I laugh, quick and low, and move. In a blink, I'm in front of her, spinning her, pinning her gently against the wall. Her robe shifts, her breath catches. My hands don't tighten. Not yet.
"My, my," I murmur near her ear, "sharp tongue on the little nymph tonight."
She doesn't speak.
I lower my mouth just enough to let her feel the ghost of my breath.
"Did you forget, sweetheart?" I whisper. "You're toying with a big bad vampire."
Her breath hitches. Her lips part like she's about to speak, but I beat her to it.
"All I came to do," I say, dragging the words slow, "was suggest a practical water conservation strategy. You're all about the environment, right?"
I lean in, smirking. "You need a shower. I need a shower. We could share. Start where we left off on the porch. There's plenty more to do when the clothes are off."
She doesn't move. Her heart's hammering against her ribs, I can feel it through the air, almost taste it.
It's not just fear. No, fear doesn't smell like that.
She's turned on. Trying not to be. Failing.
Gods, maybe the fear makes it worse. Maybe she likes the edge. Maybe some part of her wants the teeth as much as the tongue.
A nymph who craves danger of a feral vampire.
A prey who wants to be hunted.
Fuck me.
I press a little closer. She shivers.
"So what do you say?" I murmur near her ear. "For the planet. Trees and polar bears and whatever."
Her voice comes out uneven. "Why would you even want this? I tried to kill you. Twice."
I scoff, low. "In some cultures, that's foreplay."
She lets out a breath that's part laugh, part something else. Then she looks away, like she's arguing with something inside her. Fighting herself.
I drop one hand, let it slide along her thigh, slow and steady, tracing up toward the hem of that robe. I can feel her pulse through my fingertips.
My other hand tangles in her hair, tilting her head toward me, claiming control. Her breath stutters. Lips part.
My fangs ache. My cock throbs.
I'm barely holding on.
"I'll kiss you everywhere," I whisper, lips ghosting over hers. "Then I'll bite you everywhere. Mark you. And then… I'll fuck you into next week."
My hand tightens in her hair.
One more second and I'll lose the last thread of restraint I've got left.
But then she pushes. "No, Kayden."
I don't move. My jaw locks. "Why not?"
It's a simple question, but the truth's never her answer.
