Dark Lover (Black Dagger Brotherhood, #1)

by J.R. Ward

“God.” “What?” “To think of you going through the needing.” His body swayed, as if he’d closed his eyes. “To be the one you used.” Sexual heat came out of him in a rush. She could actually feel a hot gust move the air. “How long does it last?” she asked in a husky voice. “Two days. If the female is…serviced well and fed properly, she rebounds quickly.” “And the man?” “The male’s totally used up when it’s over. Milked dry. Drained of blood, too. It takes longer for him to recover, but I’ve never heard one complain. Ever.” There was a pause. “I’d love to be the one who relieves you.”

But then, in a high, keening call, one voice broke out, lifting above the others, shooting higher and higher. The sound of the tenor was so clear, so pure, it brought shivers to the skin, a yearning warmth to the chest. The sweet notes blew the ceiling off with their glory, turning the chamber into a cathedral, the brothers into a tabernacle. Bringing the very heavens close enough to touch. It was Zsadist. His eyes closed, his head back, his mouth wide open, he sang. The scarred one, the soulless one, had the voice of an angel.