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Feeling the heavy weight of Viper’s gaze she at last heaved a sigh

"I’ve never had anyone askbefore"

"Ah" She felt hiht he meant to draw her into his arms No way She didn’t want his pity Not when she was so vulnerable that shewould that be?

He made no effort to touch her, however, and instead he reached to grab the brush that had been left on the nightstand beside the bed Only when she warily relaxed did he settle hih the waist-length tangle of her hair

"You said yourvoice in the back of her head told her totouch was far too intimate, far too pleasurable

Unfortunately, her o," she rimaced There were those de able tothe human world without detection Many of them without a drop ofh She would have done anything to please herbrush strokes never hesitated "You look hu on her cheeks She never spoke of her past Not to anyone But with the peaceful silence surrounding them, and the tender stroke of the brush she found the words tu past her lips before she could halt thee as a mortal My mother was forced to move us frorowing older as I should be" The h her heart

"A difficulty, for certain, but not insurth and swiftness were There is nothing human about them"

He lifted another section of hair to pull the brash through "The other children were afraid of you?"

"Yes"

"They can be very cruel"

Shay clenched her hands in her lap "Not as cruel as their parents Over the years we had our houses burned, stones thrown at us, and priests trying to exorcise the devil fro of half-wits hauledine their surprise when I ca silence, as if Viper were brooding upon her soft words His touch re frustration that se

"Why didn’t your mother seek out help fronoring the tug on her hair as the strands remained firmly held in his hands "My father had already beento keep me hidden from demons"

His eyes darkened, as if he didn’t want to be reminded she had every reason to hate vaiven you sanctuary Not all are vicious animals"

"My mother was hu her eyes filled with tears "And neither did I"

The brush abruptly dropped from his hands as he cupped her face in his hands

"Shay"

Chapter Eight

Shay forgot how to breathe as she watched Viper lower his head

Heher ample opportunity to say no For a heartbeat she stiffened and he hovered over her lips, not touching as he waited for her to push hi to re her with such care, a vampire ned her as if she were a piece of property, her body remained stubbornly indifferent to common sense

She needed his touch No, she craved his touch

The taste of his lips The press of his skin to her own The caress of his hands on her breasts

She had never understood hooman could allow herself to be seduced Either you decided you wanted to have sex with someone, or you didn’t

In this moment, however, she understood the power of simple lust The stark need to touch and be touched, no ht whisper

"You must tell me yes, pet," hemy promise You must tell me you want this"

His voice should have jerked her back to awareness Back to soh her like a fine whiskey

And just as intoxicating

"Yes"

He caught the word before it ever left her lips, i her h her blood She was prepared for pleasure, but the sheer power of it caught her off guard

Oh, yes, this was precisely what she needed What her body had ached for since she had first caught sight of Viper all those weeks ago