Yousef's hands were cool, Kieran noted, which was not all that surprising. After all, Yousef was dead.
The pain came sharp and sudden, and Kieran gasped, eyes widening. He pressed his fingers hard against the back of Yousef's shirt and the skin underneath, reduced to instinct even as he'd invited this in every sense of the word. His body was rigid. It took Kieran a beat to remember that, oh, he'd consented to this, he was getting paid, he was going to be fine. (Except that Yousef could kill him, could really kill him, if he -)
He closed his eyes, and his muscles relaxed, although he still kept his palms pressed against Yousef's back. After a few seconds the pain of the bite faded, and instead there was the rush in his ears of his own blood leaving his body, and a sudden, dizzying feeling as he became increasingly lightheaded. He wanted to laugh, but couldn't, under the circumstances.
The pain came sharp and sudden, and Kieran gasped, eyes widening. He pressed his fingers hard against the back of Yousef's shirt and the skin underneath, reduced to instinct even as he'd invited this in every sense of the word. His body was rigid. It took Kieran a beat to remember that, oh, he'd consented to this, he was getting paid, he was going to be fine. (Except that Yousef could kill him, could really kill him, if he -)
He closed his eyes, and his muscles relaxed, although he still kept his palms pressed against Yousef's back. After a few seconds the pain of the bite faded, and instead there was the rush in his ears of his own blood leaving his body, and a sudden, dizzying feeling as he became increasingly lightheaded. He wanted to laugh, but couldn't, under the circumstances.