She snuggles closer. “You mean lie in bed with a man?”
“Yeah.” It comes out as a whisper.
She giggles. “No. I realize how unbelievable that sounds in this day and time. I’ve never been in love so I wouldn’t have a reason to be in bed with a man if I didn’t love him.”
Thank the gods. “I wasn’t raised during these times so it isn’t unbelievable to me.”
She lifts her head from my chest. “Have you ever shared a bed with a woman?”
She’s watching my eyes. I think she’s doing it because she wants to make sure I’m being truthful but she’d realize it was unnecessary if she thought about it. I can’t lie to her. She’d feel it through our bond. “When I was human, a man didn’t share a bed with a woman unless she was his wife or a whore–neither of which I’ve ever had.”
My virginal status makes her grin. “I was going to ask if you had ever been married but I guess the virgin thing rules that out.”
“I was betrothed to a woman when I was turned by Thatcher. Her name was Lisette.” I can’t believe I’m going to tell her what happened. I’ve shared the story with so few people but I want to tell her for some reason. “I didn’t understand what was happening to me during the change and I revealed myself as a vampire to her. She begged me to change her after the shock wore off–so I tried– but it didn’t end well for her. I still don’t understand what went wrong. I drained her and she drank my blood. It should have worked but instead of giving her immortality, I killed her.”
“Did you love her?” Her voice is sad.
Here I go. I’m going to tell her how I feel although I suspect she already knows. It could be the best thing I’ve ever done. Or the worst. “I thought I did … until I met you.”
Her expression becomes very serious as her heart speeds. “What does that mean?”
I rise from lying on my back and roll so Avery is pinned beneath me. I prop my elbows on each side of her head and cradle her face in my hands. “Dammit! I know I’m not supposed to but I can’t help myself. I love you, Avery. With all my heart and soul, I love you.”
She isn’t shocked so I was right. She knew all along. “I love you too.” Her hands slide through the back of my hair and she pulls my mouth down to hers so she can plant soft kisses but they quickly become fast and urgent, causing my head to spin.
My mouth leaves hers and I start a path of kisses down her neck. Her hands move from my hair to my shoulders and then down my back. Her breathing turns to panting–much like my own–and I feel her tugging upward on my shirt. I reach over my head with one hand and grab it by the neck. One smooth pull is all it takes to get it off and I toss it out of the way onto the floor.
She places her palms on my bare chest and rubs her thumbs in circular motions over my ni**les. Her touch causes them to become hard and I can’t resist the urge to look down at them. Whoa … that’s never happened–at least not while I’ve been a vampire.
I lower myself and return to kissing Avery’s neck when her sweet intoxicating scent floods my senses. “You smell so good.” I move my mouth lower and push the top of her nightgown down so I can kiss her br**sts.
I hear Avery moan when she arches her back from the bed and she brings her legs up to wrap around my waist. “Mmm … ohh. Don’t stop.”
Not a chance of that happening.
I migrate further south and this time I push the bottom of her gown above her hips so I can place kisses against her flat stomach. She’s squirming hard beneath me so I grasp her hips and dip my tongue into her bellybutton. “Oh … oh … oh.”
I’m right there hovering above what seems to be the source of her intoxicating scent. I press my nose to the waistband of her panties and draw a deep breath before I lift my face to look at Avery. She knows this is me asking permission without uttering a word so she lifts her bottom from the bed. “Take ‘em off.”
I slide my fingers into the skinny bands on each of her hips and pull the two tiny triangles down her legs so they can be added to my shirt on the floor. She sits up and wiggles until she has her gown up and over her head before she reaches for the tie of my linen sleep pants. Once they’re gone, I lower my naked body against hers and I covet the feel of her warmth against me.
She parts her legs again, this time without a barrier between our bodies. It’s simultaneously the most amazing feeling I’ve ever experienced while being the scariest and most confusing moment of my existence. I remember the mechanics of what happens when a man desires a woman but I’m puzzled by the whys. This hasn’t happened since I was human. And it shouldn’t be happening now.
She wiggles beneath me until my erection is positioned at her entrance. “Do it. I want you to.”
This is something I never thought I’d hear a woman say to me. I feel like I have the physical ability but what if I’m wrong? “I’m not sure I can. Vampires aren’t supposed to be able to do this.”
She rocks her body against mine, testing the water. “I believe you can. Unless you don’t want to.”
How can she think I don’t want this with her? “It’s definitely not that. I want to. Bad. Don’t think for one second I don’t. And I feel like I can but I’m afraid I’m wrong and I don’t want to disappoint you.”
She lifts her hips to coax me. “Don’t be scared. We were made for this. I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life.”
There’s no way I’m taking the time to ponder why I suddenly have the ability to do something vampires aren’t supposed to be capable of doing. I’m not ruining this moment with her.
I push against her body and enter slowly. Her eyes are squeezed tightly and her hands are clenched around my biceps as I go deeper. She gasps against my ear and her entire body tenses–a clear indicator of the pain I’m causing–so I become motionless. She kisses the space below my ear before she whispers, “Don’t stop.”
“But I’m hurting you,” I whisper. “I don’t want to do that.”
She brings her legs up around my waist. “You’re not. And you never would.” She tightens the grip of her legs and squeezes until I’m fully inside her. “I want you. And I want this.”
I couldn’t deny her if I tried. I’m powerless to stop what is happening between us. It feels as though something else is in control of my body–and while it’s utterly amazing–what’s happening in my head isn’t any less astonishing. “I love you so much, Avery.”