Page 38 of The Vampire’s Prey

I chuckle softly, reaching down to finger the cross at her wrist. "You could have fooled me."

She yanks her arm back and scowls. "If you're going to make fun of me, I'm..."

"I am not making fun of you princess. Forgive me for hurting your feelings.” I kiss her temple and shift her body down, so her head is able to lie on my chest. She fits so perfectly in my arms. I wrap my arms around her, trying to be careful of any pressure I put on her back.

"Look. What we did that night. I would be cast out of The Family. You don't understand. I am such a horrible daughter!"

A growl rumbles in my chest, and I grip her harder to me. "You listen here. We did nothing wrong. You did nothing wrong. I will tell you that every single time we are together."

"You don't understand," she wails, her tears beginning to flow again. "I can't make you understand!"

"Oh, my love. I understand more than you think."

Her arms shove at me, trying to give her leverage, but I hold on tight. She struggles and fights against me; I simply sit there and let her wear herself out. After fighting for a few moments, she slumps back against my chest and sighs.

"Please don't say I'm your love. Because I'm not. You don't even know me."

"And I have to know you to know that I'm starting to fall for you?"

Her bleary eyes tear at my heart.

"Please don't say it if you don't mean it. Please. I can't take it."

I shift her back up, so her knees are on either side of my hips. and her lips are just a breath away from mine. "Evangeline, I cannot promise you tomorrow. I have no idea where this is going to lead us. But for right now, you are mine. I will not let you go. I promise.”

Bringing her head down, I lightly kiss her lips, teasing them with my tongue.

As if possessed, she threads her fingers through my hair and grabs my head tightly before kissing me harder than she ever has before. My cock leaps up as I return the favor. My tongue dives into her mouth, tasting the milk and her sweet taste. Reaching up, I thread my fingers through her hair but catch on a snag, surprising a yelp from her.

I come crashing back down to reality. This is not the time nor the place. She is still weak and injured. Pulling her back, I kiss her gently on the forehead.

"Tonight, let me take care of you. After that, then we will see."

* * *

Evangeline

My mind is in a whirlwind, and I don't know where to turn. Adrian is supposed to be a monster bent on destroying and killing me. Instead, he's actually bathing me and attending to my wounds. He even had full opportunity to take me just now, but he didn't. He is more concerned about how I'm doing than getting laid.

His cock is hard against me, and I can't resist the urge to grind up and down on it. Just a little... He moans and tilts his head back.

"Evangeline, I am serious. I will not bed you tonight.” His gaze pierces my very soul. "If you truly want penance, consider that your punishment.”

He eases me up and turns me around, so my back is melted into his chest. His cock is still hard against me, and I find myself craving another taste of the magic we had. He is right; tonight will definitely be a punishment.

His arms wrap back around me, and I'm surprised at how safe I actually feel here. Something is definitely not right. Nothing I was taught seems to be correct. Maybe The Family has it wrong? How many monsters have they been killing that didn't actually deserve it? Guilt begins to gnaw at me, but for a different reason this time. This whole time, I've been trained to kill monsters like Adrian, and here he is, showing me more love than I ever had from The Family.

His strong arms are like an anchor. For once, I feel like I can let go and be me. I can feel his rhythmic breathing at my back, and it lulls me into an odd place. It's not quite sleep, but I'm not quite awake either. I feel his hands move up and down my arms and shoulders as he soaps me up. Vanilla and citrus perfume the air.

"Careful, I'll tell everyone what a girly man you are."

His chuckle rumbles through me. "Go ahead and tell them princess. I will just add that to your tally."

Smiling, lying there, enjoying his pampering attention. When was the last time someone ever took this good care of me? Probably my parents.

"Lean your head back now, princess."

His fingers are magic against my scalp, kneading and massaging tension away, yet being very careful of any tangles that might be there. Every now and then, he snags one and murmurs sweet apologies into my ear, followed with a light kiss or nip to my shoulders. I can really get used to this.