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Was he making some point? “Are you saying you don’t want to be immortal?”
He shrugged. “Don’t get me wrong, I love what I have become, but I’m also restricted in ways I never expected.”
Restricted? He was a vampire. What could he possibly not be able to do? Vampires ranked highest on the supernatural food chain. “I don’t understand what you’re saying, Damian.”
“I’m unable to pursue certain things I desire. The three of us are limited.”
Three? “You and who else?” Gabriel and Ryder?
“Gabe and Ryder . . . and one other.”
This was a strange conversation. I never expected Damian to open up and become so solemn. He wasn’t making a lot of sense.
“Everything has a price.”
I stopped my swing, reaching out to place my hand over his pale forearm. “You’re much different than I imagined. Sensitive vamp and all that.” My default had always been to resort to humor. It was how I coped. Oh, and sarcasm. I was fluent in that, too. I tapped my finger against my lip for a moment and then smiled. “I thought all you bloodsuckers just wanted to suck, fuck, and kill.”
Damian chuckled at my words, his laugh warming me in ways that were new but not unpleasant. “True. I guess the sensitivity comes from humbling roots.” He leaned down and whispered the next part in my ear. “But the sucking and fucking . . . that’s the best part.”
His softly spoken words shimmered and pulsed with a sweet seduction and slid across my skin with promise. An involuntary shiver ghosted down my spine as I exhaled. The attraction between us was undeniable, but I wasn’t that easy.
Besides, the gleam in his eye hinted he wanted to draw this out and pursue his game of seduction. I considered the thought of some fun with him, but I had to deal with Samhain first.
And the witch who attacked Gypsy and me.
Damian reluctantly stood and held out his hand, lifting an eyebrow in silent question, almost as if he considered it a dare. For a vampire, his expressions were incredibly effortless to read.
“I know. It’s close to sunset.” Placing my hand in his much larger and paler one, I let Damian tuck it under his arm as we headed back to Howe Manor. “Can I ask you something?”
“Sure, pet. I’m all yours.”
I didn’t pick up the blatant hint he dropped. Instead, I asked the question that had lingered in my mind for the last twenty-four hours. “Why are you able to walk outside during daylight? Aren’t you supposed to fry up to a crisp?”
He snorted at my description and shook his head. “Want rid of me so soon, little Raven?”
We paused outside the wrought iron gates that bordered my house. “You know that’s not what I meant. Stop trying to distract me.”
“Perhaps most vampires do.” Damian shrugged as he leaned against the gate. “There’s an easy explanation, but I’m afraid I can’t tell you.”
“Why?”
“It’s not my decision.”
Scoffing, I thought his response ridiculous. He didn’t strike me as the type to follow orders.
“That’s a stupid excuse. Besides, if you didn’t want me to know, all you had to do was make sure I never saw you in the daylight.”
He tapped the end of my nose with a long, pale finger. “Right you are, pet.” Without a word, he turned and walked away, whistling as though he didn’t have a care in the world.
Damn vampire.
Gypsy stood in the kitchen with Gabriel when I entered. Flour coated his dark blue t-shirt and the frilly red apron he wore, dusting his cheeks. He watched closely, helping her mold cookies into little half-moon shapes. No lie. I couldn’t make this shit up. Thewerewolfwasbaking.
How fantastic!
I snapped a few pics with my phone, confident this was excellent blackmail material for the future. Gabriel happened to glance up as I took the last one, forever immortalized with white powder on his face and clothes, shirt sleeves rolled up to the elbows and a light dusting of flour in his dark shoulder-length hair. I hated to admit it, but he washot. Like a five-alarm fire, and I need a hose down hot.
You know, fire department, come rescue me becauseI will burn. I resisted the urge to fan my blushing cheeks.
