I can see exactly how she might have misconstrued my own neurotic spiraling into being cautious around her, being afraidofher. When nothing could be further from the truth.
I step forward, gripping her upper arms and steering us toward the wall so we’re mostly hidden by shadows. My chest brushes against the swell of her breasts and I take a deep breath.
“You demonstrated you were strong. Resilient. Capable. Nothing gross or scary about that. I told you before, Silver. You’re a necromancer and I’m a vampire. It’s almost like we were... fated to meet. To know each other.”
The words come flying out before I can stop them and cram them back into my overeager mouth.
Fuck. I almost wish I’d just admitted to wanting to taste her blood again. It would be better thanthis; accidentally revealing just how gone over her I am.
The words cannot be unsaid now. They’re out in the world, even though I’ve barely come to terms with them myself.
I am a tired, old cliche. The old vampire lusting after the young, vibrant witch.
But it isn’t just my dick that draws me to Silver. It’s respect. Intrigue. Interest. I want to spend my time talking to her as well as undressing her. I want to be here when she needs someone to lean on.
It almost feels like we were fated to meet. To know each other.
I stifle a wince at the memory of those words. In ten minutes, I can be home, where I can kick my ass and maybe not speak for a month.
Fated, indeed.
I’m an idiot, just waiting for her to laugh at me so I can take myself off and never show my face again.
But... that doesn’t happen.
Of course, it doesn’t. This is Silver we’re talking about. We only met because she agreed to help the Nexus mages. She might think she’s a mercenary at heart, but she isn’t. She wants to help people more than anything.
She blinks up at me. “You really think that? I don’t... disgust you?”
I can barely breathe as I realize how wrong I’ve played this. I should have been comforting her, reassuring her, when instead I lost myself in my head.
“No. Never.” My voice is barely more than a pained rasp.
She stares at me for a moment, then leans up on her toes and cups my jaw with her small hands. Drawing my mouth down to meet hers, she presses her lips to mine.
Her taste explodes on my tongue and I let out a desperate groan.
Fuck. I’m so lost to this witch.
5
Silver
Idon’t know what makes me do it. It’s terrible timing, and the shittiest place to throw myself at Dante. I know all of this, but I can’t seem to help myself. Maybe I’m crashing after the adrenaline high from jumping out of that window and running through the snow to escape Simpson and his cronies.
