A Fire in the Blood(27)
“You drank my blood.”
He nodded again.
“That’s crossing the line big-time.”
“Would you deny me that pleasure?”
She glared at him. “It might be pleasurable for you. Not for me.”
“How do you know?”
“What do you mean?”
“Let me show you.” His fingertips caressed her neck, then came to rest just below her ear.
Tessa’s heart skipped a beat. His fingers were cool against her skin, yet she suddenly felt warm all over.
“Do you trust me?” he asked quietly.
“I don’t know. Should I?”
“I promise I won’t hurt you, and I’ll stop immediately if you tell me to.”
Tessa stared at him. Who in their right mind invited a vampire to bite them? And what if he didn’t stop? There was no knight in shining armor waiting to come to her rescue.
Leaning forward, he brushed a kiss across her lips. “Trust me, Tessa. Let me show you what pleasure is.”
“You promise you’ll stop if I don’t like it?”
“On my word of honor.”
Did vampires have honor? She searched his face. If they were going to have any kind of relationship, she had to be able to trust him.
Reading the answer in her eyes, he smiled as he drew her into his arms. “Relax. It won’t hurt at all.”
Was he kidding? How was she going to relax when he was going to . . . she gasped at the touch of his fangs against her skin, closed her eyes as warmth flooded her, curling deep inside of her, filling her with a rush of pleasure. All thought of resistance fled as she sagged in his arms, her whole being tingling with sensual awareness.
All too soon, he lifted his head. “Tessa?”
“Hmm?” Her eyelids fluttered open. “Why did you stop?”
He chuckled softly. “One of us has to know when to quit.”
“How can anything so . . . so . . . I mean, letting you drink from me should be repugnant. I should be freaking out instead of wanting you to do it again.”
“Did I not say you would like it?”
“Why didn’t it hurt?”
“Because I didn’t want it to.”
She pondered that a moment. Then, with a sigh, she snuggled against his chest, wondering what Jilly would say when she learned her best friend had welcomed Andrei back into her life.
* * *
Tessa waited until lunch on Monday to break the news to Jileen, figuring that her friend wouldn’t go ballistic in the middle of the cafeteria. As Tessa had expected, Jilly was horrified by the news.
“Are you crazy?’ Jileen exclaimed. “Like, totally insane?”
“I guess so.” Tessa sipped her latte, then picked up her sandwich.
“You must be, because, seriously, there’s really no other explanation.” Jileen glanced around the cafeteria, then leaned forward. “You need to be careful,” she whispered. “Luke staked a vampire last night, but his companion got away.”
Tessa dropped the sandwich back onto her plate, her appetite gone.
“I’m sorry,” Jilly said. “I didn’t mean to spoil your lunch, but I thought you should know. Luke’s going to come by and drive you home tonight, then I’ll bring him back here to pick up his car.”
Tessa started to say that wouldn’t be necessary, then changed her mind. Better safe than sorry. The last thing she wanted was to be driving home alone when there was a vampire in the area. “Thanks, Jilly.”
Whenever Tessa had a quiet moment the rest of the day, she wondered if she should quit her job and move to a new town. Sometimes she thought that would be the smart thing to do. And yet, if vampires from all over believed her blood had some magic power, moving really wouldn’t solve the problem. Sooner or later, they would find her again. Try as she might, she could find no permanent solution to the matter. Unless she could somehow get all new blood . . . She shuddered at the thought. Even if such a thing was feasible, there was no way to be certain that would work, either.
“Miss Blackburn?”
“What?” She looked up to see a deliveryman standing on the other side of her desk. “Yes. Can I help you?”
“These are for you.”
“For me?” Rising, Tessa reached for the flowers—a beautiful bouquet of pink roses and pink and white lilies in a tall, crystal vase. “Thank you.” When she reached for her purse, intending to tip the man, he waved her off.
“Already taken care of,” he said, smiling. “Enjoy your day.”
“Thank you.” After placing the vase on the corner of her desk, she reached for the card, which she read aloud. “To let you know I’m thinking of you.” It was signed A. D.