“Go for it.”
“What did Margaret say to you earlier, while I was gone?”
“Oh, that. She was just encouraging me. I think she knew I was dreading the blood-drinking thing.”
Warily I asked, “That’s all?”
“Yeah.” He glanced over his shoulder with a sympathetic smile. “I know she’s been, uh, unstable lately. But I promise she didn’t say or do anything weird to me.”
“All right,” I murmured. “As long as you’re comfortable.”
He leaned his weight back against me until he laughed and melted in my arms. “I won’t be comfortable until this baby is out of me, for one thing. And for another…” He flashed a grin. “Ialsowon’t be comfortable until you kiss me.”
I raised my brows in mock surprise. “Oh, well, we can’t have that, can we?”
“Absolutely not.”
I kissed him, our lips meeting at two opposite angles. Benji’s tongue darted out and licked my mouth teasingly before withdrawing it.
“Playing games, are you?” I murmured.
“Maybe.”
“Be careful. I might unleash myself on you.”
He grinned. “Ooh, scary.”
With increased fervor, I kissed him again, this time spreading his lips open with my tongue. He let out a tiny yelp in the back of his throat as the kiss deepened, and he moaned into it.
When we finally pulled apart, he was gasping for breath. “Hey, living, breathing human here, remember?”
“Sorry,” I said. “It’s easy to forget once you’ve stopped breathing for as long as I have.”
Benji paused, then hauled himself upright. “That reminds me… Can I ask you about your past? You know, like, before you were turned.”
“Hm.”
“It’s okay if you don’t want to,” Benji added.
“It’s all right.” I touched his cheek. “Before I was turned, I worked as a psychiatrist.”
Curious now, Benji sat upright. “Really?”
“Yes. I worked under someone else’s clinic, but that was my career.” I smiled at the old memory. “Some might find it strange, but I enjoyed the work. Sometimes I even find myself reminiscing about it.”
“Why don’t you go back to it?” he asked.
I paused for a moment. “Interesting. I suppose I never thought there was a need for it. After all, who would want a vampire as their doctor?”
Benji grinned. “You’d probably be surprised. But maybe, just in case, don’t tell them you’re a vampire.”
A smirk tugged at my lips. “I would imagine the night-only sessions would begin to rouse suspicion.”
“Not in the winter!” Benji argued. “I mean, if you like it so much, why not go back?”
I wrapped my arms around him. “Maybe in the future. Right now, I’m satisfied spending as much time as possible with you - and soon, with our baby.” I quirked a brow teasingly. “Do you really want me to go away that badly?”
“No!” he cried. He embraced me tightly and muttered, “Fine. Don’t get a job. See if I care.”
