Page 68 of Her Vampire, His Ruin

“You know exactly what. This,” I say, gesturing at the charged space between us.

“This is about pleasure, that’s all it is,” he argues, but I don’t know who he’s trying to convince more, me or himself. “Stay.”

“No.”

Dorian rises to his feet, bracing his hands on the piano lid, trapping me in his arms. “I said, stay.”

There it is again, that suffocating heat in his voice. I feel it crawl over my skin, hunting for a crack in my defences.

“And I said no.”

With a sharp shove, I push him back, slip from his arms, and bolt for the door. At the threshold, I turn. He stands by the piano, fists clenched, eyes narrowed, chest rising and falling. For a heartbeat, something monstrous flickers in his gaze. I blink, and it vanishes.

“Then go. Go before I chase you.”

Chapter 16

Dorian

I shift in my chair, sending a ribbon of blue-grey smoke spiralling toward the ceiling while my gaze flicks between the glowing monitors and the open laptop on my desk. Even though it is only mid-week, the club pulses with energy tonight. Nearly every room downstairs is filled with patrons and my clan members putting on their private shows. Beyond my office, the music throbs in time with Sybil’s act, her sultry voice winding through the air.

None of it calms the storm inside me.

This club used to be my sanctuary. Now it feels like a cage, a prison I cannot escape.

I’m hemmed in by these walls, every thought circling back to Edie, devouring me from the inside out.

For three endless, agonising weeks, I have tried and failed to banish all thoughts of Edie. I’ve swung between the need to hunt her down and feed from her, and the desperate need to lose myself in her completely, to fuck her until we’re both boneless. But I know sex won’t satiate me. I’ll want more of everything. I’ll want more of her laughter, her smiles, her gentle touch. I’ll want all her secrets, her pain, her hopes and dreams. I’ll want her sass and dominance, her submission and vulnerability.

I know now I can’t just fuck her out of my system like I’d told myself I would. I can’t drink from her without revealing what I am and risk the safety of our clan, and I sure as fuck won’t change her, nor will I end her life.

But I can’t let her go either.

And it’s fucking with my head.

Every night since she showed up at the hotel, my restlessness has dragged me to her home, where I’ve watched her from the shadows. I’ve gorged myself on blood in order to suppress the urge to feed from her. I’ve fisted my cock and made myself come so I don’t break down her door and bury myself inside of her. I’ve lied to Logan and Viktor about where I’ve been going every night. I’ve kept Sybil distracted with plans about opening another club. I’ve done it all to protect Edie.

“Fuck,” I exclaim, reaching for my phone for the hundredth time this evening.

As I swipe at the screen, searching for her number. I don’t think about the fact I shouldn’t want her this much. I don’t think about how fucking irresponsible it is to reach out to her, and I sure as fuck don’t think about that feeling of warmth I’d experienced towards her at the Unlit Lounge, and the pain that followed it. I just know I need to see her again, no matter the cost. With my thumb poised over the screen, I hesitate. If I call her, she’ll refuse to answer. So I type out a message instead, hoping she will read it and not block me.

We need to talk.

I hit send before doubt can creep in, then wait. Moments later, three dots appear, pulsing as she types. I draw in another lungful of smoke.

What do you want?

Tension rolls through me. Crushing my cigarette in the ashtray, I type out a reply.

You.

Absolutely not. In fact, delete this number from your phone.

I’m not going to do that, Edie.

The bubbles float on screen, pausing then starting up again. Maybe she’s crafting a scathing reply, or just searching for the right words. I send another message before she can answer.

I will abide by your rules. Let me prove to you I can.