“I’m so sorry, Devraj.” She loosened our hands and pushed a long lock of my hair over my shoulder, her palm settling over my tattooed shoulder. “You can’t help who and what you are. I’m so glad you did what you needed to do to survive.”

I didn’t know quite what to say to that other than, “Thank you.”

The tension stretched into something heavy. But I couldn’t spin away from the thoughts of my origins while she traced the intricate mandala covering my shoulder, bicep, and part of my back.

“Why did you get this?”

“Because it’s pretty,” I teased.

Her gaze shifted from the tattoo to me. She laughed. “Really?”

“That…” I tapped her nose, then traced my finger up one cheekbone and down her jaw, drawing the sharper edges that shaped her lovely face. “And the circle represents the universe. A deeper connection to self and the world at large.” I finished tracing her lips and dropped my hand, fixating on her mouth.

“Devraj, the deep thinker? I don’t know if I believe that.”

I tossed my head back on a deep laugh before responding to her bright smile. “It doesn’t fit your perception of me?”

“Not at all.”

Then she leaned forward and pressed the sweetest, softest kiss to my lips. “I better go,” she murmured, not pulling away.

“Not just yet,” I begged, a nip of her bottom lip. “Stay.”

“Maybe just a little longer.”

I rolled her underneath me. “Just a little longer.”

As I kissed her, savoring the feel of her plush lips moving against mine, the softness of her lithe body opening beneath me, I realized I would have never met her if I’d lived out my life as a human and never suffered those early days as a vampire. I couldn’t help but hear the ancient one’s words ringing over and over again in my head.

One day, you will thank me.

Chapter 25

~DEVRAJ~

“Saturday feels too far away.” Ruben stood beneath the awning of his bookstore entrance, hands casually in his pockets. “But we’re all set.”

“And your grims are tuned into the full plan?” I asked.

“They’re ready. A little excited about the prospect of catching the culprits actually.”

“As long as there are no glitches in their tracking software, they can be the ones to put the cuffs on for all I care.”

“They might take you up on that.” He grinned.

My next thought vanished when I saw a swish of sun-gold hair and long, tanned legs traipsing across Magazine, heading in the opposite direction. She was wearing another one of those light, airy dresses that barely touched her body, hiding the slight curves beneath that made my mouth water.

Ruben snapped his fingers in front of my eyes. “Hello? Anyone in there?”

“What’s that?”

“I’ve been speaking to you, but apparently you didn’t hear a word I said.” He followed my gaze over his shoulder. “So you’ve got it pretty bad.”

He honestly had no idea.

“Have a good day, Ruben.” I patted him on the shoulder and walked briskly past him.

“I thought you were going to have lunch with me,” he called out, laughter in his voice.

“Raincheck.”

Then I picked up the pace, following her down Magazine and right onto Pleasant Street.

Bloody hell, I really was a stalker, wasn’t I? This was a terrible revelation. I was reduced to being the creepy guy. Unless I caught up to her like a normal friend to find out where she was going.

I might’ve been just a little paranoid that she was off on another date, the very thought stabbing me with a claymore-sized sword of envy. No. She wouldn’t do that. Not after last night, I was sure of it. Still, we hadn’t discussed whether or not we were exclusive. I needed exclusivity. Quite a bit more than that if I were honest.

I jogged ahead to catch up. “Isadora!”

She paused in front of a thrift shop, the windows painted with sunflowers. When she turned, her beaming smile nearly made me trip. I was finding it more and more difficult to play it cool where she was concerned. Since when had a woman’s smile made me breathless and giddy?

“Hi,” I said when I’d caught up to her.

“Hi,” she returned brightly. “What are you doing out here?”

“Following you.”

Her brows shot up. “What?”

Grinning, I tugged on a wild lock of her hair. “I was talking with Ruben at his bookstore and saw you heading this way.” Forcing indifference into my voice, I asked, “So where are you headed?”

She smiled and marched on. “I have an appointment with someone.”

“An appointment? So, not a date then?”

Her laughter filled my chest with an infectious joy. I couldn’t help but smile even though I still wasn’t quite sure if she were off to meet some guy.

“Not really,” she finally said. “Though he is awfully cute. The sweetest brown eyes I’ve ever seen.” Then she glanced at me and said in a low voice, “Well, maybe not the sweetest.”

