Oh. I got it.
“You’re talking about breakfast,” I breathed in a voice that denoted my mental heel of hand to head slap.
He smiled another arrogant, self-satisfied, now even so far as smug smile before he said, “You thought I wanted to feed.”
“Erm…” I wriggled in his lap then remembered I was mostly na**d so getting away from him would expose my upper body and I wasn’t ready for that so I stilled.
His large hands slid to my h*ps and tensed. “I can’t feed, pet. Not until tonight.”
That was news to me.
“You can’t?”
He shook his head saying, “You aren’t used to me yet.”
This further confused me.
“I’m not?”
The smug smile came back before his face disappeared in my neck again. “We could try.”
Oh my.
“But you’d be weak all day and it’s Saturday. I have plans for you today.”
He had plans for me. Plans that required me not being weak.
I didn’t know if that was good or not.
“Plans?”
One of his hands came up to cup the back of my head and he looked at me again. “First up, another lesson, this time about feeding.”
“Okay,” I breathed trying but not quite achieving the feat of not sounding disappointed.
He grinned.
Damn the vampire!
I tried to look dutiful. It was hard.
He studied my face then burst out laughing while he stood, putting me on my feet.
He began to set me away from him and, panicked at the idea of baring myself, I latched onto his shoulders and pressed my body against his.
His head tilted down to look at me.
“Leah?”
“Close your eyes,” I whispered before I could stop myself
“Pardon?”
“Um…” How to do this and be submissive? “Would you please close your eyes, darling?”
His hands at my waist gave me an impatient squeeze.
“Why?”
“I’m nearly naked,” I explained softly and, I thought, unnecessarily.
His hands gave me another squeeze, this time also pulling me even deeper into his body as his head dipped closer.
“I saw you last night, pet.”
“I know.”
His face came even closer.
“You have a beautiful body, Leah.”
My eyes slid to the side.
“Look at me,” he demanded.
My eyes slid back to his.
“I don’t want you hiding yourself from me,” he ordered.
“Is that an order?” I asked just to confirm.
“Not unless you make it one,” he answered.
What the hell did that mean?
“So, what you’re saying is, you’re not going to close your eyes?”
“No.”
Really, he was a jerk.
He must have read my thoughts or, since he couldn’t do that unless I was speaking to him in my thoughts, he must have read my face.
Therefore he kept talking, “I’d like to understand why this is an issue.”
“I’m naked,” I explained, again unnecessarily.
“And I saw you last night,” he repeated, his tone stating clearly he thought this was unnecessary too.
“It isn’t last night anymore. It’s this morning.”
“And?”
“The sun is shining,” I went on.
“The sun?” he asked
“Yes. And I’m awake,” I continued.
His hands slid around to my back as he murmured, “I see.”
“You see what?”
Instead of answering, he said patiently, “I’ve had my tongue in your mouth.”
“Yes, but –”
“And your blood has filled my mouth.”
“Yes, but –”
“And I’ve had my hand in your pants.”
This was all sounding familiar.
Still.
“Yes, but –”
“And my finger in your –”
“Yes!” I snapped, cutting him off. “But this is different!”
“How?”
“It just is.”
“Explain it to me.”
“I can’t!”
He sighed before stating, “You’re standing mostly na**d in my arms. I can feel your skin, smell your scent, touch your hair. You’re pressed against me and you’re saying the thought of me seeing your br**sts makes you uncomfortable even though I’ve seen them before?”
That made it sound stupid.
I dropped my eyes and looked at his throat.
“That makes it sound stupid,” I said in a small voice.
“Show yourself to me, Leah.”
My eyes snapped back to his. “What?” I breathed.
“Do it,” he ordered and it was definitely an order. I could see it in the hard set of his jaw and the intensity of his eyes.
I really had to make certain lighter fluid was on Edwina’s grocery list.
Doing my best to be Obedient Leah, I pushed against his arms at my waist to take a step back. He didn’t let me go. He kept his arms around me so I was forced to arch my back.
I looked away the minute his eyes dropped down. It was only a second before I was again pressed against him, his hand in my hair, cupping my head and putting pressure there so my cheek was against his chest.
He bent so he was talking into the hair on top of my head when he spoke again softly, “That wasn’t so hard, was it?”
Actually, it wasn’t.
But I’d never give him that.
So instead, in my most obvious, well-behaved voice, I agreed, “No, darling. It wasn’t.”
I felt his body go solid and his hand in my hair twisted before he noted, “You try me, pet.”
Good, I thought.
His hand tugged back, taking my head with it so I was looking up at him.
“You’re lucky I enjoy it.” His voice was a warning.
Great. He enjoyed it.
Boy, I was lucky.
“Put on a robe, meet me downstairs. We’ll have breakfast in the kitchen,” he commanded before he touched his lips to mine and let me go.
I nearly flew to the bathroom and it took all my effort not to slam the door.
“Is there something particular you want for breakfast?” he called through the closed door as I slid on my robe.
“Whatever you want,” I called back and then stuck my tongue out at the door.
“I saw that, Leah.” I heard him say and he didn’t sound like I was trying him anymore. He sounded amused.
I didn’t care if he sounded amused.
My mind and body froze.