“That’s… very kind and thoughtful of you,” I said carefully.

“I’m sorry I called you a monster and that I pushed you away,” she said.

I chuckled. “So you’re apologizing to me first?”

She raised her eyebrows. “Yes, I was the one in the wrong. What could you have to be sorry for?”

“A lot of things; the fact that I scared you by showing you my harsher side so suddenly, that I never talked to you about my past actions, that I left you to decide all alone whether or not the rumors about me in vampire society were the truth. A lot of anguish could have been avoided if we had just communicated better,” I said.

She nodded. “That’s true. Communication is key in a relationship.”

“I want our marriage to be a real relationship, not just a… deal, as you called it; a blood transaction.”

Grace smiled. “So do I.”

“That’s why there’s something more I need to tell you,” I continued before I could get cold feet. “In the weeks I’ve known you, I have fallen in love with you, Grace. I love your curiosity, your drive to better yourself. I love how you treat me with care and warmth. I want to be with you forever.”

Grace gasped, putting her hand to her lips.

I rose up on the bed, carefully testing whether my body worked properly. There seemed to be no sign of the wound I’d had in my chest. My body had completely healed.

Grace blushed, and I heard her heart beating quickly. Her blood shimmered in her veins; a lovely sound I had grown to associate with her and her alone.

“I…” She spoke up. “I love you too, Silas. I love how kind you are to me, how much patience you have. I love… being intimate with you, being in your arms. I love it when you bite me, even though I never thought I would,” she chuckled. “With you I feel complete. I thought I would lose you, but I’m glad you’re with me now and safe.”

My eyes widened. “You… love me?” I repeated her words.

“Yes, I do,” she said, a warm smile on her lips.

“Even… despite the fact that I’m… a cold-blooded killer?”

“I love you the way you are,” she confirmed.

I leaned down to her and captured her lips with my mouth. I kissed her gently because she was the most precious person to me in the world. I licked her lower lip, asking for entrance. She opened her mouth, and I put my tongue inside. Our tongues danced with each other. The kiss turned heated.

My hands went to her hair, touching her scalp.

We continued kissing until she was out of breath.

When we broke apart, we gazed into each other’s eyes.

“Sit on top of me?” I asked her.

“You want me to…” She asked, unsure.

“To ride me,” I gave her a wicked smile.

She blushed an even deeper red but nodded.

Grace helped me out of my pants then undressed herself. She looked so pretty with her skin flushed red from embarrassment. I didn’t need long to get hard. When it came to Grace, I was always ready for her.

Grace positioned herself on top of me, and I laid back down. She carefully placed her pussy on my cock and pushed herself down on me until I was halfway inside of her.

“Fuck,” she moaned.

I groaned in response. “You’re so tight.”

“We haven’t been intimate for a while,” she said.