“You could have just told him never to come back, and he would have obeyed.” I press my palm to the center of his chest.
His muscles tighten under my touch. “I suppose even I have hope that the twins might one day have a relationship with their father. If I’d given him no way to see them ever again, would that have been fair to them?” His thumb grazes my bottom lip.
“He’ll never sober up. If your thrall is effective, we’re likely to never see him again.” I suppose I should be sorry about that, but my babies are much better off without Seth Manning.
He nods. “There is always a chance for hope with humans. They can be surprising. May I ask you why you kept his name?”
“Because it was the girls’ name. Sometimes, I wish I’d gone back to my maiden name before they were born. I was young, pregnant, and alone. What they put on the papers didn’t even hit my top ten problems.”
His smile is soft and warm and feels as if it’s just for me. “Of course.”
“Ion, I’m extremely attracted to you. If you’re only toying with me…” I have no idea what the end of that sentence is. It should be that he should leave now, but I don’t have the courage to send him away. If all he offered was one night or this intimate touch, I would take it. I’m not proud of that, but it’s true. He will have to be my moral compass.
“I noticed that John was not at the party today. Have you decided against his attentions?” He traces his fingers along the side of my neck and takes a deep breath as if he smells my blood. Closing his eyes, his expression grows tight. When his eyes open, the hazel green is brighter, more intense.
“John and I are not dating. It was only a dance.” I need to catch my breath, but everywhere he touches me is on fire despite the coolness of his fingers. “Were you jealous?”
He threads his fingers through the hair at the back of my head and runs his nose from my ear to where my pulse throbs. “For the first time in my immortal life, Lori, I was inundated with rage at the idea of another man touching you.”
“Because you want to taste my blood?” My voice hitches, not sure what I want, but knowing I can deny him nothing.
He growls low and long, like a purr against the tender flesh below my ear. “I want to taste all of you.”
Chapter Seven
ION
I’m mad to have come here tonight. Lori should not even be on my radar beyond the help she and her children need. Yet, I am powerless to stay away. The way her blood sings in her veins calls to me as no other ever has.
She asks if I want to taste her blood as if that is the thing that drives me. The scent of her fear mixes with her arousal. One must be soothed before the other can be sated. “I will not bite you, Lori. Not unless it is something we both desire.”
“I thought vampires need blood to survive.” Her full breasts rise and fall with every breath. “Max told me that his blood saved Tilda.”
A better man than me might release her and pull back from this new intimacy. If she were any other human, I would do exactly that. I want her too much to be that kind of vampire. The soft white fabric shows me every detail of her figure, and I still want more than bare shoulders and legs. Tightening my hold around her waist, I explore her bottom lip with my thumb. “I need blood to live, but I do not require your blood. If youever share that intimacy with me, it will be for pleasure, not nourishment.”
“I’m not sure I understand.” She spreads her fingers on my chest, then moves her hand up to trace my skin at the collar of my shirt. Her tongue slips past her rosy lips and touches my digit. She gasps.
A low growl escapes me. Sweet, innocent, and irresistible—that is my human. I’m helpless against her allure. “Vampires take pleasure when they feed, but we can also bring pleasure. My elixir can make you feel very good even if I only scratch your skin.”
Some of her fears lift, and the warm scent of her desire forces my blood to my already stiff cock. Pressing forward, I want her to know what she does to me. “You are very beautiful, Lori. I’ve never wanted anyone as I do you. I would never toy with you or do anything to harm you in any way.”
She swallows, and her pulse speeds. “I have not pushed you away, Ion. That is because I’m in favor of whatever is happening between us.”
Standing near the door hardly seems the best option for this moment, which is more than I could have hoped for. Drawing her into my arms, I lift her. “May I take you to your bedroom?”
Her nod is slow, and her breath catches.
Before I take a step, I meet her gaze. “I will not be angry or abandon you if you say no, Lori. Nothing will make me change my feelings or desires, but if this is too soon?—”
“No. We should go to my bedroom.” She wraps her arms tightly around my neck. “I’m only nervous because it’s been some time since I was intimate with anyone. I’m not afraid of you.”
Making my way through the house and down the hall to her bedroom, I’m filled with pure joy. “I’m happy to hear that. You will always be safe with me.”
Flushed pink, she nods. “I know.”
Her bedroom is lit by a bedside lamp. The warm heat of a recent shower falls from the open bathroom door, and it’s scented with the same florals that always accompany sweet Lori. A white comforter with pale-pink toile scenes covers a queen-sized bed. On a chair in one corner are her jeans and blouse from earlier today. A long, dark wood dresser takes up most of one wall, with an oval mirror above, reflecting the light.
Placing her on the mattress, I lean over her, looking for any signs of fear or doubt. My fingers graze her summery dress. “Are you naked under this?”
