“We’re leaving.”
“No!” she gasped. “Not yet!”
“The others can continue to look for him,but I’m not letting you do this to yourself anymore.”
Behind her dark glasses her eyes sparkedwith fire as she met his gaze. That sign of her unraveling controlcaused him to step closer in an attempt to shelter her further.“You’re notlettingme do anything, this ismydecision,” she grated through her teeth.
“And if you accidentally hurt someone orgive away what you are?” he demanded. “Your eyes are red now.”
Her jaw clenched, a muscle twitched in hercheek. Her fingers flew up to the corners of her eyes beforefalling limply back to her side. “If he remains free again tonight,he could kill someone else. The longer he roams free, the more of arisk he is to innocent people and us.”
He rested his hand against her cheek, histhumb stroking her skin. “You arenotresponsible for yourfather’s actions. You never were.”
“You don’t understand,” she whispered.
“You’re blaming yourself, but when do youthink you could have stopped him? When you were a child? When youwere only a teenager? When you were being used as hunter bait? Whenexactly were you supposed to have killed him?”
A single tear slid down her face; she restedher hand over his. “He created me in more ways than one. He made methe person I am today; he brought me to you.”
He leaned forward and pressed a kiss againsther forehead before pulling her against his chest and cradling herthere. “I know, but you’re nothing like him. You never could beanything like him.”
“You saw him that night in the alley; yousaw my drawing of him. I look so much like him.”
“So? That’s DNA. You’re soul,” he pressedhis hand against her chest. “has nothing to do with him, and youaregood. You’re the strongest, most loving and beautifulwoman I’ve ever met, and he had nothing to do with that. You can’tbeat yourself up because you were born. You may look like him, butit sounds to me like you inherited your mother’s spirit.”
Another tear slipped free; she wiped ithastily away. “Thank you.”
“It’s simply the truth. Don’t ever doubtit.” She smiled at him before her gaze traveled past him to themilling crowd. “It’s time for us to go.”
“Yes, ok,” she finally relented.
His shoulders slumped, he kissed her claspedhands and held them against his lips. “We will find him,” hevowed.
“I know.”
He took a step out of the alcove, but shepulled him abruptly back. She’d made it this far on determination,but she found she couldn’t walk out there right now. Inside she wasbeginning to feel like she’d just drunk ten cups of espresso in anhour. “I need a minute first.”
Ian stepped closer against her in the hopesof blocking out the overwhelming sensations of the casino with hisbody. Pushing her further back, he maneuvered her behind a largepotted plant. Anybody walking by probably wouldn’t notice him, andif they did, they wouldn’t be able to see her.
Heaving breaths caused her body to shake;she pressed her hands into his chest and her forehead fell againsthim. Looking over his shoulder, he scanned the crowd for anylooming threat, but he caught no whiff of danger, and the onlyvampires he saw were Brian, Aiden and Ronan winding their waythrough the Craps tables.
Turning back to her, he lifted her hands andpressed a kiss against her knuckles. “You must feed.”
Her eyes flashed red when they flickered upto him. “No, there’s too many people,” she protested. “I’ll befine, I’m not hungry.”
“And none of them will see us,” he assuredher. “You’re hungrier than you realize and my blood will calm you alot more.”
She opened her mouth to protest, but hisstubbornness thrummed against her mind. He’d do anything in theworld for her, but he wasn’t going to back down from this. His lipsbrushed across her forehead, his breath warmed her when he drew hercloser, nestling her mouth against the hollow of his throat. Hemoved her so her back was flat against the wall. She couldn’t seeanything beyond him.
She hadn’t realized she was hungry until shefelt the beat of his pulse beneath her mouth. Without meaning to,her fangs sprang free of their own volition and pressed against hissupple skin. She grabbed hold of his arms in an attempt to steadyand calm herself. With the next beat of his heart, she sank herfangs into his throat. The surge of his warm, sweet blood fillingher calmed her almost instantly. A breath of relief escaped her asshe melted against him. His arms enveloped her, pulling her flushagainst his body.
“Paige,” he murmured.
She could feel the bliss radiating from himas she fed from him, feel his growing arousal, but he pushed asidehis own baser urges as he sought to comfort her. The way he feltfor her could never be denied, he was completely enraptured withher; she was everything to him. The edginess, anxiety, and lack ofcontrol she’d been feeling before stepping into this alcovevanished as his blood, body and mind soothed her.
Her teeth retracted from his neck, her eyesbehind her glasses were back to their normal color when she liftedher head to look at him. “Feel better?” he inquired.
She flashed him a sensual smile that causedhis dick to jump eagerly. “Much.” She ran her tongue across herlips to lick away the remnants of his blood. “And more than readyto get back to our room.”
