Until the Sun Falls from the Sky(26)
Her eyes darted to his mouth then away while she announced, “I’m a lot of things, none of them good.”
“I’ve noticed you’re a lot of them, pet, but I beg to differ. I think all of them are good.”
She closed her eyes in despair while muttering, “Great.”
He chuckled and slid under her, pulling her over his body until she was mostly on top of him, part of her settled at his side against the back of the lounge. He kept his arms locked around her waist as she came up on a forearm and looked down at him. Her thick hair fell in a curtain around her face, its fragrance enveloping him in an intoxicating mixture of peonies with a hint of grapefruit.
He tamped down the urge to pull her hair and her closer and instead offered, “We’ll start with last night, shall we?”
“Finally,” she breathed and he gave her a gentle but unmistakable squeeze.
“Leah,” he added a verbal warning to his physical one.
She drew in a breath and exhaled loudly.
Then she invited, “Begin, oh Great Master.”
He again fought back a grin. “You’re about to earn another hug.”
“You’re already hugging me.”
He let the feel of her, the vision of her and her divine aroma penetrate.
He lost focus and one of his hands roamed up her spine as he murmured, “Indeed I am.”
“Lucien,” she called. “You were going to impart great vampire wisdom on me?”
He’d rather kiss her. He’d also rather peel away her clothes and taste her skin, her breasts, the heat between her legs.
He did none of that no matter how much he wanted it.
Instead he told her, “Last night didn’t go as I planned.”
He watched her press her lips together in an effort to bite back her own words.
“You made it get out of hand, pet,” he said quietly and her brows shot up as she reflexively pushed against his chest, again to no avail.
“Me?” she snapped when she’d stopped pushing.
“You,” he returned.
“How was I responsible for last night?”
“You got too excited.”
“Too…” she paused and repeated, “too...” Then she made a strangled noise, unable to continue.
His hand slid further up her back, caught a lock of her hair and he started twisting it around his finger.
“You wanted me,” he murmured and she swallowed.
“Did not,” she whispered her lie.
“You did, I smelled it.”
Her eyes widened and her lips parted. Lucien decided that was his favorite of Leah’s many expressions.
“My senses are far more acute than yours,” he explained.
“I know that.”
“So you know I could smell your excitement.”
Her eyes slid away and she muttered with embarrassment, “I didn’t know that.”
He found he was surprised at her embarrassment, delighted but surprised. Even so, he sought to alleviate it.
“I wanted you too,” he told her softly.
Her eyes slid back fleetingly, he saw pink rise in her cheeks and he heard her heart trip over itself. Then she moved her gaze to study the arm of the lounge.
His arm gave her a squeeze at her waist. “Look at me, pet.”
She hesitated and then did as he commanded.
“Vampires are human,” he informed her and instead of her lips parting, her mouth dropped open and she gaped at him. He continued despite her astonished reaction. “The theory is, we mutated from homo sapiens a long time ago. As the millennia passed, we developed necessary traits, instincts, abilities for our survival and for the survival of the species that would keep us alive.”
She continued to stare at him then whispered, “You’re human?”
“A kind of human, yes, the immortal kind.”
“It’s not dark magic?”
He shook his head and said, “No.”
“Supernatural?”
“No.”
“Paranormal?”
“Leah, I’m just like you, except different.”
“Yes, you’re way different! You suck human blood!” Her voice had risen and she tried to pull away but he stopped twisting her hair and drew her closer with both arms wrapped around her.
“We feed on human blood, yes.”
“That’s wrong.”
“It’s natural.”
“It’s crazy!”
“It’s been happening since time began.”
She shook her head looking anywhere but at him visibly unable to process this information.
“This is nuts,” she muttered with an edge of hysteria.
“It isn’t.”
Finally she looked at him. “It’s sick.”
His arms tightened further and he held control of his temper but his voice betrayed it when he explained, “You should know, that’s offensive, pet.”