Page 30 of Blood Bonds

“Why?” I asked, unable to help myself.

“Are they not thought to be wild, blood sucking monsters?” he asked, making me laugh this time.

“Not in the books I read, no.”

He raised a brow in question, so I put down my empty cup and told him, “Blood sucking, yes, monsters, no. In fact, they are usually the hero of the story.”

Of course, I now knew about the blood sucking part far more intimately than I would have liked and, Jesus, why was I even talking about this? It was like opening a bloody can of worms. Upon hearing this, he cocked his head slightly to the side as if what I had said was surprising. But once I started, it was like I just couldn’t stop…

“They are fierce and often frightening but the romantic side is what I like. The way a character can turn the complete opposite as soon as they meet their love interest. How protective they are and how gentle they can be with the heroine, when with others they are not. I think take out the blood sucking element and it’s what every woman wants at heart.”

He was shocked enough to jerk back a fraction.

“And what is that?” he asked incredulously, and I released a breathy sigh before I continued to tell him my thoughts.

“The proof that their love has the power to change someone for the better.”

Again, his eyes widened before narrowing enough to make him look lost in thought, as if what I said had struck a chord deep within him.

“And this is truly what a woman wants?” he asked as if needing it clarified once more.

“With the right man, yes. To know they matter and bring out the best in a person, not the worst. Of course, I am no expertbecause it is yet to happen to me personally, but I do think that it is one of the main reasons that women love these type of books… that and the sex.”

I winked at him, wondering where the hell my bravery in flirting had just come from. It was as if the old me was peeking up at this handsome stranger as he beckoned it out from within its hiding place. Of course, his reaction was the same as usual, his eyes widened in surprise before he burst out laughing.

“You surprise me yet again.”

“Something that I see rarely happens… perhaps you’re dating the wrong women and Vampire novels are where it’s at… of course, you know what this means, don’t you?” I was happy when he started to play along.

“What is that?”

“Book clubs! Yes, that is where you need to find women to date.”

His lips quirked and he was quick to ask, “And which book club may I find you part of?”

Now this made me really blush, but because I didn’t want our banter to end, I told him, “Sorry, no book club for me.”

“Then perhaps I will need to look elsewhere after all… say, a bookstore in the Fulton Market Building?”

Again, my cheeks felt far too hot, embarrassed by the knowledge that my skin was most likely showing it.

“Have dinner with me,” he said, dropping the game now and getting straight to the point of what he wanted. My heart skipped a beat.

“I…”

“Tomorrow night,” he added before I could protest again about this evening.

I wanted to have dinner with him, of course I did. I would be insane if I didn’t. But I was still so guarded with men after my last relationship, and I knew that Victor was the type of man Icould really fall for. Harder than ever before, which would mean he would have even more power to destroy me.

But even as I opened my mouth to tell him no, he lifted up my hand, bringing the inside of my wrist to his nose and breathing me in deep. His eyes with their flecks of amber looking up from my skin were penetrating me with his dark gaze.

“Say yes to me,” he said boldly, and for some insane reason I did just that.

“Yes.”

He hummed in pleasure, a deep sound like a lion’s purr.

“Good girl,” he then praised, and my insides did a back flip, while my sex would have started panting had it the ability to do so.

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