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Christoph tilted his head to the side and shrugged a shoulder. “Just a bit here and there. I’m over two centuries old, Nolan. I know about self-control. You’re safe in my arms.” As he spoke, those arms tightened, pulling him in even closer.
Nolan squeezed his eyes shut and tamped down the twisting cyclone of emotions in his chest. There was something soft in Christoph’s tone that was almost hypnotic. What he was saying, it all sounded so very tempting. For the first time in so many years, to have someone taking care of him, protecting him. Someone else who could make all the responsible decisions and deal with the consequences.
Owen couldn’t locate a responsible decision with both hands, even if it was right in front of him.
And his last ex…
Well, Alan handled his own life. He hadn’t given a shit about what was happening in Nolan’s life until it was in danger of impacting his plans.
“Why me?” Nolan winced at the weakness in his voice, as if he were almost pleading with Christoph to make sense of what was happening for him.
“Because you’re different.” Christoph’s thumb ran across the edge of Nolan’s bottom lip, causing his eyes to snap open. “It’s been a long time since I’ve encountered different.”
“Different how? Like I have some magic?”
Christoph laughed loudly, and Nolan’s hopes crashed to the basement.
“No, my pet. You’re completely human. I didn’t mean that kind of different.” Christoph continued running his fingers along Nolan’s chin and jaw in a tantalizing caress, as if holding most of Nolan’s weight in his arms wasn’t straining at all. “I meant different in how you’re fierce and headstrong. Your brother—I only saw him a few times; I allowed Aldo and Colette to handle that business—is a reckless fool, and he’s been this way his entire life. But you still came charging to his rescue. You’ve been doing that your whole life, haven’t you?”
Nolan bit the inside of his mouth, refusing to answer. But he didn’t need to. Christoph could read him too clearly.
The vampire chortled and bent his head, nuzzling the side of his hair with the tip of his nose. “You have. That night, someone had already told you that Owen had made a dangerous deal with vampires, and you marched down to Phoenix.” Christoph chuckled again, but it was low and husky. “You were so close to punching Aldo in the nose. It’s a shame that bouncer stopped you.”
“Yeah, because Aldo wouldn’t have killed me at all,” Nolan muttered snidely.
“Maybe.”
“Whatever. The reason I’m different is that I’m an idiot. Lovely. Thanks.” Nolan pressed his hands on Christoph’s chest and attempted to push free, but he didn’t budge an inch. His muscles trembled and his heart skipped with a new rush of fear. No matter how gentle Christoph was with him, there was no escaping the fact that Nolan was a bug waiting to be squashed.
“Not an idiot.” The vampire paused and shrugged. “Well, maybe a bit of an idiot. But you’re also loyal and honorable.”
“Like a dog,” Nolan snapped.
“Like a good pet.”
Nolan wanted to press further, to make sure this had nothing to do with Sky, but the words never left his lips. Christoph tightened his arms, pulling Nolan in closer. At the same time, he lunged forward. His fangs sank deep into his throat in a flash.
A cry of pain escaped before hot, liquid pleasure washed through his body, wiping away all thought. He could only ride the wave, his fingers tightening in Christoph’s jacket. Some part of him wanted to try pushing away again, but it was useless. He clung to Christoph, attempting to find the surface as the vampire swallowed mouthful after mouthful of his blood.
Maybe it would be better if Christoph forgot about his much-touted self-control.
Nolan blinked and found himself staring up at Christoph. He was lying on his couch with the vampire frowning at him as he sat on the edge next to his hip. Hisownerwas pissed about something.
“I passed out,” Nolan announced as his brain struggled to piece together the missing seconds, or even minutes, from his memory.
“You did,” Christoph stated in a clipped tone. “I believe I stated that a requirement of you remaining here is that you must take proper care of yourself. Clearly, you’ve not been eating healthy foods.”
Nolan wanted to argue with Christoph that he’d been too scared over the past few days to even have an appetite. Not to mention, he desperately needed to go to the grocery but was now afraid to leave his house. None of that was going to help his case. Instead, he glared mutinously at the vampire hovering over him.
“This is your one warning, Nolan. Heed me on this. I will return in two days. If I don’t find you in better health, you will be removed immediately to my home, where I can watch over your care personally twenty-four hours a day.”
And that was exactly what he didnotwant.
“Even if I’m eating healthy, I won’t be able to replace all the blood you took in two days. No human can!” Nolan tried to sit up, but the room spun and he flopped onto the pillow Christoph had placed under his head.
The vampire caught his chin with one hand and held him tight enough to bruise. “I didn’t say that I’m going to feed from you again. Just check up on my pet.” Threat glittered in Christoph’s blue eyes and Nolan stilled. “Behave and take care of yourself.”
With that depressing warning delivered, Christoph rose and straightened his jacket so that he was back to his usual, unruffled self. His thin lips and sharp mouth twisted to their normal smirk. “And stay away from that witch, or you’ll both regret it.”
