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“It was strategic on the witch’s part. I’d be at a weak point. My defenses would be down, giving the spell its best chance to work its magic.”
“Then why didn’t it work?”
“Because she’d underestimated my defenses. Her magic wasn’t strong enough. Bob still got to have sex with me, though, so it wasn’t a complete loss for him.”
“How did you learn all this? It doesn’t seem like the sort of thing Bob would confess.”
“Afterward he kept staring at my face, but not in an affectionate way. More like he expected something to happen. I took a little tour of his mind after he fell asleep. I was young and naive. I worried I’d done something wrong.”
Kane’s face darkened. “It was your first time.”
I nodded. “His nightmares were mostly about me. He felt subordinate to me, and he hated it, yet he was still attracted to me, which made him feel weak and ashamed.”
“Bob sounds like a real winner. What attracted you to him?”
“He noticed me.”
Kane grunted. “That’s it?”
“I’d been invisible for years.”
“By choice.”
“Yes, by choice, and yet this tall, dark, handsome man noticed me, despite my efforts to hide. He made his interest in me clear. I had no experience with that kind of directness.” At that stage, I had no experience at all.
“When did you figure out he was a vampire?”
“I knew immediately, which probably made him seem more attractive than he actually was. I’d been hiding from danger my whole life. Bob was a form of rebellion, I suppose.”
“What did you do to him after you peeked in his head?”
“Nothing. I left while he was still asleep, licked my wounds, and never saw him again. Pops was right. It was important to remain vigilant. It was a hard lesson, but a necessary one.” And the outcome could’ve been much, much worse. In my mind, I got off easy—as did Bob.
“Did you love him?” Kane asked.
“No. In hindsight, I barely knew him. I only knew the image I’d created of him.”
His hand skimmed my waist. “Are you concerned that’s what you’re doing with me? Creating an image you approve of?”
I kissed his bare shoulder. “I know exactly who you are, and I approve wholeheartedly.”
“Despite what you’ve glimpsed of my past?”
“Especially because of that.”
“I’ve done terrible things, Lorelei.”
“Do you plan on doing them again?”
“Of course not.”
“Have you taken accountability for your actions?”
“Yes, but…”
I pressed my finger to his lips. “That’s all I need to hear.” But there was something he still needed to hear. “I love you, Kane. All of you. The good, the bad, the ugly. The whole prince of hell package.”
His eyes gleamed with amusement. “Out of curiosity, which part is ugly?”
