He buries kisses into the curve of my neck and licks the shell of my ear. “You’re saying I’m your first.”
I bracket my hands around his hips and steady him, enjoying the way his tongue abrades my skin.
“I’m saying you’re my only.”
Declan drags his nose across my jaw and over my cheek, bumping into my nose and pressing our lips together.
“This mate thing is serious, isn’t it?” he breathes the question against my mouth.
I nod.
“Shouldn’t you get me a ring or something?”
I flip him onto his back and he laughs. I kiss him and he shuts up, going pliant and malleable under my touch. “Maybe we can start with a date.”
* * *
I haven’t been able to stop thinking about buying Declan a ring since he mentioned it, and I don’t know if it’s the blood bond, or the fact he’s my mate, or what, but I feel like an over-sexed, lust crazed teenager.
“Where are we going?” Declan is pretty bouncy in the passenger seat and I can’t not smile at his enthusiasm. “I figure most first dates are dinner, but we can’t really do that, can we?”
“Well.” I cast an appraising look over my center console. “We can. But not in the way you’re used to.”
He opens his mouth to reply, then snaps it closed when he realizes what I mean.
“It’s not, like, a lot, is it? You don’t kill people or anything, do you?”
“No. It’s definitely not like that,” I assure him. “Just a taste.”
“When do we do that?”
“I don’t know.” I slow down for a red light. “To be honest, the idea of you drinking from someone who isn’t me makes me want to tear the world apart.”
“Whose blood did you drink earlier? At dinner.”
“I don’t know.” The light turns green and I accelerate through the intersection. “William keeps the fridge stocked.”
He shifts around a little before he speaks again. “Is that practical? For us to only drink from each other, I mean?”
“I doubt it. We’ll have to ask my parents about it when we see them. I kind of just wanted to spend time alone with you for a while, though, I hope that’s okay. I don’t think it’s a pressing concern. We can go back if it is.”
“It’s fine,” he whispers, and turns his attention out the window.
I speed through the city and we drive the rest of the way in silence. Wildemount is asmall city, not super populous, but big enough that we can go unnoticed here. William always keeps a close eye on the other vampires that pass through town and everything runs well.
I pull up to the Wildemount Museum Complex and park. Declan looks at me like I’m crazy.
“They’re closed.”
“The gardens are open. The fountain is still on.” I unbuckle and get out of the car. He follows me. “The stars are out.”
We both look up. I’ve always liked it out here. Ever since we moved. It’s far enough away from the downtown part of the city that the lights don’t interfere with the night sky and you can sometimes see the Milky Way if it’s clear enough.
I take Declan’s hand and we walk up the wide concrete stairs toward the grand marble fountain that sits centered between the history and art museums.
“I can’t ever go to a museum again,” he whispers.
I sit down on a bench that faces the fountain and pull him down with me. He rests his head on my shoulder and a nervousness inside me settles. Wrapping my arm around him, I stroke my fingers over his bicep.
