“No.”
“Good. I’m claiming you for that day.”
“And if I don’t want to be claimed?” sheteased.
“It’s too late for that.”
Aida gulped as his words caused goose bumpsto break out on her arms. Yes, itwastoo late for that.He’d claimed her heart and soul years ago, and now he owned herbody.
Removing her robe from the closet, she pulledit on and tied the belt around her waist. She climbed onto the bedto shut the closet and glanced at the door to her room as shelistened for any sign of her roommates. Usually, not much fazedher, but if Kyle and Cassidy were still in the apartment, they knewwhat transpired between them. They were vampires; they could hear apin drop.
The idea of facing Julian’s siblings afterdeflowering their brother was not something she could shrug off,but she also couldn’t stay hidden in her room for the rest of herlife. Not only would she get fired, but she’d die ofdehydration.
Throwing back her shoulders and assuming anair of confidence she didn’t feel, Aida started toward the door,but Julian swung out and caught her wrist. A startled cry escapedwhen he tugged her forward and drew her onto his lap. He claspedher face and stared at her before bending his head to kiss heragain.
Aida melted into him as she rested her handon his chest before sliding her arm around his neck to draw himcloser. When her body started to react to him, she broke the kissto rest her forehead against his.
“If you leave again, I’ll hunt you down andkill you,” she said.
Julian chuckled as he kissed her again.“Death is the only thing that will take me from you again.”
She recalled thinking this was something morebetween them earlier, and now she suspected what it might be.Resting her palms against his chest, she leaned back to look athim. “Do you think I’m your mate?”
She held her breath as she waited for hisanswer. She didn’t know if it was because shewantedhim tosay no, he wouldn’t turn her into a vampire, or because she waspetrified hewouldsay no. If he said no, then he wouldleave her again, but this time it would be for another woman.
“You look so terrified I don’t want to answerthe question,” he said.
“Julian,” she groaned.
“What would you like me to say?”
“The truth.”
“I don’t think you’re my mate.”
It was like he plunged a knife into herheart. She couldn’t breathe as something inside her shriveled anddied like a worm on a sidewalk in July. The idea of being a vampiremade her stomach churn, but the idea of him with someone else madeher feel murderous. A scream rose in her throat, and she closed hereyes as tears filled them.
“Iknowyou’re my mate,” Juliansaid.
Aida’s eyes flew open as she gaped at him;then, she slapped his arm when she realized he was tormenting her.“You’re an ass!”
“With the look on your face, I wasn’t surewhat you wanted to hear,” he said as he crushed her against him. “Icouldn’t ruin this.”
Aida turned her head into his and rubbed hercheek against the scruff of his beard as she kissed him. She reallydidnotwant to be a vampire, but she could tolerate thatbetter than losing him to someone else.
“It took me about a week, but I’ve known foryears that you were it for me,” he said.
Aida pulled away from him. “You’ve known forthat long?”
“Yes. The second I saw you, I felt anirresistible draw toward you, but it wasn’t until everything withthe island was finished and we were back in Maine that I knew forsure. There was one moment where it hit me like a ton of bricksthat you were myeverything.”
A small thrill ran through her at his words.“And what moment was that?”
He smiled as he brushed a strand of her hairaway from her face and ran his thumb along her cheek. “You had leftthe house after a nightmare again,” he said. “I don’t know how Ialways knew when you were troubled, but I experienced it again theother night in the bar, which is why I went to find you.”
“Of course,” she breathed.
When he came after her in the bar, she’dnever associated it with all those times he also found her after anightmare. They were two completely different sets ofcircumstances, but in both, she was terrified.
