“Having sex with you has already increased myneed to complete the bond,” he said. “If I feed on you, it willonly make it worse.”
“I know,” she said. “Mollie doesn’t keep muchfrom me.”
“Do you want to be a vampire?”
“No,” she said honestly. “But I want to bewith you.”
“Aida—”
“I know it has to happen; I’d just like sometime to get used to the idea of becoming a vampire before ithappens. I understand you don’t have a lot of time to give me, butgive me what you can.”
Julian’s pulse leapt; she was going to joinhim! Those were some of the sweetest words he’d ever heard. Hedidn’t care what he had to do; he would give her that time. Therewasn’t anything he wouldn’t do for her.
“I’ll give you as much time as you need,” hepromised.
She bent to kiss him and lifted her hipsbefore sliding onto him again. “Until then, you can feed onme.”
When she brushed her hair away from her neck,Julian’s eyes fastened on the pulse pounding there. Saliva filledhis mouth as every cell in his body screamed to taste her. Wrappinghis hand around the back of her head, he drew her toward him, butinstead of placing his lips against her throat, he kissed her.
As their tongues entwined and their bodiesmoved against each other, Aida forgot all about her trepidationover what was to come. Breaking the kiss, she gasped in a breath.She was so close she could taste the ecstasy of release.
Julian waited until she was on the verge oforgasm before clasping the back of her head and pulling her towardhim. He kissed her lips before leaving a trail of them from herchin to her throat. He grazed his fangs against the rapid pulse ofher vein, and when she didn’t recoil, he sank them into herthroat.
Aida almost screamed as the sensation of himdrawing her blood shattered something inside her. Being fed on by avampire had equaled agony before, but Julian feeding on her causedsomething wild to spring free.
Exquisite pleasure hammered her until she wasdrowning in its waves. There was no reason anymore; there was onlysensation, and it wasamazing.She cried out when the orgasmrocking her body left her boneless. Julian shuddered and tensed ashe came. As she collapsed against him, her fingers entangled in hishair as she drew him closer, but it wasn’t close enough.
Julian had never tasted anything as exquisiteas her blood before. As it spread through his veins, itstrengthened him while filling his cells. He knew matesstrengthened each other, but he hadn’t expectedthis. Withthe power flooding him, he felt as if he could tear this buildingapart with his bare hands.
Though he craved more, he retracted his fangsand lowered his head to the hollow of her throat as he inhaled themingled aromas of their bodies. He felt stronger than ever before,but his thirst was already growing again. He’d promised to give hertime, but he didn’t know how much time he had left.
CHAPTER 32
They spent the next two days exploring the city, andwhen they weren’t catching a game at Fenway, wandering through theMuseum of Fine Arts, strolling the Common, or bar hopping, theywere exploring each other.
When it came time for her to return to work,she reluctantly pushed herself out of Julian’s arms. He tried tograb her back, but she grinned as she playfully slapped his handsaway. Julian grumbled a complaint as he dropped his head onto thepillow and draped his arm over his eyes.
She couldn’t help smiling at his messy hairand boyish appearance. Yesterday, she’d sat on the sink with herlegs around his waist and watched while he shaved his beard toexpose a jaw that could cut glass.
The decision to shave came after she askedhim what he looked like without the beard. Clean-shaven, he was ashandsome, but he lacked the air of mystery the beard lent him. Sheliked the new look, but she missed the scrape of his stubble on herskin.
“I have rent to pay,” she reminded him.
“It’s your birthday. Let me convince yourlandlord you’ve paid for the year,” he said.
“That’s not going to happen.”
“Buzzkill.” He grinned as he lifted his armto peek at her.
“Damn right.” She ran her fingers over thestubble already shadowing his jaw as she bent to kiss him. “Are yougoing to shave again?”
“Do you want me to?”
“No,” she said. “I like it when your beardscratches my skin. It’s like you’re leaving another mark onme.”
Hunger bloomed in his eyes as they fell toher throat. He’d closed the marks he left on her neck and they’dalready healed, but the ones on her breasts and thighs were stillvisible. They excited her every time she saw them, and thinkingabout them aroused her. She pulled away before his offer to mindbend her landlord became too good to turn down.
“I have to shower,” she said.
