She smacked my chest lightly. "Not for that. Well, not just for that." She bit her lip. "For making me feel special. Like Iâm the only one who matters when weâre together."
Something tightened in my chest. Because she was telling the truthâwhen I was with Naomi, she was the only one who mattered. Despite the complicated web of relationships I was weaving, despite the strategic value of her Silver-tier essence, despite everything the System demanded of me... in moments like this, it really was just about her.
"You are special," I said, the words feeling strange and true on my tongue. "More than you know."
She studied my face, like she was searching for a lie and not finding one. Then she smiled, that genuine Naomi smile that crinkled the corners of her eyes and made my stomach do weird flips.
"Youâre not so bad yourself, Monroe."
I laughed. "High praise indeed."
She rolled toward me, pressing her body against mine. I was still fully clothed, my erection straining painfully against my jeans. She noticed, her hand drifting down to cup me through the denim.
"You must be uncomfortable," she murmured.
"Iâll live," I replied, though my hips betrayed me by pushing against her hand.
"Still..." Her fingers worked at my belt buckle. "It seems unfair for me to be the only one enjoying myself."
I caught her hand. "This isnât about fairness. Itâs about you."
She looked up at me, a new determination in her eyes. "And what if pleasing you pleases me?"
Well. Hard to argue with that logic.
I released her hand, and she went back to unbuckling my belt with surprising dexterity. She had me unzipped and freed from my boxers in seconds, her warm hand wrapping around my length with just the right amount of pressure.
"Fuck," I breathed, my head falling back against the pillow.
"Like that?" she asked, a hint of smugness in her tone.
"Exactly like that."
She stroked me slowly, experimentally, watching my face for reactions. Each time I gasped or my eyelids fluttered, she repeated whatever sheâd just done, learning what I liked with remarkable quickness.
"Can I try something?" she asked, her voice soft but eager.
"Anything."
She smiled, a mischievous glint in her eyes. "Close your eyes."
I obeyed, curious. I felt her shift on the bed, felt her hot breath against my cock a moment before her lips wrapped around the head. I gasped, my eyes flying open in surprise.
She pulled back. "Eyes closed," she reminded me.
I shut them again, settling back against the pillows. This time when her mouth enveloped me, I was ready for it. What I wasnât ready for was the sensation that followedâa perfect, wet heat surrounding me, her tongue swirling patterns that made my toes curl.
"Holy shit, Naomi," I groaned, one hand finding her hair.
She hummed in response, the vibration sending new shockwaves of pleasure through me. She took me deeper, working what she couldnât fit with her hand. The dual sensation had me seeing stars behind my closed eyelids.
Without warning, the pleasure doubled. Then tripled.
My eyes snapped open. "Naomi?"
She pulled back, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. Her eyes sparkled with triumph. "Youâre not the only one who can play with senses."
Understanding dawned. "Wave Motion. Youâre using it to enhance nerve endings."
She nodded, looking pleased with herself. "Iâve been practicing too. Small-scale applications."
"Youâre a fucking genius," I said with complete sincerity.
Her smile widened. "I know."
Before I could respond to that delightful bit of confidence, she was lowering her head again, taking me into her mouth with new purpose. And this time, the sensation was beyond anything I could have imagined. Every nerve ending felt like it was firing at triple capacity, each slide of her lips sending lightning up my spine.
I wouldnât last long like this. No man could.
"Naomi," I warned, my voice strangled. "If you keep that upâ"
She pulled off with an obscene pop. "Thatâs the idea," she said, then immediately took me back into her mouth, deeper than before.
My hands fisted in the sheets, my hips lifting off the bed despite my best efforts to stay still. She didnât seem to mind, matching my movements with her own rhythm, taking me as deep as she could manage.
The pressure built at the base of my spine, my release rushing toward me like a freight train. I tried to warn her again, tugging at her hair, but she ignored me, doubling down on her efforts.
When I came, it felt like being turned inside out in the best possible way. Everything went white for a second, my entire body tensing as I spilled into her mouth. She stayed with me through it all, swallowing everything I gave her until I collapsed back onto the bed, utterly spent.
She crawled up next to me, looking entirely too pleased with herself. "Good?"
I laughed weakly. "Understatement of the century."
She nestled against my side, her head on my shoulder. We lay there in comfortable silence for a while, just breathing together, our heartbeats slowly returning to normal.
"You know," I said eventually, "I didnât plan for things to go this way."
She lifted her head to look at me. "No?"
"No. I was going to be all romantic. Make you feel special. Take care of you properly."
Her expression softened. "You did make me feel special. And very well taken care of." She traced patterns on my chest through my shirt. "Besides, I like that things didnât go according to plan. It means this was real. Spontaneous."
I pulled her closer, kissing the top of her head. "Youâre something else, Naomi Love."
"So Iâve been told." She yawned, snuggling deeper into my side. "What time is it?"
I checked my phone. "Almost four."
"Mm. We should probably get up soon. I have to study for Crossâs quiz tomorrow."
Neither of us moved.
"Five more minutes," she murmured, her eyes already drifting closed.
I smiled, pulling the blanket over us. "Five more minutes," I agreed.
As she dozed against me, I found myself staring at the ceiling, my mind racing despite my bodyâs satisfied state. Eleven days of life in the bank. Three women who knew my secret and accepted it, each in their own way. A squad that was climbing the rankings. Powers that were growing stronger by the day.
Five minutes turned into ten, then twenty. Eventually, I drifted off too, my arm around her waist, her hair tickling my nose. When I woke an hour later, she was still there, watching me with those impossible pink eyes.
"You snore," she informed me, her tone serious but her eyes dancing with amusement.
"I do not."
"You absolutely do. Like a chainsaw with asthma."
I grabbed her, rolling us so she was pinned beneath me, shrieking with laughter. "Take it back."
"Never!" She was breathless, her hair a wild tangle around her face.
I kissed her then, swallowing her laughter. She melted against me, her body soft and pliant under mine.
When we broke apart, her eyes were dark with renewed desire. "I thought we had to study," I reminded her.
She bit her lip, a gesture that sent blood rushing south again. "Study break?"
I grinned, leaning down to kiss her neck. "I like the way you think, Naomi Love."
Her laugh turned into a gasp as my hand slid between her thighs again, finding her still wet from earlier. This time, I wouldnât be so easily distracted from my original plan. This time, I was going to worship every inch of her until she forgot her own name.
After all, I had a reputation as a milk vampire to uphold.
And vampires were nothing if not thorough.