord, he had been about to kiss her. He kissed no one. A kiss was personal and intimate, a connection he knew very little about. So much could be shared and revealed in a simple kiss: passion, doubt, fears, his very soul.
    Hadrian scowled. His soul. His battered, poisoned soul was one thing he would never reveal.
    But sweet heaven, Eva had felt incredible in his arms. Her buxom, delicate form pressed tightly to his had made him wish there was no clothing separating them. Her heartbeat sang to him as their lust filled the air. Her eyes, brilliant swirling pools of amber, her lips had been parted, an invitation? She had wanted him to kiss her, but he knew it would not end there. He would never be able to release her once he sampled her passion.
    He took a deep breath, hoping the frigid air would bring him peace. He cursed. Vanilla. The teasingly sweet scent clung to him, filling his lungs once more, feeding his ragging lust.
    He needed to gain control. He needed sex. And blood.
    Hadrian turned and threw open the double doors with his mind and stalked into his room.
    He had spent little time in his newly furnished, freshly draped bedchamber. Falcon had done a wonderful job with the repairs. Up until a month ago, the keep had been the definition of chaos. Books had been stacked like columns shoulder height, old papers had covered the floors like carpet while the wood paneling on the walls bore deep claw marks, every window shattered, the glass shimmering in the light of the moon. This room had been no different, covered with scares from his unleashed fury, but one would never know now. Everything was organized, assigned it’s own place, the books were even alphabetized and grouped by genre, the room appeared untouched by madness.
    Hadrian slammed the balcony doors closed with a thought as he rounded the raised daises his expansive bed stood upon and headed for the adjoining room, which had once been a sitting area but had been remolded into a closet. Shoving the door open, he tore off his shirt; casting aside the offending vanilla scent and donning a fresh black button up.
    His cock still throbbed with need and he mutter curse after curse as he forced it into a new set of jeans.  His clean clothes felt confining as he pulled on a black leather jacket.
    The demon in him roared for release. It cried out for Eva and Hadrian fought the images of her parted lips and her glowing eyes. He could have easily brought an end to his misery by teleporting her to his room. He could have laid her on his bed and slaked his wicked lust and drank deep of the luscious red wine that was her blood.
    “She is my ward. She is mortal. She is abhorrently virginal,” he growled as he stomped back into