She takes the necklace from her chest and stares at it in her palm. She’s silent and I’m on the verge of asking her if she’s angry when she lifts her face and tears are rolling down each of her cheeks. “Thank you.”
“I didn’t know how you’d react. I was so afraid you’d be angry at me.”
She kisses my forehead. “I don’t think I could ever be angry with you.” She passes the necklace back to me and lifts her hair. “Would you?”
“Of course.” I fasten the clasp so the butterfly is returned to its rightful place in the dip of Avery’s throat and I’m reminded of the old saying. “You didn’t let it go but it still came back so that means it’s yours.”
Chapter Five
Two days. That’s how long it’s been since I drank from Avery. And I don’t want to wait another day. Correction–I can’t wait another day. I’m not certain I’ll make it until dawn with the way I’ve had my baby doll on my mind all night. That’s why I’m sneaking into her bedroom at three in the morning instead of waiting a couple of hours for the others to go down for the day.
She’s sleeping. And dreaming. She’s having a pleasant one and I wonder what it’s about. I hate to wake her from it but I’m greedy this morning. I want her. Now.
I place my hand over her mouth before I turn on her bedside lamp. Her eyes pop open and I hear her muffled scream beneath my hand. I place a single finger from my free hand over my lips and she understands because she quietens down.
Her heart is still pounding hard–although she realizes it’s me–because I’ve just scared the shit out of her. I wish I could give her an explanation but I can’t without the others overhearing so I tug on her hands to pull her out of bed. It’s a gesture she understands.
I grasp her hand as I lead her out of her bedroom and we’re silent as we walk toward my office. I close the door once we’re inside and we’re cut off from the rest of the house. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to frighten you but there was no other way to wake you. I had to cover your mouth because I knew you’d scream if I didn’t.”
She looks at the clock on the wall and I recognize her confusion. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.” I take her hands in mine and pull her to me. I wrap my arms around her and kiss the side of her neck just below her ear. “I couldn’t wait another minute to see you. I miss having you in my arms.”
“Mmm … I miss being in your arms.” She leans into me and my mouth finds hers but this kiss is different from any we’ve shared before. This one is urgent. And needy.
I trail my mouth down her neck but remember our conversation about trying a different spot next time I fed. “You mentioned trying a new place the next time I drank from you?”
“No three day wait?” Her voice is breathy. And desperate.
“No. I can’t wait another day. I need to be with you. To feel you.”
Her hands find mine and she walks backwards toward my desk. She hops up after pushing some papers aside and slides her silk gown up her legs to reveal her thighs. I can’t stop my eyes from following the black silk as it rises. She points to her femoral artery in the bend of her leg. “I thought you might like to try this one.”
I stand there speechless as I swallow hard. I’ve drunk from the femoral of others many times and it never phased me. Until now. I was definitely feeling excited about the prospect of drinking from Avery’s thigh.
She looks sad when I don’t reply. “You don’t want to?”
I step closer and put my arms around her. “It’s not that, baby doll.”
“Then what is it?” she whispers.
I don’t know what it is. “I have so many new emotions when I’m with you but I don’t know what any of them mean.”
She pulls away so she can see my face. “Do you want to talk about it?”
There it is again. That smell. My mind goes to mush every time it comes around. “No. Right now I want my mouth on you.” I drop to my knees in front of Avery. I grasp her thighs and pull her across my desk until her bottom is on the edge. She releases her gown and grasps the corner of the desk because she’s afraid of falling. “Don’t worry. I won’t let you fall. Ever.”
She relaxes and releases her grip. I’m looking up at her from where I’m kneeling between her knees and she reaches out to run one of her hands through the top of my hair. “I’m falling … but in a different kind of way.”
I kiss the top of her knee. “So I’m not the only one?”
“No. Not by a long shot.”
I move up and kiss the inside of her thigh. “Good. I’m happy to hear that.” She opens her legs to give me full access and I’m taken over by the scent as I kiss her higher on the inside of her opposite leg. I place my lips against the pulsation in the bend of her leg but look up at her face before piercing it. “This is a big vessel. It bleeds fast and hard once I puncture it so I want you to tell me if you feel woozy at all while I’m drinking.”
“I will.”
“Lean back and rest on your elbows. It’ll be more comfortable if your leg isn’t bent so much.”
She repositions and I’m wishing we were in her bedroom instead of this office. But that isn’t safe this time of night. “Are you okay?”
“Perfect.”
I push the edge of her underwear up for better access to her artery and see that her skin is bare and smooth beneath her black satin panties. It’s not at all what I was expecting. That’s when I realize I actually had expectations so I’m forced to admit I have been thinking about her body entirely more than what any vampire would consider normal. And it certainly wasn’t natural to be thinking about her body beneath her panties.
“What’s wrong?” She has a concerned look on her face and I sense her worry but I’m not certain what sparked it. Perhaps it’s the look on my face and she’s afraid I’ve changed my mind.
“Nothing is wrong.” I kiss her groin again. “I guess I’m just a little surprised by this.”
“By what?” She has no idea what I’m referring to.
I divert my eyes toward her panties. “You’re smooth there.”
“Oh.” She blushes crimson. “You don’t like it?”
Why would a man not like it? “No, it’s not that. I just wasn’t expecting it. I’m surprised. That’s all.”