Page 29 (2/2)

To his aht, without doubt "Yes"

He shook his head "You don't knohat you're saying"

"I want you," she said, surprised by her own boldness "No mortal man will ever fully accept me for what I am Even John Linder, who professed to love ick But you… " She shrugged, a half-s over her lips "You understand"

"But you don't"

"What do you mean?"

"You've not seen what I truly arowl "You have no idea of what I really am"

"Show me, then"

He lifted one brow "Are you sure you want to know?"

She sed hard, and then nodded "Show er rise within hithen in response to the scent of her blood, knew his eyes had taken on an unholy glow

He clenched his hands at his sides to keep fro for her

She stared up at hiled horror and fascination

"Is this what you wanted to see?" he asked, his voice harsh as he waited for her to run screaht," she admitted, a faint quiver in her voice

"Then why aren't you afraid?"

"I aht down the beast within hian" He had seen fear in her eyes many times before with much less reason, and nohen he stood before her, his true self bared to her gaze, she claimed to be unafraid

" 'Tis hard to be afraid of thebut kindness You may appear to be a monster, but I have seen the man beneath"

"I am not a esture "You may not think of yourself as a , she closed the distance between the with fire, Brenna Flanagan," he warned "Fire far erous than the fla on her tiptoes, she wrapped her arms firmly around his neck "Kiss me, my lord vampire"

How could he refuse? Her lips arht with expectation, and her body… he could feel the heat of her brsts against his chest, the length of her thigh against his own With a lol, he slid his arm around her waist, bent his head, and claimed her lips with his

It was just a kiss, yet fire burned through hi darkness in his soul, made him believe, if only for that moment, that he didn't have to spend the rest of his existence alone

She was breathless when he released her He tried to take a step back, but her arms were still around his neck

"Have you ever been with a man before?" he asked

"Of course I… " Her voice trailed off, her eyes widening, as she perceived hisher hands in his, he took a step backward On some deep inner level, he had known that she was still a h, he brushed a lock of hair behind her ear "I think we'd better stop this, now"

A soft sound of protest rose in her throat as she leaned into hi itself to his