“There.” He nodded toward him again. “That’s where you’ll bite him, that’s where you’ll take his blood. Tonight, I’ll be sure you don’t use too much.”
Blood. She wanted it. Like the best drink she’d ever had. “I want it.”
She realized, distantly, she wasn’t being particularly articulate. In fact, she wasn’t sure the last time she’d spoken at all.
“Take it. The night is ours and, for now, so is this man. Take what you need.”
Her fangs burned. She stepped forward. Lloyd looked beautiful. She cupped the side of his face, lifting his eyes to meet hers. His heartbeat drew her like the sound of a drum…
Alec hissed. “Hands off his face. He’s not your baby. He’s your dinner.”
She cocked her head to the side. “Jealous?”
“You don’t want to see me jealous.”
So he wasn’t as immune as he liked to play? That was okay. There would be time—lifetimes of time—to challenge him. Right now she wanted blood. Lots of it.
As though she’d been doing this forever, she bit down on Lloyd. He tasted so sweet.
*
For the last half an hour, Essence stared up at Alec, her eyes unfocused like she’d taken a drug. Dragging her off Lloyd had been harder than he’d thought it would be. He’d have to remember never to underestimate her again.
Alec snapped his fingers in front of her eyes. The last two times she hadn’t responded but this time she blinked rapidly like she was waking up.
“I feel kind of strange.”
He laughed, sitting down next to her on the coach. “Strange will be the new normal for you.”
“I feel like I drank too much.”
Her skin was soft and felt warm, a side effect from the feeding. He stroked the side of her face. He’d almost killed Lloyd when she petted him. Alec had never seen that before. A vampire petting the man she was going to eat? “You kind of did. You took more than you needed. Lloyd will be anemic for a few days. He’s on iron. He’ll be okay.” Alec would see to it. “Too much blood, we get punchy. The more we drink, the more we want, the more careless we get. The more we are likely to kill.”
Her face fell. “I don’t want to, not now. But I kind of did then.”
“You didn’t.” He wished he could make this okay. There really wasn’t a way to.
She raised her eyebrows. “Because you were there.”
“Then let’s be glad I was. Ironically, it was the vampire I killed tonight who taught me how to control myself. I’ll use his lessons to teach you.”
She rose to her knees, her blond hair falling in front of her face for a second. “Do you regret it?”
“I regret nothing. I don’t have that kind of soul left. I don’t regret killing and I don’t feel bad about changing you, although perhaps I should.” He searched deep inside of himself. Where was the guilt that should be there? Was he truly that lost?
Essence touched his shirt, right above his heart. It beat, thanks to the blood he still had in his body. “Maybe if I wasn’t a vampire I would blame you. I feel none of that. Looks like I have also lost regret.”
She climbed onto his lap, straddling him. He sucked in his breath. What was this? “There has to be blood for us to be intimate. Is that right?”
“Not necessarily always but for us, the act of sex will always be wrapped up in blood in some way. If that’s what you want. You’re sitting on my lap, so let’s assume you do.” He rambled like he hadn’t done this many times over the centuries. For some reason, it felt new. Well, he knew the reason. But maybe better not to dwell. “It could be a lead up to blood or after.”
“I have to tell you something. I’ve never had sex.” She looked down like she’d delivered a blow, when just the opposite was true. Could that actually be true? In all of the dark nights, was it possible she would only be his?
He leaned his head down onto her shoulder. “You should have had human boyfriends. Roses—oh, wait, you don’t like those. Wine. Dinner. Dancing. Instead, you had two dates with me.”
“Again. I have no regrets. Maybe I can’t. But I do want you, Alec and I think you want me.”
Without a doubt, he craved her. As he’d told her, the act was going to require some blood. “Bite me, and I’ll show you how much.”
Her fangs came down, her eyes opening as they did as though she couldn’t quite believe the sensation. Her tongue rolled out, touching the tips. It was the sexiest thing he’d ever seen. She leaned forward stroking his shirt. With steady hands, she undid his buttons. Essence transfixed him. He’d never expected to have this.
She raised her eyes. They were clear. The vampire didn’t drive her. With that hot as hell tongue, she licked his chest. He shuddered. A second later, she bit down. His cock hardened instantly, to the point of pain.