I put my hands on the arms of the chair, close enough to Scotty to flirt but not physically touching him.
"Why don't you explain the lights system to me?" I asked.
I already knew it, of course, but I wanted to see if he knew it. It was also a good opportunity for us to establish boundaries.
Scotty swallowed, his throat visibly moving. "Sure. Green is good. Yellow is slow down. Red means stop."
"Good. I expect you to use these terms if I ask you how you're feeling."
Scotty nodded. He seemed eager to start, which thrilled me. This was my first time doing a scene as well, so I felt connected to him. I'd seen many vampires and humans play together but I was never compelled to get involved—until Scotty.
Why was he different? Why was he calling to me in a way nobody else ever had?
I loomed over him, my shoulders and chest caging him in. My straight black hair fell around my shoulders. I caught Scotty eyeing it curiously, as if he wanted to touch it, but he seemed hesitant.
"You may use your hands," I told him.
They rested awkwardly in his lap like he didn't know what to do with them, but upon hearing my comment his fingers twitched. He slowly raised them towards my draping hair.
"Is it okay if I…?" he asked.
The excitement in his voice was audible. It pleased me to see him so eager to engage.
"Yes," I said.
Wide-eyed, Scotty ran his fingers through the ends of my hair. "It's so soft and silky," he murmured.
I barely suppressed a shudder running through me. It jolted straight down to my cock, which started throbbing. The intensity of my reaction startled me. This omega, this human—all he had done was touch my hair and I was already hard. This wasn't like me at all. I had self-control. I had discipline. But all of it disappeared when confronted with Scotty.
He possessed no magic and he was unequivocally human. There was no way he could put me under any sort of spell. But then this powerful reaction could only mean one thing.
Was it possible that Scotty was my fated mate?
I shot that idea down as soon as it flickered into my mind. Just because I desperately wanted to find a fated mate didn't mean it was going to happen. Shifters complained that it was rare, a one in a million chance. And I wasn't even a shifter. I was a vampire, an accursed abomination. Why should I even deserve have a fated mate?
I pushed that train of thought away. The simplest explanation was often the correct one, and the basic answer for my reaction was that Scotty's blood appealed to my vampire thirst. Nothing more and nothing less. There was no need for me to create a false romantic narrative where one didn't exist.
I needed to escape my thoughts. Thankfully, Scotty's open body language invited more of my touch and I was glad to take the opportunity.
As Scotty ran his curious fingers through my hair—which felt amazing—I trailed my hand along his cheek. His skin was soft and warm. He let out a small, shuddering sigh as I touched him, which encouraged me to go further. I sneaked my hand down his jawline, pausing upon his neck. I didn't mean to pause in that specific spot, but it felt instinctive, an urge I couldn't ignore.
I ground my jaw. The rhythmic beat of his pulse beneath that frail, warm skin was irresistible. I couldn't believe what I was feeling. Was this how all vampires felt when confronted with a human throat? No wonder they acted like such heathens. It was like putting a steak in front of a dog and telling him not to eat it.
No, I couldn't allow myself to lose my inhibitions. It was all a matter of willpower and discipline. No matter how badly the thrum of Scotty's blood called out to me, I had to resist.
I must've lingered on his neck for longer than I thought because Scotty murmured, "Do you want more of it? Here, I can…"
Scotty craned his head to one side, completely exposing his throat to me.
I nearly came.
Ignoring the tight ache in my pants, I tensed my jaw. I felt my lengthening fangs grind against each other, desperate to break free of my mouth and sink into his tender flesh.
The urge was so terribly strong that I had to take a step back. It was for Scotty's safety, but the disappointed way he looked at me melted my heart. I felt guilty for almost losing control.
"Is something wrong?" Scotty asked.
Damn it. I didn't want him to feel like he'd done something wrong.
