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half-naked. Blue swirls of tattoos painted his chest. When God made that chest, he did it to tempt women.
“No sword this time.”
I shrugged. “Yes, but you can’t disappear.”
“Don’t need to.” He sprung from the lake, black hair dripping, and ran at me again.
I dodged his hands, kicked him in the knee, and danced away. He launched a quick kick that whistled a hair from my cheek. I swept around him and rammed my elbow into his side.
He hooked me with a quick punch. I took it on the shoulder—it hurt—and swiped his legs out from under him. He jumped to his feet and hopped away. He frolicked like a hyper puppy. Run up, play bite, let himself be swatted down.
“That’s no way to treat a lover.”
“I didn’t come here to sleep with you.”
“Then why go through all the trouble?”
“I need some of your blood to save a girl.”
He flexed his right arm. Veins bulged. “Some of this blood?”
“Yes.”
He winked at me. “I’m sure we can deal.”
“No deals. The blood must be a gift or it won’t work.”
“Keep me warm tonight and maybe I’ll be feeling generous in the morning.”
I shook my head. “No deals.”
He looked to the sky. “You really aren’t going to lie with me?”
“No.”
He thought about it.
“Considering raping me? Are you that desperate?”
He jerked his head, throwing his hair out of his eyes. “I’ve never forced a woman. I don’t have to. They flock to me.”
Oi. “So nice to know you’re a gentleman.”
“Why would I give you my blood? What’s in it for me?”