He had? When had he managed? She never knew. He was ten times more successful at not killing the person who’s blood he ingested than she was. It was all such a bother, all of the time.
They made their way down a dark corridor. The best way was to wait until they got home. Alec must have believed that wasn’t possible for her. She trusted him to know. He leaned against a building and unbuttoned his shirt.
“Feed, my love. Take what you need.”
Her fangs elongated. It was such a relief. She bit down on Alec’s chest. He sucked in his breath and against her he got hard. The warm, coppery taste of the human blood travelled from his body to hers. He was hard against her. Her need satiated, her body turned on. She wanted him. Inside her. Now.
Essence sat up, panting. She gasped for air. Her head still pounded. Well, that had been unexpected. She’d never seen all of that before. And she’d put Alec in the middle of it. As a vampire. She shook her head, the real world rushing back to her.
There was nothing to do about it—she’d have to see Alec again so she could get control over whatever this strange obsession was.
*
Alec waited in the restaurant, seated at what he’d been assured was the most private table in the place. He wanted her to be comfortable, not afraid, but he didn’t want a lot of ears around to hear what he had to say.
For a man who hadn’t left his house in fifteen years, he still wielded a lot of power once he called for it. Benyamin awakened the council for his requests. He was going to have to get to know a human woman in a time he understood very little about. Maybe the quote on the roses had been too much. He’d recently read those books. It had seemed appropriate at the time. Now, he had to wonder if it had been a mistake.
They were young adult books, and just because he could see the life in them did not mean she wouldn’t find it offensive he hadn’t used Shakespeare or something else instead. He’d half expected her to tell her employers and be done with him. That hadn’t happened, at least not yet.
Everything changed around him while he waited for life inside his four walls. She had shown up and turned things upside down. The same soul as his beloved…how were such things possible? Benyamin had reminded me over and over that she was not the same woman. They would have some things in common and he needed to find out if he liked this new woman enough to pursue her. Or if she liked him.
He’d started out about as badly as was possible. But, he’d been so preoccupied with wanting to kill her so he could justify ending his own existence in the dark night that he’d not been prepared for the onslaught from the monster inside of him.
Based on what little he knew of modern women, he believed they still liked nice meals. Faking his way through his for the benefit of those around him would be disgusting. The smell of food turned his stomach, and he’d overfed to counter what he knew would be the keening need to eat caused by many humans in such a small place.
Once upon a time, it hadn’t been a problem.
But he’d let it all go when she died.
Her soul had sought him out. What other explanation could there be for her arrival at his home? The world was too big for that kind of coincidence. There was unfinished business, or perhaps she had need of his help. He wasn’t foolish enough to believe she would want love from him. Constantia had been a vampire when he met her. A young one—impetuous and newly made. He’d guided her, helped her. Love had come later. He knew nothing about what he should do with a human woman.
When he’d been a human male, he’d had no idea, either.
Five minutes passed while he sat and mused at the table. The waiter had come by looking to do something, anything for him while he waited for Essence. Then, like a breeze entering a hot room, she entered.
Her simple black dress stopped right above her knees, showing off her long legs Her blond hair was pulled back into a low ponytail which kept it away from her face. She wore no jewelry at all.
She was the loveliest woman in the room.
Alec rose from his chair when the hostess brought her to him. She sat quickly before he could pull out her chair.
His heart hadn’t sped since he’d held found what remained of his beloved the night she died. He’d believed it quit working—even when he fed. But, tonight it worked just fine.
“You look very nice.”
She seemed to be having a little trouble getting comfortable, which was when he noticed the bandage on her forehead. In all of his planning for their evening together, thinking about her, and trying to decide why she’d come back to him, he failed to consider she would still be very hurt.
Humans were such fragile creatures. They broke so easily, and she had fallen down his steps.
He reached out to touch her hand and, when she didn’t flinch, he considered himself lucky. “Would you like to reschedule this? I can see you’re still quite uncomfortable. My man told me you would recover.”
She laughed gently. “And you thought perhaps that meant I’d be better in just over twenty-four hours?”