By heaven, I wanted to grab her hand and lace our fingers, feel the warmth of her delicate hand tucked in mine, brush an intimate kiss along the back of her knuckles. But that was what a boyfriend would do. Not fuck buddies. Even if I understood we were well beyond a simple sexual relationship. But did she?

“Mind if I tag along?”

“You already are, Devraj.”

She hiked onto her shoulder that crazy, giant bag she carried everywhere with her. I heard something crinkle inside.

“And we’re here anyway,” she said, opening the door below a sign reading Angel Paws.

Hmm. An animal shelter.

I followed her as she waved to the lady at the reception. “Hey, Trudie! I have a friend with me.”

“No problem, Isadora. Tell him to take a few home with him.”

Isadora laughed and kept going through a closed door where I heard the pitter-pat and yipping of lots of dogs.

“Hello there, guys,” she cooed, stopping at the first empty pen. She pulled out a bag of treats, which was what was making that crinkly sound. “Oh, wow. Looks like Frannie found a new home.” A beagle yipped in the next pen over. She crouched and gave him a treat.

“Who’s Frannie?” I asked, still standing and watching her.

“A pretty yellow lab mix that was here last week. Didn’t think she’d be here long, though.”

The beagle licked her fingers tenderly. That was when I sensed the soft wave of magic wafting around Isadora. I watched as she went from one pen to the next, crooning soft words, her skin luminous from expending energy to the cute little beasties. She was giving them health with her magic. Her pretty face lit up as she gave two treats to one she called Oscar.

“And there’s my handsome boy,” she said, obviously loving the scruffy-looking terrier mix in the last pen. “How are you this week, Archie?”

The dog did a cute spin, wagging his stub of a tail, soaking in her affection. He was obviously completely in love with her. I didn’t blame him.

“So this is where you get your doggie fix, eh?” I asked, crouching down and sliding my fingers into the pen.

Archie sniffed my fingers then wagged his tail harder, letting me scratch him behind the ears. Friendly little guy.

“I can’t take them all home obviously, but I figure I can keep them in good health and spirits while they wait for their forever homes. I wish I could do more.”

“Like how? Seems you’re doing quite a great deal already.”

She shrugged a shoulder. “I don’t know. These guys spend too long in pens, waiting to be loved. It makes me sad.” Her voice took on a wistful lilt, which tugged at me to make it better.

“My,” I said in wonder, “what a great big heart you have, Isadora Savoie.”

Her shy gaze slid to mine, our faces close. Intimately so. She blushed and looked away. The fact that she was possibly the most selfless woman I’d ever met amplified my obsession. She hid from the world, doing her good deeds without the need for notice or praise. I wanted her more with each passing minute.

Archie licked my hand, pulling my attention to him. “This guy is awfully friendly.”

She smiled brighter, her face still flushed a pretty pink, then swept a hand over the scraggly reddish hair on his head. He looked like he had bushy eyebrows and a bad comb-over.

“Yeah. Archie is the sweetest. I told you so.”

I gave an exaggerated sigh. “Well, if you’re to two-time me with an overly attentive redhead like this guy, I suppose I’m okay with it.”

She made that soft throaty chuckle I loved, glancing at me while we both showered Archie in affection, our fingers brushing together. Then she was studying me a little too closely.

“You thought I really was going on another date, didn’t you?”

I tried to shrug nonchalantly, but my body tensed anyway. “Maybe.”

“Devraj, as long as we’re doing this thing we’re doing, I won’t see anyone else.”

“Good.” I wanted to pass out with relief.

“And I expect the same from you.”

My gaze sharpened, first on her electric eyes pooled with magic and then on her pink lips. I leaned forward, unable to control myself, needing to taste her sweet mouth like I needed my next breath. I brushed my lips against hers, then slowly coaxed them apart. After a slow, melting kiss, I pulled back and cupped the sides of her neck, my thumbs brushing along the line of her delicate jaw.

“There is no other woman I want. No other will share my bed as long as we’re doing this thing,” I teased.

“I still haven’t shared your bed,” she teased back with a quirk of her lips then a bite of my bottom lip.

Growling, I gripped the back of her head and crushed my mouth to hers, angling for a deep, devouring kiss. She whimpered as I stroked over her tongue, then sucked on it before breaking apart. What I felt for her was fierce and unrelenting, demanding all of her.