He glanced down at the three plates that I'd all but licked clean, then said, with a smile touching his luscious lips, “If there's one thing I've always admired about werewolves, it's their appetite.”
A smile teased my lips. “And here I was thinking you were all darkly disapproving of a werewolf's appetite.”
“Only when that appetite isn't aimed in the right direction.”
I leaned forward again and crossed my arms on the table. I was wearing a low cut, V-necked T-shirt, so the action exposed not only the blue lace of my bra, but a rather large amount of breast. “The right direction being you, and only you?”
“In your case, yes.” His gaze slithered downward briefly before rising, and the smile became full blown. The heat of it just about blew my socks off. “And you surely can't blame me for wanting to keep your luscious body all to myself. Any man with any sense would want to do the same.”
Which left me with the perfect opening to bring up the problem of his feeding. I blew out a breath, then said, “That's something we need to talk about.”
His warm smile faded as he studied me for a moment, and part of me mourned its loss.
“This sounds serious.”
“It is.”
“Then wait a moment while I grab a coffee to fortify myself.” He signaled to the waiter, who brought over the coffee pot and filled up his mug. Quinn picked it up and took a sip, then his dark gaze met mine. “Okay, fire away.”
I blew out another breath. “Several people over the last couple of days have commented on how pale I look.”
He raised a dark eyebrow. “You have a vampire feeding on you nightly. It's natural that you're going to look a little paler.”
“Yeah, but the problem is that it's not just the paleness. I've been dizzy on several occasions, and I've been lucky that it hasn't had disastrous consequences.” I hesitated, then added, “Now, I'm not entirely convinced it's your feeding causing this, because my psychic talents seem to be rapidly developing new and interesting twists right now, but I still think it's something we need to discuss.”
He frowned. “If it is the feeding, then I'm sorry. I didn't realize—”
“It's not your fault,” I interrupted quickly. “Not entirely. I should have said something the minute I realized the feedings might be affecting me.”
“I didn't think they would.” He took another sip of coffee, his expression as neutral as I'd ever seen it, then said, “Generally, a werewolf's quick recuperation power enables them to recover more quickly than mortals.”
“And it does.” I gave him a lopsided smile. “I'm gathering there are not many mortals who could take a vampire feeding off them three or four times a night for several nights on end.”
“No.” He put down his coffee then reached forward and wrapped his hands around mine. His fingers were warm, filled with a strength that was comforting. “Trouble is, when I have sex, I feed. I can't not feed. It's a part of the whole equation for me.”
“And you reckon we werewolves are addicted to sex.”
He smiled, but the seriousness in his eyes stopped my lips from echoing his. “It's not an addiction, but a necessity. You're currently my only partner, Riley, so therefore my only source of food.”
“And therein lies our problem, I think.” I gave his hands a squeeze, then pulled mine away and picked up my coffee. Despite the need to talk about this, my hands were shaking. Part of me feared his reaction to what I was about to say. We'd been in this sort of situation so often before—even if the reasons had been completely different—and it had always ended with one or the other of us storming off in anger. I'd like to say we'd both grown since then, but the truth was, I doubted it. Ingrained reactions never really changed—not when there were emotions involved.And there were definitely emotions involved here—his and mine.
“I don't want to take other partners, Riley.” He studied me for a minute, then added, “Do you?”
I raised an eyebrow, and pretended not to understand the intent behind that question. “Do I want you to take other partners? I wouldn't be suggesting it if I thought it was a bad thing.”
Something flickered in his eyes. Annoyance, and just a touch of hurt. “So there'd be no feeling of jealousy? No feeling of hurt if I was with another woman?”
I opened my mouth to say no, of course not, then actually thought about it. And the truth is, I just didn't know. My wolf soul might have free and easy attitudes when it came to sex, but I'd had Quinn to myself for a few weeks now, and the truth was, I liked it. More than I'd ever thought I would.
