“It wasn’t as glamorous as it sounds.” He smiled ruefully. “I had to testify against my youngling, and they executed him.”
“That’s terrible. I’m so sorry.”
“I’m not. He was a pathetic waste of immortality. His victims were in the wrong place at the wrong time, as they say. It hardly seems to matter now, but time was all they had, and he took that away. That wasn’t the mark I wanted to leave on this world.”
While Atticus spoke, he caressed my belly, and between the ambience of the warm fireplace and the realization that my robe had opened in the front, I was having illicit thoughts about coupling with a Vampire.
His dark eyes watched me intently. “You’re not in pain, are you?”
Pain?He had no idea.
I never wanted him to stop touching me, and my fantasies were spinning at the thought of his hand sliding between my legs. And as of late, my sexual appetite had only increased, which had made being in a fake relationship even more difficult. All I wanted was to feel passion again.
I brazenly gripped his wrist and moved his hand to my breast. He kneaded it softly, his thumb brushing over my nipple.
Atticus retracted his hand. “It’s late, and… it wasn’t my intention to take advantage of you.”
I drew back to see his face. “Am I not your type?”
His voice softened. “You’re the most radiant star in the universe, but you’re too pure for my touch.”
Too pure? Is he mocking me?
Feeling the sting of rejection, I got up and stalked out of the room. “Good night, Mr. Rain.”
Night-lights flicked on as I passed them in the hall and on the stairs. Once inside my room, I threw my robe onto a chair, nearly knocking over the flowers. No man had ever wooed me better, and yet… I was too pure? What did that even mean?
Does he think I’m a virgin who was kidnapped by crazed scientists? Maybe my body is a turnoff.
“I can charm people for information, but I can’t read minds.” Atticus leaned against the doorjamb. “What just happened?”
“If you think I’m a pure soul, you have the wrong woman.” I erased the distance between us. “There was a time when I made more money offstage than on. It started with private performances for parties, but then I received offers from wealthy men who wanted companionship. Am I proud of what I’ve done? No. But as a single woman in a world built by men, I did whatever it took to secure a future. Nobody forced me. They were my choices.”
“And those choices don’t affect the purity of your spirit. I’ve done things, Joy. Terrible things. But we do what we must to survive.” He caressed my cheek. “You’re the reason the moon rises in the night sky.”
“You say such beautiful things and woo me with fruits, flowers, and gifts. But what does that mean if you won’t even touch me? Am I not your type? That’s it, isn’t it? I’m not that same woman you first met all those months ago who looked like a starlet.”
He shook his head. “You’ve spent your life as a reflection of someone else and lost sight of your own beauty. People worship the sun, but the moon is a jewel in the night. As it so happens, I find you more attractive now than when we first met.” He ensnared my waist and pulled me close, his lips just a breath away. “I crave you like I’ve never craved anyone or anything.” Atticus moved his lips so close to mine they almost touched. “If you were mine, I would worship your body until you lost your voice from screaming my name.”
Desire pulsed between my legs, and I wrapped my arms around his neck.
Instead of kissing me, he pressed his forehead against mine. “I can’t risk it.”
I stared at his luscious lips, tempted to make the first move. “Because you’ve only been with Vampires?”
“I can’t risk doing anything that might accidentally harm the baby. And I don’t want you to think I’m using my powers to seduce you.”
“I know you’re not.” I caressed his nape with my fingertips and basked in the energy crackling between us. “That’s why I want you.”
He fastened his gaze on mine. “You want me?”
I closed my eyes and leaned in just enough to initiate the kiss. When our lips met, it was molten and set my heart racing. He kissed me slowly, reverently, with every fiber of his being. Atticus was an incredible kisser, and the moment our tongues touched, he squeezed me tighter.
“Oh my,” I said on a breath.
Why are my feelings so powerful for this man?
Because now I knew about his past—Atticus was a protector. He didn’t treat me like a commodity. With his money and looks, he could have anyone. But instead, he bent over backward for a pregnant Shifter he barely knew and never asked for anything in return.
