“Got it all planned out, do you?” Increasingly easy to forget just what he was, treating him just like a...well, a human being. A boyfriend, maybe.
It helped that he could hunt without killing anyone, and enough tourists passed through this picture-postcard place to make their own presence far less intrusive. Bea kept waiting for a shoe to drop, but nothing happened. All the restless studying couldn’t get rid of the feeling, but sometimes it was easier to handle.
“I also have a gift for my lovely leman.” His smile widened; relaxation looked good on him. There was something tucked under his arm; it looked like a rectangular box. “Would you like it now, or after I have you?”
She was suddenly very aware of the sundress, soft cotton against her skin. “Very sure of yourself, signor.”
“Not at all, simply determined to keep my kitten in good humor. She has such interesting ideas, after all.”
Good Lord. Her body, knowing what was inevitably going to happen, was already turning to liquid, and heat rose in her cheeks. “You’re a nymphomaniac.”
“I don’t quite understand the term, perhaps you can explain it?” A wicked gleam in dark eyes, and he took a single step, the toes of his deck shoes resting just at the edge of an irregular patch of golden glow. “At length, while I?—”
“You said something about a present?” Bea held out her hands. It felt greedy, but then again, he seemed to like this sort of thing. Little gifts—a pair of earrings she looked at too long in one of the overpriced tourist boutiques, a big floppy sunhat with a white ribbon though she wouldn’t go walking in daylight for aeons, a new textbook. And bigger ones, like the funny boxy little car, or paperwork detailing repairs to the Noll Mountain house, all its contents shifted to climate-controlled freeport storage. And this villa, lit up like a big birthday cake the night they arrived.
“Sì, signorina bella. Ecco.” He produced a rectangular wooden container, even undid the small metal catch for her with solicitous care.
Bea pushed the lid up with a fingertip, curious almost despite herself. “Oh, wow.”
Nestled on a bed of black velvet, a polished wooden stake gleamed, alive with silver filigree. The point looked extremely sharp despite the decoration, moonlight turned to metal.
“I take that to mean you are pleased.” He tucked his chin slightly, looking down at the glitter. “Go ahead, pick it up.”
She did, cautiously—silver could give her a rash, if it scraped skin too hard. Prickling-cool metal, warm wood, she turned it over in her hands, enjoying the different textures. “Is this some kind of comment on how we met?”
“Not quite.” He set the empty box on the wide stone balustrade, then his hand closed over her wrist. Gentle pressure to turn her; she followed willingly, her back to his chest. “Claws are better, and in any case you must not try to strike through the ribs. Too much effort.”
“I practiced a lot.” She leaned into his warmth. He guided her hand and the stake in a circle, her wrist flipping to follow his direction.
His other hand skimmed down her ribs, halted just below the last bone-arch. “This is where you strike,” he murmured in her ear. “Inward and upward, so.” Very gentle, a mere indication of direction, just on the verge of tickling. “Even if you do not reach the heart you may still grasp a few large blood-channels and bleed your opponent to weakening.”
“You’re the soul of romance.” Bea leaned back a little more; an insistent prodding against her lower back proved he was still interested. “Any particular reason why you’re giving me this?”
“I thought you would like it.” He nuzzled below her ear, nipping gently, fangs scraping gently, infinitely controlled. “And reward me.”
“That’s a bribe, not a gift—” She gasped when he bit again, a little harder. Her hips moved restlessly; rising heat and swimming desire pooling low in her belly. If I wore panties, they’d be soaked right now.
“Hm.” Maybe he wanted to say more, but he was too busy finding the most sensitive spot to kiss. His hands began to roam, her knees turned to warm butter, and she wasn’t at all sure they would make to the bed.