“I've never really been in that situation with you,” I said. “You've been something of a steamroller in your seduction attempts, and I've always been busy turning a blind eye to what lay between us. We never had what could be termed a normal courtship, so I've never had to face the situation of seeing you with someone else. But I am a wolf, above all else, and no matter what else you might be to me, you will never be that.”
The smile that touched his lips held a slightly bitter edge. “That's the second time today you've mentioned that.”
“Because it is important. It's what I am.” I hesitated, then added softly, “And it's what I desire, above everything else.”
He leaned back in his chair. “So we're back to that old chestnut.”
Annoyance surged, but I didn't say anything. I really didn't want to get into another argument—and I would, if I opened my mouth at that particular moment.
He stared at me for several long minutes, his face showing nothing but blankness. Yet his dark eyes fairly burned with emotion. Or maybe it just seemed that way to me because I was so in tune with the man.
“So what is it you're actually suggesting?”
“That you take other lovers when you're up in Sydney, and that you supplement your feedings with synth blood when you're here in Melbourne with me. I can't afford to get dizzy and weak in my line of work, Quinn. We both know that would be fatal.”
“And you?” he said, voice tight.
“I've never promised to remain in a monogamous relationship with you, just as I've made no secret of the fact I want to find my soul mate.” I held up my hand as his anger surged around me and he opened his mouth to speak. “By the same token, I don't want to fuck every wolf in sight—as you're undoubtedly about to accuse me of.”
“I wasn't, actually,” he said, more mildly than I'd thought possible.
“Well, it is your usual line of attack,” I said, with a slight smile. I leaned forward and caught his hands in mine again. “Look, I love being with you. I love being in your bed. Right now, I don't want anyone else, physically or emotionally. But that's not saying it won't ever happen. As we both keep noting, I am a wolf, and sometimes situations happen.”
“And if it does, you don't want me acting like an enraged and jealous husband.”
“Well, yes.”
He sighed. “I don't know, Riley—”
“You have the reputation of a playboy, so don't tell me finding other women to seduce will be a problem.”
His smile sent a warm shiver across my skin. “Oh, that's never been a problem. Well, until I met you.”
“What, my wild and wicked ways have turned you off women?”
“Not quite,” he said, raising my hand and kissing my fingertips. “Your wild and wicked ways have made me want only you.”
“Which is not saying you can't be turned on by other women.”
“Indeed.”
“Then there's no real problem.”
“Not a physical one,” he agreed.
He was still kissing my fingers, and it was making my toes curl in delight. “Then you will take other women to your bed when necessary?”
“I don't want to see you dead, Riley, nor do I want to be the possible cause of it. So if you insist on other women and the revolting synth blood—”
“And I do, because it's better for the both of us.”
“That is yet to be determined.” He gave me a wry sort of smile. “Okay, agreed. But only if you promise not to tell me about your own conquests. It may happen, Riley, but I don't want to know about it.”
“I've never gloated about my other partners to you,” I said. “And just because our situation forces us to take other partners doesn't mean we can't be the most important person in each other's life.”
“Unless you find your soul mate.”
I snorted softly. “You and I both know that may never happen. Hell, fate has done a pretty good job of crushing my dreams of a pack of kids. The whole soul mate thing is probably next in line.”
“It's still something I worry about. As I said, I don't want to lose you.”
“I'm not immortal, Quinn. You're going to lose me sooner or later anyway.”
“You, my annoying beautiful redhead, are both werewolf and vampire. The only thing anyone can say with any sort of accuracy about your life span is that it will be longer than a regular werewolf's.”
“Oh, God,” I said, pretending horror. “Does that mean I have to listen to you nagging about my sex life for half of eternity?”
He smiled, then rose and leaned across the table, kissing me gently. “I'm afraid it does, my girl.”
I smiled into his gaze. “Good. Now, I have one other vital question.”
“I should have known.” He sighed wearily, but the effect was spoiled by the twinkle in his eyes. “Hit me with it, then.”