Sharon pushed away her plate, picked up her napkin, and dabbed at her lips. “It was excellent, but I’m full.”

Robert eyed her with a frown. Her scent indicated truth, but she’d hardly eaten anything. “You must have a tiny appetite.”

“I’m saving it for dessert.” She waggled her brows.

Damn, he hadn’t thought of buying anything sweet. The best he could offer was popcorn, one of those ready packs that went into the microwave. “I’m afraid there isn’t any.”

She gave him a lusty once-over. “I beg to differ.”

As her meaning finally sank home, Robert’s shaft swelled even more. It had been hard since the moment Sharon had arrived, but until now he’d managed to keep it together. That little lustful remark had done him in, causing his venom glands to activate and his fangs to elongate.

Robert was running out of time. The only way to hide the change from Sharon was to get her to his dark bedroom as quickly as possible.

He was on her in a heartbeat.

She squeaked as he lifted her into his arms, holding on to his neck as he strode with her down the hallway. “Ooh, I like it. Letting your inner caveman out is hot.”

“You have no idea.” He chuckled.

Her tone had been happy, her remark full of excited anticipation. Sharon was assertive and knew what she wanted, and yet she was nothing like the clan females who hounded him for hookups. Maybe the difference was that she wasn’t jaded. Sharon was full of joy, and having a new lover was still exciting to her. She was also interested in a relationship with him and not just sex.

“It’s dark in here,” she said as he put her down on his bed.

“I prefer it like that. Close your eyes.”

She did as he asked, but a small smirk lifted her lips. “Are you shy?”

“No. But I find that once one of the senses is deprived, the other ones sharpen. The pleasure intensifies.”

Sharon stretched her arms over her head. “Then both of us should close our eyes and only use our hands to see.”

He traced the curve of her hip with his hand, eliciting a shiver. “I want to pleasure you first. You don’t need to do anything, just feel.”

Her heartbeat accelerated. “I can’t say no to that.” Her words came out in a hoarse whisper.

The girl was beyond turned on. It was a good thing human females could orgasm many times in a row because she was going to lift off with the first swipe of his tongue and there was much more he wanted to do to her.

Sitting on the bed, Robert lifted her foot and removed her high-heeled sandal, kissed each toe, and then repeated with the other one, all along careful not to tickle.

Laughter was good, but not conducive to arousal.

Her short dress was stretchy, and he pushed the bottom up until it bunched around her middle, then hooked his fingers in her panties and gently slid them down her long legs.

The scent of her arousal, which had been straining his restraint throughout dinner, intensified. It took all of his willpower not to dive between her legs and lap up his bounty. Instead, he smoothed his palms over her inner thighs, spreading her wider.

For a split moment, she resisted, but then sighed and submitted to his gentle insistence.

Dimly, Robert was aware that he was doing things differently with Sharon. The sequence was all wrong. He hadn’t kissed her, he hadn’t palmed her breasts, and he hadn’t waited for her to hint or tell him what she wanted him to do next.

For the first time that he could remember, Robert was acting on instinct, somehow knowing what she needed without her having to clue him in. He hadn’t known he had any instinctual knowledge of that kind. Apparently, it had lain dormant until now.

Or was he inadvertently probing her mind?

Not that it was likely. He had a hard time getting into human minds deliberately, let alone accidentally.

But maybe the explanation was much less mystical than that, and he was putting a spin on what was a practical decision. With his elongated fangs and glowing eyes, it was safer for him between Sharon's legs. Otherwise, he would have to thrall her, and he didn’t want to. Not yet. Unlike with his other human partners, he wanted to save it for after the bite.

As his palms clamped over Sharon’s trembling thighs, he swiped his tongue over her nether lips.

“Oh, my God!” Sharon exclaimed as soon as his tongue made contact with her wet center.

To give her a few moments of build up before the inevitable explosion, he avoided the seat of her pleasure, going in gentle circles around it and then spearing into her opening to scoop up her juices.

Her gyrations frantic, her moans keening, Sharon was teetering on the precipice. When her fingers caught his short hair, pulling hard, he knew she couldn't take it much longer.

“Please, Robert, I need to come.”

So did he. Her climax was going to trigger his, there was no doubt about that, but Robert refused to erupt in his pants. He wanted to be buried deep inside this succulent woman when he did.

The problem was that to stop now, even for the couple of seconds it would take to sheath himself in a condom, was out of the question. Maybe he could ignore Julian’s advice?

Just this once?

No. Julian was right. It would be wrong to induce Sharon’s transition without letting her know what was going on. It was different when he hadn’t known there was an alternative, but now he couldn’t use ignorance as an excuse.

Mind over body. He could do that.

Spearing two fingers inside her, he closed his lips on the most sensitive part of Sharon’s body and sucked in gently. The eruption that followed was like a mini earthquake, the epicenter of which was right there between his lips. Sucking and pumping with his fingers, he prolonged it until Sharon pushed on his head to stop him.

“No more. I can’t.”

He lifted his head and kissed the top of her mound. The feeling of gratitude and satisfaction swelling inside him was mostly about the pleasure he’d given Sharon. But a small part was about the strength of his restraint. It had taken a Herculean effort, but he somehow made it without coming in his pants.

Sharon caressed his head, then cupped his cheeks. “I knew you’d be good, but I didn’t expect this. You blew my mind.”