Venice Vampyr - The Beginning

A soft smile played around her lips, and the sparkle in her eyes told him he’d found the right words. Could he now immediately go back to ravishing her, or did she need some more pacifying? Not wanting to take a chance, he decided to woo her just a little longer. Woo? Where had that irrational thought come from?

“You’re a treasure,” he whispered and planted soft kisses on her cheek, before trailing further down. The velvety skin below her chin tempted him to nibble. Obligingly, she arched back, offering the white column of her throat to him. Lorenzo’s heartbeat spiked. If she knew what he was, she would never expose her vulnerability this way. He was certain of it. Nevertheless, he appreciated the gesture, even though Bianca couldn’t know what it meant.

“Too beautiful for me. Too sinful.”

Her hummed breath whispered along his temple as he captured her skin between his lips, sucking it ever so tentatively. Visions of biting her and tasting her rich blood danced before his eyes, tempting him to do the deed, to take what should be his. To simply use his powers on her to make her forget, consequences be damned. His vampire side urged him on to forget his scruples, his fangs already lengthening as desire for her blood overshadowed his concern for her safety and even his lust.

Lorenzo opened his lips and allowed the sharp tips of his fangs to emerge. As they grazed her skin, the contact sent a lightning strike through his body more intense than his previous orgasm. He knew that his fangs were just as sensitive as his cock, yet he’d been unprepared for the sensual assault the contact with Bianca’s flesh produced. Never before had he felt such intense pleasure at the contact of his fangs with a human’s skin. His mouth opened wider, and his tongue snaked out to lap against her skin, coating it with his saliva so there would be no pain for her. Slowly, anticipation riding him high, he set his fangs and—

“You make me feel safe.” Her hushed admission rocked him to a halt.

Safe? What in his behavior had inspired that reaction? Ravishing her on the desk of her late father? Yelling at her to make her leave? Fucking her like an animal?

Bianca wasn’t safe with him. But, damn it to hell, if her words didn’t make his fangs retract in an instant as if she’d commanded it so. He couldn’t betray the trust she showed him. If he bit her now, he would sink lower than he ever had. And for once, he didn’t want to feel low and dirty. He didn’t want to taste the bitter aftertaste of betrayal. He didn’t want to taint their encounter with that. Instead, he wanted something pure: pure passion, pure lust.

Lorenzo pulled his lips from her neck and gazed into her eyes. “Sweet Bianca, I have to confess that even though you might feel safe with me, you’re not.”

Her eyes widened. “I don’t believe you’d hurt me.”

“I might already have.” Could she really be this na?ve, not knowing what he’d already done? “I took no precautions.”

“Precautions?” she echoed.

“To prevent conception. Surely, you understand what this means.” And it confirmed something else for him: a whore would have made sure she prevented an unwanted pregnancy. A young woman like her—while not a virgin—had insufficient experience to do so. Why the thought pleased him, he didn’t know.

“Oh.” Her lips formed the most perfect little circle he would have loved to kiss, had he not been concerned with offering her reassurance.

“I’m an honorable man.” Since when? his inner voice asked him. “Therefore, let me assure you, should our encounter result in a child, I will do my duty and support you and the child financially. You needn’t worry about that.”

It was the first time he’d ever worried about any such thing. The whores he visited regularly always made sure no such accident happened. And in the years since Elle, he hadn’t fucked a respectable woman with whom he’d had to worry about her becoming enceinte. And he’d never kept a mistress. Was Bianca his mistress now?

By taking her to his bed, had he now accepted her as his mistress? Was she expecting him to keep her now? Damn, why had things gotten so complicated so fast? All he’d wanted to do was slake his lust, and suddenly he felt himself embroiled in an affair he wasn’t sure he wanted.

Oh, he wanted Bianca, under him, above him, in front of him, naked and panting. There was no doubt about that. But did he want her in his bed every night? Did he want her in his house, his private life?

When he looked at her lovely face again, he noticed that she’d gone quiet. “Bianca, is something the matter?”

***

Bianca wanted to slap herself for her own stupidity. How could she have let herself go like that in the heat of passion, not thinking of the possible consequences? During all those years as a concubine, she’d never once forgotten to prevent conception. What had suddenly gotten into her?

“Bianca?”