It was ecstasy.
Bliss.
Rapture.
A release, unlike anything I had ever experienced.
The way James had touched me. I had never felt anything like it, and my body responded to him on its own without even listening to my thoughts or cares.
I was feeling things I had never felt before, not only physically, but mentally, as well. I could hardly believe what was happening between us or that I had been so bold with a man who was essentially a killer.
He had seduced my mind and pleased my body to the point of complete abandon.
It was beautiful.
No.
It was living.
Once inside the bathroom, I stared at my reflection, taking in the brightness of my eyes and the blush on my cheeks. I had never felt so radiant and complete.
It was James.
I never thought I would be happy to be captured by a vampire, but James finding me was by far the best thing that had ever happened to me. The thought of escaping him was a joke because as far as I was concerned I was at home in a cabin with the man I hoped to spend the rest of my life with.
When the morning birds began to chirp, and it was time for us to go to bed, I started toward my room.
“Where do you think you’re going?” James asked, stopping me before I could reach for the doorknob.
“I’m going to bed. The sun’s coming up.”
He grinned. “I’m aware, but you’re going to the wrong room.”
I understood his meaning and a large smile pulled at my lips. “Are you sure? I was under the impression that I had the room with the larger more comfortable bed. Maybe it’s you who’s going to the wrong room.”
He laughed, his smile lighting the dark hallway. “You know what? I think you’re right. Please,” he said, motioning for me to open my bedroom door.
Once I opened the door, I paused, waiting for him to make the next move.
“Ladies first,” he said.
He followed me when I entered my bedroom, and once we were settled into bed, he wrapped his cool arms around me and held me until I fell asleep.
I slept better in his arms than I had in my entire life.
I woke the next night with James kissing the back of my neck. I stretched the sleep from my arms and legs and moaned at the pleasure of his lips against my skin.
My body was sore from our first time together, but I didn’t care.
I wanted him again.
I turned in his arms, pressing my lips to his and kissing him without abandon. He pulled back, tucking my hair behind my ear before running a single finger across my cheek.
“I could wake like this every night for the rest of my life,” he said, his eyes scanning my face for a reaction to his words.
“Good because I don’t plan on ever leaving here.”
He closed his eyes as if my words had given him some form of pleasure and then he moved in, kissing me harder and pushing me back onto the bed.
He moved over me, his hips fitting themselves between my legs. His lips moved from mine and traveled over my cheek until he was softly kissing the side of my neck.
I tensed a bit, preparing for him to bite me, but his fangs never entered my neck. I wiggled beneath him, rubbing myself against him as I searched for relief.
I wanted him to bite me.
When he did it seemed to intensify my physical need.
“Bite me,” I whispered, cupping the back of his head and pressing his mouth harder to the side of his neck.
He continued to kiss me, not giving in to my begging.
“Please, James, bite me.”
He pulled back, his eyes moving over my face before landing on my lips.
“No. Let me pretend for a bit that I’m just a man making love to a woman. Let me pretend I’m not a monster.”
The way he said the words making love made my heart skip a beat.
I nodded, willing to give him anything he wanted, and we he entered me I sighed at the feel of connecting with another person so completely.
He moved slowly and with precision, reaching inside my body and touching the exact spots that made me moan the loudest. And when I fell over the edge, I did so with his name on my lips and my fingers digging into his muscled back.
Afterward, he held me, running his long fingers through my hair and planting small kisses against my hairline. I relished in the feel of his naked flesh against mine, enjoying every second of his embrace.
“This doesn’t feel real,” he said, making me pull back to look up at him.
Once my eyes landed on his face, I knew right away that something was wrong.
He was a vampire, which meant his skin was always a bit pale, but this was different. His eyes were sinking in and black shadows dusted just beneath his eyes. He lips were pale and looked as though they were beginning to crack.
He looked sick.
“Are you okay?” I asked, reaching up and running my fingers over his dry lips.
He kissed my fingertips and grinned. “I’m better than I’ve ever been.”
“No, James, something’s wrong. You don’t look well.”
He pulled back a bit, but the smile remained on his face.
“Everything’s fine, Harley,” he said, moving in to kiss me yet again.
I wasn’t falling for it.
Everything obviously wasn’t fine.
I put my palms on his chest, pushing him away so I could continue to look at his face and into his eyes.
“Are you sick?” I asked, feeling ridiculous for even asking.
He laughed.
“You’re asking a vampire if he’s sick? You do know how this whole vampire thing works, right?”
He was teasing me, trying to make light of things, but I saw past that.
“I’m being serious, James. Are you sick?” I asked again.
He sighed, falling back onto the bed and running his palms over his face.
I knew what he was about to say wasn’t going to be good.
“The pills I take every night, they aren’t enough anymore. A lot of vampires are becoming immune to them and they’re getting sick. Some are even dying, believe it or not. It’s fine. Don’t worry you’re pretty little head over it,” he said, tapping the tip of my nose.
He leaned in to kiss me once again, and again I pushed him back. Worry pressed against my chest. A vampire dying wasn’t something I thought was possible. Before James, that thought would have made me happy, but now things were different. The thought of James dying made me feel sick in my stomach.
“Would my blood help?” I asked, sounding hopeful.
Again, he sighed and moved away from me.
“Because if it would, you can feed on me as much as you would like; whatever you need to feel better.”
“No, Harley,” he said, getting up from the bed naked.
He went for his clothes, which were on the floor beside the bed.
I sat up, pulling the sheet against my chest and followed him as he moved around the room. “What do you mean? Why not?”
“Because I’m not going to use you like a human buffet. I’m fine. The pills are still working for now.”
I crawled to the end of the bed, forgetting the sheet, and knelt on the edge in front of him.
“Please, James. Please let me do this. I want to help you. I want you to feed on me.”
He stopped, his eyes moving over my position.
I realized how I looked.
I was kneeling naked and basically begging him to drink the blood from my body. The truth was, I wanted him to feed on me. I liked the way it felt; how intimate it was. And if by some chance it made him feel well, then that was even better.
“You don’t know what you’re asking, Harley. What if I can’t stop myself? What if I hurt you? I couldn’t live with myself if I did that.”
“You won’t. I know you won’t. We’ll go slow. You can drink just enough for you to get better; enough for you to feel stronger.” I looked away, feeling the tears form in my eyes. “I don’t want to lose you, James. I can’t.”
He was kneeling in front of me before I could blink.
Reaching up, he cupped my face his in chilly palms. “You’re not going to lose me, Harley.” He sighed, looking down and shaking his head. When he looked up at me again, a tiny grin tugged at the side of his mouth. “Fine, you win. We’ll go slowly, and I’ll only take a little bit, but I’m going to continue to take the pills.”
I nodded, feeling the weight disappear from my chest.
Honestly, I would have agreed to anything at that point if it meant him feeding and getting well.
James admitting he was sick scared me. Knowing someone like him could get sick and possibly die… it was too much to think on. I couldn’t lose him. I had only just gotten him, and my heart couldn’t handle it if he went away. The truth was, I would let James feed on me, but I was doing it more for myself than I was for him because I needed him. He was everything that was wrong with the world, but that didn’t stop me from falling in love with him.
He only took a little from my wrist, and once he was done, he sealed the wounds for me. When he looked up at me again he did so with a touch of guilt in his expression, but already he looked healthy again.
“Don’t feel bad. This is what I want,” I said, running a finger over his cheek.
He nodded, agreeing even though I knew he was only feeding on me because I asked him to.