CHAPTER 28
Julian ran his hands down her arms as he examinedevery inch of her delectable body. When he turned her wrists over,he spotted the scars from the vampires who fed on her while she wascaptive. The marks were so faint most humans wouldn’t notice them,and if they did, they wouldn’t know what to make of them
When he first met her, the marks were brightred and raw. The first time he saw them, she’d ducked her head inshame and tugged the sleeves of her shirt back over them. After awhile, between the heat of the summer, their time swimming, and hergrowing trust in him, she gave up trying to keep them hidden.
However, he’d sometimes catch her staring atthem with a broken look that pricked his killer instincts. Forvampires to leave marks on a person meant they hadn’t bothered toclose the wounds after feeding on her. Instead, they left thembloodied and raw to increase her suffering and to remind her shewas a thing at their mercy.
He kept his lips clamped against hiselongated fangs as rage pulsed through his veins. Now that she wasnaked before him, he could see the other marks marring her ivoryskin. Resting his hand on her thigh, he pulled her legs apart toreveal dozens of more scars on her inner thighs. She’d endured somuch and suffered unbelievable degradation, but she remained one ofthe kindest and most loving souls he’d ever encountered.
He would make sure she never endured suchsuffering again.
Aida rested her palm against Julian’s cheekwhen his eyes turned red, but his attention remained focused on herscars.
“Julian.” When he finally looked at her, shesaw the fury building inside him. “It’s the past.”
“I’d like to kill all of them for what theydid to you.”
“Thankfully, they’re already dead.”
His fingers caressed her throat. If it lookedas bad is it felt, then the bruises there werebad. “He’sdead too,” she reminded him.
When his lips twisted into a sneer, shecaught the glint of a fang, but it didn’t scare her. Maybe it wasfoolish given what he was, but she was secure in the knowledge hewould never harm her. Would he kill anyone who did? Definitely, buthis brutality would never turn on her.
Julian touched the blood on her leg beforemeeting her eyes again. “Ihurt you.”
She smiled as she pushed herself onto herelbows to kiss him. “It was worth it.”
As he started to deepen the kiss, her phonerang. Aida groaned and fell back on the bed; she draped her armover her eyes and stared at the ceiling as her alarm continued tosound. The idea of plastering on a smile and going to the gallerywas about as appealing as running through fire. She’d much preferto stay in bed with him, but she also enjoyed having a roof overher head.
She pushed herself up and leaned over Julianto turn it off. “I have to go to work.”
“Call out.”
“I wish, but unfortunately, it’s not exactlycheap to live here.”
“No, it’s not,” he agreed.
She kissed his cheek and rolled away from himwhen he tried to ensnare her in an embrace. Julian grinned as sheshimmied to the end of the bed and opened the closet beforestepping between the doors. Propping himself up against the wall,Julian admired her body as she pulled out a pair of black slacksand a high-collared, black turtleneck.
“Is there a washer and dryer in thisbuilding?” he asked.
“In the basement, why?”
“I’m running out of clothes.”
She gawked at him over her shoulder. “You’regoing to spend your evening doing laundry?”
“I’d rather spend it doingyou, butyou already have plans.”
His mischievous grin made her laugh, and forthe first time since he arrived here, she saw the more carefree andeasygoing boy he’d once been. Becoming a mature vampire hadn’tchanged him completely.
Maybe she could be late… No, Nicolette wouldbe pissed.
“Are you working tomorrow?” he asked.
“Yes, but I’m off on Monday.”
“Do you have plans?”
