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“He refused to bite me,” she mumbles, but my vampire hearing picks up the words clearly.
“You wanted him to?” I ask, keeping my voice low and gentle.
She gives me a pointed stare. “Of course, I did.”
“You don’t have to say it like that,” I say, rolling my eyes. “It wasn’t a stupid question. Allowing a vampire to bite you is a big fucking deal, Steph. Especially for a witch.”
“Sorry,” she says, slumping further into her seat. “I’m just frustrated. I fully expected him to sink his teeth into me while his cock was deep inside me, but none of that happened. What’s wrong with me? Why am I not good enough?”
“Oh, Steph, don’t say that. You know it’s not true. I’m sure Erik thinks you’re too good for him. It’s why he’s been holding back.”
As I say the words, I know I’m right. Erik has been restraining himself around Steph even though it’s obvious to everyone around him he wants her.
“That’s ridiculous,” she scoffs.
“Maybe,” I say, “but it’s how he feels. You’re going to have to give him the time he needs to come to his senses and take what he really wants.”
“I just want to feel the way you described it when Jesse bit you the first time,” she murmurs.
I nod, but a trickle of unease whispers through me. Jesse is my mate. His bite sealed a bond between us that can never be broken. I’m sure that bond affects the intensity of his bite. Will it be the same for Erik and Steph?
I don’t know. But Jesse told me at the very beginning his bite would intensify my orgasm to unbelievable heights, so it has to be a common thing with vampires, right? I just hope I haven’t set Steph up for a massive letdown.
“Patience, my friend,” I say, forcing a smile. “This was a huge step for him, allowing himself to do what he did for you last night.”
“Patience has never been my strong suit,” she says, one corner of her mouth ticking up.
“Oh, don’t I know it,” I say on a laugh, and she chuckles.
Relief washes through me at her mood shift. The waitress comes back for our breakfast order, and Steph requests a plate of beignets with chocolate sauce while I decline any food. She looks at me strangely for a moment, then shrugs before spinning and walking away to put in Steph’s order.
“She’s starting to get suspicious of you,” Steph says, taking another long drink of her coffee. “You keep coming here with me and not eating.”
“She probably thinks I’m on some starvation diet, or something,” I reply, watching the waitress as she runs a wet cloth over the diner’s long bar.
“I don’t know,” Steph says, and I look over at her. “Vampires are out of the proverbial closet, remember? She’s probably trying to decide if you’d rather take a bite out of her than sample their delicious pastries.”
Steph’s words strike a match in my belly, making it burn with need. I haven’t eaten since Jesse brought the donor to our room three days ago. I wonder if my need to feed so often is because I’m so new to being a vampire. Jesse hasn’t eaten since before we left Los Angeles.
I make a mental note to ask him about it when I get back to our room. Things will be much easier for me when I can go longer between meals like he does.
Steph and I chat about mundane topics while she eats, and after we pay the bill, we head back to the hotel. When we get to my room, I reach out and grab her arm, pulling her to a stop.
“Remember, grasshopper. Patience,” I say, shooting her a wink.
“Yeah, yeah. I’ll try, but that’s all I can promise.”
“Fair enough.”
I pull her into a hug, and she squeezes me back before sauntering down the hall to her room. I hear quiet voices coming from inside my room as I slide the key card into the lock. Stepping inside, I pause when I see a strange woman standing very close––too close––to my mate.
Anger spikes inside me, and I step forward, ready to tear her hair out. Jesse’s hand flies up, stopping me in my tracks. He steps to the side, and I see him licking a wound on the woman’s wrist just before the skin heals.
“Eden,” he says as he releases her arm, his voice wary, “this is Caroline. She’s a blood donor.”
“Oh, nice to meet you, Eden,” Caroline says, turning to me with a smile.
She walks toward me with zero fear, her eyes sparking with interest as her gaze roams over my body. Her pink tongue darts out to wet her lips, and I hear her heart pick up its pace, knocking against her ribs as she stops right in front of me.
