“What is wrong with you?” he said with a smile. “Why do you say things like that? I want to do any number of unsavoury things to you, right now, including kill you. Can you comprehend that?”
“That’s what makes this so romantic. I know you won’t, even though you want to.”
He shook his head, frowning over a smile. “Only you could think something like that is romantic.”
“David.” I ran my fingers from the tip of his hairline, over his skull and to the back of his neck, feeling his hair slip through them. “You’re a vampire. Don’t even pretend you don’t think it’s romantic.”
A breathy laugh parted his lips. “I really love you, Ara. You are just so perfect for me.”
I rolled my head to the other side, lengthening my neck. “Good. Then show me what it feels like to be under the spell of the vampire.”
“I—” His eyes met mine with hesitation. “I’m afraid I’ll enjoy it.”
“Isn’t that…a good thing?”
“No. I mean…” He looked at my neck, running his thumb over the pulse. “You know my teeth are sharper than yours. Even if I only use my front teeth, chances are I’ll cut you.”
“You won’t.” I smiled. “I know you can control yourself when it comes to me.”
“Perhaps, but…I’ve wanted to—for so long.”
“What, cut me?”
“Yes. Eat you, feel your blood pulse under my teeth, see the life leave your eyes, breath leave your lips.”
I let out a slow huff. “Whoa.”
“I know.” He laughed timidly. “It’s a vampire thing, and I—I’m afraid I might enjoy hurting you, Ara. If…if we do this, and the vampire in me takes control, there will be no going back.”
“As in…you’ll kill me?”
“Perhaps. Or I will not be able to stop thinking about killing you—hurting you—even after the day is done and we’ve parted ways.”
I thought about that for a second, feeling a mischievous smile creep its way into the corners of my eyes. “Then it’ll be a true test of our love, won’t it?”
“No,” he said, sweeping my hair away from my shoulder. “It will be a test of my willpower.” And before I could respond, his teeth started my heart, coming closed tightly around my flesh. I squirmed, a cold shiver running down my spine while hot blood rushed up under the grip of his bite. Everything in me from toes to shoulders tensed, the tendon in my neck going rigid like wet rope, and all the nerves under it screamed out in agony while my heart pleaded for more, my flesh burning in an intensely good way. He kept his fangs distant, but every now and then, they brushed against me like the pointed tip of a blade run softly over flesh.
“Bite me harder, David.” I grabbed his arms, digging my nails in, half pushing him away, half pulling him closer. I felt his body turn cool against mine, like the heat of desire pushed his hunger deeper, making him icy between my legs. And he became more ferocious, losing himself to the bite, his hands searching my body wildly, travelling under my dress, demanding my craving skin crawl into his touch. I crossed my ankles over his hips, imagining my clothes were gone and I could feel his bare chest smoothly against mine.
“David?” I squeaked as he bit down harder, pressing me against the chairs stacked on the table. “David, it’s hurting a bit.”
“Shh.” He shoved the chairs off with a quick push and rolled me onto my back as they crashed noisily to the floor. The people outside laughed raucously, their familiar, human sounds setting my heart on fire.
“David. Stop.”
My neck burned where he pulled away, but he didn’t stop; he moved to the other side and wrapped his lips hard around my skin as I pushed against him. I felt the scrape of his fangs, sharp, as if he’d cut through, stinging like a thousand hot little needles under my skin.
“David. It’s hurting.”
He cupped a hand under my bottom, slipping my underwear past my hip on one side as he dragged me closer, thrusting his pelvis into mine. And though I wanted him to—wanted him to make love to me right here on the table, I also wanted him to kill me. I could see it all, as if his intentions became my thoughts. But I didn’t want to die. I didn’t want David to have to live with the regret of killing me.
“David!” I burst into tears. “Please don’t.”
“Don’t what?” He looked down at me, confused.
I shoved him away and rolled up to stand—darting across the room to the safety of the wall. “Why did you do that?”
“Do what?” He appeared in front of me, eyes wide, pupils completely swallowing the green. “Do what, Ara?”
“Why didn’t you stop?” My voice broke.
“Oh, my love.” He reached for me; I yanked away, the energy between us turning stone cold. “Ara, I’m so sorry. I didn’t realise you were frightened.”
“I asked you to stop.” I looked up at him. “That’s a pretty clear indication, don’t you think?”
“Yes. But, I—” He rubbed his brow. “I didn’t hear you. I only tasted your tears.”
“What?”
“I was drawn in completely. Compelled by the scent of adrenaline—the fear—it makes the hunger unbearable.”
“But—” I cupped my hand to the burning on my neck; he hadn’t broken through. “You didn’t bite me.”
“Ara?” He frowned as if the suggestion insulted him. “I would never do that. I always had control over that. I just—” he turned away, “—I couldn’t control the vampire.”
“Isn’t it the same? I mean, the bite is the vampire?”
“No.” He scratched the back of his neck. “The bite is the hunger. The lust before is the vampire.”
“Oh.” I touched my collarbone. “So, you wouldn’t have bitten me?”
He rushed in close and cradled my face in hands. “Not in a million years.”
“Then, why couldn’t you hear me?”
“I—” He closed his eyes. “I can hear the resonance of your voice in my head now, but I was so lost in your velvet touch, I could think of nothing but…”
“But what?”
He shook his head. “It doesn’t matter. I wouldn’t have done it, anyway. Not with you.”