At his response, her shoulders relaxed slightly.
“Thank you.”
“My pleasure.”
She picked up her plate, having hardly eaten a thing, walked to the garbage and deposited the bulk of it in the oblong, plastic lined container. He couldn’t stand being more than a few feet away from her and didn’t want to be ushered out the door yet, so he poured a glass of red wine from the open bottle on the counter, took her hand and drew her back into the living room. He could smell the fruity potion on her breath when he walked in and knew she’d already imbibed in a few glasses.
“Sit,” he waived her toward the couch and handed her the cup when she surprisingly complied without a flippant comment. He took his rightful place right next to her.
Glancing shyly between her glass and his face, he was surprised at the tender feelings that rose up out of nowhere. Dev was not tender anything. He was hard, demanding and passionate about many things. No one would—or could—ever accuse him of being tender. Now, however, as he observed his future mate that’s the exact sentiment he felt.
“Do you want to talk about your dreams?” He asked quietly. He wanted to know everything about her. Her hopes and dreams and deepest desires.
She smiled sardonically. “Not particularly, no.”
“Okay. Then tell me about your teaching.”
Quite frankly, he didn’t care what the fuck they talked about. He just wanted to spend time with her. And since he wasn’t about to take advantage of a woman who’d clearly had a little too much to drink this evening, spending it talking to her was the best he was going to get.
At that question, her eyes lit up and she spent the next hour telling him about her current PhD studies and her love for teaching and research. He hung on every word she said, drawing it in and tucking it away for future reference. She was passionate, like him. And he knew without a shadow of a doubt that passion would extend to the four walls of the bedroom. Just thinking about it made his stiff erection throb with anger at being kept from his Moira. He’d kept his hands in his lap for most of their conversation because he couldn’t control his bodily reaction to her.
Guilt ate at him for how much her life would change after they bonded. Because she would be the mate of a powerful Vampire Lord, she could not be allowed to continue teaching at the University and that gutted him. She would be crushed, so together they would have to find something else that could replace that passion, but where she’d also be safe from harm.
“Well, I should be going to bed. I have an early day tomorrow.”
She yawned and he could see how tired she really was. While he was loath to leave, he couldn’t come up with a plausible reason to stay, either.
He rose, as did she, and she walked him to the front door. While he may walk out of the house, he wasn’t going any further than that. Against Ren’s wishes, he would personally keep watch over her.
“Well…good night Dev. Thanks for stopping by,” she said softly as she held the open door, signaling it was time for him to depart.
Leaving without tasting her was probably the second hardest thing he’d done today. Watching her walk out of the precinct without him was the first. He wanted to taste her mouth, her skin, her pussy. He wanted her blood running in his veins. He craved anything and everything that she would give him.
But instead of doing any of those things, he leaned in and gently touched his lips to her forehead. “Goodnight, love.”
Then he turned and walked out door, already strategically planning for tomorrow evenings visit.
Chapter 13
Xavier
Xavier thrust ruthlessly into her quivering body again and again. She was a tight little thing, and a virgin, if the blood smeared between her pale thighs was any indication. Of course, he’d ravaged her for the last several hours, so it was just as likely he’d ripped up her tender flesh. She was almost useless now. Her broken body was half drained of blood and she was just lying there, taking his abuse. Eyes vacant and glassed over.
They weren’t nearly as much fun when they got to this stage. Her screams and sobbing had died down to whimpering and occasional pleading. He would prefer her screams, so her succulent bloodstream was flooded with the sweet aphrodisiac of adrenaline. He bared his fangs to her once again, which started her hoarse, half-hearted scream back up. He struck at her carotid like a rattlesnake, sucking the remaining lifeblood from her young, weak body.
Just as he was finishing, a soft knock came at the door, forcing him to stop suckling at her vein, though he held his fangs tightly in her flesh.
“If I have to open that door, you’re only going to wish you were dead, Rodney.”