If he was trying to earn her forgiveness, the sincerity and self-deprecation and compliments were definitely helping. The reference to her tear-ravaged face? Not so much.
“And now I’ve upset you again,” he unwisely added. “So you’re even more blotchy and swollen, and you have full-on albino rabbit eyes.”
When she lifted her head to glower blearily at him, he backtracked. “You’re as lovely as ever, obviously. Albeit somewhat damper than usual.”
“Hmph.” Another swipe of her runny nose against his neck relieved her feelings considerably. “Asswipe.”
His voice turned coaxing. “Albino rabbits are adorable, are they not?”
Yes. “Maybe.”
“Not so much because of the eyes, I must admit, but—”
“Oh my gods.” She began laughing helplessly. “Please tell me you’re doing this on purpose,dude, because if you aren’t…”
He didn’t actually need to tell her, though. She knew. In part because she was beginning to understand how he dealt with emotion, both hers and his own. But mostly because his entire body relaxed against hers when she laughed, all the terrible tension keeping his muscles taut and his posture stiff simply…vanishing. In an instant.
For such a condescending, infuriating vampire, he was really kind of a sweetheart.
Outside his house, the last traces of light would have already vanished from the horizon. They weren’t going anywhere until morning, so there was no need to hurry. In the wake of her emotional outburst and his uncharacteristic openness, they could hold each other until they both fully calmed, or as long as they damn well wanted.
Apparentlyas long as they damn well wantedmeanta really fucking long time.
After countless minutes of cuddling, he murmured, “Edie, love, I don’t know how to ensure you survive this…” He sighed, somehow gathering her closer. “This cluster of unfortunateness.”
“Ensuring my survival isn’t your responsibility, Max.” She poked him in the shoulder. “Even if it were, there are no guarantees. Not ever. Not for anyone. Even immortals like you.”
He continued as if she hadn’t spoken. “Despite what your human stories told you, I can’t turn you into a vampire with a simple bite. If I could, I would’ve already done it. Without hesitation.”
It was a noble sentiment, she supposed, as well as an unmistakable marker of how deeply he actually cared for her. But also arrogant as hells, because—
“Who said I want to be a vampire?” she demanded with a frown.
He laughed at her. Actuallylaughed. With a sweeping gesture, he drew her attention to his impressive body and undeniably gorgeous face, then their luxurious surroundings.
“Oh, sweet Edie.” His expression mingled amusement with total incredulity. “Whowouldn’twant to be a vampire?”
She leaned back a few inches so he could watch her eyes rollto the ceiling, with all its ornate plaster medallions. “Do we need to move out into your living room? I’m worried you don’t have sufficient room in here for your ego. It must be feeling cramped.”
“Your concern is noted and appreciated, human,” he declared loftily, “but my ego is fine. Exemplary, in fact. The envy of all. Much like the rest of me.”
“Of course.” A mere two-word response couldn’t hold a sufficient amount of sarcasm, but she shoved as much in there as possible. With impressive results, if she did say so herself.
“Thank you for that entirely sincere and heartfelt acknowledgment.” His smirk slowly faded from his face, revealing the concern hidden underneath. “Since I can’t turn you into a vampire, I keep searching for some other way to make you harder to kill. Another means to keep you alive. Through our upcoming battle, but also indefinitely. Forever, if at all possible.”
“Sounds exhausting.” Or so she’d keep telling herself, since immortality wasn’t something she could achieve.
His face changed then, his brow crinkling in thought. “Huh.”
“What?” When he didn’t answer, she repeated, “What?”
He failed to explain himself. Instead, he simply rested his lips against her forehead—and when they curved into a slow smile, she could feel it.
“Well, this isn’t alarming. Not at all,” she muttered, and he only laughed again.
Sheesh. What a jerkface.
It was a real shame she was falling in love with said jerkface. Luckily, she probably wouldn’t survive long enough to suffer the consequences.
