Page 38 of Damian’s Conquest

Slowly, Damian nodded. He now had a few leads to follow up on. He should be happy about that. But the fact that Naomi had slept with him only so she could snoop around for her story hurt. But he had to respect the fact that she’d come clean now. Still, it didn’t make the ache in his heart go away. He’d fallen for a woman who’d only slept with him to use him. A woman who didn’t feel the same for him that he felt for her.

“Thanks for the information, I appreciate it.” Then he took a deep breath and said what he had to say. “Guess that’s it between us then. You weren’t really interested in me after all. I should have known that when something is too good to be true, it’s not true.”

He turned toward the door. “I’ll get one of my staff to drive you home.” Because being in the confined space of his car with her, inhaling her tantalizing scent, would make things even worse.

“Damian, please.”

He felt her hand on his forearm, and stopped.

“I’m so sorry for hurting you. I didn’t mean to. But when you kissed me last night, I couldn’t stop you, because—”

“Are you implying that I forced myself on you?” he snapped, and whipped his head to her, furious now, because he needed to channel the pain in his heart into something else. Anger was the perfect vessel for it.

“No, no! What I’m trying to say is that I couldn’t stop you because I didn’t want you to stop. I wanted you. I still want you. Now even more than last night. That’s why I had to tell you the truth. Because I care about you. When I’m in your arms, I feel happy and whole, and better than I have ever felt. I didn’t want to lose that. To lose you.”

Tears were suddenly brimming in her eyes, and she lowered her gaze to the floor.

“I see now that you can’t forgive me for deceiving you. But I wanted you to know that I didn’t sleep with you because I wanted information. I slept with you because I wanted you. And that part, I don’t regret. I would do it again.”

Her words sank deep into him. He didn’t know why, but he believed her. He saw the truth in her tears, and heard it in her voice. Who was he to judge somebody who’d had to lie to protect a secret, when he wasn’t any better? He was still keeping his biggest secret from her. But he knew he couldn’t keep it for much longer, because if he forgave her now for her deception, then he had to come clean too. But not here. They needed to be alone, where nobody would disturb them when he confessed that he was a vampire.

“Naomi, you still want me?”

“Yes, but—”

“No buts.” He put his fingers underneath her chin and tipped her face up so she had to look at him. “I want you too, chérie.” He pressed a soft kiss to her lips and saw her face light up. “We need to talk in private, because there are things you need to know about me.”

“What things?”

“Important things.” He clasped her hand. “Come, we’ll go to my place, where we can talk. But first, we need to retrieve the bottle and the vial you have. I need to get it looked at. And I have to give Mick’s cell phone to our IT guys. And then we’ll talk, just you and I, okay?”

And he prayed that Naomi wouldn’t reject him once she found out that he was a vampire who craved her blood.

18

During the drive back to Naomi’s apartment building in the Mission, Damian held Naomi’s hand. In the last twenty-four hours he’d been through a rollercoaster of emotions. But right now, he felt relieved. Naomi cared about him, enough to confess having deceived him. And he hoped enough to accept the vampire in him.

They didn’t speak much on the drive. Instead, a companionable silence spread between them, only interrupted by loving glances and stolen kisses at red lights.

In the garage of Naomi’s building, she opened the trunk of her Mini Cooper and pulled out a small plastic shopping bag from a side pocket.

“Here they are,” she said and handed him the bag.

Damian looked inside und pulled the broken bottle out first, though he knew it was authentic. He sniffed. Yes, A positive blood just like the bottle said. He placed it back in the bag, then retrieved the small vial. When he lifted it to his nose and smelled, his suspicion was confirmed: somebody had put vampire blood in this vial. To what end, he didn’t know yet, but he’d find out.

“I’ll take those with me.” Then he pointed to the travel bag in the trunk. “Is that an overnight bag?”

“Yes, I always keep the essentials in the car,” she replied.

“Let’s take it with us,” Damian said, and reached for it. “You’ll be sleeping at my place.” Though if everything went well, she wouldn’t be sleeping much, because he’d be too busy making love to her.

Naomi smiled at him and shut the trunk. “I like it when you say exactly what you want.”

“Then you’ll appreciate this.” He leaned toward her and brought his mouth to her ear. “I want you naked and panting beneath me with my cock inside you until neither of us can move a limb.”

“You’re making me all hot,” she murmured.

He pulled his head back to look at her. “Get used to it.”