Page 112 of Filthy Rich Vampires: For Eternity

An emotion I had never felt before. An emotion that could only be coming from him. An emotion that shook me to my very core.

CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE

THEA

“What is it?” I demanded again. I grabbed the straps of my dress and yanked it back up to cover myself, suddenly feeling too exposed under his awestruck gaze. Wiggling, I tried to untangle myself from him, but his arms snaked around me and held me firmly in place.

His tongue licked slowly over his lip as he shook his head. “I’m not sure. It’s just...”

But his emotions pounded inside me, overwhelming me to the point that I thought I might burst. I placed my palm on my chest as I tried to catch my breath. Normally, our hearts beat at the same rate. His slightly fast for a vampire, and mine was much slower than a typical mortal. Right now, it felt like my heart was trying to escape. Could a vampire have a heart attack? Was that a thing? Did I need to be worried?

Julian covered the hand on my chest with his own and took a deep, unsteady breath. “You taste...different.”

“Different?” I repeated, my eyebrows jumping up. “Different bad or different good?”

“Different,” he echoed.

“That’s helpful,” I snapped, now feeling more vulnerable than ever. I had no idea why, or what it was about his reaction that spooked me. Pulling out of his arms, I scrambled to my feet. But as soon as I took one step in the sand, I lost my balance and careened forward. Julian caught me before I landed face-first on the beach.

“Careful,” he said uneasily as he shoved his cock back into his pants. “I think you should sit down.”

I didn’t move. “Tell me what you mean by different.”

“It’s probably my imagination.” He shrugged, taking one cautious step toward me like I was about to bolt.

“You’re acting weird.” I crossed my arms over my chest. “And that is not in my imagination.”

We locked eyes in the soft, silvery moonlight. As Julian’s gaze shifted from dark to his usual bright blue, he continued to study me. His expression had a knowing wonder about it that was making me more uneasy by the second. Neither of us spoke for what felt like an eternity, and then, I slowly turned away.

He was at my side instantly. “Where are you going?”

“To clean up. Is that allowed?”

“I should go with you.”

“To the bathroom?” Okay, what was going on? He hadn’t acted this off since the night we’d met in San Francisco. That night I’d thought he was crazy.

“You don’t know where it is,” he pointed out.

He had me there. I flourished a hand toward the path we’d taken to the beach. “Tell me.”

“Actually, it’s this way.” He pointed to another path that led through the beach grass. This one wasn’t strewn with rose petals. It felt like a sign the romantic portion of the evening was over. Julian gestured toward it, and I sighed as I started in the other direction.

He walked beside me, his gaze darting between me and the path ahead and occasionally over his shoulder at the beach we’d just left. As we walked, his hand coasted over the small of my back protectively.

“I thought this island was safe,” I said softly.

“What?” His eyebrows knitted together. “It is.”

“Is it?” I stopped and turned on him. “Because you look like you’re going to jump out of your skin. Is there something to be worried about, or is it because I taste different?” I still didn’t know what that was supposed to mean.

He opened his mouth to answer and closed it again, shaking his head. “It’s probably nothing. Let’s get you cleaned up.”

My stomach dropped, and more of that strange, new emotion flowed through me. Did he just not want to tell me the truth? Still? Taking a breath to steady myself, I nodded and walked faster before he saw the tears threatening to spill down my cheeks. I wasn’t sure if the confusion inside me was his or my own, but the hurt I felt? That definitely belonged to me.

We were supposed to be on holiday, free from the drama waiting for us in Venice, safe from the threat of rival vampires. But here we were, making new problems all by ourselves.

“Careful. Watch your step,” he urged me as the grassy dune rose higher. I was glad I’d left my shoes behind on the beach as my toes sought purchase in the shifting sand. “Why don’t I carry you?”

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